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.

A Co-Worker Is Acting Wierd

What do you do when a co-worker is acting wierd? And I don't mean just any co-worker, but the one you are planning to take over a business with. I ask her if everything is OK, and she says yes. I ask her if I have annoyed her in some way, and she says no. But she still does not say anything to me, and she acts as if she is trying to avoid me. Just plain wierd. Granted, she is sort of like this with everyone, but it seems more pointed with me. I just don't think this is good business. You should be polite and friendly with your co-workers, even if something is bothering you. It makes me wonder about the future, and how well she would work out in the long run if this is her MO. More about this another time.

Sleep, Beautiful Sleep

I keep wondering why I am sleeping so much, and then I realize I am only sleeping about 8 hours a night. Which is not too much, but just the right amount. It just feels like too much, because for 4 years of law school, I existed on half that amount each night. I am getting more sleep, but I wonder about the quality of it. I try to stay up and study on the sofa, and then just like that! I am out like a light. And then I wake up and move into my bed. I love my bed. I inherited it from a beloved family member. It has one of those traditional bed frames and an extraordinarily comfortable mattress. I could sleep in there all night! I just need to start doing that.

Starbucks Encounter Results In Some Valuable Bar Exam Outlines

One thing I have noticed is that when you carry the telltale signs of a bar exam hopeful--the Barbri books or other study aids--you get noticed. Those who know you are doing something important but have no idea what will ask you what you are studying for. Those who have taken the bar review courses before will commiserate or share their war stories. Some will even offer to share their materials.

That happened to me--I was studying at Starbucks, when a man sitting next to me kept glancing at my book. Finally he asked me if I was studying for the bar. I said yes. We talked a while and he told me he had taken it the year before. He had made up outlines for every section of the Tennessee essay book. Did I want them, he asked. Yes, I said with utter amazement at this stranger's kindness. He emailed me a bunch of outlines later that day. Turns out that last summer I didn't have time to read them. When you are inundated with material and on deadline, you have to make fast cuts at what to tackle. Those outlines did not make the cut. They should have, as that is the part of the exam I screwed up. Well, they made the cut this time. I am reading the first outline today. And many thanks to that stranger in Starbucks.

I Want To Do The Ipod Shuffle

I want to do the ipod shuffle. I really do. Sounds like fun. The only problem is, I don't have an ipod yet. I do have an MP3 player, and I have not even taken it out of the package yet. I have taken my DVD player out of the package but not hooked it up. Know what that is called? Law school behinditis. Yes, law school behinditis. It means that you spend so much time studying for law school, and now the bar, that you are behind in everything else. Really truly. But I know that if I would just look at some ipods and then buy one, my world would open up. I love music so much, an ipod would only brighten my life. When I can get a life, that is, lol.

Telling My Teachers I Didn't Pass The Bar Exam

Telling my law school teachers that I didn't pass the bar is almost as hard as finding out myself. I ran into one of my teachers at the mall the other night. I said hi as we passed and kept walking. A few steps later, I decided I should just go back and tell him that I didn't pass the bar. I really didn't think it would be any big deal, but when I caught up with him and told him, it was as if I had stabbed him in the heart. He really took it to heart and said he was shocked--that I was a good student. That made me feel both good and bad. Good that he thought I should have passed it, but bad that maybe I had let him down. I told him I was sure that I would pass the next time. And I better.

We Seriously Need More Good Nurses

A friend I used to work with left journalism a number of years back and went to nursing school. What a great plan, I thought. We had often commiserated about about the lack of really good journalism jobs in town (We had great jobs--but what would we do if something happened to our jobs? It might be hard to find another good one.)

She got another BS degree in nursing, and I went on to law school. I went back to school later than her, so she has been a nurse for a while, and I just graduated law school last spring! But it is funny how we both moved on, even though we both loved our journalism careers.

Nursing would be a great career because there is high demand and you would always be able to find a job. And demand for nurses is only going to increase. A lot of nurses call their own shots and get to work very flexible schedules. Can't beat that!

With everyone so busy these days, a lot of people are opting for online degree programs. One of those programs is offered by St. Xavier's in Chicago--MS nursing degree Their online courses are combined with a weekend of applied campus experience.

Back On My Horse And Studying For The Bar Exam---Again

OK, it is almost 3 months until the next bar exam, and I have already gotten in gear to study--well mostly. My feelings about not passing in July are wierd. I am embarrassed and mad at myself. But I am not really depressed or humiliated, the way I think some people are. I think it stems from the fact that I knew I was not well prepared for the exam, not that I can't do it.

And why was I not well prepared? That is a question I have asked myself and my dean asked me. When I talked with the dean, she made me feel both better and worse. She said she expected me to pass (thank you!). And that makes me feel better. But inherent in that statement is the feeling I got fro her that I let her down. And that makes me feel worse.

So what am I doing this time? I have already started reading the Barbri Mini Conviser. (My dean couldn't believe I didn't even read that before the July bar. I was stuck in online Barbri question hell, I told her. BTW, the online questions are fun and informative, but once you start them, it is hard for some reason to switch to something else. I guess it is that instant gratification thing.) I am determined to read all of the outline books I did not read before. I have also been doing some questions. OK, I am doing some again online, but I am also going to do them in the books this time. The good thing about the Barbri question books is that they are portable. More later.

Liquid Fat Burner

I think I am slowly losing weight. I can't really tell because I don't have scales. Mine broke a long time ago, and if I had had one during the last couple of years in school, I would have been too scared to get on them. With eating junk food and no exercise and all. But now that I am out of school, I have cut down on the junk food, although not entirely. But even cutting down a little has made a difference. My clothes fit a little better, and I look better in the mirror. Make no mistake: I have a long way to go yet. I looked on the web for a liquid fat burner and discovered an item called Lipovox. Not only is it a fat burner, but it is recommended by Dr. Perricone, who has a wonderful reputation. The product is also used by actresses to get perfect skin. What a great product, me thinks!

Children of God--I Was Flirty-Fished!

If news of the 30th anniversary of Jonestown on TV wasn't enough to get me down, the same night I saw a show on Family International, which used to be the Children of God. I almost missed hearing the words Children of God--I was studying and only had one ear on the TV. But then I heard the words Children of God and became riveted to the set.

What caught my attention was the description of the cult's recruiting tactic that they called Flirty Fishing. They would have attractive young people go out and basically lure others to the cult. Usually they were women, but sometimes they were men.

I couldn't believe it. I had been flirty fished in college. Not just once but multiple times.

My freshmen year, these people would be scattered around. They seemed to be everywhere that I was. I would pass them, take the literature they handed me, and dump it in the first trashcan I came to.

One time however, a particularly attractive young man called out to me on the sidewalk. He was cute. And boy did he flirt. Like the others that had previously approached me, he was trying to tantalize me by inviting me to a party that night. This particular time is lodged in my mind, because the guy was definitely my type. Except that my type is not a member of a cult. He was cute and I made goo-goo eyes back at him. He kept telling me about the party. I kept wanting to ask him why I would go to a party where I didn't know anyone, when I had plenty of fun hanging out with the people I did know? But I didn't ask. This time I took the literature and didn't throw it away. When I got back to my dorm room, my roommate was sleeping, so I quietly laid down on my bed and beginning reading the pamphlet, only to discover it was some kind of very soft porn. Very interesting, I thought. It didn't scare me. I just thought it was wierd. Of course there were a lot of wierd religious groups floating around at that time, and I just thought this was one more.

I would continue running into them from time to time after that. The strange thing is, I have never heard anyone else at school the same I was talk about having had encounters with them. But I am sure I couldn't have been the only one. But it has never come up in any conversation with anyone.

