Reagan on Bush

Historical Quote of the Day (AP)

"A moment I've been dreading. George (Bush Sr.) brought his
ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the
kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida . The one who
hangs around here all the time looking shiftless.

This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real
job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if
they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That
looks like easy work."

-- Ronald Reagan in his recently published diaries, written
May 17, 1986.

Shi'a Iraq Cheat Sheet

If you can't remember anything else, remember this:

1. Party
Islamic Supreme Council in Iraq
Leader
Abdulaziz al-Hakim
Militia
Badr

2. Party
Sadrists (informal)
Leader
Moqtada al-Sadr
Militia
Medhi Army

For the conflict, what is important to know is that the US has backed al-Hakim and the form Shi'i party as both part of its debaathification processes and as part of its fight against Moqtada al-Sadr and the threat if perceives from the Medhi Army.

A recent report by International Crisis Group questions the wisdom al-Hakim's alignment with the US. Read it...it's pretty interesting.

The al-Hakim family is a powerful shi'a line from Najaf and looks towards Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani as its Supreme Religious Leader (the place Sistani occupies in Iraq is comparable to that of Khamanei in Iran, except they have different opinions about the relationship between the Supreme Religious Leader and the government, which is why in Iran everything has to be approved by Khamanei, and in Iraq not everything goes through Sistani...this difference relates to their views of the leadership or guardianship of the jurist, velayat al-fakih).

VC

Defragmenting

I think there's something paradoxical about defragmenting my computer, which I'm doing now because I got a notice that my computer is running "1.11 times slower" than it should: If you add up ALL the extra wait time I encounter as a result of this 1.11 times slower slowness, I think it's still less than the EXTREMELY LONG TIME it's taking my computer to defragment itself (like more than an hour).

VC

Why Europe is Better than the US

The women's season ending championships are in Madrid, one of my favourite cities, and I'm cracking up because the ball boys, who are actually hot men (sometimes they have adults do it), rather than wearing the usually-frumpy uniforms, are wearing tight, sleeveless Hugo Boss tank tops lol.

Good bless Europe!

VC

Pierre Krähenbühl

HOT HOT HOT lol

Go to the ICRC page now.

You can also see him in the article on Burma.

VC

Catching Up: La Vie, Spiegelworld

Curie is asleep on my couch, taking a nap after having seen the law school. We're going to what is supposedly the best Indian restaurant in the area, tonight, in Branford (her and two other transfers who I should nickname and will explain later: Nichole and Ellen).

Since I've been catching up with Curie, today, I thought I should also catch up with some of the stuff I've done and photos I've taken.

The first thing I want to post are some images I took while at the South Street Seaport for the final performance of La Vie, by Spiegelworld.

The show was fantastic, and it was really nice getting to see a friend I met through Curie who (we joke) is my Chinese half-sister. She's really a sweet person, and some of her friends were great.

As I said, the show was fantastic. You can check out the website for an idea of what it's all about. I think the best parts were the dance scenes between the MC and a woman (who, in the show, is a Russian femme fatale). You know the man is probably gay, and that they are just performers in a cabaret under a circus tent in Manhattan and are not really tormented lovers, and yet when they danced it was so passionate and so believable. I think the entire audience was impressed with the others (contortionists, ropeworkers, etc.) but we were just blown away by the dancing. IT WAS HOT lol

Most of my photos are of the ships and the actual seaport itself. I really like the effect of the cell phone photos sometimes.

VC

Wall Street

Like I've been saying, there's NOTHING about Manhattan that says that Wall Street has to be there. If we were smart we'd move to Shanghai, or Dubai, or Paris.

VC

The Bravery, "The Ocean" (song lyrics)

I climbed up a mountain, and looked off the edge
At all of the lives that I never have led
There's one where I stayed with you, across the sea
I wonder do you still think of me

I carry your image always in my head
Folded and yellowed and torn at the edge
And I've looked upon it for so many years
Slowly I'm loosing your face

Oh the ocean rows us away, away, away
The ocean rows us away

Sixes and sevens we live on jet planes
So many faces I don't know the names
So many friends now and none of them mine
Forgotten as soon as we meet

All of these moments are lost in time
But you're caught in my head like a thorn on a vine
Took forever to mend me and I wonder why
Do I wish I've never known you at all

Oh the ocean rows us away, away, away
The ocean rows us away

The sun and the moon
An ocean of air
So many voices
And nothing is there
But the ghost of you asking me why
Why did I leave

Oh the ocean rows us away, away, away
The ocean rows us away

And I loose your hand through the waves

Taking Chances

I guess it should be announced that I'm officially in a relationship now. A lot of my friends at Yale have met him, but I'm excited for my NYC friends and family to meet him, too.

Really worth the wait. That's all I can say :)

More Celine. I love the chorus.

VC

PS: The woman sang more than 500 shows in Vegas (I think it was maybe closer to 900) in just a few years and her voice has not suffered at all. Now THAT'S healthy technique!

Things that Make VC Happy: Celine Dion's Air Guitar

I sent this clip to my mom a few weeks ago, but I was just watching it again and wanted to post it. The talking part is boring, but watch for 2:20-2:30 when she vocally mimics a guitar. This woman can SERIOUSLY sing. It's also cute when she's banging on the hallway walls talking about what good acoustics they have lol.

VC

VC Now Immunizer from EVERYTHING

I just had SEVEN vaccinations lol

Tetnus
Yellow Fever
Flu
Hep-A
Typhoid
Menengitis
Polio

I'm going to go drink swamp water now...JUST BECAUSE I CAN!

VC

Kenya Itinerary

DEPARTING FLIGHT

Saturday, October 20, 2007
Emirates # 204
New York John F Kennedy Intl (JFK) to Dubai (DXB)
Departure (JFK): October 20, 11:20 AM EDT (morning)
Arrival (DXB): October 21, 8:10 AM GST (morning)

Sunday, October 21, 2007
Emirates # 721
Dubai (DXB) to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Intl (NBO)
Departure (DXB): October 21, 3:05 PM GST (afternoon)
Arrival (NBO): October 21, 7:05 PM EAT (evening)


RETURN FLIGHT

Saturday, October 27, 2007
Emirates # 720
Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Intl (NBO) to Dubai (DXB)
Departure (NBO): October 27, 5:15 PM EAT (evening)
Arrival (DXB): October 27, 11:15 PM GST (evening)

Sunday, October 28, 2007
Emirates # 203
Dubai (DXB) to New York John F Kennedy Intl (JFK)
Departure (DXB): October 28, 2:00 AM GST (morning)
Arrival (JFK): October 28, 7:50 AM EDT (morning)

VC is Going to Geneva

Things are finally working out with the Swiss office of McKinsey and "they'll see me in November" (that's all the details I have so far).

:)

VC

New Haven

To the Members of the Yale Community:

Consistent with federal reporting requirements and in order to increase awareness of personal safety, I write to let you that a graduate student was the victim of a robbery at the corner of Church and Center Streets at 5:30 AM on Saturday, September 29. He was approached from behind by three males wearing black hooded sweatshirts who demanded money. Fortunately, the student was not hurt during the incident.

Also on September 29, in the evening, there was an aggressive panhandling incident that occurred at approximately 9:00 PM. A graduate student was at the corner of College and Wall Streets when she was approached by a woman asking for money. When the student took money from her wallet, the woman held her wrist and grabbed the money from her hand. The woman who took the money is approximately 5'2" tall, has dark acne marks on face, and was wearing loose pants or skirt and a red turban. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported.

