The Day After

After a fitful slumber (due mostly to boisterous undergrads down the hall), I awoke a little later than I wanted. I decided to forego breakfast and head to class. We had received an email last night assuring us that class would go on as planned.

Tavistock Square was still roped off this morning, and there was a strong police presence. After booking it down to Trafalgar Square, I arrived at the law school only to find out that classes had been cancelled. Apparently students had been told that if they left Connaught Hall they would not be permitted to return. I hadn't gotten the message; perhaps it was made during breakfast. I wasn't the only student to come in today. But Professor Moens didn't see a point in having a class for seven people. The director of the programme, Professor Bennett, was reportedly headed to the dorm to check on the situation.

Outside Tavistock Square, things have pretty much gotten back to normal. Traffic and bus service has resumed. I'm not sure what the status of the Underground is at the moment. There did seem to be a slightly increased wariness, but that could have just been me.

Several NDLS students have been quoted in today's edition of the South Bend Tribune. A reporter had left a comment on Brendan's blog asking for those of us over here to call or email our experiences to her. Brendan conveyed this message to us via email. You can read her article here (in which I'm quoted), as well as a firsthand student account here.

Explosion Aftermath

The majority of Summer Programme students have returned to Connaught Hall. Police have permitted us to reenter the building, but it's unlikely that we would be able to leave again for many hours. The streets around Tavistock Square have been blocked off and are being guarded by the London police.

The BBC reports that the death toll has risen to 33. This number is likely to increase, as that seems to be only the number of fatalities from the Underground explosions; no word yet on the fatalities sustained from the bus explosion on Tavistock Square.

UPDATE:

The BBC has an in-depth look at the four explosions that took place today.

Explosions rock London

There have been several explosions across London, seemingly focused on the public transportation system. A number of Tube stations have been hit, and there are reports of double-decker buses exploding. There's also a report of a collision on the Underground. A couple of the blasts have been close to our dorm (and it's rumored that the building shook as a bus exploded nearby). Apparently, this all took place during the morning rush hour.

There are reports of numerous casualties and injuries. I'm fine, and it doesn't sound like anyone in the Summer Programme has been hurt. Public transportation has ground to a halt, and at least one class has been cancelled today because a professor can't get to the law school. No one's really sure what's going on right now; as I hear more I'll post updates. For now, you can read the developing story here.

UPDATE:

Eyewitness accounts.

A timeline of events has been posted at BBC.com.

The Underground has been shut down, and authorities are discouraging travel. Roads have also been closed, so traffic in and out of London is probably very restricted.

Connaught Hall (our dorm) has been surrounded and is inaccessible. We've been told to stay at the law school and not return to the dorms.

Unsurprisingly, Al Qaeda is suspected to be responsible (according to BBC 5). Based on the coordination and location of the blasts, it is undoubtedly a terrorist attack.

UPDATE 2:

Tony Blair is now giving an address from the G8 summit. The Prime Minister says that it is "clear that these are terrorist attacks" that were "designed to coincide with the beginning of the G8." Blair will be leaving the G8 to return to London, but the summit will continue. He concluded his remarks by stating that our resolve and determination is stronger than the terrorists' dedication to death and destruction.

UPDATE 3:

Al Qaeda's involement has seemingly been confirmed, according to BBC 5. Commentators say that this attack has been more for effect than causing casualties.

UPDATE 4:

The BBC has released some pictures of this morning's attack. Some of the most chilling are pictures of the bus that exploded in Tavistock Square (near Connaught Hall). In depth coverage from the BBC here.

UPDATE 5:

Some good news: according to Patrick, all ND students have been accounted for.

London 2012! (French surrender)

London won the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Moscow, New York, and Madrid were eliminated first, bringing it down to London and Paris. Paris had been considered the favorite going into today, but London came out on top. I was sitting in EU Law at the time, in a classroom considered to be a wireless dead zone in the law school. However, the cheers from outside (Trafalgar Square, which has seemingly been ground zero for London's countdown) and jets flying overhead pretty much told the story.

I'm about to leave the law school and walk back to the dorms, so I'll be passing Trafalgar Square. This morning they had set up a stage and some giant television screens for people to watch the countdown and live announcement of the Olympic selection committee's decision. I'll post again when I get back to the dorms with an update on the craziness.

