I traveled out of town this weekend to spend Christmas with my family. (Merry slightly belated Christmas. Mine was great. How was yours?) I had no trouble getting there. One thing I will say about the Oakland airport - they know how to do inoffensive, efficient security. I headed to the airport after work on Wednesday night, and I got to Salt Lake City a few hours later. The most adventure came when I was packed like sardines on BART.
Of course, on Christmas day, a would-be terrorist decided to try to blow up an airplane. (Fortunately, he failed.) Predictably, this means extra inconveniences for law-abiding citizens. First, as a result of the new security measures, I could only have one carry-on instead of the standard carry on and personal item. This meant that I had to jam the contents of my purse into my laptop bag.
Since TSA won't actually tell us what the new security regulations are, I didn't quite know what to do do prepare. I got to the Salt Lake airport about 90 minutes prior to my flight. (Since I don't check luggage, I usually get there 45 minutes before.) I went to security and got in line. I was pleased that the line was moving quickly, and I figured maybe the blogosphere overreacted.
When I got to the place where I had to take off my shoes and unpack my carefully packed luggage to prove that I brush with Crest, use Dove face wash, and wear Cover Girl Creamy Natural Fragrance Free makeup, I saw something strange.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Bill of Rights as It Relates to Cake
This little bit of weirdness grew out of a silly Facebook conversation. In honor of the birthday (yes, I know technically it's an anniversary, not a birthday, but work with me here) of the Bill of Rights, I was asked if there would be cake. I responded with how that piece of cake relates to the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Here's a more detailed version.*
First Amendment:
Congress can't make you say grace before eating your cake, but it also can't prohibit you from doing so. If you want to tell people about your cake, you may do so. This includes, but is not limited to: speaking about it, writing about it, doing interpretive dance about it, making statues, photos or other artistic representations of it, or burning it. If you don't have cake, or you are displeased with your cake, you may protest about it.
Second Amendment:
If you wish to defend your cake using arms, you may do so.
Third Amendment:
In times of peace, you do not have to feed your cake to soldiers. In times of war, you only have to in the manner prescribed by law.
Fourth Amendment:
Your cake is free from unreasonable search and seizure.
Fifth Amendment:
If you are accused of stealing cake, or committing some other crime in relation to the cake, you can't be prosecuted unless you've been indicted by a grand jury, and you can't be forced to testify against yourself. If you have been acquitted, you can't be prosecuted again for the same crime. You can't be deprived of your cake without due process of law, and the government can't take your cake for public use without paying you for it.
Sixth Amendment:
You have a right to a lawyer if you're accused of stealing cake. [editor's note: There's other stuff in the Sixth Amendment, but it doesn't relate to cake.]
Seventh Amendment:
If you have one of those fancy bakery cakes that's worth more than $20, you have a right to a jury trial if you sue someone regarding the cake.
Eighth Amendment:
You can't be excessively fined in relation to your cake.
Ninth Amendment:
The prior eight amendments are not an exclusive list of your rights relating to your cake. You may have more, but we're not really sure how to figure out what they are.
Tenth Amendment:
If the federal government doesn't have the power to regulate your cake, and the state government hasn't been prohibited from regulating your cake, then the state government may regulate your cake.
---
*Even this doesn't capture the full nuances of constitutional law. Proceed at your own risk. When in doubt, remember that the French solution for cake is available and noncontroversial. Marie Antoinette will let you eat it. (No word on whether you can have it, too. Law review commentary on the subject is welcome.)
First Amendment:
Congress can't make you say grace before eating your cake, but it also can't prohibit you from doing so. If you want to tell people about your cake, you may do so. This includes, but is not limited to: speaking about it, writing about it, doing interpretive dance about it, making statues, photos or other artistic representations of it, or burning it. If you don't have cake, or you are displeased with your cake, you may protest about it.
Second Amendment:
If you wish to defend your cake using arms, you may do so.
Third Amendment:
In times of peace, you do not have to feed your cake to soldiers. In times of war, you only have to in the manner prescribed by law.
Fourth Amendment:
Your cake is free from unreasonable search and seizure.
Fifth Amendment:
If you are accused of stealing cake, or committing some other crime in relation to the cake, you can't be prosecuted unless you've been indicted by a grand jury, and you can't be forced to testify against yourself. If you have been acquitted, you can't be prosecuted again for the same crime. You can't be deprived of your cake without due process of law, and the government can't take your cake for public use without paying you for it.
Sixth Amendment:
You have a right to a lawyer if you're accused of stealing cake. [editor's note: There's other stuff in the Sixth Amendment, but it doesn't relate to cake.]
Seventh Amendment:
If you have one of those fancy bakery cakes that's worth more than $20, you have a right to a jury trial if you sue someone regarding the cake.
Eighth Amendment:
You can't be excessively fined in relation to your cake.
Ninth Amendment:
The prior eight amendments are not an exclusive list of your rights relating to your cake. You may have more, but we're not really sure how to figure out what they are.
Tenth Amendment:
If the federal government doesn't have the power to regulate your cake, and the state government hasn't been prohibited from regulating your cake, then the state government may regulate your cake.
---
*Even this doesn't capture the full nuances of constitutional law. Proceed at your own risk. When in doubt, remember that the French solution for cake is available and noncontroversial. Marie Antoinette will let you eat it. (No word on whether you can have it, too. Law review commentary on the subject is welcome.)
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Still Alive Over Here
It's been a crazy few weeks. I had finals, and I'm back working full-time until school starts up again in January. On my "vacation", I have to finish up my seminar paper and prepare my note for the high-tech law journal. (The two overlap significantly, so it's more like writing 1 1/2 papers, not two.) Then I need to get the paper ready for publication so I can start sending it to law reviews in February. My goal is to publish one paper per semester for the rest of law school so that when I graduate, I can be ready to go on the teaching market with four articles published. That will put me significantly ahead of the competition in publications, which should make up for not having gone to Yale.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Business Writing Help!
As I'm sure anyone who has read my blog knows, I love to write. I mostly enjoy academic writing, such as essays and journal articles, but I've dabbled in blogging and journalism, and I've even tried my hand at creative writing. (NaNoWriMo fell victim to real life this year, though. Better luck next time.) Business writing is an area where I'm weak, however.
I got my start in the working world in 2000, when the dot-com bubble was at its bubbliest. I was a green 18-year old with no college education and no experience. They don't teach business writing in high school. [1] There was a huge labor shortage at the time, so qualifications for getting a job were: 1) Do you have a pulse? 2) Do you have a social security number?. Seeing as I was in possession of both of those qualifications, I got hired by a temp agency.
There's no training at most temp agencies, so I just got thrown into the world of business. I was expected to sink or swim. Fortunately, I learned to swim pretty quickly. Then college happened, then my mission happened, and then law school happened. During college, I worked as a teaching assistant, so I didn't have to worry about office skills. In law school, I worked in the library, where I shelved books and helped students with legal research.
Then The Great and Dreadful Interruption of Life (TM) happened. I suddenly found myself with half a law degree, no job, no money, and no marketable skills. I called up a different temp agency (that I had used over summers in law school when I wasn't shelving books) and I got placed in the rotation again. Business was slow, so I took a part-time job doing home health care on the weekends to pay the bills. (This health care job, which I intended to take for a few months to get back on my feet ended up becoming a full-time job that lasted for 3 years.) Once again, no need for business writing.
I went to paralegal school, but because of my 3 semesters of law school (which included a rather worthless legal writing and research class, as I've mentioned before), my writing class was waived. I graduated with honors, giving me a nice shiny marketable degree, but because of the economy, there wasn't really a market for paralegals at the time.
Back in February, I landed a position through my temp agency that was supposed to last for 3 months, covering the front desk. Once the 3 months was up, I was promoted to HR, where I still am today. (I got hired as a permanent employee in August.) So, I have a ton of work experience, I managed to go back to law school after TGaDIoL, but I still feel like my skills are deficient in a few key areas. (I had a much better legal writing class this time around, but I know business writing is different from legal writing, and I'm not even that good at non-academic legal writing anyway. Just ask my professor...)
My roommate recently graduated with a certificate in administrative assisting. I didn't even know that there were schools for that. She learned all sorts of useful stuff like how to write a memo. Anyway, so now I'm juggling law school (at the end of this semester, I will have completed 3 years, which is as much as most lawyers, but I digress) and working in HR, where I have no experience. I'm sort of learning as I go.
My boss asked me today to write a specific type of memo, and I'll admit that I had to google it to get an example. I'm a good writer, but there's so much in the business world that I don't know because I've spent most of my adult life in school, and I've spent much of my working life working for universities. This is a sort of long-winded way of getting to the point, but does anyone have any suggestions for a good business writing textbook or style guide? I want to have a good reference and a way to teach myself all the stuff that I probably should have picked up along the way over the past 10 years. [2]
---
[1] There may have been business writing courses available, but if there were, I never heard about them. I was tracked into high-end math and science classes because the guidance counselors, teachers, and many of my family members figured I would go on to become an engineer. Imagine everyone's surprise when I decided to study political science and philosophy in college and then go to law school. Of course, I do work for a software company, and I'm studying intellectual property law, so I'm sort of the most engineer-like legal person around.
[2] I don't need help with grammar, etc. Mainly, I need help with tone and formatting. Everything I write sounds like it was written by a lawyer, albeit a lawyer who refuses to use the words "heretofore" or "whereas". (But who apparently has no objection to the use of "albeit".)
I got my start in the working world in 2000, when the dot-com bubble was at its bubbliest. I was a green 18-year old with no college education and no experience. They don't teach business writing in high school. [1] There was a huge labor shortage at the time, so qualifications for getting a job were: 1) Do you have a pulse? 2) Do you have a social security number?. Seeing as I was in possession of both of those qualifications, I got hired by a temp agency.
There's no training at most temp agencies, so I just got thrown into the world of business. I was expected to sink or swim. Fortunately, I learned to swim pretty quickly. Then college happened, then my mission happened, and then law school happened. During college, I worked as a teaching assistant, so I didn't have to worry about office skills. In law school, I worked in the library, where I shelved books and helped students with legal research.
Then The Great and Dreadful Interruption of Life (TM) happened. I suddenly found myself with half a law degree, no job, no money, and no marketable skills. I called up a different temp agency (that I had used over summers in law school when I wasn't shelving books) and I got placed in the rotation again. Business was slow, so I took a part-time job doing home health care on the weekends to pay the bills. (This health care job, which I intended to take for a few months to get back on my feet ended up becoming a full-time job that lasted for 3 years.) Once again, no need for business writing.
I went to paralegal school, but because of my 3 semesters of law school (which included a rather worthless legal writing and research class, as I've mentioned before), my writing class was waived. I graduated with honors, giving me a nice shiny marketable degree, but because of the economy, there wasn't really a market for paralegals at the time.
Back in February, I landed a position through my temp agency that was supposed to last for 3 months, covering the front desk. Once the 3 months was up, I was promoted to HR, where I still am today. (I got hired as a permanent employee in August.) So, I have a ton of work experience, I managed to go back to law school after TGaDIoL, but I still feel like my skills are deficient in a few key areas. (I had a much better legal writing class this time around, but I know business writing is different from legal writing, and I'm not even that good at non-academic legal writing anyway. Just ask my professor...)
My roommate recently graduated with a certificate in administrative assisting. I didn't even know that there were schools for that. She learned all sorts of useful stuff like how to write a memo. Anyway, so now I'm juggling law school (at the end of this semester, I will have completed 3 years, which is as much as most lawyers, but I digress) and working in HR, where I have no experience. I'm sort of learning as I go.
My boss asked me today to write a specific type of memo, and I'll admit that I had to google it to get an example. I'm a good writer, but there's so much in the business world that I don't know because I've spent most of my adult life in school, and I've spent much of my working life working for universities. This is a sort of long-winded way of getting to the point, but does anyone have any suggestions for a good business writing textbook or style guide? I want to have a good reference and a way to teach myself all the stuff that I probably should have picked up along the way over the past 10 years. [2]
---
[1] There may have been business writing courses available, but if there were, I never heard about them. I was tracked into high-end math and science classes because the guidance counselors, teachers, and many of my family members figured I would go on to become an engineer. Imagine everyone's surprise when I decided to study political science and philosophy in college and then go to law school. Of course, I do work for a software company, and I'm studying intellectual property law, so I'm sort of the most engineer-like legal person around.