In addition, later that evening, two undergraduates were walking on Howard Ave. and Spring Street at approximately 11:15 PM when they were surrounded by a group of four or five males, approximately 13-15 years of age, all 5'5" tall or shorter, one wearing a white long sleeve shirt. The group assaulted the students with plastic milk crates while demanding their wallets. The students were treated for lacerations resulting from the assault.

Anyone having information about these incidents should call the Yale Police. I reiterate my request that you use the University escort service or transportation system and not walk alone, or even in pairs during late night hours. If you should witness suspicious activity, please report it immediately to the police at 432-4400. Timely reports help tremendously in solving cases and deterring crime.

Sincerely,

Chief James A. Perrotti

Goldman Interview Feedback

I find this very interesting (I emailed basically just asking if there was any feedback I could have going forward since I am serious about banking). Looks like it was a bad sign that I dropped that finance course at the School of Management, but it also looks like maybe something internal at Goldman made them decide not to take anyone from YLS their first time recruiting here, especially since he didn't say "you should try to take accounting and finance to get a job at another bank," but rather "you should try to get a job at another bank, and taking accounting and finance would help you when you reapply next year." :

Chunk - I would try to get a summer job at another investment bank -
that would help strengthen your resume for next fall. Also, taking
accounting courses and doing well at them would be very helpful.

Crazy Swiss

Check out the requirements for getting a drivers license there. I think it's hilarious that they make you get trained in first aid AND undergo a mental assessment by a psychologist before you can drive lol


Learning to drive in Switzerland

You must be 18 years of age to learn how to drive in Switzerland. The process begins with a 10-hour first aid course in which you learn how to give assistance to traffic accident victims. Then, you must follow eight hours of obligatory theory (traffic-awareness course).

Once you begin to drive, you must be accompanied by a person over 24 years of age who has had his or her license for at least three years. You must also attach a sticker (a white L on a blue background) to the windshield of your car to show that you are a "learner" driver.

You are not required to take driving lessons with a professional instructor to obtain your license, although it is recommended since the instructors know exactly what the examiners expect... It's at your own risk. Bear in mind that it will cost you approximately 75 Swiss francs an hour. There are extremely well-organized guilds of driving school instructors, who are applying increasingly restrictive measures to limit access to their profession and maintain their rates. Moreover, constant pressure is placed on the government to raise driver training standards for young drivers, in the name of road safety and to the great benefit of driving school instructors. Some see in this a pathetic example of corporate racketing, based on the "public good", as a means to capture its own profitable market. So grin and bear it, but don't let them walk all over you.
The temporary license allocation fee, the practical and theoretical exams and the highway code manual cost approximately 250 Swiss francs (although this varies by canton).

A book listing the 600 possible questions on the theory exam can be purchased for 10 francs from your canton's Automobile Service.

The Swiss driving test includes a written exam (that can be taken in English or in other foreign languages) and a practical test.

The practical test can be taken only three times. If you fail it three times, you are required to consult a psychologist who will decide if you are mentally fit to drive and who can offer you a fourth and final attempt... But you would have to demonstrate a real inaptitude for driving to get to that point.

Rejected at Goldman

Dear Chunk:

Thank you for taking the time to interview with the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. Unfortunately we’ve had to make some tough decisions, and we will not be pursuing your candidacy any further. We regret that we cannot accommodate everyone, but we wish you the best of luck in the recruiting process!

Regards,

The Investment Banking Recruiting Team

***

Feels weird because I thought the interview went really well. I guess I feel a little upset to get a rejection, but I don't feel devastated, either. I'm not sure if I should try for more banks, or just go with McKinsey and consulting firms. I don't mean to sound cheesy, but this really could be a blessing in disguise, because if I do consulting (or even the one law firm I interviewed with, which, incidentally, I have not heart back from even though another friend has) then I can split the summer with a human rights organization.

Off to the gym! :)

VC

PS: I *just* realized that they probably never took my candidacy seriously in the first place, which is why we just spent the 30 minutes talking and having a good time. They can't screen the candidates that bid on them, so they might as well make the best of their time with someone they feel certain isn't a fit. Too bad!

Underwear Kicking

Something funny I just realized I do (and have done for years without ever even thinking about how odd it is):

When I change my clothes, get in the shower, etc. and have to take my underwear off, I slide them off like any other person would, but then when they're around my ankles on the floor I step out with my right leg (still normal, I think) and then I kick them with my left foot up in the air (not high, just up to my arm height) and catch them with my right hand lol.

What's even more silly is that it's not like I'm catching them so I can put them in the dirty clothes or whatever, since usually I immediately drop them back on the floor until I actually pick up all the clothes I just took off.

How weird is that?

VC

Interview Update

I think my interviews went really well. They didn't ask me ANYTHING about finance or ANYTHING about Goldman Sachs! lol Good thing, since my "breakthrough" that I wrote about last night about valuation techniques was totally off. I guess I really didn't need to work until after 5am preparing lol Maybe I really am made for banking?

VC

Investopedia

This site rules.

Goldman Prep Under Way

I'm working away! I think I'll stop doing finance stuff soon and start doing the "What's happening in the markets, what do I think affects the market, what stocks do I like, what are Goldman's values, what are its major recent deals, and what is its structure and performance record?"

I think I just had a breakthrough, though, as seen in an email I sent to a friend who worked in banking this past summer at Bank of America, met with me a little over a month ago in NYC to talk about it over Japanese desert, and who helped me on the phone earlier for almost an hour. The question/breakthrough is all about calculating NPV (net present value) using a DCF (discounted cash flows) model that incorporates WACC (weighted average cost of capital) and CAPM (capital asset price model) calculations:

Hey I'd call but it's 1am and I know it sucks to be like "hey I know I never call you except to eat Japanese desert and talk about finance, but I have a question" lol.

I just wanted to make sure that I have it right when to use CAPM and when to use WACC.

From what I can tell, when you want to decide whether or not to invest in a security, like a stock, then you would use NPV calculated on a DCF model that has a discount rate calculated by CAPM. If you want to decide whether or not a project is worth it, and we're talking about, like, purchasing a company or something and not just a security, then you'd use NPV calculated on one of the three models we spoke about, and if you elect to use DCF then your discount rate would be calculated using WACC (you couldn't really use WACC for a security because there is not issue about how capital is structured like with a corporation), and in that WACC calculation you could still, if you wanted to, bring back CAPM, but it would only be used to calculate the cost of equity component of the WACC sum?

Basically it looks like using CAPM for the discount rate in a DCF calculation is only a "complete" calculation if it's for a security, but if it's for a firm valuation or something then you need WACC, which can use CAPM or not depending on your preference/available info for how you'll calculate the cost of equity (either as CAPM or as dividends per share divided by share price added to growth in price).

Does that sound right?

Thanks!

VC

Insane Week

This week is one of the craziest I've had in a long time.

In addition to my classes, which I've done no work for, I have three job interviews (which will require a LOT of prep), journal and reading group meetings, student paper drafts to review (for the undergrad Computers and the Law course that a friend got me a position TAing -- this is also going to be intense prep because students are emailing me to set up appointments and I am not even going to get the course materials, lecture notes, and required readings from the prof until tomorrow morning!), law school events, etc. Oh, and the icing on the cake is that on Friday my preliminary findings for my Kenya research are due. The pre-icing icing is that the same day I have my Goldman interviews and my first meeting with a Computers and the Law student I *also* have an Arabic quiz lol.

I have decided to reconceptualize the week, though, as not one of stress but of opportunity lol. I mean after this week a lot of things that were formerly just plans will now be real activites in my life: Outlaws is having its first official meeting, the Middle East Legal Forum reading group is having its first meeting, I will have my first meeting with the Journal of Human Rights and Development, I'll have met with my students for the first time and read their papers (and read the class materials for the first time as well), I'll have held my first co-taught TA review session, I'll have interviewed for positions in investment banking, investment management, and transactional corporate law, have mastered the direct and indirect objects that come from each of the ten Arabic verb forms, have presented my preliminary findings on Kenya, and will have had a special meeting with some of the judges from the world's highest courts (and will have gotten tickets for a later lecture with one of the US Supreme Court justices).