My next big encounter with the Children of God came during my Christmas vacation that year. I had come home for break and one night was out Christmas shopping at a big mall. This young man about my age hanging out in the parking lot zoomed right over to me. I wasn't scared like I might be if someone did that to me today. He didn't look scary--he just looked like a normal college kid.

Turns out he was from the Children of God, and you guessed right--he invited me to a party that night! How about that! I wasn't surprised a bit--I was so used to their spiel. The evil in me couldn't help say to him, well maybe I can come. But I have to shop first. The poor guy followed me all around the mall while I picked out a few things. I made him think he might have a live one--devious me. I paid for my items and looked at him and said bye bye. And walked to my car. And that was that.

I basically forgot about the Children of God until I saw a news report some years ago, and then this show on msnbc the other night. Wow--what a nightmare. They call themselves Christians, but they were basically a sex cult. I guess that is why they had these attractive people out to lure others into the group. The group would basically turn women they fished into escorts or prostitutes. All in the name of religion. How wierd is that? There were orgies, but none of the people interviewed acted like it was anything fun, like people might make it out to be. And once you were in, I think you were sunk. Then those people would have children, who would grow up very screwed up. The TV show said the leader David Berg encouraged not only incest but pedophilia. I think they somewhat cleaned up their act after a while, but jeez.

I just thought they were some harmless nuts. I guess I was lucky in that I didn't get reeled in.

Revisitng Jonestown

It is the 30th anniversary since the tragedy at Jonestown, and I have watched the specials on both CNN and MSNBC. Jonestown occurred when I was a young person, and of course I knew what it was and that it was horrible. But being young, I guess I didn't think too much about it except that I was shocked that people would kill themselves under Jim Jones direction. Seeing the programs, it made clear that not everybody drank the koolaid voluntarily. There were a lot of people who got the poison injected, indicating that they did not drink the koolaid and were forced to die. The footage of the dead bodies is terrible. One newsman said that Jonestown was the worst tragedy he ever covered. I still have trouble understanding why people would so willingly follow Jones to Guyana (or even in the U.S.) but once they were in Guyana, they really had no way to leave. What a nightmare.

Holding It Close To Your Vest

Once on a semi-date, the guy I was sitting next to said I should not reveal so much stuff about myself. Not sure what he meant, but he was giving me good advice. Maybe he was trying to tell me to be more mysterious? I think he was telling me not to play my hand so easily. Don't give away info about myself so quickly. Like, what happens in vegas stays in vegas kind of thing. That's probably good advice. When I think about it, I either tell people too much or too little about myself. It is always interesting to see who thinks what. Some people think they don't know me well when I think they should. Oh well....

No News Of Alicia Parlette

A few years back when I thought I might be sick, I did some research on the web and found Alicia Parlette's story. (Luckily, I found out soon after that I was not sick.) I immediately was taken by the 23-year old journalist in San Francisco who was writing a series for her paper about her cancer (sarcoma). Her writing was beautiful and compelling. It pulled you in and made you feel as if you were walking that walk with her--going to her doctor appointments and waiting to hear about the progression of her disease, and experiencing her ups and downs with her boyfriend and the solidness of her family relationships and friendships. She talked about her other travails such as having lost her mother a few years earlier. It was almost like reality TV, except without the TV and much better.

I would forget to read her updates regularly, but then all of a sudden I would remember and search for the latest submissions on the web. I would catch up and be happy that she seemed to still be doing well. A particularly long gap in my reading occurred, and then one day I checked on the web and found out that she had quit the newspaper and the column, but was continuing her updates through a blog at the paper. Again, I logged on and read some more of her stunning writing. About a year ago, she quit writing in any medium. I checked online today, and there are a number of posts inquiring as to where and how she is. There is no answer, except that her former newspaper has made a statement that she wants her privacy. This does not sound good, as maybe she is sicker. It has raised all kinds of questions about how much does a writer owe her readers when she invites them into her life? I guess we all would like to hear how she is doing, but she controls her privacy, as it should be.

Vanderbilt University: Burning Calories Is Funny Business

Reading msnbc.com today, I found an interesting tidbit put out by my alma mater, Vanderbilt University. No matter what activity you are doing, you can burn 20 percent more calories by laughing while you are doing it. More laughter please! Losing weight is going to become funny business.

Career Night At My Sorority House

I participated in career night at my sorority last night. I talked about the media to a handful of girls who came to my table one by one. I was very impressed. They all have solid experience already. Two were interested in magazines and one in newspapers. I was thrilled they were interested in the media. They asked me good questions and I was able to give them good advice. I made sure they knew that you don't get rich in journalism (They knew that already) but that the rewards more than make up for that. It was good talking about my career. I miss journalism.

Obama--Yes We Can!

And we did! Last night's election was superb. Better than could be imagined. We won!

And both Obama's and McCain's speeches were wonderful. I actually had tears in my eyes when Obama spoke. And McCain was very generous and humble in his remarks. Here is an article from Slate that talks about where McCain went wrong. It is very interesting. The Repubs really need to get their act together.

http://www.slate.com/id/2203763/?GT1=38001

Economist Magazine Endorses Obama

I was pleased today when I picked up my copy of the Economist and saw on its cover a beautiful photo of Obama by himself with the words "It's Time." Inside, the magazine explained that while his resume may be thin, that he has shown his abilities as a leader. The mag said that when he started out he had no money and few supporters, yet he was able to outthink, out organize and outfight the two mightiest political machines in the country: the Clintons and the conservative right. Touche.

Obamacons, We Are Counting On You!

I heard a great term the other day--Obamacons, i.e, conservatives for Obama. I had not heard that term before, and I think it is a beautiful term. It stands for conservatives who cannot tolerate the Republican party anymore, and they are turning to Obama in the election. We welcome you Obamacons. Help us make this country a better one.

I Need To Lose Weight!

I am going to the beach in January and need to start losing weight now. Not just losing weight but getting in shape too. I think I have lost a little weight since graduation, but I can't tell. I may have lost a little, but I am far from my goal. I have noticed that TV commercial about the pharmacist talking about her experience using the alli weight loss pill. I might actually ask a pharmacist about it the next time I am in a drugstore.

Tennessee: Let's Go Blue!

Tennessee, I wanna see blue. Blue eyes in the rain. Blue skies. I wanna get the blues. Blues brothers. Blue Moon. Blue popsicles. Blue, blue, blue. I wanna see blue. Bluer than blue. Let's vote democratic! Obama! Change we need. Obama! Tennessee is red right now. But it is a thin red line. Tennessee, we are blue bloods! Let's get out and vote and show that we actually know what is what. Not that tired old republican tripe. Not that republican tripe where they want to sit on their hands and do nothing. Do nothing while the problems of the country escalate and worsen. Let's go Big Blue!

Ted Stevens--Another Republican Gone Bad

Timing is everything. Ted Stevens, senator from Alaska, was convicted today of an ethics breach, just days before his reelection, and he thinks he is going to win. Really? I guess he does. He could get up to five years in prison, but because he is in his 80s, he would probably get a lesser sentence. And he is the longest-serving Republican in the Senate's history, so I know he would hope for a pardon from George W.

All I can say is Yeouch! What bad timing for the Repubs. But good timing for the Dems!

Trendy Places To Live

I have to admit--I am a sucker for tony living spaces. And tony work spaces. And tony parts of town. I live in such an area. Cool condos and homes and places to eat all over the place. I feel very blessed to live there. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be able to afford my condo now. I got it years ago at a steal.

I also love to see trendy condos and areas in other cities. Usually, it is the downtown areas, or areas that are being rehabbed and rejuvenated. I have been to Dallas a couple of times and remember seeing some trendy areas there. Braden Power apparently has been in the real estate development business in Dallas and has been rehabiliting buildings in the rundown parts of town. He realizes that single, professional people (me!) like convenience but also consider design and community to be important. I know it would take dynamite to get me out of my community!

