Last Weekend Before Finals Start at 11:51 PM

I had a good, “relaxing” weekend.  My good friend Chris Tapia performed his stand-up at the bar close to campus here called the Hut during the week. Even Lara came down to see him.  Here is the first part of his set; you can find the second part on that page:

 

Friday I went to the La Raza banquet.  It was out “end of the year, let us have fun and also network with some of the lawyers from the area” event.  After some speeches and dinner, the lawyers from the area took off and were able to relax and have fun.     

Did some work and hung out with some friends Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Played some soccer and as usual did not get enough work done this weekend. 

Been listening to some of the attacks on health-care and I want to single one out as ridiculous.  There is one that goes like this “health-care is not a right, it is a privilege.”  Then they like to take it further and say it goes against everything this country was made on.  The founders would have hated it and this is going to lead to the destruction of the country.  Turn on Fox News and I imagine that is the current line of attack of the moment.  The problem with it is that it is entirely wrong. 

I went to college to major in the subject of political science, concentrating on political theory and American political thought.  What they are saying is an absolute perversion of what the founders stood for.  The reason many of these people feel the founders thought this way was there was no mention of health-care being a right in our Constitution, and therefore it cannot be a right.  What they overlook is something the founders did place in the Constitution, the Ninth Amendment:

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

 This has been interpreted to mean that the Constitution is not an exhaustive listing of our rights, and that there might come one day when we would recognize other rights.  This has been one of the interpretations that also allows for rights such as privacy, which I am sure everyone feels is fundamental to us as social human beings.  There is nothing in the Constitution that bars a right to health-care. 

This healthcare bill is not going to lead to the end of our country.  We have survived two world wars.  We have overcome slavery.  We have fought for women to have an equal place in our society.  We have overcome discrimination (somewhat).  

This is not the worst thing this country has faced by far.  I am more afraid of stupidity, laziness and ignorance.  All of which seem to be on the rise.  All three happen to be the source of these statements about the founders.  If we want to talk about real things like economic effect, please let us have that discussion.  Chasing and yelling at shadows is pointless. 

::clowns are scary too, congress should get rid of clowns::

to be fully alive is to feel that everything is possible. ~eric hoffer~

Can You Dig It?!?!?! at 10:57 PM

Amazing day today!

Beautiful day here in Santa Clara, sunny and breezy with a temp of 65 degrees. Went out with some guys from the law school to play soccer and scored the game winner (not that impressive of a goal but I’ll take it). And healthcare reform bill passed! Monumental vote but it is a bit tricky so I will break it down.

What happened was that the House passed the bill the Senate approved back in December. Therefore, as it stands now there is healthcare reform that can head to Obama’s desk. Right after that vote, they voted on a reconciliation package that amends the Senate bill both houses just passed. This amendment/reconciliation package now needs Senate approval. The trick is that now it only needs a simple majority of 51 votes, which the Democrats have in the Senate. The Republican senators were blocking the passage of a bill with their filibuster but reconciliation packages are virtually not allowed to be filibustered so only 51 votes are needed instead of 60.

There is a lot of the bill that needs to be read but I generally know what will happen this year: 

• Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.
• Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
• Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college. (VERY excited about this one but hoping that applies to me since I have technically already been dropped)
• Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.
• A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.
• Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.
• A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.
• A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.

Very exciting day. Let us have R. Kelly play us out:

 

I Believe - R Kelly

::Ciroc Obama Out::

The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is because they have a common "enemy".~Unknown~

Every Day is Exactly the Same at 11:03 PM

The first year of law school really is about studying students to death.  Every day is a struggle to do more and more without ever ending.  There is always more to do.  Right now even though I am done with reading for tomorrow I have to worry about my motion revisions due Friday, my oral argument I have to give Friday and outline for all of my classes.   Professors keep piling it on and then in the end test you to make sure you were paying attention the whole time.  It is a crazy exercise that we subject ourselves to but if this marathon of learning is required to be a lawyer then so be it. 

 

Every Day Is Exactly The Same ...

To break up the monotonous undertaking I go out with friends whenever there is some time, workout and am thinking of getting back to playing soccer in pickup games around here. 

Not much new in my life so I will talk about the area and the 49ers.  In June, Santa Clara voters will be voting for this:

 

The new stadium will be about three miles from where I currently live.  The location might have been better as it is really close to Great America but at least there will be public transportation.  There is some talk about renaming the team but I think San Francisco has given up that exercise.  There has also been some speculation of getting T.O. back in red and gold.  The front office he got in trouble with is no longer here.  I probably would not normally go for this but I think Singletary can handle him:

 

::Antdog outs:: 

chaos needs no allies, for it dwells like a poison in every one of us. --steven erikson

Tyrone Biggums on Depression at 11:55 PM