Don't expect me to blog much between now and Friday (then again you never know!).

Oh, and just to brag lol: Since coming to Yale I've never exercised less than three times in a week :)

VC

FIP (Fall Interview Program)

I got all three things I bid on for Fall interviews (note that I only bid on one law firm because they're the only one hiring for Paris lol). My #1 goal this summer is Goldman investment banking, and if I don't get that then I suspect I'll want to go to McKinsey (and in that case split my summer between consulting and human rights, which you can't do in banking). The other stuff is just in case I don't get any other private sector offers.

Interview Date	Employer	Locations Interviewing For	Interview Time	Interview Location	Interview Room
Sep 25, 2007	Goldman Sachs & Company-Investment Banking (New York NY)	New York NY-Investment Banking	2:00 pm - 2:30 pm		TBA
Sep 25, 2007	Goldman Sachs & Company-Investment Management (New York NY)	New York NY-Investment Management	2:30 pm - 3:00 pm		TBA
Sep 27, 2007	Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (London)	London;European and Asian offices	4:30 pm - 5:00 pm		TBA

Weirdest Thing Ever

Check it.

CNN Stupid Quote of the Day

"And now let's turn back to Afghanistan, still a country of beggars and burkas."

!

VC Going to Kenya

I was given my project for the human rights clinic, today, and I was given my second choice project, which was one relating to the rights of Nubian children in Kenya (I can't, like, totally talk about it until I have permission from our partner organization). My top choice was a women's rights/access to justice project in Bangladesh, but I'm still happy that I got on this one which was surely in high demand. I'm a bit sad, because Swissy was planning a trip to NYC for my October break, but now it looks like I'll be in Nairobi (mostly) from 20-28 October (although with human rights people you NEVER know if these trips will happen).

I still haven't contacted the ICTJ about ongoing work that they wanted me to do, but I think I will just do stuff for them as they need it and not make it a clinical project, since that seems easier (not only because clinical projects have team hierarchies, but also because Yale has to approve everything we do BEFORE it goes to the partner organization, which I think would actually be sort of a step back for me as far as how much autonomy I have in my work with the ICTJ).

It will be my first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, so that's pretty cool. The project is also one that I think will be interesting to research from a legal standpoint (of course the fieldwork will be interesting).

VC

CONGRATS JUSTINE!

I *love* Justine Henin. Check out this great article about her and her second US Open win, and note the rather biting (and true) remarks by the British press re: American tennis.

Justine Henin unfazed by lack of recognition

By Mark Hodgkinson

Last Updated: 2:08am BST 10/09/2007

Twice Justine Henin has won the US Open, and twice they have got her name wrong. In 2003, an executive for the main sponsor congratulated "Christine", and this year it was the turn of Dick Enberg, a television anchor man and the on-court master of ceremonies, to make an unforced error by calling her by her defunct, pre-divorce married name, "Henin-Hardenne".

Oh, her, Justine Henin, the world No 1. The stumbling over her name made it sound as though she is a 'Who's that again?' player, when she probably has a gold-embossed entry in the 'Who's Who' of tennis, and rightly so. Recognition, and getting your name up there in neon, is everything in the celebrity-obsessed United States, but you have to wonder how many times she has to be champion at Flushing Meadows before she is referred to by her correct name on this side of the Atlantic. And the dinky Belgian could hardly have played better during the fortnight here, as she did not drop a set, became the first woman to beat both Williams sisters on the way to winning a grand slam title, and scored a seventh career major. Still, if people were having problems remembering Henin's name afterwards, perhaps that was because the final had been the sort you would want to forget, as she easily achieved a 6-1, 6-3 victory over the disappointing Svetlana Kuznetsova, of Russia. The Arthur Ashe Stadium contained a few wannabe amnesiacs. Where was the drama? The colour? The emotion? The most entertaining part of the proceedings was actually when Enberg got his racket strings in a twist. And that was another pointer to the undeniable fact that Henin is hugely underappreciated in the United States. No one would expect her to be on the same level as the Williams sisters. But Maria Sharapova, who has one US Open title to Henin's two, commands much more attention. And it is all about image, and providing a bit of bling and zing. Indeed, it could be said that Sharapova's red evening dress had more pre-tournament publicity than the world's leading tennis player. A dress putting the world No 1 in the shade, that tells you all you need to know about achieving tennis fame in America. So the television executives would have been disappointed that the final did not feature one of Maria, Venus and Serena - players who have reached that level of fame where they are called by their first names. It had been hoped that Henin and Kuznetsova, although not Hollywood tennis players, would produce a good match. But it was not to be, and that was mostly the fault of Kuznetsova, the 2004 champion, who never got her game moving. Even when Henin hit three double-faults as she served for the title, Kuznetsova was unable to take any advantage. And the match did not even have a clean ending, as it finished when Kuznetsova was unable to chase down a shot before the ball bounced for a second time. Henin put her arms in the air in celebration, but those in the top sections of the huge Arthur Ashe Stadium were unaware that she had won the title until the umpire said it was "Not up", resulting in a delayed reaction from the crowd. The match left most cold, which was a real shame, as it was a fantastic achievement by Henin to have beaten Serena in the quarter-finals and then Venus in the semi-finals. She fully deserved the title. Other champions would have been peeved to have been called by the wrong name. But not Henin, who has never been in tennis for fame, chat-shows and red carpets. She has not always felt that comfortable in New York, a loud city that doesn't suit her personality. "But tonight I love New York. But sometimes I hate New York," she said, laughing. "No, New York takes a lot of energy out of me. ''It's probably the hardest grand slam to win because it's a crazy city, it's a big show over here. I wasn't used to it before. It's not in my personality. But I started to enjoy every moment of it this year. It was a great atmosphere. I will have some great memories." Serena Williams won this year's Australian Open, and Venus was Wimbledon champion, so they have one slam each, but this was Henin's second of the season. Henin missed January's Australian Open to come to terms with the divorce from her husband, Pierre-Yves Hardenne, but then reconciled with her previously estranged blood family, and won the French Open. At Wimbledon, she was undone by James Bond, with French player Marion Bartoli taking inspiration from the watching Pierce Brosnan to beat her in the semi-finals. Of the current generation, only Serena has won more majors, with eight. So Henin could possibly move past the American and end up being the most successful player of her generation. Justine Henin, remember that name.

Top 5 Qualities I Need in a Partner

(in no particular order)

Discussive

Ethical

Loving

Sincere

Reliable

[I didn't say "honest" because I think that is built into my conception of ethical, sincere, reliable, AND discussive]

It Would Not Come

If I make a lot of tinsel then people will want to
If I am hardened no fear of further abandonment
If I am famous then maybe I'll feel good in this skin and
If I am cultured my words will somehow garner respect

I would throw a party still it would not come
I would bike run swim and still it would not come
I'd go traveling and still it would not come
I would starve myself and still it would not come

If I'm masculine then I'll be taken more seriously
If I take a break it would make me irresponsible
If I'm elusive I will surely be sought after often
If I need assistance then I must be incapable

I'd be filthy rich and still it would not some
I would seduce them and still it would not come
I would drink vodka and still it would not come
I'd have an orgasm still it would not come

If I accumulate knowledge I'll be impenetrable
If I am aloof no one will know when they strike a nerve
If I keep my mouth shut the boat will not have to be rocked
If I am vulnerable I will be trampled upon

I would go shopping and still it would not come
I'd leave the country and still it would not come
I would scream in riddle still it would not come
I would stuff my face and still it would not come

I'd be productive and still it would not come
I'd be celebrated still it would not come
I'd be the hero and still it would not come
I'd renunciate and still it would not come


Alanis Morissette

Intermediate Arabic

I PASSED :)

[totally composed this several days ago but forgot to post it lol, sorry!]

