Ben's Blog - "Quid est veritas?"

From law student to cop to law student again...

2009-06-05T00:42:00.004-04:00

I rarely blog anymore, but am thinking about changing that in the near future. One possibility is to reboot my technology blog to provide practical computing advice and insight. In the meantime, I'm actually on Facebook now, so you can find me there.

Field Training Report, Week 4

2009-02-03T12:51:00.002-05:00

Field training is certainly stressful, as anticipated. However, I am truly enjoying the job overall. I have already been exposed to a wide variety of calls, ranging from a gunshot victim to noise complaints. There are usually several domestic violence calls every night. Shoplifters at the mall are also common. In the realm of traffic, I am developing my ability to spot violations, and perform safe and efficient traffic stops. So far, I have had one DUI arrest.

I typically drive priority (lights & sirens) approximately 1-3 times a shift. This job is all about multitasking -- e.g., simultaneously driving, (de-)activating emergency equipment, pointing the spotlight, using the radio, communicating with my FTO, looking for someone/something in particular, etc.

The amount of paperwork involved in police work is astounding. As is ironically common in our digital age, the use of computers only seems to increase the total amount of paperwork. Taking someone to jail to charge with misdemeanor theft (e.g., shoplifting an article of clothing valued at < $100) can take hours. One small mistake/typo could cost the State's Attorney the case.

I wish that I was multi-lingual. My district includes a sizable Spanish-speaking population. If I ever learn Spanish and Korean, my translating expertise would be in hot demand.

I am still becoming accustomed to my shift schedule. We generally work 4 consecutive 10-hr. shifts., then have 3 days off. I work the evening shift, from 3 pm to 1 am (or later if needed). About every 2 months, shift crews rotate having weekends off. Plus there is court, which may occur on my day off (automatic 3 hours of overtime). There are also transition weeks and other complications that can frustrate having a life outside of police work.

There are 3 other rookies assigned to my district, although they are all on the day shift so I rarely see them. I like my shift-mates, and hope to stay at this station on the evening shift after field training concludes in April.

I Graduated!

2009-01-11T14:19:00.003-05:00

I'm in the midst of transitioning from the academy to field training. There were many times when I thought the academy would never end. Now I suddenly find myself sworn in as a police officer. Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

5 Weeks Until Graduation (Jan. 8th)

2008-12-06T13:41:00.003-05:00

Final Rotations:

Dealing With People
Patrol Procedures
Collision Reconstruction

During rotations we run a lot of scenarios, ranging from common calls to dangerous tactical situations. As always, rotations are a welcome break from the normal classroom, and give us a better feel for community-oriented policing. The lessons we learn, often through trial and error, are invaluable.

I also enjoyed a recent ride-along in the 3rd District (3D), Silver Spring. Although my ride-along fell on a relatively quiet, rainy night, 3D is the county's busiest district.

With the usual caveat that reality TV is not 100% reality, A&E has an interesting new show about field training called "Rookies." If and when I graduate from the academy, I will immediately commence 14 stressful weeks of field training. During field training, I will ride with a Field Training Officer (FTO), who will train me and evaluate my performance. If and when I graduate from field training, I will then ride solo and be permanently assigned to a patrol shift. Sometime this month we will receive our field training district assignments, which may become our permanent assignments.

Week 17

2008-11-06T10:32:00.002-05:00

We were tased and OC sprayed a couple weeks ago. Definitely a rite of passage.

Finishing up two weeks of rotations: First responder (medical) last week, DUI this week. Then back to the usual classroom on Monday.

Only 9 weeks until graduation!

CSI: Montgomery County

2008-09-29T20:28:00.001-04:00

3 weeks of rotations:

Firearms range
Driving track
CSI / ASP baton

Then back to the classroom.

Incidentally, this is apparently my 100th post.

Week 7 Update

2008-08-31T00:37:00.003-04:00

I will not publish details about certain areas of my academy training, but here is a very general update.

We had our first exam, Constitutional Law I, on Friday. Hope everyone passed. I lead study groups with two of my colleagues; we even created a practice exam.
We worked a lot on cuffing and searching techniques in Defensive Tactics. Body searches comprise one of the less pleasant aspects of The Job.
My duty belt is quickly filling up with gear. I need a larger waistline, lol.
I think I can finally march in step.
I'm in the fastest running group, which really challenges me.
Everyone is looking forward to firearms / driving / CSI rotations.
Thanks to my legal background, my nickname is JJ. If I haven't told you already, try to guess what that stands for.
We tend to be in Police Officer Candidate mode 24/7.
Nearly every night I laboriously shine my boots and iron my uniform. Whoever invented shirt stays deserves a medal.
We look and sound great in formation now.

Only 19 weeks until graduation in January.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Brief Update

2008-06-24T22:43:00.003-04:00

Court last Friday and this Friday.
Two finals on Thursday. Outlining like crazy in the meantime.
Moving to Montgomery County, MD this weekend.
Reporting to police academy in mid-July. Lots of physical fitness training in the meantime.

3,682,805 Downloads & Counting...

2008-06-18T01:03:00.003-04:00

Help Firefox Set the World Record for Downloads in 24 Hours! After persevering through overwhelmed servers, I finally downloaded and installed Firefox 3 this afternoon. So far I am truly impressed. Version 3 improves upon an already great product. Firefox 3 is noticeably faster, and includes a smaller memory footprint, a renovated location bar and bookmark system, a Most Visited folder in the Bookmark Toolbar, a better-looking default theme, a built-in Add-on browser, and countless minor improvements and bug fixes.

http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

So far I only have two minor complaints: First, the Unsorted Bookmarks folder does not appear in the Bookmarks menu; Unsorted Bookmarks has a lot of potential (e.g., to reduce bookmark clutter), but should be more easily accessible. Second, the full version of Hotmail fails to load, reverting back to the classic version. Overall, however, I am enjoying the new and improved Firefox experience.

June

2008-06-09T01:02:00.002-04:00

I am currently enrolled in the inaugural Legal Technology Summer School at W&M. My classes are E-Discovery & Data Seizures, and Internet Law. Today a classmate and I are presenting our research about anti-hacking laws.

I am also externing with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for Williamsburg / James City County. I will finally try my own cases next week, in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court (JDR).

At the end of the month, I am moving to Montgomery County, MD. Details here and here. I am also looking forward to becoming a formal member of my church. Exciting changes are ahead.

In other news, temperatures are exceeding 100 degrees F.

From History to Legend

2008-05-26T22:13:00.004-04:00

Law & Order: Fact vs. Fiction (Mythbusters Edition)

2008-04-21T23:30:00.000-04:00

In the midst of outlining for finals and writing a paper, I desperately need a study break. So I am finally returning to a draft of a post that I started months ago, but neglected to publish.

The highlight of my 2L fall semester was an externship with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for the City of Newport News. For you non-Virginians, a Commonwealth's Attorney is the prosecutorial equivalent of a state's attorney or district attorney (D.A.). All of the prosecutors in the CA's Office maintain a hectic docket amid the high amount of violent crime in Newport News -- e.g., homicide, firearm-related crime, robbery, child abuse, etc.

It was refreshing that my work product for the CA's Office amounted to more than a pass/fail grade for a class. For example, one day I drafted an appellate brief in opposition to an appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia. Assuming I did it right, this brief should help keep a properly convicted defendant / appellant behind bars.

The externship also allowed me to observe criminal court proceedings, including probable cause hearings, bench trials, and appellate arguments. One day I even got to sit at the prosecutor's table. Occasionally something crazy, highly entertaining, and/or unexpected happened in court. Examples:

A star witness for the prosecution who blatantly perjured herself on direct examination, exasperating the prosecutor and forcing the judge to throw out the charges against the defendant. (Apparently she was carrying the defendant's unborn child.)
An altercation that led to an individual being taken into custody for contempt of court. (It is a really bad idea to try to start a fight in a small room full of law enforcement officers.)
Possibly due to problems in interpreting, a Spanish speaking complainant testified to the robber's height in meters, such that when the prosecutor and I converted the height to feet & inches, we realized that it equated to the size of a midget. (The defendant was definitely not a midget.)

For the first half of this summer, I will utilize my 3rd year practice certificate to prosecute cases myself, for the Williamsburg / James City County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. (VA Supreme Court rules essentially allows rising 3Ls to practice law under the supervision of attorneys, similar to Washington State's Rule 9) . This will be an awesome amount of responsibility.

Being a law student concentrating on criminal law definitely changes the way you view TV shows such as Law & Order, Hollywood films, and media accounts of the criminal justice system in general. While everyone should generally recognize that substantial entertainment liberties are taken by such shows, law students in particular enjoy de-constructing their portrayals of the rules of evidence, trial tactics, and the like. And thus I present:

Seven Popular Myths of Criminal Prosecution

The CSI Effect -- Forensic evidence is always available and always amounts to indubitable proof of guilt, right? Despite the lofty expectations of the average jury, there is no smoking gun, forensic or otherwise, in many criminal cases. Law enforcement may lack the resources to conduct a full forensic analysis, the technology on TV may not even exist quite yet, or the forensic evidence itself may simply not exist. For example, drug cases frequently rely on circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scandals occasionally arise regarding corruption or negligence in crime labs, and some standard forensic methods are eventually discredited. If you are deceived by the CSI Effect, you are not alone -- judges and lawyers are even susceptible. (I'll spare you a lecture about the Daubert test for scientific expert testimony.)
The Defendant Always Testifies -- In Law & Order episodes (and similar shows), defendant testimony often plays a prominent role during the trial. The fact that the defendant inevitably makes a bombshell confession, gets caught in a lie, or otherwise looks like an idiot on the stand suggests the true status quo: defense attorneys generally avoid putting their client on the stand. The rules of evidence provide guidelines for impeaching a defendant or otherwise discrediting him/her while testifying.
A Prosecutor Can Break the Rules With No Real Consequences. Without naming names, TV prosecutors such as Jack McCoy frequently violate numerous rules of evidence and ethical codes, as well as state and federal laws, and yet get away with it. In actuality, many of their cases would be lost on appeal due to the prosecutorial machinations, and the culpable prosecutors would be disciplined/fired, debarred, and/or possibly prosecuted themselves. Outside of the Law & Order universe, you may recall the Duke lacrosse controversy...
Prosecutors Rarely Deal with Books, Paperwork, and the Like. Law & Order episodes do not tend to show the prosecutors spending countless hours in the law library researching relevant laws and rules, writing memoranda and briefs, reviewing case files, and filing court papers. When they are not in court, prosecutors (and most other lawyers) are often immersed in research and writing. Given their sizable dockets, memorizing all the relevant facts and laws for each case is a challenge. Case files can be ridiculously thick.
Prosecutors Can Freely Talk With the Trial Judge or Defendant Without Defense Counsel Present. There certainly are circumstances where this is true, most obviously when the defendant waives his relevant rights. However, in Law & Order, the prosecutors frequently drop by the judge's office for an ex parte round of scotch and a judicial favor; the defendant and his attorney obviously aren't invited or otherwise notified.
Double Jeopardy Means That You Are Legally Entitled to Murder the Victim Again If You Failed and Yet Were Convicted the First Time. Perhaps the stupidest Hollywood portrayal of the criminal justice system is found in "Double Jeopardy," a pathetic waste of good actors. The film gets the Double Jeopardy Clause outrageously wrong on numerous levels. A recap of the plot [warning -- spoilers ahead]: The Ashley Judd character is convicted after being framed for the murder of her husband. Before being released on parole, a fellow inmate tells Judd that, if her husband was still alive, she could murder him in Times Square and yet be immune to prosecution thanks to Double Jeopardy. (A related piece of quasi-advice, that I also learned while adjudicating tort claims for the U.S. Marshals: don't listen to the legal advice of "jail house lawyers" -- i.e., cell mates who have far too much free time.) Of course, the husband is indeed still alive, as he is the devious mastermind who set up Judd. So Judd proceeds on the premise that Double Jeopardy gives her a legal mandate to murder her husband for real. What's wrong with this picture? First, Double Jeopardy applies to a particular set of facts. By analogy, if you rob the same person every day for a week, Double Jeopardy does not bar 7 separate robbery charges. Second, since there was no actual original murder, a retrial may not be barred by Double Jeopardy, as you cannot be convicted for a crime that doesn't exist. Third, the original "murder" and the subsequent "murder" occurred in different states. The states are separate sovereigns for purposes of Double Jeopardy, such that you may be charged in multiple jurisdictions for essentially the same crime (e.g., the Beltway snipers and Michael Vick). Fourth, under the Blockburger test, Double Jeopardy doesn't apply if the two offenses require different elements to prove guilt. Hypothetically, Judd could have faced a premeditated murder prosecution even if she had previously been convicted of second degree ("heat of passion") murder of the same person, because premeditation is an element the distinguishes these two types of murder. Fifth, assuming, arguendo, that Double Jeopardy would protect Judd from a second murder prosecution, her parole board would be free to drag her back to prison for the first murder sentence, as there is no constitutional right to parole.
Police and Prosecutors Can Beat, Menace, or Otherwise Coerce Incriminating Statements Out of Suspects. The police can legally do a lot in the interrogation room (e.g., some types of deceptions and non-physical threats are allowed), but the Supreme Court has clearly proscribed Det. Stabler's "hands on" approach to interrogation. Confessions need to be voluntary -- e.g., police cannot obtain a confession literally at gunpoint, according to an early Supreme Court case in this area. Miranda warnings must be given and respected -- e.g., police cannot put the suspect in a headlock if he "lawyers up." That said, perhaps one good thing to arise from the media's obsession with the criminal justice system is our culture's prevalent familiarity with Miranda. I'm told that defendants in Australia routinely demand their Miranda rights when interrogated, oblivious to the fact that Miranda doesn't apply outside of the U.S. and its unique Constitution.

DISCLAIMER: None of the above information should be construed as legal advice. Consult a real lawyer.

Highlights of the last 6 days...

2008-02-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

Friday - Sunday: National Security Moot Court Competition, at George Washington Univ., DC.
Monday: Helped lead class discussion of the exclusionary rule in Criminal Procedure I.
Tuesday: Helped lead class discussion of the entrapment defense in Criminal Justice Seminar. Also cooked bulgogi for class to enjoy.
Wednesday: Prosecuted arson defendant for mock trial in Courtroom 21.

Bonus day, Thursday: Will hopefully be able to submit a memorandum draft analyzing key 6th Amendment right to counsel cases.

Yes, I am concentrating on criminal law this semester.

Thankfully, spring break starts Friday at 11 am.

Blogging About Not Blogging

2008-01-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

Yes, despite residing in the so-called rocket docket (i.e., the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia), I have been incredibly slow in updating my blog. I know of at least two individuals who still regularly visit my blog, and are frequently disappointed as a result. If you happen to be reading this, then this post is dedicated to you.

Why the long hiatus from blogging? Why the reticence to blog at all? The obvious answer is that I am a 2L, and 2Ls don't have time for blogging (or eating or sleeping or socializing for that matter). 2Ls also tend to complain a lot about being 2Ls. I decided to spare you the grief of utilizing my blog as an outlet for my laments about 2L. Although I suppose that is exactly what I am doing right now. Not to exclude the 1Ls, 3Ls, and faculty/staff, everyone here is complaining about our ridiculously brief winter break.

A secondary reason is the influence of Privacy in a Technological Age Seminar, a class I took last fall. I already tend to be introverted (although less so as the years progress), and can be trusted to safeguard sensitive information. As illustrated by my PTA Seminar, individual privacy is becoming increasingly evasive in our information age. For example, most individuals have never heard of ChoicePoint before, but trust me, ChoicePoint knows a lot about you -- and thus employers, government agencies, credit card spammers, and the like also know a lot about you. On the Internet, I am always amazed by what individuals post online -- the myface phenomenon, or spacebook syndrome, as I like to call it. (Special thanks to my Dad for coining the term "myface," and by extension "spacebook.") I'll write more about privacy and identity theft later. (Incidentally, I am appalled that no fact is accepted as truth unless verified by Wikipedia, and that relationships are similarly unconfirmed until verified by Facebook. But that is another rant.)

Third, and related to my second explanation for not blogging regularly, is the fact that often the best or most important parts of my life are confidential for professional and/or personal reasons. For example, confidentiality and privilege are hallmarks of the legal profession, and limit what I can share about the criminal cases I worked on during my fall externship with the Commonwealth's Attorney Office for the City of Newport News. Similarly, I cannot comment on the fascinating national security problems involved in my upcoming moot court competition. Likewise, as much as I enjoyed my final exams, I cannot talk about their substance due to the Honor Code.

Fourth, and related to the previous reason, I have employment-related security concerns that prevent the disclosure of some information. For example, I don't have a Facebook profile because I don't want a pictorial directory of my family and friends to be available online. Another aspect of these concerns is my avoidance of posting anything that could be construed as improper by a prospective public safety employer. That is why I usually avoid posting my opinions about controversial national security and law enforcement issues.

Additionally, I generally feel obligated to individually call / email / write a letter to / have lunch with / visit dozens of people before I blog. I have never liked the concept of a blog replacing these more personal means of communication, but it seems to do just that. In its worst form, a blog degenerates into a mass email that goes nowhere. It is easily neglected and ignored by sender and reader alike.

Furthermore, I may run for political office someday, and don't want an ancient blog post taken out of context to libel me. (Fine, I admit it, I don't plan on ever running for office, but I needed one more reason to have seven total.)

My final excuse is simply laziness. While I technically don't have any free time, if I do happen to stumble upon some free time, blogging is typically not a priority. I prefer to use my free time to actually eat and sleep like a normal human being. Sometimes I even visit with fellow 2Ls that I haven't seen for weeks. (OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit amid my sarcasm.) I don't feel so bad about not blogging when numerous friends are also too busy or lazy to blog as well. (Hint, hint.)

Hopefully I have not offended my few remaining loyal readers. I really do appreciate the fact that you are bored enough to occasionally visit my blog. I'll just blame my dark humor and cynicism on the 2008 presidential election. Maybe following posts should enunciate "7 reasons why I wouldn't vote for ____________."

Editorial: Korean Hostages Controversy

2007-09-03T15:35:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I generally refrain from posting substantive commentary on controversial issues here. There are several good reasons for this policy. (I'll post some thoughts later about the appalling lack of discretion that many individuals demonstrate when online.) However, I feel compelled to address a recent event that has ignited global controversy.

Earlier this week, I talked with a Korean friend (who is currently a visiting scholar at W&M Law) about the recent release of 19 S. Korean missionaries who were kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Controversy has erupted in S. Korea and the international community regarding the direct negotiation between the S. Korean government and the Taliban. Prior to the final deal, the Taliban captors executed 2 of the hostages and released 2 others, while demanding the release of Taliban prisoners. As a result of direct talks with S. Korea, the Taliban agreed to release the remaining hostages in exchange for S. Korea withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan and banning Korean humanitarian/missionary workers from Afghanistan. There are also rumors that S. Korea secretly paid a ransom to the Taliban, a claim that President Roh's administration has repeatedly denied.

Defenders of the deal point out that S. Korea had already pledged to withdraw its troops and civilians from Afghanistan before the deal was even reached. Regardless, S. Korea converted these pre-existing plans into a directly negotiated, publicly announced deal with terrorists, allowing the Taliban to claim victory.

As you should all know, it is a customary international rule that state governments do not negotiate with terrorists, at least not directly. In brief, negotiating with terrorists tends to reward, legitimize, and advance terrorism. In this case, the Taliban has trumpeted the deal as decisive victory and promises to continue such apparently successful terrorist strategies. A senior Taliban commander has also claimed that an alleged $20 million ransom payment "would be used to buy weapons and fund suicide attacks." In sum, S. Korea has rewarded terrorists for their terrorism, inexplicably treating them as a cognizable state government in the process. Ultimately, this deal will simply lead to more terrorism; while the 19 S. Korean citizens may be spared, other individuals and states will suffer as a result. Not to mention S. Korea's international reputation.

S. Korea has a long history of being pushed around by the rest of the world. (Let me hasten to add that I fully support the ongoing bilateral alliance between S. Korea and the U.S.) Now the S. Korean government is allowing itself to be pushed around by terrorists, alienating its allies in the process. There is a disturbing pattern in S. Korean foreign policy to be "soft" on the nation's adversaries. "Sunshine policy" towards N. Korea is a prime example. In exchange for N. Korea breaking its international agreements and threatening war, S. Korea has given N. Korea tons of aid (literally) and has refused to confront N. Korea's egregious human rights abuses. I'm not saying the S. Korea should become a warmonger or an extreme hard-liner, but I am questioning the wisdom of acquiescing to unreasonable demands from unreasonable and unreliable parties.

S. Korean Christians, particularly the church that deployed the hostages to Afghanistan, are also under fire in S. Korea, dividing the S. Korean Christian community. The hostages' church -- "Saemmul Church, a large congregation in an upscale southern suburb of Seoul" -- defied repeated warnings from the S. Korean government to stay out of Afghanistan, and is being pressured to help cover the expenses of resolving the hostage crisis. S. Korea is the #2 country of origin for Christian missionaries, after the U.S. To grossly generalize, my understanding of the S. Korean church in general (i.e., not simply the specific congregation in question) is that it tends to be wealthy and ambitious. The Korean friend mentioned earlier was highly critical of the S. Korean church's demeanor, and his comments echoed the constant complaints I hear about the "religious right" here in the U.S. Perhaps these pejorative perspectives of the S. Korean church are exaggerated or even unfounded. Regardless, I am interested in hearing some Christian perspectives, Korean or otherwise, of the role of S. Korean missions in the hostage crisis. This situation is definitely a fascinating case study into church-state relations in the 21st century. (Anyone need a paper topic?)

