Christmas is Over, Back to Work Everyone!

Christmas is over, Audient is blogging once again, and I am sitting behind my desk waiting for the next "big event."

Christmas saw the return of Union Workers to their jobs, it saw me getting a picture taken with Bill and his Wife Gates and receiving some yummy coffee!

Thank you to all of you who made my Christmas memorable...most notably, Amy - because I am really trying to stay on her good side through the new year.

Also, I pledge to improve my blogging skills throughout the new year, as I received (or bought is a better term) a new IMac G5...I have gone to the white side. Once I get the hang of this, I should be able to create some fun stuff - but then again maybe I will get fired and not be able to pay for electricity and thus be without a computer.

The War May Be Over

Well, it looks like the threat of throwing the Union Leader, freezing all of the MTA Union workers bank accounts, and threatening to throw the workers themselves in jail has just about worked.

The latest reports have it that the negotiations will continue while the Union workers return to work and at last the city can return to normal. It will be interesting to see what happens, but I hope that this does not happen again as long as I live in the city.

I am not a woman

According to Kate Ann Brennan's blog, thanks, I am not a woman but in fact a staff toting man with white hair who wears a dress.

Another Day Another $4

The City of New York has created contingency plans to help "strap hangers" adjust to life in the city without subways and busses. That contingency plan includes gouging the commuters, who have no choice but to pay to get to work - just to make enough money to pay to get home. It is a ridiculous cycle. However, luckily my ride is not as horrid. It is a pain, but I can imagine having it worse.

Luckily my secretary, Mary - the one who hosted my mother and I on Thanksgiving, agreed to allow me to stay at her home out in Queens. She has to commute just like me, but she has a car. So last night we took the LIRR (Long Island Railroad - $4 each way compared to $2 each way on the subway) for a 25 minute ride out to her neighborhood. Keep in mind that the train station is 15 minutes from her home, compared to a 2 minute walk from the subway. This still sounds like a good idea, but then you realize that there are 50,000 people all trying to take the same trains that you are. Those of you who know about NYers, you know that NYers do not like to wait - they like to PUSH! So imagine being in the center when all the people move - you are going wherever they go.

However, like I said at the outset, I could have it worse. Had Mary not agreed to host me for the foreseeable future, I would have had to walk 40 blocks to the 59 Street Bridge (at 6:00am), then walk across the bridge to Manhattan and then another 24 blocks to work. It would not have been fun.

The TWU Union is BRILLIANT!

I think that it is a brilliant idea to shut down the subway. I think that it is a brilliant idea to prevent people from being able to get to work. I think that it is brilliant to take advantage of the system and break the law.

The picture on the right is of my street (Madison Ave) looking towards the Bronx. This picture was taken at the intersection of 38th and Madison. Normally there is traffic up and down with no place to go. However, on this day (at 12:00pm nonetheless) there is nothing but a postal car, people walking in the road, and rollerblading. Maybe this strike thing isn't all that bad at all! I was able to get a lot more work done today because there was no noise.



This is a view down Madison Ave towards Manhattan. As you can see, the police are at every intersection preventing people from driving down Madison Ave. What a great idea!

Last I heard, the Union has offered 3, 4, 31/2 percent raises (annually) for each of the next 3 years. In addition, they are asking that new hires pay 6% of their salary to the pension plan (2% is required right now). In addition, the MTA has agreed to give MLK day as a paid holiday and also to keep retirement at 55 years of age.
For current MTA workers, this will result in NO CHANGE! Oh yeah, in addition, the Union wants less numbers of disciplinary proceedings brought against its members. It will only effect new hires. However, the Union NOW wants 4, 4, 4 raises, the retirement age lowered to 50 and no more money added to the pensions. WTF!

I must say that I would love the idea of retiring at 55 or 50! I would work 5 days a week, 40 hours a week, make 40k with full benefits and never having to worry about being fired in return for a pension...then I would go to law school and start my 2nd career.

I know I know that I am not pro-union, but come on! This is not fair bargaining. You can say what you want about Unions and about Management. The reality of the situation here is that the Union is breaking the law (The Taylor Law) and hurting those people who are struggling the most to make it here - those of us who commute from one of the boroughs.

My Career: A Woman?

Here is what Christie's Career Test told me:

Your Career Type: Social

You are helpful, friendly, and trustworthy. Your talents lie in teaching, nursing, giving information, and solving social problems. You would make an excellent: Counselor - Dental Hygienist - Librarian Nurse - Parole Officer - Personal Trainer Physical Therapist - Social Worker - Teacher The worst career options for your are realistic careers, like truck driver or farmer.

What's Your Ideal Career?

Jason's Johnson and Kristen's Boobs

I had gym with Jason;

I like Kristen's boobs; and

Rome was big.

So Little Time

Kristen, Dave and Hilary...I am sorry that it has taken so long to update this.

I never thought that anyone actually read this, until Dave pointed it out to me.

So many things have happened, I just figured that I would catch up with everyone around Christmas and New Years. I booked my flight a few weeks back and I will be around Cleveland for Christmas, flying back to New York on Monday and then flying back to Cleveland Friday before New Years. With the low cost of flights, I was able to do pretty well on the price and figured what the heck.

Since last I posted, all sorts of things have gone on. I got sick in the subway, saw a woman being carried off of the subway because she was THAT drunk, and saw a woman's purse get stuck in the subway door and taken down the tunnel. There are also other things that are going on that may require me to leave my "lap of luxery," but I would rather not jinx it.

Also since I last posted, I had the honor of meeting Jason's woman (Bree) and I have subsequently tried to figure out how he could get such a great woman to fall for him - then I remembered what he was like in High School and it all made sense (he has a big penis).

Must go back to work now because the boss is trying to figure out why I am typing so much - since I am supposed to be dictating.

Harry Potter

Well, I stopped across the street last night (at the movie theater) and picked up my ticket for Harry Potter tonight. Although it is an 11:59pm movie and I will be exhausted in court tomorrow, I am definitely looking forward to seeing the movie. The only downfall is that I will not be able to see it with my near and dear friend Kristen. She and I got to see the last release together at the same time when I was loving in Ohio. Now that I am in NYC, there are no Ohioans here to join me.

It will be interesting to see how all of the Harry Potter audience has grown up. I commented on this with Kristen last time that all of the kids who started watching the series many years ago are now in High School and beyond. It is amazing to see how a phenomenon has overtaken an entire generation.

