OUT SAVING THE WORLD

The big-assed boulder is gone...now they're fixing the sinkhole in the road (seriously)
Malibu Revels in Splendid Isolation [LAT]

I'm J-Dub and I approve this message at 1:28 PM |

Update on the Monster PCH Boulder
KCBS package[Windows Media]

I'm J-Dub and I approve this message at 9:31 PM |

Today Was Gonna Be The Day, But They'll Never Throw It Back To You
Two-ish weeks ago, I wrote a monster post on the eve of the National Trial Competition regionals, quoting heavily from Wonderwall and looking back over nine years of mock trial "highlights," such as the time Clark and I drove around the hotel parking lot because Ignition (Remix) came on the radio.

Luckily for you, Blogger ate that post.

Meanwhile, we went to San Diego, and did our preliminary rounds. Our opponents were nice people, but my old undergrad teams could have beaten them. Hell, some of the more motley Mizzou B-team incarnations featuring Gretchen and Steve could have beaten them.

So, we made the cut to semifinals, and beat Loyola, though I am still slightly surpised at that outcome. Then, the final round, against the other Loyola team, where we were prosecutors in a defense-oriented case with two defense lawyer judges. Even though the witness I was cross examining was threatened with contempt by the judge (no joke) we still dropped two painfully close ballots.

So that's done.

We All Live In A College Town
Trekked to Madison this past weekend to visit Tracy. At first I thought I missed being an undergrad, but, upon further review, I just miss living in a college town. Nothing like parties and cheap beer.

Best "ahhhh, college" moment of the weekend: going to Qdoba at 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, when some guy sits down next to us (alone), plops his burrito down on the table, and then plops his head down on the table next to it.

OSTW StormWatch
EDS. -- Note Malibu reference in 2d graf.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The sun began poking through the clouds Wednesday as California emergency crews shifted into cleanup mode after a six-day drenching that killed at least nine people, destroyed dozens of houses and flooded roads and airports.

The Transportation Department hurried to clear at least 20 major roads closed by mudslides and flooding, and in Malibu, crews prepared to destroy a boulder the size of a house that dangled precariously above the Pacific Coast Highway, held back by only a retaining wall.


According to KTLA, this guy perched a few feet above my normal commute route weighs 1,200 tons (remember, 1 ton = 2,000 pounds). So, that highway is closed. Why don't I take Malibu Canyon Road?



Right. Closed too.

So, at the earliest, I'll be going to campus again on Friday. Whoohoo rain!

I'm J-Dub and I approve this message at 5:51 PM |

Dispatches From The Inner Circle of Tax
MALIBU, Calif. -- Professor Popov. was just explaining the novel idea that, to calculate "realized gain" (read: money you make from selling something) you take the amount you sell the thing for and subtract what you paid for it in the first place.

Wow. If I sell the laptop I bought for $1000 for $3000, I've made $2000 gain? And I'm paying for this?

But, he just redeemed himself. The taxy-term for the price you sell something for is called "amount reflected." He abbreviated it as "AR" and then said "Arrrrrrrr!"

Heh heh heh. Pirates.

Dispatches From Collegetown, U.S.A.
Went back to BoCoMo two weekends ago. By the numbers:
38: Teams attending the Mid-Missouri mock trial invitational
4: People I ran into randomly, confused as to why I was in BoCoMo
3: Pints of Boulevard consumed within 12 hours of arrival in St. Louis
2: KOMU billboards welcoming me back home

It didn't hit me at Homecoming, but the Berg really is "back." Kate, you'll be happy to know there are now coathooks on the ends of the booths. In typical Berg fashion, I ran into at least one person on each visit (of which there were three) I wasn't expecting to see. Isn't that what the Berg is for?

Dispatches from Comicland


Update from Taxland
Working through a gain problem, Professor Popov. just asked: "What be the ARRRRRR?"

Tee hee. Pirates.

Dispatches from SoCal (Or, Why SFD Is A Terrible Wingman)
Strange older lady asks me on the Metro Gold Line: "You look different. Are you Mormon?"

As the bizarre questioning continues ("Are you from Montana?") Superfan Dan, rather than helping me out, decides to pull out his cell phone and check his voicemail or otherwise fake a conversation. Way to help a brotha out, SFD!

I'm J-Dub and I approve this message at 3:01 PM |