it doesn’t feel like the holidays without snow

As I was heading to the library today I saw a little boy sledding in the park with his dad. I paused for a second and watched as his dad pushed the sled down the hill and the bundled up little boy went sliding down to the other end of the park. It was so adorable.

I couldn't stop smiling the rest of the way to the library.

the end.

late night thoughts...

soo, i'm going to ramble - not about whats been on my mind generally because that would require ten posts - but just whats been on my mind today.

thanksgiving is a time to "give thanks" - yada yada. personally, i think its a time for feasting! For me, thanksgiving has rarely had the sentimental value that its supposed to have. (Though, Nooneh just sent out her yearly email of "thanks" and honestly, it makes me absolutely giddy to still be on it. Noon, I love you and will always love our conversations! miles apart = someone to stay with when you're miles from home and wonderful conversations when we do get a chance to chat - I STILL AM EXPECTING A VISIT FROM YOU SOON MISSY!!!)

Anyway... today started off totally strange for me - maybe it was coming off a semi-unthankful night. Towards the early AM hours, I had a dream that I was hanging out with a particular guy that I used to have a "thing" for. It was a pleasant enough dream and pretty much ended at that. Several hours later I was reading a text book and suddely drifted off - afternoon nap style.

This time, the dream sorta continued but no so pleasant. My mind wandered back to the last day I'd seen this guy - the situation and the people I was with. Suddenly, a good friend of mine was there (well, he had been there that night and that was the last night i saw him). And, as heart broken as i was, he (the friend guy) said exactly the right things - as he'd always said. He'd always sorta empowered me in the strangest way. He made me feel okay... and "better than that."

I woke up... totally thinking of calling him to tell him about my dream. And then I remembered... he's not around. And in my half drowsy state, I suddenly began reliving the moments... the moment his brother imed me to say he had passed away. Via aim - bizzare right. i actually thought it was a joke. i'm sorry. But by then, we weren't very close... instead me and his brother chatted every day so he just said it... but man. So surreal. Still surreal.

Anyway, I feel almost silly writing all this - I was definitely not one of his closest friends... and yet, I always thought of him as a brother because, when we were together, he was always protectice and sweet - trying to make sure everyone was taken care of and having fun. I remember after "the fact" (ya that) I felt very awkward for a long time - at the funeral, at the house, everything - because, I was not part of the gang - i was not supposed to be "so sad." But I guess I was sorta the kid - younger than most of his friends... which sorta meant him introducing me to a certain world and to certain people that I didn't know about. I mean, frankly, age 18-21 would not have been what they were for me were it not for him - single handedly. And, aside from all the superficial party stuff, we had our chats... again, probably not exactly the chats he had with his best friends but, we talked - he knew a bit about me, i knew a bit about him. He was just there for me to vent to - and there to always tell me what I wasn't allowed to do - big bro style. Oh ya, and it was always fun when he'd randomly stop off at my house to drop off flyers (to me and the neighbor - I wasn't THAT special hahah).

Anyway, as strange as it might be for some people to understand, he was something....someone... and, I can't exaclty look back on those years of my life without remembering him. And today... was just one of those days.

I hope he's doing well - and watching over all of us - his friends (some of whom perhaps could use the watching), his fam, and the person he was supposed to start a fam with... we all miss you :)

good night... sweet dreams.

How to attract law students to an event...

You know what the difference is between law school and undergrad? In undergrad, the school didn't try to lure you to events with promises of booze.

Message from Asst Dean to students:
Hi-- Just a reminder about our town hall meeting with Dean Maureen O'Rourke on Monday, Nov. 26, 4-5pm Barristers Hall. We'll have hot hors d'oeuvres and other refreshments, and soda, juice, wine and beer. She will be there to answer any questions you have, and talk about issues affecting students. Also, please feel free to email lawdean@bu.edu ahead of time with any questions you have before the town hall, and she will provide answers at that meeting.



I'm everyone will have some serious questions after a few glasses of wine :)

Honey, do you remember where I put the 1.2 billion dollars?

So, we all misplace money sometimes right? or spend money without being able to account for it. ("Shit, i spent $500 this weekend? What the heck did I spend it on?")

But what are the chances you'd spend 1.2 billion dollars without being able to account for it? Well, clearly, your name isn't United (last name States).

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/22/dyncorp.spending/index.html

See, so many Repubs/Conservatives think the answer to the inflated budget is to cut taxes. What they don't realize is that lower taxes means less programs but not necessarily less waste. Our problem right now - dems/repubs/independents/libertarians - whoever - is wasteful spending. Billions unaccounted for, super inflated government contracts (usually taken advantage of by those same conservatives who advocate for lower taxes... since they don't want their millions to be taxed).

The problem is massive and its really difficult to figure out where to begin - but cutting social welfare programs won't reduce wasteful spending - in fact, those programs seem to be the most frugal. Its the programs that are seen as "essential" that seem to get a blank check to blow money.

Honestly, if our government was a private business entity, we'd be bankrupt. And if our government was a private business entity with the budget it has now, we'd have universal healthcare, wonderful public schools, social security and welfare programs for everyone who needs it - and still enough money left over to build schools (and implement democracy) throughout the world. Too bad we leave it all to stupid beaurecrats.

conversations

Intro to International Law - sounds sorta interesting no?

No! Really, its torture!

Chatting keeps me sane. (It was either posting a convo or a quiz...)


(3:43:52 PM) classmate: http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071021/NEWS07/710210355/1002/LOCAL
(3:46:15 PM) classmate: i guess i'm not taking real estate transfer finance and development any time soon
(3:46:30 PM) Alina: apparently its a little maddening
(3:46:32 PM) classmate: but...multiple assault rifles? under the influence of alcohol?
(3:46:38 PM) classmate: we don't have time for that here
(3:47:14 PM) Alina: i dont know about you
(3:47:19 PM) Alina: but i'm always playing with assault rifles
(3:47:22 PM) Alina: while under the influence
(3:47:24 PM) Alina: its kinda fun
(3:47:27 PM) Alina: helps take the edge off
(3:47:30 PM) Alina: after a long week
(3:47:31 PM) classmate: why are you not inviting the rest of us to the party
(3:47:33 PM) Alina: you know?
(3:47:42 PM) classmate: i think it's what iv'e been missing
(3:47:43 PM) Alina: oh, well, i didn't know there was an interest
(3:47:50 PM) Alina: i'll be sure to include you from now on
(3:48:02 PM) Alina: it will def make law school much more bearable
(3:48:13 PM) classmate: yeah, we can conduct the sessions outside the law review office
(3:48:17 PM) classmate: expand the job market a bit as a fringe benefit
(3:48:34 PM) Alina: hm. great idea!

Just one of those days...

So, I ended up not coming home last night. I was studying and on a roll and just decided to not come home. At some point in the evening, I talked to my roommate about the trash (today was trash day and it was my day to take out the trash). She told me she'd take it out but I assured her I'd be home in time to put it out. "In time" meant by 9 am.

Of course, I slept in this morning and, rather than leave the house at 8 like i had planned, i left at around 8:20/8:25. I figured I was still okay though since it takes about 40 min to get home usually.

But, I managed to get to the T station right as the train going in my direction left. Fortunately, another one wasn't TOO far behind. And, when I got to Park street to switch to the D line, the D was right there waiting - perfect. As I stepped onto the train, I felt relieved (obviously premature).

After smiling to myeslf and taking a few deep breaths, I suddenly looked around and realized, we hadn't left the station yet! Again, the wait wasn't too long but from Park to Brookline Hills, the ride was slow... sometimes stopping midway betweeen stops (which is common through kenmore but not as common from Fenway on) and sometimes stalling at the station itself.

9:15 am - I finally arrive at BH. As I got closer to my street, I could hear the garbage truck (actually the recycle truck) making its way down our street. I tried to make a run for it but as I turned into my street, the truck was picking up the last bins. I ran up the stairs, dropping ALL my stuff on the first floor, grabbed the bin and went running back out. I decided to go back up my street to try and catch the truck somewhere else but realized that the truck had probably already done the loop (my street sorta loops) so I changed course and ran towards Boylsotn. No sign of the truck still... darn. I picked another street and headed down a bit but soon noticed that the truck had been here too.

Darn. Mission failed.

So, I started to head home - trying to think of a plan B for getting rid of the overflowing contents of the recyclin bin. I walked up the stairs and "opened" the door...

except...

the door didn't open.

WTF? I didn't lock it! My keys were inside. My T pass was inside. My phone was inside. My computer was inside. And I looked like a train wreck (so going to school to borrow someones phone was out of the question - and even if it wasn't, it would take me almost an hour to walk to school!)

Think fast Alina! Okay, so someone must have just left the house - and they were probably on their way to the T. So, I made a mad dash for the T. But, just as I got to the little bridge that crosses over the tracks, I saw the green line pulling out. Whoever had left the house to catch the T was now on it. So much for that.

It was like, at every step of the way, I was a second late. Had I woken up on time, I wouldn't have been a second late on everything but still... at some point you'd think my luck would change right?

Anyway, I did end up getting home. And of course, there is nowhere nearby to drop off recyclables.

Damnit.

Yay for today

What a glorious day! Or am I just high off Boston?

What is it about this city that just makes me giddy? Why is it that so often when I walk home in the afternoon, I get a sudden rush of endorphins that make me want to smile ear to ear?

Today is one of those gorgeous almost autumn days. The sun is bright. The weather is warm. The puffy white clouds look like cotton candy against the backdrop of the bright blue sky. And the cool breeze just makes you want to sigh – one of those relaxed, content sighs. You know?

After a full day of classes, I was a little eager to get home but my walk to the T stop seemed to pass much too quickly and I didn't like the idea of wasting this beautiful day inside my room. So, on my way home, I made a little detour and headed up to the reservoir. Unfortunately, I took my camera out of my bag this morning or else I would have snapped a pix for you all to see. But it is so soothing to just sit here – typing, listening to my ipod. I feel like I should be doing yoga or something.

