February Friends

February might be the shortest month, but it is already looking like the most packed. My friend from high school, who now lives in the middle of nowhere Maryland, is on my way to my apartment right now to visit. She will be the first of a series of friends coming into DC; in fact, I think I have friends from all walks of life visiting every weekend this month.

This is not to say that I am oh so popular. Most months I do not see anyone. All my friends simply decide to visit at the same time. To be ever cliche- when it rains it pours.

Fortunately the actual rain and bad weather from yesterday did stop, and today is a gorgeous 50 degrees (for CA people: this is what East Coast people call warm). I hope all my friends visiting will be this lucky.

Me and Snoop

Dear Senator Clinton and Senator Obama,

Please run together. I do not care which person takes the top slot. My friends suggests a televised coin toss. It would be the dream team either way.

Love,
Kristina, Snoop Dog, and so many other Democrats.

-------------------------------------------
Yes, Snoop Dog and I are kindred spirits:

"I just want to see somebody win in the best interest of America — whether it be [Obama], a black man, or whether it be Hillary, a woman," Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr., says in an exclusive interview set to air Friday night.

"Either one is a great move for America," he continued. "We need change. We need somebody in there that's about listening to the people and representing the people. I think both of the candidates will do that." --Interview with Larry King

Talkin' 'bout my generation...

Last night, my friend asked me to describe our generation in 3 words. After thinking about Generation Y, the Millennials, iGen, or whatever you want to call us people born from ~1982-1995, I came up with...

1. Ambitious
2. Technological
   
3. Dependent
   

My friends turned out to be similar...

1. Confident
2. Needy
3. Technological

These, of course, are very broad generalizations. However, I find the psychological and sociological studies about generations absolutely fascinating. I love reading about how we are the same and different from our parents (the baby boomers turned helicopters parents). How events and innovations have molded us. In the same way that my engineering dad and brother like to see how objects work, I figuring out why people are the way they are.

This all makes me wonder how our children's generation will turn out. Generation Z, or some other clever name they can call themselves. Relatedly, my friends Doug and Sarah are expecting their first child in August. I cannot believe that I have friends who have been married for four years and are having kids. And what more fitting way for them to announce it to all their friends, spread across the country, than to use Facebook. See my #2. Congratulations to them again!

"Baller" Professors

(Noun)
1. One who exhibits a consistent proficiency at-, or exuberant love for the game of basketball.
2. One whose person has been fully and successfully established in numerous social circles
3. One whose status in society has been earned by one's possession of "game" (that is, proficiency at the game of life)

(Adj)
1. Exhibiting those qualities of a baller.

The more that I learn about professors at my law school, the more in awe I am. Yesterday, my roommate and I discovered how accomplished her Business Associations Professor, Perry Wallace, is. Among the highlights of his resume were...

• Award for most outstanding engineering student at Vanderbilt University (he was a Electrical Engineering and Engineering Mathematics)
• First black varsity basketball player player in the SEC
• Jersey number retired at Vanderbilt
  
• Inductee in the Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame
• Quick stint with the Philadelphia 76'ers before Columbia Law School.
  
• And a lot of jobs of course...Department of Justice, Urban League, Professor, Researcher, etc
  

Moreover, my constitutional law professor was general counsel for 2 Presidents and the 9/11 Commission. My civil procedure professor has a doctrine named after him. My remedies professor clerked for Chief Justice Burger, one of the few female Supreme Court clerks. And of course, another constitutional law professor was on Carmen San Diego when he was 11.

I feel like I need to get cracking if I ever want to become a professor.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Here I am baby
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm yours
(You got my future in your hands)

I have had Stevie Wonder's song stuck in my head ever since I heard it playing on the video of Obama's Rally. Though Obama was playing the song to show how he's sealing the deal on the democratic nomination, I guess the song works for me today as well.

