Awesomeness - A

There have been multiple causes for celebration in my humble abode lately. First and foremost, OTL is done! It got a bit dicey at the end, but there are officially no more lectures! There's just an oral interview examination on a pass/fail basis for me on Tuesday for which I plan to skim my notes and editorialise demonstrate critical thinking and an active intellectual engagement in the whole of the course. Easy-peasy, especially compared to what's coming up in December. Ugh. (shudder) Best not think about that now. But yay for OTL's demise! That's 1.5 fewer hours in class on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday! Things will be very manageable in comparison come this time next week.

Second cause for rejoicing - I've been able to keep up with my Canucks thanks to various means of watching games or highlights online! Props go out to CBC for putting the entire year of Hockey Night In Canada available online, free for Canadian viewers, at http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockeynightincanada/idesk/ - decent quality, too! Now if only there was a way to reduce the impact of a 4-hour time zone spread.

Third - I got to go to court again today, this time as part of a Criminal Law class field trip. Sweet. This was provincial court, so mainly cases tried by summary conviction (that's misdemeanor-level for you Americanis out there), in front of a judge alone. Given the high volume of cases to be heard the setup was quite different. First, the judge was the only one in robes, and yes, he was a judge, not a justice. Therefore, it was "your honour" this and "the court" that from all parties. Second, the judge was the only one in robes, while the lawyers wore different kinds of business wear. The judicial robes included the usual white tabs but had a thick vertical red stripe running over each shoulder. Third, this courtroom (pictured below) had a lot of character to it. The building's quite old and what you can't make out in the window is a stained-glass image of a woman holding a sword and scales. Courtroom etiquette has the lawyers bow towards the judge when entering or leaving the room, and given the number of cases and the quick rate they were dealt with, there was a good rate of people entering and leaving the courtroom as court was in session. Mainly there were either plea bargains or trial scheduling taking place, so the judge either heard agreed facts and recommended sentences, before passing sentence, or flipped pages in a calendar to schedule trial dates. Busy guy. So, in front of the fancy window was the judge, then in front of him was the court reporter/clerk, who not only transcribed but also handled docket information. There was a witness box beside the judge that didn't see use today, and no jury box in this room since the cases being heard were in front of a judge alone. In front of the clerk were 2 long tables, one in front of the other, for the lawyers. Facing the front, in the front table on the right-hand side, was a Crown lawyer (prosecutor) with a fat box of case files, and defence lawyers filed in and out of the other seats. To their left was a bench against the wall for the accused, with a burly sheriff keeping things under a careful eye, then behind the lawyer tables were 3 rows of hard benches for the public, witnesses, or accused waiting their turns to be heard. After the hearing the morning's cases the judge stayed around and answered some questions from our class before going for lunch - apparently they overbook each day to hear cases because many of them either settle on the courthouse steps or need to be rescheduled - this leaves time to hear trial cases in the afternoon and reduces the backlog so that people get their day in court sooner. The judge used to be a Crown prosecutor, and had a few words about the difference in perspectives. The room itself was old with dark exposed beams instead of a ceiling, and a high-vaulted roof above them. This room had almost a religious feeling to it, what with lawyers bowing and the stained glass window watching over the proceedings. Sadly, the picture snuck on my phone during a brief recess doesn't do the place justice, but it's the best I could get.

Let's see, other awesomeness? Nothing formal left on today's schedule, a 2-hour training session tomorrow, and copious free time this weekend to read, type up notes, and watch movies and sports while doing so! Section C really does have a great schedule this semester! Perfect for staying on top of readings, anyway.

Of course, there's nothing quite as awesome (and fear-inducing) as the prospect of being into the second half of my time apart from Racheal. It'll be great having her around for so many reasons, but I'll have to really clean up my act (and the house) closer to her arrival. And bribe Scott to bury the incriminating stories. This could be a challenge...I fear I may have said too much already.

