We Need to Understand More

... about why people do the things they do.

The Beltline Rapist from here in Calgary is undergoing his dangerous offender hearing right now. I don't want to comment AT ALL on this guy, but it makes me realize how very important psychological research is, not only for prevention, but for rehabilitation and appropriate treatment and sentencing within the criminal justice system.

This reminds me of a news story from back in May of this year.

The University of Lethbridge (which is a leader in criminal etc. psychology) announced a study they were doing (with U of Toronto) which paid ex-convicted pedophiles to participate in a research project that would monitor their reaction to sexual images. They received huge public outcry at the fact that they'd be PAYING these ex-cons to participate in a study.

Paying people to participate in studies is normal practice. I've been paid to participate in a study before. I got $20 for about 10 minutes of my time (and I got to play computer games with another user ... it was a study on transparent GUIs and multi-user processing on one machine). These ex-cons were getting paid $60 for 2 - 3 hours of their time. So ... pretty standard.

Even though some subjects may make us uncomfortable, they're still worthy and necessary research topics. As long as research is conducted in an ethical and customary way, I say bring it on. It's not like you're rewarding these people for being pedophiles, I'm sure the stigma they carry with them everyday is in no way eased by getting $60 for participating in a study that focuses on their illness (is that even the right word? Illness? I'm no psychologist ... Wikipedia says that pedophilia is considered a mental disorder ... hmmmm).

Maybe when I'm rich and famous one day, I'll kick in money for criminal-psychological research.

There's a law class at the U of S called "Law and Psychiatry", which I did not ballot for. Now that I think about it, maybe I'll try for it for next year ... I bet it would be really interesting. Here's the course description from the academic calendar:

Introduction to psychiatric theory; the methodology of psychiatric diagnosis and modern psychiatric treatment; the role of psychiatrists in the legal process. Psychiatry and the criminal process: remand for mental examination, fitness to stand trial, sentencing, automatism, insanity and dangerous offenders. The concept of competency: contractual and testamentary capacity. Civil commitment of the mentally ill: a comparative study. The psychiatrist as expert witness. Selected problems.

AND ... one week and one day ... it's an important day for two reasons. 1. It's my Sister's birthday. 2. I find out which classes I successfully balloted for, so I'll get my class schedule. EXCITING!

I HEART Beverley McLachlin

Most of the "Lawyers are Rats" hullaballoo has settled down, but it's nice to know the Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin has the backs of her peeps (read here at the Globe and Mail).

Also - the interesting tidbit that I commented on in July seems to be a theme for our CJ. Hmmm ... very interesting indeed. Definitely something that could make for interesting papers this year.

Don't Know Which Career Path is For You?

Check out this program at Brandon University:


Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies


Looks pretty neat - only program of it's kind in Canada.

As per an article in the Star Phoenix (Saskatoon), looks like there's lots of work in the field.

What A Lovely Weekend

Friday Jason took me to the Harry Potter movie!!! WOO HOO! Yes, I loved every second, yes I'd see it again in a heartbeat, and yes, I want to re-read the book RIGHT now.

If I hadn't read the book, I could see how the movie may appear slightly disjointed. There were parts that wouldn't make sense without the background, or the ENTIRE plot of the book (obviously, a lot had to be cut out). When Neville tells Harry that he isn't ready for everyone to know about his parents, it seems out of place without knowing that in the book Harry saw Neville's parents in the hospital (and they skipped that part in the movie). Stuff like that. The parts that were done in the movie, though, were awesome. I loved every second. SOOO cool that we get to see them doing more magic. Oh MAN! I could go on forever about this, so I'll stop myself now.

Saturday, we started to get organized for moving (which was pretty much exactly as you picture it).

Sunday, we had a grand day. It was our second wedding anniversary, and we took to the streets.

We started off by running a few errands, and grabbing a bite to eat on 4 St. Then, we hit the Big Secret Theatre to take in one of the offerings of the Calgary Fringe Festival which is on right now (until August 19th - check it out, but don't expect it to be anything like the Edmonton Fringe, Calgary was very sedate, and really seemed like a secret ... if you weren't already aware, you'd wonder what all those crazy people with buttons were doing hanging around the theatre disctrict).

We saw the Deer on the Highway show put on by Red Deer College Theatre, which consisted of two shows; Young Marrieds at Play and The Blue Note Lounge.

Next, we went to Marda Gras at Marda Loop, and did a tour of that festival. There was music, merchant booths, and a big beach volleyball tournament that we watched for awhile.

For dinner, we checked out GlobeFish (recomended by a co-worker of mine) for sushi. We went to the Marda Loop location, and tried a bunch of their rolls, including the FABULOUS Vancouver roll, and the sweet and sexy Mango Paradise roll. This place reminded us a lot of Sushi Samba in NYC, there is a huge variety of sushi, and many choices are put together a little differently than at your regular neighbourhood sushi joint. We'll definitely be heading back to this one.

Finally, we rented Casino Royale. According to the Blockbuster dude, we must be the last two people that haven't seen it. Definitely, I would say that it's the best recent Bond flick. The movies with Pierce Brosnan were so cheesy, it was hard for me to take. This flick definitely brought back the sexy, and laid off the cheese.

Also - I was surprised the Chris Cornell did the opening song. I don't really remember hearing about it when the movie first came out. Weird, didn't really sound like him. It was such a big deal when Madonna et. al. did their Bond songs, and I seriously don't remember any hype over this one.

It was a great day, puts me in a reminiscing kinda mood too. Last year, for our anniversary, we drove home from our Oregon vacation. Of course, the year before that was our amazing wedding. Makes me excited for where we'll be a year (or two, or three) from now.

Thank you to everyone that called to wish us congratulations on Sunday. It means a lot to us, and makes us feel ever so loved!

And ... of course, it wouldn't be me without doing a rant of some kind, so here it is. I know that a lot of people love that you can now have Blockbuster movies for a week, so late fees aren't such a big issue anymore etc. etc. etc. BUT ... there are NEVER any movies on the shelves anymore. No wonder we never rent movies. Earlier this summer, we had a certificate for one of their guaranteed movies (where they guarantee that the movie will be in, or you get a credit on your account that is good for two weeks to rent that movie for free). We had this credit for, like, 6 weeks in a row because the movie was NEVER in. AURGH. How frustrating. What a waste of time to go in there. I guess you have to hit Blockbuster mid to late week to even get a choice of anything. No wonder Netflix is so huge. And ... rant over.

Consumed by Something

We did end up playing beach volleyball in the rainy/misty/miserable weather last night. We got a full team to come out, which was awesome. It turned out to be a lot of fun, although cold on the feet (as I was later lying in bed, I could pinpoint the exact moment that my toes finally warmed up).

I think in the next few weeks I'm going to have to scale back on my sports participation, and really focus on the issues that have been CONSUMING MY LIFE.

Time to start sorting out the house; packing, cleaning, laundry, and organization in general. Once we secure a place to live (hardy har har), a huge stress should be lifted. I'm almost SICK of looking at listings in SK.

PS. Why are so many of the listings empty houses? What the heck is going on? Alien abductions of furniture? Are we saying that, if furniture is worthy of alien abduction, our couches and chairs are alive? They have feelings? Yeah ... I know, but I'm on a sugar high, and I am so tired about talking about SK real estate and evil Albertan investors and flipping and scams and fraud and all the rest of it. I much prefer a story about aliens. In fact, I'll take a story about aliens over a story about pretty much anything else.

