Back...
I'm back home for Christmas, after spending 12 hours in transit with three delayed flights and 3 bags of pretzels (WestJet is getting cheaper with their 'food' I guess). But it's nice to be home and have lots of good food around to eat. It has been strange though not seeing snow everywhere and not being freezing cold, literally, outside.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

One to go...
They say that law school exams are like a marathon. If that's the case (and it certainly feels like it), then I'm almost at the end. My last exam is Thursday, Criminal Law, before I head home for two weeks over the holidays. It'll be nice to take a bit of a break from all the studying -eat lots of holiday food, see old friends, and read a book for fun.

Countdown...

I've got my first exam (Constitutional Law) out of the way, the biggest one, and it feels great. Not that I think I aced the exam, but that I did well enough given the time constraints.
Last night I took a break from studying and went to the official Holiday Lighting ceremony at the university with a few friends. It was actually really cool -they had free hot chocolate and cookies, carolers, and there was a bit of snow falling. Perfect evening for it to. So that's what the two photos are from.

Vote for Latin..
An interesting article from the New York Times about Latin. It's really a shame that more people don't study Latin, though I'll admit that I'm not about to rush into a Latin classroom (I've got enough to study right now). But who knew that Williamus Clintonus studied Latin for four years, or that even Georgius W Bushus studied a bit of Latin.

Here's part of it:
Primum, duces nostros linguam Latinam non iam studere triste non videtur. Sed reipublicae artem - quae principes iuvenes educationem praeparationem pro curriculo considerare excitat — cum rhetorica exigua, moribus infirmis, grammatica inepta et rationis historicae metu congruissse fors non est; aeterna de quibus Romani nos multum docere possunt. Romani ipsi dicunt,

Roma urbs aeterna; Latina lingua aeterna.

Nemo principes candidati praefecti Latinae languae periti sunt. Hillaria Clintona scientiae politicae Wellesleiae studuit; Barackus Obamus Columbiae. Rudius Giulianus linguam per quattuor annos theologiae ad Episcopi Loughlin Memorem Scholam Altam Brooklyni attigit, quando se pontificem futurum esse consideravit. Sed tum quod studuit? Scientiae politicae.

Quam res post Patres Fundantes mutaverunt! Ex VII libris in Thomae Jeffersoni bibliotecha in Monticello, soli XXIV domi manent. Posteri alteros vendiderunt, Bibliotecha Concilii emptos. Lectissimus liber, iam in pluteo vitreo in Jeffersoni bibliotecha, Aeneis a Virgilio est.

Jeffersonus, novem annos natus, linguas Latinam et Graecam ad scholam in Virginia pontifice Caledonio administratam docere coepit. Liber grammaticus Graecus iuxta eum ad Conlegium Williami Mariaeque Williamiburgi semper erat. Tacitus Homerusque carissimi erant.

Jeffersonus optimam scholae altae educationem lingua in Latina, Graeca et Gallica, cum grammaticis thematibus lectionibusque, libris translatis in linguam Anglicam, et recordatione locorum famosorum esse consideravit.

For the rest in Latin, and for the article in English.

Average Student Today...
I came across this interesting video on Motion to Recess. It's about the life of an 'average' student, though I think it would be interesting to find out about the life of an average law student (especially the part about sleep and reading).

And with that, it's now less than a week until law school exams officially start. My first exam is Constitutional Law, worth 100% of the course. Fun times to be had on s.7 today!

Snow?
Normally I'm excited when it snows, because in BC we only get a day or two of snow a year. But now that I'm living in Ontario, I'm not so excited about the snow. Especially since it's already started, and this Friday's low is supposed to be -13C (7F)! I've never experienced that in Canada, except when skiing at Whistler. My roommate commented this morning about how sad it is that I've never lived a real Canadian winter.
Well, I think my "first real Canadian winter" is starting with trudging to uni this morning in the snow.

Pakistan...
I'm assuming that most people have heard about the situation in Pakistan. The Canadian Bar Association is organizing an even this Sunday to support the lawyers in Pakistan. Here are the details:

The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) is joining legal organizations around the world in a show of support for the lawyers and judges of Pakistan, calling for the restoration of the rule of law in that country.

