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?"