Happy B-Day JULIE!

Happy Birthday Joey!

Done ...

... drunk (kinda) ... and about to undertake some Christmas baking.

It'll be a time. For sure.

Here's the News Piece About The Other Westjet Story

Dad miffed WestJet policy fails again
The National Post

I Have Many Buddies That Are Fans

... and not just fans ... SUPER fans! It was a pretty neat year to be in Saskatchewan for the Roughrider win of the Grey Cup ... and now, apparently, fans can buy a Rider Grey Cup fan ring ... to celebrate. Probably not in time for Christmas, though (but that's just me guessing).

Check out the Intergold website here for the fan jewelery. On the radio, they said that the gold fan ring runs about $1200, and the silver about $375.

Mitchell Blair (co-host of the Drew Remenda Sports Show) starts what looks to be the beginning of a great debate on the issue here at the News Talk 650 website:
Fans Don't Deserve Rings

The comments are already starting ... I'm hoping some of the über fans out there will leave their 2 cents ... everyone knows how I like a good debate!!!

I'm Proud of Alberta!

Alberta soccer approves hijabs for players
CBC News

Final Distraction Before Serious Studying

Came to this site via a link from the Freakonomics Blog ...

Lost Wallet Test, where wallets were dropped in front of hidden cameras to test people's honesty.

Good news ... people seem mostly honest! Yay - score one for those of us with positive outlooks on the world.

BUT - be wary of the data (as I always am with statistical experiments like this). MAKE SURE to read the comment on the Freakonomics link page, as it does talk about the misleading nature of some of the graphs.

Interesting, for sure. Seems like I would have liked to have taken some sociology classes in the undergraduate days. Shame.

On the Calgary Breakfast Show this Morning ...

... this headline caught my interest:

Westjet suspends their unaccompanied minor program
Joel Kom, Calgary Herald

This allegedly in the face of a situation with a girl in Montreal, but as I posted on my blog back in August, this isn't anywhere NEAR the first time this issue has plagued them, and this response may seem to many people to be too little too late. See the site below:

http://www.casemp.com/

Also -

- is it weird/embarrassing that I kind of want to see Alvin and the Chipmunks?

An Awesome Weekend in the Middle of Chaos

Jason's brother and his family surprised him (I knew though ... oh how hard to keep a secret) for his birthday this weekend, and it was SUCH a nice break for me from my study schedule (it's always nice to see those two little nephews).

They arrived on Saturday and we all got to catch up. Saturday night, we toured through the Enchanted Forest light display up at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park (I just saw on the website that you can buy cheaper admission passes at Safeway - if only we'd known). What an awesome sight ... it was a drive-through tour, which was nice (especially touring in their new mini-van). The nephews were SOOOO cute looking at the lights.

Sunday we made some sugar cookies and did some hard-core decorating and checked out the Mendel Art Gallery, where we took in some festive harp music by harpist Chris Lindgren, the nephews got to paint on the snow, and we caught the Woodrow exhibit by artist Graeme Patterson.

We tried to do a little Christmas shopping, but we were bad hosts and couldn't find an appropriate store that was OPEN on Sunday. I guess Jason and I don't shop a lot. While we probably won't REALLY start shopping any more, it's a good reminder that we really should be doing our best to take in the Saskatoon experience in general (we wouldn't have done any of the fun stuff this weekend without the visitors). It's hard to remember that we need to take breaks in the middle of getting things done to really enjoy where we're at, but maybe that can be our New Year's resolution.

All in all, it was an awesome break from studying, and SOOO good to catch up with those guys.

The only downside is that I've developed a sore throat, which I blame on stopping to enjoy myself in the middle of exams. I usually don't have such a big break between exams, and don't stop until I'm all done, and THEN get sick. SO ... I'm trying to stall the inevitable and get through the last one before the sickness takes full hold.

And now ... I'm back in the crux of it all ... back to studying, flowcharts, CANS, casebooks, notes, and spreadsheets. One test left, and it's one that I'd really like to do well in. Oh Health law, hopefully we'll get to know each other REAL well over the next two days.

Four Down ... One to Go

Wrote Wills today. Was a lot of writing. Hand is cramped. SOOOO TIRED. Thank goodness I have a break until my last exam - last one isn't until Thursday, so I'm taking a few days of respite.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo needed.

Yup - More Shoes as a Distraction

On my way out the door to meet a classmate to go over a few things before the Wills test at 9:00, but check out these shoes at PiperLime:


Apparently, I'm hankering for a metallic shoe - who knew?

Anecdote and Exam Tip From a Classmate

I got this message from a classmate:

I have a story/lesson you could use [on the blog].

When writing an exam, make sure you pay attention to how many questions there are, and how much time is allotted to each question. I spent over half an hour too long on my first question on my Family Law exam, but figured I could make up for it by cutting a few corners in the other questions. When I got to my last question, I had 30 minutes left to do a 35 minute question. Not too bad. But then, I turned the page to continue reading the question and found out that there was ANOTHER question. So, instead of leisurely answering my last question, I frantically tried to answer two questions, which were supposed to take a total of 65 minutes, in 30 minutes. Ahh! Note to self: ALWAYS read the exams over before starting!

So true, such a good tip, and THANK YOU for sharing!!!

Best Wines Under $10

At the New York Times ...


... just in time for the holidays ... so thankful I ran into this list.

Made Me Laugh

Check out the video posted on OneL LB and a JD:

Law School Musical Video

Three Down ...

... two to go.

Just wrote Bus Org, so my brain is a pile of goo that leaked out my ear and is sitting on my living room carpet. I'm really not keen to pick it again ... maybe I'll give it a few hours ... I'm sure we could use some time apart for awhile.

I'm About to Stop Distracting Myself ...

... and get down to studying ... but until then ... check out how awesome these shoes are:

Taryn Rose Debutant (Gunmetal Metallic Patent) @ Zappos

I'm So Lucky

... that my high school experience was so good. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have been around bullying ... and I'm so proud of all of the students in these stories:

Regina school goes pretty in pink
Star Phoenix

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON!!

It's Days Like This That Keep You Going ...

... through the winter, that is. It is GORGEOUS outside ... by Saskatchewan winter standards. Only -11 degrees Celsius, the sun is shining ... I had to take a picture of the sparkling snow (SO GORGEOUS) in my front yard - so hard to capture .... but here's my attempt:

Charter Rights and Red Lights

I know, I'm a geek, I like to rhyme.

I wonder how far this will get?

Lawyer challenges traffic stop
Star Phoenix

*** EDITED: AHAHAHAHA - The title for this was originally "Charter Rights and Traffic Lights" ... little innocent me, when I first read the article saw "blowing through" a red light ... not "blowing a red light" ... so funny, and so NOT THE SAME THING.

Sigh. Not helping the reputation of lawyers out there ... I can back up a valid Charter claim ... but I feel like ... if you blow a red ... and you were driving ... hmmm. BUT again, we don't know the back story here ... I guess there could be one?

Two Down ...

... three to go.

Evidence is over. Was a 2 hour exam, a bit different. We've only done 3 hours exams up until this point. Had to keep reminding myself not to run out of time.

We'll see.

NEXT UP: Bus Org.

I. Am. Terrified.

Where I'm At

I've been feeling reflective about this semester already, but I know I should wait until all my exams are done to really get into it (i.e. I should save my brain power for the exams).

Wrote Debtor-Creditor on Saturday, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Tough thing about Debtor-Creditor is that there are so many rules, that choosing how to apply them was kinda hard - I felt like I applied logic and case law to apply rules to facts, but there were a few different ways I could have sliced the rules, so no matter what I chose to do it FELT LIKE I could in theory justify it.

