Law School Term of the Day: vituperative

vituperative
adj. Using, containing, or marked by harshly abusive censure.


Encountered in Contracts, quoting Wilson v. Brett, 152 Eng. Rep. 737 (Ex. 1843):

"Gross negligence [is] the same thing as ordinary negligence 'with the addition of a vituperative epithet.'"

Law School Term of the Day: mucilage

mucilage
n.

1. A sticky substance used as an adhesive.
2. A gummy substance obtained from certain plants.


Encountered in Papachristou v. City of Jacksonville, 405 U.S. 156 (1972):

"The rule of law, evenly applied to minorities as well as majorities, to the poor as well as the rich, is the great mucilage that holds society together."

On brevity:

"According to the court, counsel were lucky that the discipline [for writing an excessively lengthy complaint] was not akin to that meted out by the chancellor in 1596 who 'decided to make an example of a particularly prolix document filed in his court. The chancellor first ordered a hole cut through the center of the document, all 120 pages of it. Then he ordered that the person who wrote it should have his head stuffed through the hole, and the unfortunate fellow was lead around to be exhibited to all those attending court at Westminster Hall.'"

Meetings and Memories

I inexplicably thought today of some people I worked with a few years ago. This was back when I pulled shots at Starbucks, and like other businesses, it was not uncommon for us to cover a shift at another store. This was the first and so far the only time I'd been to this store, so I didn't know any of the employees there. I'm sure it says something of the human experience that we were able to work an entire day without having known each other before, interact comfortably and at times enjoy laughs, and at the end of it, likely be able to pass each other on the street and not ever know it. I remember the experience, can picture the store, the shopping center, where I parked, but I don't have anything but the scantest of details about my co-workers. I think I worked with another guy and a girl, the guy might have been Asian and the girl white, but beyond that I really don't remember.
I seem to remember more about the environment than the people there. Or do I? The more I return to what I remember, the more it seems that I just remember categories or associations. The layout of the shopping center because it was similar to other shopping centers. The fact that I had Subway for dinner because I often had Subway for dinner when I was working. The arrangement of the store because it fit the decorating theme that all Starbucks stores had at that time.
Perhaps I merely have an expectation that I should remember more about people than places and so anything less than perfect memory feels like a failing.

Okay, my co-workers have told me I'm too giddy about this, but...

I'm sorry, but this stuff is some of the coolest technology ever, or at least it will be after they get past the initial applications. Check out the energy-efficiency in particular. I can't wait for the point (and it's coming, you'll see) when they've increased the resolution, decreased the cost, and decreased the power-draw to point where wall-applications will be practical. Imagine papering a wall of say, an office or bedroom with this janx and getting side-by-side front pages of whatever newspapers you desire with zero paper-waste and minimal electricity.

I want now.

Also, in other news, I just need $200,000 by 2009-ish.

I can see now

Paradox for the day:

The finding of one's glasses often requires the use of one's glasses.

Unless you happen to be particularly absent-minded, in which case you might try just reaching for the top of your head, where your glasses are currently sitting.

Career Advice

For someone searching for a career who is strictly concerned with job security, public policy research/lobbying is undoubtedly the way to go. No matter the issue or legislation, there will always be people on both sides who are unhappy with some aspect of the status quo and want to change it. If, however, you care about other things, such as a sense of purpose or satisfaction in accomplishing something lasting, a career in construction is probably a better way to go.