UPDATE: Trafalgar Square was packed with people. It may have been the first time I've seen the square with more people than pigeons. I couldn't really tell what was going on down on the main stage, but that's where everyone seemed to be looking. There's also a big "Thank You" banner over the stage. I had seen that this morning as I walked to class, and thought it was a little presumptuous to put that up before the decision was announced. Unless maybe the organizers knew something the rest of us did not?

Behind enemy lines

I feel obliged to make a quick post of my July 4th experience in here in the UK. Naturally, it's not a holiday here. And unlike the Canadians, I didn't hear anything about a party at the American embassy. Still, the US contingent of the summer law programme decided to throw a little bash.

It seems kind of strange to celebrate American independence in the country from which we broke away. It feels a bit like gloating, like visiting Japan on VJ day (though that would be worse, I think).

We had a small BBQ in the basement of the dorm, right next to the bar. (Yes, our dorm has a bar. It's the best thing about the place, really.) Everyone was invited, and some of the Australian students (and one of our professors) joined in the festivities. We dined on freshly grilled burgers and sausages, and I had a few pints of Guinness. Eventually the party headed out into the city. Initially the plan was to visit the Hard Rock Cafe, but the plan changed en route and we ended up at the All American Sports Cafe instead. I didn't stay out too late (8:30 am class and all), though some of the revelers partied until nearly 3 am.

It was definitely a different experience, a far departure from fireworks, sparklers, and American flag waving. But how many times does one get the chance to celebrate independence from behind enemy lines?

A touch of British history

Yesterday I got the chance to visit two of England's better known historical sites, the Roman Baths (in Bath -- creative naming, what can I say) and Stonehenge. The trip was arranged by the law school, and covered coach travel to the two destinations. Admission fees were extra, and ended up being more than the discount transportation (only 10 pounds to ride the bus; 12.50 pounds total for admission to the Roman Baths and Stonehenge). We also had a tour guide who pointed out a few sights leaving and returning to London. Her voice sounded a lot like Mrs. Doubtfire.

Bath is a nice town and very picturesque. I'd definitely consider it an example of what people imagine quaint European towns to look like. The architecture is stunning, from the Abbey to the buildings on the little side streets. There are also plenty of shops, cafes, gardens, and squares scattered throughout the little town, not to mention cool bridges spanning the Avon River. I didn't have lots of time to explore, though, because I spent a considerable amount of our time there visiting the Roman Baths. Bath is the home of a hot springs, which the Romans converted into a large bathhouse complex. There's an extensive audio tour that takes you through the many rooms as well as describing the site. In addition to the bathhouse, the Romans erected several temples dedicated to both Minerva (a Roman goddess) and Sulius (a local goddess of healing).

After Bath, we ventured out to Stonehenge, which sits in the Salisbury Plain. Some members of our group were less than thrilled, considering it to be a large pile of rocks. You can get a pretty good view of it from the road alongside Stonehenge, but there's a fence to separate the road from those who have paid admission. Admittedly, paying doesn't get you much closer, and they have Stonehenge itself roped off (so you can't really walk among the ruins), but you can walk all the way around it and admission includes an audio tour. All in all I thought it was pretty cool. Stonehenge has always captivated my interest, probably because so little is actually known about it. Even the audio tour didn't have much to add about how or why Stonehenge was built. Still, I found it awe inspiring to behold, and it's astonishing how the stones act as a calendar. It's also pretty amazing how much Stonehenge is in the middle of nowhere. The Salisbury Plain is pretty bleak and deserted (except for the tourists and sheep). There's Stonehenge... and nothing else for miles.

As always, I've dutifully documented my travels with a digital camera, so that you too can experience my British adventure. The latest round of pictures is up for your viewing pleasure.

Zebra crossings and Moosehead beer

Today I set out on a trek to visit Abbey Road, which features this crosswalk made famous by the Beatles.

Abbey Road is a bit of a hike from the parts of London I've been thus far. It's more or less nestled in a small suburban residential district northwest of the heart of the city.

It took me a little while to get there and find it, and it looks different than it does on the album. There were a few tourists there, snapping pictures like me. I even arranged a quid pro quo with another tourist who, like me, wanted a picture walking the crosswalk. This isn't quite as easy as it sounds -- Abbey Road is actually quite a busy little street. I imagine motorists must get sick of all the tourists who flock to the intersection just to walk back and forth across the road to get their picture taken in mimic of the Beatles album. Due to the traffic, it's pretty much impossible to duplicate the shot, which looks to have been taken from the middle of the street itself. Also, I wasn't wearing anything resembling the clothes sported by George, Paul, Ringo, and John. (And sorry, I'm definitely not going to cross the road barefoot.)