YIKES.

I'm sad that class is over, though. I liked it. It was very procedural, algorithmic always. The techy in me was happy. Also - Prof was amazing. Professor Cummings is ... amazing. REALLY enjoyed his class, he broke things down in a structured and complete way, he respected all of the students, and answered questions to lift the confusion. I'll definitely take more classes from Cummings.

A good tip I heard the other day is that, as Cummings teaches both Debtor-Creditor law and Secured Transactions ... and because the material is related ... if you take them both together in the same semester, it's a bit confusing to write exams and remember which material is for which class. Luckily, I didn't take Secured Transactions this semester - but a good tip for anyone that is in first year right now ... for next year.

I write Evidence tomorrow, and I'm not too sure about this one. Luther did give us some tutorials with TAs at the end of the semester, which were SOOOOOO helpful. I'm studying a bit differently for this test, as I've heard that Luther likes breadth over depth ... so ... hopefully I've not been led astray.

That's one thing that I've noticed about this year. I've really had to change my studying habits for a few classes; material is a bit different, Profs are a bit different, and I'm trying not to drive myself absolutely CRAZY. We'll see how it all shakes out for the marks.

My reflective attitude wants to talk about the overall experience this semester, but I'll save that until the winter break.

Also - after the Debtor-Creditor exam, I hit Maguires with some classmates for some food and a beer (or 3 ..... ahem). There was a GREAT debate about the Latimer parole decision. Some really great points of view, some really great perspectives, and some really personal reflections on what this all means. Again - a subject worthy of its own post, so it'll have to wait until after exams. Sigh.

P.S. My pre-New Year's resolution is to finally pay attention to when I'm using "it's" and "its" properly ... I KNOW the difference - it's = contraction for it is, its = possessive ... but I pretty much just never pay attention.

Anyhoo - time to go make Evidence come together in a meaningful way. Wish me luck.

OMG - THIS is Hilarious

A classmate posted this link on Facebook, and I had to hijack and post it here:

One Down

Four to Go.

Aurgh - There Are Too Many Awesome Things Here

OMG - I went through the ThinkGeek (use caution when clicking link - HIGHLY addictive browsing lies ahead) site some more ... how awesome are the following:

Theobromine - the kicky molecule in chocolate.

I Want One

A classmate e-mailed me this link. I want one. EVER so bad.

OK Go - A Million Ways



So ... I didn't do so well. Had to look this one up too, though. I LOVE the treadmill video they did below - seems that singer's sister choreographed both videos.

AURGH. No more video surfing. That's it. Last one.

I Behaved Last Night

I studied my face off ... and didn't even think about Tricia Helfer on The Hour.

AND
then ... Karma took care of me. I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep, and as I was flicking through the channel guide on TV, I saw The Hour ... switched to it, and it was right AT THE MOMENT that the TriciaHelfer segment started.

Sigh.

Battlestar Gallactica, how you play with my emotions ... delaying the start of your season until next year ... I know that there's a writer's strike and all ... but you're really leaving me in the lurch.

Also - my first exam is tomorrow.

Scared. Nervous. BUT ... I really like Debtor-Creditor, so I'm ALMOST looking forward to it. I know. Sick and twisted, right?

My goal for today is to NOT distract myself by looking up fun music videos.

I'll let you know how I do.

Aurgh - Another Distraction Found

Tricia Helfer is on The Hour with George tonight.

Love her.

Love him.

How will I be able to resist?

Pause From Studying For Distraction - Complete

OK Go - Here it Goes Again


Feist - 1234



This is my distraction. Ah ... sweet music videos. Why, oh why is there not a channel that I can flick on and watch you whenever I want?

Maybe It's Really Purolator That's Fast

Purolator delivered my Dell ink yesterday ... and today I got another package. My Mother-In-Law called me @ 11:00 AM to say that she'd just sent a package, and low and behold I got another knock on the door from my friendly neighbourhood Purolator delivery dude at about 2:00 PM.

WOW. That's all I have to say. WOW.

Also - was very embarrassing. I have the Bell Express Vu Holidays channel on in the living room - I've been in our 3rd bedroom/office studying, and the Christmas tunes are the perfect background. Unfortch, the channel in question displays a roaring fireplace on the screen - super cheesy. Purolator guy laughed at me. AURGH. Embarrassing.

Dell Is Fast

Yay. I can shower.

My Dell ink cartridges arrived just now.

I ordered them late Monday night, and they were here just after noon on Wednesday. That's smokin' fast. AWESOME.

I can print my flow-charts.

I'm Afraid to Take a Shower

I've been tracking the shipment of my printer ink online, and it looks like it's sitting on a delivery truck making it's way to my house. Unfortch, it seems that there are a few houses on the delivery route before mine.

My luck: I'd hop in the shower quickly only to miss the ink delivery person. So ... no shower until I get my ink! Hopefully ... this doesn't take days .... AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA.

It's that time of year again ... blog posts become rare, ink in the printer runs dry, my nerves are dropping one-by-one, and all I want to think about is the Christmas break. I'm not running on empty yet - but I'm getting there.

I've been pacing myself MODERATELY well for studying ... my first exam, Debtor-Creditor, is on Saturday. The only test I'm REALLY worried about is BusOrg, which is my third test. I feel like I understand the material, but there is SOOOOO MUCH OF IT. Seriously. It's ridiculous. While I've read most of it, and get most of it ... I just haven't found a great way to organize it all so that I can quickly retrieve the info I need. Also, I'm not sure that I always understand what the Prof is asking (I know, if not for the denial about the looming exam, I'd probably lose sleep over this one). After I toss and turn the words around a little, I eventually get it ... but my way of thinking isn't parallel to his ... it's perpendicular ... so while I KNOW the info he's looking for ... I don't always know WHICH info he's asking me for ... I'm not looking at the same horizon that he is. Yikes.

It's snowing right now, and I'm so happy that I'm snug as a bug in my cute little house. No need to go outside today, we're fully stocked with groceries (my Hubby spoiled me by seeing to my every exam-week grocery need); I've got yummy coffee brewing and yummy (FAT-FREE) hazelnut coffee whitener to put in it. I'm even stocked with Diet Pepsi and mini-wheats - essentials.

Now - I've got to get through a bunch of material before the second last episode of ANTM tonight ... EXCITING! Any guesses on who's going to get the boot? I guess ... Bianca or Chantal to be gone ... I guess that Saleisha and Jenah for SURE in the final two ... oooooh ... I can't wait.

Looks Like the Strike is Nearing An End

Hopefully.

Tentative Agreement Reached with CUPE

I'm looking forward to being able to get back into my old routine. I'm definitely a routine girl, I like to be organized, and know where I'm going and what I'm up to.

Doc Not Negligent

Remember that tubal ligation case I mentioned last week?

Looks like the jury is in:
Doctor not negligent in case where woman lost limbs: jury
as found on the CBC News website.

The six-person jury [Lisa's note - 6 person ALL-FEMALE jury] reached that decision Wednesday afternoon after deliberating for two days in the case of Dr. Kenneth Graham and Lisa Baert.

Eight years ago, Baert lost her hands and feet and suffered brain damage after tubal ligation surgery was performed by Graham.

During the trial held over the past month, the jury heard her bowel was punctured during the sterilization procedure at a Lloydminster hospital and the mistake wasn't discovered for days. There was a second operation and Baert suffered a cardiac arrest. She went into septic shock and had her limbs amputated in an Alberta hospital.