Its almost fall/autumn. I know you Californians think you rock with your great weather but there's so much to be said for seasons. I'm looking out now across the water and I see countless green trees. But in a few short weeks, those green trees will be wonderfully colorful. As I was walking home today, I noticed that the colors are slowly starting to change – its only a few leaves right now – not very noticeable but soon. I hope my mom and sister get to see it when they get here.

Speaking of which, my mom and sister are coming to BEANTOWN. Wootwoot. Did I mention that already?

My sister is driving across country – across the south and up the east coast. My mom decided she'd meet my sister in New Orleans and they'd drive up to Boston together. I'd like to mention – my mom has not been on a plane since 1978 (I don't think) and she's never left CA (except Nevada – Vegas/Laughlin). Wow. I know. I hope she loves this city as much as I do but I'm not sure she will. Hopefully I can be a good tour guide.

Oh yes – and they have a third family member with them – TOBY! Yay. Boston peeps, I'll bring him to school hopefully. Yay. I miss him so much – he's my cuddle buddy – and let me tell you, he is an AWESOME little spoon.

So back to Boston – the other day I was walking down Aspinwall (did I spell that right)/School St/Cypress (yes, because in 3 blocks the street changes names 3 times – okay, more like 5 blocks) – and I was in my typical giddy mood. Cute houses, tree lined streets, Quaint. Is that a good word for it? I guess quaint sounds too cottage town-ish but still. I love walking around Brookline and Boston – um, I can't say the same for Alston.

And btw, to all my fellow hs x-country runners, the HS kids here get to run their laps around the reservoir and Jamaica pond. I'm so jealous. Although, I don't know how motivating it'd be to run here – I'd probably zone out and run in a complete daze at a slow jogging pace – and Bailey would probably laugh at me and call me "cloudy" for "cloud gazing" (we once lay out on the field trying to find shapes/animals/objects in the clouds – and for some reason, I was the only one who was made fun of for it – for the rest of my "track/x-country" career – short lived as it was).

Anyway, I should probably head home already. Its Lev's bday today – we're going to Match. If you haven't been there – go! They have awesome burgers. (I am salivating thinking about the lobster burger right now!)

Where is the Human Outrage

Not a long article - and a good read. I agree.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/12/martin/index.html

By Roland S. Martin
CNN Contributor
-->

(CNN) -- When federal prosecutors in Virginia released details of the dogfighting charges against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, all hell broke loose.

Folks were protesting, calling for him to be immediately kicked out of the league, and demanding long jail sentences for Vick and his co-defendants.

Many lawyers went on television and admitted that had Vick beat a girlfriend, shot or even murdered someone, he wouldn't have been slammed as hard as he was for the vicious acts committed against dogs.

I suppose those lawyers are right.

Just look at the case of Megan Williams. The 20-year-old West Virginia woman, Megan Williams, was kidnapped by six sadistic individuals and held in a mobile home.

They raped her, forced her to eat rat and dog feces, made her drink from a toilet, stabbed her multiple times, and called the black woman a "nigger" every time they beat her.

Thank God she lived, and may be released from the hospital in a few days.

But it still raises the question: What causes such outrage and fervor in one case involving dogs and not another?
-->

The same thing was said about the shocking details surrounding the deaths of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. The two University of Tennessee students were on a date when they were carjacked by several men. They were taken to a house where they were held. Christopher was raped, doused with gasoline, shot and his body dumped on the side of a road.

Channon? She had a household cleaner poured down her throat and was later raped. She, too, was murdered.

Although the two were white and their alleged attackers black, police say race was not an element in this case.

These two cases are heinous and despicable. But why do we respond with speed to one case and not another? Is it celebrity? Or do we not have the same compassion for human beings as we do for dogs? Was the Vick case that more important?

Take, for example, the U.S. Senate floor speech of Robert Byrd, the senior senator from West Virginia.

Calling the allegations sadistic, Byrd thundered: "Barbaric! Let that word resound from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, from valley to valley, across this broad land. Barbaric! Barbaric! May God help those poor souls who'd be so cruel. Barbaric! Hear me! Barbaric!"

He later added: "I am confident the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God's creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt."

So, Sen. Byrd, where is the floor speech for a woman from your own home state? Where is the outrage when a woman is viciously attacked?

This is when the media gets slammed. We've determined that Vick, Paris Hilton and the shenanigans of Lindsey Lohan are far more important than the viciousness of what took place in West Virginia and Tennessee.

But maybe the problem isn't just the media. Maybe the problem is you. The reader. The viewer. Maybe you've decided that you care more about discussing a celebrity than nobodies like Megan Williams, Channon Christian or Christopher Newsom.

parenting is not a right

All through con law class I remember this argument about the right to raise your children as you please. Its the most bogus statement in the world. First, you DON'T have the right to do as you please (just try spanking your kid in front of a social services worker) and second... you SHOULDN'T be allowed to raise kids the way you want.

Having children is not a right. Its a privilege. If it were possible, I'd vouch for parenting licenses! Perhaps we could have a system where every woman automatically gets her tubes tied and isn't allowed to get the procedure reversed until she passes some comprehensive parenting classes, background checks and psych evaluations.

The problem isn't only with women who get pregnant and have kids... and are awful mothers (yes, I should bag on fathers too but unless you are being raped, you have just as much of an opportunity to prevent pregnancy as the guy - and physically, you are the one who deals with the consequences)... the problem is also our country's foster care system. I constantly read in the news about the poor abused adopted children. Several months back I posted an article about a woman who had been keeping several adopted and biological kids in the shed. Now THIS!!! (click here) Honestly, how does this slide by government officials? I knew a woman who was trying to adopt - really wonderful lady. Boy, was she having a heck of a time. So how does this piece of trash end up mooching $180,000 off the gov't. GR!

Anyway, moral of the story - stop adding babies to this world unless you plan to take care of them. I know for so many people (esp anti-abortionists) adoption seems like a wonderful option.... and yes, some adoptive parents are wonderful. But you never know where your future baby will end up. Use a condom.

(As for the woman, I'm vindictive and believe in an eye for an eye justice - lock her up, throw some zip ties on her and feed her ramen - but only once every two days - until she dies. Sell all her properties and split the money between the kids.)

I'm back...

from yet another trip to NY. Thank you Brian (or is it Bryan) and my female lovers (Nat, Milen) for a fantastic time. And thank you Armen - its never a bad time with you - esp when there's afternoon drinking involved! (mental note - no pitchers before long bus rides anymore!)

And...

Congrats to Dave and Debra on their engagement (another one bites the dust - JUST KIDDING!). Send some love their way. (I'm sure most of you Cal folk remember my friend Dave - the honorary Armenian.)

Tomorrow, I am going to unpack and then pack again for my next NY trip on Friday. Yay for seeing Emus!

Early morning naps....

Every morning, I take the D line train from my house to north station (between 25-40 minutes depending on the time of morning, number of people, etc). Then, I take the commuter rail out to Lynn (2 or 3rd stop depending on the train). The ride on the commuter rail is usually about 25 minutes - and sometimes they let us on the train 5-10 minutes early - that gives me a good 25-35 minutes to nap!

Most mornings I read my book. Some mornings reading makes my eyes burn (because I'm so tired) so I just listen to music. Other mornings, I lay across the seats and "rest my eyes" so to speak.

This morning, I decided to sleep. Not nap. Not rest my eyes. But sleep. Well, I guess it wasn't really a decision. I thought I was awake. Its sorta like - in the morning, when your alarm goes off and you hit the snooze and decide to just keep your eyes closed for a "few minutes longer" - and when you open them, you are fairly certain only 10 minutes has passed when in fact its been 45. Ya, I had one of those.

I got on the train at 7:55. Foregoing the usual make up and reading ritual, I just put my headphones on and lay down. I opened my eyes once and noticed we were just barely rolling - the train had just started moving. 25 more minutes to go! I closed my eyes again - you know, to "rest" them. At our first stop, I jumped awake. I knew it was our first stop - I had been half awake and felt it was the first time we had stopped - but, I had this sudden fear that I might have actually been asleep and have missed my stop. Luckily, we were only in Chelsea (stop one). I put my head down again. One other time I popped up to see that we were not yet at Lynn but probably halfway between Chelsea and Lynn. I closed my eyes again. Somehow, in the next 10 minutes, I fell into a deep sleep. When I opened my eyes again, I caught a glimpse of the last person stepping off the train - and no one was really getting on (which means, the train was about to close its doors and take off again). I frantically sat up to look around at the signs... SWAMPSCOTT?!?!?!? WTF? Where am I? Yep, I had "overslept." I grabbed my pass (thank god i didn't forget it like that other time), gathered my purse, did a check of my "area" to make sure I had grabbed "all my personal belongings" (you know, like those flight attendants tell you to do) - and ran down the aisle to the exit. I'm sure I knocked some people out with my big bag swinging all over the place.

I got on the platform and gathered my thoughts - WHERE AM I? HOW DO I GET BACK? Obviously I could catch another train in but I had to be at the office by 9:15 today because we had to leave to go elsewhere for a meeting... and the commuter rail does not come often (sometimes it doesn't come for over an hour!) I noticed many people standing on the opposite platform - indicating that there was most likely a train coming in soon.... but there was no way to cross the tracks. OH! there must be an underpass by the little makeshift station. So I walked down a ways - nope, no underpass. AHHHHHH! Then I heard a tractor which I thought was the train so I started running. Right as I found the underpass, I heard the train coming (the real train - not the tractor). Luckily, I did manage to run and catch it in time! Yay. I got a few strange looks - I wonder if people saw me get off and on - and I also wonder if I had strange marks all over my face (from falling asleep on my bag). Oh well. I made it to the office in time and thats what counts right?

