That time of year

There's something that starts to happen about this time every semester. I start buying food that has expiry dates after my exams. When I go to the grocery store I'm going to have to start asking for paper bags so that I have something to hyperventilate into when I talk stock of how near I am to the end of the semester (and what feels like imminent doom, though I may be overstating that a little bit).

Everything is better with flannel jammies

The best time I ever had reading Civil Procedure was this morning at 7am when TBB padded quite sleepily down the stairs, crawled up and fell back to dreams on my lap. He was giggling in his sleep and carrying on a nonsensical conversation with me from the beyond.

And he was wearing flannel Spidey PJs.

Those were the best Civ Pro readings ever.

Lost in Translation

When I went to Norway for ISFiT 2005, I got kind of a head cold on my way home, probably from running around in the snow dressed inadequately. I bought this in the Schipol Airport in Amsterdam to dull the sinuses on the flight home.

I find this lost in translation to be exceedingly funny, though it's probably politically incorrect of me to do so. Still, if this did what it said it did in English, it would explain so much.

Apologies

Has is been since Sept 18 since I last posted? That is simply unacceptable, I agree. When you start law school, there's this saying that upper years pass along: in first year they scare you, in second year they kill you and in third year they bore you.

In the killing phase of law school, and it's living up to it's reputation. But it's not law school so much, it's really the fact that I'm hardly in Ottawa, I spend half my time commuting, I've got more than one job and I'm selling my house. I think in first year, you spend so much time trying to figure out law school stuff and then you hit a point where you kind of get it. Getting it gives you delusions of grandeur, which makes you think you can do things like having jobs and selling your house, in addition to law school. I will only know whether that is actually possible in December when I have two major papers and two 100% exams written.

Right now, all I can say is that I hope third year lives up to its reputation. And I rather hope I live to find out.

