The Soapbox

Bar Exam Prep Begins

Today is my first day of bar review classes. This marks the beginning of the final push towards becoming an attorney. Necessarily, blogging will be very sporadic during the next two months leading up to the PA and NJ bar exams.

Wish me luck.

Santorum's Quid Pro Quo?

The Associated Press is reporting that two days before Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) introduced legislation that would restrict the free weather information providing National Weather Service, his political action committee received a $2,000 donation from commercial weather forecaster AccuWeather.

"I don't think there's any coincidence between the two," Santorum said. "It's just that I happened to have a fundraiser in the town he was in."

The fact that Santorum doesn't "think there's any coincidence between the two" leads me to believe that there is.

Not Having a Spring Could be Deadly

We're on track to have the third coldest May since records were kept and the coldest May in 38 years. While temperatures are forecast to reach 80 today, this will only be the second time this month temps have reached that high. This has health officials concerned about the hot weather that, most assuredly, is coming.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, on average, the temperature reaches 90 once or twice in May. But during the May preceding each of Philadelphia's three deadliest summers - 1993, 1995 and 1999 - the temperature never reached 90.

Bush to Veto Cure for Diabetes, Alzheimers, ALS, and More

Diabetes affects 18.2 million Americans. Of those, 5.2 million don't even know they have diabetes. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in America. Among adults aged 20-74, diabetes is the leading cause of new blindness. More than 60% of all non-traumatic leg amputations occur in people with diabetes.

To you and President Bush, these may just be statistics. Unfortunately, for me, I live with these numbers every day because my father has diabetes. My father, who once was one of Pennsylvania's finest golfers, no longer can play because diabetes has taken both his eye sight and legs.

This is why I strongly support embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research is the most promising pathway to curing diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, stem cell research allows scientists to better explore how to control and direct stem cells so they can grow into other cells, such as insulin-producing beta cells found in the pancreas. Creating new beta cells could mean a cure for type 1 diabetes as they would serve as a replenishable source of cells for islet cell transplantation. They could also provide a powerful tool for controlling type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, this science benefits more than diabetes. Those afflicted with Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's Disease or ALS, Sickle Cell Anemia, etc. could also realize their dream for a cure.

I understand the President's position, I just think he is wrong. All of the embryos available for this research will never become viable human beings. So, instead of allowing these cells to contribute to the qualify of life, President Bush would rather have these cells contribute to our land fills. Fortunately, all of my Congressional representatives agree with me. Unfortunately, those that see the promise in this research aren't enough to override a presidential veto.

2006 is coming.

My Prayer for al-Zarqawi

The Iraq chapter of Al Qaeda is asking for prayers for a wounded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Fine.

Dear God, please allow al-Zarqawi's wounds to facilitate his capture by US troops. However, should you take him, please allow the souls of all those whom he had a role in killing to escort him to Hell. Amen.

It's Official!

Finally, after four long years of evening classes, I graduated May 21 with my Juris Doctor degree.

Now, the hard work begins in earnest . . . preparing for the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bar exams.

Hitler's Ghost Attacks Again

I once had an English teacher who told me that using profanity excessively frequently indicates that the speaker has a limited vocabulary and is futilely trying to compensate. I think politicians invoking Hitler when talking about those that oppose him or her is analogous.

Much like profanity, invoking Hitler should only be one sparingly and only when warranted. Furthermore, absent condoning genocide, I can't really think of any situation where comparing a colleague, for any reason, to Hitler is warranted. Doing so only minimizes the atrocities Hitler committed.

Excitement a Sure Bet in Tomorrow's Preakness

In terms of excitement, thoroughbred horse racing is tremendously under-appreciated in this country. I defy anyone to attend a race and not get caught up in the excitement. Do you want to feel atypical levels of excitement and maybe make some money? Bet on a horse in tomorrow's Preakness.

I boxed four horses in a trifecta: High Fly, Greeley's Galaxy, Giacomo, and hometown favorite Afleet Alex.

This is impressive:

"Globally, this [December's Sumatran-Andaman earthquake] earthquake was large enough to basically vibrate the whole planet as much as half an inch, or a centimeter. Everywhere we had instruments, we could see motions."

Impersonating a Doctor

Today, I had one of those wow moments. You know, the kind of moment that causes you to stop what you're doing and reflect on all that happened to enable you to do what you're doing. I was filling out demographics on a web job board and I got to the question of highest education level attained. What caused me to pause was that I could select Dr. or Ph.D.

Now, before I get all kinds of nasty comments from doctors, if an option for professional degree had been offered, I would have chosen that one. However, it wasn't so don't get your stethoscopes all knotted up.

Further, I know there is some debate about whether a JD rises to the level of a doctor. Having a best friend that is a surgeon, I will never take the "it should" side in an argument. However, if a chiropractor can call himself a doctor without needing a bachelor's degree, then three years of law school (which requires a Bachelors degree for admission) qualifies me to check Dr. when professional is not available.