[2] I don't need help with grammar, etc. Mainly, I need help with tone and formatting. Everything I write sounds like it was written by a lawyer, albeit a lawyer who refuses to use the words "heretofore" or "whereas". (But who apparently has no objection to the use of "albeit".)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Frugal Living Tips for the Rest of Us
Websites with frugal living tips abound on the internet. However, they're not typically useful to someone in my situation. The tips are generally geared toward a married couple (consisting of one wage-earner and one at-home individual) with several kids. This family lives in a house with a yard suitable for growing a vegetable garden. I'm single, I juggle work and school, and I live in an apartment where the only dirt available is whatever the dog tracks in.
Nonetheless, I'm known as the queen of frugality. I manage to have monthly living expenses of slightly under $500. (Given that I live in Silicon Valley, one of the most expensive areas of the entire country, this is nothing short of a miracle.) Here's what I've learned along the way. (I'm sure I've missed stuff; this is just what I remember right now. After a while, frugality just becomes an automatic way of life.)
Frugal Living Tips for People Who Don't Have Time, Space, or Inclination to Raise Chickens for Their Eggs*:
Nonetheless, I'm known as the queen of frugality. I manage to have monthly living expenses of slightly under $500. (Given that I live in Silicon Valley, one of the most expensive areas of the entire country, this is nothing short of a miracle.) Here's what I've learned along the way. (I'm sure I've missed stuff; this is just what I remember right now. After a while, frugality just becomes an automatic way of life.)
Frugal Living Tips for People Who Don't Have Time, Space, or Inclination to Raise Chickens for Their Eggs*:
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Words You Don't Hear Every Day
Words are kind of funny if you stop to think about it. Some words are common in everyday use. Some words are uncommon and are only heard in a few places. I've been thinking about that lately.
Supernal is one of those words. I've only heard it at church, and even then, only rarely. It seems to be one of those words that is confined to a specific context. I hear its synonyms, such as ethereal, divine, or heavenly in other places, but I'm sure people would give me a funny look if I described the school cafeteria's tofu chocolate mousse as supernal. [1]
Another word that seems confined to certain circumstances is salacious. I primarily hear this word in class discussions. (I have heard it elsewhere, but only rarely. More common are its synonyms - risque, racy, etc. However, even less common is its synonym, lascivious. I've only ever seen that one in the Bible.) I recall its use at least twice this semester, in different classes, by different professors. The first time was in my appellate advocacy class when we were discussing statutory interpretation. We were reading a case that the professor handed out. [2] As he passed it out, he said that it was a bit salacious, but it was nonetheless a good case to illustrate the point he was trying to make. [3] The second occurrence was today in my constitutional law class. We were discussing the constitutionality of restrictions on commercial speech. Some divorce lawyers in Chicago placed a prominent billboard advertising their services. The billboard had some racy pictures on it, and the professor was trying to spark discussion by asking us if it mattered that the advertisement was salacious.
What words do you hear in certain contexts but not in others?
____
1. It's really tasty, though. Not quite supernal, but certainly heavenly.
2. See People v. Gibbons, 215 Cal. App. 3d 1204 (1989).
3. The point he was trying to make is that statutes aren't self-interpreting, and that even a seemingly simple word like "communication" is subject to people arguing about it.
Supernal is one of those words. I've only heard it at church, and even then, only rarely. It seems to be one of those words that is confined to a specific context. I hear its synonyms, such as ethereal, divine, or heavenly in other places, but I'm sure people would give me a funny look if I described the school cafeteria's tofu chocolate mousse as supernal. [1]
Another word that seems confined to certain circumstances is salacious. I primarily hear this word in class discussions. (I have heard it elsewhere, but only rarely. More common are its synonyms - risque, racy, etc. However, even less common is its synonym, lascivious. I've only ever seen that one in the Bible.) I recall its use at least twice this semester, in different classes, by different professors. The first time was in my appellate advocacy class when we were discussing statutory interpretation. We were reading a case that the professor handed out. [2] As he passed it out, he said that it was a bit salacious, but it was nonetheless a good case to illustrate the point he was trying to make. [3] The second occurrence was today in my constitutional law class. We were discussing the constitutionality of restrictions on commercial speech. Some divorce lawyers in Chicago placed a prominent billboard advertising their services. The billboard had some racy pictures on it, and the professor was trying to spark discussion by asking us if it mattered that the advertisement was salacious.
What words do you hear in certain contexts but not in others?
____
1. It's really tasty, though. Not quite supernal, but certainly heavenly.
2. See People v. Gibbons, 215 Cal. App. 3d 1204 (1989).
3. The point he was trying to make is that statutes aren't self-interpreting, and that even a seemingly simple word like "communication" is subject to people arguing about it.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
NaNoWriMo
It's November again, and that means it's time for NaNoWriMo! (National Novel Writing Month) Every year, budding authors get together and harness the power of positive peer pressure (look, I can alliterate!) to encourage one another to write. It's like having a jogging buddy. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month.
I've been meaning to do it for a few years, but I never have time. I realized that I'll never find the time; I have to make the time, so I'm going to give it a go this year. I'm guessing that most of my novel will come between November 24 and 30. (Two reasons: 1- I'm a procrastinator. 2- My seminar paper is due on November 23.)
I have the embarrassingly low word count of 211 right now. (I should be around 6,600 to be on track.) I have a setting and a story outline; I just haven't had time to sit down and write it yet. You can follow my progress here. I don't have a title yet, so if anyone has any suggestions after reading the synopsis, feel free to let me know.
If any of you reading this are fellow participants, please add me as a writing buddy. (It's not too late to join if anyone wants to get started!)
I've been meaning to do it for a few years, but I never have time. I realized that I'll never find the time; I have to make the time, so I'm going to give it a go this year. I'm guessing that most of my novel will come between November 24 and 30. (Two reasons: 1- I'm a procrastinator. 2- My seminar paper is due on November 23.)
I have the embarrassingly low word count of 211 right now. (I should be around 6,600 to be on track.) I have a setting and a story outline; I just haven't had time to sit down and write it yet. You can follow my progress here. I don't have a title yet, so if anyone has any suggestions after reading the synopsis, feel free to let me know.
If any of you reading this are fellow participants, please add me as a writing buddy. (It's not too late to join if anyone wants to get started!)
Monday, November 2, 2009
Some Things Just Bug Me!...
...Like bugs, for example.
Well, not just bugs, but everything that goes along with bugs. If I had been Noah, I would have conveniently forgotten to take the insects on the ark. Sure, I probably would have been the recipient of some divine smiting, but I would be willing to take one for Team Humanity.
My apartment complex has a bug problem. I have a cat, so my room is blessedly bug-free. (Cheapest pest control ever. All I have to do is feed her, play with her, and change her litter. In return, she de-stresses me and eats bugs.) Anyway, due to the bug problem, the apartment management has decided to spray pesticide. It goes like this:
On Thursday night, a note is taped to the door of the apartment. It usually gets posted sometime between 8 and 10 pm. The note informs us that the pest control people are coming to spray sometime between the hours of 9 and 5 on Monday. Then there's a list of preparations that need to be made. We have to vacate the apartment for the duration of treatment and 4 hours following. That part isn't too bad. The annoying part is that we have to bag all of our clothing and linens, seal up all of our food, and move all of our furniture at least 24 inches away from the wall. We also have to remove our bedding and take our mattresses off of our bedframe and lean them up against the wall.
This whole preparation process took several hours the first time, but I've gotten it down to a science, and I can prepare in about an hour. Since I have a cat, I have to kennel her for the day. I can't exactly take Ebony with me to work and school.
This morning was pest control day again. I got up bright and early at 5:30 in the morning to prepare. (Jen wisely decided to spend the night at our parents' house, so she avoided the worst of it. I get the last laugh, though, since she gets to put it all back together.) I got Ebony into her crate and headed to the kennel.
I arrived at the kennel at 7:00, when they open. I began the check-in procedure, and the guy at the front desk said that I needed to show proof of Ebony's vaccinations. I had come prepared, and I produced the report I had gotten from the vet on Friday. However, the codes in the kennel's computer system were some sort of cryptic abbreviation, and the receptionist didn't know which abbreviation went to which shot on the list. (The list from the vet had the proper names of the shots.) He asked a few of his co-workers and none of them knew either. He tried to call my vet, but the vet doesn't open until 8. He said that he couldn't take Ebony until he talked to the vet. I suggested he google the abbreviations to see what he came up with, and he looked at me like it was the stupidest idea he had ever heard and said he couldn't do that.
I collected my cat, my vet report, and my irritation and left, informing him that I would be taking my business elsewhere, since the service was so poor. (I had had problems the last time, too.) So, word to the wise, if you're looking for a place to kennel your pets, don't go to PetSmart.
Anyway, I got home at 7:30 am (I had to be in class at 9:15, so time is ticking at this point.) I fired up my laptop and started searching for kennel options. After all, I know how to use Google! I found a local vet that offered kenneling services, so I dropped Ebony off and headed to class. Traffic was kind to me, so I wasn't late.
Naturally, the kennel closes at 6:00 pm, and I don't get home until 9:30 pm. So, I e-mailed Jen with the info on where to get my cat, and she agreed to pick her up on her way home. Jen just texted me to let me know she retrieved Ebony safe and sound, but that her collar is missing. I'm going to have to track it down, because I don't want to have to pay the city of Fremont for a new license.
And, of course, when I get home tonight, I'm going to have to wash all the kitchen utensils that I forgot to put away. That's like 3 loads of dishes. I so don't have time for this!
Edit: Thankfully, Jen found the collar right after I published this. One less thing to worry about.
Well, not just bugs, but everything that goes along with bugs. If I had been Noah, I would have conveniently forgotten to take the insects on the ark. Sure, I probably would have been the recipient of some divine smiting, but I would be willing to take one for Team Humanity.
My apartment complex has a bug problem. I have a cat, so my room is blessedly bug-free. (Cheapest pest control ever. All I have to do is feed her, play with her, and change her litter. In return, she de-stresses me and eats bugs.) Anyway, due to the bug problem, the apartment management has decided to spray pesticide. It goes like this:
On Thursday night, a note is taped to the door of the apartment. It usually gets posted sometime between 8 and 10 pm. The note informs us that the pest control people are coming to spray sometime between the hours of 9 and 5 on Monday. Then there's a list of preparations that need to be made. We have to vacate the apartment for the duration of treatment and 4 hours following. That part isn't too bad. The annoying part is that we have to bag all of our clothing and linens, seal up all of our food, and move all of our furniture at least 24 inches away from the wall. We also have to remove our bedding and take our mattresses off of our bedframe and lean them up against the wall.
This whole preparation process took several hours the first time, but I've gotten it down to a science, and I can prepare in about an hour. Since I have a cat, I have to kennel her for the day. I can't exactly take Ebony with me to work and school.
This morning was pest control day again. I got up bright and early at 5:30 in the morning to prepare. (Jen wisely decided to spend the night at our parents' house, so she avoided the worst of it. I get the last laugh, though, since she gets to put it all back together.) I got Ebony into her crate and headed to the kennel.
I arrived at the kennel at 7:00, when they open. I began the check-in procedure, and the guy at the front desk said that I needed to show proof of Ebony's vaccinations. I had come prepared, and I produced the report I had gotten from the vet on Friday. However, the codes in the kennel's computer system were some sort of cryptic abbreviation, and the receptionist didn't know which abbreviation went to which shot on the list. (The list from the vet had the proper names of the shots.) He asked a few of his co-workers and none of them knew either. He tried to call my vet, but the vet doesn't open until 8. He said that he couldn't take Ebony until he talked to the vet. I suggested he google the abbreviations to see what he came up with, and he looked at me like it was the stupidest idea he had ever heard and said he couldn't do that.
I collected my cat, my vet report, and my irritation and left, informing him that I would be taking my business elsewhere, since the service was so poor. (I had had problems the last time, too.) So, word to the wise, if you're looking for a place to kennel your pets, don't go to PetSmart.