1L This (Was) Your Life

The Charter, Dolphin Delivery, Suresh, Morgentaler, Gosselin, M. v. H., N.B. Broadcasting, Slaight, Eldridge, McCutcheon, Lavigne, Dagenais, McKinney, Douglas College, Stoffman, Vriend, Hunter v. Southam, Oakes, Irwin Toy, Keegstra, Keegstra, Thomson, Harper, RJR MacDonald, Lavigne, Ford, Oakes, Singh, Motor Vehicle Ref, G.J., B.R. v CAS, Rodiguez, Blencoe, Nova Scotia Pharmaceuticals, CFCYL, Keegstra, Butler, Law, Andrews, McKinney, NAPE, Turpin, Corbiere, Schachter, Auton, Miron v. Trudel, Egan, Therens, Big M Drugs, Edwards Books, Little Sisters, Phillips, Manitoba Language Reference, Canadian Dyers Association Ltd. v Burton, Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v. Boots Cash Chemists, Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co., Goldthorpe v Logal, Blair v Western Mutual Benefit, Williams v Carwardine, R (v) Clarke, Harvela Investments v Royal Trust, R v Ron Engineering, MJB Enterprises Ltd v Defencec Construction (1951) Ltd., Livingstone v Evans, Butler Machine Tool Co v Ex-cell-0 Corp., Tywood Industries Ltd v St. Anne-Nackawic Pulp & Paper, Ontario Law Reform Commission, ProCD v Zeidenberg, Kanitz v Rogers, Brinkibon Ltd v Stahag Stahl, Rudder v Microsoft Corp, Household Fire & Carriage, Burne v Van Tienhoven, Dickinson v Dodds, Errington V Errington and Woods, Barrick v Clark, Manchester Diocesan Council v Commercial and General Investments Ltd., Balfour v Balfour, Rose and Frank Co. v JR Crompton and Bros. Ltd., Toronto Dominion Bank v Leigh Instruments Ltd., The Governors of Dalhousie College at Halifax v The Estate of Arthur Boutillier, Wood v Lucy, Lady Duff v Gordon, Eastwood v Kenyon, Lampleigh v Braithwaite, Thomas v Thomas, B (DC) v Arkin, Pao On v Lau Yiu Long, Gilbert Steel Ldt. V University Const. Ltd, Williams v. Roffey Bros & Nicholas (Contractors) Ltd., Foakes v Beer, Re Selectmore, Foot v Rawlings, Judicature Act, Central London Property Trust Ltd. v High Trees House Ltd., John Burrows Ltd. v Subsurface Surveys, D & C Builders Ltd. v Rees, Saskatchewan Rivers Bungalows v Maritime Life Assurance, International Knitwear Architects v Kabob Investments Ltd., History of Doctrine of Privity, Provender v Wood, Tweddle v Atkinson, Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. Ltd. v Selfridge & Co. Ltd., Vandepitte v Preferred Accident Insurance, McCannell v Mabee McLaren Motors Ltd., New Zealand Shipping Co. Ltd v AM Satterthwaite & Co. Ltd., London Drugs Ltd v Kuehne & Nagel International Ltd., Edgeworth Construction Ltd v ND Lea & Associates Ltd., Redgrave v. Hurd, Smith v. Land & House Property Corporation, Kupchak v. Dayson Holdings, Bank of B.C. v. Wren Developments, Redican v Nesbitt, Ontario Sale of Goods Act s.13-15, 27, Hong Kong Fir v. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., Krawchuk v. Ulrychova, Wickman v. Schuler, 968703 Ontario v. Vernon, Machtinger v. Hoj Industries Ltd., Parker v. South Eastern R.y. Co., Promech v. Bronco Rentals, Thornton v. Shoe Lane Parking Ltd., Interfoto Picture Library v. Stiletto, McCutcheon v. David MacBrayene Ltd., British Crane v. Ipswich Plant Hire, Lestrange v. Gracoub, Tilden Rent-A-Car Co. v. Clendenning, Delaney v. Cascade River Holidays Ltd., Zhu v. Merrill Lynch HSBC, Solway v Davis Moving and Storage, Karsales v. Wallis, Photo Production v. Securicor Transport Ltd., Hunter Engineering v. Syncrude Canada Ltd., Roberts v. Gray, Ontario Law Reform Commission, Hart v. O’Connor, Dynamic Transport v. OK Detailing, Madison v. Alderson, Steadman v. Steadman, Degelman v. Guaranty Trust, Lensen v. Lensen, Pao On v. Lau Yiu Long, Gordon v. Roebuck, National Westminster Bank v. Morgan, Geffen v. Goodman Estate, Morrison v. Coast Finance Ltd., Marshall v. Can Permanent Trust, Lloyd’s Bank v. Bundy, J.G. Collins Inc. Agencies Ltd v. Elsley, Sherk v. Horwitz, Assisted Human Reproduction Act, S.C. 2004, McRae v. Commonwealth Disposals Commission, Bowlay Logging Ltd. v. Domtar Ltd., Sunshine Vacation Villas Ltd. v. Hudson Bay Co., Hunt v. Silk, Chaplin v. Hinks, Groves v. John Wunder Co., Nu-West Homes v. Thunderbird Petroleums, Jarvis v. Swans Tours, Hodgkinson v Simms, Hadley v. Baxendale, Victoria Laundry v. Newman, Asamera Oil Corp v. Sea Oil & General Corp, White and Carter (Councils) v. MacGregor, Semelhago v. Paramadevan, John E. Dodge Holdings Ltd. v. 805062 Ontario Ltd., Warner Bros. v. Nelson (Bette Davis), Zipper Transportation v. Korstrom, R. v. Ssenyonga (1991 and 1993), R. v. Cuerrier(1998), Ontario (Attorney General) v. Ontario (Criminal Injuries Compensation Board), R. v. Moore, R. v. Proulx (2000 SCC), R. v. Hinch and Salinski (1968 SCC), R. v. Gladue (1996, then 1999 in SCC), R. v. Naquitarvik (1986 trial and appeal), R. v. Moses, R. v. Hamilton (2003, 2004), R. v. Latimer (2001 SCC), Sault Ste. Marie (1978 ONCA), BC Motor Vehicles Reference, R. v. Wholesale Travel, Canadian Dredge and Dock Co.