Maybe I can take some pictures in the theater and send them to Kristen and it will just be like we are there together.

I only have to get through a 3 party deposition today, and then not get yelled at by the bossman.

Grandmothers and Guns

I think every grandmother should come included with a gun. What a story. This grandmother shot an intruder: http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4097173

It was in Texas, what do you expect?

Great People on the Subway Part II

The following people were seen within the last week on the subway - what are their stories?

1. 2 Asian people speaking some Asian language both looking at a map and begin to make out. At one of the stops, without ssaying anything the guys gets off of the subway and the door closes. What's their story?

2. An african american man was standing in the corner preaching to a small group of individuals. A white man gets on the train. He is dressed in pretty casual clothes. He walks up to the african american man, shakes his hand, hits his "rock" and walks away. The african american man continues to preach and the white man goes into another train. What's his story?

3. Everyday on the Path Train from Jersey to NYC the same preacher man preaches the same sermon on the same train at the same time. What's his story?

Here is a picture of me with a painting made of poop in the background - SWEET

Books are to People like Dick Cheney is to George on the Apprentice

So now that I am out of school, out of 9 years of higher education, I have begun reading a lot more. I know this is hard to believe, having been through law school and the like, but I feel as if I am reading a lot more now than when I was in Law School. Maybe it is because I am retaining a lot more of the information or maybe it is just that I am enjoying the books now that I have the time to read them.

Since starting to read more I have discovered that many of the characters in the books closely resemble many of my friends. Maybe this is true for everyone, but we all have a Red Queen from "Through the Looking Glass"; we all have a Lyra from "The Golden Compass"; and we all most definately have a Draco Malfoy from "Harry Potter."
So the question is whether we enjoy these books because of the closeness they resemble to the characters in our real life or something else. I dont know the answer, but I will continue to make parallels between the book fantasy world and that of my "real" life.

LEIMUN Halloween 2005

Upon popular demand...here is one of the "lost" pictures from LEIMUN Halloween 2005. Yeah it is scary and yeah you probably have no idea who were are supposed to be anyways, but nevertheless it was fun anyways.

Traffic Court

Got to go to traffic court today to represent my boss's son. He was going a little faster than what he should (+46) in a school zone (hey, he was late for class)!

When I was at court, I experienced something that any non-attorney should be sicked by. While sitting waiting for my client's name to be called, the Judge's clerk asked if there were any other people who were represented by an attorney. Any of those (there were 50 people in the room) who had attorneys were then taken right away (there were 3 of us).

While waiting, the clerk was being very obnoxious to the people and making sure everyone in the room knew that the person was an idiot. Then I get up there with my client, we sit down, and begin small talk about new york city. He wanted to know why I just did not call to take care of this. I told him I enjoyed the ride and he laughed. This is the same guy who was degrading all of the other people in the room.

So then we talk about the case. He looks at my client and tells him that he was going too fast (no crap). Then he said, but because you brought him with you (he looked at me) I will be able to help you. Then he looked at me and I told the sad story of my client and how he had been warned by his teacher before about being late. Then the guy looks at me, my client is facing 11 points - resulting in his license being suspended and a $600 fine) and says, I cannot get rid of the entire ticket, but I can get this down where his license is not taken away. So we work out a deal, sign the papers, and are out of there.

So here is the thing...If a normal person does not know an attorney or cannot afford an attorney, they are screwed? I mean, I am happy that I am an attorney and I know what needs to be done and what does not, but what about all of the rest of the people?

Oh, and when I went to file the papers, the woman behind the counter asked me if I specialized in Traffic Law. I told her no, but I do specialize in Personal Injury - then I gave her some cards and she was going to give them out to her friends...good god...I AM THAT PERSON!

Hurt Feelings?

You ever been in a situation where a group of your friends were all meeting to celebrate an important ocassion and you were not invited? You ever been in a situation where you thought you were someone's friend, but then you come to find out that that person does not look upon you the same way? How awkward!

I found out a few weeks ago that a friend of mine, or so I thought they were a friend of mine, was having a dinner party to celebrate the "hopeful" engagement to his girlfriend. At first this did not bother me, but then I started hearing about all the other people who were invited to this special occasion (all of which were good friends of mine). How awkward!

But then I also started hearing about the people who were not invited, people who I thought were good friends of this persons' and then I realized that the person is not good at letting things go - but can any of us say that we are truly good at it?

I think that it bothers me the most that I will not be there when this person celebrates a wonderful day. Although I will see him next week, it just will not be the same.

But that is life.

Cell-Phone Bravery

Cell-Phone Bravery
Those of you who know me know that I get very angry when someone is talking on their cell phone and not paying attention. When I lived elsewhere and drove to and from places, this anger was because people were too busy with their conversations to realize that they were not paying attention. Now that I no longer drive and spend my transportation time on foot, I always get angry when someone is talking loudly on the phone, walking slow while on the phone, or just not watching where they are going because they are talking on the phone. However, there are many people who do seem to talk on their phone and walk at the same time (very similar to drummers who can chew gum and march at the same time - really it can be done).

Drivers in New York are horrid! Those of you who have experienced it can attest that no matter what a walker is doing, the driver always thinks they have the right away. This usually takes on the form of the typical driver who honks. Why do they honk? When someone honks at me, it startles me, slows me down, and it takes longer for a car to make a turn. But the real question is why do drivers think that they have the right away to make a turn when the walk light says that the pedestrian can walk?

Case in point: Last week I was walking from my apartment in Astoria to the local Blockbuster a few blocks away. During my trip I was talking on my cell phone, trying to get caught up on last minute conference details, when I came upon Broadway. The light was green, which meant that I did not have the go ahead to walk. I waited until the walk signal changed (still talking on the phone). Then the light changed and I started to walk. While I was walking a woman in a van began making a left turn into me. I was not walking slow, just a normal pace. The woman was a foot from my legs when I turned to her and looked at her. Then I kept walking across the street. She proceeded to roll down her window and yell at me: "Maybe if you got off your g-damn phone you could walk." So, I responded, as any person in the right would, "Maybe if you lost some weight you could walk." Well this did not make her happy - she started yelling further words out her window: "You should come over here and I will show you who is fat you a**hole." My response, of course, "Whatever bi*ch." Now keep in mind that this all took place over the course of 30 seconds. I had not idea what came over me, and neither did the 50 or so people standing around.

