Awake at All Hours

Officer Corruption?

2011-10-19T16:18:00.003-04:00

The last few days, the NY Times Metro section has started to read like a rap sheet for New York City police officers. First came the story of the police commander who pepper-sprayed protestors during the opening days of the Occupy Wall Street protests. Then, we learned about the police officer who was charged with violating the civil rights of an African American man whom he falsely accused of resisting arrest. And finally, today's section featured the story of a police officer convicted of plotting to burglarize an individual's apartment because the officer believed that the apartment was used as a safe house to stash a drug dealer's wad of cash.

Besides the concern that instances of New York city policy officers exceeding the bounds of their authority are proliferating, each of the arrests/convictions that have made the news this week shed some insight into the hierarchy of violations that police officers can unfortunately commit in the course of their duties. At the bottom of the ladder are violations that result in internal discipline but are generally not considered to break the law. It's unclear whether pepper-spraying a group of women who were already penned in arises to a violation of state criminal laws (e.g., assault) since the Manhattan district attorney is still investigating the incident, but the police force has already determined that the pepper-spraying commander's actions violated internal police policy and docked the officer 10 days of vacation. In other words, thus far, the police officer's actions exceeded the bounds of his authority set forth in the police department's officer manuals but did not violate any state or federal laws.

By contrast, the police officer who came up with a convoluted plan to break into someone's home, incapacitate him with a stun gun and then steal $900,000 in cash that he believed was hidden under the floor boards, not only wins more points for stupidity but also broke the law. Whereas the pepper-spraying commander only crossed the bounds of police department policies, the actions of the officer looking to get rich quick clearly rose to the level of breaking New York State criminal laws (in addition to internal police department policy).

Finally, we come to the case of the white police officer who allegedly falsely accused an African American individual of resisting arrest. In the hierarchy of abuse of a police officer's authority, this incident claims the top rung. Not only did the officer take away someone's liberty by arresting him and having him detained for 36 hours without probable cause, he did so with clear animus and bias towards the individual's racial and ethnic background. If the allegations are proven true, then this police officer has violated the police department's internal policies, state criminal law (extortion, making a death threat) and federal law for violating an individual's civil rights while acting under the color of state law. Acting under the color of state law means that the officer violated the individual's civil rights by arresting him under false pretenses while serving as an official representative of New York State.

What makes this last incident so egregious is that the police officer took full advantage of his position of authority to prey on his victim and to detain him without cause based on his racial classification. It also is particularly worrisome because a violation of civil rights - as opposed to a hair-brained scheme to burglarize someone's apartment - is often emblematic of a decaying culture within a department, one that gives police officers a prejudiced outlook on the society they are asked to oversee and that is supported by official department policies. The pepper-spraying incident was resolved through an internal discipline process that will help to deter similar violations from occurring again. Since department policy is often at the root of a civil rights violation however, internal discipline and existing department policies are generally insufficient to remedy the issue and prevent recurrences. Several New York State legislators have indeed requested a federal investigation into the New York City police department's stop, question and frisk policy for precisely this reason. It appears that such an investigation may now be worth undertaking.

Omi

2011-10-11T12:15:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, October, 2nd, two days after we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, together as a family, my beloved grandmother, "Omi," passed away. Here is the eulogy I read at her funeral:

Omi,

You told us many many times how special we were to you, but today we are here to tell you how special you are to us. One of the things that I loved so much about you was that you were an incredibly good phone talker and conversationalist. Not everyone has this gift but you did, and it meant that we could talk for just five minutes or for an hour – about anything from family life, to meals to prepare, to stocks to invest in, to local sports games or even just to the weather - and nearly every time our conversation left me feeling happy and fulfilled. And it also always felt like it was too short – like you would have been happy just schmoozing on the phone with me all day if you could. The last few years, you ended almost every conversation by telling me and David and Tami how happy you were for us. Usually you told us how happy you were that we had each met someone we loved or that we’ve found jobs that we’re succeeding at or just how much you loved us and how much you appreciated our phone call or us coming to visit and how much it meant to you.

It was almost as if you wanted to make sure to tell us how proud you are of the people we have each become and that the lives that we will go on to live will be rich with love and joy and happiness and less of the suffering and hardship that you endured in your lifetime, just in case the day came when you weren’t there to tell us that anymore. Well, I just want you to know how much I’m going to miss our conversations and the way you made me feel when I heard you tell me that. And how much I’m going to miss that feeling that I could just pick up the phone and know that you would be on the other end.

I wanted to spend a couple of minutes talking about this past weekend because it seems as if you orchestrated your departure from us by making sure that we’d have one last chance to celebrate and to spend time all together, that you could convey your messages and lessons to us one more time and that we’d all be with you at the hospital yesterday. At your insistence, you and Opi came over for dinner on Wednesday night to celebrate the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, even though you weren’t feeling well and we told you that we could wait to see each other at one of the many other meals that we were going to have during the weekend. You instilled in us the value that family gatherings are a way to enjoy each other’s company and this was your way of telling us that once more. On Thursday, Opi came by himself to join us for lunch. Usually either you both came or if one of you wasn’t feeling well then you both stayed home. But on Thursday you let Opi come by himself – perhaps a message to us and to him that we must continue to live life and to enjoy each other’s company even once you aren’t with us anymore. And on Friday night, you and Opi joined us at our dear family friends the Feinbergs for Shabbat dinner. Since moving to the area nearly twenty years ago our family friends have adopted you as their family friends and even treated you as their Omi. Your joining us for Friday night reminded us how important our community is and how much we should value their friendship in the weeks and years to come.

I know that you're not much of a shul goer given how much you lost in the Holocaust, but on Thursday and Friday in shul we read as part of the Rosh Hashanah liturgy the Netaneh Tokef. Every year when we read that I think back on the lives that have been lost and I feel grateful that another year has arrived and that you and Opi are still here. And I always wonder, what will next year bring? Who of my grandparents will be with us the next time we gather to say this prayer? Please I always pray, let them be inscribed in the book of life for just one more year so that next year we’ll all be together again and so that I can still count myself as one of the luckiest of my peers to enjoy the love and companionship that comes with having all five of my grandparents still alive.

This year I thought that you would be with us this upcoming weekend when at Yom Kippur we’ll read the Netaneh Tokef again, and even that you would be there next year with us because you had so much to look forward to. In fact, that was how you persevered through your osteoporosis. Your determination set the example and taught me that if and when I ever endure a hardship or loss in my life, the reason to go on living is because of the reward and fulfillment I get from those around me and from celebrating important milestones. This year you have so much to look forward to: David & Elana’s wedding in two months, and the upcoming birth of your first great grandchild. Aliza and I were so excited to tell you a couple of months ago that she was pregnant. Since then, I couldn’t wait for the day when we would come over to Leisure World for a visit and you would be sitting in your reclining chair in the living room and we would put our baby in your arms to hold for a few minutes and the baby would look up at you and you’d both smile at each other and we would know that our baby was touched by my vey special Omi. Aliza and I will be sure to tell our baby and all of our children how very special you are but I’m sad that they will only get to experience your love through our memories and not through their own experiences with you.

Finally, on Saturday night, we went to see Bethoven’s 9th Symphony with you and Opi. I can picture in my mind the glint in your eyes and the smile you made when you wanted something that you knew you shouldn’t have or when you made a joke with some bite to it as if you didn’t know what you were saying even though you were fully aware that you could get away with it because who would think that the adorable woman who claimed that she never got older than 29, spoke with a lovable accent and always was friendly and engaging might not be as innocent as she came across? That’s how I picture you on Saturday night, as you arranged a full choir and orchestra while wearing some of your finest jewelry, including the beautiful engagement ring that Opi gave you 60 years ago but that you rarely ever wore anymore, and while also surrounded by your family to deliver the sendoff that the matriarch of our family so richly deserves, without actually telling us that the time has come for us to say our goodbyes. In the last 24 hours, each of us has looked over the words to Ode to Joy again and have thought how fitting it was to hear the choir echo the message of optimism and hope for a better tomorrow that will be one of your lasting gifts to us.

Oh friends, not these sounds!
Rather, let us raise our voices in more pleasing
And more joyful sounds!

Joy, beautiful spark of divinity
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter, drunk with fire,
Heavenly, your sanctuary.
Your magic reunites
Those whom social custom has parted
All men become brothers,
Where your gentle wing rests.

One of my fondest memories I have of you is our summers at Virginia beach where you and Opi would rent the same rooms at the Dunes hotel on the boardwalk on the 6th floor with terraces overlooking the ocean for our family. And I remember how you’d wake up every morning before everyone else and just sit on the terrace waiting for us to wake up. I always loved coming out and sitting with you as we looked out on the ocean watching for dolphins and just enjoying the scenery and quiet as the boardwalk woke up. I wonder now what it was that you thought about while it was just you on the terrace, alone with your thoughts, with the hardship of your past, and the mix of physical pain with love and fulfillment that you had in the present. I can imagine that sitting there then was one moment where you felt completely at peace with yourself and with the world. That’s how I envision you now Omi, just sitting on the terrace as the sun begins to rise looking out over the ocean with us behind you and a smile on your face. I miss you.

Joining Equality Maryland

2011-09-20T17:54:00.003-04:00

I was recently invited to join the Board of Directors for Equality Maryland, an organization that is leading the fight for same sex marriage equality in Maryland. Here is a portion of the essay I submitted when asked why I was interested in joining the board.

My decision to apply to serve on the Board of Equality Maryland represents another step on the road of personal engagement in the fight for marriage equality. As a law student, first traveling to New Orleans to participate in relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina and then working in Montgomery, Alabama at the Equal Justice Initiative, I bore witness to the legacy of the civil rights movement and to the importance of standing up for the disenfranchised. I was inspired by the work of Martin Luther King and learned that the civil rights struggle was not defined by the number of bullets that were fired or the amount of blood that was shed, but by the call for equality and for the recognition that all citizens are entitled to certain fundamental rights that our state and federal governments must protect.

Then, eighteen months ago, I exercised my right to marry the partner of my choosing, the woman of my dreams. Since then, I have enjoyed not only the spiritual fulfillment of sharing my life with my spouse, but also the legal benefits of being married. That enjoyment however, has been tempered by the fact that close friends and family are unable to share in the right to get married and in the benefits of marriage simply because the partner they have fallen in love with shares their gender. This message became even more personal when my cousin, who resides in New York, finally married his partner of 37 years this past Sunday and expressed to me the joy and validation of their relationship finally being recognized by the State of New York.

And, finally, in the time since I moved back to the area after law school I have become active in state and local politics. Through my work advising Luke Clippinger in his successful run for the Maryland House of Delegates, as well as my interactions with the many friends and community leaders who I have come to know, it has become clear to me that same sex marriage is among the most important and exciting initiatives of our time. Enactment of a marriage equality bill will ensure that all Marylanders enjoy the right to marry the partner of their choosing, and will reinforce the image of Maryland as a state that is welcoming to people whatever their background, their politics or their sexual orientation.

I want to be a part of Equality Maryland to take the next step in my personal journey and to have an impact on the struggle to gain statewide recognition for marriage equality.

Not Just Another Execution

2011-07-08T13:34:00.004-04:00

This past Thursday night , Humberto Leal Garcia Jr., a Mexican citizen, was executed in Texas. His death - and more precisely, the way it came about - could have far reaching implications at home and abroad.

Garcia was convicted of the heinous kidnapping, rape and murder of a 16-year old in 1994. By virtually all accounts, he was guilty of the crime. The central issue in his case however was that he was not informed of his right to contact the Mexican embassy when he was arrested. Seemingly a harmless oversight, no? In fact, the failure to inform Garcia of his right to call the Mexican embassy violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (to which the United States is a party) and could have altered the course of his trial and his ultimate sentence. Rather than have the considerable resources of the Mexican government and consular officials at his disposal to prepare his defense, Garcia was represented by a Texas public defender. (State public defenders, especially in the south, are notoriously underfunded, overworked and sometimes inexperienced).

This is where things start to get a complicated, but they're important to my point, so I'll take a minute to review them:

1) In 2004, the International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled in favor of Garcia and held that American courts must review cases where the defendants claimed they suffered harm by not being allowed to call their consular officials first.

2) In 2005, President George Bush issued a memorandum supporting the ICJ's decision and telling Texas state officials to comply with it. Despite being the state's favorite son (at least at the time), Texas officials chose to ignore President Bush's memorandum.

3) In 2008, the Supreme Court held that the U.S. is bound by the ICJ's decision. However, it also held that the President alone could not force the states to comply with the ICJ decision; Congress had to act as well.

4) Congress - perhaps not surprisingly - did not act on the Supreme Court's decision right away. Instead, the Senate waited until June 2011, MORE THAN 3 YEARS LATER, to propose legislation forcing Texas to comply with the ICJ.

5) Garcia's execution date was scheduled for July 7th, which didn't give Congress enough time to pass the legislation. So, Garcia appealed up to the Supreme Court to delay his execution so that Congress could pass the bill. He also asked Governor Rick Perry (the same governor that is about to throw his hat into the ring and run for the GOP presidential nod) to delay his execution. President Obama implored both the Supreme Court and Governor Perry to delay Garcia's execution. So did numerous foreign governments, including Mexico.

6) Thursday evening the Supreme Court rejected Garcia's appeal by a 5-4 vote. Governor Perry also refused to delay Garcia's execution. Garcia was executed by lethal injection Thursday night.

Garcia's execution is a dizzying, impressive - and perhaps unsettling - example of how our federalist system of government works. In Thursday's decision, a majority of the Supreme Court held that to delay an execution in order to allow congress to pass legislation would be the equivalent of enacting the legislation itself. In other words, the Court feared that it would be violating the separation of our branches of government that we hold so near and dear to our national identity. On the other hand, the four dissenting justices (led by Justice Breyer, the Court's leading "internationalist") argued that the Supreme Court's refusal to delay the execution was overstepping the executive branch's authority to govern our foreign relations, since executing Garcia would result in irreparable harm to our relations with other countries. As Governor Perry's determination to allow the execution to proceed demonstrated, the rights of states to enforce their criminal laws took priority to the will of the federal executive, and even to the decision of the ICJ. Similarly, national sovereignty also triumphed over the authority of a multi-national/international institution (the ICJ).

In my mind, our system of government - the separation of the three branches and the federalist system allowing states to enforce their criminal laws - worked in the case of Mr. Garcia. The Supreme Court decided the scope of its authority, and the governor of the state responsible for applying its criminal laws to Mr. Garcia's actions made a determination that was wholly within his discretion, President Obama's will and the will of other countries be-damned.

Nevertheless, the question that we must ask ourselves is not whether the process was correct in this instance, but whether the desired outcome was achieved. My answer to this question is that it was not. A man whose rights were violated in such a manner as to taint the validity of his sentence was executed. Our country overruled the decision of an important international institution, thereby damaging the effectiveness of the ICJ as well as our own credibility in the international arena. By choosing to ignore Mr. Garcia's right to contact his consular officials, we put Americans abroad who are arrested in their host country at great risk of facing a similar deprivation of their rights.

And therein lies the rub: If our system leads to an unwanted result then it suggests that perhaps our system needs fixing. It's hard to point to our government institutions and our model of democracy as the light that outshines all other nations if they ultimately place our own citizens in harm's way and ignore the rights of the very people that our system claims to protect.

I'm not suggesting that we need to embark on "Extreme Makeover: American Government Edition." But, I do think we need to reflect on changes that should be made to ensure both that the processes in our system of government are working AND that they're achieving the desired results. Two immediate steps come to mind: First, we need to put into place a mechanism by which ICJ decisions are enforced such that we can't sidestep their rulings so easily. Most significantly, Texas officials should not have been allowed to ignore President Bush's memorandum requesting compliance with the ICJ decision. Second, Congress must be held accountable for inexplicably delaying legislation until it was too late to prevent Mr. Garcia's execution before the violation of his rights was fully examined. And, going forward, Congress cannot be allowed to sit on its thumbs when the Supreme Court has expressly directed Congress to be the ultimate arbiter of a matter in controversy. In such an instance, Congress must state its intention to support or reject the Supreme Court's decision in a timely fashion, thereby allowing the parties involved to seek alternative remedies.

Taking these steps are not intended as a way to honor the memory of a violent criminal over that of his victim. They will, however, protect the rights of the accused in our country as well as the interests of our citizens traveling and living abroad, advance the success of our system of government, and further repair America's credibility abroad and cement its position as a global leader.

Casey Anthony is Not OJ Simpson

2011-07-07T17:51:00.004-04:00

Several commentators (click here and here) have explained why the jury's verdict on Tuesday acquitting Casey Anthony of murdering her daughter was justified. In brief, the legal standard for a criminal conviction is that the jury must believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime of which she is accused. Casey Anthony's jury of her peers was ultimately not so convinced.

To elaborate: the lack of concrete forensic evidence tying Casey Anthony's DNA to her daughter's remains and the absence of a cause of death determination created enough reasonable doubt to overcome the circumstantial evidence introduced by the prosecutors in support of the state's allegations. Most notably, the prosecution offered expert testimony that a bad smell in Casey's car was chemically linked to Casey's decomposing body. (smelly car = guilty of murder? That's a tough connection to make.) As one juror noted, Casey Anthony might not be innocent of her daughter's murder, but there was not enough evidence to convict her.

While both cases were overwhelmed by media coverage, captured the nation's consciousness, and resulted in acquittals despite public opinion to the contrary, OJ Simpson's acquittal in the murder of his wife was more likely achieved by a combination of a superb and highly paid defense team and prosecutorial mistakes ( Exhibit #1: "if it doesn't fit, you must acquit"). Casey Anthony's acquittal on the other hand was the inevitable and justified result of insufficient evidence, despite the prosecution's best efforts and a decidedly mediocre defense attorney. (Jose Baez was refused admission to the Florida Bar for eight years because he owed child support payments, was representing Casey Anthony on a pro bono basis and was only practicing law for three years when he took on the case).

So, while justice may not have been served for Caylee since the true circumstances of her death may never be known, in my opinion, our justice system worked for Casey Anthony, even if the outcome reached was contrary to public opinion.

I Wonder What Mitt Romney Thinks of Flag Day

2011-06-14T17:58:00.003-04:00

An appropriate question to be asking in honor of Flag Day today:

In the GOP debate last night, Mitt Romney said (in response to a question about spending on federal disaster relief) that "every time you have a chance to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states that's the right direction. And if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector that's even better." Extending Mitt Romney's logic to it's natural conclusion: Why bother having the federal government at all then if Romney's goal is to deconstruct it? It seems to me that people could easily take the slippery slope down from Romney's argument at the debate to saying that all the states should simply form their own countries and then reach some form of economic cooperation agreement to encourage mutual trade and perhaps a coordinated military defense (something along the lines of the EU).

Is that really the direction Mitt Romney wants to take our country?

Is DSK's Teflon Still Intact?

2011-05-17T10:23:00.005-04:00

Besides (1) Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee surprising no one by announcing that they would not be running for president, and (2) the 10,000th season finale of Survivor, the big news over the weekend was the arrest of the managing director of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, better known by his initials DSK and by the nickname the "Great Seducer." DSK, who was expected to be the leading socialist candidate for president in France next year, was nabbed on board a plane in New York, moments before his flight departed for Paris, for his alleged sexual assault of a chambermaid in a $3,000 per night hotel room at the Sofitel in midtown Manhattan. As I'm sure some of you are aware, DSK was interviewed by the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, no doubt by our favorite Law & Order SVU detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson.

Thus far, DSK has been charged with attempted rape, two counts of a criminal sexual act, two counts of sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment and forcible touching. He hasn't entered a plea yet but is expected to plead not guilty. The judge also agreed with prosecutors that he's a flight risk and denied DSK bail.

One question that popped into my mind was whether DSK is entitled to diplomatic immunity, as the IMF is technically a UN agency and its managing director is an international diplomat. After doing some research, I discovered that the answer is not as clear as expected. According to Article IX, Section 8 of the the IMF's Articles of Agreement, certain IMF officials (including the managing director) are entitled to diplomatic immunity "with respect to acts performed by them in their official capacity except when the Fund waives this immunity."

Other than chasing after the hotel maid, it's unclear what the purpose was of DSK's trip to New York. If he were in the United States on official business, his lawyers could argue that the Articles of Agreement are not limited solely to actions taken in the specific pursuit of IMF responsibilities and that they apply to all actions taken while on official business. To explain by way of illustration: Under a broader interpretation of the Articles of Agreement, DSK would be entitled to immunity if he received a ticket for illegally parking while he ran into a drug store to buy chewing gum for himself while in the country for official business. Under a more narrow view of the Articles, he'd only be entitled to immunity if he committed a legal violation while carrying out his actual duties, like if he were to give a fraudulent check to an IMF loan recipient.

If DSK decides to invoke diplomatic immunity, the IMF can waive it at its discretion. This decision is largely a political calculation and could put the IMF in a tight spot since it has to cater to a very diverse group of constituents. From the American point of view, the calculus clearly weighs in favor of waiving immunity for DSK, given the serious nature of his alleged crime. On the other hand, the French might not be so quick to leave DSK in the hands of American prosecutors. (Besides the fact that DSK is a French citizen, the French position is important because western Europeans have traditionally been placed at the helm of the IMF, even though the agency's headquarters are in the United States. In fact, four of the last eleven IMF bosses have been from France). The French generally are more willing to sweep politicians' sexual infidelities under the rug, and even if France's leaders want DSK prosecuted for sexual crimes, the French might not agree with the way in which the United States is going about bringing him to trial. Lastly, the IMF as an institution has to weigh the pros and cons of waiving DSK's diplomatic immunity. On the one hand, if it chooses to allow DSK to invoke his immunity, the institution could face an onslaught of global criticism for being light on crime and particularly on women's rights. On the other hand, waiving DSK's immunity could cause internal strife within the agency if IMF officials fear that the agency's executive board no longer has officials' backs when they're exposed to foreign countries' legal systems.

At this point DSK has not invoked immunity, but I think that if diplomatic immunity becomes an issue, the IMF should either waive it outright or agree to uphold it on the sole condition that DSK be sent to France to face trial for allegations that are coming out now that he's engaged in this kind of criminal behavior against women on previous occasions. Given DSK's nickname, it should perhaps come as no surprise that he has a history of assaulting women. In the past, the metaphorical Teflon surrounding DSK's image has prevented these incidents from damaging his political ambitions. Whether or not DSK gets diplomatic immunity in the present case however, that Teflon is looking at best like thin plastic wrap, and his political career for the time being is over.

In the Pursuit of Justice

2011-01-10T10:53:00.009-05:00

There's been a lot of media coverage of the horrific shooting in Arizona this weekend, so I'm not going to duplicate what's already out there. However, I wanted to help explain what the next steps will be in bringing Jared Loughner, the individual currently in custody for shooting Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in Arizona over the weekend, to justice.

Right now, Loughner is charged in federal court with five counts against him - two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, all of federal employees. The federal employees attending Congresswoman Giffords' "Congress on your Corner" gathering at a local Safeway included members of her staff and a federal judge, Chief Judge John Roll of the United States District Court for Arizona. While the attempted murder of a member of Congress is a very serious crime, it is the killing of a federal judge and the killing of a Congressional staffer that makes Loughner eligible for the death penalty (under 18 U.S.C., section 1114).

Loughner can also be charged by Arizona for state crimes. (This has not happened yet). State prosecution of Mr. Loughner would not be considered double jeopardy because, even though the incident giving rise to the criminal violations is the same, the crimes alleged are different. To give a simple explanation: an individual can be charged in federal court for transporting an unlicensed firearm across state lines (a federal crime), and then can be charged in state court for using that weapon in an armed robbery (a state crime). In this case, the federal indictment does not include charges against Mr. Loughner for the killing of nine-year old Christina Green and three other victims who were not federal employees.

Two reasons Arizona might choose to prosecute Mr. Loughner are (1) to make the statement that criminals who engage in acts of violence against citizens of the state will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and (2) to impose a different, i.e., harsher, sentence than has been imposed against Mr. Loughner in federal court. If Mr. Loughner is convicted in federal court but does not receive the death penalty, Arizona could choose to prosecute him if it wanted to seek the death penalty against him. Arizona could also choose to prosecute Loughner even if he does receive the death penalty in federal court in order to expedite the execution of the death sentence or to make doubly sure that the death sentence will stand up on appeal.

Given the seriousness of the charges against Mr. Loughner, the federal public defender's office in Arizona has lined up Judy Clarke, a very experienced and high-profile public defender to represent him. Clarke has represented other very notable clients, including the Unabomber and Zacarias Moussaoui, the Al Queda operative charged with conspiracy related to the September 11 attacks. Both of these clients were convicted but managed to avoid capital punishment. Clarke's appointment to this case can be interpreted as a sign that the focus of any trial against Mr. Loughner will not be on the extent of his culpability, but rather on the nature of the punishment he receives.

Lastly, while all of the evidence against Mr. Loughner is not currently available to the public as the investigation is still underway, the few details that have been leaked in the media suggest that Mr. Loughner will have a difficult time invoking an insanity defense. Under federal law, a defendant can employ an insanity defense when, "as a result of a severe mental disease or defect," the defendant was "unable to appreciate the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of his acts." There's not much doubt that Mr. Lughner suffered from some kind of mental disease . However, if the press reports indicating that Mr. Loughner prepared extensively for the commission of the crime and that he fully intended to target Congresswoman Giffords are indeed true, Loughner will have a hard time contending that he did not appreciate the nature and quality of the wrongfulness of his alleged crimes.