Western Pennsylvanians For Obama

I don't live in Western Pennsylvania anymore, but I hale from there. There has been a lot of talk about Western Pennsylvania lately. Like how they are racists. That they cling to their guns and religion. And how they aren't going to vote for Obama.

I do know from first hand experience that some people in Western Pennsylvania are racists. But guess what? There are some people from everywhere who are racists. Do they cling to their guns and religion there? Not from my experience--not anymore than anywhere else.

But I don't think Obama was saying that as a put-down. He was saying that in times of stress, people do cling to what they know. It wasn't a criticism of the people. He was criticizing the conditions that would make people cling to these things if they felt insecure.

And will Western Pennsylvania vote for Obama? I hope so. Pennsylvania is a blue state, but where I hale from is solid red. But I am hoping that they see that Obama would be a much better friend to them and to this country than the Republicans. Much better. I am hoping Pennsylvania will go for Obama. They deserve better.

Hooked on TV

I have to admit, I am hooked on TV. That might sound wierd for someone like me (brainiac, law student, etc. ) but I can't help it. I guess it is because I am a news junkie. And I live by myself, so it is entertainment and company rolled into one. I love the news channels, especially at election time. I also like to watch Court TV, now Tru TV (hate that new name). I wish they had their trials on around the clock. They only broadcast them during the day, and I am not home then. I also used to watch the medical channel, but it is not on my lineup anymore. Sometimes that channel gets gruesome when they do close-ups of operations. But for some reason, I like those shows. Part of me wishes I had gone to medical school. (Is there still time????) I need to get an HDTV. After the first of the year, I may budget for one. I need a TV for my bedroom and my spare bedroom.

Wow! Colin Powell!

I was so heartened by Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama yesterday on Meet the Press. He was so eloquent, and he explained his reasons for his endorsement so well. Truly it was a great moment. But today, I heard Repoobs say Powell didn't explain himself--that he was all style over substance. Either the Repoobs are truly ignorant or they just don't want to hear. But then, these were the same people who never admitted (until recently, most of them) that there was something wrong with Bush.

UT's Body Farm Aids In Caylee Anthony Case

Quick question: Who has been a UT-Knoxville student who has had Professor Bill Bass for intro anthropology? Raises hand. Dr. Bass is now again in the spotlight as the Body Farm that he started at UT in Knoxville (not Oak Ridge as the Nancy Grace show is stating) has helped in indicting Casey Anthony, charged with murder of her 3-year old daughter Caylee Anthony in Orlando.

What a wierd case. I hope the details finally come out. We are not sure what the Body Farm helped with, but it had something to do with the decomposition of the body in the trunk of Casey's car, as well as traces of chloroform in the same trunk.

Here is a link to the body farm that explains it better than I can: http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/bill_bass/5.html

Yummy Casseroles

I will soon host my first dinner party since getting out of law school. My entertaining has been almost zilch in the last couple of years. Not only could I not afford to entertain, I didn't have time to clean my place to get ready for entertaining. I am looking forward to having this event. I am going to look at some casserole recipes that I might be able to serve. There are some yummy casserole recipes out there. They are easy to fix and to keep as leftovers too. I still have a little time to plan my menu, and I will have a good time getting ready for this.

I Didn't Pass The Bar

I can barely believe the words as I write them: I did not pass the bar. How can this be? I am the queen of test takers. The empress of last minute pull-it-offs. But not this time. I saw the list of those who passed, many of whom had lower GPAs than mine. Some had higher GPAs. I can't believe it. I am sore. I am embarrassed. People have told me not to worry about it--that I will pass it next time. And of course I will. But I should have passed it this time. I needed to get into overdrive mode, and I just didn't. And this is the result. It is not the end of the world. Just disappointing. I will write more when I can.

Tomorrow is D Day: Did I Pass The Bar?

I am sitting here tonight with my glass of chianti, watching Hardball, wondering if I passed the bar. Tonight it is still just a theorertical question. But I know I have already passed or not. I only need to find out which it is. I have a really good feeling that I passed. I had a meltdown early this week--a crying jag at work that lasted all morning long. Since then though, I have reverted to feeling pretty good. The trouble is with law tests, that good feeling can be deceptive. You can easily do well when you think you did badly and vice versa. You just have to play the waiting game.

Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

Do you know the song, "The Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer?" Well, I do. It is a little before my time, but I would hear it on the oldies channels. I don't even know who sings it. But it reminds me of my grandmother and my old home town. I really don't like the song, but I like the memories. KWIM?

Well, here it is two days before the bar exam results are released, well into October, and I still feel like I didn't have a summer. Let alone one that was lazy and hazy. And for me, that is deadly. Deadly, I say! I'll have to make up for it next summer by having twice as much fun. I really don't have a patio or a balcony, and I miss that. My next house will hopefully have one or the other or both. Driving around, I see some outdoor furniture now, with patio furniture covers. They really dress up a porch or patio. I think sitting out on the patio or porch with a good book or a newspaper, and a glass of wine sounds really great right now. Too bad it is October, and summer is gone. Next summer for sure!

Sign Wars At Belmont Presidential Debate

First, I want to compliment Belmont University on how beautiful it looked last night. It always looks nice, but it was particularly gussied up last night for the presidential debate. It was gorgeous.

I am so glad I went over to campus before the debate. I was not one of the 80 lucky ones that got chosen to sit in the pod inside. But it was really fun outside. I hung out by the MSNBC tent and saw Chris Matthews broadcasting his show Hardball. In between things, he stood up and came over to those lined up, but I was about three people back in the row, so I did not get to talk with him. It was neat seeing him though.

There was definitely some sign wars going on last night. Surprisingly, and luckily, it was an Obama crowd that showed up for Hardball. We did have the occasional unfortunate McCain/Palin supporter flounting their usual drivel on a sign, something with the word terrorist on it. Jeez, get a life. And a brain.

But there were also some Obama sign wars. The polite v. the tacky. Most Obama signs were tasteful--the usual campaign stuff. There were a few that were distasteful--ones that spouted "Palin Makes Me Puke" "Palin the Parrot" and one that had McCain and Palin depicted as Frankenstein and Frankenstein's wife.

The Obama staff quietly and politely asked such people to put their signs down--that they didn't want the signs on TV. They were asking because they wanted the event to be positive--no negative campaign stuff. Most of the people put their signs down right away in the spirit of the event. Some didn't--they wanted to exercise their 1st Amendment rights.

I am a 1st Amendment nut, but even I can see the problem with showing such tacky signs. You want to take the high road and not be the campaign that disparages the other side.

One of the sign holders stood her ground and would not lower her sign. I did my good deed by covering her sign with my sign. I had a typical Obama sign. The woman never even seemed to notice I was doing that,which I thought was wierd.

I did my part for a positive campaign, and that makes me proud. I hope Obama's campaign can stay positive these next few weeks. We want to be the winner, both in the numbers and in the high ground territory.

Real Time At Belmont Presidential Debate

The debate just started and the town hall focuses on 80 uncommitted voters from Nashville. The first thing I see is someone I used to work with. Cool!

The candidates are limited to one minute answers, and so far neither are cooperating. Tom Brokaw has to keep reminding them that they agreed to that.

They are taking questions from the floor and the internet. How can people trust either one of them with their money when it was both parties who contributed to this economic problem?
What sacrifices would you ask people to make to restore American dream.

Obama wants to use a scalpel not a hatchet on the budget. Good. He also talked about how Americans want to sacrifice, and not just by shopping after a terrorist attack. Good again.

Is health care a privilege, right, or responsibility? McCain says responsibility; Obama says right.
At least health care is on the forefront--surely good changes will come.