DONE WITH ARABIC EXAM

I'm back!

I was raised to believe in competence, not luck, so I can say this without "jinxing" myself:

I totally think I passed!

I do think the exam was different, and perhaps more difficult, than last years, because this exam seemed very well thought-out, since with the exception of an overly-easy reading comprehension section each section was pretty full of tricks and layers of complexity. I definitely probably didn't get more than like 60% right, but I think that should be enough, plus my fake essay rocked ;p

The results will be posted tonight. Fingers crossed! (for comfort, not superstition ;p)

VC

Counting the Hours

Well it's just after 6am and in 5 hours I'll be totally done with the Arabic exam and probably rushing back to my apartment to take a cat nap before the first meeting this year of the Middle East Legal Forum (a fancy name for the YLS student group that focuses on Middle East and Islamic law stuff).

Less than 3 hours until the exam starts, so I need to get in the shower and get some coffee so that I'm physically sitting down reviewing with two hours before the exam. I will be really embarrassed and mad at myself if I don't pass into intermediate Arabic, but I'm also worried that the exam won't be as easy as last year and that, now that the professors administering the exam has been here for a year, she'll use an exam more like the one at Columbia (in other words: I haven't memorized the 10 verb forms that WERE tested at Columbia last year but were not tested at Yale).

Ok no point in stressing :) Results will be posted tonight, so I'll let you know what happens!

VC

UPDATE: 7am and I totally know the 10 verb types and how to derive the past, present, and gerund for each form: Teal Muff IfA Tough Nuff Fat Lal Stuff!

My Fake Arabic Placement Essay

Here is the essay I hope to write tomorrow (fingers crossed that it's somehow related to the actual essay topic). I'm keeping it short because I think you don't need to demonstrate proficiency, you just need to demonstrate "not in need of more alphabet work." If memory serves from when Desi took it last year, the Yale exam is much less intense than the one at Columbia, but even so I think I'll be in a better position than I was in last year because (hopefully) this year I studied smarter.

Here's the essay lol IT IS NOT TRUE lol

This summer I was living and working in New York City. I worked at the International Center for Transitional Justice. I am a specialist in political science and the Middle East, and I graduated from the American University in Cairo where I received my master’s and was a graduate fellow. I am now busy with work for the ICTJ and I am also working to obtain my doctor of law. After getting my doctorat I will move back to the Middle East, inshallah. I want to live in the Middle East because of the crowds and weather in New York (where it is very cold in the winter), but I will not live in Cairo. I want to live in Beirut or Amman where I have many friends and colleagues.

Arabic Tenses Made Easy

I think I am actually in decent shape for tomorrow's Arabic placement exam, as it's only 4:30pm and I can mostly devote myself to vocab, since I think I have grammar or or less under control. The following notes are totally irrelevant to almost anyone reading this, but they make me feel good.

Present Tense (Al-Mudaar3)

There are three forms of the present tense, the "default" being al-marfoo3. Al-marfoo3 takes the damma ending except in the forms where it ends in nuun, in which case it takes fatha.

The second form, al-mansoob, removes all the nuun endings from the marfoo3 conjugations and replaces the damma endings with fathas. In addition to being used when negating future tense verbs (see below), the mansoob form is also used after "li" and "an" in place of the gerund to communicate intent or act as an infinitive.

The third form, al-majzoom, also removes all the nuun endings from the marfoo3 conjugations, but it replaces the damma endings with sukuun.

Past Tense (Al-Madi)

The past tense reverts to the root of the verb and adds certain endings (both suffixes and short vowels) to match the different personal pronouns.

The past is negated EITHER by adding "ma" before the past tense verb, OR by adding "lam" before the present tense verb in majzoom form.

Future Tense (Al-Mustaqbal)

The future tense is created simply by adding the prefix "sa" (or the whole word "sawaf") before the present tense verb in marfoo3 form.

The future tense is negated by deleting the future prefix and by adding "lan" before the present tense verb now in mansoob form.

Arabic Pneumonics

Tuff

Nuff

Fat

Stuff

(Don't ask lol)

Best (and Worst) Run Yet So Far!

Well I went today for the first time to use the enormous Payne Whitney gym (the oddly-named "Israel Fitness Center" to be precise) and I had my best and worst run yet so far!

It was the best in the sense that it was my best combination of speed and distance, as I ran 5 miles at an 8:30/mile pace (significantly faster, and almost a mile farther, than the Heads of State run I posted earlier), but it was also the worst in the sense that it TOTALLY sucked running on the treadmill. It was kind of torture. The 43 minutes I was on the treadmill felt like eternity, whereas the 39 minutes I ran outside 5 days ago felt pretty easy.

Anyway, I'm really happy with my fitness level, and I also had two other workouts this week (weights, and isometric stuff with abwork each day) that were good (but pretty easy compared to running).

I can't believe orientation started on Wednesday -- it feels like a week ago. I also can't believe that my AMAZING new Origins "Have a Nice Day" moisturizer totally turned my badly-abused skin around in 48hrs. I'm tell you this stuff is amazing.

VC

The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name

By GREG HARDESTY

The Orange County Register

LAGUNA WOODS - Loraine Barr placed the typed, four-page essay in an envelope, sealed it, and then, for three days, wondered if she had the nerve to send it.

"Am I really ready for this?" she thought.

For years, Barr had enjoyed the "My Turn" reader essays in Newsweek magazine.

Now, she figured, was her turn.

Still, she wondered: What if they publish it?

Barr's essay was about a 44-year love affair she had kept from her parents, her relatives – even her dearest, closest friends.

"For heaven's sake," Barr said, recounting that day in May when she finally decided to mail off her essay. "I'm 88 years old. What difference does it make to anybody? It doesn't make a difference to anybody now."

Barr's essay appears in the current (Sept. 3) edition of Newsweek.

All week, the calls have been coming in – several dozen messages of overwhelming support from friends, relatives and strangers who looked up Barr's listed telephone number.

"I loved your essay," one man said in a recorded message. He said he was 81 and from Salt Lake City.

"It brought tears to my eyes, and I congratulate you," he said.

The man started crying – the sobs of a stranger, reaching out to another stranger whose story moved him, for a reason he chose to keep private.

Barr is amazed at the reaction.

After all, she didn't write the essay for her friends or relatives.

She didn't write it for strangers.

She didn't even write it for her lifelong partner, who died nine years ago.

She wrote it for herself.

FORBIDDEN LOVE

To the outside world, they were roommates – keeping separate bedrooms for appearances.

To each other, Barr and Mary Frances Piercey were the loves of each other's lives.

They felt incredibly grateful to have found each other, and incredibly lucky to have spent more than four decades together.

Barr and Piercey also felt that theirs was "the love that dare not speak its name."

Both grew up at a time when people didn't talk openly about their sexual orientation. "Coming out" as a lesbian just didn't happen back then, Barr said.

So she and Piercey never talked about their relationship – and no one asked.

"It was not an issue," Barr said. "It wasan issue, but it was buried deeply."

Some people knew the nature of their relationship – but nothing ever was verbally acknowledged.

Everything was subtext.

Barr's father, a salesman, once asked a cousin, a doctor, if his daughter might be a lesbian. The cousin said he didn't know, and that was the end of that.

