No Genuine Issue of Material Fact

He gets the ball; he scores again...

2008-06-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, lock up the liquor, hide the women and children, and get ready for my comprehensive review and preview of all UEFA Euro 2008. In case you are unfamiliar with Euro 2008, it is a World Cup style tournament featuring the best 16 teams in Europe (Or at least belonging to UEFA.) If you are unfamiliar with Euro 2008, you might want to just stop reading now. Without further ado, let's begin with Group A....

Group A Standings After 1 Game
Portugal 3 points (+2 goal differential)
Czech Republic 3 points (+1)
Switzerland 0 points (-1)
Turkey 0 points (-2)

After one game, Portugal showed their class and prove that they will easily win Group A. While the 2-0 win over Turkey was not quite a walk in the park since the insurance goal came at the death, no one in the group will be able to challenge Portugal. Tomorrow's clash with the Czech's should determine the group winner, Portugal's potentially ferocious offense should carry the day. Lead by Manchester United's (soon to be Real Madrid's) flop happy, Euro 2008 Mr. Handsome Christiano Ronaldo, you can go ahead and pencil Portugal into the Euro semis. The interesting plot-line out of this group is who will claim the second place spot and a chance to face probable Group B winners Germany. The winner of the Czech Republic/Turkey clash will most likely end up in second. The phenomenal goalkeeping of Chelsea's Petr Cech will be enough to see the Czech Republic out of the group stages and into the knockout rounds. Co-host Switzerland still has a chance, but the loss of leader Frei severely dings their hopes.

Group B Standings
Germany 3 pts. (+2)
Croatia 3 pts. (+1)
Austria 0 pts. (-1)
Poland 0 pts. (-2)

As with Portugal in Group A, Germany should cruise into the semis. The 4 to 1 favorites entering the tournament, their easy 2-0 win over Poland further cemented their favorite status. The battle for second in the group will turn on the Poland/Croatia match. Croatia managed a penalty kick winner over Group B whipping boy Austria in the first game. I personally have been down on Poland ever since the U.S. national team blitzkrieged them 3-0 in Poland. However, after watching the first games in this group, Croatia looked flat while Poland looked legitimately frisky. I think Poland will prevail over Kovac, Kovac, & Assoc. despite Croatia's obnoxious checkered uniforms. Austria, not even ranked in FIFA's top 100, has no business in the tournament. They are a non-factor.

Group C Standings (The Group of Death)
Holland 3 pts. (+3)
France 1 pt.
Romania 1 pt.
Italy 0 pts. (-3)

I like the Dutch in this group. The Oranje and their "total football" provided an entertaining match against the ancient Italians. Holland seems to have the right balance of experience (Van Der Sar and Van Nistelrooy), hard workers (Liverpool utility man Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sniejder), and youth (Arsenal man Robin Van Persie). They do not seem to be too impacted by the loss of Liverpool starlet Ryan Babel and serial injury absentee Arjen Robben. The only hitch in the Dutch domination is if France shakes off their first game rust and comes out guns blazing. Holland has all the momentum, and I predict them to carry the group easily. Italy, France, and Romania are relegated to a battle for second. Romania, though ranked 12 in the world, do not have the firepower to stay. Italy, the defending world champions, are headed for an early exit, much to the relief of their aging lineup, who don't want to miss bingo night at their nursing home. Against Holland, Italy trotted out 10 starters that were older than 30. In the footballing world, that is ancient. France, while also aged, at least has some young legs to throw on in a pinch. I see France advancing in second.

Group D Standings
Spain 3 pts. (+ 3)
Sweden 3 pts. (+2)
Greece 0 pts. (-2)
Russia 0 pts. (-3)

Spain advances with ease. They put on a masterful performance, sparked by the two best strikers in the tournament in Torres and David Villa. Their defense looked a little suspect at times today, but that won't trouble them until the knockout stages. Sweden will take second, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic providing all the goals they need to advance to the knockout stages. Defending Euro champions Greece looked overmatched today, and Russia is only in the tournament because England has psychological issues (and coaching issues which have since been resolved. Steve McClaren? Really?).

Quarterfinals:
Portugal over Poland
Germany over Czech Republic
Holland over Sweden
Spain over France

Semifinals:
Germany over Portugal
Holland over Spain

Finals:
Holland over Germany

Go Oranje! In closing, please enjoy a fine goal by Spain's David Villa against Italy from earlier this year.

Now in the morning I sleep alone...

2008-06-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

So I have not met my goals for posting. I sincerely apologize. Tonight's post will be fairly simple. The topic: tort reform. I realize I just lost 50% of my readership (1 of 2), but I will persevere nonetheless. Today in class, we talked about the Texas Constitutional provision that limits non-economic damages (think primarily pain and suffering) to $250,000 per claimant. Under certain circumstances the total non-economic recovery can be increased to $750,000. $750,000 is the absolute cap. Some argue that this artificial cap is heartless. To a certain level I agree, but I'm ok with that. We Republicans aren't anything if not heartless. Certainly the law is not perfect in every situation, but anyone who tries to tell you something is perfect is either selling something, lying to you, or both.

But on the whole, the cap has worked fairly well. It has severely cut medical malpractice insurance premiums for doctors allowing better, more affordable healthcare for all. Also, it has reduced frivolous lawsuits. By taking the hostage element out of medical malpractice claims (Settle or I'll put my sadly damaged (but not negligently damaged) plaintiff on the stand and pop you for $10 million), the claims are actually adjudicated instead of just immediately settled. This weeds out the frivolous claims while still allowing legitimate claims to be proven. And justice being done is good for everyone.

