This Ain't Rock and Roll, This is...Genocide

I am, I always have been, and always will be in love with David Bowie.

Cover Letters!

Dear Sir or Madam,

For electronic communications, "Re: Law Clerk Position" is better. Best is "Dear (specific person).

Please accept my application for a position in your firm. I am a recent graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law interested in pursuing a career in (your practice area).

The standard introduction and rather boring. I need something that will set me apart from other candidates. Something that will get the hiring partner to sit up straighter and read closer. The mood I'm going for is "polite but assertive." Too far would be "ridiculous and cheesy, like a used car salesman."

Possibilities:

Because you are looking for a motivated self-starter with a strong writing ability to work at your office, I believe that I could make an immediate and lasting contribution to your firm

Too many ideas are in this sentence. It's too unwieldy. I like the strong opening though. "Since you are lookng for someone good to hire, I am applying (because I am who you are looking for)." Still too unwieldy. Maybe this sentence structure doesn't work. One more try:

Since you are looking for a motivated self-starter to work at your office, I believe that I could make an immediate and lasting contribution to your firm.

Actually sounds...pretty good.
Follow it up with who you are and why they should care:

I am a recent graduate of the University of Virgina School of Law interested in interested in pursuing a career in tax law.

Slightly less snappy than the previous sentence. It's not bad. "I am a recent graduate of X" is what most employers would want to know. Having my goals up front is good as well. "Pursuing a career in tax law" is pretty mushy. Is there something more specific that I want to do?

Next I need to explain how I am a good candidate for this position, backed by specific examples of accomplishments.

magic deck ideas

Viridian Shaman + Umbral Mantle must be one of the easiest two card combos. Both cost 3 and together (plus 2 mana) you get infinite mana and power/toughness. It's only beat by Painter's Servant + Grindstone, which creates its own win condition.

The only problem is that the fastest you can get the combo to work is turn five. There are probably already significant threats to deal with by turn five. Your opponent has probably already drawn a removal spell or a counterspell by turn five (and countered one of your combo pieces). And if you don't win on the turn you combo (you haven't drawn a win condition), it becomes increasingly difficult to protect your combo.

Here's how a typical game might look:
T1 ?
T2 ?
T3 viridian shaman (2g)
T4 umbral mantle (3) + 2 mana. win condition.

So I need to have both combo pieces AND a win condition AND five mana by turn 4/5 to win reliably. This means: 4 * llanowar elf, 4 or 3 * fertile ground.

To fix the mana base, need 4* seaside citadel.

Alternatively cut the wargates altogether.
Instead:
4* viridian joiner
4* umbral mantle
4* drift of phantasms
2* whispersilk cloak
4* counterspell/broken ambitions
4* oona's gatewarden OR traproot kami
4* llanowar
4* fertile ground
4* mulldrifter
1* garruk
1* glen elendra archmage

Lands: 4* breeding pool (oh I wish)
4*flooded grove (I wish as well) or 4*yavimaya coast
x* forests
x* islands
simic signet?

(Instead of 4* simic growth chamber and 4* seaside citadel)

other deck ideas:
1. sigil deck. need recurring enchantments (especially things like prison term, faith's fetters, curse of chains)

2. gilt-leaf archdruid. There must be a way to abuse this card and it basically involves mirrorweave or shield of velis veil
3. where ancients tread + nightmare + stampeding widebeests.

Mantra

I can't let myself surf the internet. That path leads nowhere.

procrastination

In the past month that I haven't been applying to jobs, I have instead:
1. played Diablo II (I'm in the middle of an untwinked nightmare run)
2. listened to 5 or 6 podcasts (most of which update multiple times a week) religiously
3. constructed 6 new magic decks, after dismantling the previous 6.
4. read (and commented on) several libertarian blogs concerning the health care reform debate
5. read several depressing blog posts/news stories on the state of the job market and how to get a job in such terrible economic times
6. slept 10 hours a day.

I've been slowly picking through Godel, Escher, Bach, trying to make sure I understand everything before going on. I would like to finish the book soon, so I can read through The Wealth of Nations.

After that: 6 Not So Easy Pieces and then maaaaybe some Rawls. I would need to blog about it though, to keep things clear. Rawls is a HUGE BITCH. Perhaps I should start with Plato first?

One thing that might help is to eliminate any distraction besides writing. Writing a blog is not so different than writing a cover letter. Both are about myself, both have the same concise, but eloquent prose, both are intensely personal without sounding embarrassing or desperate, and both (should) exude honesty, self-confidence, and intelligence.