In the 1940s, a man on leave from the war got serious about Barr. One night they danced at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

"Can you imagine?" he told Barr that night. "I wanted to see you more than I wanted to see my mother!"

Although he knew Barr cared about him, he got frustrated. He asked Barr to see a psychiatrist – "to see if anything was wrong with me," Barr recalled with a smile.

The psychiatrist told Barr, "As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with you."

There would be other men.

"I dated men a lot; I wanted to be popular," Barr said. "But it was never fun."

Barr's mother hoped she would marry and have children.

Sometimes, she would show friends a picture of Loraine holding a male doll and say, "That's my grandson."

HIDDEN LIFE

Barr, born in Chicago, spent most of her life in Southern California.

"There's a wonderful line in (the movie) 'Victor Victoria,' where Julie Andrews said to Robert Preston, 'How long have you been a homosexual?' And he says, 'How long have you been a soprano?'

"I always was the way I am – as a child even."

Barr was 28 and a student at UCLA when she fell in love, for the first time, with another woman – a teacher who was married.

They kept their relationship hidden. Barr also was dating the woman's brother, and the four would sometimes go dancing.

That relationship ended after a few years, when the woman's husband intervened.

About a decade later, Barr met Piercey, who had a 6-year-old son from a brief marriage.

Both women were working at the L.A. County Probation Department – both as probation officers (Barr also has been a teacher and employee counselor).

"And so it grew," Barr said of their relationship.

She and Piercey mostly spent time with heterosexual couples, but they had a few lesbian friends.

One time, around 1975, Barr and Piercey came close to coming out, when they were having dinner with a straight couple.

Just as Barr started to tell them, the couple changed the subject.

HAPPIEST MOMENT

Piercey died in 1998 of liver cancer at age 79. Barr organized a memorial service for her.

At the service, the minister eulogized Piercey as a quiet, bright listener who gave off a "warm and gentle glow."

He told of her love of art and calligraphy and sculpture, and gardening and shuffleboard.

As she said her final goodbyes to Piercey, Barr did not tell anyone about their relationship.

But, she figured, a lot of people knew.

After her Newsweek essay was published, her assumptions were confirmed. Several friends and relatives said, "We knew all along."

On her deathbed, Barr's mother, Ethel, acknowledged what had remained unspoken between her and her daughter for years.

"I never understood your way of life before," Ethel Barr, 70, told her daughter, "but I do now."

Barr calls that the happiest moment in her life.

"She (was saying), 'It's OK. It's OK to be who you are.'"

FEELING OF GRATITUDE

Basking in the positive response to her coming-out essay, Barr feels energized.

She hasn't heard much from the community at large at Laguna Woods Village, where she has lived for 19 years.

She's not sure she will. The senior community of about 18,000 has an active gay and lesbian organization, the Rainbow Club. Barr is not a member.

"Only the people who know me have responded so far," said Barr, who has two cousins who live in Laguna Woods Village.

Barr's house is filled with pictures of her and Piercey.

They traveled a lot – to Israel, Ireland and to Scotland. To Italy, Alaska and Spain. To Mexico, France and England.

Barr pointed out a favorite shot of the normally reserved Piercey.

In the photo, Piercey is sprawled out on a sofa with their black-and-white cat, Genny, looking silly and happy.

Barr is not in a romantic relationship now, nor does she expect to be. Her heart, she said, always will belong to Mary Frances Piercey.

She thinks about her every day.

"You know," Barr said, "it doesn't get any easier. Somehow, it's harder now than it ever was.

"But I don't think of her with sadness. I think of her with gratitude, and about how lucky I was – how lucky we were."

Contact the writer: 949-454-7356 or ghardesty@ocregister.com

Hingis Things

I think she can make the semis of the Open, but then again I'm always in her corner.

Anyway, reading this interview after her first round win, today, two things crossed my mind (actually three):

1. She really does have a ton of perspective for someone who is 26, and she wasn't always known for that. It's good to see how much she's grown. I think the part where she says that, overall in her career, she doesn't really feel like there are many matches she'd go back and change (so she could have won more) because she recognizes that many things did go her way that could have easily not have, and that really things balanced out.

2. It's totally cute how she calls the Energizer bunny the "ongoing bunny." lol

3. I think we often forget, when different sports personalities are given different character types by sports media and fans -- that Hingis is more a thinker than an athlete, for example -- that ALL of these people (the supposed crybabies, the tacticians, the ones who are said to not train very hard and rely on natural ability), ALL of them are TOTAL JOCKS. I mean we can't even really conceive of what superior athletes they are. They are orders of magnitude more jockish and consumed by athletics than anyone we have ever met, and I think we totally forget that. I do NOT think of Hingis as more athletic than, like, the biggest football jock I've ever met, for example, but she totally is. They all are. It's kind of weird to think about. I know I'm throwing around the word "jock" a lot, but it's because I am just so stunned that it never really occurred to me that people like Hingis, even when they are thought of more as brains than bodies, are total athletic MACHINES lol.

VC

Heads of State Run

I've decided to entertain myself by naming my runs. TODAY WAS MY FIRST RUN IN NEW HAVEN AND IT WAS EXCELLENT!

Ok it was super flat and the weather was perfect, but I was running on the sidewalk on residential streets with lots of lights, and I totally hate that.

Anyway, it was supposed to be my "Orange Juice" run, as I was planing to run on Orange St. up to the Black Rock (? East Rock?) park and back, but Orange had WAY too many lights, so I ran up State St., hence the name "Heads of State" run.

So I ran about 4.25 miles in 39 minutes, which translates into 9:10 miles. In other words: I'm more or less where I left off in NYC two weeks ago, and I think that's a really good thing! I felt totally fine and was tempted to run more, but I don't want to push myself too fast and then have an injury. I think these 4-5 mile runs over approx. 40 minutes are perfect and can be done every day without too much stress on the body. I'm thinking tomorrow I'll complete the 5 miles with a crazy hill half way through the run (my turnaround point was a little side entrance to East Rock park, although I think the entire park is called Black Rock park...anyway, I think I'll go inside and see where that hill takes me, which will be intense and cool).

You can see the route for my run here.

GO ME!

VC

Joining You

[Great Alanis Morissette song for Casey]

Dear dar(lin'),

Your mom (my friend) left a message on my machine she was frantic
saying you were talking crazy,
That you wanted to do away with yourself
I guess she thought I'd be a perfect resort because we've had this inexplicable connection since our youth.

And yes they're in shock, they are panicked
You and your chronic, them and their drama
You this embarrassment, us in the middle of this delusion.

If we were our bodies
If we were our futures
If we were our defenses I'd be joining you.

If we were our culture
If we were our leaders
If we were our denials I'd be joining you.

I remember vividly a day years ago:
We were camping, you knew more than you thought you should know,
You said: "I don't want ever to be brainwashed."

And you were mindboggling, you were intense
You were uncomfortable in your own skin, you were thirsty but mostly you were beautiful.

If we were our nametags
If we were our rejections
If we were our outcomes I'd be joining you.

If we were our indignities
If we were our successes
If we were our emotions I'd be joining you.

You and I we're like four year olds -- we want to know why and how come about everything,
We want to reveal ourselves at will and speak our minds.

And never talk small and be intuitive,
And question mightily and find god,
My tortured beacon we need to find like-minded companions.

If we were their condemnations
If we were their projections
If we were our paranoias I'd be joining you.

If we were our incomes
If we were our obsessions
If we were our afflictions I'd be joining you.

We need reflection
We need a really good memory
Feel free to call me a little more often.

Goldman at YLS

We got the list of employers recruiting this Fall and Goldman Sachs is actually recruiting at Yale this fall!