So I guess the next time someone says, "How do you nap on the train? Don't you miss your stop?" I won't be so quick to say, "Of course not, I just always know when we get to my stop - even when I'm half asleep!"

adventures in lynn

I had to run an errand of sorts for work today.

I had to go find the dead guy's car.

My boss has been out of the office for a few days and he asked me on Tuesday if I could go find this guys car. His instructions were... "Somewhere in these boxes you'll find his keys, his registration, and the title to his car - find those then go look for his car."

Yesterday it was raining all day so I figured I'd go today. Unfortunately, I hung around the office for a bit too long waiting for some woman to return my call (it was a little urgent) before I headed out. I finally found the guys "stuff" in his box and was on my way out when I realized I hadn't grabbed his current address. Back up I went. Found the address. Left again - then I realize - car? what do i do when i find it. Back up I went to ask the other boss. We called him - he said just find the car. Thats it. So I headed out again.

As I stepped out - I noticed it was gloomy. Eh, what are the chances it'll actually rain? I kept walking. About a block away, I felt a few drops on me. I feel "a few drops" so often - and quite often, it does not turn into rain. So I decided against going back for my umbrella and kept walking.

A few more blocks, I passed a happy couple. Actually, the guy seemed miserable and the woman was complaining about something as he stared into space. They were trailer trashy looking people.... not exactly the classy type (I'm guessing late 30's ish). As I walked past them, I heard a kiss. Nah, I must be hearing things... The woman was clearly angered by something though because she kicked it up a notch and started chewing his head off. When I felt I was at a safe distance, I turned around - there he was, head resting on his hands which were resting on something (it was either a tool - like a shovel - or just a piece of wood) staring in my direction. Ew.

I kept walking. At this point the drops had turned into a drizzle. A little drizzle never hurt anyone... I semi folded the papers down the middle (I didn't want to crease them) and stuck them under my jacket, under my arm. By jacket, I mean, thin black cardigan (under which I was wearing a sleevless top). I finally arrived at the building. I pulled out the papers and quickly read the VIN number and type/make of the car - hoping they wouldn't get too wet white I was standing there. I looked up and down the street - no luck Then I turned the corner - BAM! Right there in front of the building was the exact make and model - and probably the same year. I quickly read the VIN. First three letters.... I was ready to go home! But I kept reading - fourth one didn't match.... This paper must be wrong. I whipped out the title. WRONG!?!?!? Damnit! I walked up and down the parking lot (small lot fortunately) and then headed across the street to another parking lot. I finally found the car but apparently aroused some suspicion. As I was leaving a resident of the building (its an old folks home) called out to me, "Whatcha lookin for?" "A car. I found it. Thank you sir." I smiled and kept walking. I KNOW after 2 months of working with them how these old people can be - and one simple explanation leads to endless questions so I just kept on walking.

The rain picked up. So did the wind. My hair was wet by now and dripping down my face. I tried to pick up my pace but my flip flops were also wet and my foot was sliding all over the place. I was getting pebbles under my feet and I could tell that my pants were soaking up the water from the ground. Great!

I hurriedly crossed a street and as I made it to the other end I heard a man shout from across the street - "Hey Girl!" I almost didn't turn around. Thank goodness I did. "You dropped some papers," he shouted, pointing to the intersection.

AHHHHHHHHHH! What? I ran back to the intersection but by now the light had changed - a few cars had just barely missed the papers but a truck was dangerously close (the papers - paper actually as I later discovered - was more towards the curb than the middle of the street) so I ran and jumped in front of it (smart, i know) and quickly grabbed the paper. I was relieved to see that it had barely even gotten wet (landed on a higher spot and not in a puddle) and turned and shouted "Thank you!" to the guy across the street and started walking. The whole time, I assumed the other papers were still under my arm. But as I came to put this paper back with its paper friends, I realize... uh oh.

"Hey Girl - There's more." Great! I turned around but didn't see any papers - I looked at the guy again hoping for some "direction" - he pointed and said, "back there." And thats when I saw them. The title and the registration laying in the middle of the street. The wind had blown them back and cars were coming at it - this is an awful street - between two intersections - one with a green light and the other with no light - where cars are constantly making super fast left turns - and no one was stopping. Another truck (red like the first one) was coming down the street again - this time, the truck was not "dangerously close" but rather, directly in line with the papers. Again, I jumped in front of the truck (in the background I heard the man yelling, "Dont get hit by a car" - Don't get hit? Did he realize these were important papers?). This time, it was a little more scary. The previous truck had seen me running and had slowed down - this truck had no idea I was coming - I held up my hand, praying he would stop....

He did. And thank god because I don't think I'd make good road kill. I quickly grabbed the papers - trying hard not to rip them - and ran. The papers were drenched but in tact. I carefully tried to unfold and uncrinkle them and put them with the other paper. They were too wet to roll up and put under my arm again so as I started walking I decided to use my jacket as a sheet protector. As I started stripping off my jacket (which is apparently what it looked like to some people) - I heard a group of guy sitting on some steps across the street say, "That's a cute one."

What am I? A DOG? I kept walking. My pants wet up to my knees almost. My hair - still dripping in my face - stuck to my head in parts and medusa-esque in other parts. I felt my head starting to hurt. I managed to get my jacket off and as I was wrapping it around the sheets of paper, one of the aforementioned "gentleman" came up alongside me and started walking with me.

"Hi"
"Hi" Is he serious? I have mascara running down my face and I look like a wet dog... he can't really be serious!

"Its a little rainy today"
A LITTLE RAINY? "Sure is"

"I was wondering if I could get your name? ... if you don't mind"
I mind buddy! I started laughing. "Sorry, I don't "give out" my name"
"Oh, alright. I understand." (...something something somethign - at this point, he stopped walking and I stopped listening but he was saying something about being safe "nowadays")

RIGHT!

Home? Almost? Yes, I was almost home. Sorta. But the rain was not helping. I finally reached the familiar path - under the bridge, along the train tracks, cross the street, up half a block to our building. Home.

So the moral of the story? Don't leave home without an umbrella. If you do, bring cash so you can buy one - or get a cab. And don't drop important papers that your boss asked you for in the middle of the street on a rainy day. Oh ya, don't try to stop a truck by running in front of it either. Any more? Don't pick up on girls when its raining outside and they are clearly wet adn cold and want to go home.

excitement, anticipation, stress, anxiety.... ah!!!

I am so excited about this upcoming school year. But, I'm also stressed. There is just so much riding on the first few weeks of the fall semester. AND there is such potential for a great year. AH!

The stress part - obviously - is the job hunting. I'm looking at a list of 200 law firms... and I can't tell one from the other. They also say the same thing - same pay (give or take a little), same practice areas (for the most part) - same same same. They all say the same thing about their summer associates and their summer programs. So obviously websites aren't the best way to go but any other way is just so time consuming... its taking forever. It doesn't help that I have no idea what type of law I'd like to practice. And it ESPECIALLY doesn't help to know that this job is potentially where I'll be for the next several years of my life. It's July 2007 and I have to figure out what exactly I'd like to do between September 2009 and sometime in 2014 (I mean, you can leave when you'd like - but ideally....) I can't make petty decisions about what to eat for dinner - how am I supposed to decide where I'd like to work? What if I get it all wrong? Heck, what if I apply to all the firms that DON'T want me! ah!

Basically - AH! WTF DO I DO!?!?!?!

But the better stuff?

I made it onto International Law Journal. I really wasn't expecting it. I don't think I did well on my writing competition (that's what happens when you go to LA and celebrate your birthday rather than staying back and working on it!) - and it seemed that a lot of people were interested in ILJ. But hey, I won't question it. It was my first choice (aside from the obligatory Law Review at the top of all of our lists..) and I think it'll be fun. Oh, and it seems we have a pretty fun group going so far. Of course, two social lubers in a journal together might make for some... uh... interesting.... journal family outtings.

Oh ya, ILJ has a great office with a gorgeous view of the Charles River. Nanee nanee boo boo. (I know, I know, many of the offices have decent views - I'm just excited - seeing as how I'll likely be spending a great deal of time in there - I've always wanted an apartment with a view!)

And then there's all the other fun stuff. SGA (student gov't - or student bar for you law students) = booze cruise, ski trip, bar reviews, prom, and more! International Law Society - with Jen and Kaitlin running the show, its bound to be an interesting year. And then of course the Legislative Clinic (working with the Mass Legislature in the Spring semester - woohoo!). AND! Moot Court. Okay, so, we still have to figure this one out... but Lisa and I just decided that we're going to tough it out because neither of us were willing to finish our law school careers without some moot court competitions! We're going to kick ass for sure.

another day... another blog

I'm on a roll.

I went for a jog/walk yesterday. This time - jogged the reservoir and walked around the pond. It was a decent workout...

When I was jogging at the pond the day before, I passed a little boy - he was maybe 2 (I'm so bad at guessing baby ages!). And as I jogged past him, he started to run after me. He was so adorable. He had the biggest smile on his face and he was doing that unstable wobble run that little kids do when they aren't quite stead on their feet yet. His mom kept calling him back but he just kept jogging along next to me. I slowed down and smiled at him and he stopped and smiled ear to ear. I told him to go back to mommy and he just sorta stared for a few more seconds - then I ran off and he finally gave up.

It was cute. (What? I've given up on the older ones... they're all imbecils and cheats... might as well get them while theyre young! it worked for that teacher...)

(i'm just kidding - they're not all cheats...)

Anyway.

I've been listening to a lot of armo the past few days thanks to mike. There's this song harout sings - Zoganch - (the guy's mother in law). As you can imagine, its meant to be an amusing song. My fav line he says - My mother in law is a sick woman. Her left ear hurts a lot. But her tongue is very healthy... (there is another line here that I can't figure out - Mike? Lev? Lilith? - its about 4:40 into the song)

I think that line is pretty amusing.

So, Harout is going to be singing at my wedding (someday) (hopefully) - would it be inappropriate if he sang that song? Would it come off as an insulting dedication from my husband to my mother? Arbel, would mom even notice?