(1985 SCC), R. v. Safety-Kleen, Bill C-45 (2003), R. v. Buzzanga and Durocher, R. v. Steane, Gaumont v. Henry, R. v. Jorgensen, Beaver v. The Queen (1957), R. v. Pappajohn, R. v. Vaillancourt (1987), R. v. Martineau (1990), R. v. DeSousa, R. v. Creighton (1993), R. v. Tutton, R. v. Creighton (1993), R. v. Ubhi (1994), R. v. Finlay (1993), Teaching Rape Law--Susan Estrich, Pappajohn (1980) SCC, R v. Sansregret (1985) SCC, Amendments to Rape Laws in Criminal Code: 1983 Amendments, 1992 Amendments, R v. Darrach (1998) Ont. C.A., R v. Park (1995) SCC, R. v. Ewanchuk (1999) SCC, DPP v. Beard (1920) HL, R v. George (1960) SCC, R v. Leary (1977) SCC, R v. Robinson (1996) SCC, R v. Bernard (1988) SCC, R v. Daviault (1994) SCC, R v. Daviault: A Principled Approach to Drunkenness or a Lapse of Common Sense--Martha Schaffer , R v. Abbey (1982) SCC, R v. Chaulk & Morrissette (1990) SCC, Rabey v. The Queen (1990) SCC, R v. Parks (1992) SCC, Winko v BC (Forensic Psychiatric Institute), R v. Stone (1999) SCC, R v. Luedecke, R v. Parks (1993) Ont. C.A., R v. Williams (1998) SCC, R v. Spence (2005) SCC, R v. RDS (1997) SCC, R v. Hill (1986) SCC, R v. Thibert (1996) SCC, R v. Ly (1987) BCCA, R v. Eyapaise (1993) Alta QB, R v. Mallott (1998) SCC, R v. Jacko, Paquette v. The Queen, Hibbert v. The Queen (1995) SCC, R v. Ruzic (2001) SCC, Yanner v Eaton, INS v AP, NBA v Motorola, Morris v PGA Tour, Victoria Park Racing, Moore v The Regents, Gould Estate v Stoddart, Jones v Los Angeles, R v Clarke, Mariner Real Estate v NS, Didow, Edwards v Sims, Robertson v Wallace, Koenig v Goebel, Blewman, R v Nikal, LaSalle, Diamond Neon, Glencore, Indian Oil, deMarchant, Cavalier Yachts, Gidney v Shank, Theberge v Gallerie, Monsanto v Schmeiser, Harvard Mouse, Mattel (Barbie), Sotelo v Direct Revenue, Intel v Hamidi, Hoffman v Monsanto, Popov v Hayashi, Pierson v Post, Doyle v Bartlett , Black v Molson, Carrozi v Guo, Keefer v Arillotta, Teis v Ancaster, Barberree v Bilo, O’Keefe v Snyder, Trachuk v Olinek, Baird v BC, Bird v Fort Frances, Millas v BC, Parker v British Airways Board, Charrier v Bell, Nolan v Nolan & Arnor, Re Bayoff Estate, Brown v Rotenburg, Pembery v Pembery, McDonald v McDonald, Watt v Watt, What is property? Right, Access Theory (Waldron), Doesn’t Exist (Grey), Purposive – Economists, Security (Reich), US Const. Expropriation, Right to Exclude, Right to Exclude – Consensus, Essentialism, Multiple-variable essentialism, Nominalism, Yanner v Eaton, Properties of Property, Burdens of Ownership, Systems of Property, Public, Common, Public & Common, Case for Private Property, Important Social Values, Economic Arguments, Law & Economics – Efficiency, Exclusive, Transferable, Tragedy of the Commons, Justification for Private Property, Utilitarianism, Tragedy of the Commons, Natural Rights, Personhood Claims, Labour & Desert, Promotion of Freedom, Aboriginal Title, Recognition of Aboriginal Title, Other Rts, Loss or Alteration, INS v AP, NBA v Motorola, Morris v PGA, Victoria Park Racing, Amistad, Gould v Stoddart, Scott, “Poverty in Canada”, Waldron, “Homelessness & Freedom”, Jones v LA, R v Clarke, “No Place Called Home”, Magna Carta, Declaration of Rights of Man, US Constitution, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, Canadian Bill of Rights, NA Free Trade Agreement, Canadian Charter, Mariner Real Estate, Didow, Cujust est solem, Edwards v Sims, Coase Theorem, Transaction Costs, Holdouts, Monopolies, Endowment, Robertson, Koenig, Border Trees, Blewman, R v Nikal, LaSalle, Diamond Neon, Dunsmore v. Deshield [1977] Sask, Neighbour Principle, Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932], Anns v. Merton London Borough Council [1977] HL, Cooper v. Hobart [2000], Moule v. N.B. Elec. Power Comm. [1960] SCC, Amos v. N.B. Elec. Power Comm. [1976] SCC, Palsgraf v. Long Island Ry. Co. [1928] NY, Osterlind v. Hill [1928] MASS, Matthews v. MacLaren; Horsley v. MacLaren [1969] ONT, Crocker v. Sundance Northwest Resorts Ltd. [1988] SCC, Jordan House v. Menow [1973] SCC, Stewart v. Pettie [1995] SCC, Childs v. Desormeaux [2002] ON, Jane Doe v. Metropolitan Toronto Commissioners of Police [1998] ON, Thorne v. Deas [1809] NY, Smith v. Rae [1919] Ont CA, Zelenko v. Gimbel Bros Inc. [1936] N.Y.S. SC, Soulsby v. Toronto [1907] Ont, Morash v. Lockhart & Ritchie Ltd. [1978] NB CA, Corothers v. Slobian [1975] SCC, Urbanski v. Patel [1978] Man, Horsley v. MacLaren [1972] SCC, Videan v. British Transport Comm [1993] England, Saccone v. Fandrakis [2002] BC, DUTIES OWED TO UNBORN, Pre-Conception Wrongs, Risk to the Fetus, Wrongful Birth and Wrongful Life, Arndt v. Smith (1994) BCSC, H.(R.) v. Hunter [1996] Ont, Wrongful Pregnancy, McFarlane v. Tayside Health Board (Scotland) [2000] UK HL, Rees v. Darlington Memorial Hospital [2002], Pre-Natal Injuries, Dobson (Litigation Guardian of) v. Dobson [1999] SCC, Maternal Tort Liability Act (Alberta), R. v. Sullivan [1991], Becker v. Schwartz (1978) N.Y. C.A, Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v. D.F.G [1997] SCC, B.R. v. L.R. 2004 Alberta Q.B, Krangle (Guardian ad Litem of) v. Brisco [1997] BC, Bourhill v. Young [1943] England, Alcock v. Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1991] UK HL, Rhodes v. Canadian National Railway Co [1990] BC CA, Haughian v. Paine [1987] Sask CA, Health Care Consent Act, 1996, Risks to be Disclosed, Manufacturer’s and Supplier’s Duty to Warn, Hollis v. Dow Corning Corp [1995] SCC, Beshada v. Johns-Manville Products Corp. [1982] NJ, Lem v. Borotto Sports Ltd., Lapierre v. A.G. Que [1985] SCC, Good-wear Treaders v. D&B Holdings Ltd. [1978] NS CA, Reasonable Person, Arland v. Taylor [1955] Ont CA, Bolton v. Stone [1951] HL, Miller v. Jackson [1977] Eng CA, Paris v. Stephen Borough Council [1951] HL, Vaughan v. Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Comm. [1961] NS SC, Watt v. Hertfordshire County Council [1954] CA, Priestman v. Colangelo [1959] SCC, The Cause-In-Fact, The But-For Test, Barnett v. Chelsea & Kensington Hospital Management Committee [1969] HL, Qualcast v. Haynes [1959] UK, Richard v. C.N.R. [1970] PEI SC, Kauffman v. Toronto Transit Commission [1959], Material Contribution Test, Walker Estate v. York-Finch General Hospital [2001] SCC, Arndt v. Smith [1997] SCC, Materially Increased Risk – Inference of Causation, McGhee v. National Coal Board [1972] UK HL, Snell v. Farrell [1990] SCC, Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories [1980] Cal SC, B.M. v. British Columbia, Athey v. Leonati [1966] SCC, Nowlan v. Brunswick Const. Lee [1972] SCC, Penner v. Mitchell [1978] AB CA, Dillon v. Twin State Gas and Elec Co. [1932] US, Re Polemis and Furness, Withy & Co. [1921], Wagon Mound No. 1 Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd. v. Morts Dock [1961] AC, Hughes v. Lord Advocate [1963] HL, Thin-Skulled Plaintiff Rule, Smith v. Leech Brain & Co. [1962], Marconato v. Franklin [1974] BC SC (Egg shell personality application), Wagon Mound (U.K.) Ltd. v. Miller Steamship Co. Pty [1967], Assiniboine South School Division v. Greater Winnipeg Gas Co. [1973] SCC, Bradford v. Kanellos [1973] SCC, Oke v. Weide Tpt. Ltd. [1963] Man CA, Jolley v. Sutton London B.C. [1998] BC CA, Price v. Milawski [1977] Ont. C.A., Hewson v. Red Deer [1976] AB, Tong v. Bedwell [2002] AB, Robitaille v. Vancouver Hockey Club [1979], Kraft v. Oshawa General Hospital [1985], Janiak v. Ippolito [1985] SCC, Andrews v. Grand & Toy Alta. Ltd. [1978] SCC, Krangle v. Brisco [1997] SCC, Death of a Dependent Family, Bianco v. Fromow, Dredger v. S.S. Edison, Ratych v. Bloomer, Cunningham v. Wheeler, The Doctrine of Subrogation, R in Right of Can. v. Sask. Wheat Pool [1983] SCC, Walls v. Mussens Ltd. (1969) (N.B. C.A.), Negligence Act, [1990], PURE ECONOMIC LOSS, NEGLIGENT MISREPRESENTATION, TORT LIABILITY OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES, Just v. British Columbia (1989) SCC, Contributory Negligence, Walls v. Mussens Ltd. (1969) NB CA, Gagnon v. Beaulieu [1977] BC, Madge v. Meyer [2002] AB CA, Ottoson v. Kasper (1986), Mortimer v. Cameron (1994) ON CA, Voluntary Assumption of Risk, Dube v. Labar (1986) SCC, Participation in Criminal or Immoral Act, Ex Turpi Causa, Hall v. Hebert [1993] SCC, John Bead Corporation v. Soni [2002] ONT, Norberg v. Wynrib [1992] SCR, Inevitable Accident, Rintoul v. X-Ray And Radium Indust. Ltd. [1956] SCC, Basra v. Gill [1995] BC CA, Cook v Lewis, Smith v Stone, Gilbert v Stone, Miska v Sivec, Hodgkinson v Martin, Ranson v Kitner, The Mediana,Livingston v Rawyards, Hawkins v McGee, B (P) v B (W), Penarth Dock v Pounds, Bettel v Yim, Non-Marine Underwriters v Scalera,Larin v Goshen, Dalhberg v Nayduik, Stewart v Stonehouse, Morgan v Layacomo, McDonald v Sebastian, MK v MH, Bruce v Dyer, Holcombe v Whitaker, Police v Greaves, Bird v Jones, Campbell v Kresge, Robertson,Herd v Weardale, Thomas v Norris, Nelles v ON, Proulx v Quebec,Stoffman v OVC, Wilkinson v Downton, Purdy v Woznesensky, Radovskis v Tomm, Samms v Eccles, Clark v Canada, Cant v Cant, Motherwell v Motherwell, Hollinsworth v BCTV, Cadbury v Schweppes, Szarfer v Chodos,Argyl v Argyll, Sonmar v McDonald’s Restau, Bhadauria v Seneca College, Fouldes v Willoughby, Boma Manufacturing, McKenzie v Scotia Lumber,Aitken v Gardner, Gen & Finance Facilities, Entick v Carrington, Turner v Thorne, Harrison v Carswell, Trespass to Property Act, Hudson’s Bay v White, Kerr v Revelstoke, Bernstein v Skyviews, Boehringer, Edwards v Sims, Ont. Ltd. v Huron Steel, Hollywood Silver v Emmett, Christie v Davey, Tock v St. John’s, AG Ont v Orange Productions, Hickey, Rylands v Fletcher, Read v Lyons, Gertsen v Metro Toronto, Defences to Rylands rule, TG Bright Co v Kerr, BPA v Curry, Salmond principle, 671122 Ontario Ltd v Sagaz, Wright v McLean, Agar v Canning, Williams, Papadimitropoulos, Toews v Weisner, Latter v Braddell, Lane v Holloway, R v Jobidon, MM vKK, Nelitz v Dyck, Norberg v Wynrib, Marshall v Curry, Malette v Shulman, Brushett v Cowan, C v Wren, Consent and culture, Thomas v Norris, Wackett v Calder, Gambriel v Caparelli, R v Duffy, McDonald v Hees, Bird v Holbrook.

