LVL 33 Dork

A fellow fantasy geek pointed this out to me:

Yep… that’s about right.

Bring-on the boys of summer.

But I'm Not Dead Yet

I started this blog for a few reasons. If I am to be completely honest, the main reason was envy. My friend and former roommate Mr. Whiting, was a guest commentator on his friend’s flashy blog.* I was jealous of the creative outlet, and like most lawyers, thought that I had all kinds of interesting options to share with the interwebs.

Unfortunately, I was also painfully aware of how far my writing skills lagged behind my law school classmates. I figured that the easiest way to improve my written prose would be to find a “fun” writing activity that I could enjoy on a regular basis. The MN Life was a great vehicle for this kind of needed self improvement.

Once the ball was rolling, I enjoyed the diversion from mundane legal writing. No fact checking, boring research, or blue-booking. It was also a frequent in class mental-vacation. If one of my law professors was off on a tangent, rambling needlessly, I could tune him or her out and bang-out a quick post.

Then law school ended, most of my blogging-motivation stayed behind with it. But I felt compelled to keep posting. I had started something that I was proud of, and it seemed like a shame to let The MN Life die.

But as you can see, if The MN Life isn’t dead it’s fair to say it has been in a coma for quite a while. Consider this post the equivalent of my beloved blog blinking its eyes. I maintain hope that a full recovery is possible.

But chances are, life** will again get in the way. But I and my blog still have a pulse, and will not go quietly into the night. Will there be periods of silence, absolutely. But expect, at the very least, sporadic posts.

* My envy has since been completely justified. 'Duk is now a bonafide professional blogger for Yahoo Sports.
** and laziness

Brett Favre Retires

A pall has fallen over the land of beer, cheese, and sausages. One of the greatest, and arguably most-beloved, athletes of all time has decided to retire. Brett Favre has been one of the best QBs the NFL has ever seen.

His exploits as a gun-slinging iron-man have been well documented. He played every down with the same wry smile on his face. National media fawned over him. Opposing teams hated him, yet they respected him. Packer fans worshiped #4.

As a Viking fan I always wavered between loathing Favre every time he demolished my beloved Purple, and being in awe of the truly unique and spectacular plays he routinely made. It was always difficult as a Viking fan to appreciate that he was one of the greatest ever, especially when he took my team out behind the shed for a good old Mississippi style whoop’n. But even in a monumental Viking defeat, I could still occasionally bring myself to admire his talent. Even against rival teams, when the Packers where rolling, he never rubbed an opponents face in a Packer victory. Sure, he could trash-talk with the best of them. But he was never classless.


Anyone who has watched the NFL over the last 1-5 years has come to know a lot about Farve. Other than the times Terrell Owens acted-up and monopolized the attention of the national media, Favre dominated national football coverage. It isn’t surprising that the national media latched on to him. Farve always paired an awe-shucks personality with a visible joy about playing football. The fun-loving southern boy was disarming as well as charming.

He went through his ups and downs, the pain-killer addiction, Super Bowl victories, his wife’s cancer, MVPs, and his father’s death. The roller-coaster ride that accompanied his career made Favre the football god, still seem human. He never forgot where he came from, nor did his demeanor change. He was always simply Brett Farve.

Now it appears that the legend is finished. There can be little doubt that Favre will always be considered one of the greatest QBs of all time. And more than any other record, Favre’s consecutive games played streak will serve as his NFL eulogy. While there was no shortage of amazing moments and accolades throughout his career, they all pale in comparison to the fact that he started every single game for 16+ years. From the day he got the starting job until the day he retired Brett Favre gave a whole-hearted performance every time he stepped onto the football field.

Brett Favre is a man who created a myth. Goodbye #4.

Happy Valentines Day!

If you've got someone... be thankful.

If you don't... be thankful.

If Stallone Can Do It...

In my opinion, Harrison Ford can make Indiana Jones moves for as long as he can walk. I can't wait to see Dr. Jones again this summer. "Dun-dun-DAH, dun-dun-da... dun-dun-DA-dun-DAH, dun-da-da-dah-dah."

Ann Coulter Opens Her Mouth… And Says Something Silly

It is official; Ann Coulter and the rest of the Far-Right-Wing-Nuts have lost their marbles. (Not that they had far to go to begin with) I’m surprised that Ms. I-Would-Eat-My-Young-If-They-Were-Liberals’ head didn’t explode when she said she would vote for Hilary over McCain in the general election. To say this revelation is shocking is one of the biggest understatements this year.

I mean come-on. Has it gotten that bad for the extreme conservatives of the world? Is Ann Coulter serious about voting for an avowed enemy over a moderate conservative? I think somebody needs a time-out.