The family claimed Graham was negligent and was seeking more than $10 million in damages. The doctor denied he was negligent, saying his patient didn't follow instructions after she was discharged from the hospital.

The jury heard the case over several weeks. It decided Graham did meet the standard of care required of him. It also decided he received the informed consent of Baert for the tubal ligation.

Baert currently lives in a long-term care facility in Saskatoon.

Let this be a lesson to guys out there - get vasectomies ... just kidding (kind of) ... I don't mean to trivialize a horrible story, and I'm certainly NOT suggesting that her husband is to blame in any way - but I have to admit that it's what occurred to me while I was reading it. Vasectomies, vasectomies, vasectomies.

Remember the Glorious, Sunny Fall Weather?

Check out my post from November 10th, 2007.

Now ... look at a pic from today:


It's -35 degrees with windchill, I had to wear long underwear today (thank goodness for long underwear), and the snow isn't slowing down.

Sigh.

Winter is here.

BUT ... I have to focus on how lucky we were with the fall, right? The fall was so beautiful. Focus on the fall ... and on the fact that spring isn't THAT far away.

I Can't Stop Surfing - Someone Scold Me!

I have a case commentary to read before health law this AM, and I can't stop surfing the net. AURGH! Too many interesting things to read about, too little time.

I wanted to post a shout-out to my new favourite product, though:
Nestle's Fat-Free Hazelnut Coffee-mate. Yum. And ... FAT-FREE. Hopefully this will get me thorugh exams ... I need all the help I can get.

Getting Married Anytime Soon?

Things to watch out for with your photographer:

Wedding Photographer to Pay Damages for Lousy Photos as posted on the Contracts Prof Blog.

I Didn't Watch It, But I Can Hear The Horns Honking Outside

Saskatchewan Roughriders Win the Grey Cup

Seems that the score was 23 - 19 ... there should be a lot of shiny, happy faces in class tomorrow.

A friend of mine from class (and her fiance) made the trek out to Toronto for the game ... I'm so happy their trip was SOOO worth it ... and I can't wait to hear about their trip!

We Took a Look at This News Item in Health Law

Interesting ... I can't wait to see the outcome of this.

Jury mulls tubal ligation injury case by: Chris Purdy, the Star Phoenix

Baert's bowel was unknowingly perforated during the laparoscopic operation in July 1999, allowing toxins to leak into her body. She was discharged from hospital but two days later was rushed back in critical condition, suffering from septic shock.
Doctors in Edmonton later had to amputate her hands and feet. She also suffered major brain damage during cardiac arrests, leaving her with the mental capacity of a child.

Now 29, she lives in Saskatoon's Parkridge Centre long-term care home where staff change her diapers and feed her.

Along with her husband Mark and their two young sons, Baert is suing Graham for more than $10 million for negligence. The Lloydminster hospital and several nurses originally named in the suit have already settled out of court.

Glazer told the all-female jury that bowel perforations are recognized risks of tubal ligation operations.

All-female jury, hunh? Sounds interesting ... from that point alone.

I Spent Last Night with Evidence

We have a love/hate relationship right now, Evidence and I. We're never really sure where the other one stands.

Luckily, I've absorbed enough to recognize the controversy over the evidential burden that seems to be highlighted in this article:

Supreme Court reinstates conviction of landlord Grover by: Betty Ann Adam, Starphoenix.com

The guilty verdict was overturned when two of three appeal court judges ruled that a properly instructed jury could have found that Grover's conduct was equally consistent with the conclusion that he didn't know the inspection had not been done and simply thought it was crucial that the inspection records be in perfect order.

Looks like the evidential burden test meets the rule in Hodge's Case - although, from the article I can't tell if this case was only based on circumstantial evidence, so I don't know if the Court actually tried to apply the rule or if the Court was just using Hodge's Case language. There has been some debate about whether a certain Supreme Court of Canada case (Charemski) resurrects the rule in Hodge's Case - I wonder if in the body of the judgment, the SCC will explicitly deal with this (IF it was an application of the rule in Hodge's Case).

"Where the accused testified and offered an explanation for his or her actions, which the trial judge rejected, it was not open to the Court of Appeal to acquit on the basis or speculation about a different possible explanation of conduct that was flatly contradicted by the accused's own testimony," the decision, handed down Thursday, states.

I'll bet this case will be in the next round of Evidence casebooks. Of course, it will be interesting to read the actual judgment, since the media report could have gotten it wrong - hmmm ... once I get a minute to breathe, I'll have to take a look-see.

And .... They're Out - AGAIN!

Pakistan has been ousted from the Commonwealth - again.

Canada supports Pakistan's ouster from Commonwealth
By: Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service; Ottawa Citizen @ the Star Phoenix Website

2nd time in eight years - yikes.

I've Decided It's Time to Get Serious

Yeah ... finals are looming, so I've gone into preparation mode. I'm still in slow speed, but I'm there just the same.

Spent the weekend starting to prepare my evidence cases spreadsheet - and MAN did it take me forever, and I'm only about 1/3 of the way through. Doesn't bode well for how much time I need to start putting into this stuff.

I figure if I stay on top of readings for classes from here on out, that'll help ... so tonight, I read all my BusOrg readings. Yeah ... it was a lot ... but I survived. AND NOW ... all I want to do is play a little WOW, and I have to download a bloody huge patch before I can. AURGH.

With all of the school reading, I'm a little slow on the communication skills - so you'll all have to excuse me.

I can't wait until finals are over, it'll be so nice to have a fresh start in January.

I can't believe we're almost half-way through November.

School. That's all I've been doing lately. School. I might need some light therapy or something ... need to spend some time outside.

I Just Want You to Know that I'm Grateful

Take a look at a post from November 8th last year:

November 8th, 2006

See the snow, etc??

Now ... take a look at a picture I took today of a house on a neighbouring street:



See how nicely you can see the shadow from this tree? BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE SUN!?!??!?! I am so in love with the weather this fall.

Oh Bus-Org, How You Rear Your Head

I was skimming the Precedent, and came across this article:

Executive couples must be careful to keep confidences
Vulnerable to charges of insider trading
by: Vern Krishna, Financial Post

Caught my eye, because our Bus-Org prof always jokes (kind of) with us ... "if you're going to act opportunistically ... ESPECIALLY DON'T TELL YOUR SPOUSE"

Here's a quote from the article:

An "insider" is a director, officer or senior employee of a corporation. A trade is improper where an insider buys or sells the corporation's securities based on material confidential information "Insider" also includes "tippees" -- individuals who receive improper information from insiders.

Typically, insiders have privileged access to confidential information that is not available to the general investing public. Thus, in a sense, they are fiduciaries responsible for the management of corporate information in the best interests of the corporation. That is the theory.

Unfortunately, that is not the theory. Insiders have fiduciary obligation because they have limited access to corporate resources that they could opportunistically divert. Fiduciary is not a best-interest obligation, it is the obligation not to act in your own interests without permission.

The article gets it right here, though:

It is improper, however, to use confidential information for personal profit or to pass the information on to friends.

The rest of the article has some good points too.

Ah ... Bus-Org ... how you creep into every facet of my life. Here I was, just trying to skim some legal gossip ... sigh.

Great Video

The Privacy Commissioner's Blog has a great video here - watch it if you use Facebook:

A Friend of a Friend of a Friend Knows You're on Vacation

Saskatchewan Party Wins in Saskatchewan

It's time for change
Sask. Party takes majority gov't
By James Wood, with files from Janet French, TheStarPhoenix.com

So ... the NDP is out, the Saskatchewan party is in ... should be interesting.