Re Iraq: McCain again says Obama doesn't understand. Obama says it is true he doesn't understand why we invaded the wrong country. The war has put an extreme strain on our troops and our budget.

Regarding genocide, when we stand idly by, it diminishes us, Obama says. We need to be able to work in concert with our allies on some of this. Good!

Presidential Debate Tonight in Nashville!

First it was ESPN CollegeDay on Saturday, and now Nashville is hosting the presidential debate tonight. Belmont College's Curb Center is beautiful with its red, white, and blue drapes and special floodlights. What a boon for Belmont University and Nashville! When I went home today for lunch, I got caught in traffic that was stopped for the Obama motorcade. I sat in my car for a good 20 minutes and thought about turning around and finding another way to work. But the excitement grabbed me, and I stayed. Soon, the motorcade came by with all of the police escorts. There was a string of SUVs, a small bus, and a big bus, and you could not tell had Obama in it. It almost brought tears to my eyes. I thought--Obama is a celebrity! But that is a good thing. MSNBC is broadcasting all of its shows today and tonight from Belmont. It has been raining off and on all day, so I hope it holds off for the rest of the night.

Countdown to Bar Exam Results

Bar exam results are being released in Tennessee next Friday, the 10th, at noon. I am holding my breath. I had a meltdown last week. I cried all morning and felt terrible all day. Not sure why. I think it had something to do with knowing the bar exam results were coming out in a week. Since then I have felt better but still nervous. I know it doesn't really matter if I pass or not. I can take the bar exam again in February. I have a lot of friends taking it then, so it wouldn't be so bad. But of course I don't want to do that. I want to get on with my life and my other projects. But I am driven type person, so of course I want to pass. I don't want to have to say the rest of my life, "I didn't pass the first time." So I want to pass, but it won't be the end of the world if I don't.

But I want to pass. I want to pass.

Send good thoughts out there--like attracts like. I did well. I did well. I passed. I passed. I got more than enough questions right. My name is on the successful list. I am on the successful list.

Vanderbilt's Big Day On ESPN

Vanderbilt is having such a big year in football this year, they are being featured on ESPN today. All day long. Believe me, Nashville and Vanderbilt University are in Commmodore heaven today. And it is well deserved. It is being held at the new Commons area on campus. I may have to walk my doggie, Stoopot, down there later. Dynamite, my alma mater!

Damn! The Dores are on a roll!


http://vucommodores.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/093008aai.html

Trying Out My New MP3 Player

I am a little behind the time-I just got my first MP3 player, and I have yet to take it out of the package. But I am thrilled to finally have one. I wish I had had it during law school, as I could have listened to profs' lectures on MP3, and you can never get enough of that! At least I couldn't. But now I have time to listen to more music and even audio books and such. I found a link where you can occasionally get free audio books. I could listen to audio books while driving, doing housework and such. After four years of law school and bar study, I have a lot of books to catch up on.

Palin's Miss South Carolina Moments--Wink, Wink, Wink

Ok, so Sarah Palin sort of redeemed herself last night in the debate. She didn't look like a total airhead like she had recently. But, she didn't answer all of the questions, and she totally diverted some. Repubs, did you catch that? But she seemed scripted, like she had memorized a series of discrete paragraphs that she could pull out of the air and stick in anywhere she wanted.

Her earlier Miss South Carolina moments: To Palin: What publications do you read? Palin: uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh.

To Palin: What case besides Roe v. Wade do you disagree with? Palin: uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh.
Sad.

Helping Our Customers Pay Us

Like most businesses, we are plagued with customers who don't pay their bills. It is especially difficult at our company if customers don't pay, because we only produce custom products that we cannot sell to anyone else. Everything has a logo or a name on it, and no one else would want anyone else's products.

We did not accept credit cards for a long time, but since we started doing so, it has reduced our delinquent accounts. When customers can't come up with the cold hard cash, they can put it on their credit card. We use a credit card processing and payment company, and I might check into authorize.net.

Of course, it is not always our customer's fault that they haven't paid the bill. They are resellers, and sometimes their clients haven't paid them. But the buck still stops with them. And we have to put our foot down sometimes.

Criticism of Pelosi Misplaced

I really like Dave Ramsey, but I have to disagree with him on something. I am listening to the archive of his show today. He was addressing of course the market meltdown. Among other things, he talked about how Pelosi's talk made Republicans vote against the bill. SAY WHAT? Granted I did not hear or read about Pelosi's talk yet. But I will. Ramsey said that Pelosi took advantage of the podium today and did some politicking and complained about Republicans. Um yes. There are things to complain about in that regard. And maybe she shouldn't have done that. But Ramsey said that because of her talk the Republicans decided to give her the finger and vote against the bailout. Excuse me, but it is really the public and not Pelosi they are giving the finger to. They decided to do a stupid thing because she was saying something partisan? Oh yeah, those Republicans are just geniuses. Their actions will cost our country a lot. At least they won't be reelected.

Bad Day At Work Yesterday

Just when things look better at work, they take a turn for the worse. I went in to relative boss to talk about taking some time off, without pay if need be, and he turned into his dark self. Said I had taken too much time off to study for the bar. I reminded him that that wasn't a vacation, and I do need some time off. I should have also reminded him that I had told him I shouldn't start work here until after the bar exam, but he insisted I start earlier. What a jerk. I was basically in tears yesterday. Today though he was in a good mood, so who knows. I may broach the subject of time off again next week. I just hate being treated like a peon. I need to figure out what I need to do for myself. I don't want to have regrets later in life because I subjected myself to this. On the other hand, I don't want to have regrets that I left when I shouldn't have.

Perfect Baby Gifts

I do not have children, so I don't have a lot of baby stuff around my place. I have been invited to my share of baby showers though. They are usually fun. People don't seem to play those dreaded party games that were pretty typical a while back. Now they are actually more like parties for the adults, with wine and gourmet appetizers and everything. I may be invited to a baby shower in the near future, so I am already thinking about what kind of gift to buy. This person is close to me, so I would want to get a very nice gift. I am thinking of some cute clothes or some baby bedding. There is some creative bedding that can make a nursery seem really special. I can find out their color scheme and buy some bedding that will match.

Tony Alamo and Nashville

When I heard on TV over the weekend that some more children had been taken from a religious compound, I assumed it was the FLDS again. But I couldn't believe it when I heard that the man was Tony Alamo! They kept mentioning California and Arkansas, but they never mentioned Nashville. And he had such a Nashville connection!

At the time he lived in Nashville and operated The Alamo store on lower Broadway, you couldn't step outside your car and go into some establishment without coming back outside to fiind your car littered with his tripe. Your windshield would be covered with his brochures ranting on about the government and Catholics. Totally inane.

He and his wife Susan were evangelists. Maybe they started OK with the best intentions, but then they got nuts, like most do. They started converting people and they would control them. They would have them work in their store and other operations and not pay them. Well, they would pay them, but their money had to go back to the compound. I was sort of scared to go into their store--because they were crazy and all that--but one time I took a deep breath and walked in. I was pretty amazed. The people in the store actually seemed normal. And their stuff was amazing. Beautiful dresses and suits and cowboy boots and such. Outfits that country music singers would wear. And they were not cheap. I remember seeing a beautiful suede dress for over $3,000. And this was a long time ago.

Despite that, they really were wierd. Tony's wife Susan died, and he wouldn't bury her, because he said she was going to rise from the dead. They had a nice house in a very nice neighborhood--it wasn't all that far from where I grew up. The Alamos got in trouble with the IRS and because of not paying their employees (imagine that!) and suddenly Tony seemed to disappear from the scene. His nice house burned down to the ground. Once he was arrested, you never heard about him again.