As a Korean-American Christian, I rejoice that the lives of these 19 hostages were spared. However, from political, international relations, and counter-terrorism standpoints, I am deeply concerned about the high price of their freedom. Now that the Taliban plans to replicate this recent "victory," it is quite likely that more than 19 other innocents will die in the near future, especially if the ransom rumors prove to be verifiable fact. I'll leave it to my more missions-minded friends to analyze the situation from a spiritual / missions perspective.

Recommended reading:

"Afghan Taliban vow to kidnap, kill more foreigners." Latest updates from the wires.
"Korea rebuked for negotiating with terrorists." From The Korea Herald, "The Nation's No. 1 English Newspaper," which appears to be highly critical of the quid pro quo.
"South Koreans Held by Taliban Arrive in Seoul, Offer Apologies." Washington Post article underscoring the allegations of missionary "recklessness" and the rifts created by the hostage crisis.
Evangelical blogs addressing the hostage crisis can be found at Boundless and Christianity Today. Let me know if you come across any others with meaningful commentary.

Back in the 'Burg

2007-08-31T11:47:00.000-04:00

2L is off to a crazy start. On the 21st, I drove down to Williamsburg late at night during a bad thunderstorm. Thankfully, my new windshield wiper on the driver's side miraculously remained attached for the entire journey. I think I broke this wiper when I was installing it, and whenever I stopped to check on it, it would fall off at the slightest touch. I feared that it would fly off my windshield during the downpour, reducing visibility to 0.

Classes:
My most anticipated class, 4th Amendment, was canceled. As a result, I had to completely rework my fall schedule. I'm signed up for 17 credits, which is crazy for a 2L, so I will have to drop a class soon.

Evidence. Prof. Lederer emphasizes practical trial application and courtroom technology.
Human Rights Law. Prof. Warren has real-world experience in post-conflict constitution drafting. This class will incorporate some great discussions/debates, a microcosm of the international debate over human rights.
Privacy in a Technological Age. A seminar focusing on contemporary privacy-related controversies including Facebook, Myspace, NSA wiretapping, etc. Although I started out #9 on the waiting list, I somehow made it in at the last moment.
Youth Law. Judge Baker is an expert in therapeutic jurisprudence. I'm taking the class mainly because of my interest in both juvenile justice and adoption.
Legal Skills III. My working group will be taking Client B (civil) to trial -- including pre-trial discovery, depositions, motions, oral arguments, etc. We will also be starting Client C (criminal). Once again, Legal Skills involves a ton of work for a high pass / pass / fail result.
Advanced Brief Writing. Required for moot court members in preparation for tournaments next spring. We will be drafting briefs about 4th Amendment issues, which is some consolation for the canceled 4th Amendment class. I was selected to compete in a National Security tournament at George Washington Law in DC.
Advanced Research I. Required for my fellowship. This will involve a lot of work for a 1-credit grade.
Externship with the Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Office. This is an extremely busy office that prosecutes a lot of violent crime, so I'm excited.

Extracurricular activities:

Graduate Research Fellowship. I am very grateful for being assigned to Prof. Paul Marcus, a prominent criminal law scholar and my favorite professor at W&M. This semester, my fellowship requires an average of 8 self-scheduled hours per week.
Asian Law Students Association (ALSA). I'm serving as Treasurer. Although there are numerous Asian LLMs, I've heard that the 1L class includes only 1 Asian J.D. student. Fortunately for ALSA, there are several Asian 2Ls, many of whom are friends of mine.
Christian Legal Society (CLS). Due to the pejorative write-on topic last spring, CLS is now controversial on campus. More positively, we had 37 new students sign up at the activities fair. Due to a thunderstorm, the CLS welcome BBQ was rescheduled for this Sunday evening.
Public Service Fund (PSF). PSF awarded me a summer stipend for the USMS internship, so I will definitely continue my volunteer work with them.
Pickup and intramural soccer. Great stress-reliever. I intend to break my personal record for goals scored, set last year (2?). At least I have lots of assists in my stats.
World domination. Thursday night Risk has resumed, and I crushed my competitors last night, ending a demoralizing drought. Last week a game went 6 hours.

Finally, there is of course The Job Search<™>. I'm committed to two very different types of job searches right now. At least I am not applying to big firms.

Yes, Houghton has ruined me and I have no idea how I will be able to accomplish everything and yet maintain my sanity.

The Other Washington

2007-08-17T18:15:00.000-04:00

During my last week in DC, I had a great visit with my good friend from Washington State, David. We toured most of the DC landmarks. Some of the best stories from our DC escapades are probably too embarrassing to print, but feel free to ask me about them sometime. A few other random stories, in no particular order:

David did not have a cell phone with him during his visit, creating a few complications when we had to separate and eventually reunite. One night, we had planned on meeting back at my apartment at a certain time. I waited a long time, but David still hadn't shown up. Fearing he had been mugged, I embarked on a somewhat frantic search around Rockville. Then I finally got a call from a nearby restaurant telling me that he had been at the grocery store next door the entire time. My anger eventually subsided thanks to the delicious dinner we cooked with the groceries he bought.
Despite calling his congressman at the 11th hour, David was able to get a tour of the White House. I was extremely jealous, the White House being one of the few places that the Marshals interns didn't get to visit.
En route to some last-minute site-seeing, we were racing to get on a Metro train -- David managed to jump on, but the doors closed before I could. This was potentially disastrous, as our flight to Seattle would depart in a few hours and we had no way of contacting each other. Fortunately, we were on the same page. I got on the next train, and he was waiting for me two stops down.
It was around 100 degrees F while we were traversing National Mall. We made use of a few strategically-placed sprinklers to cool down.
Despite my assurances to David, we didn't get to see a presidential motorcade or a presidential candidate. A few weeks ago, I did see John McCain walk by while I was enjoying lunch outside his campaign headquarters.
One night, I purchased tickets online for The Bourne Ultimatum at the nearby Rockville theater. In order to get there in time, David and I had to hastily prepare and consume a tasty meal. We cooked stir fry, Iron Chef style. When we arrived at the theater, it was already crowded, and we barely secured two adjacent seats in the front. But it got worse. Because of his usual intake of gallons of bottled water, David had to leave his seat to use the bathroom. I endeavored to save his seat by resting my arm on it. Nevertheless, a large, tough-looking man proceeded to sit there. I decided it wasn't worth a fight, and left to find David. Eventually I decided to try to get our tickets switched to the next showing. Unfortunately, I didn't have the right credit card with me at the ticket counter. After a little begging, the girl at the ticket counter relented and gave us passes for the next showing anyway. David and I enjoyed the show, and practiced some of Bourne's driving stunts during the drive home.
We visited IJM's new office for staff prayer, a tour, and lunch with one of my former supervisors -- all part of my strategy to convince David to apply for an IJM internship in DC or Latin America.
We also went trap shooting with IJM's VP for Investigations and several IJM interns. David hit a clay pigeon for the first time. My score was somewhat disappointing, but slightly better than my previous attempt at trap shooting. On the plus side, my shoulder wasn't sore the next day. (Trap loads are a lot lighter than police loads.)
On the way back from trap shooting (in VA of course), we had a great lunch at a random Korean restaurant. I think I managed to convince the Korean-speaking staff that I was fluent in Korean by repeating the handful of Korean words that I actually know. Bulgogi... Kimchi... Anyong haseyo...
David was excited to meet several of my Latin friends/acquaintances at church. We went to a Peruvian restaurant with a few of them after church one Sunday. I think I know more Korean than Spanish, so I'll just assume these Spanish-speakers were gossiping about me.
Having attended two services at Covenant Life Church, David can now help dispel the myth that every sermon features Josh Harris preaching about dating, sex, and marriage. Incidentally, I'll really miss CLC -- my friends, the small group philosophy, the superb preaching/teaching, the charismatic worship, the remarkable diversity, and the many opportunities to serve and grow as a community.
On our way to the airport, David and I managed to visit IJM, the White House, and Arlington National Cemetery, where we arrived just in time to watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
David and I flew back to Seattle together. While I filled out paperwork, David read my George Tenet autobio and spilled coffee on passenger 7C's seat. He became really excited about the beauty of the Pacific NW as we flew over it. I struggled to share his enthusiasm, underscoring my conversion to a DCer. It was good to be back in the Seattle area, however. I went on a few walks in the woods and past Lake Wilderness with family members. I had forgotten how majestic Mt. Rainier is on the horizon, and how green and alive all the trees are. The fresh, brisk air of the Pacific NW smells a lot better than the DC metro area too. (Perhaps I will forever associate the smell of DC with the stench of the Superior Court cell block.)
I have introduced David and my family to the refreshing goodness of Newman's Own Limeade. Not only does it taste great, but the profits go towards charitable causes.

Justice - Integrity - Service

2007-08-14T15:46:00.000-04:00

The interns were able to visit the DC Superior Court during my last week with the U.S. Marshals. Our tour of the cellblock was definitely an eye-opening experience. Before going in, the DUSMs instructed us to stay away from the bars, to ignore the catcalls, and to not try to help if an incident occurred. The cellblock is stinky, loud, crowded (but not over-crowded), and dangerous. It houses everyone from traffic violators to murderers of all genders and ages. Like one of the DUSMs said, if you can work this cellblock, you can work anywhere. Some interns asked a lot of questions, others were virtually speechless. We were amazed by the weapons that have been found and confiscated during body searches of inmates.

The tour concluded with us attending some criminal hearings in the courthouse. The DC courts are incredibly busy. It was good for us to see this operational side of the USMS, after working in the Office of General Counsel at HQ all summer.

On my last official day, the office surprised (most of) the interns with a farewell reception in the law library. We were able to chat with the General Counsel, Gerald Auerbach, and say our goodbyes to the OGC staff. I truly enjoyed my summer with the USMS, and am certainly open to working for this agency in the future.

America's Star

2007-07-28T01:02:00.000-04:00

The intern supervisors at U.S. Marshals Service HQ have done a superb job of organizing field trips for us. These field trips have been invaluable, especially since administrative tort claims can become rather monotonous after awhile.

DC District Court. We attended some competency hearings for criminal defendants, then met two federal judges. This is where we first observed DUSMs (Deputy U.S. Marshals) in action.
Supreme Court. We met the Clerk of the Supreme Court, William Suter, and then attended the standard tour inside the courthouse.
Capitol. We sat in on House proceedings, and took the standard tour. I think this was my third visit at the Capitol. As usual, I probably walked past prominent politicians that I didn't recognize.
U.S. Park Police, Aviation Unit. We learned all about the Park Police's helicopters, Eagle 1 and Eagle 2. The Aviation Unit is tasked with "aviation support for law enforcement, medevac, search and rescue, high-risk prisoner transport and Presidential and dignitary security." Members of the Park Police SWAT team also showed up, and gave a presentation about SWAT training and equipment.
Pentagon. We saw all the 9/11 memorials, and walked through several of the rings/levels. This office building is huge, and houses around 23,000 employees. Incidentally, USMS HQ is relatively close to the Pentagon, so I see a lot of military personnel every day. I'm not an expert at identifying the insignia on military uniforms, but I think I've been on the Metro with generals before.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The NCMEC is a 501(c)3 organization that receives Congressional support and law enforcement assistance. The tour included a presentation about its Internet awareness training for children. The highlight was seeing computerized age progression and regression in action. The tech guy did a 15-year progression of my picture, and I looked virtually the same. (Just kidding... although I probably will look about the same in 15 years.)
Attorney General's Summer Lecture Series. Interns within the DOJ and its sub-agencies attended this event at Main Justice. The speakers included the head of the FBI's counter-terrorism task force, the Solicitor General (Paul Clement), and Alberto Gonzalez himself. I saw a friend from W&M (Kim) and a friend from Houghton (Rachel M.) here.
Yesterday we visited a classified facility that I'm not allowed to talk about.

Some other field trips that I had to miss:

ATF Canine Training Center. This is where Beacon was trained. Beacon is a celebrity at Marshals HQ, partly because he found critical evidence in the Beltway sniper case. He is trained to detect 19,000 types of explosives.
DEA Museum. Exhibits the war on illegal drugs.

Before we all leave, we are also hoping to visit:

Pentagon Force Protection. This agency provides law enforcement and security for the Pentagon.
DC Superior Court. Specifically, the prisoner holding area. Apparently this is always an eye-opening experience.
Fugitive Task Force. The Marshals are perhaps best known for leading inter-agency fugitive apprehension teams. Unlike most federal agencies, the Marshals are not limited to specific types of criminals. They can help catch anyone, from a drug dealer for a local PD to a violent extremist for the ATF. A task force may consist of DUSMs, local detectives, and other federal agents. The team investigates the fugitive AND serves the arrest warrant; i.e., they locate the fugitive as investigators and then bust down his door as a de facto SWAT team. This seems to be regarded as one of the coolest jobs in law enforcement, and is the stuff of movies (you can probably guess which two in particular).
BTW, you be may surprised to learn that the Marshals can still deputize local law enforcement officers in order to fulfill its mission. The Marshals' broad jurisdictional powers are necessary to perform its diverse duties.

The moral of the story is: you can run, but you can't hide from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Most Wanted

2007-07-22T22:48:00.000-04:00

This summer I am interning with the U.S. Marshals Service, Office of General Counsel. The USMS is best known for apprehending fugitives, protecting federal courts, and operating the Witness Security program. My fellow legal interns and I investigate and adjudicate administrative tort claims filed against the USMS under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Claims include motor vehicle accidents, prisoner property, prisoner injury, and "law enforcement related." Highlights of the internship have included field trips ranging from the Pentagon to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

As is generally true for all of us, my life has been extremely hectic lately. Some highlights: visiting my family last weekend, getting involved at Covenant Life Church, finding out that David B. is visiting DC in August, and contemplating a possible career change. A more detailed update should follow soon...

Remember

2007-05-25T18:06:00.000-04:00

Tributes to Fallen Soldiers

I am not posting this link to make a political point. Whether you support the Iraq war or not, I encourage you to honor these brave men and women and those they left behind. Read their stories, and celebrate their lives.

Korean War Memorial

Film, TV, and Book Reviews [Warning: Minor Spoilers]

2007-05-25T17:32:00.000-04:00

Convoluted plot. Gratuitous violence. Incomprehensible dialogue. Giant sea goddess. 168 long minutes. Many false endings. $4.50 for a Coke. That basically sums up my review of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. (On the plus side, Johnny Depp is still an amazing actor.)

I was also disappointed by Spiderman 3 several weekends ago. Delving into Spidey's dark side via... a bad haircut??? Vanquishing Venom with... wind chimes??? Spiderman 2 (one of my favorite films) struck a brilliant balance between cartoonish humor and epic heroism / moralizing. Spiderman 3 gets stuck in cartoonish mode, undermining its laudable lessons about sin, forgiveness, and redemption.

This summer of trilogies is off to a rough start, although such bad movies somehow manage to bring in billions of dollars. Apparently our entertainment-obsessed culture is easily entertained. Hopefully I will not be disappointed by The Bourne Ultimatum, my most anticipated summer blockbuster. More positively, theaters consist of air-conditioned, spacious rooms. I have moved back to Rockville, and Daniel's apartment is extremely warm and rather crowded right now.

It was also a disappointing season of 24. Entropy eventually erodes all excellent franchises, whether Pirates, Spiderman, Lost, Battlestar, etc. Producers/writers run out of fresh ideas, characters seem stale, and plot twists become predictable. Viewers become bored and apathetic.

So this summer, while all my favorite shows are on hiatus, I plan on reading lots of books checked out from Rockville's beautiful, brand-new, postmodern library. It is incredibly refreshing to read something other than case law, statutes, briefs, etc. I am currently reading The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror by Michael Ignatieff. The author tackles the perplexing problem of protecting a liberal democracy from terrorism without losing its soul. I'm only in Ch. 1, but he appears to apply de facto strict scrutiny to a government's counter-terror activities (e.g., compelling interest, least restrictive means, rigorous review, etc.).

I haven't been to DC yet, but will do so over this Memorial Day weekend. The highlight will be visiting the Korean War Memorial (my favorite). Without the sacrifices of Korean and American patriots, I would probably not be here today.

I am on a forced vacation until my internship (hopefully) starts in early June. In the meantime, I am busy catching up with friends, running errands, and (believe it or not) relaxing. I'm visiting IJM's new office next week, and am looking forward to lunch/coffee with various IJM friends.

It is hard to believe that I graduated from college two years ago... it doesn't seem like it was that long ago. Growing up seems to happen more quickly after college.

Happy 400th Anniversary, America!

2007-05-14T17:47:00.000-04:00

For those who have faithfully waited for an update, your patience is finally rewarded.

Congratulations to everyone who is graduating or finishing a year of grad school! I have survived my 1L year and am now a 2L. Technically, I should postpone this declaration until the current 3Ls graduate and the 1L write-on competition ends. I definitely enjoyed a few days to relax between my last final and the beginning of the write-on competition. Hopefully, I will never again have to contemplate the rule against perpetuities, springing executory interests, and investment-backed expectations.

Shortly after my final final, disaster struck -- my laptop crashed. Or to be more specific, Windows XP Pro SP2 crashed and resisted my frantic attempts to cure it. In the end, I had to reimage and start out with a tabula rasa. After countless WinUpdates, installations, driver downloads, gigs of restored backups, etc., the system is nearly back to normal. At least it waited until after finals to crash.

Last weekend, Jamestown celebrated the 400th Anniversary of America. The Queen's visit during the previous weekend was a great success. President Bush visited Jamestown yesterday. Like most W&M students, I've been avoiding the hordes of tourists. I really should be more proactive about exploring the history that surrounds me. Maybe I'll stop by a Civil War battlefield during my journey northward to Rockville this weekend.

The last few Citizen Police Academy classes have covered firearm safety, use of force, SWAT, community services, and internal affairs. A SWAT officer took us to the police firing range, which was a lot of fun. He even demonstrated flash-bangs and beanbag rounds. This Wed. night, we are going on a building search. I will probably do my patrol ride-along on Friday evening, after the write-on competition ends. Additionally, I'll try to sign up for some ride-alongs with DC area PDs over the summer.

In other news, the law library renovation is close to completion. It is rumored that the new library will boost W&M in the law rankings. I don't spend much time in the library myself, but I have noticed that the ongoing construction has been a tremendous inconvenience for the law school community.

Both law school teams were eliminated in the intramural soccer semi-finals. We had expected to face each other in the championship match, but instead both teams were humbled by the college guys. For my part, I missed a perfect cross while a few yards away from the goal. Next year...

Now I need to resume my write-on competition. All that stands between me and a glorious summer is a note and the infamous Bluebook.

Visit me in DC this summer.

Paradoxical Peace

2007-04-29T19:07:00.000-04:00

"Peace in a World of Massacre: What Jesus calls us to when we're most frightened" by Mark Galli, managing editor of Christianity Today.

Good Friday

2007-04-06T14:57:00.001-04:00

Yes, I am actually updating again already. And yes, I am actually including substantive commentary on controversial issues, versus my usual recitation of the facts.

Everything is in bloom here. How do I know? Because my allergies have been suffocating me lately. If my eyes weren't nearly swollen shut, I might be able to enjoy the beauty of the trees and flowers.

I spent much of yesterday dealing with DMV-related issues. My title and registration fortuitously arrived on the expiration date for my temporary registration. Someone at the DMV actually spelled my car model as "Toris." After the usual long wait at the DMV, I received a Virginia driver's license. I was sad to surrender my Washington license. Mt. Rainer is much more picturesque than the Commonwealth seal. Such are the sacrifices for becoming a Virginia resident.

I was recently elected to serve as Treasurer for the Asian Law Students Association. Several of the other new officers are friends, and I'm really looking forward to organizing ALSA events with them. I may also end up with a position with the Christian Legal Society. Whatever the case, I will be coordinating an IJM speaker event at the law school next fall.

As a part of my graduate fellowship, I frequently clerk for mock trials in Courtroom 21. The clerk basically serves as a traditional courtroom clerk and bailiff, but also runs/supports the courtroom technology. Everything in Courtroom 21 is intended to be tech-based; e.g., instead of handing an affidavit to the witness, you can display an electronic version on a dozen screens instead. Anyway, I clerked a trial on Tuesday night that was by far the best trial I have attended to date. The criminal trial was for Trial Advocacy 3Ls. The Commonwealth prosecuted the defendant on rape charges. Virtually everything was excellent -- statements/arguments, attention to procedural detail, witness examination, objections, motions, deference to the judge, etc. Even the witnesses (fellow students) were remarkably compelling in their testimony. The judge appeared to be a real-life judge, and he was very impressed with the 3Ls' performance. It is comforting to know that W&M produces lawyers that impress judges before they even graduate.

Classes at the Citizen Police Academy continue to be fascinating. Two weeks ago, we learned about drug identification. I was struck by the economic structures underlying drug trafficking. I was also disappointed, but not surprised to learn that anti-drug funding is being significantly diverted to other areas (counter-terrorism in specific). Like a true cop, I adamantly support the war on drugs. Those who claim that illegal drugs don't harm people (or otherwise argue that such drugs should be legalized) tend to be profoundly ignorant or misguided, self-deceptive, or on drugs themselves. Via homeless outreach, I've seen countless drug-ruined lives and families on the streets of Seattle. Several summers ago, 3 King County investigators were shot busting a meth lab close to my neighborhood. I've seen disturbing pictures of babies born addicted to crack or meth. Drug abuse fuels broken relationships, individual & public safety concerns, gangs, crime, and even terrorism. Don't listen to the drug libertarians.