The Provincial election results from all of the Saskatchewan ridings are here:
Star Phoenix

I like the saskvotes.com website too - spells it out quick-like:
http://www.saskvotes.com/

The Saskatchewan party platform held some very interesting points, including:
- Increasing post-secondary spending by 28%
- Elminiating PST on used cars and trucks (uh ... wow that this even has to be there)
- Keeping Crown Corporation public --> this could be super interesting to watch

The entire platform can be read here:
http://www.saskparty.com/assets/pdf/New%20Ideas/SecuringTheFuturePlatform.pdf

I always find it frustrating to read this kind of stuff, because to me it reeks of marketing, not substantive policy or political statements.

We Haven't Gone There Yet

Haven't breached the Charter issues in our Evidence class yet (not sure if we do ... I'd have to dig out my syllabus ... and it's still pre-coffee hour in my house) ... now my interest is piqued:

Judges urged to exercise restraint
Anti-Charter 'chainsaws' lubricated
By Helen Burnett - LawTimes

Still Alive and Kicking

I'm finally feeling like I can breathe now. It seems that it's been one thing or another for a long time. We've moved, travelled back and forth to Calgary, unpacked, I've had interviews and a couple of assignments ... it's been a long haul so far ... and now I'm settling in for the final run.

Ahhh finals, how I loathe your approach. There never seems to be enough time to do everything that I should.

With the CUPE strike @ U of S, our classes have been held off campus, and my routine has been shot. I'm totally a routine girl ... I like being able to get into a rhythm. The radio this morning says that the roads are slippery, so I'm thinking of walking to our alternative class venue ... might have to dig out the mitts.

PS - ANTM - how weird was that whole "I don't think I'm losing weight ..." thing ... um ... you'd have to figure that either you're shrinking, or your clothes are growing ... and last time I checked, clothes shrink, not grow (heh, heh, heh). I'm sure that the whole situation is stressful, and I know for sure that some people lose weight as a side-effect ... but ... it seemed weird that she denied it all. Hmmmm ....

Wish I'd Known!

Rick Mercer was on campus yesterday!

If I'd known ... I'd have taken a little time out to do some stalking ... Rick Mercer seems like a guy that deserves to be stalked!

Everybody watch on Tuesday!

Happy Halloween!

I'm reminded of this song ... I can't remember if we learned it in school when we were really little, or if our Dad taught it to us (and by us, I'm referring to my siblings ... reading this over I realized that I didn't specify - seemed obvious to me because when I sing it in my head, I'm little and singing it with them) ...

"Witches, and goblins, and jack-o-lanterns bright ... creep through the town on a cold October night ... you hear the sound of marching feet but nothing can be seen, the strangest things can happen on a quiet Halloween."

Anyhow, I'm making a recovery from a whirlwind of a last few days.

I had the greatest weekend in Calgary. Jason and I drove home on Friday last week, got family portraits taken with my family, learned that KRISTIN GOT INTO HER MASTER'S PROGRAM (woo hoo Kristi ... congrats, congrats, congrats ... I call getting free therapy when you're finished), took care of some real estate business, got to have sushi with some friends, and saw Henry Rollins. It was super busy, but that's generally how we like to roll.

Monday morning I flew back early so that ... drum-roll please ... I could attend some of the OCI's (On Campus Interviews - remember me applying for them?). Calgary firms came to Saskatchewan this week to interview for summer employment next May-Aug. I know that the Vancouver firms do this as well, but I'm not sure about anyone else (since I'm only interested in Calgary, and know people interested in Vancouver).

When I had found out that I would be interviewing, I started my normal routine of interview prep. I realized, though, that I had no idea what these interviews would be like. From talking to classmates, I gathered that they were far less formal that what I was used to, and so I made an appointment with Terri Karpish to talk a few things over. This was really worthwhile, and I'll be going back to Terri again to talk about articling.

Good advice from Terri was:
- Dress conservatively. I know this SEEMS like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised what I can come up with when standing in front of my closet, EVEN when limited to suit-wear.
- When asked if you have questions for the firm, try and prepare some meaningful questions that aren't just things that you could look up on their website. Remember the purpose for the interview, that it's really about a best-fit for both you and the firm.
- Law interviews (in this context) really are informal, there aren't usually set questions, it's not a behavioral style interview ... but even so, think about your resume and cover letter, and think about the main things that you'd like for the firm to know about you - and prepare to work it into conversation.

After meeting with Terri, I felt much more comfortable, and focused on reading what I could about each of the firms that I interviewed with, and trying to wrap my head around what it even means to be part of a "big firm".

So ... on Monday morning I got fancied up in my professional duds and headed on over to the Delta Bessborough (which ... as I mentioned before ... I know isn't "on-campus", there is a potential strike happening at the U of S, so the OCI's were moved off campus ... so ... they were the off campus on campus interviews, or OCOCI's - HA!).

There was a seating area for students to wait, and each firm would come out to get you when they were ready for you. They'd bring you back to their table, where there would usually be two interviewers. Conversation would usually start from a comment about SOMETHING from your resume or cover letter, and then it would roll from there.

This process was actually a lot less nerve wracking than the job interviews that I've been on before, and I even ENJOYED the process (I know, it sounds a little crazy, but there it is).

After interviews on Monday, the Dean from our College held a wine and cheese where the wine flowed, and the cheese ... sat on a plate waiting to be eaten ... yeah, I guess I've tapped my creativity for the week. It was a nice opportunity to mingle with everyone, and a special highlight for me was to be able to chat with a few of the first years that were out for interviews ... I haven't had much of a chance to meet many since we've been all over campus ... can't wait for our new building to open.

After the Dean's wine and cheese we were bussed over to Louis' for a wine and cheese put on by the firm. There was a real smorg of yummies, including crab, hors'd'oeuvres, cheeses, fruit, and even strawberry banana flambé. We were entirely spoiled.

This is the part of the story where I tried to pace myself with water. It was a good intention ... for a little while.

After Louis' we were treated to some drinks at the Freehouse (um ... pomegranate martinis here were actually good ... I made them once and they were so bitter they were gross - it was a New Year's Eve, and I was so disappointed ... the pom martinis at Freehouse were so yummy, it was FAR too easy to down them in a hurry).

Needless to say, it was hard to get up in the morning for round two of interviews (especially when my first interview was at 8:30). I wasn't too bad, I was so thankful for the attempt that I made at the water pacing, and I got through Tuesday.

So ... basically, here are the things that I learned, that I'd pass onto anyone looking at doing OCI's in the future:

- Do dress conservatively (again, I know mostly a no-brainer ... EVERYONE that I saw at the OCIs looked so amazing and professional, so obviously not something that's a contentious idea to get, but just thought I'd put it out there).
- Remember what an amazing opportunity the interview is for you, not only in possibly securing summer employment, but in having two lawyers from a firm at your disposal for an entire 20 - 30 minutes. If you're like me and you aren't sure about what it means to be at a big firm, use this time to ask some questions and absorb as much as you can ... this process will be invaluable when it comes time to think about where to apply for articling.
- I was really happy that I was always early. I liked to be in the student waiting area about 20 minutes prior to my interview time. I felt relaxed, I was able to chat with fellow students, and I think it really put me in the right frame of mind for the interviews.
- Do a better job than I did at pacing the drinks with water. I wasn't super-hung over in the morning, but I was definitely a little more flat for my Tuesday interviews than my Monday ones. It sucked to know it. Pace. With. Water.
- Include on your resume/cover letter something about yourself that will make you stand out from the crowd. All the firms told me that they know we're all intelligent, capable, WONDERFUL (ahem ... that one could have been my insertion) people. Interviews are to see where and how you'd fit into the firm. I've heard that people included everything from their community involvement, to belly dancing, to travels ... whatever. Remember that beyond being law students, everyone has some really interesting things to offer ... put them down on paper and brag a little!
- Have fun. The lawyers from the firms are pretty interesting people, and so are your classmates. Go to the wine and cheese functions, and make some acquaintances.

