Just got done with one. It wasn't too bad. (Or so I think).

2 down (Secured Transactions and Copyright Law), 2 to go (Wills, Trusts, and Estates and Family Law).

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 01:11 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Not quite ladies and gentlemen. It appears that FoxNews.com has taken an interest in our school's little scandal. And the best part, they link to our law school's blog (which I contribute to) in the article. Never thought we'd get this much press.

I do have one beef with the FoxNews people: GET THE NAME OF MY LAW SCHOOL CORRECT!! I do not attend IU-Purdue University law school in Indiana. I attend Indiana University School of Law--Indianapolis. For the love of God, is it that difficult?

Anyway, here's the article in its entirety:

The IU-Purdue University law school in Indiana removed a Christmas tree from the lobby of the school after some students and faculty complained that it made them feel excluded, reports the Indianapolis Star.

Following the complaints, the tree was replaced with a neutral winter scene, inspired by Courier and Ives.

The excluded Christmas tree was decorated with folded fans made of maps of the world, lights and ornaments resembling world globes. It was intended to convey the "diversity and the identification of people everywhere," according to school officials.

Following pressure from students at the school, a less-exclusive display has been erected. The new display has two smaller trees, but they are unadorned.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 03:14 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Bill Maher's a freaking idiot!

He had the nerve to joke about Bill Clinton's sexual indiscretions at a benefit honoring none other than...HILLARY CLINTON.

You mine as well sign up for unemployment benefits right now, Mr. Maher.

I mean, I'm not a fan of EITHER of the Clintons, but the joke was in poor taste. Ewww...no pun intended.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 12:50 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Maybe it's just me, but the title of this article made me laugh.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 06:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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"Not guilty" tattoo identifies robber.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 06:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I love John Cusack, so I thought this would be fun! Not sure about the tuxedo part though!

Which John Cusack Are You?

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 04:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sing it with me folks.

As I was perusing my hometown newspaper's website, I came across this MAJOR news event coming out of Vincennes: Charlie's Smorgasbord is back and bustling!

Yes, kids. It's big news. You have no idea how bad the traffic is around this place. People flock to it like Graceland. It's totally out of control. My mom made me go once when I was 7 (just because we were both curious), and well, we've never been back. Downhome cookin' ain't really my thing. But man oh man, this place is a cash cow, if you're in to that sort of thing.

Let me give you a couple of quotes from the article:

"I've had more hugs from little old ladies since we opened back up than I have in my whole life," Winkler said.

"The Little Wagon Buffet was never well-received." (I guess there really is no substitute for Charlie's).

"Approximately 90 percent of the people working at the restaurant before the change have come back to work," Winkler said. "One of the employees did cartwheels while at work at her replacement job after hearing the restaurant was opening back up."

Tom and Maxine Drogich, from Princeton, have been driving to Vincennes to eat the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and other amenities five days a week, every week, for 17 years. "This is the best that we've ever eaten," said Tom Drogich. "It's the down-home atmosphere and the down-home food."

'Nuff said.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 01:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I've been quoted about this blasted "Treegate" controversy in the Indiana Daily Student newspaper. If anyone's interested, you can read it here.

Note: I do not attend IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis School of Law as the article states. I attend Indiana University School of Law--Indianapolis. No Purdue. Yuckie.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 01:36 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Our little law school Christmas tree scandal made two local Indianapolis 11 o'clock news programs last night. Additionally, there is a front page article in the Indianapolis Star this morning. I've pasted it in its entirety.

Tree Display Vexes Law School

Call it the case of Christmas tree v. Indiana winter scene.

Students and professors wrapping up the semester at IU's School of Law in Indianapolis are hotly debating the dean's decision to remove a 12-foot tree after complaints that it was a religious display, then replace it with an exhibit featuring two smaller trees and a sleigh.

Many law students, who overwhelmingly opposed removing the first tree on Tuesday, wonder what the difference is. And the professor who led the charge to remove the original tree said she also opposes the alternative.

Dean of Students Tony Tarr said the new display represents Indiana woods during winter and that no one would attach religious meaning to it. That's also what he said about the first tree, which bore no religious ornaments or even a star on top.

"That was a nondenominational tree, I thought," he said. "It is now a normal Indiana scene. Some faculty and students said the other tree was too starkly religious."

One of the trees in the new display has lights on it -- but neither has ornaments -- and both trees are flecked with fake snow. The sleigh is stuffed with red and green poinsettia plants, which also are on the ground.

Law Professor Florence Roisman was the first to complain about the original tree. Even undecorated, she said, it was a symbol of Christianity on government property.

"The tree is placed there to celebrate a Christian holiday -- it is not put there in the middle of summer," said Roisman, who is Jewish. "To honor one religion and not honor others is exclusionary. This is unacceptable at a place that presents itself as inclusive of all people."

The Supreme Court disagrees. It has ruled Christmas trees are secular symbols of the holiday. At the same time, the court said putting up trees in a public place gives any other group the right to place a holiday symbol there.