An assistant Commonwealth's Attorney spoke at the last Academy class. Nate Green is currently running for county Commonwealth's Attorney, and also happens to be a Legal Skills instructor at W&M. I enjoyed learning about the entire arrest-to-appeal process in Virginia. Mr. Green also spoke about the need for prosecutors to communicate and build relationships with police officers. Overall, I am deeply impressed by the quality of prosecutors and police in James City County. Although the county is starting to experience growing pains, it is well-suited for model community-based policing.

OK, it's time to get ready for Friday afternoon soccer. Two distinct groups of law students show up for Friday soccer. There are people who love soccer and are good at it; and there are people who love soccer. I'll leave it to you to decide which group I fall into... On Wed. night, my intramural team finished the regular season undefeated. I think we have a good chance in the playoffs. Somewhat humorously, my only goal during the regular season invoked the mercy rule, ending the game before the first half even ended, irritating everyone. Although it usually punishes me with bizarre injuries, soccer has been my main source of stress relief lately.

I would like to close with a provocative essay. An excerpt (basically Mr. Martin's thesis): "If abortion and gay marriage are part of the Christian agenda, I have no issue with that. Those are moral issues that should be of importance to people of the faith, but the agenda should be much, much broader." To restate what I've written about in the past, the Church's mounting response to international human trafficking is perhaps a model for broadening our agenda and our ecumenism. Like many others, I am deeply troubled by the Western Church's self-imposed dichotomy between controversial moral/cultural issues and compassionate service in the spirit of the Good Samaritan. The Bible seems to explicitly state that this is a both/and, not an either/or "dichotomy." Whether liberal or conservative, faith without deeds is dead. Perhaps in a future post I will attempt to apply such analysis to Iraq...

This Easter, let us not forget that Christ's "agenda" was ultimately to sacrifice Himself to save our souls and restore a broken world to a gracious and compassionate God. It is incredibly easy for Christians such as myself to lose sight of the essence of the Gospel, and to remake it into my own image. Amid life's tribulations, take courage; He has overcome the world, for He so loved the world! Let us together learn to live like we believe it.

Theory vs. Practice

2007-03-27T18:55:00.000-04:00

Rising 2Ls recently registered for fall classes. Over the past few weeks, most of us heard horror stories about trying to get into classes. In the end, registration seems to have worked out well for nearly everyone.

My Fall 2007 classes:

Evidence. The professor is reputed to focus on practical application (i.e., trial advocacy) and technology (e.g., electronic discovery). It should be good preparation for Criminal Procedure I & II next spring.
Fourth Amendment: Theory & Practice. A recent Academy class addressed the 4th Amend., obviously from the police perspective. It was fascinating to learn about the nuances of suspicion, reasonable suspicion, and probable cause; pat down vs. frisking; the procedure for obtaining warrants in VA; and the numerous con law doctrines regulating search & seizure. I was deeply impressed by the officer who presented the class. He has many years of experience as a cop, but also sounds like a knowledgeable law professor. I am frequently frustrated by the gap between abstract academics and real-world exigencies. For example, I've heard a lot about the gap (and subsequent feuds) between prosecutors with JDs and cops with handcuffs. It is comforting to know that it is possible to successfully bridge such gaps. Hopefully I will be a hybrid law enforcement officer with a JD someday, helping to restore balance to the force.
Human Rights Law. The professor apparently has real-world human rights experience, which is definitely a plus. I'm looking forward to promoting and evaluating IJM in this forum.
I am also wait-listed for Privacy in a Technological Age. It sounds like a great opportunity to discuss everything from warrantless wiretaps to Facebook.

Classes that were chosen for me:

Legal Skills III. I just e-filed my client's complaint with a Maryland District Court; unlike the rest of Legal Skills, the e-filing and the court are not simulated. Next semester I will be taking my current client B to trial with a negligence action. Then I can look forward to clients C, D, and E. My simulated law firm is making a lot of simulated money.
Advanced Research I. Required for Graduate Fellows, as we transition from admin placements to faculty research. My top 3 preferred research areas are national security, criminal law, and human rights.
Advanced Brief Writing. Required for new moot court members before we can compete in a tournament.

Depending on how well I balance my classes, fellowship work, job search, and extracurricular activities, I may also eventually sign up for an externship. And there's always the possibility that I'll end up on a journal. I'm starting to understand why the 2L year is so miserable.

In other news, the Battlestar Galactica season 3.5 finale redeemed the entire season. Now I have to wait until 2008 to find out what happens next...

Allergens Are in the Air

2007-03-15T12:46:00.000-04:00

Yes, I should update more often. It is currently spring break at W&M, and I am spending it in Williamsburg. The weather has been sunny and warm, brilliantly ending a cold spell. Outside of the hordes of tourists, the campus is deserted. I might visit DC this weekend, but I still need to catch up on studying and errands. Only 6 weeks until finals...

I bought a '97 Ford Taurus last week. It has relatively low mileage for a car that old, and is in excellent condition (as far as I know anyway). Excepting the various related expenditures, it is already making my life much easier.

I just finished an outline for the first half of Property. I'm learning a lot about tenancy at will, the implied warranty of habitability, retaliatory eviction, and other important matters that I should probably keep in mind the next time I sign a lease agreement. Prof. Rosenberg is a truly knowledgeable and passionate property instructor. I particularly appreciate his concise organization & presentation of the class material, emphasis of the underlying social values at stake, and concern for the environmental implications of property law (he previously served on the EPA's legal staff).

Today I hope to finish a draft of my Contracts outline. It will probably be more confusing and time-consuming than my Property outline. So far, contract law seems to be about creating arbitrary rules and then creating countless arbitrary exceptions, along with some exceptions to the exceptions. The parol evidence rule is a good example. As Prof. Selassie often says, "The common law is not very common." Judges have the awesome job of ~~making up~~ interpreting the law.

Sorting through countless pages of Constitutional Law cases and notes will be a weekend project. As anticipated, con law is my favorite class. Lately we've been studying the extension of the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses to state and even private action. I appreciate how Prof. Baker underscores the structural foundations of con law (e.g., federalism, separation of powers, etc.). One of the sub-theses in my honors thesis was that contemporary debate over constitutional interpretive theory often fails to appreciate the subterranean competition between divergent visions of the U.S. Constitution, and in turn our entire system of self-governance. In brief, originalists, living constitutionalists, and everyone in-between often are not even talking about the same Constitution. But I digress.

Outside of classes, I've been... taking more classes. Last night was session #3 of the Citizen Police Academy hosted by the James City County Police Dept. We learned about animal control and homeland defense / terrorism. The academy is a valuable inside look at the workings of a local police dept. -- everything from patrol shifts to Tasers. This summer I'll get an inside look at a federal law enforcement agency...

I recently received three summer internship offers, all from law enforcement agencies. It was a tough choice, but I eventually settled on a legal internship in DC. Once I work out the details, you'll find them here. I will probably be living with Daniel again in Rockville, MD. The Metro commute this summer will rival that of last spring/summer... But being back in the DC area will be worth it.

Speaking of fighting injustice, have any of you seen Amazing Grace, the William Wilberforce film? Matt recommended it, and I am hoping to see it sometime soon. Slavery is thriving worldwide in the 21st century, and has taken new forms. While there is plenty of disagreement about the particulars, the modern fight against slavery has generally united Christians and non-Christians, the right and the left, feminists and conservatives. NGOs, IGOs, governments, and individuals are all involved. There are contemporary versions of William Wilberforce at work across the globe. Much good is being accomplished, but approx. 27 million people still languish in slavery today. As the popular term "human trafficking" suggests, the modern slave trade is border-less. In fact, there are even slaves in the U.S.

Finally, I would like to publicly recognize my parents' 27th wedding anniversary. Congratulations, Mom and Dad!

Happy Lunar New Year!

2007-02-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, I attended the Lunar New Year festival on the main campus. Sponsored by several Asian student organizations, the festival featured an entertaining show and mostly Korean food. I am a member of the Asian Law Student Association at the law school.

For the past three weeks, I competed in the selection tournament for W&M's moot court team. Moot court generally involves writing briefs and making oral arguments before an appellate court. For each round in the tournament, 3+ judges grilled both sides for 15+ min. each. Preparation was time-consuming and the rounds were intense, but the hard work paid off in the end -- I was invited to join the team! Thanks to all you 2Ls who encouraged me to try out. I actually enjoyed the tournament, and look forward to competing with the team. Now I need to decide whether or not to compete in the end-of-semester writing tournament for law review and the rest of W&M's journals.

It looks like Dave and I have been accepted to participate in the citizen's academy at the county police department. For the rest of the semester, we will learn about police procedures, visit the firing range, go on ride-alongs, and the like. I am very excited about this unique opportunity to explore a career in law enforcement.

I managed to pay my room reservation deposit a few hours before the deadline, so it looks like I am staying in the Gradplex. I might have new apartment-mates. I might even have a new building, as my building is going to be closed for renovations this summer.

Dave and I attended LaToya's gospel festival on the main campus on Sat. night. Featuring several gospel choirs from around the area, the festival was the most energetic worship that I have experienced in a long time.

Later that night, I attended a movie party at Dave's apartment. We played Mario Kart and then watched "The Departed." It was a much-needed break from the rule against perpetuities, mutual assent, and line-item vetoes. The film was excellent overall, but definitely lacked a happy ending.

My Dad will be visiting this weekend to graciously help me find a car. I'm definitely looking forward to spending time with him, and becoming the proud owner of my first car.

Now I need to get to work, so I can wake up early for an Ash Wednesday mass.

Happy New Year; Car Talk

2007-01-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

As always, I apologize for the blogging hiatus. Your patience is now rewarded with this lengthy update.

I survived my first round of finals as a law student, and even enjoyed my Criminal Law final. The first semester went by very quickly, and I hope that the next five semesters are the same. I'm currently enjoying a four-week break at home in Maple Valley. Especially after living in DC/Virgina for the past year, it has been good to be with family for the holidays. My family has been through a lot in 2006.

During the past couple weeks, I have eaten and slept a lot (balanced by lifting weights in the garage). I am also reading several books, including Jim Wallis' God's Politics and diverse treatises on the war on terror. I received the first two seasons of 24 for Christmas, and now several family members are hooked. We're currently waiting to borrow Season 3 from friends. 24 Season 6 of course starts next Sunday (and BSG Season 3.5 a week later). I'm trying to catch up on email. And there are random errands and projects that need work. The lazy part of winter break is over.

David B. and I had our annual visit last week. It was great to catch up on life and share our latest philosophical musings. We have both changed a lot in the past year, and I am jealous of David's new goatee.

I have finally reached the point in life where I need to own a car. I survived without a car in Houghton, New York (there was nowhere to drive to anyway), and relied heavily on the Metro and friends in DC. For living in Williamsburg and commuting to/from my summer employer, ownership of a reliable car is looking increasingly indispensable.

At W&M, I have had to frequently harass someone for a ride or borrow Dave's car. The campus post office is about 1 mi. away, and the grocery store is not really in walking range. It is a workout just to walk/run to the gym. The campus bus, while free, is not very convenient or efficient. Several times, I have missed an important event (e.g., an intramural soccer game) for lack of transportation.

In sum, I will probably have to purchase my first car sometime in the next few months. I am excited about the prospect of having a readily accessible car, but do not look forward to all the costs involved (e.g., the car itself, fees, insurance, maintenance, gas, etc.). Any recommendations for a grad student looking to purchase his first car? Obviously, I have a very tight budget; however, a long commute for my summer internship is plausible, so that also needs to be taken into account.

For you law students & lawyers out there, should I try out for moot court and/or law review? I am not particularly interested in either at this point, but I have heard that such extracurricular activities are essential for a competitive legal resume. Since I am focusing on law enforcement jobs, I am wondering if it is safe to downplay moot court, law review, and the like.

Looking ahead to next semester, I am taking Property, Contracts, Constitutional Law, and Legal Skills II. You can guess which class I am actually looking forward to. Mondays and Tuesdays will be crazy days: three classes + fellowship work on each day.

Finally, I'll conclude with some thoughts on a seemingly intractable, multifaceted problem: Iraq. Like many left-leaning Christians, Jim Wallis strongly condemns the White House's decision to initiate the Iraq war. My response is the cliche, "hindsight is always 20/20." On a practical level, arguing about whether that fateful decision was good or bad is pointless; the simple fact is that it was made, and now we must deal with the consequences. Accordingly, I am more interested in potential solutions for the current situation. What is our political responsibility to the people of Iraq, the people of the United States, and the international community? Our moral responsibility? For the Church, our religious and humanitarian responsibility? Regardless of partisan or religious affiliation, are we willing to do what is right (I do not claim to know exactly what that is), even if it is extremely hard or costly?

More Political News & Commentary

2006-11-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

China appears to be making good faith efforts to pressure North Korea. NK recently agreed to return to the 6-party talks.

The Korean Herald recently published an editorial that underscores my earlier post about the failures of sunshine policy. From the scathing editorial: the SK government "... should have learnt by now that not taking up the North Korean human rights issue did nothing to prevent nuclearization of North Korea."

I should probably say a few words about the recent election.

First, I never received my absentee ballot. If Rep. Dave Reichert loses his seat because of this ...
A few months ago, Senator George Allen (R-VA) had a commanding lead over Jim Webb. He was a GOP frontrunner for the 2008 presidency. Two stupid statements later, Allen lost his Senate seat, gave the Senate to the Democrats, and effectively killed his bid for the White House.
From a pessimistic standpoint, two years of divided gov. and a lame-duck Pres. Bush could be extremely unproductive and nasty. We still have Iraq, the potential for scandals on both sides, disillusioned voters, and no easy answers for balancing a war on terror with civil liberties. Both parties could continue to implode.
Ultimately, I am hopeful that the Democrats' Congressional triumph will be good in the long run for both parties and U.S. politics as a whole. It should force the Democrats to produce decision-making leaders and affirmative platforms. It should also force the Republicans to clean house and be a little more receptive to constructive criticism. Rep. Pelosi (expected to become House Speaker) and Pres. Bush have both extended the olive branch, a very encouraging sign. If you want more detailed political analysis, email me.

Not much to blog about lately...

2006-11-02T11:34:00.000-05:00

Or rather, I cannot blog about some of the more interesting events in my life. So instead I will rant about politics.

I'm still waiting for my absentee ballot from WA state. I will be very upset if my state disenfranchises me while still allowing felons and dead people to vote. In the meantime, I am being entertained by the ugly Allen-Webb senate race here in VA. I concur with the standard prediction that the Democrats will take the House; however, GOP will maintain a slight advantage in the Senate (50-49-1).

More positively, here are my top 5 election memories:

Indecision 2000 - The clueless news media... clashes between judges and executive officials... propaganda and altercations... Democrats caring about state's rights and Republicans caring about federal supremacy... convoluted Supreme Court opinions... a world astonished at our grand experiment in democracy... and of course butterfly ballots and hanging chads.
Oct. 31, 2000 - Bush rally in Bellevue, WA. Although it definitely didn't help John Carlson's bid for the governor's mansion, the atmosphere was electrifying. Grassroots politics at its best = waving creative signs and screaming like crazy. Unfortunately, I was not able to get close enough to shake the future President's hand.
2004 Election Night - Party in the campus center at Houghton College, NY. It was fun to observe everyone's reaction when Ohio was finally called. Unsurprisingly, Prof. Meilaender was exactly right with his prediction, down to the percent margin of victory.
Indecision 2004 - Aka the WA governor re-re-recount. When the tally was a few hundred votes in favor of the Rep. candidate, the Dem. candidate called it a tie. When a subsequent tally was a few hundred votes in favor of the Dem. candidate, she called it a clear victory. The WA Supreme Court agreed. I was a hand recount observer for one day, monitoring the counters and flagging questionable behavior.
Oct. 6, 2004 - Bush v. Gore student debate, Houghton College, NY. The capstone of my campaign to be Bush incarnate and annoy the liberals on campus.
Honorable mention - The random SGA election scandals that only SGA people care about. (Regrettably, even the Student Bar Association at my law school is prone to similar crises.)

Random law school news:

Jay Sekulow visited campus again on Tuesday. Mr. Sekulow is chief counsel for the ACLJ, one of the top 25 evangelicals (acc. to Time), and a well-known advocate for conservative causes. He spoke about the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, gay marriage, public displays of the 10 Commandments, Supreme Court nominations, and other non-controversial topics.
Today in Civ Pro, I learned that mediators can make $900/hr. (The real point of the case was that a federal judge has the inherent power to order an unwilling party to engage in mediation.) Mediation is non-binding, so the mediator doesn't need to make a final judgment or otherwise engineer a settlement. He/she simply sits between two opposing parties, and helps them talk to each other. Not bad for $900/hr.
While 2Ls and 3Ls are starting to panic about the job search, 1Ls are starting to panic about finals.
If you want an internship update, email me.

October Break; Thoughts on NK

2006-10-17T23:54:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, I was sick for the entire break. However, I did get to visit DC with Dave (fellow 1L) and his sister. One of Dave's friends met us on National Mall. In about 7 hours, we visited the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, all the monuments around the Mall, the American Indian Museum, and the Air & Space Museum.

The rest of the week's activities include writing yet another memo, serving as a witness in a mock trial, and finally commencing the infamous outlining process. I'm looking forward to playing a soccer game on Friday, Sunday, and Monday.

Commentary on the Hermit Kingdom

As South Korean Ban Ki-Moon prepares to take over as U.N. Secretary-General, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on Oct. 9, and is reportedly preparing another. As the NK nuke crisis continues to escalate, I continue to be disappointed by the global lack of interest in NK's human rights abuses.

South Korea needs to dramatically revise its approach to its northern neighbor. To be blunt, SK's so-called "sunshine policy" towards NK is a failed policy. Yes, it has fostered some political and economic cooperation between the two Koreas. But at what cost? Sunshine policy quietly let 2 million North Koreans starve to death in the mid-late '90s. Sunshine policy pretends that NK's extensive network of gulags does not exist. Sunshine policy does not confront the NK regime for torturing and executing its repatriated refugees. Sunshine policy gave NK lots of free stuff in return for a nuclear threat.

Many pundits criticize the Bush administration's hard-line approach towards NK. Some suggest that the U.S. should soften its stance and essentially acquiesce to NK's key demands -- direct talks, economic aid, etc. First of all, it is crucial to realize that NK regime is provocative, belligerent, deceptive, and manipulative. It would be a severe mistake to essentially reward NK for its bad behavior. Second, re-read my earlier comments on sunshine policy. Or read about pre-WW2 appeasement. In brief, it doesn't work. Third, many tend to forget that the 2002-present nuke crisis is a repeat of what happened in 1992-'94. That earlier nuke crisis was resolved by former Pres. Jimmy Carter (representing the Clinton administration) brokering a deal that ultimately failed: NK agreed to freeze its nuclear weapons program, while the U.S. agreed to provide NK with free oil and two nuclear reactors for power. Until 2002, the U.S. and its allies gave lots of free stuff to NK... but NK of course did not really freeze its nuke program.

The White House is wise to push for 6-party talks, and I am surprised by all the liberals who criticize this move. Based on recent history, direct talks are ultimately unproductive. China -- NK's most notable ally -- needs to take a central role in defusing this crisis. Putting pressure on NK could even be in China's best interests. On the eve of the Beijing Olympics, does China really want to be found supporting Kim Jong-Il's acquisition of nukes? Does China really want to have a nuclear dictator across its border?

More positively, IJM's report on the North Korean refugee crisis has been officially released. The crowning achievement of my intern group, a copy of "Pathway to Freedom" can be obtained by emailing me. This summer, the U.S. allowed 6 NK refugees to enter the U.S., the first of their kind.

Chusok, Trials, and more Cylons

2006-10-10T23:51:00.000-04:00

Yes, I need to blog more often. I should probably be more provocative too.

Some highlights from the past couple weeks...

The college's Korean American Student Assocation presented a Chusok festival on Sept. 30. Chusok is essentially the Korean Thanksgiving. The festival included professional Korean dancers and drummers, creative skits about traditional vs. contemporary Chusok, and free Korean food.

This past week, I competed in the trial team tournament. Within the context of a hypothetical murder case, I argued for the prosecution in the first trial and switched to defense for the second trial. The top 10 competitors will compete on W&M's national trial team. Although I will not be one of them, I did have fun and learned a lot about trial advocacy.

The Battlestar Galactica Season 3 premiere was amazing. I watched the 2-hour episode with several of my fellow 1Ls on Friday night. As I mentioned earlier, BSG does a superb job of integrating entertainment and philosophical reflection. In the guise of sci-fi, BSG confronts provocative issues from today's headlines. Recurring themes include abortion, civil rights vs. security, genocide, genetic engineering, realpolitik, suicide bombings, terrorism, and torture. The themes weave together politics, bioethics, philosophy, theology, and technology. Nothing is obviously "liberal" or "conservative." Much is at stake (the survival of humanity), but there are rarely black-and-white rules and clear-cut answers.

