Monday, December 31, 2007

Auld Lang Syne

A translation on Yahoo.com today. Beautiful.

Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintances be forgotten,
And days of long ago !

Chorus:For old long ago, my dear
For old long ago,
We will take a cup of kindness yet
For old long ago.

We two have run about the hillsides
And pulled the daisies fine,
But we have wandered many a weary foot
For old long ago.

We two have paddled (waded) in the stream
From noon until dinner time,
But seas between us broad have roared
Since old long ago.

And there is a hand, my trusty friend,
And give us a hand of yours,
And we will take a goodwill draught (of ale)
For old long ago!

And surely you will pay for your pint,
And surely I will pay for mine!
And we will take a cup of kindness yet
For old long ago!

Sunday, December 30, 2007

My Chores

I have a short list of things to do while on school break. (The whole week and a half, ha ha!)
They are:

--catch up on laundry and hang clean clothes up
--clean out my car
--finish doing dishes
--clean off my kitchen table (my hot spot)
--catch up in my course Secured Transactions.
--catch up on sleep


I have done number 2, and am working on the rest. I am considering my deadline to be Thursday, when I go back to class. Will update.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Moot Court Blues--Episode 6

Moot court this year has had its bumps in the road. As part of the program, the moot court teams are supposed to line up and pay for their own court reporters, which has been sticking in everyone's craw. Not only do we have to spend time doing this ourselves, but we have to spend more money. We are not sure why the school doesn't handle this, and we think they should.

Well, they don't, so it is up to us. Our case almost didn't have a court reporter--we just remembered we had to line someone up about two days before. Luckily, someone on the opposite team knew someone, scheduled them, and they showed up.

Another case was not so lucky. They had scheduled a court reporter, and she didn't show up for the case. The teacher made everyone stay for 45 minutes to see if she would show up, but she dind't. So he let us go, which made most of us happy. Not the scheduled team members, because they were ready to present their case and get it over with. But the rest of us were happy to be let go, so we could go back home, study for our other subjects, or do some Christmas shopping.

Maybe the school should add Huseby, Inc., a court reporting agency, to the list of court reporters they give the students.

The agency apparently can provide nationwide court reporting, legal video deposition scheduling, and video conferencing services. Their Website says they are leaders in real-time technology and computerized litigation support services. They have provided services in some high profile cases including the class action lawsuit against Jim Bakker and the PTL organization, the Zantac patent rights case, and the murder trial of Michael Jordan's father. It says that Huseby also helped develop North Carolina's first computer integrated courtroom in Charlotte.

I looked at the company's offices in Nashville and was pleased to see that they are in one of my favorite buildings in Nashville--an attractive old house on 8th Avenue that has also housed tea rooms and club space over the years.

Biz Buzz Words of 2007

MSNBC compiled a list of business buzz words of 2007. I only know two of them. What about you?

1) grass station--a future fuel station that would dispense ethanol and other gas substitutes. Good idea!

2) connectile dysfunction--a phrase coined by Sprint as a take off on erectile dysfunction. It is the inability to get an Internet connection. I knew this one.

3) meatball sundae--an unfortunate result that comes from mixing two good business ideas.

4) friendquest--roaming around online looking for friends. Is that what I am doing?

5) subprime--who doesn't know this one?

6) narcissurfing--googling oneself on a daily basis. Could be a good idea for some.

7) disintermediate--firing middle managers.

8) Shanghai sneeze--stocks around the world falling after China's stock market plunged.

9) ringtone rage--rage set off by certain cell phone ringtones.

10) blogola--perks offered bloggers by corporations.

Who makes up these lists????

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

It's a Wonderful Life

There is something special about that movie It's a Wonderful Life. I just can't get enough of it. I watched it again tonight. It is Jimmy Stewart at his best. And what a wonderful message--that each life is important and touches others in immeasurable and measurable ways.

I remember when I had a philosophy course in graduate school. We talked about the fact that from a philosophical point of view, an individual life does not make that much difference. That whether you are a George Bailey or an Adolf Hitler does not matter that much in terms of philosophy on the universe over the long haul. That your impact is de minimis.

That may be true in the extreme overbroad sense. But I prefer the other view: that we each have an impact and that it can make a difference.

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I went to a homeless shelter tonight and took some gifts for a four year girl, whose name I had drawn. I did not get to meet her as she was staying somewhere else, but I got to meet her mother and saw photos of the daughter. She is adorable! I hope the clothes and shoes I bought her will fit.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Home Free

I was shocked and dismayed to hear about Dan Fogelberg's death yesterday. It seems like a another little piece of my youth just slipped away.....

I had a roommate who was stuck on Dan Fogelberg. She played his album Home Free a lot. I too got stuck on it. Particularly his song "The River." It was powerful and unique, and it seemed to sing to my soul.

I didn't even know he was sick. He seems so young to have died from prostate cancer. Interestingly enough, lately I had thought about going out to buy a CD of Home Free. I definitely will now.

After reading the news item of his death, I looked at his Website. He was so hot!

So sad.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Cons of Con Law

I really like con law, but not right now about 36 hours before my mid-term. I swore I wouldn't get into this position, but here I am: Not Prepared.

I love the course, I love the teacher, but I don't love being unprepared. I will make it up this next semester, I promise!

I don't think the stuff is that difficult. Not if you get to read it. That is the problem: Getting to read it.

I better get off the computer and back to my outline.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Anesthesia Awareness

I am watching Larry King right now and the topic is anesthesia awareness. It is so frightening to think this can happen. The show's stats say that this happens to 40,000 people a year: That they are not put out during an operation, and they feel searing pain throughout the procedure. A friend of mine who has had lots of operations says that it happened to her once.

There is some knowledge that it takes more anesthesia to put a redhead out; that redheads process the pain medication differently. I had heard it before and Dr. Sanjay Gupta just mentioned it on this show. This hits home for me, as I have red in my hair. Inside, my hair looks dark brown, but in the sunlight it is definitely red. My fear would be that inside the operating room, they would see brown hair and not red.

This is all hypothetical as I am not going to have surgery, and hopefully I won't. I guess I worry about it because of my red hair. Interestingly enough, all of the guests on the show who have had this happen to them all have red hair but one.

My only experiences with pain problems/pain killers have been when as a child my dentist could never deaden my tooth and pulled it anyway; when I went to have a cyst removed, and the doctor deadened the skin, but it felt like he was pulling the skin off; and when I went for my colonoscopy and I opened my eyes for a second during the procedure. I didn't feel anything, bu my eyes boinged open for a tad. These situations just give me pause. If ever in a similar situation, I guess I better speak up that I am really a red head.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

I am a First Amendment Zealot

It is true--I admit it. I am a First Amendment zealot. I first heard those words spoken by John Frohnmayer who had severe challenges in the First Amendment arena when he was head of the National Endowment for the Arts.

He said those words, and I thought....I am one too.

It stems from my background and training as a journalist. The First Amendment--what a powerful tool and a powerful right.

I am having a First Amendment test tomorrow, and I am worried because I have not had much time to study.

I want to stay up late tonight and study, but am tired. ZZZZZzzzzzz

I am going to chant the words: I am a First Amendment zealot; I am a First Amendment zealot; I am a First Amendment zealot.

I think that will get me an A, don't you think?

Monday, December 10, 2007

Magic Carpet Ride

Magic Carpet Ride is my favorite song of all time. I loved it when I was young, and I love it now. I even got to tell Stephen Kay of Steppenwolf, twice, that it was my favorite song. The first time I thought he was going to fall down. I guess I didn't look like a wolfer. I looked too preppy I guess.

The next year I told him again. This time he didn't have any reaction at all. Either I looked more like a wolfer then, and or he remembered that I said it the year before.

I really love the Chevy commercials that feature the song. They rock! Good choice, Chevy.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Justice for Gizmo

Those in Nashville may remember a terrible story about a man who killed a dog. Chad Crawford, who must be a horrible person, kicked the small yorkshire terrier like a football high up in the air. Another man held the dog, while Crawford got a running start to kick the dog.

Horrible, horrible, horrible. He was just sentenced to 30 days in jail, with another 10 months and 29 days on probation. It doesn't seem like much time, but at least it is something. A man like that is not to be trusted.

Friday, December 7, 2007

I got a scholarship!

I found out today that I got a scholarship from my law school. I am thrilled! I got one last year, so I was fairly certain I would get one this year too. This year it was more important to get one as the bar review courses are so expensive. I have already paid for the PMBR course, but I still have to pay for the more expensive BarBri course. The scholarship will help me pay it off.

Now I just have to save up enough money to be able to take some time off from work to study for the bar. This year is a test of skills in many, many ways.........

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Chotskies

I am sure I am not spelling that word right--chotskies--those little promotional items that you hand out at meetings, trade fairs, and conventions.

But however you spell it, they are fun And they can be valuable for branding and marketing purposes.

Our business does not attend many meetings or conventions. We could go to more, but most of them are not seen as relevant to the business. However, our company does go to one particular annual meeting. Last year, our team could not attend, but we sent goody bags filled with promotional products to the hotel for our clients who were attending.

Another woman at work is in charge of buying these kinds of items. Soon we will have to think about what to do for the upcoming meeting. I'm going to tell her that I found some online sites that sell corporate gifts that you can give for a number occasions. Many of the items I would like to have for myself!

Business Wake Up Call #2

When I mentioned the other day that I had had a business wake up call, apparently I wasn't the only one.

My relative boss was sick, and it occurred to me if something happened to him, I would not know enough. It was a scary thought. Apparently the same thought occurred to the other person who will be my partner in the business eventually.

And it occurred to my relative boss.

He said, what would happen to the business if something happened to me tomorrow?

He wants us to come up with a plan, which is a good idea.

