I Stand Corrected

In response to Sunday's post complaining that television, and in particular the show "Friends," presents misinformation on reasonably affordable housing in Manhattan, this explanation was emailed to me:

I believe the story was that Monica was in her grandmother's rent-controlled apartment (and no one was telling the landlord that Granny was dead), Phoebe inherited her apartment from HER grandmother (along with her granny's taxi), Chandler had a good job though no one really knew what he did, Joey lived with Chandler until he got a good role with Days of our Lives, and Ross was a [university] professor of paleontology. :)

I won't out the television guru; the person is certainly free to take credit in the comments.

Now that I know the secret for affordable housing, I just need to find someone who will devise or bequeath a rent-controlled apartment or condo to me. That shouldn't be a problem.

NY's New Governor

In an interesting turn of events, our new governor, David Paterson, within hours of being sworn in as governor, admitted to having an affair for several years, beginning in 1999 and ending sometime in 2001. His wife admitted that she too had "intimate relations" with someone other than her husband during their marriage.

Read the story here.

The timing is fascinating: this information was revealed a few hours after Paterson was sworn in as governor.

UPDATE: I laughed when I saw the headline this morning, "New York and New Jersey in Competition for Dirtiest Governor Scandal: McGreevey vs. Spitzer vs. Paterson."

Television Lies

In case you were all wondering – and I am sure you are – television shows set in New York City are completely and utterly inaccurate in their depiction of apartments. For example, in the show “Friends,” I would really like to know how a bunch of barely employed yuppies can afford apartments in the West Village that should rent for five to seven grand a month.

Exploring Chinatown

On Friday evening, Wife and I were feeling adventurous – and hungry. After quickly discussion our options, we decided that we would spend an adventurous evening exploring the sights, sounds, and, most importantly, the food, of Chinatown. Most of my life, I have been relatively close to a “Chinatown,” but there is something special about with what we find here in Manhattan. It is said that there is nothing quite like Chinatown. As one commentator wrote, “It is loud, noisy, and dirty, but it represents the real New York, not the Giuliani/Bloomberg Disneyfied version of it.”

New York City’s Chinatown is the largest Chinatown in the United States—and the site of the largest concentration of Chinese in the western hemisphere. Chinatown encompasses approximately two square miles. With a population estimated at up to 150,000, Chinatown is the favored destination point for Chinese immigrants. Historically, unlike many ethnic areas of immigrants, Chinatown was largely self-supporting, with an internal structure of governing associations and businesses which supplied jobs, economic aid, social service, and protection.

Needless to say, Wife and I had an absolute blast exploring the streets, shops, restaurants, and bakeries. Our strategy for dinner was simple: stop at lots of places and eat small portions at each one. Before the night was over, we shared several portions of fried pork and chive dumplings, baked dumplings, boiled dumplings, sesame pancakes, bean-paste balls, sweet rolls, unique chocolate and strawberry cake, and iced cappuccinos. Impressively, while we ate until we were more than content, the entire evening wound up costing just under ten dollars. When we returned home, we both agreed that it was a great evening.

Start Spreadin' the News

After what feels like a lifetime of agonizing, Wife and I have decided upon our next step: we are staying in New York City. I have orally accepted an offer at a major law firm here in the city.

Already, we see several questions popping up. To keep our massive fan base informed, we offer this helpful “frequently asked questions” (FAQ).

Please note: I wrote this hoping to be funny while providing some information on our plans – I’m afraid the intended humorous tone might be lost on some. Read this assuming it is a joke.

Question: Why did you pick New York City?

Answer: Because it is the greatest city in the world.

Question: No, seriously. Why New York City?

Answer: Because it is the legal, business, fashion, and social capital of America, if not the world. There is no better place for me to practice law anywhere. There is no better place for Wife to pursue her career. Moreover, I received an exceptional offer from one of the world’s leading firms. Wife and I will be working mere blocks from each other in one of the most exciting areas of the world. While we do not know what the future holds, we do know that this is an amazing opportunity for us.

Question: Did you have any other options?

Answer: Yes, we had a surprising number of options. In the last few weeks, it became obvious that we could end up anywhere we really wanted. We decided that New York City was for us.

Question: If you remain in New York will you become arrogant, condescending, and rude?