Like any good TV drama or film, BSG explores the ancient question of what it means to be human. BSG pits the remnants of humanity against the Cylons, a robotic race that evolved from artifical intelligence originally manufactured to serve humans. This main plot is a common premise in the genre, but BSG's portrayal of the epic struggle far surpasses other attempts (e.g., the Matrix trilogy, I Robot, and even the original BSG series). The opening credits of every BSG episode aptly summarizes the plot:

The Cylons were created by man.

They evolved.

They rebelled.

They look and feel human.

Some are programmed to think they are human.

There are many copies.

And they have a plan.

The story is full of ironies, some of them troubling both in the context of BSG and in their real-life counterparts. For example, as stated above, there are several Cylon models that "look and feel human" -- some Cylons even believe they are human. Several of these humanoid Cylons seem to genuinely help humanity. On the other hand, some of the human characters act a lot like their homicidal Cylon enemies; the intense pressures of surviving has de-volved and dehumanized them. Accordingly, there is the constant dynamic of Cylons becoming more human and humans becoming more... well, "Cylonish." The Cylons even claim to serve God and His mission, while the humans worship a pantheon of gods and are somewhat superstitious. Sometimes it is not clear what side we should be rooting for.

Yet all of this is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. I could probably write endlessly about the show and all the fascinating philosophizing that it inspires. What is the essence of humanity? Philosophers and theologians have wrestled with this question for millenia, and a definitive answer continues to elude us.

Recent Visiting Speakers

2006-10-06T16:14:00.000-04:00

"The Protection of Individual Rights and the Roberts Court: Minority Rights, the War on Terror and the Supreme Court" (Sept. 15)

In this lively panel discussion, John Yoo debated Paul Smith.
John Yoo was one of the chief legal architects of the Bush administration's detention of enemy combatants in the war on terror. He authored some of the so-called "torture memos." Mr. Yoo is currently a law professor at UC-Berekely of all places.
Paul Smith is a firm partner and chair of the board of directors at the American Constitution Society. He has argued extensively before the US Supreme Court on civil rights. Mr. Smith was lead plaintiff counsel in LULAC v. Perry (Texas resdistricting) and Lawrence v. Texas (finding substantive due process right for homosexuals).

Supreme Court Preview (Sept. 15-16)

Opened with a moot court about Congress' Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, pitting Jay Sekulow (ACLJ) against Erwin Chemerinsky (prominent constitutional scholar).
The justices included Randy Barnett, John Yoo, Paul Smith, and other well-known scholars I should probably know, but don't. Mr. Barnett is a libertarian originalist, and one of the three con law theorists I discussed in my honors thesis.
The PBA Ban was found to be unconstitutional by a 8-1 vote. Mr. Yoo was the sole dissenter.
During oral arguments, I was surprised and dismayed to learn that the commerce clause was the constitutional basis for the ban. I fully support banning PBA, but my originalism tends to frown upon such a broadly construed interpretation of the commerce clause. See U.S. v. Lopez (finding that banning guns on school grounds is a good idea, but also that it has virtually no relation to interstate commerce).

"Presidents, Senates and Failed Supreme Court Nominations" (Sept. 21)

Prof. Keith Whittington (Princeton) is my favorite proponent of originalism. Along with Randy Barnett and Ronald Dworkin, his books were instrumental for constructing my honors thesis.
The lecture topic did not address originalism, but was fascinating regardless. Using data gleaned from all failed Supreme Court nominations in U.S. history, Prof. Whittington explored the roles of divided government, the timing of nominations, unique historical circumstances, etc.

Ronald F. Wright, Prosecutorial Discretion (Oct. 4)

Prof. Wright teaches criminal law at Wake Forest. Focusing on prosecutorial discretion (i.e., the reasons why a prosecutor chooses to charge or not charge for a specific crime), he and a colleague analyzed decades of data from the prosecutor's office in New Orleans. Prof. Wright argued that the highly developed system of prosecutorial discretion was self-regulating and worked very well in New Orleans.
What I found more interesting was the related topic of the prosecutor / police dynamic. The two sides often have very different ways of looking at procedure, evidence, law, etc.

Former Justice / Current W&M Chancellor Sandra Day O'Connor (Oct. 7)

J. O'Connor will present her views on the Constitution's religion clauses.

Music, Christianity, and Social Justice

2006-09-23T00:49:00.000-04:00

Two Christian music artists recently released albums that focus on the gritty realities of social justice. Jars of Clay, my favorite group, explores the good and evil lurking in all of us with Good Monsters. You can read an excellent interview at Christianity Today.

Derek Webb is offering Mockingbird as a free album download. He is well-known for provocative lyrics (both in terms of wording and message), and this latest album certainly continues the tradition. For example, the following is excerpted from a song about pacifism ("My Enemies Are Men Like Me"):
Peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication
It’s like telling someone murder is wrong
And then showing them by way of execution

Incidentally, both artists are good friends and supporters of IJM. Jars of Clay recently traveled with Gary Haugen in Rwanda (Gary led the UN investigation of the genocide) during one of their Blood:Water Mission trips.

Torts, Cylons, and Terrorists

2006-09-10T23:50:00.000-04:00

Schedule & Classes
After four weeks, I am settling into the law school routine. I have three classes on Monday and Tuesday, so I try to accomplish a lot of work on the weekend. On Wednesday, I work 6 of my 8 GrF (Graduate Fellowship) hours. My GrF hours are divided evenly between Library Publications (web publishing and ordering new books) and Courtroom 21 (on call for classroom technology problems). Thursday and Friday are relatively light days.

As expected, Criminal Law is my favorite class. I find the content fascinating, and the professor has experience as both a prosecutor and defender. I am enjoying Torts more than anticipated, although it is easy to confuse the standards for civil liability with those for criminal liability. The two fields have very similar, but ultimately diverse views on negligence, for example. The seemingly convoluted rules of Civil Procedure are driving me crazy, but at least the professor is very engaging. I'll have nightmares about supplemental jurisdiction tonight. In all classes, the bizarre facts and/or grandiose legal writing in random cases continue to astonish and humor me.

Sometime this week, I am interviewing a simulated client with a fellow simulated associate at our simulated firm. I also have a number of simulated legal memos due in the coming weeks for Legal Skills. So if you ever need to bring a simulated lawsuit against a simulated defendant for a simulated wrong, let me know. Just ensure that I get my fair share of the simulated damages. (If you learn nothing else at law school, you learn hypotheticals.)

Clubs & Social Life
I went to the Asian Law Student Association potluck on Thursday evening, and had a great time. I brought slow-cooked chicken (even I couldn't mess up using a slow cooker with two settings), and people actually liked it. Most of the Asian law students here either grew up in VA or are LLMs from East Asia.

I'm also getting involved in Christian Legal Society (more on that later). I might also look into the Federalist Society.

More informally, there are many opportunities to hang out with my new friends in the Gradplex and beyond. Maybe I am becoming less introverted, because I find it a lot easier to develop new friendships in general.

Williamsburg is a small town, but still much larger than Houghton. I miss DC.

PT
I bought a 35 lb. dumbbell. I wanted two, but Walmart (yes, I confess that I shopped at the Evil Empire) only had one. That's okay for now, as I lack a weight bench. Mainly because getting to the newly renovated fitness center is itself a workout, I will probably accumulate a complete weight set by the end of the school year.

After being washed out by the hurricane last week, 1L soccer resumed on Friday afternoon. It was a particularly physical game, and I'm still a little sore. We start out with more than enough players to field two full teams, and stop play when everyone is exhausted. I also signed up for intramural indoor soccer, and the Firm is playing in this weekend's softball tournament. Apparently the softball tournament can get remarkably competitive...

CLS & Church Search
I'm attending a Bible study on Mark with the Christian Legal Society. The churches visited so far: Grace Covenant (PCA), Williamsburg Community Chapel (the denomination known as non-denominational), Walnut Hills (SBC), and Christian Life Center (charismatic). So far, I like Christian Life Center the best.

TV (Anti-) Wonder
Just before moving to Williamsburg, I ordered the ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0 from Dell. This PVR (personal video recorder) allows you to watch and record TV on a computer, and costs a lot less than a TV and Tivo. It is also about 1/100th the size. When it works, it works great. Unfortunately, I've spent far too many hours trying to coax [no pun intended] it to work. Basically, it randomly loses audio due to buggy drivers and software. After re-installing the latest drivers/software numerous times, ATI tech support finally notified me that an older version of the driver/software set actually works better than the newest version. In brief, this thing had better work on Oct. 6 at 9 pm -- the season 3 opener for my favorite TV show, Battlestar Galactica.

I think I'll blog about my favorite TV shows sometime soon. Most of them are about the criminal justice system or sci-fi. Some of my TV watching is for mindless entertainment, but of course I am also a philosopher and cultural observer ... and now an emergent lawyer. (Is Commander Adama liable for a wrongful death when he ejects a suspected Cylon agent from a ship's airlock?)

The New Day of Infamy & Its Aftermath
I watched part I of ABC's controversial docudrama The Path to 9/11 tonight. Hard to believe that the 9/11 attacks were five years ago, when I was a college freshman. We can speculate and argue endlessly about the particulars, but it is amazing that there has not been a major terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 09/11/01. If I had more free time, I would try to write a lengthy (and balanced) essay about U.S. counter-terrorism since 9/11.

If inspiration strikes, I will post some sort of mini-memorial tomorrow.

[Insert witty Josh M. pun here b/c I can't think of one]

2006-08-24T00:55:00.000-04:00

I'm enjoying my first full week of classes here at William & Mary Law School (aka The College of William and Mary Marshall Wythe School of Law). Last week was essentially an orientation to law school, the legal profession, and Legal Skills. We learned that the law school is very old (allegedly the oldest in the Western hemisphere), it has produced numerous lawyer-statesmen (the name Marshall might sound familiar...), and it somehow fuses tradition with 21st c. innovation.

Legal Skills is a good example of the latter. It is W&M's integrative approach to teaching the core values and practical skills of the profession. Yes, lawyers really can be competent and ethical while zealously representing their clients. All 1Ls are divided into simulated firms led by senior partners (the professor) and junior partners (typically a 3L). It is going to be a deeply challenging, yet manageable and enjoyable year.

Like nearly all 1Ls across the nation, I am also taking Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, and Torts. The workload has not been too burdensome so far, although I spent far too many hours writing my first legal memo. It is worth noting that my Poli Sci and History classes at Houghton prepared me well for law school. Prof. Meilaender's quasi-socratic method of teaching, Prof. Benedict's Int'l Law class, and my honors thesis in constitutional interpretive theory were especially beneficial. It is humbling to represent Houghton College among my classmates from Yale, UVa, and the like.

Incidentally, I came up with a convoluted and fascinating tort question tonight while talking with fellow 1Ls. Who is liable to whom provided that A throws a rock intended for B, but the rock misses and is deflected by C, and then subsequently hits D? Only law students could spend their free time reflecting upon such mysteries...

My three apartment-mates and classmates are remarkably friendly. I have concluded that I am the only 1L who is not on Facebook or Myspace. Roughly 40-50% of the Class of 2009 has significant work experience, and several of my new friends have served in the military. The faculty and staff are first-rate, but also very friendly and accessible. There is a real sense of camaraderie here.

For the first year of my fellowship ("GrF" in W&M-speak), I will be working in Library Publications (mostly website & DB maintenance) and the Courtroom 21 Project / instructional technology. Courtroom 21 (aka the McGlothlin Courtroom, Center for Legal and Court Technology) is perhaps the world's most technologically advanced courtroom. Not to diminish the well-deserved prestige and worth of Courtroom 21, it feels as if you're on the bridge of a starship... very cool. This is truly the future of law.

Except for a midnight run down DoG (aka Duke of Gloucester) St., I haven't really explored Colonial Williamsburg yet. Once someone publishes a revisionist history book about Asians being pivotal during the Colonial and Founding Eras, I'll try to become a reenactor. Anyway, W&M students and their friends apparently get substantial discounts on CW tickets, so let this be a further incentive for visiting me sometime.

On Sunday I visited Grace Covenant PCA. It seems like a solid church, but I will visit a few more churches before making a commitment. The Christian Legal Society also has some Bible studies and other events planned. Someone from IJM may even come to speak at W&M.

Other random news...

I am eagerly awaiting the start of intramural soccer. I am also thinking about joining one of the many martial arts / wrestling / self-defense clubs on the main campus.

I was the first responder to an auto accident in Maple Valley. In brief, if the truck had veered the other way, I probably would not be around to write this. No one was seriously injured, although I expected the worst when I threw open the driver side door of the truck. My sister Rachel was driving at the time, and was amused (perhaps "annoyed" would be more accurate) by my enthusiasm for jumping into an emergency situation like a seasoned cop.

As a final aside, I recently received a jury summons for Seattle. I have wanted to be a juror for years, but had never received a summons until now... when I am living on the opposite coast and starting law school, both of which essentially disqualify me.

And now I need to fetch my laundry before the dryer burns it up. One of the few downsides to life in the Gradplex is paying $1.25 per laundry machine.

Alumni Weekend

2006-07-25T23:55:00.000-04:00

As expected, I had a great time in Dillsburg, PA this past weekend. Most importantly, Matt and Ra are now married! It was my first wedding as a groomsman (and thus my first time wearing a tux).

Many Houghton friends were present at the wedding, facilitating many happy reunions. After the reception, many of us drove to Dan & Jamie's house for a bonfire. (Many of my Houghton friends seem to be obsessed with fire, but I'll save some of those stories for another time...) I visited with Bekah and Brittany for the first time in years. With a few exceptions, I had not seen the rest of the gang since Dave and Dianna's wedding last summer. I finally met a few boyfriends of friends for the first time. I even got to road-trip with Jonathan, although our quest to find and consume Taco Bell Border Bowls ended in failure.

Crashing into my apartment on Sunday felt a lot like flying home after graduation -- a overwhelming flood of mixed emotions and thoughts. It typically takes a long time for goodbyes to sink in for me. I often regret that I was not able to say something profound or encouraging during goodbyes.

Being reunited with this group of friends made my current life feel a little shallow, at least from the relational and spiritual standpoints. Living "independently," it is still very easy for me to allow my introversion and individualism to degenerate into selfishness and isolation. I suppose it takes me 4+ years to develop deep, lasting friendships and truly join a close community. Just being around these friends again inspired me to be a better person.

I don't mean to imply that this group is perfect -- actually, all our personal and interpersonal struggles are what make these bonds so strong and meaningful. We are a rough sketch of what carrying each other's burdens might look like in everyday Christian living. Over the weekend, although we had relatively little time together, several friends shared openly about the trials and blessings of the past year. Several of them patiently and lovingly listened to me vent about my own frustrations and uncertainties. The honesty, grace, joy, faith, and humility that permeate these friends are truly amazing, and a real testament to God's goodness. In Houghton terminology, they are true scholar-servants. And in small and not-so-small ways, God is using them to change the world. Very similar things can be said about my parents.

There are heroes of the faith at IJM, and I am privileged to work with them every day. But it is strangely easy to forget that there are heroes of the faith just a phone call, email, letter, or even visit away. In the relational realm, I take far too much for granted, often focusing on the bad instead of the good.

*******

As Jonathan aptly put it, "Next year in Jerusalem."

Pull!

2006-07-01T23:50:00.000-04:00

The month of June was dominated by law school requirements and illness. I managed to meet all the July 1 deadlines for W&M -- it has been a seemingly endless stream of forms, applications, deposits, correspondence, etc.

Some highlights and lowlights from the month of June ...

Highlights:

Getting to know the new interns and employees at IJM. I told Jin tonight that the greatest downside to working at IJM is the fact that I don't want to work for any human rights organization except for IJM now.
Visiting with Angela and Wallis, two of my fellow former interns who are still in the area.
Hanging out with Rachel M., a poli sci friend from Houghton. She is interning in Arlington with Army JAG, and will return to Chicago-Kent Law School soon. Chicago-Kent was my second choice for a law school.
Last night, IJM's Investigations VP & his family hosted a dinner at their house for his assistant, intern, and former intern -- namely me. (For security purposes, I'm not posting his name. He was my internship mentor and is a good friend now.) On the way down, he surprised us with a detour to a range for some trap shooting. I had been begging him for months to take me shooting. So I was able to fire a shotgun for the first time, and even managed to hit about half of the clay targets. I have some minor bruising on my shoulder, but overall the recoil didn't seem very bad. After shooting, we enjoyed a BBQ dinner and had a great time listening to the VP and his wife share a mixture of very serious and very humorous cop stories (both are career police officers).
I decided to visit home for the week before law school starts. I haven't been outside of the DC area since moving here in early January. I'm also looking forward to my family's visit to DC in a couple weeks, and am plotting out a tourist itinerary.
Matt & Ra's wedding is fast approaching. I got my tux measurements last weekend; it will be my first groomsman experience.
Watching World Cup games! (Although the early exits of the U.S. and South Korea were definitely lowlights.)

Lowlights:

Now that the federal interest rate has gone up nearly 2%, I get to apply for my loans. Ironically, my private loans may have better rates now than my Stafford loans.
Sinusitis, laryngitis, and bronchitis all at once for a prolonged period of time. As usual, I waited far too long to visit a doctor and get a prescription (in this case, antibiotics). I had to miss a few days of work, and worked many days that I probably shouldn't have.
I learned about the side-effects of antibiotics the hard way. After several weeks without running or weight training, I decided to do both one night. I was not completely well, and still taking antibiotics. As I lifted weights, I started to feel a little light-headed, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up on the floor between two exercise machines. Thanks to antibiotic-induced nausea, I had passed out. Fortunately, I was not bench pressing at the time... that would have been ugly.
Extensive flooding across the region. After the torrential rain, we now have high temp's approaching 100.

Federal Law Enforcement Internships & Jobs

2006-06-04T01:05:00.000-04:00

My top choices for summer 2007 internships in federal law enforcement:

FBI Honors
The FBI is perhaps the best known law enforcement agency in the U.S. Its many duties include counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, and the investigation of organized crime, public corruption, crimes against children, and cyber crime. Despite various controversies, the FBI is home to many of the world's best investigators and support personnel. My top pick for a law enforcement career, the FBI is my ideal and probably most competitive internship. It would give me an insider's look at FBI HQ and certainly help to pursue future employment with the FBI. Plus, it is actually paid.
FBI - Interpol
Opportunity to intern with agents representing 17 law enforcement agencies. Interpol coordinates police activity around the globe.
NCIS
Popularized by the TV drama, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the civilian investigative arm of the U.S. Navy, including the Marines. NCIS special agents apparently have law enforcement powers in the U.S. and abroad, over both civilians and Navy personnel. The NCIS is leading the ongoing investigation into the Haditha, Iraq incident. NCIS special agents spend a considerable portion of their careers abroad.
Bureau of Diplomatic Security (U.S. Department of State)
"...responsible for providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy." DS agents investigate passport/visa fraud, protect State Dept. & visiting foreign officials, and oversee the security of U.S. missions abroad. They also spend a significant portion of their careers overseas.
ICE
Immigration & Customs Enforcement (formerly part of INS) -- the name is self-explanatory. With post-9/11 security concerns and the resurgence of the illegal immigration debate, ICE is as busy as ever. In terms of a career, ICE is attractive because it actively counters international human trafficking and child exploitation, the two areas I would prefer to be assigned to for any law enforcement job.
FLETC
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center is where I would be trained for a special agent position with any of the above agencies. Learning everything from relevant law to firearm tactics, trainees typically train at FLETC for 16+ intense weeks before receiving their first assignment. Most of this internship would consist of taking classes with new hires for numerous law enforcement agencies.

While not as prestigious as federal agencies, I am also thinking about applying for internships with non-federal police agencies. In comparison with the FBI, NCIS, etc., it is generally easier to be hired by a local police department. I am still contemplating whether or not I am willing to work as a police officer for several years before attaining a detective position. (One of the advantages of federal law enforcement is the opportunity to enter it directly, without experience as a cop.) Any advice about the federal vs. local law enforcement paradigm?

Outside of law enforcement internships, I will also apply for internships with various prosecutor offices. If law enforcement does not work out (either for an internship or a career), then criminal prosecution is probably the next best thing -- especially if I hope to become an OFP Director for IJM someday. Pursuing an overseas (probably Cambodia) internship with IJM is a third option for next summer. Unfortunately, IJM does not hire inexperienced lawyers, so it wouldn't help me to get a post-graduation job.

Korean War Memorial

2006-05-29T15:39:00.000-04:00

Life Seems Like an Endless Series of Applications

2006-05-20T15:20:00.000-04:00

First of all, congratulations to everyone who just completed their first year of grad school! Your perserverance is admirable, and your horror stories have scared me about law school.

Sorry for the blogging hiatus! The Global Prayer Gathering was great experience, with over 500 people in attendance. In charge of the PowerPoints, I worked with the IT guys in the background to ensure that all the tech stuff worked.

The first three weeks as an IT employee (I'm not sure what my official job title is) went smoothly. I am also finishing up a substantial intern project... wish I could go into detail about it! I have received my first paycheck since early January, something that I was looking forward to for months. Currently I am enjoying my first relatively quiet weekend at home for a long time... cleaning, researching grad loans, filling out various forms and applications, etc.

I will probably be volunteering at the Arlington County Detention Facility this summer. Unless you count the unpaid internship with IJM, I have not done much service/ministry oriented work since moving to the DC area. (On the other hand, I should be cautious about burning myself out before even starting law school.) I am excited about this opportunity to serve and learn within the criminal justice system. Offender Aid and Restoration focuses on community-based models of restorative justice. It should be a very illuminating and challenging experience, and I am looking forward to more direct interaction with perpetrators and victims alike.