Until last weekend. Unbelievable.

Ghost and Goblin Time Coming Up

One of my favorite holidays is Halloween. I love the dressing up, the creativity, the Halloween parties, and the romance that always seemed to be in the air at the parties. At least for me. Back 10-15 years ago, there seemed to be a lot of Halloween parties. But not so much anymore. At least not in my crowd. I have never been great at coming up with a clever Halloween costume. Today, I would try harder and get one from a costume store if I couldn't come up with one myself. Hey--if I pass the bar exam, maybe I will decide to have a party! I'll get out the old address book, buy some Halloween invitations, and have some good scary fun. I have a few weeks to decide, but it would be a good idea.

Article On Marcia Trimble

AOL today published an article about the murder of Marcia Trimble, a case that Nashvillians know all too well. There is one minor mistake I noticed in the this article. The accompanying photo of Marcia has been used over and over since the murder. The article says it is a school photo, but it is not. It is her photo out of the Westminster Presbyterian directory. I still have the copy of my directory with the photo in it. A small detail, but one that I know.

http://news.aol.com/article/arrest-in-girl-scouts-1975-death-jolts/182467?icid=100214839x1210137967x1200589099

Gas Still Hard To Find

I took a quick trip to KY over the weekend and to my relief, they had gas up there!! So I was able to fill up and return on a full tank. I topped off again when I got home, so I can start the week with a full tank. Some of the local stations had some gas today, but they would sell out in a few hours. The first station I stopped at when I got back to Nashville I could only get $3.21 in gas before the pump ran out. So there is gas here and there, but not enough to have life back to normal. The problem as I see it is not so much the consolidation of car trips or the staying at home (like a snow day) but the hardship about getting to work and the worry about getting stranded in a bad area.

There Is No Gas In Nashville!

There is absolutely no gas in Nashville. It is true. It has been spotty for a week or two, but it got really bad last night. All the gas stations were out--I was scared--on empty, when I saw an Exxon station. They only had premium gas. I just had $20 with me, so that didn't go very far. I used half of that today. So I was scrounging around at lunch to find more. NO GAS. ANYWHERE. Someone told me she had just gotten gas at Sam's Club. I went out there about 4 p.m., and luckily filled my tank. She told me they would be out of gas after 80 more cars. Driving home, all the gas stations out. One BP station still had gas, and the line of cars was way down the street. Their gas won't last long. It is really awful. Apparently we are at the end of the pipeline coming from Houston. They say we will get more gas either over the weekend or next week. It is going to be awful. People caught unawares. And people driving through Nashville on their way somewhere else won't be able to get gas. Unbelievable.

Internet Dating Guide

I am a veteran of internet dating. Well, at least a veteran of one dating site. I have been using match.com off and on for a number of years. I have met one guy I really liked--but he was problematic and moved away. I have met a number of people I like, but there was no chemistry. And then I met some who were just downright bonkers.

I think I need some internet dating tips. I think I need a fresh start with online dating. I found a website that compares the various dating sites out there and offers tips on how to write a good email, etc. I feel I am stuck in a rut, and I need to climb out.

Dating profiles are crucial to the process. They are the first thing someone sees and can turn someone on or off. I think my profile is good and really reflects me, but it may be too serious. Not flirty enough. I'll be reading this website over the weekend in order to get some guidance.

Say No To Sarah Palin

This has been swirling around today in cyberspace:

Eve Ensler on Sarah Palin

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for The Vagina Monologues, wrote the following about Sarah Palin:

Drill, Drill, DrillI am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself of the Iraqi war, 'It was a task from God.'

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could and might very well be the next president of the United States. She would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in his name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your power to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, 'Drill Drill Drill.' I think of teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis, doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain. Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing we call life?

Eve EnslerSeptember 5, 2008

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

I left a message today for my biz partner--saying that I thought we needed to clarify our roles a little bit in moving forward with our venture. I hope she takes this the right way. Why shouldn't she? We need to do this if we are professionals. I have been feeling a little edgy about this project lately. Not sure why, but not having our roles nailed down may be part of it. Also, I have been having trouble visualizing my piece of it, but that part is starting to come into focus. I just need to make sure that she will want to take full advantage of my skill set. Because if she doesn't, I am not sure I want to participate. Better to find all of this out now.

Trouble With Venture Partner?

A friend and I are thinking about doing a business together. It makes sense--our interests and skills come together in a complementary way. We have talked about it and gone to two seminars about it. Her part in it is clear; mine is more murky. I am having trouble visualizing how my part will come together Recently I have felt her digging me about some wierd things. I am also worried about some of her outlooks. Is it really a good idea that we go into business together? I am not sure. But I need to figure it out very soon.

I Am Not Liking What I See in the Mirror

I need to stop fooling around and get in shape. Not only for my health but my love life. I am an attractive woman, but you would never guess it right now. I catch a man's eye only once in a while currently, whereas men look at me all the time when I am in shape. Law school and the bar exam kicked me to the curb. I did the dumb thing and ate poorly and never found time to exercise. I wish I hadn't done that, but the law school train never let me off. I have exercised a few times in the last week, so that is a start, and I am attempting to eat better. I need to find a diet pill to help me over the hump. I may go ask a pharmacist or research diet pills on the web. Once I start dieting and exercising and see some results, I get hooked on the healthier lifestyle. I need to kick that in now!

Difficult Bosses

Some of you who have read my blog for a while know that I do not like difficult bosses. I have one now. I also had one in my previous job. Before that, I had the good fortune to have many good bosses. So I know the difference between a good and a difficult boss. To me, a good boss puts his/her ego aside for the sake of the company and the employees. They know they don't have all the answers, and they respect others' opinions. They are not controlling and do not micromanage. They create an environment where people thrive and can do their best work. There are a lot of other things I could put in this pile, but I will save that for another time. On the other hand bad bosses are pretty much the opposite of this. Again, there are a lot of other things I could put in this pile, but again I will leave that for another time. I got together with a friend last night from my previous workplace and was saddened to hear that Broom Hilda was even worse than before. Rude, disrespectful of employees, and has no clue how much she doesn't know. The only good thing is it sounds from what my friend says that the higher ups are catching on to her. That is good news. Maybe it won't be long before she is gone. She has ruined that workplace, and that should never be tolerated.

Country Homes

A group I am in meets at our different homes on about a 4-6 week cycle. Technically we are a book group, but we are almost more a dinner group. And a talking group. Most of us are not best friends, but over a period of years, we have become good friends. Some of our members have neat "getaways" that have been incorporated into the meeting rotation. One member invited us recently for an overnight at her family's farmhouse. I had no idea what to expect, but I did not expect it to be so luxurious. I am not a country girl, but I would be glad to live in style on that farm anytime! I asked my friend if they had hired a decorator, and she said no, that they just incorporated pieces of furniture from all the siblings and parents' homes. It was fabu! They had some nice touches like farmhouse sinks. It really makes me feel I need to spend more time making my surroundings unique and comfortable.

9/11 Remembered

I watched the first hour of MSNBC's coverage of 9/11 from that year, and it was just as horrific this time around. I remember that morning very well. I had just gotten out of the shower, and the phone was ringing. My boyfriend from England was calling. "What is going on over there? There are planes flying into all kinds of buildings?" I had no idea what he was talking about. I turned on the TV, and there it was. Like most people, I was spellbound by the horror and couldn't believe it was really happening. It had to be a movie, I thought. As the minutes passed, I quickly got up to speed on what was going on. Not only had the two twin towers been hit, but the Pentagon had just been hit, and there reports that another plane had been hijacked in PA. For a brief moment, I thought everything was out of control. Everything. The best thing that happened was for the planes to be grounded. It put the control back in our hands. I was one who was hit hard by 9/11. I was depressed and crying for weeks. And I just saw it on TV. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be have been on the streets in Manhattan, or near the Pentagon or Shanksville, PA.

