This p***es me off to no end. Invariably, the idiot who cuts you off on the highway, or changes lanes without a turn signal, or can't stay in a lane to save his life, what is he doing? You finally pull up next to that person and you peek over (or rather, it's the passenger who peeks over!) and the idiot has their cell phone up to their ear.
I mean, let's face it. As much as we'd like to believe we're multi-taskers, human beings were never meant to do more than one thing at a time. Especially when doing something that's potentially dangerous as driving!
If you MUST continue that 2 hour conversation about the latest doings of Brangelina and Britney Spears or "Why in the h*** Brett Favre just won't stay retired", at least shell out the moolah to get a hands-free headset for the phone. At least then, you'd be keeping both hands on the wheel as opposed to just one.
Mythbusters (a show I like to watch occasionally) recently confirmed the myth that "Talking on a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving." (See Episode 33) Just food for thought....
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Pet peeve #1 - Internet Advertising
Okay, I decided I needed a mental health break and allow myself to vent about a couple of my favorite pet peeves. So the next couple posts will be dedicated to my favorite pet peeves.
(Yeah, I realize that "favorite pet peeve" is probably a bit of an oxymoron, but whatever... my blog, my rules... :))
Pet peeve #1 is dedicated to internet advertising, particularly websites that allow BOTH pop-up and banner ads.
I work on a Mac laptop that is, at this point, almost 5 years old. I've kept it in good shape and it has served me faithfully. The only major problem I've had is the hard drive crashing on me recently, but thanks to the latest version of OS X, my data was all backed up.
But the one problem I've had as a Mac user is recently hitting websites that have banner AND pop-up advertising. For some reason, certain websites, when I open them, wind up giving me the spinning wheel of death. (If you're a Mac user, you'll know what I mean.) And it's all because, Firefox is trying to load the stupid a** advertising banners on the website!!!!!!!!
At this point, you tech savvy readers will start pointing out a dozen different things that I could have set up wrong, i.e.- programs that will fix the problem, settings I could change, more RAM memory, blah, blah, blah.
Yeah, I know there's stuff I could do (like get a newer computer). But I don't want to do that. (At least not while I remain unemployed....) I just think it's completely stupid that websites cram tons of advertising on their websites without testing the consequences for us lesser folk. You wind up losing a portion of your internet traffic and audience for the advertisers and hurting your bottom line.
The worst offender website? For me... ABCnews.com. I never could open their website properly to read articles. It ALWAYS would crash. I stopped going there or avoiding links to articles on their website because of that. Their website, in my opinion, needs a major overhaul anyway. Yeesh... It's not too much of a loss though since I don't care for their news coverage anyway.
(Yeah, I realize that "favorite pet peeve" is probably a bit of an oxymoron, but whatever... my blog, my rules... :))
Pet peeve #1 is dedicated to internet advertising, particularly websites that allow BOTH pop-up and banner ads.
I work on a Mac laptop that is, at this point, almost 5 years old. I've kept it in good shape and it has served me faithfully. The only major problem I've had is the hard drive crashing on me recently, but thanks to the latest version of OS X, my data was all backed up.
But the one problem I've had as a Mac user is recently hitting websites that have banner AND pop-up advertising. For some reason, certain websites, when I open them, wind up giving me the spinning wheel of death. (If you're a Mac user, you'll know what I mean.) And it's all because, Firefox is trying to load the stupid a** advertising banners on the website!!!!!!!!
At this point, you tech savvy readers will start pointing out a dozen different things that I could have set up wrong, i.e.- programs that will fix the problem, settings I could change, more RAM memory, blah, blah, blah.
Yeah, I know there's stuff I could do (like get a newer computer). But I don't want to do that. (At least not while I remain unemployed....) I just think it's completely stupid that websites cram tons of advertising on their websites without testing the consequences for us lesser folk. You wind up losing a portion of your internet traffic and audience for the advertisers and hurting your bottom line.
The worst offender website? For me... ABCnews.com. I never could open their website properly to read articles. It ALWAYS would crash. I stopped going there or avoiding links to articles on their website because of that. Their website, in my opinion, needs a major overhaul anyway. Yeesh... It's not too much of a loss though since I don't care for their news coverage anyway.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Life update...
Yesterday, I decided to wax poetic about WALL-E. Today, I need to give a quick life update.
In short, I am still looking for a job. (Oh, so fun...) I am getting quite discouraged. I know what I want, but whether I'll get it in the current market is a different matter. *sigh* We may have to go to plan B....
I am also studying to take another bar exam. (Yes, another one...) I'm going to take it at the end of July. I'm not feeling as pressured about this one, for whatever reason. I would still like to pass, mind you. But there isn't a huge sense of urgency. As I'm studying, things are coming back to me, so it's mostly review more than anything. However, I do need to learn the particulars of the local law and that's where most of my focus is.
I also just started a new martial arts class about 3 months ago. It's called haidong gumdo. It's basically a Korean form of kendo with some kung-fu-esque moves thrown in. Unlike kendo, it's designed for group battle situations instead of one on one battle. (Not that you'll find any situation where you're in the middle of a battlefield where swords are the weapon these days, but hey....) If you've ever watched Korean historical dramas, that's the style used in the battle scenes.
It's a heck of a lot of fun. I just took my yellow belt test yesterday and passed. My brother, who is also taking the class, managed to get an award for the best score overall! I was quite nervous since I've never taken a martial arts belt test, but it went well. I didn't mess up too much, which is good. And according to my cousin (who owns the studio where the class is taught and helped judge) I got one of the top three scores in the class. Heh...
