A Holly, Jolly Christmas

Thanks to everyone for a great Christmastime. It was sad to leave, although obviously I was eager to get down to Florida. I never get into the spirit early enough, and in the end I feel ambushed by all the Christmas spirit. I'm not sure what I could do to change things except putting up a Christmas tree in my apartment in Somerville--and judging by the state of our few other surviving plants, it would be an act of cruelty.

This was the first year, however, where it has been as clear to me that the act of giving gifts is symbolic. It's really entirely secondary. I can imagine the three shepherds, undoubtedly not very confident in social situations, standing around and saying: "So. Do we just go? The Angel said it was important, so we've got to go. Did he say anything about what to bring? Is this a bottle of wine type situation?" Frankincense, amber & myrrh were social afterthoughts. Pure formalities.

It is funny how customs develop.

The End

As of 12:30pm, the deed is done. I turned in a 28-page paper yesterday (150 footnotes, by the way) and finished my three hour exam this morning, and now I'm done.

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!

You'll see my papers when I get my grades back.

Creativity and Incivility

I'm actually rather humorless when it comes to people throwing things at my President, even when I'm not a tremendous fan of the particular President.

Still, I have to admit that I am continually impressed by the creativity of internet denizens.

The Democratic Deficit in ESDP Operations

That was the name of the op-ed I turned in yesterday for EU Foreign Policy. If you want to ready any of these things, just let me know and I'll find a way to put them online. They're real barn-burners.

End of the Semester

"The Merida Initiative: A Development Perspective." That's the name of the 30-page paper I just turned in to my Law & Development class. Over a hundred footnotes, one graph, and hours and hours of hard work.

Sadly, it's not a very good paper, or at least not as good as I would have liked. But, I couldn't have gotten it done (such as it is) without the work I put in over Thanksgiving. So thank you for being understanding.

Now all I've got is an(nother) op-ed, a twenty-page paper, and a three hour exam. Then I'll be home on the 20th. I can't wait to see you.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was great--thanks from both Irene and myself. We're already looking forward to next year.

Until then, though, I'll be looking forward to coming home for Christmas and seeing everyone (including Jacob and the Captain).

ps. And remember to put up the rest of the football photos, Dad!

Christmas Gift List

So I decided to get way out in front of the holidays this year. I've compiled a list of possible gifts:

1. The OED

2. A brown corduroy blazer. Not this one, particularly, but something like it (maybe without the elbow patches)

3. Restatement of the Law Third, Foreign Relations Law of the United States

4. The West Wing

5. A brown or black messenger bag that is professional enough for me to take to work. My last one, which I got at Banana Republic, broke. Non-leather, obviously.

6. A Mondaine Watch.

7. New brown dress shoes.

8. Amazon Wish List.

So anyway that's somewhere to start. Please put your suggestions for Christmas shopping in the comments section.

Happy Veterans Day!

In all the Veterans Days that have gone by, I don't think I've ever thanked the Veteran I know best! So thanks Dad! And thanks too to Uncle Doug!

Fun in New York

I may have mentioned this to you when I was back in town, but Nic recently bought a condo in Kew Gardens, Queens. It's a bit further out than his last place in Astoria (also in Queens).

When I got there, since I was late, I took the Metro to Nic's House instead of having him pick me up. I went all the way on the J. His new place is great--he and Heather did a lot of work remodeling it.

On the way to the panel on Thursday morning I went through Roosevelt Island--the spot of a pretty horrible horror movie (based on a Japanese film of the same name). And my final lunch, at Debevoise & Plimpton, was right in front of Rockefeller Center, where I watched the election results come in on the 4th. New York, New York.

It was great to see everyone. Love!

Voting

I got to the polls at 7am, the moment they officially opened, and I waited for almost an hour to vote. I'm predicting a convincing win in Somerville for Barack Obama.

Not that I'm admitting my vote either way. After all, the secret ballot is a fundamental democratic right.

Did you all go with the mail-in?

It's a Small World, Afterall?

Growing up, I really had the sense that the world was generally a safe, peaceful, secure place. I guess everyone wants their children to grow up that way. Unfortunately, the trade-off is that once you get to a certain age you realize the degree to which it isn't the case.

Why bring this up now? I'm doing research for my Law & Development paper on the effect of Crime in Mexico, I came across this little gem: "At least 4,000 people have been murdered in violence involving traffickers so far this year. Officials say that is a sign that government pressure is having an effect. Some believe that the Sinaloa mob has been least affected by the crackdown. Nevertheless, one of its leaders, Jesús Zambada (aka “the king”), was among 16 of the gang’s members (including three policemen) arrested last month after a gun battle. The authorities say that since December 2006 they have arrested more than 48,000 traffickers, seizing 69 tonnes of cocaine and more than 24,000 illegal firearms."

Which raises some interesting questions. Why do English folk use "tonnes" instead of "tons?" Where do you put 48,000 traffickers? And, perhaps most importantly, how does the fact that 4,000 murders have occurred signal that "government pressure is having an effect?"

PSA

There's an amusing new Public Service Announcement out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/29/star-stuffed-psa-get-five_n_138913.html Note the effective use of reverse psychology.

I also wanted to ask, now that we're all on Facebook on top of this (semi-regularly updated) blog, do we feel as though technology has "brought us closer together?" It's cliched enough to be difficult to say, but hard to dispute.

Not that I've seen any pictures of Amy's new haircut, though, so really what's the benefit?

Looking Forward

So this weekend I've been trying to concentrate on working on my term papers. In my Law & Development class it looks like I'll be writing about the effect of crime on Mexico's development, and its attendant effect on US-Mexican relations. For Compliance and Exceptionalism in American Treaty Behavior, I think it'll be US reservations to international human rights treaties. If those sound like interesting topics, I would agree, but both are also going to require a healthy bit of work.

