View from the Inside plus The Daily Show

I came across this blog interview last week over at Patterico's Pontifications. The interview was with a man who served at Guantanamo and spoke with the prisoners. Being the first account I had actually read or even heard of from someone who had spent significant time in Guantanamo and interacted with the prisoners I found it extremely interesting and enlightening on a number of counts. From my perspective it is refreshing to look at a personal account of the situation on the ground beyond all the media spin and politicizing. Take from it what you will.

And on a much lighter night, I can't resist linking to this video from last week's Daily Show where Jon Stewart reports on a confrontation between Columbia students and the Minutemen.

Gaming - Madden

It's been a long time, but EA may finally be releasing a version of Madden that excites me enough to make the purchase. And while those impressions alone are probably enough to make me a believer in the Wii version Madden NFL 07 (my only real concerns are finding the money and TIME for it in law school) here is a second opinion to consider.
Honestly, imagine a football game where you make a pass, even controlling its speed, by making an actual throwing motion (or simply flicking your wrist if you'd rather)? Want to juke? Simply make the appropriate gesture with the controller. If it works as well and as naturally as these impressions suggest I see Madden for the Wii as being a bigger step forward in videogame football than even the leap to 3d.

News - Boycott Citgo

A few months back I wrote about gas prices, trying to explain why they were so high at the time. Reducing America's demand for oil was a key issue I raised and among the many good reasons for doing so one is that so much of the money spent on oil ends up supporting the corrupt and authoritarian regimes of oil-rich countries in Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, etc.
While I still encourage Americans to reduce there consumption of oil wherever possible there is something else that can be done with far greater ease. Pass by the Citgo station when you need to fill up your tank. For those who are still unaware Citgo is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Venezualen government and Hugo Chavez depends on such oil money to subsidize handouts, fund his propaganda, and maintain his power. Not buying Venezualen gas would go a long way to undermine this power and while he never believed Americans to be capable of doing so the grassroots response to his U.N speech suggests that he might have been wrong. Do your part and boycott Citgo.

School's in session

Well, my first day of class is tomorrow and with that in mind I'm making this post specifically for any other 1L that happens to be reading. This blog offers advice to incoming law students from both professors and students. Hope it's a help.

Busy Busy Busy

It's been a while since the last time I posted and I apologize, but it has been an extremely busy couple of weeks. Last Sunday I moved down to Arlington, VA, giving me just enough time to meet my new housemates/classmates and start to settle before the 3 days of orientation at GW Law School started Wednesday.
Before all of that of course I took a long weekend trip to New Orleans 2 weeks ago (to this date actually) with a friend from home to visit another good friend of ours who moved down over a year ago. The timing might not have been great on my end, but as far as New Orleans goes it was great with 2 major events, SatchmoFest (By the way...I love the fact that you fly into Louis Armstrong International. It makes me think perhaps Newark should be renamed Bruce Springstein International) and White Linen Night (where everybody goes down to the art galleries dressed in white linen for the openings), both taking place. I'm certainly happy that I finally had the chance to get down there, see NOLA, and visit my friend though I wish I had the chance to go before Katrina just to compare.
Regardless, I got home late Monday night, leaving me less than a week to get myself ready, spend time with my girlfriend, friends, and family, have a big going away clam night by the pool at my aunt and uncle's (over 1000 clams at the start, 20 at the end) and get myself down here.
Now there are classes starting on Monday and I don't see myself posting as much as I was before. That said, I do still have every intention of keeping this blog going if for no other reason than to give myself a mental escape from law school. One of the speakers today actually suggested keeping a journal and I'm figuring this will be close enough.

News - Something else to blame on global warming

Lately, it seems like 1 thing has been consistent just about anywhere in the US (and in many cases beyond). It is hot!! But not only is it hot, it is dry, with huge chunks of the country suffering from drought. Of course, hot and dry mean forest fires, which have already caused considerable damage out west. With things the way they are this fire season could prove as scorching as 1999 and 2003, 2 notoriously bad years.

It seems fire experts agree that wildland fires are becoming larger and more devastating and explanations ranging from forestry practices to the actual firefighting have been offered in the past. However, an article published last month in Science offered a new, and seemingly logical, explanation by directly connecting the increase to climate change. While I have included the article for you to look at yourself the basic synopsis is that drier forests resulting from earlier spring thaws and drier, hotter summers mean more and bigger fires. Just one more thing to consider when you go to buy your next SUV.

News/Film - Lost City

Around this time last night I saw Cubans dancing across Miami and learned that Castro, for the first time in 47 years, had "temporarily" relinquished power to his brother. While it is still too early to interpret what this actually means for the "maximum leader", Cuba, and the future it is my hope that I will have the opportunity to be smoking Cubans in Havana sooner than later.

Anyway, the timing of this news was interesting, from my perspective, because I had just gone to see "The Lost City." By and starring Andy Garcia the film takes place in Cuba and follows a family during the revolution and was one of the best I have seen in recent memory. I'm not going to review it, but considering I had not even heard of it until my friend brought me to the theater to see it I thought I should get the word out. I suggest you at least look into it and if it looks like something you might be interested in seeing I strongly recommend it. And if that is not good enough for you I will add that Bill Murray is in it and (of course) steals the show.