Presidential Prognostication

2011-01-05T09:37:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year and let the games begin!

Today marks the swearing in of the 112th Congress, and the 2012 presidential elections are sure to influence the legislative wrangling that’s about to take place. Plus, it’s never too early to start prognosticating about the next round of elections. So, here's my list of the Top 12 for 2012, the individuals who are likely throw their hat into the ring to try to win the GOP nod to face President Obama in the general election in 2012, from the obvious choices to some dark horse candidates.

1) Sarah Palin – I don’t need to say a lot about Palin except that when someone walks like a presidential candidate, talks like a presidential candidate, visits Iowa and, on top of everything else, has her own reality show about Alaska, she’s most likely going to run for President. That being said, Palin has never been one to go with the grain (Exhibit 1: her decision to step down as governor of Alaska in 2009), and there are some legitimate arguments in favor of her waiting to run in 2016, assuming Obama wins a second term. For instance, she could establish a wider base, continue making loads of cash and then not have a pesky incumbent to deal with in the general election. If I were a betting man though, I’d guess that Palin announces her candidacy within 9-12 months.

2) Mitt Romney – Mitt Romney is definitely running. Since the day he lost the election, he’s been hitting up supporters, raising funds and building his network. Romney makes a formidable presidential candidate, especially if the economy isn’t showing significant signs of improving by the time election season rolls around. He is one of the few candidates who can appeal to both moderate and conservative voters, he has a lot of cash, and he’s a former businessman, so he has the street cred to tackle the country’s economic problems. On the other hand, he has to overcome the perception that he’s a flip-flopper, willing to abandon his principles for the sake of saying the right things to the right audience.

3) Newt Gingrich – Newt Gingrich already toyed with the idea of running for president in 2008, and has been coyly smacking his lips on all kinds of talking head television shows since then. Gingrich’s strength as a candidate is his position as one of the intellectual leaders of the Republican party. Instead of simply running on a platform of opposition to Obama, he’s one of the candidates that’s most likely to generate new ideas and formulate a substantive platform on which to run. On the other hand, Gingrich tends to run at the mouth and and he’ll be an easy target of political commercials because of the skeletons in his closet.

4) Senator John Thune – For some inexplicable reason, senators from South Dakota have routinely made the cut as possible presidential candidates the last few election cycles. South Dakota is ranked number 45 out of 50 states in terms of population and population density (it has only approximately 800,000 residents). Nevertheless, like Senator Tom Daschle before him (who Thune unseated in 2004 and who considered running in 2008), Thune is on the national stage as a leader of his party (he’s currently the GOP’s chief deputy whip in the Senate), is photogenic and is well-liked in his home state. (Unlike Tom Daschle, he’s hopefully up to date on his tax payments.) While Thune has a lot of momentum going his way right now, and a sizeable war chest, it remains to be seen whether that momentum is sustainable and whether he in fact decides he wants to make a run for president. He also will have to explain why he decided to vote for the Troubled Asset Relief Program even though he fancies himself a fiscal conservative.

5) Governor Haley Barbour – Despite Mississippi Governor Barbour’s crummy ending to 2010, thanks to his unfortunate comments about growing up in the segregated south and to his controversial decision to commute the sentence of a woman sentenced to life in prison on the sole condition that she donate a kidney to her sister, Barbour should not be underestimated as a potential presidential candidate. Think a Republican version of Bill Clinton. He’s a governor from the south (the only serious one to be mentioned as a presidential candidate) who can work wonders on the campaign trail and never met a person he didn’t want to talk to.

6) Governor Tim Pawlenty – Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is the kind of candidate that will join the race because everyone is telling him to join the race (and because he's been working at laying the foundation for a race the last two years), but is most likely not the kind of candidate who will get the GOP nod (he could make an attractive running mate however!). On the positive side of the ledger sheet for Pawlenty – he is a former governor of Minnesota who succeeded in governing a state with a maverick reputation and with a healthy mix of both Democrats and Republicans. On the other hand, Pawlenty has had a hard time shedding his “nice guy” image and may have a problem getting national support and momentum to turn in his favor.

7) Governor Mitch Daniels – As one of the few governors on the list, Mitch Daniels already has a strong argument in his favor for the GOP nod. While he may be one of the darker horse candidates, he’s also considered a rising star in Republican circles, has successfully governed the state of Indiana, is a credible fiscal conservative and could get an early win in his almost-neighbor, Iowa. He also remains an enigma on social issues, which could make him appeal to a broader segment of the population, even at the risk of alienating his conservative base.

8) Congressman Mike Pence – The House Republican from Indiana is clearly positioning himself for a run for President. He voted against the bi-partisan tax compromise in December because it wasn't fiscally conservative enough and is trying to snag the role of the party's conservative standard bearer in the House. Unfortunately for him, all conservative roads lead to bigger names like Sarah Palin, and how many candidates from Indiana can the GOP consider? Governor Daniels, if he decides to run, will definitely have an edge over Congressman Pence.

9) Mike Huckabee - Mike Huckabee will almost certainly toss his hat into the ring to run for president, but he faces long odds at replicating the success he had in 2008. While he has a base of support among social conservatives, he's proven himself more as a successful Fox News commentator the last two years than as a politician. He also lacks support among the GOP establishment.

10) Mayor Michael Bloomberg – Since Bloomberg is a recovering Republican, I figured I’d include him in this list. Given his massive fortune and his success as mayor, Bloomberg’s name has been on the lips of every political pundit since he took office nearly ten years ago. That being said, Bloomberg may very well have gotten in his own way this time. His decision to extend term limits so that he could be mayor for a third term rubbed some of the polish off his tenure. And, most recently, he flubbed the selection process for a new school chancellor and was too busy playing in the snow during the Christmas weekend blizzard to properly mobilize snow clearing efforts. On top of all that, Bloomberg might have announced one too many times that he’s not interested in running for president. By now, people just might have started believing him.

11) Ambassador Jon Huntsman – The New Republic's profile of then-Governor Huntsman during the last election cycle on top of a lot of other media buzz made Huntsman a frequently mentioned future presidential candidate. And then…..Huntsman joined the Obama administration as the Ambassador to China. Rumors are swirling that Huntsman is considering a run in 2012, but I can’t see how he overcomes the Himalayan sized speed bump sitting in front of him – which is justifying running against an administration in which he is currently an integral part. Also, I think it’s fair to say that the 7,000 mile rule applies here - American voters aren’t likely to remember much about Ambassador Huntsman when he’s living and working all the way around the world.

12) Rick Santorum – Prospective GOP presidential candidates can be categorized several ways, one of them being where they fall along the moderate to conservative spectrum. Santorum has positioned himself as a tried and true conservative, and has been testing the waters for a presidential run since he lost his Pennsylvania Senate seat to Bob Casey, Jr. in 2006. Santorum’s bid however faces long odds. To snag the GOP nomination he’ll have to beat out other, more well-known, conservatives, and figure out how to expand his reach to moderate Republicans whom he's ignored for his entire career.

Honorable Mention:

These three individuals almost made my list but for the reasons explained below, did not.

Jeb Bush – One of the most striking aspects of my list is that it does not include anyone from the Bush administration: no former VP, no former Secretary of State or any other former cabinet member or political advisor. (Detractors of President Bush would of course point to this fact as a sign that his legacy is not a proud one). Jeb Bush presents an intriguing choice as a presidential candidate. He’s generally considered to have had a successful tenure as Florida’s governor before Charlie Crist. And, his last name is Bush, so he has political connections up the wazoo and an established political pedigree. Lastly, while he has the Bush family name, he was never a member of either Bush administration, so any criticism he might attract for W’s policies probably won’t gain traction. That being said, Jeb Bush has repeatedly disavowed any intention to run for president, and I think he’s sincere.

Scott Brown – Since upstaging the political order by winning the late Senator Ted Kennedy's seat in Massachusetts, Senator Brown has, by all indications, managed his time in the spotlight effectively. He hasn’t made any major gaffes, he’s established his independence from both political parties and he’s seemingly well-liked by his constituents, no small feat considering he’s a Republican in the land of the Kennedys. That being said, Scott Brown will have a much easier time running as a more seasoned politician. He'd also have some difficulty making the case now why Obama shouldn’t be in office, since he’s supported some of Obama’s signature legislative accomplishments (even though he voted against the health care bill). Keep an eye out for Scott Brown in 2016.

Marco Rubio – There’s no doubt that after the 2010 Senate race, Marco Rubio is a shining star among tea party enthusiasts. He’s also from Florida, which is always a plus when calculating which states’ electoral votes a candidate will have an easy time winning. But, it’s hard to see how Rubio transitions from recently winning a very expensive Senate race to running for President without having a moment’s pause to catch his breath, to prove himself as an able politician and to allow his donors to re-fill their coffers. Like Scott Brown, keep an eye out for Rubio for 2016.

Let's Play Telephone

2010-12-29T16:43:00.011-05:00

Hope that Verizon eventually gets the iPhone or stick with Sprint and get the HTC Sprint Evo?
This is my current dilemma.

My phone is two years old and getting finnicky, so it's time to get a new one. I have a blackberry now but am planning on switching to the newer smartphone technology and have narrowed down my choices to the iPhone and the Evo.

I'm a long standing and happy Sprint customer, so I figured the only reason I would switch providers would be to get the iPhone. The main positives that I see with the Evo are that it's on the new 4G network, so things like web surfing and email are "wicked fast," and I don't have to change cell phone providers. On the other hand, the Evo is big ( 4.8" x 2.6" x 0.5") and heavy (6 oz.), and especially when it's operating on the 4G network, the battery can drain quickly. Size and battery power are both important features to me.

My other option is to wait for Verizon to offer the iPhone, assuming my phone lasts that long (I won't switch to AT&T for it). The positive features of the iPhone are that it's smaller (4.5 x 2.31 x .37) and lighter (4.8 oz), has better battery power and well, hey, it's an iPhone. The downside of the iPhone is it means switching to another provider (who doesn't offer as good of a plan as Sprint) and waiting for Verizon to actually start selling the iPhone.

The Wall Street Journal announced that Verizon would begin selling the iPhone in "early 2011." New reports today however, indicate that Verizon isn't going to announce the iPhone at the industry-wide CES conference next week. Instead, it's going to announce it's first 4G smartphone - one that's basically a replica of the Evo. It's anybody's guess now when Verizon will announce that it's going to start selling the iPhone.

Here's the Evo (thanks to CNET for the pictures):

And, here's the iPhone:

Which would you recommend?

Don't Cry for Me Argentina (or Chile)

2010-12-17T10:40:00.019-05:00

I thought I would share some photos and highlights from our fantastic two week trip to Chile and Argentina, from which we just returned.

We started off our trip hiking in Chile's national park, Torres del Paine, along the famous ¨W¨" trail.

What makes TDP so unique is that it's situated at a low altitude but the scenery is reminiscent of higher altitude regions, where the hiking is much more difficult. Given it's location in the Patagonia region on the southern tip of the South American continent, vicious winds up to 80 km/hour and unpredictable weather (the weather changed from cold, cloudy and gray, to pleasant sun to driving rain all within a matter of minutes of each other) are part of the awe inspiring experience of hiking through the park.

This is a glacier pictured here

After trekking through TDP, we took a day trip to visit some penguins in even windier conditions than in the park!

Our trip in Patagonia also featured my attempt at growing a mustache, since many handsome Latin American men have substantial and impressive facial hair. Alas, my chief fashion consultant who happens to be my wife pointed out that those "handsome" Latin American men are usually about 30 years older than me, and so she nixed the idea before I could even get any crumbs in my mustachio.

From Patagonia, we hopped on a plane to Mendoza, the Napa Valley of Argentina. Mendoza is surrounded by the Andes Mountains and is famous for producing Malbec, a red wine that uses purple grapes originally imported from France in the 1800s. The spectacular weather and the beautiful setting of the wineries we visited made the wine taste even better.

The bustling metropolis of Buenos Aires was the last leg of our trip. Buenos Aires does have some pretty incredible city sights, but no doubt the highlight for us was all the meat we got to eat there, after spending the previous ten days munching our way through different permutations of cheese and tomato concoctions.

Other highlights included walking through the city center:

Seeing the famous Recoleta cemetery where Evita is buried:

Visiting the memorial at the site of the Israeli embassy bombing in 1992:

and spending an afternoon walking through the San Telmo craft and antiques fair:

(notice the impressive mustache)

Finally, we spent our second to last day celebrating our first anniversary in the former Portugese and Spanish colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento, located right across from Buenos Aires on the Rio de la Plata. It was the perfect end to an amazing trip!!

Law & Order - My Chance to be an Extra

2010-05-24T22:20:00.006-04:00

In honor of the series finale of Law & Order, I'm posting this letter I wrote to the show's casting agency several years ago, as past of my unsuccessful attempt to join the thousands of other New Yorkers who have "Law & Order extra" on their resume (Granted, most of them were aspiring actors, not aspiring lawyers, as I happened to be at the time.) Looking over the letter now, I may have overemphasized the influence the show had in pursuing my legal career, but I can't overstate how many times I flipped to whatever L & O rerun was playing at a given hour in order to decompress after a long day in the office. So, in some way you could say the show advanced my career immeasurably. Whatever I wrote it didn't seem to help my cause. Until tonight, I was still waiting for that casting call. Now I know that it's just not meant to be.

DUM DUM.

May 22, 2007

Heather Reidenbach
Central Casting New York
875 Sixth Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10001

Ms. Reidenbach,

Since moving to New York in the wake of September 11th 6 ½ years ago, I have watched countless episodes of Law & Order. The show inspired both my decision to pursue a legal career (I just completed my second year of law school at NYU), and my decision to focus my studies on criminal litigation. I also routinely discuss the issues raised in Law & Order episodes with my law school classmates and professors.

I am writing to you to express my interest in being cast as a background actor in an episode of Law & Order. I am not a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild, and do not plan on pursuing an acting career. But, I have long considered the possibility of an appearance on Law & Order to be a life objective of mine, and would like to realize this goal while I am still a law student. Of course I would be thrilled to speak a line or two in an episode, but I would truly be happy with any role that you considered appropriate.

I have enclosed two headshots for your review, and look forward to hearing from you in the near future. My contact information is as follows:

Ariel Glasner
aglasner@nyu.edu
917-701-5530
230 West 99th Street
Apt. 3E
NY, NY 10025

Thank you in advance for your consideration!

Ariel Glasner

Senator Ted Kennedy

2009-08-26T10:20:00.009-04:00

I had the honor of seeing Senator Ted Kennedy speak at the Democratic National Convention exactly one year ago today, as he passed the torch of his family's legacy to the next generation of political leadership. I just watched it again and his speech remains no less powerful and inspirational today.

During his speech, Senator Kennedy implored this country to realize his goal of universal health care coverage: "This is the cause of my life, new hope: that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that EVERY American - North. South. East. West. Young. Old - will have decent quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege!"

He also poignantly reflected on his career serving the country: "This is what we do: we reach the moon, we scale the heights. I know it. I've seen it. I've lived it. And we can do it again!"

In concluding, Senator Kennedy, aware of his mortality, looked ahead to the future: "This November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans....the work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on."

Ace Glasner, Pet Detective: The Return

2009-05-20T16:02:00.011-04:00

Ace Glasner, Pet Detective has returned.

Last week, I was on my way home from a late happy hour and was walking down a dark side street, when I passed by a man reaching through the window of a car and taking something out of it. At the time, I was chatting away on my cellphone, but it gradually dawned on me that the way the man was reaching into the car was a little odd: why didn't he just open the car door? So, with my reputation as the most discrete operative that the CIA has never heard of still intact, I casually crossed the street and pretended to just blab away into the phone while keeping a tab on newly identified criminal suspect numero uno. This was the first time I was actually witnessing a crime in progress. Much to my regret, I had brought nothing remotely useful to catch a car thief barehanded. Nevertheless, banking on some handy detective work to break the case I decided I could recover the stolen goods and land criminal suspect numero uno in the county lockup. Enter Ace Glasner, Pet Detective.

After the thief finished his business on the car, he took a brief look at me (I was still on the phone), glanced down both ends of the street, and started walking off very nonchalantly as if he was just a regular fella out for a 10PM stroll. With his back to me, I swung by the victimized car to confirm that yes, the window had been shattered and something (a radio? GPS?) had been taken out of it. So, lagging behind a bit, I followed criminal suspect numero uno down the street and, without even looking down at my keyboard, dialed 9-1-1. Mere mortals would, at this point, have been scared away, but Ace Glasner is no mere mortal.

When the police picked up, I was so shocked that I momentarily forgot where I was. Really, the suspense of this whole caper was killing me. Recovering my senses, I engaged in a conversation with the dispatcher. ("Hi.....Where are you calling from?.......15th and O Street.....What city? ......Oh. Sorry. Washington, DC......Where sir?....15th and O street .....where in the city is that? ......Oh. Whoops. 15th and O Street, NW.....15th and L Street?.....No, 15th and O Street.....And what's the matter?......I'mcallingtoreportthatumacarthiefhasjustbrokenintoacarandumhe'sstanding rightdownthestreetfrommeandumI'mlookingrightathim.....Say that again? What is the nature of your emergency sir?.....Sorry-getting ahead of myself there. I just witnessed someone breaking into a car and I still see the person that did it.....Ok, sir can you give a description of the individual?....Yes, African American, average hight, jeans, black coat, and backpack....Ok, sir someone will be there soon.")

About five minutes later, no police officers or SWAT teams or FBI agents or even a security guard had materialized as promised, even though criminal suspect numero uno was a sitting duck near the bus stop looking as if nothing had ever happened. At that point, I was pretty skeptical whether anybody would show and, it seemed like the thief must have read my mind, because he got up and started walking away. I went down a parallel block and slipped up on my detective work and lost the suspect. (Rule #1 for good detectiving: Don't lose the suspect when he's standing right next to you!!!) But good fortune smiled upon me and I happened upon a police officer just getting out of his cruiser. So, I approached the police officer - Officer Johnson was his name- and told him what I had just witnessed. He called in my complaint and told the dispatcher that he had the witness standing right next to him and that I could ID a suspect if the police had one.

The night then turned into a truly memorable experience. Unbelievably, the dispatcher said that a suspect had in fact been detained! So, Officer Johnson invited me to pile into the cruiser with him and off we were. This was my first ever ride in a police car!!! Front seat, on the way to catch a criminal, and (most unfortunately) no sirens on but still very very urgent. Officer Johnson decided that it would be a good time while we were in the car to discuss in depth how impressed he was that I run to exercise instead of sharing all the exciting stories he has as a 17-year member of the police force, which is really what I was interested in, but when you're two experienced crime fighters like him, and now me, you're not supposed to talk about catching criminals in the police cars, you're only supposed to talk about things like the weather, as if nothing really really exciting ever happens.

So, after about 5 minutes we get to the location where the suspect has been detained and what-do-you-know but we're at 15th and L Street, not 15th and O. Flashing a light on the windshield so that the suspect couldn't see into the police car but I could see out, I took one look at the poor guy with a backpack on who had been arrested and told Officer Johnson that it wasn't him.

On our ride back, Officer Johnson was still happily chatting away about how he thinks running is a really hard way to exercise, while I stared off into space, thinking about the police medals, thank you letters, and overwhelming media attention I would have received had we just nabbed the right suspect. A caper that began with such potential ended with me having to put off my moment of glory for another day. Until then..... Ace Glasner, Pet Detective will be back.

The End of Moderate Republicanism

2009-04-28T12:02:00.009-04:00

The news is still developing that Senator Specter (R-Pa) has decided to switch parties and become a Democrat, thereby giving the Democrats a filibuster proof majority in the Senate of 60 (assuming Al Franken wins in Minnesota, which is highly probable), but my first reaction when I saw the headline was to go outside and listen for church bells tolling the official end of moderate Republicanism.

To put Senator Specter's decision in some context: Specter's switch is first and foremost a shrewd politicial calculation, cutting off a primary challenge from former Rep. Pat Tomney, who has been outflanking Specter on the right, and dramatically improving Specter's prospects for reelection in the State. Specter's decision also earns him the title of kingmaker since he just became the Most Important Voter in the Senate.

I'm thrilled at what this could mean for the Democrats' ability to pursue a progressive reform agenda. Nevertheless, a part of me can't help but feel sad at the passing of an era when moderate Republicans helped to shape their party's agenda. With Specter's decision, conservative Republicans have officially solidified their grip controlling the GOP's destiny. Their rise to dominance was enabled in part by moderates, like Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn), losing elections to Democrats as the American public became disillusioned with the Republican party. And, prior to today, signs of moderate Republicans' diminishing role have become increasingly evident. In Virginia, for example, conservative Jim Gilmore was selected to make an exercise-in-futility run for the Senate against Mark Warner instead of moderate Tom Davis, even though Davis had a much greater chance of turning the election competitive. Michael Steele's tenure as the national chairman of the GOP has also been defined by him cowing to the party's conservative base, instead of a pursuit of his more moderate instincts to expand the GOP's ideology and membership base.

I grew up benefiting from one moderate Republican in particular. Congresswoman Connie Morella was my Congresswoman from the time I was in 5th grade until she lost to Chris Van Hollen when I was in college, and I volunteered on her campaigns and interned in her office through high school. Though I joined the Democratic party when I registered to vote, and continue to actively support the Democratic party's platform, Connie's focus on superb constituency services, her championing of women's rights and other progressive social issues, and her determination - against the odds of both her Democratic constituency and the members of her own party - to stick to her principles, reflected the trademark positions of moderate Republicans like her, and were the reasons she won election after election.

Senator Specter represented perhaps the last standard bearer of the once impressive and influential group of moderate Republican legislators and policy makers. His decision today, and its impact on the Democratic majority, will hopefully result in the passage of major health care reform and a regulatory overhaul to our ailing financial system. But it still bears mention that today, an era has passed.

Gray (Hair) Anatomy

2009-04-23T11:26:00.006-04:00

So, I saw a picture the other day of Duke basketball coaching legend, Coach K, and thought to myself how is it possible that his hair is still jet black? I'm not a personal friend of his or anything, but I'm pretty sure this guy is in his 60s. (I then checked and it turned out I was right. Coach Krzyzewski is 62 years old).

My reaction to Coach K's picture may (just maybe), have something to do with my approaching birthday (though no gray hairs yet as near as I can tell without growing a beard out), but, it also led me to think beyond the mere snapshot and to consider the bigger picture, the "whole mop" so to speak. Our society openly embraces the idea that women should color their hair until they're elevated, at the very least, to grandmother status, but we don't really have a uniform view on men dying their hair, and we haven't expressly accepted or rejected the practice. (Granted, most people may just not care whether men or women dye their hair, and if you're one of those people you can just stop reading here.) Some men are viewed through a lens of distinction and sophistication because of their mane of gray hair, and others, like George Clooney are only considered more physically attractive (if that's possible) once they have salt'n'pepper locks.

In Coach K's case, I would venture to say that people think of him as younger, more energetic and perhaps even more authoritative as a coach because he keeps his hair black, instead of allowing a few gray hairs to enter the locker room. Though his public persona may be enhanced by his hair color, Coach K's hair isn't winning any style points, nor does it merit much media attention if any (heck, I had to think awhile before I decided that it was worth this blog post). And for men in the public arena in general, the color and particular styling of their hair doesn't usually get a lot of talk time in the media unless you're a fantastically shameless governor of Illinois, your name is Donald Trump, or you choose to pay $400 for a haircut while running a populist political campaign. Women who live in the public eye, however, are routinely scrutinized for both their hairdo and their hair color, and changing either the former or the latter often generates significant discussion and publicity.

Maybe this double standard is ok. I'm not here to split hairs after all. But if anybody is asking, I vote for Coach K to let a few gray hairs make a stand and see how it affects his performance on the court. Worse comes to worse, if his team goes on a losing streak, his hair can always go back to black.

Reading of the Names

2009-04-21T09:30:00.003-04:00

The last few weeks I've suffered from that all-too-common affliction known as writer's block. After being swamped at work upon my return from Cairo, it kind of popped up on me unawares, and before I knew it I couldn't think of anything to write about. With spring in the air however, I'm looking forward to getting my groove back.

This post is a repeat from previous years, but an important one for me nonetheless. Today marks Yom Hashoah - the day of commemoration for those people killed in the Holocaust.

For the first time in a few years, I was unable to attend a reading of names this year of some of the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, though they are particularly in my thoughts today. My brother was able to attend one fortunately and read the names of the following family members. I hope that they'll be remembered so that this horrific event will never be repeated.

On my maternal grandmother's side:
-Artur Fischl, my namesake and my grandmother's father
-Tilly Fischl, my sister's namesake and my grandmother's sister
-Maria Fischl, my grandmother's mother
My grandmother's uncles: Otto, Paul and Hugo
Hugo's children: Hans, Otto and Hugo's daughter (name unknown)

On my maternal grandfather's side:
-Telsha and Volushu Baum, my grandfather's cousins
-Joseph Gerstmann, my grandfather's grandfather

Misr, the Land of Egypt

2009-02-25T14:14:00.007-05:00

Less than 24 hours after sitting in Al Azhar Square, located in the heart of the bustling Cairo souq in the city's Islamic quarter, while eating some of the best falafel I've ever tasted, a bomb exploded about 15 yards from where I was sitting with my family, killing one French teenager and injuring more than 20 other tourists. This was the first news item I found out about upon landing at Dulles Airport from Cairo.