Anyway, I got home at 7:30 am (I had to be in class at 9:15, so time is ticking at this point.) I fired up my laptop and started searching for kennel options. After all, I know how to use Google! I found a local vet that offered kenneling services, so I dropped Ebony off and headed to class. Traffic was kind to me, so I wasn't late.
Naturally, the kennel closes at 6:00 pm, and I don't get home until 9:30 pm. So, I e-mailed Jen with the info on where to get my cat, and she agreed to pick her up on her way home. Jen just texted me to let me know she retrieved Ebony safe and sound, but that her collar is missing. I'm going to have to track it down, because I don't want to have to pay the city of Fremont for a new license.
And, of course, when I get home tonight, I'm going to have to wash all the kitchen utensils that I forgot to put away. That's like 3 loads of dishes. I so don't have time for this!
Edit: Thankfully, Jen found the collar right after I published this. One less thing to worry about.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Jester Hat
I should totally invest in a court jester hat. It would go with all of the juggling I've been doing lately.
I survived oral arguments for my advocacy class. (I did better than survive, actually. I rocked!) I have an outline for my high tech journal note due this weekend, and I have a draft of one section of my seminar paper due on Monday. (I'm using the same paper for the note and my seminar, so it's not as bad as it sounds.) Then I have my revised brief for advocacy due next week. This is all in addition to my regular reading for my other classes, and, of course, my job.
Plus, I have to figure out what I'm going to do this summer. On the one hand, my employer has invited me to work full-time this summer. It's quite tempting, since it's a sure bet, and the pay is pretty decent. On the other hand, I should probably get some legal experience, like at a firm or something. (Of course, I don't want to be a lawyer, so firm life isn't that attractive to me.) I'm considering getting a judicial externship, but those aren't paid.
I get to register for classes this afternoon. Here's hoping I get the classes I need!
I survived oral arguments for my advocacy class. (I did better than survive, actually. I rocked!) I have an outline for my high tech journal note due this weekend, and I have a draft of one section of my seminar paper due on Monday. (I'm using the same paper for the note and my seminar, so it's not as bad as it sounds.) Then I have my revised brief for advocacy due next week. This is all in addition to my regular reading for my other classes, and, of course, my job.
Plus, I have to figure out what I'm going to do this summer. On the one hand, my employer has invited me to work full-time this summer. It's quite tempting, since it's a sure bet, and the pay is pretty decent. On the other hand, I should probably get some legal experience, like at a firm or something. (Of course, I don't want to be a lawyer, so firm life isn't that attractive to me.) I'm considering getting a judicial externship, but those aren't paid.
I get to register for classes this afternoon. Here's hoping I get the classes I need!
Friday, October 9, 2009
How to Motivate
I can't stand it when people try to use guilt trips on me. It feels so manipulative. However, appropriate motivation works wonders. Here's a good example of how to appeal to people's sense of responsibility without resorting to a guilt trip:
In one of my classes, we have been assigned to watch an oral argument before an appellate court. People asked the professor what kind of documentation he wanted to prove that we did it. He said that he didn't need any documentation. He talked about how he is a big believer in the honor system and that as lawyers, we need to be scrupulously ethical in all of our dealings. He told us that we were on our honor to complete the assignment and that he will not be checking to see if we did. He reminded us that this meant that there would be no penalty for failure to watch an argument, but that we have an obligation to fulfill the assignment because we said that we would.
Now, I can be a bit of a slacker at times. I'm notorious for doing the bare minimum to get by when it comes to homework. If it's not graded, I'm not likely to want to take the time to do it, since I have so many graded things to do. However, after a speech like that, there's no way I'm going to skip the oral argument. I'm not going to violate the trust my professor has placed in me.
In one of my classes, we have been assigned to watch an oral argument before an appellate court. People asked the professor what kind of documentation he wanted to prove that we did it. He said that he didn't need any documentation. He talked about how he is a big believer in the honor system and that as lawyers, we need to be scrupulously ethical in all of our dealings. He told us that we were on our honor to complete the assignment and that he will not be checking to see if we did. He reminded us that this meant that there would be no penalty for failure to watch an argument, but that we have an obligation to fulfill the assignment because we said that we would.
Now, I can be a bit of a slacker at times. I'm notorious for doing the bare minimum to get by when it comes to homework. If it's not graded, I'm not likely to want to take the time to do it, since I have so many graded things to do. However, after a speech like that, there's no way I'm going to skip the oral argument. I'm not going to violate the trust my professor has placed in me.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
To PhD, or not to PhD. That is the question.
With the exception of a year and a half for my mission and a year and a half to work between my first time in law school and when I went to paralegal school prior to my second time in law school, I've spent my whole life in school in one form or another. In 19 1/2 months, I'll finally have a JD. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I plan on becoming a law professor. Technically, a JD is sufficient for that goal*, but with the tight market, a PhD or LLM would give me a leg-up on the process. When I heard the recommendation of getting an LLM, I wanted to cry. The thought of spending another 1-2 years in law school was totally unappealing.
I just found out that UC Berkeley has a PhD program in jurisprudence and social policy. It's an interdisciplinary program (law, economics, political science, philosophy, and criminal justice) designed to prepare people to teach law. (The program doesn't require a JD, but I'm sure that by having one, I'll have a leg-up in that department.) It's tempting, but I'm just not sure I could justify another 5 years in school.
Before going back to law school, I considered getting a PhD in philosophy, but I decided that the timing was wrong. I do want to get one eventually, perhaps when I'm retired, wealthy, and full of spare time. I'm still broke, swamped, and getting to an age where I should start being a productive member of society.
Anyway, I have it narrowed down to the following options:
1. Go for the PhD. Start in the fall of 2010 and switch back into part-time law school at SCU. (Completion: JD - December 2011, PhD - May 2015)
2. Go for the PhD, but wait until law school is finished. (Completion: JD - May 2011, PhD - May 2016)
3. Finish law school and cross my fingers for one of those coveted tenure-track teaching positions. (Completion: JD - May 2011)
4. Are you crazy?! Finish law school and get a normal job as a lawyer for a few years before even thinking about going back to school. (Completion: JD - May 2011, PhD - maybe in the future??)
5. Who cares about tenure, anyway? Finish law school and go be an underpaid second-class citizen of the legal academy (aka legal writing and research professor). (Completion: JD - May 2011)
Thoughts?
---
*In theory, one only needs a JD to teach law, but in practice, one needs a JD from an elite law school (Yale, Harvard, or Stanford, in that order), a prestigious judicial clerkship, and a position as an editor on the law review. Obviously, I don't have the elite law school, so I need to land the clerkship, the editorial position on law review (I'm already an associate on the high tech journal, so that's at least in the cards), and I need to publish like mad and hope someone is willing to take a chance on me.
I plan on becoming a law professor. Technically, a JD is sufficient for that goal*, but with the tight market, a PhD or LLM would give me a leg-up on the process. When I heard the recommendation of getting an LLM, I wanted to cry. The thought of spending another 1-2 years in law school was totally unappealing.
I just found out that UC Berkeley has a PhD program in jurisprudence and social policy. It's an interdisciplinary program (law, economics, political science, philosophy, and criminal justice) designed to prepare people to teach law. (The program doesn't require a JD, but I'm sure that by having one, I'll have a leg-up in that department.) It's tempting, but I'm just not sure I could justify another 5 years in school.
Before going back to law school, I considered getting a PhD in philosophy, but I decided that the timing was wrong. I do want to get one eventually, perhaps when I'm retired, wealthy, and full of spare time. I'm still broke, swamped, and getting to an age where I should start being a productive member of society.
Anyway, I have it narrowed down to the following options:
1. Go for the PhD. Start in the fall of 2010 and switch back into part-time law school at SCU. (Completion: JD - December 2011, PhD - May 2015)
2. Go for the PhD, but wait until law school is finished. (Completion: JD - May 2011, PhD - May 2016)
3. Finish law school and cross my fingers for one of those coveted tenure-track teaching positions. (Completion: JD - May 2011)
4. Are you crazy?! Finish law school and get a normal job as a lawyer for a few years before even thinking about going back to school. (Completion: JD - May 2011, PhD - maybe in the future??)
5. Who cares about tenure, anyway? Finish law school and go be an underpaid second-class citizen of the legal academy (aka legal writing and research professor). (Completion: JD - May 2011)
Thoughts?
---
*In theory, one only needs a JD to teach law, but in practice, one needs a JD from an elite law school (Yale, Harvard, or Stanford, in that order), a prestigious judicial clerkship, and a position as an editor on the law review. Obviously, I don't have the elite law school, so I need to land the clerkship, the editorial position on law review (I'm already an associate on the high tech journal, so that's at least in the cards), and I need to publish like mad and hope someone is willing to take a chance on me.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
My Love/Hate Relationship With Citation
In academic writing, citation is essential. [1] It helps the reader find the sources on which the author relied to make the conclusions asserted. It gives credit where credit is due to thinkers who came before. It keeps everyone honest.
However, the minutiae of the various citation systems can be annoying. They're all different, and each teacher has his/her personal preference as to which one to use. Does it really matter whether the period following "Id." is italicized? (For that matter, does it really make a difference as to whether it's "Id." or "Ibid."?) Will I be better able to find the source? I never was a big fan of rigid forms of citation, but I became especially opposed when I started law school. My first experience in law school was remarkably negative. (It was not at SCU, where I'm quite happy now.)
I had quite possibly the worst legal writing and research teacher in existence. [2] He was a grumpy adjunct who was probably 80 years old and he hated teaching. He thought the class was a waste of time, and as a result, he didn't put much effort into it. I learned next to nothing in his class. [3] He worshiped the Bluebook. [4] He would be picky about the stupidest details, and we would get marked down for little things. Forgetting to italicize was treated as seriously as misstating a proposition of law. Additionally, the class was graded on a strict curve, and the grades began with the first assignment when nobody had ever seen the Bluebook before. If someone didn't immediately grasp the nuances of this 416 page behemoth, there went the grade for the whole semester.
(I should add at this juncture that my legal writing and research teacher at SCU is excellent. He's among the top three professors I've had in my entire college education.) [5]
I'm in the process of applying to become an adjunct at one or more of the local community colleges. I hope to teach either English or Philosophy, but I could see myself teaching Political Science as well. In any of these subjects, I plan to assign term papers. I'm not going to be uptight about citation. Here's a proposed syllabus section. What do you think?
Footnotes:
[1] If this were a law review article, there would be a footnote after nearly every sentence, either citing to something, or making a parenthetical comment such as this one. Since this is a blog post, I'll spare you the extensive footnotes. (Five isn't extensive, is it?)
[2] I have not done an extensive study of the quality of legal writing and research teachers, but I have personally had three, and I know friends who, altogether, have had upwards to ten different teachers. This particular teacher in question is the worst. (I'm aware that the plural of anecdote is not data, but I'm also aware that hyperbole is an accepted literary device.)
[3] I should add at this point that I did learn how to do legal research using actual real, live books. This is the only thing I learned in the class, and it's something for which I'm grateful.
[4] The Bluebook is the short name for The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. It's the most common citation manual for the legal profession.
[5] The other two are professors I took classes from as an undergraduate: one in philosophy (who caused me to switch to studying philosophy), and one in economics.
However, the minutiae of the various citation systems can be annoying. They're all different, and each teacher has his/her personal preference as to which one to use. Does it really matter whether the period following "Id." is italicized? (For that matter, does it really make a difference as to whether it's "Id." or "Ibid."?) Will I be better able to find the source? I never was a big fan of rigid forms of citation, but I became especially opposed when I started law school. My first experience in law school was remarkably negative. (It was not at SCU, where I'm quite happy now.)
I had quite possibly the worst legal writing and research teacher in existence. [2] He was a grumpy adjunct who was probably 80 years old and he hated teaching. He thought the class was a waste of time, and as a result, he didn't put much effort into it. I learned next to nothing in his class. [3] He worshiped the Bluebook. [4] He would be picky about the stupidest details, and we would get marked down for little things. Forgetting to italicize was treated as seriously as misstating a proposition of law. Additionally, the class was graded on a strict curve, and the grades began with the first assignment when nobody had ever seen the Bluebook before. If someone didn't immediately grasp the nuances of this 416 page behemoth, there went the grade for the whole semester.
