talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

iTunes news explained

For those among our readers who aren't sure what all the iTunes hubbub is about, an explanatory article in today's New York Times (from the Associated Press) might be of help. Click here for the article.

ah, the music biz

Here's the quote Steve used in today's iTunes presentation at Moscone:

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.

There's also a negative side." -- Hunter S. Thompson

Seemed like a quote worth saving...

iTunes 4 !!!

The new iTunes 4 from Apple is staggeringly cool. Pity the poor bastards that don't (yet) use OS X.

Yes, it's e-commerce. Hey, Apple does want to make money. But this is the way to do it. The integration is there. The 30-second previews of songs are wonderful. I've just raced through a catalog of my youth, listening to snippets from about 30 different songs just by browsing in iTunes.

Currently the most downloaded album is "Elvis 56"! The sound quality is crystal clear. Apparently some master tapes were re-encoded with AAC, rather than just ripping the CD. The quality of the Elvis (Presley) tunes are amazing. I wonder if this was one of those that was "re-mastered" so to speak.

iTunes 4 also supports Rendezvous streaming. So, the talbotlucas CD collection is slowly going up on the (internal) server and we're streaming it back to ourselves wirelessly. Once again, It Just Works.

Go Steve!

termite flatulence

As we learned first-hand when we lived in La Jolla, termites are no laughing matter. Detecting them is one thing; ridding a building of them another. Both efforts are usually accompanied by a lot of head-shaking and sighing (on the part of the technicians and the home owners/occupiers). But...science to the rescue! Seems all that cellolose the little guys eat gives them the urge to...relieve themselves. In doing so, they make themselves vulnerable to detection. See the New York Times article about it (click here). Seems this explains how the beagles and other "termite dogs" sniff out the termites.

Back to the books. My eight-hour contracts final exam is tomorrow. Three more after that (property, constitutional law, and law skills), and then the first year is under my belt.

mindfulness in times of upheaval

A thoughtful and thought-provoking op-ed piece in the 26 April edition of The New York Times by His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, addressing the question of what we, as individuals, can do to contribute to a more peaceful world.

UCLA Law Review

There's excellent, exciting news here at talbotlucas.org: I learned yesterday that I was awarded a spot on the UCLA Law Review--a coveted opportunity and one that was hotly contested. Thirty-four new staff members were chosen from a write-on competition among members of the 1L class. This year's competition took place over what was labeled our "spring break," but I think all the participants agreed that there was as much--if not more--work done on the Eighth Amendment issue (relating to cruel and unusual punishment in the context of revocation of a prison inmate's visitation privileges in response to repeated drug offenses while incarcerated) posed by the Law Review than in most class weeks.

The UCLA Law Review, now in its 51st year, is published six times per year. The masthead for Volume 51 is at left (you can click on it to open an enlarged view in a separate window). It takes a large staff to vet, edit, and produce each issue, and work gets underway soon: My last day of final exams is 9 May; my first Law Review meeting will be 10 May, when we'll receive our first assignments. My work on the journal will continue throughout the summer and next school year, and in my third year I'll be eligible for a board position (those positions above the "staff" level on the masthead).

Law Review membership carries with it many benefits, and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to participate. I'll share more details when I have them.

Punctuation? WWSD?

On this anniversay of Shakespeare's birth (and death), I find myself at odds with conventional wisdom regarding the use of punctuation inside quotation marks. This concern arises as I review the instructions file for an updated, very spiffy Watson tool to be released in a few short days. (More on that when it becomes available.)

The question I put to you is:* "When quotation marks are used to delineate a 'concept', rather than a quotation from 'another source,' should punctuation, used merely to break up or stop a sentence, i.e., not originating from the concept itself, be retained, as is traditional, within the quotation marks; or, should the marks be moved outside of the quotes, so as to better delineate the concept?"

