WORK MASCOT

See, I don't post for days then suddenly here I am three times in one day.

I just wanted to introduce you to our new mascot over at "Ye Old Cell Phone store".
This is "LG".


It stands for "little gill", although LG is also my favorite brand of cell phone and is actually a company called Lucky Goldstar. Fish are very feng shui and are supposed to bring financial prosperity so we decided we needed one in the store. It he dies it's not going to be a good sign, but keep your fingers crossed.

HOLIDAY HIJINX

Someone send me this link and I had to share it. Check out Pimp My Nutcracker. For those that don't know I adore Nutcrackers. I collect them and anything that has to do with them. I love the ballet in all its incarnations, and the music! OMG the music. Anyway, suffice it to say I am a wee bit obsessed, so you can imagine my delight at Christmas. Anyway, it's a hysterical site. Check it out. Below is one my creations. Have fun!

SWEARING & STUFF

Well, I've been a busy gal recently and have not been posting - bad me. Whatever, spank me later.

I got sworn in December 7th. It was awesome. It was in a gilded federal courtroom with velvet curtains and the whole deal. I took both the state and federal court oaths. To my own credit I did not cry - I was able to hold it all in. My mother was not to lucky. My only disapointment was that there were no photos. In my haste to be a good new rule following lawyer I assumed there were no cameras allowed in the courthouse for security reasons. It didn't occur to me that an exception would be made for the swearing in. Oh well. I'm still a real honest to goodness ESQ now. I received my offical sworn certificate on Christmas Eve in the mail which made the holiday extra special. Now I just have to worry about ordering my wall certificate, and signing up for CLE and getting my lawyer's ID and oh yea finding a JOB!

I've also been quite busy working at Ye Old Cell Phone store. This means that I have been yelled at - a lot. I'll post my thoughts on cell phone stores another time. Let me just state the obvious and say that working in retail during the holiday season - not so much fun.

I have also spent an inordinate amount of time on the phone with one of my student loan companies. The long and the short of it is that they would not allow me to consolidate thus lowering my payments. I had to being making payments in December. During the whole process I found out that [1] I do not make enough money at Ye Old Cell Phone store [shocker] and [2] they royally screwed my credit score due to a computer glich.

I calmly tried to explain that if they didn't allow me to consolidate that I would not be able to make any payments and would go into default - a no win situation for both sides. I also wantd to know why they wouldn't consolidate me since the liability for the loans would remain with the same company either way. Damn logic - they didn't have an answer for that one. There were letters and documents back and forth. This is when I found out that for the last year that I was in deferment and studying for the bar exam [and receiving no bills from them mind you] they were reporting me late on all my loans. Late! Delinquent! I immediately ordered copies of all 3 of my credit reports. You can imagine the ugliness there. Getting the reports was its own kind of hell since my zip code was changed a few years ago and apparently it was my fault Transunion didn't know this because they claimed I was not who I said I was even though all my other info matched.

Anyway .... I am in the process of drowning in paperwork to fix my credit reports. The loan company completely admits it was their fault. The good thing about all this is that my situation was brought to the attention of the director of the company who [bless her heart] realized the logic of the situation that if I can't pay now and they don't allow me some breathing room to get a legal job that I won't ever be able to pay them back. Several solutions were batted around in meetings with her compatriots and daily phone calls were made to give me progress updates. Finally, I get a call. They can't figure a way around all the various rules since the consolidation program is new and an economic hardship deferment would still require a payment of almost two grand in January for interest accrued [which I don't have]. The end solution was to put me in full deferment as if I was still a full time student. No payments for six months - nada. They told me to go ahead and find a job as an attorney and call them and let them know and they will pull me out of deferment and consolidate me. I even got the assistant director's direct line! No annoying recorded menus - I get a live person! I could have hugged the woman - seriously.

In more cheerful news I recently saw two movies. First I saw King Kong, which was not my pick but was excellent. It was long at 3.5 hours, but you really don't even notice because you are so swept up in the action. There were times when I had to cover my eyes and peek through my fingers like a small child because the action was heart stopping! The cast was excellent. One question though, am I the only one that thinks Naomi Watts looks strikingly like Penelope Ann Miller ?

I also saw Brokeback Mountain. It was so much more than "the gay cowboy movie". It was really about loving someone so much that you just can't stand it, and not being able to be with that person. In this particular instance, both people involved happen to be male - which, incidentially, is why they can't be together. There wasn't much as far as pure plot, and I know some people were bored with it. However the vast majority of people I know said they felt the same way that I did - that it was heart wrenching. The acting was amazing. Neither actor is gay and yet the emotion portrayed just grabbed you and pulled you in. I could feel their frustration and loneliness, likewise I could also understand the plights of their wives at realizing the truth.