(I should add at this juncture that my legal writing and research teacher at SCU is excellent. He's among the top three professors I've had in my entire college education.) [5]
I'm in the process of applying to become an adjunct at one or more of the local community colleges. I hope to teach either English or Philosophy, but I could see myself teaching Political Science as well. In any of these subjects, I plan to assign term papers. I'm not going to be uptight about citation. Here's a proposed syllabus section. What do you think?
Academic Integrity:------
It is a serious violation of academic integrity to pass the work of others off as your own. This is called plagiarism. If you are caught plagiarizing, you will fail the course and be reported to the dean.
It is, however, appropriate and expected that you build upon the work of others. You must cite all sources that you use. The purpose of citation is to ensure that prior thinkers and researchers are given credit for their work. There are many citation formats in existence, and they all promote the same principles. The purpose of a unified citation system is to make it easier for the reader to locate and verify your sources.
For the purposes of this class, you must cite your sources in accordance with a generally accepted citation format. Examples include, but are not limited to:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Chicago Manual of Style
Associated Press Stylebook
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation
ALWD Citation Manual
You will receive full credit for citations as long as I can locate and verify your sources.
Footnotes:
[1] If this were a law review article, there would be a footnote after nearly every sentence, either citing to something, or making a parenthetical comment such as this one. Since this is a blog post, I'll spare you the extensive footnotes. (Five isn't extensive, is it?)
[2] I have not done an extensive study of the quality of legal writing and research teachers, but I have personally had three, and I know friends who, altogether, have had upwards to ten different teachers. This particular teacher in question is the worst. (I'm aware that the plural of anecdote is not data, but I'm also aware that hyperbole is an accepted literary device.)
[3] I should add at this point that I did learn how to do legal research using actual real, live books. This is the only thing I learned in the class, and it's something for which I'm grateful.
[4] The Bluebook is the short name for The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. It's the most common citation manual for the legal profession.
[5] The other two are professors I took classes from as an undergraduate: one in philosophy (who caused me to switch to studying philosophy), and one in economics.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Feline Alarm Clock
It's been a long week. On Monday, both of the other admins were out of the office. I only work afternoons on Monday because I have class in the morning. When I got into work at noon, the place was in a state of utter chaos. I had to spend all afternoon taking care of little administrative details. I didn't even get to my desk until 2 pm, and I spent an hour answering e-mails.
I have a cite-checking assignment due tomorrow for one of the law journals I work on, and I've been struggling to get the motivation to get started. I meant to do it on Monday night after my night class, but I was too tired. (I got out of class at 8:45.) Then I meant to do it yesterday after class. (I got out of class at 4.) However, I forgot my student ID card, so I couldn't get into the library. I went home and tripped over furniture because my roommate used the carpet cleaner in her room (to clean up after the now-gone litter of kittens), so all her stuff was in the front room. I didn't get any work done and I went to bed around 11.
Just as I turned out my light and shut my eyes, I remembered that I had to set my alarm clock. I thought I had set it and then I drifted off to sleep. At 6:15 this morning, I woke up to my cat meowing and nudging me. I sleepily looked over at my clock and realized that I had forgotten to set my alarm. Thank goodness she was looking out for me. I was only 5 minutes late to work.
Ebony staring out the window.
Ebony sitting on the fence.Friday, September 11, 2009
I Had It Coming...
Everyone seems to have their preferred place to sit in the classroom. I'm a second-row person. That way, I'm close enough to the action to be involved, but not so close to the professor that I feel exposed. Of course, nobody wants to sit in the first row, so the second row pretty much becomes the de facto front row.
I'm also one of those people who is in love with the sound of her own voice. (I hear that's a necessary qualification for my chosen career of law professor.) I can't help it. When I have something relevant to say, I say it. Also, due to some strange statistical anomaly, my class is almost entirely composed of people with dark brown hair. There are two or three people with blond hair, and my hair is somewhere on that strange fringe between strawberry blond and auburn. So, we have the perfect storm here - a talkative redhead in the front row.
I hadn't done my reading for Constitutional Law yesterday. (It's not a huge deal. It's a subject I'm already well-versed in from prior educational opportunities.) The professor (we'll call him professor A) is a big fan of the Socratic method of teaching. He will cold-call students and grill them, often playing devil's advocate in order to find the weaknesses in a student's argument. He will also take volunteers when he asks a question, and he is much easier on the volunteers than he is on the people he cold-calls.
I volunteered early on in class yesterday and I made some vague 9th Amendment argument. (All arguments about the 9th Amendment are vague. Nobody is really sure what it means. My scholastic goal is to figure it out and write the definitive book or article on the subject.) Professor A said I had effectively brought up both the strengths and weaknesses of my argument and then he moved on. I relaxed for the rest of the class.
Right after Constitutional Law, I had Appellate Advocacy. (Constitutional Law is held in a big lecture hall with about 80 students. Appellate Advocacy is held in a seminar room with about 18 students.) I walked into the classroom and sat down in the second row, like always. As usual, nobody sat in the first row. One of my classmates came in and sat next to me. She's also in my Constitutional Law class, so we began discussing our thoughts on Professor A's teaching style. My Appellate Advocacy professor (Professor B) was standing near the front of the classroom (class hadn't started yet) pretending not to listen to this conversation. I mentioned my secret to getting out of being cold-called, which is to volunteer early and often. (Professor B doesn't cold-call.)
Class began. I tend to talk way too much in that class because nobody else talks and I feel bad for Professor B. (I have a good working relationship with him, since I had him for another class last year, and he's helping me out with my career goals.) I've been in the situation where I've been teaching a class and nobody participates, and I always appreciate having someone to chime in when there's an awkward silence. My goal for the day, however, was to go through the entire class period without making any comments, since I fear that I'm annoying to my fellow classmates.
My goal lasted for about three minutes. I couldn't help it. We were going over the quiz that was administered last week about our research for the semester. We were supposed to find cases about a circuit split for a specific federal statute. Professor B asked the class how we found the cases. The answer he was expecting was that we ran a search in Lexis or Westlaw. (They're online legal databases. The companies let law students use them for free, but they're really expensive for lawyers. The idea is to get people hooked on them in school so they'll pay after school.) Nobody said anything, so I raised my hand.
I got called on, and I said, "You're probably not going to like how I found the circuit split." I proceeded to describe how, in 45 seconds, I typed the citation to the statute, and the words "circuit split" into Google and found the Split Circuit blog. The blog had a post about the exact issue we were supposed to be researching, and a list of all the cases involved in the circuit split. Professor B got the most priceless look on his face. It was a cross between surprised, impressed, and annoyed. Then he composed himself and said that if I had been doing this research for an employer, I would have been commended on my frugality and efficiency. Then he said that the Split Circuit blog was where professors often looked when getting ideas for writing these types of case files. (I'm guessing the blog post I found was the exact blog post that inspired him to write the problem in the first place.)
I was feeling pretty good about myself at this point. I figured I was off the hook for the rest of class. After discussing the quiz, we moved on to discussing techniques for writing sections of a legal brief. After a short lecture, we were instructed to write three versions of the issue statement for our case file. The first one was supposed to be too abstract, the second one was supposed to be too specific, and the third one was supposed to be just right.
About ten minutes later, we reconvened. Professor B read his version of the too abstract statement, and I was pleased that mine was almost identical to his. (Although looking back on it, I'm not sure I should be proud of the ability to write bad legal prose.) He then asked for volunteers to share their "just right" statements. Nobody volunteered. He looked around the room at us and said, "Don't make me call on people." I leaned back, confident that I wouldn't get called on, since I talk every day in class.
Well, I got called on, and I was asked to read my statement to the entire class. I totally had it coming, though. After my little pronouncement before class that I volunteer to avoid getting cold-called when I'm unprepared, and after announcing that it's extremely effective, the universe (or, more likely, Professor B) was trying to teach me a lesson.
I'm just hoping my secret won't get around to my other professors. My goal is to be completely prepared for every class, because I could totally see myself getting cold-called with alarming frequency next week.
I'm also one of those people who is in love with the sound of her own voice. (I hear that's a necessary qualification for my chosen career of law professor.) I can't help it. When I have something relevant to say, I say it. Also, due to some strange statistical anomaly, my class is almost entirely composed of people with dark brown hair. There are two or three people with blond hair, and my hair is somewhere on that strange fringe between strawberry blond and auburn. So, we have the perfect storm here - a talkative redhead in the front row.
I hadn't done my reading for Constitutional Law yesterday. (It's not a huge deal. It's a subject I'm already well-versed in from prior educational opportunities.) The professor (we'll call him professor A) is a big fan of the Socratic method of teaching. He will cold-call students and grill them, often playing devil's advocate in order to find the weaknesses in a student's argument. He will also take volunteers when he asks a question, and he is much easier on the volunteers than he is on the people he cold-calls.
I volunteered early on in class yesterday and I made some vague 9th Amendment argument. (All arguments about the 9th Amendment are vague. Nobody is really sure what it means. My scholastic goal is to figure it out and write the definitive book or article on the subject.) Professor A said I had effectively brought up both the strengths and weaknesses of my argument and then he moved on. I relaxed for the rest of the class.
Right after Constitutional Law, I had Appellate Advocacy. (Constitutional Law is held in a big lecture hall with about 80 students. Appellate Advocacy is held in a seminar room with about 18 students.) I walked into the classroom and sat down in the second row, like always. As usual, nobody sat in the first row. One of my classmates came in and sat next to me. She's also in my Constitutional Law class, so we began discussing our thoughts on Professor A's teaching style. My Appellate Advocacy professor (Professor B) was standing near the front of the classroom (class hadn't started yet) pretending not to listen to this conversation. I mentioned my secret to getting out of being cold-called, which is to volunteer early and often. (Professor B doesn't cold-call.)
Class began. I tend to talk way too much in that class because nobody else talks and I feel bad for Professor B. (I have a good working relationship with him, since I had him for another class last year, and he's helping me out with my career goals.) I've been in the situation where I've been teaching a class and nobody participates, and I always appreciate having someone to chime in when there's an awkward silence. My goal for the day, however, was to go through the entire class period without making any comments, since I fear that I'm annoying to my fellow classmates.
My goal lasted for about three minutes. I couldn't help it. We were going over the quiz that was administered last week about our research for the semester. We were supposed to find cases about a circuit split for a specific federal statute. Professor B asked the class how we found the cases. The answer he was expecting was that we ran a search in Lexis or Westlaw. (They're online legal databases. The companies let law students use them for free, but they're really expensive for lawyers. The idea is to get people hooked on them in school so they'll pay after school.) Nobody said anything, so I raised my hand.
I got called on, and I said, "You're probably not going to like how I found the circuit split." I proceeded to describe how, in 45 seconds, I typed the citation to the statute, and the words "circuit split" into Google and found the Split Circuit blog. The blog had a post about the exact issue we were supposed to be researching, and a list of all the cases involved in the circuit split. Professor B got the most priceless look on his face. It was a cross between surprised, impressed, and annoyed. Then he composed himself and said that if I had been doing this research for an employer, I would have been commended on my frugality and efficiency. Then he said that the Split Circuit blog was where professors often looked when getting ideas for writing these types of case files. (I'm guessing the blog post I found was the exact blog post that inspired him to write the problem in the first place.)
I was feeling pretty good about myself at this point. I figured I was off the hook for the rest of class. After discussing the quiz, we moved on to discussing techniques for writing sections of a legal brief. After a short lecture, we were instructed to write three versions of the issue statement for our case file. The first one was supposed to be too abstract, the second one was supposed to be too specific, and the third one was supposed to be just right.
About ten minutes later, we reconvened. Professor B read his version of the too abstract statement, and I was pleased that mine was almost identical to his. (Although looking back on it, I'm not sure I should be proud of the ability to write bad legal prose.) He then asked for volunteers to share their "just right" statements. Nobody volunteered. He looked around the room at us and said, "Don't make me call on people." I leaned back, confident that I wouldn't get called on, since I talk every day in class.
Well, I got called on, and I was asked to read my statement to the entire class. I totally had it coming, though. After my little pronouncement before class that I volunteer to avoid getting cold-called when I'm unprepared, and after announcing that it's extremely effective, the universe (or, more likely, Professor B) was trying to teach me a lesson.