After all, I want to be way out ahead of them so I don't have to stress out over Thanksgiving, right?

Perfect (Columbus) Day for a Run

Irene's Surprise Party

That's right. Here are links to the pictures...

Did you ever think...

... that "The United States of America" is actually a pretty poor name? I know I've brought my patriotism into question simply by bringing this up, but here me out. "United States," is a description that applies to almost all countries (as they are all composed of smaller bodies, whether they're cantons or provinces or what have you). "America" is the name shared by two continents. Worst of all, if you combine the two, the "United States of America," you should really be referring some entity that contains all the countries of North and South America.

Obviously there are historical reasons we ended up this way (and the "European Union" is currently living through them). The Founding Fathers had enough on their plates. But isn't there some power to a original name?

Unseasonably Warm Day

It's a a nice Thursday in Medford (where the Tufts campus is). Seventy degrees with intermittent cloud cover. There's a touch of humidity with the warmth, so it feels a bit like a day in early Spring. Doomed not to last...

Oranges

Thank you very much for the oranges! Steve and I have both been eating them, and Irene, who's sick and visiting, is also quite grateful.

Many thanks!

Spanish Exam, Part 1

Good news! This morning I took the first part of my required Spanish proficiency exam. I needed to translate a Spanish article (on the development of the feminist movement in Spain, as it turned out) into English. There were two sections: Functional & Advanced. Functional went well--the Advanced I'm less sure about. But, luckily for me, functionality is all that's required. Now all I need to do is have a half an hour conversation to demonstrate verbal proficiency.

Unfortunately, the soccer team dropped a 4-1 game last night, although it was closer than the score would indicate. Que lastima.

Fafe and Amy Ruth

I was thinking about the grandparent generation yesterday, when I found out that the husband of one of my professors at Fletcher worked at Covington & Burling between 1952-1955. Do we know when Amy Ruth worked there?

As I was poking around, trying to find the answer to that question, I discovered something else interesting. In previous searches for "Amy Ruth Mahin," "Charles Boyd Mahin" and "Keck, Mahin & Cate," I'd come up with little information. My assumption was that there would be less and less as time went on. Much to my surprise, the amount of information seems to be expanding.

That quirky, quirky internet.

All those grubby little hands...

I suppose it's really no surprise that swiftly upon returning to school I've contracted some kind of sickness. Sore throat? Check. Running nose? Double check. The law firm, for all the things it was not, was comfortingly sterile.

I'm hunkered down, don't worry. But I was just thinking, I could really use some citrus fruits to fight off this cruel pathogen. Whatever happened to our Florida oranges? If the problem was my lack of gratitude, let me tell you, I repent. Sick and tired is no way to go through school.

I also wanted to let you know that Irene and I purchased our tickets to Chicago for Thanksgiving and Baltimore for Bardy's Wedding on November 8th. We will be coming into O'Hare the morning of Wednesday the 26th at 8:50am and leaving Monday December 1st at 6:45pm (so we'll have an extra day in Chicago). For Bardy's wedding we are coming into Baltimore at 10pm on Friday, November 7th and leaving at 6:30pm on Sunday (Irene is going to Manchester). Since the wedding is in Baltimore, this should leave us some time to come to Westminster on Sunday. What are the chances you could leave the car at the airport for us?

Old Man

Since Dad seems to have been put-off by his nickname (it's a term of endearment!), I thought I'd pass along that today, like so many generations of Americans before me, I stood aghast at the cost of a Coca-Cola.

$1.61! For a can!

When I was a boy we could get $.05 sodas at Rexall's on Main Street. I just don't know what's wrong with the world these days.

Photos From Chip's Wedding

Here you go: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30540667@N06/sets/72157607294134316/

Buried in Reading

I tell you, if Fletcher is any example graduate school isn't like law school at all. It's true that there's a great deal of work to do in both, but the pedagogical methods are completely different. In law school, we had a fair amount of reading which we needed to know inside and out. Knowing the facts, holding and procedural posture of a case was all run of the mill, and some professors regularly asked us to support whatever argument we were making with specific page numbers.

Not so Tufts. Instead, we're just buried. Buried, buried, buried. It's all interesting material and I'm enjoying reading it. But the volume. In fact, it's common practice at Tufts for people to form study groups and split up the reading. They purposefully give you more work than they think you can complete. Seems bizarre to me, but I guess they know what they're doing...

My only consolation is that I've encountered my old friend Oliver Wendell in both institutions.

Debilitating

After playing two hours of soccer yesterday with some Fletcher students I am utterly incapacitated. Irene informs me that my mistake was wearing cotton socks with my cleats, instead of my nylon-cotton mix soccer socks. However that is, I've got impressive blisters and walking has become surprisingly difficult.

Irene's Place in Concord

Check it out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisboundy/sets/72157607066438097/

There are also a few pictures of the Outdoor Church Irene worked at, as well as a few of our trip to Vermont. Flickr's uploading limitations didn't let me put up all the shots I would have liked...

But I'll find a way. Oh yes. I'll find a way.

Shopping Day

With a predictability that deeply embarrasses me, I started today with a clear sense of what classes I was going to take this semester and, by the end, I was flummoxed. This is all thanks to "Shopping Day," which at Fletcher consists of a full day of professors given brief (25-30 minute) synopsis of their courses. It's an interesting idea, and helpful, but you're a fool if choose your classes before seeing the professor's teaching style and hearing his or her vision of the course. Based on these two factors alone, U.S. Public Diplomacy was out and The Rise of China in the 21st Century was almost (almost!) in. However, sober reflection led me to...