So that's what I have been up to, inter alia. I have not even sent out Christmas cards yet, but I did manage to get a few gifts for the family and a few other folks.

I am looking forward to New Year's for many reasons, not the least of which is that I am more than ready to leave 2005 behind me. There were a few bright spots, but the majority of this past year was spent wrestling with the bar exam demon and I am anxious to start my "real" life.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

BRILLIANT BROTHER

I just have to send out a hearty CONGRATULATIONS and KUDOS to my younger brother who graduated Magna Cum Laude today with a bachelor's in Mathematics! Woooo hoooooooo!!! I am so proud of him!!!!!!

In other news, apparently the playing of "Pomp and Circumstance" gets me all teary even when I am not the graduate in question. Who knew?!

GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY?!

Well it looks like the Duggars from Arkansas have some competition from the Chernenkos from California. The Duggars have 16 children, while the Chernenkos just had their 17th!! Want to know the one thing that really sets these two families apart? The Duggars are self sustaining, and even pay cash for everything! They own their vehicles, their house, all of it. The Chernenkos, on the other hand, are on public assistance! I'll spare you my commentary, but the comments are open.

FRIDAY'S FEAST - DECEMBER 16, 2005

What? Starting posts and never finishing them and leaving them in draft mode doesn't count? Are you sure? Well OK, then take this Friday's Feast for now and I'll do better, cross my heart.

Appetizer
What is a word that your family uses that would not be considered common?
scrapbooking

Soup
What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?
Sunflowers, although if I ever find Gerbera Daisies I will be ecstatic.

Salad
Name 3 people you speak with on a daily basis.
CN, HS & RV

Main Course
If you could put a new tattoo on someone you know - who would it be, what would the tattoo be of, and where would you put it on them?
Well I don't think I should be deciding tattoos for someone else, however I think RM would look good with one on her shoulder blade. Something dignified for her.

Dessert
What is the last beverage you drank out of a glass bottle?
Snapple - half iced tea, half lemonade, best. Snapple. ever.

(This Feast contains questions from leftovers from an August 2004 meal.)

WHAT FANTASY/SCI-FI CHARACTER ARE YOU?

OK, I have been doing a lot of these quizzes recently. I need to write something with more substance, including all about my swearing in experience. However, you'll have to settle for this at the moment.

I was especially amused by this, as I had an interesting conversation with someone recently about the difference between science fiction and fantasy and how one can be mislabeled as the other. It never occurred to me that there were specific criteria that makes something a true science fiction movie and not just say a fantasy story that happens to occur in space. Fascinating. Anyway .....

I am Galadriel.

Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

Galadriel is a character in the Middle-Earth universe. You can read more about her at the Galadriel Worshippers Army.

Which character are you?

HOUSE O' PERSONALITY

I found this site via FARK. "The way you draw a house says a lot about your personality. You can use this site to draw a house, answer some quesions based on your drawing then find out what your drawing says about you."

My results:

Based on your drawing and the 10 answers you gave this is a summary of your personality:

Your house tells the world that you ought to be a leader. You are a freedom lover and a strong person. You are shy and reserved. If you've drawn a cross on each of windows, you always want to live alone. Once you have a problem, you need a friend with you. Your life is always full of changes.

When it comes to love, you shut yourself off. It's difficult to win your heart because you have decided to keep your feelings deep inside. You have a strong personality and you like to command, influence and control people.

You are not a romantic person by nature. It also safe to say that others don't see you as a flirt. You are self-confident and happy with your life.

OK, I agree with some of that, not all but some. However, the last paragraph is just dead wrong. I can be quite the romantic, even to the point of being mushy. I can be flirtatous, but only when I know it won't be taken seriously (for example I love to flirt with gay men), and while I can be self confident and happy, in my current situation of temporary flux while I job hunt these traits do not come easily even though I strive for both. However, I must say that looking for a job after having just been sworn in makes me infinetly happier than studying for the bar exam. It's all relative. :)

What does your house say about you??

FRIDAY'S FEAST - DECEMBER 9

Appetizer
Name something you'll miss about 2005.
Hmmm, not much at all. I suppose I'll miss seeing my niece so often. Once I have a "real job" I know I won't be home watching The Wiggles at 11am.

