Hurricane Relief

As I have mentioned before, I love Boing Boing. As of late, they have been doing an excellent job at keeping everyone up to date on different efforts people are undertaking to assist in providing hurricane relief. I even learned that some people are trying to work with Google Earth to get image overlays of the flooding, in an effort to assist people with determining how bad the flooding is in their neighborhood. I thought that was a really novel idea.

There is also a link on Boing Boing that assists you in finding ways to help. I have outlined some below, in case you don't want to scroll through the whole post. One of the main ways of helping that seems to be emphasized is donating money. However, various volunteer opportunities can also be found.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4823690

this is a link to an NPR site, which lists a bunch of places where you can donate or volunteer.

http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

this site gives more current information about what is going on and how to help.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/resources/hurricane.jsp

helps you find places to volunteer.

http://writerscafe.net/donations.html

a relief fund.

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/about/help/katrina_cl.html

Craig's List is helping reunite family members and friends and helping people find housing and volunteer opportunities.

The Boing Boing link at the top contains all these links and more, in case you feel the need.

Take Two

Yesterday, I went and finally met my little brother, Cody. He's a really cool kid, and he is a lot smarter than a lot of their other enrolled students, I guess. He, evidently, is also a whiz at math. So every week now, I'll go to his school and we'll hang out, talk, and play games for an hour or so. Good times.

I got spammed again, on the same subject as the last one, and by the same person. Whether the person, at the end of the day is that Chris person or someone else, I still do not know. What I do know is their ISP (unless they are masking behind someone else's). So I have been attempting to contact and report the abuse for quite some time now, but have not been having tremendous success. So I finally decided to phone the ISP today and it is now trying to determine exactly what it can do about my little spammer. If that fails, I'll call my friend to have her look up the ISP's legal counsel. She presently works at a firm where one of their projects has been legally attacking spammers, always a good friend to have around.

Today, I teach my second class. I hope it goes as well as last week's. I think the administrative aspects of teaching the class have been a little more daunting than the class itself - having to get handouts over to the school several days in advance so that they can be ready for class; getting room assignments for my class and my make-up class; parking; payroll; obtaining my materials; and all the rest of the gobbly-gook. However, I envision the class getting more complicated as we move on into the trickery areas of the subject and exams become ever more impending.

It's been awhile ...

I know folks - I haven't updated in quite awhile. I just have been absolutely swamped with work and life. I will attempt to cover the high points. ("Let me explain. No, there is too much; let me sum up.")

I obtained a second job almost by accident. I had wanted to volunteer my time and help out at a local university. They have a very respected paralegal program and had been forced to fire the attorney that had been teaching their legal research class half-way through. The terminated professor was, apparently, not the best teacher, and a lot of his students were hopelessly lost. I figured they may need extra help to catch the students up to where they should be. This somehow ended up landing me an interview for the wills, trusts, and estates professorship. Within minutes of beginning the interview, I was hired. I had my first class this week and it went quite well. That's right, I'm Professor J now. :-)

In-between handling all of the administrative stuff associated with the new job and preparing lesson plans, I also had my law firm job and social life. Plus my close friend from undergrad unexpectedly came into town last week. We went out to the beach for drinks and fun over the weekend. Our new friend, the bartender, made us the strongest long island iced teas I've had in a long time, which was very cool. A few days later we went out to enjoy some pool and cocktails and to discuss relationships. I'm not sure such delicate matters should be discussed amongst certain friends under the influence of alcohol, but I am pretty sure our friendship endured the madness that ensued.

The day my friend left town, Katrina rolled in with great pomp and circumstance. Fortunately, she turned south, and my neighborhood avoided any major storm damage. However, just 20 miles south of me, people lost their electricity, and injuries and chaos ensued. Further south, things were even worse. I feel really bad for everyone that was affected by the storm. However, I am really happy that I was not one of them. In fact, Katrina was good to me. It got me out of work early on Thursday, as our building was locked up at three in the afternoon, and we closed the office for all of today as well.

At first, I had high hopes of just sitting at the pool and enjoying my day off, but then I started attending to household chores, laundry, dishes, ironing, shopping for household items and such, and suddenly my day was spent. However, it was all very needed and I am really glad I got the chance to get all of it out of the way. Hopefully, I will be able to use the weekend to accomplish a lot of work, for my jobs and for a new article a couple of my friends and I hope to write soon.

