This is the new John Grisham novel, which I borrowed from the library (I'm being cheap these days). I've only just started it, so I admit that I don't know the whole story, but the set up already annoys me.
Its about a 3L law student, just about to graduate, who wants to work for legal aid and help immigrant workers. Due to some bad judgment in college, where he hung out with drunken frat boys, a party at his apartment becomes the scene of an incident where two of the protagonists' frat brothers have sex with a drunk, wasted (and quite loose with her morals) female student, who may or may not have been unconscious (and therefore may or may not have consented). The protagonist has passed out and has no idea what has happened until later. The female student cries rape many days later, but no charges are issued because she has a bad reputation and can't remember any details, such as who exactly raped her, if it was rape. Everyone puts the incident out of their head.
Unfortunately when the protagonist is mulling over accepting the legal aid job after law school versus a super high paid wall street legal job (where the big firm works you 18+ hours a day for $200,000 a year), he gets blackmailed because apparently someone video tapped the college drunken party/possible rape scene. Again, our protagonist isn't shown doing anything, but for some reason, he's convinced he'll still go down for the incident because he was in the room (albeit passed out). So to avoid ruining his legal career, he is blackmailed into working for the big firm in order to perform corporate espionage on some huge government defense contractor lawsuit. Its unclear whether its to benefit the competing company on the other side of the lawsuit, or a foreign country/company trying to take advantage of the situation.
I just find it highly improbably that any smart law student, as the protagonist is supposed to be, with a "scrappy but smart lawyer dad" is led to believe that he'd go down for a rape he clearly didn't commit, or even be considered an accessory, such that it would "ruin his career." He's supposedly so scared that he won't even tell his "scrappy but smart lawyer dad" about the problem in order to, oh, I don't know, maybe get some real legal advise. The book talks about how the law student "remembers the Duke student rape incident" and how those kids are "still trying to live it down." I know I barely remember the incident, let alone know the names of anyone involved such that I would hold it against them (since they were found not guilty or charges dropped or whatever).
I just find it hard to believe the law student would fall for this crap. He did nothing really wrong. Sure its not a good thing to be associated with a sordid incident, but I doubt anyone, certainly the vast majority of employers this guy could work for (particularly since he wanted to go into legal aid - not exactly a top secret or security clearance type job) would hold it against him.
Maybe the rest of the book will improve. I know that sometimes authors have to stretch to set up the story, but this is quite a big one. I would have thought John Grisham was better, he's had many good good legal thrillers, and some great non-fiction books too. So far I'm not impressed with The Associate.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Someone's Always Perfect
As a mother to two young girls, my perspective on things has changed greatly since BK (before kids). I have certainly come to realize that being a parent is incredibly hard. I know parents always love to tell their children "I hope you have a child just like you, so you can see how difficult you are." Yeah, its really true. I see actions by my kids and my reaction thereto, totally echoing what I did as a kid. As such, I know it can be difficult for them to change bad habits, because they don't really know they are doing it, I know I didn't. At the same time, I have to struggle not to overreact to things, to control my annoyance and anger. Its not easy and sometimes I slip a little, but nothing hurtful or really bad. However, I've recently been given reason to try and work a little harder at my reactions, as you never know how something is perceived by another, the person who seems to be, or at least thinks they are, always perfect.
A co-worker of mine also has a young daughter in daycare, a little older than my youngest. She recently had a fall at home, where she was running in the house and hit a living room table, causing a bruise above her eye. No cut, just a bruise, which made it look like a shiner (although typically "shiners" are below the eye). She didn't think anything of it, but did tell her daycare teacher to keep an eye on it, just in case it worsened.
A couple days later, she gets a call from the daycare that someone had reported the child to Child Protective Services, concerned about possible abuse. CPS had then contacted the daycare to follow up, as required by law. Fortunately the daycare was as shocked as the mother and totally backed up the parents, saying they had absolutely no reason whatsoever to suspect abuse. CPS said that since the bruise was above the eye, rather than below (as above indicates fall, while below suggests 'hit'), likely there'd be no further follow up. The Daycare administrator called the mother to let her know what happened, just in case there was further follow up. All were pretty surprised by the event and the daycare said they had no complaints to them by any teacher or parent.
