VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY

More documents

Recommendations

Info

2 Reviews & Features VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY Friday, 4 December 2009 Abundant Flavor from Morocco, Afghanistan Natasha Heidari ’10 Reviewer Al Hamraa I love ethnic food and, surprisingly, Charlottesville is a great place to get it. Al Hamraa is one of the best Moroccan restaurants I’ve experienced. The location is rather unfortunate (in the Ix Building on 2nd St. SE in the middle of nowhere), but works with the elegant décor to create an exotic experience. The seating is comfortable, and the food is tapas-style and suitable for sharing. Now, the food. Of the five or six dishes that I sampled, everything was very flavorful and very delicious. But two in particular were absolutely incendiary. The first was the Meakouda, potato and cilantro cakes. I was skeptical at first because I’m not a cilantro fan. I really think that people overdo cilantro way too often. Nevertheless, I ordered the Meakouda and was pleasantly surprised: They were salty (but not too salty), had a great consistency, and were bursting with other flavors, not just cilantro. The second dish that inflamed my palate (in a good way) was the Tangine of the day. Tangine is a traditional dish (often a stew) cooked in a clay pot. I’m a sucker for lamb, especially when cooked the Moroccan way with caramelized fruit on top. This one in particular was a lamb dish with caramelized onions and pears. The lamb was perfectly tender and shredded, and the pear added the perfect mix of savory and sweet that I love. Being the near-germaphobe that I am, I love that, before and after the meal, your server brings out a hand-washing pitcher and bowl with warm water to wash your hands (Also, this way I know that the people I’m sharing my tapas with have adequately washed their hands prior to sticking them in my food). Go to Al Hamraa on a Friday or Saturday to experience their lovely belly dancer. Not only does she add to the exotic nature of your experience there, but belly dancing is really just fun to watch. While I haven’t been there for it, the restaurant has Latin Night on Tuesdays, where you drink and dance the night away to Latin music. Al Hamraa also has a liquor license, but I must admit that there was nothing special about the wine that I ordered there (though I didn’t go there for the wine). Nevertheless, Al Hamraa is the place to smoke hookah (from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m.). I can’t say anything about their hookah from experience except that their selection seemed quite extensive. Ariana Kabob As a Persian, I feel like I know good kabobs. Not just kabobs, but the side dishes, rice, bread, and salad that are supposed to accompany kabobs, too. So I hope you trust me when I say that Ariana Kabob is a place you should visit if you like kabobs. (I feel like when I write reviews of restaurants, every restaurant is “the best.” But it occurred to me that the reason for that is I only write reviews about restaurants I love. So it’s not like I love every restaurant in Charlottesville—quite the contrary, really. It’s only those restaurants that deserve my attention that I write to you about.) Ariana Kabob is located on West Main St. across from the Hampton Inn. Like Al Hamraa, Ariana Kabob is owned and operated by people who share the same ethnic background as the food they serve. In this case, the food is Afghani-style kabobs. I’ve tried several things at Ariana, and everything has independently blown my mind: from the (extremely) long-grain basmati rice to the perfectly juicy and tender meat they serve. The barbari flatbread that they serve with every kabob meal is made in-house. I must say that I have never had such delicious or such fresh bread since I last visited Iran with my family when I was 12. Eleven years later, I’m smitten with Ariana Kabob. The samosas that are served at Ariana Kabob are crunchy, savory, and spiced particularly well. While the samosas are my favorite appetizer here, I would recommend the Baudinjan Buranee (baudinjan means eggplant) because these are made particularly well. A small order would be more than enough to share between two or three people. The first time I went to Ariana Kabob, I ordered the Kofta-Kabob, a combination of ground meat, onion, and spices formed on a skewer. This type of kabob is my dad’s specialty, so I was curious to see how Ariana’s would hold up. While not photo courtesy of c-ville.com Al Hamraa might not be the place to go for wine, but doubles as a late-night hookah bar. as juicy as my dad’s, I was very impressed with their Kofta-Kabobs and am eager to take my parents there to try for themselves. The Kofta-Kabobs are incredibly flavorful and hands down the best I’ve had at a restaurant. If kabobs aren’t your thing, though, you should go to Ariana Kabob and