Rohit's Realm

Rohit's Realm http://www.rohitsrealm.com The thoughts, observations, and rants of the proverbial disgruntled graduate student. en-us Copyright (c) 2001-2007, Rohit Nafday. All Rights Reserved. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:34:45 -0700 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:34:45 -0700 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss rohit@rohitsrealm.com webmaster@rohitsrealm.com Rohit's Realm Feed Generator v1.0 Second Time's (Still) Not a Charm http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/26/second-times-still-not-a-charm/ Nary three weeks after <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/08/my-romantic-quest-from-cynicism-to-nihilism-part-2/" title="My Romantic Quest: From Cynicism to Nihilism (Part 2)">announcing</a> the continuation of my much-touted <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2005/11/04/my-romantic-quest-from-cynicism-to-nihilism-part-1/" title="My Romantic Quest: From Cynicism to Nihilism (Part 1)">romantic quest</a> (to ruin my life), and hardly a year after <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/05/24/perfect-strangers/" title="Perfect Strangers">finding</a>—and losing—a potential <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2005/10/29/on-soulmates/" title="On Soulmates">soulmate</a>, I once again found myself on a flight, this time from Orange County, Calif., to Chicago, Ill., seated next to an (attractive) woman and engrossed in conversation. As the flight lifted off, and as the brief initial exchange with the passenger in the window seat gave way to a conversation interesting enough such that I was persuaded to put down the (obviously pretentious) book in my hand, my thoughts immediately turned to that fateful trip last year and the opportunity I had let pass me by. Determined not to let the pitch sail by yet again, I steadied myself for the swing. The second time would be the charm, I assured myself. Alas, if only it were so. Unfortunately, as much as I would like to report to you, dear readers, that my second foray into meeting potential soulmates on airplanes was more successful than my first, I cannot. This is, after all, the <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/" title="Rohit's Realm">Realm</a>, a place of <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/03/01/contentment-and-complacency/" title="Contentment and Complacency">little happiness</a> and <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/06/25/the-lady-in-pink-and-my-failure-to-capitalize/" title="The Lady in Pink (and My Failure to Capitalize)">less success</a>, a place where there are no happy endings, only <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/03/11/deleveraging-the-personal-brand/" title="Deleveraging the Personal Brand">soul-crushing disappointments</a> and <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/06/on-being-an-addict/" title="On Being an Addict">heart-wrenching failures</a>. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/26/second-times-still-not-a-charm/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/26/second-times-still-not-a-charm/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:22:28 -0700 Rohit Reviews: In Cold Blood http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/21/rohit-reviews-in-cold-blood/ <div class="photobar"> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0679745580.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg" alt="Capote, In Cold Blood"> </div> Considering that my taste in <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/catalog/book/" title="Book Catalog">books</a> in recent years has tended towards <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/01/24/rohit-reviews-the-brothers-karamazov/" title="Rohit Reviews: The Brothers Karamazov">dense</a> and <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/05/24/rohit-reviews-the-age-of-reason/" title="Rohit Reviews: The Age of Reason">depressing</a>, I thought I would take a break this summer for some lighter reading. Truman Capote's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Blood-Truman-Capote/dp/0679745580/rohsrea-20/" title="Truman Capote, In Cold Blood">In Cold Blood</a> was probably not the best way to accomplish my goal. The novel, which incidentally was the subject of the 2005 film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379725/" title="Capote (2005)">Capote</a>, is often described as a <q>masterpiece.</q> I would not necessarily go as far, but I do not know that I can articulate why. Certainly, it was good, and after a slow start, I got so into it that I finished it in one marathon sitting this past Sunday. And as all reviews are want to do, I too can (and briefly will) gush on how it paints a vivid portrait of the men who perpetrated a senseless crime that ended the lives of four very sympathetic people. The manner in which Capote portrays the killers—without condemnation, almost sympathetically—is truly a masterful accomplishment. So why the hesitation at describing it as a masterpiece? I think, in the end, it is not a reflection on this novel, but only that I have read others which I found to be <q>better.</q> That said, I would still recommend it to all but the most squeamish. It is well-written, quickly read, and if nothing else, brings to life a horrific true story from forty years past. Four stars of five. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/21/rohit-reviews-in-cold-blood/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/21/rohit-reviews-in-cold-blood/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:35:25 -0700 New York, It's Been Real http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/19/new-york-its-been-real/ For those following along, my awesome (and awesomely dysfunctional!) <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/06/17/welcome-to-new-york-bum-style/" title="Welcome to New York, Bum-Style">bum-filled</a>, <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/12/the-jungle/" title="The Jungle">bridge-and-tunnel supported</a> summer in New York, N.Y., has finally wound to a close. As I fought unusually strong suicidal impulses upon arriving in much-loathed <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/04/11/escape-from-hyde-park/" title="Escape from Hyde Park">Hyde Park</a> and prepared for another year of dodging bullets and avoiding vagabonds, marauders, and socially inept undergrads, I could not help but miss New York, despite having spent only a few short months there. But enough of that