Efficiency is NOT just minimizing litigation costs

Efficiency is NOT maximizing one party’s utility

Efficiency does NOT only consider money interests

Let me tell you what efficiency is:

Legal efficiency is maximizing both party’s utility subject to determined rights of the other

Here’s another thing people don’t get about efficiency:

Nominees will be judged on: the creative use of technology for effective teaching and learning; the positive impact of using technology on student learning; and the innovative use or adaptation of contemporary technologies for teaching. A committee comprised of faculty, staff and students will select the award recipients. Please fill out this form: http://www.bc.edu/twin

When students nominate a faculty member, they will automatically be entered to a drawing to win a 16 gig, wi-fi Apple iPad2. Nominations will be accepted during the month of February only!

Boosting the Signal on Your Wireless Router

Get coked up! No... wait that didn't sound right.

Many times we find that we only have a bar or two for our online connectivity unless we are either at school (we have great coverage here) or we are right next to our router at home.  However, the further we move from the source of the wireless signal, the more it degrades until it is lost entirely.  To extend the range of wireless coverage and boost the signal, people typically purchase an item called a “Wireless Repeater” which receives the wireless signal and retransmits it, increasing the effective rang and power of the signal.  These devices average around $80 for a good quality unit.  However, there is a way to life-hack your wireless router to boost your signal at a fraction of the cost.  There are several guides out there for making your own signal boosting antenna, but the one I found the easiest (and most entertaining) is how to make one out of an old soda or beer can.

In this simple guide from theCHIVE.com, we are taught how to use an old can to our advantage.  After cleaning the can out, remove the tab, and remove the base of the can with.  Cut most of the way around the top of the can, and the cut the can along the length of the can (pictures in the guide walk you through this).  When you are done, you have a mini aluminum parabolic dish that simply slides onto the existing antenna on your router.  Point the new antenna in the direction you want to boost the signal and enjoy better wifi!

Boosting Your Computer’s Ability to Receive Wi-Fi

If I could just jam a USB thumb drive into Mickey Mouse's ears I bet I would get a great signal.

Sometimes it is not enough to just boost the output of your router.  Sometimes you want to connect to a really distant wireless signal.  Sometimes you want to steal your neighbor’s internet connection.  Well despite that last one which I do not advocate and you should not do, you can accomplish a better connection via Wi-Fi by building a Wi-Fi receiver for your computer.  Instructables has a great guide on this cheap DIY project.  All you need is a Cooking Strainer, a USB Wireless Thumb Drive, and a USB Extension cable.

By cutting a hole in the center of the strainer and putting the thumb drive in the center of that hole, you can greatly boost the thumb drive’s ability to pick up wireless signals.  The USB extender cable is used to connect the thumb drive to the USB port on your computer.  The strainer acts as an antenna, focusing the wireless signals to the thumb drive.  The one thing this guide doesn’t mention, which can help you boost your ability to pick up singles slightly better is that the thumb drive is more effective if you remove the plastic casing.  VERY carefully remove the plastic casing around the drive and hook it up using the same instructions and you will have a slightly better signal.  If you are at all nervous about opening up the thumb drive, this is not a necessary step.

Save your money a build your own wireless Utopia!

If only watching movies were like this.

With that in mind, I hereby resolve to watch more movies in theatres.  It’s a goal that’s not quite compatible with my weight-loss goals, but it’ll work somehow.  So this edition of film squibs is dedicated to the many movie theatres in Boston.

Museum of Fine Arts

Yes, the MFA in Boston has a film program, and a fine one at that.  Tickets are typically $9 to $11 and you should always remember to bring your student ID with you. Currently, they are running the Boston Festival of Films From Iran.  I am most excited about the Studio Ghibli (the fine folks that set the standard for Japanese animated movies by making films like Totoro and Nausicaa) series that will run from February 1 to the 19.

Website:http://www.mfa.org/programs/film

Coolidge Corner Theatre

A nice little spot right in Coolidge Corner, which is just a T-ride away (after you take two shuttles from the law school…). Ticket prices also hover around the $9 range. They tend to show classic throwbacks, independent films, and foreign films in addition to the regular fare. For example, this Friday and Saturday they are showing Battle Royale in the middle of the night. I will be there to watch this movie in all its absurd glory.