It's not a very glamorous excuse for being absent for so long. In fact, aside from the nights of drinking with my friend, it all seems rather boring, but trust me, I have been anything but bored.

Misplaced Passion

I never knew blogging had an underworld. I never knew it had inner workings, with big players and minor players and a life all its own. I am often amazed at the systems at play around me of which I go completely unaware. For example, when I learned that Miami Beach was largely owned by the Russian Mafia, or when I learn the forces at play with respect to a particular piece of legislation, performer, drug, celebrity, etc. When I learned from reading numerous psychology articles that women with an abusive or absentee father figure in their lives are more apt to become strippers or have emotional difficulties with their sexuality and relationships. The inner-workings of people, and the systems, images, and cycles that we create at times amuse me, and at others, disgust me.

Some of these inner workings, I will never fully know or understand, which is fine. The bare glimpses I get are usually enough for me to realize that it's not my area and that it is time for me to shuffle back to the things in life that are my area; to change and improve myself and the things in my life that I have control over, and the rest is simply better left up to someone else.

Today I, among others, was actually spammed by a blogger who so pationately dislikes another blogger that they felt I needed to know about it. Are you kidding me? You are telling me that you wasted your fervor and anger and passion on something so trivial as sending me an unsolicited email railing against the injustice of certain people getting book deals and television shows. Could you not have found a more productive way to spend your time? Perhaps you could have written to your Congressman about the atrocities occurring in the Sudan, or in our own inner cities, about the environment, your position on Iraq, your ideas on school prayer, same sex marriage, child abuse, minimum wage laws, Walmart's stance on labor unions (which is actually quite close to the position of the fast food industry), our education system, etc. Instead, this person took their time to draft an *extensive* piece complaining about PR and expressing their view that Stephanie Klein simply repackages and resells the image of Sex and the City, and that she is fake and does things all just for image.

I could not believe it. This person had struck gold in their mind - celebrities have publicists and PR people and they do things all for image and to package and market themselves. Somehow this has blown their mind. This is their battle. Their war. The thing that they are most passionate about - trying to bring the "truth" to light about a person with a blog. How about trying to bring the truth to light about the next potential Supreme Court Justice. It is much more likely that this will impact your life more than a woman with a blog, a book deal, and a television show ever will.

Boring

I was emailing my friend the other day in an attempt to coordinate plans for this weekend. She asked what we had in mind. To which I responded, "We don't have anything planned really. Maybe dinner and pool or whatever. Nothing too big. We're boring people by nature I think."

It was after writing this email and considering it for awhile yesterday that I realized, my life really is rather boring. Aside from random losses of my wallet and relationships and such, I don't really have a ton of excitement in my life. I don't party too much anymore. I work, go to the gym, watch some television, talk with friends, and fall asleep. On the weekends, I omit the work usually, and occassionally add some alcohol content and cooking to lighten the mood. Sometimes, I'll have big adventures, and I frequently travel about the state of Florida visiting friends, but I am not sure that I would be classified as Mr. Excitement.

I don't live the rock star lifestyle. I don't go to the posh restaurants, buy the designer labels, or frequent trendy destinations. I don't hookup with bloggers who are hooking up with other bloggers and create weird blogging love triangles. I don't have crazy sex parties with strippers or do drugs.

Some of my friends think I am too intellectual (or geeky), as I can discuss tax issues with my friends from The Tax Program for hours, and I actually derive fun from academic exercises, like writing articles or helping my friends with complicated legal issues. However, most of my friends that know me better would tell you this really is not the case, and that I often only do those things for the mental challenge, or to help a friend.

I'm a boring attorney. The thing I realized, though, is that I'm pretty happy about it. Don't get me wrong, I can party with the best of them, but I'll often take the cool jazz club over the loud sloppy dance party or the next big rave; often selecting the quiet spots, those undiscovered treasures where I can sit on the stool and everyone knows my name over the messy free-for-alls where anonymity is often the status quo. My hats off to the people that can keep all of the extracurricular activities going and without collapsing or cause any physical harm to themselves or others. I'll settle for my quiet spot on a beach in a hammock, with a drink in my hand, and a song in my heart.

