Are beggars entitled to be 'choosers'?

I am hungry. I have just spent the best part of 3 hours completing applications to meet tomorrow's deadline. I'm going to make this a quick post. Today, after visiting my GP and deciding that my new fridge looked too empty, I decided to do a little food shopping in my local area. While at the ATM, a little boy of about 6 or 7 approached me muttering something incomprehensible or so it seemed as I had my headphones on. I quickly retrieved my money from the machine and removed my headphones and asked him what he wanted.

He was begging.

I had an unopened can of Pringles in my bag, so I took this out and gave it to the boy. He thanked me and left. Seconds later, he returned with a lady now asking me for money. It was obvious that I HAD cash on my person as I was approached while I was withdrawing money. I told the lady that I had given the little boy a snack and that I had no change. They surrounded me holding out their hands, she pointing to her pregnant stomach.

They knew I was a soft touch.

I told them I'd purchase some food for them to eat if that was what they wanted.

"Bless you." She said, rubbing my upper arm and clasping her hands.

They then followed me across the road to a local bakery. I asked the lady what she wanted to eat. She said Mc Donalds. Mc Donalds was another 10-15 minute walk away and I had things to do. I replied that I would be buying something from the bakery. She wanted me to get change for her. I walked into the bakery and bought some pastries for them to eat. I took £3 out of the change I had and walked back out, handing this to the lady. She looked into her hand and looked back at me saying,

"What is this?" (Looking into her hand and then the bag)
"I want £3-£5 to buy food...this isn't enough..." (or words to this effect)
"These are cheese and onion pasties." I said. "Nice and hot."

I told her that I was sorry and that I am unemployed and this was all I could spare, especially as I had just bought them something to eat as well as given them change. While all this was going on, the little boy was circling me and pulling at my clothes saying, "Please, Please"

I firmly replied that this was all I could spare and walked away. They proceeded to follow me, still chanting, "Please Please". I again, firmly said,

"Please. I have given you what I can spare. I need some money to buy food for myself."

I walked away.

Later, I thought about this experience and how disgusted the lady was at the fact that I had ONLY given her £3 as well as bought food for her and her son AND given him a snack. I couldn't believe that she'd had the audacity to say that what I had given her was not enough, especially as the shoes I was wearing had holes in them and I had NO food in my fridge at home.

I understand that things are hard for everyone, but refuse to be made to feel bad because I could only spare £3...

I am hungry.

CBC

xx

Realisations

It's late and after updating Dite Kako and watching another riveting instalment from the Big Brother house, I now understand why I am drawn to Halfwit. He reminds me of Mr Literary...in many ways. Bah!!

I'm off to bed!

CBC

x

On Ladydresses

Title inspired by the lovely Jennie!

Good morning bloggers! I feel in a funny mood today. I'm not sure how to describe it. I guess it could be attributed partly to waking up early and feeling full of beans. OR, it could be that my mind is a-swimming with thoughts of the future. Hmm.

At the moment, I'm filled with desire for the new Gap A/W09 collection which I have seen advertised in Grazia AND I'd love to get a new pair of shoes...preferably Converse or Rocketdog (as my faithful Rocketdog of three years is practically falling apart but I refuse to throw it away!) I'd just love to go on a mini shopping excursion after I've had a good wadrobe clearance and gone to the charity shop!

I probably should not become complacent with this Conduct exam and start studying soon. As soon as I get the date for the exam that is!

I have a job application deadline in 2 days so I had better get form filling and such.

Toodle Pip!

CBC

xx

Tuesday musings

Hello dear readers,

well I have not posted in about a week because I have been busy doing overtime at the bookshop and sulking in a corner about my LPC results. I think I'm entitled a bit of a sulk and now the moment has passed, I am semi-fine. I had one exam result outstanding: my Conduct exam. Not exactly rocket science but as you probably would have seen from an earlier post, things didn't go well on the day. I wasn't expecting to pass with flying colours but to fail by 5 marks has really IRKED me. I'm already a YEAR late so what's a few more months I guess. UGH...

Last Thursday, I went to see Bruno at the Cineworld in Trocadero with my sister-friend who I've known since uni (but feels like forever). The film is funny in parts but its disgusting elements outweigh the comedy for me. I much preferred Borat as it was new and different. Bruno seemed very much similar in plot and structure. Disgraced foreign TV personality seeks new life in America, accompanied by trusty sidekick who he later falls out with AND is reunited with. Nonetheless, it was nice to catch up with T and have a laugh. She is also an LPC student and just got awarded a Distinction! Woot!

Later in the day, I went to S's Birthday food and drinkies which was full of fun and giggles.

Now I really need to get back into the applying and rejections NOW with added revision. What fun!

