Good News About Alicia Parlette

I guess the old maxim--No News is Good News-- is true. I had written earlier that I was one of scores of people who had discovered Alicia Parlette's writing on her life as a journalist and as a patient suffering from a rare form of sarcoma. Her writing was phenomenal--she chronicled her everyday life as a regular 20-something who also just happened to have cancer. She took us into her family, her work, her friendships, her treatments, and into the fears and joys of her life. She captured me, as she captured so many others.

Well today, a kind reader of my blog left a link that mentions Alicia, and that she is doing well. Good news for sure! Check out the blog that mentions Alicia--it is very good too.

http://www.mksluckysocks.com/MK_McKowns_Lucky_Socks/MKs_Journal/Entries/2008/11/16_Entry_1.html

Brain Food For Studying

I need to buy some brain food for studying for the bar. Something besides the HoHos and DingDongs in the vending machine at work. I really had to decide whether I wanted a HoHo or a DingDong today. (I decided on a HoHo.) I hear that blueberries are good brain food. I picked some up at the grocery yesterday. I will eat them with vanilla yogurt and granola. Yum. Now I need to inch towards this kind of eating and away from the junk food. Well, maybe a little at a time.

Wish I Had Someone To Dote On

Yes, I wish I had a romantic someone to buy a Christmas gift for, and for him to buy something for me! Even though, with the state of my checkbook right now, it is probably better that that is not the case. I thought I might have a live one, but then he freaked out on me at a party, and so he is history. What a waste. We could have had a good time. Of course, it is not a huge surprise, as I have heard negative comments about him for years. Nothing horrible--just that he is inflexible and negative. People generally don't like him. But we had enough in common that I thought maybe we could make a go of it where other people couldn't. But no. Not in the books. But still too bad. We could have had fun. He was just rude to me, and if he is that rude only on the second date, how much worse would it get? A lot, I am sure. My last boyfriend wore silk ties .

Two Month Countdown To Bar Exam

Christmas Day was really the two month countdown to the Feb. bar exam. That seems like a lot of time, but I know it will be here in no time. I need to make the best use of my time, for sure. I have been studying something everyday towards the bar, but now the bar has to be raised. Ha Ha. But true. I have decided that I am going to dig in every weekend--from Friday night to Sunday night each weekend will be nothing but bar study. And then I am going to study as much as I can on top of that during the week. I may not get to do question sets multiple times as one of my law school teachers suggested, but I will get a heck of a lot of questions done. I will keep tabs of which question sets I do poorly on and will do those over for sure. I just need to make sure I cover all of the essay material as that is what really tripped me up last time--not studying enough for that.

Things Are Getting Strange At Work

I think I mentioned before that a co-worker is acting strangely. Not just any co-worker, but my future partner. Not good. Not sure what is going on, but we had our first real disagreement yesterday. About something that involves the workers. I had thought we would be on the same page about this. I am worried, but I can't get too worried right now. I have to bide my time and try to pass the bar exam this next time around. After I pass, I can worry more about my future. It is just really strange. More later.

My Short and Sweet Basketball Career

When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a basketball player. I really did. It tore my heart out that I couldn't play. I really couldn't. I just couldn't dribble the ball down the court and shoot the ball into the basket. There you have it. It was not in the cards for me to play basketball. But how I pined over the fact. I wanted to be on the 8th grade girls' team so badly. Looking back, it is hard to believe that I wanted that so much, because I am not an athlete, and where in the world did that desire come from? I have never wanted anything else so badly in terms of athletics. Well, of course I did not make the team. No surprise there. So the following year, I did the next best thing: I was one of the team's managers. And I loved it. I really did. I got to go to all the games of course and even kept score a few times. And got to flirt with the cute coach. Being a manager seemed to satisfy my craving for being on the basketball team. (Wish everything could be solved so easily!) And I didn't even mind that the other girls were the ones getting all of the basketball trophies.

DUI Defense

As I study for the bar exam again, I wonder what kind of law I will end up practicing. DUI defense is not likely, but then you never know. It would be good to have some experience in that area, as DUI is one of those things that the average Joe can be charged with at anytime. Not to mention any one of countless friends.