Until that moment, I had thoroughly enjoyed my week long excursion to Egypt, and happily reflected on it while I caught up on movies during my lengthy trip back to the States from the Middle East. Besides the highlight of spending time with my sister and future brother-in-law, Egypt was a welcome return to the comfort of the Middle East, where I've already traveled extensively (Israel, Jordan and Turkey) , combined with my experiencing, for the first time, the sites, food and culture that make Egypt unique. Cairo literally teems with people - the city is bursting at the seams with a population of 18 million inhabitants and, according to one guide book, 1,000 new immigrants a day. Cars completely ignore any sense of lane divisions, and crossing the road involves first closing your eyes, breathing deeply and saying a few prayers to your choice of higher authorities. (Surprisingly, we didn't witness any accidents during our entire stay.)

The sights and smells of Cairo are thrilling - downtown Cairo has a distinct French European feel, while the skyline of Islamic Cairo is dominated by minarets and a seemingly endless number of mosques. The Cairo souq is mostly a tourist attraction, but walking down the streets of the bazaar brought me back to the other Middle Eastern souqs I've visited in Turkey and Israel - all kinds of colorful trinkets peddled at overpriced "special tourist discounts," along with spices, clothing, and food, set to the soundtrack of Arabic music playing in various places around the bazaar. The style of dress in Cairo was also eye catching, from modern clothing to an infinite range of colorful hijabs, worn by modern Muslim women, and the more imposing burquas worn by women who adhere to more conservative Muslim values. And, of course, right outside of Cairo stand the pyramids, aptly described as one of the seven wonders of the world. Walking into the Red Pyramid at Dahshur was an Indiana Jones-esque experience and horse back riding around the Great Pyramids at Giza captured the pyramids' stark beauty and only increased my wonder that they were built so long ago, yet remain standing.

Outside Cairo, we visited Aswan, the center of Egypt's Nubian culture (Nubians are a mixture of African and Arab culture; ancient Nubia is close to modern day Sudan). Getting away from the hustle and bustle of Cairo was a huge relief on our senses, and the highlight of Aswan (and a highlight of the whole week) was an afternoon spent sailing down the Nile from Aswan to the first cataract (The Nile!! I can't believe I sailed down the Nile!), while Nubian ruins glinting in the sunlight as we floated by. We also traveled to Luxor and spent a full day exploring pharaohnic tombs and temples at the the Valley of the Kings, Deir el-Bahiri, Karnak temple and Luxor Temple. Something that astounded me in particular was the Jewish connection to Egyptian temple worship, manifested by the inner sanctuary of ancient Egyptian worship temples. Just like the holy temple built by King Solomon around 1,000 B.C.E., the inner sanctuary of the temples built by Egyptian pharaohs only a couple of hundred years earlier was referred to by the Egyptians as the "Holy of Holies," and only the high priest was allowed entry to make offers to their god.

Upon our return to Cairo, we visited the Egypt museum where we experienced the eery feeling of seeing preserved mummies, most of them unwrapped, of 3,500 year-old pharaohs. The bodies are incredibly preserved, and fake eyes have been inserted so it looks like the mummies are either sleeping peacefully or staring contendedly right at you. I was especially blown away by seeing the mummies of the pharaohs most scholars point to as being responsible for the Israelites' Biblical exodus from Egypt. (Ancient Egyptian history includes one reference to Israel, but otherwise didn't document the slavery of the Israelites. However, since writing history was really an exercise in self-promotion for Egyptian pharaohs, the Israelites could simply have been off their radar screen when they decided what to document).

As a tourist on a brief visit, it was hard to dig under the sunny expressions of "everyone gets along" that most Egyptians expressed to us regarding both domestic and international politics. However, several isolated conversations, as well as the bombing in the bazaar after I left, reflect street level discontent with the government's unwavering policy of honoring its peace agreement with Israel and refusing to intervene against Israel during the recent war with in Gaza. Given the almost universal attendance of men at Friday prayers and the public broadcasting of the imam's Friday sermons on the streets of Cairo, it's understandable how easily public opinion can be swayed by the the radical or moderate views of popular imams. We were also reminded during our travels that while Egypt is a tourist friendly country, it's not a democracy. Reading a English Egyptian paper gave us a sense of the propaganda that's used to bolster Mubarak's presidency. And, though many Cairenes life comfortably, we walked through neighborhoods, and saw many more from the road, that were characterized by overwhelming poverty and terrible living conditions.

Stepping off the plane to the news of a terrorist bombing only feet away from a place where I had blissfully munched away on a falafel, the crumbs of which I could still taste, was unnerving. While the news didn't detract from my experience, it added an unwelcome postscript to a truly fantastic trip. I prefer to reflect on the friendly exchange of Ma'al Salaam ("go in peace") that we enjoyed on a regular basis with the people with whom we interacted, on the incredible history and archaeological sites that Egypt features, and on the sweet tea that we sipped as we caught our breath before heading to our next destination.

The Elephant in the Cabinet

2009-02-02T18:31:00.008-05:00

I'm a bit mystified by President Obama's pursuit of Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) to fill the Secretary of Commerce post, left open after Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) was forced to bow out of the confirmation process thanks to that minor nuisance called a federal investigation. The only logical basis for appointing Senator Gregg to head the Commerce Department would be to enable the Democrats to get 60 votes in the Senate. (The reasoning goes as follows: If Senator Gregg were to leave his seat in the Senate, the governor of New Hampshire would get to appoint a person of his own choosing as the replacement Senator. The governor of New Hampshire is a Democrat, so he's more likely to appoint a democrat to replace Gregg. Assuming Al Franken holds off Norm Coleman for the Senate seat in Minnesota, that would give Democrats a filibuster-proof majority of 60 Democrats in the Senate.) Besides the fact that Senator Gregg is likely to insist on being replaced by a Republican in exchange for joining Obama's cabinet, there are a lot of problems with appointing Gregg to the Commerce Department, all of which trump the slim chance of the Democrats snagging that coveted 60th seat.

First and foremost, selecting Gregg to head Commerce sends the message that Obama has no clear platform or agenda for the economy. Bill Richardson and Judd Gregg aren't total polar opposites (Gregg is considered a moderate Republican on social issues), but in the realm of the economy, they're pretty close; Gregg is a fiscal conservative, whereas Bill Richardson is a committed liberal. Lining up Gregg as his second choice behind Richardson's failed nomination to Commerce Secretary seems to send the message that Obama has no comprehensive plan or agenda for dealing with the economy besides surrounding himself with smart people, regardless of their worldview.

Moreover, Gregg's appointment to the Commerce post will lead to his replacement as the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee by Senator Jeff Sessions of Alaska, one of the more conservative senators in the Senate. That poses a problem to Obama's ambitious reform agenda because much of the president's legislative proposals will have to get the green light from the Budget Committe in order to become reality. Having a moderate Republican like Gregg as an ally through the legislative process could prove critical to Obama's hopes of success, especially when the alternative is having someone like Sessions in place doing his best to throw up roadblocks.

While Gregg's appointment clearly adds more credibility to Obama's dogged pursuit of a bipartisan administration, Obama has already proved his bipartisan bona fides by appointing two Republican members to his cabinet (Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood). At this point, the incremental value of a third Republican appointment to his cabinet is negligible at best; Obama would be better off working to get Republican votes in Congress, which he failed to do for his stimulus bill, than more Republicans in his cabinet.

Finally, gubenatorial appointments of senators has generally made a circus of the Democrats and the Democratic process this year. We need look no farther than Governor David Patterson's messy appointment of Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton in New York, and to former Governor Blagovich's even messier appointment of Ron Burris to replace Barack Obama in Illinois. Chancing another media hullabaloo around New Hamphsire Governor John Lynch's appointment to replace Gregg in the Senate puts the national Democratic party unnecessarily at risk at a time when it should instead be concentrating on solidifying its power base.

Add up all these factors and the conclusion is clear: Judd Gregg should be staying put in the Senate. Obama can fill that empty shelf in his cabinet elsewhere.

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This past weekend marked the second anniversary of a friend's sudden death, Yair Elmaleh. The posting I wrote in the wake of his passing is now the first item to come up when his name is Googled. I can attest from the number of times that the posting has been read, that hundreds, if not thousands, of people have missed Yair in the two years since his death, and that memories of his smile continue to light up the room.

Click here to read about Yair.

Is Anybody Really Looking Forward to 2009?

2009-01-29T10:51:00.005-05:00

Rarely does the start of a new year bring with it such dramatic change to the global landscape. Virtually overnight, we have been asked to adapt to a worldwide economic crisis, massive layoffs at home, renewed turmoil in the Middle East, and a new, and path-breaking, presidential administration. Given the pace of such change, it may be hard to really predict what could happen in 2009, though suffice it to say, I hope that things only improve from here on out.

Like last year, this blog posting reflects my own predictions for the top ten trends that will take place in 2009. The trends I chose go beyond merely stating the obvious, and were arrived at through my reading of headlines and the articles behind them, my own observations, and some educated sounding guesses. None of these predictions are guaranteed to occur, but all I believe capture at least a sense of what’s in store for us over the next year.

ECONOMY
The Comeback Kid: In the wake of the economic downturn, Thomas Maynard Keynes, the poster-child economist credited with pulling this country out of the Great Depression, is going through a stunning revival. Over the next year, government economists will lean heavily on Keynesian theories, particularly the notion that deficit spending is the best way to save an economy already in shreds, from collapsing entirely. With a 10 percent unemployment rate a distinct possibility for the first time since the Great Depression, government spending has already been deployed to prop up financial institutions and will next be aimed at creating jobs through public works projects. In addition to a marked increase in name recognition, expect to see Keynes t-shirts, caps, and bumper stickers, as well as “Candy Keynes” appearing in your nearby stores very soon.

Start Spreading the News: These days, New York City is looking more like the “top of the heap” than the “king of the hill,” and not just because I’m no longer living there (though I’d like to think that’s a part of it). Manhattan’s venerable financial and legal industries are on the verge of collapse, making New York City among the worst of the areas hit by the economic crisis. The construction boom that Mayor Bloomberg oversaw the last few years has ground to a halt, and Manhattan real estate is slipping off the edge of a sizeable- looking cliff. By the end of the year, Wall Street will no longer be a corporate mecca, but rather a jumble of mostly government owned investment banks, combined with tourist traps and strip malls where stock brokers and high powered lawyers used to buy their coffee and wolf down their lunch. Plus, with a new, hip, president installed, and with at least some job openings to offer residents, Washington D.C. is jumping up the ladder of live-able cities, along with Chicago, from where the aforementioned hip president just moved. Now, if only Liza Minnelli or Frank Sinatra could write a new song....

POLITICS:
Croissant Diplomacy: While Barack Obama’s ascendancy to the presidency has inspired goodwill towards Americans abroad, don’t expect the United States to resume its position as the leader of global diplomacy overnight. Before that happens, the United States will have to repair ties damaged during the Bush years, extricate itself from at least one war (Iraq) and possibly two (Afghanistan), and revive everyone’s faith in the principles of capitalism (unlikely, given the state of our economy). In the meantime, French president Nicolas Sarkozy is busily positioning his country to become the top chef in the international diplomatic kitchen. Sarkozy has some distinct advantages working in his favor: he has managed to insert himself into virtually every major recent international crisis in the last year; he and his wife are extremely telegenic; France's economic model of democratic socialism looks more attractive to foreign countries than America's capitalism right now; and, Arab governments in the Middle East - where most of the international crises are currently taking place - are much more likely to trust France’s word over the United States. The fact that French food and wine are irresistible seals the deal for Sarkozy to become "le chef de cuisine" of global diplomacy.

The “O” Stands for Teamwork: Former President Bush strictly adhered to the concept of the strong “unitary executive,” the idea that congress cannot interfere with any executive decisions and, generally, that what the executive says, goes. President Obama has made clear from the outset that he will not rule with such presumed authority, even though he swept into office with a mandate much greater than President Bush ever enjoyed. Obama’s determined collaborative approach to governing suggests that he won’t step on as many toes as his predecessor, and that aspects of his campaign agenda — a sweeping economic stimulus bill, drastic health care reform, new education programs, and a shift in foreign policy — will not be forced onto Congress’s collective will. On the positive side, this approach could lead to widespread bipartisan support for the president’s legislative agenda. On the down side, collaboration could lead to watering down the content and impact of Obama’s planned reforms. As is clear already, Congress is testing the strength of its own hand, and individual legislators on both the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisles are jockeying for power in setting the course of future legislation. Obama’s ability to soothe egos, know when to make compromises and when to stand his ground, will ultimately determine the success or failure of his ambitious reform program for his first year in office.

The Supreme Shuffle: Because its justices serve for life, the Supreme Court is generally considered to be insulated from the daily push and pull of the political arena. Nevertheless, during his eight years in office, former President Bush appointed two justices to the Court (John Roberts and Samuel Alito), and his appointments solidified the Court’s current conservative outlook. That outlook is going to start shifting, but only slowly, in 2009. It’s improbable that any justice will retire before the 2010 term (Justices Stevens, Kennedy and Souter are the most likely candidates to retire when that happens), however, President Obama will begin to shape the kinds of cases that appear, and, perhaps more importantly, don’t appear, before the Court, through the actions of his attorney general and solicitor general and through his judicial appointments to the bench in the lower federal courts.

TECHNOLOGY:
Twit. Twit. Twitter: The last few years have seen an explosion of new communication mediums and social networking forums. Facebook replaced Friendster; Linked-In replaced that old-fashioned desktop fixture called a rolodex, gchat replaced AOL instant messenger, and the blogosphere is well on the way to replacing print newspapers. Next up in the on-deck circle is Twitter. Twitter, by its own description, is an online telegraph system designed for users to let their readers know the answer to the question “What Are You Doing” as often as they want. Bloggers and journalists are increasingly using the forum to telegraph running news commentary in real time. Individuals and businesses are also using it as a short hand way of keeping in touch with friends and contacts without having to resort to “old-fashioned” forms of communication like emails, letters and phone calls. At this rate, the next step after twitter will be a technology that does away with the proactive part of communication entirely, and simply transmits our brain waves to a pre-subscribed list of interested parties at set intervals.

A Worm in the Apple: IBM and Microsoft owned the 1990s. Though a small cult-like following refused to give up their beloved Macintosh computers, mainstream America settled happily for generic PCs, which licensed IBM’s hardware and came standard with a Windows operating system. After a few quiet years in PC-land’s shadow, however, Apple took increasingly large bites out of Microsoft and IBM’s turf. Apple began by manufacturing innovative and eye-catching Macintosh computers in the late 1990s. Then, the company scored a whopping hit with its iPod and accompanying iTunes music platform. Finally, Apple developed software that allowed users to switch back and forth between Windows and its own operating system on its Macintosh computers.

2009 will unfortunately reveal the worm at the core of the Apple. Apple is facing depressing news on numerous fronts. The company’s CEO, Steve Jobs, has taken a leave of absence for health related issues and it’s unclear when, if ever, he’ll be able to return. Though Jobs is considered a true visionary, he’s been shortsighted in not training a new CEO to ensure a smooth transition after his departure. Moreover, while successful, the iPhone is not nearly as ubiquitous as the iPod, and the iPhone is facing stiff competition from other, similar “smart” phones, such as Verizon’s Blackberry Storm. Perhaps symbolically, a worm virus recently attacked Macintosh computers, something that was previously considered impossible. All of these factors combined are starting to make one of the biggest players in the computer industry look like a very bruised Apple.

FASHION:
Simple Elegance: Even the high fashion world isn’t immune from the economic crisis, and celebrities are not going to want to show off extravagant wealth on the red carpet when viewers at home are struggling to decide between buying new clothes for the family or paying the electric bill. Fashion designers are left in a bind, forced to try to be creative on a tighter budget (or at least the appearance of one). The result this year will be a move towards “simple elegance” in couture fashion. Couture clothing on the red carpet and the catwalk will feature simpler outfits, solid colors, and straighter lines, and its wearers will don less makeup and jewelry. Though the trend towards simple elegance won't necessarily lead to cheaper prices, it will at least make it easier for us commoners to imagine ourselves taking that marvelous stroll down the catwalk.

Goodwill Hunting: Outside the world of couture fashion, “bargain shopping” will become as popular a catch phrase as “rad” was in the 1980s. Outlet stores are sure to benefit, and thrift shops and consignment stores, like Goodwill and Salvation Army stores, will have to hire traffic cops just to control the rush of people down their aisles.

ENTERTAINMENT:
The NWL (National Wii League): Video game consoles have been on the shelves of American home entertainment systems for years. Nintendo’s Wii console, which launched in 2006 to favorable reviews, is now becoming more than a popular console, it’s revolutionizing the video game experience. Wii players have been able to use the Wii Sensor Bar and Wii Remote to swing at tennis and ping pong balls, conduct an orchestra, and chop and mix vegetables at high speed to win a cooking competition for some time now. 2009, however, will feature the proliferation of competitive Wii games and tournaments, which are also starting to replace the real thing. By 2012, no one will be surprised if WII games are certified as official Olympic sports. Until then, expect an increasing number of Americans to get their daily regimen of exercise, food and music in front of their Wii console.

An Ending Starts With A New Beginning

2009-01-22T10:28:00.007-05:00

Inauguration weekend marked the end of many things: the end of another president's administration, the end of a historic candidacy and transition period, and, on a personal level, the end of nearly two years of being involved in and bearing witness to an extraordinary number of momentous events. Inauguration weekend also marked the dawn of a new beginning.

Below I've included some pictures and videos from the highlights of my weekend.

"We Are One" Concert at the Lincoln Memorial

Manifest Hope Art Gallery and Party

Santagold performs

Singing Goodbye with De La Soul

Even the security guard is dancing

The Swearing-In
The following pictures were snapped by my friend, Theo LeCompte, at the swearing-in ceremony. I wasn't with him, but his vantage point is so incredible, that I wanted to share them.

The Parade

The Ball

Mr. President and the First Lady for the first time

How Good Lookin' is my Wife?

Let's Welcome Beyonce

At Last

A Kiss from Beyonce (Not for Me, Unfortunately)

The Weekend Comes to an End.

A New Beginning Dawns.

Assault in the First Degree

2009-01-09T09:43:00.005-05:00

Though I've never sat on a jury, I've had the opportunity over the last couple of years to observe virtually every aspect of a criminal trial: opening arguments, witness testimony, closing arguments, and the sentencing of a convicted defendant. Yesterday, I filled in one more piece of the pie when I sat in on the handing down of a verdict.

The defendant was charged with attempted murder in the first and second degree, assault in the first degree and possession of a concealed dangerous weapon. He was arrested after stabbing a fellow patron at a bar in the wake of some dispute as to who was paying the bar tab. There was no doubt as to whether the defendant actually stabbed the victim; the main issue at trial was whether the defendant had acted in self-defense. One of the main hurdles for the prosecution, however, was that the victim was extremely intoxicated at the time of the attack and therefore couldn't clearly recall the incident when he was on the witness stand.

I went up to the courtroom after the jury knocked on the judge's door and told him they "were ready." Waiting in the courtroom for the jury to come out certainly had it's moments of drama: the prosecutors were pacing anxiously and the defense counsel also seemed on edge. The defendant, when he entered, appeared pretty calm, but his relatives were sobbing quietly in the back, and even the Spanish language interpreter, who was there to interpret the proceedings for the defendant and his relatives, seemed anxious. I myself had that feeling of waiting on the precipice of the unknown - wanting to find out what the ultimate verdict would be but also knowing that, regardless of the outcome, somebody would walk out of the courtroom feeling like justice had failed.

The handing down of the actual verdict was somewhat anticlimactic. The jury walked into the room and sat down; the judge thanked the jury members in advance for their service and then the courtroom clerk asked the forewoman for the jury's verdict on each charge of the indictment. The defendant wasn't asked to stand (I was surprised about that - after all, it always happens that way on television), and the forewoman's responses were read without any emotion:

-Attempted murder in the first degree: Not Guilty
-Attempted murder in the second degree: Not Guilty
-Assault in the first degree: Guilty
-Carrying a dangerous concealed weapon: Guilty

And with that, the trial was over. The judge told the jury to go back to the jury room for a few minutes so that he could meet with them and answer any questions they might have before they went home, and he also scheduled a sentencing date with the prosecutors and defense counsel. Then, the judge got up and walked out of the courtroom. No bang of the gavel or announcement that court was now adjourned, and no accompanying background music from Law & Order. The defendant, who will be deported to his home country as a result of the conviction, was put into handcuffs and taken back to his cell while his relatives continued to sob in the back of the room. The prosecutors shook hands with defense counsel, and then left the courtroom to get ready for their next case, satisfied that justice had been done.

Resolutions for 2009

2008-12-31T01:51:00.003-05:00

Make 1,000 friends on Facebook (I’m about halfway there), and make new real friends also
Find a new type of lunch sandwich to add to my lunch sandwich rotation
Invest in the stock market again…and make money
Crash some random person's party just for the fun of it
Stay connected to my friends in New York
Find activities besides work and blogging to get involved in in D.C.

Israel's Burden

2008-12-29T23:28:00.005-05:00

Since violence and war in Israel always hit close to home for me, all the more so now because my my sister and her fiance are currently living there, I wanted to share my thoughts on the recent spate of violence that is ongoing in Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Since the war began, Israel's leadership - which until now was bumbling its way to early elections in February - has apparently woken up, and now everyone, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, is getting along famously (even though Olmert is on his way to resigning because of a public corruption scandal, and Livni and Barak are candidates to take over his job). A part of me can't help but join their optimism and sense of unity, and get excited at the prospect of Israel finally putting a stop to Hamas's terrorist attacks, while also exorcising the country's demons from the disastrous war in Lebanon in 2006.

On the other hand, my principal reservation about this war is whether Israel will know when to stop and when its goals have been achieved. Israel, wisely, has made clear that it has no intention of reoccupying Gaza. Stopping Hamas's daily rocket attacks into Israel and forcing Hamas to commit, for real, to a cease fire is absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, at this point, the government's ultimate goal remains somewhat unclear. It intends to stop the rocket attacks, but does it also want to eject Hamas from office as Benjamin Netanyahu (the leader of the right-of-center Likkud party and another candidate for Olmert's job) advocates? If so, who would take over running the Gaza Strip? Mahmoud Abbas, who's Fatah faction controls the West Bank, enjoys little popular support in Gaza and, most likely, if Hamas is removed from office, the Gaza Strip will degenerate into something resembling civil war, a situation which could put Israel's own security further at risk. Shimon Peres, Israel's president, has thus far rallied behind the war saying it's goal is not just to stop the rocket attacks but also to stop terror worldwide. That objective sounds "slightly" over-ambitious in my humble opinion, and I'm pretty sure Al Queda isn't going to shutter its doors just because Israel has sent some planes to bomb a few buildings in the Gaza Strip.

One major gamble that Israel has taken in the current offensive is its bet that other Arab countries, such as Syria and Iran, will not take up arms alongside their Palestinian brethren in the Gaza Strip. Israel is relying in part on the history of the Palestinian people to reach this conclusion: the Palestinians have always been considered something of the unwanted stepchildren of the Arab world, and have therefore been left to fight their own war against Israel without direct military involvement by the other Arab countries (though Iran most certainly supplies Hamas with funding and weapons). So far, Israel's gambit is paying off. While the Arab world has spewed a lot of rhetoric against Israel over the last few days, no country has taken definitive action, and Egypt even closed its borders to refugees fleeing from Gaza. So much for brotherly love. If, however, other Arab countries decide to engage Israel and the war spreads to multiple fronts, the war will lose its appeal to many Israelis overnight, will cause major turbulence in the Middle East, and will put Israel's very existence in danger.

To a certain extent, Israel has learned over time to shrug its shoulders at international opinion. The United Nations has never been particularly friendly towards Israel; western European countries maintain a deliberate cold shoulder towards Israel because their home population counts many Arab immigrants in their midst; and Eastern European countries are more closely allied with Israel's Arab neighbors as a result of alliances developed during the Cold War. Nevertheless, it appears that this time around, Israel has hired PR consultants to ensure that its image doesn't take too thorough of a beating in the international arena. The most obvious manifestation of its marketing promo to bundle the new war into an acceptable package is that Tzipi Livni informed Egypt ahead of the military offensive, and then appeared on an American Sunday talk show the day after Israel first started sending planes into the Gaza Strip.

Because of Israel's history and the fact that every citizen serves in the army, Israel lives and dies by a realpolitik worldview: in many Israelis' minds, superior military strength is the principal avenue towards achieving peace with its neighbors. This mindset has, I believe, led Israel to focus first on military solutions to its security problems before considering other avenues to peace, such as diplomacy and economic agreements. In the immediate sense, however, Israel cannot afford to allow Hamas to continue firing rockets into the country, and Hamas has made clear that it has no intention of abiding by previous cease fie agreements. Moreover, unlike the 2006 war in Lebanon, Israel's military seems vastly more prepared to succeed this time. My only hope is that Israel will know when to stop. Until then, Israel must allow for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza's civilians. And when the war does stop, Israel must take steps to encourage the rebuilding of Gaza's economic infrastructure, in order to demonstrate its commitment to achieving a lasting peace agreement - one reached not through military coercion, but through a shared vision for an end to violence and to economic stability.

Israel, indeed, now carries a heavy burden on its shoulders.