Salad
What is one thought that went through your mind today?
Just one?! I thought about what to have for lunch, I thought about how asinine certain customers are. I considered my intense lack of patience and wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing, I coveted a certain cell phone. I wished there was a resume fairy to help me find a job. I wished I had won that scratch off I bought so that I could buy gifts for all the people I'd really like to show appreciation to this holiday season. I had a brief panic attack over school loans. I wondered what I will be doing on New Year's Eve and where I will chose to spend it. The list goes on and on and on.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how compassionate would you say you are?
Depends on the situation. Usually about a 7 or 8. It used to be higher, until I realized some people were taking advanatge of me.

Main Course
If you could invent something, what would it be?
Remember that resume fairy we were talking about earlier? Or how about a pillow that morphs into the shape and temperature of another human being so I have something to snuggle up to on cold nights?

Dessert
Do you prefer salty snacks or sweet treats?
Usually sweet, unless you mix the two, then it's just awesome. I *heart* dark chocolate covered pretzels.

WHAT'S YOUR KISSING STYLE?

I was in the mood to be goofy. Here goes:

You Are a Sensitive Kisser

For you, kissing is a way to connect And you need lot of care, attention, and privacy It may take you a while to kiss someone... But when you do, it's total fireworks

What's Your Kissing Style?

Via The Malum

FOR THE GUY WHO HAS EVERYTHING

Have a hubby/bf addicted to video games? Get him this game as a holiday gift. Let the innocent little Lapis the cartoon bunny teach him a thing or two about women.

The more they stimulate the bunny, the happier he becomes until eventually he begins flying through the air. But Lapis is also an unpredictable creature who needs a variety of sensations. Sometimes, no amount of stimulation is going to work.

Umm yea. You get the idea. Use your imagination. Isn't euphemism wonderful?

Via FARK.

If you don't like that idea why not get him his own Porn Company.

Via EBAY.

IT'S A CHRISTMAS QUIZ CHARLIE BROWN

Remember how I told you that A Charlie Brown Christmas was turning 40 this year? Well did you know that it is the only continuously running holiday special? It has run on TV every year since it's debut in 1965! In fact, originally, no one wanted to air it at all! For the story of how this Christmas classic came to be, check out How a Charlie Brown Christmas Came to Pass.

Also included on that page you will find a quiz on the infamous TV special. I got one wrong - what was your score?

If you're really into it, check out this other quiz. I got 18/20 there. What color was Linus' blanket? Come on people! That wasn't even a challenge.

BAR/BRI ANTI-TRUST ALLEGATIONS CONTINUE

Well first it was just Kaplan they were conspiring with, now it appears that Bar/Bri has been in bed with other bar test prep programs as well. The saga continues in this New York Times article.

For some background info see my previous posts on the matter here, here and here.

OMG WOW, JUST WOW

This thought brought to you by PostSecret.

Someone's karma is being incinerated at this very moment .....

WHICH FEDERAL RULE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE ARE YOU?

Warning, law geekiness ahead. You have been warned.

YOU ARE RULE 12(b)!

While you might be a defendant's best friend, you aren't exactly polite to others. You have seven separate grounds on which to dismiss a plaintiff's case. You are a bit paranoid, since if you fail to raise your 12(b)(2,3,4, or 7) in a motion or a pleading with one of the other 12(b) defenses or a 12(e) motion, you waive those objections for the rest of trial. Some might say that 12(b) is the biggest bully of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, but hey, somebody needs to keep the peace. You might not be the most popular guy in the office, but you're probably the most important.


Which Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Via Frequent Citations

FRIDAY'S FEAST ON TIME!

Well luckily I am on time for this week's Friday's Feast. I'm off today so that might have something to do with it. I have a gazillion things to do, but luckily spending eight+ hours in a cell phone store isn't one of them. Anywho ...

Appetizer
When was the last time you did something you would consider courteous, what was it, and who was it for?
All the time, every day at work. Actually I can tell you something courteous (and surprising) someone did for me. My boss gave me the day off for my swearing in ceremoney, but he asked me specifically what time I had to be there because if it was early in the morning he didn't want to put me on the schedule to close the night before. I thought that was pretty nice of him.

Salad
If you were to have a painting done of you alone, what would you want the background to be?
The Supreme Court building - no just kidding. A library wall, lots of distinguished looking books.

Soup
Describe your voice.
Identical to my mother's apparently. Even my father cannot tell us apart on the phone.

Main Course
What is something you would like to do, but you're afraid of the risk(s)?
Wow, this could be a long list. I suppose I'll pick just one. I'd like to be able to ask out random cute guys without fearing rejection or looking like an idiot.