In closing, this is no where near a complete discussion of all aspects of medical malpractice damage caps. I look forward to my uncle's postings about the problems with my approach. Maybe that will coax me into a follow up post. In a final aside, I want to thank the recruiting staff of my future employer who will be reading this in the fall. (In case you are unfamiliar with the modern hiring process, a quick google of the applicant is almost standard now.) And yes future law firm employer, I am in favor of tort reform. That's all for tonight...

And I'm already gone...

2008-05-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ethanol is killing tiny children in Africa. Ok, that might not be true, but since when have blogs needed actual "facts" to post about. But seriously, energy hungry America has turned its eyes onto corn these days. That's all well and good. If it helps overfed people to sleep at night because they're helping curb "global warming," I'm all for it. It never occurs to most people that the skyrocketing price of corn could actually impact people half a world away who need that suddenly unaffordable food to survive. (Or even the people in John Edwards' "Second America" who are having a hard time affording food these days too. And yes, I know that that is caused by more than just high corn prices.)

Also, ethanol is not all that energy efficient. It requires almost as much energy to make as it produces when burned. That means we're still using oil. And ethanol would not be that economical if it were not subsidized out the wazoo by the federal government. The only reason ethanol has lasted this long is because one of the first stops on the road to the White House is corn crazed Iowa.

I'm not sure why I chose ethanol to rant about tonight. It must be the four classes I sat through today, or that the Rangers lost in heartbreaking fashion yesterday afternoon. I'm going to Abilene this weekend for Liz's final ballet recital, and I am looking forward to it. That's all for tonight...

Hold your mistakes up...

2008-05-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

I am now three days deep into my second quarter, and all is well. After finishing finals on May 2, I had a week off, most of which I spent in Abilene. Nothing particularly exciting happened while I was in Abilene, but I did get to spend quality time with my family and eat at Harold's twice. I am not sure of how many of the three people that make up my readership are familiar with metropolitan Waco, but I am searching for a good BBQ place. So if anyone has any suggestions, I would be grateful.

It has been storming furiously for the past two evenings. When I woke up this morning, I gazed out over the pool (my apartment sits above the pool) and noticed that a substantial amount of deck furniture was at the bottom of the pool. I also noticed that a large planter complete with plant was also now residing at the bottom. I was shocked that the storm was powerful enough to push what must be a 100-pound planter several feet into the pool. When I headed downstairs to go to class, I found the true cause of the planter's relocation. Someone had been playing some late night beer pong poolside. I can only imagine that the plunging of the planter into the pool was caused by raging undergrads rather than raging clouds.

Immediately before posting, I read an article saying that Cindy McCain had just sold $2 million dollars worth of investments in American companies with ties to Sudan. Oops! Her husband has been fairly outspoken about the abuse of the Khartoum regime (by outspoken I mean just that; lots of talk, very little action). You would think Cindy was smart enough (or John's people) to dump her stocks that help fund genocide. You can all sleep better tonight knowing that none of the profits of this blog go towards ethnically cleansing Darfurians (or anyone else for that matter).

In a final aside, Caroline, I was wondering in the wilderness. I did much more wondering than wandering. I am a bad spell, but I did choose my word with care that time. Thanks for the proofread though. That's all for tonight...

Children, wake up...

2008-05-12T17:42:00.000-07:00

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, this blog is back by popular demand (or at least demand from my grandmother). I have decided to come out of blogging exile after a year of wondering in the wilderness.

It has been a year of change. Perhaps the biggest change in my life is that I know have text messaging. You might be thinking to yourself, "Hey Andrew, haven't you been to DC and back, moved out of your childhood home, and started law school in the past year? Aren't those big changes?" Those all seem pretty big, but with my new found texting ability, I have joined the 21st Century. I have long been a cell phone user, but that technology has been around since the 80s. I am now caught up with modern mobile technology, and it feels good.

This post will be short because I'm out of practice. I will close with a few house keeping items. First, this blog has a new title. I couldn't legitimately call this blog "andrew in dc" because I'm not there anymore. I tried to choose something legal-esque, and "no genuine issue of material fact" was the best that I could come up with. (And yes, I just ended a sentence with a preposition) For a party to win summary judgment on a claim, there must be "no genuine issue of material fact." Also, I think the title accurately represents the triviality of my writings. Second, I will be attempting to post three times a week, probably on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday schedule. I may post more than that, but I don't expect to hear any complaints if I succeed in three posts a week. Third, the song of the day contest is still going on. Finally, my goal for this blog is too be listed in the links of Professor Mark Osler's fine blog "Osler's Razor." If there is a blog hall of fame for Baylor Law students, it is the Razor. Be sure to check it out here. Be sure to tune in Wednesday for an exciting post probably having to do with law school, English soccer, television, or how ethanol is destroying the world. That's all for tonight...

I'm so tired of being there for everyone but me...

2007-05-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

I am back from my longest blog break to date. I have been in Abilene since Saturday seeing friends and spending time with my family. It is certainly different being in Texas than the Washington bubble. I am still working on my plans for this summer and next fall and after that. Any input/suggestions would be appreciated.

When I was at Caroline's last night, we were flipping channels and came across a House Ag Committee hearing on C-SPAN2. This was the same hearing that I went to a briefing on on Friday. Suprisingly, no one else in the room was interested in sticking around and watching witnesses from USDA and the FDA testify about food safety. Also, as I was reading the news yesterday, I happened upon the following picture. The gentleman in the foreground is Texas A&M president turned Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. If you look towards the background, you will notice a CodePink protester holding up a sign. This is the very same protester that I literally ran into in the vaunted Halls of Congress a mere few weeks ago. It is nice to know that even if I am not there, it is business as usual at the Capitol. Finally, congratulations to Caroline Green for naming last Friday's song of the day.

Man dreams one day to fly...

