I've. got. a. JERB

Assuming I pass this background check, I will regale you with tales of debauchery and boredom next summer.

The law school hiring process is called OCI. Hundreds of employers come to campus and pretend to value diversity and a work/life balance, and you pretend to not know that they have 1 black lawyer and require 70 hours a week of billable time. During this entire cycle, you should be steadfastly certain that you're not getting a job and so, if you're anything like me, your main goal should be to abscond with as much free schwag as possible. I have enough pens now that I will be able to leave some to my grandchildren.

I say you should assume that you're not getting a job because you're probably not. Statistically, the odds are just against you in a huge way. I went on literally dozens of interviews before finding my job, and was successful only because of personal connections that preexisted law school and a connection to my alma mater. Of course, if you have great law school grades and a perky personality, there is no such thing as a bad economy.

1L year was time consuming and stressful because I didn't know what I was doing and everything rests on those first-year grades. 2L year is time consuming and stressful right up until you find a job or don't. Once your employment status is resolved either way, you go from reading treatises in airport lobbies to sitting in your apartment drinking at 11 a.m because class is boring and you can't bring yourself to care.
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Good Intentions and DRAGONCON

Now that you got the drama side of me... (you know you wanted it!)...

I come with good intentions! Now that I live in such a cool area - I can finally do something that we had intended our blog to do - go out and give reviews of the city life around us!

Isn't that what post-graduate living is all about? We get to do the 9 to 5 but we have NO kids and NO marriage holding us back!!!

I'm attempting to stray away from the "I went out and got drunk and went to some club" posts though - I want to actually experience Atlanta. Yea - there will be some clubbing and drinks - but first - I want to do artsy fartsy stuff (lol).

There are tons of events going on in the next few weeks (I'm still wading through the list a friend sent) so I'll try to go to as many as possible!

1) Atlanta Chili Cook-Off!. MMMM FOOD!!! My stomach is already growling just thinking about this. Over 300 participants will be making chili with tons to give away as samples to attendees. I'm a little disappointed by the music for the evening, but...it's the South and it's not hosted by ethnic folk, so I can't expect some hip hop or R&B. Should be fun though!

2) Midtown Festival of the Arts . Now that's more like it! There will be artist booths, live music, demonstrations from local chefs (sooo interested in that). There's also something called "Plates on Peachtree" where you pay like $30.00 bucks and you get to walk around sampling some delicious sounding dishes made by local chefs from amazing restaurants. There's also a beer garden, which I'm less excited about but I know one of my friends will be so into that so we'll probably go. I wanted to volunteer...serving drinks of course...but Saturday is the chili cook-off so I can't do that and Sunday its during my online prep course. Too bad...

3) Habitat for Humanity - my firm is sponsoring a house with another firm! Finally - some charity work that doesn't involve just opening my wallet. We're going on the day where the roofing needs to be done. I'll have my will drawn up by then... I leave the name SS to whomever can be witty and bitchy enough to replace me!!!

4) Gay Pride Atlanta - there is usually something around Halloween so believe I'll be out in force to support my gay buddies! Coincidentally - this is the day before our LSAT scores are available on-line so I'll need to prepare with liquor beforehand!
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AND NOW....


DRAGONCON!!!

As you all learned, and probably have forgotten by now, I'm a nerd!!! I love video games, sci-fi stuff etc. Atlanta has this huge festival every year called DRAGONCON in which people come to town for a weekend and attend forums etc for their favorite shows. This is the weekend where you see klingons and storm troopers unite in harmony! I'm not THAT nerdy by the way... that doesn't get my juices goin'! There is a parade that is free to the public and, since it always seems to be in the building next to mine, tons of people watching in our joint food court. My friend and I took some pics from the people watching and the parade, so I've posted those below in addition to some links to other pics I found online. Some of these costumes were AMAZING!! Next year... I'm dressing up! Any ideas?















ANNNND the coolest costume EVER!! (please click it - I'm too lazy to figure out how to re-size so the whole thing fits! lol)




Had a great time!!!

Here are some CNN news stories on it - in case you needed more information!

Dragoncon Costumes
What is Dragoncon?
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Another Long Winded Post

Brought to you by

MOI!!!