order the Gyro Wrap or Platter. The meat and homemade yogurt sauce are all spiced wonderfully, and it is easily my favorite dish there. (I prefer the platter because it comes on a slab of barbari.) All in all, Ariana Kabob is worth a visit sometime soon. Smitha Dante Executive Editor Contributor: Columnist: Reviewer: Dan Rosenthal Benjamin Grosz Natasha Heidari Published weekly on Friday except during holiday and examination periods and serving the Law School community at the University of Virginia, the Virginia Law Weekly (ISSN 0042-661X) is not an official publication of the University and does not necessarily express the views of the University. Any article appearing herein may be reproduced provided that credit is given to both the Virginia Law Weekly and the author of the article. Advanced written permission of the Virginia Law Weekly is also required for reproduction of any cartoon or illustration. Virginia Law Weekly 580 Massie Road University of Virginia School of Law Charlottesville, Virginia 22903-1789 Allen Abrams Editor-in-Chief Virginia Law Weekly COLOPHON Dipti Ramnarain Managing Editor Sabrina Guenther & Mary Niemann Production Editors Tom Seider Columns Editor Kara Allen Reviews Editor Veronika Bath Associate Production Editor Chris Mincher Associate Features Editor Andy Howlett News Editor Jessica Brown Associate News Editor Gary Lawkowski Features Editor Neal Hayes Web Editor Matt Farmer Associate Columns Editor Jordan Fox Associate Reviews Editor Phone: 434.924.3070 Fax: 434.924.7536 editor@lawweekly.org www.lawweekly.org EDITORIAL POLICY: The Virginia Law Weekly publishes letters and columns of interest to the Law School and the legal community at large. Views expressed in such submissions are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Law Weekly or the Editorial Board. Letters from organizations must bear the name, signature, and title of the person authorizing the submission. All letters and columns must either be submitted in hardcopy bearing a handwritten signature along with an electronic version, or be mailed from the author’s e-mail account. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. the Monday before publication and must be in accordance with the submission guidelines. Letters over 500 words and columns over 700 words may not be accepted. The Editorial Board reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, and clarity. Although every effort is made to publish all materials meeting our guidelines, we regret that not all submissions received can be published. As finals loom, here are some reminders from past Law Weekly issues (with annotations from your friendly library staff in italics) to help make the end of the semester easier for everyone. Abuses of the (Currently Friendly) Food Policy: “Thumbs down to those who feel that the library is the perfect locale for your seven-course meal. The library staff reminds you that although vending machine snacks are allowed, meals are forbidden.” (In particular, please leave smelly, noisy, or messy foods at home. For your convenience, snacks are available from the recently installed MyLab vending machine, and keep an eye out for free finals candy, coffee, and tape flags from the Library!) Adverse Possession: “Thumbs down to people who spread their stuff out in the library, then leave it there all day, even when they leave to go to classes. To you offenders out there, think of the library as though it were the D3 lot: As much as you wish you could and think you’re entitled to, you can’t reserve a space for yourself. (Also, solostudiers, please allow study groups to use the seven designated group study spaces. To reserve a group study room, sign-up in the binders located outside the doors to the study rooms. If your studying involves multimedia, make use of our relocated media area at the back of the reserve room on the first floor.) Personal Hygiene: “Thumbs down to the person who sat at a table in the library and cut his fingernails, then didn’t UVA Law Library Code of Etiquette clean up the clippings. You, sir, are filthy, and make ANG wish that the admissions office had a policy of retro-rejecting students who were obvious mistakes.” Restricted Access Policy: “Thumbs up to students who, unable to find an available table, alert the library staff of non-law students using the library for nonlaw-related reasons. Remember, only you can prevent library usurpation.” (No vigilantes, please. The staff will help you. But if there are tables available and the interlopers are not loud or disruptive, then study and let study!) Noise: “Thumbs down to the lack of a sign in the library reading: ‘Guess what? You’re in the library, and everyone can hear you talking. And, if you didn’t know this, cell phone companies have this sweet invention called Voice Mail. It was created specifically so you don’t have to answer your phone—say, in