I kept walking, and talking, and then went into Blockbuster - where they did not have the game I was looking for - left and went back home (all the time continuing to talk on my phone).

So I ask you, why is the sky blue?

Terrorist Attack on Sunday

SO I have heard from Grandma, Uncle Ned, and Mom about my thoughts on the "terrorist" attacks that may or may not happened on Sunday. They all want to know if I am planning on using the subway on Sunday. My response to them is - YES!
See, every Sunday I go into the city to watch the Cleveland Browns play. Living in Queens, I only get to see NY Giants and NJ Jets...No Browns games. So I guess it comes down to whether or not watching the Cleveland Browns is worth risking a terrorist attack. With the Cleveland Indians done, I MUST have something to look forward to.
Seriously, though...All of this talk of terrorism is crazy. It is not going to make me, or anyone for that matter, change what I can and cannot do. I spoke about this in the past, but to change the things that you do just because of a "threat" is a form of giving in. So I will do what I must tomorrow and watch the Browns beat the Bears.

Go BROWNS!

Katie Holmes - Say it aint so!

I Used to Like Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes has a "bun in the oven." This is what I read on the way to work this morning on the subway. What the heck is going on? Does anyone else think that Ms. Holmes is so totally brainwashed that she has NO Idea what is going on? Or do you really think that they are in love and will happily ever after?

According to People.com, Tom Cruise's fiancée, Katie Holmes, is pregnant with the couple's child, Cruise's spokesperson, Lee Anne DeVette, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"Tom and Katie are very excited, and the entire family is very excited," says DeVette.
Cruise, who has two children, Connor, 10, and Isabella, 12, with ex-wife Nicole Kidman, began dating Holmes in mid-April. He proposed to her atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris in June. DeVette says there is no wedding date set.

DeVette would not comment on the baby's gender or say how far along the pregnancy is. The rep did say that Holmes, 26, "has never felt better."

Cruise, 43, is currently shooting Mission: Impossible 3 in Los Angeles.

COME ON! Can't you just picture Tom persuading Katie to get knocked up? "Come on Katie, it will be good for your career! "

Ohio native, and "good" catholic girl - what happened???

Movies, Moving Out and those DAMN INDIANS!

The neighbor next door moved out last weekend. She had been there for four years. Little did I know that there would be workers in the apartment bright and early Saturday morning. What do I mean by "bright and early?" 7:30am is what I mean. At least it was the same time that I normally wake up, so I guess that is something. The pounding continued throughout the day, with my finally deciding that I could take no more. So as a result I walked across the street and saw a 1:35 movie - Serenity.

For those of you who have been paying attention to the Indians, you know that they were playing Saturday and Sunday for a possible spot in the Playoffs. For those of you who have been paying attention, you will also know that the Indians lost on Friday, which made Saturday all that more important. However, because of the crappy television in New York, only the Yankees were being shown on television. So rather than sitting at home, with the pounding next door, and watching the updates on the internet, I thought that it would be okay to see a movie.

Serenity was one of the BEST movies I have EVER seen! Now I was a HUGE fan of the quickly cancelled series on FOX, but I had no idea that Joss Weadon would do such a great job taking his ideas to the screen. There has been a lot of talk about how this will be the "new" starwars, but I am not saying that much. What I am saying is that this was an enjoyable movie with great special effects and a lot of dialogue that will make you laugh. At the end of the movie, people actually clapped! It was that good.

What a Week!

Ever since I put "Pronk" on my desk, he has been on FIRE! It is great. I am taking complete credit for the Indians continued success. You are all very welcome.

It has been a busy week full of little adventure and excitement.

On Monday Larry gave me his tickets to the Yankees game. It was a great game, with them winning in the bottom of the 9th with a homerun. By that point, Cleveland was winning so I was feeling pretty confident. Michael kept me up to date on the score throughout the entire game (thanks to him texting me - Thanks Michael). It was an exciting game, but I was rooting for Baltimore to win the game - that was too much to ask!

Yankees Have the WORST Fans
I discovered that New York has the WORST fans! For example, there was a man sitting a few rows behind me who was clearly a Yankees fan but who, for some reason or another, enjoyed making fun of other Yankees fans. He was clearly drunk (or at least I hope that is not how he looks when he is sober) and seemed to think that he was really clever calling people names. His two favorite names were: "Bumble Bee" and "Santa Claus".

When someone would stand up, blocking his view, he would tell them to sit down (followed by one of the aforementioned names). As the game went on he even began calling players on the Baltimore Team by those names and by the 8th inning, when A-Rod failed to get a hit, he called him a Bumble Bee. It would have been more amusing if I was not paying $8.00 for a plastic bottle of Coors. I actually have no idea who the person is in the picture above, but that is what you get for having your pictures online for EVERYONE to see!

Rest of the week was pretty busy, having to go to court each day - but thats what I get paid for.

Now it is Friday, the Yankees are in first place and the White Sox are barely ahead of the Indians. Larry is happy with this turn of events, although I would love it if the Yankees did not make it. I kind of hope that the Indians play the Yankees. That way I can walk around town with my Indians jersey and get bad looks!

Verizon can Go to Hell
I finally got Verizon to agree that their service was not working for me. They cancelled it and promised to send me a prepaid postage sheet so I can send the modem I have back. I called them yesterday and they explained that I did not have to send the modem back because it was refurbished and out of the warranty date. However, they also told me that they could not remove the 1 month of service that I was charged for. Their policy is to credit the account. When I cancelled the phone service and explained that a credit is useless to me, the woman on the phone finally "got it."

Tomorrow is cable day and they should be there between 8am and 12pm to install the cable modem - wow it will be great to have internet at home.

Stephen A. Smith
Those of you who are ESPN fans will know the name. He hosts a live show on weekdays on ESPN2 where he interviews people. Next monday he will be interviewing Jim Brown from the Cleveland Browns and I just scored a ticket. So it will be taped next Monday and I will be sure to let you know when it will be aired.

Travis Hafner - Bobble Head

Today I brought in the Travis Hafner Bobble Head. It marks a momentous day in history when an Indians' player shall stand on the desk of a New York Attorney. I only did it because I wanted to see the look on my bosses face. As of right now he has not seen it, but it is early.

