The Garden

I'll next be visiting the Sackler sometime this summer to see a show featuring Isamu Noguchi's ceramics, produced during three visits to Japan. That exhibit begins this Saturday and runs through September 7.

posted by Jimmy  # 8:35 PM

If I'd had some time today, I was going to try to properly review the Hirshhorn Museum's Gerhard Richter exhibition, which I took in on Saturday. After this long day of work, though, I'm not sure how well I can even remember what I was going to say (or what I saw on Saturday). I like a lot of Richter's work, especially his pieces that are mostly gray or color blocks. I was particularly struck by a couple of all-gray paintings that are all about texture. What's really striking, I think, is how many different types of work Richter has tried. There are abstracts, works that are downright photographic (his photographs are apparently as blurry as mine), plays on the Old Masters, and a lot more. I'm not sure that I can really call myself a Richter fan (few of the pieces really forced me to contend with them, and I often puzzled at his focus on off-the-canvas contexts that just aren't that interesting), but the array of his interests is compelling. I wouldn't recommend a trip to D.C. just to see the exhibit, but it's definitely worth a few hours if you're already there. The exhibit ends on May 18.

I can't wait for the Hirshhorn's next big event, which calls for the entire complex to feature—for the very first time—the museum's permanent collection. I've been to the Hirshhorn so many times that the permanent collection is familiar and comforting. It'll be awfully nice for some of these old friends to be stars again.

posted by Jimmy  # 12:37 AM

While I was in Interior's neighborhood, I happened by the World Bank's InfoShop. I had no idea that the World Bank had a store, but I now know that it's the place to browse for books on international development and culture. I can't imagine how big the market is for books on Albanian agriculture, but I spent a happy hour at the InfoShop looking at books on human rights, the politics of food, and the like.

posted by Jimmy  # 8:01 PM

I always feel so exhilarated and creative when I'm at shows like the Smithsonian's. But a day or two later, like today, I always feel like my normal, steady, lawyerly self. Sigh.

posted by Jimmy  # 6:47 PM

Oh, and Happy Earth Day, too. I guess that one is somewhat better-known.

posted by Jimmy  # 12:14 AM

Empower yourself. Watch TV when it's convenient for you. Television viewers of the world, unite!

Still, the Times article did note one downside to TiVo ownership. If you're not careful, you could end up watching so much television that you don't have a real life anymore. When I first got my unit, I wanted season passes to all my favorite shows, and I also wanted to watch most of the "suggestions" that TiVo recorded based on its ever-changing understanding of my interests. I'd come home and watch episodes of Ground Force, Designing for the Sexes, and Match Game—all before I even started watching what I actually intended to watch in the first place. At some point, I got wise. Just a few more days, though, and I'd probably have been staying up all night, every night, watching Lost in Space and The Facts of Life. Or worse. Ugh.

posted by Jimmy  # 9:27 PM

In completely unrelated news, a recent court decision means that German brothel owners will probably have to start printing price lists for customers. Please add your own punch line here.

posted by Jimmy  # 1:47 PM

You killed the Thursday Technology section. The tech section used to be one of the highlights of my week. What a sweet little section it was! There were columns on computers and games, stories on cool new gadgets, features on technology and culture. You felt smart just reading it. But a couple of years ago, as a cost-cutting measure, you got rid of the entire section. Sure, you let one of the computer columns take up a little space in the business (yawn) section, but it's not the same. Believe me, you don't feel smart reading what's left of the technology coverage. You don't feel anything at all.

You killed the Sunday Books section. This is the kind of stuff readers want from their Sunday paper, you know? It's why we schlep out at 8 a.m. to the newsstand or Wawa (ok, we want bagels, too). We want to settle down with the big paper and read all about the things—books, travel, theater—that we wish we had time in our real lives to enjoy. But, no, you ditched the books section, too. Now poor books columnist Carlin Romano is stuck on a single page of another section with two or three short reviews. And don't tell me that you've increased book reviews on other days. We wanted the Sunday books section, and you knew it. You blew it.

You increased coverage of the suburbs and decreased coverage of the city. I truly don't get this at all. As I understand it, you believed the Inky's circulation was suffering from competition from suburban papers. But I don't know any readers who want to know what's happening in other people's burbs. I sure don't. In fact, I'm probably more interested in Philly politics than in the boring things that are happening in my own township. In any event, your coverage of the suburbs has been nothing short of stultifying.