Dessert
What was the last television show you watched?

I slept through two episodes of Good Eats on the Food Network the other night, does that count? Other than that I have been too busy working and drafting cover letters, etc to watch too much TV.

ESCAPING EXPLORER FOR FIREFOX FRONTIER

Well I finally downloaded Firefox. I have been hearing about it for some time from a few people but never had any inclination to try it. Also, I was afraid adding random software to my already overwhelmed laptop might prove fatal. However, one certain pain in my a$$ updated his blog and I could not view it on IE and not moments later I saw a headline on Fark about how great the new version of Firefox was. So there you go, I succumbed to the peer pressure and so far so good.

I was never dissatisfied with IE except for one feature which is that I can alphabetize my favorites when I am organizing them, but I cannot find a way to have them alphaed when I click on the link on the toolbar. That seems to be identical in Firefox, so no change there. It's cute and all, but I don't get the hype. Anyone want to clue me in on why this browser has people in such a tizzy?

CONTRACEPTIVE COMBATANTS CANNED

Hooray for Illinois! Walgreen Co. said it has put four Illinois pharmacists in the St. Louis area on unpaid leave for refusing to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception in violation of a state rule. Apparently the governor has put a rule into effect that individual pharmacists cannot refuse to fill prescriptions for emergency contraceptives that are approved by the FDA as long as that store already dispenses any other type of pharmaceutical contraceptive. Other pharmacists, similiarly situated, have claimed that dispensing the contraceptives forces them to violate their religious beliefs.

Let me get this straight, someone has a strong moral, ethical and/or religious aversion to contraceptives (emergency or otherwise) and s/he decides to become a pharmacist?! Apparently somebody was not thinking ahead. If you think that you can become a pharmacist and never have to deal with contraceptives then I have a bridge I want to sell you. That would be like a strict vegan deciding to become a butcher and then refusing to cut up or sell raw meat. Selling birth control as a pharmacist is a foregone conclusion. If you feel that strongly about it, then it's time to rethink your career choice.

You have beliefs, OK I can respect that. You would rather avoid certain aspects of everyday American society because they violate your personal morals - ok duly noted. There are two caveats there. Number one, don't purposely put yourself in a situation where you know that part of your job will require you to do things that you feel compromise those beliefs. Number two, (and here is where a lot of people run into trouble) please don't force your way of thinking on me or anyone else in the general public.

If you don't believe in emergency contraceptives that's fine. Feel free to refuse to use them yourself, take the opportunity to discuss not using them with your spouse. While you're at it, use your right of free speech to explain to others why you feel emergency contraceptives are not a good choice. There are plenty of options for expression here. However, do not sit on your personal moral highground and propose to dictate to others how they will behave in their personal lives just because you have on a white coat and a degree in pharmacology. I don't get to tell you that you have to use contraceptives, and conversly you don't get to tell me that I can't.

I know someone out there is thinking that it's not that big a deal when you consider that the customer can go to another pharmacy. However it IS a big deal. People seeking emergency contraceptives are generally in a high stress situation to begin with. Obviously they have serious concerns about an unplanned pregnancy for whatever reason or they wouldn't be seeking the prescription in the first place. Why add stress to the situation by forcing people to trapse to another pharmacy when exactly what they need and are duly authorized to have by a doctor is sitting on a shelf and the only thing preventing them from getting it is the fact that Mr. or Ms. Morality is on shift tonight?

The same holds true for non-emergency contraceptives. People go to pharmacies close to home and generally fill all prescriptions in the same place. It's a monthly errand which should not be made difficult by someone trying to force their personal beliefs on the consumer.

Also, consider this scenario. A woman is seeking emergency contraception. She lives in a state not as enlightened as Illinois and she is refused at pharmacy "A" because the person on duty there is morally opposed to the pills. The woman proceeds to pharmancy "B" where the same situation unfolds. Then she goes onto "C" and "D" ... Exactly where is the line drawn? How inconvenienced, flustered and stressed must this woman get in order to have her prescription filled just so that those pharmacists can avoid feeling morally compromised in an occupation of their own choosing where they knew this exact moral dilemma would present itself?

Do you see Christian Scientists going to medical school? No. Do you know why? Because their religious tenets provide that prayer trumps medical care. I don't agree with it, but I respect their right to practice their beliefs. I don't see them becoming doctors and then refusing me medical care just because they don't believe in it. Pharmacists, take note.