the clone wars.

for all of those of you that love star wars as much as I do, you will love this!
a preview of the clone wars cartoon is awaiting you right here.

mammograms.

please make sure, if you are 35, you have a baseline.
mammograms are so important - and they are lifesavers.
don't forget self breast exams in between doctor's appointments, too.

change of jurisdiction.

i am now in the land of deep dish pizza, and loving it!

the last patriot

thanks goodness for will ferrell and co. at funny or die. else we wouldn't have things like this.

more fun in lebanon.

hizbullah is not happy, shockingly, again.

more on lebanon.

sadly, a bomb just hit the resort town of aley in lebanon, which is a druse stronghold. my friend is druse, which is a smaller religion and a group that is rarely targeted by bombers as they are not muslim, christian, or jewish. very shocking to hit the druse of lebanon.
the bomb dropped very close to my friend's hotel in aley. very little news on it so far, except for here.

lebanon.

many of you know that one of my closest friends is lebanese. a good way to keep up on happenings is here.

i have not been to lebanon, but i have always wanted to go. and i came about this close to going about seven months before the war last summer. amazing people. beautiful. resilient. what else is there to do when the your land is constantly at war, both with itself and with others. just check out the controversy around the world press photo of the year here.

it's only been nine months, but already i am a law geek.

which is why you all should check out oyez here. marvelous website dedicated to posting all of the oral arguments made before the united states supreme court since they have been recording oral arguments. for added treats, you can also read transcripts in their entirety and download the oral arguments to your ipod.

yes. i am a law geek. and i am proud.

more brilliant fun with deadliest catch.

Previously on Deadliest Catch long

Add to My Profile | More Videos

have you seen the pictures of matthew mcconaughey lately?

always shirtless. and that is why this is priceless.

i heart deadliest catch.

i love this show. i love how the fishermen love what they do, no matter how crazy it may seem to the rest of us. enjoy this link to captain sig hansen (love the last name) on the daily show.

perhaps i will stay 14 forever.

i had the best time the other night. made dinner with a law school friend. then we went to what is, i suspect, the world's smallest carnival in exciting okemos, mi. even with it's maybe six adult rides, we rode the tilt-a-whirl and the spider. and i laughed my ass off. i cannot remember the last time that something sooo simple made me laugh so very hard.

so, here's hoping that something makes you feel 14 again, sometime soon.

more laughs

it is official.

the first year of law school is...


O V E R!!!!!

for the "yum" factor.

elvis. 68 comeback special. black leather. enough said.

something to cheer me up after failing property.

property = evil.
jack black = good times.

one word for you.

exams.

and you thought your kids were talented...

read this too.

Father Knows Best: Dr. Kennedy's magic prescription for indecisive women.

denying the right to choose

check out this opinion in the new york times.

closer to the death of choice.

the supreme court's decision today in Gonzales v. Carhart takes this country closer and closer to becoming one that prohibits choice for more than half the population, a scant thirty years after it awarded what may be considered limited choice to women. it is the single biggest choice decision to be handed down since Roe v. Wade.

please take a moment to visit one of the following and make a donation or join a letter writing campaign.

and remember, keep your laws off my body.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America
National Organization for Women
NARAL
National Abortion Federation
Save Roe

one of many study break items i'll be sent in the next few weeks.

but this is a good one. try it!

1. go to google
2. click on maps.
3. click on get directions.
4. go from new york, new york to paris, france.
5. and read line # 23.

this is the funniest thing i have seen in a long while.

as someone said, "Pearl was fantastic... but that guy with the afro was a bit lacking."

we all need someone, just one person, who challenges us.

and here is a good reminder.
hope you find someone.




p.s. this is why i loved pacey.

how cute is this?

It's Brandon Bunny!

looking for idenity of interests.

so yesterday the journals at the law school had their open houses.

i went to the journal of international law, which would be my number two choice after the law review.

i found someone interested in international development and had an exciting conversation with someone for the first time in months. it was a relief to talk to someone who understood and was interested in the same things.

too bad i then proceeded to talk his head off.

i miss my peeps. :(

today is april 11 and...

there are two inches of snow on the ground.
the pollen count is high.
this is just so very wrong.

the difference between me and the rural midwest

my friend works in the midwest and she told me a story that i think illustrate how much she and i miss those who get us.

