2YS, Teaching, Fountain, Iron

Reading: The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch, with Jeffrey Zaslow
Watching: To Rabu Ru #1 (To Love Ru, pronounced "tora-buru" which sounds like the Japanese pronunciation of "trouble")

I have a ritual that I like to go through when it comes to academic papers. I like to front load the work, and that way have a polished draft ready for professorial consumption at least a day or two in advance of the actual due date.

Why?

Because at our core, we're all show boaters, in our own little way. Some are more overt at it than others. Me, I subscribe to the precept that the loudest voice isn't necessarily the one with the biggest impact. Like the old proverb, it isn't the howling winds or pouring rain that defines strength amidst a hurricane; it's the tiny leaf unmoved by the storm. Turning in a paper 24-48 hours before it's due is just my way of saying to myself (and OK--a subliminal message to the professor) that I'm confident in the work I've done, and that I recognize when a work is as done as it can be. Running backs do their end-zone dance when they score a touchdown; I turn in papers a bit early when I'm sure that they're ready to go. Different manifestations of the same sweet, sweet feeling.

*

I've been putting a lot of thought into how I will spend my remaining year of law school, especially since I most likely won't be using my degree to practice law any time soon. As I plan to be parlaying my experiences into a writing career, I've been actively searching for ways to tailor my remaining law school courses to best suit that objective. A part of that search made me decide to apply for positions as a T.A. and a S.W.A. next fall.

The first acronym you probably know: as a teaching assistant for the 1L Legal Practice course, I'll be helping the fall's 1Ls muddle through their transition from undergraduate writing to full-blown legal writing and research. It's a sometimes tumultuous road, I know, so I'm happy to help. And you know the funny thing about teaching? Often times the teacher learns just as much in the process. I just got the OK earlier this week, so I know that I will be one of the TAs this fall.

The second acronym builds off the first: senior writing associates make themselves available for one-on-one sessions with anyone who needs help with a paper, giving them feedback and advice. I'm especially looking forward to this, since this writer-to-writer critique is more up my alley than the general guidance that T.A.s provide, but I don't yet know whether I'll be tapped as one this coming semester.

Here's hoping!

*

I can't quite recall what exactly spawned my initial interest in fountain pens. I do remember my first one: a blue Pilot Birdie that should still be around somewhere--but which I haven't seen for ages.

I promised pictures of my fountain pen acquisitions, so:






This is the first of my recent acquisitions: a Lamy Vista. It's basically a clear (or "demonstrator") version of the very popular Safari, which is widely regarded as the best entry-level fountain. Great flow, solid design, and an optional converter for using your own inks.

This is what I stepped up to last week:



It's a Pilot/Namiki Capless. In the States, the "Capless" is a single model, known as the Vanishing Point. In Japan, it's three: the Capless, the Decimo, and the Fermo. The Decimo is a lighter, skinnier version of the Capless, while the Fermo uses a twist mechanism rather than the clicker. The pen pictured above is a blue Decimo, which I had to import from Japan. Very, very smooth, some nice flex in the tip, and the clicking mechanism works like a dream. The only downside? The click can be awfully loud in a quiet room.



These are Noodler's inks--the one on the right is "Bulletproof Black"--so named because of its resistance to UV light, time, water, and other solvents. The other ink is a colonial-style indigo blue called "Baystate Blue," which is very finicky and feathery to use, but has a very appealing hue.

*

This Friday heralds what for me is the best superhero film of this summer, and--just perhaps--the best of all time. Others may be more skeptical, but every indication I've seen tells me that Iron Man will be up there with Spider-Man 2 and Batman Begins at the very pinnacle of the superhero genre--if not above them. Robert Downey, Jr. wouldn't have been the one I'd peg for Tony Stark, but from the trailer material I've seen, the role fits like a glove. I may be biased, since Iron Man is my favorite superhero among the U.S. Marvel/D.C. pantheon, but I have a very good sense of when a movie is shaping up to be something special. (Yes, count that as a prediction: sight unseen, Iron Man will be the new benchmark for the superhero genre.) More than that, all of the best movies I've seen in recent memory have had a release date only a day from an important due date on my schedule. Serenity, for example, I saw on opening day--the day before the LSAT. Here, Iron Man will open the day after the fore-mentioned 2YS paper is due.

Desk, Keyboard, Pen

Watched: The Green Mile; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Dan in Real Life
Typing on: Diatec Filco Majestouch FKB104M/EB

I promised updates about the new desk, so:

The new desk is really three pieces: the hutch (top part with cabinets), the credenza (the desk space where my computer, monitor, lamp, etc. reside), and a mobile 3-drawer pedestal. The pedestal can be wheeled out a bit to provide additional surface space.

Of course, the purpose of the six-foot long desk space is to spread things out.


Up until today, I've been using a Kinesis Ergonomic Advantage Keyboard, which is very comfortable and easy to touch-type on, but is a bit too thick for the new setup. I discovered a specialty keyboard shop the last time I was in Akihabara, and spent a good forty five minutes testing the various display models--including a Happy Hacking Keyboard, which I found to be something of a letdown, given the hype and the price tag. However, I fell in love with another Japan-only keyboard: the Filco Majestouch. The Majestouch is actually a series of keyboards, all of which impressed me mightily. Unfortunately, the keyboard was approximately five pounds, and bulky--not something I wanted to lug back with me (along with ~25 pounds of doujinshi and other anime/manga paraphernalia) on the overnight bus to Kobe. (I did end up lugging back a metal airsoft gun, but that's beside the point.) Only recently did I find a website willing to ship a Majestouch to the U.S., which brings us to today:

It uses the brown Cherry keyswitches that most typing enthusiasts recommend (though I recently discovered that the Kinesis does too), but the typing sound and tactile quality are, for lack of a better description, utterly addictive. The anti-slip matte finish on the keys, overall heft, and, to top it all off, blue LED lock indicators (all Filco keyboards using Cherry browns apparently use the blue variety) made this a must-buy for me. One user on a keyboard forum describes this model as "a typist's nirvana"--and I'd have to say that, for the most part, he's right.

Oh yes--and the tiny computer that crept into the last few pictures is my 2G Asus EEE laptop, which is now my primary school computer, allowing the Vaio to assume the role of desktop computer. Both seem happy in their roles.

I've also been dabbling in fountain pens again, but I'll save the pics for next time.