In Other News - 2006

Here are some of the news items that I’ve been keeping tabs on for the past several months but haven’t had the time to post on this blog. I’ll try to remedy that over this coming semester.

The Way of the Dragon

I used to scoff at the idea that Bruce Lee was a philosopher. That view changed two days ago when I came across a clip of this great interview: http://www.maniacworld.com/bruce_lee_8.htm. Independently, I came to realize some of the philosophies Lee delineates in this clip. For example:

1) Balancing one’s instincts and control. It applies to the use of any skill set, not just in martial arts. In politics, for instance, it certainly was a mistake for Howard Dean to express his unbridled enthusiasm by screaming aloud at his rally. Conversely, if Al Gore had used less control and championed environmental issues as his instinctive passion would’ve led him, he would’ve showcased the personality that he sorely lacked during his presidential bid.

2) The importance of expressing oneself freely and honestly. Bruce Lee did it through the movements of his body, and once he learned to do that, he considered himself a success. I’m trying to achieve the same, but through employing appropriate skills that I need in various situations of my own life.

Additionally, the last part of the interview touches upon the advantages and dilemmas created by Lee living simultaneously in two vastly different cultures. I certainly have much personal experience attesting to such challenges. This clip shows Lee was much more than a martial arts master. It is a shame that his death at such a young age deprived us from the many accomplishments that he no doubt would’ve made had he lived longer.

The Haunting

Speaking of dead Asian guys, the story how James Kim died from hyperthermia while hiking to save his snowbound family really gave me the chills. I’m sure part it was that I didn’t want to see a successful Asian American die so needlessly and tragically. More specifically though, I remember having this same feeling of dread as I was reading about the demises of George Mallory’s mountaineer partner and Robert Scott the Antarctic explorer. The despair and hopelessness all them must have felt! Lesson: don’t put yourself in a position where you can get stranded and freeze to death.

A Case of IIED

It seems CNN's Nancy Grace is in a bit of hot waters for browbeating Melinda Duckett, a mother of a missing child who committed suicide after appearing on her show. Grace, a former prosecutor, ran the tape of Duckett getting grilled on her show even after the latter had committed suicide. The family of the deceased is now suing Grace and CNN for wrongful death and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A summary of the case is provided by Joe Scarborough, whom I view as one of most fair and balanced TV personalities:


From the first semester torts class, was there a power differential between Grace and Duckett when the mother appeared on the show? Did or should Grace have specific knowledge that her questioning would be harmful to the interviewee, given emotional state of a distraught mother? Did Grace act recklessly? What was Grace’s duty as the host of a TV show? Given that Duckett committed suicide before her interview ever aired, was there causation? This is definitely an interesting case to keep an eye on. There is also an update on the case:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2Sa3QcR-6c

The Saints are Going All the Way

What a fantastic season my Saints are having. The Saints and the Superbowl in the same sentence? Who could've fathom that a year ago?

Desert Crossing

It seems but last night that I stayed up late writing my last entry. Yet the relentless flight of time’s arrow stops for nothing, and no one; it is once again the end of another calendar year. Back from a family vacation, it seems like a good time for an update; also, I want to elucidate on the “romantic exposé” I wrote last time, like I said I was going to do.

Though it’s good to be taking a break from doing schoolwork for the time being, one of the most important things the experience of last semester has taught me is that I have to accomplish important tasks just about every awaking hour of everyday, if I were to reach the goals that I have set for myself. First and foremost among those goals is to stay afloat in law school, as my performance last semester leaves much to be desired. If my performance does not drastically improve this time around, you might as well get out a broom and sweep me out the door. In order to work both harder and more efficiently I’ll need a new, nuanced approach to the whole law school experience. Unfortunately, as it is typical of me, I had to learn my lessons the hard way, and the details of such a new approach came to light only through my errors and mistakes. Nevertheless, I could not imagine gaining valuable insights on how to improve myself in any other way except by slugging through challenges in a high pressure environment. Hopefully I’ll be able to implement a revamped plan in the coming days and provide myself with a better chance of succeeding in the spring.

As for the subject of the last entry, nothing of substance has happened with Claire since. While I made some misjudgments over the course of the semester, not pursuing my romantic leanings in this instance was not one of them. Simply put, I knew I wasn’t in a good position to do anything. There were too many moving pieces in my life during the entire time, as I was charting the best path through law school. Navigating through the challenges of life, both inside and outside of school, was akin to crossing a desert, with one dune to be climbed followed by another, and another. It was in that context that having just the thought of her helped me a great deal.

As I alluded to last time, I sensed something extraordinary in her as soon as we met. In addition to those feelings I described in a somewhat fancied fashion, I felt that she already had the various parts of her life pieced together and that she was ready to move forward full steam ahead. In other words, she was already in a position that I was striving so hard to be in. As early as two weeks into the semester I felt that my initial hunches about her were completely confirmed by my observations. Since I have hardly spoken to her, and really don’t know the first thing about her, not for sure anyway, those impressions can still be wrong, though I highly doubt it.

In any case, knowing the position that she was in made it even more abundantly clear that the first order of business for me was to straighten out the various parts of my life. Her image was like a mirage standing and waiting in the distant sands, inspiring and urging me forward. Tangible aspects about hers, such as whether she was/is involved already (most likely), became less important than simply the idea of her being there. At this point, it feels as though I’m finally standing at the edge of the barren wasteland, and a new phase of my journey is about to begin. There are still numerous obstacles to overcome, of course, but whatever lies ahead is much preferred over the desolation of the arid sands, and I’m glad to have made it this far. Without a doubt, part of my motivation for forging ahead was chasing after the mirage that my mind created. How will Claire react if she finds out she’s being compared to a mirage? Now that’s an interesting query.