WPR

I just had to give a presentation on the War Powers Resolution for my class in Foreign Relations and National Security Law. It was the first of three presentations.

Which is a good thing, because by my lights the whole thing didn't go that well. It occurs to me that I have a recurring problem in situations like this--primarily, instead of asking investigative questions I make assumptions that seem reasonable to me about some part of the issue. And those assumptions, family of mine, are, in fact, not always correct.

Honestly, I find presentations so stressful my relief at having it done is eclipsing the acute sense of disappointment I should be feeling. But its bizarre to be able to identify a character flaw and still be unable prevent it from emerging. I suppose the world is full of new and never before imagined scenarios.

We'll see if I can do better next time around. Character is how you deal with defeat as well as success, right?

Our Town

For Valentine's Day I took Irene to see a production of "Our Town" (which she's never seen) they put on at Tufts. The twist was that it was produced as an opera by Ned Rorem. It's an interesting idea, but the implementation is tricky.

Still, haven't we all, even those not usually theatrically inclined, thought about playing the role of the Stage Manager?

Job Fair

As we speak, I'm in D.C. with Ryan and Nicole (Surber). We've had one day of the career fair, and we've got one more to go. Today I spoke with two people: one from CRS and one from the Office of the Legal Advisor. It's only networking, not job offers, but it's a step in the right direction.

Sorry for not keeping you updated about where I was going to stay--Ryan and Nicole's place is a lot closer to DC. They live at the Vienna stop on the Orange Line.

But I love you and I got the oranges you sent.

Baking

As you probably saw when you read my 25 Random Things About Me List in Facebook, I've really come to enjoy baking. I avoided it for a long time, but now I've seen the error of my ways. It's amazing how many different things you can make with a few basic materials. Focaccia bread, pizza crust, corn muffins, blueberry pancakes, biscuits. The list goes on and on. I may go have a corn muffin right now.

What do you two like to bake? Any good recipes? I have to admit, my corn muffins are ... subpar.

Lucy Jenkins

Allow me to introduce you to Lucy, our new kitten!













We got her from a rescue, and she was a little skittish at first. And thin. And covered in scabs from an infestation of fleas. And suffering from an upper respiratory illness.

But she's really taken to Irene's place and clearly feels at home now. She's eating more, and she's more active. It's great. Except for my sneezing. But other than that it's great.

Milk

Irene and I saw Sean Penn's new movie, Milk, last night. I was quite impressed. Regardless of what you think of the man personally, he's a skilled actor. I can barely remember the last time I was so convinced.

Even more interesting to me the character of Harvey Milk, though, was the social backdrop. The film did a good job placing Milk's run in the context of the struggling gay rights movement with Anita Bryant cast as the primary antagonist. I had also heard of the "Twinkie Defense" in law school, but was unaware of the history behind it.

How can you get away with five years after shooting two elected officials, one of whom is the Mayor?

Anyway, if you feel like venturing out to the movies and you're not going to see Slumdog Millionnaire, I'd highly recommend it.