In short, I am still looking for a job. (Oh, so fun...) I am getting quite discouraged. I know what I want, but whether I'll get it in the current market is a different matter. *sigh* We may have to go to plan B....
I am also studying to take another bar exam. (Yes, another one...) I'm going to take it at the end of July. I'm not feeling as pressured about this one, for whatever reason. I would still like to pass, mind you. But there isn't a huge sense of urgency. As I'm studying, things are coming back to me, so it's mostly review more than anything. However, I do need to learn the particulars of the local law and that's where most of my focus is.
I also just started a new martial arts class about 3 months ago. It's called haidong gumdo. It's basically a Korean form of kendo with some kung-fu-esque moves thrown in. Unlike kendo, it's designed for group battle situations instead of one on one battle. (Not that you'll find any situation where you're in the middle of a battlefield where swords are the weapon these days, but hey....) If you've ever watched Korean historical dramas, that's the style used in the battle scenes.
It's a heck of a lot of fun. I just took my yellow belt test yesterday and passed. My brother, who is also taking the class, managed to get an award for the best score overall! I was quite nervous since I've never taken a martial arts belt test, but it went well. I didn't mess up too much, which is good. And according to my cousin (who owns the studio where the class is taught and helped judge) I got one of the top three scores in the class. Heh...
Saturday, June 28, 2008
WALL-E!!!!!
As a friend pointed out, it's been a while since I've posted. Heh...
As a b-day present, I got to see the new Pixar movie WALL-E. (Let's not say what birthday it is... *cough*) I wanted to take a second and just gush over the movie. I absolutely LOVED it!
I have to admit up front that I am a fan of animation, but particularly Japanese anime. I'm not an otaku, mind you, as I'm picky about what I watch. (NO mecha! NO, NO, NO fanservice!) But I have watched a fair amount of it. So I may be a bit biased. I know many people who look down on animation as being only something for kids. (I won't go into this here, as it is a major pet peeve of mine and for many other anime fans....)
That said, even non-animation fans will love WALL-E. It was a wonderfully sweet, poignant movie with a definite message. But not a message that was forced on you.
It reminded me of some of the best classic films. The ones that had it all... romance, drama, comedy, action. The ones that took you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and left you feeling happy at the end but wiser too... The ones that made you think and feel both good and bad about the world....
WALL-E was the "everyman" character that you fell in love with. The one who did something huge, all by staying true to himself. The one who wanted something a little more in life and found it. The one who persisted with his dream and achieved it.
Yes, I'm waxing poetic about a Disney film. Whatever... It was sweet, cute, and funny. But there were spots in the movie where I found myself choked up and teary eyed. It was that kind of movie.
Anyway, I would highly recommend seeing this. Sci-fi fans will especially love the references built into the movie. This is definitely my favorite of the Pixar films. They really know how to make great movies and this one is a classic.
As a b-day present, I got to see the new Pixar movie WALL-E. (Let's not say what birthday it is... *cough*) I wanted to take a second and just gush over the movie. I absolutely LOVED it!
I have to admit up front that I am a fan of animation, but particularly Japanese anime. I'm not an otaku, mind you, as I'm picky about what I watch. (NO mecha! NO, NO, NO fanservice!) But I have watched a fair amount of it. So I may be a bit biased. I know many people who look down on animation as being only something for kids. (I won't go into this here, as it is a major pet peeve of mine and for many other anime fans....)
That said, even non-animation fans will love WALL-E. It was a wonderfully sweet, poignant movie with a definite message. But not a message that was forced on you.
It reminded me of some of the best classic films. The ones that had it all... romance, drama, comedy, action. The ones that took you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and left you feeling happy at the end but wiser too... The ones that made you think and feel both good and bad about the world....
WALL-E was the "everyman" character that you fell in love with. The one who did something huge, all by staying true to himself. The one who wanted something a little more in life and found it. The one who persisted with his dream and achieved it.
Yes, I'm waxing poetic about a Disney film. Whatever... It was sweet, cute, and funny. But there were spots in the movie where I found myself choked up and teary eyed. It was that kind of movie.
Anyway, I would highly recommend seeing this. Sci-fi fans will especially love the references built into the movie. This is definitely my favorite of the Pixar films. They really know how to make great movies and this one is a classic.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
To politics again...
I have to apologize for the rant in the last post. After re-reading it today, I have to wince. It was a bit much, but it did reflect how I felt at the time.
I don't want to talk about the Presidential race today, so much as the information and people posting online.
I like surfing the web for info on political issues. You can find a lot more on the Internet than you can find in newspapers and on television. The Internet in a lot of ways has broadened the amount and types of information that you can find. This is an excellent thing. However....
I just find that it also gives opportunity and protective anonymity to people to freely spew a lot of crap. My one gripe with reading political blogs and websites is that people who post comments can say all kinds of s*** and get away with it.
As a person who supports a particular candidate, I have to wince when I get a load of some of the back and forth that goes on. And really, it comes from all sides.
For example, yesterday the Kentucky Derby took place. Tragically, one of the horses had to be put down on the track because the horse broke bones in both front legs. The horse was the lone filly in the race, Eight Belles. It just so happened that a few days ago, Clinton asked a number of her supporters in KY to place bets on the filly. A sort of symbolic support. Perfectly understandable...
