The fourth graders who insist, "second is the best" are wrong.

Tonight, I am taking time out of my busy packing schedule to go hear Jeffrey Sachs (isn't that portrait of him on the left the most amazing thing you've ever seen?!) speak at the NYU Medical Center. And no, I’m not already packing for SA – the lease on my apartment comes up December 1st and my roommate and I are moving out of the East Village. Jeff Sachs is one of those people who I only know because my friends and family have on several occasions recommended, “You should read his stuff, it’s really interesting.” In doing a little cursory research on the interwebs, it looks like his work centers around themes of economic development, poverty alleviation, and enlightened globalization – all tremendously interesting topics, all relevant to the experiences I’ll be having in Durban. I’m hoping that he is as compelling a speaker as the publicist who updates his Columbia Earth Institute website would have us believe he is.


When I wrote that first post, I’m don’t think I highlighted how preoccupied I have been with figuring out all of the things that I have to do before I depart. Just so we’re clear: it is taking over my brain, neuron by neurotic neuron. I think it makes sense on some level (I mean, one has to finish compiling a To Do list before ticking things off) but I wish it didn’t totally sidetrack me from the other, often more pressing, things on my plate. I recently saved a Things to Do for SA e-mail in Gmail. Now, every time my subconscious stumbles across another chore, I can just add it to my running list. This, it turns out, is quite convenient because it means that I have access to this list anywhere I have internet connection. Enough with the practical tips – I’ve got to keep plugging away at the documents I’m preparing for my eventual replacement at New York Cares. Hopefully I’ll have some interesting insights to share about Jeff Sachs later tonight.

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