Anymore in Nashville, you can get stopped by the police for anything and everything, and if you have had some drinks, well....you may be doing the famous field sobriety tests. Seems like the police are concentrating so much on drunk driving at the expense of other crimes, but that is a whole 'nother story. The local police chief has even started enlisting the help of the Vanderbilt University police in this crackdown, which I think is wierd.

You hear so much about celebrities in California getting charged with DUI/DWI. I wonder if any of them have used these Los Angeles Criminal and DUI Defense Attorneys.

Bar Exam Study Redux

Well, once again it is official--I am getting a do-over on the bar exam. If you recall, I did not pass in July. I sent in my check for my re-exam fee and they just cashed. So I am in. I'll be taking the bar exam again in Feb.

I still can't believe I didn't pass on the first try. Well, I sort of can, since I did not study enough. It wasn't a shock. I guess I just can't pass the bar exam on the fly, har har.

I have been studying already--doing something every day towards the goal. But on Christmas Day, it will be exactly two months until I walk in those doors again, and I have to ramp it up. Those two months will fly by.

This time I am determined to not plan social events and keep my nose to the grindstone. I will be a hermit unitl after the test. More later.

Gift Cards: Even Better Gifts This Season

Many people give Gift cards --you don't have to stress about what to get someone, and the recipients can buy what they want. I have given Gift cards many times. My budget is always on the low side, and on more than one occasion, when I have had to buy a book for my book club, or a quick gift for someone else--and I was low on money--I would remember a gift card that someone had given me that would do the trick.

This month I will be using two gift cards that people have already given me. One is for the local mall, and the other is an American Express gift card. I am going on vacation in January, and yes, once again my wallet is very low on funds. I am going to use the gift cards to buy at least one bathing suit and some shorts, tops etc. that I can use on my cruise. Very handy, because I wouldn't have the money to buy those items right now without the cards.

Such cards will be even better gifts this holiday season, as merchandise is sure to be deep cut after Christmas, and the purchasing power will go even farther.

"Me And Him" Ain't Gonna Cut It

Being an editor, I cringe at bad grammar. Especially from people who should know better. It seems in the last couple of years there has been an escalation of bad grammar of the "Me and Him" variety. You know what I mean--"Me and him went to the movies." That is only surpassed by the worse "Him and Me" variety. "Him and me went to the movies." Arrrggghhh!!!

Folks it really isn't that difficult! The other night I heard one of my friends say one of the above phrases, and I about died. She has a master's degree! OK--she hasn't been in the workforce for some years, but still! And another one of my friends lost her job because of her poor grammar. I feel bad for her, but I can understand why that happened. She was in a very high level office, and you just have to speak correctly there.

People can get by with some smaller violations. No one speaks correctly all of the time. But glaring errors like "Me and Him" and "Him and Me" are just not acceptable. When people say things like this, you know it is not a slip up of the tongue--it sounds like they just don't better. And there are consequences for not using proper grammar. I have never understood why people don't learn how to speak correctly. It is something you can learn. And if people would just pay attention to how educated people speak, they could pick it up.

Here is an interesting column on this subject:

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=RuiningMovies&gt1=27004

Stunning Photography: 2008 National Geographic Photo Contest

As a journalist and an editor, it is no surprise I am captivated by stunning photography. The kind of photos that take your breath away and show you a slice of life you haven't seen before. Or that show you a different take on life that you see everyday. The kind of photos that I always wanted to appear in my magazine. And the kind that always appear in National Geographic. Here is the link to the best photos of 2008 from the National Geographic Photo Contest. They had more than 220,000 submissions from around the world. I wish I could look at all of them. I'll try to work my way through them--I looked at 100 of them today.

http://extra.msn.com/National-Geographic-Photo-Contest-Winners.aspx

When Caylee Vanished

I watched the Dateline show last night "When Caylee Vanished," which had been updated with news that remains of a small child had been found in the woods near the Anthony home. Police are saying that they think the body is that of Caylee, although it hasn't been confirmed yet. They are doing DNA tests right now. What makes this horrific story even more horrific than it was already is that the skull had duct tape over its small mouth. That sickened me beyond belief. Like either the toddler was awake and she didn't want her to scream or she was afraid that she would wake up and scream. I just can't believe it. It just gets worse and worse.