Bar Exam Results: One Month to D-Day

It is hard to believe that we still have a month to go until we learn whether we passed the bar or not. I think I have a fair chance of passing, and I try to keep focused on that. I visualize seeing my name on the list: I am a winner at the bar game. Keep focused. Focus. Focus. The bar graders like my essays. I am a winner. I am a killer at MBE questions. I passed, passed, passed, focus, focus, focus. It will be both a long and short month.

Charlie Cook at Vanderbilt

Charlie Cook, publisher of the Cook Political Report and an expert on national politics, gave some insight last night at Vanderbilt University on the upcoming election but stopped short of calling the race.

Cook said people tend to vote emotionally rather than intellectually, and often vote for whom they identify with. Women, he said may be more able to relate to Sarah Palin than to Hillary Clinton because of their backgrounds. But he added that while Sarah has energized the Republican party, he doesn't think she will cause anyone to vote for McCain who already wasn't going to do so.

Barack Obama is doing very well with all constituent groups except for white people over 65--again the group that has the most trouble relating to him, he said.

Deconstructing Sarah

Poor Sarah. Being subjected to all that media inquiry. Why should she have to put up with that? After all, she is only a VP candidate. Not someone important or anything like that. And the more media inquiry, the more that will come out about her. Facts that McCain should have vetted. Facts that will cost him the presidency. She is a Bush clone. She is anti choice and anti gay. Hello! We live in a free society. And I hope it remains such. She is a what you may call a religious nut. On top of that she has had lip botox. She has an awful 60s updoo that has to go. McCain, what were you thinking? Maverick my A**

I Miss Having A Dehumidifier

My allergies get pretty bad twice a year. Or should I say my nonallergies. I don't really have allergies, but nonallergic rhinitis. The condition still mimics allergies, with all of the same sneezing, drainage, and coughing. Especially the coughing. I used to live in a house with a dehumidifier, and it really helped. Too much moisture can trigger one of my attacks. And when I get an attack, it lasts for weeks. I have heard of Ebac dehumidifiers and will look at a number of them. It is time I get one again and stop suffering!

While The Cat's Away, The Mice Will Play

Boss is away for two weeks. I am determined this time to enjoy the freedom and not get uptight. It is some of my favorite time. But last time he was gone, I was stressed for no particular reason. That isn't going to happen this time. That is a promise to myself!

Unlike boss, I just don't think this job will ever take up 100 percent of my brain space. I multi-task too much and like it. I get bored when all I do is think about one thing for hours on end. I am a rounded thinker. He is a lineal thinker. I like rounded better.

I Am Going On a Cruise!

I am going on a cruise and I am so excited. I haven't been on a cruise in a very long time, and I have been dying to go on one. I really need something like that to look forward to after finishing law school and the bar. The problem: I am totally out of shape and look horrible. The cruise is not until January, so I have time to exercise and get in shape. I would not want to go looking like I do now. I may have to start taking diet pills.

All This Convention Hype

I know that everyone is all excited about Sarah Palin and what not. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda. Yeah, great. I guess she is new and fresh, and from Alaska, which makes her cool. I did not get to watch her speech or Rudy's last night and I really wanted to. I may try to do that online. But I am afraid if McCain/Palin get elected it will just be more of the same. And that would be awful.

RNC Convention--A Snoozer Last Night

I watched part of the Republican National Convention last night--ZZZZZzzzzz. Well, at least a lot of it was a snoozer. It didn't have the electricity of the democratic convention. The best part of it was when they introduced the POWs. That was great. Fred Thompson's speech was pretty good. But still, he is boring. But he did better last night than any time he talked while he was running for president. And Joe Lieberman? It will be interesting to see the fallout from his defection.

Computer Repair Made Easy

Oh I wish I had seen this link earlier: computer repair. A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for a three-year warranty for my laptop with the company I purchased it from. It is not cheap! Yes, overall, maybe the 3-year contract is cost efficient, but I would have liked to have known about this online company. If your computer breaks down, you can just pay a fixed fee for a month and get your computer fixed! How sweet is that? It would be a lot cheaper this way. Just pay when you need to! And the price is very reasonable. They say they can help with all kinds of problems--ranging from simple start up conflicts to blue screens and system freezing. I have had my share of blue screens. I hate them! In the future, I will remember these geeks and sign up with them.

Law School--Itches and Twitches

Looking back on my law school career, and particularly the hectic fourth year finals stretch and the bar review and exam, I can see some stress patterns. I can handle test stress pretty well, but it affects me occasionally. Second year I started getting these wierd toe cramps. Where the big toe would get a little out of sync all of a sudden, and a searing pain would creep up the side of my foot. That was wierd. They stopped after that year. I don't remember any physical stress symptoms from first or third year, even though it seems as I would have had some. Fourth year, I developed an eye twitch that lasted a good part of the second half of the year and into bar review. Thank goodness that has stopped too.

McCain's Pick

As everyone I am sure knows by now, John McCain has picked Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, to be his running mate. Mostly people today were saying, who?, when they heard the news. I had never heard of her either. One can say that he is sort of like the old maverick picking someone who was not at all on the radar screen, and who doesn't have a lot of political baggage, I guess. But on the other hand, it is an odd choice. I don't think he is going to get a lot of the disappointed Hillary voters because of this choice. They would not share values with this woman at all, or at least not in the crucial areas. After all, she is an NRA nut and pro life. Nada. The next few months are going to be interesting!

Barack Obama--Wow Is All I Can Say

I have had tears in my eyes all night as I have watched the DNC convention. Starting with Al Gore--Tennessee's homeboy, who should be president now. How things would be different. Then that video introducing Obama--how powerful. Then Obama himself. Unbelievable. I feel good things coming for our country. David Gergen said it right--tonight it wasn't a convention but a symphony. And it didn't hurt to have such great music. Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." And I even heard "Rocky." Three of my favorite tunes, and power tunes to boot.

And How About that Russian/Georgia Thing?

Now who would have thought that one of the political parties might have had something to do with the Georgia/Russia war. Meeeee! I did! And I will whisper in your ear which one it is. It rhymes with nepublican. They are manipulative and desperate. They want us to be scared so we will elect another conservative. Please Americans--be smarter this time.

DNC Convention

Thank goodness that as the Olympics came to a close, another huge event came on board: the DNC convention. I kind of like having two huge mega events one after another.

I have only been able to watch bits and pieces of the speeches, but I am hoping to catch other parts online. I did not get to see Joe Biden's speech or Bill Clinton's. But I did see Hillary's and it was fantastic. I couldn't believe how good she was. Just as some of the commentators said, she was presidential. If she had been that good at speaking all along, she would have gotten the nomination.

I definitely want to watch Obama tonight. He'll make a home run, I am sure.

Whole Lotta Love

How did I miss "Whole Lotta Love" last night on the Oympics finale? It is one of my favorite songs, albeit a hard rock tune. And with Jimmie Page???? I can't believe I didn't listen to it. I heard them announce Jimmie Page on TV, but I kind of zoned out. I hear they cleaned up the song a tad. Even so, I would have loved to have heard it. Oh darn. And I missed the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake halftime show too. I miss all the fun.

One Way Getting Older Is Not So Bad

I really don't like the idea of getting older, and I am one of those who is determined to fight it all the way, or age gracefully, whichever makes me look better. But there is one respect in which getting older is not so bad: no more acne! I have heard there is such a thing as adult acne, but I have never had it and hope I never do. Not having acne means I don't have to have acne treatments, and that is fine with me.