The Final Line-Up:

The International Legal Order

Law & Development

Compliance and Exceptionalism in International Treaty Behavior

European Union Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice

Why these? Int'l Legal Order and Treaty Compliance are fairly standard choices for international law sorts. European Foreign Policy and Law and Development cater to one of my particular interests--strengthening the States Transatlantic and North American ties (militarily, economically, etc.).

The funniest moment of the day? I spoke with my advisor this afternoon about course selection and, in describing the courses I was considering taking, let slip that the professor for the European Union Foreign Policy course had some chair or other. I was quickly corrected. Although Prof. Yannis is currently the Constantine Karamanlis Associate Professor of Hellenic and Southeastern European Studies, the chair, properly speaking, belongs to Constantine Karamanlis.

Indeed.

Family Information

In the haze of paperwork I've had to fill out since starting school again one document in particular has given me problems.

The family information form, for reasons that pass understanding, is interested in what schools everyone has attended. Now I know that Mom and Dad attended Univ. of IL at Champagne-Urbana, and Mom went on to University of Baltimore for her graduate work. Amy was at Drexler, obviously, but then got her Masters Degree at the University of Dayton?

Quite a variety.

ENTJ

Myers-Briggs informs me that I'm more: 1) Extraverted than Introverted, 2) process information through Intuition more than Sensation, 3) Thinking, not Feeling, and 4) Judging, not Perceiving. This makes me controlled, decisive, logical, objective, opinionated, straightforward, and tough-minded, among other things.

More surprisingly, perhaps, is that I'm not really much of an ENTJ at all. None of my scores were sufficiently high to raise me out of the "slight" category. I suppose I'm either feckless or flexible, depending on your point of view.

Even more interesting than my session with career services (who administered the Myers-Briggs test), was another session by Professor Hammock on "Career Development Part II - Interests." Prof. Hammock began the session by asking us to turn to the person sitting next to us and to tell them what we felt passionately about.

And, don't you know, I don't think I've ever been asked seriously to articulate what it is exactly that I feel passionately about. Family, obviously. But what concepts, what ideas, motivate me? What ideas drive me socially, professionally, politically? And if I can't say, then how can I begin to look for fulfilling work?

My response in the moment, which I stand by, is the concept of a marketplace of ideas. Appropriately it is both a wholly American idea, and a legal idea. It puts faith in people to decide their own affairs when ideas, even repugnant ones, are exchanged without inhibition and people are free to make up their own minds. More broadly it places faith in people, and so in democracy.

I'll be trying to articulate other passions of mine in the next few days. I've got a break until Tuesday, thanks to Labor Day, which I'll be spending up in Concord, NH with Irene. We'll post some photos of Irene's new place soon.

Least Surprising Thing of the Day

The fellow in my program from Rwanda wants to take the class on the Rule of Law in Post Conflict Societies.

Orientation Continued

Another interesting day at the Fletcher school. Today we started with two hours of icebreakers. I could say a lot of things, but in the end it wasn't as painful as it could have been. One question was which political figure we'd like to meet if we could, living or dead? I said Thomas Jefferson. My partner went with Salvador Allende. Professional hero? I went with Ted Sorensen. My partner? A friend of his who works as a democratic activist in China.

So, I'll let you draw out the differences there.

The interesting conversations also continued. I spoke with a young man from Switzerland, also named Chris, about the different approaches our countries took to immigration. I also spoke with an attorney from Puerto Rico about the criminal justice system there. Quite a day.

More reports tomorrow.

First Day of Orientation

The first day of my Fletcher Orientation was today. It was enjoyable...ish. We had about five hours of lectures on topics from financial aid to mental health to the economics department. Regardless of how interesting it was, in dosages that high it's all a bit much to digest.

And this was only day one.

The people were interesting, though. As interesting as promised. One young woman I spoke to had just returned from her two year stint with the Peace Corp in Burkina Faso. Another young Japanese man had interned with the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights on the issue of refugees in Japan.

And, again, this is only day one.

Unfortunately, my trivia team isn't doing very well, so there's plenty of room in my little universe for improvement. But I mean, how can anyone be expected to remember the first name of the half-brother Bill Clinton pardoned on his last day of office?

Standard Running Loop

This is my standard running loop. Now that I've got some free time back, I can hit the road again. Don't act like you don't care!

Obama - Biden

Well, what do you know? Irene and my dream ticket really came true. A huge step forward for the political strength of Del-Mar-Va.

Forced Hiatus

After a forced leave of absence, I'm happy to breathe new life into your favorite blog, "Your Prodigal Son." Through the astounding power of the internet I can see it's body has not even begun to decompose. It is my sincere hope that the coming year won't be quite as intense as the last few months and I'll be able to detail all my student activity for you in loving detail.

What happened? This is the man you have to blame:



Freakishly tanned? Certainly. Formerly head of a major mortgage company? Oh yeah. Center of maelstrom of litigation? Big 10-4 on that one.

And, being a fairly large corporation, there has been quite a lot of work to do. I can't go into details of course, but suffice it to say that litigation will be ongoing.

Why Egg Salad?

So, the egg salad sandwich recipe in my previous post may have seemed out of the ordinary. But the reality is that egg salad has never been as much a part of my life as it is now. The reason is the Outdoor Church, an outfit that (coincidentally?) Irene begins work for next week.

For whatever reason, egg salad is the sandwich of choice among the homeless population of Cambridge (where they are distributed). It's a happy coincidence because they are also full of protein and provide otherwise valuable nutrition to an undernourished population. While Irene was at North Prospect we made sandwiches for the Outdoor Church to deliver--now we've moved up to the collecting and delivering.