Bartleby's, in my opinion, is actually of little help. While they do acknowledge that quotation marks are used to enclose "peculiar" words and then go on to say that periods and commas should go inside the quotation marks, while colons and semi-colons should not, the examples they give really only relate to using quotation marks to import text from other sources. I argue that in our post-modern age, quotation marks are being used more and more to talk about "concepts" rather than "sources". In that case, one should be careful to accurately present the concept and note that the words are being used in a special sense. Why clutter that up with extraneous punctuation that can live just as happily on the other side of the mark? I'm convinced I'll ultimately be proven right. What do you think?

*with apologies to my 7th-grade teacher who didn't like my run-on sentences.

The Twilight of American Culture

Perhaps my suggestion of John Mearsheimer's Tragedy of Great Power Politics should count as today's suggestion, but my plan had been to say a few words about The Twilight of American Culture by Morris Berman. And since I'm in need of a break from considering the various justifications of modern contract law I'll use my break time to stick to my blogging plan.

Although the concept of a new monasticism--Berman's antidote to the cultural and social crises he perceives--may appear radical or strange without knowing the context in which he makes his proposal, I encourage you to consider Berman's arguments (see link to an excerpt, below). You may not find them as compelling as I do, but I suggest that they're important to consider in this day and age. ("Antidote" may be the wrong word, but Berman's suggestions are definitely prescriptive.)

When I first came across this book during one of my late afternoon excursions at Stacey's in San Francisco I had intended to put it in the reading queue, but I picked it up and didn't stop reading. I've since pressed it upon Terrence and others, and reread portions myself. I think we could do far worse than follow many of Berman's suggestions.

The publisher has posted an excerpt of the first chapter on their web site. If you read and enjoyed How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill you'll find that Berman's ideas are worth considering.

more from/on mearsheimer

Several of you emailed me in the wake of my posting about John Mearsheimer's lecture in Los Angeles on the subject of future U.S./China relations (3 March 2003). While I've not composed individual replies--and won't have time to do so until the end of the semester--I'd like to offer a few thoughts and links:

I don't think one can reasonably argue that U.S. hegemony will be history. Rather, the argument is one of hegemonic scope. It's difficult to imagine how the U.S. could cease to be a regional hegemon--where in the Western hemisphere is there a power that rivals that of the United States? Although the U.S. administration may desire global hegemony and try to maintain the U.S.'s current status as the superpower, I don't believe I'm misstating Mearsheimer's point when I say that the U.S. may have to content itself with regional hegemony in the face of China's growing economic might.

While a limitation on the scope of U.S. power may be a source of tension, I didn't suggest that this would be a cause of war. Conflict, yes. Increasing tension with a military gloss, perhaps. (And by military gloss I mean only to reflect Mearsheimer's own point that military might takes economic muscle.) But not necessarily the outbreak of armed hostilities. I think too few people understand the political/economic nexus that's at work, but I think careful consideration of Mearsheimer's approach is a good step toward understanding.

So...in that spirit...if this subject is of continuing interest to any of you, I suggest the following, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak:

A Conversation with John Mearsheimer, the transcript from a dialogue between Mearsheimer and Harry Kreisler at the Institute of International Studies. I think it's helpful--particularly if you're not familiar with Mearsheimer's work--to read the segments in the order they're presented.

Also (and now available in paperback), The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by Mearsheimer. (Touched on in his recent Harper lectures (and in the IIS conversation linked above) but not addressed in Tragedy is a discussion of the impact of terrorist groups (such as al Qaeda). More to come on this subject, I suspect.

Back to the (law) books...

The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

Today's reading recommendation is first and foremost a marvelous cookbook: The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rogers. My standard for "marvelous" is that the cookbook has to be a joy to read and has to have great recipes. This one fits the bill. Whether or not you've dined at the Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, you'll soon find that Judy Rogers' recipes--and general advice--inspire lots of menu-making, and I suspect there are several recipes that will become standards in our house.