I'm just hoping my secret won't get around to my other professors. My goal is to be completely prepared for every class, because I could totally see myself getting cold-called with alarming frequency next week.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Short Thoughts - Volume 2
I've been swamped with school, so I haven't had much time to blog lately. Here are some brief funny things that have happened lately.
In the Library:
On Saturday afternoon, I had to complete a cite-checking assignment for one of the law journals I'm on. (Basically, I had to take a footnote range for an article, look up all the sources the author used, and make sure they're accurate.) I was sitting on the couch in the library in between rows of books. On my right was the Federal Reporter, a collection of cases from the courts of appeals. On my left was the Federal Supplement, a collection of cases from federal district courts. As my mind wandered, I decided that Federal Supplement sounds like it ought to be some sort of government vitamin pill.
In Constitutional Law:
Yesterday in my constitutional law class, we were discussing the appropriate level of judicial scrutiny under the 14th Amendment for affirmative action legislation. (It's strict scrutiny, in case anyone is wondering.) The professor asked a provocative question. (I don't remember the exact question, but he was using it to spark discussion.) He then turned to one of my classmates and said, "[student's name], you look like you're ready to litigate something." He then proceeded to grill this poor soul for the next five minutes. I'll remember never to have a litigious expression on my face after hearing a provocative question.
In the Library:
On Saturday afternoon, I had to complete a cite-checking assignment for one of the law journals I'm on. (Basically, I had to take a footnote range for an article, look up all the sources the author used, and make sure they're accurate.) I was sitting on the couch in the library in between rows of books. On my right was the Federal Reporter, a collection of cases from the courts of appeals. On my left was the Federal Supplement, a collection of cases from federal district courts. As my mind wandered, I decided that Federal Supplement sounds like it ought to be some sort of government vitamin pill.
In Constitutional Law:
Yesterday in my constitutional law class, we were discussing the appropriate level of judicial scrutiny under the 14th Amendment for affirmative action legislation. (It's strict scrutiny, in case anyone is wondering.) The professor asked a provocative question. (I don't remember the exact question, but he was using it to spark discussion.) He then turned to one of my classmates and said, "[student's name], you look like you're ready to litigate something." He then proceeded to grill this poor soul for the next five minutes. I'll remember never to have a litigious expression on my face after hearing a provocative question.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Nerdy Goodness
If I believed in reincarnation (which I don't), I would probably say that I had been either a philosopher or an English teacher in a past life. I get excited about commas, I think Eats, Shoots & Leaves is the funniest book ever (even though there are punctuation errors in it), and I have a shirt that says "Bad grammar makes me [sic]!" I write for fun, and I love philosophy. I could talk about Kant or Aristotle all day.
Unfortunately, in law school, I don't get a chance to read and absorb philosophy very often. However, I did run across some interesting articles this week that I enjoyed immensely. (I don't recall how I found them. Sometimes interesting stuff just finds me as I randomly google things.)
The first one is not philosophical, but it's still a thought-provoking article. It's called Cite Unseen: How Neutral Citation and America's Law Schools Can Cure Our Strange Devotion to Bibliographical Orthodoxy and the Constriction of Open and Equal Access to the Law. It's a bit lengthy, but it's well worth the read. The main point is that championing a neutral citation format for caselaw (i.e. one that doesn't depend on the pagination in West's case reporters) would lead to better access to the law.
The second one brings two of my favorite subjects together: writing and philosophy. It's called The Poetry of Persuasion: Early Literary Theory and Its Advice to Legal Writers. The introduction is a little dull, and I almost stopped reading at that point. I'm glad I didn't, however. (The introduction can easily be skimmed or skipped in order to get to the good stuff.) The rest of the article analyzes what various thinkers (most notably Longinus and Aristotle) have to say about persuasive writing, and what it means for the legal writers of today. I found it helpful, and I'm going to integrate some of the ideas into my writing.
Unfortunately, in law school, I don't get a chance to read and absorb philosophy very often. However, I did run across some interesting articles this week that I enjoyed immensely. (I don't recall how I found them. Sometimes interesting stuff just finds me as I randomly google things.)
The first one is not philosophical, but it's still a thought-provoking article. It's called Cite Unseen: How Neutral Citation and America's Law Schools Can Cure Our Strange Devotion to Bibliographical Orthodoxy and the Constriction of Open and Equal Access to the Law. It's a bit lengthy, but it's well worth the read. The main point is that championing a neutral citation format for caselaw (i.e. one that doesn't depend on the pagination in West's case reporters) would lead to better access to the law.
The second one brings two of my favorite subjects together: writing and philosophy. It's called The Poetry of Persuasion: Early Literary Theory and Its Advice to Legal Writers. The introduction is a little dull, and I almost stopped reading at that point. I'm glad I didn't, however. (The introduction can easily be skimmed or skipped in order to get to the good stuff.) The rest of the article analyzes what various thinkers (most notably Longinus and Aristotle) have to say about persuasive writing, and what it means for the legal writers of today. I found it helpful, and I'm going to integrate some of the ideas into my writing.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The First Week of School
After a completely insufficient vacation, I'm back at school. I'm really looking forward to this semester, though. I'm only working 20 hours per week, and I'm taking 5 classes. It's going to be a long few months, but it's going to be great! I feel like I'm really getting toward my goals. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Short Thoughts
Life can get random, so here's a collection of random thoughts/events for the week.
Popcorn Popping (but not on the apricot tree):
What was the inventor of popcorn ceilings thinking? Seriously, they're annoying. On Tuesday, I had to get something from the top of my closet. As I stood on the stepstool to reach for my bag, I bumped the ceiling, knocking little bits onto my head. I stepped down (bag in hand) and brushed the bits out of my hair. I turned to my sister, who was sitting nearby, and I said, "Do I have any of the ceiling in my hair?" Naturally, she burst out laughing, informing me that was the funniest thing she had heard all week.
Job Seeking Advice:
Over the past four weeks since I started working in HR, I have probably reviewed close to 500 resumes. Here's some advice. First, please get a proofreader. I'm not likely to give your resume a closer look if you misspell words like "experience" or "relevant". Second, read the job posting carefully before applying. If you live in Los Angeles and are adamant about not relocating, don't apply for a position in Bangalore. Third, submitting your resume once is sufficient. Submitting it four times in a two hour period will not make me give it extra consideration. It will just annoy me, hurting your chances.
Advice for Corporate Recruiters:
If you want your clients to get hired, don't be annoying. Nothing has changed in the last 10 minutes. I didn't have feedback 10 minutes ago on the interview that ended 15 minutes ago, and I don't have feedback now. When I do, I'll let you know. If you keep bugging me, I'll stop answering the phone when you call. Caller ID is a great boon to productivity. Oh, and cc'ing my boss on every e-mail you send me will not only annoy me, it will annoy her as well. Once you've ticked off the VP of HR, you don't have a chance. Her word is law when it comes to hiring.
Seen on the Way Into Work:
I was driving into work this morning across Highway 237. (For those of you who aren't local, it's the highway that runs between Milpitas and Mountain View.) I glanced off to the right, somewhere around San Jose, and I saw a herd of goats grazing on the grass. I'm totally serious. In the tenth largest city in the US, there was a herd of goats grazing along the highway, right in front of an office park.
The Cat Lady:
I feel like I'm living in an animal shelter. My roommate has been feeding the stray cats, and one of the cats had kittens. So, now there's a box of seven kittens in my apartment. This is in addition to the mother cat, who comes and goes, my cat, and my roommates' chihuahuas. That's a grand total of two cats, seven kittens, and two dogs. If anyone wants a kitten, we'll have several we're looking for homes for in two or three more weeks. Once the kittens and the mama cat are gone, we can go back to normal. (1 cat, 2 dogs)
Popcorn Popping (but not on the apricot tree):
What was the inventor of popcorn ceilings thinking? Seriously, they're annoying. On Tuesday, I had to get something from the top of my closet. As I stood on the stepstool to reach for my bag, I bumped the ceiling, knocking little bits onto my head. I stepped down (bag in hand) and brushed the bits out of my hair. I turned to my sister, who was sitting nearby, and I said, "Do I have any of the ceiling in my hair?" Naturally, she burst out laughing, informing me that was the funniest thing she had heard all week.
Job Seeking Advice:
Over the past four weeks since I started working in HR, I have probably reviewed close to 500 resumes. Here's some advice. First, please get a proofreader. I'm not likely to give your resume a closer look if you misspell words like "experience" or "relevant". Second, read the job posting carefully before applying. If you live in Los Angeles and are adamant about not relocating, don't apply for a position in Bangalore. Third, submitting your resume once is sufficient. Submitting it four times in a two hour period will not make me give it extra consideration. It will just annoy me, hurting your chances.
Advice for Corporate Recruiters:
If you want your clients to get hired, don't be annoying. Nothing has changed in the last 10 minutes. I didn't have feedback 10 minutes ago on the interview that ended 15 minutes ago, and I don't have feedback now. When I do, I'll let you know. If you keep bugging me, I'll stop answering the phone when you call. Caller ID is a great boon to productivity. Oh, and cc'ing my boss on every e-mail you send me will not only annoy me, it will annoy her as well. Once you've ticked off the VP of HR, you don't have a chance. Her word is law when it comes to hiring.
Seen on the Way Into Work:
I was driving into work this morning across Highway 237. (For those of you who aren't local, it's the highway that runs between Milpitas and Mountain View.) I glanced off to the right, somewhere around San Jose, and I saw a herd of goats grazing on the grass. I'm totally serious. In the tenth largest city in the US, there was a herd of goats grazing along the highway, right in front of an office park.
The Cat Lady:
I feel like I'm living in an animal shelter. My roommate has been feeding the stray cats, and one of the cats had kittens. So, now there's a box of seven kittens in my apartment. This is in addition to the mother cat, who comes and goes, my cat, and my roommates' chihuahuas. That's a grand total of two cats, seven kittens, and two dogs. If anyone wants a kitten, we'll have several we're looking for homes for in two or three more weeks. Once the kittens and the mama cat are gone, we can go back to normal. (1 cat, 2 dogs)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Freedom!
I finally did it! I submitted my resignation letter (with "great regret", of course) for my weekend job. I'll lose my dental insurance, but it's a small price to pay for getting my weekends back. Just two more weekends and then I'm free!
I only intended to have this job for 4-6 months to tide myself over while I found myself. That was 3 years ago. I have found myself in the interim, and it isn't there.
I'm going back to school full-time in the fall, and I'll be working part-time at my other job (HR at a software company). I've found that I enjoy working in HR, which is a surprise to me. I thought I would dislike it.
I have a pretty good class schedule lined up. I'm taking Copyright Law, Constitutional Law II, Health Law Seminar (this will satisfy my thesis requirement), Appellate Advocacy, and Civil Procedure. I'm also on the Computer and High Tech Law Journal and the Journal of International Law. Things are looking up. Hooray for the end of the crazy insane juggling act.
I only intended to have this job for 4-6 months to tide myself over while I found myself. That was 3 years ago. I have found myself in the interim, and it isn't there.
I'm going back to school full-time in the fall, and I'll be working part-time at my other job (HR at a software company). I've found that I enjoy working in HR, which is a surprise to me. I thought I would dislike it.
I have a pretty good class schedule lined up. I'm taking Copyright Law, Constitutional Law II, Health Law Seminar (this will satisfy my thesis requirement), Appellate Advocacy, and Civil Procedure. I'm also on the Computer and High Tech Law Journal and the Journal of International Law. Things are looking up. Hooray for the end of the crazy insane juggling act.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
I'm still alive over here! (More or less)
I survived summer school. That may not sound like that much of an accomplishment, but when you consider that I was taking 6 units (technically a full-time load for summer school), working a 40 hour per week job, and working a 34 hour per week job, it's a bit more.
Typical weekday day:
6:15 am - Alarm clock goes off. Hit snooze button
6:20 am - Alarm clock goes off again. Hit snooze button again.
6:25 am - Get out of bed, get ready for work.
7:00 am - Leave for work.
7:30 am - Work.
4:00 pm - Leave work, head for school.
