THE most important word in law school

Attrition rate (ok, two words).

Forget the Princeton review list. Forget the US News picks. If a student is doomed from the beginning, and many of them are (unknowingly) - what's the point of going to a law school?

Well, the point is - it makes a bad law school richer, and it makes the naive student poorer - and it makes the struggling student dismissed.

The word fraud haunts me. A bad faith taste lingers on my tongue.

Now, don't get me wrong - a bad student should be dismissed. Some students simply do not do the work and their reward should be a ticket home.

There are some much overlooked students, however, who actually do the work and are simply hit hard by circumstances and plots against them. Yes, I said plots against them.

Attrition rates. For law schools, this is the rate of numbers if you will - of students (first years most typically) who disappear after enrollment. After they pay their $30,000 tuition to the law school.

Oh, the school will take them in - promise to teach them what they need to know to fulfill their dream, a dream that perhaps the better (and there's a reason they're better) law school wouldn't offer.. and then that same law school will let the student simply melt away into oblivion. After all, they got their money.

I found a list (and you can too by hitting up google or even bing) of law schools and attrition rates. I suggest you read this closely and if I were an aspiring law student (which I once was and perhaps will be again one day), I would think twice (actually I don't have to think about it, I've already learned my lesson) about attending any of these schools. You could be doomed and in much debt in a year or so - with nothing to show for it, but an attitude like mine.

Schools with poor attrition rates:

1.Whittier (51.5% 1L attrition, #161 in U.S. News) Los Angeles, CA
2.Touro (37.4%, #171) Central Islip, NY
3.Golden Gate (36.9%, #174) San Francisco, CA
4.Western State (32.6%, not ranked) Fullerton, CA
5.Jones School of Law (32.3%, not ranked) Montgomery, AL
6.Widener (30.5%, #179) DE and PA
7.St. Thomas University (28.5%, #174) Minneapolis, MN
8.Barry (27.6%, #181) Florida
9.Liberty (27.1%, not ranked) Virginia

If you want to be a lawyer, you need to graduate and be eligible to take the Bar exam. In order to graduate, you need to pass. In order to pass, you need really good studying habits and a lot of help, and some really good statistics on your side from a school that truly supports you academically.

Trust me. I know.

Things that make you go hmm

Today in the mail, I received a dvd from the prior law school I attended. No letter - just a dvd introducing me to their law school.. had my name on the label. I'm thinking somebody goofed.

Fun - is it a theory?

(First - before you click play, scroll down to the bottom of my blog and turn off the music).

Decide for yourself.. watch this. I can almost guarantee you'll smile by the end of a minute or so.

Remembering John Updike

Here's an audio link. Interesting interview remembrances with John Updike (on NPR).

Found stuck in a book

This linked post is one thing to read before you die (here's a link to what will be nine hundred and ninety- nine more things).

The subject: Brute Cult.

The blog: Stuck in a Book.

Why: Because it is relevant.

Snippet:

‘I am, I suppose, the average Anglo-Saxon male. I mention [this] because I wish to show where I stand before I proceed to denounce what seems to me the new cult in ultra-highbrow literary circles. (If it isn’t actually a cult now, it’s on the edge of being one.)

This is the cult of brutality in fiction.[…] It seems to me a bad sign when cultivated people begin to praise fiction that reads like a police court black list. I am not, you must understand, referring now to the popular sensational or crime novels.

I am referring to much more ambitious works of fiction, whose authors are rapidly acquiring big reputations among the ultra-ultras. […] We are suffering just now from a “face-the-unpleasant-facts” snobbery in the criticism of fiction.

A novel with a rape in it is like life, we are told; whereas a novel with an ordinary love story in it is simply a shirking of the issue.’ (J.B. Priestly)

CMAs - I'm goin' to bed.

Wake me when it's over. Great show. Super great show... hugs to everybody.

Live Bloggin' - CMA Awards

I'm getting sleeeeeeeeepy.. don't know how much longer I'll last.. maybe one more award (c'mon, give me a break. I wake up at 4 something)..

Keith Urban's up.. man he's good. Nicole blows him a kiss.