The Browns won, the Indians swept the Royals and the OSU Buckeyes won. What a weekend for Ohio! Way to Go Ohio (heard that once in a song).

First Multi-Party Deposition

Well, I get my first multi-party deposition today. A slip and fall case. Plaintiff goes first and then the Defendant. Should be interesting.

Larry looked over my first Deposition and told me that he was happy (he refuses to use the word impressed) because I did not screw it up and it was okay for my first time. He made sure that I knew there were questions that he would have asked to get more out of it - but for my first time it was fine.

I booked my flight for the MUN conference - hopefully it will be one of my last MUN conferences. The pleasant thing was that the ticket was only $138 (including tax). I thought that airlines were raising their fees!

Went to McSorleys last night. It was great! It is the oldest Pub in the city - smelled like 150 year old beer.

The Indians are on a Roll/My New Pen Pal: Mark Schwab

How about those Indians! I love the fact that I am in NYC and the Indians are 1 game ahead of them in the Wild Card race. Good times!

For those of you who remember, I went to Spring Training this Summer in Winterhaven, FL. While there I had the opportunity to talk with Mark Schwab, he is one of the sports guys on 1100 WTAM. When I was there Schwab and I spoke to Jake Westbrook on the radio (live) and I was telling Jake that I need him to get 20 wins for my fantasy team. Well, it is a few months later and he only has 15 wins. So I sent Schwab an email yesterday and told him about my situation in NYC - I am the only person here who likes the Indians and hates the Yankees.

I told him that my boss (Larry - see blog a few posts ago) used to walk in my office and say hello. Now, he walks in, sees the Indians hat on my desk, shakes his head and walks away. Then there is Victor. He has begun only speaking to me if the Indians do not win the night before. And when the Indians do not win he always starts the conversation with: "See I told you they are not going to make it into the playoffs - sorry." But since the Indians have been winning a lot lately, Victor no longer talks to me -which is fine because he really does not have all that much to say.

So anyways, I emailed Schwab and he emailed me back saying that my stories are hilarious (must be a slow night at the Jake) and I should call in sometime. I doubt that I will, but who knows - back to work!

GO TRIBE!

What about the Nearby towns and the Old people?

Here is one for all of you "blamers."

One of the nearby towns by New Orleans closed down its main road shortly before the storm hit for fear of people from New Orleans entering the town and causing destruction. The police chief actually said that if he would have allowed people into the town it would now look like New Orleans - ravaged, pillaged, and a war zone. This prevented people from leaving New Orleans. Was this decision by a local government wrong?

A nearby old citizen's home was found the other day with 100 senior citizens dead in their beds. Seems that the workers left all of the old people behind. I guess they were thinking "survival of the fittest."

There are a lot of local decisions that were made in this case, most of which had nothing to do with the Federal Government - yet people always blame the top guy. The buck does stop there, but how can it always stop there even when he has nothing to do with it.

As Rush says: The Federal Government is a bureaucracy...Where did this expectation of excellence come from?

The other thing to keep in mind is that when there were 4 storms in Florida last year there was NO issues of riots. People lost their homes. People lost their lives. People survived. The reality is that there was no complaining about FEMA. Why is this one so different? Because of how HUGE it was.

Who is to be blamed part II

Interesting article on the subject. Basically you can blame Bush for cutting the funding to New Orleans, but even with full funding the Army Corps of Engineers says that the levee program would have only held up to a Category 3.

Original Article from FactCheck.org: http://www.factcheck.org/article344.html September 2, 2005

Is Bush to Blame for New Orleans Flooding?