Gone but not forgotten...

xoxo,

TCO

Green with envy

AHC's brother is a fancy copy writer in advertising and got tickets for the Coen bros. release at TIFF, No Country for Old Men. He generously asked AHC to go with him to the show, at the Elgin Theatre. Apparently they had great seats.

Now, I'm not much of a fanatic when it comes to stars. But there are a couple of leading men that I am particularly fond of. Clive Owen and Viggo. I loved Clive before anyone knew who he was. Admittedly, the role of Aragorn brought Viggo to my beloved attention.

After the show, the boys were filing out and a volunteer asked them to wait a moment so that a group of starts could pass by, including Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Eddie Vedder.

AND CLIVE OWEN! Apparently he's as tall, dark and handsome in person as in fantasy land. AHC said, "Hey, Clive Owen!" And Clive turned and looked at him and kind of acknowledged the fact that he was, indeed, Clive Owen. ACH thinks I would have peed my pants if I'd been there, and even I can admit there's some chance of that.

Like I said, normally I'm not that starry-eyed over stars, but you can't deny that Clive Owen is pretty dreamy.

I really need to start volunteering at TIFF. Think of all that I've been missing out.

Happy New Year

As ever, the summer has disintegrated into thin air. In some ways I lament its passing, but somewhere around August I start to feel the pull of academic life. Even for the few years that I was out of school between high school and university, September, and not January, signaled the new year for me.

The Girl started grade one today. First time in full day school, though she started full time daycare when she was a year old, so being out of the house all day is nothing new for her. Different, however, is all the talk of responsibility, even on the first day. The demands on we parents shall grow ever steeper, I get the distinct impression already. Though she/we have a reprieve from homework for the first week, I have a sheaf of papers that I must dutifully fill out (emergency contact, pick up release form, optional phone and email request, immediate community walking excursion permission form, lunch information form, and a media release--which I have decided not to sign).

Also receive were the instructions of Mme G, our new teacher--and I mean "our." Instructions on: indoor shoes; bathroom procedures and expectations (I'm not kidding, there are bathroom expectations now); classroom recess toys routine ("to ensure that toys are returned and to promote students' responsibility"); attendance expectations; school year supplies (including these specific essentials: "2 storing pockets for communication and homework, must be CLEAR PLASTIC (NO COLOR[sic] VELCRO TAB OPENING, 3-HOLED"); pocket information (which will come in the aforementioned clear, velcroed storing pockets); the home binder with clear instructions on inserting tabs and labeling them in the appropriate order (in case you're wondering, the appropriate order is Room 4, School, Old Monthly Behaviour Charts, Songs' Repertoire, Vocabulary Sheets/Spelling, Sounds/Phonetic, Reading, Writing, Math Sheets, "..."); Behaviour Schoool Tracking & Home Follow-up (including a list of suggestions for a reward/consequence system); and finally the weekly schedule.

HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!

In rereading the package (I want to call it The Brick, after listening to Naomi Klein's interview on The Current this morning) I notice that the way that one of the headings is laid out on the page makes it read like "Room 4 Parents Behaviour School Tracking and Home Follow-up." Which is appropriate, since I have the distinct impression that my behaviour as a parent will be tracked and followed from now on. I've got a bit of a love-hate relationship with the school system. I have an instinct to fight some of this rule-boundedness, but then I don't want to screw my kids, do I? It's a conundrum.