I STILL haven't seen the next Harry Potter movie, either. That's really been getting me down. Why, oh why can't I find the time to go? Jason and I are NOT late movie people (we sleep through late movies), and between mini-vacations, trips to Saskatoon to sort out our lives, and soccer, volleyball and ultimate frisbee, we've had nary a minute to spare for floofy entertainment like movies (although, I have managed to keep current with Big Brother 8, and even though he'll try to deny it, I think Jason loves watching Evel Dick as much as I do ... AND ... how about a guy as normal as Zach being in the house with all those other crazy personalities - not that I don't love them all - but Zach seems SOOOO straight-laced in comparison, non?).

Last night, since our volleyball game wasn't until 8:00, I even managed to actually cook dinner for once (I've been a sandwich girl so far this week). What a luxury.

An Update That Shocks Me

So ... that house that we looked at in Saskatoon about two weeks ago?

It was listed at $X.

We were told by our real estate agent that it's market value was probably more like $X+10K or $X+15K (i.e. that's what she thought it would actually sell for).

It SOLD for $X+30K.

YUP. $30K over the list price. AND ... this place needs work.

I know. I'm as shocked as you are. I don't understand why people are paying so much. BUT ... I didn't understand when it was happening in Calgary, either.

Winning Streak is Over

So sad. We played like troopers in the overcast/rainy weather last night, but an Ultimate Frisbee victory was not to be had.

We lost by 1 point in each of the games that we played ... they were neck and neck, so close, which makes it even more heartbreaking.

On the plus, we seemed to have some really nice plays, a few people even pulled out some new tricks (Joey, Chad with their quick pass backs), and we were pretty strong on our defensive plays, when we made them, we pulled them off well.

Sigh.

There's always next week.

Tonight, I'm wondering if we'll be playing beach volleyball (which is outside in this Calgary rain). Yikes.

Word of the Day

mencsch

As per dictionary.com, mensch = "a decent, upright, mature, and responsible person."

Reverse Sexual Discrimination

Well ... not that it's "reverse" discrimination, but the focus is in another direction from what we're used to seeing.

This article (Rona building bad blood with TV ad by Chris Cobb) at the National Post discusses a Rona commercial on TV that depicts all husbands as lazy guys who don't help around the house.

I'm glad that someone is making a stink about the discrimination aspect. Discrimination isn't right, no matter what form it takes. I think it's a real step backwards to keep throwing sexual discrimination around ... it really undermines the serious issues that so many people face when we're making jokes about it on any level.

It Isn't Just the Real Estate BUYER Market

Looking at rentals, there seem to be many people out there that share my concern over the affordability in Saskatoon housing.

When rental units are listed at $1200/month for a 1-bedroom place - who are they marketing to? Students? Hardly.

Here's a CBCnews article about this:

Saskatoon housing crunch putting squeeze on students

With school starting in about a month, thousands of post-secondary students heading to Saskatoon are having to deal with a rental housing crunch.

"Our housing registry is two pages long; the people that need housing is eight pages long," said James Pepler, president of the University of Saskatchewan's student union.

"This doesn't include international students who are coming from overseas, who come here and find out they have nowhere to live."

Saskatoon's red-hot housing market in recent months has meant skyrocketing purchase prices and booming sales. On the rental side, some people have been hit with double-digit increases.

Pepler said something needs to be done soon to find more affordable housing for students.

Across town at the Kelsey campus of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, things aren't any better.

Loans don't cover rent costs: student groups

Brittany Holderness, president of the Kelsey student association, said several members of her executive can't find apartments and are storing their possessions at her place.

Holderness said she plans to track the situation.

"One of the projects we're hopefully going to be working on in the fall is actually get students to list what they're actually paying in rent, if they're having trouble, what the general outline of their budget is," she said.

Both groups said student loans haven't accommodated sharp rises in rent either. Pepler said the student union plans to hold a tent city rally at the university this fall to draw attention to the housing problem.

Earlier this week, dozens of people camped out in a Saskatoon park to protest the lack of affordable rental housing for low-income and working people.

Macleans.ca has a similar article (click to read it, although I think I should still be mad at Macleans for their "Lawyers are Rats" debacle).

As does the StarPhoenix, published this morning, by Lori Coolican (most detailed account - read this one if you're going to read any of them).

Not only is this entirely scary, I wonder how long this can last. Those of us looking to buy a house are being thwarted (expensive, offer presentations as opposed to classical bidding, people paying WAY over list price), those of us looking to rent won't be able to afford it/won't find any available? Seems like a dicey situation.

Sustainability should be a word at the front of everyone's mind (well ... those that live in Saskatoon for sure ... for others, I suppose, it wouldn't hurt ... well ... as long as we don't get our wires crossed and start debating about being "green", since that's a discussion that I don't want to get into ... today, anyway).

Wow.

Wow is all I can say, and not a good or excited wow. A flabbergasted and disappointed wow.

A woman in Ohio shot and killed a homeless man that asked her for 25 cents.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/13845999/detail.html

Looks like the lawyer is setting up for a shot at a defence in mental illness, maybe to show that Geraldine Beasley actually believed she was in danger and was acting in self-defence? Would love to follow this case and see what happens.

How sad. Makes you wonder if there is a back story. One thing about most cases/media stories etc. is that you never get the whole back story.

Like I Need Another Reason to Feed My Addiction

If you read this blog regularly, you'll know that I have a little problem with Dairy Queen. I can't say no to the stuff. I'll never seek it out on my own, but if anyone ever says ... "Hey Lisa, do you wanna go to Dairy Queen?" I am incapable of forming the word "No." This lead to a bit of a pudge gain around exam time in April, which I'm still trying to work off.

This Thursday (August 9th ... yeah, that's right ... tomorrow) is Dairy Queen's Miracle Treat Day. What does that mean? Proceeds from every Blizzard sold goes to the Children's Miracle Network.

Here's the press release from CNW Telbec:

Country singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson named honorary spokesperson of annual Dairy Queen(R) Miracle Treat Day

BURLINGTON, ON, Aug. 7 /CNW/ - When is a mass of summer blizzard activity throughout Canada and the United States a good forecast? On Thursday,August 9, because it's not about the weather; it's about helping kids in need.That's the day Dairy Queen(R) will host the 2nd-annual North American "Miracle Treat Day" to benefit Children's Miracle Network. Miracle Treat Day began as a Canadian initiative to raise funds five years ago and was so successful that the concept was adopted by Dairy Queen locations across the US.

During Miracle Treat Day, participating Dairy Queen and DQ Grill &Chill(R) locations will donate proceeds from every Blizzard(R) sold to Children's Miracle Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for 14 Canadian children's hospitals, and a total of 170 children's hospitals across North America.

Carolyn Dawn Johnson, a national goodwill ambassador for Children's Miracle Network, is this year's honorary spokesperson for Dairy Queen's Miracle Treat Day. Johnson, a popular country pop singer, was raised in Deadwood, Alberta. She has worked with the Children's Miracle Network since2003. Johnson will be part of this year's Country Music Association Awards in September, where she won last year's Female Artist of the Year Award.

"Miracle Treat Day is about raising funds for children's hospitals across Canada," said Johnson. "If you want to do something for your local children's hospitals, buying a Blizzard on August 9th is an easy and delicious way to make an impact."

Dairy Queen has been a supporter of Children's Miracle Network since1984, raising more than $65 million during that time.