Ann Coulter is acting like a child. (Even more than usual) More accurately, like a child that has gotten her way for far too long, that now, is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that it is someone else’s turn. Ms. Coulter and her fellow uber-conservatives have had their hero in the White House for 8 years. But apparently, that’s not enough.

What shocked me the most about Coulter’s statements was the sheer idiocy of her shortsightedness. The American Electorate is in no mood to elect another fiercely conservative ideologue as their Commander-In-Chief. If the Republican Party is going to win the Presidency this November, its only chance is with a moderate conservative like McCain. There is little to no chance that the Republicans will win the general election if the party bows to Coulters wishes, and nominates Romney (who has questionable conservative credentials himself) or Huckabee (Who has some fanciful and potentially disastrous tax reform ideas).

McCain is the conservatives’ best, and in my opinion only, hope for victory this November. But if they continue with this senseless hand-wringing and nashing of their collective conservative teeth, conservatives face the possibility of having little or no input in the next administration.

But hey, what do I know? I predicted Edwards over Giuliani.

General Butt Naked...

When I first saw the story headline "Gen. Butt Naked, Liberian ex-rebel leader, confesses to killing thousands" I thought it was some kind of joke. Sounds more like a pornstar or WWF name than that of a depraved, ruthless killer. Curious about how an African warlord got such a name, I read the story.

Turns out General Butt Naked's came by his name honestly. His army would charge into battle, yep you guessed it... naked. While it is wrong on a number of levels to make light of mass murder, I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at the thought of hundreds of armed men charging through a jungle completely naked.

The general sent his soliders into battle naked to "terrify the enemy." Again, not to make light of vile atrocities, but I don't think terror would be my first reaction to hundereds of butt naked soliders running at me... at least not until they got really close.

Debt Collectors Aren't This Bad

These two stories are beyond sad...

Piggy Bank Raiding

Don't Worry Sis, You Won't Need that Ring in Heaven

Oh, and Ambular and I heard Brian Williams say "Off the hook" while describing the early results of the Iowa Caucus last night. Come-on Brian, you're better than that.

My, My Where Does the Time Go: Or How I Learned to Embrace My New Career

It amazes me how quickly two months can fly-by. Time moves especially swiftly around the holidays. Family commitments, traveling, holiday parities, and year-end busy work crowd the calendar. And this has been an especially frantic season for me, that whole career-thingy takes up a lot of my time.

Overall I cannot complain. I’ve got a great support staff, my official duties take me out of the office 2-4 times a week, I have an incredible amount of autonomy, and an office with a view. All in all, there are very few things I would change. And we all know that no job is perfect.

Today the office was closed, but I came in anyway. No, I’m not trying to kiss-up, none of superiors were in today. No, I’m not a work-a-holic… yet. More than anything, I wanted a chance to be in the office without all the usual distractions. No phone calls, no emails, no questions, and none of the usual day-to-day busy work.

For those of you who do not know me, my dad is an attorney as well. He would routinely head to his office on Sundays after church, and most holidays. As a child I thought my dad was insane… for his unnatural work schedule and many other reasons.

Most of you can relate to the euphoric feeling of being a child with the day, week, or even month off from school. Going to school on a weekend or holiday break? That would take nothing less than a small miracle. As a child I thought my dad was breaking the very laws of nature, so I would constantly question him:

“Dad, why did you go to the office? IT’S Sunday.”

He’d predictably reply, “It’s the only time I can get any work done.”

Now I understand.

(Cue “Cats In the Cradle” – I prefer the Johnny Cash version)


Happy New Year! Have a great 2008.

I am The Reaper… Coo Coo, Ka, Choo

As a debt collector I rarely see people on their best day. Many times, an outstanding debt is the least of a person’s worries. Some wheel oxygen tanks into the courtroom, others suffer from permanent disability, and almost everyone we sue appears beaten and battered from life in general. Generally, if you meet a debt collector in court, something has gone terribly wrong.

At times I feel like the grim reaper himself. Instead of a scythe, I carry a stack of files. Instead of a black cape, I wear a black suit. Instead of taking a life or soul, I demand money.

Facing the meek and defeated debtors is probably the worst part of my job. They know they owe the money, they are typically embarrassed about their inability to pay, and they would pay me a nickel if they only had a dime. I hate adding to their burden.

On the flipside, I take guilty pleasure in suing the occasional arrogant, self-righteous, chronic complainer I meet. They act as if the world owes them. They accuse me of being rude just because I will not just wave my hand and make a debt they incurred go away. Few grasp the concept that I, personally, am not the creditor. They generally (in my mind) get what they deserve.

Who's Naughty Now?