What a nice bunch of young people we ourselves must seem like.

HRF was on display to hordes of young impressionable people this week. I participated in two panels yesterday, first for Princeton interns and later for a group of high school students. First, this made me realize just how young young people are. Today’s 16-year-old never co-existed with the Soviet Union and was born the year Wayne’s World came to movie theaters. He or she was born into a world where Beverly Hills 90210 had already exhausted most of its best plot lines. Actually, it’s no wonder 1990s nostalgia is all the rage these days, to the detriment of contemporary fashion. The immediate post-Cold War and celebration of extended adolescence that characterized that decade were kinda fun. Plus, hyper-color shirts. Anyway, more important, it was, as always, a pleasure to hear my colleagues speak with grace and passion about their work here. Thanks again to the women who volunteered to speak to the group of high school girls: Sharon, Ruthie, Niamh, Lisa Besa, Parastou, Krista and Sofia, it was great fun to listen to you talk about yourselves particularly, and your work here. It’s nice to still be learning about HRF more than two years after starting here. Not jaded yet. Despite the early start time, that Princeton presentation went pretty well, says Cynthia (eternal cheerleader), with Andrew registering as most eloquent and prepared, Kes as funniest (his co-panelists could barely keep it together, predictably), Michelle best performance by an intern, Sofia & Melissa, best team (and you didn’t even steal my torture-related thunder!), and Lilli, best timing. What a nice bunch of young people we ourselves must seem like.

Summer Anthem: A recent classic, totally catchy, imminently danceable (if you are into that kind of thing after a few): Hips Don’t Lie. I didn’t think hips prevaricated, but now I’m certain they do not.

Looks like this weekend, while not lasting as many days as last, will be sunnier. Go forth, be outside, and enjoy!