"Carolyn's songs and voice have been inspiring her fans for years," said Jean Champagne, COO for International Dairy Queen. "We are proud to have her as our honorary spokesperson. Canada raised $1.5 million through last year's Miracle Treat Day and Carolyn's here to help us beat that amount this year."

Instead of snow-filled blizzards, Dairy Queen will serve up a variety of Blizzard Flavour Treats during Miracle Treat Day including the August Blizzard
of the Month, Oreo(R). The Oreo Blizzard debuted in late 1985, the Blizzard's inaugural year, and to this day remains the most popular flavour.

For more information about Dairy Queen or to find a location, visit www.dairyqueen.com. To join the Blizzard Fan Club, log on to www.blizzardfanclub.com. The DQ site for kids 13 and younger is www.thedqcentral.com.

So ... if you ever needed a reason to get a blizzard, this is it. Oh - and be careful about asking me to go with you ... I won't be able to say no.

My Dreams ...

... they may be unconventional, or maybe not ... but awhile back I posted about Star Trek dreams of mine coming true.

WELL ... never more so has this been true!

I was listening to QR77 on the radio last night, it was Rob Breakenridge's show The World Tonight. Rob was talking about ... yeah ... FLYING (freakin') CARS!

Here's a link to the show's blurb on the web about it.

How awesomely cool is that?

Here's a link to the website of Moller International, the company making the Skycar.

and a link, on their website to video of these cars (and other stuff, like interviews).

Some callers/Breakenridge had some very interesting comments on the radio program ... namely that they don't see this type of vehicle becoming accessible to the general public anytime soon, but that people trained properly would pilot others around (seeing as the whole FLIGHT thing is pretty complex, especially when variables like weather are factored in).

It's about as Jetsons as you can get.

Here's the June 28, 2007 press release from the Moller International website:

MOLLER INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES PRODUCTION OF JETSONS-LIKE GROUND-EFFECT VEHICLE

Davis, CA, [June 28, 2007]--Moller International (OTCBB: MLER) has completed tooling and has begun producing parts for its Jetsons-like M200G volantor, a small airborne two passenger saucer-shaped vehicle that is designed to take-off and land vertically (see http://www.moller.com/).

The M200G is the size of a small automobile and is powered by eight of the Company’s Rotapower® rotary engines. This vehicle is intended for operation continuously in “ground effect” up to approximately 10 feet altitude.

Dr. Moller calls the M200G, “the ultimate off-road vehicle” able to travel over any surface. “It’s not a hovercraft, although its operation is just as easy. You can speed over rocks, swampland, fences, or log infested waterways with ease because you’re not limited by the surface. The electronics keep the craft stabilized at no more than 10 feet altitude, which places the craft within ground effect where extra lift is obtained from operating near the ground. This lets you glide over terrain at 50 mph that would stop most other vehicles” he continued. While the Company does not foresee the requirement for significant training or licensing to operate the vehicle, it is prepared to offer demonstration sessions in Davis, California once the vehicle is ready for market.

Production on the initial six airframes started earlier this week using hard-tooled molds with the capability of producing one fuselage per day.

Depending upon engine production volume the M200G price could start as low as $90,000. The key component in determining the M200G production price is the cost of its Rotapower® engines. The Company is working with a strategic partner to produce this engine for a number of different applications in order to obtain the cost benefits of high volume production.

Persons interested in purchasing a M200G volantor may reserve a delivery position by making a refundable escrowed deposit.

For more details please contact Mr. Bruce Calkins, email: bruce@moller.com , Voice: (530) 756-5086 ext. 33, Fax: (530) 756-5179

Safe Harbor Statement:

Except for historic information contained in this release, the statements in this news release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause a company's actual results in the future to differ materially from forecasted results. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the company's ability to attract qualified management, raise sufficient capital to execute its business plan, and effectively compete against similar companies.

Skycar® and Rotapower® are registered trademarks of Moller International, Inc. in the US and other countries.

Oh yeah, and we won our soccer game last night (woo hoo). In the league that I play in, there must be two girls on the field. When we were just starting to get going, there were only two girls there period, myself being one of them. Yikes, I thought, this is going to be a long game. Luckily, two more showed up, so it was a nice pace. I got lots of play time, but got to drag my butt off the field when my lungs were trying to collapse on themselves.

Long Weekends are Awesome

I LOVE long weekends. Ever so much.

I was lucky enough to tag along on a weekend family adventure to Whitefish, Montana. My parents, Julie, Joe and I (Kristin had a baseball tournament in Revelstoke, and Jason went to the lake to visit his family) left right after work on Friday, and leisurely wound our way down around Glacier National Park to a condo rental in Whitefish.

(all the pics below are my Sister Julie's)

What really struck us, when we started to get close to Browning (in MT), was the heavy smoke that seemed to be hanging over everything. Suddenly, as we cleared one area of mountainous terrain, we could see the forest fires blazing. They were way off in the distance, and looked immense, ominous, and kinda scary (especially in the twilight).



As we drove along the southern border of Glacier National Park, we passed one spot where there was a small fire blazing ... we could feel the heat from it on our faces as we drove by.



Soon after passing this small fire spot, we passed the fire camp where all of the forest fire fighters were based. There were tons of tents, meal trucks, and lots of equipment parked in a clearing where there were a lot of people and lots of activity going on. It was kind of exciting to see.

Soon after we got to Whitefish, we heard that the fire camp had been evacuated to the town of Whitefish, and that the highway that we had been travelling on had been closed.

Dramatic!

In Whitefish, we got to have an excellent and relaxing weekend. We stayed at Ptarmigan Village, in a very nice condo. It was pretty fancy, with a neat loft, and a steam shower. There was both an outdoor pool (super close to our condo) and an indoor pool (a short drive away) that Julie and Joe took advantage of. Only thing that sucked, was that it appears that a cat sometimes lives there, since there was what looked like a cat door, and Julie and I stuffed up pretty quick in there.


There was also private beach access, which we did check out, but "beach" here referred to a rocky shoreline, so we didn't really hang out there for too long, just long enough for Julie and Joe to take a dip. From the pictures below, you can really see how smoky it was (it was so smoky that we'd wake up in the morning to ash on the vehicle).




We checked out the town site where we shopped and partook in some grub from the Red Caboose cafe (service was not good, food was decent, you could get yam fries, which is kinda fun). Here's Joe, Julie, ME, and Dad sitting on the moose bench outside some Whitefish shops.


We also took a spin down to Kalispell to check out the shops (yeah Famous Footwear and TJ Maxx ... I got shoes, shoes, shoes! And ... a Tinkerbell t-shirt at Target ... I do love Tinkerbell ... even dressed as Tink for my T-Party back in March (of which there are far more embarrassing pictures ... the one I posted on my blog is pretty tame, though).

Down by Kalispell, we took a look around Flathead lake, and watched people launching their boats for awhile. It looked pretty, but because of the ever pervasive smoke, it was hard to get a true appreciation for where we were at. Not much we could do about that.

On the way back to Calgary, we drove through Glacier National Park. We stopped at Lake McDonald Lodge, which was just gorgeous. Really reminded me of Crater Lake Lodge, where Jason and I had breakfast on our Oregon vacation last year. Same feel to it. It'd be a neat place to spend a weekend (either Lodge, really).