Well, I'm off to hand in an assignment and enjoy the cool fall air on this wonderfully cloudy day. I may come back with some pictures, you never know. In the meantime, here's the gist of the courtroom, from my back row vantage point, to tide you over till next time:



Cheers,
A.

Everybody in the room gets a Purple Heart! - A

In keeping with the time-honoured tradition of interdisciplinary courses being agonisingly tedious, OTL reached a new height today. And by height, I mean in the Celebrity Jeopardy sense of "and the game has reached a new low." And by tedious, I mean being forced to watch TV, where your only options are detailed Constitutional negotiation coverage and debates in French, with added taxation policy for fun, or a panel discussion on the aesthetic values of silence and the legal ramifications of prior art and its implications for copyrighted performances of silence (don't laugh - this is a real issue. I'm not laughing!). And by agonising, I mean in a similar vein as being a Leafs fan, only with less actual satisfaction in life.

I don't know how much more of this I can take - isn't Canada a signatory to some treaty ban on torture? Isn't cruel and unusual punishment forbidden by section 12 of the Charter? (yes it is - expect a class action launched by my peers shortly)

Here's a sampling of facebook status updates (retrieved after the class) issued during the lecture:
"Sweet God almighty I have never felt such a numbing of my mental faculties. If you asked me right now I would say bring on climate change so we can be done with this!"
and
"[redacted] now hates the environment on principle..."

I know I saw way too many smiles for this lecture going around the room. This would be exhibit A in how laptops can preserve sanity in the most adverse classroom conditions. Up until today, my resolve was firm that I'd not bring a laptop to class ever, or get even a micro netbook just for the basics. Right now, that resolve would hold about as much water as a paper g-string, or more pertinently to today's experience, is about as firm as the oil & gas industry's commitment to reducing CO2 emissions. Which, if you haven't gathered by now, relates closely to today's interdisciplinary OTL lecture on law + the sciences, with a 75-minute lecture on the international history and procedures of climate change assessment and commitments for change. If I were attending such a lecture as say part of my job, where my attention was incentivised financially, I might consider not calling in sick or going back to bed. But this one? Oh boy was that painful! To think I went deeper into debt for something that irrelevant? (featuring a raft of scientific inaccuracies too - thanks Scott!) Now my forehead vein is throbbing and I'm getting a headache! And I only got 3 hours of sleep last night! When the prof asked for questions at the end of the lecture, my mind was reeling with the emphatic, collective psychic "don't you even $#%*^$@! think about it!" There was one guy who missed that memo, but thankfully he only asked one question before class adjourned. It must have had to do with the 120 simultaneous dirty looks he got. There were a bunch of empty chairs for that lecture - had we known it would have been that bad, I think we'd have delegated attendance to the one OTL keener and just found a pub somewhere to wait it out. I'd go into further detail, but I'll leave that to the classmates who actually drink to roll out their colourful criticisms at Domus this week.

In summary, and cutting out the colourful post-lecture litany of complaints, OTL is on notice. Either it goes, or it goes. Otherwise a new question will arise: "To stab or to stab? - that is the question, because not stabbing is not an option!"

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a shopping list to make and a nice walk in the cold rain to look forward to. There'd better be a hockey game on somewhere tonight..

Unwinding - A

So by now you've been exhaustively updated of the exciting happenings within law school. For most of you, that's an incomprehensible alien world, so, to prove that I still have some semblance of a "life," here's a more relaxed post featuring a brief return of the sadly-neglected series "Halifax in 5 Senses."

Let's start with the senses, then move on to "fun," shall we?
Sight: many more clouds and colourful leaves, although there's still a lot of green on the trees. I'm hoping for an explosion of colour to catch with my camera to give you something to look at.
Sound: car tires on wet pavement more often; the powerful, low horns of cruise ships at the dock; periodic sirens and engine brakes of firetrucks; a very faint, high-pitched, intermittent beeping from an undetermined neighbour that will be investigated when it's adequately annoying.
Taste: a passable variety of bachelor cooking. I've got to keep my kitchen skills fresh for when my chief fan/critic arrives!
Touch: the air is still damp but more cooler now. After walking to school I'm not as often ready to melt once stepping inside the building.
Smell: still absent. If you find the slacker let me know, ok?