I think it'd be hilarious. C'mon, its a wedding - i'm sure there are plenty of in-law jokes flying by then.... We can have a little fun with it too, no?

This one is for Mike (and Levon)

Mike is right - I forgot to mention Niagara.

So, on our way home, the three of us decided to make a short stop at Niagara. Mike had to catch a plan in Buffalo at 2:45 so we had to make it quick. First we had a parking issue - you see, the boys had spent all their loonies and toonies (no, not cartoons - canadian money) because they figured they couldn't do anything with the funny money in the states. As we pulled into the first lot we realized that between the three of us, we had almost nothing. Well, I had about 2.50 in quarters and mike had a loonie and a toonie and lev had two dollars... or something like that. Parking was 10. So we went to another spot - some bird thing (like an aviary) and when we told the guy it'd only be for ten minutes, he seemed to shrug us off "Ya, i've heard that before!" - well, apparently we won him over because he let us park for $5 (instead of 10). Then we made a mad dash over to a little lookout/view point thing. We took a few quick pictures - stared in awe - took a few more pictures - then the boys ran back to get the car while I waited (ya I'm lazy - so what?). Soon we were on our way.

By the way - those darn people at the border... scare me. "Where were you? When did you go?" (they ask everything twice - and rephrase it - to try and throw you off). When he asked for the second time if we purchased anything in canada I felt like saying, "some hemorrhoid cream, penis rings and depends.... wanna see?" - i didn't. maybe I should have told him we had bought some alcohol and i could puke it up for him if he cared to see. anyway, they let us through (mike was a little worried - he was almost NOT let back into the US on his first trip on friday....)

And the town by niagara is awful. There was one gas station - full service - one pump (from like 1952 or somethign) - i wish i took a picture. The entire city (it wasn't super tiny) was just falling apart. so sad.

And for those who care... we did get mike to the airport on time.

One last thing - I should mention that if it wasn't for Levon, I wouldn't have even gone on this trip so thanks Lev for making it happen.

Dear Mr. Sinanyan/Sinanian...

...I'm interested... call me! (j/k)

---------
Great post about Armenian last names. Towards the end of the article, you'll see the reference to Sinanyans...

http://www.cobjectively.com/2007/05/23/all-about-armenian-last-names/

Why oh why...

does this guy still have a job?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/10/gonzales.fbi/index.html

and...

I love HUSTLER - and Mr. Flynt. Honestly, this guy is 100 times cooler than Heff.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/10/gonzales.fbi/index.html

Why do I love him? Well, you may have heard of the wonderful Senator Vitter (R - yes, R for Republican - from Louisiana) who recently confessed to having sex with hookers... (too bad he couldn't get head from his intern - it might have prevented this scandal). Well, apparently, Flynt played a role in bringing this information to light (see above article).

Here's my favorite part:
" Flynt took out a full-page ad in The Washington Post in June to offer $1 million for "documented evidence of illicit sexual or intimate relations with a congressman or senator."

Flynt launched a similar campaign in 1998 in an effort to counter the drive to impeach then-President Bill Clinton over allegations that he had lied about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Moldea worked with Flynt in that effort as well.

Hustler's search led to the resignation of House Speaker-designate Robert Livingston -- whose congressional seat Vitter won the next year."

Did you get that last part? Same seat. Haha. Looks like the wives in that county don't put out...

Oh yes, and another interesting point: This Vitter supported a ban on same-sex marriages. I guess he too would like to argue that gay couples destroy the sanctity of marriage. I guess he doesn't see infidelity as a threat to marriage.

Qwe-Beck-Wah

I'm BAAAAAAACK!

What a weekend! Where to start?

How about the beginning? We had an awful time leaving Boston on Friday. We woke up early (6:00 am) with the intention of leaving Boston by 8am. We got to the rental place close to 8:30 only to find out that they wouldn't rent to us because we had CA licenses and no "return trip" itinerary. So we had to shuttle it back to the airport and find another place to rent from. We ended up at Budget but the line was out the door so it took forever! The nice part was that the guy gave us a Ford Escape for the price of an economy car (ya, i know, gas guzzler - not ideal for a 10 hour drive... BUT it was nice inside, comfy - and had a cd player unlike the enterprise car we were planning to rent - assholes. don't rent from enterprise).

Anyway, so we finally hit the road around 11. Mike was landing in Buffalo around noon. Buffalo is a 6-7 hour drive. We managed to get to buffalo around 5:30. Mike had taken a day trip to Niagara while waiting for us so we waited for him to get back and return his rental then we all hopped in the car and headed across the border.

We stopped for food and gas - and went in the wrong direction for awhile - so it was 9:30 by the time we got to our hotel (still light outside! yay!). Andy took the stage just as we were walking to our room - needless to say I was quite bummed about that. We all changed and started boozing before heading downstairs. In the elevator we bumped into the "philly boys" (the guys I met/partied with while I was in DC) and an old friend from HS. It was so random to bump into them in the elevator. Especially someone from GHS! So we made a detour to their room then back down to Andy... just in time to catch his last song (he did a duo with Armenchik). So, Levon now owes me an Andy concert.... (haha, he is dreading that one for sure). Armenchik was great. We danced... danced.... kept dancing. Let me tell you - jumping around in that heat can be exhausting. I was drenched. And hot. But thats just the price you pay at an Armo fest. Def. worth it.

Saturday we slept in then headed to downtown Toronto for lunch. After lunch we took a little trip to the lake where the boys spent half the afternoon skipping stones and killing ladybugs. I mean, the didn't intentionally kill them but I blame them for the ladybugs' suicide flight into the water....

Next we headed to the CN Tower - had more lunch (okay - maybe early dinner?) and dessert. After a nice meal we went to the glass floor level where i had a hell of a time convincing Mike and Levon to stand on the glass floor and look down. Mike had finally managed to step onto the glass when someone started jumpnig up and down right next to him. Mike's reaction was truly priceless (I'll post a picture - promise)... Levon had to be coaxed and coerced onto the glass... and thanks to Mike, we have it all on video... muahahahaha!

Anyway, that was great fun. Afterwards we headed back to the room to get ready for Armenchik and Paul. (We had a drink for the ladybug that lost his/her life in the lake). Saturday night we were a little more determined to drink and put quite a dent in the alcohol... and we all know what that means - Drunk Alina! Yay. I don't remember much - except that I kept having to run upstairs to pee. Shortly after Paul came on, I headed upstairs (again) and apparently this time I passed out. So sad. Its okay though - I'm not the hugest Paul fan.

Sunday - I was hungover all day so I went to eat with the boys then went back to the room to "nap" while they went to the Hockey hall of fame. Um... I didn't quite get to nap because I felt like my heart was going to stop. We later took a trip to the icky indoor pool and then came upstairs and relaxed in the room for a while. After getting ready we listened out the window and figured Tata wasn't on yet so we lagged it some more and had some more drinks... of course, Tata WAS on so we were about an hour late to see him. (Tear).

Tata was... GREAT. First off, it had rained that day so the ground was wet and the air was humid. I don't mean humid like "sticky" humid. It was sticky - but it was also just WET. It was like being in a damn sauna. The tent didn't help. Neither did the several hundred people dancing. Being the groupie wannabes that we are - we squeezed towards the front so we could scream and shout and sing along. Tata was great - and the crowd loved him - as Mike said, "Tata was a rockstar, he could have peed on the audience and they would have gone crazy" - okay, so maybe not pee - but he was squirting water at the crowd and giving out waterbottles and people were just going crazy. He sang all the best songs. (Does Tata have un-great songs?) We went upstairs for intermission and ended up in the elevator with Tata and his bandmates. I had left my camera with Mike so I looked at Lev and said something along the lines of "gr, my camera" and lev said to tata, "she wanted to take a picture with you" and he said something like, "haskatsa" (I understood) which seemed very RUDE to me. It broke my heart. This guy is supposed to be my wedding singer. He can't be rude. And he's so fun on stage. I really was bummed. Anyway, we found out that part of his band was in the room next to us and the rest of them were mostly somewhere in our hall. We were going to try to hunt them down but by the time the concert was over I was so tired (and my poor feet were hating me) so we sorta gave up. (Actually, thats a lie - I did sit in the hallway by the elevator for awhile but I only saw the band go up - Tata either took a back door and went up before/after the band did and I didn't catch him. damn!) YES! I am a loser. But its Tata. Dude. Shabadabadashdash. Must I say anymore?

On the way back down we bumped into a Tufenkjian from SD who became best buds with Mike (Tufenkjians are famous for those who don't know). She told us all about her wealth. I did not really want to hear about her homes in the bahamas. After a while, we went back to our spot near the stage but about 30 min later we gave up and started dancing on the sides... towards the end we just started dancing by the bar. Sunday ended around 1 (the other two nights ended around 2/2:30). But I was tired so ya, that was the end of the night for us.

On the way back, I drove for a bit. I got to drive in Boston for the first time. It was as bad as I thought. But I was happy to finally find my way around... it was nice to figure out where things are in relation to each other (its difficult when you're always on the T). The strangest thing about this state though is those damn "Lane Shifts" - for a few hundred feet they post these bright orange signs that say "Lane Shift" "Stay in Lane" - then suddenly the white dotted lines become solid (for some odd reason, theyre worried that you won't be able to change your lane during a lane shift) and then the road sorta curves... very softly... like honestly just a few degrees. Nothing that you'd even slow down for. (Seriously, its like a 5 degree shift!) Yet for some reason, the speed limit is 45 in these zones. I just don't get it.

As for Qwe-beck-wah. Well, we were trying to figure out what the Q.E.W. highway in Toronto stands for. Mike called it the Qwe-Beck-Wah and it just stuck.... At one point we asked a police officer for directions and when he told us to get back on the QEW I was momentarily confused and almost asked, "Do you mean the Qwe-Beck-Wah" - thank god I controlled that blond moment.