He did slash funding for levee projects. But the Army Corps of Engineers says Katrina was just too strong. September 2, 2005 Modified: September 2, 2005 Summary Some critics are suggesting President Bush was as least partly responsible for the flooding in New Orleans. In a widely quoted opinion piece, former Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal says that "the damage wrought by the hurricane may not entirely be the result of an act of nature," and cites years of reduced funding for federal flood-control projects around New Orleans. Our fact-checking confirms that Bush indeed cut funding for projects specifically designed to strengthen levees. Indeed, local officials had been complaining about that for years. It is not so clear whether the money Bush cut from levee projects would have made any difference, however, and we're not in a position to judge that. The Army Corps of Engineers – which is under the President's command and has its own reputation to defend – insists that Katrina was just too strong, and that even if the levee project had been completed it was only designed to withstand a category 3 hurricane. Analysis We suspect this subject will get much more attention in Congress and elsewhere in the coming months. Without blaming or absolving Bush, here are the key facts we've been able to establish so far: Bush Cut Funding Blumenthal's much-quoted article in salon.com carried the headline: "No one can say they didn't see it coming." And it said the Bush administration cut flood-control funding "to pay for the Iraq war." He continues: Blumenthal: With its main levee broken, the evacuated city of New Orleans has become part of the Gulf of Mexico . But the damage wrought by the hurricane may not entirely be the result of an act of nature. …By 2003 the federal funding for the flood control project essentially dried up as it was drained into the Iraq war. In 2004, the Bush administration cut funding requested by the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for holding back the waters of Lake Pontchartrain by more than 80 percent. Additional cuts at the beginning of this year…forced the New Orleans district of the Corps to impose a hiring freeze. We can confirm that funding was cut. The project most closely associated with preventing flooding in New Orleans was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hurricane Protection Project, which was “designed to protect residents between Lake Pontchartrain and the Missisippi River levee from surges in Lake Pontchartrain,” according to a fact sheet from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (The fact sheet is dated May 23, long before Katrina). The multi-decade project involved building new levees, enlarging existing levees, and updating other protections like floodwalls. It was scheduled to be completed in 2015. Over at least the past several budget cycles, the Corps has received substantially less money than it requested for the Lake Pontchartrain project, even though Congress restored much of the money the President cut from the amount the Corps requested. In fiscal year 2004, the Corps requested $11 million for the project. The President’s budget allocated $3 million, and Congress furnished $5.5 million. Similarly, in fiscal 2005 the Corps requested $22.5 million, which the President cut to $3.9 million in his budget. Congress increased that to $5.5 million. “This was insufficient to fund new construction contracts,” according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ project fact sheet. The Corps reported that “seven new contracts are being delayed due to lack funds” [sic]. The President proposed $3 million for the project in the budget for fiscal 2006, which begins Oct. 1. “This will be insufficient to fund new construction projects,” the fact sheet stated. It says the Corps “could spend $20 million if funds were provided.” The Corps of Engineers goes on to say: Army Corps of Engineers, May 23: In Orleans Parish, two major pump stations are threatened by hurricane storm surges. Major contracts need to be awarded to provide fronting protection for them. Also, several levees have settled and need to be raised to provide the design protection. The current funding shortfalls in fiscal year 2005 and fiscal year 2006 will prevent the Corps from addressing these pressing needs. The Corps has seen cutbacks beyond those affecting just the Lake Pontchartrain project. The Corps oversees SELA, or the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control project, which Congress authorized after six people died from flooding in May 1995. The Times-Picayune newspaper of New Orleans reported that, overall, the Corps had spent $430 million on flood control and hurricane prevention, with local governments offering more than $50 million toward the project. Nonetheless, "at least $250 million in crucial projects remained," the newspaper said. In the past five years, the amount of money spent on all Corps construction projects in the New Orleans district has declined by 44 percent, according to the New Orleans CityBusiness newspaper, from $147 million in 2001 to $82 million in the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. A long history of complaints Local officials had long complained that funding for hurricane protection projects was inadequate: October 13, 2001: The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that “federal officials are postponing new projects of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Control Program, or SELA, fearing that federal budget constraints and the cost of the war on terrorism may create a financial pinch for the program.” The paper went on to report that “President Bush’s budget proposed $52 million” for SELA in the 2002 fiscal year. The House approved $57 million and the Senate approved $62 million. Still, “the $62 million would be well below the $80 million that corps officials estimate is needed to pay for the next 12 months of construction, as well as design expenses for future projects.” April 24, 2004: The Times-Picayune reported that “less money is available to the Army Corps of Engineers to build levees and water projects in the Missisippi River valley this year and next year.” Meanwhile, an engineer who had direct the Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Study – a study of how to restore coastal wetlands areas in order to provide a bugger from hurricane storm surges – was sent to Iraq "to oversee the restoration of the ‘Garden of Eden’ wetlands at the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,” for which President Bush’s 2005 gave $100 million. June 8, 2004: Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, told the Times-Picayune: Walter Maestri: It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq , and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us. September 22, 2004: The Times-Picayune reported that a pilot study on raising the height of the levees surrounding New Orleans had been completed and generated enough information for a second study necessary to estimate the cost of doing so. The Bush administration “ordered the New Orleans district office” of the Army Corps of Engineers “not to begin any new studies, and the 2005 budget no longer includes the needed money.” June 6, 2005: The New Orleans CityBusiness newspaper reported that the New Orleans district of the Corps was preparing for a $71.2 million reduction in overall funding for the fiscal year beginning in October. That would have been the largest single-year funding loss ever. They noted that money “was so tight" that "the New Orleans district, which employs 1,300 people, instituted a hiring freeze last month on all positions,” which was “the first of its kind in about 10 years.” Would Increased Funding Have Prevented Flooding? Blumenthal implies that increased funding might have helped to prevent the catastrophic flooding that New Orleans now faces. The White House denies that, and the Corps of Engineers says that even the levee project they were working to complete was not designed to withstand a storm of Katrina's force. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, at a press briefing on September 1, dismissed the idea that the President inadequately funded flood control projects in New Orleans : McClellan: Flood control has been a priority of this administration from day one. We have dedicated an additional $300 million over the last few years for flood control in New Orleans and the surrounding area. And if you look at the overall funding levels for the Army Corps of Engineers, they have been slightly above $4.5 billion that has been signed by the President. Q: Local people were asking for more money over the last couple of years. They were quoted in local papers in 2003 and 2004, are saying that they were told by federal officials there wasn't enough money because it was going to Iraq expenditures. McClellan: You might want to talk to General Strock, who is the commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, because I think he's talked to some reporters already and talked about some of these issues. I think some people maybe have tried to make a suggestion or imply that certain funding would have prevented the flooding from happening, and he has essentially said there's been nothing to suggest that whatsoever, and it's been more of a design issue with the levees. We asked the Corps about that “design issue.” David Hewitt, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, said McClellan was referring to the fact that “the levees were designed for a category 3 hurricane.” He told us that, consequently, “when it became apparent that this was a category 5 hurricane, an evacuation of the city was ordered.” (A category 3 storm has sustained winds of no more than 130 miles per hour, while a category 5 storm has winds exceeding 155 miles per hour. Katrina had winds of 160 mph as it approached shore, but later weakened to winds of 140 mph as it made landfall, making it a strong category 4 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.) The levee upgrade project around Lake Pontchartrain was only 60 to 90 percent complete across most areas of New Orleans as of the end of May, according to the Corps' May 23 fact sheet. Still, even if it had been completed, the project's goal was protecting New Orleans from storm surges up to "a fast-moving Category 3 hurricane,” according to the fact sheet. We don't know whether the levees would have done better had the work been completed. But the Corps says that even a completed levee project wasn't designed for the storm that actually occurred. Nobody anticipated breach of the levees? In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on September 1, President Bush said: Bush: I don’t think anyone anticipated breach of the levees …Now we’re having to deal with it, and will. Bush is technically correct that a "breach" wasn't anticipated by the Corps, but that's doesn't mean the flooding wasn't forseen. It was. But the Corps thought it would happen differently, from water washing over the levees, rather than cutting wide breaks in them. Greg Breerword, a deputy district engineer for project management with the Army Corps of Engineers, told the New York Times: Breerword: We knew if it was going to be a Category 5, some levees and some flood walls would be overtopped. We never did think they would actually be breached. And while Bush is also technically correct that the Corps did not "anticipate" a breach – in the sense that they believed it was a likely event – at least some in the Corps thought a breach was a possibility worth examining. According to the Times-Picayune, early in Bush's first term FEMA director Joe Allbaugh ordered a sophisticated computer simulation of what would happen if a category 5 storm hit New Orleans. Joseph Suhayda, an engineer at Louisana State University who worked on the project, described to the newspaper in 2002 what the simulation showed could happen: Subhayda: Another scenario is that some part of the levee would fail. It's not something that's expected. But erosion occurs, and as levees broke, the break will get wider and wider. The water will flow through the city and stop only when it reaches the next higher thing. The most continuous barrier is the south levee, along the river. That's 25 feet high, so you'll see the water pile up on the river levee. Whether or not a "breach" was "anticipated," the fact is that many individuals have been warning for decades about the threat of flooding that a hurricane could pose to a set below sea level and sandwiched between major waterways. A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) report from before September 11, 2001 detailed the three most likely catastrophic disasters that could happen in the United States: a terrorist attack in New York, a strong earthquake in San Francisco, and a hurricane strike in New Orleans. In 2002, New Orleans officials held the simulation of what would happen in a category 5 storm. Walter Maestri, the emergency coordinator of Jefferson Parish in New Orleans , recounted the outcome to PBS’ NOW With Bill Moyers: Maestri, September 2002: Well, when the exercise was completed it was evidence that we were going to lose a lot of people. We changed the name of the [simulated] storm from Delaney to K-Y-A-G-B... kiss your ass goodbye... because anybody who was here as that category five storm came across... was gone. --by Matthew Barge Sources Sidney Blumenthal, “No one can say they didn’t see it coming ,” salon.com, 31 August 2005 Deon Roberts, “Bush budget not expected to diminish New Orleans district’s $65 million,” New Orleans CityBusiness, 07 February 2005 Manuel Torres, “Flood work to slow down; Corps delays new projects,” Times-Picayune, 13 October 2001 Mark Schlefistein, “Corps sees its resources siphoned off; Wetlands restoration officials sent to Iraq ,” Times-Picayune, 24 April 2004 “Mark Schleifstein, “Ivan stirs up wave of safety proposals; Hurricane-proofed stadium is one idea,” Times-Picayune, 22 September 2004 Deon Roberts, “Bush budget not expected to diminish New Orleans district’s $65 million ,” New Orleans CityBusiness, 07 February 2005 Mark Schleifstein, “Bush budget cuts levee, drainage funds; Backlog of contracts waits to be awarded,” Times-Picayune, 08 February 2005 “Bush budget fails to fund flood control in New Orleans ,” New Orleans CityBusiness, 14 February 2005 Deon Roberts, “ New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers faces ,” New Orleans CityBusiness, 06 June 2005 Will Bunch, “Did New Orleans catastrophe have to happen? ‘Times-Picayune’ had repeatedly raised federal spending issues,” Editor & Publisher, 31 August 2005 Toby Eckert, “Could disaster have been prevented?,” Copley News Service, 02 September 2005 Jim VandeHei and Peter Baker, “ Critics say Bush undercut New Orleans flood control ,” Washington Post, 02 September 2005 “The City in a Bowl ,” Transcript, NOW, Public Broadcasting Service, 20 September 2002 Jon Elliston, “ A Disaster Waiting to Happen ,” bestofneworleans.com, 28 September 2004 Scott Shane and Eric Lipton, “ Government saw flood risk but not levee failure ,” New York Times, 02 September 2005 Paul Krugman, “ A can’t-do government ,” New York Times, 02 September 2005 “Lake Pontchartrain, LA and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project, St. Bernard, Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Charles Parishes, LA ,” Project Fact Sheet, US Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District, website, 23 May 2005 “Fiscal Year 2006: Civil Works Budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ,” Department of the Army, February 2005 “Press Briefing by Scott McClellan ,” whitehouse.gov, 01 September 2005 Karen Turni, “Upgrade of levees proposed by corps; gulf outlet levee may be too low, officials worry,” Times-Picayune, 12 November 1998 John McQuaid and Mark Schleifstein, “The big one: A major hurricane could decimate the region, but flooding from even a moderate storm could kill thousands. It’s just a matter of time,” Times-Picayune, 24 June 2002