For obvious reasons the focus in making the sandwiches is usually on quantity. But I said to myself, "Why shouldn't homeless people have nice egg salad sandwiches with paprika and prepared mustard? Is there something inherent in being homeless that makes them dislike paprika?"

The answer is obvious. Everyone likes paprika.

Egg-cellent Egg Salad Sandwiches

I just couldn't resist. Here you go:

INGREDIENTS

* 4 eggs (enough for two sandwiches)
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
* 1/4 cup chopped green onion
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and then immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.

2. Place the chopped eggs in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, mustard and green onion. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Stir and serve on your favorite bread or crackers.

Enjoy!

Photos

Here are the photos from Irene's graduation, and here are a few from Webster's wedding.

Enjoy!

EdFest 2008

Sorry for the delay in posting. We had a big trip up North by Ed and Nic. A college reunion tour! Ed was up for a science conference down by the World Trade Center where I used to work and Nic came up from New York for the weekend. Good times. I put a few of the photos up online here.

And, on top of that, our soccer team played their first game on Friday and won 2-1, with your son scoring the winning goal!

Memorial Day

At this very moment, Somerville's Memorial Day Parade is passing in front of my house, with all its marching bands, sirens, and even the occasional cannon firing. Actually, the parade path winds the exact route I walk home from church, so following today's service I got to see a great deal of the goings on.

Which set me to wondering: How should one celebrate Memorial Day? Parades are wonderful things--the very fact that we have them is an obvious sign that the community supports and thanks its veterans. Parades also bring the community together briefly, and instill a sense of national pride in the citizenry, especially from the old (who are the primary participants in the parade) to the young (who are often most bedazzled by the spectacle). But there's no specific connection between parades and Memorial Day; after all, we have parades on many major holidays. And the parade can't be primarily about thanking the participants, although many active military personnel participate, because of the two holidays we dedicate to the Armed Forces it's Veteran's Day where we celebrate our current military force, and Memorial Day where we commemorate the fallen.

Indeed, viewed from a certain perspective, the way people generally choose to celebrate Memorial Day--with barbecues, pool openings, and general frivolity--is quite peculiar. If Memorial Day is meant to honor the memory of military personnel who are no longer among us, including those who died in the heat of battle, there's very little that could be more sobering. What could be more tragic than the thought of the many young men, years younger than I am now, who died on foreign shores, far from home, from the places they knew, and the people that they loved?

One could always say, I suppose, that they would want us to be happy, and that they would want us to enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice. That today of all days we should be happy, and remember the fallen well. Still, there is a powerful sadness in Memorial Day that isn't echoed in the cannon fire, and isn't reflected in the faces of the people watching the parade go by.

In the end, the only thing that I can find that ties them is their cause. Both soldiers on the battlefield and people cheering at a parade do what they do from a love of their country, and of what it represents. It seems strange to me that that should be it, but it's possible that nationalism and somber reflection have a difficult time occupying the same space.

The Big Easy, Part Deux

What else is there to say about the Big Easy? Probably most importantly, the city is anything but self-pitying. It's full of chintzy t-shirts, a wonderful variety of beads, pralines of every imaginable variety, Abita beer, and of course, the omnipresent fleur-de-lis (which is not, as it turns out, just the symbol for the local football team).

Of course, there's more than natural resiliency at work here. Whatever the best way to move past a natural disaster is psychologically, if you have a city that earns a large part of its revenue from tourism the best way to move forward economically is to get things back to normal, and quickly. Someone told me the first businesses to open on Bourbon Street following Hurricane Katrina were the strip clubs. I'm purposefully choosing not to find out whether or not that's true, though it certainly is interesting.

The other thing about New Orleans is that it's hot. Even in May, the temperatures were in the mid-80's with a stifling humidity. What I enjoyed more than anything (besides seeing Irene) about coming back to New England was the brisk spring air. Always good to be home again.

Interlude

Since we're on the topic of New Orleans, I just had to pass along a great recipe for Vegetarian Jambalaya I found. Simple and tasty.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1 cup chopped green pepper
* 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup uncooked rice
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 6 tablespoons sour cream (the truly crucial ingredient)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large nonstick skillet saute the onion, celery, green pepper, mushrooms
and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the water, tomatoes, rice, soy sauce,
parsley, salt, paprika, cayenne, chili powder and pepper.
2. Transfer to a 2-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover
and bake at 350 degrees until rice is tender (use the length advised on the
package as a guide) and the liquid is absorbed. Top each serving with a
generous dollop of sour cream.

(taken from AllRecipes and slightly altered)

Enjoy!

The Big Easy

I've just returned from Chip's bachelor party in New Orleans and, as promised, this is my blog post about it--although one notably without pictures. My camera was lost to the bayou, never to be found again.

First off, it's probably worth stating that it was not technically a bachelor party. Chip was married in St. Thomas (or some Caribbean Island or another) several months ago and had a corresponding, legally binding marriage in the States sometime shortly thereafter. He's going to have a proper, invite-all-my-friends-and-family-wedding in September of which I am lucky enough to be a part.

So this bachelor party had a slightly different feel, and that, perhaps coupled with the fact that we're all getting a little bit older, made for it being a bit more tame than four nights with your closest friends in New Orleans might suggest.

There was a fan boat tour, a lot of jazz music at bars and such, a healthy dose of Bourbon Street, and some beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde, which everyone says is a must.