After over half a year of coming up with a topic, writing, rewriting, and rewriting some more, my comment has been signed, sealed, and delivered to my editors, who will in turn, read it over one more time and send it off to the printers.

Thanks to Alex for bringing me a falafel to get me through the home stretch of writing (I was craving one after watching the West Bank Story), and everyone who has listened to me whine about what seemed like a never-ending process-- I hope I kept it to a minimum.

As strange as it sounds, I actually was a little sad after I sent my final revisions off. My Comment was like my baby, and now it's all grown up and moving on. Fortunately law school does a good job of filling that void by giving you more papers to write and more reading to do.

American Obamaniacs

While I was sitting in Wills, Trusts & Estates, people were lining up to see Senator Ted Kennedy endorse Senator Barack Obama at American University today. Actually, while I was sleeping they were also lining up -- apparently people were at the main campus at 5:30am.

I was sad that I was unable to attend the rally. As I watched the live stream from my office, I remembered how fun all the rallies from 2004 were. Getting to sit in Dukakis' VIP seats to watch John Kerry speak, forming a human chain with Hillary's secret service to protect her from a mob at a campaign fundraiser, seeing Obama at the Boston convention. Oh the good ole days.

But alas, as a good Democrat, I must pay my dues and finish law school. Ted, Barack & Michelle, Hillary & Bill, John & Elizabeth . . . all lawyers.

By the way, our law school is having a Penny Wars contest between the candidates, calling it a Penny Caucus. As of today, Obama had about 7,000 points whereas Hillary had -310. Of course, I still do not know where to put my money, or my vote.

Strange Dining Fellows

Josh, a friend from UCLA asked if Alex and I wanted to go out to dinner at Mama Ayesha's with his fiance and a few other friends. When we all sat down, Josh laughed and said that the composition of the group could make for the beginning of a joke. Here is the synopsis of our politically diverse dinner table:

• Josh & Catherine: I ran a campaign against Josh for UCLA President before my candidate lost in the preliminary round. Then I and the Bruin Democrats endorsed Josh even though Josh was conservative. After graduation, Josh went off to work at the White House. He left the White House last October to go work for John Ashcroft's law firm. John Ashcroft once started singing 'You're So Vain' to Josh. Catherine is Josh's fiance. They're both Evangelical Christians voting for John McCain.
  
• Lauren & Dave: Lauren was in the Bruin Democrats with me and took classes on the Middle East with Josh. She is much more liberal than I, and works for a technology consulting firm started by some Deaniacs. Her boyfriend Dave is also uber liberal and does something in politics.
  
• Ashlynn & her sister: Ashlynn and Josh met through a program that goes to Israel. Now she works for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (aka: AIPAC, the huge pro-Israel lobby). Like Josh, she's an conservative Evangelical Christian.
  
• Cara: Cara worked in the White House with Josh. Like many Bushies, she went to the Unviersity of Texas. I do not know who she is voting for, but she has friends on the Huckabee campaign.
• Me & Alex: Even though I shop at Banana Repbulic(an), I think everyone knows where I stand politically. Alex is a registered independent now in DC, meaning he cannot vote in the primaries. He would vote for Hillary if he was as Democrat, and McCain if he was a Republican. Figure that one out.
  
• Helen Thomas: Helen has been a White House correspondent for 57 years, and was the first woman part of the National Press Club. Ok, Helen was not eating at our table, but she was in the restaurant.
  

They say that politics can make for strange bedfellows. I think my dinner last night has showed me that politics can also make for strange dining fellows. At least we can all agree that Middle Eastern food is good. Which actually reminds me of the West Bank Story, winner of the 2006 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. A clip:

A musical comedy set in the fast-paced, fast-food world of competing falafel stands in the West Bank... David, an Israeli soldier, falls in love with the beautiful Palestinian cashier, Fatima, despite the animosity between their families' dueling restaurants. Can the couple's love withstand a 2000 year old conflict and their families' desire to control the future of the chic pea in the Middle East?