Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Daily dose
A couple of years back, applying for jobs, I developed a technique for getting over the inertia that was keeping me home in front of the TV instead of searching effectively. Every day, I had to do One Brave Thing. Now, "brave" for me can be as simple as making a phone call or looking at my latest and much-feared round of grades, or calling up a friend I've been neglecting -- little things that might be trivial but that for whatever reason I find really difficult. Anyway, it worked well; it helped me get things done, and gave me a little ego boost too ("look! I was brave today! ooh, let's be brave again!"). Perhaps time to revive it?
Current preoccupations: getting clerkship apps done and sent out, various other law-school-related tasks I had meant to accomplish over the summer and didn't, shipping stuff back to school so that I can avoid going over the luggage limit when I fly to CA this weekend, making good use of my last few days in DC... Stressful, and I'm not exactly relishing the thought of starting classes again (especially when -- alas -- there is no more tax!), but it will be nice to see everyone in NH again. Happy last few days of summer, all.
A couple of years back, applying for jobs, I developed a technique for getting over the inertia that was keeping me home in front of the TV instead of searching effectively. Every day, I had to do One Brave Thing. Now, "brave" for me can be as simple as making a phone call or looking at my latest and much-feared round of grades, or calling up a friend I've been neglecting -- little things that might be trivial but that for whatever reason I find really difficult. Anyway, it worked well; it helped me get things done, and gave me a little ego boost too ("look! I was brave today! ooh, let's be brave again!"). Perhaps time to revive it?
Current preoccupations: getting clerkship apps done and sent out, various other law-school-related tasks I had meant to accomplish over the summer and didn't, shipping stuff back to school so that I can avoid going over the luggage limit when I fly to CA this weekend, making good use of my last few days in DC... Stressful, and I'm not exactly relishing the thought of starting classes again (especially when -- alas -- there is no more tax!), but it will be nice to see everyone in NH again. Happy last few days of summer, all.
Monday, August 16, 2004
Navigational note
A theory (not mine) on D.C. streets and the confusion they cause: D.C., as we know, was planned by a Frenchman. On top of the standard American-style grid of lettered streets crossed by numbered ones is overlaid a net of streets named after the 50 states, intersecting the grid at odd angles and meeting periodically to create virtually un-navigable roundabouts. The roundabout is a typical feature of French cities -- looks great, but a pain for drivers. [I'm allowed to poke fun at my people, aren't I? ;-)] Even the city has recognized the difficulty, and in many cases has just created an underpass to avoid the roundabout altogether! So -- to avoid getting lost, I offer this tip: ignore the state streets. Barrel through the roundabouts until you get to K or 17th or Eye Street or whatever. Willfully refuse to acknowledge New Jersey or California or even the venerable Pennsylvania. D.C. American-style: it may take longer, but at least you won't get lost.
Recent good things: the Calder room at the National Gallery's East Wing (fantastic; the lighting is a work of art in itself); pretty much every other room at the National Gallery's East Wing; Cafe La Ruche, off a little canal in Georgetown complete with boats (skip dessert, but they have merguez and proper onion soup!); the ever-marvelous H&M; fresh blue crab in all its messy glory; sitting under a sheltering roof watching a rainstorm by the ocean. And of course, reuniting with long-lost relatives, always a favorite activity of mine.
A theory (not mine) on D.C. streets and the confusion they cause: D.C., as we know, was planned by a Frenchman. On top of the standard American-style grid of lettered streets crossed by numbered ones is overlaid a net of streets named after the 50 states, intersecting the grid at odd angles and meeting periodically to create virtually un-navigable roundabouts. The roundabout is a typical feature of French cities -- looks great, but a pain for drivers. [I'm allowed to poke fun at my people, aren't I? ;-)] Even the city has recognized the difficulty, and in many cases has just created an underpass to avoid the roundabout altogether! So -- to avoid getting lost, I offer this tip: ignore the state streets. Barrel through the roundabouts until you get to K or 17th or Eye Street or whatever. Willfully refuse to acknowledge New Jersey or California or even the venerable Pennsylvania. D.C. American-style: it may take longer, but at least you won't get lost.
Recent good things: the Calder room at the National Gallery's East Wing (fantastic; the lighting is a work of art in itself); pretty much every other room at the National Gallery's East Wing; Cafe La Ruche, off a little canal in Georgetown complete with boats (skip dessert, but they have merguez and proper onion soup!); the ever-marvelous H&M; fresh blue crab in all its messy glory; sitting under a sheltering roof watching a rainstorm by the ocean. And of course, reuniting with long-lost relatives, always a favorite activity of mine.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Well, hm. Apparently the biweekly tax quote has been pre-empted by these folks. August 11's is my personal favorite so far (I had it up a couple weeks back). Will have to consider whether the duplication is worthwhile or whether I will abandon and defer to their greater prominence and more frequent updating -- perhaps after the summer?