Anyway, the good thing about this type of school model is that it's bound to dull some of the sharpness of their clever little minds. After school TG proudly presented me with a book she'd drawn for me today with all of my favourite things: herself, AHC, Big Boy, a castle cake, Harry Potter and my laptop. Jesus Christ. "HA! She's got you pegged," said AHC.

Bring on the rules. She needs to be a little less clever...

If my career in law fails, I'll be a homemaker

It occurred to me suddenly today that no fewer than THREE of my favourite people have the initials MM. Is this statistically unusual? I don't know. If there is a statistician out there who can answer that question for me, I'd be interested in knowing the answer.

The one male MM of the group came over for lunch today. Threatened with the prospect of having to live up to AHC's standard, I made peach crisp for dessert. Luckily MM is a recovering country boy from Out East, and lived a childhood replete with every variety of crisp baked by his mother. I'm sure he was saying it just to quell my insecurity, but he said mine was better than his mother's.

Take that, AHC!


(Sadly, this picture would be so much better if I had my dad's Nikon. Will somebody please buy me a digital SLR and put me out of my misery??)

Attack!

On the long weekend, the fam and I went to O-town to move some of my stuff. Within five minutes of arriving at CFO's house, the kids managed to break a lamp (that's one in 100% of the places I've lived in Ottawa). After moving, we hit the Children's Museum, the Dinosaur show at the Imax, a Tex-Mex resto with TF&C and Partner, and, on Sunday, a friend's cottage near Arnprior. We had a great time. AHC actually picked mussels out of the Ottawa River and cooked them up just to try. I think we all only had one, so probably not enough to kill us with whatever pollution or toxins lay within.

The Big Boy got out of the River with a little friend attached to his little toe for lunch. Now, I sort of regret not taking a picture of it while it was still attached. After all, I don't think leeches are life threatening. My mothering instinct was more intent on getting it off. Which is why I would have failed as a papparazzo. I did take a pic afterwards now, with the wound. And you can't even really see the yucky bruise! Eek!

Why are women always looking like idiots?

I'm not the first person to notice this, but I'm having a surge of "pissed off" about it right now:

Why is it that commercials always make women look like dumb freaks on any kind of cleaning product ad? Seriously. I just watched two Febreeze ads. One of them actually had a female psychiatrist lying on the patient couch sniffing like a fool. The patient says "Doctor, shouldn't I be on the couch?" and she snaps back, "No!" So, presumably a woman who has spent thousands of dollars and years on her education lacks the capacity to maintain professional behaviour faced with a sweet smelling cleaning product.

This is but one example of any number. It disgusts me. I'm going to start buying lemons and vinegar to do my cleaning because I'm offended by it.

And yet in December 2006 , our friends in Canada's New Government thought it was a good idea to remove equality from the mandate at Status of Women, close SoW offices and cut funding to advocacy programs.

Don't think these are unrelated in the grand scheme of things.

Eat Your Greens

Just a quick note to point out that AHC has started posting on his recipe blog again after a bit of a hiatus (could it be that he was a single dad with two kids for eight months? I'm not going to hold it against him...too much). His recent post on cooking vegetables reminded me of the fact that when he started studying culinary, he hated vegetables. I always bugged him that it was not going to be acceptable for a chef to not eat vegetables. After a short time at cooking school, he realized that, in fact, he did NOT hate vegetables, just that his mother had been overcooking them for his entire life.

(It also amuses me that she likes to take credit for his cooking ability: "I taught you everything you know!" whenever he has suggestion (like, for example, the right way to cook veg). It's like that scene in Dirty Dancing where Baby's mother says something like "I think she gets it from me." On the bright side, she's really good at refried beans and other southern fare of her youth.)

Being that I am the beneficiary of pretty much every recipe on the blog, I can certify that it's all pretty damn good. I highly recommend reading and cooking from it.

The Facebook Dilemma

PRIVACY: I've spent considerable time this year studying privacy at school, for my research job and for my own personal interest. I've spent the past several weeks reading numerous SCC judgments on the "reasonable expectation of privacy," a standard (if you can call it that) underlining a person's s. 8 Charter rights. I worked lengthy hours on a report about digital rights management technologies and the privacy concerns surrounding them. I've got a continuing project about health records and privacy. I'm all over privacy.

Which is why I have a Facebook dilemma. I've resisted thus far. I do not have an account, though I will admit to hypocrisy: When I came back from school, I logged on to AHC's account (with his permission) and nosed around. Found some people, sent a couple of messages and even re-connected with a couple of people from the past. Otherwise, it seems kind of freaky to post stuff for the world to see. I know you can fix your privacy settings, but I have concerns that there's insidiousness just below the surface and I don't want to get sucked into it.