she walked into the lunchroom where she worked.
she heard a woman say, "i like the discovery channel, but it is too evolutionary for me."
my friend walked out without saying anything, which i told her was probably best under the circumstances.

now, i am not knocking god or religion. but i miss similarity of thought, people who care about things that are similar to what i care about, and experience in life. i miss people who want to travel the world and taste the delights it has to offer. i miss museums and theatre. most of all, i miss those who are near and dear to me and get me. you can never underestimate how important that identity is - that someone gets you.

the pollen count is high?

it is just weird that in april, when it is below freezing and has been snowing everyday for a week, that www.weather.com is posting advisories about the pollen count being high. don't you think? umm.... freezing outside, snow in april, and high pollen count? just odd.

it reminds me of when i lived in texas and the weather would report on windchill factors when it was 60 degrees outside. (it was 55 with the windchill factor.) i'm from chicago. 5 below zero with a windchill factor that makes it 30 below zero is a windchill factor.

oi. back to class actions...

just for fun.

chi-town bound.

yes. this summer, after a many year departure, i will be living and working in the greater chicagoland area. i am still looking for a friend or relative to take in the poor, wayward law student that i am. but either way, i am looking forward to a summer with my family. it has been entirely too long.

oh how i love a good bike ride.

and i need one. on that note, check out my friend's new harley. isn't it a thing of beauty?
the bike, not the man. :)

this is one of many reasons why i love civil procedure still.

our professor is still just brilliant. great hypos. great wit.
today he had to explain who liberace was to the youngin's in class born after 1980.
his description, hee-hee, was:
elton john on speed.

apologies.

spring break and getting back in the swing of things, plus appellate arguments and appellate brief.
i am stressed and tired.
how about you?

redheads rule.

i love being a redhead. one of my very good law school friends sent me to real of redheads.... i want all of the t-shirts. being a poor law student certainly can suck.

a friend of mine.

a friend of mine ordered one of these.
my whole life i have wanted a motorcycle.
for those of you who do not know, i brew up on the back of one, cruising along the back of my dad's bike through greater chicagoland.
wow. i cannot wait to go for a ride.
anyone else out there miss a good bike ride?
the power? the heat? the wind on your face? the buzzing humm?

what in the?

what in the hell happened to him?
remember when he looked good?
i think this may be the last time he looked good.

vdp on people.com!

as you all may know, my fabulous cousin vanessa designs women's accessories and distributes them exclusively to her best friends, the owners of Jake. yesterday, at the recommendation of john mayer, ms. jessica simpson dropped into Jake in chicago and bought one of vanessa's obi belts and wore it out of the store. people.com is reporting it now, and mentions vanessa by name. it seems us and the chicago sun-times will also be carrying the story.

take a peak here.

go vanessa!

it's a fight to work at my desk.

but a pleasant one.

heat wave.

we hit 39 today baby!!!! get out the coppertone and go tanning.
i cannot remember the last time it was above freezing.
wait. it was almost six weeks ago...

dakota. 1L and constitutional law aficionada

can we say yummmm?

did you see sting open the grammy's with the police? yum, yum, yum. reunion tour? i am soooo there.

and three cheers for the dixie chicks. winning song of the year and record of the year and album of the year... as far as i am concerned a nice f*** you to those who do not believe in free speech.


Not only is it extremely cruel to persecute in this brief life those who do not think the way we do, but I do not know if it might be too presumptuous to declare their eternal damnation. Evelyn Beatrice Hall

and it continues....

snow yesterday. snow today. no end in site. at least we are back in the 20s, and not the single digits.

someone needs to explain this to me.

i live in michigan. what do you think of when you think michigan? snowy cold winters, right? me too. one would think that an extension of that would be snowplows and clean streets. one would not think the streets would be like our nation's capital. (in case you did not know, it takes about a week after a snowfall in the greater washington, dc area to plow every road.) well, in this way, i have not left dc.

chicago, oh that paragon of snow removal, please teach michigan the way. chicago, you are brilliant! you plow as it is snowing. there is no accumulation. snow is constantly removed. salt is constantly laid down on the road. there is no waiting until after the snow, when it is already packed onto the pavement and there is no such thing as removal. please, send michigan your snow removal guide. the state is definitely in need.

