The Daily Squishy

It's been such a long time since I've posted TDS! So, here are two pic instead of one.

Websites I Love: Cakewrecks

Very thoughtful, Mom and Dad:


















When you work in a somewhat menotinous office setting, fun little distractions become very important. For instance, everyone looks forward to cakes or cookies or donuts that co-workers bring in. And every once in awhile, the annoucement will come--the company is sponsoring a cake. Imagine how your joy would turn to shock and sadness if you then saw this:















Poor Amber. So, she starts a new career and wouldn't you know, there's a cake for that, too!


















Viacakewrecks.

White Men are Teh Awesome!

"I dunno, Sotomayor. Considering white males engineered Western Civ, you'd think they'd have a handle on things to be able to make decisions." Red State's editor Erick Erickson.

What he is saying, in this Tweet, is that white men are the best qualified to rule from the bench--not yucky Latina women--'cause white men dragged us into civilization. Man! Is there nothing a white man can't do? Their's is the only true deserving membership and the rest of us should stand back and take a lesson. Thank you, Erick Erickson, for that delightful Tweet. I like it almost as much as when you Tweeted that Justice David Souter was a goat fu**ing child molester.

There are No Words for How Disgusting This Is

I wanted to wait before I blogged about the newest Abu Ghraib photographs, which were set to be released by the President in April before he changed his mind. I wanted to allow myself time to calm down, write about the issue less emotionally. But time has not slackened my sorrow over these abuses.


From what I have gathered from news reports, these photographs, which relate to 400 cases of alleged abuse between 2001 and 2005 in Abu Ghraib and six other prisons, graphically depict the rape of Iraqi men, women and children. There is no one associated with this horrific tale that I am not angry at. All I can come up with, like Jill is "rage, crushing sadness, and unbearable shame."

When I imagine the scope of these abuses, the cruelty involved, the terror, the broken spirts, hearts and minds, I think back to how this war began, back in 2003 when the media and the Bush administration convinced Americans (but not this American) that we would be greeted as liberators and home in three months. I think back to how smug and arrogant we were as Americans, assuming we could INVADE another people's land and culture and yet not trample them under our self-righteous feet. We are war criminals and the acts we have committed in this war will haunt us for decades to come--as they should!

I am sickenend by our lack of humanity and reminded once again that the best government is an open, transparent government. I have yet to decide if the best form of government would look like Capitalist Democracy. But I do emphatically believe a well-functioning goverment would allow an informed public to decide the path it will take, based on all the facts, even the ones that don't work in your favour.

In my summer job, I must gather all the facts of a case and use these facts to craft a decision. Many times, I feel empathy for a particular side. And when I learn of a fact that goes against finding in that side's favour, there is a flash-a moment-where I would rather hide that fact than present it. But I must lay out all the relevant facts so those who read my decision--especially those who disagree with it--will understand I did not cherry-pick my evidence but rather used law and policy to guide my decision.

What the U.S. has morphed into is more of an oligarthy, where the prospereous few make decisions for the many based on what benefits the few and the only facts presented are those bent and twisted to make a more compelling case.

We should all be ashamed of ourselves for allowing our Presidents and our goverments to rule the nation without us.

Sweet Things My Husband Does

This morning, I found him burning a movie onto DVD for a friend of mine who he has never met but is already borrowing another of the movies in this series. He said he was doing it because it was a great series (Futurama) and more people should enjoy it.

My Happy for the Day: Sonia Sotomayor's Acceptance Speech

A little bit of wonderfulness to counteract the bitter Prop 8 pill. I first saw this at the gym tonight and couldn't hear the audio. Still, I beamed from the treadmill, so happy the U.S. may have a latina Supreme Court justice. Now that I have listened to her, I am even more pleased.

Gender Auditing

Saturday's West Coast LEAF conference concerned gender auditing. Here is how it works: it's a lot like an accounting audit. Volunteers go into local businesses armed with charts, checklists and information and then review the promotion and hiring of women within major companies and firms around B.C.