Blog Challenge Recap

2008-12-23T14:50:00.004-05:00

So, I made it. Or well, I thought I did. My 30-day blog challenge was supposed to go through December 19th, but for some reason I thought it ended on December 17th, until about 30 seconds ago when I double checked my dates. Whoops.

In the end, I wrote 18 posts, not including this one, during the month that I was writing on my blog on a daily basis. During that time period - from November 19th through December 17th - I only missed one weekday posting, and the only reason for that was because I was out of town and away from my computer that day.

After having the experience of writing so frequently, I now know what it feels like to be a journalist having to meet a regular writing deadline, sans editor, of course. On the upside, I learned that I was generally able to think of something to write about and, most of the time, was able to put a posting together that was moderately interesting, if not downright entertaining. (Yes, I'm patting myself on the back right now). I also started to learn how to write quality "short posts" instead of consistently long ones. On the downside, I sometimes felt like I was just writing something to see words on the page even when the a topic didn't merit a posting. Also, because 90% of my current job responsibilities involve me writing, there were times this past month when I felt like all I do in life is write and nothing else.

To my surprise, writing every day didn't lead to a significant increase in traffic to my site. Nevertheless, I received a bunch of comments about my postings, and my parents get the prize for sending me an email almost every day telling me straight up what they thought of my writing. As far as I'm concerned, the more comments and the more traffic I get, the better, so those are both things I'll keep working towards.

In sum, I would say that the blog challenge was a success for me. Now it's back to a more regular (i.e., less frequent) writing schedule!

The Mickey Mouse Club

2008-12-17T21:48:00.017-05:00

I really don't want to publicize the fact that my new apartment has little mickey mice keeping me company (they were a preexisting condition when I moved in), but I couldn't resist posting this email along with the accompanying 8x10 glossy digital photographs that I received from my building manager today. Next thing you know, motion sensitive cameras and audio surveillance are going to be installed in the apartment, not so the building manager can actually get rid of the mice, mind you, just to make sure that he's tracking whatever grain of rice we leave wrapped in five layers of tinfoil and sealed in a ziplock plastic bag and tucked away in our kitchen cabinet and that most surely will be eaten by one lucky mickey mouse who managed to make his way through the plugged up holes. I'll let the rest of the email speak for itself.

Gentleman,

I wanted to show you what work we are doing in your apartment to help eliminate mice in 109.

The pictures below are of another unit but it demonstrates the work we are doing in 109. Following those pictures are pictures from an inspection I performed in 109. Serious cleaning would go a long way to help the problem.

Mouse-proofing: The surface areas around the convectors will be removed exposing any holes or channels to the walls around the convectors.

Poison will be placed in the walls.

Then all channels will be sealed with a foam:

Self help:

Apartment 109 could use an intensive cleaning. There is plenty organic material that will draw and sustain mice, as well as plenty of harborage in the apartment.

Bait is ineffective when there is plentiful other materials around.

Behind your refrigerator there is plenty of organic material:
Appliance should be pulled out.

Area should be swept and scrubbed.

Mice are attracted to fruit.

Please keep fruit and other food items sealed and preferably in the refrigerator, especially while we are battling this problem.

There is a lot of food product under the burners of your stove.

This should be cleaned out and scrubbed.

The side of your counters needs scrubbed.

A quick sweeping of your kitchen floor provided plenty of food products. A grain of rice can sustain a mouse for days.

Sweep regularly and scrub.

All the bags you keep can provide harborage for mice and bugs. They can also harbor bugs when they come from the store. Put in the recycling bins immediately after emptying.

Food items in light plastic bags should be placed in sealable containers to eliminate access and control smells.

The sense of smell for mice is many times that of humans.

Take trash out everyday. Do not leave it in your apartment.

You are steps away from the trash room.

There are plenty of crumbs under your cushions.

They should be vacuumed. It is possible mice could be nesting in your couch.

All the rags under the sink can provide harborage for mice and bugs.

A lot of food product in your toaster oven.

It should be thoroughly cleaned out after each use.

With all of us working toward the same goal we should be able to end this problem soon.

Thanks,
Your Building Manager

The Dynasty's Dame

2008-12-16T22:44:00.004-05:00

When I was at the Democratic National Convention in August, I was lucky to have the opportunity to hear Ted Kennedy mark the twilight of his lengthy career of public service by giving what was presumably one of his last major speeches. At the time, everyone in the convention hall assumed that Kennedy's speech also signified the approaching sunset over the family dynasty. Though members of the Kennedy clan remain in the public eye (Maria Shriver, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend), none has achieved the prominence or transcendence that JFK, RFK or Ted Kennedy rose to in their lifetimes.

Governor Patterson now has the opportunity to polish off the dusty chandeliers at Camelot and rescue the Kennedy dynasty from its inevitable demise by appointing a new dame of the dynasty, Caroline Kennedy, to be the distinguished junior senator from New York. It's an opportunity, I think, that he should delicately pass up.

Though Caroline Kennedy is obviously intelligent and accomplished, any legislative appointment would be made principally because of her last name. Until she became involved in vetting Obama's vice-presidential short list, Caroline Kennedy did not have a career in public service and, in fact, consciously shunned the limelight. Numerous other individuals have devoted their lives to public service and who have a proven track record upon which Governor Patterson can make an appointment. Carolyn Maloney (congresswoman from Manhattan/Queens), Kirstin Gillibrand (congresswoman from Albany), Jerry Nadler (congressman from Manhattan) and Brian Higgins (congressman from western NY) all come to mind. (Andrew Cuomo doesn't because I don't think he's going to get plucked from his new position as the state's attorney general.) Moreover, Caroline Kennedy doesn't have any connections to upstate New Yorkers, whose support is crucial to keeping the reigns of political power in the state in Democratic hands, in Congress and at the state level.

Let Caroline Kennedy run for office in an election, when she would have the opportunity to prove her bona fides to the public and make more of a convincing case as to why she should serve as a representative of her state. Until then, however, Governor Patterson should keep those pearly gates to Camelot closed shut.

Play Ball

2008-12-15T21:22:00.005-05:00

I'm on a mission. Since November 4th, I've been trying to score free tickets to an inaugural ball, mostly for the fun of it and for the chance of putting on a tux for something other than a wedding. I've hit up acquaintances, tracked down long lost friends and even asked one of the local valet businesses if I could park a few cars in exchange for a couple of dancing tickets. So far, no dice, though there's more than a month to make this happen. (Unfortunately, I know I'm not the only one trying to do this). Failing this mission of mine, I'd like to host my own anti-ball, pro-inauguration, black-tie-for-the-fun-of-it party, but my apartment only fits about, oh, 10 people. Uncomfortably. So, right now I'm up a creek. But hopefully I'll have an occasion to put on my dancing shoes and a bow tie by the time January 20th rolls around!

How to Get Out of Quicksand, Part II

2008-12-11T17:24:00.002-05:00

So, as I indicated last time, this second installment of the Readers' Manual on How To Get Out of Economic Quicksand will answer the question of why, when we're facing such a dramatic economic crisis, the government should engage in an expansionary fiscal policy instead of a contractionary policy or a more moderate expansionary fiscal policy.

Here's where things get complicated, and where many economists disagree with one another. It's also, truth be told, where I get a little lost without doing some more serious research, so I'll admit that my explanations might be oversimplifying things a bit.

Proponents of an aggressive fiscal policy in this dire economic situation concentrate on gross domestic product and unemployment as the centerpieces to solving our economic troubles. Gross domestic product (GDP) is the sum of a country's consumption, investment, government spending and the value of the country's exports less imports, and it is generally considered the principal measure of an economy's health.

Normally, the Federal Reserve can influence GDP by lowering interest rates because by doing so, as I discussed last time, investment goes up. However, when the Fed can no longer lower interest rates then investment goes down or remains static and downward pressure is exerted on GDP and unemployment increases. To avoid this scenario, the government needs to spend a lot of dollars. Spending has the ability to do two things (which are related): stimulate consumption and create jobs. By stimulating consumption, GDP goes up. And by creating jobs, people get paid salaries, which in turn increases consumption, which in turn increases GDP and creates more jobs.

In a normal economic environment, too much government spending creates the risk that the government will just start printing money at will, leading to high inflation. However, inflation is typically curbed by raising interest rates (because raising interest rates reduced the available money supply). When the Fed is starting with interest rates hovering around zero, the sky's the limit on its ability to raise interest rates. So, if the government overshoots its spending policy then the Fed can simply counteract that by raising interest rates.

Conversely, if the government takes a cautious approach to fiscal policy and falls shorts of its GDP goals, the Fed can't do anything to remedy the problem. It can't raise interest rates because that will just keep the economy stagnant when there's no need to curb inflation, and it can't lower interest rates because interest rates are already around zero.

Though the arguments in favor of an aggressive fiscal policy are compelling, such a policy is difficult to implement in reality. The news from today that the auto industry bailout faltered in the Senate demonstrates that politics combined with Congress's reticence in setting economic policy will affect the choice of medicines that we are ultimately told to swallow in order to revive our ailing economy. Drastic times call for drastic measures, but a more cautious approach may ultimately win the day.

You're Wanted on the Telephone

2008-12-10T22:16:00.011-05:00

I'm in a long distance relationship with a girl who's a Verizon customer. I'm a Sprint customer and, frankly, we're starting to have serious connection problems. When we whisper sweet nothings into our phone receivers, our "nothings" translate into eating up precious anytime minutes. So, I've ditched the romantic sound bites. Also, my nights start at 7 and hers start at 9, so I'm starting to live on Mountain Standard Time just so we can get our clocks (biological or otherwise) in sync.

Like Verizon, my girlfriend is a believer in "bigger is better" and in majority rules. She also has a fetish for catchy corporate slogans, and whenever I ask "can you hear me now?" she giggles and starts calling me her test man (it's sexy she says). I, on the other hand, am so familiar with dropped calls, my first child is going to be named after them. And I always root for the underdog, for those little people like Sprint just trying to get one chance to make it in life. Finally, I detest corporate slogans on the grounds that they're narcissistic.

The day is coming soon when I'm going to have to draw the phone line in the sand and tell my girlfriend that until we make a network connection, our spiritual connection is as bad as AT&T's cell phone coverage. My girlfriend may have my number, but these days that's just not enough.

Out of Africa

2008-12-09T22:45:00.012-05:00

This is a good opportunity to catch up on posts that I've been meaning to write but haven't yet. Because my schedule was so busy at the time, I never had a chance to blog about my trip to South Africa in August with my brother.

One of the highlights of our trip was our 3 day safari in Kruger National Par k. After spending time there, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to visit a zoo again (except to see panda bears). The animals who live at the park are given free reign to roam all over its thousands and thousands of acres and, recently, have even been allowed to enter neighboring Mozambique because the border fence was taken down to accommodate them. People drive along the designated roads in the park and stay in their cars, but are able to observe the animals up close and personal. These pictures represent only a few that I took during the safari, but help to capture the incredible animals and scenery that we saw during our trip.

Scouts' Honor

2008-12-08T23:44:00.007-05:00

Since I grew up in the Boy Scouts you can get a pretty good sense of where I was on the cool meter in middle school. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my scouting experience and still keep in touch with some of my fellow troop members, despite my subsequent disillusionment with the Boy Scouts as an organization. Earlier tonight I attended the first annual Salute to Scouting dinner for the National Capital Area Council of Boy Scouts. Though I haven't been involved with the Scouts for 10 years, I was interested to reconnect for the evening and find out what the world of scouting has been up to.

As I learned, a lot about the Boy Scouts hasn't changed, and it's still an organization that's predominately white and Christian and conservative. My own disillusionment began while I was still in the scouts, when my troop was discriminated against at several Boy Scout camps for being a Jewish troop with kosher dietary restrictions, and only grew during the 1990s when the Boy Scouts made the news for refusing to open their membership to gay and atheist/agnostic scouts and adult leaders. (The courts upheld the organization's policies because it's a private organization.) Since then, the membership policies have faded out of the news headlines, though they continue to remain in place. Despite my reservations about the Scouts, it's hard to dispute their good work in the community and, aside from their social conservatism, the valuable life skills such as leadership and civic mindedness that they teach. They also run several organizations designed to promote scouting among depressed urban communities.

The big questions that I wrestle with are whether I could see myself as an adult leader in the Boy Scouts and whether I would want my children to participate in scouting. Even after tonight, I'm still unsure. My sense is that the programs in the inner city schools focus more on self-improvement and community building than they do on the points of the scout code that codify the Boy Scouts' positions on atheism and homosexuality. ("A scout is...clean and reverent"; "I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to keep myself...morally straight.") So, to that extent, perhaps I could get involved in those troops with a clear conscience. On the other hand, I can see myself having a hard time being part of an organization that espouses values with which I so strongly disagree.

Much is made of a scout's honor; it reflects qualities such as honesty, dedication to hard work and civic duty, and to being a leader in the community. Yet, for me, my own scout's honor conflicts with some of the traditional notions underlying the concept. What in my mind is the more "honorable" thing to do in this case, disavow the Scouts or participate in them as a leader? Becoming involved in order to advocate for change in the organization sounds like the happy medium, but joining an organization solely for the purposes of radically reforming it is a significant undertaking that, if history is any predictor, has little chance of success. For the time being, therefore, my question remains unanswered; it is a dilemma with which I continue to grapple.

The End of the Week

2008-12-05T16:38:00.003-05:00

Writing a good post on my blog every day isn't always easy (Exhibit #1: Lamb Stew), but I'm proud to say that I'm still making it.

A few scattered thoughts as I look forward to the weekend.

I'm not going to elaborate it on myself, but Paul Krugman has a good posting on his blog about why deflation isn't a good thing even though it raises the real value of money (i.e., a dollar tomorrow is worth more than a dollar today). That was a question I left unanswered (and unasked) in my posting.

Watching OJ Simpson's sentencing proceeding this afternoon brought to memories the day I listened to the jury render its verdict in his murder trial 13 years ago in 7th period math class, right after the final bell for the day had rung. It's one of those moments that I'll always remember where I was when it happened.

To elaborate on lamb stew, since I've received several inquisitive comments about it: I was supposed to make lamb stew for dinner tonight but then found out that the frozen meat that I thought was lamb in my freezer was actually chicken. On top of getting locked out of my apartment when I returned home after midnight yesterday, that discovery made me one unhappy camper!

Lamb Stew

2008-12-05T01:15:00.003-05:00

It's really disappointing when my lamb stew turns out to be made from chicken.

How To Get Out of Quicksand

2008-12-03T15:16:00.006-05:00

Understanding today's economy and how to fix it has consumed economists with far more expertise than I possess. Nevertheless, I’d like to take a stab at explaining the ideas Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman has recently trumpeted on his blog, Conscience of a Liberal (he's unapologetic about his worldview). My motivation in undertaking this exercise is simply to help me understand the nature of the current economic crisis and what can be done to remedy it, and perhaps, to help a few more people down the line understand these issues as well.

So, with that foreword, here's the first installment of the Readers' Manual on How To Get Out of (Economic) Quicksand:

Reviving the economy in a state of depression requires more than just a few doses of medicine to spark a happier spending mood among consumers. It requires an aggressive policy of fiscal expansion; even more aggressive, perhaps, then the current best estimate of what’s needed. (Chuck Schumer threw out a cost of $700 billion but pulled that number from pretty much out of nowhere). [For an Econ 101 primer: Fiscal policy relates to government spending and taxation and is within the domain of Congress and the President. Monetary policy, on the other hand, is controlled by the Federal Reserve and seeks to influence the direction of the economy by regulating the supply of money and interest rates. Lowering interest rates generally increases the supply of money and economic investment, and therefore is considered an economic stimulus.]

One of the main reasons that the government is going to need to adopt such a bold strategy is because we’re currently hovering on the brink of a liquidity trap. Japan suffered through ten years of such a trap during the “Lost Decade” of the 1990s and we don't want to go through the same thing. Without getting too complicated, a liquidity trap occurs when the following happens: 1) The Federal Reserve loses its ability to stimulate the economy through monetary policy because it can’t lower interest rates anymore to increase money supply; and 2) banks decide that they're unwilling to lend money to consumers and businesses, so the investment rate tanks. When the interest rate approaches zero, as it is now, people choose to keep their money at home under the mattress instead of injecting it into the economy. This tends to cause deflation (sustained losses in general price levels) and can lead to a vicious downward spiral of people delaying purchases as prices fall, which lowers overall consumption, which causes more deflation. When this happens, we're in a liquidity trap because monetary policy is no longer effective in regulating the supply of money.

With monetary policy rendered impotent, the only way to escape the throes of a liquidity trap is to adopt an aggressive fiscal policy.

If you've gotten all the way to this point in my posting, then the next logical question of course is why does the government have to engage in an expansionary fiscal policy? Why does the government have to spend more to stimulate the economy and take on huge deficits, instead of pursuing a contractionary fiscal policy (or at least a more moderate expansionary one) by cutting back on spending and taxes? The answer to this question invokes Keynesian economics, the New Deal and FDR and, in the interest of keeping this post to a reasonable length, will have to wait for the next installment of the Reader's Manual on How to Get Out of (Economic) Quicksand. Stay tuned.

Jovie's Story

2008-12-02T23:28:00.012-05:00

Jovie is a member of my extended family and an inspiration to me and to many others. Over the Thanksgiving weekend I spoke with him and, though he never boasts about his many accomplishments, I couldn't help but reflect on his incredible path to today. I'm hopeful that one day Jovie's story will be published in the pages of a newspaper or magazine, as it deserves to be, so today I'll only share a nugget of it.

Nearly ten years ago, my brother, David, spent his junior semester abroad in Senegal. When he first arrived, he and several other American students lived with a host family in Dakar. Soon thereafter, David's host-brother, Jovie (I’ve changed his name to protect his privacy), became sick. Within about a month, Jovie’s health deteriorated to the point that he required hospitalization and, without proper care, was given only a short time left to live. The doctors and hospital in Senegal, however, weren't equipped to treat him.

During the semester, Jovie started dating one of the other American students living with his family. Thanks to the unbelievable efforts of both his new girlfriend’s parents and my own parents, all of whom were back in the States, Jovie was flown to the United States and received the medical care he needed. Miracles and persistence combined to make Jovie’s trip possible, from a lucky, last-ditch, midnight phone call to the one official in the State Department who had the authority to overturn the U.S. consulate's decision denying Jovie a visa, to Jovie’s doctors in the States, all of whom donated their services.

Jovie arrived in the States in such poor health that he had to be taken by ambulance from the airport directly to the hospital to undergo surgery. After convalescing in my parents' house for nearly a year, Jovie went to college and completed his bachelor's degree in computer science in two years at a backbreaking pace. The girlfriend he had just started dating when she and her family helped bring him to the States? They maintained a long distance relationship through college. After his graduation, they married and a year later gave birth to a set of twins. Jovie began working in the computer industry, but after several years decided to change careers and pay forward the medical treatment he received here. So, he went to graduate school while still working and taking care of his children. This past year, Jovie completed his nursing degree and today, works as a nurse in a hospital's intensive care unit, using his story to inspire his patients and bring them on the road to recovery. The life that was saved in Jovie has become a beacon of happiness for his family and friends, including myself, and has helped save the lives of others many times over.

December First

2008-12-01T17:47:00.004-05:00

The beginning of the end of the Year. This is the month I look forward to looking back; to reading all the magazine and newspaper articles listing the “Best/Worst of 2008" and the New York Times magazine's annual issues reviewing the new ideas and inventions of the last 12 months and the personalities (celebrity or otherwise) who passed away this year.

It's funny how quickly 12 months go by. I feel like I just got the hang of signing "2008" on the date line of checks.

Four Party Harmony

2008-11-26T16:41:00.004-05:00

I have a lot to be thankful for this year, including my new job and new apartment and the fact that, since my grandmother's health has improved, we won't be eating turkey dinner in a rehab facility like last year.

#1 family tradition for Thanksgiving (besides eating a lot): Listening to Alice's Restaurant Massacree on the radio Thursday at noon.

#2 family tradition for Thanksgiving (besides taking a nap after eating): Singing along with Alice's Restaurant Massacree in Four Part Harmony.

Happy Thanksgiving!

DV Headlines

2008-11-25T18:05:00.005-05:00

Thanks to a lack of space in my judge's chambers, I work in a cubicle that happens to be situated in the Domestic Violence Assistance office in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Courthouse. From my vantage point next to the receptionist's desk, I see a steady stream of individuals and families coming to seek temporary restraining orders or protective orders against the (mostly) men that are abusing them, their children or their relatives. I also have the chance to hear about cases from the House of Ruth attorneys who work in the cubicle next to mine.

The last couple of days, domestic violence has unfortunately made the headlines. In New Jersey, a woman was killed by her estranged husband, against whom she had a restraining order, at the end of Sunday Church services. Similarly in D.C., a woman was killed by her ex-boyfriend, though she had already taken out a protective order against him and had started planning her own funeral because he had threatened her so many times.

Over the next year or so, the domestic violence assistance office will be combined with other services for DV survivors, so that they can seek medical attention, police intervention, legal advice and counseling all in one place. The events of the past few days demonstrate the unfortunate need for such services and the importance of the work conducted by the attorneys in the cubicles next to me.

Make That A Ring For Two

2008-11-24T11:40:00.005-05:00

In my law school admission essay, I promoted the idea that both men and women should wear engagement rings. While I believe my idea had merit, at the time I couldn’t figure out a satisfying ritual on the level of the pop-the-question-on-one-knee-and-proceed-to-get-all-teary-eyed custom that we have for when a man proposes to a woman. (From a business perspective, I still like my idea though the diamond industry has looked elsewhere to expand their market by pushing right hand independence rings for women).

Well, a couple of friends may have, unintentionally, come up with the solution to my dilemma for me. Several weeks ago, the then-boyfriend surprised his then-girlfriend by getting down on one knee and proposing with a ring. They agreed however that his proposal and her yes was only half the deal. She needed to pop the question to him (and he had to say yes) and only then would they be properly engaged. A few days later, the then-girlfriend surprised her then half-boyfriend, half-fiancé with a picnic and a proposal. He said yes and the engagement was sealed. (He’s not wearing an engagement ring, but that’s a mere technicality.)

The couple is now on the happy road to marriage and I'm getting all teary eyed at this wonderful idea.

The Crazy World of IP Securitizations (There Aren't a Whole Lot of Ways to Make This Subject Sound Exciting)

2008-11-21T14:18:00.002-05:00

Check out my recent article published in the Journal of Legal Technology Risk Management:

Making Something Out of Nothing: The Trend Towards Securitizing Intellectual Property Assets and the Legal Obstacles That Remain.

Bunking Down

2008-11-20T11:52:00.003-05:00

This past week I moved out of my parents' house. (Yes, I'm thirty and have a girlfriend and, inspired by Al Franken, affirm myself daily in the mirror: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me!") One of the big decisions I made while living at my parents' place (besides when to move out) was deciding to switch from sleeping on the top bunk to the bottom bunk. I'm a top bunk lifer, so this choice was not made lightly. And, frankly, I still believe in the merits of the top bunk: better view, no risk of the top bunk collapsing on you if someone heavy is sleeping in it or of hitting your head when waking up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and you get the perk of climbing a ladder to get into bed. The bottom bunk won out, however, because I needed to charge my cell phone overnight and was also using it as my alarm clock. The charger cord wouldn't reach all the way to the top bunk and I'm a big fan of being able to press the snooze button a few times in the morning, so, something had to give. And it was the top bunk.

The Blog Challenge

2008-11-19T15:15:00.002-05:00

In honor of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I'm embarking on my own writing challenge. My goal: To write on my blog every day for the next month - from today, November 19th until December 19th. (Collective gasp). I'll admit that even I'm a bit daunted by this challenge; so, since I'm the creator and sole arbiter of it, I'm taking the liberty of relaxing the rules for myself. After all, everyone could use a day off every now and then. I won't be posting on Saturdays and will be encouraged, but not required, to post on Sundays. I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving by eating a lot and spending time with family, so I also don't anticipate writing Thursday and Friday of next week. Otherwise, however, I'm hoping to write everyday between now and December 19th. By my count that's at least 21 posts.

I have several reasons for taking this project on: I'd like to improve my skills in the art of the "short blog post" - the post that's insightful, witty and brief. I'd also like to get back into the groove of writing more regularly and think this is a fantastic way to wind up the calendar year on my blog, especially since Awake at All Hours will be celebrating its 2 year anniversary in February 2009. And, finally, I want to see if I'm really able to come up with something to write about every day for the next month!

Tomorrow Has Arrived

2008-11-04T10:30:00.003-05:00

At his final campaign rally before polls opened today last night in Manassas, VA, I stood ten feet away from Barack Obama while he inspired the crowd - me along with 90,000 others - with his charisma and powerful speech. Afterward, I shook Obama's hand and saw him closeup for perhaps the last time as someone altogether human: as a man exhausted on the campaign trail while mourning his grandmother's death earlier in the day, and as a candidate trying one last time to win the public's support before earning the right to be called Mr. President for the rest of his life.

It's amazing that nearly two years of non-stop electioneering and political headlines has culminated in today. As I drove around early this morning through the streets of D.C. and watched lines snake around blocks into polling stations, it was easy to reflect on the most exciting (and longest!) political campaign that I've ever lived through: The riveting Democratic primaries and my own participation in Hillary's campaign; the shifting sands of issues that candidates in the primaries and general election addressed, from Iraq to health care to national security to prejudice to the economy; the death of Tim Russert (where will he be tonight to call the election?); the opportunity to witness history being made at the Democratic National Convention; and, in the last few weeks, the conflicting feelings of election fatigue and hold-my-breath anticipation for an Obama victory as both candidates raced to the finish line.