Personal Jurisdiction

in civil procedure our professor had a contest to make deciphering personal jurisdiction a breeze.
check out the winner here.

the supreme court.

there is a great pbs series currently underway about the supreme court.
check it out here.
judicial review... thank you, chief justice john marshall.

it's... another boy!

my first undergrad friend had a baby this week!

kristen and sergio welcomed little landon xavier on january 22.
little tike came in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. and 20 inches long.
he's a looker!

check this out.

have a little fun at wee world.

baby boy has a name!

his name is asher.
i love this name.
in case you did not know, my favorite book is my name is asher lev.
i highly recommend it.
it was part of my sophomore year reading in high school and i instantly fell in love.
i still have the copy that i used that year, with all of my notes and doodles.
in fact, i reread the book once a year.
i have since also bought a first edition hardcover.
read it. enjoy.
and welcome to the world little Asher O-S!
we have been anxiously awaiting your arrival

your assistance is requested...

i have taken to calling my friend raz by the nickname of wheeler. he has yet to get the reference. anyone out there care to venture a guess to the reference?

shaking in our boots.

okay, so if it would actually snow in michigan, we may literally be shaking in our boots.
our torts professor gave out some harsh grades in her civil procedure section.
understandably we are all very, very fearful of our torts grades. gulp.

no official name yet, but we have a nickname.

yes, thanks to the magical words of baby boy's brother and auntie anne, the newest member to the gp is affectionately known as....

cheetah maccool.

cheetah because big brother owen thinks his little brother's name should be cheetah.
maccool is after the irish legend fionn maccool.

back to it.

back to it tomorrow.

guess what is first up?

wish me luck. been a long time since i have studied the constitution in any way, shape, or form.

marbury v. madison anybody?

we have another boy!

there is another boy in the o'connell-strasberg family. yes!

no name, but he is 8 lbs, 6 oz and 21 inches long!
i have been told he has some black hair on his cute little head. he was born shortly after 11 pm on 3rd january.

new baby on the way!

one of the girl posse is in labor as i write! cannot wait to meet the newest and littlest member! will keep you all posted.

babysitting.

so a good friend of mine is babysitting his two little nieces. he told me the following, which i would never have expected to hear from him. oh to be a fly on the wall. i would pay - a lot.

i bought them a princess jewelry board game.

i dress up with them.

i almost won twice; had the ring, necklace, earings and bracelet but not the crown

priceless.

a little belated, but...

happy new year!

the best to each of you in 2007!

the best little fan... ever.

i forgot to mention.

saw this over thankgiving. if you have not, you should.

three down, one to go.

and i do not care how i did. they are just done.

but, here is a good laugh for you. actually, it almost made me lose myself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA&eurl=

that jt... he sure has a great sense of humor.

any guess as to what the last final is?

some legal cinematic entertainment for you in my absence that can only be described as torts hell.

from a civil action...

It's like this. A dead plaintiff is rarely worth more than a living severely-maimed plaintiff. However, if it's a long slow agonizing death as opposed to a quick drowning or car wreck, the value can rise considerably. A dead adult in his 20s is generally worth less than one who is middle aged. A dead woman less than a dead man. A single adult less than one who's married. Black less than white. Poor less than rich. The perfect victim is a white male professional, 40 years old, at the height of his earning power, struck down at his prime. And the most imperfect, well in the calculus of personal injury law, a dead child is worth the least of all.

and...

The odds of a plaintiff's lawyer winning in civil court are two to one against. Think about that for a second. Your odds of surviving a game of Russian roulette are better than winning a case at trial. 12 times better. So why does anyone do it? They don't. They settle. Out of the 780,000, only 12,000 or 11/2 percent ever reach a verdict. The whole idea of lawsuits is to settle, to compel the other side to settle. And you do that by spending more money than you should, which forces them to spend more money than they should, and whoever comes to their senses first loses. Trials are a corruption of the entire process and only fools who have something to prove end up ensnared in them. Now when I say prove, I don't mean about the case, I mean about themselves.

two down, two to go.

and another week...

remind me. why am i doing this again?

exam update.

one down; three to go.
following my professor's advice, i am not discussing it and i am at home watching cartoons, at least for a little bit of time.

msu in the news.

undergrad protestors made msu look, well, not so good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwi3JxcXfWo

ugh. of course.

finals approaching and i have been infested by the cold from hell.
colds suck.
at least i am doing slightly better than my section-mate with mono.

i may be disappearing for the next few weeks.

last few weeks of class followed by final exams.
if i disappear, please forgive me.
although, be on the look out for the occasional slap happy post. :)

happy holidays.