Thats it for my loooong post. Cheers.

What a week...

Boy oh boy... where to start?

How about last week?

Friday - I joined Chris for his Friday night dinner party. It was really great to see some BU friends again - aside from those who show up to Rattlesnake. Post dinner we all headed out to... uh... where'd we go? Oh ya! Our House (um... the bar, not my house). Had several more drinks. Got into some political conversations. Talked to some cute british boy (for a friend - i was just trying to "keep him" until she could talk to him :) - such a cutie though!). Had some pizza on the way home - an allston bar outing tradition for me. finally crawled into bed around 1 am.

saturday - hopped on a bus to NY. Went straight from the bus "stop" to the Czech Beer Gardens in Astoria (oh, I stopped and bought really cute earings for $1 ea! ya, i love new york too). So, beer gardens - this awesome outdoor area with lots of picnic tables/benches and a huge afternoon drinking crowd. You just get pitchers, sit in the sun, and hang out with friends. We had a good time. When we left around 5 or so, the line to get in was practically around the corner. insane.

afterwards we went to a cafe-ish place (they had coffee, I had beer) - then home for a night of great conversations - and the a house party. Of course, on our way to the house party, Armen made it clear that he was going to lock the TOP LOCK so that he and Hasmig would both have a key (hasmig didn't have a key to the bottom lock). As he stepped into the hallway, he closed the front door behind him and it seems, as soon as it clicked shut, he remembered that he had locked the bottom lock and left the key inside.

Now, I'm sure you all know - you don't leave the house in NY at 9 pm. You leave close to midnight. And so, the landlord wasn't there - Armen didn't have his phone - Has didn't have his number. Fun stuff. So we went to the party and tried to stay out all night but around 4 am we were all too exhausted so we headed back and Armen made a heroic climb up the fire escape, past the sleeping naked neighbor's open window and up to their apartment. It was a sight to see. Fortunately , we didn't get the cops called on us. Unfortunately, we couldn't get the ladder back up! oopsie!

Sunday was a lazy day (afterall, we slept at 5). We had a nice little brunch then headed back to Armen/Hasmig's and I left later that afternoon. Good times :)

Yesterday was the 4th fireworks show. It was cold and wet and icky - but the show was spectacular! Oh and Mellencamp disappointed with his song choice! What happened to Jack and Diane?!?!?! Gr. But the hot dogs were delicious, the jets were cool, the fireworks were awesome and the experience was memorable! (yes, did you hear that, i said memorable - and i was drunk! if i remember something, it must be memorable).

Oh ya, and on Monday I went for a jog. You know whats sad... I work out so little that when I do I always find it blog-worthy. Sad. I know. But i must break that so i can get my abs in shape for Puerto Rico (yay!). Anyway, I went up and jogged around the reservoir. Sarah was right - it is gorgeous. The pink and blue sky with pretty fluffy white clouds reflected on the water - the sunset - the weather. It was a relaxing way to spend my early evening. If you're in the area, I recommend a jog there.

Okay, those are my updates. Sorry they're dry.

Oh ya, and... TORONTO TOMORROW! Armenchik, Andy, Paul and TATA... here we come :)

DUDE!

DUDE!

I am so super stoked about this summer. Let me tell you why...

June 30-July 1 = NY
July 4 = no explanation necessary
July 6-9 = Canada (Andy, Armenchik, Paul, Tata - and Toronto!)
July 14-15 = Cape Cod?
July 19 = GIRLS COME VISIT ME
July 26 - 29 = Head to NY with the Girls
Aug 3-5 = MAYBE Hedges Lake? Emily?
Aug 8-14 = Puerto Rico to visit Lisa
Aug 22 - ??? = New York again (I have to... I swear... It's for school/work!)
Labor Day Weekend = Jersey? Olympics? (Hopefully I can scrape together some last few pennies for that).

um... so much for doing ANYTHING in boston. I guess that will have to wait until the fall.

another day, another stranger...

So much for not talking to strangers...

Yes, the T again. I honestly believe there is a tattoo on my forehead (in invisible-only-to-alina ink) that says, "talk to me!"

I got on the T at north station yesterday. As always, I had my book in hand... my thumb sorta holding my spot until I could find a spot to sit. When I got on, there was an empty seat next to some "young gentlemen" - probably someone about my age, on his way home from work. I sat down, opened my book and started reading...

"A wave of..."

"What book are you reading?"

Not really wanting to get involved in a conversation mid-sentence, midway into my book (okay, so maybe it was more like 1/3rd of the way)... I closed the book and turned it so he could see the binding.

"Lies and the lying liars who tell them," he read aloud.

Satisfied that I had sufficiently answered his question, I opened the book back up and started reading again...

" A wave of..."

"What is it about? Is it about men?"

I stared at him for a moment not sure how to answer. "Well, its by Al Franken, so I guess you'd probably call it a political book..."

"Oh."

Again, I went back to reading.

"A wave ..."

This time, I interrupted myself. "Wow," I said, looking up at him and laughing. "Way to incriminate yourself." (Way to break your "no talking to strangers" rule Alina!)

He laughed. "No. I mean. Well... I just feel like that seems to be the consensus."

I just sorta nodded and said okay. I might have said something along the lines of, "Sure, but I'm not sure you want to just admit to it."

Either way, he responded. "Not me. I'm just saying."

(me) "Well, you are male aren't you? You do fall into that category."

(him) "Ya, but I wasn't referring to myself. I mean..."

(me) "Right! I believe you..."

I went back to reading. He just sorta sat there smiling - not in a smug way - but the way you usually do after a joking/friendly exchange. The next stop was his and as we pulled in he signaled to me that he needed to get out so I slid over a bit and let him pass. As he exited out the door (just a few seats from me) he turned and said, "We're not all liars you know..."

"Sure!" I said... smiling and nodding.

He did seem like a nice guy. Too bad he has a penis.

secret admirers...

so, i tend to attract conversations on the T. There was the guy who told me about how his great granddad started the NFL and the other guy who talked to me about the war in iraq and how difficult it was to get accustomed to life back home. I admit that sometimes I might ask my neighbor a question or something which then sparks a conversation but half the time, I'm really just minding my own business. During finals I had my head phones on and was studying my flashcards and the older gentleman next to me kept asking me about school and my class and my future plans. I'd take my headphones out (don't want to be rude), answer his question, and put my headphones back in. I figured that was enough of a hint... guess not.

Well, the train chat just got a little more bizarre for me. Last tuesday, I was heading home after a few drinks (okay like 3/4ths a bottle of wine) and when I got on the T there was one empty seat next to this guy so I sat down. The guy started to talk to me.. introduced himself... yada yada. Again, trying not to be a bitch about it, I smiled, was polite but not super talkative. I mean, I'm sure I was more talkative than usual thanks to the wine but after awhile, I was just getting annoyed. There was this really hot guy sitting across from me and I was busy having a staring competition with him. But, the guy next to me just wouldn't stop... and every once in awhile I'd have to break my stare in order to respond to this guy. Gr.

On friday, I went to check my mailbox at work and noticed a letter addressed to Alena. Hm....

"Dear Fellow D-line passenger"

Now, I'm not sure it was that dude but I have a feeling it was that dude because I can't remember any other dude that I had enough of a convo with where I might mention where I work. He sent me a picture cut out of a magazine of some beach somewhere and a little note hoping this would "brighten" my day and asking if we could hang out....

uh, creepy.

I mean, perhaps its a little flattering but the guy looked up my work place (no, i do not have business cards... and i wouldn't have given him one anyway) and wrote out a letter... its just a little strange. Either he's desperate or I made a good first impression. (Probably the first, I know).

So, from now on, I will try my darndest to not strike up convos with strangers.

Weekends were made for relaxing.

The last few weeks I've been burning myself out during the week and by friday all i want to do is sleep. Last week there were several nights of drinking and dinner with friends. Friday night we had a little get together at our place (cranium of course... though next game night is catchphrase night i guess). Saturday I had to return some stuff so we spent a chunk of the day walking around downtown crossing... I really like it down there - dunno why. And then I went to a friend's grad party at her house - it was fantastic. Armenian family, Armenian food (too bad i had stuffed myself with sushi and couldn't fully enjoy the home cooking), Armenian music and dancing. (Thanks Lilith). Anyway, we had a good time, danced a bit and drank more than a bit. (Oh yes, had some interesting "assumptions" made about my love life... as always). Then on Sunday, headed out to Manchester by the Sea to lay out and "play" in the water... when a storm started to roll in, we packed up and headed out to Rockport (for the Mermaid, Fairy and Gnome festival!) - rockport is such a cute little place. Fun day trip though not a whole bunch of stuff to do. We had some yummy seafood on the Harbor and then headed home (well, made a pit stop at target to finally get some shelves and stuff for my room!!!! yay!)

This week was pretty much the same... except, we drank monday, tuesday (drunko alina passed out on the couch), thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday. Well, by drink I mean 1-2 beers or glasses of wine most nights. Throughout the week I worked on fixing up my room. Its finally starting to come together (and not look like a boring room with just a bed). I'm excited!

Saturday was our long overdue roomie night. Roomie nights at my house = GREAT food. And me trying to force everyone to drink. Sunday was a lazy day - i did nothing all day. Made some kookoo (the parska-hyes should know what I'm talking about). And later I went to see A Mighty Heart. Really good movie. I mean, we all know what the ending is but I think Jolie is stellar. I really went to see it because I loved the way she played the role (in the previews) and she did not disappoint. Or maybe its just me.

Oh! How could I forget? I went strawberry picking on Saturday with Sarah and her cousin. STRAWBERRIES! YUM! I am not a huge strawberry fan... as I'm sure many of you know... but thats because the ones in the supermarket are usually a bit tart. These were super sweet - just like CANDY! I was "chetes" and took quite a few and now I'm stuffing myself with strawberries everyday! lol. But it was a ton of fun.

summertime...