On my blog pages I've included my own snippets of commentary during this election season and, though I'll continue to write about political issues after its over, I have one more observation. A loss by McCain tonight will increase exponentially the likelihood that no Vietnam veteran will ever serve as President of the United States. Though some Vietnam vets, like Senator Jim Webb of Virgina, may still be involved in politics four to eight years from now, a new generation of political leadership, the vast majority of whom did not serve in Vietnam, stands at the ready. (Exhibit #1: Barack Obama, Exhibit #2: Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana). Remarkably, both John Kerry's candidacy in 2004 and John McCain's campaign this year never managed to escape the negative framing of their valorous wartime service. Indeed, it was "the things they carried" that ultimately may have cost them the election: Kerry never successfully parried the now legendary swiftboating attack ads against him, while McCain failed to shake the public perception that his approach to the war in Iraq and, more generally, to his entire political agenda have been inextricably tied to his mission to win a war that this country lost in Vietnam. Turns out the hippie generation that so stridently opposed Vietnam may have gotten the last laugh.

The line that gave me goosebumps last night came in the middle of Obama's speech. "I have one word for you, Virginia," he said. And then he paused. One word was the core of Obama's message yesterday, and while I waited to find out what it was I thought about the pages and pages of words that could describe this election. "One word," he said. "Tomorrow." A simple way to capture the essence of what was left for the campaign.

That day I've been waiting for - tomorrow - has come. Today is the day that an African American president is elected president and the Democrats take back the White House after eight years of President Bush digging us deeper and deeper into a hole. Today, our legislators, whatever Congress's ultimate composition, will stop worrying about winning their respective campaigns and start focusing on solving the deep and troubling issues facing our country. It's hard to believe, but tomorrow has finally arrived! Tomorrow is today.

Drifting

2008-10-10T01:49:00.003-04:00

Around this same time last year – the time of the celebration of the Jewish New Year – I took stock of the previous year and the year ahead. When I wrote then, I did so with a sense of comfort and self-confidence. Twelve months later I write in the midst of upheaval and transition – living in a new city, working at a new job, and in between apartments. While I continue to pack my lunch every day and remain active in the causes that inspire me – as I promised I would last year – I feel for the first time in a long time like a drifter still settling into this new stage of life while trying not to let go of the life and friends I enjoyed so much during my seven years in New York.

Looking back over the last twelve months I can be extremely thankful for my grandmother’s improved health. My gratitude is dampened however by the loss to cancer of several close friends’ parents; a loss that’s even harder to bear because I think of their families as so much like my own. On a more positive note, this past year included two significant milestones – my graduation from law school and my 30th birthday. Those two events and the fact that I’m now back to work instead of living the – if I dare say – “bohemian lifestyle” of a law student, have contributed to me feeling like the responsibilities of adulthood and of making grown-up decisions about my life, career and residence are beckoning at me just over the horizon.

When I originally moved to New York after college, I had a group of close friends already in the city. Over time my cadre of close friends only grew. Even though New York is a big city I never felt lonely or lacking “go-to friends,” those friends that I feel comfortable hanging out with pretty much anytime. While my family roots are in D.C and the people I’ve met have all been extremely friendly, it’s hard being in a place where even though everyone I’ve met has been extremely friendly, with the exception of my girlfriend, all my go-to friends, including my brother, aren’t a walk or short subway ride away anymore.

I’m sure that over the next few months I’ll begin settling into my new city and to my post-graduate school career. Nevertheless, I also know that to a certain extent the year ahead and probably the next few, as I establish myself professionally and decide where I’m going to live for the foreseeable future, will require me to rely on my instinct and confidence in myself to make hard decisions without constantly questioning the road not traveled.

Last year, Simon & Garfunkel’s words from The Boxer rang true. This year the poignant chorus of one of my favorite Israeli songs, “Yareach” (“Moon”) by Shlomo Artzi, capture my feeling of looking back at what I’ve just left behind with a sense of tomorrow’s unknown potential:

Etmol hiyah tov, ve-yieh gam makhar.
Yesterday was good, and there will be tomorrow again.

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

2008-09-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

The news of Wall Street’s meltdown today and yesterday has me flashing back to the winter of 2000-2001 when the economy fell apart as the tech boom turned into a tech bust. Eight years ago I was in the middle of my senior year of college and, as companies’ fortunes soured overnight I, as well as many of my classmates, had job offers withdrawn or postponed indefinitely, replaced by huge question marks hanging over our heads as we approached graduation. (His appearance had nothing to do with the economy, but in an interesting twist, John McCain was my college graduation speaker). Today – fortunately – I’m lucky to have a secure job, though I’m witnessing more and more friends being caught in the economic downturn.

I realize that there are significant differences between now and eight years ago. Perhaps most importantly, the causes of the two sudden economic collapses are vastly different. In 2000, the market went belly up after Wall Street investors realized that the dime-a-dozen startup Internet companies they had been pouring their dollars into were projecting success based on intangible website traffic instead of revenue dollars. That revelation was the equivalent of finding out that the real estate investors had purchased to build their homes on was merely a cloud in the sky that had just disappeared into thin air. (The movie Startup.com provides an entertaining and compelling anecdotal portrayal of this phenomenon). While today’s collapse is also rooted in fundamental economic misperceptions, they are of a different, and perhaps more complicated, sort. Today’s collapse originated in the debt markets – with lenders deciding to provide a massive number of high-risk mortgages that ultimately went into default, and with investment banks taking on too much debt and making too many risky investments. Moreover, whereas the tech bust was preceded by “irrational exuberance” (a phrase famously coined by Alan Greenspan, the man who’s policies laid the groundwork for today’s collapse), since the tech bust in 2000-2001, the economy has muddled somewhere between mediocre and fair condition.

The media has focused much of its attention on the effect that Wall Street’s meltdown will have on the presidential race. From my perspective both candidates were caught sleeping at the wheel yesterday morning; not because they haven’t talked about the sinking economy before today, but because they’ve been tailoring their positions and remarks only to the blue collar workers who have been affected by the softening economy, without addressing the possibility of massive unemployment among white collar workers as well. On the other hand, if we take a hard look at the electoral map, most of the swing states (e.g., Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) have substantial blue collar workers, whereas the states that will be hardest hit by the collapse/acquisitions of Bear Stearns, Lehman, Merrill Lynch, and AIG (most notably New York and California) are already pretty much foregone conclusions on the electoral map and therefore don’t need as much political attention from the candidates.

Presidential race aside, it’s certainly frustrating to be witnessing the collapse of investment banks that managed to survive the Great Depression but are now finding it more difficult to get through the next 24 hours. Having made it through the turmoil of eight years ago, and having seen my college friends all land on their feet after that period of uncertainty, I’m hopeful that ten years from now all the workers who have been affected by the collapse will be able to say that they weathered the storm. Until that day arrives, however, the number crunchers, policy makers and dollar spenders deserve their fair share of the blame in failing to address a storm that has been brewing on the horizon for years now.

Even after the tech bust, the White House has advocated free corporate rein without engaging Congress and considering how to use regulation to enhance corporate accountability and monitor risk. (Sarbanes-Oxley, passed in 2001, was a step in the right direction but that act focused more on ensuring that public companies issued truthful financial statements instead of measuring the risk levels that financial institutions have assumed). Investment banks should have done their soul searching eight years ago to better figure out how to mitigate risky investments so that their gambles wouldn't turn up sour again. Without any changes made, either in terms of regulation or corporate practices, the incentive to generate short term profits that drove investment banks to sink funds into technology start ups simply hasn't gone away. Peter, Paul and Mary's song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" has a refrain that won't get out of my head: “O’, when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?”

The Digital Age

2008-09-10T00:19:00.027-04:00

Shawn and me

I recently entered the 21st century and purchased a digital camera, which will facilitate posting more pictures on my blog. To that end, after only a half day's work, I've taught myself how to publish pictures and movies on my blog (though still not very well), and have posted some of the highlight pictures from the DNC. I've also included a couple of videos from the dramatic roll call that took place to nominate Barack Obama. This multimedia presentation is for short term entertainment while I finish writing a few posts that are in the works.

Two other quick things to note: First, check out my dad's letter to the editor in the NY Times that was published earlier this week. It's the first time he's gotten one in since graduate school (I've sent in letters a bunch of times but with no luck).

Second, in case you'd like some convincing that my blog is worthwhile reading, you'll notice that I suggested Sarah Palin as a good VP choice for McCain back in July. (While I strongly disagree with her policies and think there's a lot she can be criticized for, I stand by my assessment that she's a good VP choice for McCain). I also advised Obama to wait as long as possible to select a VP, which he did by waiting until the eve of the Democratic convention before announcing his running mate. All this is to say that I'm on the money and people (politicians and otherwise) should listen to me more.

Enjoy the show!

The Roll Call Begins

The Great State of Maryland

How Does New York Cast Its Votes

The Historic Nomination Takes Place...

...And the Crowd Goes Wild

A Front Row Seat to History

2008-08-29T18:21:00.004-04:00

Having a front row seat to history is an inspiring experience, even when my seat involved standing on my feet for 8 hours every day. I’m on my way back now from the Democratic National Convention, where I volunteered on the floor of the convention hall helping out with crowd control and media logistics. The week was stock full of significance: The last time the convention was held in Denver was exactly 100 years ago in 1908. Tuesday marked the 88th anniversary of women obtaining the right to vote. Yesterday – the day that Barack Obama formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president – was also the 45th anniversary of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. And exactly 40 years ago my father attended the tumultuous Democratic Convention in Chicago where Hubert Humphrey was nominated in the wake of MLK and Robert Kennedy's assassinations.

Speakers at the DNC this year had to meet the prerequisite of having a background that included growing up amidst poverty or experiencing personal tragedy, in order to be able to lay claim to having lived the “American story.” While this was powerful it also meant that a lot of the speeches blended together. Some stood out above the rest however. Jesse Jackson, Jr. opened prime time on Tuesday night with a speech that reflected on MLK’s vision of a mountaintop. While bouncing up and down in rhythm with his words, Dennis Kucinich fired up the crowd and invoked the memory of Ohio Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (who died suddenly last week) with his mantra “Wake up America! Wake up America!” Michelle Obama exuded gracefulness and poise that was unmatched by any other speaker.

Seeing the lion of the Senate, Ted Kennedy, summon up the energy and fiery rhetoric to pass the Kennedy torch to Barack Obama, in what may have been one of his last public appearances, was extraordinarily powerful. The movement for change that Hillary Clinton inspired through her own candidacy was channeled into the roars that shook the convention hall and greeted Hillary when she came to speak. Her speech was a masterpiece, and the most personally moving of the convention for me because of my work on her campaign. Through her words she captured the importance of her candidacy, the need for party unity and the reasons why Barack Obama should be the next president of the United States.

On Wednesday night I heard Bill Clinton speak for the first time, and his charisma, intelligence and ability to capture the pulse of the Democratic party was truly impressive. Montana governor Bill Schweitzer gave a prime time speech that put him on the map of people with a bright political future ahead. Joe Biden had the convention attendees and himself in tears as he described the importance of his family and pointed out his mother in the stands. Al Gore’s speech on Thursday wasn’t the most memorable of the convention, but the standing he has achieved in the world since the last gathering four years ago made his presence remarkable by itself. And of course, Barack Obama’s historic acceptance speech before 80,000 people yesterday was awesome. Sitting next to me during the speech was an older African American delegate from Missouri who sat through Obama’s speech in his wheelchair sobbing throughout, overcome by the fact that an African American candidate was accepting the presidential nomination.

Of course, I wasn’t the only VIP to bear witness to the week’s events. I loved picking out and recognizing the various politicians and celebrities on the convention hall floor. Mayor Ed Nutter of Philadelphia was perhaps the most genuine and approachable politician that I met during the week. Interacting with the delegates was also fantastic. Many came dressed up in wacky costumes expressing pride for their state or for the country. To see groups from all 50 states sitting in one room was also pretty incredible, no more so than when the roll call of each state was conducted to officially nominate Obama as the Democratic candidate for president. As each state was called, a representative of the delegation would describe the importance of their state and the votes that the state was submitting in favor of the two nominees (Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama). In one of the most theatrical moments of the convention, New Mexico yielded the floor to the “Great State of Illinois” when it was called. Illinois subsequently yielded the floor to the Great State of New York. At that moment, Hillary Clinton made a dramatic appearance into the convention center to ask that the roll call be suspended in favor of a vote by acclimation to recognize the historic nature of Barack Obama’s candidacy and of course everyone, including myself, went wild.

The week closed on a high note this morning when I snapped a picture with Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson standing in line for coffee at the airport. She was at the DNC yesterday to recite the pledge of allegiance. I’m now heading back to New York to prepare for my move to D.C. after 7 years living here. I know the transition will be tough, even though I’m excited about the job I’ll be starting next week, and I’m sure this weekend will be an emotional one.

In a closing thought, my week at the DNC reinforced the importance of bearing witness. I was there to see history being made and therefore I am a part of history. I was there to bear witness to the power that words and ideas have in transforming peoples’ lives and my own path in life was surely influenced as a result. I'm proud to say, I was there.

Open Bar

2008-07-24T20:27:00.002-04:00

While studying for the bar exam has been sapping my writing time, I promised myself I would post at least one entry between the time I started studying for this grand old test and the time I actually took it. This posting was written over the course of a few days during study breaks and I had a lot to write about, so it’s on the longer side. I'd recommend grabbing a drink and some popcorn befoe starting to read so you can make it through this in one sitting.

Pass Me a Beer

Since I first started studying for the bar exam the week of May 15th, I’ve managed to do the following:

1) Cut my toenails and then watched them grow back until I had to cut them again without blinking once;
2) Listen to 40 different lectures;
3) Count 2,146 pennies with my eyes closed;
4) Fill in over 1500 multiple choice questions;
5) Write somewhere in the vicinity of 100 essays and 400 flashcards;
6) Bike almost as many miles as the Tour de France cyclists have on their tour thus far without the use of any banned stimulants and the one caveat being that my rides didn't go through any mountain ranges.

All that, and I'm still not guaranteed of passing the bar exam.

Cosmopolitan
This is the first summer in four years that I’m spending in New York City. Much as I’ve enjoyed my previous summers in Alabama, D.C. and traveling abroad, New York is virtually unrivaled when it comes to summer events and happenings, many of them free to the public. Two of the highlights for me were rocking out at Bon Jovi’s concert on the Great Lawn in Central Park which followed in the grand tradition of music icons like Simon & Garfunkel and Dianna Ross, and seeing Hair at New York’s Delacorte Theater (also in Central Park), 41 years after the show first debuted in Greenwich Village.

My one editorial comment on all of these events is the air of exclusivity that seems to permeate many of them. Getting tickets or reserving a space on the lawn to hear a show - especially the free ones - favors people who have the luxury of time on their hands. From my own unscientific observations, I’ve noticed that the crowds are predominately white and appear middle class or higher. I realize there's not much of a comparison, but by contrast, I never got this feeling when I attended the Folklife festival in D.C. over the July 4th weekend – another highlight of my summer - which featured cultural exhibits and entertainment from Bhutan (a country in the Himalayas bordering Nepal), Texas (a country bordering Mexico and the United States) and NASA (not a country). Especially for a city as diverse as NYC, I'd love it if the events were made more accessible to the general public.

The Top Shelf

I would be remiss of course if I didn’t throw in my thoughts (objective as always) on the presidential race, now that I’ve recovered from the thrilling Democratic primary contest. So, here are a few comments:

1) I believe it’s in McCain’s interest to announce who his VP nominee is before Obama does. By doing so, he’ll be able to project an image of himself as the more proactive of the two candidates, and he’ll also have the opportunity to continue to frame the narrative of the general election, rather than be seen as a reactive candidate who’s desperately trying to do whatever he can to save the Republican party from White House exile for the next four years.

2) Many party insiders are placing their bets on Mitt Romney because having Romney on the ticket will help McCain bolster his bona fides on the economy. Nevertheless, I just can’t see McCain swallowing his personal distaste for Romney in order to make what looks like a good match on paper. I also wouldn’t recommend him doing so. McCain has succeeded thus far by sticking to his principles (mostly) and by following his well-honed political instincts. Personal compatibility is a big factor for him in his potential running mate and will also help to ensure that McCain projects more enthusiasm and optimism when he’s on the campaign trail with whoever he chooses to name as his sidekick. For that reason, I think McCain is going to go with someone he genuinely likes and who better reflects the values of his campaign; someone like Charlie Crist (governor of Florida), Tim Pawlenty (governor of Minnesota) or Sarah Palin (governor of Alaska).

3) As long as he doesn’t come across as flat footed, Barak Obama should be in no rush to pick his VP nominee. As has been evidenced by the enormous media coverage his trip to the Middle East and Europe this week has generated, Obama is a media darling and has enough charisma and magnetism that he’s almost always a good story in the press without the positive and negative distractions of a running mate. Moreover, the speculation over who Obama will pick to be his nominee has helped to create a sense of urgency for the cause of party unity, and has led the presumed short list of Democratic politicians very eager to work to ensure an Obama victory for November.

4) In my own personal betting pool on the Democratic veepstakes, I had General Wesley Clark listed as the sure bet for Obama’s VP nominee. But that was in June, before Clark decided to dig himself into a hole that he couldn’t get out of by making statements that were dismissive of McCain’s military service and time as a POW during the Vietnam war. (It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or a four star general for that matter, to figure out that attacking McCain’s military record is not the way to win an election.) Despite the fact that Clark has decided to go on a “vacation” from the campaign and is presumably no longer on Obama’s short list, I believe Obama will pick someone who shares certain characteristics with Clark: someone with substantial military or national security credentials who is a seasoned politician but not necessarily a Washington insider. A former Hillary supporter (also similar to Clark) would be an added bonus - but not an absolute necessity - in order to excite and mobilize her supporters. Evan Bayh must be mentioned as one of the top candidates on the list since he meets all those characteristics (in reality he’s a true Washington insider given the fact that his father was a former Senator and presidential candidate and that he was a Senator before becoming the governor of Indiana, however, the fact that he’s now a governor in a Midwestern state will enable him to portray himself as something of an outsider). Tim Kaine, the governor of Virginia, also has to be in the running.

5) I don’t want to encourage groundless speculation about my own prospects for getting on the ticket, but I’m going to be at the Democratic National Convention in September, ostensibly volunteering with the media logistics team. I’m working on my speech, however, just in case the party calls on me.

Closing Time
This title is a misnomer since the bar ain't closing, it's just going on vacation. I'll be traveling to South Africa for a few weeks after the bar exam and I'm really excited about it. Though I'm sure I'll have a lot on which to write and reflect, I don't expect to have much access to a computer, so this may be all for a little while!

Roll Call

2008-06-13T00:59:00.003-04:00

I wanted to point everyone out there to my updated blog roll, featured on the right side of my home page, which lists some of the blogs that I read on a regular basis. Several links have been listed there for awhile and remain there - including a link to my previous blog about my Alabama adventures, Southern Exposure, and my friends Jesse and Erin's respective music and photography websites. To this list, I've now added a link to The Fix, the Washington Post 's political blog that kept me hooked throughout the Democratic primary season. I've also added a link to The Off Color Commentator, an entertaining and comic sports blog that on occasion also says something insightful about sporting events, and that's written by my friend and rising star at NBC, Matt Stroup. Finally, I've added Princess in Galoshes, a hilarious series of posts describing my friend Cat's daily life in Denver. I have no idea how she has time to write so much.

Enjoy!

Share or Share Alike

2008-06-06T01:55:00.008-04:00

So, I have a ton of thoughts that have been percolating in my head the last few weeks, but unfortunately have not had much time to put them down onto these pages (life as a law school graduate hasn't translated into more free time as I was hoping....or at least it hasn't yet).

Two things that I wanted to share:

#1: A recent article in the NY Times Magazine focused on the issue of online "oversharing", where bloggers open windows into extremely personal details of their private lives for their readers. I'm decidedly not an oversharer. In fact, though I originally started blogging as an experiment to replace the diary that I usually keep when I travel to interesting destinations, my posts don't convey the same private details that I would write in a journal intended for my eyes only. I wonder what kind of image I conjure in the mind of a reader to this blog who doesn't know me personally. They know that I pack my own brown bag lunch, that I have opinions, enjoy sharing them and that most of them are progressive politically. They know that I live in New York but I'm originally from D.C. Otherwise, they read about the experiences that I choose to share, but they certainly aren't familiar with my daily routine. If they saw me on the street, they would walk right by me. They don't really know anything about my family or about my social life. All of this is pretty intentional on my part, though that doesn't mean that all blogs should avoid broadcasting the writer's personal details. I feel however, that writing for public consumption is distinguishable from writing about my private life for public consumption, and I'm not ready to engage in the latter.

#2: On Tuesday night I attended Hillary Clinton's "The race is over-but-I'm-not-quite-ready-to-concede speech." As I've pointed out on these pages before, I know I'm biased, but her speech was actually well delivered and underscored the personal relationship she has established with voters across the country and with her supporters. Hillary may not be the finest of orators, but her speeches are imbued with a sense of her bearing personal witness to the issues that this country faces, and this makes her words inspiring in their own right. Besides having a chance to catch up with some of the truly impressive individuals I met during the last few months, Tuesday night also marked the effective end of my involvement in the Clinton campaign. It's certainly hard seeing the primaries wind up after having devoted so much of my own time and effort into the race. And I felt a creeping wistfulness knowing that one of the greatest primary races in modern history was drawing to a close. Now however, I'm turning to the next page in this lengthy but extraordinary presidential election cycle and will start gearing up for the general election. I'm not quite ready to hit the ground for Obama, but will certainly get myself into that mindset over the next few weeks and months so that the Democratic party can take the White House in November.

My Graduation Speech

2008-05-22T00:32:00.007-04:00

The following is a speech I wrote to present as a candidate for my law school's graduation student speaker (the graduation took place earlier today). Though I wasn't chosen to speak ,and the student who ultimately gave the speech was excellent, I thought I would post the written version of my speech online:

On a Sunday afternoon in August 2005, we arrived at school to have our pictures taken in Golding Lounge and to receive our orientation materials. Little did we know that those pictures would be the last time we would look so relaxed. Three years later, after toiling through long nights in the law library and after heeding dire warnings that missing any one of the endless series of mandatory career service information sessions would prevent us from graduating or, worse yet, would require us to watch a video recording of the information session that we missed we are now about to receive our diplomas, accompanied by the customary exhortations to apply our extraordinary education and freshly minted JDs to achieve excellence in our chosen profession, without forgetting of course to pass the bar exam on our way up.

Before we look ahead I would like us to step back in time for a moment and imagine that those pictures in Golding Lounge were never snapped. I would like us to imagine a world without lawyers. No doubt, many outside this theater will be quick to conclude that our world would be a better place. They might say that lawyers only make life more complicated and contentious. But what would a world without lawyers really involve?

This past fall in Pakistan, General Musharraf disbarred lawyers en masse and ousted the chief justice of the Supreme Court, leaving bloodshed to fill in the vacuum where the rule of law once stood. By contrast, lawyers and judges in our own country have helped to ensure the integrity of political processes without resort to civil unrest.

Recently, I took a class field trip to the federal women’s correctional facility in Danbury, CT. We left at 7AM at an hour that is much earlier than law students – and law professors – are ever expected to be functional. Admittedly, many of us arrived at the bus with a headache, a result of the previous evening’s activities after our crushing loss to our uptown rivals (Columbia) in our annual head to head charity basketball game. In a meeting at the prison that we had with several inmates, one woman in particular stood out. Vicky, who has no law degree or formal legal education, has dedicated herself to becoming the prison’s resident legal scholar. Unlike many of us sitting here today, she can actually shepardize a case by referencing the bound court reporters without clicking on Lexis and Westlaw. Vicky stood out because she spends virtually all her free time in the law library and counsels every newly-arrived prisoner on her rights to appeal. She does this precisely because most of the prisoners do not have effective lawyers representing them. “Remember” she told us before we left, “there’s freedom in these books.” There is freedom in these books.

Our collective experience at NYU Law School has led us to the realization that the law provides us with a key that will unlock many doors in front of us and in front of the clients for whom we work. Two years ago, I traveled to New Orleans to aid in the massive relief effort that took place after Katrina, as part of NYU Law School’s inaugural Alternate Spring Break program. The work and energy that we brought to New Orleans and, as our Alternate Spring Break program has expanded, to communities throughout the country, have helped pave the way for individuals to move ahead in their lives. In the classroom, our law school professors have given us the tools to resolve complex problems and issues that affect real people. Besides our formal training, the bonds that we have formed with one another and that sustained us these past three years will continue to provide support as we move forward in our personal and professional lives. Our minds are sharper and our horizons have been expanded because we engaged each other in substantive debate, forcing us to think critically and also to respect opinions different than our own.

Our achievements as law students allow us to imagine what we will accomplish when we take off our cap and gown and begin our careers in earnest. Because of our work, merger agreements will be completed, securities regulations will be enforced, and labor rights will be applied. We will improve the welfare of our local communities by advocating for laws that protect groups of individuals routinely disadvantaged in our country. We will push for democratic reforms and accountability around the world.