More interesting to me, and I assume to you, was exactly what kind of condition New Orleans was in. The French Quarter, being the major driver in New Orleans tourist based economy, was perfect on the surface. If you managed to walk a bit away from Bourbon Street the view changed. The only part of some buildings that still stood was the facade--or perhaps that was the only part that wasn't demolished. The number of vacant houses and offices in the French Quarter, again away from Bourbon Street, was surprising. Even on Bourbon Street, only the first floor of most buildings was rented. The second and third floors were empty.

We'll consider this Part I. Look for future installments soon!

The Harvard Divinity Ball

Last night Irene and I went to a Black Tie fundraiser at the Faculty Club at Harvard. All of the proceeds went to Response, Inc., which assists local battered women. Those canny Divinity students managed to raise $5,300 dollars, which I thought was pretty good. The only downside was that the ball was, errr, a swing dance party. And, as it turns, some of those Harvard students can really swing dance...

And I can't. But I have pictures!



Irene got me the white jacket and bow tie at a thrift store. Class all the way! You can see the rest of the pictures here.

Milk Confusion

Did you know that I spent my entire life thinking that 2% milk was healthier than 1% milk? Did we used to drink 2% at home?

Celebrities

Part of living in the Boston area is having to deal with Harvard. There's a lot of great things, like beautiful graduate students who can become your girlfriend, and a lot of not so great things, like boatloads of over privileged undergrads.

Another one of the positives is that there are a lot of great speakers who come around. In the last few weeks I've seen Gordon Wood, a prominent Revolutionary historian, Jeffrey Sachs, an internationally renowned economist, and just yesterday, Chuck Hagel, Republican Senator from Nebraska.

Hey, they're celebrities to me. The unfortunate part is that when they come around, they're usually hawking books ... which can be of dubious quality. I guess nobody bats 1000%.

For a little color, here's a picture from behind my house.



Also, I think the commenting might be fixed. Why don't you give it a try?

Rosetta Stone

One interesting thing about enrolling at a school of International Relations like the Fletcher School is that, well, they expect certain things. International-ly things. Like for their students to be able to speak a foreign language--preferably by the time classes begin.

Accordingly, I've recently become the proud owner of the Rosetta Stone software (you may recall the Rosetta Stone company from kiosks in the mall). The software takes an interesting approach. The idea is to reproduce the way we learn most effectively; specifically, the way we learn as children. There's a lot of matching spoken words with pictures and the like. I'll update you on the results.

You'll also be interested to note that before I bought the Rosetta Stone software I tried to use an old CD from the Learning Company called "Speaking Spanish" that you bought for me years ago. Unfortunately the software is so old my computer can't read it. There was an accompanying booklet that I've been using, however.

Todo que fue viejo es nuevo de nuevo.

Irene's Health

Thanks for asking about Irene--she's doing fine. She's been forbidden from exercising, ordered to eat meat and take a daily pill of iron sulfate, but she's fine.

She's obviously very disappointed about not being able to run in the marathon. And, all of the sudden not being able to exercise (except for "light stretching") is driving her a bit batty. But if she sticks to the regiment she'll be fine.

Also, I got an invitation to Dave Webster's wedding today. It's going to be in Baltimore on June 7th. And to a South Carroll girl (Courtney Anne)! Who'd have thought it...

Handsome Christophers

I wanted to let you know that there has been yet another birth: Ed and Ann had their second child, Mary Elizabeth, on March 31st. They seem to be just a bit ahead of Amy and Chris for timing.

Here's a picture of the happy twosome.



I received the news from Amy that it's another boy on the way for them. It's practically a parade of soft little feet.

The Judge

Just a quick post. A few weeks ago I attended an event at the New England School of Law (NESL) with several other of Justice Sosman's law clerks. To commemorate Justice Sosman's time on the bench, the Law Review for NESL--a student operated professional journal--dedicated their latest issue to the Judge and her jurisprudence. Then they had a little shindig to celebrate/network.

Fair's fair. Here's the group of us together:

Iron and Fiction

Sad news! Irene had blood drawn yesterday and she's anemic! Quite anemic. So anemic, in fact, that she's taking iron supplements, refraining from vigorous exercise, and beginning to eat meat again. It's hard to believe, but of the three becoming an omnivore is not the most important. Why? Irene will not be running the Boston Marathon. Irene will not be running the Boston Marathon.

Luckily, Morgan Memorial Goodwill has agreed to simply hold the money and save space for her to run next year. She's still down about it, of course.

Less consequential but also disappointing is that I've seem to have lost my taste for fiction. It's quite a claim, but I recently read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I'm working on White Noise, and I've got Our Town on deck. But I've got to say, I haven't enjoyed what I've seen so much. And White Noise and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are supposed to be quite funny. Not that I haven't enjoyed them, but ... I haven't really enjoyed them, certainly.

Apparently you have an increasingly humorless child.

A Beneficial Website

Check out Free Rice. The idea is that a certain amount of rice (20 grains for each word) is given to poor individuals across the globe for each correctly chosen definition. The rice is paid for by advertisers at the bottom of the screen.

How much rice can you contribute? Let's have a Boundy family competition!

With only a few mistakes along the way, I managed to donate 1020 grains of rice and to get to vocab level 40. Who knew venesection meant phlebotomy, anyway?

About-face...

As it turns out, I may have spoken too soon about Deerfield Academy. Irene really enjoyed St. Paul's, which is in Concord, New Hampshire. Only 75 minutes away.

As for whether it's better or worse, I really can't say. U.S. News & World Report doesn't do an elite boarding school ranking and so they can be hard to compare. It's something Irene has been trying to figure out. Endowments and class sizes are just readily available criteria.

St. Paul does have a strong Episcopal tradition. And a monster chapel.

La Cucaracha?

Ugh. We've got a few unwanted visitors at 277 Highland Ave.

