I have this friend--Rio. We've been friends since childhood, with a ten year hiatus when i was running around the world and he was running, too, i'm just not sure from what.  Rio was my first crush and i adore him to this day--luckily our friendship survived our childish swimming races when his father told me to stop kicking his ass and his ditching me because i was a girl. The road has been long and rocky, a couple of times i've really felt like i failed him. truth is, I think we are both better people for the rocks and our friendship stronger because of them. I say all this because he's got this blog, where he writes with such unabashed honesty that i become jealous of his ability to be so transparent. i want to be that honest about my life and struggles too.

 

that said, i've discovered..much to my own irritation...that at finals time i become some kind of crazy neurotic mess. My fear of failure makes me attempt to stabilize everything in my life, regardless of what it is or whether it deserves my crazed need to control it. i'm insanely lucky that those who i love and who love me have learned this little quirk over the last year and now choose to laugh and shower me with more love, rather than call my attention to the fact that i am following the same pattern yet again.

 

point is that knowing you have a problem, and admitting it, is the first step---right Rio? So i'm admitting i have a problem in hopes it will magically make it calm down. doubtful, but i'm going to cling to the shred of hope that perhaps. and if not, that perhaps everyone will bear with me for another week so we can all have some peace until december :)

about Pollack and the use of the term "res ipsa loquitor"

"the man is a pompous ass, and being a pompus ass has led to the torture of torts students for a hundred years"

 

about days when we are all particularly dumb:

"what happened, yesterday you were all so brilliant! Today, its like you collectively shot your wad."

 

about our national sport:

"In some parts of the US, we play baseball....but obviously not here in Seattle."

 

about the socratic method:

Prof D: so, use the pattern. We established that SUVs are for what?

student: driving

D: and not for ?

student: (questioning tone) crashing

D: so, surgeons are for?

Student: saving lives

D: not?

Student: cardiac arrest?

D: Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillliant.

 

about Ari finally sitting up from his slumped over position in his chair:

"OH MY!! Mr. Goldstein is now vertical!"

 

about the difference between a detour and a frolic:

"its the difference between visiting a diner five miles off the road and visiting a trailer full of ladies of ill fame."

 

about corporation law:

"there, in 30 seconds i have told you all i know, now if you wanna know more about corporations, go take if from someone who cares"

 

D: so what have you learned so far about the American tort system?

Student: that its messed up

D: exactly! perfect!

 

about doctors:

"A doctor only has to practice as well as a witch doctor, i mean as well as WHICH doctor?"

 

the one that no one except law students will get:

"that's battery, but you don't know about that because your torts teacher doesn't teach intentional torts because he thinks its crap"