So yesterday, several blogs noted the irony in the filly in the race that Clinton supported having to be put down after coming into second. Personally, yes... I can see the extreme irony in that fact and also in the fact that the horse that won was "Big Brown", one of Obama's picks. However, I think it was extremely tasteless of people to take that analogy and make crass suggestions about Clinton and "putting her down" after the primaries were over with. (And yes, there are people who actually said this!)
People seriously need to grow up! Good gravy... how could they even suggest such a thing??? You can be against Clinton. That's fine... but don't denigrate the terrible tragedy of the loss of a magnificent animal like Eight Belles by taking the analogy to such a level. It's absolutely MORONIC! I found in unbelievable that people would actually say things like that.
Of course, I don't think people would dare say such things in person or public where other people could hear. With the anonymity of the Internet, however, you are free to say whatever you want without any consequences. Hence the crass, idiotic responses such as the one above.
I don't want to talk about the Presidential race today, so much as the information and people posting online.
I like surfing the web for info on political issues. You can find a lot more on the Internet than you can find in newspapers and on television. The Internet in a lot of ways has broadened the amount and types of information that you can find. This is an excellent thing. However....
I just find that it also gives opportunity and protective anonymity to people to freely spew a lot of crap. My one gripe with reading political blogs and websites is that people who post comments can say all kinds of s*** and get away with it.
As a person who supports a particular candidate, I have to wince when I get a load of some of the back and forth that goes on. And really, it comes from all sides.
For example, yesterday the Kentucky Derby took place. Tragically, one of the horses had to be put down on the track because the horse broke bones in both front legs. The horse was the lone filly in the race, Eight Belles. It just so happened that a few days ago, Clinton asked a number of her supporters in KY to place bets on the filly. A sort of symbolic support. Perfectly understandable...
So yesterday, several blogs noted the irony in the filly in the race that Clinton supported having to be put down after coming into second. Personally, yes... I can see the extreme irony in that fact and also in the fact that the horse that won was "Big Brown", one of Obama's picks. However, I think it was extremely tasteless of people to take that analogy and make crass suggestions about Clinton and "putting her down" after the primaries were over with. (And yes, there are people who actually said this!)
People seriously need to grow up! Good gravy... how could they even suggest such a thing??? You can be against Clinton. That's fine... but don't denigrate the terrible tragedy of the loss of a magnificent animal like Eight Belles by taking the analogy to such a level. It's absolutely MORONIC! I found in unbelievable that people would actually say things like that.
Of course, I don't think people would dare say such things in person or public where other people could hear. With the anonymity of the Internet, however, you are free to say whatever you want without any consequences. Hence the crass, idiotic responses such as the one above.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Presidential election aside
I thought I would take a second (or longer) to comment on the current state of the Presidential race. I must preface this, though, by declaring outright that I am an Obama supporter (and therefore a bit biased). I have my reasons. I won't go into them since I don't think it's anyone's darn business why I prefer one candidate over the others.
Also, I didn't watch the debate last night on ABC. From what I've read though, it ranges from an absolute debacle to the most brilliant debate in the history of politics. (Okay, I'm exaggerating the latter a bit, but there are those who liked it....)
I see some valid points on both sides. (I mean, those who liked vs. those who didn't... let's not get into an Obama vs. Clinton here... this is MY blog... don't go there please!)
- On the one hand, the first 45 minutes were spent on gaffes/controversies involving the candidates. For Obama - Rev. Wright, "Bitter"-gate, William Ayers, patriotism. For Clinton - Tuzla-gate.
(45 minutes MORE of hearing about these issues that have been beaten to death in the blogs and the media)
- On the other hand, there are some legitimate arguments that Obama, at least, needed to be asked about these issues. He will be called out these issues (legitimate or not) by the Republicans this fall when he becomes the nominee. (And again, don't argue with me on this one.... everything points in this direction. Again, MY blog, MY rules....) That's just how Republicans operate. (Unless McCain proves me wrong... I really hope he does....)
Here's what I think:
(1) How can you have a fair debate when one of the moderators used to work for one of the candidates? As a spin doctor no less????
- Okay, granted.... it's been 10 years plus since Stephanopolous had anything to do with working for the Clintons. But still.... I don't think that screams "fair and balanced" to me. I would accept the tough line of questioning better from Hannity or O'Reilly than I would from Stephanopolous.
(Let me just say that Stephanopoulous' defense of the debate questioning doesn't quite hold up. Then again, ABC is laughing to the bank since they had the best ratings ever for last night's debate.)
(2) What is the point of having a debate in PA if you're not going to allow PA voters to hear the candidates discuss the issues relevant to them?
- I mean, do we really think PA voters really care about whether Obama thinks Rev. Wright is a patriot??? (WTH kind of question was that???) I'll grant you, the "bitter" comments might still need addressing, but WTF would PA voters care about a next-to-nothing association with a man who was a radical in the 1960's?!?!
And why the heck would you have a citizen confront Clinton about her Bosnia "misspeak" by asking how she was going to win his vote back after lying? (To me, that was a really low blow.....)
(3) Since I don't wear a flag lapel pin everyday, does that make me a traitor to my country?!?!?!
- I've never really understood the flag pin flap. Of course, I think Obama shot himself in the foot when he tried to explain why he doesn't (over-thinking it dude). His answer is the reason why they asked him about it. But still.... it seems like the implication is that if you don't wear a flag pin, you're not a patriot. And if you're not a patriot, you are a traitorous scum of the earth and not worthy to live in the United States of America. (Okay, that's an exaggeration... but unfortunately, not too much of one.)
