'Tis The Season

Well, it's that time of year again - back on the hamster wheel, working like crazy. It's annual audit time at work again. I worked 58 hours last week preparing but it seems to have paid off so far. It's always a stressful time of the year though, no matter how much you prepare and no matter how hard you work throughout the year.

I'm also struggling with an employee, struggling to get her focus back and help her prioritize her work more efficiently. It never fails, there is always 1 person like this in the office. If there weren't, I guess I'd be out of a job though, right? ha ha - not quite!

This is also finals week for me, talk about day timing!! I struggled this term because I felt like I just couldn't get on a good schedule. I haven't even registered for the next term, which starts in January and that isn't like me. I usually register on the first day of registration, which I think started 2 weeks ago.

So yes, 'tis the season!

Finally, someone got it right!

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) is receiving heat over his decision to refuse $275,000 in federal funding for abstinence only sex education. Kaine believes that state funded programs should be more comprehensive - Amen! Kaine (D) submitted plans last month to close a budget shortfall in part by eliminating a $275,000 matching grant for a federal program that provided funds for 14 nonprofit groups that taught abstinence only. Virginia will be the 14th state to refuse such funding.

The Bush administration has restricted federally funded sex education courses to teach abstinence only programs. Therefore, Kaine's decision will only affect those programs receiving federal funds. Other programs are free to teach whichever curriculum they chose.

“He is a Catholic, and I am a Catholic, and I know our church teaches abstinence,” said Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell. “I am puzzled by his decision.”

What does one have to do with the other? Where is the separation of Attorney General McDonnell's religious beliefs and his obligation to serve the best interests of the citizens of Virginia as the state's chief attorney? I applaud Kaine. I applaud his ability to govern a state whose citizens come from many different religious backgrounds. I applaud his ability to do so while keeping the betterment of those citizens at the forefront of his mind and his policies.

I've heard the right-wing arguments for abstinence only education. They usually drum along the lines of, "teaching contraceptions will give kids the impression its OK to have sex". First off, a kid is going to have sex or their not - period. Informing them of the risks of sexually transmitted diseases won't scare them away from sex nor will informing them of ways to protect against those diseases make them more likely to have sex. The Centers for Disease Control reports that nearly half of the nation's new cases of STD's each year occur among adolescents and young adults. The same study found that teens who took pledges of virginity as part of abstinence-only sex ed classes ultimately had STD rates similar to other young people and were less likely to use contraception or other forms of protection when they did become sexually active.

In an AP poll, 49 percent said providing teens with birth control would not encourage sexual intercourse and a virtually identical 46 percent said it would. Sixty-seven percent support giving contraceptives to students. Sixty-two percent said they believe providing birth control reduces the number of teenage pregnancies.

According to a study published recently in the Review of General Psychology, 70 percent of U.S. teens have engaged in oral sex by the time they reach 18, and more than 45 percent have had intercourse at least once. More than 70 percent of young women and 80 percent of young men approve of premarital sex.

I'm hard pressed to understand how a parent would want their child going through this world without the knowledge to protect themselves from deadly diseases. Any parent who believes they can stop their child from having sex is fooling themselves. Yes, some people wait until marriage but some don't. Parents have less and less to do with that decision now than they ever did. So why not arm your child with the tools necessary to make informed choices no matter what their choice may be? Yes, stress the maturity needed for sex and the benefits of waiting, but don't expect it. Don't sacrifice your child for your ideals - arm your child with knowledge instead.

And here is something really scary, what is being taught in federally funded abstienence only classes. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) had his staff review the most commonly used cirruculm and you won't believe the results:

Among the misconceptions cited by Waxman's investigators:

• A 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person."

• HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears.

One curriculum, called "Me, My World, My Future," teaches that women who have an abortion "are more prone to suicide" and that as many as 10 percent of them become sterile. This contradicts the 2001 edition of a standard obstetrics textbook that says fertility is not affected by elective abortion.

Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. "Moral of the story," notes the popular text: "Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man's confidence or even turn him away from his princess."

This is what is being taught to the future leaders of this country?

As for Gov. Kaine, he's fighting an uphill battle. Virginia is historically Republican and the "good 'ol boys" haven't missed a beat:

Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax) said he will try to get the General Assembly to reverse Kaine's decision when it convenes in January.