Answer: Of course we will, you moron. What a stupid question.

Question: Did your bagel addiction play any role in your decision?

Answer: Yes, I really didn’t want to find myself in the same position as Linda: driving hours to get gouged for a decent bagel. Of course, I was impacted not only by the bagels, but also the cheesecake and falafels. And, of course, the NYC pizza is the best in the world.

Question: Did you really think this through?

Answer: Umm…do you know us? We have stacks of spreadsheets and lists of pros and cons. Altogether, we have invested hundreds of hours of discussion and contemplation in this decision.

Question: So, are you going to take the subway everyday?

Answer: The subway will be our primary means of transportation. It will be wonderful. And for the liberal, tree-hugging hippies, let me point out that Wife and I will have an itty-bitty carbon footprint. I challenge you to find anyone who lives “greener” than we do.

Question: What will you do at your new law firm?

Answer: I have been offered an amazing opportunity to specialize in an area I find extremely exciting. The explanation is rather complex, and definitely beyond the scope of this blog.

Question: I heard that you will be representing professional athletes. Is this true?

Answer: No, not really. We are the leading sports law firm in the world, but it is not athletes we primarily represent. Think that through for a moment and you will realize whom we must represent.

Question: What law firm will you be working at?

Answer: Of course I’m not going to post the answer to that question on the blog.

Question: Is it a big law firm?

Answer: Yes, it is one of the biggest in NYC.

Question: So, is it just a New York firm?

Answer: No, it is an international law firm.

Question: I heard that NYC lawyers in big firms work long hours. Is this true?

Answer: Yes. On my first day, I will be issued a computer, passwords to the research databases, a Blackberry, and a cot next to my desk to sleep on.

Question: So, why don’t you try to get transferred to city X?

Answer: Maybe someday we will have an interest in leaving NYC, but right now we are committed to staying here. If we wanted to be in city X, I would have just accepted a position there.

Question: Now that you are a New York City lawyer, will you give me free legal advice?

Answer: No.

Question: Where will you live?

Answer: Good question, but we don’t really have an answer to yet. With the schedule we will be keeping, we would like as short a commute as possible so our focus is on Manhattan. We would also prefer not to need to pledge our firstborn, so finding housing could be a challenge. Midtown would be nice for the location; we both love Greenwich Village; our money will stretch farther in the Financial District; Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island City are still in consideration. Don’t worry, Wife has plenty of spreadsheets with various options.

Question: Are you going to move to Connecticut?

Answer: Maybe someday, but we are not looking there now.

Question: Isn’t the cost of living horrendous in New York?

Answer: Yes, the cost of living is extremely high. But the primary reason for that is the cost of housing. The housing costs will be partially offset by the cheap transportation.

Question: So, will you see many Broadway shows?

Answer: Yes. We plan to be frequent patrons of not only Broadway shows, but also the opera.

Question: Are you worried about crime in New York?

Answer: No. While we do try to avoid stupid or reckless behavior that would make us a target of crime, Wife and I agree that we feel safer in New York than in almost any where else we have been.

Question: Have you found a church?

Answer: Well, yes and no. We have been active in a church since we arrived in New York City. Wife and I agreed that this was a great church for our nine months in New York, but probably not a church we would attend if we moved here. Now, we will be giving careful consideration to finding our permanent church home. Or maybe I will just start a new church.

Question: Will you become a Knicks fan?

Answer: Not as long as James Dolan runs the team and Isiah Thomas is on the payroll.

Question: Will you become a Yankees fan?

Answer: Yes. We already invested in matching “his” and “her” Yankee caps. I have a black cap, and Wife has a pink one. We would post a picture of us with our matching headwear, but this is an anonymous blog.

Question: Is it driving you crazy that Laker home games don’t start until 10:30 p.m. EST and end until 1:00 – 2:00 a.m. EST?

Answer: Yes. Unfortunately, I will never get to see the end of a Laker home game again. If that is the worst part of NYC, I suppose we could deal with it.

Question: Will you miss Wal-Mart?

Answer: Yes, we do miss Wal-Mart, but Costco partially compensates for our loss.

Question: Is Wife ever going to post on this blog again?

Answer: Your guess is as good as mine.

Are You Kidding?