After this little excursion, I headed to the Canadian embassy which was throwing a bash in honor of Canada Day. Everyone (Canadian or not) was invited. In addition to free booze, there was cake and fudge and some live entertainment. I didn't stay for everything (especially since they ran out of beer), but I did see a comedy troupe perform a fifteen minute version of Romeo and Juliet. It was quite amusing.

You can see photographic evidence of today's excursions here.

That's all the sightseeing for today. Tomorrow I head off to Stonehenge and Bath, and I hope to have more pictures and stories to share on Sunday.

O'Connor Retires

Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court today. Many have predicted that she would retire soon, along with an ailing Chief Justice Rehnquist. O'Connor has been an important swing justice on the Court, so her replacement is bound to have a profound impact on the future of the country. The inside scoop (according to Brendan's sources) is that Bush intends to nominate Emilio Garza (a double domer) to fill the vacancy.

I'm not personally familiar with Mr. Garza's decisional history, but suffice to say his previous two appointments came from President Reagan and President Bush I. Combined with the fact that Bush II (aka Shrub) is known to favor Justices Scalia and Thomas, I'm troubled by the recent turn of events. (And I doubt there's much point in hoping for another Souter.) Rehnquist's retirement would have simply meant a switch from an old conservative justice for a younger conservative justice; the replacement of the swing justice will have a far geater impact on the Court and the country.

A day on the Thames

A few days ago, I joined a few classmates on a little excursion to see the Henley Regatta. It's essentially a crew competition on the Thames that lasts for several days. We went on Wednesday, the first day of the regatta.

After class, we headed to Paddington (like the bear) Station to catch the train out of London. After switching trains in Twydon and about 45 minutes later, we were in the small and picturesque village of Henley. After making our way to the banks of the Thames, we stopped for a drink at one of the many bars lining the course. I had a Pimms, a mixed drink including Pimms gin liqueur, lemon-flavored soda water, and an assortment of orange (or lemon or lime) and cucumber slices. It was pretty good, especially considering that I'm not a big fan of gin. The drink didn't really even taste like alcohol at all. But maybe it was a bit watered down, as suggested by an Irishman we met at the regatta.

We walked up and down the Thames, stopping occasionally to peruse the small shops and bars along the river's edge. It's hard to actually watch any of the races; really, you only get to see a brief snippet of the race as the boats pass your point of view. And the finish line can only be viewed from the expensive seats. Which brings me to my next point. People get dressed up for this thing - big time. Think of the spectators at a polo match and you'll start to get an idea of what folks where to the regatta. Women were decked out in sundresses and funny hats (big bows, feathers, etc.) -- the kind you see at department stores and wonder who would actually buy them. Guys wore khakis, ties, and blazers. Some of the blazers were just your standard navy blue, frequently with the crest on the left breast (reminiscent of prep school uniforms). But some of the blazers had to be seen to be believed. Stripes and loud colors were commonplace.

The weather was beautiful (unlike the last few days, which have been the typical gray and rainy London days), and we had a great time. I have no idea which boats won (only that Harvard's team lost), but I was there more for the experience and atmosphere than anything else. Pictures here.

Pictures

They should be working now. I accidently linked to the editing page which only I'm allowed to access. Anyway, you can check out the gallery by clicking here or on the appropriate link on the sidebar.

Thanks to those of you who pointed out the error.

Day 2: Classes Begin

Well, today got off to a rocky start. I left the dorms later than I wanted, but with what I thought was still enough time to get to the 10am orientation at the law school. After yesterday's meanderings, I had plotted out a more direct route to walk to school. Unfortunately, I got turned around and quickly lost. I had to ride the Tube to get there and still ended up being late. Fortunately I didn't miss too much.

My first class started immediately after orientation. It's Public International Law, and looks to be an interesting course. Our professor is from Scotland and seems very excited about international law, which is a big plus. It also sounds like we'll be discussing very contemporary subjects. It's a relatively small class (roughly 20 students) comprised of American students (many from ND, but several from other U.S. law schools) and a large contingent of Aussies from ND's Australian campus.