Website:http://www.coolidge.org/

Kendall Square Cinema and the Embassy Cinema (Landmark Theatres)

Kendall Square Cinema is, well, around Kendall square, but if you plan on going there by T remember it’s going to be a walk from the nearest T stop. I guess that won’t be a problem unless global warming slows down. They do have a parking garage and you can get your ticket validated for a fee, but it’s worth the price since Cambridge is a tough place to find parking. The theatre itself is quite nice, they too have a good selection of popular and independent movies

The Embassy Cinema is conveniently located right near LAB, so if you’re in clinic or in Waltham killin’ it at one of the many Indian buffets on Moody Street, this is a nice theatre to go to at the end of the day. They have fewer screens than the Kendall, but they also have a nice selection of popular/independent movies.

Website:http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/Boston/KendallSquareCinema.htm

Website:http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/Boston/EmbassyCinema.htm

West Newton Cinema

This is that random movie theatre that you pass when you drive down Washington Street towards Blue Ribbon BBQ from school. It’s a five minute drive from school and the theatre itself has a small but decent selection. I’ve only come here twice; their tickets are $10 and the theatre feels a little… old, to put it nicely. But this place does manage to surprise me with its selection. Sometimes I’ll hear of a movie and it will only be playing here.

Website:http://www.westnewtoncinema.com/

Jordan’s IMAX Theatre

Yes, Jordan’s is a furniture store, and yes they have a movie theatre inside of it. Why don’t more furniture stores do this? The seats in this place are fantastic, AND they rumble. The novelty hasn’t worn off for me. I actually haven’t seen a 3-D movie here, but I remember watching Inception there and it was an incredible experience. There aren’t too many seats in this place and the screen size will likely overwhelm you.

They have two locations: Natick and Reading. I usually go to the one in Natick because it’s by the Natick Collection and there is more life, generally, around the Natick Jordan’s. Ticket prices aren’t too much more (online they list $12.75) and so if there’s a movie worth watching on the big screen, I would watch it here.

Website:http://www.jordans.com/imax.aspx

Loews and AMC

And of course you have your generic movie theatre chains all over town. I have nothing against them, really. If they were playing a movie that I wanted to go watch, I would watch it anywhere. I don’t think I need to say much about these guys except, well, they’re everywhere. The closest ones to school (besides the West Newton Theatre) is probably the AMC in Chestnut Hill. But if you lived in Brighton/Allston, you can hop on the T to go to AMC Fenway or the Boston Common Loews, or even take the bus from Reservoir to Harvard Square. There are options.

If you know of any exciting film festivals or if I’ve missed any spots, please share the wealth in a comment.

The New England Patriots won 13 games, clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and are now headed to the Super Bowl.

That may look like the resume of a great team, but the Patriots path to the championship game has been relatively easy.  They managed to earn the best regular season record in their conference despite not beating a team with a winning record.  Then, thanks to a first-round upset by the 8-8 Denver Broncos, leading to a Denver-New England matchup, the Patriots were in position to advance to within a game of the Super Bowl while maintaing their dubious distinction.  After a victory over the Broncos, the Patriots would finally have to beat a team which won more games than it lost during the season.   And thanks to a dropped touchdown reception and a missed short field goal, the Patriots managed to emerge victorious from that challenge.   So with one game left in the season, the Patriots have an opportunity to prove they are the best team in football.

Bring on the 7-loss Giants.

You might ask, “FrugalMan, you’re telling me I can save time and money rather than just saving money, which is what you focused on primarily before?  Why have you been holding out on us?”  Well, I don’t have time to discuss this invasion in a committee, but the fact of the matter is that the focus of lifehacking tends to be DIY (Do It Yourself) with a sub-emphasis on money, while I have been emphasizing money.  But I feel that most lifehacking ideas get very little exposure and use due to obscurity, so it is time to help you save money, save time, and drag these great ideas into the light.

This week’s lifehacking segment will focus on two lifehacks: making your own outdoor stove with almost nothing and how to grow your own potatoes very efficiently.