I know this is small, but it is worth squinting for. I tried to enlarge it as much as possible while keeping enough detail so that it is still readable. If you click on each letter, you will see a larger version.

Here's the background:

A lawyer submitted his eighth motion in limine. A motion in limine is a request submitted to the court before trial in an attempt to exclude evidence from the proceedings. A motion in limine is usually made by a party when simply the mention of the evidence would prejudice the jury against that party, even if the judge later instructed the jury to disregard the evidence. For example, if a defendant in a criminal trial were questioned and confessed to the crime without having been read his Miranda rights, his lawyer would file a motion in limine to keep evidence of the confession out of the trial.

And what is this all important eighth motion in limine for? The attorney is planning to use a demonstrative piece of evidence (probably a chart or graph or something of that nature) and doesn't want the other attorney to touch it.






























Here is the lawyer's reply:

New York's New Governor

A piece of trivia you may not know about David Paterson: he is a graduate of Hofstra Law School, but he is not a lawyer. Why? Because he was not able to pass the Bar exam.

In his defense, Patterson, who has limited vision and is legally blind, claims he received inadequate accommodations. The Bar Examiners provided an amanuensis to read him the questions and transcribed his answers. Paterson explained to the New York Observer: “I can do some reading on my own, but the bar exam I couldn’t, because it was grueling. ...It was a big problem for me. … I didn’t feel I had enough time.”

My reaction to his excuse? I don't know. Having somebody read me the questions and transcribe my answers sure would have sounded great when my hand felt like it was going to fall off from writing so much. However, I see his point. The exam is time pressured in some areas: if he received no extra time and needed somebody to read each question to him slowly, then it would have been absolutely impossible to finish the exam (I'm thinking about the multiple choice Multistate Bar Exam portion).

Knock It Off with the Bluetooth Headsets

Wife and I just returned from a rather lengthy walk around the city. A little Mexican hole-in-the-wall put a stack of menus in our building today. I picked on up and started craving the food. Since the prices were good, and we haven't had Mexican food since last fall, we decided to give it a try. Since we thought it would be more fun to walk than to call for take-out, we hiked about a mile each way to get our dinner. Oddly, everyone who worked at the Mexican restaurant was Asian.

As we walked, we ran into countless individuals talking on wireless Bluetooth headsets. That creates a real problem here in the city: I can't tell who is talking on the phone and who is just crazy. As we walked down the dark street, a guy approached me yelling and screaming. As he drew closer, I tried to look at his ears for a wireless piece - I figured that he was probably just talking on the phone. Nope. Turns out this guy was just a lunatic. The crazies really need to wear a sign so that it is easier to know to stay away from them.

Oh, in case you want another reason to knock it off with the wireless earpieces: they look really stupid. If you want to wear it while talking on the phone, great. But wearing it all day just looks ridiculous. It's not a fashion accessory. It does not make you look important. It makes you look like you take yourself way too seriously with your $39.95 toy.

I'm a Member of the Mock Board of Directors

Recently, I had an extremely unique experience. I was literally sworn to secrecy, so I will just give a very broad overview:

The one of the largest investment banks in the world is about to make a huge business proposal to one of the largest corporations in the world (this is an investment bank that every reader has certainly heard of). I participated in the preparation for this presentation as a mock board member.

The investment bank sent us confidential materials to familiarize ourselves with the issues. There were also suggested additional reading materials for further research.

After preparing myself for the event, I sat and listened as the investment bank's managing director gave us the presentation as if we were the board of directors (yes, it was the MANAGING DIRECTOR we interacted with). We were invited to interrupt him, ask plenty of questions, try to stump him, and then, finally, vote on his proposal. At the end, we were asked to explain the rationale for our vote.

This was an experience that I will certainly never forget.

Depths of Despair

I find myself in the depths of despair. There is a horrible tragedy: Mamoun's has raised the price of a falafel sandwich from $2 to $2.50. I can't eat when I am the depths of despair. Hopefully, I will recover soon because there are bagels that must be eaten.

Before I get emails telling me that there are worse problems in the world than my sandwiches going up in price - I know, this is a joke. My joke is based on a movie quote. What movie?

Breaking News in NYC

I imagine that everyone across the U.S. is hearing this on the news right now, but this current headline is the current buzz here in Manhattan.