...and the livin's easy.

Summer's are fantastic aren't they? I mean, even if you're working, its a break from school (and I guess if you worked year round, summer school would be a break from work)... its just something different.

The last "summer vacation" I had was 03... DC baby. Honestly, that was such an awesome summer... the drinking, partying, exploring, learning, working, going to all sorts of cool events and meeting awesome people.

Which of course leads me to my reunion with my 03 buddy... MIKEY! Lev, Mike and I are going to head up to Canada in two weeks for some armo gathering in Toronto. Tata, Andy, Armenchik, Paul... 7000 armos (supposedly). Sounds like a great time no? And Mike promised to sing Ghapama at some point.

For those who don't know the story. Mike was the sole male intern in the intern class of 03. That's right - 8 girls and 1 guy. I think he came into it thinking he was blessed but about a week later realized he was actually cursed. He managed to make some friends outside the intern crew (i think the excess estrogen got to him) but when it came down to it, we were all always together for the big nights. Now, Mike's trademark... well, actually mike had several (Wait for it... Wait for it....)... but one "Mike" thing was the song Ghapama... Mike is the only person i know who knows ALL the words to that song (he even wrote it out for me - sorry Mike, i lost the paper). One night, we were all headed to Ara's house for a party out in the DC suburbs so we were waiting at the Metro station to change lines. It was something like 10-15 of us... all obviously drunk (as we'd always pre-party before leaving the dorms)... Mike busted out singing ghapama and a group of us started doing the michigan hop (i dont even know what the michigan hop is anymore) and of course, clapping and singing along. Eventually, someone got on the loudspeaker and asked that we refrain from singing and dancing in the T station... (they sounded a bit annoyed with us). Too bad huh?

We had some crazy times that summer....

its almost like being in glendale

I met an armenian man on the T a few months ago. I'm not sure I ever blogged it so pardon me if this is a repeat...

I was on the B line inbound - I can't remember where I was going but i'm pretty sure it was further than my usual trip to Kenmore (in fact, I may have been on my way to my job interview for the job I have now - but I can't recall...)

I walked straight to the back of the train and leaned against the back wall - I was reading something - perhaps a newspaper. The man sitting in the last seat next to the stairs (in the old train cars its a single seat) caught my eye. There was nothing extraordinary about him...He had on a white T-shirt and blue jeans... shaved head/bald... darker skin. But what really caught my eye was a tattoo on his neck - it was an eagle or something - in red, blue and orange. At first I figured it was a mere coincidence but then I figured I might as well ask...

"I'm sorry - this might seem random but... are you armenian?"

Sure enough he was - and a total parska hye at that. I mean, straight on sing songing and rounded out words and everything. He seemed in love with the idea of living in california and asked me several times if i like it there and whether i miss it. We chit chatted and eventually parted ways.

This morning, I woke up around 6 am but decided I didn't want to be at work just yet. I knew I was going to be staying late for a training so I figured I'd catch the 9:45 train in rather than the 8 or 8:30 trains. So, I hit the snooze and napped a few hours then took my time getting ready. Sure enough, I ended up running late. I walked down to the D-line stop and when it got there, I quickly jumped on and ran towards the back and leaned against the wall. When I looked up, I immediately recognized the tattoo. There he was - same seat, white t-shirt and blue jeans.... what a coincidence! Of all the trains I could have taken. And this time I wasn't on the B line - that would have been a bit more expected (you often bump into the same people on the same lines). Anyway, I wasn't sure if he'd remember me so I said... "You might not remember but we met right here on the train..." and he immediately responded with, "Hye es?" So we chit chatted a little about life and school and the weather.

Later on in the afternoon, I headed out with my co-workers to the training thing. The program was held at the Peter Torigian Community Center in Peabody. Former Armenian Mayor I guess...(article on festival Torigian started). When I got there, I looked over the registration sheet and immediately saw that 2 out of the 22 attorneys who had signed up to attend were Armenian. Later, one of the speakers (a clerk in one of the courts) was discussing divorce cases and scheduling and she read off the names of the five judges.... the second one was Sahagian.

Finally, on my way home, I was reading the Metro... and for those who don't know... the metro always has a question of the day which they ask three people - the middle person's picture is usually the bigger one with their answer in bold. The "middle" answered in today's paper was Melkonian.

I know. I'm having an odd armo-dar day. But you forget folks... I'm not in Glendale anymore. We don't have three (oh wait, now two) Ian/Yan councilmen... and we don't have 80,000 armos living within 5 miles of each other. So, I get excited over things like this.

Or maybe I just need a life.

Anyway, I promise to return to my blogging. I totally started slacking once classes ended - and we all know why that is.

Bed time now... gnite :)

light-hearted post

i realize i've been writing lots of very long blogs on not so fun topics. so, i thought i'd post a short lil somethin. i can't get over this clip. i think i've watched it a billion times. am i crazy?

don't be jealous

to all my so-cal folks...

i went for a jog today - along a little river/creek. and i didn't have to drive 25 minutes on the five (or 35 minutes on the 2/210) to get there. muahahahahah. (you know you wish you were here!)

(and no, the "la river" DOES NOT COUNT - i'm talking mud banks not concrete man-made stuff)

honestly though, it was one of the most relaxing things i've done in a long time. it felt great. the little path is so peaceful - lots of trees (and those white and pink ones - are those cherry blossoms? anyway, they're very pretty!).

i managed to crank out a good 45 minutes at a steady pace. i really really didn't think i'd be able to do more than 20. it was probably the surroundings... oh ya, and the fun lawschool podcasts. because listening to civ pro (personal jurisdiction, minimum contacts etc) is freakin energizing.

anyway, i have SOOOO many blogs to post but it'll be a week before i can do it. see you folks then!

should April 24th be a holiday

of course there's been a debate in the gnp on whether kids should get the day off from school - one armenian guy said - basically - look, my kids feel very strongly about it and they go to the events and protests - they don't sit at home and play xbox. and the non-armenians responded with - its a slippery slope - do we close schools everytime kids want to protest something? and its not an american holiday. our schools lose money. yada yada.

response:

Re: School's Should Leave Comfort Zone.



Several school districts throughout the United States have been handed off to private businesses because the district itself is not able to manage the schools. To be fair, the districts are not always to blame – dropping enrollment and depopulation of areas leads to fiscal problems that are beyond the districts control. Those concerns are not alien to our own district today.



But what does a private business do that a school district might not? I believe private businesses are able to make fiscally proactive decisions with less reliance on community politics.



When you have a large number of students not in class on a given day of the year, you are losing money. We can all sit around and discuss the politics of Genocide Recognition and the importance of being in school but at the end of the day, a large segment of this community feels strongly that missing math class one day of the year in order to stand up for and commemorate the memory of your great grandparents is a worthwhile trade-off.



Thus, the district has two choices – either accept that we are losing money and do something proactive to change it or listen to residents complain about the money that the district loses on April 24th each year. Once a person is able to remove their personal emotions from this debate they will realize that it is essentially a business decision (although of course I personally feel strongly about the symbolic importance of it as well).



As for the slippery slope suggestion; as a law student I have learned that "slippery slope" is always used as a cop out when someone doesn't want to take a stand. Don't be afraid to draw the line. For at least the last 10 years, GUSD has lost money on April 24th. This is much different than an unforeseen student protest against animal testing (which probably would not attract half the student population). Moreover, school districts across the country have embraced local holidays that reflect their student bodies. For example, although "Yom Kippur" is not like "Cesar Chavez Day" or any other "American" holiday, Beverly Hills High School students had October 2nd off last year (along with a spring break that coincided with Pesach).



Though it seems that the residents of Glendale are not quite ready to tackle this debate, I nevertheless encourage to consider it. The district will continue to feel the impact of the loss of revenue and the community has the opportunity to weigh in on our schools' future. The choice is ours.

a clip

i emailed this out so if you're reading it twice - sorry... and be sure to click on link!

I came across something and wanted to share some thoughts on it…

All too often, people ask us (Armenians) why we care about Genocide recognition… I mean, it happened 92 years ago. Get over it. Its not TODAY'S Turkish officials that committed Genocide. It was those pesky Ottomans.

But the truth is that we can't get over it. We can't get over it – not because we don't want to – but because, we can't get over something that is still going on today.

As my favorite (survivor) quote says – Denial is killing twice. Denying the past is a genocide of its own – a genocide of the memories of those who were killed.

That, however, is only half the story. The other half is the cultural genocide. I'm sure you've all heard the stories – the Khachkars being destroyed, animal names being changed, churches being converted – all in an effort to erase any traces of "Armenian-ness" from the villages. Then there's that great holiday Turkey celebrates on April 24th – world children's day.

And perhaps that doesn't outrage you.

But this should.

http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/special-reports/FRANCE-24-Reports/Reporters-FRANCE-24.html

Armenians being forced to deny their heritage, being targeted and taunted, being called infidels…. Sounds vaguely familiar. Oh yes, we went through this in many times before… including 1915. In reality, IT never ended. The death marches ended but the hatred and animosity towards Armenians continues today. While we all look at Istanbul and the other big cities and note their "democratization" or "westernization," the rest of the country lingers in the same mental state it was in 100 years ago – and the government is complacent.
I hope you all take a moment to watch this video. If you are not Armenian and have ever questioned why Armenians feel the need to carry on with these protests and marches and vigils, I hope you will understand where our hurt and anger comes from. I hope you understand that until we don't get official recognition, we will continue to feel and BE threatened. If you are Armenian, I hope this sparks something in you…. Angers you. Because we can't afford to be complacent – we can't afford to join Turkey in saying, "oh well… that's the way the cookie crumbles." It's not about waving a flag on April 24th each year. That helps. But its not enough. Take an interest in your community, the international community – do something. You don't have to be a politician to be an activist – you can be an activist in your every day life in your own way – your contribution to the cause can be yours uniquely. And above all else, don't forget who you are. People are trying hard to erase your ancestors from their memory – don't give them a hand by forgetting yourself.