Given that I had recently become involved in an alleged sexual harassment of a student case, I knew a little bit of the law and could tell this co-worker that if it was daycare teacher that made the report to CPS, the teacher was also supposed to tell the daycare administrator. Under law, the daycare has to report suspected abuse, so the daycare would need the teacher to tell the administrator as well or the daycare could be cited. Since this didn't occur, it was more likely that another parent called CPS (figuring it had to be someone around the daycare, as otherwise how would CPS know where the child was). The mother was still quite angry that some parent, who knew nothing about the situation, saw one bruise and made an abuse accusation. This parent didn't talk to the teacher or the daycare administrator, just made an unsupported accusation.
A week has gone by with no new contact, so everyone believes that CPS just closed the investigation without the need for further follow up or opening a case file. The mother is relieved because, like most parents (apparently except this one perfect parent), she has occasionally yelled at her kids, pulled them by the arm to get in the car, spanked a behind, all (at least in my humble opinion), typical parent actions to discourage bad behavior by the kids. Naturally she's concerned that once you get on CPS' radar, that anything you do can be interpreted badly.
My own daughters get bruises now and again and Elise actually had a similar one on her face due to a bathtub slip, so this story is all too close to home. I'm not perfect either, and I would never think of reporting someone to CPS without some further question to the daycare or at least asking the parent. Heck, I've seen kids at the daycare with bruises and it never once occurred to me that their parents were abusing them. I guess some parents are lucky and are not only perfect themselves, but have kids that never fall and hurt themselves, get bruises or cuts, or otherwise aren't perfect.
A co-worker of mine also has a young daughter in daycare, a little older than my youngest. She recently had a fall at home, where she was running in the house and hit a living room table, causing a bruise above her eye. No cut, just a bruise, which made it look like a shiner (although typically "shiners" are below the eye). She didn't think anything of it, but did tell her daycare teacher to keep an eye on it, just in case it worsened.
A couple days later, she gets a call from the daycare that someone had reported the child to Child Protective Services, concerned about possible abuse. CPS had then contacted the daycare to follow up, as required by law. Fortunately the daycare was as shocked as the mother and totally backed up the parents, saying they had absolutely no reason whatsoever to suspect abuse. CPS said that since the bruise was above the eye, rather than below (as above indicates fall, while below suggests 'hit'), likely there'd be no further follow up. The Daycare administrator called the mother to let her know what happened, just in case there was further follow up. All were pretty surprised by the event and the daycare said they had no complaints to them by any teacher or parent.
Given that I had recently become involved in an alleged sexual harassment of a student case, I knew a little bit of the law and could tell this co-worker that if it was daycare teacher that made the report to CPS, the teacher was also supposed to tell the daycare administrator. Under law, the daycare has to report suspected abuse, so the daycare would need the teacher to tell the administrator as well or the daycare could be cited. Since this didn't occur, it was more likely that another parent called CPS (figuring it had to be someone around the daycare, as otherwise how would CPS know where the child was). The mother was still quite angry that some parent, who knew nothing about the situation, saw one bruise and made an abuse accusation. This parent didn't talk to the teacher or the daycare administrator, just made an unsupported accusation.
A week has gone by with no new contact, so everyone believes that CPS just closed the investigation without the need for further follow up or opening a case file. The mother is relieved because, like most parents (apparently except this one perfect parent), she has occasionally yelled at her kids, pulled them by the arm to get in the car, spanked a behind, all (at least in my humble opinion), typical parent actions to discourage bad behavior by the kids. Naturally she's concerned that once you get on CPS' radar, that anything you do can be interpreted badly.
