Linked list help please!

[soteri0s]

I'm trying to compare strings in a Linked List and it throws a null pointer exception somewhere in the method smallest() which is where i have the strings(nodes) comparing each other. I've been Trying to find the answer for two days now and I've gotten nowhere. PLEASE HELP! The code is as follows:

public class LinkedStringLog implements StringLogInterface 
{
  protected LLStringNode log; // reference to first node of linked 
                              // list that holds the StringLog strings
  protected String name;      // name of this StringLog
  
  public LinkedStringLog(String name)
  // Instantiates and returns a reference to an empty StringLog object 
  // with name "name".
  {
    log = null;
    this.name = name;
  }

  public void insert(String element)
  // Precondition:   This StringLog is not full.
  //
  // Places element into this StringLog.
  {      
    LLStringNode newNode = new LLStringNode(element);
    newNode.setLink(log);
    log = newNode;
  }
  public int howMany(String element)
  // Returns an int value of how many times it occurs in StringLog
  {
    int eleCount = 0;
	 LLStringNode node;
	 node = log;
	 
	 while (node != null)
	 {
	   if (element.equalsIgnoreCase(node.getInfo()))
		{
		 eleCount ++;
		 node = node.getLink();
		}
		else
		{
		  node = node.getLink();
		}
	 }
	 return eleCount;
  }
  
  public boolean isFull()
  // Returns true if this StringLog is full, false otherwise.
  {              
    return false;
  }
  
  public boolean isEmpty()
  // Returns true if StringLog is empty, it otherwise returns false.
  {
	boolean isNull = true;
	LLStringNode node;
	node = log;
	boolean searchEmpty = (node != null);
    if (searchEmpty)
    {
    	isNull = false;
    	return isNull;
    }
    return isNull;
  }
  
  public boolean uniqInsert(String element)
  //  Inserts element in stringLog unless an identical string already exists in the StringLog
  {
    LLStringNode node;
	 node = log;
	 boolean found = false;
	 boolean searchMore;
	 searchMore = (node != null);
	 
	 while (searchMore && !found)
	 {
	   if (element.equalsIgnoreCase(node.getInfo()))
		{
		  return found;
		}
		else
		{
		   node = node.getLink();
		  searchMore = (node != null);
		}
	 }
	 if (found = true)
	 {
		 LLStringNode newNode = new LLStringNode(element);
		    newNode.setLink(log);
		    log = newNode;
	 }
	 return found;
  }
  
  public int size()
  // Returns the number of Strings in this StringLog.
  {
    int count = 0;
    LLStringNode node;
    node = log;
    while (node != null)
    {
      count++;
      node = node.getLink();
    }
    return count;
  }
  
  public boolean contains(String element)
  // Returns true if element is in this StringLog,
  // otherwise returns false.
  // Ignores case difference when doing string comparison.
  {                 
    LLStringNode node;
    node = log;
    boolean found = false;
    boolean moreToSearch;
    moreToSearch = (node != null);

    while (moreToSearch && !found) 
    {
      if (element.equalsIgnoreCase(node.getInfo()))  // if they match
        found = true;
      else
      {
        node = node.getLink();
        moreToSearch = (node != null);
      }
    }

   return found;
  }
  
  public void clear()
  // Makes this StringLog empty.
  { 
    log = null;
  }

  public String getName()
  // Returns the name of this StringLog.
  {
    return name;
  }

  public String toString()
  // Returns a nicely formatted string representing this StringLog.
  {
    String logString = "Log: " + name + "\n\n";
    LLStringNode node;
    node = log;
    int count = 0;
    
    while (node != null)
    {
      count++;
      logString = logString + count + ". " + node.getInfo() + "\n";
      node = node.getLink();
    }
      
    return logString;
  }
  
public String smallest()
  // Returns smallest String in StringLog in terms of lexicographic ordering.
   //Precondition: StringLog is not empty.
  {
 LLStringNode node;
 LLStringNode node2;
 LLStringNode node3 = log;
 node = log;
 node2 = log;
 String smallString = "Bob";
 boolean notNull = (node != null);
 boolean notNull2 = (node2 != null);
 
 while (notNull && notNull2)
{			
	System.out.println(node.getInfo() + " " + node2.getInfo()); 
	if (node.getInfo().compareTo(node2.getInfo()) <= 0)
	{
	  node3 = node;
	  node2 = node2.getLink();
	  smallString = node3.getInfo();
	}  
	else if (notNull && notNull2)
	{
	  node3 = node2;
      node =  node.getLink();
      smallString = node3.getInfo();
		}
	 smallString = node3.getInfo();
	 } 	
      return smallString;
  }
}

Also, When I ran the test driver I had the system print lines onto the console until it broke and it looked like this. *note* The Strings have already been input into the test driver at this point.

Choose an operation:
1: insert(String element)
2: howMany(String element)
3: clear()
4: contains(String element)
5; isFull()
6; isEmpty()
7: size()
8: uniqInsert(String element)
9: getName()
10: toString()
11: smallest()
12: Stop testing
11
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
	at LinkedStringLog.smallest(LinkedStringLog.java:189)
	at CMPS39001.main(CMPS39001.java:121)
girl girl
girl apple
apple apple
apple ass
apple boy
apple purple

Thank you all, Your help is most appreciated.