Right after Public International Law I have European Union Law. This course is taught by Professor Moens (hailing from Belgium, but he teaches at the Australian campus), who came highly recommended from a now rising 3L who did the London Programme last summer. He seems quite entertaining, which is good since I also have him for International Business Law. The course is a little intimidating, as I don't know too much about the formation of the EU (such as, which countries joined when - something Prof. Moens seems to think is general knowledge). The course got off to a less than exciting start as we went through a number of treaties as background material (including a lot of accession treaties detailing which countries joined when). After we get through some of the background material though, I think this class will be pretty interesting.

This wrapped up my classes for the day, and it was time to buy some books. I actually got to the book store without incident (save a wrong turn that landed me in Knockturn Alley rather than Diagon Alley, and - um, nevermind). I purchased two large books for my PIL class and trekked home.

Day 1: Wandering London

Yesterday I took a meandering tour of the city. By meandering, I really mean that I wandered the streets of London with a digital camera and no map. Of course I looked at one before I left, but that was hardly enough to keep me on track.

A few words on the streets of London are in order. First off, very few streets travel in a straight line. The streets are oftentimes poorly marked. There are no street signs on posts like in the U.S.; instead, there are (sometimes) signs posted on the buildings at the intersection. The maps I looked at were not terribly detailed, and there are lots - and lots, and then some more - of little side streets and alleys. There are also lots of squares (many of which are circular in shape) and gardens that the streets jog around. The streets around these squares or gardens usually bear the name of said square/garden, but I haven't yet figured out an indication of direction. For example, my dorm is on Tavistock Square. There are four streets around Tavistock Square called Tavistock Square. And to add to the confusion, there's frequently another road that leads into the square that bears a similar name (near my dorm, it's Tavistock Place).

The main purpose of my outing was to scout out the location of ND's campus (just off of Trafalgar Square), which is about a mile and a half from the dorm in which I'm residing. I did eventually find it, but not after traipsing through Picadilly Circus, strolling though Chinatown, and passing Westminster Abbey. I also saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and the big Ferris Wheel (ok, the British Airways London Eye to be more specific).

After finding the innocuous building that houses ND's London facilities and finding out that it was locked up, I decided to catch a quick bite to eat and head back. Now since I didn't take a very direct route from the dorms, retracing my steps would be terribly inefficient and hard to remember. I headed off in the direction which I thought was about right, but I was a little off and ended up well east and a bit south of Tavistock Square. Since I'd been walking around for about four hours at this point and had a ways to go before I'd be back in the dorms, I acceded to the complaints of my feet and took the Tube back to within a few blocks of Tavistock Square.

You can find photographic highlights of my trek (in addition to some pictures of my living quarters) here. Be sure to read the captions for details.

Flight Details

Waiting in Chicago

Leavin', on a jet plane

Well, I'm currently sitting in Port Columbus awaiting the first leg of my journey across the pond. After a quick flight to Chicago (yes, I'm flying west to go east), I'll be on my way to London. Despite the ungodly hour, I'm pretty excited. I wasn't expecting free internet access here at the airport, but it looks like I've lucked out. If O'Hare offers the same wireless amenities I'll post a quick update during my layover.

I'm not exactly sure what it is, but there's something exciting about flying. While I'm not exactly a frequent flier, I've been on enough planes that one would expect the novelty to have worn off. But I still get a thrill out of walking through the airport, boarding the plane, and taking off.

And there's also the adventure of traveling to new and exotic locales. This will be my first trip to London, and I've been looking forward to visiting since discovering that Notre Dame has a study abroad program there. Of course I'll miss my friends and family, but I hope to keep in touch via email, postcards, and regular blog updates. If anyone has questions, suggestions, etc, feel free to email me or leave a comment. And if any of you would like a post card, email me your current address and I'll do my best to fulfill your requests.

Randomness

For your reading pleasure, a bunch on unrelated random thoughts of yours truly.

First off, the large lost post was my review of the new Star Wars movie, which I simply haven't felt inclined to retype. Derek and I are working on a joint review, based on some of our impressions over our most recent viewing (my second, his third) last week. Hopefully we'll have it up soon. I may also write up a shorter version of my original review to cover anything we may have glossed over (or edited out) of the joint review.