We took the Going to The Sun Road to Logan Pass to get through the rest of the park. MAN ... is that ever trippy. I don't remember as much about this part of the journey from the times we did this trip when I was young, but as an adult, I'm glad that I sat in the furthest seat from the edge of the road. It is really something that everyone should do. The narrow road drops off to NOTHINGNESS as you climb up a mountain.

In this pic you can see the line of the road across the side of the mountain:


The drive was surreal, it was absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous waterfalls on the way up and down.


At the peak of the road, there is a stop at Logan Pass. They have an interpretive center there, with a boardwalk hike up to some views. I remember this boardwalk from when I was so little that Julie and Joe didn't even exist yet. Mom has a picture of Kristin and I sitting on the stairs when we were knee high. Funny. There were lots of mountain sheep up there, posing for tourist pictures, and even a mountain goat with a wee baby.

Here's Julie and I, at Logan Pass:

And ... Joe and I, same place, different view:

The entire drive through Glacier National Park was a haven for motorcyclists. They even have specified motorcycle parking at Logan Pass. Hilarious.

All in all it was a pretty awesome weekend. I actually do feel relaxed and refreshed, and ready to tackle my moving adventure.

Now ... if only I had a place to move to.

Another Book I Have to Read

Something that may go along with ideas that I have for writing school papers:

Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood by Naomi Wolf.

Here's the Publisher's summary (as per Chapter's):

In The Beauty Myth the fearless Naomi Wolf revolutionized the way we think about beauty. In Misconceptions, she demythologizes motherhood and reveals the dangers
of common assumptions about childbirth. With uncompromising honesty she describes how hormones eroded her sense of independence, ultrasounds tested her commitment to abortion rights, and the keepers of the OB/GYN establishment lacked compassion. The weeks after her first daughter’s birth taught her how society, employers, and even husbands can manipulate new mothers. She had bewildering post partum depression, but learned that a surprisingly high percentage of women experience it. Wolf’s courageous willingness to talk about the unexpected difficulties of childbirth will help every woman become a more knowledgeable planner of her pregnancy and better prepare her for the challenges of balancing a career, freedom, and a growing family. Invaluable in its advice to parents,

Misconceptions speaks to anyone connected–personally, medically, or rofessionally–to a new mother.

What Do You Think?

Negligence? Or ... a story put out there by Air Canada (I have no proof that this is the case ... but how funny is the thought)?

http://www.casemp.com/

Scary, either way.

We Won, We Won, We Won - Part Deux

So ... at beach volleyball last night we won both of our games (woo hoo)!!! Exciting. For this sport, as well (like ultimate), the first three weeks were a seeding round, so now that we're playing newbies (like ourselves), it's a little more fun.

I think bringing beer helped as well, but who's to say?

This wasn't the first win for our volleyball team, they won both games last week, but due to a migraine, I wasn't there to witness the glory first hand. Let me tell you, it was glorious this week baby.

Yesterday, I had pretty much one of my grumpiest days ever. I think it was a combination of hormones (heh heh heh ... PMS and I were fighting for supremacy over my body, it was a back and forth venture all day), stress (I hate moving ... so much more than I can even talk about), and sadness (I hate saying goodbye to people too ... I'm REALLY going to miss my friends, even if it is only for 2 years).

Luckily, I was able to drag my butt to volleyball. When I'm grumpy, volleyball is the last thing on the list of things that I want to do, but last night, it snapped me outtta the grump so fast, it was awesome.

As for the MacLean's/CBA "Lawyers are Rats" debacle, that's still ongoing with more opinions/rebuttals/responses being wagered back and forth ... I'm getting a little bored with it already ... I'm ready for some new drama.

I need to buy some jeans. I hate jean shopping more than anything in the world. But ... it has to be done.

We Won, We Won, We Won!

Our first Ultimate Frisbee win. It was last night ... it was spectacular ... and in Chad's words ... it was ... ultimate.

In both of the games that we played last night, I played in a marathon round that really had me running my caboose off. Each half of a game lasts about 20 minutes (so in a night, we play 4 halves - two games) ... and last night, I played two rounds that SEEMED like they were almost an entire half (in reality, they were probably only about 12 minutes or so, but holy crikey Batman).

But ... in our second game, we won 4-3 ... it was a great, close game. Sure makes a difference to be done the seeding rounds, and to be playing against other teams that are a lot closer in experience and skill level (i.e. at the bottom ... the newbies ... the unskilled ... inexperienced).

Sigh. I really love Ultimate Frisbee ... just wish I was a little better at throwing/catching the friggin disc. Must practice that up ... perhaps this weekend.

Balloting for Classes

So ... the balloting deadline was Monday at 07:00 AM, and I entered my selections, as best I could. I'm still utterly confused about how balloting works, so I'm hoping that when I get my class schedule (August 22nd), I can shed some light onto how this process works. Hopefully I'll get it down pat for next year.

In the meantime, it's killing me to wait for my class schedule. AURGH. Three more weeks, still? Why ... oh why ... so much waiting??!?!??!

To distract myself, I've downloaded a copy of BlawgWorld07 as put out by TechnoLawyer, it can be found here:

BlawgWorld07

Law Society of Upper Canada Means Business

Here's their press release regarding the infamous Maclean's article:

http://www.lsuc.on.ca/media/jul3007_macleans_article.pdf

Maclean's = a tabloid ... hunh? How dramatic! This keeps getting better and better!!!

YCJA Poll

I've decided to remove the poll that I posted on July 11th about the Youth Criminal Justice Act, since BLOGGER now has a poll feature (woo hoo).

My old poll can still be viewed here, though.


As you can see, I had 7 total votes:

2 votes for "The YCJA needs reform, but just the more serious offences, like murder."
5 votes for "The YCJA needs reform all over the place!"


My original post can be read here ... and there's some great commenting done at the bottom.

Another Interesting Tidbit for Papers

http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=8e6d9ec9-c3ef-44d3-9e5e-7dbf8e8982c3&k=59613

This one is something I've been thinking about for awhile ... I have the Lisa spin already going in my mind ... hmmmmm ...

Maclean's Response

Maclean's on the CBA Rebuttal:
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070727_112012_3188

Philip Slayton (original interviewee that sparked the controversy) Rebuttal:
http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070727_161043_8468

Six String Nation

A co-worker of mine came back today after being off to volunteer for the Calgary Folk Fest that just wrapped up here in Calgary.

He told me about the coolest thing EVER.

THIS amazing guitar made an appearance at the folk fest, and you can read all about it here.

http://sixstringnation.com/en/the_guitar

An amazing construction of Canadian landmarks and history, this guitar includes pieces such as a log from Jack London's cabin, a piece of L.M. Montgomery's house in PEI, a sliver of gold from Maurice Richard's Stanley cup ring ... it's a spectacular read, I HIGHLY suggest you check it out!!!

Interesting Article

I found this article at Law Times:

Men, women judges vote differently; Study shows party that appoints jurist also affects way criminal cases can go by Helen Burnett

Hardly surprising, but with the fact that I'll be writing papers this year at the forefront of my mind, could be an interesting tidbit to keep in mind.

CBA's Rebuttal Continues and Saskatoon Real Estate

The Canadian Bar Association's rebuttal to the Maclean's August 6th cover story about lawyers continues.

Page A11 of the National Post (July 30th) featured an article by James Morton (President of the OBA and member of the CBA Board of Directors) called "An inexcusable smear on lawyers". James Morton also got to be on the Charles Adler radio show (I friggin' love Charles Adler ... I know he's a bit of a nut, but he's such a lovable nut).