That's all I can think of right now, I'll add more if I think of them.

Anyhoo - I now just have to wait until January 21st (I think) to hear about potential jobs. Seems like a lifetime away, but at least, in the meantime, BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA will have started.

Jordan Fletcher.

Saskatchewan Has Been Talking About Tasers ...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/10/09/tasers-saskatchewan.html

Hopefully, it doesn't come to this kind of scary-ness:
http://ualbertalaw.typepad.com/faculty/2007/10/casual-taser-us.html

Are you as sick as I am after reading this? I'm nauseous.

I've Been Cranking Away

At my Health Law assignment. It's really funny, because we have 10 days to write a memo about an assigned topic, so it's pretty much like our open memo, but we've covered most of the research part in class (maybe, it's like a mix between our open memo and our closed memo).

I remember the panic and fervor over the open memo last year. This year, this assignment is something that I have to remind myself not to forget about!

Framing the issues was a lot easier. Also, organizing the material came to me much more quickly than last year. Instead of trying to whip all of the theory into submission, I've let the material dictate the organization, and let me tell you, it's an easier road traveled. I've forgotten, though, how the legal writing method is different. I keep referring back to my open memo to make sure I refer to cases properly, that I do my citations properly, basically ... for formatting. Also - thank goodness for that McGill guide!

The new season of Scrubs started last night ... exciting ... although the episode was a little disappointing. Maybe because it was a little less silly and a little more serious. I like Scrubs for silly, so .....

I think Battlestar Gallactica starts soon too .... SOOO excited about that one. Uh oh - just looked it up ... 2 hour premiere on Nov 24th ... cripes ... that's almost Christmas for goodness sakes. I don't think I'll be able to make it that long.

Jason and I are going to see Henry Rollins on Sunday, so I'm really looking forward to that. We've seen Rollins twice before, doing his spoken word, and it's always entertaining ... that man literally vibrates with energy and intensity.

On campus interviews (although that name now no longer seems appropriate ...) for Calgary are next week, so many students will be getting ready for those. Due to a pending strike at the U of S (I think both faculty and administration staff are on notice ... haven't gotten any announcements about it but ... I've heard a bit about it through the grapevine). The interviews have been moved to the Delta Bessborough hotel, which is on the posh side of ordinary. Exciting.

So Much to Say ... So Little Time ... AGAIN!

Had an amazingly awesome weekend - will go into that when I have more time.

This week is already turning out to be pretty awesome.

Yesterday at noon there was a lecture in the law library from visiting Acting Head of the University of Canterbury School of Law in New Zealand, Duncan Webb. He's an ethics guru, and his lecture was entitled "Bounded Paternalism and Bounded Autonomy (Why I am A Hired Gun)". It was about the role of lawyers in the justice system, and where moral or ethical lines enter into where lawyers see their roles, and where the general public sees their roles (it was more interesting than how I've just summarized it, but I'm limited on time here people). Definitely a good lecture, inspired some post-lecture discussion in the bar ... which is always a measure of how interesting something is. Especially interesting is the lecture subject in the context of access to justice.

Also, the CBA had a wine and cheese last night, which was well attended. Got to renew my CBA student membership, sign up for their mentoring program, sip some wine, see some people (including Duncan Webb, where I asked him if he thought that his view on the role of lawyers actually helped strengthen our legislation - since lawyers would be always working the law to their client's advantage, would it force legislature to close gaps that could be exploited - and he talked about how lawyers are ridiculously wordy, and that a cyclone of wordiness would possibly ensue, and that really, there is no clarity in the law - I think I kind of understand ... but ... maybe the fact that I'm fuzzy shows that I actually do understand), and I even won a door prize (a nifty little tote bag). Fun.

Yesterday the 1Ls handed in their open memos, and I had a little reminiscing session with some fellow 2Ls. Fun. It feels so far away, but just like yesterday too. I know.

AND ... saw this guy on the City TV's Calgary Breakfast Show ...

http://etchmaster.blogspot.com/

Hilarious, non? Don't lie ... you want him at your next party!

Last, but not least:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE!

Made it Through Another Week

Don't have a lot of time, but a few things:

Mom and Dad are coming to visit today (woo hoo) ... so that is super exciting.

I think the Precedent Effect (as I've dubbed it) is more widespread that they (or anyone) originally thought. From what I can see, there's now a race to "reach out" to young lawyers in a hip, modern way. From calls for young bloggers from the CBA, to the effects that are documented on the Precedent blog ... could this be the first step in addressing what I've been reading about all summer (namely the archaic firm model that most law firms are still using for operation)? There was a lot of material over the summer about retaining women and people with families by restructuring the way that law firms work. Interesting ...

FINALLY ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROLYN!!

Ubiquitous Theme of the Day

The ludicrous price differences (on the SAME goods between US and Canadian retailers) that Canadian consumers still endure in the face of our dollar being on par with the US dollar ... I listened in to Charles Adler's radio program about it, and Jason and I discussed randomly with the owner of the 8th Street Book & Comic store (awesome store, BTW).

There's going to have to be some radical changes pretty soon, or consumers will choose saving $$$$ over patriotism.

Even without the over-inflated car prices issue (which is the subject of a class action lawsuit), I did these random checks myself:

Weezer Blue Album = $9.97 with free shipping on orders over $25.00 @ Amazon.com (American)
Weezer Blue Album = $10.99 with free shipping on orders over $39.00 @ Amazon.ca (Canadian)

I'd love to look up more examples right now, but I'm not in the mood to surf.

It's Hard Not to be Paranoid

With events like the Dawson College shooting last year in Montreal, and the Virginia Tech shootings of this year, it's hard not to be paranoid to some extent to be on a busy and bustling campus everyday.

It becomes especially hard when my PAWS announcement bulletins are peppered over the last few weeks with safety advisories like this one:

October 15, 2007 Safety Advisory

Please print and post for those without access to email.

On Oct. 15 at approximately 8:00 a.m., Campus Safety was informed a letter of a threatening nature was found posted on the East exterior door of the Physics Building. Saskatoon Police Service was immediately informed and initiated an investigation.

The safety of students, faculty and staff is our foremost concern. It does not appear that there is any cause for alarm. The University is working closely with Saskatoon City Police and will keep the campus community updated if there are any further developments. Updates will be posted to the Announcement channel on PAWS.

We will continue to inform the campus community of all immediate safety concerns through campus email.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Saskatoon Police Service at 975-8300. Campus Safety reminds the University community to report any suspicious activity to 966-5555.
----------------------------------
Posted to Faculty, Staff and Students
By University Communications / ECO

A couple of weeks ago there was an announcement about the Thorvaldson building being vandalized with hateful propaganda.

Is it just me? Or ... are these announcements a little scary.

The communication from the U of S always seems to downplay it a little (or is it just me) ... which I find even scarier. I know that if the police are investigating, they can't release a lot of detail, but I kind of feel in the dark about it all.

I study in the Physics building all the time ... makes me paranoid, which sucks. I don't like being paranoid.