Frankly, I'm getting tired of the race. I'm getting tired of getting worked up over how the MSM is reporting (or not) on the presidential race. I just want this to be over with already.
But what I am tired of the most is seeing the same old, tired plays pulled out of the good ole political playbook. Is this REALLY the only way politics can be played? Do we HAVE to jump on and dissect/twist every word someone says???? (Okay, that sounds a bit hypocritical given my profession *cough*)
I wanted to believe in change and hope, but each day this drags on, I just "hope" that it will be over with soon!
Also, I didn't watch the debate last night on ABC. From what I've read though, it ranges from an absolute debacle to the most brilliant debate in the history of politics. (Okay, I'm exaggerating the latter a bit, but there are those who liked it....)
I see some valid points on both sides. (I mean, those who liked vs. those who didn't... let's not get into an Obama vs. Clinton here... this is MY blog... don't go there please!)
- On the one hand, the first 45 minutes were spent on gaffes/controversies involving the candidates. For Obama - Rev. Wright, "Bitter"-gate, William Ayers, patriotism. For Clinton - Tuzla-gate.
(45 minutes MORE of hearing about these issues that have been beaten to death in the blogs and the media)
- On the other hand, there are some legitimate arguments that Obama, at least, needed to be asked about these issues. He will be called out these issues (legitimate or not) by the Republicans this fall when he becomes the nominee. (And again, don't argue with me on this one.... everything points in this direction. Again, MY blog, MY rules....) That's just how Republicans operate. (Unless McCain proves me wrong... I really hope he does....)
Here's what I think:
(1) How can you have a fair debate when one of the moderators used to work for one of the candidates? As a spin doctor no less????
- Okay, granted.... it's been 10 years plus since Stephanopolous had anything to do with working for the Clintons. But still.... I don't think that screams "fair and balanced" to me. I would accept the tough line of questioning better from Hannity or O'Reilly than I would from Stephanopolous.
(Let me just say that Stephanopoulous' defense of the debate questioning doesn't quite hold up. Then again, ABC is laughing to the bank since they had the best ratings ever for last night's debate.)
(2) What is the point of having a debate in PA if you're not going to allow PA voters to hear the candidates discuss the issues relevant to them?
- I mean, do we really think PA voters really care about whether Obama thinks Rev. Wright is a patriot??? (WTH kind of question was that???) I'll grant you, the "bitter" comments might still need addressing, but WTF would PA voters care about a next-to-nothing association with a man who was a radical in the 1960's?!?!
And why the heck would you have a citizen confront Clinton about her Bosnia "misspeak" by asking how she was going to win his vote back after lying? (To me, that was a really low blow.....)
(3) Since I don't wear a flag lapel pin everyday, does that make me a traitor to my country?!?!?!
- I've never really understood the flag pin flap. Of course, I think Obama shot himself in the foot when he tried to explain why he doesn't (over-thinking it dude). His answer is the reason why they asked him about it. But still.... it seems like the implication is that if you don't wear a flag pin, you're not a patriot. And if you're not a patriot, you are a traitorous scum of the earth and not worthy to live in the United States of America. (Okay, that's an exaggeration... but unfortunately, not too much of one.)
Frankly, I'm getting tired of the race. I'm getting tired of getting worked up over how the MSM is reporting (or not) on the presidential race. I just want this to be over with already.
But what I am tired of the most is seeing the same old, tired plays pulled out of the good ole political playbook. Is this REALLY the only way politics can be played? Do we HAVE to jump on and dissect/twist every word someone says???? (Okay, that sounds a bit hypocritical given my profession *cough*)
I wanted to believe in change and hope, but each day this drags on, I just "hope" that it will be over with soon!
Monday, April 07, 2008
YES!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!!! No more being an angtsy and mopey hermit....
I just got the letter today and I officially passed the bar exam. *sigh*
Man, I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to finally know. I'd convinced myself that there was no way I could have passed. After all, there was at least one essay question on Criminal Procedure that I knew I'd blown. And I've already talked about my love/hate affair with multiple choice exams.
I knew as of last night since I got a text from a law school pal who found out from another friend of hers that they had the results posted on-line. (They post the exam numbers of people who passed on the official website.) They were supposed to have them up as of last Friday, but for some reason didn't. (Don't ask me how many times I checked the website this weekend... too many to count! And yes, I was cussing the bar examiner people out big time each time I did.)
But I got a hold of the link late last night and there my number was... Then, there's me in my flannel PJ's dancing around the living room screaming and yelling with the family dog staring at me like I'd lost my mind. *laugh* Of course, I had to have my brother double and triple check the number to be sure. But thankfully, the letter showed up today saying that my eyes had not deceived me and the bar examiners weren't playing some belated April Fools joke on my anxiety ridden self.
This is both cool and scary at the same time... I can now *gulp* practice law! I fly out next month to take the oath and get the little piece of paper that says I am a practising attorney. Sheesh...
I must give a HUGE thank you to my wonderful, lovely friends and family. Everyone has been so supportive.
Now, I head back to the real world and the lovely job search...
I just got the letter today and I officially passed the bar exam. *sigh*
Man, I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to finally know. I'd convinced myself that there was no way I could have passed. After all, there was at least one essay question on Criminal Procedure that I knew I'd blown. And I've already talked about my love/hate affair with multiple choice exams.