I was hoping to enroll in a citizens' police academy this summer, but police departments generally only offer it during the fall and spring. A citizens' police academy is a PR program that consists of taking weekly classes to learn about police procedures -- everything from organizational structure to firearms. If my law school schedule allows it, I will probably participate in a citizens' police academy offered in Williamsburg.

Partly due to my renewed interest in law enforcement, I am exercising on a regular basis again. Outdoor and treadmill running (under 7 min. miles), weight lifting (limited by the lack of adequate equipment), sit-ups, etc. The FBI's physical fitness standards are certainly worthy standards to pursue. I don't know how realistic this is, but I would like to aim for 8-10 points in each category.

Stay tuned for political news & commentary...

Week 16

2006-04-27T22:27:00.000-04:00

The internship is officially over. This week we are helping with preparations for the Global Prayer Gathering. The GPG begins Friday night with a banquet. On Monday, I begin full-time employment with IT.

Today most of the staff and all the overseas office directors gathered at a resort on Chesapeake Bay. The day's events included lunch with the Kenya and Philippines directors, random games, frisbee, and finally softball. The weather has been amazing lately, but my allergies have been very bad.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the pros and cons of a career in law enforcement. A few days ago, I finally visited the Rockville library and checked out several books about the FBI. All of this is good motivation for embarking on a rigorous physical training program.

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States"*

2006-04-23T00:33:00.000-04:00

* 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

IJM focuses on fighting injustice overseas. Accordingly, with the exception of international child sex tourists who are U.S. citizens, IJM does not address sex trafficking involving the U.S.

"Sex tourism thriving in Bible Belt" -- This article reminds us that the U.S. is not immune from the modern slave trade. The global spotlight on sex trafficking generally focuses on "developing" countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, etc. The U.S. State Department estimates that 600,000-800,000 individuals are trafficked across international borders every year. Countless others also fall prey to domestic trafficking. However, the U.S. government also estimates that 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. annually. Reflecting international trends, the vast majority are female victims deceived and coerced into commercial sexual exploitation (essentially rape for profit).

Tonight I watched Human Trafficking, an Academy Award winning TV movie about transnational sex trafficking involving the U.S. The main plot involves an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent (played by Mira Sorvino) who investigates a ruthless international sex trafficker. While Hollywood-ized like virtually any film, Human Trafficking is still a powerful presentation of the real horrors of transnational sex trafficking. It is very graphic -- viewer discretion was advised. Based on my work with IJM investigators, I can assure you that the scenes depicting the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children are quite realistic. For example, in some parts of the world, it is not uncommon to observe Western pedophiles out in public with young indigenous children. And in such places, it is not difficult to find bars, clubs, and brothels offering underage prostitutes. It is shocking to realize that these types of shadowy establishments can also be found in Atlanta, along the U.S.-Mexico border, and all across the U.S.

The film ultimately focuses on the plight of women and girls trafficked into the U.S. (A less-believable sub-plot involves the kidnapping and trafficking of an American girl vacationing with her parents in the Philippines.) I would like to comment on the film's portrayal of ICE... however, I recently decided to minimize blogging about the U.S. government due to the fact that I am considering federal internships and employment for the future. If you want to know the details, email me.

Human Trafficking certainly leaves you with an intense hatred of sex traffickers. Like fundamentalist terrorists, they are easy targets. While I won't spoil the details of the ending, the fate of the super-evil trafficking boss was typical Hollywood fare and very unsatisfying. Throughout my IJM internship, I have wrestled with the question: How are Christians called to love the perpetrators of horrific crimes? I definitely agree with IJM that the first step is to intervene to restrain them from perpetuating their abuse of the victims (i.e., arrest, prosecute, and sentence them). But what steps, if any, need to be taken after the defendant receives a lengthy prison sentence?

Highlights

2006-04-13T22:23:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the lack of updates lately. Life has been particularly crazy (but good) lately... 10+ hour days at work, and I'm usually out with friends all weekend. I'm frantically trying to finish up some projects before the internship officially concludes next week. Some highlights from the last two weeks...

IJM offered me a temp position with IT for the summer! I will probably also do some volunteer work with investigations. So I get to stay in DC for a few extra months. Two other interns were also hired by IJM. That reminds me, an excellent introductory video about IJM is now available online.
Tue. 04/04 - I heard Rep. Chris Smith speak at American U. Law. Since my roommate happens to attend AU Law, I also sat in on his criminal procedure class (topic: legal standards for establishing criminal intent). Rep. Smith is a committed Christian and passionate supporter of human rights. He was the chief sponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), the landmark legislation that authorized the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report. (If you are not very familiar with human trafficking, I encourage you to at least read the intro to the TIP Report.)
Sat. 04/08 - We celebrated one of the intern's birthdays by eating at an Ethiopian restaurant in Adams-Morgan (a lively place at night). It was my first taste of injera - a sourdough flatbread.
Sun o4/09 - I participated in a screening of Seoul Train at ODPC. I highly encourage you to find and watch this powerful documentary about our JTP topic - China's forced repatriation of North Korean refugees.
Mon. 4/10 - Intern (+ 2 staff) canoe trip! Our stretch of the river (Burner's Ford) had very mild waters overall, although Laurie and I managed to get a lot of water in our canoe when going over a shelf. My skin is finally starting to tan...it has been really light over the past couple years.
Tue. 4/11 - Dinner at the Haugen house! We enjoyed a delicious meal and meaningful fellowship with Gary and his family. After the meal, we continued a conversation with Gary that had started earlier in the day regarding maturing in one's professional, spiritual, and relational lives. Like most Christian young professionals, I tend to worry a lot about the future and big decisions in the meantime. (What grad school? How do I repay my loans? What career / job? Where should I visit? Where should I live? When should I consider dating/marriage? Should I even date/marry? Etc.) Gary's approach was refreshing, and I will elaborate on this subject later.
Wed. 4/12 - International Security Training! Led by one of the IJM investigators, I joined the new international staff for a day of security and health-related training. While the course focused on living in the developing world, much of the material is relevant for living in crime-infested DC. My favorite part was defense tactics. I have always had quick reflexes, and I hope to expand my defensive skills in the future. Of course, practicing tactics against someone with a fake gun is a lot different from being robbed in a dark alley by a thug with a real gun. A warning to all would-be assailants: I will do just about anything to compensate for my size and weight. (I accidentally "killed" my trainer with a blow to the head during one exercise.)
Thurs. 4/13 - We turned in our final draft of the JTP, "North Korean Refugees: A Pathway to Freedom"! My contributions mainly involved the history and endnotes. If you are interested in receiving a copy of the JTP, email me and I'll try to work something out. Beyond providing a synopsis of the underyling issues, the JTP also provides a Bible study and resources for taking action. The JTP still needs some minor editing, professional publishing, and final approval from the relevant IJM staff.

On the calendar:

Sat. 4/15, 6-10 pm - My scheduled ride-along with the DC Metro Police. Should be an exciting and informative experience, especially thanks to the district I chose...
On Easter Sunday, there is a Resurrection Feast at one of the intern's townhouse. Should be a great way to celebrate. I hoping to borrow The Passion of the Christ DVD at some point this Holy Week.
Next week I have two major presentations. First, each intern has a general IJM presentation (e.g., introducing a church to IJM's work). Then I am helping to present the JTP to the staff.
The internship officially ends with the Global Prayer Gathering (April 28-30). I have heard countless good things about the GPG. IJM staff worldwide, along with several rescued victims, will join IJM's DC staff and hundreds of others for an amazing weekend of learning about, celebrating, and praying for God's ongoing work of justice.
Next week is also North Korea Freedom Week. If I can get away from the office and GPG prep, I will be attending a few events. Speeches, a genocide exhibit, hearings, and demonstrations are just some examples of the planned events. Seek Justice!

Top Law Schools

2006-04-04T22:04:00.000-04:00

U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2007 law school rankings. William & Mary remains tied for 27th place. The rankings are highly controversial, but are still useful.

Internship Countdown

2006-04-04T00:02:00.000-04:00

Four weeks left for the IJM internship. That said, it looks like I will be staying in DC for the summer. Details will follow! Random updates from the past week...

I'm currently watching the rather lackluster Florida vs. UCLA game... my roommate (a UCLA grad) is going to be mad.

Today I mailed my official acceptance letter to W&M Law. Although I am obviously excited, the underlying commitment to debt and years of debt repayment made me feel like a Faust signing my soul away. (Yes, that's a little melodramatic.)

I also submitted my application for a ride-along with the DC Metro Police. Tentatively scheduled for this Sat. night, it should be an exciting and informative experience. Coincidentally, I had two "law enforcement moments" over the weekend.

Incident #1: Late Sat. night, I was riding home on the metro. A disorderly drunk male boarded the train. Cursing loudly, he sat next to a woman, but because of his 250+ pounds, he was basically sitting on her. He started harassing the woman and her friends, yelling and cursing in a semi-coherent manner. Being the only non-drunk guy on the train, I went over to ask her if she wanted me to intervene. She politely declined; instead, she and her friends faked being nice to the drunk in order to avoid adding to his agitation. Keeping a close eye on him, I positioned myself between the drunk and the woman's young children on the other side of the train. After a lot of awkward waiting, the train finally reached the end of the Red Line, and everyone left peacefully. The huge drunk guy stumbled off into the night, still yelling expletives. I'm glad I did not have to resort to physical force, because I have no idea how I would have restrained a raging, 250-lb. drunk guy.

Incident #2: On the way back from church, I stopped by a Best Buy close to American U. Law. As I was browsing the laptops and reminiscing about working for Best Buy, I noticed a suspicious man intently focused on a certain laptop. I walked past him a few times, and eventually realized that he was hacking the security lock with a pocketknife. He was definitely a bold thief, because there were plenty of people standing and walking around the laptop area. I immediately informed the nearest manager, who then called over LP (i.e., a security guard). When the LP employee walked over, the suspect abruptly walked off and presumably fled the store. And that is the story of how I saved Best Buy from a $1400 loss without even working there anymore. (I should have begged them to reinstate my employee discount as a reward...)

Back to the realm of law and public policy, tomorrow I am joining Daniel at American Law. I will be listening to Rep. Chris Smith speak, and visit a few classes too.

Cherry Blossoms Festival in DC

2006-04-03T23:25:00.000-04:00

[2006-04-02] Cherry Blossoms 016
Originally uploaded by bhughes2006.

On Saturday, several IJM friends and I strolled down to the tidal basin to enjoy the cherry blossoms. It was extremely crowded, but well worth the visit.

View my pictures at: http://bhughes2006.shutterfly.com. Password = the Maryland city where I am currently living.

Korean-American Observations #2-5

2006-03-26T01:01:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: All of these observations are necessarily discussed via generalizations, and often rely on anecdotal evidence.

Observation #2: The Korean-American perspective of family structure is different from the standard Caucasian American viewpoint. For the broader context, East Asians seem to be more accepting of hierarchical authority structures, as is true in my case despite my assimilation into the West's liberal democracy and postmodern equality. The precise differences can be very subtle or otherwise extremely difficult for me to articulate, but I'll try. Family honor, especially honoring one's parents, is crucial. Obviously this parallels NT teaching in some ways, while being very different in other respects. Incidentially, I have always thought in terms of honor and duty (this unfortunately doesn't mean that my decisions have always been honorable or dutiful), which seems to be different from my non-Asian friends, who might use concepts such as obedience, respect, or just "doing the right thing" instead.

A concrete example serves as Observation #3: Caucasian parents are often not very involved in their children's dating and marriage decisions, if at all; a Korean, however, would generally never marry -- or perhaps even date -- without the father's blessing. (Yes, in Korean / East Asian culture, the father still has the final say in such matters, contrasting with the growing popularity of "egalitarian marriages" in American & evangelical culture.) I remember sitting in on a Sunday school class comprised of Korean & Japanese high schoolers at Houghton Academy. On the topic of dating, none of them said that they would date a specific individual without parental permission. At ODPC, several couples were essentially set up by their parents or siblings -- obviously this approach is rarely successful in mainstream American culture, and is often actually resented by the children.

None of this means that Korean-American family relationships are inherently more harmonious than Caucasian American families. In fact, the Korean / East Asian distinctives can foster conflict. Since Asian parents -- especially the father -- exercise a lot of influence, if not control, in some areas of life, problems can emerge between them and their 2nd generation children.

This topic provides a natural transition to Observation #4: Korean parents emphasize educational completion and job security before marriage, at least more so than mainstream American culture. Obviously, just about any ethnic group will emphasize these two points to a certain extent. But a quick contrast is very incisive: numerous non-Asian couples marry while in college or right after college. Nearly all (if not all) of the couples at ODPC did not marry until grad school or after. While several of my Houghton friends married in their early 20s, my newfound Korean-American friends tend to wait until their late 20s.

These trends intersect with the ongoing debate in Christian circles regarding the proper timing for dating and marriage. One perspective holds that Christian couples should marry earlier rather than later; just out of college, if not before, is fine provided that (1) the necessary maturity level is present, and (2) they can take care of each other. Focus on the Family and its college-oriented webzine boundless.org tend to reflect this viewpoint. On the other side, many Christians advise couples to wait to until after terminal degrees have been attained and careers have been established. (Can't think of a good example at the moment.) This perspective is obviously very similar to the standard Korean-American viewpoint.

While on the topic of opposite sex relationships, I will venture to mention Observation #5: on an aggregate basis, Korean-American Christian women dress more modestly than their non-Asian counterparts. I am certainly aware that modesty is a sensitive and controversial topic, and concede that my views are inherently subjective and also that I have been observing a small sample of the Korean-American female population. Enough said.

In closing, it seems that I tend towards the Korean end of the spectrum on these issues. Causality is complex, however. Factors include not just my Korean blood, but my upbringing in my specific family, relatively conservative Christian circles, and the like.

Random Musings

2006-03-25T23:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus! The latest news from Rockville, MD / Arlington, VA / Washington, DC.

ODPC Retreat
Last weekend I attended my first church retreat in years. The speaker was excellent, and I had a great time relaxing with ODPC friends. The sermon that made the greatest impact addressed greed vs. generosity. (If you are the type of persons who downloads & listens to free sermon MP3s, visit: http://opendoorpc.org/em/resources.htm.)

JTP Final Draft Submitted
Overall, I am very pleased with our final draft of the Justice Testament Project. It's not perfect, and we could have revised it indefinitely. But in the end, I hope that everyone is satisfied with our work. Special thanks to the editors/leaders: Adam, Krista, and Wallis. The JTP will eventually be distributed to IJM's campus charters to faciliate awareness and activism on behalf of the North Korean refugees in China.

Summer Employment
Announcement pending...

Law School
I found out that the W&M enrollment deposit is $500, a lot higher than my original estimate. The sooner I get a job, the better. I suppose one of the best indicators that you transitioning into adulthood is the steadily increasingly flood of bills. More positively, I plan to visit Williamsburg soon...first time since a family vacation 6 years ago.

Law (Enforcement)
My first choice for an IJM internship was originally the human rights position (almost like having a legal internship without being a law student/grad). My second choice was the investigations internship, and I am very grateful for this placement. For years, I have vacilliated between careers in law and law enforcement. Thanks to my exposure to law enforcement in IJM's investigations department and the influence of my boss (VP for Investigations), I am now seriously considering a career in law enforcement again.

While God has gifted me with several talents that would benefit a lawyer, I have always wanted to spend time "in the field." This is one of the most prominent dichotomies in my life. I truly enjoy research & writing, analytical thinking, debate, and even case law. I've been a good student for four years and will be one for another three years. However, I really tend to think that I would go crazy if I was stuck in a law office for the bulk of my career.

A more concrete example. At IJM, I have conducted extensive research & writing regarding cross-border sex trafficking involving certain SE Asian countries. I am often frustrated by the lack of detail in the scholarly research, specifically concerning the actual modus operandi of the average trafficker. As I result, I often wish that I could conduct surveillance at border crossings, interview border police, shadow traffickers, etc.

When I was younger, I dreamed about becoming an FBI agent. Assuming that I can even meet the FBI's physical requirements, I find myself highly interested in pursuing a FBI career again. As you probably know, a law degree is one of the most popular avenues into the FBI. I will probably apply for the FBI's honors internship for summer 2007. If the FBI is not feasible for various reasons (for starters, entrance is obviously extremely competitive), I would probably still consider a job with another federal or even local law enforcement agency. I am particularly interested in an investigative position...unfortunately, for the average police department, I would have to spend several years as a uniformed officer on the beat before being promoted to detective. There is a lot of wisdom in this, but I would rather start out in an investigation-oriented position.

What do you think? Can you picture me carrying a Glock 23 as someone prepared to use deadly force? Or should I stick with the "safer" and more "subdued" career of a lawyer? At least I have at least 3 more years to contemplate these questions.

36:47

2006-03-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's my time for the 10-2K race on Sunday morning. Nearly 5,000 people ran in the St. Patrick's Day race. I entered the race with modest goals, partly because I never seriously trained for it, and partly because I had never run in a real race before. I kept a good pace, and pushed myself for the final mile. Although I finished well behind the other two interns (Adam and Jeannette), I was very pleased with my time and ranking overall. I finished 455 out of 2249 men. For my age group of 20-24, I finished 51/148. I averaged 7:24 per mile.

10-2K

2006-03-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

No, that does not refer to my salary as an IJM intern ($0 K). Nor is it my secret retirement savings plan (also worth $0 K). Nor is it the temperature here in Kelvin. (8 degrees K happens to equal -445 degrees F and -265 degrees C.)

I have been training for a 10-2K St. Patrick's Day Race in DC. About the "10-2K" notation... For 17 years, it was a 10K race; this year, it was mysteriously reduced to only 8K -- roughly 5 mi. Until now, I had never heard of an 8K race. Yes, I am bitter, and expect a 20% refund of my entrance fee. Additionally, the race isn't actually on St. Patrick's Day, but the preceding Sunday.

In truth, my training efforts have been rather lackluster so far. I'm fortunate if I run once per week. Last Sunday evening, I intended to run about 8K around Rockville. Around dusk, I somehow managed to become terribly lost. At one point -- as sunset was imminent and I started to wonder about the possibility of being mugged -- I thought I was so helplessly lost that I almost called my roommate to pick me up at the nearest major intersection. (Yes, I actually carry my cell phone when I run. I fondly recall my countless runs on an occasionally dangerous trail back home, when I had nothing but my running clothes on me.) It took me a few extra miles to find my way back to familiar surroundings, but in the end I finally arrived at the condo without incident.

Tonight I ran on a treadmill for literally the first time in years. I despise treadmills even more than indoor tracks. (Matt -- remember our midnight runs together on Houghton's outdoor track?) Because I needed to measure my precise rate of speed, I reluctantly utilized a treadmill in the fitness center downstairs. For the purpose of training, it wasn't as bad as anticipated... I could monitor and adjust my speed and incline on the fly, and the room temperature was even close to what is forecast for the day of the race. There was even a personal TV on the treadmill so I did not have to stare at my sweating self in the mirror for 30+ min. Since I did not bring headphones, I resorted to watching the news ticker at the bottom of the screen on CNN Headline News (yes, I am pathetic).

Based on my treadmill performance tonight, my goal is to finish the race in around 40 min. -- i.e., <8-min. miles. If I can really push myself for the final mile, it will be closer to an average of 7-min. miles.

Recent Tech News

2006-03-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

"'Cyberviolence' Plagues South Korea"
Some experts suggest that maturity is lagging behind the Internet boom in South Korea. Can the same be said of U.S. culture (e.g., all the recent myspace.com controversies)?

"Disgraced South Korean scientist admits faking research"
Update on the international stem cell scandal. The South Korean government took an opposite approach to ground-breaking embryonic stem cell research compared to the Bush administration, with disasterous results.

Windows Live Services Launched
I will be testing the beta of Live Search and Live Mail extensively as Microsoft attempts to catch up with Google/Gmail and Yahoo!/Yahoo! Mail. The most important question: Will Windows Live work with Mozilla Firefox? Speaking of Internet search engine technology...

"U.S. [Internet] Firms Balance Morality, Commerce; Critics Say Companies Overlook Human Rights" | "Acting as China's Web Cops"
Partly due to recent Congressional hearings, U.S. based Internet firms (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and Cisco) are under fire for complying with China's censorship policies and investigations.

OpenOffice.org 2.0.2 Released
If you cannot afford a $150+ Office suite from Microsoft, try out OpenOffice.org. You'll be impressed with OpenOffice's Writer, Calc, Impress, and other powerful modules. It's free, and (mostly) open source.

"Settlement Reached in BlackBerry Dispute"
BlackBerry addicts breathe a collective sigh of relief. A few years from now, the next BlackBerry-related settlement will probably be a class-action suit claiming damages from repetitive stress injury of the thumb.

Maybe I should start my own tech e-newsletter... In the meantime, you can visit:

slashdot.org - "News for nerds. Stuff that matters."
Scot's Newsletter - "Information about Windows and broadband you can really use."
LangaList - "Get More From Your Hardware, Software, and Time Online."