Any advice? I've already cleaned thoroughly and invested in some poisonous traps, which seems to have had some results.



Yuck.

In happier news, Irene is interviewing at St. Paul's today. She's teaching the Communist Manifesto, so we've both been boning up on our Marx. While she was preparing for the class, she came across this amusing retelling of the Manifesto:



Enjoy.

Job Front

Good News! Irene was just offered a position at Deerfield, which is about two hours away from the city in South Deerfield, Mass. Deerfield Academy is one of the upper echelon of boarding schools, or so I'm told. The school's endowment is $375 million, which comes out to over $630,000 for each of the 600 students currently attending. There are 110 faculty, making for a teacher to student ratio of about 5:1.

Here are some pictures:





The sprawling campus stretches over 280 acres and includes 127 buildings.

Of course nothing is set in stone, but given its prestigious nature and relative proximity to Somerville, and so to me, Deerfield has the edge over most of her other possibilities--including St. Paul's School for Girls (although she did like the school a great deal).

As for me, I find my mind constantly wandering back to the Peace Corp...



April Fools. I'm looking for temp jobs, I'm looking for temp jobs.

Asheville Photos

We had a great time. Thanks so much for letting us use the house. Check out our photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisboundy/sets/72157604280489573/

Asheville

Now that our trip to Asheville is on the horizon, I've been trying to plan out some activities and wanted to get some specific advice. Obviously, there is the Biltmore. I've also heard great things about the Barley Taproom & Pizzeria. Any other suggestions?

I also wanted to make sure that I was clear our Irene and my traveling plans. We'll be arriving in Asheville in the afternoon on Sunday (the 23rd) and leaving together on the 27th. In Charlotte, Irene will take a flight to Baltimore, spend the night at St. Paul's School for Girls, interview there, and fly home on Friday. I'll be coming straight home. The difference is that St. Paul's is paying for Irene's change in travel plans.

We are very much looking forward to our time at the High House.

Bachelor Parties in Florida

I just returned, red as a beet, from Dave Webster's Bachelor Party in Florida. We had a good time, in our distinctively Westminster way--there were more games of whiffle ball and all night Monopoly than wild nights at the bars; more the bonhomie of a reunion than the reckless dissoluteness of a Miami bender.

I can feel your skepticism across the miles.

In any event, it was more the nature of where we stayed in Florida that captured my attention. We were in Ft. Lauderdale, so Amy can confirm or deny my experience based on her time in the Sunshine State, but what was most surprising to me was the willingness of people there to let certain parts of their town--lots, old buildings, unused golf courses, for example--to slowly decay. The first morning we were there half the group went golfing and the other went to a casino, so, left to my own devices, I took a short run around to get the lay of the land. Among other things, I found the back nine of a golf course slowly deteriorating a short distance away, separated from a grouping of hotels by two-lane highway. We may hold space to a premium in the Northeast, but seeing the course's slow state of decomposition was a memorable event. Coupled with the impressive March heat, one got the sense that the course was somehow slowly rotting away.


I may be becoming too much of a North easterner. What have been your impressions of Florida when you've been?

Matthew, Mark, Luke & John

A funny thing has happened since I've become a born again church-goer. As it turns out, and only in my opinion, there is a lot of filler in the average UCC service. You've got to get the collection plates, pass'em out, and take'em back, and then get the bread and wine, pass'em out (slight difference from Episcopal services), and take'em back, and so on. To pass the time, I've started leafing through the only reading material available.

I think of the Four Gospels, I prefer Luke. He comes at the issue as a historian, and I've got a soft spot for historians. Of the remaining books, I'm still trying to figure out where they all fit and whether they all fit together (and I'm growing more and more skeptical all the time). I like Ecclesiastes pretty well (all is vanity, after all) and I've enjoyed the parts of Paul's letters I've read, even if they do sound a bit like a boss sending plaintive notes back home.

To be honest, I was surprised what an elevated post Paul has on the religious hierarchy. Second in importance to the big guy, some say.

Next Year

So, on top of her work as a Student Minister and finishing her final semester at Harvard Divinity School, Irene has recently become enmeshed in the job hunt. I think she mentioned this, but she's focusing her search on elite boarding schools on the East Coast. I don't have much experience with boarding schools generally, but I find them fascinating. They are there own little world. Tuition for several of the schools runs around $35,000 for boarders, and several have endowments that equal more than $500,000 for every current student. And the campuses are beautiful.

A few she's looking at include the Pomfret School in Pomfret, CT, the Kent School in Kent, CT, the Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, MA and the St. Andrew's School in Middletown, DE.

And the campuses. Yowzer.



Of course, according to a recent article in the Globe, Boarding Schools have problems of their own, so maybe they're not so idyllic after all.

Old ideas in new contexts...

I was wondering, since you've been so consistently reminding me of upcoming birthdays, if there wasn't some way that we and the Mahin family couldn't stay in better contact. And then, while I was reading a blog, it occurred to me: A Blog!

I'm sure that themahinfamilyblog.blogspot.com is still available, I'm sure, and we could circulate a username and password that would allow everyone to post (I know you've been dying to post). At the very least we could post information like address changes and pictures of kids and the like.

What do you think?

Uncle George

I'm very sorry to hear that Uncle George passed away. Give my love to the Rowlands and the Graftons, and especially to Mary.

Confirmation Number

I just finished The Odyssey, and I was pleased to see my earlier analysis borne out. After Odyssues and Telemachus massacre the suitors who have been residing in their home in Ithaca only two of the entire lot escape--and one of them was a bard! Looking out for his own, no doubt about it.

Next up is War and Peace. A legendary challenge.