2007-05-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

Tonight is my last night in DC. I went and hung out at the Tech house for a while and then headed back to the apartment to finish my packing. While I was at work today, WISH moved in a couch and a chair in my abode. I guess it is better late than never. The day at work was pretty slow. I gave a couple of tours, and that was about it.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about my time in DC. I have enjoyed my experience up here, but I do not plan on moving back until I am a member of Congress. I feel like I have learned a lot and certainly grown a lot. It is time to go home though. It is time to move on and do other things. I am not sure what those other things are, but they are coming. That's all for tonight...

It's the time of the season for loving...

2007-05-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Again not much to report here. The highlight of my day was hauling a box about a mile to a FedEx store to ship it home. I packed another box tonight, so I imagine I will be making the hike again tomorrow. The Mavs face off against the Warriors in the crucial game 6 tonight. The Mavs need to win to force a game 7 in Dallas. Tomorrow is my last day of work. I am only a few days away from being home! That's all for tonight...

She's gonna live in America...

2007-05-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

I will keep tonight's blog short becaue I am in the middle of packing. I have already overstuffed one box that I will be shipping down to Texas. I am trying to fit my remaining possesions in my two suitcases, one of which is a hanging bag. It is going to be quite a challenge. The Dallas Mavericks did end up winning last night, forcing a Game 6 in Oakland on Thrusday. In Champions League action, A.C. Milan dominated Manchester United in Italy 3-0 today. (A soccer note. The preceding score is not pronounced "Three-Zero" but rather "Three-Nil." I just think you should know these things.) I talked yesterday on the phone to Micah. Normally Micah does not want to talk to me because he is too busy playing, but yesterday he spoke to me to specifically request that I pick something up for him in D.C. Tonight I trekked to Adams Morgan was picked up that something (injera) from an Ethiopian grocer. I hope Micah's happy. Finally, I learned something interesting from the Good Congressman today. When he was elected in 2003 in a special election, he defeated K. Michael Conaway by 500 something votes. Fastforward to the 2004 election where the same K. Michael Conaway won the race for the newly created Midland congressional district. Now Rep. Conaway and my boss work closely together on a number of issues. Luckily for both of them, the 2003 campaign was strictly positive, so there are no hard feelings still smoldering. That's all for tonight...

Stop making the eyes at me...

2007-05-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Currently, the Mavs are playing like they have seen a basketball before. In case you have not been paying attention, the lowly Golden State Warriors have been playing lights out and are one win away from eliminating the 67-win Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki has collapsed under the pressure, putting up below average numbers in the most crucial games of the season. Coach Avery Johnson called Dirk out, telling him to stop making excuses and start getting things done. Hopefully, this challenge will result in improved effort on Nowitzki's part.

In soccer news, the Liverpool/Chelsea match ended with a dominating shootout victory by the 'Pool. After playing 210 minutes, the match moved to penalty kicks. Reds' keeper Pepe Reina saved two of the three shots from the spot that he faced. This, coupled with Liverpool perfection in the shootout, was enough to propel the boys from Anfield on to the Champions League finals. Chelsea coach Jose Mourihno claimed that the better team lost. Next time we won't play the game, we will just take Jose's word for it. Liverpool will face off against either A.C. Milan or Manchester United in Athens at the end of May. If anyone has a couple thousand dollars they would like to throw my way for airfare, lodging, and tickets, I would appreciate it.

Brittney (the other intern) and I had lunch with the Good Congressman in the Member's Dining Room today. The food was pretty good. I had bean soup (FYI- my mom just passed out. Yes, you did read that right. I had bean soup) and a chicken ceasar salad. The bean soup is a House specialty and dates back to the early 1900s when it was the favorite of the then Speaker of the House. The only member in the dining room that I recognized was Mr. Leprechaun himself, Dennis Kucinich. It was interesting to see all the member in there though. Most were meeting with constituents or lobbyist types, but one congressman was having a lunch with his 10ish year old daughter. It was nice to see.

I was a little late to work today because I could not find my shoes. The reason I could not find my shoes was because my roommate, The New Guy, was wearing them. He was about to walk out the door on his way to work when I realized he was wearing my zapatos. I called him on it. He said he got them confused with his shoes because "they look similar." By similar, he means that they are both brown. I do believe he was honestly mistaken because he has the common sense of a two year old. I wore my navy suit with a white shirt and a red tie today. Finally, this is my 100th post. Thank you for being a faithful reader. That's all for tonight...

I don't know what you're looking for...

2007-04-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Texas Rangers are in dire straits with no help in sight. The powers that be failed to pick up pitching in the offseason, and the Rangers are paying the price. The Rangers have the third worst record in baseball. (Take heart, we are better than the woeful Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals.) Only one Ranger stater has an ERA under 5.00. The best starter, Robinson Tejeda, is hovering around the 3.5 mark. I therefore submit three ideas to get the Rangers on the path to success. 1)Fire General Manager Jon Daniels. His only redeeming quality was he signed Kevin Millwood. That's working out real well about now. 2) Do not make any trades this year. You might be puzzled at this. Here's the thing: we do not have anything worth trading. The only two players who could garner any semi-worthwhile players in return, Michael Young and Ian Kinsler, are too valuable to let go. 3) Spend more money next year and spend it wisely. Instead of signing Sammy Sosa (although he's hitting homers, he has a terrible on base percentage) and Eric Gagne (he's on the DL), pool the resources and go after the big time starting pitcher.

Tomorrow is the big day in Liverpool. Chelsea comes a calling but without a key defender, a world class midfielder, and a legendary striker. Things are looking up for the Liverpool side. They need to score one to force extra time and a shootout. Ideally, they could get two and win outright. Two keys for tomorrow's game. First, play Steven Gerrard in the center midfield instead of the right side. Second, play goal scoring, robot dancing machine Peter Crouch the entire game. He came in during the first leg, and his impact was felt.

