Thursday, September 30, 2010

Rutgers Student Suicide - Thoughts on Ultra’s - Rule Against Perpetuities

I read a sad article this morning about a Rutgers student who committed suicide after discovering his relation with another male was broadcast by his roommate via a webcam.  It’s a cyber-bullying / sexual orientation discrimination case.  The story alludes to the fact that the roommate, who now faces up to 5 years in prison, commented on his twitter about his roommate’s activities and requesting others view via iChat at certain times.  It is utterly despicable to bully and expose anyone’s intimate acts online.  I hope that the roommate is brought to trial and if guilty serves time for his acts.  Regardless of your feelings about someone’s sexual orientation, they give you no right to violate their privacy and freedom.  It is an unfortunate loss to have someone young take their own life, it is difficult enough to have teens stay motivated to get into college only to have them bullied and discriminated against when they get there.  I hope Rutgers and all academic institutions steps up their vigilance against this and all discrimination. 

The last few days I have been troubled.  I get the feeling that I have bitten off more than I can chew.  Maybe I am trying to do too much this year; maybe making up for years of a sedentary lackluster life.  But I think back and I never was completely sedentary, I tried.  My weight gain and lack of fitness show that I did not try very hard but I still tried.  In my darker moods I come back to the same motto I tell friends and family when they asked why I kept at school or pursue a law degree.  Because you can talk all the trash you want, but until you invest in yourself, it’s all just words.  You have to go out there and give it your best shot.  Ultra runners always say the same thing, “you have to dig deep” then deeper still.  For me the struggle has been to get there.  At this point in my life I am so lucky to have support from everywhere.  There are a lot of people I have reconnected with and relationships that I have brought back from the dead.  Because of this new found strength not only in me but in those loved ones close to me I have committed to running the American River 50 Mile Endurance Run, it is on the schedule and barring a calamity I am not going to quit.  We’ll see how it goes, and oh yea…100 mile bike ride is in 1.5 weeks and the 50 miler is a month after the LA marathon.  If you’re gonna go, go big.

In Property we are covering the Rule Against Perpetuities: no interest is good unless it must vest, if at all, not later than 21 years after some life in being at the time of the conveyance.  Pretty much…an interest in invalid unless it can be said, with absolute certainty, that it will vest or fail to vest 21 years after the death of someone alive at the time the interest was given or deeded or whatever.  Why do we need this?  I am not sure, but our professor does an amazing job of explaining it and I get it when in class, but afterwards on the drive home it kinda slips away, not trying to lie about it.

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