Tim McGraw now sings. Southern Voice. C'mon. He's got it going on. That's fo sho.. Jesus is my friend. America is my home.. I can feel it in my bones... How ya'll.. come on in.. Yeah yeah yeah.

I got a southern voice, yeah Southern Voice!!!!!!! Yeah baby. Reba and Faith sittin' next to each other justa clappin' .. super.

Live Bloggin' - CMA Awards

Best new artist of the year..?? And the winner is.. Darius Rucker!!!!!!!!!! It's alright by me. Wow. What a year!!!!!!! I gotta start by saying thank you to my wife and my kids.. to the fans.. thank you for accepting me .. crowd goes wild.. and to country radio.. ya'll took a chance on a pop singer from Carolina.. God Bless you for that. Thank you!!!!

Brad Paisley - so funny.

Now up, Daughtry and Vince Gill. Great new song - Tennessee Line.

Live Bloggin' - CMA Awards

Vocal group of the year: Will it be Eagle or Lady Antebellum or Little Big Town or Rascal Flatts or Zac Brown Band? Patricia Heaton opens the envelope...

award goes to LADY ANTEBELLUM!!!!!!!!!! Crowd again goes wild!!!!!!! Fantastic win for them! They thank the Veterans.. God Bless.

They thank Rascal Flatts, the Eagles and the Zac Brown Brown Band.. and the Fans.. fantastic win for them.

Live Bloggin' - CMA Awards (while alone in my living room)

Mr Rucker.. yes it's alright with me. He. is. alright!. I've got a roof over my head... and it's alright with me.

When I lay down at night, I thank the Lord .. I got all I need and that's alright by me. Yeah.

Man I love that guy.

- - -

Ms. Pickler and Jake Owen present.. I like Ms. Pickler's red hair. Song of the year.. and the winner is: is it I told you so.. or In Color or People are Crazy... or Brad Paisley ... and it goes to..
IN COLOR!!!!!!!

And the crowd goes wild!!!!!!!!! You should've seen it in color. Magnificent song!! Perfect for today - Veterans' Day too! "Fort Hood, our thoughts are with you... God Bless"

- - -

Now, the very talented Miranda Lambert .. hey WHITE LIAR.

Live Bloggin'

Single of the year. Lady Antebellum- WOW.. Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never heard of 'em til a few weeks ago.. big fan .. congrats guys!!

Live Bloggin' - CMA Awards

Carrie Underwood - Dresses - 2 thru 14. oh no. How 'bout that opening performance by Taylor Swift. Energetic.

Ok, Mammas don't let your mammas grow up to be Kanyes.

Annie Dillard and NPR

Listen to this.

She has the straightforward timbre of the greatest generation. My morning is now complete.

John Irving (think Cider House Rules)

Link suggestion:

This is an excellent interview to watch. It is John Irving talking about his writing life.

I saw the link yesterday at the blog of Carrie Heim Binas and promised myself to share it with any who come this way.

Her words in description of Mr. Irving's interview inspired me to listen:

Give it a listen; it's the most wonderful half hour ever.

. . . Irving expressed sympathy for young writers, but I'm linking to it because I think he says some amazing things about how he writes (and rewrites), about recurring themes in his work, and about his own literary inspirations.

Also, because he's my favorite living author, and my admiration for him and his work is overwhelming . . . he just takes my breath away.

Now breathe.

Sorry, it was an accident

*Video no longer available - try googling it or go to SNL's web page if you must. Sorry, it was an accident.

- - -

This was just too funny .. apologies to you readers who don't like Taylor Swift .. you'll just have to wait 'til I get over this phase.

This really is an awesome spoof of the vampire flick, Twilight. This is one is Firelight - it's about the Franks.

This girl is just too cute

And she's nice and funny too (well, she seems nice.. everybody says she's nice). Last name Swift, first name Taylor. She's a la la girl.

Click here.. for lots of little clips. She was humorous on SNL doing a musical monologue.

Bright Star

I really would like to see this movie.. looks very romantic and dreamy. My cup of tea.