BUILD YOUR OWN (one use) STOVE

Many of us dream of the day when we can afford the $1,599 top of the line ultra-grill to make our outdoor cooking experience feel like a Sweedish massage.  However unless you have money to burn or you are expecting gifts from a wedding registry (please be reading this article, my future wedding guests) you will typically settle for the $20-$100 regular grills.  But what if you don’t want to spend even that, or what if you are out camping and need something to cook with, or what if you are Bear Grylls?

You can build your own outdoor stove with nothing more than a log, a saw, some newspaper, and a frying pan.  The good folks at EnglishRussia (via Lifehacker) are here to show you how.  You just need to 1) find a log 2) cut the log most of the way through like cutting a pizza (they use a chainsaw but you can use a hand saw, it will just take longer) 3) fill the gaps in the log with newspaper 4) light the newspaper 5) use the top of the log as your stove top using your frying pan or grill.

GROW YOUR OWN POTATOES

A few years ago, The Seattle Times (via TipNut) had a great article on growing your own potatoes.  Their guide yields 100lbs of potatoes in just 4 square feet of garden space, so even if you don’t have space for a traditional garden you can still make some great goodies.  These won’t be Idaho potatoes (unless you actually bring in the same soil and nutrients found in Idaho) but freshly plucked and cooked potatoes are AMAZING!  Plus you end up paying several cents on the dollar per potato this way.  I hope you like spuds!

The basic idea is to build a planter box to house the potatoes so they grow above ground.  As the plant grows, you add more layers to the top of the box so that the plant keeps growing upwards to reach sunlight.  You add more dirt and more boards until you reach the height you desire for your planter.  Then, when you are ready to harvest potatoes you simply take off a lower board and pluck out the potatoes.  Then you can replace the soil and the boards and keep growing them.  Fresh, delicious, cheap, and convenient potatoes.

I have been aching to do this lifehack, but I have been renting an apartment for the past few years.  I need to try talking my landlords into allow me to give this a try behind his garage.  Combine this with a standard flower pot of scallions and you have half of a diner.

I’ll admit, as a first year law student, last semester was a little rough. Legal writing took getting used to. Outlining was a new and unparalleled experience. And I am still unsure how to handle being outside of the library during daylight hours. Yet perhaps more than anything, the greatest challenge of the past semester was getting acclimated to life in Cleveland Circle.

As a native-born Manhattanite, Cleveland Circle leaves a lot to be desired. Not just because the buildings are not tall enough, but also because of our location at the end of the B and C lines. The entire area has a provincial feel and one is constantly reminded that we are not quite in the city nor quite outside of it either.

The lack of a thriving nearby commercial center is also disconcerting. The best of our commercial outlets consist of a few bars, a 7-Eleven, Applebees, and a CVS. Our cultural attractions include a closed-down movie theater and a Dunkin Donuts. And if that wasn’t depressing enough, our daily commute involves walking passed a cemetery.

Yet, all is not lost. Starbucks is coming.

I am not a coffee aficionado, corporate spokesperson, or Starbucks fiend, but I recognize that the establishment of a Starbucks is a monumental achievement for our deprived cloister. As great as Roggies may be, there is no real meeting place in Cleveland Circle. Similarly, the Dunkin Donuts has the ambiance of a McDonalds.

There is simply no amiable study space to enjoy a cup of quality coffee or behave like the yuppies that we are.

Some may point out that there are already two Starbucks on Washington St. and one in Coolidge Corner. But who wants to wait around for the T just to grab a cup of coffee?

While I’m on the subject of unnecessary commutes, where’s our supermarket? Is it too much to ask that a captive population of thousands of BC students not have to use public transportation just to get access to basic food supplies? Sure we have a Tedeschi, 7-Eleven, CVS, and convenience store all located within a block of each other, but wouldn’t a single supermarket replace the need for them and create the opportunity for better venues? Isn’t the old movie theater the perfect place for a new supermarket? Its a great size located in a convenient place and already has a parking lot. In contrast, the Star Market is just too far for those who live further up Comm Ave. This isn’t a matter of laziness, just sheer inconvenience. After all, would you want to walk five to ten minutes downhill just to wait for the T?

Likewise, as great as Wholefoods may be, it is not as accessible as the movie theater, offers a more obscure selection, and is more expensive. It’s a great resource, but supplements rather than satisfies our existing needs.