The problem is he won't listen. When you mention something, he pooh poohs it. He has a tendency to dumb people down. Thinks he knows everything, all the while he limits his sources of information. He tends to talk in an insulting manner.

When we talk next week, I will ask him that one of the items on my plan is what can he do better to help us prepare.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Scholarship Hopes

My school will make the decision this week on who gets scholarships. I got a small scholarship last year, and applied again this year. I hope to get at least as much as I got last year, and maybe more. I would really love to get at least a half scholarship. It would be really helpful this year with all of the bar review costs and other expenses that seem to come out of the woodwork. I really had no idea how expensive the last year of law school would be. You don't think of these things when you apply and start in your first few years. Not that it would deter you. It is just the expense in the last year is surprising. A scholarship would be helpful indeed. I am manifesting good thoughts on getting a good scholarship.......

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Business Wake Up Call

In my new job, working for my "relative" boss, I have had a whole range of emotions. Glad that I am there--I don't want the business to go outside the family. Frustration at my relative and his tunnel vision and sometimes short sightedness. His tendency to be a micro manager and even hateful at times. Awe at his ability to work numbers and carry formulas in his head. Glad I am there even though sometimes I get a little bored. Glad I am there and looking forward to the future there.

On an average day, running the business doesn't look that hard. But I had a wake up call last week. My relative was sick, not really sick, but had a bug. This was unusual for him. It made me worry a little. Like what if this could be more than a bug, or could turn into more than a bug?

I suddenly realized that I don't know as much about the business yet as I need to. Hopefully I will have a lot of time to learn from him.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Coyote Cute

I am a sucker for wonderfully impossible animal stories. Check it out.


http://dailycoyote.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The Real Cost of Smoking

How much is a pack of cigarettes really worth to you? How about $222 off the value of your life if you are a man. And $94 off the value of your life if you are a woman. Kind of scary, huh? It is higher for men because they earn more than women over their lifetimes and have a greater risk of dying from smoking.

The study by Vanderbilt professors Kip Viscusi and Joni Hersch takes into account the cost to the smokers themselves, based on the value that smokers put on their own lives, rather than the cost to society. The researchers note that smoking increases the chances of anyone dying at anytime in his/her life.

It sure wouldn't be worth it to me.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Conservative Talk Radio: The Great Whine Fest

I usually don't listen to conservative talk radio. On the local channel here, they do offer some good specific programming: Dave Ramsey, Handle on the Law, Dr. Asa Anderson. Those shows are good. The rest of the programming is like a train wreck: You really don't want to see (listen to) it, but it is so bad, you can't help yourself.

Today, I was scanning the channels and heard one of the "wonders" of our station talking about how the democrats are the new elite. And in typical fashion, he was saying something really clever like "democrats say one thing and do another."

He was talking about a survey, I guess, that was apparently done by the Heritage Foundation, that said that democrats now represent the majority of the nation's wealthiest congressional districts.

He kept trying to turn it into something deceptive or sinister. Hello???

My first reaction is--how stupid! If democrats are wealthy and live in the nicest neighborhoods, great! What is wrong with that? One of the most tired, worn out cliches about democrats is that they are bad for business, that they don't want business to do well. If they are living in such nice neighborhoods, I would say they are pretty good at business, and good for business.

Further, democrats tend to be concerned about their fellow man. What is wrong with that? And if they are so wealthy, and still concerned about their fellow man, that only means that they are really nice people. They are concerned about the underdog, even though it may have nothing personally to do with them, or it won't help them.

Republicans could really take a lesson from this. Concern about others is a good thing, not a negative thing. Too many republicans are only concerned about themselves and what is in it for them.

When republicans and conservatives go on and on like this, it really looks like they have a huge chip on their shoulder. It is quite obvious they are the underdog (and know it) and losing ground fast when they feel their only recourse is to stoop to such inane chatter.

I can't figure out what is worse: Whether this DJ on our local network really thinks his listeners are this stupid, or if the listeners are really this stupid, which would be much more frightening.

Conservative talk radio can really get irritating with all of the relentless whining. But it can be fun entertainment. After all, these little children need to have their "rants."

I won't be on a conservative talk radio diet, but sometimes you have to have a chuckle or two. And you can get a chuckle listening to these himbos. I'll have some cheese with that whine, once in a while.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

I Am PMBRing!

I wasn't sure whether to PMBR or not. The expenses in this last year of law school are mounting up, and the BarBri is high enough. I have read online a number of people saying both yea and nay to doing the PMBR. Some have said it was a waste of time. Others have said it is invaluable.

What made my decision easier is that they had a sale--the review program ended up only being $800. I paid my balance of $599 this week. The PMBR is supposed to be good for the multi-state portion of the bar exam. Plus, they let you do a dry run of the review before you take your review for real. That was what really sold me.

Now, I have to worry about paying for the BarBri. My pot of money to pay for both reviews is fading fast. I have enough to make a little dent in the BarBri cost, but to my dismay, not enough to pay it off. And my balance is $2,187! I have to pay that off by April 1. Hopefully I won't have any trouble, but I have a lot of other expenses too.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Green Power Switch

I have been interested in doing the green power switch for a while, and heard a presentation about it the other day.

Basically you can buy 150-kilowatt-hour blocks (about 12 percent of a typical household monthly energy usage) for $4 each. You are not buying green power to come directly to your house, but you are helping to add green power to the mix.

The renewable sources of energy included in this are wind power, solar power, and methane gas (using methane gas as fuel to power an electric generator helps to reduce air polluation, as opposed to directly releasing the methane gas into the atmosphere as a potent greenhoue gas).

The clearest evidence of the value of using green power switch is that, according to the Nashville Electric Service, paying $8 a month for green power switch is like not driving your for four months! This same investment per month is like recycling 15,322 cans or 1,766 pounds of newspaper!

Friday, November 23, 2007

More Violations for TN Nursing Homes

Twenty nursing homes in Tennessee have had their admissions suspended following a series of violations, an article in the Tennessean pointed out today. The article did not detail what the violations are, but several people quoted in the article said that if admissions have been suspended, then some bad things have gone on at these places. Industry representatives counterd in the article saying that it doesn't necessarily mean that things are worse at TN nursing homes, just that the inspections are getting tougher. I hope that is the case, but in my opinion, any violations are too many.

Elder care is one of my interests; in fact I would like to use my law degree in this area. Even if I can't practice full time, I would like to help the elderly on a pro bono basis. My main goal would be to try to help them stay in their homes. Sometimes the elderly need to go into nursing homes, but I think it should be the last resort. THE LAST RESORT.

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The other day when I posted about Sarah Des Prez and the fact that they have caught the man who they think murdered her, I almost closed the post with the words, "And maybe they will solve Marcia Trimble's murder case soon too. Marcia was a young girl who was also murdered in 1975, when she was in her Green Hills neighborhood selling Girl Scout Cookies. It was a terrible murder, and one that rocked Nashville to its core. Strangely enough, there is some suspicion now that the same man might have committed both murders. The man was a landscaper, which might have put him in the Green Hills area. But still there were some facts about the case that would seem to point away from a perpertrator like this..........


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On another sad note is the suicide of the young girl in Dardenne Prairie, MO. She hung herself after being harassed by a boy she liked, who then turned on her online. Turns out there was no boy, but the harassers were the parents of a classmate who lived down the street. How awful is that? Shame on those adults who reportedly don't seem very remorseful either. At first, there was no law these perps could be charged with. Now the town has passed a law making online harassment a crime. Best line from the article was a quote from the town's mayor: "after all, harassment is harassment, regardless of the mechanism or the tool."

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Marketing Uptick

Things are looking up on the marketing front at our company. The new Website is up and running, even though we are not getting a lot of orders through it yet. I keep telling the others at work that we need to promote the new Website when talking with customers. I hope they are doing it--I am not around to hear what they say to customers in person or on the phone.

Now we are working on the second phase of the Website--where our customers can log in and check the status of their orders. That will be cool!

I have come to realize how far behind our industry is in terms of Website technology and such. Many of the companies don't even have a Website. Yikes! It is good for us though, because it makes us ahead of the pack.

We are also redoing our ad that will run in a trade magazine. I am so glad. The company has run the same stodgy ad for so long. We have created a new ad that will run. It was a rush job--I had mentioned I wanted to redo the ad, but it had not been talked about in a long time. My relative boss came out last week and said let's do it now. The ad is due to the publisher next week. It is a good first start. We will continue working on better ads. Things are looking up!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Sarah "Sally" Des Prez

On the news tonight, there was word that a 30-year old murder case was solved--that of Sarah "Sally" Des Prez. She was 19 years old and a Vanderbilt student. There weren't many details--maybe more will come out later. A news account is pasted below.

I knew her, but only slightly. We were in junior high and high school together. She was older than me, but I knew who she was. I thought she was nice. When she was murdered, I was still in high school. It was shocking. It happened to a very nice person, in a nice community, and at a time when things like that didn't happen much.

Solving the mystery doesn't bring her back, but maybe it helps bring closure to her family and friends. Rest in peace, dear soul.

From NewsChannel5.com:

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Metro Police said its Cold Case Unit has solved a crime that happened more than 30 years ago.
Police arrested Jerome Sydney Barrett,60, Monday in Memphis, Tenn. Detectives said Barrett has been indicted on first degree murder charges. Those charges stem from the murder of Sarah Vannatta Des Prez in February of 1975. Investigators said scientific evidence tied Barrett to the crime.
Police said Des Prez was 19 years old, and a student at Vanderbilt University when she was found dead in her apartment. Barrett spent time behind bars for the 1975 rape of a Belmont University student, but was released about five years ago.

Monday, November 19, 2007

Nap Time

Research came out recently touting the value of naps. Naps help reduce blood pressure and have other benefits. No news there. Other countries with siestas have known that for eons.