New York Governor Linked to Prostitution Ring

This could, potentially, end the political career for Spitzer. Law geeks know him, not only for his political career, but also for his perfect score on the LSAT and work as an editor of Harvard Law Review.

I'm Sick of Flying

I just got back to our apartment here in New York after my trip to San Fransisco and Palo Alto.

The trip was wonderful, but the flight home was simply horrendous. What should have been a 4 1/2 hour flight was delayed, stretching it out the entire day. I arrived at the San Fransisco airport this morning just before 6:00 a.m. I arrived back at our apartment at about 11:00 p.m.

Highlights of my day included:

1) After boarding the Jet Blue flight in SF, the pilot announced that because of bad weather in the Northeast, we would be taking a different route. We were delayed 45 minutes while "the computer was programmed" for the new route. Did we really need to be in our seats on the plane for that?

2) Jet Blue is known for their satellite televisions for each seat - it was broken. Lovely. I watched the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie three times. I have horrid high pitched screaming stuck in my mind right now.

3) When it became obvious that we would be delayed significantly from landing at JFK, the pilot decided to give us a tour of Canada. Seriously.

4) After a few hours, the plane began to run out of gas, so we landed in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Yes, the Scranton made famous by "The Office." After landing, the storm then moved to Scranton and we could not take off again.

5) The tanks for the lavatories filled up, preventing people from using the restroom (after an hour in Scranton they emptied the tanks).

6) Jet Blue ran out of drinking water and all liquid refreshment.

7) Jet Blue does not provide meals, and ran out of all of their snacks. So, we all were stuck in an airplane with no lunch and no dinner. Fortunately, I bought a huge sandwich at the airport to carry on board with me (the firm is paying for it).

8) When we finally landed, JFK (which was currently 5 hours behind for all flights on the schedule) was doing TRAINING on the runway, so it took an extra 30 minutes to taxi to our gate. The pilot referred to this as the "perfect ending for our day." When all flights are five hours delayed, why is the delay being increased with training?

Let's just say it was a fun day.

I'm Driving Again

I'm driving around San Fransisco and Palo Alto in a rental car. That may sound like no big deal, but I haven't driven a car since arriving in NYC last August.

Is This Really Right?

Why is it that the nice woman in front of me in line through airport security is treated like a terrorist for having a bottle of water in her bag, but the FAA approves me carrying on a razor? I don't get it.

On My Way to San Fransisco

Before the sun comes up, I will be on a plane to San Fransisco. After arriving at the airport, I will rush to the Palo Alto office of the largest law firm in the world for about five hours of interviews. On Friday, I have eleven interviews in a row at the best tax firm in the country not located in NYC or DC.

The interview process is quickly coming to an end.

I am continuing to get invitations from law firms to fly out to visit them. There are three SF firms that I will never have a chance to visit. Today, a major Dallas firm invited me down, as did three excellent New York firms (UPDATE: just now, at 10:30 at night, another DC firm invited me to a second round of interviews).

I am extremely thankful for the opportunities. Honestly, I really don't understand why I am getting all this attention. That's not false modesty - I really don't understand it. The economy is impacting the job market extremely badly, and most of my classmates (including the very smart ones) are finding it difficult to get calls from firms right now.

Whatever the reason, I am extremely thankful that my problem is being too busy right now. I really wish that at this point in the game I could refer some of these firms to my friends.

In just a few days, it will all be over, and Wife and I will begin to prepare for a whole new journey. I anticipate that on Saturday, this blog will take on a new theme.

More Choices

I have another definitive offer to choose from now. The Southern firm is extending an offer and is even sweetening it, trying to get my attention. Southern firm offers benefits that NYC cannot: a better work/family balance, more prestige in the area (I would be a huge fish in a tiny pond), and the ability to quickly take on significant responsibility.

They also offer this, which NYC cannot compete with:






UPDATE: Wife tells me I may NOT choose a firm based upon the city's food. Bummer.

The Capital of the U.S. is a Cute Little Town

You know you are a New Yorker when you spend considerable time exploring Washington, D.C. and can't help but think what a cute, little, podunk, ghost-town it is. Walking around, it feels like the streets are empty.