I knew as of last night since I got a text from a law school pal who found out from another friend of hers that they had the results posted on-line. (They post the exam numbers of people who passed on the official website.) They were supposed to have them up as of last Friday, but for some reason didn't. (Don't ask me how many times I checked the website this weekend... too many to count! And yes, I was cussing the bar examiner people out big time each time I did.)
But I got a hold of the link late last night and there my number was... Then, there's me in my flannel PJ's dancing around the living room screaming and yelling with the family dog staring at me like I'd lost my mind. *laugh* Of course, I had to have my brother double and triple check the number to be sure. But thankfully, the letter showed up today saying that my eyes had not deceived me and the bar examiners weren't playing some belated April Fools joke on my anxiety ridden self.
This is both cool and scary at the same time... I can now *gulp* practice law! I fly out next month to take the oath and get the little piece of paper that says I am a practising attorney. Sheesh...
I must give a HUGE thank you to my wonderful, lovely friends and family. Everyone has been so supportive.
Now, I head back to the real world and the lovely job search...
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Yikes! Life sucks and then you.... (otherwise known as bar exam blues)
Gomen.... it's been a while.... I also want to apologize, because this is going to be a self-pity session. But it's what a blog is for, right??? A place where you can b**** and whine to your heart's content and not be dinged too much for it....
So, to update... I failed the bar exam the first time around and made a second attempt recently. I am waiting on those results now... oh, joy.
Why, oh why does being a practicising lawyer all depend on multiple choice????? Give me 2 dozen essays to write and I'll be happy to write my heart out about commercial paper, corporations, trusts or even secured transactions! Ugh....
Anyway, we'll see how it goes. I'm not optimistic. I'm just a god-awful multiple choice test taker. (I always wind up whittling down to two answers and picking the wrong one...) If it doesn't happen this time... I'll try again, of course. I can't work in the industry without it.
It's depressing and it's also extremely embarrassing. I feel like an idiot. I feel uncomfortable talking to friends and loved ones, especially friends from law school. (It's not them, it's ALL on my end!!!!!!) They're wonderful people that have been extraordinarily supportive, but really... what can one say to someone who didn't pass the most important exam of their life??
I've heard all the arguments... that bar exams are tough and plenty of smart people have failed. That's all well and good, but it still hurts... I'm still a failure and I'll always be haunted by the fact I was a failure.
I've decided that this tells me I'm just not that smart. Humbling really... but it could be that it's one of those necessary life lessons that I need. I think I've coasted for too long thinking a bit too highly of myself. Maybe a few years down the line I'll realize that this smack in the face is what I need to build character, but in the meantime, it still fundamentally hurts....
It also makes it hard for me to job search in some ways too. I'm in a dead spot right now. My choices are limited by my ability (or not) to pass a bar exam. I know it's not impossible and there are things I can do, but also the failure makes me less inclined to WANT to job search and network as I should.
None of this of course excuses me from actually going out and doing what I need to do. I know that and I will go out and get the job done. I have to. But it still doesn't change the fact it hurts.
So, to update... I failed the bar exam the first time around and made a second attempt recently. I am waiting on those results now... oh, joy.
Why, oh why does being a practicising lawyer all depend on multiple choice????? Give me 2 dozen essays to write and I'll be happy to write my heart out about commercial paper, corporations, trusts or even secured transactions! Ugh....
Anyway, we'll see how it goes. I'm not optimistic. I'm just a god-awful multiple choice test taker. (I always wind up whittling down to two answers and picking the wrong one...) If it doesn't happen this time... I'll try again, of course. I can't work in the industry without it.
It's depressing and it's also extremely embarrassing. I feel like an idiot. I feel uncomfortable talking to friends and loved ones, especially friends from law school. (It's not them, it's ALL on my end!!!!!!) They're wonderful people that have been extraordinarily supportive, but really... what can one say to someone who didn't pass the most important exam of their life??
I've heard all the arguments... that bar exams are tough and plenty of smart people have failed. That's all well and good, but it still hurts... I'm still a failure and I'll always be haunted by the fact I was a failure.
I've decided that this tells me I'm just not that smart. Humbling really... but it could be that it's one of those necessary life lessons that I need. I think I've coasted for too long thinking a bit too highly of myself. Maybe a few years down the line I'll realize that this smack in the face is what I need to build character, but in the meantime, it still fundamentally hurts....
It also makes it hard for me to job search in some ways too. I'm in a dead spot right now. My choices are limited by my ability (or not) to pass a bar exam. I know it's not impossible and there are things I can do, but also the failure makes me less inclined to WANT to job search and network as I should.
None of this of course excuses me from actually going out and doing what I need to do. I know that and I will go out and get the job done. I have to. But it still doesn't change the fact it hurts.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Home Sweet Home
So I made the move and everything went pretty smoothly.
The only glitches with driving back were a speeding ticket received in Ohio (I wasn't driving) and getting lost in the South Side of Chicago.
Actually, we didn't get lost, but we wound up driving in circles trying to get to the Super H-Mart in Niles, IL. Apparently trying to get to 94 is impossible thanks to all the construction to the Dan Ryan Exists near Hyde Park. We wound up giving up and just heading home.
I'm home and enjoying catching up on sleep and not doing anything except reading, surfing the Internet aimlessly, watching Korean TV, and exercising occasionally. Heh...
Actually, I'm in the midst of trying to help my dad peel wallpaper in one of the bathrooms. A ton of fun...