The End of the Olympics

I am watching the closing of the Olympics, and it is beautiful. Seeing the closing always makes me sad, especially the extinguishing of the torch. The torch holds so much promise. And then it goes out until the next Olympics. I wish the feeling of the Olympics could go on forever.

Feeling Kind of Lonely

This afternoon I have been feeling kind of lonely. Like I really want to sit down with a good friend and talk, but there is no really good opportunity. I am trying to put the law of attraction into play and turn it around and say that I have plenty of friends and never feel lonely, plus that my love and future husband is on the way. It is true that I have plenty of friends and most of the time I don't feel lonely. But it is bad when these little lonely times come out of the woodwork to bite you. And when there is no handy person to chat with on the phone. I know I will pull out of it, but I can be lonely in the meantime.

Thinking About New Houses

I have been fighting it, but I am getting the urge to house hunt. I own my condo, but I have always known I want something bigger. I have been fighting the urge, because I can't afford a down payment right now or a mortgage payment. So I don't even want to think yet about mortgage quotes. I don't know how people can afford a mortgage. My condo mortgage was so low, it was doable then. I still have too many bills is the problem, and I would have a hard time adding a mortgage payment. I guess people who buy homes don't have bills like me. Or maybe they do and that is how the whole mortgage mess happened! So I may look at new houses, but it will only be window shopping!

My Poor Little Loopot Gone

I have been dreading writing this post, but my poor little cat Loopot died about a week ago. Complications from diabetes. I am really sad. I found Loopot as a little stray kitty and brought him home. He was a handful, but I grew to love him. I feel very bad like there might have been something else I could have done. Maybe there was. Or maybe there wasn't. I miss him, and I hope he enjoyed living with me. I enjoyed him living with me.

Trying My Hand at Mystery Shopping

Now that the bar exam is over, and I am still in need of a few extra dollars, I have decided to give mystery shopping a whirl. I signed up for a $4.99 trial with a company that farms me various assignments. You then sign up with the companies offering the assignments. So far I have done one health club and one grocery store assignment. I will get reimbursed for eating dinner out tonight. I do another health club sometime this weekend, and then I have a retail assignment on Monday. So far that is $40 plus the reimbursement of my meal. So far so good. I am not sure whether I will renew at the regular rate or not. It depends on how many assignments I get during this month and whether I think it is worth it or not. So far, it seems worth it. It is something you can schedule yourself and take assignments between other obligations in your life.

Where is My Letter for Bar Interview?

I still haven't gotten my letter from the bar examiners saying when and where my interview will be. Some people have gotten theirs and some haven't. Of course, I turned my application in at the very last minute, so that may be part of the problem. Breathe deep.

High Tech Swimsuits

There has been much ado about the new high tech swimsuits some Olympian are wearing. There has been debate as to whether they really give an edge to those who wear them or not, and if so, is that fair to the schools who won't be able to afford them for their swimmers? I won't address my second question, but as to the first: If the swimsuits afford the edge that is claimed, I would think it would give those wearing them unfair advantage. When some of these gold medals are won just by a hundredth of a second, a swimsuit giving you a second or two advantage would definitely change the playing field. But why not just make that the swimsuit for all Olympians, and then they would be on a level playing field again?

10 For $10

I just had to laugh--just saw a commercial on TV about Kroger's 10 for 10 sale. They are offering 10 frozen vegetables for $10. Good--I thought. I need to improve my diet. Then I saw they are offering 10 Little Debbie Snacks for $10. Ick, I thought. I love some (but not all) of their snacks. I am tempted.......maybe I can buy the vegetables but not the cakes. Well, maybe one or two is fine, but I know I won't buy 10!

Dara Brings In Another Silver

Within just a few minutes of her last swim, Dara was the final leg in 4X100 M medley relay. Another silver medal. Nothing at all to sneeze at.

I loved what she said in her post interview: Don't put an age limit on your dreams.

Dara Torres!

Dara Torres just won the silver medal for the women's 50 freestyle. Too bad she didn't win the gold--she lost only by .01 second. Unbelievable. But winning the silver, especially at her age, was awesome. I think they said it was also a personal best time for her. She still has a relay to swim tonight, and Michael Phelps will try for his 8th gold medal.

I love the Olympics.

Bush Hogged

What Can I Say? Our Pres Enjoying the Olympics.

Nail and Beauty Care

I have really gotten into manicures and pedicures. I love going to the salons and would like to make that a monthly habit. The pedicures seem to last longer than the manicures. Sometimes the manicures wear off in only a matter of days. That is too soon to be spending that much money. So what I will probably do is go to the salon once a month, and then do my own nailwork the rest of the month. Also I want to spend more time on other beauty care, such as care of my eyebrows. I have heard of Rubis that has tweezers and scissors.

Making the Kitchen Cut

I am sitting here realizing that I have to make today count. As in housework. I am going to tackle the kitchen today. And the mound of junk mail on my kitchen table. I will worry about what to do tomorrow tomorrow. But I must make this weeknd count in terms of housework. Just too depressing otherwise.

Stale Donuts

One of my guilty pleasures is donuts. I don't care for all kinds, but I love cinnamon and white powdered, chocolate covered, maple frosted, etc. I bought some mini white powdered donuts in a box at Krogers, and I sat down this morning with my hot cup of coffee, my laptop, and the donuts, ready for a treat. And then I discover the donuts are stale. Now keep in mind, I did not open the box until I put one in my mouth. What a disappointment. Maybe it is the universe telling me I need to start eating better.

Golf and Business

I always wondered why the important connection between golf and business? I used to hear that playing golf was important to a business career. It made me wonder why I--a non-golfer--and pretty much a non athlete--should be disadvantaged at business because I don't play golf? Curious, I asked a golf pro that question. Her answer indicated that it was not really the game of golf itself, or your ability at it that was important. She said that playing a round of golf allowed business associates or prospects enough time together to get to know each other. You could have a good conversation, make plans, brainstorm, and also observe someone in this setting. You would get to know if they are patient, rude, etc. So it is not just about golf. Actually, now that I am out of law school, I may take lessons. It has been one of the things on my list to do. I don't know if I would be good at it, but I would love to ride around in the golf cart, and there are some nice golf bags out there, and the ones with backpack straps would be easier to carry.

Cycle of Life: Olympics--Law School--Olympics

It occurred to me today that the last time the Olympics were on I had just been accepted to law school and was starting the following fall. Watching the Olympics in '04 was bittersweet: I love the Olympics, but at that point I thought watching it was the last fun thing I could do for four years. I had no idea what law school held for me, but I was afraid it was the end of life as I knew it. Although I did have a meltdown in October of my first year of law school (Crying all one weekend--What did I do? I asked myself. Put myself in prison, I thought.) I quickly recovered. Such a meltdown is almost predictable in the first year. I went on to not only do pretty well in law school, but to love it. I am now watching the '08 Olympics as a law school alum. I survived, and deserve at least a bronze medal in the stress/work/life ambition category. A lot has happened in four years. And I am the happier and better for it.

America's Fastest Dying Cities

In Forbes' list of the 10 fastest dying cities, Ohio is in the unenviable position of having four of its cities on this list: Dayton, Cleveland, Youngstown, and Canton. Part of the rust belt, these cities have experienced decline as manufacturers have left, with residents not far behind. If I were the governor, I would be very concerned and working to rejuvenate those areas. I have relatives in Canton, but luckily their jobs are secure. Another city on the list is Scranton, PA, which has seen a decline for similar reasons. The TV show The Office is set in Scranton, which has helped a little, with the city hosting an "Office" convention and such. Good for them.

Brass Rail

No I am not talking about a favorite restaurant of mine with that name. I am talking about brass railings. A lot of restaurants and bars have bar rails. I don't know what it is about brass that immediately gives a place a polished look (no pun intended). And if you get brass, you want the top brass.