I didn't use to be able to take naps, but taught myself how. In my previous job, on occasion, I would close my door, pull up another chair, put my feet up, and nap for 20 minutes. I would feel so much better. A Power Nap.

(One of my colleagues there once told me she had a dream that I was in my office with the door closed, draped over two chairs. I almost choked. "Hmm," I said, "isn't that interesting!' I didn't want to tell her she must be psychic.)

Now in my new job, I don't have an office with a door, so I can't take naps. There have been a few times when I felt I needed one. Oh well, I have survived.

There has also been some other research to come out recently that says women with jobs clean house less. No news there. We have known that for years.......

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Getting Backed Up in Law School

I said it wouldn't happen this year, but it has: I have gotten backed up again in law school. When you are working full time and going to school full time, there is no wonder this happens. But I wanted to take a different tack this year. Oh well.

I have already had two final exams this year in domestic relations and negotiable instruments. Neither grade is back, but we might find out what we made in negotiable this week. It was a hard test--too long for the time allotted, and most people think they did badly. I had done well on all the quizzes leading up to the final, but the final was harder. I got to go back and review most of the multiple choice questions during the test period, but my answers on the essay questions were too short.

Because I had spent so much time on these two courses, I got behind in my other two courses. Now, I have to catch up in con law and conflicts. I have a midterm in con law coming up soon, and we suspect we will have a quiz in conflicts. I am terribly behind in my reading and the concepts in conflicts just escape me. So my work is cut out for me the next month!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Project Pyramid

The neat thing about being an MBA student these days is that it seems there are increasingly innovative ways of doing business, and an increasing desire to do good in the world.

I heard a presentation recently about Vanderbilt University's Project Pyramid Program. It's tagline is "Changing the World from the Bottom Up." The program had its genesis at VU's Owen Graduate School of Management but is now an interdisciplinary program involving multiple schools at VU. Their mission is to help alleviate global poverty. Through education, collaboraton and sustained action, the goal is to alleviate poverty by outfitting future leaders of business, law, education, medicine, and religion with tools and the mindset to tackle the problem.

Activities have included a Project Pyramid case competition and a trip to India. An inspiration for the program was Dr. Muhammad Yunus, an economist from Bangladesh, and Vanderbilt alumnus, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for founding Grameen Bank, a microfinance institution. Yunus is a true hero.

The Project Pyramid site has an online journal with interesting comments and observations, and also links to kiva.org, an online microfinance site. As soon as I get a little extra money, I will loan money through Kiva.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Nashville is a Happy City

How happy is Nashville? A convoluted article on the MSN website today tried to lay out the elements. Below are the factors they came up with. I agree with some and don't agree with others.

1) Being married. They say if you are married, you are happier, and you are more likely to be married if you live in the south. I have heard of this before. harrumph! I am much happier single than many married people, thank you very much!

2) Regular attendance at church--their thinking is that church allows a way for people to support each other. I get and give support without going to church, thank you very much!

3) Living in a city with lots of sunshine--according to the MSN story, I should only be about 50 percent happy, because Nashville only ranks 56 percent annual possible sunshine. Say what? It is sunny here alot.

4) Being engaged in your work. Good, I have that one. The unemployment rate they had for Nashville was 3.7 percent.

5) Being healthy helps you be happy. Nashville is ranked 18th in the MSN list in terms of health. That is better than the state of Tennessee tends to rank as a whole for health. Good, because I am healthy!

6) Time for family, friends, and community. The article says we are working longer hours and have less time for friends and family, and this includes longer commute times. I am really engaged with family and friends. The average commute time for Nashvillians is 25.6 minutes. Mine is 15 minutes. In my previous job, it was 5 minutes.

7) How giving are you? I love to do volunteer work. I wish I could donate more money. Well, maybe someday. The article ranked Nashville as 19th in giving. I am totally surprised. This is a very philanthropic city. It should be ranked higher.

8) Good urban design. The article says that good urban design helps people get to know each other better, and therefore they are happier. Whoops--OK, Nashville is not great in this area. Mainly no sidewalks. But neighborhoods are trying to be better.

I really think Nashville is a happier city than what the article suggests. But then I am sure the ones who compiled it don't live here.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Hiring Well

I just read an article in the local paper about how employers are starting to put more emphasis on personality when hiring a new employee. The "how well do they play with others" factor. In recent years, I have come to think of this as very important too.

I remember in my last job, thinking that at least a couple of people there should not have been hired. One was very good at her job, but very manipulative and self centered. I always thought it would be better to have the second best candidate and one who is a good team player and that you can trust.

The other person was neither a good team player nor good at her job. Oh well. I was not the hiring manager in the office, so I did not have a voice.

There is nothing worse than having a bad personality in the office. And usually these people are at least just good enough at their jobs to keep them, so you can't really fire them.

At my new job, I feel there should be more emphasis on hiring well. My relative boss usually just hires someone quickly, if they have the basic qualifications. Most of the time it works out, but not always.

Hiring well, and looking more closely at personality is something I want to emphasize more going forward.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Moot Court Blues--Episode 5

Ok, it is over. That is the best news. But my team lost. The judge decided for the defendant. How did that happen? We thought we had a good case. Our witness waffled a lot on the stand, which had a lot to do with it, I think. She kept answering crucial answers in different ways, which led to her losing credibility. But also the case was stacked against us. The teacher wanted us to lose, it appears. He said today, what do you do when you get bad facts? Um.... OK. But in the real world, we would have been able to supplement the facts and not argue a case on only half the facts. I guess he has a point. But it didn't feel good. I am sure that is how it feels in the real world.

Moot Court Blues--Episode 4

All I can say is AAAAArrrrrrghgghgh!

Our moot court case is today and I don't feel prepared. Well, I guess I am, but I wish I had another week. Coming off of two finals and having to brief a case this week, I have not had enought time to practice.

But D-day is here.

Watch this space.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Beauty Foods

Boy do I need some beauty foods! Foods that make me prettier and younger. Well, I don't know about the first, but I know some foods will make you younger. And thinner. And if I am thinner, I am prettier.

An article in the paper the other day listed some superfoods that protect skin against wrinkling and aging. That caught my attention. I used to be very attentive to these kinds of things, but law school has ruined my diet and exercise.

Here are the foods they listed:

Pomegranates for softening skin
Blueberries for smoothing lines
Spinach and kale for firming
Cold water fish for reducing redness
Green tea for diminishing brown spots
Watermelon for a dewy complexion
Olive oil for a healthy glow

I went to grocery store and bought blueberries, spinach, and my first pomegranates. I hope they are not too tedious to fix, or I probably won't fix them. I already have green tea. I'll shop this weekend for fish, watermelon and olive oil. I need to get back on track with this anti-aging program!

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Moot Court Blues--Episode 3

It is so good to be a writer! I got into work today and interspersed writing my opening statements with my work and had the statement done by 9:30 a.m! It is so good to be a writer! Things like that come so easily.

Now I still have to write my closing statements. The problem is I also have a brief due tomorrow night in another class. So will try to write the brief tonight and the closing statement tomorrow. That is cutting it a little close, but is the best I can do.

Went shopping after work looking for a cool blouse, but no such luck. Found some cool shoes for my moot court outfit though.

I still can't believe my accident in the shower this morning. I am fine, but sore. I could have really hurt myself. I think things like that are reminders to be careful.

Moot Court Blues--Episode 2

Well, my moot court trial is approaching, and I am not prepared. I am freaking out. Luckily we have a pretty easy case. I have to do opening and closing statements. I will work on the opening ones today. I got on Westlaw and found some good tips for opening and closing statements. We didn't have much time to prepare for our case to begin with, and then I just had two tests, so my time has been fragmented.

I am so tired today and not sure why. Oh...that's right! No sleep. Or not much sleep. I actually fell in the shower this morning when I was trying to shave my legs--not good. Then I tripped over my shoes in the living room. Not good again. Now I am sitting at my desk at work still half asleep. I better watch out--I seem to be a walking time bomb today. Accident prone--I will be careful.

I did buy a suit for the trial, my first suit in years. I don't like wearing suits--they look horrible on me. This one isn't too bad. It has a short jacket, which fits me much better. I will try to find a cool blouse to go with it. After all, I have to be the hip district attorney! That is if I don't stumble off a cliff by accident between now and then!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Heather's Meltdown

Heather Mills is becoming very messy. Her divorce from Paul McCartney has put her in a negative light in the media. For someone who has been in the limelight for quite a long time, she apparently was never schooled in PR or media relations. (not too late to get some help in this area).

Heather, a quick tutorial: Number one--you were married to a Beatle. That means he is more famous and more well loved than you. You are a very likeable person, and that works in your favor. But despite any of your protestations, people are going to see you as a gold digger. Yes, it looks like the marriage was a mistake. But divorce is good, as it rectified that mistake.

Number two--Please stop talking. The more you talk, the worse it is going to get. You are not going to stop the tabloids. The more you talk the more you feed them. And the more you talk, the more foolish you look. If you want to look better, stop talking and get back to your charity work. Maybe in a different way.

Number three--Lay low. Keep a low profile. The way you are operating now, it just looks like you want to put Paul in a bad light. That is not going to work.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Cramming for a Law Final

It is lucky that I am a good studier and that I can cram well. I do all the things they say not to--I stay up too late too many nights in a row; I get behind in my reading; I study in front of the TV; I do last minute cramming, but I almost always do well, if not really well on my tests.

Tonight I had my domestic law final. I do wish I had one more day to study, but I have to say that by the time I walked into the classroom, I had a good handle on the information, whereas last week, I couldn't have said the same thing.

There was a lot of material though. It was a one quarter class, and I think it could have been a two quarter class. In domestic law, there are a lot of list of factors for everything from grounds for divorce, defenses to divorce, factors when considering awarding alimony and what kind, and factors for custody modification, and on and on and on and on and on.