Unusually Caustic Political Commentary from Ben

2006-03-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

"Congress Renews Patriot Act; Bush to Sign"

While I definitely have serious reservations about certain aspects of the White House's implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act, it also seems that the ACLU and other "liberal" groups grossly exaggerate the Act's impingement on our constitutional freedoms. The persons who are "losing" their civil rights are generally terrorists or suspected terrorists.

As is typically the case in partisan politics, a "balanced" perspective is difficult to find. Naturally, the Bush administration and its supporters defend nearly everything that the administration does or approves. Unsurprisingly, the opposition attacks nearly everything that the administration does or approves. Both sides stretch the truth, mix up the facts, utilize hyperbole and fear, engage in ad hominem attacks, and question what it means to be a true patriot. (Reminds me of the presidential debates.)

Obviously, it is a daunting challenge to balance legitimate national security needs and our civil liberties. While most of you have witnessed a few of my tirades directed at Pres. Bush 's decision-making on a variety of issues, I definitely do not envy his position. Tip the scale towards freedom too much, and 1000s of people could die in a terrorist attack. Tip the scale towards national security too much, and we start to look like some of the regimes we are famous for helping to overthrow.

One final rant: With popular support, Congress authorized the White House's war in Iraq, and continues to authorize the war via funding appropriation and other means. Numerous members of Congress who now incessantly lambast the President for initiating Operation Iraqi Freedom voted to authorize him to do so. If the President can be criticized for misusing a blank check, then those who gave him that blank check should also be noted. Why aren't these government officials (mostly of a certain political persuasion) also being held accountable? Were they indeed misled and manipulated by a war-mongering President, following like helpless sheep to the slaughter?

In fact, they saw much of the same evidence, and acted accordingly with a strong political will. They too need to share the blame. (The same can be said about the numerous local, state, and federal officials responsible for the disasterous response to Katrina. To add to this digression, we should also realize that a natural disaster is...inherently a disaster. No preparation could ever be fully adequate.)

For all of his faults, Pres. George W. Bush generally maintains his first principles. IMO, the same could not be said of his opponents in the 2004 Presidential Election. Certainly, politicans need some flexibility in their policy-making. However, throughout the vicissitudes of the national and global politcal milieu, they should constantly be guided by first principles. When they err, or contribute to a political gaffe, they should have the integrity to admit it before moving on to censure others who erred. (Recall Christ's plank vs. speck analogy.) Instead of committing themselves to overarching principles, many opposition politicians seem to be substituting opportunistic criticsm of every misstep of their political enemies.

In sum, I have two interrelated recommendations for those who oppose the current administration. First, refine and publicly stand by your first principles, clearly differentiating them from those of your opponents. In formal logic, not-p is not equivalent to p. In the same way, not-Bush is not equivalent to a true alternative (the main reason why I did not vote for Kerry). Criticism is rampant (and I concede that it is often well-deserved), but constructive alternatives are sadly lacking.

Second, invest in some introspection before attacking the secretive, yet powerful "Others" (those who are fans of Lost will understand). Perhaps you are more like the Others than you care to admit. Don't oppose just for the sake of being the opposition; don't stir up passionate fear and anger for the sake of doing so. Get your facts straight, and offer a measured response instead. Perhaps even muster the courage to support your political enemy when he does the right thing. Excel in areas where your political opponents are lacking. If there is a serious problem in a given area of their political and moral character, then point it out AND build up your own credibility in that area.

I'm tired and need to sleep now. I apologize if I have alienated any friends, and will endeavor to reevaluate my rather acerbic essay tomorrow. For the time being, please understand that I have lots of problems with both sides. And I certainly do not possess all the answers myself... I'll let you know when I am politically enlightened.

Midpoint

2006-03-04T20:07:00.000-05:00

Yes, the IJM internship is already at its midpoint! I'm hoping to get a temp position at IJM for the summer (probably in the IT department), but there's no guarantee that such an offer will materialize.

Last Sunday, the interns visited Angela's megachurch, Covenant Life. I really liked the service -- including the worship, prayer, sermon, and overall "feel." The people seated around us were very friendly. Somewhat ironically, CovLife is perhaps slightly more charismatic than New Life (aka Renton Assembly) back home. CovLife also seems slightly more "mature" than New Life, meaning that a lot of things seem a little deeper and more fully developed. New Life tends to be oriented towards newer believers. These are just generalizations, and I'm not sure that I can adequately explain the differences I sensed. I'm sure that I will be visiting CovLife again. After the service, Angela and her fiance treated us to Korean food at her house.

CovLife is perhaps best known for its senior pastor, Josh Harris. He did not preach on Sunday, but helped to lead the service at various points. As we all know, Josh's books on dating sparked a lot of controversy in the Christian community; people tend to either passionately support or oppose his views about dating, with little middle ground. You may not know that Josh is also yet another splendid example of a homeschooler who did not end up as either a social outcast or sociopath (yes, I am bitter about the stereotype).

I tend to agree with Josh's overall perspective of dating. If you have only read his first book (I Kissed Dating Goodbye) and hated it, I would encourage you to give his follow-up book a chance. By the time he authored Boy Meets Girl, Josh had matured tremendously as a Christian, husband, pastor, and writer. For those of you who are sidetracked by the dating vs. courtship wars (which often degenerate into mere semantics), please note that Josh himself de-emphasizes that distinction in Boy Meets Girl. Josh criticizes what he calls "directionless dating." Whatever our personal opinions, hopefully we can at least agree that the augmented Christian dialogue about dating & marriage has been beneficial.

On Thursday, the interns visited Sen. Sam Brownback's office and toured the Capitol. We interviewed two of the senator's aides re: North Korean human rights. During the tour, we visited the Senate chambers and listened to a rather boring speech about the recent Patriot Act renewal. The chambers were virtually deserted, so Sen. Kyl was essentially speaking to no one...this made us wonder how many of C-SPAN's speeches actually lack an audience. At the end of the tour, we saw Sen. Barak Obama walking past.

Incidentally, a few IJMers including myself are attending a Congressional hearing on Monday. The hearing before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China will address human trafficking in China. Those testifying include Ambassador Miller (director of the State Department's anti-trafficking office), and representatives from the House Int'l Relations committee, ILO, Vital Voices, and Crossing Borders North Korea (I am interviewing the latter for our JTP).

My philosophy is to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible while living in DC. As in the case of the hearing, many of these events directly or indirectly relate to my work at IJM.

Last night, I was able to hang out with friends from ODPC for the first time in a couple weeks. After small group, we had a midnight breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

I am going to post some of my observations about the Korean-American community over the next several weeks. Obviously they will be linked to musings about my own cultural identity as a KAD (Korean adoptee). Observation #1: Korean-Americans across the nation are remarkably well-connected (there is probably a more technical term for this phenomenon). For example, it turns out that one of Sen. Brownback's aides that we met is the cousin of one of my condo-mate's friends. Such relational epiphanies seem to be common, at least among the Christian Korean-Americans.

Prayer of St. Francis

2006-02-26T01:00:00.000-05:00

During a recent 8:30 stillness, I was overcome as usual by the numerous worries of my life, prompting me to recall this famous prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

From Reject to Graduate Fellow

2006-02-22T23:14:00.000-05:00

My UVa letter finally arrived today. Ironically, the original letter that was mailed from VA to WA and then forwarded from WA to MD has arrived before the letter mailed directly from VA to MD. When I unfolded the letter, my eyes immediately picked out the word "regret," and I didn't really bother to read the rest of the letter. I am not surprised (median GPA = 3.78, median LSAT = 171), but I am still disappointed. I basically idolized UVa for the past 3 years.

I still believe that God can open and close doors, but I am struggling to have a "Calvinist" mindset about the UVa rejection. My increasingly "Arminian" perspective would simply point to my average LSAT score and unknown college.

So I am making plans to enroll at William & Mary School of Law in historic Williamsburg, VA. To offset my UVa disappointment, I started to read through my acceptance letters. I should be more grateful for my current 0.750 batting average.

While reading my W&M letter, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I had forgotten about the Graduate Fellowship stipend that was offered in addition to the scholarship. W&M seems to be the best value in terms of ranking and cost. Housing is relatively cheap. Although I would tend to prefer a more dynamic city, I am content to live in the state of Virginia. I am sure I will take advantage of the many historical opportunities in the area. And I can always travel 3.5 hrs. up to DC if needed.

From an academic standpoint, I am particularly interested in W&M's legal skills program and Courtroom 21 Project. W&M's location and prestige should provide some interesting summer internship & job opportunities in VA and the DC area.

Finally, I will have the opportunity to contribute to the diversity of W&M. Apparently only 4% of the law students are Asians. It will be a tough transition from the Korean-American immersion here to minority status again.

Unless UW or Washington & Lee offers me a free or nearly free legal education, I will be studying at W&M for the next three years.

Happy President's Day!

2006-02-20T21:30:00.000-05:00

The Internet was down in our condo complex for the past 3.5 days. I felt terribly disconnected from the world. On the other hand, maybe it was good for this geek to take a break from my Internet/email/blog obsession for a few days.

Verizon DSL finally restored service around noon today. I am rather irritated at Verizon, due to both this prolonged outage and its draconian anti-SMTP policy. As much as I despise cable companies, cable Internet seems like the best broadband option for the average home user. Cable Internet (at least Comcast) tends to be more reliable and a lot faster (6 Mb/sec for Comcast cable, vs. 256 K/sec for entry-level DSL). And cable Internet tends to be priced very competitively, at least for new users. BTW, if you sign up for Comcast Internet, you should do so at a Best Buy...you generally get a free cable modem, self-install kit, and gift card after mail-in rebates.

I just returned from a truly enjoyable intern social -- bowling and dinner. I threw a strike with my first attempt at bowling in about a year, but things went rapidly downhill from there. Adam and I were definitely outscored by Krista and Wallis. Regardless, it was a lot of fun relaxing with friends (and a few of their housemates too). We haven't done a lot outside of the IJM office so far, partly due to scheduling difficulties.

On Saturday, I visited the zoo with Adam, Wallis, and some of Wallis' friends. We saw the famous pandas. The pandas basically eat or sleep all the time (reminds me of some people), and were rather boring to observe. Afterwards we ate pho, a perfect escape from the numbing wind chill.

On Sunday, Adam and I co-led a monthly book discussion group for the first time. We are reading Good News About Injustice, Gary Haugen's influential book delineating a theology of pursuing justice. The group is connected to the International Poverty & Justice Ministry at McLean Bible Church; IPJM was co-founded by a former IJM intern. Overall, meaningful discussion flowed naturally as Adam and I simply "winged it." We then attended the young professional ("Frontline") service, which felt like a typical megachurch service. That said, McLean is certainly one of the largest churches I have ever visited...the facility is several times larger than the megachurch I attended at home (New Life, aka Renton Assembly).

In other news, my UVa letter did not arrive as expected on Saturday. Due to the holiday, it will not arrive until Tuesday. For a number of compelling reasons, I am 99% confident that I am headed to William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA -- even if UW or Washington & Lee offers me admission. Thanks for all your prayers and counsel about law school for the past couple years! While I am enjoying my "gap year," I am excited about finally commencing my legal studies.

More waiting...

2006-02-13T23:25:00.000-05:00

Tonight I received notice that UVa has finally mailed the decision letter. Unfortunately, I just realized that I forgot to update my contact information. Consequently, the letter will actually be mailed from coast-to-coast twice before finally arriving a few hours north of Charlottesville, VA.

QuailGate

2006-02-13T22:57:00.000-05:00

What else can go wrong for the White House?

"Jokesters firing away at Cheney over hunting accident"
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=QUAILGATE-02-13-06&cat=AN

Random Events and Thoughts

2006-02-12T14:11:00.000-05:00

My 4-day workweeks at IJM seem to pass quickly. This past week, I was assigned several small projects that were a nice break from the perpetual research & writing. I am truly appreciating my mentor meetings. I had expected my mentor to focus on my project progress, but he actually cares a lot about my holistic well-being.

There have many numerous specials about sex trafficking on TV lately. A few nights ago, I watched a documentary on public TV about trafficking in Eastern Europe. I was really upset with the bleak way that the real-life case study ended. The trafficker's sentence was inexplicably thrown out by the judge, the victim willingly returned to a life of prostitution due to her desperate financial situation, and her little brother died soon after. Everything seemed to go wrong, despite the good intentions and efforts of the documentary crew. IJM always emphasizes faith and hope in its work, but I am sure that IJM employees sometimes have bad days too.

Speculating about a potential career in human rights law, I often wonder about how I would perform with so much at stake -- especially when things go terribly wrong. I am confident that such work would often test both my faith and my professionalism.

One afternoon, various interns and employees had some interesting discussions about the use of deception by Christians for good causes (e.g., IJM's undercover investigators). It is certainly an interesting test of Christian ethics, and parallels the just war vs. Christian pacifism debate. As I philosophize about such controversies, I generally must conclude that strict honesty and peacefulness are not always the highest goods for Christians. But that conclusion would seem to set us on a slippery slope that comes dangerously close to the postmodern moral relativism that is destroying our culture. Obviously ethics -- even Christian ethics -- are rarely, if ever, black and white. There is no comprehensive & definitive list of moral rules for the Church today.

Enough philosophizing! In other news, I am researching the relevant history, current events, and international relations for our Justice Testament Project. Visit www.seoultrain.com to learn more about our topic. The nuclear issue is still overshadowing North Korea's human rights issues in regional and global politics. It is sadly ironic that the global community is generally more concerned about Kim Jong-Il's potential ability to kill 100,000s of people with his nukes, than about the millions of his own people that he has already persecuted and killed.

On Saturday morning, I was the only intern at the Eastern Market breakfast. I tried the bluebuck pancakes this time...they were good, but not at the level of the French toast. After Adam arrived in the afternoon, we walked to the American History Museum. We mainly explored the "Americans at War" section. The museum seemed small, and the exhibits lacked detail...rather disappointing. (I was spoiled by London's museums and galleries!) Adam and I were amused by the extremely small & carefully worded exhibit about the current conflict in Iraq.

Global Warming: Fact or Fiction (or Both)?

2006-02-12T13:28:00.000-05:00

"Nor'easter Dumps Nearly Two Feet of Snow." The snow has finally arrived! Rockville currently has 10-12 in., although it seems to be rapidly melting. Daniel and I just returned from a delicious meal of pho, a popular Vietnamese noodle soup -- perfect for a day such as this.

I confess that "America's warmest January on record" and similar weather trends have made me more open to the claims of global warming. As is true in most debates that rely on controversial data, it is difficult to address issues of causality and correlation with respect to global warming. Some "prehistoric" periods -- e.g., eras preceding cars, factories, billons of humans, and other legacies of industrial revolution -- apparently had more significant signs of "global warming" than the 21st century. Especially among liberals, there is a tendency today to blame every severe or otherwise unusual weather event on global warming.

As is also true in such debates, both sides seem acutely dogmatic. Global warming enthusiasts pronounce doomsday warnings claiming that the White House's rejection of the Kyoto Protocol will unleash global catastophe. A good example of such propaganda can be found in the movie The Day After Tomorrow.

On the other hand, many conservative skeptics adopt a "head-in-the-sand" approach to global warming. They refuse to take an honest look at the evidence and arguements for the existence of a global warming problem. And to be blunt, a few simply won't care about the environment, however compelling the evidence.

The global warming controversy is becoming yet another division in the Church. The NAE has been pushing evangelicals towards a more environmentally-friendly posture in recent years, and its leaders have accordingly jumped on the global warming bandwagon. During the NAE conference last year, I was not too impressed by the prominent Christian environmentalist who spoke to the group (the guy who initiated the "What Would Jesus Drive" campaign). He implied that global warming only targets the poor, and that if Christ had eaten mercury-poisoned fish, then we may not have ended up saved.

Any thoughts on developing a more balanced approach to global climate change -- including the relevant science, politics, theology, etc.?

End of Week 4

2006-02-03T15:36:00.000-05:00

My first month at IJM is already over! I am working on my second major project for the investigations department. It entails a lot of research & writing about trafficking in a SE Asian country. The interns are also commencing the Justice Testament Project, a truly exciting endeavor. The JTP is a substantial research project that is designed to inform college groups and facilitate meaningful action. Our topic is the forced repatriation of North Korean refugees from China.

Outside of IJM, I have been busy figuring out financial details for the next 3+ years. For now, that means my 2005 federal tax filing, 2006-'07 FAFSA, and law school financial aid applications. My tax return is much less than previously estimated; I am disappointed, but grateful to still receive a sizeable return.

Daniel and I are waiting to borrow Season 2 of 24. We probably need a break...being so addictive, 24 can easily consume one's free time.

In other news, I am dedicating much of the weekend towards a spiritual retreat of sorts. I have some important decisions to make, but I do not feel spiritually or mentally prepared to make them.

Sorry for the rather boring update. I'll post again soon once something truly interesting happens.

Political News & Commentary

2006-01-29T00:39:00.000-05:00

It is surprisingly easy to forget that many political headlines involve people and events located all around me.

Barring a last-minute fillibuster attempt, Alito will be confirmed on Tuesday. If so, it will be a monumental achievement for the Bush administration. Despite the Myers fiasco, the President will have succeeded in establishing a solid conservative-leaning majority in the Supreme Court.
I am deeply disappointed that constitutional interpretive philosophy is not directly addressed amid these confirmation debates. Both sides seem to be obsessed with specific legal controversies (e.g., a liberal vs. conservative stance on abortion rights), thereby neglecting the weightier matters of the law. Doesn't anyone wonder WHY a given judge should or should not rule a certain way??? Isn't there a right a wrong way of interpreting the Constitution, not simply a right or wrong judge? Or have we passively accepted the "postmodernization" of law? Instead of focusing on the personal opinions of specific individuals, perhaps we should explore the underlying legal, political, and moral philosophies. As I argued in my honors thesis, in many cases we are not even talking about the same Constitution. Clashing interpretive strategies stem from wildly divergent understandings of the U.S. Constitution and its surrounding political framework.
"Five Reasons Torture is Always Wrong." CT essay that happens to mention Gary Haugen. From the standpoint of Christian ethics, it torture ever a morally acceptable practice? What if national security is truly at stake? What qualifies as "torture" anyway?
Hamas' election victory caught the world by surprise and is unsurprisingly contributing to in-fighting among the Palestinians. To be blunt, Hamas will never bring peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, nor to the Palestinians themselves. I sympathasize with the Palestinians with respect to the failures of their leaders and their general state of affairs. However, it is disheartening that the Palestinian people are so disillusioned with their leadership that they overwhelmingly support the political ascension of a terrorist organization.

An-yong!

2006-01-29T00:35:00.000-05:00

On Thursday night, Jin (the IJM internship director) and I spent some quality time together.

For Friday -- my day off from IJM -- I slept in, did various errands, and started my tax filing. Perhaps most notably, Daniel and I completed season 1 of 24 that night. Everyone who starts watching 24 gets addicted, and we are not exceptions. Lots of shocking and generally unexpected plot twists.

I was gone all day Saturday. I joined several IJMers & friends for breakfast at Eastern Market...probably the best French toast I have ever had. The market itself was somewhat disappointing, and really cannot be compared to Pike's Place in Seattle. That said, I am sure there are better markets somewhere else in the DC area.

Afterwards, Adam and I visited Krista's house and met many of her fellow UT students. Then the three of us went to the National Mall area. It was a beautiful day for walking around the Mall...mostly sunny and in the 60s. Somewhat randomly, we ended up at a memorial for the 1986 Challenger disaster in the National Air & Space Museum. As Adam put it, the ceremony definitely reflected a "dulce et decorum..." mentality; it was more of an exuberant celebration than a somber memorial.

Immediately after returning to the condo, I went running. I am ashamed to confess that it was my first time running in months. Adam recently convinced several interns to sign up for a 10,000K St. Patrick's Day race, so I figured that this event could serve as a much-needed motivator for reaquainting myself with physical exercise. Anyway, I had a good run around various older neighborhoods hiding on the outskirts of downtown Rockville. Now I need to try out the fitness center.

Upon returning to the condo for the second time, I accepted an invitation to join Daniel and a group of his ODPC friends for guys night out. We ate at an amazing Korean buffet...probably the second most expensive dinner of my life, but well worth it. For those unfamiliar with Korean culinary practices, it is customary to select your raw meats and then grill them yourself on woks on the table. Essentially an unlimited supply of steak (bulgogi) and everything else. It was a great time of excellent food and (often hilarious) fellowship with the guys in my small group.

This Sunday afternoon I will probably stay at the condo reading, catching up on emails and phone calls, and preparing myself for week 4 (already?) at IJM. I also need to start looking into summer plans.

A Sunday Afternoon in DC

2006-01-22T21:46:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I wandered around DC again. I ended up taking 157 digital pictures. (Thankfully, my Nikon Coolpix 5200 survived an ugly fall by the Lincoln Memorial steps). Once I sort through them, I will start uploading them to Shutterfly or even this blog.

I covered a lot of ground in about 4 hours. Highlights included the White House, Washington Monument, WW2 Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, et al. As usual, there were various protests taking place by the White House (and as usual, most of them were rather bizarre). While I was next to the Washington Monument, I saw the President's motorcade race by.

Yesterday (Saturday) I slept in, thereby missing an IJM breakfast. I certainly appreciated the extra sleep, however. When I was finally awake, I was treated to a Korean restaurant for lunch by Daniel and one of his friends. The meal consisted of a traditional soup, barley tea, and pork ribs. I really like the spiciness and aesthetics of Korean food. And I am slowly learning a few Korean words and phrases...

