Scenario: Albright's class, 12:07 (class ends at 12:05, everyone's packing up)
A girl in the back row suddenly pipes up with a question (consensus: she's not actually in the class).
OK, it was less of a question and more of an accusatory tirade about Rwanda. She went on. And on. Long after she had made her point. I'm not sure what she was trying to accomplish, I mean, what answer she wanted to hear -- one that would make everything make sense to her? One that would confirm her accusations? I don't know. She seemed as if she had had it pent up for all class (and probably longer) and then vomited it out in a spurt of logorhea. But Maddy addressed it quite patiently and frankly.

Then, 6 hours later when we finally got to leave, she mentioned that she appreciated questions like that and she wasn't afraid of answering them. So after class I went up to her and said, "Professor, I have a question for you. All of us up at the coffee shop want to know why you never come get your coffee with us. All of the other professors do. Tenet does all the time and talks with us, but I think he's just bored." She looked surprised, then said it was because she didn't want to eat all the muffins. Since she had a bottle of water in her hand, I pointed out that we sell other things, like water. I "persuaded" her kindly to begin to come visit us. She said, "Do they really all just come and sit down there?" I said yes and she said, "well, i'm usually pretty busy." I said that was fine, but she could still stop by and get something from us. Hehe. So I think she will now. (I stopped up at the shop after this and reported my conversation, and one of the directors laughed and then said "great. one of our employees has bullied the former secretary of state into coming to our store." hehehe.)

Topic 2: I hate New Year's Resolutionists. Plus, why haven't they quit yet? I mean, I start and quit working out often enough, but at least I don't do it all at once in January. But this means that there are NO treadmills available (and I have my hands over my ears and am humming loudly over those of you who might suggest running outside)...even when I get up extra-early in the morning to go before class. Also even when I patiently wait for the girl I am 2 feet away from to get to 30 minutes (the time limit) so I can use hers. OK, so if there is no one waiting, I really don't give a shit how much time people spend on the machines. But if there is OBVIOUSLY a line right next to you, how about some courtesy?
Finally I gave up and went to lift some weights, but didn't really want to and decided after a few machines that breakfast and a shower would be more fun. I passed by this girl again, and she was nearing an hour on the machine. Give me a break, gym-bitch.

Alright, although NOBODY gave me any comments on the NY Times question, I think I am going to go ahead and order a subscription for myself anyways. I can read it over breakfast.

Here is a good article on foreign policy craziness. I am going to use it for my memo.
Oh, those crazy Latin Americans.

Later I am going to post a paragraphical quote from page 66 of the 9/11 commission on how Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Hmmm, who knew?