Who Should Be Blamed for New Orleans?

The Fema Director lied on his resume;
President Bush was too busy with his war in Iraq;
New Orleans officials were too busy trying to keep minorities out of "The Big Easy";
The pumps failed;
The weather sucked;

Who, or what, is to blame? How can we sit here and blame anyone person? It seems to me that there was a lot of crap going on. How do you prioritize something like what happened? How can you say that President Bush could have done something sooner? Would money have solved the problem? Would money have prevented the devastation?

The biggest argument that comes to pass is with the issue of "time." People ask, why did it take so long to send in help? My favorite comment is: "If they were white it wouldn't have taken so much time to get help." Here is the thing. NO ONE knew how bad it was going to get. NO ONE knew that the supporting was going to begin to fall apart under the stress of the storm. NO ONE knew that New Orleans would have faced so much devastation. After the storm was over, help was sent in...but not as quick as some would have liked. But this is reality. There is red tape. As much as was needed to help in the disaster was not available at any one persons fingertips. President Bush does not have the resources to fix the problem himself - Separation of Powers prevents him from doing so.

Who is to blame? NO ONE! This is nothing that could have been prevented. When looked at afterwards should it have been handled differently? Sure...there are millions of ways that it could have been. But to say that people intentionally or maliciously did this - that is just silly. When is the last time before the disaster that you went to New Orleans to offer assistance "just in case" the town flooded? Then you are just as much to blame!

Home For the Weekend

Yes, I still call Ohio home. I live in New York, but still welcome the trip back to Ohio where all my family and friends are.

It was a pleasant weekend. Hils picked me up from the airport on Friday and we went to my moms on Saturday to help with the Crown Molding. Let me assure you, for those of you who did not know, I am DEFINATELY not cut out for the "trades." I attempted to assist my younger brother, who does finishing work for a living, but I failed miserably. I did put in some nails, helped Joshua in any way that I could, and in the end my mom's condo looked great.

Saturday evening I had the pleasure of seeing Michael's house. It is definately a home with some character, although it will be interesting to see if Michaels idea of character wins out over Marquise (I have my dollar on Marquise - haha). Then we went to dinner and it was great. Over drinks Michael told us all the good news that the Bebouts had their baby - so congrats to them!

Sunday was an early day. Woke up at 6am, went to the airport, landed in Newark and then made it to my apartment by 11am. Later that day I had dinner with Monica.

It was an eventfully relaxing weekend. Thank you to all those back home. I only wish that I could have spent some time with Kristen's crew - but I am sure they were off having a good time as well.

Why Do We Do This To Ourselves?

Why do we do it to ourselves?