(And if you're looking for an easy way to do something… pass this on).

(PS – for those of you on here who are involved, I realize I'm preaching to the choir… I just wanted you to see the clip).

the constitution

sucks.

after wednesday, I never want to hear the terms "strict scrutiny" or "rational basis" ever again.

but, i thought i'd violate some of my friends' privacy and publicize their away messages just so you can understand...

Dan: I want to open a bar called Strict Scrutiny.

Paz: the constitution sucks
(and later): "'sometimes i think life would be easier if it just ended' - Ely. yeah, conlaw makes you go insane"
(and later still):why is this not going faster!
(still going): conlaw has sucked all the fun out of my life...i even dreamed that the constitution was after me

Jen: man oh man. this con law outline is like the song that never ends... yes it goes on and on my friend. some 1Ls started writing it not knowing what it was...and theyll continue writing it forever just because.... this fucking outline never ends! yes it goes on and on my friends

Caitlin: Dear O'Connor,
You could have made all of our lives a lot easier by following the law rather than your feelings.

Love,
Caitlin

Nancy: mind-wrestling with the Court's readings of the Constitution.

Chris: What really sucks is that i have dreams that things are unconstitutional...

(Stolen from Ely)
"Andy": oh dear i am totally useless right now
"Andy":i am staring at zobel
"Andy":rearranging the letters and making up new words
Ely: hahahahaha
Ely: all ive got is "lobe" and "zeb", and i dont think zeb is a word..

Only in Boston (2 parts)

How to encourage pedestrian safety:

Most cities in the U.S. have annual "pedestrian safety" campaigns. This usually means a ton of police officers stand at various street corners giving tickets to jaywalkers. Ticketing and illegal activity... makes sense right?

Well, not in Boston. In Boston, jaywalking is the norm and thus its accepted. So we have a different sort of pedestrian safety campaign.

Yesterday, people wearing neon shirts and carrying giant red signs ("Stop, Look and Listen" - yes, 5th grade dejavu) gave PRIZES to people who didn't cross on reds. Yes folks, we reward you for NOT breaking the law.

The goody (gift) bags included a frisbee, a water bottle - and a bunch of other stuff - of course, I wouldn't know because I don't stop at intersections (actually, I didn't leave campus while they were out there... neon shirts scare me).

The great part was that most people not from Boston only stopped because they thought these weirdos were ticketing pedestrians. Silly kids... tickets are for the rest of the country :)

Hey, honestly, I'm not complaining. This system works out much better. See, I get to an intersection see no cars and cross. Now, if I waited for "walk" signal, then I'd have to push the button and wait. Inevitably, the walk signal would not turn green until a ton of cars reached the intersection. Then they'd ALL have to sit in their cars and wait while I walked my butt across the street (and keep waiting until the light turned green for them). Now, I can dash across the street - saves me time, saves drivers the time and frustration of red lights. And we're all happy.

Part 2 of Only in Boston....
Months ago I posted a blog on "regional advertising" - so I thought I'd update you on the most recent amusing regional ad.

The Boston Marathon was on Patriots Day (April 16th - yes suckers - we get an extra holiday! hah!). Reebok had (still has) a "Run Easy Boston" ad campaign going.... "Why hit the wall? Run easy!" (and a bunch of other ads suggesting that running hard sucks so you might as well jog/walk it).

My favorite one: "The Big Dig set the pace. Run easy Boston."

HAHAHAHH! Isn't that great?

For those who don't know what the big dig is... here's some recommended reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig or http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61112-2004Nov18_2.html

Or, better yet... here are the key facts... The Big Dig is the most expensive highway project in America. Although the project was estimated at $2.8 billion in 1985, over $14.6 billion had been spent in federal and state tax dollars as of 2006.

And it took 15+ years (over 20 if you count "planning")

(PS - thats not just Mass taxpayer dollars - thats ALL OF YOUR taxpayer dollars... muahahahaha).

Oh ya, and there's this little problem now --- its called... LOTS OF LEAKS.

"Designers projected that the tunnel's drainage system would handle 500,000 gallons of leaking water per year.Since last December, however, 26 million gallons of leaking water has flowed through the drainage systems."

(by last december it meant December 03-Nov 04)

Hey, we like to take our time with big projects okay. Money is not an issue.... (especially when its yours )

Run easy Boston...

This is how it SHOULD look...

They still stay some things I disagree with - such as, "Armenians call it a Genocide" (a lot of people call a lot of things Genocide... but this one WAS a Genocide... not just "called")

But, nevertheless, I'm sure you'll agree that this report is 100 times better than the Fox clip...


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5241520

(Btw, Turkey celebrates "World Children's Day" on April 24th... what a coincidence...)


and while we're on that topic...
Looks like the Turks still haven't learned to get along with those darn Christians...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/19/world/europe/19turkey.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

read, react...

Read, React...

Thank you Nooneh for the Fox news clip of the Little Armenia March coverage...

But before everyone gets excited...

Watch the clip carefully. The coverage is AWFUL. LA is home to several thousand Armenians. There is no reason that FoxLA should have such horrible coverage of this event. The reporter is absolutely unprepared... the tone of the reporter and anchors absolutely downplays the event... she continuously refers to "these people" as if we're some crazy radical sect... and, (really I hope you caught this)...

The anchor introduces the piece saying, "for those who call it genocide" - uh? WTF?

We all want coverage yes, but the news reporters take such a light hearted approach, its a slap in the face.
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3014595&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1


anyway, I suggest you write in - even if you only write one sentence! I'd tell you to call but i dont have the # (yet... give me a few hours).
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/ContactUs?pageId=5.11


Below is my letter...

I am truly disappointed with Fox News for today's coverage on the Armenian Genocide.

As your anchor reports, Los Angeles (and Glendale) is home to a very large Armenian - American community. I would hope that a local news station would be more responsive to and respectful of its community. Unfortunately, todays broadcast was not only disrespectful but also ignorant.

First and foremost, your reporter (Nischelle Turner) seemed unprepared and uninformed on the topic, stumbling and grasping to piece her story together Her approach to a solemn story seems quite careless.

Nischelle also comments that "these people believe" Turkey's alliance with the U.S. is the reason the U.S. has failed to officially recognize. Apparently, Fox News isn't doing a good job of keeping up with the news - if they had, they'd realize that its not just "these people" who believe the alliance is the motivating factor - its "this country's" politicians.

But, perhaps the biggest slap in the face is the actual introduction to the piece where Steve (?) notes, "Today, April 24th, is the official day of remembrance FOR THOSE who call it the Armenian Genocide."

"Those" suggests that there are only some who consider it Genocide. This is misleading and ignorant, particularly considering the fact that the State of California officially commemorates April 24th as Genocide Remembrance day.

If it seems as though I am being nit picky, I'd like you to consider the statement, "For those who call it the Holocaust" or "For those who call it the Iraq War" or "For those who call it the Cambodian Genocide." The truth is, despite what the politicians have chosen to label it, our news media generally calls things as they are. To do otherwise is just cowardly.

Even the President, though tip toeing around the word Genocide, is one of "those" that commemorates April 24th.

Overall, the tone and attitude of the reporters downplays an important day marking one of the greatest acts of mans inhumanity to man... to a random march with some kids taking to the streets. What a horrible way to respect such a large number of your news "consumers."

Regards,
(obviously me)

i did my duty

In case you hadn't noticed, I think its very important to keep up with the media because the "media" is in the business of making money - and therefore, they need customers. Thus, the customers (us) can have a big impact on the media.

I believe its as important to respond with praise as it is to write about your outrage.

So, I did my duty... and here is the kind response. (article below)

Dear Alina,

Thanks very much for those too-kind words. It's a story shocking enough that all us non-ians should be equally up in arms.

Best,
Matt

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Welch
Assistant Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times
213-237-7330
www.latimes.com/opinion
Opinion L.A. blog ~ www.opinion.latimes.com



http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-welch22apr22,0,4862327.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail



The politics of saying 'genocide'
More than 90 years after the Armenian genocide, the U.S. is deadlocked in a humiliating linguistic debate.
By Matt Welch, MATT WELCH is The Times' assistant editorial pages editor.
April 22, 2007

ON TUESDAY, President Bush will be obliged, by law, to wrap his double-talking mouth around one of the most curiously persistent debates in modern geopolitics: Whether to call a 92-year-old genocide a "genocide."

Every April 24 since 1994, the U.S. president has delivered a proclamation honoring the people Congress has declared to be "the victims of genocide, especially the 1 1/2 million people of Armenian ancestry who were the victims of the genocide perpetrated in Turkey between 1915 and 1923." And every year since 1994, the U.S. president has managed to do it without once uttering the G-word. It's a ritual of linguistic realpolitik in deference to the massive objections from Washington's important NATO ally, Turkey.

But 2007 may be the year that the cop-out finally blows up in a president's face. What was once the obscure obsession of marginalized immigrants from a powerless little Caucasus country has blossomed in recent years into a force that has grown increasingly difficult to ignore. In 2000, the Armenian issue helped fuel one of the most expensive House races in U.S. history; two years ago, it turned a mild-mannered career U.S. diplomat into an unlikely truth-telling martyr. Now the question of how to address these long-ago events is having an impact on next month's elections in Turkey.

What's more, Congress appears poised to vote on a resolution urging the president to say the words "Armenian genocide" when observing the awkwardly named "National Day of Remembrance of Man's Inhumanity to Man" on April 24 — the date in 1915 when the Ottoman predecessors of modern Turkey launched the genocide by rounding up 250 Armenian intellectuals for eventual execution.

