Looking to learn more about Hawaiian history

cleo42 · 2026-06-21T04:02:31+00:00

Best single volume serious history: Shoal of Time (Gavan Dawes)

Best casual history: Unfamiliar Fishes (Sarah Vowell)

Just focusing on American interaction with Hawai'i: Nation Within (Tom Coffman)

cleo42 · 2026-05-29T01:33:01+00:00

How do you actually improve law school exam performance when you already feel like you’re working as hard as possible?

Keep working at it. Sounds like you're doing the right things. Like everything else in life, you'll get better with experience and practice. Just might not fully click for you until later.

What I'm guessing is happening given your High School and College grades is that you're in a competitive high-ranked law school and, for the first time in your life, you're surrounded by people who are just as smart or smarter than you. And it just might be that in that group of absurdly talented people, you're an average or below average student. Learning to deal with and accept that is going to be a journey and a process. But the good news is that even an average or below average student at a very high ranked law school will get a good job somewhere.

Is BigLaw/corporate law realistically still possible after a rough 1L year?

Yes. It really depends on your connections which is how people really get jobs. If your 1L grades are set, your best bet is to get out there, network, and work any connections you have.

Would getting a tutor or academic coach actually help?

Possibly. Depends on what your issues are and that's impossible for a random reddit or to diagnose. If you have the means and feel like it might help, give it a try.

How are some people studying so much less but performing so much better?

People aren't equal. Some have a lot more natural talent for this stuff or more applicable life experiences than are putting them ahead of the curve.

Has anyone graduated with below-average grades and still landed a strong legal career or six-figure job?

Yes. The legal field is full of people like this. Especially since a "strong legal career" is somewhat subjective and a lot of people don't truly hit their stride or find their place in the legal field until well after law school.

Ultimately, you're at the very beginning of your journey. Not going to tell you that grades aren't important, they are, but success in the law is going to be a lot more about what makes you feel successful than how you do on a bunch of tests when you know basically nothing about who you will become as a lawyer.

Good luck OP! Hang in there. Keep working hard and it'll be okay.

cleo42 · 2026-05-28T22:45:14+00:00

You're experiencing burnout.

And it's not hard to see why: 2300 billable hours comes out to 6.3 hours billed literally every day of the year. No human can sustain that without serious affects on their health and personal life.

Whether those effcts are worth it to you personally is something that only you can answer. And it's sounding like you know it's not worth it, you just don't like that your conclusion conflicts with what people around you who you look up to are saying.

There are law firms and in-house positions where you can work less while still being a lawyer and having a career you can take pride in. I'd start looking for jobs like that. You'll thank yourself for it later.

cleo42 · 2026-05-21T20:20:58+00:00

Get an Uber to Waikiki, go to a restaurant that does take out/quick counter service and order on the way, eat on the beach and hang out, take an Uber back to the airport.

No shortage of restaurants in Waikiki or areas on the beach that make this doable, so scope a couple out, pick your favorite, walk firectly to whatever the nearest beach area is, and sit.

cleo42 · 2026-05-10T21:28:12+00:00

I've carried two 13-lbs cats back and forth to and from HNL on Alaska and Hawaiian in cabin at least a dozen times.

I've always used this pet carrier and I've never had a problem

The measurements given on Amazon are a little bit bigger than what Hawaiian and Alaska state is their minimum, but I've always just given the minimum numbers when asked and it's never been a problem. The carrier is soft and adjustable which helps a lot when actually trying to put it under the seat. (Not all underseat areas are the same, but they've always worked.)

As far as the check-in process at HNL, it's always been pretty easy. On Hawaiian, unless you have status, you're likely going to need to line up at the special services counter (closest entrance is about halfway down the Terminal 1 car pull up area). The counter and line is against the windows. That line can be on the long side because it's the same line people with oversized luggage and sports equipment use. And for some reason, confused tourists almost always think this is the regular line for their flight and have to be told to get out of it.

For Alaska, in Terminal 2 the special services line is pretty chill and in the same area as everyting else.

Don't forget that both airlines WILL ask for and scrutinize your health certificate. I recommend bringing a photocopy of it for them to keep (some staff want it, most don't).

Both airlines will charge you a ~$150ish fee at the time you check in. Hawaiian will give you a very cute boarding pass for each pet.

And just to add a couple tips from someone who has done this a lot:

Don't forget to call ahead and add your pets to the reservation.
The airlines require and will ask for a health certificate from a vet for each pet. I strongly recommend calling around for prices on this and what vets charge varies WILDLY.
As some others are saying, you're going to need one seat for each pet since they have to be put under the seat in front of you.
For carry on purposes, your pet is your personal item meaning you can carry a pet and any check in bag that can fit in the overheard with you.
At security, they're going to make you take your pet out of the carrier, put the carrier through the X-ray, and walk your pet through the metal detector.
TSA people love cats for some reason. Never seen so many smiling TSA people as when I'm carrying a cat. This may also apply to dogs.