Although I'll post other cookbook recommendations between now and the 23rd, what The Zuni Cafe Cookbook has in common with some of my other favorites is great supporting material which offers an insight into the author's approach to food, food preparation, and dining. The introductory pieces in this cookbook are particularly worth reading more than once: the Introduction describes an almost idyllic opportunity to learn about cooking as a guest of the Troisgros family in Roanne, and how her approach evolved--and continues to evolve--at Zuni Cafe. The second introductory section is also useful and worth rereading: "What To Think About Before You Start, And While You Are Cooking." Good advice on finding the right flavor balance, using the right tools--the little (and not so little) things that make the end result even better.

The Nature of the Book

This excellent work by Adrian Johns, published by The University of Chicago Press (and now available in paperback) is not only a fascinating read but a great resource for anyone who loves to read, is interested in how scholarly works are disseminated, or admires quality publishing.

Even if you don't intend to celebrate with us on 23 April (or at least not by starting a 754-page tome), you might peek at Ten Things You Didn't Know About Your Books, a smattering of facts culled from Mr. Johns' book.

One of amazon.com's reviewers notes that "The book reads like it is the product of a gang of Umberto Ecos.." Depending on your literary taste and stamina, this is either high praise or a clear indication that you should smile and pass on this suggestion...

food crime

Although The Volokh Conspiracy always delivers thought-provoking comments and pointers (and usually delivers them with wit and aplomb), I couldn't resist sharing a tidbit of humor posted by Eugene Volokh early this morning:

MY THEORY OF FOODCRIME: If meat is murder,
then chicken is manslaughter,
eggs are kidnapping,
and milk is sexual harassment.

heh heh heh...

international book day

When searching for a good paella recipe last year I learned that many countries honor books and reading on 23 April, and in some countries it's known as the "Day of the Book." In Spain, particularly in Catalonia, the day serves to honor writers such as Cervantes and William Shakespeare (because it's the anniversary of their reported birth/death), and reading and writing generally.

In many countries the day is marked by activities that encourage people to read and to discover new books, and to patronize libraries. In Spain, many schools invite writers to come to the classroom to discuss their work; in Madrid, politicians, artists, and other celebrities turn out for El Circulo de Bellas Artes during which guests read selections from Don Quixote over a continuous 48-hour period.

Catalonia, recognized by some as the place where this literary-minded tradition began, marks the day (also the feast day of its patron saint, St. George) with exchanges of books and roses.

In 1995, UNESCO adopted this Spanish/Catalan tradition and named 23 April as "World Book and Copyright Day." UNESCO's historical role in publishing is a large one: at the 1952 Universal Copyright Convention, a conference organized by UNESCO in Geneva, the universal copyright symbol (©) was adopted. UNESCO continues to encourage book and literacy-related events on this date--the suggestions on their site are wide-ranging.

With all that said...other countries celebrate reading on other days, and in other ways. In the UK and Ireland, World Book Day was celebrated on 6 March this year.

Although many citites orchestrate events throughout the year celebrating the written word with book fairs and other events (I'm thinking of the recent city-wide readings and related events to celebrate To Kill a Mockingbird, My Antonia and other classics) I think 23 April is the perfect day for individuals to celebrate: to make a dinner at home, open a bottle of wine, and spend an hour after dinner reading something new. Or perhaps a book you've been meaning to start, but haven't found the time. Or...revisiting a classic.

I plan to post links and other related suggestions from now until the 23rd. If this is an idea that speaks to you, we'd love to hear what you decide to do to join in the celebration.

save the hedgehogs!

This tidbit of celebrity news (courtesy of the SFGate) just tickled me on this rainy Monday afternoon:

STING AIDS HEDGEHOGS

Charity-loving pop star Sting has added hedgehogs to his list of good causes -- he's giving the threatened creatures refuge in his home.

The "Englishman in New York" singer has offered to take the spiky animals from Outer Hebridean, as they being threatened with slaughter in their native Scottish home.

Other big names who have offered land to the troubled animals include Sir Paul McCartney, lyricist Sir Tim Rice and author Richard Adams, all of whom were alerted to the hedgehogs' plight by Jethro Tull rocker Iain Anderson.

Kay Bullen of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society says, "We are very grateful and Sting could get some of the first batch."

