Happy Selection Sunday!

Well I promised some of my 3 readers that I would blog last Wednesday to catch up, but sigh...having time to dick off was just too much to resist. But now that I'm back to doing some work, I now have time to blog :-)

I'll get to basketball in a minute, but let's cover the important changes from February and early March. School was so damn busy, between JDR note draft #2; doing final reads (training myself for Executive Editor next year); regular class loads; two seminar papers and a presentation on one of them; our first Evidence paper; Moot Court Brief; Tom's bachelor party; taxes and financial aid BS; and of course the fun activity of pushing my truck out during snowstorms! Literally four weeks of craziness, hell even Valentine's Day was in that mess (but that seems so long ago now).

Well let's cover it all in quick style: classes have been good, although I really pay little attention in Evidence right now. Simmons is entertaining but reading his slides after class is just as effective as Oesterle's class. Oesterle has been ripping them up the past few weeks and one memorable moment that stand sout more than the others was him slamming PILF the day before their big Auction. He refuses to go to the PILF auction and support that organization because PILF funds scholarships for public interest student workers, and almost invariably one or two of these people every summer works for the ACLU. Oesterle is opposed in every way to the ACLU and avoids association with them at all costs, so I give him credit for sticking to his guns. It pisses the PILF people off though because they cannot handle one dissenter, bunch of damn liberals. Anyways I have many good friends running PILF this year and they broke serious records at the auction this year, raising over $50,000 (last year was around $30,000 and their goal was a lofty 40K...but they blew thatr away). Good for them. State Con Law is good when we meet (snow on two straight Tuesdays has us playing catch up) and I've done my two papers for that class as of this week. I'll find out how I did on the second paper this week and I should have a good read on how I did in the class then. Got a 94 on the first one, so I'm pretty confident even though my second topic and paper were not quite as good as the first in my opinion. Also got a 10 out of 10 on our first evidence paper, which proves that patent law goes a long way in law school (any time I write about it in a non-patent law context I seem to do well). Maybe that trend will hold for JDR publishing. I don't really care about it as I have what I need out of journal (executive editor position), but it would be sweet to be published on top of all that...and it would make all that work on the Note worth the time. Speaking of, that is this week's big challenge. Final Notes are due Friday morning. Between that, grading Mech E. final exams, and "Bracketology" I'll be plenty busy this week going into spring break.

Taxes and FAFSA and Financial Aid in 2 nights was a blast. An absolute blast. But it was well-worth it to get the $2000+ refunds from the feds and state. Finally will have a little nest egg or rainy-day fund again, which makes me infinitely happy. I cannot wait not just for this summer but after school when we can start paying bills with non-loan money. Ugh to law school finances. But this was a momentous year for two reasons. 1. This is the last of 7 FAFSA's I have to file, and I'll probably miss the March 1 rush next year. 2. I did our taxes by myself instead of taking them to a professional, and it's not too bad...but then again I did do pretty well last semester in personal Federal Income Tax class. Enough money...just hope to make the ends meet for another handful of months.

JDR stuff has been in the background until this week. I've gotten incredibly quick at final reads and would be ridiculously fast at acc-checks now. Good thing too, as that's my primary job next year. The Note will be picked up one final time, as it has been ignored largely since the second draft went in. The patent law reform symposium a couple weeks back gave me a lot more ammunition for the paper, and hopefully will put it over the 35 page minimum. I hate page minimums on things like this, as they serve no purpose other than academic credit requirements (and do we seriously need 35 pages to get one ungraded credit?)

Moving to more recent things, Tom's bachelor party was last weekend. There are some days (like New Year's Eve with the pickup from the airport and Wii-mote thing) when he can be so self-centered and other days when he's the guy you'd want beside you at war. He's been so busy at work because they of course dislike the time he has to take off for wedding stuff, and it was nice to see him relax. After a last minute audible from my place to Dan's place (which originally had me pissed because Tom would not talk to me and was changing things 3 days before the party), everything went smoothly surpirsingly. Highlights: The Lube Tube is 3.5 L of beer and Tom and I can indeed drink one with enough Wings to soak it up, who waits two hours to go bowling honestly, and wow am I happy we audibled to Dan's. It allowed Tom to have his kind of last dance (he was a college partier whereas I was not), so we could do beer pong or vodka pong and heavy drinking in the campus area. The real reason I'm happy we audibled: Chris Owen cannot hold his liquor. So we took care of him the remainder of the evening, but it was fun before all that. Villa and Burton proved it's not quite a bachelor's world every time by busting Tom out of poker first and me third...then it was easy for them to pick off the rest of the field inculding Shep, the only other respectable player at the table. Overall a very good time, and my only minor complaint was having to take all the beer home that Tom did not drink. I'll enjoy the beer, but it will take FOREVER for me to get through it. Maybe I should host another poker party...I've got people at law school bugging me to before we get busy with finals, so perhaps.