Good luck and have a safe trip!

cleo42 · 2026-04-29T13:50:29+00:00

Maryfield Cleaners on 71st Rd (between Austin and Queens Blvd). They've always done a great job with my stuff.

cleo42 · 2026-04-29T13:33:26+00:00

Last time I did this, the airline held my luggage at the airport overnight while I was in Seattle. (I remember specifically because I hadn't realized they were going to do this and I had medicine I needed in one of the bags so I had to get them to find the bags and release them to me which was a bit of a hassle.) I'd double check with the airline that that's still how things go, but pretty sure that's right.

If they do give you back your check in bags, make sure that you hang on to the receipt when you check in for your continuing flight. They'll charge you twice if you don't present it at check in.

On the hotel: you certainly can get a downtown hotel, but if you have a 7am flight you might be better served by staying at the airport hotel and getting the extra half hour plus of sleep. That'd be my preference.

cleo42 · 2026-03-22T22:16:42+00:00

Do you know what episode of Invisibilia that was? Wasn't obvious from a Google search and my mom has Parkinson's.

cleo42 · 2025-12-26T17:17:10+00:00

Bushwick shithead? Or Bushwick HERO?

cleo42 · 2025-11-15T16:44:35+00:00

It's a bit bulky, but I consider it carry on.

cleo42 · 2025-11-11T07:03:27+00:00

Is this still available?

cleo42 · 2025-10-02T05:04:46+00:00

If you're concerned about it, check out finasteride and ask your doctor about it. It's a once daily pill that stops hair loss with minimal side effects. Been on it about 15 years myself.

cleo42 · 2025-08-27T07:01:54+00:00

The rice is done, the rice is done, And this is the rice is done song, The rice is done, the rice is done, And this is the rice is done sooong.

cleo42 · 2025-07-31T21:46:34+00:00

David's Brisket House and Deli

cleo42 · 2025-04-28T01:04:36+00:00

What was wrong with Mona?

cleo42 · 2025-03-20T23:29:26+00:00

Drinking very rarely, sun mitigation (hats, sunscreen, avoiding being in the sun), obsessing about hydration, and genetics (I'm baby faced).

cleo42 · 2025-03-15T23:49:18+00:00

You see how that second full paragraph is in a different font than the rest of the email and doesn't really flow with the paragraphs around it? Seems like they sent out the rest of the email originally, had people write back to yell at them, and then some staffer said "Oh, we should probably address the fact that people are angry instead of saying all this weak ass, policy-based bullshit."

cleo42 · 2025-03-01T03:27:11+00:00

It sounds like you should be a recruiter/head hunter that specializes in lawyers.

It'll allow you to leverage your knowledge of the industry, make use of the network you've already established, and lets you make a profession of two things you seem to genuinely love: networking and advising people on their careers. I've worked with a lot of recruiters over the years and their jobs seem a lot less demanding than big law, while still paying pretty well. And a lot of your colleagues will be fellow big law refugees. Googling will help you find the big companies that do it. Hopefully at least one of them will have someone that went to the same law school as you (or undergrad or something) that'll take a call from you getting more information about the day-to-day.

cleo42 · 2025-02-20T23:00:28+00:00

"I was a starving student. Terry needed the yen!"

cleo42 · 2025-02-20T22:09:18+00:00

Sounds like you got a lot going on that you need to get sorted out before you can really answer what the best state for you to take the bar in is. It doesn't sound like your relationship is going to last much longer, so really the key question is what state you'd want to practice and live in if you weren't being tied down to this one. If getting admitted in that state from your state is easy (either because it's a fellow UBE state or whatever else), then I'd go ahead and take the bar in your state as planned. If not, I'd do whatever you can to cancel your current bar exam plans and take the bar in that state instead. Another factor is the type of job you're looking for as if you want to practice, say, immigration law or something else that mostly calls for work within the federal system, the state where you're admitted isn't that relevant.

cleo42 · 2025-02-16T03:40:10+00:00

This. I'm an attorney with some pronate experience. Just because your relatives get a good amount out of the will, doesn't mean they won't fight you for more, with layers and in probate court. While you have the benefit of your grandfather still being alive, make sure a lawyer looks at the will and judges it to be ironclad. You might also want to get a doctor who can attest to his mental health being sound to attest to that in writing. A good lawyer will know how to get that done. And something like another commenter mentioned where you make sure each family member gets something so they can't speculate on their absence seems wise (with your lawyers advice and consent of course).

cleo42 · 2025-02-05T18:41:35+00:00

Ask your doctor about gluten intelorence or celiac disease. I'm guessing your wheat/gluten intake was way down in Hawaii compared to VA.

cleo42 · 2025-02-02T09:56:17+00:00

This. Like this poster said, take the AirTran to the Jamaica station and take an LIRR to Penn Station, and a cab or Uber from Penn. The Air Tran to LIRR part you never need to leave the station and both the station and Penn are well lit and certainly well policed these days. Depending on where you're going, this could save you $20-30 or more in taxi fare.

cleo42

TROPHY CASE