Today, we know that a world without the NYU Law School Class of 2008 is a world that will not be a reality. And the world will truly be a better place for it.

I Did It

2008-05-12T20:16:00.003-04:00

I'M DONE WITH LAW SCHOOL.

The Primary Must Go On

2008-05-04T01:15:00.000-04:00

The following post is adapted from a recent email conversation I initiated on one of my school listservs:

Based on an informal survey of emails that I've seen posted online recently (it didn’t take rocket science), the majority of speakers seem inclined to think that Obama’s nomination is inevitable at this point. I disagree, but I think everyone knows I’m not an impartial observer on this one.

A few comments:

#1: Thus far, the Democratic Party primary has been most notable for the fact that it is (not entirely, but at least mostly), a truly democratic election and the candidates have remained pretty civil towards each other all things considered (especially compared to the full-on body slamming that McCain and Romney were engaging in during the Republican primary debates). Sure, those of us in New York might be experiencing election fatigue, but imagine what it’s like to be a resident of Indiana or North Carolina right now. Primary votes are usually worth less than the paper they’re printed on in those states, and in a few days residents there have the chance to have a major say in picking the Democrats’ presidential nominee.

#2: I think McCain is a formidable candidate no matter when the Democrats pick a nominee. However, if the long primary were really hurting the Democrats’ chances of beating McCain in the general election, then McCain should have been able to raise more money while the Democrats fight it out. Instead, he’s had to commit to public financing because he can’t raise enough on his own. There’s also an advantage to holding off on picking the nominee because so long as there are two candidates on the Democratic side McCain doesn’t know who to target. Finally, at least in Obama's case, there's an advantage to being fully vetted by the Democrats and going through a rough patch now before he faces the barrage of attacks that are sure to come his way in the the general election.

#3: Fighting an uphill battle and having no chance to win the nomination at all are two very different things. Hillary right now is engaged in the former kind of race, not the latter. With a win in Indiana and a narrow margin of defeat for her in North Carolina – both of which are realistic outcomes – Hillary makes a convincing argument why she should be the nominee, while Obama’s claim to the nomination will lose the shine it had before the Pennsylvania primary. (If Hillary loses both Indiana and North Carolina then she will certainly be in a weaker position to go on). Yes, it will be up to the superdelegates to select the ultimate nominee, and yes, they might contravene the “will of the pledged delegates.” But, that was exactly what the Democratic Party intended when it decided that a mere majority of pledged delegates would not be significant enough to win a primary if no candidate reached a certain threshold of pledged delegates.

#4: Obama doesn’t really need more money for his campaign right now - he already has plenty in his coffers. If you want your contributions to make a difference (and a donation to the Hillary campaign isn’t an option ), then I’d suggest donating to a charity rather than a political campaign. Seriously. If there’s one thing that’s blown my mind in this election, it’s the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been spent that could have gone to other causes.

Here is some of the (summarized) feedback I received as well as my own responses (This is an "Awake at All Hours Exclusive" since I never sent my responses out to the listserv):

#1: Aren't you contradicting yourself by first praising the primary process for being so democratic, and then saying that the superdelegates should go with Hillary even if she doesn't have the majority of pledged delegates?

No. The role of the primary voters is to indicate who they want as the president. Each state then divides its "pledged delegates" among the Democratic candidates in proportion to the votes that each candidate received in their respective primary. The Democratic party made a decision in the 1980s that when no candidate reaches a somewhat arbitrary threshold of 2,025 pledged delegates (not counting Florida and Michigan's tally) then the superdelegates had to make up the difference so that one candidate could reach the threshold and secure the nomination. The superdelegates were not created as a majoritarian body, and while they may consider which candidate has the majority of pledged delegates they are not bound to. Super delegates can also consider other important factors, such as which candidate has greater momentum going into the general election and which candidate has a stronger base of support, as well as nonimportant factors, such as which candidate is more likely to win a game of head-to-head Trivial Pursuit. The point is that superdelegates can decide who to support for any reason or no reason at all. You can criticize the candidates if you disagree with their positions, but you can't criticize the candidates for playing within the rules of the system that the Democratic party set up.

#2: I'm a Democrat, but if Hillary wins I may just stay home in November because of the image I now have of her.

That's an unfortunate response and I've heard variations of it from people supporting both camps. I also think it's unlikely that many voters will act on this threat once the general election comes around. In reality, the policy differences between Hillary and Obama are small, so Democrats who traditionally support the party's platform should be able to unite behind the eventual nominee. Also, while no one is obligated to exercise their right to vote, boycotting an election is generally an ineffective way to impact policy or political change.

#3: Why is making contributions to Hillary's campaign more worthwhile than making a contribution to Obama's campaign? All she's going to do is spend it on commercials advertising her tax holiday, canceling her debt owed to Mark Penn or pay off the $5 million in debt her campaign owes to her.

For people who aren't Hillary supporters I would definitely not encourage them to contribute to her campaign. At this point, however, Hillary needs the money to continue getting her message across to voters and to pay off the debt that her campaign has incurred so making a contribution to her campaign would make a difference in terms of her ability to get the nomination. Obama on the other hand - and he deserves major kudos for this - has not incurred debt and has enough money to carry him through the end of the primary season on June 3rd while still outspending Hillary on advertising. For that reason, I believe that contributing money to a charitable organization will have a greater net impact on bringing positive change than would contributing to Obama's campaign.

Reading of the Names

2008-05-01T00:34:00.003-04:00

I have a lot to write about, but unfortunately no time to write since I'm in the midst of finals and have a paper due tomorrow. I did however want to write this brief post, which is a repeat of a post I wrote last year.

Tonight (Wednesday night) begins Yom Hashoah - the day of commemoration for those people killed in the Holocaust.

At the 24-hour reading of names of some of the six million Jews who perished, and which I attended earlier tonight, I read the names of the following family members, hoping that they will be remembered so that this horrific event will never be repeated.

On my maternal grandmother's side:
-Artur Fischl, my namesake and my grandmother's father
-Tilly Fischl, my sister's namesake and my grandmother's sister
-Maria Fischl, my grandmother's mother
My grandmother's uncles: Otto, Paul and Hugo
Hugo's children: Hans, Otto and Hugo's daughter (name unknown)

On my maternal grandfather's side:
-Telsha and Volushu Baum, my grandfather's cousins
-Joseph Gerstmann, my grandfather's grandfather

Two Random Tidbits

2008-04-11T19:04:00.003-04:00

Today, I became friends with Chelsea Clinton on Facebook. (She just joined Facebook and she has already 2,000 friends. Compare that to the 330 I've accumulated over a year. Believe me, I feel special). In the "About Me" section of Chelsea's facebook profile, she describes herself as follows: "Like so many young people around the country, I am working hard to make my mom my President!" Note to Chelsea: I'm pretty sure no one else in the country is working to make their mom their President. In fact, last I checked my Mom wasn't even allowed to run for the job (because she was born abroad). (It helps that I don't think she'd be interested even if she could run for President).

I went shopping for vegetables near my school today and Sarah Jessica Parker walked in while I was shopping. This means my count of celebrity sightings in the three years I've gone to school in the West Village has officially multiplied from one to two. The last one took place almost exactly a year ago. Coincidence? I think not. I almost asked SJP what vegetables I should put in the salad I was going home to make, but then I would have felt bad not inviting her to dinner also.

Why Cafes in the Village are Better Than Cafes on the Upper West Side

2008-03-28T00:05:00.004-04:00

It's slightly depressing to be a third year law student with six weeks left of school and to be stuck spending my Thursday night typing away on a school paper past midnight. My spirits have been raised slightly however, by soaking in the atmosphere and people-watching at the West Village cafe I've been sitting in for the last four hours. When I first arrived, I sat down to the right of a group of three German young professionals who may or may not work for the United Nations or for an elementary school with an excessive amount of school-spirit (they kept up a steady stream of conversation in German while interjecting the word "General Assembly" about every 10 minutes). On the other side of me was a kindred spirit engrossed in typing away on her computer and getting work done.

Soon after I sat down I felt transplanted to Tel Aviv (it helped that the cafe is Israeli-owned and everyone that works here is Israeli) when a group of three Israeli guys walked in led by a smooth talking 40-something-year-old with a bit of a paunch and the top three buttons of his shirt open in typical Israeli high fashion. (His two compadres were both younger and skinnier than him but also less talkative). The 3 guys were followed almost immediately by a group of three girls, and Mr. Smoothie wasted no time in introducing himself to them. I gathered from my eavesdropping that the girls were visiting from Austin, TX, that this was their first night on the town in New York, that one of them plays in a klezmer band and that they're all Jewish but none of them speak Hebrew. Well, before I know it the two groups of three have expanded to a happy group of six and the girls from Texas must think that New York is the friendliest place in the country (and just maybe it is tonight, at least in this tiny corner of the city). Sitting next to that group of six was a petite brown eyed girl whose head was dwarfed by her computer screen, but she got in on the chatter for a few minutes and let the G-6 know that her parents are from Jerusalem before she returned to the glow of her computer screen.

By hour three the first informal seating at the cafe was over and everyone went their separate ways. The G-6 were replaced by a lone rastafarian with dreads wrapped up around his head in a bandana, who came in sporting a rather unique all-black outfit with a big sticker on his guitar case of the Israeli flag. An interesting character I'm sure. He plopped himself down on the couch and started plucking away at his guitar entertaining himself but he disappeared a little while ago to burn incense and bounce positive vibes, or maybe just crazy ones, off the walls of his cramped apartment on the Lower East Side.

To my left now, the Germans have been replaced by a fellow law student who I think is a first year, because who else would be studying from their law books in a cafe at 1 in the morning?? The kindred spirit to my right has been replaced by a lively and ever-expanding group of Polish and Danish female models who are waiting out the clock before hitting the club scene. I'm pretty sure that my presence has barely registered on their radar screen, but hey, I'm not complaining.

All this has led me to the oft-repeated conclusion that Village cafes are far superior to the ones in my neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I live on 99th and Broadway. On the corner of 98th there's a Starbucks. On the corner of 95th there's a Starbucks. On the corner of 93rd there's a Starbucks. I think you get the idea. At this hour, the Starbucks have shuttered their windows for the night and will reopen in time to satisfy their customers' morning coffee additictions. In the meantime, I'm stuck in a cafe in the West Village, writing my paper and soaking in the atmosphere.

In The News Again....

2008-03-13T00:08:00.004-04:00

Though this one might not rise to the level of getting my head shot and words of wisdom published in New York Magazine, I couldn't resist sharing my most recent mention in the press. As you'll see, it's all ~~uphill~~ downhill from here and people might actually start thinking I'm someone important. (Don't worry, I'm not letting this get to my head).

One of the political blogs I've become hooked on this primary election season is a blog known as The Fix, written by Chris Cillizza and published on the Washington Post politics website. I'd highly recommend this blog to anyone looking for articulate, easy to read and insightful political analysis; it's one of my favorite sources to get my daily - sometimes hourly - dose of politics updates. The Fix has a tradition of running an online predictions contest on the day of any significant primary vote in the Presidential race. In the blog's comments section, readers are invited to submit their guess for the percentage split of votes between the candidates in both the Democratic and Republican contests and to craft what they think the newspaper headlines will be the morning after the election. Winners are then announced for the most accurate predictions for the Republican and Democratic primaries, and for the best storyline.

On a whim (I don't remember what exactly prompted me to do it, but I think it was a slow day in class), I decided to submit my prediction for the outcome of the Ohio-Texas primaries and jotted down what I thought would be the headline the next morning. Well, today I found out that I won the best storyline!! (Though the actual primary results were available last week, The Fix makes sure to review all the submissions extremely carefully to avoid any possibility of a recount). My grand prize will be an official Fix T-Shirt, which I'm looking forward to wearing proudly. Check out the winners' announcement online by clicking here (I'm identified by my screen name aglasner, in case you're wondering.)

My winning headlines:

Hillary Three-Steps Her Way to Wins in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island as the Democratic Dance Marathon Heads to Pennsylvania.

Huckabee Runs Out Of Steam (and Miracles) - McCain Captures The Crown.

This comes a close second to the time I was mentioned in passing in a government newsletter devoted to the West Wing, one of the best television shows to ever air, but then I at least had my full name disclosed as opposed to just my screen name. The big question now is do I get a small, medium or large t-shirt? Submit your vote in my comments section. The t-shirt size with the highest vote tally will be the one I pick (subject to certain overriding factors such as whether I think it will fit my extremely muscular and sculpted upper body frame).

Super Tuesday (Reloaded)

2008-03-05T00:59:00.008-05:00

I just walked in the door a few minutes ago and turned on CNN to hear Wolf Blitzer announcing that the network was calling the Texas primary for Hillary. The announcement capped a remarkable comeback for Hillary's campaign after a string of primary losses, and I'm sure the spin machines in both camps are in overdrive mode right now.

Here are some quick thoughts on how tonight came about, and what will happen next (while I make a meager attempt at maintaining an objective position):

What Happened?
Instead of being the vehicle for news items about the primary race, the mainstream press has officially become "the story" of this campaign. Six weeks ago, I wrote about the media's newfound conviction in its own ability to persuade public opinion. Much to the media's dismay, it appears I was right. The New York Times was the first newspaper to fall victim to the media's particular brand of hubris when it published an article about John McCain's ties to a lobbyist that came across as a poorly-timed, ill-conceived and unsubstantiated partisan attack on the Republican nominee. A week later, Saturday Night Live aired its skit of a faux Hillary-Obama debate that featured the reporters swooning over Obama while they grilled Hillary to a charred piece of toast. The sketch led to some serious (and perhaps self-indulgent) soul searching on the media's part and put them in a lose-lose situation: Either they make a public show of vetting Obama and concede that they presented a one-sided outlook on the Democratic primary race, or they ignore the SNL sketch and risk the same fate that befell the New York Times.

In the last four days, the mainstream press decided to go with the former option (consciously or unconsciously, I don't know). This change in direction has been evidenced by numerous articles exploring in greater detail Obama's ties to Tony Rezko, a former political supporter and fundraiser whose trial on corruption charges in Chicago began on Monday, and by articles trumpeting details of a meeting between an advisor to Obama and the Canadian embassy, in which Obama's advisor allegedly stated words to the effect that his candidate's public position on NAFTA in Ohio was merely political posturing.

While I personally feel that the media's decision to increase its scrutiny of Obama was overdue and that Hillary has in fact taken the brunt of the negative press, I understand that there's little scientific evidence in support or opposition to my opinion. Regardless, the media's decision to publish more negative articles about Obama makes it vulnerable now to suggestions that reporters are easily manipulated when they feel their image is being tarnished, and that there are no satisfactory measures in place to ensure impartial and detached reporting while on the campaign trail. Of course, all of this could have potentially been avoided had the media conducted a more thorough self-examination before SNL aired its public shaming. Since it failed to do so, Hillary captured crucial momentum in the days leading up to the Texas and Ohio primaries that helped carry her to victories in those states.

What Happens Next?
The short answer to what happens next is that both candidates keep campaigning. Mississippi's primary is coming up on March 11th, which Obama will be sure to win. That victory will help him to stem some of the loss of momentum that he'll wake up to after losing Ohio & Texas. Beyond Mississippi however, Obama and Hillary will continue to battle over super delegates (while I continue to want to be one) and they'll also continue to throw themselves at Bill Richardson and John Edwards to try and secure their endorsements. Pennsylvania, which holds its election on April 22nd, will become the next "must-win primary" and "major-cliffhanger-that-CNN-will-discuss-with-all-of-its-talking-heads-for-hours-and-hours" in what has become a season full of them. While Hillary will need a win in that state in order to keep her candidacy viable, Pennsylvania's demographic composition favors such an outcome.

Perhaps most importantly, in between now and April 22nd, the Democratic Party will need to work out a compromise to ensure that Florida and Michigan's delegates are seated at the party convention in August. The party's decision to punish the two states for holding early primaries by banning them from the convention was never supposed to matter, and everyone assumed that the nominee would have enough of a delegate margin that Florida and Michigan could be invited back to the convention without affecting its outcome. Now that their 300+ delegates will make a difference, however, the Democratic party needs to have some kind of re-vote in Florida and Michigan since neither Obama nor Hillary campaigned in them. (Without a re-vote, the Democrats would be effectively ceding those states to John McCain in the general election because their residents will never go Democratic if the party choses to disenfranchise them from electing the party's nominee). Ironically enough, all of this means that Florida and Michigan will get their wish of having major input on selecting the nominee, which is why they moved their primaries earlier to begin with!

To work out the terms of the re-vote, Howard Dean, the head of the Democratic party who has remained behind the scenes for much of the primary season, must adopt a more visible role to keep both the Obama and Hillary camps satisfied. Dean also needs to dedicate himself to ensuring that the two camps maintain their pledge of party unity even as the primary remains undecided. On March 3rd, Howard Dean warned against an extended primary because he feared it would become divisive. Well, it looks like his wish isn't going to come true. Contrary to Dean's warning, a long Democratic primary has some upsides. For example, it means that John McCain will have to delay in honing down his attack machine until he knows who exactly he'll be facing in the general election. So long as the Democratic candidates adhere to their message of unity and to their seemingly genuine displays of respect for one another's candidacies, a long primary process also reflects extraordinary well on the Democratic Party. It demonstrates to the public that the party can present two highly qualified candidates and choose one of them through a grueling, but fair and democratic election process, which focuses on substantive issues without resorting to party in-fighting. For these reasons, instead of warning against a long primary season, Howard Dean should be touting the successes that both candidates have enjoyed, as well as the extraordinary position in which the Democratic Party now finds itself.

Ten Years, Seven Books

2008-03-03T00:20:00.006-05:00

Sorry for being silent on the airwaves lately - I've been consumed by schoolwork, campaigning for Hillary (and keeping my fingers crossed for her this Tuesday), and, last but not least, reading the last of the Harry Potter book series. One week ago today, I blazed through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows during the course of a weekend. Now, I know this is relatively old news since most Potter fans already read the book months ago, but I just wanted to take a moment to reminisce on a series of books that have literally captured the hearts and minds of adult and children readers alike, mine included.

The Harry Potter series was most remarkable to me because the story of Harry and his compatriots unfolded in the imaginations of millions of readers in virtual-real time over the course of 10 years. While Harry grew up from an innocent 10-year old to a battle-weary 17-year old, so too did a generation of children who passed through adolescence fighting their own demons (most often in the form of their parents) during those 10 years. Though I started reading the books when I had already graduated from that stage of life - the first book came out in the States in the fall of my sophomore year of college - I too went through a transformation while reading the Harry Potter books, from being a naive college student, to an overworked investment banker, then on to a happy three years as a law student, and, now, with graduation on the horizon, to standing at the prescipice of embarking on my career.

Future readers may not have that opportunity to share in Harry Potter's growing up and I can only too easily envision them speeding through all seven books in the space of a week's time. I probably would have done the same thing if all the books were out when I first started reading them. Nevertheless, I think that's too bad, because reading the books spaced out over time was perhaps the best part of the whole experience.

Super with a D. a.k.a. "Super Delegate"

2008-02-14T23:16:00.005-05:00

Super with a D.
That’s what I want my new calling card to be.
Everyone else may be Super Bad or Super Man.
But me, I’m just happy being me. With a D.

I represent 299 percent of America:
The 80 percent of Americans that are Caucasian;
The 72 percent that are students;
The 60 percent that go to sleep at night with a teddy bear (or used to);
The 41 percent that are musicians;
The 37 percent that believe we each have the power to make a difference (others are too young to know they can, too old and know they can’t, or just the right age and simply don’t care);
The 7 percent that are male and between the ages of 25 and 29;
The 2 percent that like smooth peanut butter over crunchy.

Not enough to make that super cut you say?
Well, I represent a cross section of America:
Your average, single 29 year old politically conscious, white, Jewish male law student from a middle class family raised on the Atlantic Seaboard, now living in Manhattan and preparing to be paid much more than my worth as a law firm associate.
I can walk into a bar in New York City and look like everyone else there.
I play the field, run the gamut and cook in the kitchen.
I walk, I ride, I talk, I jive.

There are 796 Super Delegates for the Democratic Party.
796 individuals who hold in their hands the power to choose the future of our country by selecting the party's presidential nominee if the two candidates arrive at a draw.
796 individuals who have the audacity, the gall, the nerves to sit down and nod their head one way or the other.
Well, let my head count also.
Let my head count along with the party heads, the talking heads and the bobbing heads that make up the 796.
One more won’t make a difference. (Or will it?)
Super. Superb. Superfluous. Superstitious.
Those words don’t even begin to describe me.
Super Delegate. Let that be me. Super with a D.

The Virgin Islands Are Next

2008-02-07T00:39:00.000-05:00

A little more about the presidential primaries since today is the first day I've had a break from campaigning in awhile and I'm suffering some withdrawal symptoms.

Here are some of my thoughts on what lies ahead for the Democratic candidates now that Super Tuesday is behind us without a clear winner:

1) Most importantly, both candidates should note that the US Virgin Islands are next on the Democratic Primary calendar and that I'd be happy to do my part to securing a win for whichever campaign pays for my ticket. (If it helps, the campaign should know that I'm batting a perfect 1000 (2 for 2) in the primaries I've chosen to get involved in, thus making me the closest person avaialable to a sure thing).

2) The next few weeks will probably be bumpy ones for Hillary even though she won the big states last night (California, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts). Obama has a fundraising lead and a good chance of taking wins in the upcoming caucus and primary states, including Maryland, Virgina, DC (Yes, DC votes in the primaries), Hawaii and Wisconsin. Obama's goal of course is to use those primaries to make a stand as the frontrunner and hope that the momentum carries him to seal the deal with a victory on March 4th, when the grand states of Texas and Ohio (along with their 390 combined delgates) have their primaries. Hillary's goal is to make it through the next few weeks as unscathed as possible so that she can make a strong push for wins in those two states and then cap it off with a win in Pennsylvania in April. (Yes, that would mean we'll be biting our nails through the primary season for at least another 2 months.) Put another way, political strategists on both teams are earning their keep right now trying to figure out how to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to secure the nomination for their candidate by September.

3) The Democrats' decision not to count Michigan and Florida's delegates could come back to haunt them given how close the delegate race is. If one of the candidates (that would be Hillary since she won the states) decides to make a push for seating Michigan and Florida's delegates at the Convention then a protracted legal fight could ensue that would flashback to the Gore v. Bush debacle in 2000. The question is which is better: seating the delegates to ensure that the nominee reflects a truly national consensus, or not having them count since the campaigns all went along with the Democratic Party's decision before the primary season started and it would be unfair to change the rules of the game after it's over? Right now I'd lean towards not trying to seat the delegates, but a part of me feels like that's trying to have it both ways for the Democratic party; they want to be able to cherry pick when the popular vote should matter and when it shouldn't.

4) Looking to the general election, much of the debate between Hillary and Obama now is going to turn on who's more prepared to take on John McCain. On this front, both candidates have credible arguments and it will be interesting who winds up ahead on this count. Nevertheless, what remains to be seen is what happens after the nominee is picked. Both Obama and Clinton have repeatedly promised that they'll stand behind the eventual nominee; however, it's equally important that their respective supporters stand behind the nominee as well. Based on anecdotal evidence, my impression is that most people will do just that. Nevertheless, because much of Obama's base are first time young voters, there's a chance that if their candidate doesn't get the nomination (and also isn't given the nod for VP), then they'll be disillusioned with the political process and will choose not to go to the polls for the general election. Needless to say, that would be a shame, and I hope both Hillary and Obama have it in them to make a genuine push for each other when the general election rolls around.

I'm still worn out from yesterday's busy day of campaigning (interrupted by a hooky trip to watch New York City's parade for the Giants after their win in the Super Bowl). Now that I've gotten all my thoughts out of my system and onto the page, I'm going to call it a night so I can prepare for what I hope will be a splendid weekend on the islands.

Go Hillary

2008-02-04T22:59:00.000-05:00

I’m sitting down right now listening to Hillary’s national town hall (broadcast on television and on her website)– her closing appeal to supporters and undecided voters before tomorrow’s Super Tuesday primary. While she’s busy reaching out to the thousands of people that are now listening to her, I thought I’d connect with the relatively few voters reading this and put down in words the reason why I’m supporting Hillary in tomorrow’s primary (or today's primary if you're reading this on Tuesday).

Over the last nine months I’ve rallied behind a candidate who has proposed substantive policies to reverse the devastating path that the Bush administration has put our country in the last eight years. Hillary's proposals – most notably her plans for universal health care, reviving and growing the economy, federal immigration, withdrawing from Iraq and rebuilding America’s image abroad - are all real and realistic. They represent the kind of policies we need to bring sweeping reform in our country and that also have the best chance of getting passed by a bipartisan legislature.

Knocking on doors in New Hampshire, organizing debate watch parties, mobilizing volunteers and making a whole lot of phone calls to lists of voters in New Hampshire and New York, I’ve discovered that Hillary has made her tent a big one. I believe Hillary’s administration will continue to build on her history of franchising all Americans by lowering income inequality, getting health insurance to everyone, making education more affordable and promoting a full agenda of civil rights, including repealing the military’s shameful Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

As a young male 20-something living in New York City, many of my peers have chosen to support Barak Obama for the nomination, and I’ve had the opportunity to engage in substantive discussions on both candidates’ merits. I agree that Obama’s powerful oratory is inspiring and the excitement that he, along with Hillary, has injected into the race for the Democratic nomination is awesome and a testament to the incredible caliber of both candidates. If Obama wins the nomination, I’ll wholeheartedly support his path to the White House. Nevertheless, Hillary has won my vote because I’ve watched her in the debates leading up to the primary. I’ve seen her passion for the job, her incredible intellect, her courage in breaking through gender and social barriers, and her eagerness on the campaign trail to engage hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of voters on a personal level through the painstaking process of answering countless questions at each stop along the way. I also believe that Hillary has the greatest chance of winning the White House back for the Democrats in the general election.

