Hiatus

I don't like it when bloggers disappear without explanation. It makes me think something terrible happened, like that they were hit by a car, instead of the more likely and more mundane reason, that they got too busy or too bored to blog. I also don't enjoy blogs wherein most of the posts are a breathless "too busy to write more, but I promise to be better. . . ." This is always especially ironic when its the most recent post and yet is over a few months old. I promised myself if I ever became that blogger I'd give up the game.

I am at a blogging crossroads. I haven't liked much of what I've posted lately, yet I am not ready or willing to quit. I've been blogging regularly since May 2006 and average 20 posts a month. I keep up with a ton of blogs and spend more time goofing off around the intertubes than I care to admit.

So to keep you from thinking I am trapped under heavy furniture,* I'm stepping back for finals period. Any time I have just tried to dial back a little, I end up not doing it. Like most things in my life, I'm not good at moderation when it comes to the blog. It is all or nothing.

So, this was a long way of saying the blog comes full-stop until May 10.

See you then.


Edited to add: you know I really thought about this for a while before I wrote this post. I really wanted to do this, to step back. Yeah... it didn't actually happen.
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* Bonus points to the first reader who gets the movie reference.

MILS #43

Welcome to the Weekly MILS (Moms In Law School) Roundup. It is hosted on a rotating basis between PT-LawMom and A Little Fish in Law School blogs. We aim for Sunday posts. Next week, it'll be back at PT-LawMom's place.

Sometimes we focus so much on the Mom part and less on the In Law School part.
This round-up seeks to restore the balance.

So this is law school:

Mutual antipathy with law school. Starting to Melt
Exams exhaust. Pt Lawmom
Last law school class, ever. Peanut Butter Burrito
Flashcards. Magic Cookie
3L ClassesMagic cookie
Rule against perpetuities makes these kids really need p0rn. Law student hot mama
Hooded. Proto-Attorney
End in sight. Dakota.

And just because I couldn't resist some Mommy stuff:

Something has to give. One New Duck
Another day in the life. Lag Liv

__________________________
If you’d like to have your blog added to the MILS blogroll for weekly review or would like us to consider a specific post, drop the hostess(es) an email or leave a comment at our sites.Expecting Moms in Law School are welcome! Hat tip as always to the “original” Roundup — Evan Schaeffer’s Legal Underground and Divine Angst. And of course, to the founder of this round-up, Saramel (retired).

AI Update

Quickie:

Bottom three predictions: Dred-boy, Syesha, and Brooke

Going home: Dred-boy... I think the 'vote for the worst crew' will keep Brooke in one more week.

I am starting to become a fan of David Cook, though I haven't Youtubed him yet.

First time since Holloywood week Syesha didn't make me angry or bored.

Anyone think it'll be two guys in the top 2 this year? I don't think the producers will like that. But a David/David head-to-head really is possible.

Intensity

I scare people, apparently.



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I'd say the extra intensity comes from a series of family crises that has caused me to lose sleep, except I think I may be scary even when I'm not in crisis mode.

MILS #42

It's not the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but MILS Roundup #42 is up at Pt-Lawmom's place.

Back here next week.

Curiosity

I think I became a teacher because I wanted to awaken in my students the kind of interest in a wide variety of things as my teachers has done for me. Clearly, I was a miserable failure in this regard and that's why I am going to be a lawyer. But that's not the point of this post.

In fourth grade, I did a project on Saturn. It involved factoids on a poster and a painted orange Styrofoam ball and pins and paper rings. I vaguely remember it being pretty poorly done, but my parents were from the school of thought that a kid should do her own science projects. Yet every time I see a television show or magazine article on Saturn, I always read it. That silly Styrofoam ball created in me a little bit of ownership in Saturn . . . its my planet.

I'm not saying I know more about Saturn than I know about, say tropical fish, but I know more about Saturn than I know about Uranus.

I had the same experience with a project on the Great Rift Valley and Evolution. I did a minor in Anthropology in college that can be directly linked to that paper I wrote in 8th grade. I trace my obsession with Sherlock Holmes directly to my 5th grade English teacher.