Moving on - there's a long weekend happening and apparently it predates my series of orbits around the sun. It commemorates the otherwise sadly latent expression of gratitude. Without going into too much detail, I'm thankful for the following (in no particular order, and notwithstanding absent family and friends): good classmates; good teachers (more on them in a moment); a tolerable but challenging workload; the end of OTL in a matter of weeks freeing up my schedule; a convenient and pleasant apartment; and law school.

Obviously I have no way of knowing exactly how unique Dalhousie is short of what they tell me (it's apparently quite special!) - but I'm both grateful and somewhat confused by the fact that I got in. There are professors who are members of the Order of Canada (my Public Law prof), professors whose works have been cited in the Supreme Court of Canada and who have taught judges about impartiality (my Contracts prof - a feisty Irishman not afraid to randomly call on people or introduce ideas colourfully in class), professors who have given up private practise, and guest speakers from the judiciary and other exalted legal walks of life who deign to come and impart their wisdom and experience. Into such exalted halls have been admitted countless special people. I'm humbled, grateful and amazed that I got in (did I adequately mention grateful? I think not) but simultaneously wonder how I got in - I know it's not my grades, good looks, or charm. Do I really want to be a member of a club that'll accept me as a member? You bet I absolutely do, and the fact that they accepted me gets me up every morning in spite of every other motivation to the contrary. I'm not about to let anybody down, at home or school, by shirking my readings or coming late to class, or exchanging OTL for naptime. I've got too much invested here to risk screwing it up, so having somewhat less of a "life" is a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

That's not to say I have no life (although I am blogging - what does that say?) - I know when to blow off steam and goof around with classmates at the foosball table, at home or social events, or in online poker tournaments (only for fake chips, never real money!) or the rare in-person, low-stakes game where the value of alcohol consumed far exceeds the chips on the table. I will watch MXC or Invader Zim with Scott (and if you don't know what those shows are, you may not want to find out - they're hardly for everyone! Law school demands a strong connection be maintained with juvenile humour/behaviour for sanity's sake!), or Hockey Night in Canada online (thanks CBC!). Apparently arranging a potluck proved too logistically complicated for my classmates and I, so we'll be doing a special Thanksgiving dinner out at the Fireside on Spring Garden tonight. I may try arrange some kind of Wii Games night, but it depends a lot on readings and how others are doing. Dodgeball begins this coming Wednesday, so I'll try recapture the sprightly reflexes of my younger days and make an adequate, not excessive, fool of myself.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a 1L sad to see OTL (Orientation to Law) end its run at the end of the month. Not because it's dull (although it can be sometimes), laden with laborious readings (somewhat more often), or that it runs 3 days in a row, 1.5h each day. Its absence will significantly free up our schedules, and for that if no other reason is its absence rather unanimously desired. Some lectures have been fascinating, fun, or otherwise enjoyable. Others just dry, and others still worthy of a post-class discussion/argument with the instructor, when there's adequate interest and/or difference of opinion. There was one recent lecture put on by a very respected prof wearing an all-beige suit - this unfortunate choice was compounded by his blond hair; the fact he bore a resemblance to Ryan Stiles (off to wikipedia/google with you, I'll wait) raised the faint hope that he would bring the funny to class, which compounded the disappointment when he didn't. There was another lecture put on by a human computer masquerading as [redacted] who spoke about [redacted] in a very flat voice and saw the world as a quasi-Matrix structure with equations and variables ruling all. I couldn't have disagreed more strongly if I tried, however the presentation so sapped my passion and desire for conflict that I was lucky to stay somewhat attentive to the end of class, let alone get out while upright - no way was I going to stick around for an argument on top of that ordeal. Hopefully there won't be many more lectures like that - I was desperate for a distraction of any kind, but was sitting too close to the front to start cracking jokes or doodling or passing notes. Frustration seems determined to remain a close acquaintance at times, sadly. Not as close as my textbooks though.

