Today was another installment of the law school’s Sack Lunch Saturday, and I think that each time we do this I get happier and happier.

We had sixteen folks out to help today, which has become our normal (and amazing) number. A big chunk of them are 1L’s, and they are just awesome.

Today, we had a special guest. Jacob Moore is now three years old, and his mom had a great idea of doing something to serve others in conjunction with his party (Jacob’s dad is a 3L here). Yesterday, they had all the kids in our campus apartment complex out in the courtyard painting the paper sacks we would use today for the Malibu Labor Exchange. All 100 of them. Very cool.

Today, Jacob and Tiffany (aka “mommy”) delivered the sacks to us, stayed and helped stuff them with lunches, and then traveled with Frank & I to the Labor Exchange to hand them out. Even cooler.

Oscar, the man in charge at the Labor Exchange, made a big deal out of Jacob’s artistic accomplishment and asked all the homeless folks to save the sacks after eating their lunches. He didn’t want to throw away such valuable pieces of art.

Before we left, Oscar wanted me to write down a little info about Jacob and what all he had done so they could include it in their newsletter over the holidays. I thought that was neat.

I wonder what the world would be like if, instead of presents, we all celebrated our birthdays by doing things for those in need? Would probably resemble that kind of world Jesus talked about.

Had a good time at the Waves’ home opener tonight even though they faded away in double overtime. Always good being with Jody and Hillary on our Friday “family night.” Made even better sitting by (Dean) Tim & Lucy Perrin. Added bonus when Michael John came to the game for the overtimes (he was watching at home on television, and when it got exciting he had to come down!).

There’s a promotion with KFC this year: whenever the Waves score 75+ points in a game, everyone gets a free piece of grilled chicken. Well, it’s a pretty safe bet since our offense isn’t our strong suit. But tonight, in double overtime, I guarantee that some chickens were starting to get nervous.

Still, we lost 67-64.

Dean Perrin estimated at the beginning of the first overtime that it would take three overtimes to get some chicken, but considering we only scored nine points in two overtimes, there’s a good chance it would have took a good four or five.

Looks like we’ll have to buy our own grilled chicken this season.

Our Career Development Office hosted a “Torts Networking Event” tonight, and since I’m all about torts, I decided to go.

Turned out that there were seven students who attended and a grand total of one attorney who showed up over an hour late. And she was a civil defense lawyer — also known as “the enemy” to me. Not much in the way of networking.

Oh well. It was fun anyway.

For one, we were at Gladstone’s of Malibu, situated on the Pacific Ocean where Sunset Boulevard ends.

For two, the seafood was tasty.

For three, the tasty seafood was free.

For four, our two CDO ladies–Aymara & Georgia–were fun conversationalists, most of it revolving around the excellent selection of ’80s music in the restaurant (even more, Aymara & Georgia are more my generation than my fellow students!).

For five, I didn’t have to study tonight.

And, as icing on the cake, I got to pick up Hillary from dance class where I got to see her dance a little bit.

So, all in all, not a bad evening for five bucks full of valet parking.

Well. Of course my reading list is long, but it consists of such page-turners as Evidence Under the Rules: Text, Cases, and Problems. Or maybe, American Criminal Procedure: Cases and Commentary. Just to name a couple.

But this year I committed to keeping a non-law school book by my bedside, and overall, I’ve kept my commitment. But it has been slow going. I have finished two books this semester and have recently begun a third. For those of you without a life, I thought I’d share my itty bitty reading list from this semester.

#1: Just Call Me Mike. This is the autobiography of Mike Farrell, aka B.J. Hunnicutt from M*A*S*H. I received this from the man himself at my summer gig with Public Counsel, and he even autographed it for me! It isn’t going to win Autobiography of the Year or anything, but I’d say that (a) M*A*S*H fans would enjoy it, as would (b) any self-respecting liberal. I’m more the latter (though self-respecting is a stretch), so I’d say I enjoyed it. For anyone outside those two groups, however, you should probably wait for the movie.