CBC

xx

"I don't think so Sonny-Jim"

If you watch Big Brother, then you'll 'get' the reference. As I imagine, not very many lawyers and academics would own up to watching the show. I do. I think I'm a little bit in love with 'Halfwit'. He's actually quite an intelligent, eloquent character. Watch his telling off of Noirin...




Funny chappie!

On another note, on reading the latest law reports on The Times Online, I found the one entitled, 'Guidance for juries when alcoholism is raised as a defence to murder' really interesting. I suppose there is a difference between an isolated drunken incident which resulted in a murder compared to that of a seasoned alcoholic. The report stated that,

"Their Lordships had concluded that the effect of the directions to the jury was that the defence of diminished responsibility would not be available if the jury found that any of the appellant’s drinking was voluntary. Save semantically, that was indistinguishable from the direction in
Wood and, for the same reasons, constituted a misdirection. "

This would suggest that where the drinking was an isolated incident and that the defendant was not alcohol dependant, the defence of diminished responsibility would not be applicable. The report also referred to this dependency as a disease or underlying 'condition' that the jury would need to consider and that the killing was an 'involuntary result of an irresistible craving for or compulsion to drink.'

So, the defendant in such an instance would need to firstly prove that some form of 'abnormality' of the mind existed and then whether there was a link between this abnormality and the 'disease' or illness. Because of experiences with alcohol (not personally, but close enough) I find it difficult to accept that alcoholism is in fact a 'disease' and that dependency on alcohol is a valid defence to a murder when to me it seems a self inflicted, voluntary 'condition'

Overall, some of the issues which are said to be likely to arise in similar cases are the following:

"(a) the extent and seriousness of the defendant’s dependency, if any, on alcohol,
(b) the extent to which his ability to control his drinking or to choose whether to drink or not, was reduced,
(c) whether he was capable of abstinence from alcohol, and if so,
(d) for how long, and,
(e) whether he was choosing for some particular reason to decide to get drunk or to drink even more than usual. "

and the jury would be invited to come to their own conclusions based on these factors. In my opinion: Alcohol an excuse?

I don't think so Sonny-Jim!

CBC

xx

Article/ Report taken from Times Online.

I'm now officially a 'twat'...or is that 'twit' ?

Thanks to Mr Charon QC, I am now officially a part of the Twitter nation. Yet another addiction to my ever growing list!

Luckily, it was payday yesterday so I may indulge in a little retail therapy (not ALL for myself- I/the house needs a new fridge!).

Tweet tweet

CBC

xx

Giving life 'The Finger'

After a crazy (!) comment from one of my work colleagues ('wuv' him...) I got to thinking about this. Giving life the finger I mean. On the way home, there was an absolute N-U-T-T-E-R (sorry I'm not more PC) on the bus, making me lust after drivng lessons (or a lottery win) even more. He proceeded to throw batteries at a bemused couple sitting in front of him and then rolled around on the floor of the upper deck of the bus whilst speaking in tongues and laughing manically...A fellow and rather handsome passenger commented on the fact that the noises the man was making sounded like he was in a "Busta Rhymes" video...LOL

I seem to attract strangeness.

*COUGHLEOCOUGH*

Also, as I sit here in the dark typing this, I've noticed that my right ankle is quite swollen and puffy. But you know, I'm going to stick two fingers up to life and crazy things at the moment...

Giving it 'the finger'...so to speak.

I'm also quite excited about my other blog at the moment which is giving me an excuse to drink teas and other lovely drinks.

Let's see what tomorrow will throw at me

CBC

xx

What makes an 'undesirable' trainee candidate?

As my days are now almost entirely consumed by applications, trawling the web for vacancies and blogging, I am beginning to wonder whether in a firm's eyes there is such thing as an undesirable candidate for a training position and what that person would be like. It seems there are several categories/ qualities which firms are reluctant to budge on. I must just clarify that I am not generalising about firms but merely passing comment on what I have observed about the application process. Here are just a few observations:

Degree Classification and University
90% of Firms which I have come across either via the web or their hard-copy literature request an upper second class degree or above, regardless of discipline. There are a small percentange of firms which state that they 'require' a lower class degree or above and an equally low number of those which do not specify a degree class on their recruitment brochures etc. So on this evidence it seems that the likelihood of a student getting offered a training contract with anything less that a 2:1 is going to be based on a lot more than their degree result.

Legal Practice Course
I have also recently noticed that a large number of firms are now specifying 'Distinction' and 'Commendation' as well as the 2:1 or above. Fair enough.

Language Ability
A lot more firms are wanting fluency in a second language and I have even come across one or two which wanted fluency in several languages! In particular the international and multi-jurisdictional firms will place more importance on the fluency of candidates in different languages and this is not at all unreasonable given the nature of the firm. However, some smaller (medium) sized firms would love a candidate to be fluent in a second language also.