I think it might be too intense for me, but at least that's one finance interview I'll be guaranteed.

VC

AMAZING Misty Run

SUCH SUCH SUCH a good run :) 43 minutes, 4.8 miles = just under 9 minutes/mile (my longest AND fastest run this week!). You can see my Upper Manhattan run route here.

It was 62 degrees and raining on and off today which is basically my ideal day (I think that nature is WAY more beautiful on a day like today than when it's all sunny).

I was thinking I'd run in the park, because Central Park is gorgeous on a day like today, but for some reason Upper Manhattan was calling to me.

I've never run north in Riverside Park before, and so I thought "ok I'll explore a new run."

It was a bit frustrating at first, because the park didn't really have many through paths in the beginning, so I kept entering and then crossing back to the Drive, and I was FREEZING in the beginning. You can't see it on the map of my run, but part of it (just like 5 blocks) is on a kind of bridge/expressway (which, in my infinite lack of geographical knowledge, I thought was the George Washington Bridge going to New Jersey, until I saw that I was only like 8 blocks from my house lol) and it was so windy I was thinking that I might have to turn around. I got really into the run, though, with all the new scenery around me (there is a lot of good running up there!), and I was actually thinking that I might run all the way to the real George Washington Bridge, which didn't appear to be that far in the distance (very deceptive lol).

I saw on a freeway sign when I got to 160th st. that the turnoff for the GW Bridge was at 178th, and if I was going to also run across it and back then that would be adding several more miles to my run. I looked down at my watch and I'd already been running for more than 20 minutes, so at 163rd st. at the top of a nice climb I turned around at the 23 minute mark. I actually brought my metro card with me today in case I decided that I'd rather run until I had to stop, rather than save enough to get back, but that strategy really only works when you're reasonably close to a metro or bus (like if you run in the park) and I knew that if I made the commitment to cross the bridge then I'd be really screwed if I tired out. It would have been really bad on my muscles (and probably just my system in general) to be stuck walking on a windy bridge over the Hudson in 60 degree weather, spitting rain, my legs tightening up, etc. On a warmer day I think I'll try to make it to New Jersey and back :)

Until I looked at the route online just now, I was thinking that maybe it was a net elevation gain on the way there and mostly downhill on the way back, because I made it back to my starting point in only 20 minutes (that was an 8:20 mile on the return!) but looking at the elevation map it was actually pretty even both ways (lots of ups and downs) and 163rd st. is about at the same elevation as 120th.

I'm really happy with my progress this week. That's more than 16 miles run this week and I'm feeling really fit (my legs are holding up quite well).

I've been eating really bad, but that's not really the point. I think if I can go out and run like I did today, noting that my fourth run this week was the best one yet (probably was good that I rested yesterday), then I'm doing pretty well.

VC

Procrastination: What North American Finance Centre Has the Best Weather?

So I was just looking at the Lazard website for more information on their recruitment cycle (Lazard is one of the few banks I think might be nice to work for) -- not that I haven't already looked at the same page every couple of weeks for the past several months, you know, because I love pointlessly worrying about future career stuff -- and I got to thinking: "I wouldn't have to work with them in New York. I could actually work for them in Montreal or Toronto (or a bunch of other gross cities that I'd not be interested in)."

Then, so you see how the thought process and wheels-spinning works (keeping in mind that Lazard doesn't even recruit at Yale School of Management, let alone the law school, and let alone people with NO finance experience) I was thinking things like: "Well Toronto is more developed and probably has better weather, but Montreal is more bilingual, and I could probably get more for my money there in terms of real estate and services." Then I got to thinking: "I wonder which city really does have the best weather? New York, Montreal, or Toronto?"

Well of course the next logical thing to do was look up the average monthly highs and lows for each, but I could only find them in celsius, so I first mentally made the high/low averages and then (learning a new Excel skill!) inputed them into an Excel spreadsheet and converted all the average monthly celsius temperatures with a handy formula so that I could graph them in fahrenheit.

As you can see from the graph I've copied, here, the exercise was (for more than just the obvious reasons) pointless lol. My expert analysis is basically that the weather in all three cities more or less sucks lol. I think when you factor-in general political progressiveness, respect for gay rights, and universal health care, I'd probably take both Toronto and Montreal over New York.

Oh Canada...

VC

PS: If you look closely at the graph you can see that I accidentally spelled Toronto, in the original Excel sheet, "Tontonto." Oops! Tontonto here I come!

How French Was Not Meant to Be Spoken

With a heavy Russian accent.

How English Was Meant to Be Spoken

With a gorgeous French accent.

The Feel-Good Shelf

Well the time has come for me to pack and clean everything (hence the Uno post) and I'm now cleaning out my last shelf -- the "feel-good" shelf that I've been in the habit of making ever since my first year of boarding school. The feel-good shelf is the shelf that breaks up a bookcase full of text books and other unpleasantness and contains ONLY things that I love -- usually cards or little trinkety gifts given to me over the course of the year. In boarding school, there was usually a shrine of some sort to my favourite Sanrio character, Pekkle (pictured rather provocatively in the image to the right), some Miss Saigon paraphernalia, and a couple photos of my cat.

Some things in the feel-good shelf (seen in the lower half of the photo, below) will go with me to New Haven (like my Turkish bowl, my Syrian box, a photo of my sister and her daughter covered in tropical birds in Maui, the large soup cup Dr. Juicy made for me for Valentine's day, my photo of Roger Federer with a personalized autograph made out to me!, and my rock from a river in Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountains), but some things won't. For that reason, I'll memorialize them here (note how transitional justice mechanisms such as memorials have invaded my psyche!).

When I first moved back to NYC, Earth Ball made me a sweet care package that included a superman action figure (since I am superchunk, after all!), and cookie dough (long since eaten).

I'm also giving up some of my Christmas stocking stuffers and little things from my mom and sister, including a cartoon "secrets of life" calender. Here are some of the top secrets (the calendar included 16 months):

• A new year means you can put the past behind you and make all new mistakes.
• Always tell the truth...but have a backup plan.
• If at first you don't succeed...keep it to yourself.
• The best things in life are free. Everything else can be charged.
• In the true spirit of the holidays, help others...help them decide what to get you.

lol

I'll also be getting rid of my set of Dora the Explorer stickers, the various chicky things my mom sent me for Easter (of course I'm keeping the lapel pin! lol), a set of noisemakers, and a classic cartoons dvd singalong (don't ask where my mother gets this stuff!), as well as a note from Dr. Juicy that she left me one time when I was going to be at her house without her, which begins: "Just a reminder, check the expiration date on any food before you eat it!" looool

One of the more significant things I'm getting rid of is the token box of mints from my farewell dinner with Pookie (and a friend of his) at Brasserie 8 1/2 before I left for Egypt, back when we were still dating. I've had them with me for three years now, and taken them back and forth across the Atlantic, and I think it's safe to say that no amount of mints could change the taste that relationship left in my mouth (great guy, but really lame way to let a relationship die -- to his credit he did send me a nice Lichtenstein card on my birthday and has tried to be there for me this year even though we aren't in regular contact).