The resolution won't take effect on Tuesday. The Bush administration, ever mindful of its delicate relationship with Turkey (especially with a war in Iraq next door), takes the bill so seriously that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned in a joint letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) that it could "harm American troops in the field." The lobbying has been successful enough that the House has delayed its vote until after this year's April 24 commemoration. But passage later this year would still be an enormous blow to the White House.

Why is this hairsplitting exercise over a single word — in a nonbinding resolution, no less — reverberating so strongly more than nine decades later? The easy answer is that there has been a confluence of mostly unrelated events. Democrats took control of Congress in January and are spoiling for a fight, especially one that can paint Bush's foreign policy as hypocritical. The president, after all, used "genocide" as a justification to topple Saddam Hussein before, during and after the war against his regime, and the United States has not hesitated to apply the word to the crisis in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have died since 2003.

Across the Atlantic, the Armenian question — especially Turkey's offensive laws against "insulting Turkishness," which have been used to prosecute even novelists who create fictional characters questioning the government's denialist position — has become one of the main lines of attack against Turkey's bid to become the first majority-Muslim country to join the European Union. Most of the 15 countries that have officially recognized the genocide are European (with Switzerland and France even going so far as to pass over-the-top laws making it a crime to deny the genocide).

Then there was the January murder of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in broad daylight on a busy Istanbul street. Dink's assassination, at the hands of a Turkish nationalist, shocked the world and led to a wave of anxious introspection in Turkey. Yet Ankara quickly — and disastrously — concluded that the proper response was to redouble its losing campaign to prevent foreign governments from using the G-word.

High-level Turkish ministers were dispatched to Washington over the last few months to warn that the resolution in Congress could force them to close the crucial U.S. Air Force Base at Incirlik and could imperil relations at a tipping-point moment for the Middle East. (The exact same argument was used by President Clinton in October 2000 to convince then-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert to withdraw at the last moment a similar bill, introduced by then-Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale), who was fighting a losing battle against Democratic challenger Adam Schiff in an $11-million race.)

For Turks, the genocide is taboo for a host of reasons, but perhaps the most important is that it occurred at the time of the founding of modern Turkey under Kemal Ataturk, a man so sainted that insulting his memory is still punishable by jail. So the battle continues, year after year.

Earlier this month, Turkish lobbyists successfully scotched a United Nations exhibit on the 13th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide because it dared refer to the "1 million Armenians murdered in Turkey." "Every time they try to censor discussion of the Armenian genocide," a New York Times editorial observed, "they only bring wider attention to the subject and link today's democratic Turkey with the now distant crime." Turks even helped water down a U.S. Senate resolution condemning Dink's murder.

Yet this flurry of recent developments doesn't adequately explain the enduring potency of the recognition issue.

For that I will defer to the most recent U.S. ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans: "In the real world," Evans told a packed Beverly Hilton hall of diaspora Armenians in February, "when an official policy diverges wildly from what the broad public believes is self-evident, that policy ceases to command respect."

Evans, a career, keep-your-head-down foreign service type, surveyed the available literature on the events of 1915-23 before taking the Armenian post in September 2004 and concluded that the U.S. position of avoiding the word "genocide" diverged so wildly from the historical consensus that it undermined Washington's moral authority.

He attempted to budge the policy from behind the scenes, but when that failed he took a page from a man he knew well from his pre- and post-communist postings to Prague — former Czech President Vaclav Havel and decided to publicly "call things by their proper names."

So in February 2005, while speaking in California, Evans said: "I will today call it the Armenian genocide. I think we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of discussing this problem." For that remark he was recalled from his post so that Washington could get back to the business of evading the historical truth.

President Bush won't say "genocide" on Tuesday. In the words of Condoleezza Rice, the administration's position is that Turks and Armenians both need to "get over their past" without American help.

But this issue won't go away. Watching Rice's linguistic contortions in response to harsh congressional interrogation by Schiff, who has become the Armenians' great House champion, is profoundly dispiriting; it makes one embarrassed to be American. Of all issues subject to realpolitik compromises, mass slaughter of a national minority surely should rank at the bottom of the list.

Hitler reportedly said, just before invading Poland, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" It's a chilling reminder that forgetting is the first step in enabling future genocides. Yet Hitler was eventually proved wrong. No temporal power is strong enough to erase the eternal resonance of truth.

*

matt.welch@latimes.com

sunshine

Okay, I swear I will stop posting about the sunshine soon.

I just figure its only fair to write about the sun as much as I wrote about the snow (which I don't think was very much - so i might be at my limit already).

But today was/is skirt weather. YES! Of course, I don't have any skirts I like but whatever, I'll fix that eventually.

I got on the T and EVERYONE was wearing skirts. Long skirts, short skirts, "work" skirts... flip flops, sandals... tank tops, halters, dresses. YAY! Its not the clothes I'm obsessed with so much (okay, I lie, maybe I'm a little obsessed)... but its the fact that its finally warm enough to wear this stuff!

Unfortunately, I'm stuck in contracts class learning about third-party beneficiaries (don't ask me what that means in English). On that note... my contracts prof gets SO giddy about a case he likes. He just did this little valley girl head tilt... it was adorable. (fine, i confess, i used to have a little crush on him but i swear thats over... though i'm still in love with his brain).

(I need to make a sunshine label)

its a beautiful morninggggg

(I was singing in the headline there)

Its actually a beautiful afternoon. I slept in, woke up late, went to a pip meeting, then the ILS meeting (say hello to the new treasurer - yes yes, back to my old habits - i'm sure Has and Maria will know what I"m referring to).

Its gorgeous outside right now. 56 with a real feel of 62 - i don't even know how that happens. I guess thats that wonderful warm sun. I am going to go home, grab a blanket and head to the part by my house to do some studying in the sun. Yes! (Park = no internet = better focus - and who doesn't want to be outisde on a gorgeous day?)

Anyway, just wanted to share. Yay for spring. Adios.

Today!

Today was/is (in progress) an awesome day.

Yesterday marked the 2 week countdown to finals - needless to say, I was feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed all day. It didn't help to attend the OCI meeting and find out that only 30-50% of people get their 2L jobs through OCI. WTF?!?!?! More work to do! great!

Anyway, today we are one day closer to our first final... but TODAY has been fantastic so far.

First, contracts started a few minutes late, con law ended a few minutes early. We did a tedious survey for some professor but were rewarded with donut holes. After that a certain someone went out of his way to say hi... which always makes my day :) .... Next I headed to the bookstore to buy a lil somethin for my little cousins and bought myself some red BU shorts (I wanted hot pink ones but they didn't have them in my size).

On my way home, I had one of those rare "Aw, LA" moments (I mean, I often miss Harout parahandeses but its rare that I miss anything else about LA social life). I was flipping through my iPod trying to find something I haven't listened to in awhile and I came across Gnarls Barkley which totally brought back memories of Standard Downtown rooftop pool/bar Memorial Day weekend... and I thought, gee, I can't WAIT to head to the Standard (in 3 weeks)! It's one of the few places that I just love! And that thought along with the momentarily gorgeous weather just contributed to my already good mood.

When I got home, I discovered that my "stuff" had arrived. It really wasn't a huge discovery - I was tracking the package and expected it to be there. But the exciting part was that everything I bought (dresses, shirt, skirt, accessories) FIT. How rare is it to buy something online and it fits? I mean, I won't lie - some of them looked a little different than what I had pictured but they fit and look cute nonetheless! Clothes make me giddy! Particularly cute summer clothes and dresses and cute work outfits and... okay, I give up. All clothes make me giddy.

So, I took some pictures to send to my mommy and decided to take lots of goofball ones for her enjoyment. In the meantime, another little something happened that put a huge smile on my face. When I finally sat down to do a little myspace/facebook stalking before working on my memo, I received word that I won (for 2L rep). Yay, after a 3 year vacation from student group stuff.... I'M BACK!!!!

(Really, I tried to pretend those days were over but after I planned the Armenian Genocide event my mom pointed out that I keep going back to this - planning, organizing, being involved etc. I told her I wanted to avoid it and she said, its impossible - "its just in you and it makes you happy!" The odd part of that convo was that my mom was probably most against me joining "school organizations" (and even organizations - non profit etc) in the first place - but I guess over time she has come to realize that i love this stuff.)

So now, I am going to go to sleep because its been an absolutely fantastic day and I'm afraid if I stay up any longer, something bad will happen.

(Okay, I'm not really going to sleep - I'm going to work on my memo - which sucks!)

It's that time of the year...

it's that time of year

for ASUC elections!

I mean, its finals season too... which is why I even bothered doing this (procrastination).

But, I visited some of the Cal blog pages to find out the scoop. I was very sad to discover that CalStuff is officially DEAD! I can't believe it. CalStuff was practically my homepage during the ASUC days....

Apparently there is a new blog in town - the Clog. Obviously, I was slightly attached to Calstuff so Clog doesn't really cut it for me... (oh ya, and they don't have a minute by minute breakdown of elections drama!). Surprisingly, the East Bay Express also blogged on the elections... its amusing that they include gender statistics in there (only 1/3rd of candidates were female).

I guess same old - SA bombarding with "DONE" campaign posters and CalServe trying to mock them with the same campaign. (Here is a fun contraversy) I was surprised to see that BEARS-United is still in there. (Sad that BEARS lasted and FreeWeed didn't - i mean c'mon, which is a better name?). There are some new "parties" - doubt any of them will get anywhere. Interesting independent candidate running for Prez as well.

But now with elections over, its time for the famous ASUC lawsuits (and more). Yes folks, 17 suits... most of which will get settled by the Judicial Council but there is almost always 1 suit that gets taken to (real) court. Fortunately, unlike previous years, they will be doing a vote count and releasing prelim results (in previous years, you had to wait until all the suits were settled... and sometimes that wasn't until summer).

Anyway, I don't know why I care. Actually, I don't really. I don't know what the issues on campus are. But damn it was a fun time. And, really, reading that stuff was better than con law.

(PS - If you're read this far, you must be a former ASUCker... so HI!)