Despite my criticisms, Cleveland Circle holds a lot of promise. Hopefully the Starbucks will highlight its potential and bring a wave of development that reinvigorates this dying neighborhood and replaces the excess of meagerly-stocked food-supply stores with new and dynamic venues, places that offer communal meeting spaces, and if nothing else- a supermarket. We deserve no less.

$10.50/hr, 35 hrs/wk for 10-12 weeks beginning around Memorial Day.

Must be work study eligible for the summer.

E-mail cover letter and resume to Lynn Barenberg at barenber@bc.edu.

Please include the name of your LRRW instructor.

Deadline for applications:

Monday January 23, 2011, 5:00pm

Archer. AKA, the new king of animated comedy.

I only discovered Archer at the end of fall semester, after emerging from the Cave of 1L Hell. It has all the freshness that South Park hasn’t really had since the 1990’s (when it was parodied by the Animorphs…ah, those were the days*), and adds a dose of crazy that will leave you gaping, or probably covering your face with your hands.

For those who haven’t heard of this show, Archer is a new animated TV series created by Adam Reed (of Frisky Dingo), set at a spy agency in New York City in an ambiguous time setting. The characters talk and act like they belong in the 21^st century, but the technology looks like it’s from the 1970’s and so do the clothes.  The characters, who are all members of the spy agency, are dysfunctional, neurotic, and frequently appalling, and the worst (best?) of them is Sterling Archer. Sterling Archer is an egotistic, oversexed spy who kind of has a thing for his mom (who also happens to be his boss, and is also oversexed, and…look, I didn’t write this) and is more or less the main protagonist. He is the show’s breakout character and he, along with the rest of the cast, the running gags and generally excellent writing, makes the show what it is.

Why do I think it’s better than South Park? It’s funnier, its trademark phrases aren’t in danger of getting tired yet, the writing is consistently great (South Park’s has been so-so lately), and the sheer WTF-ery of the plot and dialogue will keep you coming back for more.

Now if only they could create a law school spoof… (Are you reading this, Adam Reed?)

*Hey, the Animorphs were awesome, and would’ve been awesomer in the hands of a better author.

The first two come from Judge Richard Posner on the 7th Circuit (who is the most-cited legal scholar of the 20th century and whose scathing law review article I also noted here).

This first excerpt is from his opinion in Hoctor v. Department of Agriculture concerning a rule about confining certain animals:

“Even Big Cats are not safe outside their compounds, and with a lawyer’s ingenuity the Department’s able counsel reminded us at argument that if one of those Cats mauled or threatened a human being, the Cat might get into serious trouble and thus it is necessary to protect human beings from Big Cats in order to protect the Cats from human beings, which is the important thing under the Act.”  (emphasis original) 82 F.3d 165 (1996)

“The ostrich is a noble animal, but not a proper model for an appellate advocate. (Not that ostriches really bury their heads in the sand when threatened; don’t be fooled by the picture below.) The “ostrich-like tactic of pretending that potentially dispositive authority against a litigant’s contention does not exist is as unprofessional as it is pointless.” Mannheim Video, Inc. v. County of Cook, 884 F.2d 1043, 1047 (7th Cir.1989), quoting Hill v. Norfolk & Western Ry., 814 F.2d 1192, 1198 (7th Cir.1987).”  662 F.3d 931 (2011)

Judge Posner then inserted a picture of an ostrich with its head in the sand followed by an image of a man in a suit in the same position.  The man was supposed to represent David “Mac” McKeand, one of the lawyers in the case.

This last opinion is only a few weeks old and was written in rhyme by Justice J. Michael Eakin of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (who was criticized for this behavior in the past). In Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Goodson, he begins:

“In January, 2001, appellant’s car was in a collision.

His insurer totaled the aging New Yorker, then made a just division

of the value of the insurance claim, sending $6,289 to the lender;

the balance of $135, to appellant they made tender.

And thus the matter terminated, or so one might have thought,

but that was not to be, when Goodson’s later schemes were caught” 2011 WL 6792885 / 2011 Pa. LEXIS 3096  (2011)

It goes on like that for pages.  I won’t ruin the ending for you but you can read it by clicking the link above.   Unfortunately, neither Lexis nor Westlaw seems able to keep the opinion in stanza format.