I'm also saying goodbye to the limited edition Cinnabon chapstick that Earth Ball got me :)

Going through all the cards and things I've received over the past year, the following rank in my top few:

• A gorgeous photo of the Swiss alps from the same friend who got me the Federer autograph (not Swissy -- just a friend)
• A funny card from my mom for Valentine's Day with an old 1950s add for hotdog buns and the June Cleaver figure saying: "Nice buns." lol (It's also adorable because you can see, inside, how the inability to draw hearts was genetically passed-down to me from my mother)
• Some REALLY cute puppy and kitty cards from my mom, including one that is a nice photo of a cat contemplating a goldfish in a bowl (I'm taking that with me to New Haven with the intent of framing it), and a funny photo of a dog sticking its head out a car window (wearing sunglasses) and on the inside of the card it says: "Hope you have a sun-in-your-face, wind-in-your-hair kind of day," but then she crossed out "sun" and wrote "clouds" since she knows I prefer it overcast -- that was for my 25th birthday.
• An ADORABLE kitty card from my mom with this cat that says "I think all people are basically nice. Except you." And then you open it up and it says: "You're basically wonderful." :)
• A really gorgeous 3D pop-up card of the Empire State Building (but all in white, and finely-cut paper, so really minimalist and not gaudy at all) wishing me a happy 25th from Earth Ball's roommate (also a friend from boarding school).

I also had to throw away two babies (stuffed animals), both puppies [UPDATE: It breaks my heart to see their little faces sticking up from the trash bag and now I can't throw anything else away in that bag!]. I'm only letting myself bring the walrus Curie got me for by birthday, and a chicky-ducky (I don't which it is!) my mom sent me.

There are too many cards and little things from the shelf for me to mention them all here, but I feel really thankful that I know such thoughtful people, and I'm happy that I can fill an entire shelf with "feel-good" reminders of the people I love.

VC

World Series of Uno, Summer 2006

All games are first to 500 (my mother and I tend to be gender normative when it comes to the personalities we assume, so the guys are me and the women are her):

7 July 2006:

Federico Mørgenstern d. Susan Vassiley, 701 : 264

8 July 2006:

Bailey Golden d. Annabelle Lee, 633 : 358

9 July 2006:

Cassandra Sommers d. Reginald Black, 527 : 244

10 July 2006:

Anthony Rothko d. Diedre Miller, 588 : 260

11 July 2006:

Florian Delapage d. Marissa Morgenstein, 523 : 223

25 July 2006:

Nathalie Bauhaus d. Johnny Metro, 437 : 399*
[*The final score for this match was not recorded because Johnny Metro had a seizure when it became clear that Nathalie Bauhaus's victory was imminent]

30 July 2006:

João Dossetti d. Manila Jordan, 528 : 206 (15 hands to 3)

4 Hot Miles

Well I did basically the same run as yesterday, except I didn't go back on the Drive, so the run back was on flatter ground (more like: barely graded upward the entire time, but not really perceptible). You can see today's route here.

It took me 37 minutes, which is 1 minute faster than yesterday (although since I'm not using a second hand, it could theoretically be as little as 1 second faster than yesterday, depending on how deep into the start/stop minutes we are for each day).

Anyway, if we figure I was *about* a minute faster than yesterday, then I'm at a 9:15/mile pace, which is certainly quicker than yesterday's 9:30/mile pace (and still more than a minute off my treadmill pace, although I've not run more than 3 miles on the treadmill in a while, so I was clearly going too fast, and that's all flat!).

I have to say that today's run was pretty hard, though, and I was so exhausted at the end that I didn't even get through my whole stretching routine, because it took too much energy (don't worry, I stretched while walking home AND in the shower, which is really nice).

Even though I ran pretty late, the conditions weren't easy, as it was 91 degrees out, and with humidity the "feels like" temperature was 97!

All in all, I'd say I've made really good progress, and running 4 miles at 9:15/mile for 37 minutes in 91 degree heat is pretty good in my book :)

VC

Ball of Yarn Theory of Business Management

I am totally cracking up right now, because what I'm about to post is so silly that you'll think it's fake, except I promise it's not lol.

I was poking around the Yale website looking for finance courses I might take in the Fall, and I came across the pdf of the Yale School of Management's new curriculum guide. It's totally innovative loooool. In fact, it's a ball of yarn.

You'll see the way Yale explains its new approach to the study of business management, but the point is: it's a cat toy. Take a look.

lol

VC

Bob Allen: Appalling Racist Who ALSO Gives Bad Head

I literally could not believe my ears, just now, when I heard Bob Allen (the Republican Florida Congressman who was part of McCain's campaign bankruptcy) explaining why, after he championed stiff penalties for public solicitations of sex acts, was himself arrested for offering an undercover cop $20 in a park bathroom so he could give the cop oral sex.

His excuse was that the undercover cop was a "stocky black man" and that the presence of other black men in the park instilled in him fear that if he did not offer one of them $20 and oral sex he might "become a statistic." Here's his actual statement:

"I certainly wasn't there to have sex with anybody and certainly wasn't there to exchange money for it...this was a pretty stocky black guy, and there was nothing but other black guys around in the park." He said he feared he "was about to be a statistic."

I could seriously wretch it's so disgusting.

VC

Real Running Progress!

I just got back from a run and it was even better than yesterday!

I ran a little over 4 miles with basically no difficulty, although I did do it over the course of 38 minutes lol so I'm DEFINITELY running slower than I would in the gym.

The speed really doesn't matter, though. The point is that I can run 4 miles and feel totally fine at the end (I felt even better than yesterday), and can do cardio for almost 40 minutes without difficulty. I think that's good!

You can see today's running route (through Riverside Park) here.

I've read some criticism about Gmap-Pedometer, which is what I use to monitor these runs, because it doesn't take elevation into account. It does have an elevation chart (not factored into the distance) that looks more or less accurate -- I know the long climb at the end of today's run was certainly accurate (although I don't know why it shows a drop at the end and a net loss in elevation when I ended in the same point that I started), but on courses like the Central Park loop and Riverside Park, too (especially when you run back on the Drive, like I did, and not in the park, which is flatter), there are LOTS of hills and not taking elevation into account can make a real difference. It's not wildly off, but the ups AND downs both add to the distance. All that is to say: I might be running a *little* faster than I think (and a little farther, too!).

VC

When the NYTimes Sucks

I can't believe this article from the Times, today, "Britain Asks U.S. to Release 5 Detainees from Guantanamo."


The article actually says: "The request is almost certain to be welcomed by the Bush administration, which has been working to reduce the number of Guantánamo detainees."

Not sure I'd put it quite that way. Aware of the international embarrassment that Guantanamo has caused the U.S., maybe, but "working to reduce the number of Guantanamo detainees?" Um, no. That could be easily done if they were, you know, charged and brought to trial.

How ridiculous!

VC

Over-the-Top CNN Headline of the Day

DRAMATIC HEATWAVE SPREADING MISERY ACROSS MUCH OF U.S.

Good Run Today

Just back from a nice run in Central Park (5 minutes longer than my last run!). I was able to create a map of my run and calculated that I ran about 3.11 miles in 28 minutes, which is about 9 minutes/mile. This is an entire minute per mile slower than I run at the gym, but it's also been a while at the gym since I ran for 28 minutes without being in misery (and today I was totally not in misery at all!), so I think slowing down is good for now. I then walked the rest of the loop and home, so running and walking combined today was over 7 miles :)

You can see today's run here :)

VC

Hingis Outreach

Martina I know you read my blog, so PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE.

I'm not sure tennis should be your life (so I don't agree on the "determination" point), but I definitely agree on the "power" point. Your body can physically produce the same weight of shot as Henin. You just need to train it to do it!

VC

PS: Hingis totally doesn't read my blog (I don't think), but on a Switzerland note, I did have a weird dream last night that Curie and I were with her parents somewhere (I don't remember where, but I thought it was in the US) and then we got into this new used black BMW that they bought and her dad surprised us by driving us to this great museum, except the funny thing was that the museum was in Switzerland...like he surprised us by being like "here is some great art, and it doesn't matter where we are," but I happened to see a map in the parking lot that said, in German, "Western Switzerland," and the museum had a German name, but (true to real life, so my dream subconscious is pretty good!) everyone in the museum spoke French since Western Switzerland is francophone (see language map: the Germans took over everything!).