Moot Court brief was this week, even though it shouldn't have been. I stayed up most of the night the night before Tom's bachelor party getting my part done so Brian had a week to put it together and do his part (Dustin also stayed up most of that night doing his half of the argument so I wasn't alone). Brian apparently is the busiest person ever which I do not believe because law school keeps you busy but careful planning does wonders for your time. Anyways, he did not get his few pages done until the day before it was due in NJ. Then I had to fix all the formatting, and in wordperfect no less because apparently he's too good for MS Word. Whatever. He overnight Fedex-ed it to NJ on Thursday so hopefully it made it on time so we do not lose major points. We'll practice a handful of times in the latter half of spring break and the week of the competition, then it's off to NJ! Should be a good time, even though I'm still pissed about it coming at the expense of spending Kelley's b-day with her at the Barrister's Ball. Oh well.

That brings us up to now, and there is one more thing to cover before NCAA. We now have a roommate, Kelley's maid of honor Sarah has moved in. She went to college in Boston and wanted to settle in Columbus but jobs forced her to Philadelphia instead. That job went sour 2 weeks ago though so she is moving in with us and getting a job in Columbus. This also gives Kelley someone to stay with during the summer when I'm in Cincy and Chip a new friend. Well friend if they ever get along (the cat has established his dominance over scardy-dog already). It'll be a little crowded but I'm happy to have some help with the bills temporarily.

So now at long last we are caught up. And today is Selection Sunday. I cannot help but give a little insight from all the basketball I watched this season.

1. Women's basketball: You know your sport is in trouble when the most exciting story is a split between the Tennessee coaches doing stupid things at each other's games (Bruce Pearl the men's coach painted hairy chest and all pulled a frat boy at a women's game, then Pat Summit topped that by topping a cheerleader pyramid at a men's game), or the LSU coach (90-14 in three seasons) being forced to resign after the school finds out about an "inappropriate" relationship with a former player. For those that cannot read between the lines, yes that means lesbian sex. So that's all in women's basketball. My big insight: don't pick the Buckeyes to go far as injuries have decimated us. We barely got by Penn State in the tournament and got HAMMERED by Purdue.

2. Big Conference Tournaments: I've taken in my fair share of these this week and now I'm watching the final four games of the season today. The Pac-10 tournament finished yesterday afternoon with 4-seed Oregon slamming 3-seed USC like a rag doll. Oregon looks impressive, but what do we make of the top 3 teams of this overrated league? UCLA just drops random games and does not look like the best team in the country (but who does?), everyone seems so high on Washington State but what exactly have they done recently, and USC is just not that talented. You want a sleeper out of the Pac-10? Oregon or Arizona.

The Big East also finished up last night with Georgetown crushing Pittsburgh. Both teams played epic semifinals against Notre Dame and Louisville, and it is nice to see a conference tournament go to form. Unfortunately it appears with all the upsets in minor conference tournaments that WVU is definitely out, but no Pittsnogle means no tournament victories even if they made it. The Big East is hands-down the most impressive league, but that happens when you have 16 teams. Syracuse is going to be a popular sleeper in this league, but I'm liking how Louisville and Notre Dame finished. Also Georgetown like last year is a beast to face. They are one of the 2 teams I do not want the Buckeyes to face at all this year (Florida is the other). Note that in last year's tournament, Ohio State lost to Georgetown in the second round who lost to Florida in the Sweet 16. What a ridiculously powerful bracket last year, and could be a final four bracket this year. Pick Georgetown. Be successful. Go with the legacy: John Thompson III, Patrick Ewing Jr., another 7'2" dominant center. I really hope the buckeyes could play this team for a title...it would be such a good matchup.