Update (again) time! While I'm glad that there's so much going on in my life that I barely have time to breathe (see: below), I do miss being a reliable source of drama for our readers!!! If we still have any left - I will try to be better!!!

In true SS fashion - this post leads to a rant. God... I fit the bill for angry black woman to a T... SHAME!

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I finally put on my big girl panties and moved out on my own! I live right in the heart of Atlanta in an area known as Midtown in the most perfect location for someone like me. I'm near a huge shopping/eating center called Atlantic Station (probably a 10 min. walk or a sweet 5 min. ride on one of the free shuttles offered to and from there).

They've got all the stores and some amazing restaurants and sports bars there so I should continue to be nice and broke living near it lol. Within a 5 minute walk in any direction of me there are great restaurants and stores and clubs - all of which I plan to visit (again - brokeness). I live like a block away from a Marta station too. Instead of my old hour and a half commute to work- I just hop on the train and am there in 15 minutes. Consequently, I was actually late everyday last week...just couldn't get the timing right!

So what prompted this huge move you ask? A bit of back-story - I was living with my mom and brothers to try to save money for school in 08. I ended up taking a second year off of school because my mom had to quit her job in order to start receiving disability payments; this was the end of '08 and she still hasn't been accepted into the program so that lets you know what life has been like! Unfortunately, neither of my brothers were "able to work" which translates more into - refused to find jobs, so my menial paycheck stretched to feed all of us and keep us housed (my mother did receive some money from the military but not much...). Needless to say '09 was a bust in terms of paying off some loans and saving some cash so I took ANOTHER year off. Realizing that it was impossible for me to save cash living in that situation, I decided to just apply to some law schools and see what happened. Hopefully I could get in with some scholarships and escape this cycle! I got in to some (yay) but no scholarships were offered (aw) because I applied so late in the cycle. At least I got my feet wet!

So again what inspired me to move and continue to be broke?

Someone did something very stupid and has a bundle of joy that will be joining us in February. Someone put their dreams of going to school and improving their life on hold all because of one mistake.

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My 22 year old brother knocked his "girlfriend" up!!!!

HAH you thought I'D be that stupid?! Re-read the posts boo - I don't make mistakes like that (although I am currently knocking on wood and swearing off penis just in case...). The move was prompted by the fact that he decided that her and her 14 year old son and the baby could just move into our place under the guise of "getting section 8 and moving out on our own soon". Yea...heard that shit before. Hes been "looking for a job" since '08 and hasn't worked a day since I've been here. No one's that unlucky! Of course, no one TOLD me they were moving in. I come home on a Friday to see all their stuff in our living room and I'm like "WTF". I was told that they were headed back to New Orleans that Monday but needed a place to crash the weekend so I agreed. HAH... two weeks pass and I'm a prisoner in my own home. I can't go in my living room to watch the cable I pay for because the kid is always playing a video game or watching some stupid shit. I cant go in the kitchen because she's always in there making food I don't want to eat (but that I paid for...). I want them gone so badly but I don't want to put them on the street since I know they have nowhere to go.

So I call from work one day with then intention of telling my brother that they need to go NOW. I've got my speech all worked up and ready to go and I'm riding on so much adrenaline. They're eating up all of our food and I can't afford to house them in the tiny apartment barely big enough for the original people living there. My name is on the damn lease after all, and I'm pissed that no one once asked my opinion or consulted me on whether or not more people could move in. I make the call:

Me: We need to talk right now about your girlfriend and her son. Two weeks have passed and they are still there. You said they were headed to NO about two weeks ago... why did you lie? They need to be gone when I get home.

Him: I never said she was leaving... he was supposed to go back but now there's a problem.

Me: There's no problem...they need to go. I can't afford to feed all of you and take care of all of you.

Him: There's a problem....

Me: She pregnant isn't she?

Him: Yes.

Funny how you're able to guess these type of things. Maybe its because I'm a pessimist? I slammed down the phone and screamed FUCKING IDIOT at work so loud. I'm still waiting on HR to fire me (I had my review and still work there so I think I'm ok!). Then I proceeded to cry and wander around aimlessly. I wanted to kill him!!!! How could they be so FUCKING stupid?!