Here's some of the article (click the link above to read the rest):

In my years as a lawyer, I have seen many things. These include a (very) few lawyers who intentionally lied about their billing, slept with a client or defrauded someone. Where discovered, those lawyers have been disbarred and, in some cases, sent to jail. That's how our system works: If a lawyer breaks the law or the professional code of conduct, he or she is punished just like everyone else.

The distorted, one-sided cover story in Maclean's this week is an insult to the country's legal profession. One can only hope it isn't a trend. Bankers, architects, engineers, dentists, accountants - who will be targeted by the next smear campaign? I suppose we should keep our eyes on the cover of coming issues of Maclean's to find
out.

While I understand that Maclean's magazine is in the business of making money, I find it just hilarious that, as per an e-mail send out to CBA members by J. Parker MacCarthy:

Despite our request for space to refute the article, Maclean’s has only agreed to publish a short letter to the editor from the CBA in the next edition. I am sending the letter today. I am also speaking to The Lawyers Weekly today and will continue to schedule media interviews to refute the outrageous accusations contained in the original article.

So ... obviously Maclean's is loving every minute of this. Should be interesting to follow this story, and see where it all ends up.

As for my weekend, Jason and I drove to Saskatoon Friday night after work. MAN is that a long drive. We got into Saskatoon at about 11:30 PM or so, and crashed hard (into our bed). We had an appointment with a Realtor on Saturday, and spent the day looking at different properties.

I am FLABBERGASTED when it comes to the real estate market in Saskatoon. I am absolutely floored. The houses that we looked at were SOOOOO expensive, and were older homes that really need to be gutted and redone. I kept wondering how the heck Saskatoon could possibly sustain this real estate market, when the city itself (in terms of industry) doesn't seem to be going through a proportional boom. Salaries are nowhere near comparable to Calgary salaries, and while people are starting to move back to Saskatoon, my impression is that it's more young families and older retirees that are making the trek back ... hardly people in their prime earning years (or earning years at all in the case of the latter).

I found this blog (an excellent resource) by Saskatoon Real Estate agent Norm Fisher while doing some searching last night, and it shows that my shock is well placed:

Saskatoon Real Estate Resource Centre Blog

These articles in particular sum it up:

The other side of the boom: collateral effects of a changed Saskatoon real estate market
Housing affordability deteriorates nationally, but most sharply in Saskatoon

Another thing that was surprising is that many of the homes that are for sale accept bids only through a presentation of offers (usually via your real estate agent) on a particular night. This seems to create an atmosphere much like bidding for tenders, as you don't know what anyone else (if anyone at all) is going to bid. When Calgary was going through the CRAZY upswing over the last two years in their real estate market, I had heard of this kind of thing going on, but more commonly I heard about auction-style bidding, where buyers were present and could see what other people/bids were in contention.

On the blog mentioned above, there's a whole article addressing some issues that arise for agents from scenarios as described:

The ethics of "bidding" for Saskatoon real estate

Last weekend, we were told that a house we looked at, that was listed for X$, had a market value of X+10K or X+15K, as most places in Saskatoon were being overbid and purchased for above listed price (i.e. it was suggested that if we were to place a bid, that it be from $10K-$15K over list).

Needless to say, from an investment perspective, this is not the direction that we took.

If you peruse the Norm Fisher's blog, you can see that while there is still some overbidding going on, there are certainly still properties that sell for both under and at listing price. This is the category that Jason and I will belong to, if we buy anything at all in Saskatoon.

In a market that I'm not sure can sustain itself, why would I pay over list price when I'm only interested in a 2 year plan? If I was looking at investing over the long haul, I could see myself thinking differently. But ... there are neighbourhoods in Saskatoon, like East College Park (as per the Saskatoon Real Estate Resource Centre), where the average selling price of the homes takes hiccups from year to year. YIKES (for those of us wishing to invest for only two years).

Anyway, that's my rant for the day.

We still aren't sure where we're going to live this fall, or when we'll be able to move our household to Saskatoon, so we'll be making another trip to Saskatoon in the near future to scout out some more potential homes.

As for the rest of the weekend, we met some of my law buddies at O'Shea's, on the rooftop patio where there was a heavenly mister making our sweltering stay a little more bearable. It was so awesome to catch up with some of my classmates, and hear about the exciting things that they've been doing this summer. We hit Whiskey Jack's afterwards for some stellar karaoke performances (none by yours truly, though, since I was driving ... and it requires a little more than diet Pepsi to get this girl up and singing).

Sunday, we basically drove home. Yup. Long drive, no A/C and 34 degrees Celsius. Needless to say, it made us a little grumpy. We crashed when we got home (again, into bed).

I Always Knew It

I never could stand the taste of Aquafina, and here's an interesting article that clears it all up for me:

Pepsi Says Aquafina is Tap Water, CNNMoney.com

CBA Strikes Back

I don't know why the world seems to LOVE to characterize lawyers as bad people ... well ... actually ... I probably do know why. But to me, it's the same with all professions. There are dirt-bags everywhere, and unfortunately those that are the biggest wind-bags usually end up being the loudest ones that are mistakenly taken as a representation for all.

There are certainly some pretty amazing people in my class at U of S law, and I know that they're going to be amazing lawyers, community leaders, principled professionals, and people who genuinely care and give back to the community.

I guess that MacLeans magazine was looking to stir something up with their August 6th edition, when they interviewed Philip Slayton, author of Lawyers Gone Bad.

Nice to see that the CBA fires back with the July 26, 2007 press release below:

CBA condemns unfair characterization of lawyers in Maclean’s magazine

OTTAWA – The Canadian Bar Association has condemned in the strongest possible way the cover story in the Aug. 6 edition of Maclean’s magazine that paints a distorted, one-sided and sensationalized picture of the legal profession.

“By cherry-picking the worst cases of lawyer misconduct, the article has tarnished the reputation of thousands of professionals who are honest, hard-working, and community-minded people,” says CBA President J. Parker MacCarthy, Q.C. of Duncan, B.C. “Lawyers defend their clients’ interests on a daily basis, and there are countless examples of lawyers who provide pro bono legal services in their communities.”

The Maclean’s article is a broadside against the legal profession that doesn’t tell the whole story. In Canada, provincial law societies are vigilantly maintaining standards of professional conduct and disciplining lawyers who fail to meet them. Law societies look out for the interests of the public, by investigating complaints and taking necessary disciplinary action.

In those isolated cases when lawyers break the law, they are treated no differently than anyone else in society. “If they break the law, they are subject to the law and all its penalties,” says Parker MacCarthy.

Lawyers’ conduct is governed by strict and enforceable Codes of Conduct in each province and territory. The CBA’s model Code of Professional Conduct, updated in 2006, guides lawyers on many areas of their professional work including integrity, legal skill, discriminatory behaviour, conflict of interest, and confidentiality.

The CBA is a strong proponent of access to justice, or making the justice system more “user-friendly” to the average person. The association has lobbied for increased funding for civil legal aid for more than two decades. Its legal aid test case on the need for a constitutional right to civil legal aid for poor people is currently before the courts.

The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.

I have to say, when there's a real story there, I have no problem with characterizing the bad guy as such. BUT ... there is real damage done when these kinds of broad, generally destructive, generalizations are allowed to propagate among the public ... for any profession.

