Just Another Manic Monday...

listening to my 80's playlist on iTunes while writing this hence the title
It has been another busy Monday. I feel like a cat trying to bury shit on a cement sidewalk. There is no rest for the wicked and the righteous don't need any. If that's the case I must be wicked because I am getting no rest and I sure could use some...

But I'm getting sidetracked back to an old post. This past week has been a decent one. The semester is finally starting to get into full swing, mainly thanks to the Criminal Justice Clinic. Today we had arraignments again at the Queens County Courthouse. One of the best things I get out of doing arraignments is getting to interact with other practicing lawyers...

Some cases are easier than others. One client that I have, has been with the clinic for about 3-4 years and will likely be with us after I leave. Some people live for the fight. Then there are cases like today where I had to convince my client to plead guilty. He was concerned about getting a violation (lower than a misdemeanor) added to his long list of felony convictions...

The DA was offering to accept "time served" in exchange for a guilty plea and was willing to consent to ROR (Released on Own Recognizance) if he wanted to fight the charge. If found guilty though he could face up to 10 days in jail and $265 in fines and fees. I still had to convince him to follow the one course of action that would ensure he would be released immediately and not have to return to court over the incident...

Also today we initiated new members into Phi Alpha Delta. Being a chapter Marshal I had to be there and played a part in the proceedings. We also have Spring Fling (a semi-formal) coming up in about a week and a half, so preparations and ticket sales have begun. So when all was said and done it was a long day...

The next 2 weeks are jam packed for me. I have court dates, client meetings, classes, letters to write, and Spring Fling ticket sales to keep me busy. Probably not much worth writing about on the blog but we'll see...

There was a girl, who I was talking to, that I was thinking about asking to Spring Fling. After paying my tuition this week though I was faced with the harsh reality of a finite bank balance. I certainly have enough to live on for the rest of the school year assuming I can stick to a reasonable budget. But I have no real prospects of income till some time in August...

I didn't get much rest this past weekend either. Sunday I had a meeting with a client and had to get ready for court today. Saturday was not that bad with only a minimal amount of reading. Friday was spent running errands and paying tuition, stuff that I can't get to on class days. I also had to recover from Thursday night...

Thursday night I went to the Hofstra basketball game we were 20-5(good) going into the game and playing against the 25th ranked team. It was fun to get out to a live college basketball game, which I hadn't done in a while. The sounds of the game, the energy of the crowd, and the smell of the student section...

We won the game 77-66, which was our first ever win against a ranked team and gave us a realistic shot at getting an "at large" bid for the NCAA tournament (big dance) even if we don't win the CAA tournament(conference tourney). The arena holds about 5,000 people and the fans rushed the court after the game. I showed self restraint and stayed in the stands and snapped off a picture of the action...

The last time I was at a court-rushing after a game was back at ASU. It was January 23rd, 2002 and we beat the UofA 88-72, the only win in our past 23 games against them. The University Activities Center holds almost 15,000 people and I took part in rushing the court that day. At one point I was actually able to pick myself out of the picture below...


The Hofstra Flying Dutchmen rush the court after a big win...


I'm in that crush somewhere...

Random thoughts and old pics...

Friends for long and long...

I just got emailed a link to some pictures that my good friend Brooke took a while back. Two sets as a matter of fact; one from a party 6 months ago when I got back from Australia and another from a year ago when I went home for winter break after my first semester of law school...

Wendelicious, Brooklyn, Yours Truly, and Pam-Pam...

Catchin’ up with my friend Brooke thanks for the pictures...

A handful of friends showed up to celebrate my return...

Blown up on Myspace...

Getting on Myspace again recently has been kinda cool. I have managed to find some old friends that I have been out of touch with for a while. The internet has truly made it a much smaller world...

Internet social networking has created a new cultural phenomenon "Cyber Drama". In the past week a couple of people I know who shall remain nameless have fallen victim to this insipid evil...

The first unfortunate victim had an innocent message they left for someone misinterpreted. Sadly for them it's not the intent of the message that matters, but the meaning each reader takes from it that counts...

Another misfortunate friend of mine made the mistake of misjudging other peoples’ level of discretion. In any small community everyone knows what everyone else doing. This downtrodden soul’s solution was to commit cyber-hari-kari...

I guess there are a few lessons to be learned here about cyberspace and small communities. First don’t believe everything you read/hear or jump to conclusions. Second be careful of what you do and who you do it with. Lastly always beware of the cyber-stalker...

Can I be real son? Be really real son...

This clip Black Bush is from the Chappelle Show, it makes me laugh...

Dimo's birthday bash in The City...