Sexy Lingerie

I am not getting married, but I do need to feel sexy and special. Looking at the state of my sleepware, I think I could get a pick-me-up from getting some new and sexy lingerie. I could even buy some bridal lingerie; that lingerie doesn't need to be for actual brides. I need to feel sexy and steamy, and not like the ice cream eating bar exam lunkhead that I have been lately. Looking at myself, I don't look or feel sexy at all. But you know what they say--buy some special underwear and that will make you feel sexy. That would go for lingerie as well. Oo-la-la!

Dog Tries To Save Other Dog

This video is amazing. It is a dog trying to drag another dog, hit by a car, off the highway. Brought tears to my eyes.

http://news.aol.com/article/dog-tries-to-save-other-dog-hit-by-car/271359

And dogs have a sense of fairness. I love it! Of course, I already knew they had a sense of fairness. I just wish humans more often had a sense of fairness with them.

http://news.aol.com/article/study-shows-dogs-have-sense-of-fairness/271645

So Many Repairs To Do At My Condo

I have so many repairs to do at my condo, I don't know where to begin. I have a toilet I need to replace and a dishwasher to replace. I also need to get my washing machine fixed, but my warranty will cover that. My kitchen sink faucet is acting funny. I may need to get a new one. I might check out some Kohler faucets. I have seen some and they look very nice. I also need to replace my closet shelving. I just wish I had the money to do some of this. It doesn't look like I will be able to do any of this until March and then I will only be able to do a little at a time.

Horror Movies and Bar Exam Study

I have found the perfect accompaniment to bar exam study: horror movies. Some people may say that bar exam study is its own horror movie--why just exacerbate it? But for some reason, I have found it to be a good complement--it keeps me awake and the movies don't usually require total concentration, so they can be on in the background and I am free to put my attention on torts, property, criminal law, evidence, contracts, and con law. So far I have watched Angel Heart, Candyman, and Midnight Meat Train. I have found it to be a productive evening!

Pain Pumps Causing Shoulder Damage

Pain is a bad thing. I am lucky that I have never really been in pain, but I have heard horror stories about those who cannot be relieved of pain. Those with cancer. Those with injuries that won't heal. And then just unexplained pain. A pain pump might help.. I know it kept one of my grandfathers at relative ease when he was dying of cancer. I have heard though that some pain pumps have caused trouble for people who have had shoulder surgery. Some are even getting legal help and legal compensation for the damage the pump causes to the shoulder.

Excellent Article On Male Suicide Rising In Tough Times

I went to a memorial service recently for someone who committed suicide, making it the second such service I have been to in six months. Both were men, although of different ages. It is hard to understand suicide. I can understand why someone may think it, but I have a hard time understanding why they would carry it out. Here is an excellent article that explains how the rate of suicide for men goes up in hard times, and how we may want to be on the lookout for men we know who are on the brink in these bad economic times.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28001610/

Lamest Blogs

This is pretty funny, even though the "Bad Hair Day" blog sounds kind of fun. I had to look--glad none of my blogs made the list!

http://tech.msn.com/products/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=13523062&GT1=40000

Mystery Shopping Gives A Glimpse Into Apartment Living

I have been mystery shopping for a little while. Since summer to be exact. Once you decipher the "mystery" and get used to the lingo, it is actually fun. You won't get rich from mystery shopping, but I have made a nice little pile of cash that will help me out with my vacation this year. I can't take too many jobs right now, because they are time consuming, with the long reports they usually want, and I have to be careful of my time as I study for the bar exam again. So, I have quickly weeded out the lower paying jobs.

Some of my favorite jobs have been the apartment shops. You go to a leasing office at a specific apartment complex and pretend like you are interested in renting an apartment. I have been to some high rent and also some low rent complexes. I haven't lived in an apartment for a while, so it has been interesting to peek into that lifestyle again. The rents at the nicer complexes are so high! I think it would be hard for just one person with an average income to be able to afford some of these places. I did two shops last week and pretended that I needed to move into an apartment by Christmas. If I were really doing that, I would need to scramble and pack and check out moving trucks. With studying for the bar exam and all, I am glad I really don't have to do that right now.