Today was pretty slow around the office. Congress was not in session, so I did not have to wear a suit. It is time to iron a shirt for tomorrow. That's all for tonight...

And I'll promise you this...

2007-04-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. I went to church this morning and then took a stroll down the Mall this afternoon. All in all, it was a pretty good day. I cannot wait to get back to Texas though. I got a letter from Baylor Law School yesterday. I got in with half scholarship but not until January. I am not sure what I am going to do. I did a lot of soul searching on my walk today. I have not come to any conclusions. But I'm headed that way.

Here is this week's edition of The Grey's Anatomy Powerrankings. Be sure to tune in for next week's two hour edition.

10. Addison- poor gal. She just cannot catch a break.
9. George- he is not going to transfer. Callie will get written off the show, not George.
8. Derek- he just has a lot on his mind. Look for him to snap out of his funk soon.
7. Meredith- she was still annoying, but at least she is trying.
6. Bailey- she did not catch the brain bleeding kid. However, she will be chief resident. You can take that to the bank.
5. Christina- she is driven. That's about all I can say. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
4. Alex- he is a jerk, no question about it. But he played the Addison thing perfectly. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. Also, while it was not nice, it is probably a good idea to stay as far away from Addison as possible.
3. Izzie- I have a hard time putting her up this high, but with everyone else not having a great episode, she jumps up.
2. Burke- he is too good for Christina. There, I said it.
1. Chief- he put up with a lot with the chairman of the board being in the hospital. And with Bailey stumbling this week, he takes the top spot.

That's all for tonight...

Let me tell you what he's done for me...

2007-04-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Amy Tuegel for naming yesterday's song of the day. Mark, I could not agree with your hypothetical movie exec conversations. I would wager that they are not so hypothetical. Somehow, Cage's movies make money. I have yet to meet one person who was pumped about "Ghost Rider" and I definitely have not met anyone who is eagerly anticipating "Next." But it will make money I am sure. What a sad state we are in. I went and saw "Hot Fuzz" this afternoon and enjoyed it. It was clever and very British. I know ya'll were expecting the Grey's powerrankings, but my eyes are getting heavy, so they will appear in tomorrow's post. That's all for tonight...

I want you not to go but you did...

2007-04-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Office last night was one of the best episodes I can remember. It started with Jim impersonating Dwight and never slowed down. Without further ado, here is this week's edition of Andrew's Official Powerrankings of the Office.

10. Karen- She just kinda stood there and took up space. However, this is a list of ten, so she made the list.
9. Creed- Does he every actually do any work in the office?
8. Pam- She did a great job running the camera for Michael's apology video. It takes a woman's touch.
7. The Reporter- Are you getting this? I'm writing down every word.
6. Kelly- It was her episode to shine.
5. Michael- He lost his cool in the press conference. It is easy to do when the press badgers you. Only the press did not.
4. Andy- A rough episode for him. I was not suprised that he was dating a high schooler. I'm just saying. I like how they gave little hints at it the whole episode, even before we knew his gf was in high school.
3. Angela- She just cannot apologize. It's ok.
2. Jim- The four dollar glasses and singing to cheer Andy up were just a few of the highlights from Jim's stellar episode. Also, they have not given us much on the Jim/Pam situation in a few weeks.
1. Dwight- Jim almost edged him, but the last scene helped Dwight retain his top spot. Also, his security clearances for the press were great.

Wednesday as I was walking down the street on my way home from work I walked past Ambassador John Bolton. I almost said hello, but I was afraid his mustache might get me. I rounded the corner and stood on the sidewalk while Vice President Cheney's motorcade passed. It was an eventful few minutes. Congratulations to Amy Tuegel from naming yesterday's song of the day. That's all for tonight...

Here I raise my ebeneezer...

2007-04-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

This man has to be stopped. He has subjected the world to his cruel trade too long. Enough is enough. Who is this man? Osama, Robert Mugabe, Christiano Ronaldo, Kobe Bryant? No, the man is Nicholas Cage. How many bad action movies will he be allowed to make before someone steps in and says, "No more!" In his painfully long career, I can think of three movies that were worth the film they were printed on: The Rock, National Treasure, and Lord of War. The Rock was good for one reason: Sean Connery. I could have played Cage's part, and the movie would have been equally good. National Treasure was decent in spite of Cage. It was a passable script, and Justin Bartha (played Riley) stole the show. Most people did not like Lord of War. I thought it was thought provoking because it tackled a relatively unknow side of the conflicts that we rarely hear about. Again, Cage's character could have been portrayed by just about any male with a pulse. This year, Cage has sit the low point of his depressing body of work. (Though he could go lower. Nic, if you are reading this, this is not a challenge. I believe you can "act" in worse movies. Please just retire.) I am still trying to block the terrible images from the "Ghost Rider" previews. Now Cage, in his suprisingly successful campaign to make me want to gouge out my eyes, is starring in some equally pathetic action flick "Next." Nic please, for the sake of us all, quit while you are ahead. Or maybe just stop. That would be good.

Today as I was delivering faxes around the office, I noticed that our chief of staff, Gayland, was on his computer perusing one of my blog posts from January. I do not know if he is a regular reader or just stumbled upon it, but apparently my blog is getting around. So happy reading to all!