Празднование дня рождения моего хорошего друга Dmitri

Whoever said women can't be intelligent and beautiful...(Tyng Tsuei, Dmitri Smidovich, Susan Lowe, Tara Dennis, and NAME OMITTED)

...never met the women of Hofstra Law School. (Elene Michaels, Kim Connick, NAME OMITTED again, Amy Scheiner, and Ann Marie Diaz)

The Birthday Boy is having a good time...
("Cali" Mike Castrillo, Dmitri Smidovich, and Will Kang)

Diddy in rare form...
(Brian "B-Diddy" O'Donnell, Cali Mike, Lene, Krissy, and Dave Jensen)

Makin' out in the corner...
(Dimo tries to carry on a conversation while Tara and Ann Marie wrestle behind him and Diddy makes out with Cali Mike in the corner)

Don't let the smooth taste fool you...
(Sue and the Guest of Honor)

Catchin' up with Jess...
(Funny enough she was there the very first time I went into The City)

Dmirti's 26th Birthday Party at 49 Grove St in NYC...

As you may have gathered by now I survived another night of partying in The City. This makes 3 out of the last 4 weekends that I have gone into The City for a friend's birthday. I once again parked at Mineola figuring I'd make it back before the parking meters go back into effect at 6AM. Boy was I wrong on that one...

I caught the 10:11PM LIRR train to Penn Station and hopped the "1" subway line downtown. I made it to the Christopher St/Sheridan Sq subway stop about 11PM and 49 Grove St was literally just around the corner. As I walked up to the club Dimo had just stepped outside to have a smoke, which made it really easy to get in...

I hadn't planned on drinking but birthdays only come once a year, and they had my drink of choice. So a couple handfuls of Patron shots and $100 bar tab later, that plan went out the window. Most of the people who showed up were from Hofstra Law(as the pictures will attest to)...

Law students work hard and party twice as hard. I think in part it's because most of us know we won't have time for it near future. It's good to be able to get out and cut loose, I even got out on the dance floor. Amused by my enthusiasm one sista in tight jeans decided to pop it like its hot. I haven't gotten a treat like that since Fifi back in my ASU days...

I decided early in the night that I was gonna be there to shut the party down. Around 4AM they started to move us along. Determined not to let the revelry end about half a dozen of us decided to head over to Cali Mike's place. In true NYC fashion we stopped at a deli around the corner from his place and picked up delectable grub...

We hung out at Mike's place till well after the sun came up, at which point I decided to head home. Getting home was a breeze thanks to the MTA. The nicest surprise was getting back to my Jeep to find no ticket despite being parked at an expired meter for over 3 1/2 hours. I'll slip in a picture of my Jeep below just for fun...

It is now Sunday and I am just starting to feel fully recovered from the night of debauchery that was Dmitri's birthday bash. Thank goodness it only comes once a year...

I had fun playing in what was left of the snow...

Rules to live by...

In life I have heard a number of maxims by which people live. Some are humorous, but even in the funny ones there is a kernel of truth. Sometimes there are even lessons to be learned...

The “golden rule”, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is a nice one. It’s pretty general guideline and in most situations it works. A variation on that is “he who has the gold makes the rules”, which is supposed to be funny and has a ring of truth...

One that I really like is about your state of mind when striving to achieve goals. Whether you think you can or you can’t you’re right. It speaks to determination, perseverance, and self confidence. My folks always told me I could do anything I want, so the key is figuring out what I want...

Be careful what you wish for you just might get it. This is kind of a Buddhist thing, it’s about being thankful for what you have. The whole grass is greener on the other side of the fence thing...

Another oft used expression is the “rule of thumb”, which is actually a bad thing. The expression stems from the fact that it used to be acceptable to beat your wife and child as long as the switch you used was not larger around than your thumb...

I have a personal anti-stalking rule regarding phone calls. I won’t call someone more than 3 times without a return phone call. Of course this does not apply to business calls only personal calls. After the 3rd call it's more than just a hint...

One rule that I feel is worthy of living by is Kant’s 2nd moral imperative. Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule and rules were made to be broken...

They're about the same around here...

Before I go to sleep I want to relate a story that was told to me when I was younger. I think the first time I heard it was from my dad. It's a story that's pretty easy to understand...

A farmer was out by the road side working on a piece of equipment one day when a traveling salesman happened by. The salesman stopped to talk to the farmer, after a while the salesman asked how the people are in this town. The farmer replied by asking how were they in the town the salesman just came from. The salesman replied that they were mean, nasty, and generally unpleasant. The farmer said you'll find they're about the same here...

The salesman went on his way, a little later on the farmer saw another salesman coming down the same road on his way from the same town as the first salesman had come from. The conversation which ensued followed pretty much the same direction as the first. In reply to how the people were in the previous town the salesman replied that they were nice, friendly, and fairly pleasant. The farmer said you'll find they're about the same here...

The point(s) of the story is many fold, but I think the main point is that things are what you make of them. Some people might call me a spin doctor but I prefer to look at myself as someone who tries to look on the bright side of life and people...

Happy Valentine's Day (Myspace)...

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all. I hope this day finds you in good spirits and with your loved ones in body and/or spirit. I understand the sentiment I have heard that Valentine's Day is a contrived holiday because every day is an opportunity to let your loved ones know how you feel...