In my notes from last last week, my teacher had said to make sure to know the 11 factors for custody modification. Unfortunately, I didn't see that note until about an hour before the test, so I panicked and started looking for a list with 11 factors. I searched through my notes and my outlines and could not find it. I found however a 16 factor list, a 10 factor list, the 14 factor list, but no 11 factor list. (I told you there were a lot of lists.) I figured out that he probably meant the 10 factor list and studied that.

For the first time, I developed some mnemonics for these lists. I ususally don't bother because I just figure that is one more thing to remember. But this time I thought it might be worthwhile. So I made up "IbadIcarpHicLaid" for grounds for divorce; "Lisppcccjugdr" for defenses to divorce; "RRRDapesMeco" for factors in awarding alimony; and "LidsmHere" for the comparative fitness test. I stopped at four, unlike one of my study buddies who came up with about six or seven.

Yes, I could have prepared better for the test, but I think I did OK. Hope so at least. I probably won't find out for several weeks. IboPaN--"I'll be on Pins and Needles!"

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

FEMA's Latest Faux Pas

When all else fails, have a fake press conference! I don't have all the facts (OK, blame it on law school head) but I have heard enough--that for some reason FEMA held a fake press conference. (I did look it up later, and apparently FEMA wanted to show that they had things more together this time--after the California fires--than they did after Katrina. So they had staff members act like they were reporters asking questions.)

Oh yeah, that is smart!

I know it was the idea of some dumb PR flack. But wait a minute-some PR flacks would know better!

Oh yeah, but this is one who was appointed by the Bush administration. What more can you say.
As a former reporter, I can tell you this will ruin what little credibility with the press they had left.

Hey, FEMA PR guy--you messed up! You breached the public's trust. And you got what you deserved--no job.

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I am so excited that my blog now has a page ranking of 3! I have only been doing this since July, so this makes me very happy. Thanks to all who have been reading my blog. Uncork the champagne!

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I was really disappointed at work today. My relative boss is reluctant to offer disability insurance and some other types of insurance, despite the fact that it would not cost him or the company anything. I asked him about this today and got pretty upset when again he seemed unconcerned. We are not an insurance agency, he said. Well, duh. But companies offer benefits. I am so disappointed. I am hoping it is not because he is selfish and unconcerned. Since he is over 65, he would not qualify for these benefits. But what about the rest of us? I dont' understand your reluctance, I told him. It would cost you nothing, and it would be such a good thing. Do you understand that under certain circumstances, if someone was hurt or ill for a length of time, that an employee, including me, could lose everything? His response was only one of non response. Very disappointing.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Good Golly! You Can Marry Your Cousin!

Well, at least you can in Tennessee. Yes, the jokes have some merit. As I study for my domestic relations final, I am learning, among other things, the prohibited degrees of relationship, as detailed in Tenn. Code Annotated 36-3-101.

Under this statute, you cannot marry
1) a lineal ancestor or descendant
2) a lineal ancestor or descendant of a parent
3) a child of a grandparent
4) a lineal descendant of husband or wife
5) a husband or wife of a parent or lineal descendant
(child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, uncle/aunt, sibling, stepchild, stepparent, adopted, son/daughter-in-law).

These requirements in Tennessee cannot be waived!

I started wondering if Woody Allen had lived in Tennessee, would he have been able to marry Mia Farrow's adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn? I think he could have because Allen never married Farrow, so Soon-Yi was not a stepchild of his. Well, that is a load off my mind.

But you can marry your cousin! Who would have thought.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

It's Been One of Those Days

I had today off from work, and it should have been a good day. But instead I felt like hell most of the day.

Why? Maybe it is that I am just exhausted. I only got about 4 hours of sleep again last night. Maybe that is the root of the problem. I hope it is--that would be an easy answer.

I have been alternatively sad and edgy all day. I was signed up to an all day research project--I had to be downtown by 7 a.m., a whole hour earlier than I normally have to be at work. I was excited about being part of a focus group, but then I got down there and was informed the computer didn't choose me. They sent me home with $50. I was glad to have the $50, but I felt like I had been rejected. I was dejected. How dumb is that?

Rather than go back to work, I decided to catch up in one of my law classes that I am really behind in. I had a pretty good day doing that, but all day I felt lonely, anxious, you name it, that I would never find love. What is the deal with that?

I was reading my statute book, and it was interesting to a point. But the problem with statutes is that the comments sections go on forever. The comments and notes are helpful to understanding the statutes, but they just go on and on.......

Basic bottom line is that I just felt very, very alone all day, which is wierd. I really wanted to enjoy my day off and make it productive. OK, it was productive, but my feelings were out of control.

On top of that tonight, I have felt sad. I never watch Fox News, but I was watching Bill O'Reilly tonight and saw the report about the 8 year old boy in Vancouver WA, who called 911 about his mother who was drunk and tryng to drive the car. The mother kept hitting the boy's hands so he wouldn't be able to talk on the phone, but he was able to get his message through and the police arrested his mother. He and his sibling are now staying with a family friend. How distressing it was to hear this story. That brave, poor little boy. I had some upheaval in my childhood--not like this--and know how scary and upsetting it can be when parents get mad and selfish and irrational. He is between a rock and a hard place--his mother has been arrested, and he may have to go into foster care. It just makes me want to cry.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

A Convenient Truth

I am watching a documentary on CNN about Al Gore's book,
An Inconvenient Truth, and his recent Nobel Peace Prize, and I find myself again annoyed. Not at CNN. They are doing their job at examining an issue. But people keep pooh-poohing Al Gore and his environmental work.

This just boggles my mind. So far they have interviewed several scientists who say global warming is not happening. Why are they not interviewing those scientists who say it is?

But what really boggles my mind is people's disregard for the environment. OK, so maybe you don't believe or accept the evidence about global warming, or maybe you are just so selfish you don't give a shit.

But even if that is the case, why can't you appreciate the environment and want to protect it?

After all, if you don't care about the environment and work to save it, you are saying you dont' care about your children's or grandchildren's future. You are saying their future is not worth anything.

Is that what you really want to say? Really think about it!

Wake up now and help the situation, or you are part of the problem.

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Congrats to the people at my school who graduated last May and passed the bar. I checked the published list yesterday and saw a few of my friends. I didn't recognize many of the names, highlighting the fact that I didn't know as many members of the class above me as I thought. We will not find out the percent of those from our school who passed for a few days yet. Our school tends to have a lesser percentage who pass, because we are a night school, and people work full time in addition to going to school. I'll cross my fingers our stats are good!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Tomorrow is D Day for Recent Bar Takers

Tomorrow at high noon, the July bar takers will find out if they passed or not. At least in Tennessee that is the situation. Tomorrow at high noon hundreds of people in TN will be hitting the Website at one time to see if their name is there. No name, no passee. I think on Saturday, the names will be published en banc in the newspaper.

I don't know why the bar examiners do it this way, in so public a fashion. Why not have everyone make their own account, log in, and see if they passed, in the privacy of their home or office. Why make it so public? Maybe that is just part of the deal????

I know that everyone hopes that high noon will result in everyone being OK in the OK Corral. I don't even take the bar until next summer and I am nervous to see the results tomorrow. I didn't know many people in the two classes above mine. But I knew quite a few in this 2007 class. I wish them the best. Here's to you! Fingers crossed.

Monday, October 15, 2007

In Praise of the Environment

I was going to research some topic, but didn't have time. This will be short and simple. I used to be really good about recycling but I have fallen off. So my contribution to this event today is to rededicate myself as someone interested in recycling and the environment.

I am so excited that Al Gore won that Nobel Prize. I agree that he has done more than anyone to bring attention to global warming and environmental concerns. Maybe we can all learn from him and use him as an example.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

What's the Big Idea, Ann Coulter?

I don't know where to begin to talk about Ann Coulter. I have never agreed with her. Too conservative, too outspoken, too sarcastic. Many of her ideas are wacky or hateful. But at one point I thought she was funny. She used to appear on Bill Maher's show. Again--I never agreed with her, but thought she had the gift of the one-liner. Some of her comments were sort of witty.

But lately, it almost seems as if she is losing it. She's not funny anymore, or even very relevant. But she is mean spirited. Like when she slammed the 911 widows. Maybe she was tired of being shushed, or whatever it was when she wanted to complain about them, but she could have found a better way to complain than to say that the widows were having a good time exploiting their dead husbands, or something similar to that. Unbelievable!

She spoke a couple of years ago at Vanderbilt University. I would have liked to have been there, but had something else to do that night. But she didn't disappoint--she of course was tacky and saracastic and inappropriate as usual. Then getting into it with Elizabeth Edwards--how smart is that?

The latest is her appearance on Donny Deutsch's show, The Big Idea. I only caught part of it, but did hear the part where she was talking about how Jews needed to be perfected. Again, she caused a stir over something she didn't even need to bring up. And now she is claiming to be such a Christian? Sorry Ann, I don't see it. Maybe try acting like a Christian????

It seems like she is losing her fan base. At this point, I don't know whether to feel sorry for her (as in she is digging herself into a hole that it will be hard to climb out of) or to chuckle and just think she did it to herself.

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I have been trying to read constitutional law tonight. I have to say it is the hardest textbook I have had (except for maybe taxation last year). The editor is not very good. Other textbooks we have used in our other classes have been easier to read, and had better editors, I think.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Moot Court Blues--Episode 1

We have actually had a few meetings of moot court--this entry will talk about some of the things we have experienced so far.

We have gotten our teams and our trial dates, and unfortunately, our date is right between two final exam and the week after I go out of town for homecoming! Ugh! The good news is that we also got our trial assignment today, and it looks fairly easy. It is a criminal case. We had one last year too and were hoping to get another one. There are less things to do in a criminal case. Also, one of our team members is a police officer, so he knows some of the things that need to be done!