The only glitches with driving back were a speeding ticket received in Ohio (I wasn't driving) and getting lost in the South Side of Chicago.
Actually, we didn't get lost, but we wound up driving in circles trying to get to the Super H-Mart in Niles, IL. Apparently trying to get to 94 is impossible thanks to all the construction to the Dan Ryan Exists near Hyde Park. We wound up giving up and just heading home.
I'm home and enjoying catching up on sleep and not doing anything except reading, surfing the Internet aimlessly, watching Korean TV, and exercising occasionally. Heh...
Actually, I'm in the midst of trying to help my dad peel wallpaper in one of the bathrooms. A ton of fun...
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Moving made easy!
I have to say, I love the Internet age. It makes so many things easier and moving is not the least of them.
You can arrange for packages to be sent through the Internet.
You can sell things through the Internet. (I LOVE Craigslist and Freecycle.)
You can arrange for movers through the Internet.
It's just awesome. I don't know what I would have done without the Internet.
All of my furniture is just about gone. I have only the kitchen left to pack up, take stuff to donate, throw stuff out and I'm done!
So far, so good....
You can arrange for packages to be sent through the Internet.
You can sell things through the Internet. (I LOVE Craigslist and Freecycle.)
You can arrange for movers through the Internet.
It's just awesome. I don't know what I would have done without the Internet.
All of my furniture is just about gone. I have only the kitchen left to pack up, take stuff to donate, throw stuff out and I'm done!
So far, so good....
Friday, August 17, 2007
Packing, packing, packing...
Ah, I am in the middle of packing and cleaning. So much fun...
I had originally planned on using one of those PODS things to move. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check this out.
It was going to cost me a cool two grand though, but I thought it would be easiest to move my stuff. Then I talked to my mom and dad. They convinced me that shipping my stuff UPS was the way to go. I was skeptical, but as of now, I've paid about a tenth of what I would have used for the PODS thing.
The moral of the story? Your mom and dad are usually (not always) but usually right. Heh...
To save on what I'm shipping, I am getting rid of everything that I can possible. So far I have sold all of the furniture in my apartment except for: my bed, a rocking chair, saucer chair, TV, TV stand and baker's rack. My desk is leaving tomorrow and I have to figure out where I'm going to do my computing. Oi vay....
I had originally planned on using one of those PODS things to move. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check this out.
It was going to cost me a cool two grand though, but I thought it would be easiest to move my stuff. Then I talked to my mom and dad. They convinced me that shipping my stuff UPS was the way to go. I was skeptical, but as of now, I've paid about a tenth of what I would have used for the PODS thing.
The moral of the story? Your mom and dad are usually (not always) but usually right. Heh...
To save on what I'm shipping, I am getting rid of everything that I can possible. So far I have sold all of the furniture in my apartment except for: my bed, a rocking chair, saucer chair, TV, TV stand and baker's rack. My desk is leaving tomorrow and I have to figure out where I'm going to do my computing. Oi vay....
Sunday, August 12, 2007
2nd post of the week! Yay!
Yeah, okay... not much sarcasm there... heh...
Anyway, second post of the week. Not much to report. I am packing up my life to move back east right now. I am trying to sell off as much of my stuff as possible (furniture and the like) and ship everything else via UPS.
So far it's going well. I managed to sell about half of my furniture. I'm not making much, but it's still extra cash which is nice. The UPS shipping is a pain though. I put in a request for UPS to pick up last Friday in the afternoon... what do they do? They show up at noon, even though I tell them to stop by after 3:30. Go figure.
Oh, well... We'll try this again. My building has a doorman, so I'll leave the boxes with them this time.
On a different note, got the lovely news today that I might not get my bar results until November, instead of October. AAAAGH!!!! The sheer torture man....
Anyway, second post of the week. Not much to report. I am packing up my life to move back east right now. I am trying to sell off as much of my stuff as possible (furniture and the like) and ship everything else via UPS.
So far it's going well. I managed to sell about half of my furniture. I'm not making much, but it's still extra cash which is nice. The UPS shipping is a pain though. I put in a request for UPS to pick up last Friday in the afternoon... what do they do? They show up at noon, even though I tell them to stop by after 3:30. Go figure.
Oh, well... We'll try this again. My building has a doorman, so I'll leave the boxes with them this time.
On a different note, got the lovely news today that I might not get my bar results until November, instead of October. AAAAGH!!!! The sheer torture man....
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Oops...
| Yeah, big oops! I haven't posted since April. *sigh* It's now summer as a friend kindly pointed out... =) Ah, well... Here's the update: (1) Graduated in May (YAY!!!!) (2) Took the bar exam in July (jury's still out on this one... no results until OCTOBER!) (3) Went to a friend's wedding in NY (Congrats Fe!) (4) About to move back east That's basically it. The less said about the bar exam, the better... I'm just glad it's done. I do have a rather funny story to post at some point soon. Anyway, back to the resolution to be better about posting. |
Friday, April 13, 2007
Is it spring yet???
Today, the weather is better here, but the last week has been miserable. Absolutely miserable.
A week and a half ago, it was in the 60's to 70's. This past week, it's been in the 30's. On Wednesday, it snowed... SNOWED!!!!
This is not helping with me trying to keep up with school and being healthy. School is just going downhill, frankly. I completely zoned out in both of my classes yesterday. Normally, I'm into the one class, but yesterday, it just completely dragged on.