the library, perhaps—and instead can wait, and call the person back. Kind of like what someone with an ounce of common sense would do.’” (If you do need to take that call right away, make use of MyLab, the designated cell-phones-allowed area.) “Thumbs down to people who talk in the library. Seriously, knock it the @#%$ off!” “Thumbs down to 1Ls in the gunner pit taking calls and speaking at full volume. Hiding behind a pillar does not mean that no one can hear you.” “Thumbs down to loud headphones in the library. ANG is going to have a hard enough time learning all of Corporations in 72 hours without ‘Womanizer’ banging in ANG’s head.” PDA: “Thumbs down to students cuddling and Eskimo kissing in the library. Inappropriate and awkward public displays of affection: yet another reason why law school is like high school.” Common Sense: “Thumbs up to the library staff for responding to recent thefts by offering to hold students’ laptops at the circulation desk for short periods of time, but not taking any responsibility if they are stolen. Double thumbs up if the library employees turn out to be an underground ring of criminal masterminds.” (Keep in mind that leaving valuables unattended in public is not a great idea. You can check your laptop at the circulation desk if you don’t want to carry it around with you.) Power Play: Just a reminder: Power strips and extension cords are available for checkout at the circulation desk! We’re working on expanding the number of outlets on the library’s second floor, with new desktop lamps equipped with outlets at several of the tables next to the Spies Garden windows. Take a second while you’re studying and use the comment boxes next to the lamps to let us know what you think of this new addition!
Friday, 4 December 2009 Kara Allen ’10 Reviews Editor Fantastic Mr. Fox: I Dare You to Look Away A school chum of mine (well, not so much ‘chum’ as ‘nemesis’) once remarked that I look as though a child dressed me. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that I have been more excited about the release of the children’s film Fantastic Mr. Fox than any other movie this year. The combination of director Wes Anderson, author Roald Dahl, and a stellar cast was sure to create a movie I’d find watchable. Plus, foxes are really cool. The movie was more than watchable—it renders its audience incapable of looking away. The opening scene shows Mr. Fox (voiced appropriately by George Clooney) on top of a hill, and I might have spent the rest of the movie thinking about how much I wanted to pet him if the scene had not quickly cut to a mesmerizing action sequence in which Fox and his wife Felicity (Meryl Streep) perform a series of couples’ acrobatics. The film uses the painstaking stop-action technique, and the precision required for that technique crosses over visually into every aspect of the film. The bulk of its entertainment value derives from aesthetics. The use of the animals’ eyes to portray various states was hilariously effective. While the visual aspect was by far the movie’s greatest strength, it was also a quality film in other respects. The plot was fairly fast-paced without being complicated. After Felicity tells him she is pregnant, Fox promises to ‘give up the business,’ which is, of course, stealing chickens and various other fowl from the local farmers. Years later, as an underread, underpaid columnist (not sure what that would be like), he decides to move his family to a tree. His new neighbors happen to be “three of the meanest, nastiest, ugliest” farmers around: Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. The three produce items so delectable, Fox soon contemplates a return to his former profession. Given that those items include the world’s most potent alcoholic cider, I could understand the temptation. The characters were well-developed by an excellent cast of voices. Fox is a slightly more nuanced variation of the same role George Clooney has been playing for the last few years. He has some great quirks such as his “trademark” and carrying around a Walkman he uses to accent any momentous occasion. He is also unusually fond of starting random celebratory group dances. While I’d like to think Wes Anderson understands the importance of spontaneous dance in everyday life, he probably just realized how visually appealing it is to watch stop-action woodland creatures dancing. There is also a strong supporting cast. As the best actor among them, it was unsurprising that Streep provided the most emotional moments. At one point she moves Fox to tears, and I might have gotten something in my eye at that same moment. Jason Schwartzman does a great job voicing the Foxes’ somewhat “different” son Ash, also because that character is very similar to characters he’s played for the past few years. Ash wants to be an athlete like his dad, VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY Columns & Reviews 3 image courtesy of atomicpopcorn.net In England, animals wear suits during the work week. but his shortcomings become all the more apparent once his talented Cousin Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) moves in. The tension between them makes for an interesting and substantive subplot. Other notable characters include a spacey opossum sidekick (Wally Wolodarsky), his gruff lawyer, Badger (Bill Murray), and a scary French rat voiced by Willem Dafoe. The messages of the movie might have been accurate, but were maybe a little adult for a children’s film. There were two principle themes: one from the main plot, and one from the subplot. The subplot theme was a variation of “it’s okay to be different; everyone has their own strengths.” That was much better than the typical “it’s okay to be different; you can always have a montage makeover to become cool.” The main theme, however, was a little troubling. Fox’s chicanery inevitably leads to some dangerous consequences. He explains his actions as inevitable: He’s a wild animal who can’t control his nature. Though he apologizes for his actions, the movie never takes the theme beyond this idea. There is no lesson learned: Foxes will steal, and keep stealing, no matter how badly their consciences might twinge. While UVA students have already discovered that reality Financial Fiduciary* SBA Notebook: The Finals Countdown Dan Rosenthal ’10 SBA President Thank you to everyone who filled out this year’s SBA Survey. We have gotten an excellent response rate and I think your responses will be very helpful in making sure that the SBA focuses on the issues you care about most the rest of the school year. I plan on detailing some of the highlights of the survey in a column early next semester. So I guess there is no denying it anymore: Finals are officially upon us. Although this is certainly not the most enjoyable time of the year for anyone, we at the SBA are firm believers in the healing powers of free coffee and pizza. With the help of BarBri, the SBA will be sponsoring periodic pizza and coffee breaks throughout the reading period and exam schedule. Keep an eye out for signs and emails to let you know when to emerge from your study hibernation for some much deserved sustenance. Need an outline to help you with your exam preparation? Have an outline that you believe is a work of art and should be admired by others? Visit the SBA Outline Bank at http://www.virginiasba.com/ Eservices_ol.aspx. Since the Outline Bank is only as useful as the outlines it contains, I encourage you to take the time to browse through the outlines that are currently offered and firsthand this semester, I’m not sure it’s wise to tell children that a person (or animal) is incapable of changing their destructive habits. That’s a lesson they can take years to learn later through a string of failed relationships. Then again, Fantastic Mr. Fox is in reality a children’s movie for adults. While the cute animals and the visual jokes might appeal to children, the dialogue and themes submit your own as well. Come on, a well-formatted outline is as close to an arts and crafts project as a law student gets; you know you want to share yours. Unfortunately we are still working out some technical glitches with the Outline Bank so it might be difficult to upload your outlines under the “Fall 2009” dropdown menu. If this is the case, I would urge you to please include the line “This is a Fall 2009 outline” in the field labeled “Extra Description of Outline.” I know this is a bit annoying so I really do apologize for that. Again, thanks to all of you who have taken the time to upload your outlines. You should have already seen “RESERVED” signs placed throughout the library, Scott Commons, the fishbowl, and the Slaughter Conference Rooms signaling that these areas are reserved for law students and legal research only during the exam period. The library will have extended hours during this time and will be open from 6 a.m.–2 a.m. on November 30–December 17. Beginning December 3, law students wishing to study outside of the library can use WB 152. Non-law students can be directed to WB 154. Please, don’t all scream for joy at once. Good luck to all of you on your upcoming exams. Thanks for reading and have a great Winter Break. are intended for an adult audience. The kids will be so distracted by the animals leaping around wearing tweed clothing, however, that they won’t mind that they don’t really get why you’re laughing. Now is probably the time for me to make some lame closing joke about how Fantastic Mr. Fox is indeed fantastic. But we’re all sophisticated, articulate law students—I’m sure you can think of one on your own. Building Good Credit Can Save You Money, Help You Get a Job What is credit and why does it matter? What should law students know and do to