The apartment is fine - spacious, increasingly clean (except for the office/study room), and carefully well-tended. The resumption of bus service has made a lot more places accessible from a stop 50 metres away, but so much is in walking distance that I'm in no danger of becoming too sedentary. Especially with the weather getting cooler I'm enjoying getting out and about more and more. Yesterday I toured the legislative building and the oldest building in Halifax (St. Paul's Church) - coming up soon is another field trip to Provincial Court. The excitement never ends!

With any luck you'll actually hear from Racheal one of these days, lest you think the only adventures this couple has involve legal scholarship..she's the interesting one! I'll let you go and enjoy your long weekend now, and wish you all much blessing and gratitude.

Now, to get my decrepit old bones presentable for tonight's shindig..
Cheers,
A.

God Save The Dean* - A

(* the closing line of the call to order at the Supreme Court of Dalhousie. In real court, after the "all rise" and "court is now in session" bit, the last line before being seated is "God save the Queen." Don't look at me, I just report it!)

Apparently a significant part of the law school experience will be the ordeal known as a moot. A moot is just a funny word for a pretend trial or legal argument, often in a pseudo-courtroom environment. They come in varying levels of formality, and some are even staged competitively between schools with money, plaques, and bragging rights on the line. To date, I've been involved in 2 spur-of-the-moment moots in Criminal Law class (and I daresay I did well and enjoyed them both greatly), but those are nothing compared to what I sat through this evening.

This was the annual Smith Shield Moot, in which 2 teams of 2 students from the 3L class argued before 3 "judges." The funny thing about this moot is that it was competitive, featured a $1000 prize, and a justice from the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, and the head lawyer of the NS Bar Association. And the event was heavily promoted and the room was very full. No pressure or anything! The case argued was the Prime Minister of Canada vs Omar Khadr, which will be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada in November. Two students argued the government's position, that there's no obligation to ask the US government for his return to Canada (all other western nations have already repatriated their citizen inmates from Guantanamo), and two argued Khadr's side, that he was a child soldier, tortured, and entitled to be returned to Canada to face charges here. The students spent likely months preparing for this, submitting lengthy written documents (factum singular, or facta plural) and then arguing in front of the judicial panel and fielding questions whenever the justices felt like interrupting.

The proceedings closely mirrored real courtroom life - the justices were addressed as "the court," "the bench," "my lord" or "my lady," and so on, and the participants were duly attired in gowns and tabs. First to go was a young woman who came across as stiff but thorough, followed by 3 much more eloquent young men who all were thorough but less stilted. Apparently, the selection method, and the subsequent preparations and ordeal closely mirror Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - true, there's much glory to be won, but also much difficulty to face. Every contestant had their own territory as far as arguments went, and had key ideas they wanted to convey. The challenge is that the justices don't wait until opening statemtents are finished - they interrupt whenever they please. Sometimes sarcastically, sometimes with a wittily pointed rejoinder, and sometimes with a heart-stopping, challenging problem that threatens to undercut the entire argument being put forth. It reminded me of learning to drive a stick shift - sure you're cruising along smoothly and in full control, but something arises and you need to simultaneously downshift, signal a lane change, turn, answer the phone, and turn off the radio all without dumping hot coffee on the nice pants you just got dry-cleaned. Sometimes the students responded as though hitting a minor bump in the road and adapted swiftly and smoothly. Other times there was an "uh"-shaped sledgehammer mark on their foreheads as the gears ground, the clutch stuck, the wheels spun and their sphincters seized. To their credit, they all recovered in time as not to fully lose their way or momentum, but some were definitely better prepared for potential questions, and others admittedly faced easier questions than others.