it is over.

the open memo is done and about to be turned in.
still wishing i knew how to actually legally write.
:(
at least tomorrow is a free day for me.

congratulations.

big shout out to my cousin tim and his fiancee, emmie!
it's about time.
so, when's the wedding?

i love my male friends, but...

why in the hell would you return to a country that you had to flee because it was at war when it is now on the brink of civil war?

if you can explain that to me, please let me know.

a laugh so good that you cannot help but laugh yourself.

feeling a bit down this week.
a friend sent me these.
no matter what is going on in your life, these should always make you laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk&mode=related&search

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ayHcA_n7VY

three cheers for the dem's.

now we just need to makes sure that we do something - that we deliver.
or we will be where the r's are today in two years.
let's make something happen.

forgot to mention.

one of our professors one day insisted that some among us, although he did not know who, were law students possessed by the devil by virtue of some of the questions we asked on our online class site.
that is what i went as for halloween.
a law student... possessed by the devil.

posi. the new term that is spreading like wildfire.

my friend had a new man in her life. he is not her boyfriend. he is her posi.
what is a posi?
person of special interest.
get yourself one today.
the term is spreading like wildfire throughout the one l's.

felony of the day.

malicious ship burning.

halloween anyone?

i need some thoughts on a costume. care to email me?

Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6)

how do i love thee? let me count the ways.

been busy, again.

sorry for the delay.
two tests last week.
big scandal at the law college.
yikes.
call if you would like more info.

more later on life...

here is a fun way to waste some time.

www.weeworld.com

contracts.

i accept.
i accept.
i accept.

ebert.

how i heart him.
in case you have not read this...
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061011/PEOPLE/61011001

i do not think i have mentioned it, but. . .

i am the reasonably prudent person.

let it snow.

snow! snow! snow!
yes, i woke up with a smidgen of snow on the ground. mostly flurries with high winds, but snow nonetheless.
even had to clean off of my car.
too bad my heat set off the circuit breakers - twice.

oh, and by the way, did anyone catch george l. on steven colbert?

i heart criminal law.

my crimlaw professor brings in a light saber to lead the class in common law crime chants.

and, thereupon, sixty one-L's scream out the elements of criminal law of the common law variety.

larceny:
trespassory
taking
and carrying away
the personal property
of another
with the intent to steal it.

how exciting is my life?

midterm coming up.
ladies' night last friday with the women in my section.
new haircut.
turned in my second memo.
year anniversary of my trip to italy. (how i miss italy.)
proud owner of two cats.
lunch with three other section mates and a professor this past saturday.
section mate in a car accident.
i found a dry cleaner's.

or, is it officially winter?

we are supposed to have the first snowfall of the year tonight. precipitation mixed with plummeting temperatures. exciting.

it is offiically fall.

why?

i had to turn on the heat last night.
it was in the 30s over night.
the cats are sleeping in tighter balls and closer to me for warmth.
ice was on my car window this am, and i had to scrape it off.
the trees are turning glorious hues of red, oranges, and yellows.
sure could stand for a piece of pumpkin pie.

today's zen moment.

i am one with the federal rules of civil procedure.
i am one with a rule 12(b)(6) motion.
i am one with the federal rules of civil procedure.
i am one with rule 8(a).
i am one with the federal rules of civil procedure.

the living dead.

i never remember ever being so tired in all of my life.

warmth is on the way!

okay, but really in about three months. holiday cruise to mexico with the fam! there i will be... less than a day after my last final in criminal law.

woo hoo!

it is michigan and it is cold.

cold and windy today. i think summer has officially gone. my first michigan fall is upon me and i am missing the added weeks of warmth in dc. :(

how is the weather by you?

civil procedure... dunk...

break through in class today. i actually understood civil procedure before i went into class and was right! i may have had a bit of diarrhea of the month when i answered the question, but it all came out. kudos to the early a.m. study group and our tossng around of questions. i am actually excited about starting to read the federal rules of civil procedure. what have they done to me?

highlighters.

i have discovered in that past month that different types of paper require the use of different highlighters. i cannot use the cheap-o highlighters in all of my books. i had to spring for the expensive liquid type in order to highlight in some books. hrm. who knew?

how fast they grow up.