Poor Little Loopot

I got home from vacation and found my cat very dehyrated. It is my fault and I feel so guilty and negligent. The cat has diabetes and is fairly old. I had a bag of the right food and a bag of the wrong food at home. I should have thrown away the bag of wrong food. The pet sitter chose the wrong bag and gave it to him, and he threw up all weekend. Which is very bad for cats, especially when they are old and diabetic. I am giving him pedialyte tonight and am taking him to the vet tomorrow. But I feel like a bad mom.

Disabled Teen Dies From Neglect and Uncaring

This article really makes my blood boil. A 14-year-old suffering from cerebral palsy was just left to waste away in her own home. Not only her family, but child protective officials turned their head. This is unbelievable to me. Part of why I wanted to become a lawyer is to help prevent situations like this:

http://news.aol.com/article/nine-charged-in-disabled-teens-death/112952?icid=100214839x1206874120x1200370486

Yes, the Bar Exam Is Over

The second day of the bar exam was today, and all I can say is IT IS OVER!!!! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and I was not as nervous. But I am also not sure how to feel. Of course, I have no idea how I did on the MBE. I hope I did well. My practice MBE test scores had been pretty good recently, so I had that tranlated into a decent multistate score on the exam. I also hope I did OK on the essay portion. I keep thinking of things I didn't include in the essays, and things I did include that were wrong. We don't have to have an excellent essay, just one that is passing. I hope mine is passing. It will be a long time until Oct. 10 whe I find out.

Bar Exam: Studying With Others Has Been Invaluable

Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect once bar review started. I knew I would be attending the BarBri and PMBR sessions. But studying for the bar requires a lot of outside study too. I had assumed I would be studying by myself. I felt OK with this, because I am good at studying by myself.

But instead, I have been meeting one or two people everyday since the bar review classes have stopped. We mostly just study on our own, but are there together. Usually at a Starbucks. So if we have questions or just need moral support, we are there for each other. I can't imagine doing this any other way. It would be so lonely. And scary in a way, since you wouldn't have anyone to compare notes with. I would definitely recommend studying with at least another person during this difficult time. For people who take bar review classes in a new city, you can always meet people to study with during the BarBri classes.

Got Letter from Bar Examiners

Last week I got the letter we have all been waiting for--the letter saying we are approved to take the bar exam. That is a load off our backs. Not that I should have been worried, but we have heard that some people are prevented from even sitting for the bar exam. Not sure why. But I am glad I am not one. They figured out I am not a menace to society, and that maybe I could be of benefit to the legal field. The letter did indicate that they are still continuing our background investigations and that we still have to have a one-on-one interview before it is all said and done. But at least we are past this hurdle.

MBE: The Call of the Question

I am sitting here tonight having a bad run at MBE questions. This after having a good run yesterday. What am I to think? These questions seem an endless mound of insurmountable material. All to be mastered in a week. Jeez.

One trick I am trying to remember though is to read the call of the question first. That will help in knowing what to look for in the question. That helps you answer the question quickly and correctly. Except for tonight. Yikes.

Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen!

"Wonderful, Wonderful, Copenhagen." I love that song sung by Danny Kaye. It made me want to go to that city. It is on my list of places to go--a list that I hope to whittle down after I successfully pass the bar! Even looking at the photos on this link makes me want to book some Copenhagen hotels.

In addition to Copenhagen, I would love to travel to Scotland to check out my ancestors. It is a trip long overdue. I should have gone there many years ago. A visit to Edinburgh would be a must before heading out into the hinterlands. I would love to stay in one of the charming Edinburgh hotels.

Then over to Ireland to check on my ancestors from the other side of the family. Here again, it is a trip long overdue. I have long heard about how beautiful Ireland is and how very friendly the people are there. I would love to book some Dublin hotels.

Bush Should Pardon Marion Jones

I am determined to turn every one of my posts into something that relates to my bar study. Regarding constitutional law, the president is allowed to pardon federal criminals. Jones lied about using performance-enhancing drugs, which I knew about, but also lied about her knowledge of the father of one of her children in a check forging scheme, which I didn't know about. Bush should still pardon her. I like her, and I feel generous. He could pardon much worse.

PMBR 3 Day Workshop--Worth It!

I know there is a lot of discussion out there as to whether PMBR is worth the money. I have to say unequivocally that the three day workshop is great. The first day you do another simulated test. Granted, as I mentioned in the earlier post, I did worse on this test than I did on the BarBri one. But it was a wake up call as to the importance of doing practice questions, and the two day review of the questions was invaluable. I have seen a marked improvement on my practice tests since then, and I am sure the review had something to do with that. I would definitely recommend the 3-day PMBR.

PMBR Simulated Test: Bombed! Study Plan Revision Needed

I am in total panic mode now. I did worse today on the PBMR simulated test than I did on the Barbri one a month ago. And I have been studying. How can this be?

One reason may be that I did a lot of practice questions before the Barbri test, and I haven't done many lately. But still.....

But tough times call for tough measures. I still have two weeks, and I have to do a major overhaul on my study strategy.

First to go is the making of the flashcards. No more! Some people swear by them, but they slow me down. I never made or used flashcards in school, so why start now? I have been making flashcards on the essay subjects the last couple of weeks, and it has totally slowed me down, and I don't think it has added any to my knowledge. So no more flashcards.

Right now I am in study consolidation mode.

My plan today is to switch to doing again as many practice MBE questions I can do, as well as practice essay questions. In addition to reading through some mini outlines.

Not much different than what I did before finals in law school. But that got me through then, maybe it can as well now.

Bar Exam Tip: Specific Intent Crimes

These crimes include property offenses, first degree murder, and inchoate crimes--attempt, solicitation, and conspiracy. There are two defenses to specific intent crimes--voluntary intoxication and mistake of fact, even if unreasonable.

Bar Exam Tip: Aiding and Abetting

An individual aids and abets who counsels, commands or encourages another in the commission of a crime and is present during the crime. Minors can be guilty of aiding and abetting, but an individual cannot be guilty of aiding and abetting if they are a member of the class that is protected in the statute.

Bar Exam Tip: FOB

A seller bears the risk of loss until the goods reach the city (FOB City) and the seller makes reasonable arrangements to get the goods to the buyer. After this is met by the seller, the risk shifts to the buyer. If something happens to the goods enroute, the buyer can recover the amount necessary to replace the destroyed goods over the contract price.

Bar Exam Tip: Non Conforming Goods

If a buyer rejects goods because of defects in the shipment (non-conforming goods) the seller has an opportunity to cure the defects and send conforming goods up until the day of contract performance. But if the seller reasonably believed the shipment conformed to terms of the contract, even though they did not, the seller will be given a commercially reasonable time to cure the defect.

A shipment of non-conforming goods in addition to an accommodation notice is a counteroffer, which the buyer can either accept or reject.

Without the simultaneous accommodation notice, the seller is liable for breach of contract by sending non-conforming goods.

Bar Exam Tip: Volume Sellers

Say I go buy a SeaDoo and then decide I don't want it?

I may have to pay Mr. SeaDoo dealer some damages. The measure of damages for a contract with a volume seller of goods is the difference between the contract price and the wholesale price. Because if I return it, he will be out a sale. He could have made two sales if I hadn't returned mine, and then he had to resell it to someone else.

If I put a down payment on the SeaDoo, the dealer could get the difference between the measure of damages and the downpayment.

Bar Exam Tip: Commercial Impracticability

Commercial Impracticability occurs under 3 conditions:

1) the impracticality is attributed to an unforeseen problem that existed at the time the contract wa executed.

2) the risk of the unforeseen problem was not assumed by the defaulting party

3) undue hardship will occur if performance is not excused.