What makes DC interesting is that no building is permitted to be taller than the Capital building. In 1899, Congress enacted a height limit for the District prohibiting private buildings from topping out higher than the Capitol, which reaches 288 feet above Capitol Hill at the crest of the Statue of Freedom. A revised height law in 1910 did away with that fixed maximum. The newer legislation, still in effect today, states that no new building may be more than 20 feet taller than the width of the street in front of it.

Thus, Washington has a relatively modest skyline in comparison to the majority of American cities, and it cannot even be compared to NYC. The tallest building appears to be the thirteen-story glass building of the law firm that is courting me here in DC.

I have spent time in DC before, but this is the first time I have looked around with an eye on making this home. A good friend of Wife lives here in the DC area. This morning, we went to brunch with her at a hotspot for French cuisine. We then spent the afternoon with this "tour guide" showing us the best parts of the city and surrounding areas. Wife and I are surprised that we can drive just a few minutes and find extremely calm and quiet suburbs.

I was really hoping that I would hate the big law firm I am in discussions with in DC so that our decision to choose the firm New York would be easy - but the firm is outstanding. I was hoping Wife and I would despise the concept of living here - but we can both envision making the area home.

Final Interviews

I just got done with 17 interviews in 9 hours. I'm exhausted.

There is absolutely no way this would have gotten accomplished without Wife. I was literally the talking head. Before each interview, Wife would hand me a folder with all the paperwork and quickly remind me of the basics, "We're going to room 1234 for XYZ firm in Los Angeles. The firm has 1200 attorneys, 300 in the LA office, and 21 tax attorneys. Partner X is the interviewer. He specializes in international corporate M&A work, went to X university, Y law school, and your LL.M. program at LAW SCHOOL." Then I would walk in and start talking.

Wife found it incredibly humorous to listen to other candidates complain about how four or five interviews completely drained them. They would be in better shape if they had Wife keeping them organized as well. Too bad for them I'm not giving her up.

The funniest part of this excruciating day: all of these interviews are for nothing. Before any of these firms have a chance to get back to me, I will have chosen which firm and city will be my permanent home.

This Could be My New Workplace

I received a telephone call from Famous Partner at Big NYC firm telling me that "I was their unanimous first choice" with an invitation to join their firm. If I choose to accept the offer, this will be my new workplace (the big glass building).

I'm an Interview Machine and Wife is an Organizing Genius

It will be a very busy couple of days for us. In a few minutes, I will go to class, and then the moment it gets out, Wife and I will rush to the airport to fly to Washington, D.C. Tomorrow, I will have a day of “serious” interviews with a major firm in their DC office. Then, Friday, I have a FULL day of screening interviews.

On Friday, there is essentially a meat market for tax attorneys (basically speed dating for lawyers and firms to hook-up). Firms from around the country will be at a posh hotel to meet with us (actually, there will be firms from around the world). The way the system basically works is that is that we submitted our credentials to the firms, and then they invited the attorneys they like to have a screening interview with them. To make a long story short, I am blessed to have a good number of interviews – more than I could humanly accept. These are just screening interviews, so the odds of any of these turning into employment is rather small, but it is a great start.

Why is Wife attending? Well, she is taking time off work to act as my personal assistant, and more importantly, my brain. Besides being gorgeous, brilliant, kind-hearted, and hilarious, she is also possibly the most organized person in the world. She has the uncanny ability to turn absolutely anything into a spreadsheet. Not only can she turn anything into a spreadsheet – she actually does turn everything into a spreadsheet (and a “pretty spreadsheet” at that). While I concentrate on interviewing more times than you would believe in about eight hours, Wife is in charge of the folder of research and paperwork I must submit to each firm. While I will play the dumb bobble-head talking and schmoozing with partners, Wife will be the one ensuring I’m where I need to be, when I need to be there, with the information I need when I get there. Undoubtedly, if it were not for her organization, I would only have been able to accept about half as many interviews as I did. While most other candidates will have approximately an hour between interviews, I will have less than 15 seconds (seriously, that’s not an exaggeration). Hopefully, we will be a model of teamwork running like a well-oiled machine.

It's a Sad Day

It's a very sad day: Bagel prices went up at our bakery. The price went from $.70 to $.90. That means the Monday night special for bagels went from $.35 to $.45.

Fortunately, Wife's boyfriend works there. Tonight, he gave her a dozen bagels for $2.00. That's two bucks more than he usually charges her.