These are the reasons I’m voting for Hillary in tomorrow’s election. I’m of course always happy to discuss my reasons more if anybody out there wants to. Above all however, and whether or not you agree with my choice of candidates, it’s most important to me that everyone reading this goes out to vote in tomorrow’s primary. I love seeing democracy at work and tomorrow we have the unique opportunity of participating in an election where every single one of our votes will make a difference in the outcome.

So, get out and vote and, GO HILLARY!

[On a random concluding note, I'm happy to announce that you've all just had the pleasure of reading my 42nd posting on this blog, marking the one year anniversary of Awake at All Hours, since the Blog Came Back the day after last year's Super Bowl!]

If I Were A Pundit...

2008-01-31T00:40:00.000-05:00

Since politics seem to be consuming much of my life these days (in addition to school) I wanted to share a few thoughts that have been randomly passing through my mind and that I don’t think have been reflected in the political punditry I’ve been reading. I’ll preface my comments by disclosing that though I’m an active Hillary supporter, I believe my observations are fairly objective, at least from a Democratic point of view:

1) Obama’s campaign is both hindered and helped by the fact that he’s tapped into a new and inspiring generational movement, which is in many ways a continuation of the Dean movement from 4 years ago, though clearly more resilient. Obamania has helped the candidate in obvious ways – he’s generated an aura of electricity and inspiration around him that draws huge crowds to his events and a host of politicians stumbling over each other to endorse him. He’s also transcended the grit of daily politics through his oratory and helped to bring out record turnouts at the polls. Like Dean, Obama has harnessed the Internet much more effectively than any of the other candidates through Facebook, YouTube, etc. (though all the candidates could take lessons from Ron Paul on Internet fundraising). However, Obama’s movement also makes his path to the nomination more difficult in some ways. Our electoral system hasn’t caught up with the digital age – people don’t vote online – and as a result, Obama is left with the task of convincing everyone out there in netherworld of the Internet to channel their energy to getting to the polls. The vast majority of Obama’s movement base – especially the online base - moreover is young voters (at least outside of the Southern states that have significant African American populations), who can also be flaky voters when it comes time to actually getting to the polls or sending in an absentee ballot. Imagine if everyone under the age of 25 could simply vote online – Obama would likely win the primaries by a healthy margin. Obama’s young demographic cluster also has the potential to turn off older people (who traditionally are more reliable voters) because a young movement to them may also seem like a rebellious or inexperienced one. For these reasons, Obama’s endorsements by members of the Democratic establishment, ironic though it may seem for a candidate who stands on a platform of bucking traditional party politics, are critical for him if he hopes to pull a more diverse demographic into his camp on election day.

2) Though Hillary’s win in Florida hasn’t resulted in a momentum surge for Hillary nor has it received much treatment in the press (and to the extent it has, much of the media has focused on the fact that Florida’s Democratic delegates will not be counted at the party convention because the state violated party rules by holding its primary too early), it is a significant win. It gives Hillary a foothold in Florida if she advances to the general election and a claim that when the rest of the party ignored Floridians she chose not to. This claim is important because Florida will be a swing state in the general election. If Hillary can argue that she has a chance of delivering Florida for the Democratic side over McCain, it underscores her electability argument. Obama properly chose to downplay Florida, but because McCain will be a powerful attraction to independent voters in the state (especially since he’s already been endorsed by Florida’s governor), Obama faces longer odds of winning the state.

3) Going into the primary season the general consensus, given President Bush’s declining popularity, was that this election is the Democrats’ to lose. Here, however, is one of the great ironies of the whole primary process: The Republican nomination has been up in the air because voters have been trying to choose between a middling set of candidates, while the Democratic nomination has remained undecided because voters are torn between two terrific candidates. Now that Republican voters have a clear front runner in McCain (and, to voters’ credit, I do believe McCain represents the most formidable candidate possible for the Republican ticket), the Republicans will have a head start in preparing for the general election. This means that the Democrats are already starting off at a disadvantage despite fielding an impressive and historic array of candidates (this includes all of the candidates with the exception of Mike Ravel).

I have many more musings to share, but my school books and bed are both beckoning me over my shoulder and I imagine I've written enough by now for the readers that have made it this far. Homework or bed. Bed or homework. Hmmm......

The Magic 2008 Ball

2008-01-20T03:16:00.000-05:00

In my previous life as an investment banker I used to publish a quarterly newsletter whose first issue of each New Year predicted the top ten trends that would take place during the subsequent 12 months. I always enjoyed coming up with that list and so, have decided to revive my version of the top ten trends here on this blog. Some of these trends are obvious and are based directly on front-page headlines; others are products of my own observations; and still others are educated-sounding wild guesses. None of these predictions are 100 percent certain to take place, but all I believe represent at least a little snippet of what will be going on in our own lives, in this country, and around the world in the next 12 months.

POLITICS
The Media's Not-So-Straight Talk: The ongoing presidential election has provided the media with a newfound conviction in its own ability to persuade public opinion. Though that belief took a hit in New Hampshire, where Hillary Clinton won the primary despite virtually universal press reports to the contrary, the printed and online press will continue to blur the lines between impartial fact and opinion, potentially damaging their collective credibility, but presenting news that encourages readers to unconsciously adopt the writers’ perspectives.

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue: The United States’ fall from world dominance (which can, in my opinion, be traced back approximately to the day President Bush was inaugurated) will accelerate for two reasons. First, the weak American dollar means fewer Americans will be spreading their wealth and their gospel across the globe. Second, the election of anti-democratic governments despite a democratic electoral process will punch holes through the aura of supremacy that has surrounded American-style democracy since the end of the Cold War.

The DP on the LD: The recent trend in the United States favoring a moratorium against carrying out capital punishment will continue when the Supreme Court (hopefully) rules that the standard system of lethal injection in the United States is unconstitutional, thereby forcing states to come up with a new protocol. The public will also continue to coalesce in its opposition to executions. Despite the decrease in actually carrying out executions, however, states will continue to sentence individuals to death, a rate which may increase (depending on another upcoming Supreme Court decision) if they are allowed to impose capital punishment for crimes that did not involve killing the victim.

ECONOMY:
The R Word: I hate to say this word, but I think a recession is coming. The crisis that began in the subprime mortgage market and now has begun to spread the larger economy as a whole will continue in the United States, evidenced by rising inflation and lower economic growth. The job market will start tightening up and Ben Bernanke will take a boinking, bopping and beating (all in the name of a good alliteration) by the media, politicians and general public alike.

FASHION:
Hair: Mohawks out, mullets in.

Revival of couture fashion: Spurred in part by growing income inequality as well as the emergence of a new generation of high end fashion designers to replace the old guard, couture fashion will be making a comeback.

TECHNOLOGY:
iPhone Takes Over the World: iPhones and devices with similar interfaces will replace the blackberry and sidekick as the primary communication/entertainment/personal organizer gadgets, thereby getting Steve Jobs that much closer to accomplishing his not-so-subliminal mission to take over the world from Bill Gates.

ENTERTAINMENT:
The Strike is Mightier Than the Pen: Though the writers may eventually win a favorable contract (as they should), the ongoing strike will accelerate the weakening of major studios’ buying power because of independent production companies who managed to continue production during the writers’ strike. The strike will also cause the decline of traditional television programs, to be replaced by much cheaper reality tv programs (some proposals on the table: Dancing On The Stars – the first reality television program broadcast from space; Trading Countries – President Musharraf from Pakistan and Ahmadinejad from Iran trade places to see which leader can destroy the other leader’s country first. Grand prize = the right to take over and destroy Israel).

WORLD:
Increasing Civil Strife in Weak Democracies: Civil strife will increase in already weak democracies, such as Kenya, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and southern Iraq. Declining American influence, Europe’s ambivalence towards getting involved in developing countries’ internal affairs given the history of colonialism (which is partly responsible for today’s intra-national conflicts anyway) and China’s indifference to democratic regime change will prevent international pressure from successfully suppressing the civil strife. These factors may ultimately lead to new governments and city-states forming along tribal and ethnic lines.

ENVIRONMENT:
Winning a Green Medal: The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing will be remembered more for their impact on the environment than for participating athletes’ awe-inspiring achievements on the field of competition. Recycling. Alternate fuels. Lower fuel emissions. Hybrid cars. Reduced pollution. All of these various terms will be at the forefront of countries’ consciousness when this mega-sporting event takes place in one of the most polluted industrialized city’s in the world. The winner of the individual competitions may take home the gold, but if progress is actually accomplished ahead of the Summer Olympics towards sustainable environmental policies responsive to the threat of global warming then the world will stand on the top podium sporting green medals in Beijing.

Campaign Trail Mix

2008-01-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

Manchester, NH* - Greetings from the Hillary Clinton campaign trail in New Hampshire where all the women are strong, the men are good looking, the children above average, and reality is whatever you want it to be at any given hour. Being embedded deep in the ground (or on the ground, as the case may be) here in the Granite State I’ve been going door to door, making phone calls, and eating as much food as possible that’s being thrown my way all in the name of helping to sway those undecided Democrats and independent voters that Hillary is their candidate for President.

In my first few hours after arriving, I knocked on doors and was told by weary residents that they had had enough solicitations for the day and couldn’t talk to me. I knocked on doors and was promptly informed that the voter I was there to see had passed away (and therefore would not be voting for Hillary). I knocked on doors and was surprised that the majority of folks who were home actually welcomed me with a warm smile and an invitation to explain why I think Hillary is the candidate to vote for.

My second morning began with a rude wake up call at 7AM when myself and a group of 10 Hillary volunteers were out-represented and out-shouted by a group of at least 10 times as many Obama supporters rallying behind Diane Sawyer from Good Morning America. It’s a good thing that candidates aren’t elected by Nielsen ratings.

After that my day was a blur of more canvassing – traipsing around Manchester and its suburbs in melting snow to reach out to Clinton supporters and undecided voters alike. And then came an evening of surreal politics. On my first night I had befriended a group of like-aged volunteers, who it turns out were Chelsea Clinton's close friends. They invited me to a young professional’s event to convince undecided voters they should vote for Hillary. An hour later I found myself seated next to Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, a rising political star (and well-known for, um, some unpolitical activities) on my left, and Terry McAuliffe, former chair of the DNC, on my right, having two separate conversations with them at once. I also met an undecided voter, still undecided with 12 hours ‘till the polls opened despite having been wooed by all the candidates for months. After speaking to him for a few minutes I asked Mayor V to chat with him while I went and got the Mayor a beer. Thirty minutes later they were still talking (and the beer was finished) and they only stopped because we were on to Hillary’s final rally before the big day.

Traveling with Chelsea's friends and Bill Clinton’s personal assistant has its advantages, including getting to bypass traffic to get to the rally, and heading straight into the auditorium through the back entrance and right onto the stage where Hillary would be talking. After Hillary's energizing speech before a few thousand supporters (given while I waived my sign, danced, nodded, did the mambo and generally had a good time in the background), I walked backstage to wait to meet Hillary, Bill & Chelsea capping a pretty much perfect evening.

But of course, the evening hadn’t ended – it had just begun. Back to the campaign office I went, and to my status as just another volunteer, to work until 1:30AM getting things ready for Election Day. Three hours later I was back, the big day finally having arrived and with no time to waste to make sure voters got to the polls to vote for Hillary. By 5AM Hillary volunteers were dispatched throughout New Hampshire like newspaper deliverymen, hanging signs on peoples’ doors reminding them to vote. 4 hours later I was out knocking on doors reminding people personally to get to the polls, and later in the afternoon I was at the polls, holding signs and talking to undecided voters who had to make a decision in the 100 or so feet it took for them to get from my sign to the voting booth. And then from there it was a race to the last town with the polls still open - 30 minutes outside of Manchester - to knock on a few more doors because we heard that the race was closer than expected and every single vote counted.

At last, the polls were closed and the counting had begun, and after two hours of keeping ourselves occupied with music from Hillary's rally CD played on repeat and interspersed cheers of H-I-L-L-A-R-Y we were slapping high fives, hugging, dancing, cheering and clapping when the networks called the race for our candidate, even though she had been considered out for the count by the media only a couple of hours ago.

In my three days in New Hampshire, I know I made a difference. I know that people chose who to vote for based on our interactions. The undecided voter I had met at the bar the previous night was at the election night party and came to me to tell me he finally made his decision to vote for Hillary on his way to the polls in the morning after reflecting on our conversation the previous evening and on how Mayor V was so passionate about Hillary that he ignored everything else just to talk with him for so long. I found out that one town I had canvassed just that day to remind people to vote had voted in Hillary’s favor by a mere 16 votes. And the single mother who I spoke with at the polls who had to be younger than me with a child on Medicaid and health insurance that she was about to lose voted for Hillary after our conversation.

I also know I played a part in something bigger - the "movement for change" coined by Obama but an apt description of Hillary's campaign as well. It could also be called simply democracy at work. Together, Hillary and Obama's teams (along with some good weather) inspired a record turnout at the New Hampshire polls. My efforts along with the thousands of other volunteers who descended on New Hampshire the last few weeks led to a healthy debate of ideas and discussion as to who should lead our country next, with only minimal digging into the barrel of dirty and negative politics on both sides of the aisle.

Coming from a state (Maryland or New York, take your pick) that typically has much less say in the nomination process than New Hampshire, I’m amazed at how politics here play out as we imagine they should. The candidates’ roll up their sleeves and put out their hands and become accessible to people so politically unconnected that they couldn’t get a legislator’s third deputy secretary to bat an eye in their direction if this were Washington D.C. Small armies of paid staff and volunteers go door to door and phone call to phone call trying to persuade each individual voter that their vote counts; and everyone acts with a mission and sense of purpose that they’re involved with something bigger than themselves. It certainly makes me wonder whether it’s fair that a small percentage of voters in the early primary states get to experience the wonderful phenomenon of democracy at work to the exclusion of other states in the Union.

And now it's back to New York City where I have a pile of school work waiting for me along with a bed that sounds a whole lot more inviting. Exhausted. Exhilarated.

*This posting was written mostly in New Hampshire and edited upon my return

Another Brick in the Wall

2008-01-03T07:06:00.000-05:00

In the infinitely-sized and ever-expanding book describing the history of civilization, the heading of Chapter LCIVM, Volume 6,371 (or maybe its Volume 6,372) is only one word long and is printed in large bold typeface so that it immediately captures the reader’s attention: WALLS the chapter title proclaims. Turning the pages, the reader is treated to a historical narrative featuring names like the Great Wall of China, the Wailing Wall, the walled cities of medieval Europe and Germany’s Berlin Wall. Combined, these names tell a story of how walls have been used to establish the borders of city-states, to force the separation of groups of individuals and to provide for strategic defense. And, even once the walls no longer serve their original purpose they have become silent testaments to a peoples’ history.

Reflecting on my most recent trip to Israel, which I just returned from, I’ve realized that a new paragraph has been added to this particular chapter of civilization’s history book. Until now only one wall, the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall and the Kotel), has symbolized Jerusalem’s paramount significance to the Jewish people and to Israel’s identity. The Western Wall formed a part of the retaining wall for the Second Temple until the Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E, and today it is considered the central symbol in Jerusalem towards which Jews from all over the world pray. On the ten or so trips I’ve been to Israel, I’ve visited the Kotel every time. Though I don’t personally ascribe religious meaning to the wall itself, some of my most spiritual moments have taken place there – seeing thousands of people flock towards the Wall before dawn on the holiday of Shavuot, for example, or meditating as I lean my head on the stones that have been touched by Jews dating back 2000 years.

In the last five years, a second wall has been raised in Jerusalem that, like the Western Wall, has become central to Jerusalem’s identity in the Middle East. Several days ago, I had the opportunity to travel alongside the West Bank Wall that Israel has constructed to separate Jerusalem and the areas outside of it from the Palestinian West Bank territory. The wall was begun under former Primer Minister Ariel Sharon in 2002, and its stated intention was to prevent Palestinian suicide bombers from entering into Israel. Since its construction (it’s now about 95% complete) the number of suicide bombings in Israel has declined dramatically, a result at least partially attributable to the wall’s presence.

Besides its stated purpose, the West Bank Wall has had several other consequences. For example, it represents an attempt by Israel to set the parameters of a two-state solution to the Middle East peace conflict and to define the border between itself and any future Palestinian state. For the most part, that border runs alongside the 1949 Green Line between Israel and then-Jordanian territory, but the wall extends beyond that line to ensure that some of the highly populated Israeli settlements in the West Bank are on the Israeli side of it.

In addition to the polis boundaries that the wall establishes, it has raised a host of complex humanitarian issues. For instance, the wall runs through Palestinian-owned fields. Though Israel has offered compensation for taking the land, the owners have refused to accept money from the Israeli government. Palestinian towns and villages have been literally cut in half by the wall, and as a result people have been forcefully separated from their families and friends. Moreover, Palestinian access to emergency medical treatment in Israel has become more difficult because ambulances must first pass through one of only a few open checkpoints along the wall before they’re allowed to enter Israel.

A series of conflicted emotions ran through me as I stood alongside the West Bank Wall a few days ago. I was perhaps most struck by the fact that the West Bank Wall has become a popular tourist destination, and I saw no less than 5 other tourist groups in addition to our own taking a tour of the wall on the morning we were. Was the Berlin Wall also a site of perverse curiosity when it was first built? At times I felt like an awed spectator to history, walking alongside a structure that, though inanimate, has not yet been set in stone (pun intended), and whose ongoing changes directly affects peoples’ daily lives.

I also felt a spark of hope. One of my life dreams is to see peace and security in Israel finally achieved. Since the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993, however, I long ago became frustrated and disillusioned with the bilateral negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians that have been characterized only by their remarkable and repeated failures. Though the wall is an eyesore, seeing it raised a glimmering chance that Israel’s unilateral actions may let the people of Israel live without the daily fear of suicide bombings or rocket attacks threatening the country’s very existence, and may set the parameters for a successful two-state solution to peace.

Lastly, standing alongside the wall’s spray-painted décor, I felt anguish. Anguish because the wall makes concrete that Israel is not the role model I expect it to be in treating other peoples inside and outside of its borders, even when those peoples are its enemies. Anguish because once built, history teaches us that a wall is almost impossible to take down without physical violence or revolution. Anguish because two walls have come to represent Jerusalem, where before there was only one.

In the News....

2008-01-02T11:11:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year's!! My apologies for not writing in such a long time, but first final exams and then, immediately afterwards, a trip abroad from which I just returned has kept me offline and away from blogging for a significant chunk of time.

A more substantive post will be following shortly, but in the meantime I'd like to share my most recent nanosecond of fame. It wasn't enough to attract a media horde to my arrival at JFK airport yesterday, but I made the news in this week's issue of New York Magazine (not the same as the New Yorker). Feel free to check out the article here.

Veterans Day, 2007

2007-11-12T23:10:00.000-05:00

After being shot down during a reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam in 1966, Captain Gerald Coffee was captured and held as a POW in Vietnam for seven years. His imprisonment in Vietnam was one of the longest by an American POW, and he managed to survive interrogations, torture and isolation by his captors until he was repatriated to the U.S. in 1973. Captain Coffee subsequently returned to active duty and retired from the Navy nine years later in 1982. Upon his retirement, he became a motivational speaker and it was in that capacity that I heard him share his experiences as a POW at a business conference approximately three years ago. (Captain Coffee also made the news in political circles last year for winning the Republican primary for Senate in Hawaii, but had to be replaced in the election for health reasons).

In my lifetime, Captain Coffee is the only Vietnam POW I have ever heard share his story. Though I grew up surrounded by many members of the hippie generation, including my father and Arlo Guthrie (on the radio), I have only known two Vietnam vets personally, at least that I can recall. One of those vets was my longtime scoutmaster, who used to regal us around the campfire with war stories that he most certainly embellished for our entertainment value.

I can attribute part of my unfamiliarity with Vietnam vets’ stories to the community in which I was raised, where accounts of war were primarily told through the personal narratives of Holocaust survivors, and not through the voices of American soldiers. Nevertheless, I don’t believe my lack of personal exposure to Vietnam vets is exceptional. Because of the negative perception that the war has in our country, soldiers’ experiences in ’Nam have not been widely publicized or well-received. Though the Vietnam memorial, which opened 25 years ago this past weekend, is a moving testament to the men and women who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, it is also at bottom, a wall of stone that memorializes but does not speak. This country’s seeming antipathy towards hearing the stories that came out of Vietnam is also reflected in its particularly abysmal record providing for Vietnam vets’ long term medical care.

History books have already been written to help clear away the fog of the Vietnam war for students in a classroom and allow them to relive the action on the battlefield from a bird’s eye view. The books also neatly capture the political and strategic decisions that determined the final body count each side suffered. Yet, those same history books do not satisfy the need for history, especially the history of war, to be learned through personal and eye witness accounts which expose the intimate stories of lives lost or injured, the physical and emotional upheaval that took place in and around the battle field, and the stories of how war-weary veterans returned home to a world that had moved on in their absence.

The Perspective of a White Male on the Democratic Debate

2007-10-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

I know the Democratic debate that took place in Philadelphia tonight on MSNBC may not have swept the television ratings, especially since it seems like the presidential candidates have a debate once every two hours in this never ending primary season. However, I wanted to use my soap box to give my two cents:

[I'll save the spin on the individual candidates for the professionals, but in brief: Hillary didn't shine, which would have been hard anyway because she was the other candidates' punching bag all night, but on first blush she also didn't make any glaring mistakes; Edwards came out fighting and did a good job of it; Obama seemed to stutter a lot and took a distant second to Edwards' assertiveness; Biden had some great lines; Dodd was pretty much irrelevant; Richardson should get rid of his hair piece because it's distracting; and Kucinich won the vote of the 14% of Americans who claim to have spotted a UFO when he admitted that he's seen one too.]

What I found most outrageous about the whole debate was the moderators: Tim Russert and Brian Williams. Besides asking convoluded questions that failed to engage the candidates until the waning minutes of the debate, it was absurd that the two moderators were both white male news anchors. Since the debate moderators are essentially acting as the questioning voice of the voters, it's important that they bring a range of perspectives and vocalize the different concerns that voters are struggling with. On stage and on camera, however, Russert and Williams exposed the news media as lacking both diversity and creativity, especially in the media's upper echelons, where white males rank supreme. And, it's not like MSNBC didn't have other moderator options. Tim Russert is generally a good choice since politics is his speciality on his Sunday morning show Meet the Press. The superior questions he asked reflected on this experience. But instead of nightly news anchor Brian Williams, the Today Show's Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry or even weatherman Al Roker would have been good choices. It's not like moderating a debate is rocket science: ask a few questions, keep the candidates on their toes and make sure none of them hog the spotlight for too long while also getting the time to say their piece. Alternatively, MSNBC could have made more of an effort to find a moderator that doesn't actually work on one of their regular newscasts.

Judging by the long winded questions that Russert, and especially Williams asked, they clearly enjoyed hearing the sounds of their own voices too much. They also totally dropped the ball when they tried having a few "lightning rounds" where candidates only had 30 seconds to answer a question. For this to work the questions have to be straight and to the point and the candidates have to be cut off when time runs out or else everyone will feel entitled to transition into their stump speeches. Russert & Williams failed on both counts, especially since most of their questions took more than 30 seconds just to ask.

The best part of the debate came in the last few minutes when the moderators asked direct questions, allowed the candidates to spar with one another and even injected some humor into the show by asking Kucinich to confirm that he had in fact spotted a UFO (yes, but it didn't necessarily involve aliens) and Obama what he was planning on dressing up as for Halloween (probably as Mitt Romney). By then, however, most viewers were already tuning out and gearing up for the next Democratic debate in two short weeks from now on CNN, featuring, of course, CNN's white male news anchor, Wolf Blitzer.

The View From My Window

2007-10-21T01:03:00.000-04:00

The Things I See From My Dining Room Window:

-The line for the soup kitchen at the church across the street. Like clockwork every Saturday and Sunday at 9AM. People of all colors, sizes and ages.

-At 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon there's a 50-something year old guy standing nonchalantly across the street next to the garbage dump with shades on. Every few minutes he looks both ways and then pulls out a can of beer he's tucked away on the garbage dump ledge where no one can see it and steals a swig of beer. He should make sure to look up next time he tries to drink anonymously.

-In front of the anonymous alcoholic there's a guy who lives in the building next door. I've never spoken to him before but I see him all the time and I believe he's on the autistic spectrum. I'm not sure he's able to speak. But, he's obsessed with cars and will stand by a car literally all day, polishing it every few hours and looking in the mirrors. He used to be watched over by our block's "mayor", a guy named George who had lived here for God knows how long. On most days - especially nice ones - George would take a chair out onto the stoop of his building at about 7 in the morning and sit there smoking a stoogie all day and chatting with other folks from the neighborhood, mostly kids and retirees. Every now and then I'd see George hobble over to the church across the street to mentor kids. After I got back from Alabama last summer George was nowhere to be seen. Turns out he had been arrested for allegedly having inappropriate contact with one of the kids he was mentoring. He came back for a month or so in May and since then I haven't seen him. I wonder where he went.