I think it's a great idea. We are not looking to exceed the number of male promotions and hirings but just make sure the fact that women are the ones that have teh.babies. does not keep them from achieving at work. Should a woman perform above expectation, she should be promoted, regardless of her reproductive organs and how she's used them.

These are the beginning days of this new outreach. The coordinator of WC LEAF had just come back from a seminar in Torino, Italy (!!) where representatives from fourteen nations discussed how such a thing could be organized.


We are years away from truly implementing it, but I'm excited! I think a systematic look at hiring/promotional practices, done in an organized and fair manner, may help change the career landscape for women. This is especially important as women tend to have much smaller pensions than then men when they retired (due to the years they defer their career to raise children) and also live longer, resulting in much higher poverty rates in old age.

Sadness: Prop 8 Upheld

Today, the highest court in California decided to uphold the ban on full human rights. After all, if gays have sex, we will all marry upholstered chairs or gerbils or something.

Here's the thing about that argument: it ignores the most important element of a valid marriage--informed consent. No one can marry anyone--or anything--else without that other entity being able to prove their informed consent. Both parties must know that they are getting married and have some idea of what the institution of marriage entails. That excludes dogs, chairs, stereoplayers and children.

So, now that the consent detail is cleared up, here is my "favorite" quote from the article I linked to above. "'Today's decision is a victory for democracy and a victory for the civil rights of clergy, county clerks and Californians across the political spectrum who did not want to be forced by the government to approve of same-sex marriage,' institute President Brad Dacus said in a statement." News flash, dude, you never had to approve of same-sex marriage. Nobody is asking you to do that. Other people just want to marry the person they love. That is all.

West Coast LEAF Conference Tomorrow

I am attending an-all day conference tomorrow to discuss some new gender-related provincial legislation. Will analyze and pontificate when I get home tomorrow.

It's All About Perpective

I have emerged from the trauma of my grades, recovered enough to find solace in my work, my husband and my friends. This summer is already turning out so well--with very challenging, enjoyable work and a work day that just speeds by. I have made friends with my co-workers and supervisors and I'm thrilled with how well my summer job worked out.

Besides that, I am putting in some pretty tough workouts, getting together my cover letters and applications for legal jobs beyond law school and spending lots of quality time with my Monster.

Yay! Life is good again. Thank you, summer!

Resist the Thumbs Up

I got my grades last week and they were horrific. Not all of them, thank maude, but enough to make me really, truly panic about my future as a lawyer. There are a lot of things going on here. First, we have an educational system which strongly encourages all its students to do very well in their exams but also grades only once--during a three hour final--and bases the students entire mark on this exam. The bad thing about that kind of assessment is that it can be very subjective. If the student for some reason does not test well on that particular day, they can be toast. I was actually very lucky, in one of my classes, 13% of the students failed the course.

Then, there is the legal culture which relies on competition between members in order to advance the profession. In a lot of ways I agree with the merits of this type of competition. But such zero sum terms does have its costs. A study has found that law students are at higher risk of mental disorders than the rest of the population. Some people blame law firms and the practice itself. But I think a lot of the self-distructive behaviors which lead to depression, drinking and substance abuse start in the high pressure environment of law school.

So, here is what I am going to do about it. There is not a lot I can do about the way I am tested. But I can continue to make sure I do my very best, no regrets. Yes, I did badly in some of my classes this term but I know that I worked very hard and knew the material, so even though I am disappointed, I am not disappointed in myself. All I can do is continue to work hard and take intiative to do my best.

I love watching and reading commencement speeches during the month of May. This year, I read President Obama's at Notre Dame and
Dolly Parton at the University of Tennesse. What both of these commencement speeches have in common is the urging of the speaker to graduates to perform exemplory work, to strive to do their very best, put in their best effort. To, "Love what you do. Get good at it. Competence is a rare commodity in this day and age. And let the chips fall where they may." That is really all I can ever do.

The above quote comes from my very favorite commencement speech of all time. It was given at the historic University of William and Mary in May of 2004. I read it at the time and keep going back to it for inspiration. It was given but my not-so-secret crush Jon Stewart to his Alma Mater.