SWADG: Stuff We All Don't Get

When I arrived home tonight, Wife had a bunch of “goodies” to show me. Wife, as our four regular readers know, works at a major advertising company. One of the company’s clients is a shoe/athletic wear company that Wife said I am not permitted to identify (it is an expensive, trendy brand of athletic shoe– I’m sorry but I just won’t tell the name of the client…I just won’t do it…Wife will probably be deleting that line when she sees it).

Wife oversees the finances for this large client’s account. Anyway, the point of this story: when wife came to work today, she was greeted with a gift bag: a pair of athletic shoes (that are not released yet) and also a pair of “fancy” athletic shoes (I don’t know how to describe these shoes – Wife loves them; they look like a combination of tennis shoes and ballerina shoes to me). They also sent over plenty of socks to go with the shoes. This whole package came in a nice athletic bag for storage. Because Wife loves me she made sure to make sure they know what size shoe her husband wears.

The only SWAG I get are pens, mugs, and an occasional stress ball. I’m in the wrong business.

The good news for me is that Wife’s firm just won a major candy manufacturer. Let’s hope they love her too.

This is the Song That Goes Like This

I have "This is the Song That Goes Like This" from the Broadway show Spamalot stuck in my mind. Because I find it hilarious, I thought I would post the lyrics. If you google the song title and "Jessica Harris" you will find a video of a very funny rendition by a couple performing this song at a talent show.


This Is The Song That Goes Like This

Once in every show
There comes a song like this
It starts off soft and low
And ends up with a kiss
Oh where is the song
That goes like this?
Where is it? Where? Where?

A sentimental song
That casts a magic spell
They all will hum along
We'll overact like heck
For this is the song that goes like this
Yes it is! Yes it is!

I'll sing it in your face
While we both embrace
And then
We change
The key

Now we're into E!
*hem* That's awfully high for me
But as everyone can see
We should have stayed in D
For this is our song that goes like this!

I'm feeling very proud
You're singing far too loud
That's the way that this song goes
You're standing on my toes
Singing our song that goes like this!

I can't believe there's more
It's far too long, I'm sure
That's the trouble with this song
It goes on and on and on
For this is our song that is too long!

We'll be singing this til dawn
You'll wish that you weren't born
Let's stop this darn refrain
Before we go insane
For this is our song that ends like this!

Interesting Email

I just received a rather interesting email:

Dear Mr. Husband (thus guy actually knew my name):

Would you consider a tax counsel position with any of the Congressional
tax-writing committees (i.e., the Senate Finance Committee or House Ways
& Means Committee) or Member offices?

Best Regards,

Mr. Bigshot

Hmmmm.....that's something to think about. Working for Congress. Hmmmm.


UPDATE:

I sent Mr. Bigshot an email telling him that I would consider such a position. I received an immediate email asking me to call him. Now, we are playing phone tag.

UPDATE #2
We just spoke on the phone. His purpose was simple: find out my political affiliations to see if I could be a match for the positions he was looking for. I tried to sound as moderate as possible, but that didn't work. If flat out asked, "Are you a Republican or Democrat." I told him. I then heard silence.

UPDATE #3
Wow. A top Senator with my political party affiliation is reviewing my credentials. I never would have dreamed of this turn of events two hours ago.

Keeping Busy

It has been a long, hectic day - and the day is not even close to being over yet. I spent the first part of the morning participating in an on campus interview with a big NYC firm (those are just introductory "get to know you interviews" - nothing exceptionally excited). Oh, the firm gave us all Starbucks gift cards as gifts; that was nice. Later, I had a pesky class to prepare for and go to (annoying how classes are getting in the way of my life).

This afternoon was then spent doing "serious interviews" at another one of the big, swanky New York City law firms. Though four hours of straight interviews does not sound too bad, it is rather draining.

Top tier law firms don't deviate in their pay for young lawyers. All "good" NYC firms pay exactly the same amount. What differentiates firms competing for top talent are the perks. A few of the perks that the firm I was at today offer their lawyers include:
* Starbucks drinks catered in for the attorneys twice a day.
* A freshly baked cookie tray brought to the attorneys on each floor every afternoon.
* A team of massouses to give each attorney a massage once a week.