My own daughters get bruises now and again and Elise actually had a similar one on her face due to a bathtub slip, so this story is all too close to home. I'm not perfect either, and I would never think of reporting someone to CPS without some further question to the daycare or at least asking the parent. Heck, I've seen kids at the daycare with bruises and it never once occurred to me that their parents were abusing them. I guess some parents are lucky and are not only perfect themselves, but have kids that never fall and hurt themselves, get bruises or cuts, or otherwise aren't perfect.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Music Obsession Take 2
In follow up to My Music Obsession, I've gotten Adam Lambert's first album and its as good as I'd hoped. Yeah, I would have liked a little more rock, but I'm good with the electronic/pop stuff too. Still, very good first album. Definitely looking forward to his next (and I'd love to see one of his shows, the AMAs be damned, heh).
I also decided to join the 21st century and give up resisting Apple to get an Ipod. I've been missing listening to music as much as I used to, since my minivan has no CD player, my work CD player/radio/clock is broken (although I can still play CDs on the computer) and I can't really listen to CDs much at home except through the computer as we no longer have any speakers hooked up to the CD player. At least now I can listen to music on the subway and at home when I'm reading (and in the car, though I really should get an adapter/plug rather than using the earphones).
I downloaded all the songs and videos I bought from Itunes during AI, plus the new Adam Lambert CD (which actually I bought as MP3 from Amazon for $3). Now I have to start uploading my CDs onto the computer and then putting those songs on the Ipod (room for like 2000 songs I think). That's going to take a while (more than 400 CDs, I'm sure), but I suppose it will force me to finally go through and catelogue my CDs, maybe actually put them in order in a real storage container (good use for empty boxes from Christmas deliveries), as opposed to shelves here and there (and I need more room for books and DVDs anyway). I may even find some I can take to the CD store for credit/exchange (although does anyone actually buy music from a brick and mortar store anymore?).
I'm at least trying to set some good examples for my kids (whom I know will eventually get electronics of their own). No listining to the ipod during meals. When someone speaks to you, take the earphones off, both of them. Always put the ipod in a designated 'not being used' spot so it doesn't get lost or laundered (hubby swears I'll lose my ipod in 4-6 months - gotta prove him wrong so I can get a new phone to replace the crappy one I have because my good phone was lost/stolen, and my decent replacement went through the washing machine in my pants pocket - lost my cool Adam Lambert ringtone on both /sob).
Can't wait to rediscover old favorite tunes (and find out what Offspring CDs I'm missing).
I also decided to join the 21st century and give up resisting Apple to get an Ipod. I've been missing listening to music as much as I used to, since my minivan has no CD player, my work CD player/radio/clock is broken (although I can still play CDs on the computer) and I can't really listen to CDs much at home except through the computer as we no longer have any speakers hooked up to the CD player. At least now I can listen to music on the subway and at home when I'm reading (and in the car, though I really should get an adapter/plug rather than using the earphones).
I downloaded all the songs and videos I bought from Itunes during AI, plus the new Adam Lambert CD (which actually I bought as MP3 from Amazon for $3). Now I have to start uploading my CDs onto the computer and then putting those songs on the Ipod (room for like 2000 songs I think). That's going to take a while (more than 400 CDs, I'm sure), but I suppose it will force me to finally go through and catelogue my CDs, maybe actually put them in order in a real storage container (good use for empty boxes from Christmas deliveries), as opposed to shelves here and there (and I need more room for books and DVDs anyway). I may even find some I can take to the CD store for credit/exchange (although does anyone actually buy music from a brick and mortar store anymore?).
I'm at least trying to set some good examples for my kids (whom I know will eventually get electronics of their own). No listining to the ipod during meals. When someone speaks to you, take the earphones off, both of them. Always put the ipod in a designated 'not being used' spot so it doesn't get lost or laundered (hubby swears I'll lose my ipod in 4-6 months - gotta prove him wrong so I can get a new phone to replace the crappy one I have because my good phone was lost/stolen, and my decent replacement went through the washing machine in my pants pocket - lost my cool Adam Lambert ringtone on both /sob).
Can't wait to rediscover old favorite tunes (and find out what Offspring CDs I'm missing).
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