This is my favorite quote in his very poignant and funny speech (if you haven't already, read it): "I don’t know if you’ve been following the news lately, but it just kinda got away from us. Somewhere between the gold rush of easy internet profits and an arrogant sense of endless empire, we heard kind of a pinging noise, and uh, then the damn thing just died on us. So I apologize.

But here’s the good news. You fix this thing, you’re the next greatest generation, people. You do this—and I believe you can—you win this war on terror, and Tom Brokaw’s kissing your ass from here to Tikrit, let me tell ya. And even if you don’t, you’re not gonna have much trouble surpassing my generation. If you end up getting your picture taken next to a naked guy pile of enemy prisoners and don’t give the thumbs up you’ve outdid us."

I Hate Law School

It's stupid and it sucks.* Sane people should stay away from its self-serving and indiscriminate morality. Thank you. That is all.



*yes, I did get my grades back today.

My Summer Job

I posted a month or so ago about getting a summer job. The irony is, I can't write about the actual work I do except to say I work for the provincial government ('province' is the Canadian word for 'state') and adjudicate claims.

What I can write about is how challenging the work is and how much I am enjoying it. There is so much to learn: how to weigh evidence, when to ask for more evidence, how to write a legal decision, etc. I am so privileged and lucky to be learning these things as a student. I also really like my co-workers, mentors and supervisors and can see why working for the government is so awesome. Yay for summer jobs!

Marriage Advice

What not to say to your wife when she tells you she is experiencing menstrual discomfort:


"So, should I call you Crampy Joe?"

Hooray for Hope!

We put Hope on a plane this morning--as I write this, she is in Seattle awaiting her connecting flight home--after a fantastic visit. She arrived Sunday afternoon and we took her immediately down to Gastown, the waterfront and watched the steamclock do its thing. The next morning, I had to start work (another post will follow on that topic later) so she and I didn't have a lot of time together during the week: she would walk me to the bus stop in the early morning and then we would go out to dinner at night but that was it.



Until Saturday, when we had the whole day together. It was terrific timing as the weather was the nicest it had been all week and we could spend the whole day outside. After a delicious dim sum breakfast at Imperials, we hung out at the waterfront and then made our way down to Stanley Park and the Aquarium. We ate lunch at Banana Leaf's in the West End and then ate gelato on the beach, listening to this increadible African band who were performing there.









It's sad that the visit is over. It went so fast. Can't wait to have you again!

Sweet Things My Husband Does

This morning over a delicious breakfast at Sophie's (him with bacon & eggs, me with eggs Benny) we discussed the impending arrival of my best friend, H. from Florida. I am so happy that she arrives this afternoon and cannot wait for her to explore the city. Unfortunately, I am also beginning work this week, so Monster is going to take her around: ziplining down Grouse Mountain, cycling in Stanley Park, exploring the beaches and restaurants, etc.

Monster offered to lend H. his iphone during her visit, so she can keep in touch with us when we're out. That is so extra sweet of him to be so generous and thoughtful! More posts & pictures of her stay coming soon.

Justice David Souter is Retiring

After eighteen years on the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice David Souter is retiring. Funny thing about Souter, he was appointed by George Bush Senior because the Republicans were unsure whether Kenneth Starr would be conservative enough [insert sad chuckle and long sigh here]. But, as is the case with many justices once they assend to the Bench, their jurisprudence tends to skew left. At the end of his SCOTUS career, Justice Souter was realiably one of the "Liberal Four" justices.




Although he will be missed, I am eager to see who President Obama will nominate. My dream nomination would be Leah Ward Sears. She is under the age of fifty-five and has a long history as the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. To fit with Obama's desire to nominate someone with 'empathy' her decisions have shown insight, fairness and insightfulness.

It would be wonderful to have another woman on the Bench and even better to have a woman of colour. Of course, the process of nominating and vetting potential justice nominees needs at least one Republican vote, so Sears may prove difficult to "sell" to Republicans. On the other hand, any Obama nominee will receive violent pushback from the Right, so why not Sears?