4:20 pm - Arrive at school, spend the next little bit preparing for class, etc.
6:00 pm - Class.
9:30 pm - Get home from school. Do laundry, household chores, etc.
11:00 pm - Go to bed.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Typical Weekend:
8:45 pm Friday - Leave for work.
10:00 pm Friday - Arrive at work. Crash on the couch while being on-call for the night shift.
8:00 am Saturday - Revel in the joy that is my only day to sleep in (presuming that there were no emergencies overnight).
All Day Saturday - Just call me "Mercenary Soccer Mom". Shuttle my clients to their Special Olympics practices, grocery store, bank, and various other errands and community activities.
10:00 pm Saturday - Clients are in bed. Try to do homework, but usually end up crashing on the couch while being on-call for the night shift.
7:00 am Sunday - Get up, take a shower.
8:00 am Sunday - Go home.
9:30 am Sunday - Church.
1:00 pm Sunday - Get home from church, see about this whole "Day of Rest" thing.
Now that summer school is over, I get my weekday evenings off. It's going to be great! I'll get to do my laundry before 10:00 pm, and I'll get to spend some quality time with my cat. =^. .^=
Typical weekday day:
6:15 am - Alarm clock goes off. Hit snooze button
6:20 am - Alarm clock goes off again. Hit snooze button again.
6:25 am - Get out of bed, get ready for work.
7:00 am - Leave for work.
7:30 am - Work.
4:00 pm - Leave work, head for school.
4:20 pm - Arrive at school, spend the next little bit preparing for class, etc.
6:00 pm - Class.
9:30 pm - Get home from school. Do laundry, household chores, etc.
11:00 pm - Go to bed.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Typical Weekend:
8:45 pm Friday - Leave for work.
10:00 pm Friday - Arrive at work. Crash on the couch while being on-call for the night shift.
8:00 am Saturday - Revel in the joy that is my only day to sleep in (presuming that there were no emergencies overnight).
All Day Saturday - Just call me "Mercenary Soccer Mom". Shuttle my clients to their Special Olympics practices, grocery store, bank, and various other errands and community activities.
10:00 pm Saturday - Clients are in bed. Try to do homework, but usually end up crashing on the couch while being on-call for the night shift.
7:00 am Sunday - Get up, take a shower.
8:00 am Sunday - Go home.
9:30 am Sunday - Church.
1:00 pm Sunday - Get home from church, see about this whole "Day of Rest" thing.
Now that summer school is over, I get my weekday evenings off. It's going to be great! I'll get to do my laundry before 10:00 pm, and I'll get to spend some quality time with my cat. =^. .^=
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Physicists at Fed Ex
Albert Einstein taught us that matter and energy are the same thing. E=mc^2 and all of that. Well, it seems that the good folks at Fed Ex have taken it to heart.
I was preparing a shipment of marketing materials to go to our India office. In order to get shipments through customs, I have to fill out a declaration form detailing exactly what is in the package. There's a box for the description of what it is, i.e. "Widgets" or something like that. Then there's a box to type in the quantity. Then there's a drop-down menu to select the unit. It has normal choices such as "dozen", "pieces", "cubic inches", etc.
As I scrolled down, I saw some that made me laugh. "Kilowatt-hours" and "British Thermal Units" were options I could pick. Yes, I'm going to mail 47 BTUs to India. Naturally, it will fit nicely in my cardboard box.
I was preparing a shipment of marketing materials to go to our India office. In order to get shipments through customs, I have to fill out a declaration form detailing exactly what is in the package. There's a box for the description of what it is, i.e. "Widgets" or something like that. Then there's a box to type in the quantity. Then there's a drop-down menu to select the unit. It has normal choices such as "dozen", "pieces", "cubic inches", etc.
As I scrolled down, I saw some that made me laugh. "Kilowatt-hours" and "British Thermal Units" were options I could pick. Yes, I'm going to mail 47 BTUs to India. Naturally, it will fit nicely in my cardboard box.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A New Addition to the World!
Believe it or not, I'm capable of writing a post that isn't about me! :-)
Elisabeth, who is practically like a sister, just successfully defended her thesis and gave birth to her first child, a baby boy! (That makes me an almost-aunt, I suppose.)
Pictures can be found here!
Elisabeth, who is practically like a sister, just successfully defended her thesis and gave birth to her first child, a baby boy! (That makes me an almost-aunt, I suppose.)
Pictures can be found here!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
AAA AAA AAA AAA AAA!
I'm a great money-maker for the good folks at AAA. My car has 260,000 miles on it, and it just keeps going and going.
When some people are under stress, they binge on junk food or get snappy with people. I get absent-minded. I forget basic things like where my keys are, etc. Well, between school, work, and work, I've been under a bit of stress lately. As a result, I've been leaving my headlights on frequently. My car is old, so it doesn't turn them off for me. It just leaves them on until the battery dies.
My AAA plan allows for four emergency road assistance calls per year, and any calls above that number cost $65 each. Because of when I originally signed up, my year runs from April 30 to April 29. Behold the following list of times I've used AAA this year:
1) May 2008, Alameda, CA. Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on.
2) September 2008, Sunnyvale, CA. Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on.
3) December 2008, Milpitas, CA. Called AAA to go rescue my sister who had a flat tire on the side of the freeway at midnight. (She didn't have AAA.)
4) February 2009, Milpitas, CA. Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on.
5) March 2009, Mountain View, CA (1 week later). Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on. This is when I first found out about the $65 racket. I was running late to class, so I didn't have much of a choice.
6) March 2009, Mountain View, CA (2 weeks later). Guess what! The battery again. I was determined not to pay again, so I called my sister who had the week off, and I asked her to come and give me a jump start. (She owed me one after the flat tire at midnight...) She came up and we weren't able to jump start the car. (I have really wimpy jumper cables.) I resigned myself to having to cough up more money when she got the bright idea to call using her AAA card. (She signed up after the flat tire incident.) So, we did, and this one was free because it counted against her 4 calls for the year.
7) March 2009, Fremont, CA. (3 days later). My battery was dead again, but I didn't leave my lights on. I had just replaced the battery in between incidents 4 and 5, so I was surprised by this development. My roommate and I tried to get it jump started, but once again, thanks to my wimpy jumper cables, it didn't work. I called AAA, figuring that I would need to get towed to the auto shop. Somehow, the tow truck driver was able to jump start my car. I drove to the auto shop and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't be an expensive problem. It turns out that my battery terminals were bad, so they replaced them. It took 30 minutes and cost me $60. Not too bad, since I was expecting it to be the alternator or the starter.
8) April 21, 2009, Sunnyvale, CA. I've been extra careful about turning my lights off. I even bought a portable jump-starter to keep in my trunk. There's no way I'm going to be putting any more money in the hands of AAA for something as careless as leaving my lights on. So, as I was leaving work last night, I walked out to my car and started digging in my bag for my keys. I couldn't find them. Then I found them. They were sitting, in all their mocking glory, on the passenger seat of my locked car. I've already paid my renewal fee for my AAA membership, and I've already gotten my new membership card. It's sitting in my wallet. I figured, great, clean start, this one should be free. No...they still charged me because my new year doesn't start for another 9 days!
This morning, I put a spare car key in my wallet. That should cut down on problems of locking my keys in my car. So, now that I've prepared myself for dead batteries and locked keys, I figure I'm due for a flat tire. If it happens before next Friday, I'm going to either change it myself or hitchhike home. There's no way I'm paying AAA another dime!
When some people are under stress, they binge on junk food or get snappy with people. I get absent-minded. I forget basic things like where my keys are, etc. Well, between school, work, and work, I've been under a bit of stress lately. As a result, I've been leaving my headlights on frequently. My car is old, so it doesn't turn them off for me. It just leaves them on until the battery dies.
My AAA plan allows for four emergency road assistance calls per year, and any calls above that number cost $65 each. Because of when I originally signed up, my year runs from April 30 to April 29. Behold the following list of times I've used AAA this year:
1) May 2008, Alameda, CA. Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on.
2) September 2008, Sunnyvale, CA. Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on.
3) December 2008, Milpitas, CA. Called AAA to go rescue my sister who had a flat tire on the side of the freeway at midnight. (She didn't have AAA.)
4) February 2009, Milpitas, CA. Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on.
5) March 2009, Mountain View, CA (1 week later). Jumpstart dead battery caused by me leaving my lights on. This is when I first found out about the $65 racket. I was running late to class, so I didn't have much of a choice.
6) March 2009, Mountain View, CA (2 weeks later). Guess what! The battery again. I was determined not to pay again, so I called my sister who had the week off, and I asked her to come and give me a jump start. (She owed me one after the flat tire at midnight...) She came up and we weren't able to jump start the car. (I have really wimpy jumper cables.) I resigned myself to having to cough up more money when she got the bright idea to call using her AAA card. (She signed up after the flat tire incident.) So, we did, and this one was free because it counted against her 4 calls for the year.
7) March 2009, Fremont, CA. (3 days later). My battery was dead again, but I didn't leave my lights on. I had just replaced the battery in between incidents 4 and 5, so I was surprised by this development. My roommate and I tried to get it jump started, but once again, thanks to my wimpy jumper cables, it didn't work. I called AAA, figuring that I would need to get towed to the auto shop. Somehow, the tow truck driver was able to jump start my car. I drove to the auto shop and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't be an expensive problem. It turns out that my battery terminals were bad, so they replaced them. It took 30 minutes and cost me $60. Not too bad, since I was expecting it to be the alternator or the starter.
8) April 21, 2009, Sunnyvale, CA. I've been extra careful about turning my lights off. I even bought a portable jump-starter to keep in my trunk. There's no way I'm going to be putting any more money in the hands of AAA for something as careless as leaving my lights on. So, as I was leaving work last night, I walked out to my car and started digging in my bag for my keys. I couldn't find them. Then I found them. They were sitting, in all their mocking glory, on the passenger seat of my locked car. I've already paid my renewal fee for my AAA membership, and I've already gotten my new membership card. It's sitting in my wallet. I figured, great, clean start, this one should be free. No...they still charged me because my new year doesn't start for another 9 days!
This morning, I put a spare car key in my wallet. That should cut down on problems of locking my keys in my car. So, now that I've prepared myself for dead batteries and locked keys, I figure I'm due for a flat tire. If it happens before next Friday, I'm going to either change it myself or hitchhike home. There's no way I'm paying AAA another dime!
Washing Machine Update
Life marches on, and clothes still need to be washed. I ended up buying a spin dryer, and I love it! My roommate did an experiment, and she measured the amount of water the spin dryer extracted from a load of laundry. The result: 6 cups! No wonder it took so long for the clothes to dry. Imagine how long it takes to boil off that much water. Now it takes about 30 minutes to dry a load. Hopefully this will help with the electric bill.
So, now that the spin cycle problem is fixed, it paved the way for yet another problem. I got home last night, and my roommate was mopping up water from the kitchen counter. Apparently, the faucet adapter that allows the washer to hook up to the kitchen sink is loose. We tried tightening it, to no avail. This has happened once before, and a little bit of plumber's tape fixed it. Unfortunately, we're all out. At least this is a problem that can be solved with a trip to the hardware store and 2 minutes of taping.
So, now that the spin cycle problem is fixed, it paved the way for yet another problem. I got home last night, and my roommate was mopping up water from the kitchen counter. Apparently, the faucet adapter that allows the washer to hook up to the kitchen sink is loose. We tried tightening it, to no avail. This has happened once before, and a little bit of plumber's tape fixed it. Unfortunately, we're all out. At least this is a problem that can be solved with a trip to the hardware store and 2 minutes of taping.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Dreams That Come True
File this under W for weird...
Last night I had a dream that the phones were out at work today. When I woke up, I chalked it up to wishful thinking and got ready for my day. I had to be in early for a conference call. (Someone ought to tell the people on the East Coast that it's 3 hours earlier in California...)
I showed up at work and logged into the conference call. (It's web-based.) All is going well with the call. However, I got an e-mail from the IT director. The phones in the office are out.
We still have internet and Skype, but the regular phone is out. I told the marketing director about the dream, and she told me that I should dream about winning a million dollars. :-)
Last night I had a dream that the phones were out at work today. When I woke up, I chalked it up to wishful thinking and got ready for my day. I had to be in early for a conference call. (Someone ought to tell the people on the East Coast that it's 3 hours earlier in California...)