It was apparent, though, that they were all playing to the audience, judicial panel and students alike. There were a few choice lines it was apparent were highlighted on the page, and likely carved into their foreheads, just waiting for the moment to arise for their use. Some were devastating questions, others unique phrases that forcefully if not exaggeratedly underscored a key point. It merely added to the drama and levity of the legal theatre before us, and facilitated an enjoyable evening away from the books.

My Torts professor had strongly encouraged attendance, and she made a point of seeking out her students during a recess to solicit thoughts. Apparently I'm one of the few she greeted by name - I hope this is a good sign, as I try make my mark through participating and asking good questions. I've also made my mark on a classmate it would seem through the aforementioned Criminal Law moots - our first event involved welfare fraud, and she watched me calmly and thoroughly dismantle her points, and told me she thought "I don't know whether to hate this guy or admire him." Happily, she chose the latter and we get along fine - she's a married mother of 2 also with judicial aspirations, and as two avowed "keeners" we compare notes and perspectives from time to time and tend to sit towards the front and centre of most classes. We're both rather looking forward to our compulsory moots next year, and other related role-playing activities throughout school - hopefully more as allies than adversaries.

That's about the extent of academic topics I'll mention tonight - there's an entire long weekend ahead in which I'm sure more enjoyable "life in Halifax"-type entries may arise. In more mundane news, road construction is slowly ending and the buses now run along our street once more, the weather rarely gets above 15C, and rain is more frequently in the forecast. Leaves are starting to change colour, and, coupled with the start of hockey season, it's quite evident that summer is over and life is beginning once more.

Given that I do have class tomorrow morning, I'll end this now and hope you're all well, thankful, and enjoying my periodic indulgences. I'll try make the next one more entertaining!

Cheers,
A.

Hey Mr. DJ! - A

(Filed under "Halifax in 5 Senses - Sound)

I recently compiled a list of music to recommend to a friend, and thanks to a particularly unfortunate batch of work to do this weekend, I figured I'd broaden and adapt it for study music, and share it with my thoughts and recommendations. I don't study well to songs with English lyrics, so you won't find too many although there will be some to help me get through Orientation To Law (IDIS for law school) readings. Mostly there'll be jazz, acapella, blues, and instrumental soundtracks. Some of the videos are worth watching and some aren't, but you should definitely listen and feel free to click on related links on the side when you look them up.

Years ago I was introduced to the music of Holly Cole - sadly, the samples I'd like to recommend aren't on youtube, but here are two:
I Can See Clearly Now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f68uFGwLd84
Fragile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_OyVP23ea8
I'd also recommend her song Romantically Helpless, but finding it on youtube may be a challenge.

Another bluesy spin-off is Anjani Thomas, mentored and assisted by the ever-perky, joyous Leonard Cohen (/sarcasm). Her music tends to be moody and heavy - be careful what mood you're in before hitting play. That said, the quality and the expressiveness is stellar, and she puts lesser, more experienced artists, to shame.
Thanks For The Dance: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/sy-233299183/anjani_thomas_thanks_for_the_dance_official_music_video/

Moving into Vocal Jazz you'll find groups like Manhattan Transfer or The Real Group, or even some of the Nylons' works there too. Often you'll find they do intricate and/or catchy a capella work, or even just complex harmonies with the simplest of lyrics.
I Sing You Sing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF6FX0gnrZQ
There's no real shortage of songs to recommend here in spite of just the one link. I've literally passed hours with only vocal jazz on, and it's been outstanding.