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE STUDENT DEBT

This post might make you throw up or die.

The Yale "entrance interview" (an online tutorial all schools have, in some form, that you have to complete in order to receive your loans) has the following loan calculator. I figured I'd have about $135,000 in debt when I graduate and here's what the calculator gave me (note that I'll probably pay it over a lot longer than 10 years and SOME of it has a lower interest rate, although some also has a higher interest rate!):

Debt Wizard
Question: How much salary do I need to support my student loan debt?
Answer: Based on student loan debt of $135,000.00 to be repaid over 10 years at 6.8 percent interest, my estimated monthly payment is $1,553.58. To support repayment of the debt, I should earn at least: $112.04 Hourly $19,419.81 Monthly $233,037.67 Annually

Yeah. Right.

VC

Really Tough Decision

Swissy invited me to come spend time with him in California the weekend before I start at Yale, and when I told him that I wanted to save my money and come to Europe later in the year, he was like "no I'm inviting you, it's just your job to find the ticket and I'll pay for you."

It might not make sense to some of you why I would let other guys pay for things but wouldn't let Swissy, but I finally decided to tell him no.

It was really hard to explain myself, and I wrote and deleted the email to him declining his offer probably ten times. I know for him it's not a grand gesture or loaded with special (or especially un-special) meaning, but for me it isn't neutral -- it's either a really intimate gesture between partners, or it's something business-like. I don't want it to be UN-intimate with Swissy, but I am also realistic about the fact that we are not a couple right now and we can't be at this distance. We're like...we are something akin to pre-boyfriends, but aren't QUITE there, and I don't want to mess up what we have because it's SO nice and so NOT messed-up.

I tried to explain to him that I know he is trying to share a special place with me, and that I am touched by the fact that he wants to share a place he loves with me. I just don't want something like that to NOT mean something with him, and I know we're not at a stage where it's feasible for us to make it mean what I want it to.

I'm probably going to drive him mad, so we'll see how he replies to my email lol

VC

VC on the IHT

I'm so excited! I just saw that the ICTJ website has been updated with two reports I've written on the Iraqi High Tribunal's most recent case, Anfal, dealing with the mass killing, dislocation, and use of chemical weapons against the Kurds in Northern Iraq during a series of military operations from 1988-1989 known as "al-Anfal" ("the spoils of war").

The ICTJ covered the trial from beginning to end, and was more or less the only organization on the ground monitoring the trial (since everyone stopped paying attention to the Iraqi High Tribunal after Saddam Hussein was hanged). Since it was basically the only regular presence in the courtroom other than the litigants and courtroom staff, themselves, the ICTJ's trial updates are pretty much the only information source on the trial other than intermittent coverage on Iraqi tv and news report and press releases commenting on the proceedings (that are themselves based on the spotty Iraqi tv coverage).

Before I came to the ICTJ there had already been one update released, in January, related to the first phases of the trial, and that update is here. When I joined I was told that I would be writing the third update, covering the latter stages of the trial, and that the second update, which was in draft form and badly overdue (covering the middle stages of the trial) had been prepared by the intern before me and only needed some touching-up. As it turned out the second update needed a LOT of work and was, in many ways, completely over-hauled. I debated whether or not I should make myself first author (not that it really matters in this context, and not that I even care about publication credit), because I am not sure, at this point, that the second update isn't actually mostly me, but the fact is that the other intern did at least get the skeleton out, and there are parts of it, writing-wise, that I don't like, so I don't want my name to appear first on it anyway! lol

It has been a weird process seeing people take my writing and change things, and I can't say I'm happy with every word of both reports, but I think overall that they're really important documents and I'm proud of how much work I got done this summer (especially because this is not all I worked on...not by a long shot!). It's also pretty cool that they're, right now, being translated into Arabic so we can get them out to the Tribunal judges themselves and Arab human rights and media groups ASAP. It's kind of surreal that I wrote something that's important enough to be translated lol We actually decided not to follow standard legal citation formatting because distinctions like small caps vs. italic don't translate AT ALL into Arabic, and we wanted the citations to be as Arabic-friendly as possible (which I'll have to explain to law people if I use them as a writing sample for the next NGO job I apply for).

Anyway, here is the second update (co-authored), and here is the third update. I won't feel bad AT ALL if you never read them. They don't make much sense if you haven't read the first one, anyway, and I don't think anyone (except my mom, who has read them already!) really wants to read like 60 pages on the Anfal trial! By the way, if you click on the links and they don't work it's because we are editing the URLs for the updates and I haven't yet updated my blog to match -- it's 10pm and I'm still emailing with the communications people (who have been wonderful) to make sure that each of the three links follow the same format (which they don't yet).

:)

VC

Intruders Legal Studies Seminar?

Ok so I already knew that Yale's "Middle Eastern Legal Studies Seminar" was held in ATHENS lol, because of security concerns over having it someplace that is actually in the Middle East. Check out the URL for the article about it, though. Does anything strike you as odd about the web address? Like maybe the use of the word "INTRUDERS" ?? lol

http://www.law.yale.edu/intruders/5313.htm

VC

PS: In all fairness, I suspect that "intruders" are webpage speak for marquis ads on a webpage for different parts of the site -- like the ones that change every time the page is refreshed.

Pablo Neruda, Love Sonnet XI

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.
Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets.
Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day
I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.

I hunger for your sleek laugh,
your hands the color of a savage harvest,
hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,
I want to eat your skin like a whole almond.

I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body,
the sovereign nose of your arrogant face,
I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes,

and I pace around hungry, sniffing the twilight,
hunting for you, for your hot heart,
like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue.

MY NEW CRUSH

He's on John Stewart right now and I have the absolutely hugest crush.

His name is Lewis Gordon Pugh and he just swam the waters of the North Pole as part of his awareness campaign on climate change. Basically he is going around the world and swimming in all these extreme environments where he shouldn't be able to swim because they SHOULD be ice.

He swam in nothing but a speedo, goggles, and a swim cap -- no grease or anything that would violate the English Channel Swimming Association Rules, he says lol, and the water was -2 degrees celsius (28F), which is below freezing, but the salt content kept the water in liquid form.

His swim was "long distance" at a kilometer (he swam for nearly 20 minutes in the freezing water!) and he said afterward that he wouldn't wish the experience on his worst enemy!

Anyway, he is HOT, has a BEAUTIFUL accent (doesn't sound that British, actually -- his accent is VERY delicate), and he cares about the world!

It would be really hard to choose between him and George Clooney, and at this point I'd still probably go with George (he seems more ready to settle down, and I don't need to worry about him being eaten by a polar bear), but there will be some fierce competition for the Chunk!

VC

Apartment Day

I spent today taking care of apartment stuff, Yale stuff, and getting ALL my furniture from Ikea. It was a nasty walk, in the beating sun, along really ugly stretches of industrial road and freeway. Pretty gross. I ended up having to protect my face from the sun by using my sweatshirt as a turban (the photo is grainy because it's on my mobile phone -- no I do not have sudden horrible skin discoloration!).





















Here's the furniture for my apartment:

Bed

Dining Table & Chairs

Loveseat (not on the Ikea site because it's being discontinued -- mine is a bit different from this one because mine is more brown and has two large cushions rather than three small ones)

Side Table

TV Stand

Dresser

Bookshelf

File Cabinet/Printer Stand

Lamp (NOT from Ikea -- my super green energy-saving lamp!)

Now imagine them inside my apartment [as with ALL my blog photos, you can click on them for the full-size version...I really think the first two photos don't do my apartment justice -- it's really nice and the ceilings are literally about 20 ft. high) :)


VC