Calgary Municipal Election Results Are In

From my brief scan it doesn't look like anything too out of the ordinary ... Dave Bronconnier still mayor, BUT ... Alderman for the ward where I would have been voting (had I had the foresight to advance vote ... alas, I didn't), John Mar a newbie with a background in law enforcement, beat out incumbent Madeleine King (who's been one of the kingpins in Aldermanity -yeah, I just made that word up - in Calgary, representing the downtown area)... race was SUPER close though, so I guess that official results could be different when all is said and done.

Unofficial results as reported on the City of Calgary Website
Unofficial Results as reported by the Calgary Sun

I Think I've Become Morning Challenged

No matter what I seem to do, there's always some crazy antics going on in my house in the morning.

Generally, my alarm goes off at 6:20 AM (so that I can hear the 6:21 weather update on the radio) ... I haul myself out of bed sometime before 6:30, then I shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and run out the door to catch the 7:20 bus.

Sounds simple, right?

Wrong. Apparently.

The last few days I've been scrambling to find various things ... school stuff, keys, etc. I guess it's my fault for not having everything packed and ready to go the night before, but I blame that mysterious force that moves things on you. You all know what I'm talking about. It's sick, the pleasure that this mysterious force gets out of moving our stuff around just to make us crazy.

Also, this morning, I decided to make coffee to bring to school. When I opened the coffee tin, ground went everywhere. Great.

So ... hopefully I won't have to sprint across a parking lot in front of a bus full of people today ... that was kind of embarrassing last week, since I sat heaving on the bus, trying to catch my breath for a good 5 minutes afterwards.

Ah mornings.

Dinner and Dishes and Curling

It was a smashing weekend. The first weekend we've been in our house, here in Saskatoon, without a TO DO list the length of my arm (we still had one, was just the length of half of my arm).

We were fortunate to attend a dinner invitation on Saturday night, which was so nice. Having a social encounter in Saskatoon put us both in a good mood. The food was excellent, the wine flowed freely, and the conversation was so enjoyable.

Dishes - we've been hand washing. We haven't picked up a dishwasher yet and I'd forgotten what it is like to live without a dishwasher. I lived in a place for one year that didn't have one, and now I'm getting flashbacks. My tactic is to do most of the dishes in the sink before I leave the kitchen ... for example, if I'm cooking dinner, before I sit down to eat it I'll wash all the dishes I used to make it. It really makes it manageable ... because if we leave dishes for even a day, it becomes a daunting task that nobody wants to take on. So ... yeah ... I thought laundry was bad for consuming your life ... nope ... dishes are worse.

Last, but not least, I curled. Yup ... I'm so excited. It was one of my goals that if I was going to live in Saskatchewan while attending school, the experience wouldn't be complete without doing some curling. So ... I joined a law extra-curricular team as a stand-in, and my services were called upon tonight. It was the first time I've EVER curled, and it was so fun ... I landed on my ass quite a bit (uh ... yeah, not always while I was wearing a slide), and could barely get the rock all the way to the opposite hog line ... but I came, I saw, and I whipped it good. The best part is that the parking meters are free at the time that we play ... woo hoo!

I wrapped up my Health assignment that's due tomorrow, so I'm going to bed without having read BusOrg yet (yikes). It's two articles, and I have them printed and ready to go, so hopefully my three hour break tomorrow will be sufficient time to tackle them to the extent that I won't embarrass myself in class tomorrow.

Bridging the Gap

Like I've been saying!

Privacy by Design at the Privacy Commissioner's Blog

I OBJECT

So ... there's a reason I can't find a new Jane magazine on the rack:
http://www.glamour.com/magazine/articles/2007/08/jane

Jane magazine is no longer being published.

WHAT THE FRICK?!?!??! This magazine was one of the only ones that I loved ... content was liberally minded, INTELLIGENT, ambitious ... and always cognizant of the GLOBAL COMMUNITY ... it wasn't content that was limited to the issues on our continent. AURGH AURGH AURGH!!!!

I looked forward to every issue ... I read it from cover to cover ... I re-read it again and again ... and now they want me to read GLAMOUR!?!?!?


AURGH!!


PS.

Looks like I'm not the only objector/mourner:
http://fakinggoodbreeding.blogspot.com/2007/07/rip-jane-magazine.html
http://www.perpetuallysarah.com/2007/07/jane-falls-out-of-fashion.html
http://welovebeauty.com/farewell-jane-magazine
http://stylesmarty.blogspot.com/2007/07/jane-magazine-another-one-bites-dust.html

AND ... I want to add this to my MUST READ list:
http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Out-Fashion-Karen-Yampolsky/dp/0758217005

I Want a Copy!

A blog I've been following for awhile, The Precedent, is releasing a print version!

I want one.

Precedent launches print edition Oct 19

I Couldn't Agree More

Surfed U of A's Faculty of Law Blog today, and loved this post, where Nancy Grace is referred to as a "poisonous windbag".

LOVE. IT.

http://ualbertalaw.typepad.com/faculty/2007/10/plus-equals-thr.html

I've read a bit about Nancy Grace before, since I saw her on Jeopardy and couldn't get over her performance. Her past debacles are worth a read, if you're ever bored and in search of entertainment ... but I warn ... they did cause an elevation in my blood pressure at times.

Physics is My Religion

I love physics, and everything that has to do with the subject. I read about Dimensional Theory, and I force my Husband to watch TV specials about String Theory with me. I have one class in the Physics building this year, and I sometimes find a quiet spot there to do some reading ... so ... I've been surrounded by spacey-awesomeness from time to time this semester, and I'm loving it.

How exciting to read about this, then, in the Star Phoenix:

Space weather focus of U of S project
By Wendy Gillis

I love being reminded of how big the universe is, and how even our biggest problems can be put in perspective.

Sigh.

Interesting Article for the Wills Students

Canadian Lawyer Magazine has this article:

Power of attorney protection breaks down across borders
By Judy Van Rhijn

A scary prospect, since I've seen many elderly relocations (from one Province to another) due NOT to the "fight over the body before it's dead" that Ian Hull, of Hull and Hull LLP in Toronto is quoted as saying in the article, but due to the fact that relatives are in another province, and relocation is necessary as the requirement for care escalates; I think this is a key issue for so many people ... even if they're not fighting over this ... but just in trying to take care of affairs.

Nice to see that SK is taking a leadership role on this issue, though! Props to SK for being the only province to ratify the Hague Convention 35 so far!!

Tired. Wow.

So ... I was up fairly late last night, tackling my BusOrg reading. We were assigned 2 1/2 articles (about 20-25 pages each, from bar review journals), as well as 1/2 a chapter of our textbook.

I decided to start with the articles, which in hindsight I think was a smart idea.

I got through basically 1 article in about 3 hours.

It took me FOREVER! It was academic writing, which I'm not used to. I've learned to read cases and textbooks a little bit faster and more effectively, but academic writing is a new thing for me (remember, I hail from computer science, technical writing is more familiar to this girl).

I had to stop and look up words in the dictionary, and re-read sentences that were conveying fairly complex ideas in a succinct way.

All in all, I think the one article I got through sums up an ENTIRE concept (i.e. what fiduciary obligations really are), which is pretty huge ... so that's kind of exciting.

But - holy smokes, it took me forever.

I made notes while I went along, which I think helped solidify things in my head. I'm usually a highlight and make notations in the margins kind of girl. That worked for me all of last year ... but this stuff about corporations is a little too abstract for me to pull those moves off. I think I'm going to have to adopt this formalistic approach, and REALLY make myself good notes while I read.