Slammin' Sammy Sosa belted two homers today, but the Rangers still lost. Pitching is the Ranger's problem every year, but every offseason they go get more offense. I stumbled across a pro-Rangers Facebook group touting Jon Daniels as the best GM in the league. While I love the Rangers, I am generally fed up with Mr. Daniels. In his short tenure with the team (2 years), he has made some of the worst trades ever. He traded big bat Alfonso Soriano for strike out king Brad Wilkerson, and no, he is not a pitcher. I was ready to part with Soriano, but I am a firm believer in acquiring someone who will help the team in return. After the Wilkerson whoopsie, he traded pitcher Chris Young to the Padres for Adam Eaton. Eaton spent most of the season on the DL, while Young went on to win 11 games with San Diego. To add insult to injury, Eaton signed with the Phillies in the offseason. Last season immediately before the trade deadline, Daniels dealt Coco Cordero and two other players to the Brewers in exchange for Carlos Lee. Lee signed a big contract with the Astros while Coco is enjoying a stellar year closing games up in Milwalkee. I do not even want to talk about the David Dellucci trade. Basically, Nicholas Cage needs to take Jon Daniels with him when they find a job that they are good at. Might I suggest McDonalds. (Though I would not want to degrade McDonalds.)

Amy, I regret to inform you that you were incorrect in reading my mind in last night's lyric game. I was actually shooting for "One Sweet World" by the same artist. However, your guess was accurate. Also, Mark, I was not shooting for a lyric in yesterday's second post title, though I am sure your answer was absolutely correct. I wore my navy suit with a green, navy, light blue, and tanish striped shirt with a light blue tie in a half-Windsor knot. This was also the suit I wore on the day I wrote the post that Gayland was reading today. That's all for tonight...

Emergency Update

2007-04-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Dateline Washington- He's back ladies and gentlemen- Sir Drinks-a-lot. He was escorted home tonight by two friends who he called right before he passed out. By passed out, I mean in the park a block east of us. I probably should not take such joy in this, but I do. I am a firm believer in consequences, and drinking enough alcohol to get the whole country of Yemen sloshed has its consequences. It is Newton's third at its finest. All hail Sir Drinks-a-lot.

Nine planets around the sun...

2007-04-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

I just witnessed the opening tip of the Mavericks/Warriors game. I hope Dallas does not make me want to vomit tonight. In UEFA Champions League news, Chelsea eeked out a victory in London today. They take a narrow 1-0 aggregate leaded through to the next round thanks to a strike from English mid-fielder Joe Cole. I was not able to watch the game on TV or the computer (more on that later), but I received a detail report from both Aaron Dillard and Justin Scott's well written blog. Apparently, Liverpool controlled the tempo and pace of the game, but Chelsea goal keeper Petr Cech played out of his boots, coming up with some key saves. Liverpool is not out of it yet, but the pressure is definitley on them to preform in the second leg. As I finish this paragraph, it is now several minutes into the Dallas game, and the Mavs are playing like they want to lose this series. Avery is not happy.

Today was my big day to shadow the Good Congressman. In the space below, I will attempt to recollect my day. The times may not be exactly accurate, but they reflect the basic timeline of the day.

9:00 a.m.- I walk into work. The Good Congressman is at a GOP members only briefing, so I set about to do the office work.

9:30- I deliver a rush passport to the First Call office. The First Call lady complains about our office because we did not submit it correctly. I say, "Don't shoot the messenger." She sends me back to do it the right way.

9:35- I arrive back at the office where our office manager complains that the First Call lady is not doint her job right. I say, "Don't shoot the messenger."

9:40- I go back to First Call. Repeat conversation that occured at 9:30.

10:00- I am rescued from the previously mentioned downward spiral to meet up with the Good Congressman at a Science and Technology Committee mark-up. Nothing exciting happened. It reminded me of my days trying to stay awake in Dr. Dillman's classes. Here's the thing about Dillman/Science Committee: I have no doubt that he is a genius and that they are doing something important, they just do not communicate in an interesting manner. Two things I remember about the Committee meeting. 1) Congressman Dana (Yes, Dana is a man's name here) Rohrabacher had his Red Bull. I have been to probably a dozen committee hearing where Mr. Rohrabacker has been present, and he has downed a Red Bull on the rocks in every one of them. 2) A bill was marked up congratulating some physicist for winning some award. The Congresswoman introducing the bill said the award was "like the Nobel Prize for physics." No, it's not. There is a Nobel Prize for physics.

11:30- We exit the Science Committee and head to the Financial Services Committee. It was a hearing on concerns about commercial corporations operating banks. I knew a little about what was going on so this hearing was more interesting.

11:45- The Good Congressman steps out of the hearing to meet with some community bankers from Texas. I step out for the meeting as well, but I stand in the back of the group so I have a hard time hearing. When the meeting concludes, it is back into the hearing.

12:15- We step out of the hearing for a meeting with Texas textile producers. This meeting is smaller so I hear what is going on. The meeting is short because they really just came to tell the Good Congressman that they thought he was doing a great job.

12:30- The Good Congressman heads to C Street for his weekly meeting. I think it is a campaign meeting. Whatever it is, I am not invited. I head to lunch instead.

12:45- After standing in a long line, I quickly down some chicken tenders. As soon as I finish, I head over to my next meeting.

1:15- Congressman Jeb Hensarling gavels the Republican Study Committee into order. The RSC is a collection of over 100 conservative Republicans who meet once a week to advance the conservative agenda. Only about 30 members are in attendance today, but it was one of the most interesting parts of my shadowing. It was a good behind the scenes glance at how Congress works.

2:00- The RSC meeting ends promptly at 2 so the members can get to the classified briefing on Iraq presented by Gen. Petraeus. Since it was a classified members-only briefing, I waited in the hall. But the hall was where all the action was. As we approached to committee room where the briefing was held, a great clatter arose. It was the voices of angry anti-war protesters yelling at the members as they walked into the room. The standard line was "Make way for the war criminals." I have already discussed protesters at length, but I still wonder what they hope to accomplish by screaming and pointing fingers in member's faces. That is not going to bring any change of heart. (Note: This goes for crazy "You're all going to hell" Christians. I've never seen anybody convert after getting yelled at while they were walking down the street. Not saying it can't happen, just saying I've never seen it.) Also, apparently I was holding up the wall next to infamous (meaning more than famous) war critic Cindy Sheehan. I did not recognize her, but it could have been because of the hateful look on her face.