I showed up at work and logged into the conference call. (It's web-based.) All is going well with the call. However, I got an e-mail from the IT director. The phones in the office are out.
We still have internet and Skype, but the regular phone is out. I told the marketing director about the dream, and she told me that I should dream about winning a million dollars. :-)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Extended Pain of Finals
When I was an undergrad, finals weren't too bad. They came regularly every 10 weeks and were over with in a period of 3-4 days. It was a predictable part of the circle of life. The occasional take-home final would come a week in advance and still be due during finals week. Totally manageable and low-stress.
Now that I'm in law school, the universe has decided to prolong the agony. My first take-home final was distributed on Thursday. (April 2) The in-class research exam relating to the final is this Thursday (April 9), with the actual finished product due April 20. Then I have in-class finals on May 7, May 13, and May 18. Total time from start to finish- 47 days!!
Needless to say, I'm going to be a bit unpleasant to be around for the next few weeks. I apologize in advance!
Now that I'm in law school, the universe has decided to prolong the agony. My first take-home final was distributed on Thursday. (April 2) The in-class research exam relating to the final is this Thursday (April 9), with the actual finished product due April 20. Then I have in-class finals on May 7, May 13, and May 18. Total time from start to finish- 47 days!!
Needless to say, I'm going to be a bit unpleasant to be around for the next few weeks. I apologize in advance!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Washing Machine Agitation
I live in an apartment with no washer/dryer hookups. I'm on the third floor, and at least one person per week gets stuck in the elevator. As a result of the flaky elevator, I just pretend that it doesn't exist and take the stairs all the time.
There is a laundry room downstairs, but it costs $2 to wash and $1.50 to dry. Figuring on 2-3 loads per week, that's $35 per month spent on laundry. Plus, the one time I used the laundry room, my only good towel got stolen. (The thief left the old ratty towels alone and took my pretty blue absorbent one.)
I decided to invest in an apartment sized washing machine, and my quest for cheap clean laundry has given me some great stories.
Story 1 "Free Can Sometimes Be Expensive"- Setting: February - July 2006
I don't remember exactly what prompted this one, but I ran an internet search for dryers that run off of 110 volt power. I think it's because in my quest for a washer, I wanted to see if I could find a dryer, too. Anyway, I discovered that there is such a contraption as a 110 volt ventless dryer. I was excited by this find because I didn't have anywhere to vent the dryer, and I didn't have a 220 volt dryer plug.
I checked craigslist, and I found a couple of these dryer contraptions. It turns out that it's actually a washer/dryer combo unit. Not a stackable unit, but a washer and dryer in one. Put in dirty clothes, and clean dry clothes come out. There was one in Pacifica that a guy was giving away for free. The catch was that it needed a new water pump.
I figured free was a good price and that a water pump would be easy enough to fix. I called my mom and asked if I could borrow her minivan to haul it, and she said yes. My mom lives in San Jose, I live in Fremont, I went to school in San Francisco, and the washer/dryer was in Pacifica. I called my neighbor who went to school with me and offered him a ride to school in exchange for helping me pick up the washer. He said yes. (We usually took the train, so it saved him the cost of a train ticket.)
The running total for the free washer/dryer: $10 savings for not taking the train, offset by $10 for parking. No bridge toll because I was carpooling. $25 for gas. Net total: $25- still a pretty good deal.
I got out of class and headed to get the washer/dryer. Of course, I got lost driving down a windy mountain road. I finally managed to find the place and we hauled it into the back of the van. When we got it home, we tried to get it up the stairs. This contraption probably weighed 75 lbs. It took me, my burly former football player neighbor, and my roommate to get it up the stairs.
I hooked the washer up to the sink and ran a test load. It worked beautifully. I figured I had gotten an amazing deal, and I was excited. This excitement lasted for about 10 loads before the water pump gave out, flooding my kitchen floor. I mopped up the mess and called Sears to get someone out to repair it. The repair technician came out and said that he had never heard of my brand before and had no idea how to fix it. Fortunately he didn't charge me for the visit. I did some checking online, and I made some phone calls, and nobody could fix it.
I decided to cut my losses at this point. I placed an ad on craigslist offering a free washer/dryer combo that doesn't require hookups, but has a broken water pump. I received several responses. The first person I set up an appointment with stood me up. The same with the second, the third, the fourth, etc. Finally, I got sick of it and moved the monster out onto my front porch. I put up an ad describing it and saying that it was free to the first person to haul it away.
I got home the next day (it's mid-April by now) and saw that someone had strapped the washer to a furniture dolly and had left me a note saying that he would be back the next day to haul it away. Apparently he had tried to move it himself and had quickly realized that he needed help. I called him back and confirmed that he was coming.
Several days passed and the washer was still there. I called the guy again. He made some excuses and said he would come and get it. This back and forth continued until June, when he called me and said he wasn't comfortable taking the washing machine because he suspected that I was mad at an ex-boyfriend and was getting rid of his belongings in a fit of rage. (I have no idea where he came up with that one. Maybe he was projecting something that was going on in his personal life.) Meanwhile, nobody else wanted it either. I asked the guy when he wanted to come retrieve his furniture dolly, and he kept putting me off.
I finally got so sick of the ugly washer on my porch that I decided to haul it to the dump. I called my dad and he came with the minivan on a Saturday morning. We managed to get it down the stairs and to the dump. It cost me $50 to dispose of it, and I took my dad out to lunch for his trouble, costing another $15 or so.
So, the total cost of the "free" washer/dryer combo that lasted me for 10 loads: $90. Oops. Free can sometimes be expensive.
Story 2 "They Don't Make Things Like They Used to, and Sometimes That's a Good Thing"- Setting: March-August 2006
While the nonsense with the impossible to dispose of behemoth was going on, my clothes still had to get clean. I looked into other ways of having a washer in my apartment, and I stumbled upon the Wonderwash. Basically, it looks like the offspring of a propane tank and a slot machine. You put your laundry, detergent, and water in, close the lid, and crank it for two minutes. Then you drain the water, fill it with clean water and crank it for another minute to rinse. Then you wring your clothes out and dry them.
The wonderwash worked ok, but it was extremely labor intensive. I was basically hand-washing everything. Also, it's really small, so I could only wash a few items at a time. Since it doesn't have a spin cycle, my clothes took forever to dry on the clothesline I had strung up in my shower to compensate for the loss of my dryer.
I still have the wonderwash sitting in a closet somewhere. If I ever have a laundry emergency during a power outage, I'm good to go.
Story 3 "All Good Things Must Come to an End"- Setting: February 2009
In August 2006, I bought an apartment sized washing machine. It's made by some company in China called Haier. It's about the size of a garbage can, and it's designed to hook up to the sink and roll away into a closet when not in use. It can only wash small loads, and it plays "Jingle Bells" at the end of the cycle. I found a 110 volt dryer in December 2006, and I leave it on my balcony so that it can vent. All in all, I've got a pretty good setup. No more laundromats for me.
Well, when you buy a $100 washing machine that comes from some unknown company in China and is made of plastic, a limited life-span is to be expected. When I first got the washer, I was the only person using it. I'm single and I don't generate much laundry. Now, both of my roommates are using it as well, and they each have a kid. So, instead of laundry for one adult, it's laundry for three adults and two children.
About three months ago, the washer started making awful clunking noises during the spin cycle. I took a look at it and noticed the belt was getting worn. I trimmed the loose bits of rubber and that seemed to fix it for a short while. About a month ago, it started making the noise again, and clothes would come out soaking wet, as if it hadn't been through a spin cycle. I replaced the belt last week. (It took that long for the part to arrive.) The first load worked like a dream. The second load was back to the clunking, whirring jet-engine noise and soaked clothing.
I figured it was toast, so I started scouring the internet for a replacement. A new one was going to cost $200. I found some on craigslist ranging from $50 to $120. At first I was hesitant to buy a used appliance that only had a lifespan of 2 1/2 years, but I decided I was cheap. Anyway, the first appointment fell through, and my roommate managed to limp the washer along a little while longer.
Last night, I did my laundry again, and I had to majorly wring my clothes out. The spin cycle is completely toast, but the rest of it works fine. Now I have to figure out what to do. My options are:
1. Replace the washer. This would have the advantage of getting a fresh start and may end up being the easiest solution. Still, I'm hesitant because the washer still gets my clothes clean.
2. Deal with it the way it is now. This may be the cheapest solution. However, it's a pain to have to wring out the clothes, and even when I wring them out, they still take longer in the dryer because I'm not as good as a spin cycle. Plus, I don't know how dilligent my roommates are going to be about wringing out their clothes, and I'm the one paying the electric bill.
3. Invest in a spin dryer. I've recently become aware of a nifty contraption called a spin dryer. Basically, it's an appliance that is like a souped-up spin cycle. It spins at about 3200 rpm and uses centrifugal force to extract the water. You run it for 2-3 minutes per load. It cuts down drying time because the clothes are practcally dry already.
So, that's my laundry saga. Who knew that getting clothes clean could be such a task. At least I don't have to beat my clothes with rocks in the river.
There is a laundry room downstairs, but it costs $2 to wash and $1.50 to dry. Figuring on 2-3 loads per week, that's $35 per month spent on laundry. Plus, the one time I used the laundry room, my only good towel got stolen. (The thief left the old ratty towels alone and took my pretty blue absorbent one.)
I decided to invest in an apartment sized washing machine, and my quest for cheap clean laundry has given me some great stories.
Story 1 "Free Can Sometimes Be Expensive"- Setting: February - July 2006
I don't remember exactly what prompted this one, but I ran an internet search for dryers that run off of 110 volt power. I think it's because in my quest for a washer, I wanted to see if I could find a dryer, too. Anyway, I discovered that there is such a contraption as a 110 volt ventless dryer. I was excited by this find because I didn't have anywhere to vent the dryer, and I didn't have a 220 volt dryer plug.
I checked craigslist, and I found a couple of these dryer contraptions. It turns out that it's actually a washer/dryer combo unit. Not a stackable unit, but a washer and dryer in one. Put in dirty clothes, and clean dry clothes come out. There was one in Pacifica that a guy was giving away for free. The catch was that it needed a new water pump.
I figured free was a good price and that a water pump would be easy enough to fix. I called my mom and asked if I could borrow her minivan to haul it, and she said yes. My mom lives in San Jose, I live in Fremont, I went to school in San Francisco, and the washer/dryer was in Pacifica. I called my neighbor who went to school with me and offered him a ride to school in exchange for helping me pick up the washer. He said yes. (We usually took the train, so it saved him the cost of a train ticket.)
The running total for the free washer/dryer: $10 savings for not taking the train, offset by $10 for parking. No bridge toll because I was carpooling. $25 for gas. Net total: $25- still a pretty good deal.
I got out of class and headed to get the washer/dryer. Of course, I got lost driving down a windy mountain road. I finally managed to find the place and we hauled it into the back of the van. When we got it home, we tried to get it up the stairs. This contraption probably weighed 75 lbs. It took me, my burly former football player neighbor, and my roommate to get it up the stairs.
I hooked the washer up to the sink and ran a test load. It worked beautifully. I figured I had gotten an amazing deal, and I was excited. This excitement lasted for about 10 loads before the water pump gave out, flooding my kitchen floor. I mopped up the mess and called Sears to get someone out to repair it. The repair technician came out and said that he had never heard of my brand before and had no idea how to fix it. Fortunately he didn't charge me for the visit. I did some checking online, and I made some phone calls, and nobody could fix it.
I decided to cut my losses at this point. I placed an ad on craigslist offering a free washer/dryer combo that doesn't require hookups, but has a broken water pump. I received several responses. The first person I set up an appointment with stood me up. The same with the second, the third, the fourth, etc. Finally, I got sick of it and moved the monster out onto my front porch. I put up an ad describing it and saying that it was free to the first person to haul it away.
I got home the next day (it's mid-April by now) and saw that someone had strapped the washer to a furniture dolly and had left me a note saying that he would be back the next day to haul it away. Apparently he had tried to move it himself and had quickly realized that he needed help. I called him back and confirmed that he was coming.