Legal Experience
This is interesting as the firms do not ALWAYS mention this but it is assumed that they'd all want some level of experience. The experience could range from vac schemes and pro bono work to part time employment and paralegalling. The experience requirement is not exclusive to law of course but it seems that it is vital to securing a training contract. The good thing I have noticed about some firms is that they clearly state that should there be a reason why the candidate did not achieve a high level of academia, if they have 'good' experience elsewhere, this may have a positive impact on their application.

SuperPowers
The often hidden category, the majority of firms expect a level of superpowers ranging from time travel, flight and invisibility to telepathy. No sarcasm whatsoever. In all seriousness it seems they would like prospective trainees to have something...special about them. Having interests outside of work are handy.

SO, back to the original question, an undesirable doesn't really exist...do they?

I don't expect firms to compromise on quality of candidates of course; that would be to their and their future clients' as well as the profession's detriment. I can't argue with that.

CBC

xx

Same excrement, different week...

Hello dear readers. After what seemed a crazy weekend at the bookshop, I am left feeling worn but looking forward to the week to come with all that it brings.

CBC

xx

P.s. You may notice some changes to the blog layout in the week to come; I'm giving CBC a little bit of a makeover...

The Inner Sanctum

So I realise that I haven't NOT posted a whiney, "Give me a training contract" post for a while...even subliminally (and yes for grammar nazis out there I realise I've used a double negative) But today dear readers, will be different. I am off on a fashion tangent today. I have been following Style Bubble's Blog for a couple of days now and already I am hooked. I've looked through all of her style diary outfits and her Style Bubble Daily wear blog and I can't wait to get shopping! Her style is as she describes, 'eclectic' and a little eccentric as described by others who follow her. I love the mish mash of colours, textures, brands, layers and creativity that she throws into each and every outfit that she wears. What an inspiration.

I'm a fashion novice and at the moment don't really consider myself to be fashionable or with the trends but recently I've found myself becoming more and more curious about clothes. I'm not about to go for a career change just yet folks, but it doesn't stop me from experimenting with fashiony things.

And yes, although I am sat here in shorts, trying not to aggravate the slow healing flare-up on my leg, I AM wearing feather earrrings and lipgloss...

I wonder how much individuality in attire is appreciated in the inner sanctum.

CBC

xx

Boiling Cold

This is how I've felt yesterday. After shivering for hours and feeling hot and cold, I feel a little better but still achy. My eczema has flared up on both legs to the point where walking is pulling on and splitting my skin (sorry for the graphic detail) How on earth can I serve the lovely customers at the bookshop when I can barely walk? This will not do www. This will not do.

Well, I have the rest of today and tomorrow to recuperate...

To smilier days

CBC

xx

Edit: As I watch the Wright Stuff on Channel 5, he is asking the question, "Would you miss men if [they] we were gone?"

Hmm...Matthew, I'll get back to you on that one.

Employment Drought

So dear bloggers,

I am away for the weekend on a much needed break away from home which is driving me up the 'crazy' wall at the moment.

In the past week or so, I have taken a short break from the relentless job searching and applying purely to let my hair down a little but now I'm getting back in the saddle out of necessity. I went on an 'interview' last week which was an odd experience I won't detail too much on here. Needless to say, the firm in question was not prepared to pay me until a future date...

I am so close to screaming, it's choking me.

Till Monday

CBC

xx

Ding dong merrily on high....t'is the month of Ju-ly

Happy July www. I've been away for a little while 'living it up' in the sun but now that I have been charged with several counts of GBH on my bank account I am holed up in my hot and humid bedroom without a window, drooling over items in the asos sale.

I'm not one to moan (much) and I love the sunshine, just not when it continuously causes sweat moustaches which one has to wipe away every other minute of two whilst holding one's nose to protect oneself from the lovely London commuters who forget that deodorant exists. (I have to stress that the majority are aware of soap, water and deodorant but the select few who do not are the culprits) That said, I love the summer; cold watermelon juice running down your arms while you sink your face into a slice. Sunglasses and flip flops slap-slapping against your soles. Long summer nights. Butterflies. Cool showers. Makeshift fans with bits of cardboard.

*sigh*

Last Friday, I attended the Wimbledon championships with my friend Politics Girl and what an experience that was. It was one of the most unbelievably amazing days. For starters to get grounds access resulted in this mammoth queue,

for approximately 7 hours or so. What a queue that was. That said though, it was a fun wait with so much going on around us and so many funny characters, like this guy who decided to give his friend a back massage.

Also, we met a greyhound rescued and homed by Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare and I managed to get an amazing close-up of him yawning! (Edit: I removed the photo for technical reasons)

All in all www, it was an amazing day. Here are a few other shots from the day.

Stay safe in the sun!

CBC

xx