Found on the Interwebs, A Series of Tubes

A new offering from those Krazy Kids who brought you Yo, Is This Racist?, a new site called Yo, Should I Dump This Asshole?  There's at least one gem on each page.  Considering I have not had the sex since the Bush Administration(s), and am terminally single, it's nice to know that at least I'm not dating some asshole I need to dump.

Here's Nicholas Sparks' latest:

 What a hack.

A cool site that works a little like RueLaLa, which offers limited-time sales on designer goods, Fab.com.  An eclectic mix with an emphasis on post-modern design.  Post modern is not my aesthetic, but I appreciate it and it's a nice mental design fix to peruse this site.

Jane Lynch on Maddow's show, you've probably seen it but just in case.

Nikola Tesla, via The Oatmeal (a local Seattle dude).

I might have posted this before, and you may have already seen it, but Kristen Bell's appearance on Ellen was awesome.  For one thing, she has the same "on the verge of tears" thing I have, and, she loves sloths. I don't know Kristen Bell from any other celeb (who is she, actually?), but I like her now:




Finally, here is your Aww What a Sweet Card of The Day:

ANNND, 

Mason jars remind me of my grandma, and cooking gumbo, and sharing with friends.

So next week I'll be starting Bar review, I hope to continue regular posting but hard to say as I don't yet know how much of a pumpkin I will have to turn into for the next two months.

The Bar exam is July 24-25-26, send Good Thoughts.

The Washington State Bar Exam, Chapter Three

Now a bit about Bex, the third Barsketeer.

And Yes we called ourselves the Barsketeers because we were too brain dead to come up with anything more clever.

Bex is a sunny young woman with beautiful red hair and a smile that lights the room. If she had another freckle she'd have to carry it in her pocketbook. Quick to laugh, always positive and probably the most truly spiritual person I've ever known. She introduced me to the Buddhist Temple I attended in The Pacific Northwest's Most Beautiful City. Thanks Bex, I will always be grateful that - among all the other things you've given.

My last semester of law school was complicated by several health issues, and it was so bad at one point I seriously considered withdrawing from school. With each problem, each diagnosis, I kept thinking, "One more thing, and I'm going to lose it!"

And then there'd be One More Thing.

So into summer Bar Review, Bex was gracious enough to help me. She managed doctor appointments, traipsed with me to the hospital, took notes, encouraged me, even helped me stay up all night one night for a sleep-deprivation test.

Bex is no stranger to the fear one can have of illness; of deep personal challenge or profound loss.

I will not go into her story here. It is not mine to tell. Suffice it to say the next time you are crying in your cups over your lot in life, think of Bex and her fiance, and recognize your life has been nothing but unicorns shitting rainbows.

One of the newspaper articles about her fiance here.

Although now I am pleased to report that today Bex is happily married to a lovely man, has a sweet step-son, and a fulfilling career.

Go Bex! Lord knows you deserve it.

So that was our little band, Me Mike and Bex.

More on the Review, the Bar itself, in further posts.

The Washington State Bar Exam, Chapter Two

As mentioned previously, I studied with Mike and Bex. Today is about Mike.

This dude is, hands down, A Fine Man.

My Alma Mater was keen on bringing in diverse students, especially ones embarking on second careers like me - and like Mike.

I used to be in advertising, which has its Cool Factor and all, but Mike.

Before law school Mike was - wait for it - a fighter pilot.

I KNOW. A FIGHTER PILOT.

Now before I get into that, I have to admit bias because, well, my friend Kendall who is quite dear to me lost not only his biological father but later his stepfather to airflight. His biological father a military test pilot and well, not really my place to tell that story.

Anyway not only is Mike a previous fighter pilot making him Insane Cool, he is also as good as gold, not the Big Head at all. A tall strapping man with a shock of gray hair and dancing eyes. He reminds me of my brother, all those personality traits I wish I had. Friendly, engaging, charismatic... As said in Texas, He's never met a stranger.

He and Bex were good friends, and in the same law section (I was in Section C, I think they were in B). I got to know him a little when we had Con Law together.

I remember he and his wife invited Bex and I over for a party during Review. We all needed the break and it was a good summer get-together.

I was totally entranced with his pilots helmet, it had taken beatings. Like a professional football player's helmet, but with meaning, dedication to country, and cool stickers.

"Jeez Mike, you were a fighter pilot - you must have loved it, must have been so thrilled to be at the very top of the game, and the military must have backed you completely to train you to fly such incredible aircraft...why did you leave?"

"Because I was just the driver, disposable. Pilots can be trained for (x$), but Fighter planes cost (1,000,000x$). Which do you think they consider more valuable?"

Oh. Well I guess I can see that, as much as I'd prefer not.

So that's a bit of Mike.

And a bit of my friend Kendall. I know I'd not be the person I am today without my friend Kendall, and in turn Kendall would not be Kendall without his father.

This weekend, please think of Mike's work, all those who have given, and the sacrifice of Kendall's father.

The family Kendall's father left behind, the children he did not get to see grow up, the incredible grandchildren he never knew.

He gave his life for this country.

The Washington State Bar Exam

Ah, the Bar.

So many hateful things can be said about the Washington State Bar. Unlike every other state in the country, Washington has its own unique Bar. To make up for its excessive cruelty and arbitrary grading system, it only allows you reciprocity in Oregon and Utah.

I studied with my excellent friends Mike and Bex. They were both part of the Dispute Resolution team, so they were able to commandeer the Judge's Chamber in the Law School building.

We stocked it with very unhealthy snacks and even a coffee maker. We sat in that windowless room for about 10 hours a day, 6 days a week - writing flash cards, timing our essays, giving each other shit and slowly losing our minds over the six-week marathon.

We got pretty punchy.

One particularly nonsensical thing we did was listen to this song OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

From Flight of the Conchords, billed as the fourth most-popular folk parody band in New Zealand:





More on the Bar, my inspiring friend Bex, and my goofy-assed friend Mike in another post.