Several days passed and the washer was still there. I called the guy again. He made some excuses and said he would come and get it. This back and forth continued until June, when he called me and said he wasn't comfortable taking the washing machine because he suspected that I was mad at an ex-boyfriend and was getting rid of his belongings in a fit of rage. (I have no idea where he came up with that one. Maybe he was projecting something that was going on in his personal life.) Meanwhile, nobody else wanted it either. I asked the guy when he wanted to come retrieve his furniture dolly, and he kept putting me off.
I finally got so sick of the ugly washer on my porch that I decided to haul it to the dump. I called my dad and he came with the minivan on a Saturday morning. We managed to get it down the stairs and to the dump. It cost me $50 to dispose of it, and I took my dad out to lunch for his trouble, costing another $15 or so.
So, the total cost of the "free" washer/dryer combo that lasted me for 10 loads: $90. Oops. Free can sometimes be expensive.
Story 2 "They Don't Make Things Like They Used to, and Sometimes That's a Good Thing"- Setting: March-August 2006
While the nonsense with the impossible to dispose of behemoth was going on, my clothes still had to get clean. I looked into other ways of having a washer in my apartment, and I stumbled upon the Wonderwash. Basically, it looks like the offspring of a propane tank and a slot machine. You put your laundry, detergent, and water in, close the lid, and crank it for two minutes. Then you drain the water, fill it with clean water and crank it for another minute to rinse. Then you wring your clothes out and dry them.
The wonderwash worked ok, but it was extremely labor intensive. I was basically hand-washing everything. Also, it's really small, so I could only wash a few items at a time. Since it doesn't have a spin cycle, my clothes took forever to dry on the clothesline I had strung up in my shower to compensate for the loss of my dryer.
I still have the wonderwash sitting in a closet somewhere. If I ever have a laundry emergency during a power outage, I'm good to go.
Story 3 "All Good Things Must Come to an End"- Setting: February 2009
In August 2006, I bought an apartment sized washing machine. It's made by some company in China called Haier. It's about the size of a garbage can, and it's designed to hook up to the sink and roll away into a closet when not in use. It can only wash small loads, and it plays "Jingle Bells" at the end of the cycle. I found a 110 volt dryer in December 2006, and I leave it on my balcony so that it can vent. All in all, I've got a pretty good setup. No more laundromats for me.
Well, when you buy a $100 washing machine that comes from some unknown company in China and is made of plastic, a limited life-span is to be expected. When I first got the washer, I was the only person using it. I'm single and I don't generate much laundry. Now, both of my roommates are using it as well, and they each have a kid. So, instead of laundry for one adult, it's laundry for three adults and two children.
About three months ago, the washer started making awful clunking noises during the spin cycle. I took a look at it and noticed the belt was getting worn. I trimmed the loose bits of rubber and that seemed to fix it for a short while. About a month ago, it started making the noise again, and clothes would come out soaking wet, as if it hadn't been through a spin cycle. I replaced the belt last week. (It took that long for the part to arrive.) The first load worked like a dream. The second load was back to the clunking, whirring jet-engine noise and soaked clothing.
I figured it was toast, so I started scouring the internet for a replacement. A new one was going to cost $200. I found some on craigslist ranging from $50 to $120. At first I was hesitant to buy a used appliance that only had a lifespan of 2 1/2 years, but I decided I was cheap. Anyway, the first appointment fell through, and my roommate managed to limp the washer along a little while longer.
Last night, I did my laundry again, and I had to majorly wring my clothes out. The spin cycle is completely toast, but the rest of it works fine. Now I have to figure out what to do. My options are:
1. Replace the washer. This would have the advantage of getting a fresh start and may end up being the easiest solution. Still, I'm hesitant because the washer still gets my clothes clean.
2. Deal with it the way it is now. This may be the cheapest solution. However, it's a pain to have to wring out the clothes, and even when I wring them out, they still take longer in the dryer because I'm not as good as a spin cycle. Plus, I don't know how dilligent my roommates are going to be about wringing out their clothes, and I'm the one paying the electric bill.
3. Invest in a spin dryer. I've recently become aware of a nifty contraption called a spin dryer. Basically, it's an appliance that is like a souped-up spin cycle. It spins at about 3200 rpm and uses centrifugal force to extract the water. You run it for 2-3 minutes per load. It cuts down drying time because the clothes are practcally dry already.
So, that's my laundry saga. Who knew that getting clothes clean could be such a task. At least I don't have to beat my clothes with rocks in the river.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Goodbye, Sunglasses
When I was 15 1/2, I bought a pair of sunglasses to celebrate getting my learner's permit. My original goal was to have them last at least until I got my driver's license. I paid $9.99 for them. My dad said he thought I would lose them before my 16th birthday.
I loved those sunglasses. Not only did I manage to hang onto them well past my birthday, I managed to hang onto them into and past college. Those sunglasses have been sat on, stepped on, and left in the hot car to melt. They still survived and thrived. They've been to France, Israel, Canada, North Carolina, and Virginia. I wore them in an Air Force uniform, in missionary attire, and in normal clothing. Those sunglasses were a part of me.
Last week I went to put them on and the temple snapped clean off. There's no repairing them. It's time to move on and find a new pair. I hope I can find another pair as good and sturdy.
I loved those sunglasses. Not only did I manage to hang onto them well past my birthday, I managed to hang onto them into and past college. Those sunglasses have been sat on, stepped on, and left in the hot car to melt. They still survived and thrived. They've been to France, Israel, Canada, North Carolina, and Virginia. I wore them in an Air Force uniform, in missionary attire, and in normal clothing. Those sunglasses were a part of me.
Last week I went to put them on and the temple snapped clean off. There's no repairing them. It's time to move on and find a new pair. I hope I can find another pair as good and sturdy.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Feeling Overwhelmed
I haven't blogged in a while because I've been swamped. The nature of temp work is that it's either feast or famine, and I've been blessed with steady regular temp work for the last few weeks. This is in addition to the weekend job that I hold down to give me health insurance and tide me over during the dry spells. Oh, and I'm still in law school. Needless to say, I'm exhausted. The company I've been temping at is considering hiring me on full-time in the HR department. (Of course, if I had a dollar for every company that has told me that, I would be able to take you out to a nice dinner...)
So, I need to make some choices and changes, and what better way to base major life decisions than by taking a poll of anonymous internet people?
Update: We're going to do this low-tech because I couldn't get the polling software to work properly. If you want to vote, please leave your answer in the comments.
Trudy should...
a) Keep things the way they are. It's only for 2-3 more years, and who needs sleep anyway?
b) Stay in law school part-time and work full-time as Catbert's minion.
c) Switch to full-time law school and graduate with a mortgage sized student loan debt load.
d) Stay in law school part-time and work full-time as a Biglaw paralegal.
e) Forget law school and join the circus.
So, I need to make some choices and changes, and what better way to base major life decisions than by taking a poll of anonymous internet people?
Update: We're going to do this low-tech because I couldn't get the polling software to work properly. If you want to vote, please leave your answer in the comments.
Trudy should...
a) Keep things the way they are. It's only for 2-3 more years, and who needs sleep anyway?
b) Stay in law school part-time and work full-time as Catbert's minion.
c) Switch to full-time law school and graduate with a mortgage sized student loan debt load.
d) Stay in law school part-time and work full-time as a Biglaw paralegal.
e) Forget law school and join the circus.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Trials of Fake Post Offices
I'm sure you've seen those post office branches. They're post offices, but not post offices, and they're commonly found in places like greeting card shops. (I won't name names, but the chain rhymes with "ballpark".) Sometimes they're convenient, and I mail a lot of stuff, so I like to think I know the ropes about mailing.
Usually I'll go to the regular post office, but it's tucked away in a little corner of town surrounded by one-way streets and poor traffic control. One day last summer, I went to the fake post office at the local "ballpark" store intending to mail a book. There was a man staffing the counter who I'm pretty sure was the forgotten eighth dwarf, Surly, who didn't make it into Snow White's story. He snapped at a little old lady for asking how much it would be to mail a calendar. When it was my turn, I presented my package. Surly weighed it and quoted the price. I tried to pay using exact change, and he wouldn't accept my pennies. He was quite rude about it, so I decided to take my business elsewhere. I've never mailed at "ballpark" since.
Today, I needed to mail another book. I had to be on campus early for a meeting today, so I figured I would just mail it from the university post office. (This is at a private university.) I went down into the cavernous recesses of the student union basement and ventured into the underground parcel lair. I'm sure the woman who staffed the counter must be Surly's sister. I presented my package and she weighed it. She quoted me a price, something like $2.53 and said cash only. I pulled out three $1 coins to pay. She looked at me with a scowl and said "I don't accept those." I politely informed her that it was valid U.S. currency, and she scowled and said that she couldn't exchange them (whatever that was supposed to mean). She said I could go next door to the quick mart to get change. I was annoyed, so I politely asked for my package back. I'll mail it from the real post office on my way home.
It's pretty sad that the people at the government run post office actually provide better customer service than people at privately run post offices. What's so hard about accepting U.S. money to mail packages from the U.S., to the U.S. to be delivered by the U.S. postal service?
Usually I'll go to the regular post office, but it's tucked away in a little corner of town surrounded by one-way streets and poor traffic control. One day last summer, I went to the fake post office at the local "ballpark" store intending to mail a book. There was a man staffing the counter who I'm pretty sure was the forgotten eighth dwarf, Surly, who didn't make it into Snow White's story. He snapped at a little old lady for asking how much it would be to mail a calendar. When it was my turn, I presented my package. Surly weighed it and quoted the price. I tried to pay using exact change, and he wouldn't accept my pennies. He was quite rude about it, so I decided to take my business elsewhere. I've never mailed at "ballpark" since.
Today, I needed to mail another book. I had to be on campus early for a meeting today, so I figured I would just mail it from the university post office. (This is at a private university.) I went down into the cavernous recesses of the student union basement and ventured into the underground parcel lair. I'm sure the woman who staffed the counter must be Surly's sister. I presented my package and she weighed it. She quoted me a price, something like $2.53 and said cash only. I pulled out three $1 coins to pay. She looked at me with a scowl and said "I don't accept those." I politely informed her that it was valid U.S. currency, and she scowled and said that she couldn't exchange them (whatever that was supposed to mean). She said I could go next door to the quick mart to get change. I was annoyed, so I politely asked for my package back. I'll mail it from the real post office on my way home.
It's pretty sad that the people at the government run post office actually provide better customer service than people at privately run post offices. What's so hard about accepting U.S. money to mail packages from the U.S., to the U.S. to be delivered by the U.S. postal service?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Un-Shopping
I really dislike running errands. It's just a big pain that takes away from other things I would rather be doing, like reading, sleeping, working, etc. Shopping is my least favorite errand, because not only is it annoying, it's also expensive.
Last week, my to-do list finally got so long I couldn't put it off any longer. I got started on what I like to call un-shopping. I had some old clothes that needed to go to the thrift store. I had some books that I needed to sell to the used bookstore. I had a television antenna that I needed to return to Radio Shack. So, I started out with a bunch of stuff and no money, and I ended my trip with no stuff and a bunch of money. Much better than shopping.
Last week, my to-do list finally got so long I couldn't put it off any longer. I got started on what I like to call un-shopping. I had some old clothes that needed to go to the thrift store. I had some books that I needed to sell to the used bookstore. I had a television antenna that I needed to return to Radio Shack. So, I started out with a bunch of stuff and no money, and I ended my trip with no stuff and a bunch of money. Much better than shopping.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
I've been a vacationing slacker. (I haven't been slacking in my vacationing duties; I've been on vacation and slacking at everything else.) As such, I completely neglected to make posts about Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or any other holidays celebrated this time of year. I'm going to at least recognize what my cousin refers to as "the arbitrarily designated end and start of the Earth's revolution". So, there you have it, Happy New Year.
I make resolutions each year, and I break them by the end of January. Here's this year's list:
1) I resolve to stop procrastinating...tomorrow.
2) I resolve to tone down the sarcasm. (Yeah, right...)
I make resolutions each year, and I break them by the end of January. Here's this year's list:
1) I resolve to stop procrastinating...tomorrow.
2) I resolve to tone down the sarcasm. (Yeah, right...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)