LSAT scheduled

I'm registering for the LSAT on February 2, 2008. I'm more excited than nervous, which some might find odd. I'm actually excited to take the test because I feel like I'll do well at it. To prepare, I plan to review using Kaplan's LSAT 2008, Premier Program (w/ CD-ROM). I'll be flying to visit my parents for the holidays (snowbirds as they are, they're in Florida) so I'll use the airtime to study and practice.

Thanks for your service; you owe us $...

The military has been giving generous enlistment bonuses, sometimes up to $30,000. Would you believe that the military is ordered wounded soldiers to return part of that money when they are injured in the line of duty and can't fullfill their tour? Well, it's true according to this article on the website for tv station KDKA in Pittsburg.

Fox was seriously injured when a roadside bomb blew up his vehicle. He was knocked unconscious. His back was injured and lost all vision in his right eye.

A few months later Fox was sent home. His injuries prohibited him from fulfilling three months of his commitment. A few days ago, he received a letter from the military demanding nearly $3,000 of his signing bonus back.

It's a slap for Fox's mother, Susan Wardezak, who met with President Bush in Pittsburgh last May. He thanked her for starting Operation Pittsburgh Pride which has sent approximately 4,000 care packages

This stinks of Walter Reed all over again.
.

Re-Discovering Roomba

The night before Thanksgiving a gift appeared on my doorstep - my iRobot Roomba Discovery replacement! I first bought the roomba in November 2006 and I've been in love with it ever since. Having 4 dogs (yes, I said 4 dogs!) the roomba made the pet hair manageable. However, over the summer one of the wheels stopped turning. Life got the best of me and I haven't had a chance to call about getting it replaced. By the time I called, it was 11 days past the one year warranty! Ack! Luckily, they replaced it and it was here in a matter of days. As soon as it was charged and cleaning my kitchen floor, I remember just how much I missed it. Especially since sweeping is my main chore! ha ha

Black Friday News for Mac Geeks

Apple sent mailings to .mac customers last night confirming their participation in "Black Friday". No word on what items will be discounted. Historically, Apple has given moderate discounts on Black Friday, nothing to scream about though. You can check out past Black Friday prices here.

Apple has been one of the few retailers able to keep their Black Friday promotions a secret until Black Friday. Websites like bfads.net, blackfriday.info and blackfriday.gottadeal.com have been pre-publishing ads for years now. Although this year, some larger retailers such as Walmart and Macy's worked to have their ads removed from these websites. You can read Macy's Cease and Desist letter here.

CrackBerry's Best Friend

The Duracell® PowerSource Mobile 100 is a must have for the frequent traveler, mobile office, etc. Duracell® bills it as a
"portable, rechargeable AC and USB power solution for all your mobile needs". And when they say all, they mean it! It has 1 AC outlet and 2 USB ports. It claims 2 hours of run time for laptops, 18 hours of talktime for cell phones, an amazing 9 DAYS of operating time for a BlackBerry®, 8 hours of game play for a portable game counsole and a whooping 96 hours of play time for an mp3 player! And yes, you can charge multiple devices simultaneously.

I must confess that I'm a geek from the word go so it's no surprise that I've already added this amazing new product to my amazon wish list! It's currently listing for $99 + s&h on Amazon.

Thanks to TechoEsq for the heads up on this great new product!

Women at The Top

WSJ announced today the 50 Women to Watch 2007. Attorney Angela Braly tops the list as President and CEO of WellPoint, the nations largest health care insurer.

More interesting than the list itself is the WSJ article View From the Top, which details a panel discussion with 6 female executives. Sheryl Sandberg, Google's Vice President of global online sales and operations (and #19 on WSJ's 50 Women to Watch 2007 list), had this to say,

A woman who is a rock star who works for my team at Google was going to have a baby, and I had a baby a few years prior to her. So I took her to lunch and said, "I want this to work for you. I'm doing this myself and we don't want to lose you." And she looked at me and said, "You do? Well, then, stop sending out emails at 11:30 at night." What she was saying was, "Look, you can take me out for lunch and be nice, but as long as you're sending out emails at 11:30 at night, everyone thinks you need a response by the morning." So we have to think not just about what we say but about what we do.