I always try and leave myself more time to finish this BusOrg reading, and each time, it seems like I get less done. Aurgh. I guess I'll have to try and tackle most of the reading more seriously on the weekends. I really like to try and leave my weekends school free, so that I can spend time with the Hubster, but looks like I may have to sacrifice a bit until December rolls around.

ANTM is on tonight. Exciting.

I can't believe that I haven't seen any of new episodes of The Office. Double Aurgh.

I have an extra long Evidence class on Friday (make-up class), as well as our regular class ... so about 4 hours of Evidence on Friday. I still have to do the reading for that, so looks like The Office might be out this week too. Triple Aurgh. Luckily on the NBC website they post full episodes. Good ol' NBC, keeping up with the times.


Well - gotta go brush the chompers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLEN!

Gobble, Gobble is Over

Makes me a little sad. That it's over, I mean.

We had a sensational weekend. Hit up Jason's hometown first, where we got to spend some QT with his parents. Watched a couple of movies, took care of some business, enjoyed the crispness of fall with an amazing turkey dinner ... was very nice. I got to bask in the glory of the smell of pumpkin pie baking ... a wish come true.

We also hit up Calgary, and got to spend a Thanksgiving dinner with a great gathering of family and friends ... there were 14 of us in total, and it was great to see everyone at once.

Now, I'm back to business. Had class this morning, and I'm currently trying to get through my BusOrg reading. EGADS, it's so much. There's a ton to get through, so I'm hoping to put a major dent in it before I go to bed tonight.

I hooked up a printer that Jason's parents gave to us, and I'm SOOOO happy that I'm able to print in the comfort of my own home. So thrilling.

The first year formal seems to have gone well for those that attended last Thursday, I've had the chance to peruse some pics, and it's amazing how dashing the fellow classmates look all dolled up.

Our house is finally starting to feel like a home - my handy Hubby installed blinds on all of the windows that had been either bare, or covered with a sheet and clothespins. Makes me very happy.

Sigh.

Now ... back to work. BusOrg, I'll conquer you yet.

Anyone Else Craving Pumpkin Pie?

Or ... at least the smell of it. It's the smell I like best, really. Well ... that and the whipped cream!

I HEART Radiohead

... and like any other Radiohead fan, I've been ever so excited about the release of their new album.

What I didn't know, and what I found out by surfing the Freakonomics blog, is that Radiohead is pulling some pretty gutsy moves with this album.

Looks like Radiohead will be releasing their album sans record label ... they're going to be selling their tunes through inrainbows.com, and some sources say it'll be a pay what you will kind of deal.

Check out these articles:
GreenPlastic.com
Freakonomics Blog


How exciting!!

Here's the site:

http://www.inrainbows.com/Store/Quickindex.html

Check it out, buy it, support the innovation!

What's Your Claim to Fame?

Lorne Matthew Lapoleon's claim to fame is that he's the first person in Canada to be charged with perpetrating a terrorist hoax.

Here's the article from The Province:

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=bd571c9e-3a3a-43ba-9ca6-765075641f05

Not sure that I have a claim to fame ... so I'm jealous on that front ... but not that it's this particular claim to fame. I'd like something a little more .... artsy or something, as mine.

Yikes.

This Is What I Was Thinking on the Bus Today

I warn you in advance, it's pretty random, and I have no idea where it came from.

I've always been jealous of the fact that people with shorter legs look better when they sit cross-legged on the floor.

I know.

My legs are on the longish end of the spectrum, and while I'd never complain about it (especially now that most jean labels are carrying 34 lengths as a rule), when I sit cross-legged on the floor, I look like an awkward gangly flamingo ... all lengths and corners and gangly awkwardness. I don't look like a concise, symmetrical package.

I've always been jealous.

I warned you. Random.

This weekend was a flurry of activity. My In-Laws came, and helped us crank through an inordinate amount of housework. My Father-in-Law even risked his neck by getting up on our roof and cleaning out our eaves troughs (it had been awhile - I'm thinking YEARS, it was a pretty dramatic undertaking).

Suffice it to say, that I'm physically and mentally drained, and today is one of my longest school days. I'm done. Like dinner ... although, not MY dinner specifically ... speaking of which ... thank GOD for left-overs. Re-heating is SOOO on the agenda ... the thought of actually starting fresh to COOK is making me want to heave. Hopefully, nobody is reading this while they're eating ... hee hee.

I submitted a bunch of applications today (yup ... the deadline day) for the Calgary law firms that are holding OCI's (On Campus Interviews). I'm in the usual flurry of insecure anticipation right now, which probably won't end until I hear about the outcome.

Cross your fingers for me people!

OK. No more thinking about things that aren't in my control.

Classes were pretty good today. Wills was neat - we're talking about incorporation and conditional wills. Debtor-Creditor was a review of execution against personal property. Evidence was an overview of criminal and civil procedure as it pertains to evidence. Bus Org was all about corporate structure as it pertains to law; addressing the mischief that can occur when ownership and control are separated.

And now ... I look forward to vegging, watching a movie with the Hubster, and perhaps even allowing myself to bask in the warm glow of Thanksgiving anticipation. So far, I'm not doing TOO badly with creating a reserve in the paunch for the feasting to come ... but I could probably do a little better. Darn those Dibs and their delicious little bundles of tastiness. Darn them all!!!

PS. How awesome is the Saskatoon Landfill? They have a stellar set-up. Just saying!!

Professional Misconduct

It's a subject that I've been studying in my Health Law class, as it applies to Health Care Professionals.

In Law Times this article was posted:
Guelph lawyer disbarred by law society
Could lose Order of Canada

I only point this article out, because although I've come to see how serious the implications are of professional misconduct, I didn't realize you could lose your Order of Canada (which makes sense, of course, when you think about it).

I look forward (even more now) to next semester, as I'm enrolled in Professional Responsibility. Professional misconduct as it relates to lawyers will provide an interesting contrast to how it works for the doctors that I've been studying (the thought of which reminds me of a thread I read awhile back on lawstudents.ca).

Here's the calendar description:

LAW 421.3 — 1/2(3L)
Professional Responsibility
Introduces students to i) the roles, responsibilities and authority of the legal profession and ii)the legal and ethical duties of lawyers in the practice of law. The regulation of various aspects of the profession - admission, regulation of the practice of law, lawyer discipline, etc. are critically examined. As well, students will learn the elements of a lawyer’s duties to client, the court and others, including himself or herself. This involves an understanding of the lawyer’s role in the adversary system, the nature of lawyer-client confidentiality, integrity and conflicts of interest in various roles performed by lawyers.

Just Cleaned Up My Sidebar A Little

All the links should be active. Some of the links haven't posted content in awhile, but I'm keeping them on because the content that is there is just so good.

I've put in a few new links, and taken out some of the old.

Leave a comment (this rule always goes) if you've got a great site/blog/link etc. that you'd like me to include somewhere.

Information For EVERYONE!

Yay! Access for us all:

The Star Phoenix: Public Wi-Fe service expands to campuses by: Jill Smith

Perhaps It's Best ...

... that I didn't get my transfer to U of C after all.

I was surfing through the Motion to Recess blog, and stumbled upon this article:
Maclean's Law School Rankings Cause a Buzz

According to Maclean's first ever law school rankings (and yeah, I'm still kinda mad at MacLean's too, but I really think that holding a grudge is unhealthy ... I'm trying to move on):

http://www.macleans.ca/downloads/20070924_proschools_law_intro.pdf

U of S Law school comes in at #10 (out of 16 common law schools).

U of C Law School comes in at #15 (out of 16 common law schools).

The controversy surrounding the university rankings that Maclean's puts out is well known, but it's an interesting look-see in any case.