Asheville

I don't want to get your hopes up, but Irene and I may be interested in the Asheville cabin sometime during her Spring Break in March. I'm going to Dave Webster's bachelor party in Florida from the 6th to the 9th, but sometime shortly thereafter might work. We may even try to get another couple to come along to enjoy the Paris of the South (Nic? Ryan? Bill?).

Long story short, Irene's friends have been making trips around the Northeast lately, and she's got the itch to travel. Luckily, having a boy from the mid-Atlantic, she'll get to go a bit further afield.

Valentine's Day

For Valentine's Day I made Irene dinner, which includes French Onion Soup and Tempeh Reubens. The soup was good, the reubens, eh, not so much.

The soup was good enough, though, for me to pass along the recipe for the Boundy Family Cookbook. Ta Dah:

Ingredients
1 lb 8 oz onions
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves (3 chopped, 1 peeled but whole)
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 cups vegetable stock
6 slices French bread
3 cups grated swiss cheese
fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish

1. Thinly slice the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan, then add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until they are just beginning to brown. Stir in the chopped garlic, sugar, and thyme, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown.

2. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the wine. Gradually stir in the Stock and bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the bread on both sides under a preheated medium broiler. Rub the toast with the whole garlic clove.

3. Ladle the soup into 6 flameproof bowls set on a cookie sheet. Float a piece of toast in each bowl and divide the grated cheese between them. Place under a preheated medium-hot broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has just melted. Garnish with thyme and serve.

Vote Today?

Did you make it out to the polls? With an additional hour and a half, I certainly hope so.

Not that you were voting in the Democratic Primary, of course. Who'd you go for, if you don't mind me asking?

I spent the day running (thanks for asking). Check it out: http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ma/somerville/211156248

I would rather have voted again, let me tell'ya.

Lent

What are you two sacrificing for Lent? I'm still trying to come up with something...and I like the idea of promising to do something, as opposed to abstaining from something.

Given my two week hiatus from posting, maybe trying to post daily on this blog would be a good choice...

Things I've Always Wondered...

Before you had kids, did you make vegetable side dishes to go with dinner? I made a risotto last night for Irene (a labor of love, let me tell you) and the thought of making a side of green beans or broccoli, or whatever, occurred to me. But I rarely bother with such things when it's just Irene and me.

Yet, I recall vegetable sides regularly growing up. Did you two always used to make them, or is it only an obligation once you have children?

Maxims

If there were maxims that governed philosophical exploration, I've always thought they would be something like:

1. Pursue knowledge first among all things.
2. Critically analyze all knowledge you encounter no matter what its source, and refuse to adhere to flawed or specious beliefs. Allow for no exceptions.
3. Follow where your intellectual searching takes you, but do not be capricious in your beliefs. Accept something only after making a determined effort to refute it; but, if you cannot do so, accept the information regardless of how difficult and surprising it may be.

This came up when Irene and I were discussing the differences between the United Church of Christ and Unitarian Universalists, and I realized that not only could I not differentiate between those two, but I couldn't articulate the differences between Episcopalians and other Protestant sects. So what had I be doing all those years? Rule #2 violated, I hung my head in shame.

I'm still sorting out the answer to that little puzzle, but I found an illuminating article in Time magazine discussing the true nature of another religious belief--Scientology. It's a long one, but it makes for quick reading. Some of it is absolutely not to be believed. I suppose it's common knowledge that Scientologists are wacky, but I was surprised at exactly how vindictive and avaricious the group truly is.



Enjoy.

Good Questions

Irene and I were talking about the Odyssey last night while making dinner, and Irene asked a very good question. I was kind of blathering on, and I happened to mention the most heralded events in the epic--Odysseus' encounters with the Lotus-Eaters, Cyclops, Circe, Sirens, as well as Scylla & Charibdis--are not told as they happen, but narrated by Odysseus to the Phoenicians only the night before his return to Ithaca. Which seemed interesting to me, but Irene asked (and rightfully so): So what?

Sadly, I didn't have any insightful replies on hand and, even after reflection, I can't come up with a convincing reason this structure would effect the story itself. It's true that Odysseus is a man of "twists and turns" and so throughout the epic tailors his story to his audiences--but it's difficult to believe that Homer would have Odysseus incorrectly recount this section, this section that details the harrowing nature of his journey, and so constitutes the heart of the story.

What makes it interesting to me is that prior to telling the Phoenicians of his trials and travails Odysseus is moved to tears by a famous Phoenician bard who sings of the fall of Troy. Odysseus compliments the bard profusely ... and then launches into his own story. It seems to me that by having Odysseus praise the Phoenician bard, and by having Odysseus' become a bard himself by retelling his legendary journey, Homer has reserved a special place for bards the world over. Historical context makes this easier to understand: Not only would Homer have told the Iliad and the Odyssey orally, he would have known that the only other way they would be spread is by other bards.

So one reason for this structure, among many others I'm sure, is self-propagation (with perhaps a touch of egoism). Tell them to hold the press at the New Yorker (with their indecipherable cartoons), I've got their next front page story right here.

The Economist

A few weeks ago I forwarded you an article in Foreign Affairs about corporate social responsibility--as it turns out, the Economist has picked up the thread, and has a 14-page spread in this week's edition. If you've only got time for one article, the lead story is here. Generally, the piece appears to be an attempt to temper optimism about the impact businesses can have, and should have, in facing down global problems. Whether the Economist, which is famed for its impartiality and level-headedness, is right to reign in expectations I'll leave to your consideration.