There are perhaps a dozen other topics about which I continue to be curious that I can trace directly to a project I did for school. Maybe I wasn't a miserable failure as a teacher, because teachers never really know where their influence stops. Maybe that is the point of this post.

How about you? Anything from elementary school that "stuck"?

Tax man cometh

Background: my brother is in his mid-20's and has never done his own taxes, until this year. (I've always done them.) He figured he'd try the free tax software on-line because he is a grad student and his taxes aren't that complicated.

An instant messenger conversation from yesterday:

Brother (4:58:15 PM): question abt taxes
Me (4:58:23 PM): sure what up
"Brother" (4:58:31 PM): turbotax says NYS is giving me a 25,000 dollar refund... thats probably wrong right
Me (4:58:45 PM): ummm yeah
Me (4:58:53 PM): you didn't make that much
Me (4:58:56 PM): right?
"Brother" (4:59:15 PM): Federal Adjusted Gross Income$10,105 Standard Deduction$7,500 Satte Taxable Income$2,605 State Tax Withholding$25,192 Total Payments$25,192 Overpayment Net Refund$25,132
"Brother" (5:00:02 PM): make sense to you?
Me (5:00:27 PM): yes you made a typo someplace ... when you typed in your w2, there is a box that shows how much was withheld
Me (5:01:22 PM): you typed in the wrong amount -- it seems to think you paid 25,192 in state taxes
"Brother" (5:01:23 PM): oh okay... let me go back
"Brother" (5:03:32 PM): 251.17 is less than 25117.00
"Brother" (5:03:34 PM): haha
Me (5:03:39 PM): ha!
Me (5:03:48 PM): glad you caught it
"Brother" (5:03:49 PM): that would have been sick to have turbo tax direct deposite that into my account though
"Brother" (5:03:54 PM): AUDIT
Me (5:03:48 PM): ummmm, arrested???
"Brother" (5:04:06 PM): ride out the statute of limitations
. . .

"Brother" (5:07:57 PM): im pretty proud of myslef... next year i will file on april 13th
"Brother" (5:08:02 PM): as i get better and better
"Brother" (5:08:31 PM): state refund 266 dollars... damnit
Me (5:08:38 PM): that's good for state
"Brother" (5:08:45 PM): its no 25 Gs

. . .

Brother" (5:18:53 PM): all i have to do is file by today and i get the bush(shit) money?
Me (5:19:04 PM): yep
"Brother" (5:19:08 PM): f yeah
Me (5:19:42 PM): good to know the economic stimulus package is what motivated you to file on time this year
"Brother" (5:19:52 PM): haha
"Brother" (5:20:07 PM): well other than that i would have called you and begged you to file an extenion and had you do it
Me (5:21:42 PM): *sigh* just like last year... thanks for the memories...

The only kind of "Labor" I'm in

I learned the following things today:

How to do the NLRA §9(d) two-step. Do you want to know? Really? Didn't think so.

Definition of "laboratory conditions." In the labor context, it means that the workers have to have an opportunity to indicate their choice as to representation free from undue influence and intimidation. Heard the term used all semester. Never knew.

Property rights matter, except when they don't.

Free speech matters, except when it doesn't.

And this exam is going to suck...

MILS #41: Elton John Song Edition

Welcome to the Weekly MILS (Moms In Law School) Roundup. It is hosted on a rotating basis between PT-LawMom and A Little Fish in Law School blogs. We aim for Sunday posts. Next week, it'll be back at PT-LawMom's place.

So I am making an effort to do themes again. I picked some of the songs because the title alone seemed to fit the post, though occasionally, the sentiment of the song itself worked too.

Elton John Songs:

I'm still standing -- (kicked while down and still strong). One New Duck

Simple Life -- (bread & cheese?). Lag Liv

Can you feel the love? -- (Mama!). Law Student Hot Mama

Come down in time -- (young bloggers look at 50). Magic Cookie & Peanut Butter Burrito

I don't wanna go on with you like that -- (this doctrine is such a tease). Starting to Melt

The cage -- (apparently, no escaping Tax). Pt Lawmom.