I finished reading the 13th Stephanie Plum novel, Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich. Must say, I was sorely disappointed. Seems like Janet Evanovich had to crank this book out in a hurry, because there were no real plot developments beyond a formulaic adventure like all the other Plum novels. Too bad, I really like this series ... hopefully the next one will be better, since I'm not so turned off that I won't read that one too.

I would love to pick up a copy of Chambermaid: A Novel by Saira Rao, which I saw featured on the Precedent site. Seems that Rao clerked for a Judge down in the US, and this novel is "loosely" based on that experience. LOVE it. Can't wait to read it. This will probably be a Saskatoon read for the fall.

Also, my B-Day was this week, and I must say that I was rather spoiled. Thank you to all of my family and friends for making me feel SPESH on my day, when I've been feeling rather blue about having to move to Saskatoon (AGAIN, not that it'll be terrible, it's just that I miss being home with my family and friends ... ya know, and I'm finally at an age where b-days seem to be depressing ... the big 3 - 0 seems a little too close for my comfort now ... AND ... I find moving really stressful in general).

The folk fest is going on right now, here in Calgary, and my sisters both got to check it out last night. I'm a little jealous, I must admit.

Found this article, and found a new appreciation for Queen. Looks like Queen guitarist, Brian May, is finishing up his Ph.D. in Astrophysics. Must look up more on this guy. Looks like he co-wrote a book: Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, will have to look into it (before I switched into Computer Science, I majored in Astrophysics and I still have a passion for reading about it).

AND ... last, but not least, today is 2-for-1 Starbucks day at the hospital, and I got my venti vanilla latte for $2.00. YAY! Makes Fridays so much more bearable!

PS. I HATE using the blogger quotes feature. It always effs up my formatting. AURGH. May have to write their support. Puts in DIV tags all over the rest of my text. GERRR.

Ahh HTML, We Meet Again

I've been creating a wedding website for a friend of mine, and I'm really excited about it. I'm doing some of it in Flash (I'm still learning about Flash, so it's pretty basic), some in plain ol' HTML ... but I ran into some problems. The page was displaying just fine in Mozilla's Firefox, but in Internet Explorer (version 6.0 in particular, it seemed), the frames were all hooped.

I scratched my head forever on this one, and couldn't figure it out. I was even looking through techie forums to try and figure out why this could be. I tried re-publishing my Flash source files and reloading them to my webserver, all to no avail.

Finally, last night I decided to go through my HTML code line by line, since I was DETERMINED to make this work. What did I find? I was missing an ">" character at the end of a line in one of my files. Yeah. Wow, hey? I had flashbacks to being in school during my undergrad, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty.

So ... now it should be fixed, and I'm so happy. Now I can concentrate on getting the content up on it, since it should work for everyone.

If you want to check it out, it's right here:

http://www.WADEandCARRIE.com

EXCITING!!

PS. Lisa W - if you're reading this, I officially volunteer to do one for you too! Think about what you want, and we'll get going this fall (if you want, no pressure).

Irregardless

I always think about this word ... "irregardless". I sometimes hear it being used, I remember one high school physics teacher in particular that always used it, and it's always bothered me.

I read wikipedia's article on it today, and I still can't get it out of my head.

Be careful ... it's like the song that doesn't end if you're not careful ... the more you say it, the more it seems wrong ... irregardless ... irregardless ... irregardless.

Wow ... And ... I'm Ready For a Post

So ... I had a pretty good weekend, got to have dinner with friends in various B-Day celebrations, read Harry Potter, which my Mom pre-ordered for me and had delivered to my house early Saturday morning, and got to spend some QT with the fambily.

And ... now the chaos ensues.

We've begun to get ready for the move to Saskatoon, and my stress levels are already rising.

We've looked into some accommodation possibilities, I've made trips to the bank, and I'm trying to secure some moving boxes so that we can start packing up this entire house. I'm dreading all of it.

Also, I want to make sure that I'm able to spend some time with all my friends that I'll be (more or less) leaving behind for 2 years.

So much to do, so little time.

I'm going to have to make a list. I have clothes that I want tailored, shoes I need fixed, stuff I need recycled/given away/thrown out, a moving truck to book (which is hard to do without knowing where we'll be living, so this is causing me some stress).

AND ... I skipped soccer tonight because I'm feeling drained. I know. Soccer would make me feel better, I hear all of you, but I'm just drained. I'm going to have to call and offer some apologies tomorrow.

I got to go to the spa on Friday with my Mom, had a facial and a massage, and the facial has given me a friggin rash on my face. I'm still a little too upset to write about it.

I've been trying to figure out the balloting process, as well. I've picked all my classes, but there are some finer details regarding the balloting process that I need to have clarified for me by the College of Law. Hopefully tomorrow at work won't be quite so busy, and I'll be able to place the call to SK (actually, I don't even know if I'm allowed to make long distance calls - I'll have to ask about that one).

I also want to get my resume ready for the October summer job postings that will inevitably come up far too fast once school starts.

Sigh.

Been doing a lot of sighing lately. I can't wait for September when the sighing can take a break.

Read It, Loved It, Want to Read It Again

Yeah ... Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Loved. It.

Transfer Watch 2007 Has Ended

Lisa and Jason are moving to Saskatoon.

Yup ... did NOT get the transfer to the U of C. I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I'm definitely disappointed, since I really love my home, I have truly valued being close to my family over the summer, since they are such a huge support system for me, and we have strong financial and community ties here ... but ... what can you do?

My decision to apply to transfer had nothing to do with U of S as a school or institution, so I am excited to return in the fall to a school that I love. Having Jason there with me should make for an easier time over the next few years, and we're looking at it as a two year adventure.

Especially appealing is the prospect of getting to enjoy the renovated version of the U of S law school that should be ready for the fall. I can't wait to get into the new building that I didn't know I'd get to see.

The thought of leaving Calgary for two years is the part I'm struggling with. Last year, I knew I was temporarily in Saskatoon, and I had a lot of weekend trips home. With a two year commitment to be in SK, I'm going to need a period of adjustment.

And now ... to organize a move. Double groan. How traumatic is moving? At least last year I only had to pack up one bedroomsworth (yes, it's a word, because I said so) of stuff. Now ... I have a whole entire house to pack up. Yuck!

Ah well. Such is life. Even though I'm not upset (which trust me, I wasn't expecting), I still feel like I may need some cheering up. Well ... not exactly cheering up ... more ... encouragement. Yeah ... I need people to encourage me that living in Saskatoon for 2 years will be fun, fabulous and exciting.

One thing that is for sure is that I can try and live a bit more of a normal life while I'm there, this time around. I had so many of my weekends occupied with trips home that my weekdays were beyond hectic. For the next two years I should be able to spread out some of the work I was doing during the week, and even sign up for a sports team or two (something I REALLY missed last year). I'm thinking curling ... or indoor soccer. AND ... yoga. I'd love to joining a yoga studio again, and actually get my moneysworth out of the membership fee.

Another Interesting Read

I stumbled across this article from the Globe and Mail while reading the Precedent today.

Fear not, I have no inclination to be a super-mom either ... although I don't know about the night nurse route ... it is interesting to see our generation of women doing what they have to do to make their lives work for them - and doing it guilt free!

Saw This, Had to Share

Was just reading the The Nibble (see sidebar), and saw this:

Amazon.com:

How hilarious/awesome is that? Joey - I'm so getting you one when you move out!