I recently told a friend, I don't plan to make money the deciding factor in my choice. But hot, freshly baked cookies may be hard to to turn down. Yes, it is the important stuff that will persuade me.

I should add: I am not particularly optimistic about getting an offer at this NYC firm. I know that this NYC firm, just like most others, receives about 500 resumes for each open slot. The firm did screening interviews with 51 lawyers. I made it past that round. They are bringing back fifteen to twenty for serious interviews. I think of it something like American Idol. I made it past the "thousands auditioned" stage, to now where there is the "top twenty-four." While I have a shot, I'm smart enough to know that the odds are strongly stacked against me.

Now, I need to go pack because first thing in the morning, I am flying down South.

My U.S. Tour Begins

In the next few weeks, I will be touring around the country to interview with various law firms in every corner of America. With the economy appearing to cause the legal market to tank, I am a little concerned about actually getting an offer, but right now I will enjoy the VIP treatment that the law firms are using to try to woo candidates. Although I have been asked to interview with firms in London, Paris, and Beijing, we will focus on the States right now (Wife says Paris "could be fun," and London is "something to think about," but all I got was a funny look with "we'll talk about it" when I mentioned Beijing). With the international firms contacting me, Wife and I recently realized that we need to get passports.

Later this week, I will be traveling down South to spend a day and a half with a firm. This is the “smallest” firm that I am talking to thus far (by “small” I mean that it is is not international in scope – they are a regional firm). This firm reminds me of the law firm in the first quarter of John Grisham’s novel “The Firm.” No, this firm does not have any mafia connections (that I am aware of). It reminds me of Grisham’s fiction because this firm is a mid-sized Southern firm that wants to play with the big boys (it is significantly larger than the firm was in the movie). As I reviewed some of their recent work, this firm appears to handle much larger cases and transactions than a firm of their size typically does. Their lawyers are exceptionally well qualified, and they also put a strong focus on family and loyalty. It should be interesting to see what the firm has to offer when I get there. Wife and I independently found the similarity to this firm and "The Firm." Because of the similarity, we simply refer to it as "The Firm."

I’m going through the travel information that the firm sent me. When reviewing it, I suddenly feel so low-class. When I travel, I basically look for the cheapest flight possible that will fit with my schedule. I’m generally satisfied with pretty cheap hotels. The firm is trying to entice me with fancy flights and a five star hotel. On my flight, I am promised plenty of leg room, my own television, and all the snacks and drinks I want. The hotel I will be staying at appears to be nicer than what Wife and I stayed in on our honeymoon (and we stayed in some really nice places). Personally, I don't understand what the point of spending this much money on a hotel is. I am going to spend very little time in the room. All I will be doing in it is sleeping, last minute firm research, and maybe some studying (ok, I probably won't do any studying). Needless to say, Wife is a little jealous of the upcoming trips. I'm going to need to find a way to make this up to her.

Valentine's Day Post

Here is a song in honor of Valentine's Day. When I played if for Wife, she found it rather emotional. I'll warn you that the artist (Mark Schultz) did not make the video. A fan put together a montage of photographs that go by while the song plays: if you like the photos, great; if not, don't blame the artist.

Enjoy my official Valentine's Day song for 2008: He Was Walking Her Home, by Mark Schultz (lyrics are posted below).

Mark Schultz - Walking Her Home

Looking back
He sees it all
It was her first date the night he came to call

Her dad said son
Have her home on time
And promise me you'll never leave her side
He took her to a show in town
And he was ten feet off the ground

(Chorus)
He was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him
Down that old road
With the stars up above
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love
He was walking her home

Ten more years and a waiting room
At half past one
And the doctor said come in and meet your son

His knees went weak
When he saw his wife
She was smiling as she said he's got your eyes

And as she slept he held her tight
His mind went back to that first night

(Chorus)
He was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled it stole the breath right out of him
Down that old road
With the stars up above
He remembers where he was the night he fell in love
He was walking her home

He walked her through the best days of her life
Sixty years together and he never left her side

A nursing home
At eighty-five
And the doctor said it could be her last night
And the nurse said "Oh
Should we tell him now
Or should he wait until the morning to find out?"