Lost and Found

In an attempt to show some solidarity with her during her time of need, I proceeded to lose my wallet. Not realizing my act of selflessness until the next morning, I spent the night trying to find a way to empathize with her situation and distract her from the panic that had taken hold. It would be ok, everything would work out. However, I had never lost my wallet before and it was difficult for me to relate. The morning ushered in a new found appreciation for her situation.

Not only had I lost my credit cards, and driver's license, but my car registration, and social security card as well - necessitating me to contact the credit bureaus to report a fraud alert, and beginning the process of determining how to obtain a new social security card. My only happiness came from the fact that I had acquired a new passport a few months back in anticipation of some overseas trips my ex and I had planned.

I called the Cold Stone Creamery I was at the night before, the one with one of the best staffs I have ever met. (They have a team that is just so high energy and fun, it makes the experience even more fun, which may be hard to imagine.) They did not have my wallet. I left my name and number. While I remained hopeful that Cold Stone would come through for me in this pinch, I weighed my options as far as driving, and determining how long it would take me to get replacements for my documents, and I cancelled all of my bank cards. The image of getting a speeding ticket in this situation, and the reaction of the officer to my answer when he asked for my license and registration was running through my head in a dramatic, yet comedic, loop.

I spent the night in reasonably good spirits. I maintained some fading hope that my wallet would turn up, and awoke to meet the challenge of convincing my bank that they really did not need two forms of I.D. to provide me with cash, as I only had my passport. Fortunately, no questions were asked and my money was simply handed to me so that I could purchase food and overpriced gas for the week.

Upon my return to my apartment, weighed down with groceries, I received the phone call I had hoped for. "This is Cold Stone, and I don't know when, who, or how, but we found your wallet. I have it right here." Relief and joy spread through my body. I had an identity again. I had proof of my existence, and could be a normal functioning member of society once again. Now I just have to wait for my newest plastic money to arrive.

Interviewing

Every time I date, I want to quit. I just think the process is so ridiculous, and I suddenly start feeling that my life really cannot be that lonely or boring to necessitate me dating these morons. I start wondering why I am out with them, and start comparing them to people I have had relationships with in the past; picking apart and dissecting them, noting exactly how they simply do not measure up to what I want or what I would be happy with. By the end of my lunch date today, I decided that maybe I really should just stay single. How bad could it really be?

This week I am interviewing people for the receptionist position at our firm. I think I have interviewed about a dozen or so people already, and its worn me out beyond belief. You sit there explaining the position to all of these people over and over again, and interact with them hoping you will see that something special when you speak with them. Hoping that you will find the next great thing. You see the hopefulness in their eyes. They want the job; they need the job. Desperation is unattractive, in a date or in an interviewee. You stare at their resumes because you don't want to tell them that you have no desire to hire them or that they simply have no chance of getting the job because you know how much it sucks to be out of a job. You have been there. You have been the person starving and trying to pay your bills and hoping the next interview is the one.

Suddenly, you are now on the other side. You worry about people being "over qualified". You worry about whether they will be happy in the position, and how long they will last. Now periods of brief employment make you nervous. You worry about whether they will be able to handle the job and not alienate any of the clients. You want to ask the right questions, ferret out their personality and get to know what makes them tick all in the span of one hour, at most. Some shine, and some sit dimly there, unaware of everything that is passing through your mind at that moment.

I often feel the same way now when I am dating - trying to learn more about the person, and figuring out whether they would be right for the position of my girlfriend, or really any position in my life at all. You worry about the type of person that they are, what they will be like in a relationship, whether they will be happy with you and you with them. Fret about prior brief relationships that they have had, and any baggage that they might carry. Soon dating becomes a little bit like interviewing where you start getting a sense within about fifteen minutes of how well the interview is going to go. You hope against hope that they will come out with something stellar that will blow your mind and leave you thinking, I want them, but at the end of the date you say your goodbyes with things ending just about the way you expected. You learn to trust your instincts more, but at the same time you get completely fed up with the entire process and just wish you could find someone to hire.