The High Price of Gas
Everyone is bitching about the high price of gas. Why? Because they have become so dependent on it. People and gas are now like addicts to drugs. We use gas because we are used to using gas. We are used to using gas because it is convenient. The problem is that we, as a society, are not good at adjusting or making compromises. We all want the fancy car. We all want the "decked out" car. We all want the car that turns heads, but we do not want to pay the cost - the shitty gas mileage. Why do we not car pool? What about busses? What about walking? Obviously walking is not going to work for a lot of people, but what about riding a bike? Maybe those people who feel the need to complain about the gas should take a stand and refuse to buy the gas or the next time they want a new car, buy one based on its efficiency rather than the way that it looks.

There is no doubt that I am a hypocrite. I just happen to live in a city where cars are not needed. When I lived in Ohio, I used to drive everyday to work and to school. The difference is that I looked into taking public transportation. I looked into "Laketrain." At the time it was the same price for me to drive all the way downtown as it was to drive to the Laketrain station and leave my car. However, now if I was still in Ohio there is no doubt that the cost-benefit analysis would go the other way. With the current price of gas (with no relief in site) it would be more cost efficient to drive to the Laketrain station and take the public transportation. Having used the public subways in New York City for almost 3 months now, I can tell you that there is NO better place to meet people than on public transportation!

The High Cost of Cable
Similar to the cost of gas, the cost of cable has gotten out of hand! How have be become a society so dependent on cable television for our entertainment that we have no issue with paying $100+ a month. I recently called the cable company to see about getting just Basic Cable and possibly Roadrunner. Little did I know that the woman on the phone would begin to tell me about the "fabulous savings" that you can get by getting cable and internet together. Hearing this, I was excited (as excited as one can get from calling the cable company), so I let her continue. She told me about all the channels, digital this and digital that. Then she told me how the internet was SO much faster with cable. So then I asked her the cost. She said that it would only cost be $150 per month for internet and cable. After picking my chin up from the table, I asked her what basic cable would cost. She told me basic (10 channels) was $50 and Internet was $50. I promptly hung up, called Verizon, and signed up for DSL at $20 per month for the first 4 months and $30 each month after that. Then I plugged my TV into the wall and found out that I got 15 channels for free (not a good signal but it is something to watch nevertheless). Despite the lower cost, I am still waiting for the DSL to work (3 weeks later) but that will be a subject for another day (like the day I get the telephone bill for a service I have yet to be able to use).

So what is the solution? STOP PAYING FOR TV! Go outside! Play a sport! Take a walk! Go visit the Bebouts. Just refuse to pay the high cost. Heck, just go rent a movie with some friends. The only way that things are going to change is if we stop going along with them!

Enough ranting...

My Boss

On popular demand (well really, Christie asked)....here is a picture of my boss:

Success is Measured By Many Methods

Well, I survived! First oral argument. Although I am sure that it was similar to Mr. Bebout's run in with a moving Nyer, I still think that it went pretty well.

Interestingly enough, the room that I had my argument in was the same room that I did a trial competition in a few years back. So when I was sitting in the room, waiting to be called, I had the opportunity to remember back to pleasant times when a paycheck did not matter on your performance - then again that was also a time when no paycheck was given!

Today is a beautiful day. 70s, sun, little breeze - wonderful time to be in New York!

I just found out that I get to go to a Yankees game tomorrow. Nothing like going to a game in the middle of the day, when you are supposed to be working. I was told by my boss that I am NOT to wear any of that "g** damn Indians crap." For those of you who are not aware, the Indians and Yankees are currently tied for the wildcard - nice!

Back to work.

First Oral Argument

Well, I just found out that I get to argue my first motion. I just found out today that it will be tomorrow. The good thing is that I wrote the brief originally. The bad thing is that I have never argued a motion before a NY judge. Should be interesting!

Cleveland RULZ!, Board Members are Lost - STOP THE CRAZINESS

Crazy weekend.

Annual meeting - woo hoo (only rained when we were sleeping or petting the cows: Beeton found a new friend).

Went to the airport on Sunday and my 7:05 flight was delayed until 10pm. 10pm came around and they delayed it until 11:00pm. At 11:00pm I got in line, knowing that they were going to cancel the flight. I was #2 in line when they did. However, the first flight out the next day was not until 7:05pm. So I missed an entire day of work (I have a feeling that I will not get paid for it) but I got to spend the day in H.G.'s dorm room - too bad she was gone all day (yea for smelly carpets).

Also on Monday, I guess we lost a Board member. Rumor has it that she is back, but I have yet to confirm this. So if you can confirm this, please let me know.

Yesterday...worked from 7am until 9pm and then got on a train that broke down (I will never take the R train again). I need a mylanta moment (wait...that isn't right) - Calgon...thats what I need.

Enough complaining! Today is beautiful and I think that I might go to battery park for dinner...woo hoo!

Today is a Non-Terrorist Day in NYC

Well, like the title says, today is a non-terrorist day! The reason? Quite simply, because Jessica Simpson is in town.

No stories about guys relieving themselves on the train (cause that is what he was doing) or anything of the like.

I got off the train this morning and instead of being greeted by Clay Aiken and his HORRID voice, I was greeted by the sweet - er - um - sound of Jessica Simpson. So like any normal male, I stopped and listened. She, er - um - sounded great (and the cowboy boots, short shorts, and low cut shirt didn't hurt at all either).

Man, Girl and Boy, Man, and Girl

It has been an interesting few days. I am always amazed at the diversity on the subway here. I honestly believe that you could spend your entire day riding the subway and trying to figure out everyones stories. For those of you who know me, you know that I love to watch people and attempt to figure them out. So here is what I saw yesterday and today. Can you help me determine what their "stories" are?

1) A Man on the subway car, walked into the middle between 2 cars, stood there for about a minute and a half and then came back into the car and sat with his girlfriend. Hint: There was no smoking involved.

2) 2 young people last night on the subway (approximately 8:30pm). They could not keep their hands off each other. They were standing near the exit of the train and could not stop making out.

3) A Man dressed in a shirt and tie wearing a bright orange smock (like what the subway helpers wear). Normally, however, the subway workers are wearing their blue shirts with the smock. So why was this guy wearing a shirt and tie and the smock?

4) As I passed the Rockefeller station this morning, I saw out of the window and woman on her one knee bent over with her head on the side of one of the benches. She was clearly crying. Eveyone was ignoring her.

So help me out if you would. What were their stories?