Things had been swimming along in moot court until today. The teacher had been calling on volunteers to get up everyweek to teach a certain subject to the class. The last several weeks, he had no problem getting a volunteer, but today no one raised their hands. He then called on one person, who wasn't prepared (which he has told us gets a black mark), then called on a couple who weren't there, and called on another person who was not prepared to talk, and than on another student who wasn't there. He was getting agitated by the second. I knew it--he then called on me! Luckily I had read the assignment about 10 minutes before walking into class. I did not prepare an outline of the subject (and told him so) but said I did read it and could talk about it.

I stood behind the podium with my book, and probably read more out of the book than he would have liked, but again I did not have an outline. I finished and sat down. He said nothing! Nothing! I couldn't believe it! I can remember what he said after the others had finished. But he said nothing after I talked. I think he should have thanked me, because at least I was ready and willing to take on the task!

Speechless in the Workplace

I am late writing this entry. If I had written this last night like I intended, I would have been encouraging you to attend the Nashville's Southern Festival of Books this weekend and catch Bruce Barry's session on his new book, Speechless: The Erosion of Free Speech in the American Workplace.

But since I missed that opportunity, I'll instead encourage you to buy his book. Barry is both a management and sociology professor at Vanderbilt University, and also president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, and brings a unique voice to management literature.

In the book, he reminds that there is no freedom of speech at work in private employment settings, and only sometimes protected in government workplaces. Most employment is of the at-will variety, and employers can let you go for a good reason, bad reason, or no reason, including the fact that they don't like your speech. This has become increasingly problemmatic he says, as the line between a worker's working and personal life becomes more blurred, and workers become more fearful of job loss.

Barry makes mention of a worker who gets fired for having a John Kerry sticker on her car. I wonder what my conservative relative boss will think or do when I put a Hillary Clinton sticker on my car????

Monday, October 8, 2007

Overheating at the Chicago Marathon

I was dismayed to hear the news of the death of one runner and the distress of many other runners at the Chicago Marathon yesterday. (It has been reported that the man died as a result of a heart condition, not the heat, but I don't see how the heat would have helped the situation.)

The weather which was supposed to be around 66 degrees F, was in the high 80s, and some even said in the 90s. And apparently the water stations were not stocked well, and they were out of water very early in the race.

I have done several marathons, including the Chicago one. I am a walker, not a runner, and I walked the marathon there. (They have since closed the marathon to walkers, because they don't want the streets closed for that long.)

I enjoyed all three marathons, but Chicago was my favorite. The crowd support is fabulous for the race. You wind around through a lot of different ethnic neighborhoods, and all the way people line the street to cheer you on.

The year I did it, they started the walkers out 2 hours before the runners. That meant our starting time was 5:30. I am not a morning person, but I bounded out of bed, so excited to get to the starting line. There was a full moon, and walking through the downtown area with the full moon to guide us was magical to say the least.

That year, the weather was cool. I get dehyrdated easily, so I took my own water. My experience is that there is never enough water at the water stations, so I didn't want to risk overheating. Since it was cool, I didn't feel the need to drink often, but I made myself. Despite that, at the end of the 26.2 miles, I limped back to my hotel, which was downtown and close to the race site, and climbed into bed. I shook under the covers for close to two hours, scaring my roommate. I am not sure what was wrong with me, but I think I was still dehydrated. I told my roommate, who had also done the marathon, that I thought I would be OK, all the while shaking as if I had a fever and the flu. Sure enough, several hours later, even though I was not OK enough to go dancing with the rest of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Team in Training runners and walkers, I was sure OK enough to go out and have dinner.

(It did occur to me later that maybe I wasn't dehyrated but too hyrdated. Since the marathon, I have read that marathoners can drink too much water, leading to a whole set of problems. How to strike the balance, I am not sure.)

I also did marathons in Alaska and San Diego, and felt sick after both. After Alaska, a friend said I was babbling and insisted I go to the first aid tent. They said I was dehyrated. I laid down for a while and was fine. In San Diego, the temperature was 10 degrees hotter than they expected that day, and we had some overheating problems too, but nothing that seemed to rise to the level of the problems in Chicago this year. I did fine, and helped someone else who was ill get on the shuttle bus back to the hotel.

But later that night, it hit me and I felt light headed, so much so I wasn't sure I should go out to dinner. Near the elevator, I was so lightheaded, I had to lay down on the floor. A man getting off the elevator didn't have a clue and said "Nice place to take a nap!" Later I felt fine and enjoyed dinner and cocktails. A member of our team wasn't so lucky though--she had such bad diarrhea and nausea, she had to go to the hospital. The epidsode pushed her into being borderline diabetic.

So marathons are not for the timid. It takes a lot of training and willpower. And like other things, the best laid plans can go awry. You may feel sick for some reason or other.

But what I can't understand is how a race course wouldn't have enough water or Gatorade, and even food along the way. One of the races I did had advertised they would have food at rest stations, and all they had were orange slices. I don't count that as "food." When you are running a race, you may not need food, but when you are walking the course and are out there between 6 and 9 hours, you really need some food! Luckily, again I took some snacks--ranging from granola bars to a bagel with peanut butter.

Marathons are great, and I wish everyone would try it at least once. You feel a sense of accomplishment and meet some great people. For the marathoners this year in Chicago, the great people included those lining the street, who filled the gap yesterday by offering runners bottles of water and cold drinks.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

WSJ's Article on Law's Bleak Career Outlook

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119040786780835602.html?dlbk

When I worked at an elite law school a few years back, one of the concerns among the administration, which extended to other private law schools, was the increasing cost of tuition, which then triggered the enormous starting salaries at the biggest law firms. To the top students, it was exciting to get that big salary in recognition of a job well done in law school and of a promising future.

But it wouldn't take long to realize the strings attached. The law firms were more than willing to pay exuberant salaries, but in exchange they expected the newly minted lawyers to work unbelievable hours to earn their keep. The sad result would be that many lawyers would be burned out within five years. They just couldn't keep the pace. Understandably they wanted a life.

That was the impetus for many of these schools to ramp up their philanthropy. If they could get a lot of scholarship money, they could offer it to the students, who then wouldn't be so saddled with debt.

The Wall Street Journal article, titled "Hard Case: Job Market Wanes for U.S. Lawyers," tells me the situation hasn't improved much since I left my job. Top law students still garner top wages, which now hover around $160,000 for new positions, but I bet they still have to work those unbelievable hours.

But what sounds worse are the job prospects for the lesser ranked students or students at lower tiered schools. Some of them are graduating with that same amount of debt but don't have the salaries to offset it. The article points out that many students are upset at what they consider to be misleading law school marketing claims as to graduates' job offers and salaries. It seems it just boils down to there are too many lawyers for the good jobs available.

I am sure law school deans and administrations and the ABA are concerned and working to help alleviate the problem in whatever way they can. Maybe they need to enroll fewer law students??? That would not be a popular solution, but it would help with the supply and demand situation.

My situation is that I am ranked in the middle of my class and am not at a top school. I have the beautiful situation in that I am not going to be looking for a law job, however, and will at some point be heading my family's company. My plans right now is to use my law degree in connection with the company and in volunteer work.

But reading this article makes me think how I would be feeling if I didn't have these opportunities. People still tend to think that a law degree is a license to make a lot of money, and apparently that is not necessarily true anymore. If I didn't already have my career plans, I am sure I would be worried. I have no doubt I would find a job, but it might not be one that paid well.

One thing I do have to say though is that I didn't really enter into law school to get rich (even though the idea of being better off certainly entered my mind) but entered school because I felt like law was a calling of some sort. If you enter law school for that reason, you won't be sorry. You might just have to hustle a little more in the job arena.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Age Discrimination Suit Against U.S. Attorney's Office Settled

First, I have to apologize that this is old news--stemming from July in fact. I am still catching up on my reading, but thought this was worth mentioning, even this at this late date.

Not all had been right with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. Reports filed in various local newspapers here and there had indicated that Jim Vines, former head of the office, might have been engaging in age discrimination, trying to rid the office of older lawyers to make room for younger ones. One of his targets seemed to be former prosecutor Larry Moon, in his 60s. Tactics reported included giving Moon unreasonable workloads and haranguing him when he couldn't meet the unrealistic goals.

Moon filed an age discrimination case in 2005, and as it turns out, he received more than $330,000 this summer in exchange for dropping the suit, according to the Nashville Scene. Apparently, many fellow lawyers and judges defended Moon, whom they called "a zealous and knowledgable prosecutor," the paper said.

Not surprising, Vines, who had no prosecutorial experience before this stint, has gone back into private practice.

Of course, in settling the case, the government admits no fault. But I am surprised that a lawyer working in such an office with a bunch of lawyers wouldn't know better?

Monday, October 1, 2007

Office Politics--Good for You?

I clicked on a link on Yahoo Finance last week to read an article about critics and how to know when a critic is worth listening to. I think that is an interesting topic--everyone can have something to say about what you do or how you live your life, but when should you listen and when should you ignore such a critic? I am not sure the author Penelope Trunk really answered that question, but raising the question was worthwhile.

After reading it, I scrolled down to the bottom, where people left comments on the article. I couldn't believe it--at the time there were about 250 comments, at least 99 percent of them very negative about her and her advice. Mostly they were saying that she was way off base on her advice and that no wonder, since she had never worked in an office.

Intrigued, I clicked on a link for another of her articles, one on Office Politics. titled "Avoid Office Politics at Your Peril." In the article she listed five reasons that office politics can help you meet your goals while adhering to your values:

1. Office politics reward people who are genuinely kind.
2. Office politics reward good time-managers.
3. Office politics is the answer to burnout.
4. Office politics is a road to self-knowledge.
5. Office politics is about honesty.

