False Hope

UCLA lost again. 32-10 to Arizona. Although not as bad as last week's 56-0 blowout, it's still disappointing. Perhaps these two loses would not have been as bad had we not beaten the ranked Tennessee in our season opener.

I try to be the optimist but maybe it is better to go in with low expectations. Or know that each football loss means that we're a week closer to basketball season. Or remember that it's just a sport.

[Photo courtesy of LAT]

Clinically Speaking, Part II

When I went to clinic orientation, they told us that they try to pair up people with cars with those who do not because there is a possibility that you would have to go out and find your client.

Today, my partner and I ventured across the border, into Maryland to meet our client because she has difficulties with transportaiton. Even though the shopping center by our client's home had a Starbucks, which would naturally be my first place to set up a meeting, she suggested Popeyes. She told me that's where she has all of her meeting.

Though it would be impossible to go meet every client for every matter, going to our client's environment helped me understand her better.

Happy Birthday

Today ends my 3 month reign as the "older women." Well I am always older, but now the numbers match up.

Happy Birthday Alex.

Freakonomics

Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac are taken over. Lehman Brothers goes under. Merrill Lynch merges with Bank of America. The stock market plummets. AIG is bailed out. And more. Everyday this week there is a new headline about institutions that I know, but do not really understand much about. Everyday, when you think things cannot get worse, they do.

On the one hand I am scared to learn more about the situation. Yet, I really need to find some time to learn about all of this: why it happened, what the consequences are, and what I will need to do.

I have never had an interest in economics, business, or financial related things. My high school economics class was a joke because our professor was retiring, I have put off Business Associations until my last semester of law school, and taking Tax Law was a big step for me. Yet pretty soon, I will be stepping outside the bubble of education and into the working world, where investments, banking, mortgages, and more become a reality. In theory I could just hire a financial advisor, but that does not look to be working out for many people nowadays.

Fortunately I will get a mini-lesson on the subprime mortgage crisis because one of that writers I am supervising on my journal is writing about the subprime mortgage crisis (I advised her to find a professor to make sure her substantive writing was correct). But if anyone else can explain everything in layman's terms, I'll send you some brownies or something.

Kids by the Dozen

There is nothing better after a long day than watching Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Though I agree with Faithsalutes that the second oldest out of eight, Maddy, has become unbearably bratty, the other kids are still adorable.

After the show, TLC featured another big family on the mini series Kids by the Dozen. The Arndt Family hails from Missouri and includes mom, dad, thirteen sons, and one daughter.

Though not quite as funny Irish Catholic family with twelve kids and thick South Boston accents, it was nonetheless pretty remarkable to watch a large family operate. My favorite part was watching them buy $1,000+ worth of groceries at Costco and then watching all the kids systematically unpack everything at home--even the little ones stood on stools to put cans away. That mom could run a business, no problem.

It's funny how in the same way that I could not imagine having so many siblings, all the children interviewed on the show say they could not imagine being part of a small family. I guess we become accustomed to and want what we grew up with. I never thought of having more or less than two kids; two just seemed like the perfect situation growing up. Conversely, most of the parents on Kids by the Dozen say that they wanted so many kids because they grew up in big families.

This makes me wonder how my dad (one out of seven kids) and my mom (oldest out of eight kids) only ended up with just my brother and me.

History Repeats Itself

1929: UCLA loses its opening game 76-0. Stock market crashes.
2008: UCLA loses 56-0, its worst deficit since 1929. Financial turmoil I don't really understand.

Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

Instead of just complaining about the McCain-Palin ticket, I finally donated to the campaign. Although I bought Obama paraphenalia before, this is my first official contribution. $20.08. Not much, but I am sure Obama-Biden will understand, as former law students who were in debt.

Ideally, I could do more like actually volunteer but 1) my fall schedule is pretty busy and 2) I am bad luck--every candidate I have ever worked for has lost.

And for those like me who don't watch SNL anymore, here's a great Palin-Clinton intro from yesterday. Tina Fey, so dead on.