Wine with Germans, Subway Searches and HP

Drinking it up with Guys from Germany
Friday night was a blast! Went to a place called the Landmarc. Great wine, great cucumber soup, great wine (did I already say that?). The people I went with were: Cheryl (friend of a friend), her friend Gary, and two of his friends who were pilots from Germany. We talked about differing characteristics between American and German citizens. I learned that when an American tells someone: "take care," which admittedly I do, it means nothing. It is like saying goodbye. To a German person it is an insult. They believe that people should say things from the heart and not use mere puffery. When they say best of luck or good health or take care, they really mean it. If they have just met you and there was "no connection" then they merely say goodbye.

Maybe it is because I was brought up in the mid-west, but when I say "take care" I typically mean for them to take care and not merely puffery. However, I think that it is interesting to see this from another culture.

Still Searching in NY
On Friday, during my LONG subway ride back from Manhattan (took 2 hours to get back) there were a few people on the subway, however, there were no police! Granted, it was 1am, but I guess there is only a concern for the safety of those who are "normal" commuters, and not the rest.

One thing that was noticed is that there are signs in EVERY booth saying that use of the subway may result in you being searched. In addition, on Friday morning there were police with small tables in front of them getting ready to search people. One police officer looked me in the eyes as I walked by, and I was sure that I would get my bag searched (again, they would have seen the 6th Book of Harry Potter and my court schedule - not all that exciting). You can obviously tell by the looks on their faces that they (the police) do not want to be doing this. And you can obviously tell by the comments of the passengers that they do not want you searching their bags. One homeless person (I only say that because he looked as if he was carrying all of his possessions and smelled like someone who is showerly challenged) was going on and on about how he would like to see him search them. It was quite amusing, because although he had a valid point, all that I could think about was Christie and MDB - hahaha.

I try to laugh at this because that is all that we can do. I do not think that they police are really giving people a hard time. I can see how it may turn into that, but for now it is okay. I can see hoe not too far down the road people will begin to have serious issue with this - until then I will just post silly comments about the smell of people.

Harry Potter
I finished it! Finally finished the book last night at 2am. I had no one to talk to about it. I spoke to Hillyg about it, but all she could say was "maybe I will read them now." It was the best one yet. There were times when I had to put the book down because it was so good. Kristen was correct when she told me that the last 1/3 goes by SO fast!

I have noticed that more and more people finally have the book on the subway. Everytime I see someone with the book, I always ask them where they are in the book. It always continues with a good conversation. I met a person yesterday on the way to Philly and who just picked up the book.

Searches In the Subway

Searches in the subway. Now it is a reality. Today people were being stopped when they got to the station. People are being asked to open their bags so the police can look in. Strangely enough, I do not have an issue of this. Granted, I grew up in the mid-west and may be naive, but that is okay.

We are searched when we get on an airplane, when we go into a court house and when we go into a federal or state building. Why wouldn't we be stopped on a subway? It just makes sense to me. The reality is that we could go to work one day, and not come home. That can be said anywhere. To be honest, I do not have a problem with being stopped and asked to look in my bag...All that they will find is a Harry Potter Book and a couple of pens.

What do you think?

Craziness and the Mets

First, one of the things that I have noticed over the last few days (2 to be exact) is that there are a lot more police personnel on the subway. Yesterday there were police on a few of the stops. Today there were police on every stop. Today, there were actually random stops of the subway and police boarding the trains to walk through them. Today was a little weird!

Second, last night I continued my "adventures in NY" by going to Shea Stadium (home of the Mets). This was the first time that I was in a stadium in NY and the first time I ever got to see the Mets. Some of you may know that the Mets were my favorite team growing up, so this was fun. To top it off, we were sitting in the 11th row from the field directly behind the batter's box! If you were able to receive the game, you would have seen me on TV. How did I find myself with such a great tcket you may ask? A friend of a friend worked down the hall from a friend whos brother owns a box (yeah, he owns it - his name is actually on the seats). NY works in strange ways!

Tonight I am hoping to go back home and sleep, clean, organize. I hope to have internet in my apartment this weekend or early next week. This will make things MUCH easier from home.

NY Philharmonic and the Woman from Head of the Class

Yesterday was a CRAZY DAY!

Started in the AM by stopping at Bryant Park. There was a guy named Chris Angel (magician) who submerged himself in a tank of 2000 gallons of water. He was supposed to get out of the tank by 4pm yesterday, but I am not sure if he did. There were ambulance workers (smoking) nearby, so I am sure everything worked out.

Last night I went to central park to the great lawn and saw the NY Philharmonic. I went with a friend who met a friend who had friends there. The interesting part was the one of the friend's friends was the girl from the old sitcom: Head of the Class. She was the redheaded tall girl. She was very nice, but that was the first famous person I have ever met.

Besides that, I have moved into my apartment and I am working on designing a webpage for a few bucks on the side.

I really am alive!

Okay. It has been sometime since I have posted. I am alive - I assure you!

Things that have happened since the last post:

- moved from DC to Ohio;
- moved from Ohio to Newark, NJ;
- got a job offer and accepted it in midtown, NYC;
- good friend got married;
- was in court for the first time by myself;
- found out that a comic strip was written about me some time ago that I never saw; and
- was scratched by a cat named pumpkin (but I also had pumpkin cheesecake that same night, so maybe I deserved it).

Thats all for now - dinner time.

My List of 10

So many stories about list of 10s. 10 best friends, 10 thinkgs about J. William, so I decided to come up with the 10 best list of 10 lists...follow me on this one...so here we go:

10. 10 names to call my "weiner" - Kristen's thoughts, not mine;
9. 10 best careers to do when you cannot find a job as an attorney;
8. 10 favorite people to make strawberry shortcut for (pardon the dangling preposition);
7. 10 favorite place to go to mooch off people when you have no income;
6. 10 favorite people to mooch off of when you have no income;
5. 10 favorite ways to invite yourself into a wedding (this involves wearing a dress);
4. 10 favorite people to model your life after;
3. 10 favorite degrees (I almost have 10 of these);
2. 10 favorite "fake" religions (Ricky Williams is part of one of these - I am going to start one);
1. 10 funniest things that Kristen has sent out by "accident" to people that she only intended to be sent to her "biscuit." (I am accepting the best ones so if you have any, please email them to me at: jameswbacher@gmail.com).

Everyone is doing it...

Everyone is doing it. Everyone has a Blog, but I was not going to fall for the "hype." That is, until I saw that Michael Dylan Brennan had a blog. Geez...if he has one, then why shouldn't I?