On Friday, the interns received their "Justice Testament Project" (JTP) topic. The JTP is a substantial group research project that is eventually presented to the IJM staff. The topic is the North Korean refugee crisis. More specifically, North Koreans who escape across the border into China, but are forced by Chinese authorities to return to North Korea. Forced repatriation generally means severe punishment by the DPRK authorities (e.g., the gulags). I was already interested in studying this issue, so I certainly excited about working with my fellow interns on the JTP. Most of the interns (unfortunately not including myself) watched "Seoul Train" on Friday night. This documentary explores the North Korean version of the underground railroad, utilizing stunning real-life footage and interviews. I watched a preview of "Seoul Train" during the NAE conference a year ago, and even met a North Korean defector.

Friday night marked my first ODPC small group meeting. It consisted of a Korean meal, introduction to the Bible study (Galatians), and of course fellowship. I felt a little young compared to the others, but it should be fine. This Sunday, IJM's Director of Church Relations spoke at church.

And finally, the Seahawks are headed to the Super Bowl for the first time. This concludes my rather convoluted chronology of events. My work week will begin again when I wake up promptly at 6 am Monday morning. (Which reminds me to iron some formal business attire tonight.)

Competing Rallies Mark "Death by Penumbra"

2006-01-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

As the Senate debates Alito's confirmation to the US Supreme Court, today signifies the 33rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). The Supreme Court's landmark abortion decision was based on the right to privacy (literally) discovered in Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965). In that case, the court declared that there are penumbras emanating from the Bill of Rights, and that certain fundamental rights are to be discovered hiding in these constitutional shadows. So that's the essential legal basis for > 43 million abortions since 1973.

Wanted: A Theology of Justice

2006-01-19T22:48:00.000-05:00

I have been assigned my first projects as an IJM intern. Due to confidentiality policy, details and pictures will be limited as the internship progresses. I suppose this is especially vital for someone interning in the Investigations Department.

I have always been impressed by IJM's commitments to faith, professionalism, and bridge-building. What I have learned and observed during the past couple weeks has only deepened my understanding of and respect for these commitments.

Sadly lacking in the Western Church today is a theology of justice. As was mentioned several times throughout training week, the average evangelical can easily name numerous missions organizations and numerous faith-based relief organizations. But how many Christian human rights organizations can you name? When was the last time that you heard a sermon about (in)justice?

Why have we abandoned a theology of justice? Some possible reasons...

Its past association with "liberal" theologies that elevate social justice at the expense of orthodox doctrine.
The Western Church's obsession with fighting communism during the Cold War detracted from human rights advocacy. (Although the two sometimes coincided.)
Western wealth and materialism. Most of us have relatively comfortable lives, and most of us cannot fully comprehend the kinds of injustice that afflict the developing world. Human rights advocacy is messy and expensive; it often requires sacrifice.
On the other hand, many of us suffer from our own oppressors in life (broken relationships, personal tragedies, struggles with sin, etc.). There is a great amount of injustice in our own criminal justice system.
A general sense of helplessness. How can I make a difference amid all the individual and systemic injustice in the world?
An inexplicable blindness to God's heart for justice, a popular theme throughout the Scriptures.

But as was also emphasized throughout training, there are several reasons for hope. For example, most of the prominent Christian relief NGOs did not exist before WW2. Dramatic and rapid change on a global scale can certainly be accomplished with God's blessing. The Bible elucidates God's plan for justice in an unjust world, and with Christians such as the IJM staff & friends spreading this Good News About Injustice, I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to awaken the Church in the 21st century. Moreover, just talking with my fellow interns gives me a lot of hope for the future of Christian efforts to seek justice and rescue the oppressed.

Fulfilling prophecy, Jesus declared:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

Going beyond the spiritual parallels, we believe that Jesus literally preached good news to the poor and literally gave sight to the blind. We readily accept that followers of Christ are called to continue His work in both areas, empowered by the same Spirit. So we have faithfully followed through with missionaries and medical missions. So why is it so hard for the Church to proclaim liberty to the captives and to liberate the oppressed? What has led evangelicals, especially the more conservative evangelicals, to stray from God's plan for justice in a broken world?

We preach to the poor. We feed, clothe, and house the poor. We treat the poor. But we often fail to give the poor justice. While Western intellectuals debate the fine points of human rights theory with skepticism and the Church ignores a clear Biblical mandate to seek justice, millions are being illegally imprisoned, beaten & tortured, enslaved, systematically raped, and murdered. It's time for Western believers to prayerfully take action!

Bioethics in the News

2006-01-19T00:05:00.000-05:00

"Comatose Mass. Girl Responds to Stimuli" Yet another tragic example of:

Why courts should be reluctant to approve de facto euthanasia.
"Persistent vegetative state" being a vague, inconsistent, and deceptive term. Medical professionals and lawyers do not agree on what it means; there is no definitive defintion!
The legal and moral complexities of assigning custody of a severely disabled person. Why do the people who want to terminate life so often win custody? (Recall the Terri Shiavo controversy last year.) Something is seriously wrong when it is the state -- not the abusive suspect -- that is trying to kill an innocent life. Adding to the irony, the suspect could be charged with murder if Haleigh dies.

"S.Korea questions researchers over stem cell scandal" [More details] A cautionary tale about rushing to support embryonic stem cell research. Once a national and international hero, the Korean scientist at the center of the controversy is now a national and international disgrace.

Week 2 Begins!

2006-01-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed a relaxing 3-day weekend. On Sunday, I visited Open Door Presbyterian Church again. I will probably stay there for the duration of the internship, but want to visit 1-2 other churches before making the final decision. Small group involvement will be important regardless of the church.

On the way home from church, I exited at Metro Center and walked around. I found myself by the National Gallery, so I went in and explored for a few hours. Afterwards, I visited the National Archives next door. In addition to the "charters of freedom," the Magna Carta and Emancipation Proclamation were on display.

On Monday, I attended the Wizards vs. 76ers game with Daniel & some of his law school friends.

Tomorrow is my first day as the investigations intern!

Training Week

2006-01-11T23:05:00.000-05:00

IJM is amazing...
Training week has been amazing...
The IJM staff is amazing...
My fellow interns are amazing...
The internship will be amazing...

God is awesome!

That about sums it up. A more detailed overview of Week 1 will appear sometime this weekend. Now I need to sleep.

I'm Here!

2006-01-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

I have officially moved to Washington, DC! (Rockville, MD to be more precise.) The last couple weeks have been crazy. I regret that I did not take time off to spend with my family; I left the Geek Squad for the last time just 12 hours before leaving for the airport. Balancing priorities continues to be a struggle. And as usual, I procrastinated on packing until the night before my flight. Thus I mostly slept during my uneventful flights from Sea-Tac to Dallas and then Dulles.

Over the years, I have been consistently blessed by great housemates, and it looks like Daniel will continue the tradition. He has already fed me some authentic Korean food and introduced me to Madden for Xbox (I won't tell you how many points he beat me by).

Daniel's condo is close to the metro station, a grocery store, Target, Best Buy, and other essentials. I went on a splendid walk last night; the brisk weather and city atmosphere were remarkably refreshing. Despite spending most of my childhood amid the fields and dust devils of eastern Oregon, I think I was meant to live in a dynamic city with cold winters.

After a lot of time and effort, Daniel and I finally configured my Linksys wireless router. (I now understand why in-home Geek Squad agents get paid so much.) The only downside about the condo is that Verizon DSL blocks non-Verizon SMTP servers. In non-geek terms, this means that I cannot send email from my various email accounts via email clients like Thunderbird and Outlook Express. I will have to compose and send emails via web-based email, which is rather annoying.

IJM training starts on Monday. I am certainly looking forward to meeting the IJM staff and my fellow interns. The internship should be a lot of work, but a lot of fun as well. After immersing myself in computer technology for the past 8 months, it will be good to re-immerse myself in Christian community, social justice & activism, and of course plenty of research & writing. Interning at IJM & living in the DC area will provide an interesting setting for my eventual law school decision.

And now a shocking revelation... I confess that I have finally acquiesced to the cell phone craze. Finally confronted by the limitations of my pay-as-you-go phone, I now have a real cell phone. I get free calls after 9 pm and on weekends, so I will definitely have to make some long-overdue phone calls soon. If you would like the phone number, just email. (Incidentally, my home phone number has changed as well, but that is another story.) So much for my "I'll be the last person in the world to get a cell phone" mantra.

Stay tuned for some political & philosophical ramblings. As much as I enjoy computer technology, reflecting on Intel's Centrino architecture and hard drive data recovery just isn't the same as contemplating the merits of natural law in a postmodern society and the complex bioethics of embryonic stem cell research.

Vale, amici mei! (Hopefully I remember the proper conjugation and declensions for this simple goodbye in Latin...)

DC Housing Update

2005-12-19T14:58:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the absence of updates here lately. Lately, I have been working a lot of hours and desperately searching for housing in DC. That said, I would like to congratulate all my friends who just completed their first semester of grad school. You people are amazing and inspiring!

At the 11th hour, I have found affordable housing in the DC area. I will be living with a Korean-American law student in Rockville, MD. He has a large condo in a very nice building [http://www.thefitzatrockville.com] just two blocks away from a Metrorail station. Daniel is a Korean-American currently in his first year at American U. Law, and happens to attend the same church as the Korean-American internship director at IJM. Amenities include full kitchen & laundry facilities in the condo, cyber cafe, fitness facility, etc. I feel a little guilty about living in a "luxury" condo (and paying relatively little for it) while interning at a NFP NGO.

The payback will be a long and expensive commute to IJM's offices in the Ballston area in Arlington, VA. If you look at the Metrorail map [http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm], you will see that I will be about 20 stations away from Ballston. I will be switching lines (Red to Orange) at Metro Center in downtown DC. In brief, it will take 60+ min. and $3.90 to travel to/from work. More positively, it is a relatively fast and cheap commute to downtown DC from where I will be living.

Besides securing DC housing, I have some more good news to share. I recently received acceptance letters from William & Mary and Chicago-Kent. Although I applied under its early decision program, U. of Virginia is holding my application for the regular application pool. I am still waiting for decisions from a few schools, but even now I am facing the old ranking-and-prestige vs. scholarships-and-minimized-debt dichotomy.

In other news, Xbox 360 fanatics starting lining up outside the store several DAYS before Sunday's re-release. Needless to say, this is an extremely busy week for Best Buy. I am working on Christmas Eve, but only until 5:30 pm, allowing me to attend a Christmas Eve service with my family. I only have about 2 weeks left at the Geek Squad, and will fly to Dulles on Jan. 5th. Not to complain, I think I had one 3-day vacation (Dave & Dianna's wedding) during my 7 months working at Best Buy. Whether in school or at work, I definitely tend to be a workaholic. Who knows what law school will do to me!

DC Housing Woes, Snow, and Other Random Topics

2005-12-02T01:53:00.000-05:00

I am having a terrible time finding a suitable apartment in Arlington/DC. So far I have contacted numerous churches, listservs, apartment complexes, individuals, etc. My criteria:

1 or 2 bedroom. (I might be sharing the apartment with the other male intern.)
Within walking distance of a Metro rail station. (I will be commuting on the Orange Line.)
Preferably furnished. (A bed and appliances will not fit very easily in my carry-on luggage.)
$600-$900 per person. (A rough estimate.)

If you have any suggestions, please email me!

In other news, it is snowing right now -- a rare occurrence for the Maple Valley / Seattle area. Hopefully I will be able to drive to work tomorrow. Unlike the Houghton area, people here are not accustomed to true winter conditions. We panic after a 1/2 inch of snow, somewhat icy roads, and sub-freezing temperatures. Schools are closed, accidents pile up, and for once the weather report is not simply rain.

But enough cynicism. The snow and cold temperatures make me nostalgic for Houghton. At Houghton, I never wore my winter coat during my senior year (with 1-2 small exceptions anyway). In that spirit, I have not worn any coat so far in the midst of this winter storm. I rarely get cold, and tend to leave my bedroom window open 24/7, unintentionally cooling the whole house (to the chagrin of my family).

I have one month left at the Geek Squad. I am still occasionally tempted to stay indefinitely at the Geek Squad, seeking to enhance my technical & customer service skills, perhaps leading to raises and promotions. I know I belong at IJM and law school for the near future, however.

Speaking of law school, I have received my first acceptance / scholarship letter (Baylor). I should hear back from a few more schools in the coming weeks.

Don't open that attachment!

2005-12-01T02:35:00.000-05:00

Virus alert: W32.Sober.X@mm

Info about the latest mass-mailing worm that is rapidly spreading: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sober.x@mm.html To summarize:

It emails itself from infected systems to addressess that are harvested from those systems.
Infected emails contain random headings, bodies, and attachment names. It spoofs the From: address.
The infected attachment (usually a ZIP) contains the file File-packed_dataInfo.exe.
Typically the whole email ends up being around 75 K in size.
It disables various antivirus and antispyware software, as well as Windows Security Center.
It may attempt to download additional files from the Internet without your knowledge.
Please keep in mind that this is a variant of an existing worm, and you should expect variants of this variant to surface.
Removal advice is found at the link above. And there is always the Geek Squad's virus/spyware removal service...

I Survived Black Friday

2005-11-28T15:40:00.000-05:00

We all worked 12+ hour shifts at Best Buy on that fateful day for retailers and consumers alike. I had a middle shift, 9-9 -- probably the best shift to have since I did not open or close. I sold a lot of computer packages, and the store performed very well on the whole. Most importantly, I did not get trampled by the hordes of crazed customers competing for the door-buster computers.

Actually, Best Buy had an excellent door-buster system compared to stores like Wal Mart. We handed out tickets to people who lined up outside the store the night before. Those with tickets were eligible to receive the door-buster item. Those without tickets did not get the door-buster, but still had the opportunity to get not-quite-door-buster items. As far as I know, no scuffles, no trampling, no lawsuits. (The Xbox 360 crowd was a little different, but that's another story. Read the Tukwila police report.)

I have today and tomorrow off, giving me some much-needed time for internship-related stuff. I am still searching for an affordable apartment in DC/Arlington (see below). And I need to finish my formal business attire shopping. I despise clothes shopping, but IJM requires interns to wear a suit. As an aspiring lawyer, I suppose that I must adjust to wearing fancy clothes everyday. Suit jackets are too hot and constrictive (you may recall that I never wore my winter coat during my last winter at Houghton), and if I ever find out who invented the tie...

Enough complaining though. Seriously, it is a small price to pay for the opportunity to learn and serve in IJM's DC office...at least until I pull out my debit/credit card anyway.

CM intern needs housing Jan. - May

2005-11-22T23:58:00.001-05:00

I will be interning with International Justice Mission [www.ijm.org] from Jan. - May. I am open to either an affordable apartment or affordable housing with a Christian family. Please contact me with any suggestions for finding such housing in DC/Arlington; metro access is crucial.

There is one other male (a law graduate from the UK) in IJM's spring internship program, so room for both of us would be preferred. We are both committed Christians.

Currently I am working full-time as a Geek Squad computer technician in the Seattle area. I graduated from Houghton College (NY) this past May, and will commence law school next fall.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

-Ben

WA State & King County Election Results

2005-11-11T15:22:00.000-05:00

For those of you interested in politics (or at least ranting about politics)...

4/6 isn't too bad...

:-) = A majority of the voters agreed with me.
:-( = A majority of the voters disagreed with me.

:-) Initiative 900 - Performance Audits - Passed, 56.8% for, 43.2% against. I voted for this measure. Accountability is sadly lacking in this area, and it is hard to believe that such audits were not being performed already.

:-( I-901 - Clean Indoor Air Act - Passed, 63% for, 37% against. I voted against this smoking ban measure; to this aspiring lawyer, it seemed far too broad and difficult to enforce.

:-) I-912 - Fuel Tax Repeal - Failed, 47% for, 53% against. As much as I hate taxes and rising fuel costs, it was not worth losing the transportation improvement projects that are currently funded by the pennies-per-gallon tax.

:-( I-330 - Negligent Healthcare - Failed, 45% for, 55% against. Among other things, the measure would have capped noneconomic damages at $350,000 for malpractice lawsuits. Economic damages (e.g., to recover medical costs, lost income, etc.) would have remained unlimited. Across the country, multi-million dollar settlements are restricting doctors and driving up health care costs.

:-) I-336 - Medical Malpractice - Failed, 40.5% for, 59.5% against. A hodge-podge of ad hoc measures that would have added bureacracy. I-330 was a much better proposal.

:-) Senate Joint Resolution 8207 - Commission on Judicial Conduct - Passed, 66.5% for, 33.5% against. Opens up a commission position to a judge of any court of limited jurisdiction.

In other elections news:

40.5% statewide turnout is sadly typical for an "off-year" election.
The Seattle monorail is finally dead. We have managed to spend millions of dollars and several years on nihil. And traffic is as bad as ever. Best of all, Seattle vehicle owners will still have to pay the monorail tax because its debt is so severe.
Regarding the candidate elections, it was a good election for Incumbents and Democrats (nothing new).

Data from:

Mr. Hughes Goes to (the Other) Washington

2005-11-11T00:07:00.000-05:00

Great news! I have formally accepted a spring internship with International Justice Mission in Washington, DC. Following 5 phone interviews and extra writing/speech samples, I have been assigned to the Investigations department.

For more details about IJM's internship program, visit: http://www.ijm.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=302&srcid=221

"Court redefines parenthood"

2005-11-04T13:51:00.000-05:00

The article's title says it all. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002603184_gayparents04m.html

Washington's Supreme Court manages to give us yet another example of supreme arrogance by a judical body.

Ben's Recovery CD v0.2 alpha

2005-11-04T02:28:00.000-05:00

On a completely unrelated topic... It's security audit time!

Mostly inspired by my work at the Geek Squad, I have been developing a troubleshooting CD. The bootable CD will include both DOS and Windows tools for everything from hardware diagnostics to anti-malware. Nearly all of the tools are open-source or otherwise free for personal use. Screenshots will be posted soon...

If you have any recommendations, or simply wish to share your own stories about virus/spyware infection, feel free to comment.

The DOS-based interface and tools need the most work at this point. My programming skills are a little rusty. In the meantime, check out the Ultimate Boot CD.

BTW, I mainly use Norton Internet Security to protect my own system from malware. Currently version 2005, and soon to be replaced by 2006 (in the mail). NIS incorporates excellent antivirus, antispyware, firewall, antispam, and other modules. It offers a polished, intergrated interface, auto updates, and effective search & destroy engines.

If you are on a tight budget, I can offer some recommendations for free or nearly-free security software. Not just as a Geek Squad agent, but as a friend, I recommend that EVERY computer be protected by decent (and recently updated) antivirus, antispyware, and firewall clients. If you are using a wireless network, then that also needs to be secured.

"Groups Target Human Trafficking in U.S."

2005-11-03T21:18:00.000-05:00

News article examining the many challenges, complexities, and criticisms of the U.S. anti-trafficking movement: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051029/ap_on_re_us/trafficking_in_america.

A few random comments on the article...

If I remember the data correctly, the estimated "600,000 to 800,000 victims a year" actually refers to NEW victims only. Accordingly, the total number of trafficking victims is in the millions.

The author manages to criticize "conservative Christians" for their efforts to fight sex trafficking, suggesting that such efforts are misguided and motivated by GOP's political agenda. My response:

While the author is probably correct in arguing that the non-sexual forms of human trafficking need much more attention, I disagree that making sex trafficking a priority is a bad thing. All forms of trafficking are horrific; but being systematically raped and beaten is probably worse than working in a sweatshop.
We need to continue the mounting fight against sex trafficking. At the same time, we need to similarly augment our efforts against other types of trafficking. Ultimately, it is not about picking and choosing one type of (anti-)trafficking over another. They all need to be fought, and different organizations will have different priorities.
Many federal and international legal measures combatting sex trafficking apply more broadly to human trafficking in general. Read the primary sources!
The news media (e.g., what gets reported) and entertainment media (e.g., a recent TV mini-series) will sensationalize sex trafficking even without the influence of governments and NGOs, as our whole culture is obsessed with sex.
Finally, many Christians who are committed to human rights do not fit the "conservative Christian" stereotype. As was mentioned several times in my IJM interviews, such Christians reflect a diverse array of political & theological viewpoints. Generally speaking, they tend to lean more "left" than "right."

The article fails to mention the prominent role of feminists in the anti-trafficking movement.

Incidentally, I heard Dr. Wade Horn speak during my NAE conference in Washington, DC.

In closing, the article was thought-provoking and a decent summary overall. The unwarranted criticism of "conservative Christians" aside, I appreciated much of what the author had to report.

Finally, an Update!

2005-10-28T04:06:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the nagging of David B. -- at this point, probably one of the very few people who actually visit my blog -- I am finally posting an update on life. If you are in a hurry to be updated, I have conveniently bold-ed the key words (thanks to Jess S. for inspiration, although I take full credit for inventing a word).

October has been a particularly hectic month, partly due to some things that I am not going to blog about. I am still enjoying my Geek Squad job, but occasionally become frustrated with frustrated customers. ("No, it is not my fault that your computer is infected by 4,536 viruses & spyware... And yes, we do have to charge you to spend countless hours cleaning up your infected computer.")

Mostly due to a typical retail schedule, I miss a lot of church events, especially Sunday services. Last Sunday, I was able to attend the evening service at New Life Church (the last hour of it, anyway...I had to leave work late). After the service, I was able to attend a Bible study for people my age. I truly appreciate the community at New Life, and deeply regret that I must routinely miss church events.