-The construction workers in front of the building across the street. They start drilling at 7AM every morning on weekdays and I still can't figure out what exactly they're doing. They're not building a new structure or fixing the sidewalk, at least not as far as I can tell. But they do make a lot of noise.

-If I stick my head out the window, I can see, on the stoop where George used to sit, a group of high school kids gradually taking over his domain. On Friday evenings they'll occasionally sit out there with a six pack and have a good time. I played basketball with one of those kids.

-People living life in New York: mothers pushing baby carriages; a couple going out for a jog; and people of all ages walking East to West, from Amsterdam to Broadway, where they turn the corner and disappear.

Out of view.

52 Pickup

2007-10-02T13:47:00.000-04:00

No one will ever confuse me for a stud muffin at a bar or nightclub who picks up previously unknown women and convinces them that their phone number belongs on the back of the dry cleaning receipt that’s tucked in my wallet, and which I have supposedly taken with me so that, of course, I can pick up my clean clothes after I leave the bar. Nevertheless, I can always play make-believe.

Last week, in the middle of a splendid Italian dinner and bottle of wine with my brother and with my friend Mark we asked ourselves the following question: What's the best way to meet a woman on a swing dance floor and get her number after the first dance? Given that all three of us are swing dancers, this question had practical implications for all of us, though our discussion at the dinner table was merely one of intellectual curiosity (obviously). I would add the disclaimer that I’ve never successfully met a woman on the swing dance floor (hey, I’m surprised too), so I couldn’t bring my experience to bear on the conversation.

In fact, our discussion was spurred by Mark's recent addiction to the self-explanatory VH1 television reality show, Pickup Artist, and by his upcoming departure for a swing dance retreat in Wisconsin where, with all due respect to my friends in Wisconsin, there’s not a whole lot to do once it starts getting cold outside (which usually happens in the middle of July there) except challenge oneself to a game of 52 Pickup – and I’m not referring to picking up sticks. (The truth is I don’t know if there’s really a 52 Pickup dating game, but if there isn’t one then there should be because it sounds catchy).

Ultimately, our discussion centered on the questions that we would pose at the end of the dance in order to get our respective dance partner not only willing but wanting to give us her phone number. The questions that were immediately nixed were what we categorized as “identity inquiries”, such as “What’s your name?” and “What do you do in real life?”, which I have to confess is what I usually ask at the end of a dance, and which might explain my aforementioned lack of success.

Instead, the three questions we came up with after 45 minutes of serious talk-time that we thought had the highest likelihood of success were as follows:

-Who’s prettier Beyonce or Shakira?
-What’s your favorite dance movie?
-I’m planning a trip abroad and can go anywhere in the world. Where do you think I should go?

Looking at these questions on the screen in front of me, I’m the first one to admit that these questions might sound shallow and, for the most part, have nothing to do with swing dancing. But that’s exactly the point that we all realized. These questions might not be intellectual brain teasers, but they’re all designed to engage our respective dance partner in a conversation instead of interrogating her with the hope that we can uncover some commonalities in our backgrounds or identities.

The questions are also just off-kilter enough that, though the initial response might be a confused “Um, what did you just ask?”, they’re memorable and provocative. Take the Beyonce-Shakira question, for example. Many men and women have an opinion on which of these two celebrities is more likeable, attractive, or promotes a better public image. This might be presumptive, but the Beyonce-Shakira question also begs the thought, “why is this person with whom I just danced interested in Shakira and Beyonce, but not me?”

Since my conversation with Mark and my brother, I haven’t had the opportunity myself to get on the dance floor and experiment scientifically with our hypotheses. Another bottle of wine and a trip to the laundromat to get a few spare dry cleaning tickets are on my to-do list before I actually go that route. In the meantime, however, I’m going to give my friend Mark a call and find out how the dancing was in Wisconsin.

A Carousel of Time

2007-09-16T02:29:00.000-04:00

This post was written while I was sitting on the train heading down to Maryland on the afternoon of September 12th:

Besides the obvious dates – birthdays and New Year’s Eve – I mark the passage of time in my own life with the help of a bundle of recurring events and anniversaries. Yesterday marked one of those anniversaries, albeit, not a happy one. Six years ago, I had just completed a summer internship on Capitol Hill after graduating college, and was enjoying a couple of weeks of vacation before moving up to New York to begin my new career as a business consultant. On the morning of September 11th, I played tennis with my good friend Bob, a career foreign service officer at the State Department and my regular tennis partner whenever I’m in Maryland and the weather is nice. I returned home from our game at just before 9AM and decided to flip on the television while I was cooling down. From that moment onwards, I remained glued to the television, along with the rest of my family, for the whole day, never even changing out of my tennis clothes.

Two weeks later I moved into a transformed city – a city that no longer radiated the vibrancy and bustle that I had expected – but instead was overwhelmed by a shadow of grief. Now, six years after the fact, I’ve made my home here. Though the trauma of September 11th is far from over, it’s amazing how each year the pain of the attacks becomes a little less acute, and the memorial services become smaller and less elaborate. I remember the first year after the attacks hearing bagpipes mournfully sing their way down the streets from the Upper West Side all the way down the attack site for the memorial service. I also remember going to work that day and being literally paralyzed by the sense of loss that I felt and that pervaded the city. Six years later I haven’t forgotten, but I, and the rest of the city, have overcome the most gripping moments of pain and in a certain sense, have moved on.

Today marks another, happier, occasion that also marks the passage of time for me – the beginning of the celebration of the Jewish New Year. One friend of mine sends out an annual email around this time of year describing all the major milestones he passed and events in which he participated since the previous year’s email. Though I haven’t adopted that practice, I do take the time to reflect on how I’ve changed in the past year and on what I envision for the upcoming year. For the first time in quite a few years, I feel like this past year I’ve grown into my own skin and become more confident about my goals and aspirations (though I have yet to make a decision about what I want to do after I graduate law school!) Whereas last year started on a sour note because I was going through a rough break-up at the time, this year I feel happy with the direction of my life and with the choices I’ve made. My contentment is only disrupted by the serious illnesses that have, in the last few months, affected the lives of several people to whom I am close – my grandmother, for one, as well as several close friends. More than anything else, I hope this upcoming year is marked by their collective improved health.

When I reflect on my year in 12 months, I’ll be in a much different place than I am now. By then I will have graduated law school and will most likely have moved from New York. Nevertheless, I know also that when next year rolls around, in many ways I’ll be the same person I am today, continuing to pack my brown bag for lunch and to stay active in the causes that inspire me. Marking the passage of another year gone by and looking forward to the promise of the twelve months ahead, Simon & Garfunkel’s famous words from "The Boxer" ring true:

After changes upon changes, we are more less the same;
After changes, we are more or less the same.

My Feets is Tired But My Soul is Ready for Walking

2007-08-30T18:13:00.001-04:00

Hello again my dear reader-friends out there in the netherworld. I realize it’s been a long time since I’ve posted an entry on my blog but I needed an august vacation from posting (august, as in “dignified and splendid”, not August the month). I figured a funny and, if I might say so myself, well-written poem about John McCain would be a good note on which to leave and go into hibernation, despite no advance notice. Working at a law firm for ten weeks this past summer also had the remarkably effective consequence of turning off my creative juice spigot, and I felt like a break was the best way to get back that finger itch to type again.

All that is to say that I’m back on the airwaves, and happy to be writing again. This posting is dedicated to my recently departed hiking boots, which literally disintegrated over the course of about 24 hours a couple of weeks ago when I blazed through 40 miles in 2.5 days while backpacking with friends through southern Vermont. My post heading is derived from a quote by Mother Pollard, a woman who claimed her sliver of civil rights fame when she got up at a Church mass meeting and, legend has it, was singularly responsible for reviving the depleted energy of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycotters by saying “My feets is weary, but my soul is rested.”

Though my hiking boots obviously never saw action on the asphalt of Selma or Montgomery, the boots I’ve owned for approximately 10 years earned their treads by traveling the world with me. By my estimation, my hiking boots have gone to nearly every destination I’ve traveled since 1996. They came with me to Israel when I spent the year there after high school; and again when I trekked across the desert there as a counselor for a high school summer program; to France where I lived for a semester in college; and, to Panama and Costa Rica on my pre-law school trip, where I hiked Mount Chirripo, the highest mountain in Costa Rica. My boots came with me as I crossed the country with my brother on a post-college road trip through Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. With their unconditional support (of my ankles at least), I hiked a “Fourteener” near Keystone Colorado (14,000+ feet high); I hiked through Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park in Utah; and I made it up Mount Katahdin in Maine with my brother and father, who climbed up in the same hiking boots he had worn 25 years earlier when he first ascended the mountain. (Yes, wearing the same pair of hiking boots for too long appears to be an inherited family trait.)

Despite all their worldly adventures, my hiking boots literally fell apart as I was walking in Vermont’s green mountains two weeks ago (By preordained coincidence, my brother's hiking boots disintegrated on the same trip.) After a short prayer (“May their souls rest in peace”) we left the separated soles in a garbage can on the trail about 3 miles before finishing. I’m now in the market for a new set of boots to buy, a set of new souls, so to speak, to accompany me on my future travels. My feets is ready for walking again, and hopefully my soles will be ready soon too.

McCain and Abel

2007-07-17T15:47:00.000-04:00

"Able was I ere I saw Elba."

So declared Napoleon upon first losing his crown.
And indeed he was at a loss the second time around.
When he re-landed in France and tried to take the country by storm,
His emperor's clothes no longer fit form.
100 days later Napoleon's second reign concluded,
And his red-faced surrender caught him denuded.

Like his counter-Bona-parte who took two grabs at the crown,
JmC should have learned from his first go-around.
That his second attempt at the GOP throne,
Has left him standing on stage holding no micro-phone.
McCain's unbending support for the war in Iraq,
Is odd for a man who went to 'Nam and came back.
And then there's the matter of his ex- principled stance,
Concerning that baby of his, campaign-finance.

Jealousy led Cain to kill Abel,
But now poses a linguistic reversal of that biblical fable.
For Able no longer defines his brother Mc-Cain,
Rendering him unable to save his presidential campaign.
And thus JmC will soon be forced to bow out,
Of a race in which before, he had left no doubt;
That the GOP crown would be placed on his head,
Giving his maverick pontificating the ultimate cred.

John McCain should have perhaps predicted this ending,
Had he aspired to a more historical comprehending.
Remember Napoleon's nephew, Louis Bonaparte?
He too sought the crown but failed from the start.
"History always repeats itself," noted Karl Marx,
"The first time as tragedy, the second as farce."

Hot Dog!

2007-07-05T17:23:00.000-04:00

Among our many family traditions, it has lately become an annual Glasner family ritual to suppress our gag reflexes and watch Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs July 4th hot dog eating contest. As the press unabashadly trumpeted, the champion's coveted Mustard Belt was returned stateside yesterday, to the American Joey Chestnut, after spending six years in the mouth of the phenomenal Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi.

Besides the fact that the top two competitors managed to eat 129 hot dogs and buns between the two of them in 12 minutes (66 to Chestnut & 63 to Kobayashi, which is an average of almost 6 hotdogs per person per minute) what surprised me most about this year's competition was that almost none of the competitors were grossly overweight. In previous years, you could tell who was American and who wasn't because all the Americans looked like they routinely stuffed too many hot dogs down their gullets, whereas everyone else looked (almost) undernourished.

This year the Americans followed the lead of their mostly Japanese counterparts, both in terms of slimming down and in terms of employing better eating techniques. Chestnut weighed in at around 215 pounds whereas Kobayashi weighed in at around 160. (The difference is partially attributable to the fact that Chestnut is significantly taller.) Most of the other Americans also looked skinnier than usual. Similar to Kobayashi, Chestnut jumped around spasmodically to get the food into his stomach (Kobayashi uses his patented Kobayashi wiggle to achieve the same result.)

As someone who weighs in around 125 and is usually more than full after eating a lowly 2 hot dogs (with the works of course), I have no aspiration to join the ranks of professional hot dog eaters. And after watching yesterday's competition I'm pretty sure I'll lay off hot dogs for a while, at least until they start to look appealing again. Not that it's necessarily the most important issue facing our country these days, or even close to it, but on America's Independence Day this year I was happy to see that our stripes aren't as broad as they once were, thus making our stars just a little brighter.

Weekly Update

2007-06-20T23:29:00.000-04:00

The news never slows down, and I have some updates on recent blogposts of mine, in no particular order:

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg added a lot of wood to the presidential fire yesterday when he announced his decision to leave the Republican party, which he's been a member of since 2001, and to register instead as an Independent. If Bloomberg isn't running for higher office, then there seems to be no good reason for a popular mayor who is prevented from running for reelection due to term limits to change parties in the middle of his term, unless, of course, he just wants to stick out his tongue and tease his fellow social liberal, fiscal conservative and faux Republican, Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Bloomberg can run for President, but Schwarzenegger can't since he wasn't born in the U.S.)
Fairfax County voted on Tuesday to approve an elevated rail line through Tysons corner, meaning the tunnel idea is (almost) officially nixed.

Making her acting debut, Hillary announced the results of her campaign song vote yesterday in a clever parody of the Sopranos finale. The winner is "You and I" by Canadian singer Celine Deon. (Audience, hold your applause).

Following Hillary's excellent music selection, a majority of voters composed entirely of one person (me) have decided to pick the song "Pleasure is All Mine" by Bjork for when I make my run at public office. Nothing says God Bless America like an Icelandic singer who dresses in swan costumes when she goes to the Academy Awards.

I'm still eating my pasta.

Dear Miss Manners

2007-06-17T13:26:00.001-04:00

Twenty years ago, my grandfather sat me at a table, placed books under both my armpits and then had me eat dinner while squeezing the books between my arms so that they wouldn't fall. His ideas may have been slightly draconian, especially for a nine year old, but thanks to his instruction I've never eaten a meal with my elbows splayed out and sticking in my neighbor's plate. I've also (almost) always had a napkin properly sitting in my lap, known which fork/knife goes with each course, waited dutifully until everyone was served at the table before starting to eat, and eaten my meals using the more efficient European method, which involves cutting the food with the fork in my left hand and the knife in my right and then bringing the food to my mouth while still holding the fork in my left hand. (The American style, also known as the "zig zag method" involves cutting the food with the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right, and then putting the knife down and switching the fork to your right hand in order to bring it to your mouth).

This past week, I had the opportunity to revisit my grandfather's etiquette lessons under the watchful eyes of the very prim and proper Ms. Michelle Pollard Patrick, III, alternatively known as Michelle Patrick Pollard, III, and her assistant, a younger version of herself. Without even a trace of humor, and with every bit an air of condescension, Ms. MPP ("Yeah you know me!")* instructed my summer associate colleagues and me on the nuances of eating at a formal dinner for three very long hours. These rules included the following:

-To greet your fellow diners, shake their hands with a not-too-firm and not-too-weak grip, make eye contact, pump your hands twice, and say your name, followed with something along the lines of "it's a pleasure to meet you";
-Approach your seat at the table on the right side and leave from the left;
-To drink water, or any other liquid for that matter, bring the cup to your lips and then tilt your head back about 10 degrees so that you don't slurp;
-When eating bread and butter, don't spread the butter on the bread all at once and then eat it. Instead, put the butter on your plate, break off a bite size piece of bread, spread it, and then, if you're still hungry, eat it;
-If asked to pass the salt, also pass the pepper;
-Never let your fork or knife touch the table once you have started using them. They should always remain in your hands or on the plate;
-When eating soup, scoop the soup onto your spoon away from you instead of towards you;
-Twirl only 2-3 strands of pasta on your fork at a time;
-Neither toothpicks nor business cards should make an appearance at the table;
-Never drink to a toast made for you;
-Always thank your host for the meal.

Ms. MPP made very clear that if I don't follow all these rules than I will fail miserably in my career as a lawyer, especially given the numerous clients I expect to have dinner with as a first year associate (zero). Except for bathroom and sleep breaks, I'm also still twirling my pasta, two to three strands at a time, even though lunch technically ended five days ago.

Besides not cracking a joke the entire time, what made lunch so painful was Ms. MPP's failure to distinguish between good manners and proper etiquette. Good manners, which is really what my grandfather taught me, means being respectful at the table; eating in a way that isn't too messy, noisy or intrusive on one's dining neighbors; and showing an appreciation for the meal even if the food isn't to one's liking. Those principles will undoubtedly help me to succeed as a professional, but they also make me a better person overall.

Proper etiquette, on the other hand, involves a list of arcane rules that many people aren't even aware of, and that only come in handy when dining with royalty or when attending a 17th century-themed costume ball, assuming dinner precedes the dancing. I'm impressed that Ms. MPP is able to make a career out of being an etiquette specialist, but I walked away from lunch having felt talked down to for three hours and not having enjoyed my meal very much, except for the chocolate brownie sundae at the end. I don't need a tutorial to know that eating habits vary with culture and setting, and that establishing good relationships, whether they be for business or pleasure, can happen even if I don't tilt my head ten degrees to take a drink. Imposing a set of rigid rules on eating out may even make it more difficult to build a rapport with the other people sitting at the table, especially if the rules are ones that they don’t follow. My grandfather got that point through my head twenty years ago, but Ms. MPP has yet to figure it out.

*That's an (ironic?) reference to the band Naughty by Nature

Mr. Bloomberg LLP

2007-06-06T15:58:00.000-04:00

I was planning on writing today about the age-old debate of cats versus dogs (which species makes a better pet) because I've had this conversation numerous times in the last few weeks and I want to make absolutely clear that dogs are nice but felines reign supreme. However, I've been in DC now for ten days and I'm starting to feel the politics bug so I'm going to save that topic for another day and write instead about my take on presidential politics (I realize that I'm passing up the opportunity here to make some jokes about cats, dogs and presidential politics).

I recently finished reading Philip Roth's novel Plot Against America, which considers what our country would have become had FDR lost the race for a third election term to Charles Lindbergh, best known for his solo flight across the Atlantic and for having a reputation as a Nazi sympathizer. The book has gotten me thinking about some political what-if scenarios, albeit less fantastical ones than FDR losing an election, and how they might affect the ongoing presidential race. I'm especially interested in the idea of New York City mayor and gazillionaire Mike Bloomberg running for President. (Full disclosure: I've already thrown my "considerable influence" behind the Hillary Clinton campaign, after she came to me and politely requested my endorsement).

Bloomberg is a relatively unique figure in American politics: he's an extremely moderate Republican (some would say a Democratic in Republican clothes), and, because he came into office after funding his own campaign, he's been able to champion his own agenda without having to tailor it too much to special interest groups. Thus, he had enough political capital to enforce a smoking ban in New York city bars, he weathered a city-wide transit strike, he's spearheading a national campaign in favor of gun control (much to the chagrin of the NRA), and he's taken ownership of the New York city public school system. Though many people in New York might argue that he's also done many things wrong, Bloomberg has enjoyed widespread popularity, and is increasingly being mentioned as a possible Independent candidate for the presidency.

I haven't looked at any polls, so I have no idea how a Bloomberg campaign is projected to fare; however, right off the bat, it's clear Bloomberg would have at least one distinct advantage because he has enough disposable income to outspend all the other candidates. Also, while Independent/Reform party candidate Ross Perot's wealth wasn't enough to propel him to the presidency when he ran in 1992 and 1996, Bloomberg is probably seen as more of a mainstream candidate than the eccentric Perot. Lastly, as a technocrat and businessman Bloomberg can make credible claims that he has the experience to fix the fiscal mess that President Bush has made for us.

Despite these strengths, Bloomberg also faces significant hurdles. Most importantly, he's a political neophyte. Being the mayor of New York city has certainly provided him with a significant amount of political acumen, however, Bloomberg is not a career politician, like Rudy Guiliani. If he chose to ran for the White House, Bloomberg would also have greater difficulty sidestepping special interest group pressure, even though he still wouldn't have to rely on them for fundraising. And, his business holdings will come under heavy scrutiny as reporters and competitors try to dig up any dirt that might stick on him.

Ultimately, the main question regarding a Bloomberg candidacy is whether he could generate enough votes to play a political spoiler in the general election or even win the White House. Without a doubt, if he runs, the Democratic and Republican nominees for the general election will have their hands full trying to fend him off. If Guiliani is the Republican candidate, for example, he'll almost certainly lose most of the moderate vote he's already courting by being pro-choice to the Bloomberg camp. Similarly, any Democratic candidate could stand to lose moderate Republican and conservative Democratic votes to Bloomberg's candidacy.

The other main question to ask is whether it would be a good thing if Bloomberg rocked the boat by injecting a third party into the normally staid (and stable) politics of a two-party country. On the one hand, if the vote is split three ways, then the ultimate winner may lack any real mandate to accomplish his or her agenda. On the other hand, it could force candidates to take real positions on issues so that they are able to distinguish themselves from one another.

I'm definitely intrigued by the idea of an Independent running for President, but I think that the present list of candidates already represents a comprehensive range of political viewpoints, from the very liberal (Kucinich) to the very conservative (Fred Thompson, assuming he runs), to the libertarian (Ron Paul), to the centrist (Hillary, Obama, Guiliani, McCain, Romney, etc). If he doesn't add anything to the race, then Bloomberg will simply be playing the role of election spoiler. And, Bloomberg could probably achieve much of his own agenda after he leaves the mayor's office, by serving as a philanthropist or even, potentially, as a cabinet member in the next administration. So, while it's an interesting what-if scenario to consider, my vote for the time being is for Bloomberg to avoid the calls he's been getting to join the race, serve out the rest of his term as mayor and then take a break from elected politics. Mr. Bloomberg - if you're reading my posting - now that I've given such serious thought to your future career, I'll be happy to meet with you and provide additional unsolicited job advice anytime you like (assuming I'm available).

Copy That

2007-06-01T16:12:00.000-04:00

During lunch today I happened to sit next to someone with a flat Midwestern accent, which got me to thinking how bad I am at doing on-the-spot impersonations. Some people are really good at imitating an accent or impersonating a movie character. I'm not. When it comes to cracking a Borat joke, or speaking with an exaggerated foreign accent I'm a non-starter. I'll even venture to say that my lack of aptitude in this area qualifies as my greatest weakness, though if I gave that as my answer in a job interview I'm pretty sure the interviewer would look at me funny. Lest anyone start to feel sympathy for me, this shortcoming of mine doesn't affect all aspects of my life. When I'm living or traveling in another country (or down south, as the case may be), I do a pretty good job of adopting the regional inflections and voice modulations so that people don’t peg me as a "damn Yankee" the moment I open my mouth.

The root of my problem stems from my inability to vocalize and act out the impersonation. My ear isn't perfect, but I'm pretty good at recognizing different pitches and nuances in speech. However, between my ear and my mouth something gets lost in translation. If I hear an Indian accent, for example, I wind up trying to imitate it with something that sounds like it originated in England but then made a diversion to Germany for some polishing. Similarly, my attempts to speak English with a Russian accent, or to sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger (who, I realize is Austrian), both come out sounding like I grew up on a kibbutz.

Without overanalyzing all of this, the disconnect is probably related to the fact that I'm a relatively even-keeled kind of guy (Ok, I’m a very even-keeled kind of guy). This characteristic serves me well in certain situations, but it doesn't lend itself to letting loose and acting out in dramatic fashion. My balanced personality (or, some might say "reserved" personality) doesn't affect me when I'm living somewhere else or traveling, because I don't consider speaking in another accent as acting out then, I just think of it as trying to better appreciate the culture and interact with the native residents.

The moral of this whole story is that I need to go spend a few weeks in the midwest, so that I could have lunch again with my neighbor from today.

P.S. If you're interested in an update on the Tyson's Corner subway tunnel that I wrote about a few weeks ago, it's still not getting built.

Back to Work

2007-05-29T00:15:00.000-04:00

Exactly a year ago I took a flight down to Alabama to spend the summer working at the Equal Justice Initiative, helping indigent defendants through the death penalty appeals process. This morning I set out to begin my second summer as a law student, when I hopped on a bus down to Washington, DC to come work as a summer associate at Venable, LLP, a commercial law firm that was originally founded in Baltimore, MD. Admittedly, I don’t feel the same level of excitement as I did last year when I embarked on my journey to the Deep South, probably because I don’t expect this summer to be as unique, challenging or inspirational as the last one. (That, and the fact that I won’t have the same opportunity this summer to stuff myself with grits.)

Nevertheless, I do anticipate this summer to involve more than just being taken out to nice places for lunch, which is a reputation associated with many summer law firm experiences. (Not that I would complain if people want to take me out to lunch. Or dinner, for that matter.) Having worked in the corporate world already, I know the benefits of working in settings where project resources aren’t in short supply and where entrepreneurship or hard work isn’t hindered by bureaucratic red tape. By working at Venable, I’m also looking forward to getting a healthy sampling of the DC legal and political scene. Six years ago I spent a summer interning on Capitol Hill, and I loved every minute of it: the dynamic politics, the substantive issues that I helped to tackle, and the history that reverberated around me as I walked through the Senate office buildings’ hallowed halls. This summer I plan on replicating some of those same feelings and experiences, through my work at the firm and through simply living in DC. I also plan on looking ahead and considering more seriously how I want to apply my law degree in the future, and whether DC is where I ultimately see myself. And who knows….maybe along the way I’ll be able to find a decent bowl of grits. DC is technically in the south after all.