Yeah I know it sounds kind of corny, but there is some truth to it. It is nice to have a special day but it doesn't have to be February 14th every year. Unless of course you are like my Aunt Esther and Uncle Wim who got married on February 14th. Happy Anniversary I am glad to hear you are both doing well...

Speaking of getting married on a holiday, my Yiayia and Papou(Greek for grandma and grandpa) got married on November 23rd 1950. That day also happened to be Thanksgiving day(the 4th Thursday in November). For the past 55 years Yiayia has celebrated her anniversary on November 23rd and Papou has celebrated his on Thanksgiving day...

I have added some more links(look to the right>>>) to places on the internet you can find profiles of me. Last year I was on Orkut quite a bit, but I didn't really know a lot of the people in my social network there. Lately you can find me on Myspace, I only have people in my social network there who I actually know...

Some people are what might be classified as "friend whores", one classic example of this is Diddy. This kid has less than a dozen phone numbers in his cell phone because he says there aren't that many people that he need to be able to get ahold of. This same anti-social meathead has over 100 friends on Myspace...

Every person I am connected with on Myspace is someone I actually know(except Tom). I am currently connected to 27 people and will probably be connected to a bunch more really soon. That's because I just figured out how to import my contacts list from my Yahoo and Gmail address books...

I think Eli Sinderson(my oldest friend) did a dissertation about online social networks. So he knows more about them than I do, but in my opinion social networking with people you don't really know is socially limiting. But at the same time an online social network can be a great opportunity to maintain and renew friendships...

I'm not a hard person to find especially on the internet, but don't believe everything you read in cyberspace...

Some pics of last night...

I got lucky and get to post some pictures of the great time I had last night in The City thanks to Dave Jensen...

I also want to send Happy Birthday wishes out to Dmitri "Dimo" Smidovich my good friend and roommate from last year...

The corridors of NYC durring the blizzard...

Me with the Birthday Boy Twins Andrew and Dave Jensen. Damn that is sooooooo F'ing hot...

Brian O'Donnell(aka B-Diddy), Sandy Jensen, and Me coping a feel. Ya y'all see the smile...

Same as above, thank God I got my tounge out of his ear before the camera went off...

Dave Jensen getting F'ed in the ear and "Cali Mike" Castrillo...

B-Diddy, Sandy, and Brett Bechaz(I couldn't resist giving Diddy "rabbit ears")...

The Jensen Boys and their sisters Sandy and Penny(someone couldn't resist giving Dave "rabbit ears")...

Those Jensens are damn good looking...

Nice lookin' pair huh...

Did I have a good time, you tell me...

Into The City in a blizzard...

the first part of this was written earlier in the night
I am getting ready to catch the 9:01PM train into the City from Mineola. I am going in to celebrate one of my friend's birthday. I don't really need an excuse to go into NYC, but it's always more fun with friends...

They are predicting a huge Noreaster rolling in tonight. We are supposed to get at least a foot tonight. I'm guessing that more than a few people will be deterred from going out tonight by the weather...

Maybe I'll think to take a few pictures tonight, or maybe I'll be having too much fun to think of it...

These folks don't know from cold...

(Writing this while watching Evil Dead III : Army of Darkness)
Well I made it back alive despite the blizzard. I gotta tell you though the East Coast thinks it knows a blizzard. You wanna see some real cold go visit Minnesota, up there they know what winter looks like...

I thought the snow might keep people away from the Jensen birthday bash, but all the right people showed up. Even thought there was only 6 inches of snow when I got back to Long Island the drive home from the train station was fairly treacherous and fun...

I had a great time tonight. We went to Porky's and while I was there I had a BBQ pork sandwich. It reminded me a lot of Waldo's up on Hayden & Thomas. The bar itself reminded me more of the Library on Mill, well at least the girls dancing on the bar did...

Sorry no pictures, but I forgot to bring my cell phone. I would have been late for the train if I had come back to get it. I might still get some pictures though because everyone else had digital cameras...

Birthday Wishes...

I want to send birthday wishes out to 2 of my favorite people in the whole world, funny enough they were both born on the same day. I am related to both of them, but I'd like to think I would be friends with them even if we weren't because I love them both...

Jason Syrmopoulos My Brother
and
Hidde van Erven Dorens My Cousin

Oops I did it again...

The second time around isn't nearly as nerve wracking as the first was. Today we went down to the Nassau County Courthouse and did 18B work. 18B is basically the same thing we did in Queens except these were people who are voluntarily showing up to court, as opposed to people who need to go before a judge to get released from custody...

Just like at the Queens Courthouse 90% of the people who work in court were really nice to us. I think it's because they know we are students and they remember being in our shoes not so long ago...

I can't say it enough, but it has been a great learning experience and confidence builder. My partner and I picked up a Spanish speaking client charged with a Class A Misdemeanor. We are building up a case log and a client base, I guess the same way you would in a real practice...

If...

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

---Rudyard Kipling