Saints and Angels

THIS, my friends is a fabulous piece of musical poetic inspiration. It is an Irish group playing a piece called 'Saints and Angels.' I believe their group name is The Water Boys.

I would like to know this would be played at my funeral. It is an upbeat song with a deep meaning. About people, and their relationships and living and the in-between part. Of course, it has a blessing at the end - and it glistens like diamonds in the heavens.

".. a ship that never goes to sleep.. friendship."

Hey!! Much love and peace t'ya. (I do hope it's a while before the need for this song at such a place for me.. but you get my meaning I hope.)

This. is. simply. magnificent.

Turkey trouble and 56 would be novelists

This is a post about a turkey and electricity in Willits, California, but it is also about some would be novelists (sorta).

I know. Not exactly war and peace plot material, but stay with me.

Anyway, here goes: I was awakened this morning at 3:47 a.m. - don't ask why.. just did .. 'course then I couldn't get back to sleep, so what do I do?

Turn on the computer.

Duh.

Ok, so I'm checking news sites, blogs, thinking of writing more on my book, wishing for coffee, but it seems against the rules since I might not be done sleeping yet.. (the jury is still out on that one tho).. click over on my favorite searches to see what's brewing in the world of "novel writing" because that's my hot topic these days..

Find this story from The Willits News dot com, which is a story about 56 Willits Charter School students participating in National Novel Writing Month this November (NaNoWriMo).. interesting since I'm doing that too.. (and my daughter informed me yesterday that she signed up for it at her school).

Interesting little piece and I'm intrigued by the beautiful picture at the top of the Willits News dot com web site. It shows a beautiful mountain scene with lakes.. slightly foggy.. looks a bit dreamy. At that particular moment in my life - I had never heard of Willits and I certainly did not yet know in what state of the union the place existed. Actually it could've been Canada as far as I knew - or somewhere in the UK. I was clueless.

Curious gal that I am, I scrolled down the web page to see where this place actually was. Didn't see any clues right away.. my husband peered over and said, 'Alaska'? Nah, I didn't think it was Alaska.

I didn't tell him that tho. The mountains in the picture just didn't look like Alaska mountains. The tops were too rounded. Aren't Alaska mountains really tall and jagged and pointy? That's what I'm thinkin'.

Still, the picture does have a very Pacific Northwesty feel to it.

Actually, what my husband saw that made him guess Alaska was an ad at the bottom of the page for a car dealership named 'Ukiah Ford.' He thought the word 'Ukiah' sounded Native American, Eskimo-ee - please forgive my colloquialisms this morning - it is early - and I mean no harm, really.. I'm just yammering along.

I scroll back to the top.. nope - it's California. See, the little banner with the current weather thing.. it says Weather: Willits, CA. Now, 44 degrees.

Cool. Mystery solved.

Next on my agenda is to see what's cookin' in my new found favorite little California mountainee town with kids that are writing would be novels. So I view and click over on the 'most viewed' stories on the right of the web site to check out the other happenings in Willits.

Well, 'most viewed' is mostly crime stuff and an interesting I'm sure (but not to me at this hour) article on living with Lyme disease. So, I pass those stories up and click on 'most emailed' stories. Nothing there grabs me.

But under that little section is another little heading called 'More news'. Somebody's searching for some men, somebody's reporting on an election, there's a public hearing coming or going, can't remember which.. then there it is.

There it is. The story.

The thing I was looking for but didn't know it.

It found me.

Turkey Causes Monday Power Outage. That's the story. I waited all early morning for these two sentences - and it was well worth the wait.

By The Willits News staff - Posted: 11/06/2009 10:56:38 AM PST

A wild turkey's encounter with some PG&E equipment knocked out power to 492 Willits area customers from 7 to 8:30 a.m. Monday morning, says PG&E spokeswoman Jana Morris.

No information was available regarding the condition of the turkey.

Wanna guess?!

You write what you read

A post.. this one.. it's one of a thousand to read before you die. It's by writer Alexander Chee. And then, read this one too. It's 'Annie Dillard and the Writing Life.'

Fantastic.