I really have to get back into it. I have finals the 2nd week of May coming up and I have a 2o-page paper I have to write. I've done the research, but I actually have to sit down and write it. *sigh* Not only that, but I have some pieces due for my part-time job that I need to get done by the end of May.
Aargh... too much to do, too little time and motivation to do it!
On the plus side, I am keeping up with the exercise and healthier eating. At least, for the most part... =)
A week and a half ago, it was in the 60's to 70's. This past week, it's been in the 30's. On Wednesday, it snowed... SNOWED!!!!
This is not helping with me trying to keep up with school and being healthy. School is just going downhill, frankly. I completely zoned out in both of my classes yesterday. Normally, I'm into the one class, but yesterday, it just completely dragged on.
I really have to get back into it. I have finals the 2nd week of May coming up and I have a 2o-page paper I have to write. I've done the research, but I actually have to sit down and write it. *sigh* Not only that, but I have some pieces due for my part-time job that I need to get done by the end of May.
Aargh... too much to do, too little time and motivation to do it!
On the plus side, I am keeping up with the exercise and healthier eating. At least, for the most part... =)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
There I go again...
Ha... Can't even remember to post within a week. (Well, in all fairness to myself, there hasn't been much to post about honestly.)
Keeping up with school... barely.
Job searching... barely.
Eating better.... barely.
Exercising more.... barely... well, actually, I've been pretty good about that. Now if I could get the eating part down pat, I'd be happier.
It doesn't help that I've been hit with the spring cold/flu/allergy thing that's going around right now. Half the people I know have it. I spent the day home yesterday, but I'm feeling better today. It's one of those stupid sort-of cold things. Tickle in the back of the throat, some sniffles, tired and a bit achy, but nothing that keeps you at home too long.
Well, I'm drowing myself in OJ, tea, chicken soup and water, so that should help. I just don't want one of those full-blown head colds, thank you very much!
Keeping up with school... barely.
Job searching... barely.
Eating better.... barely.
Exercising more.... barely... well, actually, I've been pretty good about that. Now if I could get the eating part down pat, I'd be happier.
It doesn't help that I've been hit with the spring cold/flu/allergy thing that's going around right now. Half the people I know have it. I spent the day home yesterday, but I'm feeling better today. It's one of those stupid sort-of cold things. Tickle in the back of the throat, some sniffles, tired and a bit achy, but nothing that keeps you at home too long.
Well, I'm drowing myself in OJ, tea, chicken soup and water, so that should help. I just don't want one of those full-blown head colds, thank you very much!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Back again....
Yep, back again... How about that??? Two days in a row! Also, made changes... still pink, but somehow not as bad... I think. Anyway, let me know what you think. (At least if you've been here before...)
*laugh* We'll see how this goes.
The other thing I've been doing is trying to get my health on track by incorporating better eating and working out more regularly. I've joined up with a couple friends and I'm doing an e-mail support group. It works REALLY well. So far, so good....
I also joined the SELF challenge. You can access info about it here:
http://www.self.com/challenge/welcome
They have a food diary and workout log. Very good stuff and highly reasonable.
Some of my biggest hangups are that I get very hungry a very short time after I eat. But talking to some of my friends, it seems that EVERYONE is just feeling that way. I would say it's working out, but I'm not cutting THAT many calories. Plus friends who aren't working out are feeling the same way. Maybe it's just the transition to spring??? Who knows? I just hope this ends soon. I'm really trying to improve things.
*laugh* We'll see how this goes.
The other thing I've been doing is trying to get my health on track by incorporating better eating and working out more regularly. I've joined up with a couple friends and I'm doing an e-mail support group. It works REALLY well. So far, so good....
I also joined the SELF challenge. You can access info about it here:
http://www.self.com/challenge/welcome
They have a food diary and workout log. Very good stuff and highly reasonable.
Some of my biggest hangups are that I get very hungry a very short time after I eat. But talking to some of my friends, it seems that EVERYONE is just feeling that way. I would say it's working out, but I'm not cutting THAT many calories. Plus friends who aren't working out are feeling the same way. Maybe it's just the transition to spring??? Who knows? I just hope this ends soon. I'm really trying to improve things.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Hmmm.... Been a while....
So okay... I'm apparently not so good with keeping up with things. (Thanks Ben for reminding me I had the blog!) So much for keeping a log of my last year of law school. Heh...
Since the last time I posted:
(1) Went to London and Paris for a school program. (I'll attempt to post some pictures... maybe...)
(2) Took the MPRE - Professional Responsibility exam. (Hey, no lawyer jokes!)
(3) Applied for and will be taking the IL bar exam this July. (Woo-hoo! Never mind that the study course is going to cost me a cool $3k minimum.)
Other than that, nothing major. Still no job prospect as of yet, but I'm working on it. I'm not panicked... yet...
Graduation is in May. My parents and brother are coming out for it, so that will be nice.
This semester has been procrastination central. I have MAJOR senioritis. I'm lucky if I actually get the reading for class done. Heh...
EDIT: YIKES!!!! I haven't posted since May 2005??? What the he**??? Sheesh... I'm terrible at this.
Since the last time I posted:
(1) Went to London and Paris for a school program. (I'll attempt to post some pictures... maybe...)
(2) Took the MPRE - Professional Responsibility exam. (Hey, no lawyer jokes!)
(3) Applied for and will be taking the IL bar exam this July. (Woo-hoo! Never mind that the study course is going to cost me a cool $3k minimum.)
