I can’t really give you advice because I’m going through the same thing, except I graduated only a month ago… I thought I could/should take the rest of the year off, do some volunteering, maybe take up German, but a couple of weeks ago, my grandma pointed out I’m "unemployed". Then it hit me. It was my Benjamin Braddock moment. "Can you tell me what those 4 years of college were for? What was the point of all that hard work?"

My grandma’s intention wasn’t to pressure me or anything, she was simply suggesting we could do some traveling together since I’m not really doing anything, but that word wasn’t kind to me.

I’m now looking for a part-time job myself, but finding a job in Intl Relations in this country (Brazil) seems like an impossible task. I’m staying at my parents’ until February and, indeed, the stocked refrigerator is nice for a change, but I had to move from the bedroom I finished high-school in and I try to avoid the neighbors because I don’t want them inquiring about my life.

In February I’m going back "home" to my apartment in a different city 3 hours away from here and - YES - I’m going back to school. When I first decided I would start my postgraduate studies right away, it seemed like I was doing this so I could keep calling myself a "student", but then I stumbled upon a quote (from Diane Sawyer) and everything clicked in. "Follow what you are genuinely passionate about … and let that guide you to your destination". I’m 2 years younger than you and NOT in a position to offer you any words of wisdom as you can see, but this is my advice, I guess. Oh, and try moving to a different bedroom.

Come on, what about Mike Nichols & Diane Sawyer (aka my favorite power couple)? Liz?

Well, I had lunch with Enrico Colantoni, Wendie Malick and the guys from CSI once…

Arrested Development.

I read great things about this episode/James Spader’s performance/DEK’s writing, but.. now that I’m watching this scene (thanks for the clip, Liz!), I’m wondering: didn’t Alan Shore argue a very similar case, like, 3 seasons ago? I only watch BL ocasionally, but I’m experiencing dèjá vu here… Anyway, every time I read/hear criticism of the US Supreme Court it just makes me appreciate even more the fact that we can watch the Supreme Court in session live on TV here in Brazil. We don’t have this whole mystique surrounding our Justices and even though some of them do have their ideological agendas, listening to them defend their position (on a discussion about stem cell research, for example) is always fascinating. On the topic of casting our “Supremes”: Helen Mirren could totally play our former Chief Justice Ellen Gracie.

Well, so far, the only foreign leader who’s met Medvedev is Angela Merkel and she expressed little hope of seeing substantial changes in Russia and Russia’s relationship with the west. I read an article about their meeting in the Financial Times a couple of days ago where Putin states that Russia’s partners won’t have an “easier time” with his successor. But then you look at Putin’s approval ratings and Bush’s… I know a lot of people are concerned about human rights abuses and a slide back to an authoritative ruling, but when you look at how the country is doing economically, you can’t argue that he has been good to Russia. Of course they want to keep him around.

No. But I have a story that falls under the bizarre/unusual category… The mayor of a small town in northern Brazil proposed a law that would ban SHORTS and SKIRTS during lent! That ended up being considered unconstitutional, but he did manage to ban parties in local places this year. Oh, boy.

Are the TV executives responsible for the state of television? Yeah… but they share responsibility with the viewers who eat everything up. (I’m gladly removing myself from the equation because I’m not American, but I think that’s just the reality.) Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Now what I REALLY want to know is this: When is Candice Bergen going to write the second part of her memoirs? I remember the day I bought her memoirs (well, it wasn’t long ago), I didn’t care about autobiographies and I wasn’t even a fan of Candice! I just needed a light book to keep me company on a long ride home, but that made for such wonderful reading that I read it back-to-back and (of course) it was impossible not to fall in love with her.