I didn't mean for my link to be an endorsement. Just the first USB turntable I found. Sorry for any confusion that may have caused.

I have my new Acer laptop running now. It's very nice....

2 gig of memory does make a difference !!

No harm - didn't see it as an endorsement. I just did a bunch of research before I moved - I didn't want to bring an entire second tuner/receiver if I didn't need it...

Speaking of snubbing...

There's a reception today at the law school for the new federal judge. Great opportunity to network, right? Except that law students are NOT invited to the reception being held IN THE LAW SCHOOL, RIGHT OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY DOORS, and during the last week of classes - when students actually show up to hear what will be on the final exam. But, as you enter the library - don't look at the reception! It's full of very important people and we don't want them to have to encounter actual students.

And if you do?

Free food. I can kind of see their concern. :D

Perhaps a less prominent location than the library would have been a good choice.

We spontaneously combust - which would save me the trouble of studying for my final exams.

Although, just for a change of pace, I decided not to capitulate without at least a modicum of effort on my part - so, since it's basically just Judges that are invited, I emailed the Judge I know that is friends with the new Judge and already offered to recommend me to new Judge and asked if Judge-I-know was planning to be there and, if so, could I impose on him for an introduction to new Judge. May be too late in the afternoon for him to check his email, and he may say "no", but perhaps fate will reward just a wee bit of persistence.

At least I tried to be proactive. It's not my natural tendency.

So much for that theory. The judge I know isn't going, and they actually have their little area downstairs ROPED OFF. They have someone at the "entry" to make sure you're on the "list."

Frankly, I think that's it's a pretty sh!tty thing to do. If you want to hold a private reception, find a private space. Don't hold it in the lobby, right in the middle of everything, and stick up little ropes to keep us riff-raff out. And I question the school's judgment in allowing this little event to take place. I think I'll not be contributing to the alumni fund after all.

What a bunch of jerks. I'd probably do something involving flaming underpants, a slingshot, and a bad recording of "Die Valkyrie"

Okay, I should be all supportive and stuff, but I have an alternate theory for this.

They may be keeping the area roped off to prevent the judges from being inundated by a plethora of students trying to do the exact thing you wanted to do. How many students are there? Depending on how many students might be interested in kissing up to talking to judges, the judges will be awful busy talking to students (and not each other, which I presume is the primary reason for the get-together).