3:00- I head back to the office and pull up the Liverpool/Chelsea game on the computer long enough to see that Chelsea is up.

3:30- The first votes of the day are called. I walk over to the Capitol with the Good Congressman. We ride the members only elevator and he enters the House floor. I head up to the gallery to watch the vote. The three votes all pass overwhelmingly. I do not know what the votes were on, but it was probably renaming a post office or something.

4:30- With votes over, we head back to the office to pick up Skip Ogle. Skip is from SuddenLink communications and is here to film an interview with the Good Congressman. I considered telling him that SuddenLink's commercials were terrible, but I figured it was out of place. The interview consisted of questions we had given them. Basically it was free advertising.

5:30- As we walk back from the interview, votes are called again. We walk over, the Good Congressman votes, and we walk back to the Cannon building.

6:15- I head out the door to head back to my apartment. Everyone else in our office also heads home except the Good Congressman. He had a dinner meeting, and votes continued throughout the night. The last votes were expected around 9:30 or 10. The Good Congressman started his day a 5 and was at the office until around 10. Whoever tells you that members of Congress do not work hard does not know what they are talking about.

It is now halftime of the Dallas game, and the Warriors are still hanging around. I need to iron a shirt for tomorrow. That's all for tonight...

There ain't no need to go outside...

2007-04-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Today I was sitting in the House gallery watching procedings on the floor. The congressman running the chair, Mr. Salazzar of Colorado, was angrily banging his gavel, demanding the House be in order. After several attempts to bring quiet to the chamber, the Chair finally ordered Members to take their conversations off the floor. The offending group of members obliged and sheepishly filed out of the room. Who were these noisy representatives? It was the Democratic leadership, lead by Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi herself. I am not sure what it was they were discussing that took precedent over their fellow Democrat trying to address the Congress, but I imagine it had something to do with raising taxes, taking away people's guns, or killing babies.

Not much happened around the office today. Things around 429 Cannon have a way of quickly turning around though. I am not sure what it is, but petty things quickly turn into end of the world things. Maybe it is caused by a multitude of type A people working in a high stress environment, but certain of my cohorts go from perfectly clam to absolutely losing it in less that 10 seconds. I usually has something to do with an issue that is out of their control. However, I do not get paid enough to get yelled at, so I usually remind them of this fact. That probably does not endear me to them, but that does not bother me.

The Rangers were supposed to play tonight, but the game was postponed because of rain. The Mavericks play tomorrow night and will most assuredly make a better showing than they did on Sunday night. I say that in all confidence because at times on Sunday, I thought I was watching high school basketball. Also, tomorrow sees the much anticipated showdown between Liverpool and Chelsea. By much anticipated, I mean this guy has been looking forward to it.

Tomorrow is also the day that I get to shadow the Good Congressman. It is one of the highlights of the internship. I am particularly excited about a few things on the schedule for tomorrow. I would elaborate, but that might discourage you from reading tomorrow night's post. I am trying to come up with some way to keep a running diary of my day tomorrow, but I am pretty sure the Good Congressman would not appreciate me following him around typing feverishly on my laptop all day. I could be wrong though. Finally, in an aside to J. Scott soon to be Esquire, please keep a running diary of the Liverpool/Chelsea clash tomorrow. It would be much appreciated. That's all for tonight...

Every day the dreamers die...

2007-04-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

I will freely admit that I am skeptical of global warming. I will admit that some warming may be occuring, but I am not convinced it is man-made, and articles like I read today do not help. In case you missed it, singer/activist Sheryl Crow suggested that we regulate the amount of toliet paper we use to fight global warming. She proposed that people limit their Kleenex Cottonelle use to one square per bathroom visit, "except, of course, those pesky occasions when two or three could be required." (I swear I did not make that quote up. I do think I could have thought that up if I would have tried.) Crow has been thinking seriously about how to fight global warming on her recent college tour promoting warming awareness. While I do not mind the rare celebrity foray into politics, I am alarmed by Crow's "serious thinking." First, it worries me how she could say that and call it "serious thinking" with a straight face. Some amount of alcohol or less than legal substances had to be involved. Second, just because ex-fiance Lance has a prominent issue does not mean you have to steal the spotlight by making ridiculous suggestions. Crow went on to say that she "proposes a limitation on how many squares can be used in any one sitting." Skipping idiocy of this idea and the painful government intrusion into a very private area of people's lives, how exactly do you enforce rules like that? Does someone stand and count as you use the Charmin? Also, how exactly would cutting my use of Quilted Northern fix global warming? I think this is the problem with the pro-global warming crowd. (By that I mean the people who think it is man made. I do not know anyone who is really for global warming.) While they try to portray themselves as serious, science based folks, they constantly come out with litteral crap like this. Every modern problem is connected to global warming, and everything can be a fix to global warming. In conclusion, shouldn't Sheryl Crow be in favor of increased global warming? She said she was gonna soak up the sun. Now there is more of it.

In a serious note, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin died today. His record on democracy was a mixed bag. He did have a great made for TV moment on top of a tank "protecting democracy," but he also used those tanks to crush his political opponents. My favorite Yeltsin story is that time President Clinton made him cry after lecturing about Russia's human rights violations in Chechnya. However, Yeltsin is a more likable character than the increasingly despotesque Vladimir Putin who currently lives in the Kremlin.

The semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League begin tomorrow with a first leg match in Manchester. Hated Manchester United squares off with AC Milan. Liverpool opens at Chelsea on Wednesday. I am pulling for Liverpool with all my might, but I am not sure who I want to win the other matchup. If both Liverpool and AC Milan win, it will set up a rematch of the 2005 final. However, I almost want to see Man U advance to the finals only to be crushed by Liverpool. I guess I will just wait and see what happens on the pitch to determine the finals pairing.

I want to extend a very happy birthday to Micah and Josiah. I am positive they are in bed and am positive that they do not read my blog, but irreguarless (to channel Capt. Sobel), I give them my warmest birthday wishes. Speaking of Capt. Sobel, I watched a few episodes of Band of Brothers on the History Channel the other day. I love that series. HBO's finest production in my book. That's all for tonight...

A rolling stone gathers no moss...

2007-04-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

So the new guy showed up today. I do not have a nickname for him yet, so he will be refered to as The New Guy. His real name is Dan. He is a Republican from Massachusetts (I didn't know they existed) who is in his junior year at Bates College in Maine. He has spent the entire afternoon sitting at his computer watching election results from France and playing his PSP. He seems like a nice enough guy, but I do not think he is much of a conversator. Also, he is a super loud gum smacker. I am sitting in the living room watching TV, and I can hear his smacking above Joe Morgan announcing the Red Sox/Yankees game.

I got up and went to church this morning. Capitol Hill Baptist Church is a pretty dressy church, with most men wearing suits or at least slacks and a button down. I attended this morning wearing Beltway appropriate attire. By that I mean I wore jeans and a polo. I figure Jesus loves me whatever I wear. That's all for tonight...

Scream without raising your voice...

2007-04-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

I got a voicemail from WISH earlier in the week saying I had a new roommate moving in this afternoon. It is now 11:25, and he has yet to show. I feel like WISH lied to me. I am ok with him not showing up, because until he does, I have my own room. I went down to Georgetown today. It is one of the oldest parts of DC, but now it is a lot of high end shops. Having no money to spend on clothes, I merely looked. I did find a nice pair of Puma shoes, but they will have to wait until I have a job. Or at least a job that pays.

The weather today was beautiful with bright blue sky and the mercury topping out at 81. The only down side is that everything is blooming. I have never suffered from particularly bad allergies, but I have had a mild headache all day long. Also, my nose hurts, but I cannot figure out why. It's not clogged. It is like my nostril that hurts. It is weird.

I have not written about sports in a while. The Dallas Mavericks start their 2007 championship run against the Golden State Warriors tomorrow. I am predicting the series will be fairly short, either four or five games. In baseball news, the Texas Rangers are struggling through another typical Ranger's season. Their offence has not been spectacular, but it also has not been fatal. The problem is the starting pitching. (Suprise! Suprise!) If the starter throws well, the Rangers are in the game with a great shot at winning. If the starter gets roughed up, it is a lost cause. In English soccer news, Manchester United was held to a draw today. If Chelsea wins out, they will retain their Premiership title. That's all for tonight...

Lookin' for the one...

2007-04-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

I do not feel like writing much tonight. I just hiked around with some kids from Dallas Baptist University and saw the monuments at night. It is a long story about how I met up with them, but it basically involves me seeing Becky Dunn, who I worked with at camp for two years, in the Longworth cafeteria today. She and the choir from DBU are singing at the National Cathedral on Sunday. So I hung out with them tonight, and it was grand. This will be my shortest post on record. That's all for tonight...

I will always forget you...

2007-04-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

How did the actions of Mr. Cho, who had a documented history of mental illness, demonstate the problem of evil? I will start with the big picture and move towards the small. First, mental illness is evil in and of itself. Is everyone who has a mental illness evil? Of course not. By my previous statement, I simply mean that mental illness would not exist if it were not for evil. Because of man's rebellion against God (and I am sure my esteemed uncle would begin his disagreement here. We may just have to agree to disagree on this point.), evil became ingrained in the very DNA of mankind, shattering the paradise that existed. Because of Adam's grasp to be like God, we deal with the consequences, only one of which is mental illness. Also, Mr. Cho obviously had serious mental problems, but I am not sure that he is completely irresponsible for his actions. I have a hard time he believed that what he did was completely right. While he felt that he was compelled to kill and that he was a martyr fighting for those like him, that hardly absolves him of guilt. We do not let terrorists who kill simply walk free because they view themselves as martyrs and morally blameless. Mr. Cho's troubled past certainly provides motive to his actions, but it does not make him innocent, even by reason of mental defect.

My uncle also indicated that by tossing around the word "evil" it has become essentially meaningless. I would argue the exact opposite. I feel that we have dilluted the meaning because we are too hesitant to use evil. Mass murderers are no longer evil, they are people to be pittied who might have legitimate means. I do not care how legitimate your cause is, nothing justifies the murder of innocent lives, be it 32, 3,000, or 800,000 lives. In this era of political correctness, nothing can be labeled as evil without the labeler being called bigoted and intolerant. Perhaps the most distressing part of evil losing its meaning is that good has lost its value as well.

I agree that the Iraq war was started under false pretenses. Saddam did not prosess weapons of mass destruction. To state otherwise is to be ignorant of the facts. Additionally, no significant links existed between the Baathist regime and al-Queda. However, at this stage, it is simply impossible to call a muligan and withdraw. The country is too shattered and too unstable. (Granted we created that instability. But it is too late now. It exists.) If we leave now, what is happening in Darfur will happen in Iraq- genocide. The Sunnis and Shiites are already killing each other with vigor. They are not going to stop simply because we are not there anymore. The fragile Iraqi government will collapse, and the country will go from minor to medium chaos to all out insanity. With no strong force there, warlords, despots, and terrorists will begin a wholesale slaughter to try to grab as much power and influence as they can. In Iraq and in most of the Third World, power flows from the barrel of a gun. I wish it were some other way, but it is not. Whoever can fight and kill most effectively rules. That is why there is genocide in Darfur, and that is why there will be genocide in Iraq if the United States pulls out. We need to stay in Iraq for the time being so we do have hundreds of thousands innocent Iraqis being murdered.