Next up is popular folk music such as Celtic Thunder or Celtic Woman, or even groups like Libera. Sure they mostly sing in English, and while they're not Olympic-calibre singers they do a respectable job and are worth a listen. They may even be habit-forming.
Steal Away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZzxqSjjt38
Danny Boy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZLpN4VueAo
Nella Fantasia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2QTIPChkfs
Beyond the Sea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz_fcbKKmQA
Be Still My Soul: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omlBeCGLFG4
(warning - video may be disturbing to some)

The next logical step in this progression is "popera" featuring Il Divo and Josh Groban. This features pop songs performed in an operatic style, with lots of room to show off vocally. The use of multiple languages makes it easier to ignore lyrics and focus on material. Again, these can lead to a long-lasting musical diversion, just in related links alone.
Regresa A Mi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UPxZSW7OYA
A Mi Manera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOxUnFjOhI
You Are Loved: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-G8IfjPAII

I'm leaving out orchestral performances of classical composers, and opera, because they are either already well-enough known or not quite as inspiring/conducive to studying. Not to say I avoid classical music, but opera I find to be best consumed in small doses, ideally with a healthy infusion of pop, as per Andrea Bocelli. Considering the guy's blind, and outstanding, I'll throw in a link or two:
Nessun Dorma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbGKQ8YASCY
Con Te Partiro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbN0g8-zbdY

Now that we've exhausted lyrical music, it's time to move on to instrumental. First, because she deserves her own section, Vanessa-Mae. She's a Singaporean-born Londoner, playing violin in a broad fusion of styles. Her song "Happy Valley" was specially performed at the reunification of China and Hong Kong. Some of it's meditative and classical, some of it rejuvenatingly energetic. She blends her own touch into different folk music, or classical styles, such as Scottish-African in I'm a Doun. I find it purely addictive.
Classical Gas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLcNBd0HPhQ
Caprice #24: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxfh-dlTH3M
Bach Street Prelude: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY1shAT-q3E
Red Hot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn6vnwzpLAI
I'm a Doun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh9j0-Ey3kw
Aurora: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVzRVNYtFV4
A Poet's Quest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gWKm0k-nX4
Happy Valley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ICAkoQtbtw
Toccata & Fugue (with full orchestra, live in Bratislava): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg8Fa_EUQqY
(live at Royal Albert Hall): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VexO1L0_d2U
Sabre Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1AB5NowKOE
I strongly encourage the in-depth exploration of all her music, from live performances to her latest album "Choreography," featuring the music of different world styles of dance.

This of course leads in to the best music for studying or writing. It's almost entirely instrumental, but also combines multicultural elements such as the Persian duduk, Indian sitar, or various Chinese instruments in classical or rock settings. I'm speaking of course about the Battlestar Galactica Soundtracks, or as they should be known "The Bear McCreary Musical Showcase." He seriously does it all. Classical, Scottish, orchestral, ballad, or rock - it's all done uniquely and excellently. There's a lot of samples here that hit on all the various strengths.
Passacaglia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sRXNLFKi_U
Roslin & Adama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJZkaKCfBuI
Gaeta's Lament: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxjGOSmH6kw
Battlestar Sonatica: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vcFFf9aa7k
Kara Remembers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_IsptRrIak
All Along the Watchtower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka_sHy9cVH0
Goodbye Baby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ruBZViW14
Prelude to War: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlcUwUwjLrs
The Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oozfytWWbyA
The Dinner Party: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apx-nVC0HZI
Kobol's Last Gleaming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgZvi4vcD6U
The Shape of Things to Come: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tII1DSHPU80
Metamorphosis Five: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWLvNULJDpo
Drelide Thrace Sonata: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLlw7EzNgQ4
So Much Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6tfljPS8kU
Despite the strong relationship between the music and the show, the entire soundtrack stands up on its own quite well. While it may be a little sedate in some parts, I find it on the whole perfectly suited for studying or relaxing to.

So, this is how my nights of reading sound for the most part, and how I stay sane when hashing through hours of torts or property law. Take from it what you will, and I hope you enjoyed what you listened to, or found something worth exploring (but please, explore at least something from all areas).

But now, for me, the weekend beckons. NHL hockey tonight, poker on Friday, and (sob) studying for the rest of it. Hooray for October! Summer's gone, and life begins in earnest...now!

Happy listening,
A.