What I learned today

This week (4/24-4/30) is Turn-off your TV week. I just learned about it from people who noticed that no one participates who watches TV anyway. I think I figured out why, there are no TV commercials telling us to turn-off the TV for a week. Only commercials telling us how vital this week's TV will be for my viewing pleasure (except the shows that are in rerun even though they never seem to have new episodes -- I'm looking at you Criminal Minds). Obviously, it didn't work on me because I know what the commercials this week are...

Speaking of turn-offs, we're learning about rape this week in criminal law. Well, let's just say that there is a reason why it is so drastically under reported. The process of proving rape is well, awful to the victim at best. The law is "getting better" though. Only two states still hold that a husband can never rape his wife. How modern. I don't know which states, but after I finish my finals I might remember to find out and mention it. Just because I am very irritated. (OH, and in the other 48 states, only 12 have completely abolished spousal immunity.) Trends shunning the old laws requiring resistance (physical and/or verbal) are softening. And "virtually every" state has enacted rape-shield laws that prevent inquiries into a victims past sexual history or reputation for "lack of chastity." Not that defense lawyers haven't try to say that they aren't constitutional laws, but they lose. I am angry and don't want to sit through a class discussion on it unless everyone realizes how damaging this process is to the victim and how wrong the old laws are. One final less "men are the bad guys" oriented comment, recent rape laws are gender-neutral showing that both men and women can be victims and aggressors. This is the right thing to do, especially now that incapacitation of the victim is also grounds for rape.

Ooof, I'm all in a fluster because I get so upset...

Okay, I also learned that feminists try to pass legislation in Minnesota and succeeded in passing legislation in Indiana declaring pornography illegal because it all subjugates women. Any thing that depicts sex, not just the stuff that actually shows women being subjugated, is banned. Well, the US Supreme Court said that's a violation of free speech. I agreed. I can't express why my visceral reaction to the argument about pornography just made me reject it, but it did. I just don't think that porn has that much influence that watching a movie where a woman is subservient to a man will cause all men to treat all women poorly because they're being shown a fantastic world where that happens. Like regular movies, TV shows, role expectation, and other things don't do that enough. Perhaps I am just upset at the focus and attention on porn and not the underlying societal expectations (which I admit are getting better, but in the 1970s when this legislative push was occurring was not as far along as it is).

Perhaps learning this stuff isn't good for me, but well, sometimes it's good to get the blood pumping out of irrational irritation at the "man." Especially if I'm going to be a lawyer and regularly encounter such things in the workplace. Yeah, the law profession is still a little behind the ball even though two woman have sat on the Supreme Court. Some judges may not "appreciate" a woman lawyer wearing a pantsuit in their courtroom. Bollox on them.

Some times when I have a groove going, I throw myself out of it. So long as I don't pull anything when I do it, the world's alright.

Three things to make me think, but not in that challenging way

1) M&M is not the wholesome family candy that I thought it was. I just saw the TV ad about the new M&M's candy bars and well, I was off-put by the way they implied that they arrive. Candy should not get it on. Period.

2) Umm, there was a number two, but I can't remember. Something about a commercial...

3) No matter how bad ass you think you are and no matter how cool rocker your look is, it is woefully overturned by the fact that you're playing the accordian.

That is all.

Sometimes you're disappointed for a reason

and it's the best reason possible.

So, two major things of note.

First, the job fairy came to visit me and and said she has something for me which I would like. It doesn't pay, but I do get credit for it and it's actually the type of job I think I would like post school. So, we're about to find out about the "real world" of the law for the summer and I get to pay extra tution just to see what it's like. It's a backhanded sort of "we're always happy to take more of your money" sort of thing where I pay to school to give me credit for an externship and they did nothing to get me or educate me the entire time. I do have to take another class at some point to "justify" the credit, but that class is its own set of credits and a separate grade. I think. I will need to find this sort of thing out, but that's for after learning the Constitutional law that means nothing.

Secondly, I have agreed to move in with the boy this summer. Major step, minor panic attack. But, hey, I should know early if this whole thing is "the real thing" given my advancing age. (In the last three weeks I have been accused of being thirty more than once.) It's just one big scary thing and well, I just sort of deliberated for a long time then rashly made my decision one night. That's pretty much how I've made most the major decisions in life, and while I always wonder "what if" I have never truly been all that disappointed in the long run. I know this is part luck, but I like to think that once there's a well thought out decision in my subconscious, I just run with it and that's why it seems rash, even to me. I also recognized that while I'm going through the changes my psuedo rash decisions cause, I always get a little down and regret making changes to my life. Hopefully this won't happen in this case because well, he's gonna be living with me.

I must go see an opera sometime because the music sounds fasinating...

Hello grand world

Some day I will learn to do my taxes before April 5th, check my voicemail more than once a week, and return emails faster. Until that day, I will regret my failure to improve when important things happen and I miss out.

This week's conversation with the judges went much better than the last, but as I don't actually recall anything that I've said to either set, I won't post a "transcript" of this weeks interaction. Fortunately, I am done with that. Now there are only a few weeks to finals and then I have officially finished my first year of law school. There is a long stream of explitives that should be inserted here, but I won't because it's unproductive and my break's about to end. Suffice to say, I still don't know what I want to do with my law degree and I am not prepared to take finals in five weeks. Enough said.

PS I think my biological clock just started quietly ticking.

One Week, One Post, One half-assed attempt at life

So, to sum up counselor, you know what you're talking about, have the case law memorized, know the record inside and out, and still cannot convince me you know what you're talking about because you always say "I believe" and "ah" and sound unconfident when you're forced to talk for more than thirty seconds at a time.

Yes your honor, that's true. However, it should be noted that the conversation and panic going on inside my head that never comes out into the courtroom is probably more telling of why I shouldn't win.

Why is that counselor?

Well, your honor, because it says "oh shiznit, that's one of the fatal flaws in my arguement on a merits level...I think this judge is trying to make me look stupid...may be I actually am stupid...wait, what am I saying, I am answering the question and I am not aware of the words coming out of my mouth...sigh, I don't know what I'm doing in law school..."

I see, and tell me again why we should modify our policy to agree with you?

My brain is saying that it's because you gave me the idea for the argument in other decisions, my mouth however is trying to be more eloquent with that fact and a bunch of crap keeps pouring out. So, basically, you should agree because I can just keep talking about this.

Interesting counselor. Is there anything else I should know?

Yes you honor, everyone elses arguments, I gave them those too, so I should be credited with any good points my colleague may have made even though you don't know that and I'm not supposed to help with substance. I just can't help it. That's really why I should win.

Thank you counselor.

No, thank you, your honor.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, I'm in law school.