Admittedly, the Economist has never been one of my preferred publications. It's expensive, for one thing, and its focus on business issues takes a toll on readability. The analysis of social issues is commendably even-handed, and often quite insightful--but usually all too brief (few articles run for more than two pages). Even masterly written articles can only cover so much with such little ink.

Worse, I find myself skeptical of the magazine's readership. The content of the Economist is simply too specialized for general consumption, but its reputation as the magazine for the cosmopolitan and business-savvy make it an appealing subscription for the affectatious.

For what it's worth, I'm sure that among those who actually need it the Economist is simply indispensable.

And that's my gripe about the Economist. Let me know if you agree, and/or if the article's helpful.

Belated Thanks

I wanted to thank you for my Christmas presents. I've put both the Henckels knives and Emeril pots and pans to good use, and with little delay. In particular, this little guy has been invaluable:
From cutting potatoes to onions to soy meats to opening packages, I've found no other knife that is its equal. Good for everything.

I've put it to work tonight cooking some Miso Soup. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I also have an excellent recipes for Vegetarian Moussaka--but I'll save that to make the next time I come home.

Happy MLK (Jr.) Day!

I know, I know. The actual day of celebration is tomorrow. But, Irene gave the sermon at her church today and the theme (complete with jazz band!) was MLK. And it was a very good sermon.
I'd attempt to summarize, but I wouldn't do it justice.

I was also happy to hear that you managed to rent out the Asheville place...though it is a bit unfortunate that it happened when you were intending to stay there! Was it the fault of the realty? I think you mentioned over the phone that you had to move places several times. Sounds taxing. Hopefully you still enjoyed the weekend.

Official GRE Scores

I received my finalized, official GRE scores in the mail yesterday. As I mentioned before, my verbal was significantly higher than my math. What I hadn't realized was that, apparently, the opposite is true for most test takers so in terms of how I did percentage-wise the difference is even more exaggerated.

Effectively, it's two A's (verbal and essay) and a F (math).

Aren't either of you good at math? How did I end up so bad at math?

Mother Amy

So why is it that Uncle's are always referred to by their connection and their name (e.g. Uncle Chris)? Why no Father Chris or Gramps Roger? Maybe I heard some Granna Linda's, but that's it. Not that I'm complaining about being remembered, or anything, but seriously.

It's always Uncle Joe, or Uncle Scott, or Uncle Something-or-Another. What is it about Uncle's that requires an extra level of categorization?

Pictures of the New Place

Alright, alright. The post below was a bit heavy. How about this? I finally got around to taking and posting a few pictures of my new place in Boston (Somerville, actually). Take a look.


Why don't you come up and see (it) sometime?

John Lennon & Barack Obama

On Sunday Irene and I were discussing something or another and the life and work of John Lennon came up. I remembered that Lennon was shot in 1980, but the rest of the details of his death eluded me. For the record, Lennon was shot on December 8 by Mark David Chapman. For the conspiracy buffs, besides being known by all three of his names, Chapman was carrying a paperback copy of The Catcher and the Rye.

More seriously, thinking of Lennon's assassination brought to mind the cavalcade of high profile deaths that occurred in the 1960's:

John F. Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963.
Martin Luther King Jr. was shot by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968.
Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan on June 6, 1968.

Not to mention lesser known political figures:

Malcolm X was shot and killed by a number of members of the Nation of Islam on February 21, 1965.
Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, members of the Black Panther Party, were killed on December 4, 1969, apparently by FBI Officers.

I've often wondered what effect a series of killing like this has on the national consciousness. There must be a slew of books and dissertations on the subject; suffice it to say, if you couple the death of many young, loved political figures (albeit of significantly different views) with the disillusionment that followed Watergate and the end of the Vietnam War, disgust and/or apathy would be obvious possible effects.

And now, we have a young political candidate who has people more excited--especially young people--then they have been for some time, if at all. Has the nation sufficiently recovered from the psychological scars it received from the deaths above to believe in another young, promising politician? Is it simply that a new generation has come of age who doesn't suffer from the memories of turbulent 60's? Will Barack end up as another politician who initially garnered excitement and support but ultimately failed to transform that support into electoral success and so was forgotten by history?

Big questions, but this post is too long already.

Post-Holiday Rundown

Well that was a busy couple of days. After I left Maryland on Friday I went to work for six or seven hours, went home, and continued studying for the GRE. I got a brisk six hour nap, got up, and started studying for the GRE again. Then, from 1:30pm to around 5pm I faced the GRE monster. More on that below. Afterwards, Irene and I saw a movie called The Savages--which, incidentally, I highly recommend--and then called it a night. Sunday was all errands, including going back to the office to pick up all my stuff, Monday was a morning in the office and then a trip to New York for New Year's Eve, Tuesday was recovering from New Years Eve, Wednesday was a horrid back on the Fung Wah, and today is ... today.

How lucky I am to live such an eventful life. I could write a post on any of the sentences above. My guess would be that you're most interested in is the GRE.

My feel about the GRE is that I did well enough, and could have done better with more than two or three days preparation, but not well enough to tell you my actual score (which you find out immediately after the test). Suffice it to say, I did better on the verbal section than the math section, and perhaps best of all on the essay section. The test itself was surprisingly brief and I thought the way the time was apportioned was odd. The test started with essays of 45 minutes and 30 minutes and then moves on to either a 30 minute verbal section and a 38 minute math section with one experimental section thrown into the mix. And that's it. It might be less surprising if the essays weren't generally understood to be worthless. So why spend half the test on them? Why not. This is a standardized test: logical consistency is for the questions, not for the layout.

The trip back was eight hours and included a broken down bus. That's what Irene and I get for taking the Fung Wah. I'd be more bummed, but the Iowa Caucuses are turning out to be pretty interesting.