I keep getting teary-eyed about Obama's win

So, I kinda knew I would cry when Obama won the election. Actually, while I hoped he would win, I was still skeptical that we could pull it off. I think that I was a little burned out after 2 terms with the Moron. I also think that's how I kept getting dragged into phone banking and GOTV calls for him and HeadCount.

What I wasn't expecting is how touched everyone is about this victory. I feel so proud of our country for picking the smarter candidate and seeing past the Republicans' poisonous rhetoric.

I have been watching news shows like crazy (we cancelled our cable TV, effective tomorrow so we could still get election coverage) and every time they show someone else cry about this election, I do too. I even cried watching Jesse Jackson and he gets on my nerves normally Who knew that Oprah's runny mascara could move me so much?

I guess I am the official election crybaby. And damn proud of it.

Obama's grandma passed away

Sometimes, life just isn't fair. After sacrificing for and encouraging Obama so much, his grandma died last night/early this morning.

I can't imagine the terrible and strange mix of grief and anticipation for tomorrow that Barack and family must be feeling. It seems like such a shame that his Grandma won't get to see him become president.

Rest in peace Grandma Dunham.

Justice for workers = exciting for lawyers!

Some deliverymen in New York City were getting ripped off by their employer. The guys were working tons of hours and only getting $520 per month from their employer, the Saigon Grill. Turns out that they only made about $2 an hour. They sued with the help of a public interest law organization and won a multi million dollar verdict.

Check out the New York Times story.

This is the kind of thing that makes me excited to practice law!

So close, yet so far away!

Graduation is less than 6 months away now, but I still have a ton to do.

Found out recently that I might be able to do some updating to my law review article and get it published in a different journal or even the newsletter for an organization I am in. That involves a TON of work, but I might do it.

I also am up to my ears in regular school work because I took a 4 day "vacation" to Detroit to attend that conference. I am planning to stay at the library until 9:30 tonight as part of my "catch up" plan. Same with tomorrow. Hopefully, I can manage not to flunk out before I graduate!

Going to the Motor City

So, I am going to a conference this weekend in Detroit. In a Toyota Corolla. I don't care what the motor city thinks about my foreign car. It gets damn good gas mileage.

I have to laugh about how a momentary decrease in gas prices makes everyone forget that last month, that stuff was $4 a gallon or more. I haven't forgotten, and my hatred for spending money on stuff that is consumed means that I will drive itty bitty cars the rest of my life!

New school year, new jobs, new hope?

So, I am finally quitting my legal research job to work as a project assistant for the school's volunteer lawyer/law student partnership project. I am excited for the new opportunity and because this job enables me to do something other than staple printouts.

I also am working with another student at school to get the law school to offer a new class. We were thinking of "Survey of Public Interest Law." Basically, we are trying to get some clinical profs to teach us a little bit of what we missed when the school decided never ever to offer 80% of the public interest classes listed in their brochure.

An email to two of the professors today yielded really enthusiastic responses. I am really excited about the prospect of being taught stuff I want to learn for once! I hope we can make this happen.

Back on the voter registration bandwagon

So, I am getting back on the horse so to speak, and registering voters again tonight at a show here in town. I said that it was time for me to direct my energies elsewhere, but the org really needed help, and I couldn't say no.

However, I am not sure how I am going to feel watching someone else do the job that I used to have. Ah, nostalgia.

Well, at least this makes me feel like I am doing SOMETHING about this election. Seems like most of my peers, for all their shit-talking, don't get involved at all, in anything, other than just...talking.

Blog readers, post in the comments about how you are getting involved this election season.

Can I please just shut the hell up?

If I am not the one in charge, and the one in charge isn't doing a splendid job, why can't I just shut the hell up? I have no idea, but I really wish I could. It's not my fault that things might be a little screwed up, and I don't have to make sure that every damn thing I am involved in is just exactly perfect. Who the hell died and made me judge? No one, that's who. So I am just going to have to learn how to be a "member" of things, and not in charge of them.

I was the one who wanted to be more employee and less boss. Why is it so hard for me to get used to this?

I am getting published!

An article I co-wrote on debt management is going to appear in my state bar's monthly magazine. I am pretty excited about this development. However, there have been recent changes in the law (the prez recently signed HR 4137 which gives debt relief in exchange for 3 year commitments for prosecutors and public defenders) that aren't covered in the article.

For some odd reason, the bar is publishing it as is.

I am just happy that something I contributed to is getting published.

Dear summer....why did you leave me?

Apparently, summer is packing its bags and is on its way out the door. Why oh why does it have to leave so soon? I was just getting the hang of grilling my meals outside instead of cooking them on a stove. I had just gotten used to spending more time outside my apartment than inside. I was done working and had nothing in front of me but two weeks of relaxation.

Now, I have an afternoon today to get organized before I leave for my vacation. I return Friday to book buying, reading assignments and job hunting. And then school starts.

I am just not ready.

Fame!

Actually, Hall of Fame. Or "Halls of Fame" as the case may be. I am going on a road trip next week to see the Rock and Roll and Football Halls of Fame. I am totally psyched. I think this will be a great pre-school road trip and the perfect start to my 3L year!

If you have been to either one, or are from Ohio, please leave info/advice/warnings/etc in the comments.

P.S. Though it looks odd, it is correct to say "Halls of Fame" and NOT "Hall of Fames."

Grammatically yours,

Improvilaw

Book sale!!!!!!!

Oh yes, it's that wonderful time of year again, when I unload a whole bunch of books that I don't need anymore. My readers were very kind last year, and helped take a bunch of these off my hands.

Buying used books is environmentally friendly, as you are helping me "recycle."
Buying used books helps you save money
Buying used books means that you don't have to trudge to the law school bookstore.

Check out the list of books below:
Listed as Title/Edition/Author/Retail/My price

Evidence: Exam Pro 2^nd Michael Graham $30 $20

Civ Pro: Legalines 5^th Keyed to Yeazell $20 $1

Anatomy of a Lawsuit Revised Peter Simon $23 $12

Contract Law/Prob& UCC 3^rd Scott and Kraus $40 $5

Contract Law:Capability Problem 2^nd Danzig and Watson $31 $10

Contracts: Examples & Explanations 2^nd Blum $40 $15

Contracts: Casenote Legal Briefs Keyed to Murphy $28 $15

Understanding Torts 2^nd Diamond/Levine $25 $12

Black’s Law Dictionary Deluxe 8^th Garner $108 $75


Contact me if you are interested.