Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Never let a job stand in the way of you time
So, I think I got to go along with my bus driver while she ran errands today. So few people are able to find a good work/life balance, but she didn't let the 20 people riding behind her hinder her from running errands to a random apartment building and a shopping center that houses a Starbucks, a dentist and a liquor store. No guesses as to which of those she went in to. I just know that twice she pulled over, turned off the bus, hopped out for a few minutes, hopped back on and kept driving without a word.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Scheduling
Classes started up again today, and I still have no idea what I'm going to be taking. As in, I've completely changed my schedule twice just today, and depending on how wait listing goes, I may change it all again tomorrow. It's all a weird mix of "oh goodness, this is my last chance to learn anything! what are the most important classes whose absence will haunt me forever" and "meh. last semester. who care. just don't pick anything too hard." So far I'm trying to strike a balance things by branching out and taking classes that are interesting but not family law or gender related, but that will also avoid 9am classes, late nights, and will hopefully give me the dream TWTh class schedule.
I also have no textbooks (what with the ever changing class line up) and am already stressed out by a mile high list of things to do for clinic. Oh what fun. I'd be so excited to be in my last semester of school, ever, if I wasn't so terrified of what was waiting on the other side.
I also have no textbooks (what with the ever changing class line up) and am already stressed out by a mile high list of things to do for clinic. Oh what fun. I'd be so excited to be in my last semester of school, ever, if I wasn't so terrified of what was waiting on the other side.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Words Matter
“Are you afraid? Are you fearful today?”
“You know, I’m not. We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of protesters over the course of the last several months. Our office corner has really become an area where the Tea Party movement congregates. And the rhetoric is incredibly heated. Not just the calls, but the emails, the slurs. So things have really gotten spun up. But you gotta think about it. Our democracy is a light, a beacon really around the world, because we effect change at the ballot box, and not because of these outbursts — of violence in certain cases, and the yelling, and it’s just … you know, change is important, it’s a part of our process, but it’s really important that we focus on the fact that we have a democratic process.”
“I think it’s important for all leaders, not just leaders of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party … community leaders, figures in our community to say, ‘Look, we can’t stand for this.’ I mean, this is a situation where people really need to realize that the rhetoric, and firing people up, and even things … For example, we’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list, but the thing is, the way she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gunsight over our district. And when people do that, they’ve gotta realize there’s consequences to that action.”
“In the years that some of my colleagues have served, twenty, thirty years, they’ve never seen it like this. We have to work out our problems by negotiating, working together, hopefully Democrats and Republicans.”
–Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, March 25, 2010.
The shooting of Rep. Giffords and the murder of at least 5 others today is a tragedy. And it is my opinion that it is a tragedy that got it's start in the way we speak. I don't seriously think that Sarah Palin or any other politician who used violent imagery and metaphors seriously intends or desires anyone to actually act violently. The vast, vast majority of people from any political persuasion get understandably angry over things that matter to them, but not to the point of violence. That's normal. Not everyone is normal. And when we talk in ways that make other people seem like an enemy that needs to be targeted and destroyed, not a person whose ideas you disagree with, and that dehumanization is coupled with metaphors of war, violence and murder, I think that creates an environment that incites and in some ways even supports violent acts by the small minority of people who are not normal or rational. I think how we talk to and about one another can make a difference in how we treat each other. It's usually in small ways, but today it was a very big way. Words matter.
“You know, I’m not. We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of protesters over the course of the last several months. Our office corner has really become an area where the Tea Party movement congregates. And the rhetoric is incredibly heated. Not just the calls, but the emails, the slurs. So things have really gotten spun up. But you gotta think about it. Our democracy is a light, a beacon really around the world, because we effect change at the ballot box, and not because of these outbursts — of violence in certain cases, and the yelling, and it’s just … you know, change is important, it’s a part of our process, but it’s really important that we focus on the fact that we have a democratic process.”
“I think it’s important for all leaders, not just leaders of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party … community leaders, figures in our community to say, ‘Look, we can’t stand for this.’ I mean, this is a situation where people really need to realize that the rhetoric, and firing people up, and even things … For example, we’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list, but the thing is, the way she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gunsight over our district. And when people do that, they’ve gotta realize there’s consequences to that action.”
“In the years that some of my colleagues have served, twenty, thirty years, they’ve never seen it like this. We have to work out our problems by negotiating, working together, hopefully Democrats and Republicans.”
–Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, March 25, 2010.
The shooting of Rep. Giffords and the murder of at least 5 others today is a tragedy. And it is my opinion that it is a tragedy that got it's start in the way we speak. I don't seriously think that Sarah Palin or any other politician who used violent imagery and metaphors seriously intends or desires anyone to actually act violently. The vast, vast majority of people from any political persuasion get understandably angry over things that matter to them, but not to the point of violence. That's normal. Not everyone is normal. And when we talk in ways that make other people seem like an enemy that needs to be targeted and destroyed, not a person whose ideas you disagree with, and that dehumanization is coupled with metaphors of war, violence and murder, I think that creates an environment that incites and in some ways even supports violent acts by the small minority of people who are not normal or rational. I think how we talk to and about one another can make a difference in how we treat each other. It's usually in small ways, but today it was a very big way. Words matter.