You've now killed the Sunday Inquirer Magazine. For me, this is the last straw. (And, hey, I'm not alone.) It's clear to me now that you aren't interested anymore in having a serious newspaper. So just ditch the Magazine—and its in-depth coverage of the serious and not-so-serious affairs we're all talking about—and give us the silly Parade insert instead. You've given up; I've given up.

posted by Jimmy  # 7:34 PM

Houston Astros 4, Cincinnati Reds 2. I spent Thursday night at beautiful Minute Maid Park. How nice it must be for Houstonians to have a new downtown stadium. I had a swell seat, directly behind home plate (ok, and 27 rows up). It was a beautiful night, the home team won, and—hey—Nolan Ryan was there, too.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Everyone else at the Museum of Fine Arts on Sunday seemed to be headed to an exhibition of impressionist paintings. Not me. I was interested The History of Japanese Photography, a fascinating, comprehensive survey of Japanese photography. While it's billed as a history of Japanese photography, the viewer really gets of sense of Japanese history (since the Meiji Restoration, anyway) through photography. I easily spent several hours at the exhibition. If you're in the Houston area through April 27, it's something to consider. This summer, the exhibition continues on to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Contemporary Arts Museum: I also caught the just-opened Splat Boom Pow! exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Museum. Splat explores the influence of comics and graphic novels in contemporary art. It was a lot of fun, and—best of all—the Museum was blissfully free of all those people down the street who were trying to see as many impressionist paintings as possible. If I ever become a multimillionaire, I'll lavish my riches on a place as edgy as the Contemporary Arts Museum. (The Museum is also currently featuring the drawings of singer Patti Smith. There's no point going into the exhibit too much here. Suffice it to say that these drawings probably wouldn't be in any museum if the artist weren't otherwise famous. Hmph.)

The Menil Collection: The Menil Collection is a not-so-well-known treasure in Houston that features an odd collection of Medieval, tribal, and twentieth-century art. I particularly enjoyed the Menil's collection of surrealist art, including The Courtesan's Palace by René Magritte. But I was there for the soon-to-close exhibition of minimalist Donald Judd's early works. The exhibition was breathtaking. Who knew that stainless steel and plexiglass could be so, well, spiritual? I'm vowing to get to know more about Judd. And, in that vein, I've decided I want to visit this place, which Judd founded.

posted by Jimmy  # 7:52 PM

And, hey, I guess this means there's actual "news" in the blog. How novel. Watch out, Drudge Report: Here comes the Garden.

posted by Jimmy  # 7:27 PM

By the way, regular blogging will return tomorrow.

posted by Jimmy  # 8:19 PM

Unless you're actually interested in the subject matter, don't take classes to prepare for the bar exam. When I was in law school, people were always trying to scare me into taking classes like Secured Transactions (and it was the most-selected elective class when I was there, I think). It would have been insufferable for me, though, and I'm glad I didn't take it. I learned enough about securities from my bar-review course (and, well, real life) to answer any questions on the bar exam, and I spared myself an entire semester of torment. By the time you take the bar exam or get a job, you won't remember the finer details of your courses, anyway.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking easy classes. Unless you're at Yale, Stanford, or Harvard, your GPA is what potential employers will first look at. Since it's pointless to take classes to prepare for the bar exam (see above), focus on fattening up that GPA. When you're taking something like Federal Courts or Administrative Law, courses that will require some intensive preparation, feel free to take something like, say, Family Law to help you get through the semester. When I took Family Law, I knew I'd never litigate a divorce or prepare a prenup (sorry, antenuptial agreement). But I knew the reading would be fun and that I wouldn't have to work very hard to understand what was going on.

Prepare a schedule that will require you to be at the law school for the fewest number of days—and even hours—possible. Law students are often sponges, soaking up the stress that emanates from classmates. Limit your exposure to this madness. For instance, I decided at some point that I wanted to do federal appellate work after law school. The natural course for me, though, would have been a seminar that met only on Friday mornings. I couldn't do it, and—once again—I don't regret it at all. You need that extra day, away from the law school, to do the reading and writing for your classes and, well, to have an actual life. A corollary to this rule: Don't participate in clinics that will require you to be at the law school for hours and hours each week. You'll have a job soon enough, I swear. Enjoy the time without one.