I won't go into details of each of the five points--you can read her article in her column, "Brazen Careerist" on Yahoo Finance.

But just take my word for it that people had another bad reaction to this column of hers too. Her main point is that being good at office politics is about being able to get along with anyone.

umm, Penelope, where did you learn your definition of office politics?

One commenter said that maybe she really means teamwork. Her five points seem to match the definition of teamwork rather than office politics. After all, said several commenters, office politics is really more about being competitive and doing someone in to get ahead yourself.

I have to agree with this person's comment. I have managed to pretty well avoid office politics in the various jobs I have had. I just try to do the best job I can. That doesn't mean that I can't laugh and have fun along the way, but I don't think it means that I should plot and try to do someone in. The people I have worked with in the past who were involved in office politics did not seem benign, in fact they were very toxic and would spread rumors and such about people. I agree with the commenters that Ms. Trunk needs to get a reality check. But it does make for some interesting reading.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Newt Gingrich Out of the Running?

I heard this morning that Newt has said he is not running for president. I didn't even know he was considering it. That is good, as there will be one less noodle-head we will have to worry about.

Bill Clinton is a guest on Meet the Press today. I miss him so much. I will vote for Hillary. Not only because over time I have come to believe that she would be a good president and that she has fire in the belly, but because I think we need him back. He will be a great ambassador for our country and get us back on track.

Voting democratic is good for economics!

Friday, September 28, 2007

Jury Duty Pooty

I was so excited when I got my jury duty notice about a month or so ago. I had never been called for jury duty and had always wanted to serve. My first thought when I saw the card was, I wonder if attorneys would choose me for a jury since I am in law school. My feeling was no, and that was confirmed by other people who had been dismissed for that same reason. But I was hopeful that I would be picked--it would be a chance for me to see a real trial up close.

Well Monday morning came and I arrived at the courthouse. I brought my constitutional law textbook with me to read--I figured I could hide it in my book bag if needed.

But I had no luck that day. A computer randomly picks out groups of 30 jurors for voir dire. Thirty is as large of a group as they need. I guess the computer knew I was out there in the waiting room studying my constitutional law, because it passed me by. I didn't get picked for the first or second trial. So back to work I went. But in the short time I was there, I could feel how exciting it would be to work in that courthouse.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

So-bri-ah-tee Checkpoints, Nashville Style

I have been ticked off about this for a while, but tonight I have to say my piece. Nashville has gone on overdrive, it seems, with sobriety checkpoints. I guess I see the value--you want to stop drunk driving and all that entails. My beef is it seems to hassle a lot of people for little gain. And also, I think the resources should be spent on trying to stop other more insidious crime.

Tonight I was leaving a retail establishment about 8 p.m. on West End, when a metro police car drove right up onto the sidewalk right beside me. It frightened me, as it looked like the officer really wasn't paying attention to what he was doing. He could have easily smashed right into the left side of my car. To be honest, I don't think he ever saw me, and I was right beside him.

And the way the police officers stand at the side of the road in these checkpoints in their black uniforms is just dangerous. Especially in some of the locations. You just can't see them in the dark, and suddenly there they are stepping up to your car with their little orange cone???? Hello???? Can you say ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN???

You're trying to make Nashville streets more safe by being reckless????? And by the way, it is ILLEGAL to drive on the sidewalk. Have the police heard of this. Chief Serpas are you listening???

The police have also held a sobriety checkpoint a couple of times right by my house. I saw blue lights coming in through my blinds, so I took my dog outside to see what was going on. They were stopping every car, asking if they had had any alcohol. If they said yes, they were asked to get out of the car and do sobriety field tests. I stayed there for a short time watching. I was impressed at how well people did. I couldn't stand on one leg for countless minutes even sober. We have some people with good balance here in Nashville.

But the truth is most people can have about two drinks before they would be above the legal limit. Stopping everyone who drives by is just a nuisance. And the real chronic drunks are probably driving elsewhere.

I would just like to see them put that same zeal toward solving some real crime.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane--the Best Advertisement for Long Term Care Insurance

I watched the movie Whatever Happened to Baby Jane again tonight and had a thought: Insurance companies could use a clip from this movie to help sell long term care insurance.

The story is about two aging actresses played by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (Bette Davis is the crazy, evil, drunken sister. But you find out that Joan's character is not all sweet either, but definitely more palatable.) To make a long story short, Joan's character has an accident and is left in a wheelchair, and both of their acting careers go down the tubes.

Bette's character in effect holds Joan's character hostage in an upstairs bedroom and starts abusing her. Parts of it are very hard to watch. Joan's character becomes more and more frightened and sicker and is going to die. Bette's character serves dead rats to Joan for dinner and such, so Joan is afraid to eat, making her even weaker. I read that Bette Davis was 54 when she made this movie. Good grief! I hope she was made up to look so much older, and that she didn't really look this bad herself.

Anyway, it is about 2 hours of painful, yet wonderful cinema. Long term health insurance can help you stay independent of crazy, vindictive relatives! When my former company started offering such plans, a bunch of us signed up for it, just knowing that that would keep us freewilled and independent of any relatives who might want to have it in for us, lol!

Lee Ann Rimes a Hit at Schermerhorn Symphony Center

Last night I went to the Nashville Symphony Pops Concert featuring Lee Ann Rimes. It was an absolute treat. She has a new fan.

I have heard of Lee Ann Rimes for years, but to tell you the truth, I had never heard her sing. I did not know about her first hit "Blue," which everyone in the whole world seems to know about. In fact, I was clueless about her.

She came on stage last night after the intermission. At first I was underwhelmed. I am not a country music fan, and her first couple hits seemed to be country tunes.

But soon, she had rolled over into the rock and roll and blues genres. I am not an expert, but I really think her talent is better suited for these categories. She has a very powerful voice and it seemed to get lost on her country tunes. But she filled the house with her voice on the rock and blues tunes. (But don't listen to me, I know nothing about country music on purpose, almost.)

I would go to another concert of hers, and I might even buy a CD. Which says a lot, because I have enjoyed country music artists in person before, but would not buy their CDs.

The only disappointment came when I read her bio, and she did not grow up in Nashville or attend high school here like I thought. She was home schooled out of Mississippi. She always seemed to be in the local press, but she had a contract with a record label here, so I guess that is why. And I guess she could travel here a lot, being home schooled.

But her performance was so good last night, you could have heard a pin drop. But that is also partly due to the perfection of the Symphony Center. It is a joy to be there. If you haven't attended a performance there, try to do so soon.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Joe O'Donnell plagiarized photos?

I read a sad article in today's newspaper--that Joe O'Donnell, 85, a local photographer of some fame (and who died in Nashville August 10) had made false claims about some photos he had taken.

I did not know the man, but had seen some of his work around town in photo exhibits and on sale at local art galleries. The man hadn't just taken any old photos, but photos that captured the nation's history and soul. O'Donnell had served as an official White House photographer for five presidents, from FDR to Johnson. Some of his outstanding works included the famous photo of "John John" saluting his father's coffin in the funeral parade in November 1963, and the 1959 photo of the "Kitchen Debate" between VP Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow, among others. The problem is apparently he didn't really take the photos.

After reading his obituary and seeing the reports on television, other photographers stood up to say he did not take the photos and said who did. It is amazing it took this long to find this out.

This recent revelation has left many scratching their heads and asking why, including his widow. She claimed that he was in ill health, which could account for some of this behavior.

I just hate that this came out now, when he can't defend himself.

The New York Times published his obituary, later adding these corrections:


Correction: September 5, 2007

Two pictures on Aug. 14 with an obituary about the news photographer Joe O’Donnell carried erroneous credits, and the obituary also included one of the incorrect credits. The photograph of a saluting John F. Kennedy Jr. during the funeral for his father in 1963 was taken by Stan Stearns for United Press International, not by Mr. O’Donnell. The photographer who took the second picture, showing Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill during a wartime meeting in Tehran in 1943, is not known, although Mr. O’Donnell claimed credit for it and the Kennedy picture. Mr. O’Donnell is not known to have been in Tehran at the time.
A Nashville gallery that handled Mr. O’Donnell’s work supplied the incorrect information. The Times is researching other claims by Mr. O’Donnell reported in the obituary.


Correction: September 15, 2007


An obituary on Aug. 14 about the photographer Joe O’Donnell, who learned the craft with the Marine Corps during World War II, described well-known pictures of four presidents that he claimed to have taken. A correction in this space on Sept. 5 described two erroneous credits to him on photographs which ran with the obituary — one, also mentioned in the obituary, of John F. Kennedy Jr. saluting his father’s funeral caisson in 1963, which was actually taken by Stan Stearns for United Press International; and one of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill meeting in Tehran in 1943, by an unknown photographer.
In addition, the obituary also erroneously attributed a photograph of Vice President Richard M. Nixon during his “kitchen debate” in Moscow with Nikita S. Khrushchev in 1959; it was taken by Elliott Erwitt, not by Mr. O’Donnell.
An article describing how Mr. O’Donnell came to make these and other erroneous claims appears today on Page A1.

Bridge Insufficiency

I heard a talk the other day about bridge insufficiency given by a professor of civil engineering. The program was based around the Minneapolis bridge collapse. He showed slides of the collapse and some aerial shots taken of the bridge before the disaster.

The post collapse photos he showed were more horrifying than the ones we saw on television. Not sure why that was, but the shots he had were taken at a higher angle and showed in greater detail the danger those people were in. For example, the cars that remained on the broken section of the bridge were on a steeper grade than the television portrayed. I was surprised at the difference in perspective and found it amazing that any of those cars could have stopped in time to avoid going off the bridge into the water.