Friday, January 7, 2011
3/4
I am apparently incapable of finishing up my vacation posts. I have a post set out, pictures included and all for each day of the glorious trip. They're all about 3/4 of the way written, because instead of just writing one at a time and posting it, I apparently prefer to hope around and finish nothing. Oh well. Here's a pretty picture until I can get my act together.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
My little hobgoblin
Sometimes I think of my seizures as being a 3rd party. It's not a chronic condition, or even a real part of my body, it's this mischievous little elf that likes to hang around me and cause mischief. Sort of a green and purple character, with a silly hat and eyes just to the mischievous side of devious.
If I have a seizure at a bad time, well it's just that little critter being a pain again. A good time, is an act of mercy, because bad as he can be, we're somewhat close and he doesn't really want things to be bad for me, he just has to do this, it's his nature. If I go for a period of being good for longer than I expect, I start to wonder what kind of trouble he's planning for the future.
I don't know why it's comforting to think of seizures as an outside entity, but it is. It's not me, not my body betraying me, its something else. It gives them a certain reason or pattern, instead of just being something random. Like this week, which has been particularly bad. It feels like I'm just getting all my seizures out of the way for the new semester. Which can't possibly be true, but it makes me feel better, like they serve some kind of a purpose and are almost an act of mercy from my little companion who is not a friend but I'm still stuck with.
If I have a seizure at a bad time, well it's just that little critter being a pain again. A good time, is an act of mercy, because bad as he can be, we're somewhat close and he doesn't really want things to be bad for me, he just has to do this, it's his nature. If I go for a period of being good for longer than I expect, I start to wonder what kind of trouble he's planning for the future.
I don't know why it's comforting to think of seizures as an outside entity, but it is. It's not me, not my body betraying me, its something else. It gives them a certain reason or pattern, instead of just being something random. Like this week, which has been particularly bad. It feels like I'm just getting all my seizures out of the way for the new semester. Which can't possibly be true, but it makes me feel better, like they serve some kind of a purpose and are almost an act of mercy from my little companion who is not a friend but I'm still stuck with.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Practice Makes Perfect
For the past few months Spider Solitaire - advanced level has been my go to play around with while I'm waiting for a page to load or just want to do something incredibly mindless thing. Part of what made it fun and not so serious was that I was somewhat sure that it was an impossible game to win unless you got dealt a perfect hand. Thus, it was absolutely pressure free, just me moving cards around and seeing how long I could go before losing.
And then I won. Surely a fluke. Until I won again a few weeks latter. And then again. And now I've won twice today, for a grand total of 6 wins (out of about 500 games). I think my hours and hours of practice may have actually made me good at this mindless game. Practice may actually have some bearing on success.
Sometimes I wonder how amazing of a lawyer I could be if I spent as much time studying as I did moving around imaginary cards on a screen.
And then I won. Surely a fluke. Until I won again a few weeks latter. And then again. And now I've won twice today, for a grand total of 6 wins (out of about 500 games). I think my hours and hours of practice may have actually made me good at this mindless game. Practice may actually have some bearing on success.
Sometimes I wonder how amazing of a lawyer I could be if I spent as much time studying as I did moving around imaginary cards on a screen.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
My 2011 Stuff to Hopefully Get Better On
I don't really care for New Years goals or resolutions. I don't like setting myself up for failure. But, it's just such a natural time to take a look around and see what you want to be different next year, that I do want to do a little bit of reflection and improvement assisted by kind of sort of goals. For me, its more of a way to take all the things I want to do or think I should do, and turn that into a much more manageable list of a few things to focus on more than others. If I don't make it 100%, oh well, so long as I get a little better I'll call it a win. That said, here's what I'll be working towards in 2011.
- Getting into better spending habits. It seems silly to think of grad school as a time when we were flush with cash, but somehow knowing that 10k was going to magically show up in my bank account twice a year has gotten me to be a little to free with cash flow. I get my last big deposit this month, and that's it until we get jobs. Ergo, why this is a very important goal.
- Get a job. Or at least try very, very hard. Kind of an obvious one, but I hate job hunting and this economy is going to make it quite the hunt, so I really need to be focused.
- Study for the bar. (Note, I didn't say pass. I want to pass, I do, that's the whole point of studying. I just feel like I can control how well I study much better than I can control passing.)
- Eat better/Maybe exercise every now and again. This is kind of perpetual for most people. Still, it would be good to just be sure to eat one serving of veggies a day, and maybe exercise once or twice a week. Totally small, totally doable, and the nice thing is even if I don't do it consistently, every little bit matters. Plus, I can't help but think this could really help to give me another totally different thing to work on while studying. And maybe all those studies about more attractive people being better employed are true, better safe than sorry.
- Make the bed most mornings. I'm actually pretty good at this, and especially in this small space it makes a huge difference. But I also know that if I miss just one day, the whole thing dies and takes so much more effort to get started again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)