More positively, last Friday (Oct. 21) was an extremely good day. I received my LSAT score early, and was very pleased with it. Later that day, IJM called me for an interview. Since then, I have had a second IJM interview and submitted additional writing/speech samples. I will receive a letter within 3 weeks regarding the status of my IJM internship application. For the past three years, I have desired to intern with IJM. If it indeed works out (e.g., if I am offered an intern position), I will move to DC during the first week of January!

Encouraged by my new LSAT score, I have been (re-)submitting 7 law school applications. Tonight I submitted apps to William & Mary (wait-listed, then denied last time) and Baylor (accepted last time). Ideally, the law schools will take my latest / highest LSAT score...but even if they average the two scores, I should still be competitive. My top three picks are: U. of Virginia, William & Mary, and Chicago-Kent.

Unfortunately, only three of the schools offer an early decision program. Ideally, I would like to make a decision by New Year's. But some schools might be worth waiting for.

In other news, I was able to participate in a homeless feeding last Saturday. It had been a long time since the last one (for me anyway), and I appreciated the opportunity to serve in a small, simple way. For those of you who are wondering if I prey on the homeless, a homeless "feeding" consists of handing out food, coffee, clothes, Bibles, and other essentials to several hundred homeless people living in downtown Seattle (more specifically, near Pioneer Square), talking with anyone who is interested in talking. My family has been involved in various homeless ministries for many years, and my parents generally organize a few feedings per year.

Thanks for all the thoughtful emails and calls lately. I am far behind in emailing and calling friends myself... if you haven't already, you should be hearing from me soon. Honest!

That's all for now. I will start posting entries here more often too, even if they are brief. Honest!

It's Official...

2005-10-07T02:35:00.000-04:00

...I'm a Geek!
Tonight I found out that I was promoted to full-time Geek Squad technician (a.k.a. "Counter Intelligence Agent" / CIA). I am certainly excited about this opportunity to improve my technical experience and customer service skills.

You have probably seen the Geek Squad / Best Buy commercials. Yes, agents really do dress like geeks. Yes, the on-site agents really do drive black-and-white VW Beetles. [ http://www.geeksquad.com ]

Although I do not plan on staying in this field as a career, I have always realized that such skills are valuable for virtually any organization in the 21st century, whether a law firm or a ministry. We increasingly rely on computer technology, and many small organizations cannot afford a dedicated IT department.

Plans for 2006
In other news, I am beginning to submit internship and law school applications. The top internships: IJM, Shared Hope, and Polaris Project. The top law schools: U. of Virginia, William & Mary, Chicago-Kent, U. of Washington, Washington & Lee, Baylor, and Temple.

Although I am occasionally tempted to stay indefinitely at Best Buy / the Geek Squad, I know that my passion / "calling" will always pertain to advocacy on behalf of the oppressed. Human rights and constitutional law remain my top two fields of legal interest. (This reminds me that I still need to edit & post my essay in defense of the "human rights" paradigm.)

"Original Meaning vs. Progressive Rights: Competing Theories of Constitutional Interpretation and Supreme Court Decision-Making"
Incidentally, my bound honors thesis should be arriving soon. The thesis examines conflicting viewpoints (i.e., primarily Whittington, Barnett, and Dworkin) of constitutional interpretation, and ultimately defends a neo-originalist perspective of constitutional interpretation. I contend that a given theory of constitutional interpretation is inseparably linked to a specific theory of the Constitution, which in turn is linked to a certain vision of the American political system. In brief, the debate over proper interpretation of the U.S. Constitution often misses the "big picture" -- namely, we bitterly disagree over what the Constitution itself is, the purpose and nature of our system of self-governance, and the legacy of the Founders.

And in a move that would shock most postmodern theorists, I argue that written law actually has discoverable, binding, objective meaning! Constitutional meaning is perhaps not at black-and-white as conservatives claim via "strict constructionism." But neither is constitutional meaning a mere construct that is perpetually invented and re-invented by philosopher-judges.

It is still surreal that I actually wrote (and defended) that 125-page paper. I suppose law school is like having an honors project due all the time, which is a sobering thought.

I am also reminded that I have been meaning to comment on various political events that have dominated the headlines lately, especially regarding the U.S. Supreme Court. (Of course, we all realize that the Supreme Court is totally independent and not a political institution at all...) Now that I no longer have to study for the LSAT, I should have some extra time for emails and blogging.

October 24

2005-10-02T02:55:00.000-04:00

That's when I will know my score for today's LSAT. I originally took the LSAT back in June 2004, with disappointing results. I am confident that I managed to significantly augment my original score, which will hopefully influence law school admission and scholarship offers.

The LSAT consists of (6) 35-min. sections. (2) arguments sections, (1) reading comprehension, (1) logic games, (1) "experimental" section (could be arguments, reading comp, or games; the identity of this unscored section is not disclosed during the test), and (1) unscored writing sample (i.e., an argumentative essay response to a prompt).

The hardest section for me has always been the logic games. Typically, this section consists of four scenarios, each accompanied by interrelated rules. The goal is to identify complex relationships between entities. Answering the questions generally requires symbolization of the rules, haphazard diagrams, and lots of logical reasoning. Here is a relatively simple (and completely fictitious) example...

Students A, B, C, D, E, and F must be seated at adjacent desks numbered 1 through 7. The seating arrangement must conform to the following rules:

One desk must remain unoccupied.
B cannot sit next to D.
If A sits next to E, then E cannot sit next to C.
One desk next to D is unoccupied, and is an odd-numbered desk.
F must sit at desk 1 or 7.

1. Which one of the following could be an accurate seating arrangement of all six students?

In order to make such scenarios more confusing, the test makers frequently add a multidimensional structure to the scenario. In example, instead of having 6 people seated in a single line of desks, the test makers might have 6 people seated in 2 different lines on 3 consecutive days...or 6 people seated at a round table...or 12 people seated in 4 semi-circles according to relative age on 2 moving trains traveling towards each other, but operating in different time zones (yes, I am slightly exaggerating here).

Anyway, for the last 2+ years, I have known what score range I need in order to facilitate entrance into top law schools and generous scholarships. Thus I have 23 days of agonizing waiting ahead... The next 3 years of my life (and beyond) heavily depend on a 3-digit number between 120 and 180.

Quid Pro Quo: Pyongyang Renews Demands

2005-09-23T02:55:00.000-04:00

"N. Korea Demands Reactor for Disarmament"
[ http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050923/D8CPMS286.html ]

While the recent agreement signals significant progress in the 6-nation talks, North Korea is still trying to blackmail the world. "Give us nuclear reactors or we will build nuclear weapons." "Ignore our human rights abuses or we will reject humanitarian aid for our starving people." Etc.

Finally, a Breakthrough

2005-09-19T02:27:00.000-04:00

After nearly 3 years of gridlock, the U.S. and North Korea appear to be reaching an agreement regarding the DPRK's nuclear weapons program. It took more than 2 years of contentious, 6-nation negotiations (i.e., the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, & Russia). All this is simply a repeat of what happened back in 1993-'94, so hopefully all parties have now learned from their mistakes.

The precise concessions made by the (generally hard-line) Bush administration and the (generally belligerent, deceptive, and manipulative) North Korean regime remain to be clarified. However, it looks like both sides are meeting their general goals (i.e., what the two nations have demanded throughout the past 3 years). The U.S. is getting "verifiable denuclearization" of North Korea. N.K. is getting a non-aggression pledge from the U.S. That said, the joint agreement is truly multilateral and addresses numerous bilateral, regional, and international issues -- e.g., North Korea / Japan relations, economic & energy cooperation, customary international law, etc.

For details:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050919/D8CN4FJ00.html
For the official statement:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050919/D8CN4M4G0.html
For a timeline of the nuclear crisis:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/02/10/nkorea.timeline/

And while these 6 governments are busy dealing with Kim Jong-Il's nukes, very little is being said about his human rights abuses, nor about the stalled reunification process with the South. I am very grateful for the progress attained in the nuclear talks, but remain deeply disappointed that such non-nuclear issues remain in the background. While the 6 nations negotiate the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear WMDs, the WMDs known as the gulags and starvation are killing millions of Koreans.

Many Christian and humanitarian groups are working hard to expose these evils and pressure governments to take appropriate action.

Coalitions dedicated to human rights in North Korea:
http://www.hrnk.org/
http://www.nkfreedom.org/

Examples of the role of the Church:
http://www.nae.net/index.cfm?FUSEACTION=editor.page&pageID=91&IDCategory=8 - The National Association of Evangelicals.
http://www.ctlibrary.com/11956 - Evangelicals were instrumental in promoting the North Korea Human Rights Act, signed into a law about a year ago.
Christian Groups Press Bush About North Korea - NY Times Article [reg. required].

Documentary:
http://www.seoultrain.com/ - I saw excerpts from this powerful film during a NAE conference in Washington, DC. The speaker that night was a North Korean defector.

As you may have surmised, I wrote a few papers on this topic while in college...

Welcome to My Paradoxical, Postmodern Faith

2005-09-17T05:14:00.000-04:00

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

82%

Emergent/Postmodern

79%

Reformed Evangelical

68%

Roman Catholic

57%

Neo orthodox

57%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

57%

Fundamentalist

54%

Classical Liberal

50%

Modern Liberal

18%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

Welcome to Postmodern Religion, Seattle-style

2005-08-25T00:36:00.000-04:00

Some sample listings in the "Religion Calendar" section of a recent Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Kadampa Buddhist Temple holds an Amitayus Retreat... Also a Buddhist statue filling day course. Information: www.meditateinseattle.org...
Keo Capestany speaks on "The Game of Life - How to Play It According to Unitarian Univeralist Principles"...
The Rev. Thomas Anastasi speaks on "We Are Animals Too." Pets are welcome...
Dick Brukhart speaks on "Negative Growth with Soul"...

Random musings regarding Christians & Politics...

Amid this cacophony of religious voices, a prominent Christian "fundamentalist" has yet again managed to instigate an uproar over his political remarks. [ http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050825/D8C6J3Q01.html ]

I highly doubt that Pat Robertson holds much credibility among the evangelical community as a whole. Unfortunately, the news media does an excellent job of making politically-minded Christians in general look like idiots due to such "right-wing" rhetoric. (At the same time, the news media conveniently tends to overlook the immense national & global impact of faith-based, humanitarian NGOs.)

Perhaps Christians have always struggled to find their proper role in the political (and military) realm. And it is certainly easy for allegiance to the modern nation-state to cloud our understanding of international problems and the global role of the Church. National security is extremely valuable, but it should not always be the highest good for both the city of man and the city of God. As Augustine demonstrates, both the earthly and the heavenly cities possess a shared interest in good ends such as peace, order, and justice. However, Augustine concludes that the final good(s) must diverge in the end. In the context of the recent Robertson controversy, how would such a political assassination further the kingdom of God and the work of the Church in the U.S., Venezuela, Latin America, and beyond? If Christians can easily justify such an action, then perhaps we need to reexamine the alliance between the two cities.

That said, the two cities should be cautious about interfering in each other's duties. It is possible to share common goals and yet not share specific duties. For example: With the right motivations, it can be morally appropriate for a nation-state to go to war. (In case you are wondering, I am not referring to Iraq; I am writing in the abstract.) It might even be morally permissible for a government to assassinate someone. But it would not be morally appropriate for the Church (as the Church) to go to war or assassinate someone, however just the motivations.

Due to the inevitable overlap between the cities, there will always be Christians in public office and on the front lines, and there will always be politicians and soldiers filling church pews. In brief, we must somehow maintain a delicate balance between the two cities. Throughout history, there are many tragic examples of the Church outright controlling politics and wars (obviously the Crusades come to mind). But there are also many tragic examples of the Church conceding too much to the governing authorities (e.g., the German Christians during the Nazi era). We must learn to live in two cities, while believing in the higher purpose of one of them. There may even come a time when we must "serve God rather than men," but never the converse.

Happy Liberation Day, Korea!

2005-08-15T05:14:00.000-04:00

Bittersweet 60th anniversary for the divided land of the morning calm...

[ http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050815/3/25p34.html ]

Petrovitsky

2005-08-04T03:05:00.000-04:00

It has been a crazy night, and it is far from over. I had to stay late at work. On the drive home, Petrovitsky Road was closed due to an accident. Thanks to the detour, I managed to get terribly lost. I finally arrived home about an hour late. Then I found out that I needed to leave for the airport by 6 am, instead of 10 am. So I will be up most of tonight packing, organizing various details of my life, writing emails, etc. Right now I am simply procrastinating.

I will be staying & traveling with Mark. I hope to see many of you at Dave & Dianna's wedding this Saturday!

"Would you like a service plan with that?"

2005-07-26T03:26:00.000-04:00

Special thanks to Pope Charming for issuing that papal decree! I certainly appreciate the extra traffic on my blog.

I had a truly enjoyable weekend; it was a good mix of relaxation and productivity. Except for a 2-hr mandatory store-wide meeting, I had the weekend off. On Sunday, I was able to visit with a friend from college, Eryn, who was in the area visiting relatives. It was a tremendous blessing to catch up on life with Eryn, and just to talk with her in general.

Also during the weekend, I figured out a detailed budget for the next year of my life. And yesterday, I ordered a new laptop from Dell to replace my ancient (but still functional) Compaq Armada E500.

For years, I had hoped to build my own desktop...but in the end, I decided that I needed the portability of a notebook computer. It will go with me to law school.

Specifically, I custom built a high-end Inspiron 6000:

Pentium M (Centrino) 1.86 GHz (533 MHz FSB)
512 MB DDR2 (1 DIMM)
60 GB Ultra ATA hard drive
15.4" widescreen
Radeon X300 128 MB graphics card (PCIe)
Win XP Pro
CD/DVD+-RW with DL
Integrated Intel wireless G

And yes, despite working in the computer department at Best Buy, I purchased from Dell. (Don't tell my boss!) Unfortunately, Best Buy recently phased out its configure-to-order system and Dell offers support options that will better meet my future needs. I also had an unbeatable coupon for the Dell Inspiron (30% off and free shipping).

That said, I will be purchasing all computer accessories and software from Best Buy. My employee discount provides remarkable prices for most products in the store.

Culture of Fear ... and Resolution

2005-07-24T03:15:00.000-04:00

Like many FYHP and Houghton-in-London alumni, I have been shocked, angered, and saddened by the series of bombings that have cast fear over the metropolis. The photos and videos of well-known London landmarks are haunting.

Under intense pressure to better protect the millions of commuters, London police apparently executed an innocent man that they suspected was a suicide bomber. [ http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050724/D8BHI2G81.html ] While it is perhaps too early to speculate, it was possibly a horrific instance of cross-cultural mis-communication. If I was a minority being chased by plainclothes men (probably white) yelling with guns, I would probably panic and run myself.

As we all know, bobbies do not generally carry a gun, and the few armed officers in Britain are generally discouraged from ever discharging their weapons. (In fact, I recall that a few years ago, London police raided a suspected terrorist apartment without guns, contributing to the death of an officer.) The draconian shoot-to-kill policy demonstrates both the fear and resolution that has gripped the beleaguered city.

Despite the understandable fear and even paranoia, Londoners are reportedly as resolute and even stoic as I would expect them to be. They have persevered amid far worse bombings in the past.

It will be interesting to see how the bombings affect Tony Blair's leadership and popularity, and of course British policy towards Iraq in specific and the "war on terror" in general.

More broadly... What drives a person to blow up dozens of civilians, to "terrorize"? What motivates a suicide bomber? I am reminded of Terror in the Mind of God, an excellent book I studied in Middle East: Politics & War with Dr. Benedict. Perhaps there are actually two cultures of fear & resolution at stake here. In the big picture, is Samuel Huntington correct? Meic Pearse seems to suggest so in Why the Rest Hates the West: Understanding the Roots of Global Rage. Do these bombings represent a larger and inevitable clash of civilizations that will tear apart and realign global politics?

And amid all of these tragic events, the U.S. & global community still lack a single, authoritative definition of "terrorism." Who and what are we (i.e., Western nation-states) really fighting, and why? Perhaps we can mitigate violence against us, but can we also mitigate the hate, envy, and miscommunication that instigates the violence in the first place?

Car Talk

2005-07-21T04:52:00.000-04:00

Since last summer, Rachel and I have been sharing an '87 Chrysler New Yorker. My parents purchased the car from my grandpa about a year ago. Grandpa always drives well below the speed limit, so the car was still in good shape for its age and mileage (160,000+ mi.). Back in 1987, it was definitely a luxury car... leather seats, digital speedometer, etc.

On Sunday night, the venerable New Yorker died on my way home from work. It left me stranded by a busy intersection in Tukwila. Even worse, I had a hard time figuring out how to activate the emergency lights. After several minutes of panic, stressful phone calls, and angry motorists, a stranger finally stopped to help. Andrew managed to push the car out of the way while I tried to steer it. He had to push it a long way, and almost got hit by a semi in the process. Needless to say, I was extremely grateful for his kindness. (And I wish I was that strong myself. I actually have been weight lifting with Dad this summer, but don't really look like a baseball player yet... anyway, I digress.)

As another interesting aside... When I started working at Best Buy, my parents compelled me to carry a cell phone for emergencies. Work is 30-60 min. from home depending on traffic, and I usually return home between 10 pm and midnight. The New Yorker was bound to break down at some point. Being stranded alone somewhere, especially late at night, would be very bad. Anyway, I am confident that the reader is well aware of my famous rants against the evils of cell phones. ("I am going to be the last person on earth who gets a cell phone!!!" Etc.) While I was stranded by that intersection in Tukwila, I found myself grateful for a cell phone for the very first time in my life. I still never use it for casual conversation (and I generally keep the number a secret), but it has definitely proved its utility for emergency situations. So yet again, my parents were indeed right after all.

The New Yorker needed a new fuel pump, and the pricetag wasn't worth the value of the car. Since our Windstar is getting rather old itself, my parents have replaced the New Yorker with a '96 Ford Taurus. It took them a long time to find it, but in the end they found a great car for a reasonable price. So for the time being, I will be driving the Taurus. And I will have the cell phone in the car with me.

I can't think of a clever title...

2005-07-14T02:55:00.000-04:00

So far, my blog has endured a rather boring start. In this first real post, I should probably provide some background info for my philosophical musings on veritas (Latin for "truth") and my life in general.

Now some disclaimers:
I have avoided blogging all these years largely due to fears of severely provoking people, being sued, tarnishing my reputation, etc. Any of these profoundly negative possibilities could definitely undermine the career of someone interested in public service. I will try to be cautious (most of the time anyway), but please realize that these posts constitute a blog. If you don't understand what a blog is, then you probably should not be reading them; in general, web logs should be consumed cum grano salis - with a grain of salt. (I am probably already irritating someone due to my cynicism and/or one of my many references to Latin. And it is pronounced the classical Latin way, Dave!)

The other major reason why I have been hesitant to start blogging is my deeply introverted and introspective personality. Accordingly, I also tend to be far too serious / philosophical... Unless I add some entertainment value to my blog (humor, shocking revelations, etc.), I will probably be the only person who reads it. So any suggestions for improving my blog are always welcome!

Why have I finally relented and started a blog? Mostly because it is a highly efficient and popular means of communication these days. As you probably know, I tend to be terrible about writing to people on a regular basis. I should probably be sending 10+ personal emails a day. While I will certainly continue to write and reply to personal emails, this blog should provide interested parties with a centralized source of information about my post-college life. I just hope people are bored enough to actually read it once in a while... ;)

Regarding the "veritas1838" blog name:
Besides my obvious interest in epistemology and postmodernity, it was late at night and all the good names were already taken. I have an ongoing problem of either thinking too much or thinking too little, and thus things like this happen.

I find myself deeply conflicted regarding the postmodern worldview. Over the past few years, I have become increasingly "postmodern" in my thinking, but I have always hated many aspects of postmodernity and continue to despise such aspects. For example, my honors thesis was profoundly anti-postmodern (i.e., I defended a neo-originalist interpretation of the Constitutional narrative), but my theology is now burdened with relativism. As another illustration, my overall worldview is definitely Western, yet I have begun to recognize thought processes that seem more "East-Asian" (sorry for all the generalizations) in nature... my strong sense of honor and duty, for example.

Paradoxes abound, and truth really is stranger than it used to be.

What I am doing this summer:
1) Working full-time at a Best Buy about 40+ min. from home. I am basically a customer service associate in the Personal Computing / Home Office (PCHO) department. In brief, I help people find and implement the appropriate computing technology, whether a laptop or a wireless network. I have great coworkers and a remarkably diverse customer base. I truly enjoy the job, especially compared to my previous summer employment at Subway. I even got to reimage a computer the other day, putting those Helpdesk skills to good use!
2) Studying for the October LSAT. I am retaking the LSAT and restarting the law school admission process. For this fall, I was accepted at Baylor and Temple, and wait-listed at William & Mary (theoretically, W&M could offer me admission as late as August). Hopefully after completing a DC internship first, and following the trend of the "gap year," I will not commence my legal studies until fall 2006.
3) I will add more activities as the summer progresses.

OK, that's enough introduction for now. I hope you are still awake and will visit again soon!

Blessings,
-Ben

2005-06-23T03:09:00.000-04:00

It is just after midnight (PST). I have finally published my first attempt at a blog. Stay tuned...