I've Forgotten How Fun It Is ...

... to crunch your way through leaves on the ground on perfect fall days. I'm really missing my camera right now (still in Calgary), since early mornings on campus are just ethereal. No joke. I truly feel so much gratitude that I get to be here doing what I'm doing. Ask me how I feel about Saskatoon when it's -40 degrees out ... then we'll talk again. But right now ... it's heavenly.

Sigh.

Well, I've been a jerk about keeping up with people lately, but I'm serious, I'm on the active side of managing chaos still.

I've recently added a new role to my repertoire: I'm the new Web Administrator for the U of S's Law Students Association website:

http://www.uofslawstudents.ca

The LSA wants this site to be a real portal for current students and prospective students alike. There's some updating, etc. that needs to be done, and general maintenance type stuff. Should be fun. I'm excited especially about setting up some foundations for the coming years.

School is, as per usual, running away at the speed of a crazy train. Luckily, I'm still hanging on ... but one hand is slipping.

I'm trying to wrap my head around the Saskatchewan Business Corporations Act right now. I feel like I'm almost there, and I can see how having a Commerce background may give you half a leg up in the BusOrg class that I'm taking. But ... I'm so close. Soon.

Also, I'm trying to sort out all my affairs regarding applying for the summer jobs that hold OCI's (On Campus Interviews). These applications are due on Monday. My transcripts are ordered, my resume is done, and I'm about half way through all of my cover letters. This weekend I'll have to wrap all of those up.

I'm starting to get excited for Thanksgiving.

Speaking of which, I went to the gym today (yup, I appreciate your applause). Hopefully I can at least create a buffer before I partake in any turkey or gravy.

One thing that was kind of cool was that the cardio was REALLY easy for me. Last year I was panting my way through the level that I started at today. I guess that, even though I don't feel that my paunch shrinkage was remarkable in any way, all the crazy running and sports that I participated in over the summer really did do something for me. Yay! Guess I'll have to focus on cutting out the junk. What sucks is that there really isn't that much junk to speak of, mostly weekly pizza rituals. Sigh. I've gotta give up the pizza demon.

The house is doing well so far, I still feel incredibly disorganized, but we're getting there. It feels comfortable, and even kind of homey. So ... I definitely don't regret the decision to buy this one at all.

Well ... I really have to go and hit the books. I'll come up with something a little more exciting for next time (read dramatic, I've been feeling a lack of drama in my life lately).

The Cost of it is Gettin' Me Down

Printing.

Yikes, hey?

I seem to have some kind of energy field about my person that interferes with the operation of any inkjet printer that enters it. I've gone through a few of them, and I refuse to invest in another.

So ... I've been printing things at school, but at $0.10 a page, it's adding up.

While I can appreciate that profs are putting materials online for students to access, so that we don't necessarily have to pay crazy money for textbooks that aren't always relevant, because of my personal preferences, I pay tons to print it all anyway. What can I say? I learn better when I highlight. I'm visual, and I remember what I colourize.

What I need is a laser printer. Time to do some consumer research.

I've spent the better part of the afternoon working online to have some stuff printed and bound at Staples.

I'm putting in some tabs to make it easier for me when it comes time to study for exams, but it is tedious work right now.

Aurgh.

Paying for printing sucks.

OMG - What a Friggin' Week

So ... we finally got the keys to our house on Friday, and have been moving in/unpacking ever since.

Chaos has left, and in her place a subtle disorder has taken residence, but I'll take subtle disorder over chaos any day.

The entire last week has been such a gong show, I haven't recovered enough yet to write about it at all.

We don't have internet or a land line installed at home yet, so I've felt fairly cut off.

And now ... I need coffee. AND ... routine. I miss having routine in my life, it's SOOOO comforting and efficient.

Cusp. I'm on the cusp.

Are You in 1L?

If so ... in the illustrious words of Graham Lang (at the Weakly Lawyer):

Hot Tips for First Year: How to Get Through First Year Law Without Being a Complete Annoyance.

I was privy to this info at the beginning of 1L, and let me tell you, Graham speaketh the truth.


Check out the rest of the Weakly Lawyer site, they've been posting new content.

BUT ... Apparently Saskatoon's Growth is Tops

I had this article brought to my attention by a friend:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/09/13/citieseconomies.html?ref=rss

It is CBC, and I am still a little miffed with them due to the shenanigans that I wrote about in August, but it's an interesting article to post alongside the loss of affordability article!

Saskatoon Housing Affordability

Interesting.

Looks like housing affordability stats for this area have their most dramatic quarter ever.

Norm's Real Estate Blog: Worst quarterly deterioration of housing affordability on record for Saskatchewan: RBC

I'm so happy that I get to move on Sunday.

Whew!

I finally feel some semblance of order among the chaos.

I'm mostly caught up with readings, and even a little ahead in some classes.

Most of the things that I've had to have sorted out have been sorted (administration wise).

Our move is on schedule for this weekend.

I caught some excellent zzzz's last night ... BUT ... my eye is still twitching. Aurgh.

I'm excited this year, because I'm going to try a few new things, one of which is volunteering for Campus Legal Services. There's some lunch available tomorrow for people that are interested in learning more about volunteering with this organization, as well as with Pro Bono, Classic, and Scales of Social Justice, here's the PAWS announcement about it:

ProBono Students, CLS, Classic, and Scales of Social Justice are having an information meeting for all interested first years on Friday September 14th from 11:30-12:30 in Commerce 46. Lunch will be served.

Please come out and learn how you can get involved in these organizations. If you have any questions, please email:
campuslegalservices@hotmail.com
probono.sask@usask.ca

Also - just saw the new College of Law website, exciting. Looks a lot more modern.

As for me, I'm plugging along. It's been tough not having a phone at my disposal, but I'm making do, and it won't be long now.

It is so chilly here today that I can see my breath outside. Don't get me wrong, I love a real fall ... the kind of fall that inspires wool sweaters and hot chocolate, mittens and scarves, and running through leaves on the ground. BUT ... I wasn't expecting it quite yet. Ah well, I suppose we get what we get, so we may as well enjoy it.

As for my classes so far, here's the run-down:

Wills: Like the looks of this class. Seems like it'll be a Lisa kind of course, the Prof equated it to the logical games section of the LSAT, which was nothing but fun for me (yeah, I know).

Debtor-Creditor: Once I wrap my head around the unfamiliar lingo (this is where having an Econ or Commerce background would help), I think this won't be too bad. Looks like a lot of material to get through, but the Prof makes sense.

Evidence: Haven't had as many of these classes, Prof has had the flu. So far though, readings make sense, aren't too overwhelming. Should be good. Really seems to touch on EVERYTHING else that we learn, so that's neat.

Business Organizations: i.e. Corporate Law, this class has an OVERWHELMING amount of reading, which has been a struggle to keep up with already. It is super interesting though, and the Prof frames it in a really thought provoking way. Again (like Debtor-Creditor), I feel a little out of my element, and feel like I'm spending a lot of time with the dictionary, but I think it'll come with time. This is another course that I'm seeing reflected back in many of the other course's readings - especially Debtor-Creditor.

Health: Love it so far, interesting look at health care providers and how the law works to protect them, and to protect others. I like reading these cases because the context is so familiar to me.

All in all, all of the Professors really seem to be amazing authorities on their subjects. I'm really excited to get into it this semester, especially since I've already been piecing things together for myself, on an abstract level.

Anyhoo - off to do some reading ... yup, never ends, but I think I'm on track for a manageable semester. Hopefully.

Big Brother 8 tonight. SO EXCITING!!!