Needless to say - within a week and a half I had found a new apartment and moved out on my own. My mother, though I love her, is not the type to stand up for herself or put anyone out (as evidenced by a 30 year old son sitting around leeching as well as a 22 year old) so the situation is never going to change. All I can do is what is best for me for now!

That pretty much sums up the drama for the past few months - am I in a soap opera or what...? Damn!


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Who wore it taller?

Trey Songz showed up on the red carpet at yesterday's 2010 VMAs

He was so proud of his outfit, he tweeted it...



I don't know, Trey...Candice Flynn has the neck for it...LOLOL


I'm playin...

Passion Pain Pleasure
9.14 GO!...
TOMORROW!!!

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2010 MTV VMAs: Taylor v. Kanye - Round 2 - Fight!

Yes, the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards stage design was amazing. Yes, Lady Gaga and Eminem won big. Yes, Drake, Rihanna, and Justin Beiber performed.

BUT the thrill of the night revolved around 2 performances - Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

After Kanye's infamous interruption of the young country singer's acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs, Kanye found himself excommunicated from the music industry. He lost fans, the support of the media, and was cast out as the industry leper. Well, 2010 has marked Kanye's triumphant return, with songs like "Power" and the hugely popular remix. Taylor Swift, still high off of last year's success and influx of support, has had a tamer but profitable year leading up to the awards. Combine this with Kanye's recent public apology to Taylor on twitter just a few weeks ago, we all thought that any beef between the two stars had long been pushed to the past...we were wrong. or were we?

Taylor Swift chose to perform a "tongue-in-cheek" song called "Innocent," written about the 32 y.o. rapper, in which she reprises her role as the victim of last year's "tragedy," but goes on to assure Kanye that she's forgiven him, understands he's bigger than his mistakes, and is still innocent in her eyes.

Lyrically and melodically I thought Taylor's song was very impressive and heartfelt. The only issue I had came with the intro video leading up to the performance which depicted Kanye as a loose cannon and Taylor as a simple, sweet girl whose accomplishment was spat on. (Oh wait, that's what happened...) Even so, revisiting that event was the last thing anyone wanted to do and for me it came across as unnecessary and tactless. The situation wasn't that black and white and also revolved around an MTV VMA award...not a Grammy, or a life...an MTV award. Not that serious in the grand scheme of things.

Ultimately, it appeared she was using that "tragic" event to stay relevant in 2010, a quiet year for her, and appeal for sympathetic support. She did, however, paint a vivid and successful picture by singing barefoot with just a simple dress and dark makeup.  I briefly felt a little sad for her again...

Do you think her performance was too much? Warranted? Necessary? Artistic? Overly dramatic?

No matter, Kanye answered back with the strength of an army in his show-ending performance. Visually impeccable with a bright red suit, white background, ballet dancers and one simple beat machine on stage, Kanye made us remember (for those who forgot) exactly why he IS a star and creative master. Embracing a new mantra of humility and growth, Kanye indirectly rebuked himself as the douche bag, asshole, and jerk-off that Taylor had referenced as innocent.

While Taylor had depicted the rapper as a lost soul whom she would coddle with her words of forgiveness, Kanye offered a contrasting portrait of a man taking his power back, maturing on his own, aware of his imperfections, and one who is genuinely good.

So, who won the battle? Was it a battle at all?

The only thing certain is that at the end of the night, the very crowd that had booed him last year, now found itself chanting "KANYE, KANYE, KANYE!"

Remember: Power is to be used wisely.
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Calvin Richardson - You're So Amazing

Check this new track by talented R&B singer Calvin Richardson.  He's definitely been on my musical radar for a while, and it's somewhat surprising he hasn't become bigger than he is.  Well, when I like something, I promote it, so check him out and the new song yourself.  I've seen this music video about 4 times now and still don't entirely get it...maybe you will.  Regardless, the song's great! Let me know what you think:

p.s. there's a breakdown in the middle of the vid where he features a separate track off of his forthcoming album? I presume...

Here are the Chorus Lyrics for Calvin Richardson's "You're So Amazing":

"I done been to the river, swam up the stream
Stood on the mountaintop, I swear it leans
Like Martin Luther said, girl I had a dream
But I'll never stop loving you, girl
Ohh,
You're So Amazing Girl"

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