This is mostly a problem right now because I am in Toronto and many of my friends are not. But many of them have FB accounts. It seems like one way to keep in touch. Scanning someone's FB page seems kind of like passing them in the hall, or chatting for a minute by the lockers after class.

In truth, I'm one of those people who thinks you can't really replace face time with a person. I'm against living online. It would drive me crazy in class that people would be posting on people's walls in the middle of class to people who were three rows away. Seriously, wait until after class and talk to the person! It's a whole confluence of elements in our culture, I think: our sharing culture (guilty! I have a blog!) and our soundbite culture (not exactly guilty, but I do have a past in journalism, contributing to the phenom), to name but two. Oh, and I should add our simulacrum culture, just to shout out to Killingsworth. [On a weird note, I just pulled out my Canadian Oxford to check the spelling of "simulacrum" and I opened it on exactly the right page.]

What to do?!

US Supreme Court

The Sunday New York Times (from July 1) had an interesting article on the session of the US Supreme Court that just closed. By the way, why is there only one woman (and only one visible minority) on the US Supreme Court? Not that Canada is the shining paragon of equality, but at least we've got four women sitting in our highest court. Though we're a little slim on the minorities ourselves. Unless you count the French.

Curse Selection

Have you ever noticed that dropping one little letter turns a "course" into a "curse"?

That has meaning at so many levels, but I am referring in particular to the selection of these courses/curses, which is happening as we speak. My dear, dear university posted no fewer than 10 documents pertaining to selection, with over 100 classes to chose from. Luckily, my scheduling requirements are very specific, so I was able to eliminate most of them, so my choices were more limited.

I hope it all works out.

'Fraidy Cat

I was reviewing a number of judgments late into the night last night, long past dark and long past the kids and AHC went to bed. The judgments pertained to a variety of unsavouries, including murderers and drug dealers.

The house was very quiet and very dark and I fairly expected someone to jump out and harm me as I went up to bed. I checked the doors were locked twice.

It's like watching horror movies and being too scared to sleep (which I don't do because I'm a suck). I totally managed to psyche myself out.

TCO Reads

Isabel Allende, Aphrodite. (June 2007)
Ahhhhh, food. And love. Or lust. Hot stuff. It's a book all about aphrodisiac foods. It was great. Funny and amusing. And thank God, it didn't take itself too seriously. Plus, good recipes. Or, I assume they might be good. I might even try some of them. I need to cook more to get in touch with my inner creator.

Scott Turow, One L. (June 2007)
I picked this one up at CFO's house, when AHC and I stayed there last week. The infamous law school book! I expect I would have had a different reaction had I read it before or during school. As it were, I recognized the sentiments and laughed at some of it in solidarity. But the utter confusion is passed (gone since Poa On in the first semester of contracts). And I didn't have any of those Perini-type crazy Socratics. I did have one really crappy teacher, but that is another story.

Batya Gur, Murder in Jerusalem. (June 2007)
It was alright. A murder mystery. Another pickup from the guest room up north. Passes time in the summer.

Wayne Johnston, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. (June 2007)
This was quite beautiful. I visited St. John's last year, so I could picture the places in the book, which is something I tend to love when reading a book. Plus, I remember writing an essay on Joey Smallwood in grade 8. I don't remember what I wrote at all, except that Smallwood was a personal hero of my teacher (so I imagine it was glowing). I love the humanity, foibles and weaknesses of heroes. It reminds me of my grandfather, who was a great man and loved by many (known to many in his capacity as a United Church minister), but with undeniable shortcomings in some parts of his life. And yet we love and idolize him all the same. I tend to love him more because of this humanity, by which I mean to indicate his capacity for mistake, poor judgment, weakness. Even the great men and women are touchable.

Michael Cordy, The Messiah Code. (May 2007)
Urgh. Don't read this. It was weekend reading from the guest room at my parents place. I picked it up for something to do. It was even renamed to sound like The DaVinci Code to capitalize on the popularity of that book. Which it needed, because otherwise it sucked, even worse than DaVinci Code.

Nicola Kraus and Emma McLauchlin. Citizen Girl. (May 2007)
Okay, for a summer read. But perhaps slightly depressing given its take on the job market, on women in the job market, on young women and the need to sell out in the job market, and on the feminist job market. Maybe not the way I needed to start my summer after spending the previous eight months increasing my student (and personal) debt by several thousand dollars just for the privilege of studying law. May my future not be hers, but I have at least a shadow of a doubt about that.

Between the Covers

A while ago I heard or read an interview with a woman (I can't now remember who, but I think maybe it was on CBC) who kept a journal of all the books she read. This sounds like a fascinating idea to me. I used to read a lot more than I do now (other responsibilities in life have reduced my overall reading time), but I still manage to get in a lot of reading compared to some people. Anyway, I'm going to start just such a record. See the menu for the link to the list...