Hakuna matata -- (we all feel that way sometimes, no worries) 2L Wannabe

__________________________

If you’d like to have your blog added to the MILS blogroll for weekly review or would like us to consider a specific post, drop the hostess(es) an email or leave a comment at our sites.
Expecting Moms in Law School are welcome! Hat tip as always to the “original” Roundup — Evan Schaeffer’s Legal Underground and Divine Angst. And of course, to the founder of this round-up, Saramel (retired).

Sunshine and hailstones

Playing "baby" with a stuffed bunny and a pre-schooler who wants to show me how good, how gentle he is with babies. And he shares his toys and sings songs and can be quiet at naptime too.
Peeing on a stick and seeing no hoped for pink line.
A loved one says something hurtful at a moment when you really didn't need that.
Standing in the shower until the hot water runs out.
And the weather is crazy.
My Saturday.

Dan Brown? Really?

I read a Yahoo story (below) this morning because the headline intrigued me.

Thoughts, in no particular order:

I would be curious as to the actual poll wording. The Bible comes out as the "most popular" book. Was the question, What is the greatest/most important book of all time? Or what was the best book you ever read? I can see the Bible being the first response to the former, but maybe its just my brain, I probably would not have thought of it as a possible answer to the latter. Could be just me.

For #2, I get the GWTW/LOTR/HP responses. I'll even give you Steven King, though I've never read him myself. But Dan Brown?? Twice in the top 10??? What????

All right, I didn't read Angels and Demons. But I read Da Vinci Code. It was a good yarn, a rip-roaring fast read, and I enjoyed it at the time. But I didn't like it enough to go pick up everything the author ever wrote -- and I do that with most authors. And I would never read it again. Its in the same class as an early Tom Clancy, a good Grisham or Baldacci or Patterson to me -- books that I'll pick up, read in a summer's night, and only vaguely remember.

To me, a truly great book is one you want to read over and over. One you'll pick up in the middle and read to the end on a whim. Or one that you would recommend to a good friend, but buy her her own copy because you can't bear to give up yours. A book like that would be in my top 2 or top 10. And I can't imagine anything by the author of the DaVinci Code, let alone that book itself, making anyone's top 10.

Gotta get going. End rant, I guess.

The story, because if I just linked to it, it would be obsolete in a day:

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - When it comes to literary pursuits in the United States most people agree on at least one thing -- the most popular book is the Bible, according to a new survey.
It came in first in a Harris Poll of nearly 2,513 adults but the second choice in the survey was not as clear cut.
"While the Bible is number one among each of the different demographic groups, there is a large difference in the number two favorite book," Harris said in a statement announcing the results.
Men chose J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and women selected Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" as their second-favorite book, according to the online poll.
But the second choice for 18- to 31-year-olds was J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, while 32- to 43-year-olds named Stephen King's "The Stand" and Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons."
Picks for second-favorite book also varied according to region. "Gone With the Wind" was number two in the southern and midwestern United States while easterners chose "The Lord of the Rings" and westerners opted for "The Stand."
Whites and Hispanics picked "Gone With the Wind" as their second-favorite book after the Bible, while African-Americans preferred "Angels and Demons."
"Finally, they may not agree on candidates, but one thing that brings together partisans is their favorite book. For Republicans, Democrats and Independents, the top two books are the same -- the Bible followed by "Gone With the Wind."
Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown, "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand and "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger rounded out the top 10 favorites.

Journal survey

The saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I am not so convinced the journal eligibility system we have is "broke," but there was a lot yammering today regarding how to go about fixing it. Not so much for Law Review, but for the other journals that have staffing problems.

We do mixed walk on / write on. Small per cent walk on, large per cent of class eligible to write on. For the write-on, its an all-journal competition, with Law Review getting first pick. Other logistics were up for debate as well, such as whether or not to end the suicide pact . . . er, three-day weekend approach and give the students a week. And if we extend it, whether or not to add a more extensive Bluebooking component.

Anyone on other journals elsewhere have input?

MILS #40

Its at Pt-Lawmom.

Back here next week.

April!

How did it get to be April?

How did that happen? I have my first exam THIS MONTH, not next month in far far away May... this month!!

. : panic : .