I don't know how Alice got to be so smart about law school while she was still there, but—trust me—she is.

posted by Jimmy  # 3:06 PM

In the end, I only predicted two of the four ties correctly. Bummer. In my defense, I guess, I had some serious doubts about Russia's chances over Argentina. And, you don't have to believe this, but I would've picked Switzerland over France if I'd known that Fab Santoro would have to go into the line-up. Really. I swear. Fine, don't believe me.

posted by Jimmy  # 12:56 PM

All of the Day 2 doubles action is now complete, too. Australia, Spain, and Argentina all clinched victories. Gosh, the Russians, the defending champions, have played badly in losing to Argentina. And, once again, props to David Nalbandian, the Argentine player who is quickly becoming one of my favorites. In the one still-undecided tie, I continue to like France's chances, but it will surely all come down to tomorrow's first singles match between Sebastien Grosjean and Roger Federer.

posted by Jimmy  # 1:38 PM

France-Switzerland: I'm picking the French team, which is hosting the tie in Toulouse. Sebastien Grosjean is playing singles, and he should win both of his matches. I also like countryman Nicholas Escude's chances of winning at least one singles matches. Switzerland's Roger Federer is an awfully good player, but I haven't liked his form lately. I don't expect him to win more than one singles match (the one against Escude, I guess). I give the Swiss a fair chance in the doubles, but I'd pick the French in that one, too. In the end, I envision a 4-1 win for France.

Sweden-Australia: Sweden is hosting Australia, and this tie should be a lot of fun. I expect World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt to win both of his singles matches, although I have a hunch he'll struggle in at least one match—perhaps his match against Jonas Bjorkman. Hewitt's compatriot Mark Philippousis is ranked higher than either of the two Swedish singles players—Bjorkman and Thomas Enqvist—but I like the Swedes' chances in both matches. They have home-court advantage, after all. However, I give a slight edge to the Australians in what I see as a critical doubles match. Prediction: Australia, 3-2.

Spain-Croatia: Valencia is the site of this tie, and that—and the Spanish red clay—should help spell doom for the underdog Croatians (who took out the U.S. in the first round). I'm a big fan of both Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, but I can't see either of them beating either Juan Carlos Ferrero or Carlos Moya. The Spanish doubles team, which includes the tasty Albert Costa, is a big favorite in my book. Prediction: A 5-0 victory for Spain. (Sorry, Croatia.)

Argentina-Russia: This is the hardest one to pick, I think, not least of all because Russia has not put either Marat Safin or Mikhail Youzhny into the singles line-up. Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov should win both of his singles matches, but he's so inconsistent that, well, that's hard to imagine. I give the Argentine team the edge in the other singles matches if Safin and Youzhny are truly not playing; both David Nalbandian and Gaston Gaudio should defeat Nikolay Davydenko. In the doubles, I like the Russians' chances, even though the match is in Buenos Aires on red clay. All of that could, I guess, mean a 3-2 win for the Argentines, but I just don't see it. Yes, Kafelnikov will probably blow one of his singles matches. But I also fully expect that Davydenko won't actually be playing singles on Day 3. If that happens, and I'm guessing it really will, either Safin or Youzhny will be the victor in a key reverse singles match, giving the edge to the visitors. Prediction: 3-2, Russia. (Warning: I have only moderate confidence in this prediction.)

posted by Jimmy  # 10:14 PM

An hour later I was back on the train, heading home to Minami Senju, wallowing in the sickly sweet surrealness of the moment, and thinking to myself, "Japan must be the only place in the world where an atheist archaeologist can marry two Buddhists in a Christian ceremony and then go home to tell the world about it on his web site."

posted by Jimmy  # 8:11 PM

Maybe we've reached the point where producers can put anyone with half a clue in a studio, prop them up with deft session musicians and make cookie-cutter records that won't thrill the masses but won't be bad enough to make anyone turn the station.

If Jewell doesn't win the recording contract, there's no justice.

posted by Jimmy  # 7:49 PM