She adds, "All sites have to be checked to make sure they are suitable hedgehog habitat."

I can't imagine that Sting wouldn't provide a suitable habitat for the little guys, but who knows?

In our household, "save the hedgehog!" is the cry when Wallace has disemboweled one of his stuffed hedgehogs and starts running off with the stuffing dangling from his mouth. (Stuffed cotton or furry hedgies are oddly attractive to corgis.) I don't think we'll volunteer for hedgehog saving, although it's amusing to think of how Wallace would respond to a real live hedgie.

For those of you who are perplexed by this interest in hedgehogs...there are a lot of hedgehog fanciers out there. More details than you could digest are available at Hedgehog Central (the link to the Comparative Mammalian Brain Collections was an unexpectedly interesting diversion that I found by clicking on "View a Hedgehog Brain"). If the site is correct, our "Groundhog Day" (2 February) was, in Roman times, "Hedgehog Day" and involved observing the quilled ones by the light of the moon (instead of early in the morning on a bitterly cold Pennsylvania morning).

More info than you wanted to know...

barbarians at our (server) gates

Yesterday evening we found that we were not alone: someone in Russia hacked into our server and used it to send pornographic spam. Terrence tracked the intruders to servers on the east coast and then to a few machines in Russia, but we don't know much beyond that. Terrence made some security upgrades and seems to have shut out the intruders, but if anyone should come to our site looking for more of the advertised content they're going to be disappointed.

an uncanny (and excellent) ability

The New York Times recently posted several remembrances of Senator Moynihan, including one from Tim Russert, host of NBC's Meet the Press that makes me smile every time I read it. The Times quoted Russert as saying

Moynihan had ``this uncanny ability to know who to trust about any particular subject,'' said Tim Russert of NBC, for years a Senate aide to Moynihan.

Russert recalled preparing the senator to appear on a New York talk show the day the Yankees were to play the sixth game of the 1977 World Series -- a subject the cerebral Moynihan knew nearly nothing about.

On the air, Moynihan predicted with confidence a Yankee championship: "If the Yankees don't do it today, (pitcher) Mike Torrez will do it Tuesday," he declared.

"I fell out of my chair," Russert recalls. "How did you know about Mike Torrez?" he asked afterward.

Moynihan's reply: "I didn't know who it was. I was sitting in the makeup chair and this little kid with a Yankee hat and a ball and glove comes in. ... I said, 'Hey, tiger, the Yanks going to win today?' He said, 'If they don't win today, Torrez will do it Tuesday.'

"If you can't trust a 10-year-old with a Yankee hat, you can't trust anybody."'

The Yankees won the World Series in six games.

a few words about new material (or the lack of it)

I'm taking a break from preparing the draft of my closing argument for the law skills "trial" that will occur this Thursday and I find myself considering the paucity of blog entries. There just doesn't seem to be enough time these days to relay all the things that occupy my mind: school, work, sleep, supplementary reading for my classes, leisure reading, play time for Wallace, sleep, responding to email, sharing more of the tidbits that have come my way, sleep, sleep, sleep...

Maybe I'll feel somewhat relieved if I list those things that have made my fingers reach out for the keyboard: follow-up notes on my Mearsheimer posting re China/U.S. relations (more sources of information for those of you who have expressed an interest in Mearsheimer's views and clarification of my comments); an introduction to tracks from Stephen Miller's Man of Leisure cd, and a forum for more of Stephen's work (believe me when I say that his CD has helped get me through this spring semester!); other food and wine adventures we've managed to sneak in here and there; news of Wallace, the canine light of my life...and many other things that my frazzled brain now forgets.

a bit of law school news...

The semester ends on 9 May, and the following week I'll start working as a faculty research assistant. Although I don't yet know the faculty member with whom I'll work, the research assistant program is an excellent opportunity to work on a research project and possibly to contribute toward legal scholarship. It's also a good way to keep the mental wheels turning--although I'm looking forward to a break from classes, I don't want to get rusty before the start of the next semester in August!

Back to the books!