Closetfill

For some inexplicable reason, I had a strong urge this weekend to clean out the closet of my childhood. And that's not a metaphor for anything. I mean the actual closet of my childhood, which has been accumulating stuff since I moved to that house in 1983. It's been cleaned out a variety of times over the years, but not so much since 1996 when I graduated from high school and moved to Europe. Since then, my room ceased to be mine, and all my stuff got boxed up and closeted...until now. I took a couple of antihistamines and dug in.

I found a lot of good/funny stuff: tons of ridiculous and hilarious stuff from old boyfriends (including a cool pair of socks from one of the Italians which I still could not part with), a picture of ACH and me on the night that began it all, a letter dated 1992 from the uncle who has had an undeniable impact on my present path, some of my old art (I hope I don't regret tossing it out, but it's not that good), and all manner of photographs from every stage of my life.

One of the most fantastic things, though, is the collection of cassette tapes accumulated over my life. The last time I was in that closet, people still listened to cassette tapes. In fact, I am listening to some of my old tapes right now. Talk about flashback. Anyway, here's my collection, because it's seriously making me laugh:

• All manner of mixed tape, including *'s Happy Fun Tape (punk tape made by my best friend from grade 11-12), my dad's Oldies but Goodies mix with the Bobby Fuller Four version of "I fought the law" which I LOVED when I was a kid (and still do), and at least a couple of boyfriend mixes (Seany's Noisy Mix comes to mind)
• A whole series of The Solid Gold Collection which was this series published by Esso or Shell in the '80s. You got them when you filled up. Gas stations never do that any more.
• Butterfly Plague and Imp, both bands with people I knew in them
  
• Debbie Gibson "Out of the Blue," Olivia Newton John, "Greatest Hits" (none of which I recognize), Paul Abdul "Forever Your Girl" (apparently not enough to ruin her life forever), Madonna "Like a Virgin", Salt n Pepa "Very Necessary" (not the one with "Let's Talk About Sex")
• Jimi Hendrix "The Ultimate Experience," Christopher Cross, Lenny Kravitz "Are You Gonna Go My Way," Leonard Cohen (still a fan, but now I'm old enough to appreciate him),
• Smashing Pumpkins, the Flaming Lips, Enigma "The Cross of Changes," 54-40, Nirvana "Bleach," Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis "We Can't Dance," Snap "World Power" (?), The Beatles, Beastie Boys "Licensed to Ill" (a tape which got stuck in the the player of my LeBaron for several months one time), Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Arrested Development "3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of", Nine Inch Nails (yeah, that one), USA for Africa "We Are the World" (back when MJ wasn't a total freak yet), Technotronic, Breakdance (a compilation of break dance music), and C+C Music Factory ("Everybody dance NOW..." oh, the good old days!)
  
• A ton of stuff from my dad's collection, including lots of classical music, Bellafonte, Liberace and the Dueling Banjos
• There's a tape labelled "Elvis Presley - LIVE (Taped in Denver-11/77-Gramps) Merry Xmas to Ricky 1977"-there's no one that I can think of in my family named "Ricky" so I'm going to have to find out who that is. Also, Elvis didn't perform after June of '77, but it definitely sounds like him on the tape...maybe it's his ghost.
• And, my personal favourite, from 1984, published by K-tel International Ltd: The Minipops "Let's Dance"!!!! I'm embarrassed by it, but Hsuan (our billeted harpsichordist from the TBSI) and I kind of got down listening to this tonight. I have to say, they do a pretty good "Our house [in the middle of our street]."

There is a ton of stuff without labels, so I'm going to have to go through and check it out, just for old time's sake.

Okay, time to bust a move.

Okay, Now I'm Done

When I got into the car this morning, The Beatles came blaring at me, to the tune of "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da," with the meaningful refrain: "Life goes on." Yeah. I took that as a good sign. And The Beatles was fitting music in some ways, being one of the all time favourite groups of the professor of my property law class, a class in which I managed to pull off a minor coup on my final grade. A rather unexpected pleasant surprise. So, I thought, it makes sense to listen to that music if it, in some cosmic way, connects me to the brain waves that got me such a gift in my property class.

No car accidents, no infections or diseases (or infectious diseases), no fire alarms or bomb threats (or fire bombs). For better or for worse, that exam is now done. Just getting it written feels like a minor coup. I'm happy.

AND, I am officially done 1L.

Seriously, I Still Have One Exam to Write

Me and exams? We've got issues. And it's not that I can't write them, either. I do just fine on exams, thank you very much. But last semester it was ear infections before Crim (and throughout the rest of 1L). Then, on the first day of exams I had to attend a funeral, so my K exam was deferred. Which I promptly rescheduled. And then promptly got a strep infection the day before I was supposed to write it.

I'm fairly convinced that I'm going to get into a car accident or something on the way up to Osgoode (that's where I'm writing the exam, so I don't have to go back to Ottawa) just because things happen in threes (don't they?) and because it would just sort of be funny if it happened. Again.