my worst nightmare.
written: 9:53 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2006
Let's add another to the list: "I felt the ground beneath me disappear".
By the very virtue that they're cliches, I never quite fully understood their meaning, much like the way an individual word begins to look like gibberish when you repeat it over and over in your head. They're just stock phrases that bad writers use because they lack originality, lack skills, lack style, lack an affinity with the language. For the record, I'd like to believe that I'm above that, and that, when push comes to shove, I'm capable of writing things that are NOT run-of-the-mill; that I'm able to put a new spin on the old; and that I'm able to say a lot without saying anything at all.
But despite that, the only thing that came into my head when Rui announced the person whom I'm up against for the mock trial was, "I felt the ground beneath me disappear."
And for once, I finally understood what those stock phrases mean.
The sad part is, trial advocacy isn't even a real module; it's a pass/fail, you don't even get an official grade, and at the beginning of the course I was all, Well, who the fuck cares?
It's not like I don't already have enough shit to deal with, and now I have to deal with this? Why don't you just KILL ME NOW? I can already see myself standing up and declaring, "No case to answer." Not because the prosecution doesn't have a prima facie case, but because the defence doesn't have a case - and the defence doesn't have a case because the defence "counsel" is an idiot. (So technically "no case to answer" is completely wrong, but hey.)
I.e., that defence "counsel" is ME.
And the prosecution? KW.
What are the odds? The probability was actually 1/8. That's like...I don't know, less than 20%?
SIGH.
Well, on the bright side, Simon is officially my witness. I'm going to make him go for Ben and Jerry's with me after the trial next Wednesday, after KW completely kicks my ass. And he's so totally gonna kick my ass because he's so smart and everything and I know nothing because I'm an idiot and I'm the biggest slacker to ever slack the face of the earth and yeah so I'm really in some pretty deep shit here.
The limited things I know about trials were picked up from watching American movies and TV shows. In fact, I dealt with the cross-examination tutorial by thinking about the trial scene in Veronica Mars - which is actually a very, very bad, un-legal representation of a trial. I don't even remember anything that went on during lectures because I'm a doofus and I don't pay attention in school and well I'm doing the premature freak out and hopefully after watching The Departed tomorrow I'd be inspired by Leonardo DiCaprio's awesomeness and...I don't know, deal with this like mature 20-year-old.
Or something.
Can you tell that this is REALLY BAD? Because it is.
And I still haven't finished reading Mortgages. The chapter starts at 430 and ends at 490-something. And I'm at 440-something. And I don't really understand it because like, what the hell is a 'charge' and why should I care? And I honestly never knew the real meaning of a 'mortgage'. I always thought...well, I never thought anything because I don't think about mortgages and so, yeah.
SIGH.
before sunrise // before sunset
Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010