Getting back to what was being said…

Waco was ranked by “Best Life” magazine as the fifth worst place to raise a family (not necessarily fifth worst city) in America. Ouch. But most people from Texas already knew Waco isn’t exactly an urban hot spot.

I grew up in Austin, which usually tops those “best places to live” lists, so I came to Waco with dismal expectations. But I’ve been surprised here and there. Waco really isn’t as totally and utterly abysmal as people make it out to be. Every city has its blemishes. It just so happens that Waco has the same blemishes that large cities have except with none of the perks major urban areas have to compensate.

Waco is by no means a happening place for young people. There’s really not a whole lot to do or see. Zoos are kind of neat I guess. I enjoy Dr. Pepper and I do enjoy goblets of beer. But the lack of entertainment is actually a boon for people in law school – there’s that much less distraction, just enough to keep you sane.

With that said, living in Waco is a good experience in learning how to make your own fun with the people around you. Living in a place where entertainment is basically thrown at you, I think, creates a sense of entitlement and a ‘nothing is ever good enough’ mentality. Learning to have a good time in Waco isn’t too hard and I do appreciate this city a great deal more than I thought possible.

My biggest qualm with Waco (not the Greater Waco Area, which I’m sure is just lovely) is the crime, rampant poverty and defacto segregation. A city the size of Waco should not have a murder of the day, frequent burglaries, carjackings and arsons. The local news sometimes seems like it’s broadcasting from Chicago’s southside. Since I’m a very new Wacoan, I just wonder how this city got to be like this, particularly in light of the fact that Baylor – an expensive private school – is based here. The campus is a bubble of concentrated wealth and it seems like none of that has leaked out into the rest of the town. The same goes for the outlying suburbs. Can anyone provide speculation/answers as to why there’s such a massive wealth disparity? Are there any efforts to improve this city? Does Baylor realize that a good number of students choose not to attend the school because it’s in Waco? Comments please.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Fee Simple Absolute

In keeping with the theme that Baylor Law School is apparently a breezy, airy place during the summer, many members of our class are going to see Indiana Jones tonight, which is a weeknight. This was unthinkable in the spring for the majority of the class. It used to feel as if taking a break or going out to socialize was somehow betraying a sacred duty to continually read and reread and read some more. Not so much anymore. I’m fairly certain that 40% of the rereading and studying I did last quarter was probably pointless for purposes of the final. I’d imagine most 2Qs were in a similar boat. So now it seems like there’s this weird thing … free time … that has come back into many of our lives. Perhaps we are more adept at reading cases, better time managers and in a relaxed groove. Coupled with our fantastic schedule (class ends at 2 pm, giving more than enough time to finish the day’s work by 8 or 9), life is swell.

At least until we get our grades back. That’ll probably put a damper on things for most everybody and force us back into being neurotic library zombies. So, for now, with the brooding omnipresence of immense disappointment and lamentation looming in the sky, threatening to rend asunder these good times (perhaps that was a little over the top), I’m soaking up as much fun as is reasonable before things get heavy again – it’s rejuvenating and I think many of us needed it.

-WK

PS: Thoughts on the movie later, as well as this whole “Waco is one of the five worst cities to live in” according to some magazine and various news reports I’ve heard all day.

YEAARGGHH!

Spot the irony in this discussion.

Really? REALLY? One of the key players from the Iran-Contra scandal talking about how inappropriate it is to have contact with an ‘enemy’ of the US? I don’t know how people can watch crap like this and believe it. I don’t know how these talking heads can justify their BS. REALLY? Ollie North, the guy who provided the Iranians with weapons for hostages, and then funneled that money to fund an illegal war carried out by South American despots, talking about being firm with tyrannical regimes?

Clips like this perpetuate shallow talking-points, lies and misrepresentations. Everyone in America should be offended by stuff like this whether or not you’re a conservative or a liberal. This isn’t even a legitimate conservative argument. This is Orwellian propaganda and it’s condescending because it assumes the public is oblivious to the fact that IT’S THE IRAN CONTRA GUY TALKING ABOUT NOT DEALING WITH IRAN.

I’m all done.

-WK

One Week.

I have begun the long and arduous process of smoking cessation.

I smoked continuously since I was about 16. I am now 23. 7 years is a long time to do any one thing every single day that isn’t eating or breathing or brushing your teeth. But it was there, that constant that quickly became associated with everything I did. Waking up. After eating. Following class. During stress. With alcohol. To celebrate. To lament. With writing. While driving. It crept into all things I did and became part of the external manifestation of my personality. A day without a cigarette? Blasphemy. Massive cognitive dissonance. And none of it makes any sense. I always knew it didn’t make any sense. I always knew the massive downsides to smoking (there are a few perks). It never mattered though. It was the one of two things that totally overrode my ability to reason and use common sense.