In the mid-1990s, several groups placed displays at the Indianapolis City-County Building when a Christmas tree was put up there. The city eventually banned all public displays at the building.

Tarr said his decision to remove the original tree wasn't based on the law. He was trying to be sensitive to some student complaints. Roisman said she would have preferred several different displays and thinks the new one is just as offensive.

Many law students also said it would have been better to have several exhibits than no religious display at all.

"Removal of that tree is more symbolic than it being there," said Kenneth Allsop, 25, a first-year law student from Utah who described himself as a Christian. "If you want to be inclusive, you shouldn't be taking things down."

"This is (political correctness) gone crazy. It's beyond ridiculous," said Matt Nicholson, a 23-year-old first-year law student from Marion.

Some students said the dean shouldn't have let a handful of objections prompt the original tree's removal.

Student Audrey Smith, 29, said she is Jewish but still enjoys Christmas.

"I don't see the tree as a religious reminder," Smith said. "It reminds you of home. Santa used to come to my house, too."

Himka Shergill, a 26-year-old law student who was raised in India, agreed.

"I am not Christian, but I like to hear Christmas songs, and my schools all had trees when I was a kid," she said. "The students want the tree here. It is exam time, and it helps us relax."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:00 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Maybe this year Grandma will get runover by a drunken elk.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 02:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Rudy Giuliani was in town last night. Many came to hear him speak not because of his politics, but because of the inspiration he provided during the September 11th attacks.

He also endorsed his fellow Republican and former White House Budget Director Mitch Daniels for Indiana's governor. Giuliani noted that people should take "a very good look" at Daniels, the man he credited with helping New York get the federal aid it needed after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"(Daniels) didn't just sit back in Washington," Giuliani said. "He wanted to see for himself what was happening, what was needed, and then stayed on top of it every minute of the way . . . which is the way he handles everything, and that's why he'll be a really great governor."

You can read more about his visit, here.

I'm currently kicking myself for not going. I thought I should study instead. Damn finals.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 09:06 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, today's little blogfest has me worn out. It turned into THE topic of discussion all day. Students were sending emails to the entire school. My inbox was full.

It seems to me there is a lot of lying and story changing going on. Today students were told by various administration and faculty members that 1) the lawsuit threat was true, 2) the lawsuit threat was untrue, and 3) the lawsuit threat was true, but that I/we shouldn't mention it. The faculty actually angry about the Christmas tree have yet to come forward and voice their opinions, yet we still have no tree.

I'll be sure to keep you informed if anything actually results from this. It was nice to see what often seems to be an apathetic group, get charged up and have an intellectual debate.

UPDATE: Check out Sapere Aude for the latest update on the new, supposedly neutral "winter scene" that now adorns our atrium. Josh echoes my sentiments (and questions) exactly.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 11:21 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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More economic good news.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 03:06 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A group of us were admiring the lovely Christmas tree that adorned our law school's atrium yesterday. We commented how it gave the place where we will be spending an increased amount of time due to finals a bit of a "homey" feel.

It was pointed out to me today, that the tree is GONE. No lights. No tinsel. Nada.

A certain someone who works for the law school, who shall remain nameless, relayed that the tree is gone because a group of professors threatened filing a lawsuit if the tree was not taken down. My guess is that it's the same lovely group who protested last year when an American flag was put up in the atrium, because the flag so clearly was a pro-war symbol.

Give us back our tree. Give us back our symbol of GIVING. Put up a menorah too. Whatever. The more the merrier.

You can see some students' reactions here, at my law school's blog.

UPDATE: Josh seems equally as peeved as I am. His recent post at our law school blog gives a link for anyone who would like to contact the administration.

UPDATE #2: Another insider revealed to me that there have been gripes in years past, but our deans have had the gonads to say, "The tree stays." However, since this prof threatened a lawsuit, they all caved. I'm sorry, don't they know any good lawyers?

UPDATE #3: Josh posts an email he received from the Assistant Dean of External Affairs discussing the "great" reason the tree had to go.

UPDATE #4: Andrew Sullivan notes our little tree incident.

UPDATE #5: Up to date info on the tree scandal, here.

UPDATE #6: Jay Solo weighs in.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 09:32 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Here's his take on our emotional needs. It's quite humorous.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 07:34 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Here are my results from Name Statistics website (They gave Rita an actual number as to how many other women have that same name as well as a percentage. Guess there were too few to even count for me):

Thanks for the tip, Rita.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 01:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I wish this acting master the best of luck with his cancer treatment.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 12:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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This teacher should be forced to apologize to the boy and his family, and perhaps go through some "reality" training. (Assuming the allegations are true, of course).

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 09:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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"Chicks dig me because I rarely wear underwear."

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:58 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Acidman has a great post on the appreciation of women (wimmin, as he calls them) and their self-esteem issues.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:55 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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