He went on to say that the bridge was at 50 percent insufficiency, which means the bridge should have been replaced. The state's government received the money to do this, but apparently used it for other reasons. To me this is highly negligent, and those responsible should be held accountable. Totally irresponsible and alsmost evil in a way. Can you imagine being one of the victims or the victims' family and knowing that they could have repaired the bridge but instead used it for some pork project?

He also mentioned several bridges in Nashville that are close to being in the same condition, just like countless bridges across the country. Yikes!

It is a shame that this country was once known for its brilliant infrastructure, which is now starting to come down around us.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

A Peek at the Carnies

Going to work I drive through the fairgrounds, which is usually an open road. Now that the state fair is on, the road is closed, and I have take a detour that takes me out of my way a few blocks. One thing about the detour is that it takes me close to where the carnies' bunkhouses are. I had never thought about where carnies lived--to be honest I never thought much about carnies at all. But now that I have been having to drive past their bunks multiple times a day, they are on my mind.

The doors to some of the bunkhouses have been open, letting me see inside. I have to say it has made me sad to see where they live. It is like a long trailer, divided up into small closets where they have a bunk or mattress. It looks pretty basic. Clothes are strewn around. Jeans and other clothes are also on a line outside, as if they have been washed and hung up to dry. Some people sit on the stoops outside, and a number of bicyles are scattered around.

My curiosity led me to google "carnie life" and I read a few items. Carnies are the working homeless, I discovered. But they have a real community and take their work seriously. I told a friend about the sad looking bunkhouses, and he said that lifestyle probably holds a real attraction for some people. I agree, although it certainly wouldn't be for me. It's just too bad they have to live in those small closets, even though they pay very little to stay there it seems.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

MPRE Success!

Well, I checked the MPRE website early this morning for some strange reason, and there was a message for me saying my MPRE score was ready.

What a scary moment!

I don't know why I checked the website--I didn't really expect the grade to be ready until Friday. It would then be five weeks since I had taken the test, and they said the scores would be back in five weeks. With something this big, I wouldn't expect the scores to be back early.

But anyway, check I did, and it instructed me to download my score. Before I could even organize my thoughts, there I was downloading it, saying a quick little prayer that I had passed. I thought I had done well, but three years of law school have taught me to not always trust those feelings.

OK, so it was downloading, and then suddenly it was there in front of me. 119! That was my score. I had to do a double take to make sure I was looking at the right place. Yup. I was. I felt so grateful. Not only had I passed, but I had done very well.

The scores are scaled. Normally, the scores would be up to 100, but they scale them, so the easy and hard tests will come out to be the same weight.

I am floating on air!

For those who still need to take the test, here is my main tip: Make sure you take the Barbri review course, and read the whole outline they give you very well. And take the practice tests. I think taking the practice tests, and learning from my mistakes was the best thing I did to prepare.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Karl Dean is Nashville's New Mayor!

Karl Dean is mayor! Karl Dean is mayor! Karl Dean is mayor! Karl Dean is mayor!

Can you tell I am happy about this?

To be honest, I was worried. I thought it would be a closer race than it was; I was afraid that Bob Clement might win. I thought people might vote for Clement mainly out of name recognition.

But it turned out to not be true. Bob Clement conceded much earlier than expected. I would have thought he would have waited a while longer before giving it up.

But he didn't, and he made a gracious speech. On the news tonight, someone said that it sounded like he was bowing out of politics in general.

Karl is a good guy, and he will be good for Nashville at this point in time.

Prayers Please for Nashville's Daryl Holton--to be Executed at 1 a.m CST

Daryl Keith Holton did a bad thing--he killed his children and their half sister. He is scheduled to be executed this morning at 1 a.m, just a few hours away.

Please say prayers that he will be spared from this, or if not spared that God will be merciful. I don't know that much about his story. Murder is bad, but execution is bad too. He had a choice to be executed by lethal injection or the electric chair, and he chose the electric chair. Why, I am not sure.

Below is an article from the Nashville Tennessean newspaper. Apparently, the maker of the electric chair is saying how horrible it is. I am embarrassed that we are the only supposedly civilized country that still has the death penalty. But I am convinced we won't for much longer. I think the people of the U.S. will finally learn how horrible and futile the death penalty is, and that it really makes violence in this country worse.

I am proud that a group of lawyers is leading this effort to spare him. I am hoping that I can use my law degree to help abolish the death penalty.


Tuesday, 09/11/07
With hours to go, lawyers try to stop Holton execution

BY LEON ALLIGOOD, Staff Writer

A contingent of 69 lawyers, most of them from the Nashville area, asked the Tennessee Supreme Court today to stop the execution of Daryl Keith Holton.
Holton, 45, is scheduled to be put to death by electrocution at 1 a.m. Wednesday. The Shelbyville, Tenn., man was convicted in 1999 of killing four children, including three sons and the boys’ half-sister.

The attorneys said there is “a very serious question whether electrocution violates the evolving standards of decency under the Eighth Amendment and the Tennessee Constitution.” It is unclear when or if the justices will rule on the matter. The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Petitioners, which included such well-known Nashville lawyers G. Gordon Bonnyman, George Barrett and Cecil Branstetter, asked the high court to either “declare electrocution unconstitutional or order an expeditious review of the constitutionality of electrocution in Tennessee.”The 75-page document included autopsy information from numerous electric chair deaths in other states and mentions concerns of Fred Leuchter, builder of Tennessee’s electric chair. Leuchter said he believes the state’s execution plan will not kill Holton instantaneously.“Leuchter’s concern that Holton will be cooked alive is all too real,” the petition said.For more on this story, check Tennessean.com later tonight and tomorrow.

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Prayers also in remembrance of all the 9/11 victims. I still can't imagine how horrible it would have been to be trapped in the towers and to come to the realization you weren't going to get out.

Monday, September 10, 2007

What Happened to Home Depot?

When I wasn't looking, what happened to the darling of the big box set--The Home Depot? OK, granted, I live in a condo, not a single family home, and I am not a do-it-yourselfer, so I am not a big bet to hang out at HD. My forays at HD have mainly centered around buying paint (probaby 5 years ago) and an occasional trip to get an air filter.

My last trip there to get an air filter was within the last year, and I have to admit, I did notice the lack of employees on the floor. But I didn't know it had hit epidemic levels. Also, on occasion when I bought a larger item, like a new toilet, I did comparison shopping between HD and Lowe's and chose the latter, based on price for the item and installation costs. Again, I did not realize this was part of a bigger trend.

A few years back, all I seemed to hear was positive news about the big box retailer--how people loved The Home Depot, how they had so many Olympic athletes working for them, and how it just seemed to be mecca in general.

Today the news is so different--and seems especially focused on the poor customer service. How the retailer hires mainly part time people and caps their wages, how the employees seem disgruntled and that of course tends to affect their work attitudes.

If you google HD, you will see comment after comment about how poor the store is these days. I guess I hadn't kept up with the news. But if I had gone to the store more often, I am sure my brief impression would have been confirmed long before now.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Moot Court Blues--Pilot Episode

This week was the first week for moot court. I had heard bad stories about the class and the teacher. I had seen him walking around, and he seemed like a curmudgeon. I was really dreading it.

Well, it turned out not to be as bad as I was fearing. At least not yet. The man actually has a sense of humor, and showed it in class. He told some stories on himself. He said he didn't want us studying for other classes during moot court, but then sort of left the impression that maybe we could do that if we are not too obvious about it. (I could really use that time to study!)

He also answered the question, "Why take moot court?" He said that many people do not think they will be in the courtroom as lawyers, or that they will even practice law. But he said he has known many students to change their mind down the road, and either decide to practice law, or if already practicing law, decide they do want to be in the courtroom. So the class can give you some good foundation.

He also made the point that new lawyers should not go into private practice with just their classmates. He said make sure you go into practice with older, more experienced lawyers. That makes sense, but some people must not do that. I certainly would not want to practice law as a new attorney with just other new attorneys. I would be afraid I would not know what to do.

So, we divided up into our teams, and I am with the same team I had before. We asked to be together again, as we work well together. I think it is going to a fine class and that we will learn a lot. He is going to grade us tougher than the other teacher did, so that will be a big difference.

Friday, September 7, 2007

New Product Niche?

Our company stumbled into a big order the other day and we are thrilled. It came to us out of the blue. It involves a medical product (don't want to say what and give other people ideas!) and some changes that are going to have to be made to it in the next year. Luckily we were in the right place at the right time, and had a great response time to the query and a good price. We are able to make the changes that are required. We are also going to be able to make the deadline, even though it will mean some people working overtime this weekend.

But it is exciting for us. At a time when we are worried about growth, this is a boon. And it has given us the idea of approaching other companies to see if we can do similar things for them, maybe even creating a new niche. Right now we are working on proposals that one of our associates will take out on the road.

The great thing about one success is that it fans the fire to seek out other successes.

*************************************

On a less cheery note, we had to send our second employee today to get drug tested, which means he probably won't be coming back to work, since he will probably test positive. I am surprised, but not surprised. There has been a feeling that he uses drugs, maybe even sometimes at work. But I am surprised that he took the chance after the other man was let go. What is also surprising to me is how many people at work have family members who have had serious problems with drugs. Very serious. We don't have that many employees, and it seems there is an inordinate amount of them with this issue. It is really heartbreaking, and they don't deserve it. I talked with another woman at work about this, and she says that she thinks this problem is pretty widespread. I don't know--in my former working years, I never heard of this high of a proportion of workers having to deal with this. I wonder if this is more of a blue collar thing?