sentimental shit. This ain't a site about gushing about the <a href="http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/05/17/the-past-will-tear-us-apart/" title="The Past Will Tear Us Apart">past</a>; it is a blog about <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/10/03/age-and-accomplishment/" title="Age and Accomplishment">inadequacy</a>, <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/06/25/the-lady-in-pink-and-my-failure-to-capitalize/" title="The Lady in Pink (and My Failure to Capitalize)">failure</a>, <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/09/30/why-more-douchebaggery-is-better-for-law-students/" title="Why More Douchebaggery is Better (for Law Students)">self-loathing</a>, and <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/06/14/contemplations-on-killing-oneself/" title="Contemplations on Killing Oneself">suicide</a>. Why talk about love when one can speak of hate? Why engage in nostalgia when one can revel in anger? Without further adieu, I present some of the things I will not miss about New York, and round out the post with some things I still hate about Chicago/Hyde Park. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/19/new-york-its-been-real/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/19/new-york-its-been-real/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:49:14 -0700 The Other One: Confessions of an Unapologetic Adulterer http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/10/the-other-one-confessions-of-an-unapologetic-adulterer/ News that former presidential candidate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards">John Edwards</a> lied about an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/us/politics/09edwards.html" title="Edwards Admits to Affair in 2006">extramarital affair</a> got me thinking about my own licentious ways and especially the torrid—and tawdry!—affair that I have been carrying on for past few years. Since it has transitioned from the realm of mere physical attraction to that of true emotional attachment, I can no longer keep it a secret. And unlike Messr. Edwards, who in a race to the bottom justified his affair on the basis that his wife's cancer was in remission, I will not attempt to effect disingenuous contrition; I stand proud and unapologetic over my adulterous ways. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/10/the-other-one-confessions-of-an-unapologetic-adulterer/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/10/the-other-one-confessions-of-an-unapologetic-adulterer/ Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:01:15 -0700 My Romantic Quest: From Cynicism to Nihilism (Part 2) http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/08/my-romantic-quest-from-cynicism-to-nihilism-part-2/ Almost three years ago in a <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2005/11/04/my-romantic-quest-from-cynicism-to-nihilism-part-1/" title="My Romantic Quest: From Cynicism to Nihilism (Part 1)">seminal entry</a> commemorating the fourth anniversary of the venerable <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/" title="Rohit's Realm">Realm</a>, I set forth this site's (and consequently, my own) <q>life plan</q> for the decade to come. Invoking both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Faulkner" title="William Faulkner">Faulkner</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron" title="Lord Byron">Byron</a>, I reasoned that the only way to move beyond the petulant and aimless attacks upon <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/category/homeless/" title="Homelessness">Berkeley bums</a> that dominated this site was to embrace a path of unchecked self-destruction, in turn becoming a better writer. And how exactly was I going to destroy my life? Simple: <q>meet the woman of my dreams, fall madly in love, be overwhelmed by hope and joy, and then have the said woman break my heart beyond repair, leaving me in a state of ever-worsening despair, unable to find love or happiness ever again</q> (emphasis original). So, why do I bring any of this up on this day of all days? Well, today is August 8, 2008, which means I only have a little over four years in which to get married. Needless to say, shit has gotten real. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/08/my-romantic-quest-from-cynicism-to-nihilism-part-2/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/08/my-romantic-quest-from-cynicism-to-nihilism-part-2/ Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:42:39 -0700 On Being an Addict http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/06/on-being-an-addict/ Discussions of personal <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/10/03/age-and-accomplishment/" title="Age and Accomplishment">inadequacy</a> on this blog often take a <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/11/24/30-seconds-of-bliss-in-an-otherwise-meaningless-existence/" title="30 Seconds of Bliss (in an Otherwise Meaningless Existence)">grandiose scope</a>, naturally reflecting the undeniable seas of mediocrity and <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/02/26/wallowing-in-existential-angst/" title="Wallowing in Existential Angst">existential angst</a> upon which the author (yours truly) is perennially adrift. Inadequacy need not be defined solely by weighty subjects such as existential failure, however, as <a href="http://snarkybehavior.com/" title="Snarky Behavior">HFK</a> <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/11/24/30-seconds-of-bliss-in-an-otherwise-meaningless-existence/#comment-2574" title="Comment to '30 Seconds of Bliss (in an Otherwise Meaningless Existence)'">pointed out</a>, to be relevant; what failures of no consequence want for in magnitude, they make up for in frequency. One such inconsequential inadequacy (of many, rest assured) is the subject of today's post: a habit—nay, an addiction—so severe that I have struggled much of my adult life to rid myself of it, always to no avail. What is this addiction of which I speak, concerned readers (hi, Mom) are no doubt asking themselves? Alcohol?<a href="#e428-ftn1" name="e428-n1" title="Go to Footnote">1</a> Drugs?<a href="#e428-ftn2" name="e428-n2" title="Go to Footnote">2</a> Sex?<a href="#e428-ftn3" name="e428-n3" title="Go to Footnote">3</a> Porn?!<a href="#e428-ftn4" name="e428-n4" title="Go to Footnote">4</a> If only it were so. Unfortunately, the answer is far more insidious than that. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/06/on-being-an-addict/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/08/06/on-being-an-addict/ Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:45:48 -0700 The Folly of Intellectual Abstinence http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/29/the-folly-of-intellectual-abstinence/ As it has been some time since I last expressed <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/03/19/the-disenchanted-generation/" title="The Disenchanted Generation">disillusionment</a> with anything but my own woeful <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/10/03/age-and-accomplishment/" title="Age and Accomplishment">inadequacy</a>, I thought I might take the opportunity to disabuse cherished readers of the notion that I have abandoned the <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/03/29/condescending-to-the-techno-illiterate-masses/" title="Condescending to the (Techno-Illiterate) Masses">contempt</a> in which I hold most of society to pursue <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2007/02/26/wallowing-in-existential-angst/" title="Wallowing in Existential Angst">hating myself</a> full time. Nothing could be further from the truth, and today, I turn to a topic that never fails to dole out soul-crushing disillusionment to any who seek it: <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2004/11/04/better-dead-than-red/" title="Better Dead Than Red">politics</a>. Tomorrow's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/" title="The New York Times">Times</a> (brought to me today by the magic of the <q>internets</q>) features an interesting <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/us/politics/30law.html" title="As a Professor, Obama Enthralled Students and Puzzled Faculty">article</a> on Senator (and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee) Obama's twelve years as a professor at <a href="http://www.uchicago.edu/" title="The University of Chicago">The University of Chicago</a> <a href="http://www.law.uchicago.edu/" title="The Law School">Law School</a>, and I highly recommend a read. While the piece covers a lot of ground, I would like to focus on one point in particular that is brought to the forefront: Obama never published a single piece of scholarly work while a faculty member at Chicago. My first thoughts: seriously? How is that possible? rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/29/the-folly-of-intellectual-abstinence/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/29/the-folly-of-intellectual-abstinence/ Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:41:43 -0700 Photographic Rejuvenation http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/28/photographic-rejuvenation/ Back in the joyous days of '06 (relatively speaking, anyway), I documented my <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/08/01/top-five-most-underutilized-purchases/" title="Top Five Most Underutilized Purchases">top five most underutilized purchases</a>, or in other words (if you strip the God-awful <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/category/consulting/" title="Consulting">consulting</a> jargon), the five most worthless purchases of my adult life, at least from a materialistic perspective. (Holistically, the most worthless purchase of my adult life has been health insurance, as purchasing anything that serves to extend my wretched existence is merely throwing good money after bad, but that's quite besides the point.) A couple objects that did not make the list in 2006, but easily could have would have been my not one, but two SLR cameras (one digital, one film—obviously!). rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/28/photographic-rejuvenation/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/28/photographic-rejuvenation/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:08:15 -0700 Reflections on Life, Law, and the UNIX Command Line http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/19/reflections-on-life-law-and-the-unix-command-line/ With grades from the last quarter of my 1L year (finally) in, the dreadful journal competition (finally) complete, and the summer winding down faster than it <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/06/17/welcome-to-new-york-bum-style/" title="Welcome to New York, Bum-Style">began</a>, I was already left poised this week for reflection (as though I need any help with <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/category/introspection/" title="Introspection">that</a>!). Surprisingly, however, it was a minor calamity involving my photo server (the noble <code>autocrat.rohitsrealm.com</code>) that ended up providing the catalyzing spark necessary for me to contemplate the perennial question that has come to define not only me, but more importantly, this blog: what am I doing with my life (and why have I not yet <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2006/06/14/contemplations-on-killing-oneself/" title="Contemplations on Killing Oneself">killed myself</a>)? rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/19/reflections-on-life-law-and-the-unix-command-line/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/19/reflections-on-life-law-and-the-unix-command-line/ Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:55:56 -0700 The Jungle http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/12/the-jungle/ Since arriving in New York some <a href="http://rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/06/17/welcome-to-new-york-bum-style/" title="Welcome to New York, Bum-Style">four weeks ago</a>, I have often heard the lament that Manhattan has lost its soul in the past ten years, becoming in the process some sort of <q>amusement park</q> for tourists and the nouveau riche (those woe-begotten hedgefund-managing <q>speculators</q>). Indeed, it seems to be the gripe du jour amongst New Yorkers new and old alike. The veracity of such sentiments I cannot confirm, for this is the first time I have spent any time in the Big Apple, but if the <q>soul</q> of which they speak has migrated to Williamsburg, I fret that it all might be a farce—and a fedora-laden ironic one at that. What I can attest to, however, is that at least in some parts of New York City, the amusement park complaint is by no means misplaced, as my first—and hopefully, last—foray into the Jungle last night made all too clear. rohit@rohitsrealm.com http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/12/the-jungle/#comments http://www.rohitsrealm.com/archive/2008/07/12/the-jungle/ Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:49:49 -0700