I think I need a hug; but stay back, you don't want this stuff!

I had serious plans for today. I was going to cover MGM v. Grokster at the Supreme court, write a story on it, then attend a discussion at GWU about it and do another story, or at least add to the one I did earlier.

So when the better, wiser part of my mind told me to stay in bed so the sore throat I had wouldn't get worse, I chose not to listen.

I forced myself awake, put on the suit I didn't wear yesterday, and left for the highest court in all the land. I was wearing the black Snoopy tie my brother Drew had lended to me for this internship, and there's a special reason for that. I wore this tie to the Inauguration, the State of the Union, the Pentagon, yesterday to the White House and State department, and today I was wearing it to the Supreme Court. I figure it'll always be more special to him now.

I arrived a little late, but just in time to take my press reserved-seat ticket and be escorted to the courtroom with other reporters. It was packed, and from my seat I had the wonderful view of none of the justices. When I craned my neck and the guy in front of me moved his head, I could see the back of the petitioner's head.

Then the circus started. MGM's lawyer spoke, and something scary happened. I couldn't make out what he was saying. All the other reporters were making furious notes, and I was only able to catch every other word. I almost got a whole, good sentence, but the witch sitting next to me needed to know who he was and asked while I was trying to listen to him. So much for that quote.

It's people like her that are the reason the Lord, in his mercy, gave us middle fingers. I didn't flip her off, didn't have time, I just imagined using them, along with my other six fingers and two thumbs, to strangle her; that was enough.

I pointed out the guy's name on the "who's who" sheet right in front of her, and went back to trying to translate whatever I was hearing. I checked my lymph nodes around halfway through, and that hurt. They're not so big now.

After I an hour of oral arguments, I had no one to quote. Nothing. I could paraphrase the entire thing, as I'd heard every argument before from both sides, but that's not my job.

So I called in sick, called home to arrange for a perscription because I don't have a doctor here, and went home and spent most of the day in bed. This is what I get for that time I spent in the cold and the rain and the wind at the White House yesterday. Stupid, stupid me.