But when they checked her room that night
He was laying by her side

Oh he was walking her home
And holding her hand
Oh the way she smiled when he said this is not the end
And just for a while they were eighteen
And she was still more beautiful to him than anything
He was walking her home
He was walking her home

Looking back
He sees it all
It was her first date the night he came to call

Wife’s Birthday Celebration: Meeting Clay and Eating at Mario Batali’s

If I do say so myself, Wife had a pretty good birthday celbration. Over the last 36 hours, we saw a Broadway musical, met Clay Aiken, and ate at one of Mario Batali’s restaurants.

Last fall, we heard the news that Clay Aiken was joining the cast of Spamalot. Wife, being the energetic teeny-bopper that she is desperately wanted to go see him. In her defense, we watched Season Two of American Idol together years ago, she became a fan then. The past few months, she has been watching for a special to come around for tickets to go see Clay in Spamalot, but there were absolutely no deals to be had. Lo and behold, tickets did show up on our list – for the performance the day before her birthday. It took right about two seconds to decide what to get her for her birthday.

Spamalot was a better show than I expected it to be. We have become quite the Broadway experts in the last two months (we have seen the Farnsworth Invention, Phantom of the Opera, Is He Dead?, Pirates of Penzance, and a Tribute to Eugene O’Niel). Shockingly, wife says that Spamalot was her favorite. Spamalot was definitely the funniest. The humor, while not exactly doctoral level humor, was actually rather sophisticated (well, most of it was).

Clay Aiken did a decent job in his role as Sir Lancelot. Frankly, I am sure that the former actor, David Hyde Pierce, undoubtedly did a “better job.” However, the roll is designed for a goofy, nerdy, wimpy knight that loves to sing. Really, this is a role that is perfect for Aiken. I mean absolutely no disrespect to Clay – this is simply a role that he plays very well.

For the most part, the cast was exceptional. Personally, my favorite part was looking at the cast members and trying to remember which Law & Order episodes they appeared in. However, there was one notably weak cast member. For our showing, the understudy for the Lady of the Lake performed. She seemed like a fine actress, but could absolutely not sing. Her lack of singing talent was the talk of the theater during intermission. For a woman staring in the performance of a musical, I would think that a prerequisite would be the ability to sing – clearly, I am completely mistaken.

After the play, I suggested to Wife that we ought to go the cast exit and wait to meet Clay. Wife rolled her eyes at me and responded, “I’m not a twelve year old girl.” I take full blame, insisting that waiting outside in the cold to meet Clay would make her birthday very special. And it did, Clay came out, introduced himself to us, signed autographs for us, wished Wife a happy birthday, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Ok, I’m making a lot of that up. We did meet Clay and we did get his autograph. Wife said to him, “Good job tonight,.” After about a ten-second pause, Clay responded, “Thank you very much.” He was clearly completely out of it. As Wife commented, “He’s still performing.” In all fairness to Clay, he was the first star that came out. Though he was rather aloof, he was extremely polite and was willing to stay out and sign autographs for anyone that wanted one.

To finish off our celebration for Wife’s birthday, we went to dinner at Mario Batali’s restaurant, “Otto.” Without a doubt, this is the “trendiest” activity that Wife and I have done since we have been in the city. Otto is incredibly crowded with a young, very hip New York crowd. In a way this is the perfect restaurant for Wife and I: all of the entrees are extremely reasonably priced at just about ten dollars each. The restaurant makes it’s money on the wine, which goes for up to about $350 a bottle. Since Wife and I don’t drink, this is a very cheap priced dinner at a trendy hotspot.

During dinner, we had some great entertainment at the table next to us. This fellow and his date, who clearly enjoyed the wine WAY too much, decided to pull a stunt to get a discount on their meal. Together, they split one of the unique pizzas. They devoured the pizza, except for one tiny morsel of crust (seriously, above the last half-inch of crust on just once piece). The fellow decided to proclaim that the pizza was “burnt” and “practically inedible” to everyone that would listen. It worked – they received an apology and their bottle of wine was on the house. I can’t figure out why the restaurant gave them the bottle of wine for free instead of just giving them the $12 pizza, but I’m just a simple minded fellow.

All in all, I would say that Wife had a rather good birthday.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday to the smartest, sweetest, and sexiest wife on earth!!!!!

What Were the Suns Thinking?

Good new! I can now like the Miami Heat.