damn the muse

I've been awake since 3:30am, and everything feels hazy. Life goes on, but there is always that one little detail that always stays the same. It never goes away. Images creep into my head of past events, and sometimes the tears come. I'm handling it so well. I think I'm doing my best to avoid it.

Ricky's dad is gone, my uncle, my mom's brother and best friend in childhood. He was working late last night at the family owned gas station when men (or just one? don't know) broke in looking for money. They found him and they shot him in the chest. He died at the hospital during surgery. That's real life, and right now it sucks.

Posted by yasmín at 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

California always has interesting cases, and it has to be the trend setter or at least the media darling. Recently in the news, men have been witnessed fighting to have their say with their surnames. That is they want to take their wives last names, or something like it.

The California Legislature is set to consider a bill this month that would allow men to change their surnames upon marriage as seamlessly as women now can. Only seven states now allow a man who wishes to alter his name after his wedding to do so without going through the laborious, frequently expensive legal process set out by the courts for any name change. Women don't have to do so.

This intrigues me. I always figured that when and if I finally exchanged wedding vows I probably would do a hyphen and combine both last names because I love my last name. If my future husband were willing to do the same then that would be excellent.

Posted by yasmín at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I really, really need my guardians right now. And to think, the day had started out so lovely.

Posted by yasmín at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

El escritor Gabriel García Márquez no esta muerto. Se dejó ver por primera vez en mucho tiempo en una reunión para la prensa, y apareció cuando menos lo esperaban.

El popular Gabo se limitó a sonreír, a posar para los fotógrafos y a firmar algunos libros, mientras almorzaba en compañía del director de la FNPI.

Lo justo es justo. Me voy a tener que acostumbrar a la idea de que voy a volver a leer "Cien años de soledad." Me recuerdo que fue un libro interesante pero eso es lo único que se me viene a la mente.

Posted by yasmín at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have a job interview! It requires my Spanish skills, and because I'm a perfectionist I must impress. For an entire week I will write in this blog in Spanish. Please, correct me. I speak it well, but my writing is just, well, scary. Hehe.

Posted by yasmín at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A student was denied extra time on the LSAT because the court found that his condition, ADHD, did not substantially impair his ability to take the test in the time allotted. The court relied on the student's performance in school and previous exams to make the determination, which makes sense, but what I find intriguing is the attempt to a disability.

"The fact that plaintiff is clinically diagnosed as having a learning impairment does not automatically mean that he is entitled to an accommodation under the ADA. An impairment and a disability are two different things," Surrick wrote.

Is an impairment meant to be temporary? ADHD is not temporary. And how is this different from a disability? The inability to perform is a disability even if it's mild-- in loose terms. (Must get my hands on the opinion). Impairment is a subheading. There's never a guarantee the person will get better.

Regardless, the decision is a bit ironic when I think of the students in my law school who used ADD as an excuse to get extra time for finals. A few extra minutes was not going to make the issues appear if you didn't know them.

As for the the LSAT, it's useless.

Posted by yasmín at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It is my duty to report that 300 was pure eye candy. The violence was gratuitous, and methinks a bit too over the top. However, the muscles, goodness, those glorious muscles delivered!

Yup, it was definitely worth it.

Posted by yasmín at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

La evolución del español es una verdadera desgracia.

No more podcasts for me. Between the Spanish lisp and who knows what else I think I need a rest. I'm going to pretend to be from Barthelona. Barthelona!

I'm happily obsessing over Spanish rather than crying over BSG. Moore did an evil, evil thing to a favorite character, and yours truly has been devastated. At the same time it is positively amusing to read fan reaction about Sunday's episode.

Lighting a candle for Starbuck. ::sniff::

Posted by yasmín at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have a new student tomorrow. This thrills me to no end, but as tends to be my normal routine, I've started to go overboard on the preparation. This one has to be a keeper, and friends are standing by to call exactly at 7 just in case.

Every job is a hazard.

I discovered that ITunes has a variety of podcasts devoted to teaching the casual learner the lovely intricacies of a romance language. Always the explorer, I subscribed to two and quickly deleted the second one with horrid a English accent, who was attempting to count to ten and only made it to six!

My ears hurt.

The first one sounds promising. The man who runs it sounds Irish and uses an accent from Spain. For that alone I am amused. If I enjoy the lessons I'll pass them along to my beginner students.

Gringo accent in my ears. Seriously, not fun. Not when it was this deliberate. I need a telenovela.

Posted by yasmín at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Back then it was called Forever Knight, and it was practically a family affair. See, in my unit we love sci-fi and fantasy shows, but some of us really love vampire shows. FK, though at first slightly cheesy, ended up being really good. Then it got canceled. Oh, and that finale! Bloody hell. Can they pile on the angst or what?

Not really. I discovered the Whedon shortly there after. Now, he was downright painful.

Enter the new show that reminds of FK. It has vampires. I swear this is a curse. The vampire lead is hot. I can't tear myself away. It's called Blood Ties. Oh, cliche title to boot!

I realize that the title is taken from a novel, and the show isn't a copy of Forever Knight, but it invites comparison. Sexy vampire male crimefighter meets sexy female private eye who has an ex male cop partner. I smell triangle. Oh, and they fight demons and creepy crawlies. Maybe there is a Whedon connection?

The sad fact is I am so there for episode 1. But should it turn out to be bad, I will feel used and abused and manhandled. A woman wants decent supernatural romance with umph, not a crappy plot device.

Posted by yasmín at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)