On Sunday, November 25 in Ottawa, the CBA will be holding a march in solidarity with the defenders of the rule of law in Pakistan. CBA President Bernard Amyot will lead the procession of CBA Bar Leaders, lawyers, law students and other members of the legal community from across Canada. The County of Carleton Law Association is also giving its full support to the march to the steps of the Supreme Court of Canada. Bar Leaders will address the marchers and participants will have the opportunity to sign a petition of support for Pakistan lawyers, judges and the rule of law.

All lawyers, their families and champions of the rule of law are invited to join in this Ottawa event to show their concern.

We need your participation to make this a success. Here are the details:

What: Lawyers’ March to the Supreme Court to support the rule of law in Pakistan
When: Gather at the Delta Hotel Ottawa - 10:00 a.m., Sunday, November 25. The March will begin at 10:30 a.m. and is expected to end by 11:30 a.m.
Where: The Delta Hotel, 361 Queen Street, Ottawa (Coffee and hot chocolate will be available from 10 a.m.)
Attire: Dark suit

Finally...
I finally got my laptop back. It took long enough. Turns out that HP sent my computer to Concord (somewhere near Toronto?). That city didn't know why they got my laptop, so they shipped it back to HP. Then HP finally figured out what was happening and sent it to Ottawa... Way to go HP!
They reinstalled the operating system, so all the data on my computer was lost and they didn't back anything up. Luckily I had been taking my notes by hand before the laptop crashed (for a 2nd time in a year), so I didn't lose anything too important.
I still would recommend that you DO NOT buy an HP or a computer for Staples.

Lest We Forget...
Today, November 11th, is Remembrance Day. Ever since I visited Vimy Ridge and several of the WW1 sites in the North of France, I've wanted to attend the national memorial service in Ottawa on Remembrance Day. So I got up bright and early this morning, met with some friends and got a peppermint white chocolate mocha from Starbucks, then went to the National War Memorial. It was a great ceremony, and I'm glad I was finally able to attend the ceremony to remember those who served.
(A photo of some poppies I saw in Spain this summer)

Another Sad HP and Staples Story...
I was just looking up Staples and their customer service online, and found this story about a lady who bought an HP from Staples, and was suckered into buying the extended warranty. She had a lot of problems too, with Staples even saying that she had to upgrade her warranty, that the warranty was no good, etc. etc.
Moral of the story? Don't buy a computer from Staples, and don't buy an HP computer.

Continuing HP and Staples Bad Customer Service...
The customer service problems continue with both HP and Staples. I was told last week Thursday that my computer would be ready for pick-up in 5 business days. So when I hadn't heard anything by yesterday (Friday, or 6 business days) at 4:30 I decided to go in. I asked if they had my computer, since it was supposed to have arrived the previous day. Nope, come back next week.
This time I wasn't going to leave so easily. I've got a number of big essays due, plus research and exams coming up in less than a month. After all, I've only had my Compaq laptop for three weeks since the first week of August -that's less than a week a month! Why did I buy a computer if it was just to sit in repair. I said that I wanted a replacement computer, since I was told the computer was shipped on the 29th of October and should have already arrived. "We don't have a computer replacement program", says Bradley. Blah, blah. "I want to talk to a manager." Why waste time with the guy in a red shirt? "I am one of the managers" says Bradley. So I keep complaining, and demanding that they do something, contact HP on my behalf because HP is ignoring me, or at least tell me where my computer is.
So finally Melissa, in a blue manager's shirt, comes over. Same thing. I want to know where my computer is though. I've called HP, and been sent to people on 3 different continents. Kumar didn't even know where I was calling from.
Turns out that Staples doesn't t even know where it is!!! All they know is that HP shipped it on the 29th of October, and it hasn't arrived yet. Supposedly it normally ships in 2-3 days, so why has it taken almost 2 weeks by courrier? Is UPS now using horse and buggy for deliveries within Ontario? And what's more worrying is that HP normally gives Staples the UPS tracking code, which they didn't do with my computer... Sounds very sketchy to me.
Lots more talking and trying to stay calm. I eventually asked for the HP complaint number, and they gave me the toll-free number that I called two weeks ago, was put on hold for 10 minutes, then automatically transferred to a voice mail system which said HP would respond within 24 hours. Two weeks later and still nobody has called, despite leaving my name, number, and computer serial number.
So I'm up a creek, with no computer, nobody knows where it is or when it will arrive, and Melissa has Tuesday off so she said she can't do anything until later in the week.
Shitty service from both HP and Staples I'd say.