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Vote Karl Dean for Nashville's Future

Less than a week from now, Nashville will elect its next mayor. I hope the voters choose Karl Dean, whom I believe is the best choice. Dean is smart, has plenty of city experience, and has progressive ideas. His opponent is Bob Clement, a nice man, but who is sort of a good old boy. He doesn't seem to have new, fresh ideas. Nashville is such a great city now, we can't afford to go backwards. The city has had its share of old time politicians, and we should not make the mistake of electing another one.

As a law student, what is frightening to me is Clement's seemingly lack of knowledge of the Constitution. He keeps attacking Dean on his record as the city's elected public defender, acting as if Dean did something wrong by representing criminals and doing his job well. I am hoping he really understands the Constitution, and that criminals need a good defense. Surely, he doesn't misunderstand this. If he doesn't understand this, he should not be in a leadership position.

But if he does understand this, but is playing up to people's fears or ignorance, this is just as bad. We don't need a mayor doing either of these things.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Jammin' at Hippie Jack's

I treated myself this holiday weekend, and to get away from the studying went for an afternnoon to the music festival, Jammin' at Hippie Jack's, which was on the Cumberland Plateau, a couple of hours from here.

The location is really neat, out in the middle of nowhere, but is a beautiful setting. You can camp there for the festival, which was running for several days.

I was there for about 5 hours--wish I could have stayed longer, but had to get back to studying and my doggie--Stoopot.

They had a couple of tents set up, and some bluegrass bands playing. I heard one of the featured bands, the Hector Qirko band from Knoxville, and they were great. They had a latin flavor, and I love latin music. I could have listened to them for hours. I hope to hear them again.

Jack is going to have more of these festivals. The one this weekend was being filmed and will be shown on the local Cookeville PBS station. I believe it is also being syndicated to go national on PBS too.

***************

OK, I treated myself twice and went with a friend last night to see The Invasion, starring now Nashvillian Nicole Kidman. The movie is good and has some scary moments. But the neat thing was Nicole was a tough cookie. She is good to have around in a crisis. I still haven't seen Nicole around town like so many other people have.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

What Went Wrong with Nifong?

What was going through Mike Nifong's head when he pulled his antics in regard to the three Duke University lacrosse players? Did he not think he would be found out?

Nifong, the former Durham County, North Carolina, district attorney has been stripped of his law license and will spend one day in jail for lying to the judge about the rape charges against the athletes. Nifong, held in criminal contempt of court, was found to have provided the defense with a DNA testing report that he knew to be incomplete, according to an MSNBC.com article.

I know that Nifong had practiced law for a long time, and that most states only passed ethics rules within the last few years. But lawyers were supposed to learn the ethics rules anyway and uphold them.

Here is what the Barbri Professional Responsibility outline says about the special responsibilities of prosecutors:

--The prosecutor in a criminal case is not simply an advocate but also a minister of justice; the prosecutor's primary goal is to seek justice; not to convict. [comment 1 to ABA Model Rule 3.8]

--A prosecutor must not prosecute a charge that she knows is not supported by probable cause.
[ABA Model Rule 3.8(a)]

--A prosecutor must timely disclose to the defense all evidence and information known to the prosecutor that tends to negate the guilt of the accused or mitigate the degree of the offense.[ABA Model Rule 3.8 (d)] Failure to disclose material information may deprive the defendant of due process. [See Brady v. Maryland 373 U.S. 83 (1963).

et seq.

Speaking of professional responsibility, I should be getting back my MPRE score next week. The scores are supposed to come out five weeks after the test. Nail biting time!

Friday, August 31, 2007

Value of Clinical Research Trials

If you live near a university research center, and want to help medical research and earn extra money at the same time, you might want to consider checking out clinical research trials.

I just got accepted into another clinical trial today and I am so excited! Not only will it help me with my allergies, but I will earn some extra money, something I desperately need, this last year in law school.

Some people may be scared to participate in clinical trials, but my experience has been wonderful. I have been a healthy, normal volunteer in diabetes trials, smallpox vaccine trials, bird flu trials, and in this case, I do have the allergies that they are testing for. But being protected from bird flu by getting the bird flu vaccine--how cool is that!

Some of the trials are low pay/high hassle factor, while others are high pay/low hassle factor, meaning that you don't have to do much to make good money. This is the case with the current study I am in.

The benefits to participating are many. Not only are you going to help people who have different diseases or syndromes, but you are earning money. On top of that, most of the studies I have participated in have required that I go through extensive medical testing before getting accepted. Because of this, I have had extensive phyiscals at no cost to me and have found out that I am healthy to boot.

There are also private clinical research trial companies around that do similar kinds of studies.

If you have some time to spare and want to help out others, while earning cash, look in your phone book for clinical research opportunities. I am glad that I have.

Helmsley Goes to the Dogs

Or I should say Leona Helmsley's fortune goes to her dogs. Don't get me wrong--I am pro dog. Very much so. I am one of those who thinks that if you don't like dogs, there is something wrong with you. I think Michael Vick is satan himself.

But there is something a little wierd about leaving $12 million to your little dog Trouble. Don't you think so? I mean--how much does it cost to keep Trouble up? Vaccines, food, kennel bills, jeweled collars etc., etc., only cost so much. What in the world could you spend $12 million on for a dog?

People have asked if leaving money to an animal is legal. The answer is yes.

But why $12 million? There has to be a reason. What what it was?

I think it is also kind of mean that she cut out two of her grandchildren. She said it was for "reasons known to them." It is mean because she knew that because of who she was that it would make headlines, and therefore embarrass them.

I really think that when people are making their wills, and making their last testament, literally, they should think about how hurtful things can be. After all, there is no chance to make things right after that.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Tennessee's Bond Rating Goes Up

We Tennesseans got some good news recently: Moody's has boosted Tennessee's bond rating, which is recognition of good fiscal management. That means that when the state issues bonds on large projects, it can get a better interest rate. Moody's raised the rating from Aa2 to Aa1, which is its second highest rating.

But at the same time, it downgraded the state's outlook from positive to stable. As reported in the Tennessean, the agency cited "education-related and health-related expenditure pressures and the negative economic impact of continuing manufacturing sector declines," as part of its assessments.

Continuing manufacturing sector declines has a new meaning to me, since my new career is in manufacturing. Not on my watch, I say! We'll show them who is manufacturing. Us!

This bond rating is a great testament to Governor Phil Bredesen's skill. I actually think he would make a good president. I haven't heard anyone make this suggestion. Maybe in 2012? Think about it, Phil.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Strong Winds Exacerbate Tragedy in Greece

When I traveled to Greece in the 1980s, I fell in love with the country just like I thought I would. People ask me what I did on the trip, and they are amazed when I say I spent most of my time in Athens, and on top of that, I really enjoyed it. Many people I talk to who have been to Greece say they did not care about Athens that much. "It was dirty," they say. "And crowded."

I loved it. I was young and pursued by many Greek men , both young and old, while there. That is not unusual, I know. But my friend and I met a group of Greek men our age, whom we met every night in one of the squares at an Italian restaurant. I know--wierd. But it was really good spaghetti, and we had a lot of fun just hanging out there with other people our age.

We had wanted to travel to the islands, but we didn't really have the time or money. We did take a one day boat trip to Mykynos, but it turned out to be a difficult day. The strong winds that Greece will sometimes get in August popped up while we were there, and it was so strong, we couldn't stay on the beach. The sand stung your eyes and skin. Mykenos is quite the spot, but no one, including the locals were at the beach because of the winds. To be honest, it put a damper on the trip, but we had a good time nonetheless. Back in Athens, we climbed up to the Parthenon a number of times, but again, on at least one occasion, the winds made it less fun that it could have been.

Today I read about the terrible fires in Greece that have been exacerbated by the winds. Sixty-three people had reportedly been killed over four days, and there had been a fear that the birthplace of the Olympics might be destroyed. It was so bad that from Sunday morning to Monday morning, 89 new fires had broken out. Authorities suspect arson. The scene is grim and desperate, but at least 19 countries are offering help. I can't imagine such a wonderful place and people going through such a horrible thing. But I can imagine how much the winds added to the problem.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

When the Levees Broke

I spent the day studying for class, as well as watching the wonderful 4-part documentary When the Levees Broke. Spike Lee did a wonderful job of chronicaling the Katrina disaster, from the night the hurricane hit till months later when residents are still displaced and still not getting the help they need.

Some of the things that hit me: the fact that many of the people did not evacuate. Many of course did not have the means to evacuate, but many also thought they could ride it out. That sounds stupid in retrospect, but in reality it does make sense. Just a few days ago, everyone was upset about another hurricane that didn't rise to the level they thought it would, so I am assuming those in New Orleans thought the same would be with Katrina. How many times can you hear a disaster is coming and you have to evacuate, only to find it turns out to not be that big of a disaster. Of course with Katrina, it did end up that way, but you can see why some might dismiss the warnings to evacuate.

Someone in the documentary referred to Katrina as the 50-foot tall woman who was trying to tear off the roof of the Superdome. What an apt visual that is.

Mike Brown, the ridiculous choice for director of FEMA, comes off as a very pleasant man, someone you might want to have as a friend or date, and have to your house for a party, but in the footage, he just looks like a big goofy boob.

Spike Lee interspersed his own interviews of people with news footage. Some of my favorite footage was of Soledad O'Brien with CNN. Her interview with Brown was priceless. She kept asking him how her 23-year old research assistant at CNN could have more intel on the Katrina situation than Brown and FEMA. He never did answer the question.

The vignettes of people talking about being stuck in New Orleans, the heat, no water, no food, the stench, the bodies piled up for days, is just heartbreaking. Some of the residents did not want to return to New Orleans, saying that they didn't feel wanted there. But many more said they just wanted to come home. I can't imagine being in that position. I wonder how these people will ever recover from this event. One of the most inspiring moments in the series was when General Honore was telling the police and the guard to put their weapons down.

Try to catch the series if you can. It is on HBO On Demand through Sept. 16.