Other than that, nothing major. Still no job prospect as of yet, but I'm working on it. I'm not panicked... yet...
Graduation is in May. My parents and brother are coming out for it, so that will be nice.
This semester has been procrastination central. I have MAJOR senioritis. I'm lucky if I actually get the reading for class done. Heh...
EDIT: YIKES!!!! I haven't posted since May 2005??? What the he**??? Sheesh... I'm terrible at this.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Updates!
Again, too long since my last post! This was supposed to be at least a weekly thing, but it hasn't quite worked out that way...
So, what's been going on with me?
I was offered and accepted a part-time research assistant position with a professor at another law school. I will be doing research on the social, legal and ethical implications of nanotechnology. It's very interesting and timely stuff.
I know what you're thinking, "Are you NUTS??? Don't you already work full-time and go to law school?"
Why, yes... I am still working at the lab and going to school, but I really wanted to get some experience doing legal related research and more analysis intensive writing.
I'm not sure what the correct term is, but non-scientific writing is a weakness for me. I am very self-conscious about my writing. I haven't had much of a chance to do non-scientific writing since I was in college. While I've taken two classes in law school that focus on legal writing, I just still don't feel very confident about my abilities. It's one of the primary reasons I took the RA position. Nanotechnology is also a very timely, up-and-coming topic and I feel this will give me an opportunity to get some writing experience.
Otherwise, I've been swamped with school and work. I will be even more swamped, but at least I will be paid and I'll get some really good experience and contacts. The group I'm working with, the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, is based at Kent School of Law. The group is studying emerging technologies and looking at the ethical, legal and social implications. It's very interesting stuff. If you want more info, go here.
I just started, so I'm still working out exactly what I'll be doing. If you'd like info on nano (which I'll try to talk about some more as I explore the topic), you can go here or you for info on the national initiative, go here.
So, what's been going on with me?
I was offered and accepted a part-time research assistant position with a professor at another law school. I will be doing research on the social, legal and ethical implications of nanotechnology. It's very interesting and timely stuff.
I know what you're thinking, "Are you NUTS??? Don't you already work full-time and go to law school?"
Why, yes... I am still working at the lab and going to school, but I really wanted to get some experience doing legal related research and more analysis intensive writing.
I'm not sure what the correct term is, but non-scientific writing is a weakness for me. I am very self-conscious about my writing. I haven't had much of a chance to do non-scientific writing since I was in college. While I've taken two classes in law school that focus on legal writing, I just still don't feel very confident about my abilities. It's one of the primary reasons I took the RA position. Nanotechnology is also a very timely, up-and-coming topic and I feel this will give me an opportunity to get some writing experience.
Otherwise, I've been swamped with school and work. I will be even more swamped, but at least I will be paid and I'll get some really good experience and contacts. The group I'm working with, the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, is based at Kent School of Law. The group is studying emerging technologies and looking at the ethical, legal and social implications. It's very interesting stuff. If you want more info, go here.
I just started, so I'm still working out exactly what I'll be doing. If you'd like info on nano (which I'll try to talk about some more as I explore the topic), you can go here or you for info on the national initiative, go here.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Oops...
I just realized I haven't posted in an age and a half.
Since then:
1) Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast.
2) Rehnquist died.
3) Roberts is nominated.
4) School started.
5) Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellwegger break up.
6) Britney has a baby.
It's kinda sad that I remember the last two things but not other things of significance. I'd say more about the above stuff, but there's just far, far too much to say. *sigh*
Anyway, hope everyone is doing well. Good luck to the people of Texas and Louisiana. I hope Rita weakens or doesn't devestate the area too much.
Since then:
1) Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast.
2) Rehnquist died.
3) Roberts is nominated.
4) School started.
5) Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellwegger break up.
6) Britney has a baby.
It's kinda sad that I remember the last two things but not other things of significance. I'd say more about the above stuff, but there's just far, far too much to say. *sigh*
Anyway, hope everyone is doing well. Good luck to the people of Texas and Louisiana. I hope Rita weakens or doesn't devestate the area too much.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Interesting...
So, there are some debate about the 3rd year of law school and whether it's necessary or not. Here's a link to a Yahoo article on the subject:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050809/ap_on_re_us/law_school_third_year
Here's how it usually works, in your second year, you start interviewing heavily for summer associate and post graduate jobs. By the end of your second year, if you're looking for a medium to large firm job, you should have one nearly locked up. Thus, by your third year, you don't have to worry about a thing. All the stress of first and second year should be done with.
That is, unless you are bottom 2/3 of your class. In that case, from what I can tell, you're pretty much screwed.
I won't say where I am, but let's just say I am starting to seriously worry about the job thing. I am starting to rethink my options and plan for contingencies. Not that my grades are bad, they're decent... but they're not spectacular either.
Any advice from those who have finished???
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050809/ap_on_re_us/law_school_third_year
Here's how it usually works, in your second year, you start interviewing heavily for summer associate and post graduate jobs. By the end of your second year, if you're looking for a medium to large firm job, you should have one nearly locked up. Thus, by your third year, you don't have to worry about a thing. All the stress of first and second year should be done with.
That is, unless you are bottom 2/3 of your class. In that case, from what I can tell, you're pretty much screwed.
I won't say where I am, but let's just say I am starting to seriously worry about the job thing. I am starting to rethink my options and plan for contingencies. Not that my grades are bad, they're decent... but they're not spectacular either.
Any advice from those who have finished???
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