Stress-o-meter (known more fondly as the psycho-meter to those who have truly experienced its more extreme effects) is on high these days, I'm sad to report. Too high. :-(
Stress-o-meter (known more fondly as the psycho-meter to those who have truly experienced its more extreme effects) is on high these days, I'm sad to report. Too high. :-(
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Metro musings
Currently in week 3 of my D.C. stay, though I have been somewhat less motivated to get out and explore than I was in the beginning of the summer. Still, last weekend I managed to trek out to Alexandria, VA, for a dose of quaint-ness (and a near-vain search for wireless internet).
Am sort of fascinated by the D.C. metro. It's the only city I've spent much time in (other than Rio, at whose subway I marveled as well) where the metro was created after most of the urban development had already taken place -- in fact, it's just a few years older than I am. The result is a certain consistency of design, wide and spacious stations, well-placed (if unbelievably slow-moving) escalators, and a station that is actually at Washington National airport; no shuttles or buses! And though I have complained before about the sinister voice that instructs you to mind the closing doors (a vaguely seductive computerized female voice seemingly designed to lure, Pied Piper-like, the male denizens of the city off into the wilds), I do appreciate the creative and surprisingly effective lighting inside the stations. They are lit almost entirely from below -- a bright white light fixture runs down the center of the tracks, while off to the sides, between a low barrier and the tunnel wall, runs another set of lights, beaming upwards and reflecting off the textured tunnel surfaces. The light fixtures themselves are not directly visible (except by some daring leaning), which is probably a good thing considering how bright they must be to keep the whole space comfortably lit. As for the trains, they are sort of retro-futuristic in style, and decorated inside with cheery shades of butter yellow, berry red, and periwinkle. The futuristic theme is particularly strong in Virginia, with a series of stations named Pentagon, Pentagon City, Crystal City... I've not been here long enough to comment on whether the routes themselves are well-designed (perhaps a bit of a pain that one has to go halfway around Virginia to get to Metro Center from anywhere past the Pentagon), but I also suspect the decision to avoid sticking a metro station smack in the middle of Georgetown or even Adams Morgan may actually have beneficial effects (less noise, enforced walking through cute neighborhoods, etc.). If it lacks the charm of the Paris metro, it certainly has its good points... [More urban rail facts here.]
Currently in week 3 of my D.C. stay, though I have been somewhat less motivated to get out and explore than I was in the beginning of the summer. Still, last weekend I managed to trek out to Alexandria, VA, for a dose of quaint-ness (and a near-vain search for wireless internet).
Am sort of fascinated by the D.C. metro. It's the only city I've spent much time in (other than Rio, at whose subway I marveled as well) where the metro was created after most of the urban development had already taken place -- in fact, it's just a few years older than I am. The result is a certain consistency of design, wide and spacious stations, well-placed (if unbelievably slow-moving) escalators, and a station that is actually at Washington National airport; no shuttles or buses! And though I have complained before about the sinister voice that instructs you to mind the closing doors (a vaguely seductive computerized female voice seemingly designed to lure, Pied Piper-like, the male denizens of the city off into the wilds), I do appreciate the creative and surprisingly effective lighting inside the stations. They are lit almost entirely from below -- a bright white light fixture runs down the center of the tracks, while off to the sides, between a low barrier and the tunnel wall, runs another set of lights, beaming upwards and reflecting off the textured tunnel surfaces. The light fixtures themselves are not directly visible (except by some daring leaning), which is probably a good thing considering how bright they must be to keep the whole space comfortably lit. As for the trains, they are sort of retro-futuristic in style, and decorated inside with cheery shades of butter yellow, berry red, and periwinkle. The futuristic theme is particularly strong in Virginia, with a series of stations named Pentagon, Pentagon City, Crystal City... I've not been here long enough to comment on whether the routes themselves are well-designed (perhaps a bit of a pain that one has to go halfway around Virginia to get to Metro Center from anywhere past the Pentagon), but I also suspect the decision to avoid sticking a metro station smack in the middle of Georgetown or even Adams Morgan may actually have beneficial effects (less noise, enforced walking through cute neighborhoods, etc.). If it lacks the charm of the Paris metro, it certainly has its good points... [More urban rail facts here.]
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
For T.S. and all the crazy folks from the admiralty law reading group...