not only did my baby brother dan turn 16 this past june and pass his driving test with flying colors, but now he is going to homecoming with a date! he is going shopping for a new suit... the works. and kathy (my fabulous step-mom) and i could not be more excited. actually, i think we are more excited that he is. i am sure he is feeling the pressure of two crazy gals excited at his first semi-formal.

seems like yesterday he was three and calling my dad a poo-poo head the whole drive out to good ol' gwu in dc.

hopefully more to come on this one. i, personally, want details on the date, Lauren.

and, the addition has a name.

it is benjamin charles... and he is adorable. yippee!!!

new addition to the nuttle clan.

as many of you know, my cousin ran and his wife dmn have been in the process of adopting another little one to join the adorable andy...

great news! tonight, as i write this, they are on their way to pick up the newest nuttle. i'll let you know when i have a name.

oh, and here is the oddest thing.
ran shares a birthday with my mom.
dmn shares a birthday with my dad.
new baby shares a birthday with me...

congrats growing nuttle family! i cannot wait to meet the newest member at the end of the month.

september 12, 2001.

in case you did not see this, or perhaps do not remember it, please take a look at jon stewart's daily show on september 12, 2001. thank you to my dear friend mdb for forwarding this to me. it is a few minutes long, but well worth the viewing... many times over.

how i love jon stewart.

http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/2006/09/nine_eleven.html

still dropping.

as of now, gas at the corner is $2.36!

do you remember where you were five years ago today?

i remember very well, as if it were yesterday, the details of september 11, 2001.

my very good friend sab decided this morning to look at the positive... how far we, the girl posse, have come... here are some of her thoughts. and, please, take a look at the positive in your life.

I was driving to work this morning hearing all the talk of remembrances and memorials for the 5^th anniversary of the events of September 11^th and I was thinking about where we all were five years ago and where we are now. All of us were living in the DC area and most had just celebrated the best wedding ever (go A and N)!! Now three of us have moved to the Midwest and I for one can honestly say I NEVER thought that I would be living in Battle Creek , MI but here I am. Big Red is on her way to becoming an Esquire and KL and working to fulfill her dream of becoming an Inn Keeper. HAP is kicking ass and taking names at SEIU before you know it she will be running things over there Andy Stern look out!! EDH is becoming trainer and facilitator master over at Equal Justice Works and NKO has become Earth Mother Goddess and Momma Bear to the extreme!!

The core posse and the extended tribe has grown with Owen, Soren, Thea and soon baby Boy Margo (according to Owen).

We have become spouses, parents, pet owners, homeowners, and car owners in the past five years. Seen therapists come and go but the GP has remained connected and for that I am truly grateful.

We have come a long way ladies and I want you to know how much I love you all and how blessed I feel to have you in my life. I am so proud of all of you. I am always amazed at how strong you all are and how you meet every challenge head on and with such courage. You have provided me with a well of strength on so many occasions and on a day when the world is remembering a day where the nation showed strength I wanted to take a moment and celebrate and give thanks to the wonderful women who help keep me going when things get bad.

i love you, too, sab.

how cheap is it by you?

gas is down to $2.38 a gallon here.

been a bit busy.

well, as you can well expect i have been incredibly busy the last two weeks. tons of work and it is very interesting. i can say that i have not thought i made a mistake with this new direction in my life. at times i have wondered if i may be in over my head, but that is a different story. :)

last weekend my dad, kathy, and dan came. it is always great to have company and i enjoyed showing him the campus and the lansing area. and, ta da, we went to the dairy store! yes, the famous dairy store. twenty odd types of ice cream, a few types of cheese. tuesday through thursday you can go on a tour to see the kids making the goodies. very good ice cream too. all my friends and family are welcome to come and visit - and we will head over to the dairy store. who doesn't want chocoalte cheese or big ten ice cream? check out the good times to be had by all at http://dairystore.msu.edu/

i have met a gaggle of great people. it is odd, though, being one of the oldest. at times i find it hard to relate and i have come to realize how much growth there is between 24 and 31 years of age. speech, mannerisms, maturity... just the lack of exposure to the world. and, dc is definitely such a different world. all of this makes me even more appreciative of the experiences i have had and the people i know.

my days, for the most part, are spent keeping ahead, which is harder in the beginning. as we move on, it will get easier to brief and understand concepts. and, it is becoming easier, but it is still like learning a foreigh language. it takes time right now. by friday afternoon, we all go home to nap. no joke. where is a daily siesta when you need it?

on that note, i am going off to bed soon. i hope to write more midweek.