This hit home for me because I am often working late at night from home and there have been times when my staff has questioned the time of my emails. Since my staff cannot work from home (only attorneys and myself), I never could figure out what their issue was with it. In retrospect I can see how one might feel pressured when their boss is emailing them all through the night. In reality though, it's just a convenient time for me to be working.

Working from home is a great luxury. I started working from home on occassion about a year and a half ago. I love the flexibity it gives me and it's one of the reasons I consider opening my own in-home practice after law school, rather than working for a firm. Until you've had the opportunity, no one can really tell you how valuable it is. I've found that my stress level has reduced and my overall wellbeing improved. Unfortunately, around the same time that I was able to start working from home, I also took on the added role of office manager, which means I have less time for paralegal functions (which I enjoy) and more time for office management (which, at time, is just an overpaid babysitter!).

University of Michigan Discriminatory Firing?

If you haven't heard about Hammer v. University of Michigan yet, I have a feeling it won't be long before you will. I think this story will start gaining interest now that the case has been remanded back to the trial court. This site hosts all the pleadings filed thus far in the case as well as a valuable background on the case courtesy of Wayne State University Law School OUTlaws; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Allies organization. In part,

The Complaint alleges a simple “breach of contract” theory, predicated on representations of non-discrimination during pre-employment negotiations, as well as University policies and by-laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual-orientation. Rather than building an affirmative case that no discrimination took place, the University’s initial stance was to maintain that its by-laws and non-discrimination policies had no legal meaning and created no rights. The same University that had defended the value of diversity in the U.S. Supreme Court was now vigorously defending its legal right to discriminate on whatever basis it wanted.

In my limited free time today, I began reading Mr. Hammer's transcript and some of the exhibits filed by UofM. It is all very interesting. What really caught my attention was UofM's position that their non-discrimination policy did not constitute a legal contract. If I had more time today I would have done some (limited) research to see, just out of curiosity, if this defense had ever been successful before.

Thanks to Feminist Law Professors for the initial mention of this story.

Generationally Challenged

Hat tip to Susan Cartier Liebel's Build A Solo Practice blog for reference to a 60 Minutes episode on the "millennial" generation. I have to admit, this is the first I've heard of the millennial generation and so the first thing I wanted was a straight-forward definition. But that wasn't so easy to come by. I found that the period of birth for the millennial generation varied depending on the source: 1977 to 1995, 1977 to 1998, 1980 to 2000. Even though there seems to be some uncertainty about the birth date of those in the millennial generation, one thing is strikingly obvious - the 18 to 20 year age range! I find this to be too large of a range, just based on my experiences in the workplace.

Moving on to what in the world is the millennial generation, it gets even worse! There are several great video clips from the 60 Minutes episode. As I watched them, I was reminded of a woman I interviewed a few months ago. She was approximately 24 years old, which puts her in the millennial generation. She had been in the waiting room for about 5 minutes and when I went to get her, she was on her cell phone. As if that wasn't bad enough, she continued her conversation as we walked down the hallway into my office. When she sat down, she half-heartedly apologized for being on the phone and then asked if phone calls during work hours were a problem! Mind you, we hadn't even began the interview! I restrained myself and didn't send her packing right then and there but I knew then that I wasn't interested in her. At the end of the interview, I asked if she had any questions for me and she asked how much longer the interview was going to take because she had dinner plans! There is a great part of the 60 Minutes clip with a similar situation between a judge and a "young lawyer".

I'm 26 and I'm constantly appalled at the work ethic of those just slightly younger than myself. Perhaps it's because they don't see themselves as adult. Jeffrey Zaslow of Wall Street Journal references in one of the video clips a survey which states that most young adults feel that "adulthood" starts at the age of 26. At 26, I've owned a home for 5 years and provided for all of my basic necessities that go along with independence. To hear that people believe this is the age where adulthood starts is just bewildering.

I've worried in the past about what my classmates in law school will be like. I consider myself a non-traditional student (see my profile for a very brief synopsis). I have visions of being (on the verge on 30 years old) surrounded by 22-23 year olds who've never worked, are more concerned updating their facebook page than understanding the felony murder rule and are just generally immature. I worry that this generation, whatever the birth dates may be, will take for granted the opportunity of law school. Selfishly, I also worry that the school will be devoid of in-depth discussion... but I suppose I should save these concerns for another day.