Am I an Emotional Wreck?

Sometimes, I suppose, but as a law student in Somewhere, USA, I would much more likely be an emotional wreck.

The Wall Street Journal Online's Law Blog from June 8, 2007 (by Peter Lattman) is below:

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/06/08/are-law-students-emotional-wrecks/

I read through a few of the comments, and they seem to cover a broad spectrum of perspectives ... some of them overlapping with my own. Interesting!

This is the study that spurned the Wall Street blog topic:

http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/6/883

Gotta say, I like this Wall Street Journal's Law Blog. I scanned through it a little bit and found this article too, made me laugh out loud:

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/07/16/judge-dissents-without-reading-majority-opinion/

Found these blogs today, gonna take a spin through them and see if they're lucky enough to deserve spots on my illustrious sidebar:

http://www.gahtan.com/techlawblog/

http://ualbertalaw.typepad.com/

Still no news. Still waiting patiently (heh heh heh), and ... really mad at Julie for going to Harry Potter without me. Mad.

Also, worried that I won't remember anything next fall. I feel like everything I've learned is slipping through my fingers. Yikes.

Tied our soccer game last night. It was crazy playing in the wicked humidity. While it didn't feel HOT HOT HOT out, it felt absolutely oppressive. We all sweat through our shirts, and then some. I don't mind humidity, but I must admit that I don't know how to cope with the copious sweating.

Did I mention that I love Dilly Bars?

Still Waiting for News

Transfer Watch 2007 is still in effect. Still haven't heard what my fate will be; Calgary (home) or Saskatoon (pack up and move). Sigh.

The weather in Calgary has been hot and humid, which is quite different for this area. I don't LOVE it (due to the uncontrollable sheen of sweat that seems to coat your body, and the unruly and misbehaving hair that results), but it's kind of neat stepping outside at night and feeling (almost) like you're in Cuba ... or at least near an ocean (as per my Lil' Sis).

Had a great weekend. Jason's brother and his girlfriend came up and hit the Stampede, and we got to meet up with them on the patio of the Ship & Anchor. Brought back memories of sitting there with a friend of ours who has since moved back to Newfoundland. Awww .... memories.

Also, I can't believe how much I the Calgary Public Library. Last night Julie and I dropped in to drop off some almost overdue books, pickup some of my holds, AND ... I grabbed this:

The Food Lover's Trail Guide to Alberta Volume 2

I've only had time to do some casual flipping so far, but there are all sorts of neat places in here that I can't wait to try. Makes me want to pick up Volume 1 as well.

Also, I'm starting to get Harry Potter fever. Bad. I get all breathless when I see ads etc. for the book. 4 more days. My B-Day is shortly after the release date, and I'm hoping that I'm lucky enough to receive the BOOK OF THE FREAKIN' YEAR!!!! I can't wait. The chest pain. The anticipation. I can't explain. I can't take it. You'll notice that there are no hyperlinks that are Harry related - I can't do any Harry googling, because I can't chance coming across a spoiler ... I really can't. It's far too meaningful, too personal ... it must remain pure and unknown. Sigh.

Last night I watched the first Harry Potter movie with Julie, Joe, and Jason. Just to get in the mood. I told friends that I'd wait a few weeks and go see the new Harry Potter movie with them then ... but I don't know if I can wait.

Also ... did you catch the Victoria Beckham Coming to America Special? Ahahahaha. Loved it. You can watch it all online if you missed it. I don't know why I love it SOOO much ... but I do. Maybe it's because we have a special U of S bond (as I posted about last December). Also - I want her hair. So bad. I covet it. Not so much her heels ... but her hair. MAJOR.

Why do I have to love Dairy Queen so much? It seems to be my Achilles' heel.

Dear Out-Of-Town Drivers

I see you driving around Calgary, with either your exotic license plates or with your freshly washed rental cars, and I know why you're here ... Stampede is a pretty cool time of year with a lot going on. I'm happy that you're visiting my fair city, in fact, I welcome you.

BUT ...

... when you notice the locals slowing down to the speed limit at what seems to be a random time on a long stretch of road, trust us that it's for a reason.

There are known spots where the Police will do radar, or where by-law officers will park their photo-radar vans, and we know where they are.

Over the last week, I've seen TONS of out-of-towners get busted for speeding, and it just doesn't have to be that way.

I don't have anything against speeding, but speed smart! Watch the locals ... and do as the Romans do. Trust us. It'll save you money, time, effort, and grief!!

Today, on Memorial Drive heading West, across from the river, I saw about 3 people get caught by a photo-radar van that I knew had to be there and had slowed down for. When the obvious out-of-towners whipped around me at about 70 km/h (I had slowed to the speed limit of 50 km/h), it pained me ... it hurt, especially when I saw the photo-radar van parked exactly where I knew it would be.

So visitors to Calgary, enjoy the Stampede, party it up, see what we have to offer, but PLAY SMART for goodness sakes ... help us ... help you.

Is Today Your Birthday?

If so, then head down to Krispy Kreme donuts for your free box of a dozen glazed hot ones, in celebration of their 70th Birthday today.

WOW and My Sore and Tired Arms

I've mentioned on this blog before that I play WOW (I know, it is a little computer nerdy ... but hey ... it is SOOOOOOOO fun, and I am a bit of a computer nerd). Well, this morning, my WOW world and my law school world collided in a spicy and delicious way.

In my inbox this morning was the Addendum (newsletter from the CBA). Among other interesting articles was this one:

Contracts in the MMO world by Chris Bennett and Andreas Lober

HOW FREAKIN' AWESOME WAS THIS READ?

If I go back to Saskatchewan, one of the requirements for the law degree is that a minor paper and a major paper have to be completed. This article opened my eyes to the fact that my papers could be on a creative and interesting topics (on a personal level). Now ... I'm on the lookout for ideas that I could write my papers on!!!

As for the sore arms ... played beach volleyball last night, and I loved it. My arms are so sore, since I'm such a rookie that I only hit it correctly 1/8 times or so, but it was so much fun. Very party-ish kind of atmosphere, and all the teams that were playing had great attitudes, highly recommend this one!

Played ultimate Frisbee on Wednesday ... pretty exciting. The game was a LOT more running than I was expecting (more than soccer even, in my opinion), so I'm excited about the prospect at upping my endurance. I'm really excited about the team that we've put together, too. I think we'll have a lot of fun over the next few months ... but as newbies, I'm afraid that we may have some problems with winning games (we were trounced ... 0-8 in both of our games on Wednesday). Oh well, I think if we practice our Frisbee tossing a bit then we'll at least be able to put some points on the board next time.

Happy Birthday 7-11!

Make sure you hit a 7-11 store today (July 11th) to get your FREE SLURPEE!!!

Big News in Alberta

So, I haven't written about this at all yet, I was kind of waiting until I had shaped up some comments, and I think I'm ready now.

The April 2006 Medicine Hat slaying of a Mom, Dad, and Son has been especially horrific for Albertans to hear about due to the fact that the 12 year old (at the time) Daughter was charged with their three murders.

A bit of the back story is that the girl was dating 23 year old Jeremy Allan Steinke (also charged with the three murders), and that her parents had grounded her from dating him. The girl was also said to be a frequenter of the vampirefreaks.com website (the same has been said of Steinke), the same site that was frequented by Kimveer Gill (the Dawson College shooter in Montreal). The girl admitted in court (as per CBC reporting) that she and Steinke had talked about killing her parents, but they were just joking. When charges for the murder had been laid, Steinke proposed to the girl, and she accepted.