It's been a few weeks since the end of 1L now, and it already feels so far away. As might be expected, my fellow NDLS bloggers haven't been posting as regularly. Of course, I'm a prime example of this. But in a law-school related vein, I've wanted to do a "Top 5 Things I Miss Since Starting Law School" for a while now (yeah, I stole the "top 5" idea from High Fidelity), and now that I'm on the other side of 1L, I think it's time. So here it is:

5. Daylight (mostly due to South Bend winters- I was usually at the law school before sunrise and didn't leave until long after sunset)
4. Pleasure reading (yeah, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and our ConLaw casebook don't count)
3. Sleep (natural night owl + 8am legal writing = little sleep)
2. Skating (I think I made it to the rink less than a dozen times all year- pretty sad)
1. Honor (okay, she's a person and not a thing- so maybe "Being with Honor" would be more accurate)

In the past couple of weeks, I've rectified some of these. But I'm still missing the top two. I plan to hit the rink later this week. And Honor's due back next week, so we'll get to see each other again real soon!

As I've been living more or less alone for the past few weeks (owing to the fact that my parents decided to take a 3 week Alaska/Western Canada excursion) and can only spend so much time on legal reading/writing/editing before going insane, I've watched a little bit of tv. And there's one thing that I find particularly disturbing: the number of commercials advertising online poker sites. Is this unique to Ohio? I know that there's been a move to allow casinos in the state, but that seems tangentially related at best. There are at least three different websites touting their online poker games, and every commercial break features at least one, frequently two, and occasionally all three of them. Another oddity is that they're all into alliteration (Party Poker, Pacific Poker, Paradise Poker). It's strange. And all in all, these commercials are just annoying- even more so than commercials are in general.

Alright, that's enough randomness for now. I apologize for the lack of a running theme to this post, but I wanted to jot down a few things to surprise the three or four of you who've been obsessively checking my blog and feeling great disappointment in the lack of new reading material. I'll try to make my next post a bit more cohesive.

Grrrr

Ok, I just lost a really lengthy post which I don't really feel like retyping right now. Look for a replacement sometime in the near future.

Teaser

Yeah, I know, it's been a while. I don't even have a very good excuse, since I've been done with law school for about two weeks now. I haven't been up to anything too exciting, with the exception of the premiere for the new Star Wars movie. It was a great experience, and I feel obligated to write a review - but it's something upon which I need a bit more time to reflect. For now, let me simply say that I greatly enjoyed the movie. I've already perused some other reviews of the movie, which seem to be mixed. Some loved it, others despise it, and all for a variety of reasons. Soon I'll throw my hat into the ring and give you my reasons for my reaction. I doubt the delay will have any real impact, as no one should be depending on my review in deciding whether to see the movie. Furthermore, as I expect my review will be laden with spoilers, this will give any readers who have not yet seen the movie to do so before I launch into my thoughts.

And I fully realize that there are members of my readership (if I still have one after so long an absence) that couldn't care less about Star Wars or my reaction to the latest installment. To you I apologize in advance, and simply pledge that I'll do my best to post a bit more regularly and on topics I hope you'll find more interesting.

Legal News: Ho Edition

Taking a page out of Brooke's book*, I present you with an amusing tidbit from the legal world. From an actual court opinion (Ct. of App. for the 7th Circuit):

n1The trial transcript quotes Ms. Hayden as saying Murphy called
her a snitch bitch “hoe.” A “hoe,” of course, is a tool used for
weeding and gardening. We think the court reporter, unfamiliar
with rap music (perhaps thankfully so), misunderstood Hayden’s
response. We have taken the liberty of changing “hoe” to “ho,” a staple of rap music vernacular as, for example, when Ludacris
raps “You doin’ ho activities with ho tendencies.”

(Full cite, for the super legal dorks: United States v. Murphy, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 7695)

For more on the word "Ho," click here. (I'm at the bottom.)

*Note to Brooke: Don't worry, I have no plans to make this a regular fixture here at Arguend-Ho. I just couldn't pass this one up.

Finally

Yes, finally a new post. Sorry about the long absence, but much studying had to be done for this semester's finals. But now...

That's right, I just finished my first year of law school!!
I'm 1/3 of the way through!
As Brooke's been exclaiming, "We're now 1/3 of a lawyer!" (not counting the bar exam)
And as the upperclassmen have been saying, "Congrats on getting through the rough year! (but wait 'til next year...)"

Anyway, I'll try to keep this blog a bit more up to date now that I no longer have a good excuse to ignore it. I'll probably throw up a few posts summing up my reflections on the first year and such. Oh, and since I'll be seeing Episode III soon, look for a review by yours truly in the upcoming weeks.