Alcohol as Inspiration

My best friend invited me to his girlfriend's house in Miami for the weekend. It was a little surprising because I barely know her parents (she still lives at home), and now they were inviting me to dinner. However, I thought it would be pretty cool to hang out with them. I even bought wine to accompany the dinner, but we couldn't wait for the dinner to start before enjoying the wine.

It was after the first bottle that we became inspired to make an appetizer. In this case we decided on potabellos marinated in a wine sauce, mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto ham, tomatoes, and sauteed spinach. Mmmm, various spices, seasonings, and lots of garlic were added, and the wine was eventually reduced to a delicious wine sauce. BAM! Delicious.

As I related this story to an amazing siren today, she responded, "Stop drooling. It's only food." Aww, she just didn't understand. I love food, and this was delicious food. Few things rank above food on my list of things in this world that I love. I mean there's sleep, sex, and food. Some (George Costanza included) have even tried to combine two of the foregoing to create a rare and supremely orgasmic experience. Everything beyond these items is negotiable. I mean who really needs to breathe if you have to forfeit these.

I fear that the family may think I'm an alcoholic. They looked at me, as we "crazy kids" had gone through 3 bottles of wine in one afternoon. However, one bottle was almost fully consumed in marinating, and two bottles over five hours really isn't that bad. "Look at you trying to rationalize it," the siren chided. I have never achieved the status of alcoholic. I think I lack the motivation it would take to drink that often. This is probably for the best as one can only have so many things on their list that they rank above breathing.

Redesign

Inspired by Kiki, I have recruited some talent to help me. The problem is I have no idea where to start.

I think I want something simple, graphic-wise. I like little pixel people like at Chris Diclerico's. I think it would be cool to have that, and I was thinking maybe a beach theme or palm trees and ocean thing, because I am in Florida, after all. I would really like some input, though, on what any of you think and what you would like to see.

I also would like your input on the name of my blog. See at first my blog was supposed to be a blog exploring concepts and ideas. A place where my friends and I could discuss stuff. Thus, the name, "What's Out There". That didn't happen. It's more my life to date. Hence, the URL. But I can't change the name easily because people have linked to me under the old name now. So now I'm thinking space, or lighthouses or just changing the silly name. Or should I just leave it the way it is?

Your help is appreciated.

Random Musings

I also had a few musings this weekend that I felt I could safely share. Mind you the following are directed at absolutely no one in particular. They are just things that occur to me.

- Women and men seem to view being single and not being able to find the right person (their "soulmate") in different ways. A woman seems to complain that she has been having meaningless, hot animal sex with men that just aren't the right guys. "Yeah, the sex was amazing, I remember wrapping my legs around him ..." Whereas, a guy is usually not sleeping with a bunch of random women that he knows are not the one in his desperate search for the one. Granted, they're having sex probably, but perhaps not as frequently or as on demand as a woman. It's just not a problem many men encounter. I think this has to do with the fact that women get hit on by men a lot more than men get hit on by women. I figure women like sex at least as much as men do, and so when they have a moment of weakness, it's a lot easier for them to give into carnal desire than a man - unless the guy is that kind of sexy women instantly want. I wonder is a woman would be less likely to give into such desire with a guy that they really liked for fear of being thought slutty.

- I'm tired of women thinking men are the only ones that can be bad at sex. Maybe I'm just picky or something, but I have met quite a few women that quite honestly are not that good. Remember that scene in 40 Days 40 Nights where Josh Hartnett fakes it? Yeah, been there, done that. Was it good for you? Not really. Was I the best you ever had? Not even close. Am I a good kisser? Ewww. Why do women ask these questions? Why? I would never come out and overtly tell anyone that they were terrible, but if they ask, I'm also not going to lie about it. Ladies, trust me, you may be the worst they have ever had too.

- People that insult attorneys amuse me because a lot of times they are the same people that recommend you get the most underhanded one possible when you need one. It's rare you hear someone say, get the one that is really ethical and fair. (This seems especially true in divorce.) They are out to get someone and they want to find the sliest attorney possible to really screw the other guy. Yet somehow they still think attorneys are what is wrong with America. What about the people bringing these cases to court. Trust me, if the people didn't pay us, we wouldn't do the work.