The neat thing about hearing these things on the news, now as a law student, is that I can piece together some of the concepts and look at the whole picture in a more meaningful way (for me ... I mean ... being a nerd and thrilling at being able to observe the law theory that I learned in "real life"). For example ....

From what I gathered from listening to the radio etc. during the time that the trial was going on, her defence seemed to be based on the fact that Steinke was the real perpetrator, and that the girl was confused/traumatized (from what the media was reporting ... so as for the real story ... we'll see).

I'm guessing that defence was trying to attack both the mens rea and the actus reus (as would be expected)... but it's hard to know for sure until a transcription of the trial is read ... it sure didn't seem like they were putting forward anything like mental illness, but it looks like hints at an automaton defense.

In this CBC article about the murders it says that

"During the trial, the girl testified she was in a "zombie" state at the time of the killings and was unable to stop her boyfriend, or go for help.

She admitted in court that she and her boyfriend used to talk about killing her parents prior to the slayings, but she insisted she was only joking at the time.

The Crown countered that the girl was an active participant in the killings, which she plotted with her boyfriend because her parents disapproved of their relationship.

The Crown told the court the girl had plenty of opportunities during and after the killings to call 911 or go for help, but she never did."

This would seem to support my idea that mens rea was being attacked by the defense.

In the same CBC article about the murders it says that

"Before the jury began its deliberations, Judge Scott Brooker reminded jurors that even if Steinke physically stabbed the girl's mother, her father and brother, under Canadian law, an accused can be found guilty if they intentionally help, encourage or persuade another person to commit a crime."

So ... it looks like the Judge was instructing the jury on the Section 21 of the Criminal Code, Parties to Offences, which would back up my thought that the defence was attacking the actus reus.

The jury deliberated for less than three hours and then returned a verdict of guilty on all three counts of murder.

This is interesting for a few reasons.

First, it would seem that the girl is the youngest person in Canada to have ever been convicted of multiple murders.

Not exactly the claim to fame that I would want for myself.

Second, it has brought forward much controversy with regards to the sentencing that will take place in August.

On the Global TV news here in Calgary, they did a piece (click here, then click on Tuesday's Sentancing (sic) link) with MP Art Hanger talking about the maximum penalties under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). There seems to be much discussion over whether or not maximum penalties should be raised for young offenders OR be assigned consecutively (i.e. in this murder case, since the girl killed three people, she would be assigned three penalties to take place one after the other, as opposed to concurrently which means that sentences are carried out at the same time).

Section 42(2)(q) of the YCJA (as quoted from CANLII) outlines the sentencing for first degree murder for youths:

(q) order the young person to serve a sentence not to exceed
(i) in the case of first degree murder, ten years comprised of
(A) a committal to custody, to be served continuously, for a period that must not, subject to subsection 104(1) (continuation of custody), exceed six years from the date of committal,
and
(B) a placement under conditional supervision to be served in the
community in accordance with section 105

The whole REASON that we have a YCJA is outlined in section 3 of the legislation itself, where Canada's policy with respect to young persons is laid out. Focus is put on rehabilitation, reintegration, and making sure that children are accountable only in proportion to their maturity.

While I can definitely see both sides of the issue (i.e. those that advocate FOR the YCJA as it is, and those that are advocating for reform), and I totally agree that children should have a different sentencing focus and structure than adults, I think that this case will truly bring forward some debate over how appropriate the legislation really is. Section 38(1) (The Purpose of Sentencing Section) of the YCJA reads (as quoted from CANLII):

38. (1) The purpose of sentencing under section 42 (youth sentences) is to hold a young person accountable for an offence through the imposition of just sanctions that have meaningful consequences for the young person and that promote his or her rehabilitation and reintegration into society, thereby contributing to the long-term protection of the public.

I emphasized the word meaningful. The issue of whether sentencing a girl who has been found guilty of killing the three members of her immediate family with 6 years in custody and 4 years of conditional supervision is meaningful is a compelling issue indeed.

Sentencing alone seems to be a delicate dance of balance ... sentencing of children possibly even more so.

I'm interested to see ... what do you all think? I added a poll to my sidebar - take a look and let me know what you think about Youth Criminal Justice Act reform!!!

Spiders Kinda Freak Me Out ... But ...

... a co-worker forwarded this article to me, and it's too funny to keep to myself!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18984762/

Makes me think of a new VERSION of Spider-Man ... heh heh heh ... and the kinds of world saving activities that he'd get up to.

Played soccer last night and a fight almost broke out ... pretty dramatic. We won the game, but the other team was a little intense at times. They definitely calmed down a little after the almost-fight, but it sorta takes the "social" aspect out of the Calgary Sports and Social Club, which is too bad (since that's why we choose to play in that league).

I definitely need to learn to drink more water. All the time. I'm getting killer headaches the days after soccer, even though the day of I try to drink monstrous amounts of H2O. So ... that's my goal for the week. Copious amounts of water ... all the time!

Summary of 1L: Part 2

I've been working on this for awhile.


Here's a link to the Summary of 1L: Part 1.


As for part 2, I wanted to answer a few more questions that I had before I started my adventure last September.

3. Is There Anything I Should Do Before I Start?

In a word. No. But ... if you're like me and you feel a lot more comfortable with doing SOMETHING to prepare yourself for the great unknown, then I have a few suggestions.

a. Read The Law School Book: Succeeding at Law School by Allan C. Hutchinson.
This book is great. I even kept reading it throughout my first year for tips on assignments, exams, etc. There are more books like this ... I'm sure that they're all helpful, but I only read this one.

b. Read the How To Brief a Case link on my sidebar. This link was given to us 1L's from our Property Professor near the beginning of the year. It helps, even though it's from an American site, it's got a solid explanation of the case briefing process.

c. Don't worry about getting your textbooks early. A lot of ours weren't even IN until the first week of school, and at U of S the LSA puts on their own used book sale in our law lounge, so I'd wait for that (if you're like me and really hate spending more money than you have to). Yes, older books are OK, if you're missing a case, you can always get it from Westlaw or Quicklaw or something (you'll find out about these later on in the first semester), or let your prof know and they'll frequently help you out by making copies of it available for you.

d. Think about what extra-curricular activities you're interested in participating in. Most extra-curricular stuff starts up pretty quick in September. Whether it's Campus Legal Services, Pro Bono or any of those clubs, your student government, or even the sports .. think about how many things you want to do, and what they are, because this will sneak up on you before you know it!

4. What's the Deal With Study Groups?

Before I got to law school, I read a lot about the study group. I read many things that touted how useful they are, and emphasized the need to get into one right away. My take? Study groups are great, but I found that I got the benefit of group studying without the formalized weekly (or more) meeting of an official study group. You certainly won't need one for awhile ... they really do EASE you into law school off the start. By the time you find that you want study partners, just ask some peeps to meet at a coffee shop or something. Our class really did have a "we're all in it together" attitude (even though there were a few that weren't into sharing, for the most part, people wanted to help each other out). The BEST thing I did relating to the study group was to meet a group of my classmates 4 hours before each final exam to go over practice problems. We all (mostly) knew our stuff by then, and by the time we sat to write our exams, we had all been in the right mindset for awhile. At that point, it feels good to have your classmates affirm your exam strategy ... boosts the ol' confidence.