#2: The Long Snapper by Jeffrey Marx. I submitted a strong hint to the fam that I’d like this book, and Hillary gave it to me for my birthday. I had fallen in love with Marx’s book, Season of Life, a few years back, and since The Long Snapper featured a dude in his late 30s, I thought this would be a perfect match. I found it enjoyable overall. I guess. But it didn’t hold a candle to Season of Life. Anyway, if you are (a) a sports fan, or (b) an evangelical Christian, I think you’d like it. I’m more the former, so I’m glad I gave it a read. Again, anyone outside these two categories shouldn’t bother.

#3: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. I’m just getting started here, but I have high expectations. I read Sedaris’s When You Are Engulfed in Flames over last Christmas break, and it was way funny. This one is off to a great start, too. If you (a) are gay, or (b) enjoy hearing a gay person tell hilarious stories, you can’t go wrong with Sedaris. (I’m the latter if anyone is keeping score at home.) If you have the tendency to avoid all things gay, please step away from the bookshelf. However, anyone with a sense of humor ought to enjoy it bunches.

Well, that’s it. A whopping three books on this reading list. Hope you all can keep up.

So here’s the news Hillary shares with us a couple of days ago: her Girls Select Chorus is going to sing backup in a couple of songs for Pat Benatar at a concert in December!!! For a couple of ’80s kids like Jody and I, this is just almost too cool.

Today, Hillary said they found out what songs they’ll be singing. So enjoy a little blast from the past that’s still blasting in the present. Here are YouTube videos of the two songs:

#1: We Belong

#2: We Live For Love

Preacher Ken’s musical topic yesterday was the Beatles’ classic, “Help.” It was interesting to hear what Lennon was thinking when he wrote the lyrics. Here is what he said:

“‘Help!,’ is real, I meant it. The lyric is as good now as it was then. It’s no different, you know, and it makes me feel secure to know that I was aware of myself then. It was just me singing help and I meant it. I don’t like the recording that much; we did it too fast, trying to be commercial. When ‘Help’ came out, I was actually crying out for help. Most people think it’s just a fast rock ‘n’ roll song. I didn’t realize it at the time, I just wrote the song because I was commissioned to write it for the movie. But later, I knew I really was crying out for help. So it was my fat Elvis period. You see the movie – He, I, is very fat, very insecure, and he’s completely lost himself. And I am singing about when I was so much younger and all the rest, looking back at how easy it was. Now I may be very positive, yes, yes, but I also go through deep depressions where I would like to jump out the window, you know. It becomes easier to deal with as I get older, I don’t know whether you learn control or, when you grow up, you calm down a little. Anyway, I was fat and depressed and I was crying out for help.”

Thanks to my friend, Brad, who posted this article from Preacher Mike, who posted it from his friend, Richard.

Here is a link to the original.

Do yourself a favor and add a little culture and beauty to your day by listening to Hillary and her Girl’s Select Chorus perform at Thursday night’s “Cabaret.” For those looking for Hillary, she is second from the right on the second row. Tanner Porter, who I highlighted a couple of days ago, is the celloist. The chorus, however, are all 11-to-13 years old.

Enjoy.

Lots of great music at the Malibu High Choral Department’s presentation of “Cabaret” last evening, so I’m really looking forward to enjoying yet another performance of it tonight (I hear we even get a bunch of new solo performances, too!).

A long time ago I noticed that time and time again the numbers my daughter performed in were always hands-down the best performances of the show. Just turned out that way without fail. (Coincidence you might say, but I think it’s pure talent.) So, over time, I developed this little game where I picked out my favorite performance outside of my daughter’s performances. Sort of a “best of the rest.” Honorable mention, if you will.

Well, last night was sort of hard to choose. I like a little jazz, and I can really get into some blues – and both were represented well last night. And yet, for some reason, the number that really grabbed me was a mournful love ballad as performed by a very talented high schooler named Tanner Porter. She was fantastic.

I’m not up on my mournful love ballads, not to mention that I don’t stay current on music in general. You all may know the work of Rosie Thomas quite well, and I’m just late to arrive once again. If not, I think you’ll be taken by the soulful melody.

Here is Rosie Thomas herself singing “Have You Seen My Love?” on YouTube. Rosie would be proud to know that Tanner did it more than justice last night.

Here’s a link to a few pics I took of Hillary tonight in the choral department’s program at MHS!