Today's got four major conference finals. The ACC has a cinderella story, as NC State the 10 seed has run the gauntlet of Duke (yes a 7-seed Duke, don't pick them in the tournament), the 2-seed Virginia Tech, and the 3-seed Virginia. Now they get UNC, the 1 seed in the final. I'm guessing UNC still wants that one seed in the East and will play tough against a tired Wolfpack team. No real surprises out of this conference, as everyone's so mediocre. UNC could go far, but after that who knows. I guess if I have to pick a sleeper I'll take Maryland, who uncerimoniously got dumped in the first round somehow.

The SEC has been the haves and the have-nots by division this season, with 5 possible bids for east teams (Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and maybe Georgia) and none for the West. But the west has made a statement in the tournament, putting three of the four teams in the semifinals. There's an outside shot one of these teams (Arkansas, Miss St, Ole Miss, LSU) would get an at-large, but I think Arkansas has to win if any teams are to go in today. Unfortunately The Gators have regained championship form and look sharp again. Funny how Florida holds national titles in football and basketball and they are facing Arkansas just like in the football SEC title game. Arkansas = Gator Bait. Sleeper from this conference is definitely Vanderbilt. Kentucky is underrated as well but they are so inconsistent and young. Go with Vandy, black and gold is in style.

The Big XII is a joke. Thankfully no terrible teams such as OK State are in the final, and Kansas vs. Texas is a great final. Kansas has been very good recently and may actually represent the conference well (they always underachieve though, so don't put them in the final four). Texas has Kevin Durant who just can go off and win games by himself. Texas A&M is a quality team, but I hope they are in OSU's bracket as they are nothing special after you stop Acie Law III. If the conference gets in both Texas Tech AND Kansas State that is a joke. This conference should be lucky to get four bids the way they played. Sleeper: I guess Texas Tech as they are the only under the radar team, but I just don't feel good about any team from the Big Roman Numerals this season.

And finally my passion. The Big Ten has actually went to form in the tournament (how rare) and there has only been one upset all tournament (Illinois over Indiana in overtime). OSU and Wisconsin play round three today and I am so pumped about that because the first two have been classics. The way Oden and Conley are playing, I want OSU to send a definitive message to the country that they are for real by beating the Badgers again today more convincingly than a last second shot one-point win at home. I will be super irked if Wisconsin wins and OSU drops to a 2-seed because OSU is CLEARLY one of the top 4 teams in the country either way. I don't know how you can put Wisconsin up to a 1 even with a win today because without injured Brian Butch they are not the same dominant team. They are good, but not a one-seed. The Big Ten has interest at the top (OSU and Wisconsin fighting for the most open 1-seeds in the tournament perhaps forever with UNC, Florida, UCLA, Kansas, and to a lesser extent Georgetown), quality locks in the middle (Michigan State and Indiana), and a couple of teams sweating on the bubble today (Purdue and Illinois). Illinois is just not good this year, so if they get in over Purdue I will flip a gasket. Purdue is playing so well right now and would be a nice sleeper pick in the tournament assuming they make it. Makes for a very entertaining 3 hours today with the OSU-WISC game followed by the selection show. Go Bucks!

So now it's time to fill out the brackets. I'll probably report in with some analysis once I see the brackets and ge tto think about them a while.

One more thing before I forget: bowling finally moves into the playoffs this week, the Sweet 16 of our March Madness this Wednesday. Our team has made the Elite 8 twice but lost both times and did not make the playoffs (17th place) once, so hopefully things go well. We split our division crown with Spangler's team just like last semester at 17-7. They beat the 1L team we lost to in the Quarters on their way to winning the whole thing last semester. Also qualifying from our division are Bill Browne's team (who gave us 5 of our 7 losses) and Bart's team (best bowler in the league hands down). Happy to have a chance in the random thing known as our law school bowling playoffs.

Until later in the week (hopefully), good luck filling out those brackets that will inevitably be busted by Middle (Insert random state name) State Vocational College. No George Mason which is disappointing because people always repeat pick cinderellas and that never happens. Too bad, we'll have to gain points elsewhere. Doesn't matter as my wife will inevitably have a better bracket than me. And she'll be beat by the chick who picks by color. Or Dominick Brook, who won last year's law school pool after somehow picking Florida and UCLA in the final despite knowing nothing about basketball. How infintely frustrating and beautiful. Won't you "bracketology" with me?

Have a great week.