The band that sits atop my list of top ten bands should not suprise any regular reader of this blog. The greatest Irish band to ever exist- U2. Their musical careers spans over 25 years, yet their music does not show their age. Their latest album ranks as one of their best. The Vertigo Tour is by far the best concert I have ever been to in my entire life. To call it a concert does not do it justice; it was a spiritual experience. I paid a seemingly obscene amount of money for my ticket, but I would pay twice that to see them. Congratulations to Mark Johnson for reading my mind and naming yesterday's song of the day. I used to have the Beatles on my iPod, but that was two iPods ago. I miss them. In closing, I give you Coldplay and U2. That's all for tonight...

I'll always be true...

2007-04-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

I want to express my sincere gratitude to Dwight Schrute for posting on my wall. It is an honor to have someone like him grace me with his answers to yesterday's song of the day contest. As Dwight is a genius, he was of course correct. So congratulations Dwight!

I also received a comment from someone who left Code Pink's misson statement. I want to issue a correction. Code Pink was started as a woman's movement, not a GLBT one. However, most of the protesters from Code Pink that I have seen on Capitol Hill have their pink outfits tagged with statements of support for GLBT issues. Also, I was persuing Code Pink's website, and in addition to all the things dealing with Iraq, they also have a section calling on the United States and the Bush administration to do whatever is necessary to end the conflict in Darfur. While I agree with them on this issue, their hipocracy strikes me as funny. They decry the U.S. military involvement in Iraq and take a hyper-pacifist stance, but the only way the Darfur conflict is going to be solved is by deploying international troops into Sudan in general and Darfur specifically. I am sure if we end up sending peacekeepers to Darfur, Code Pink will be out in force demanding their immediate withdrawl.

Coming in at number two in my top ten bands is the British quartet Coldplay. I had the pleasure of seeing Coldplay in concert a year ago February, and it was hands down one of the most entertaining events I have ever witnessed. Best known for their mega-hits "Yellow" and "Clocks," this multiple Grammy winning band has a lot more going for them than those songs. I honestly have a hard time picking which of their three albums is the best. They all have individual merit, and my favorite depends on my mood. They and the band to be named tomorrow are the only bands that I would pay any price and travel any distance to go see. The next time Coldplay embarks on a world tour, be sure to catch them. You will not be disappointed. That's all for tonight...(I can't get pictures to work tonight. Amy, do not freak out. There will be a picture of Chris Martin tomorrow. It will all be ok.)

Never a frown with golden brown...

2007-04-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

I gave my second tour in as many days for the office of ACU's own Congressman Judge Ted Poe. Their intern has not shown up for work the past two days because she is in the ICU. Supposedly she moved out of the ICU today, so things are looking up. I guess being terribly sick is a good reason not to come to work. I really like being in the Congressman Judge's office because his walls are decorated with all things Texan. He has a picture of him and Willie Nelson prominently displayed as well. While many people disagree with Willie's potsmoking, liberal leaning, long haired antics, no one questions his status as a Texas legend.

An anti-war protestor literally knocked me over today. I was walking in the Rayburn building down committee row, and she was trying to make it to a hearing about Guantanamo Bay. Before you question my toughness or accuse me of taking a Christiano Ronaldo like dive, this was no ordinarry woman. She was 6 foot plus, muscular, and I swear she had shaved her face this morning. This protester belonged to the infamous group "Code Pink." In case you are unfamiliar with Code Pink, they are a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered group that vehemently opposes the war in Iraq and wants the troops withdrawn yesterday. They have promised to make themselves heard on Capitol Hill until the war ends. I have the feeling that they will be here for a while. Some of them have been arrested trying to demonstrate in Nancy Pelosi's office, which is two floors down from the Good Congressman's. They like to go to committee hearing and position themselves and their sharpie-markered pink regalia in the C-SPAN camera's shot.

Code Pink channels Lady Liberty:I have a few thoughts about anti-war protestors. First, I absolutely think it is great that they are up here. I really do. I think that is the beauty of American democracy that they can publically and loudly demonstrate against the government. Having said that, I think they are ridiculous. They either know absolutely nothing about the political system/process or choose to ignore it. I am not sure which is worse. A Democratic controlled Congress cannot bring the troops home tomorrow. That is not the way it works. It is an impossibility. Getting arrested, yelling, and cussing is not going to make a withdrawl happen. At least we can be civil. Also, the vast majority of anti-war protesters are either in their 60s or 70s (grandmothers) or in their 20s. I am not sure what this says about the 30-50 crowd. They are either 1) smart 2) don't care or 3) have better things to do. I have concluded just about all of the anti-war crowd is unemployed. (Or unemployable. Your choice. Also, I am not making any statements about those who favor a withdrawl from Iraq along the lines of recent Democratic proposals. I am commenting on the people who run around like idiots on Capitol Hill)

We have a tie for second place in my top ten bands. Tonight's band hails from Virginia and has been on the music scene for over 15 years. Of all the bands on the list, I have seen this one the most. It is the Dave Matthews Band. Dave's skilled guitar playing places him a cut above the rest. Carter Beauford is one of the best drummers in music today. The Band has a unique sound, featuring both a violin and a saxophone. My only complaint about the band is that Boyd Tinsley, the violinist, plays the same solo in every song. All the other members stretch themselves musically. Maybe their risk taking will rub off, and Boyd will try something new. Finally, congratualtions to Amy Tuegel for winning yesterday's song of the day. That's all for tonight...