ensure that they Benjamin Grosz ’11 Columnist have good credit that will serve them well in life? Good credit can enable you to buy a car or house; bad credit can prevent you from getting a job or renting an apartment. If you’ve never heard of “FICO” or checked your “bureau report,” this column will help you understand what I’m talking about and what you can do so that credit is on your side. (As credit cards are part of any discussion of credit, I should disclose that I spent five years before law school working for Capital One, a major credit card company.) As always, I aim to offer practical tips and advice that you can use to improve your financial situation. Why Your Credit Matters Credit enables people to buy things without paying for them up front. This can be convenient and incredibly useful. On a small scale, when a friend spots you a dollar to buy a soda from the vending machines, they are extending you credit. On a larger scale, most Americans would be unable to purchase homes without credit as very few people have hundreds of thousands of dollars in spare cash. Similarly, credit in the form of student loans enables many to attend college. Credit involves the ability to borrow money; if you lack good credit you may be unable to borrow money or else it can cost you more to do so. If you have good credit you will probably find it much easier to borrow money. How people use credit also indicates their responsibility and trustworthiness. Employers regularly check the credit of job applicants and you can lose a job offer for having bad credit. Many landlords will check your credit when you apply for an apartment. Law firms, businesses, and government agencies tend not to want employees with a documented history of irresponsible behavior or dishonesty. Likewise, landlords prefer tenants with a demonstrated history of responsible behavior and timely payments. Your credit will even affect how much you have to pay for insurance. Companies have found that people who use credit responsibly tend to behave more responsibly generally. Because you’re less likely to be in a car accident or have an accidental fire, you pay less for insurance. Credit Scores & Bureaus Your credit score or “FICO score” is simply a number that is used to measure your creditworthiness. These scores range between 300 and 850 with a higher score being better. A score above 720 is typically considered pretty good; below 660 is not so good. As lenders are tightening credit standards during the current recession, you may need a score as high as 780 to get the most favorable (i.e. least costly) loan terms. Credit bureaus are companies that collect credit-related records on individuals. They gather information such as how much money you have borrowed, whether you pay it back as promised, whether you make payments on time, and whether there are legal judgments against you. The three major U.S. credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each has a massive database filled with information on you and every other American. Building Good Credit The best way to build good credit is to demonstrate that you use it responsibly. Pay your bills and loans on time. When you borrow money, pay it back as agreed. Avoid bankruptcy and default, as these can have a very negative impact on your credit. Most law students will have a credit history from their student loans. However, if you do not have any credit history, a credit card can be a good tool with which to build your history. I would recommend getting a no annual fee credit card to build credit, provided that you trust yourself not to go out and buy a bunch of things that you can’t afford. You don’t even need to use the card to build your credit history; you can keep it in a drawer. Check Your Credit Reports The best practice is to check your credit report from each major credit bureau once a year. There are three important reasons you should check your credit reports annually: (1) Credit bureaus make mistakes. You’re much better off finding (and correcting) any errors before they impact your ability to get a job, apartment, or loan, (2) Checking your credit reports can identify if you are ever a victim of identity theft, and (3) You can know the information that your prospective employer, landlord, or lender will see. The good news is that you can get your free credit reports annually at www.AnnualCreditReport.com. I would suggest that you either check all three reports at the same time once a year (simplest approach) or stagger them out and check a report from a different bureau every four months (to flag issues sooner). You should also be aware that many companies have set up websites that seem to offer “free” credit reports, but actually sign customers up for an expensive monthly credit service. Few people need these services. In fact, one particular website (freecreditreport.com) paid the FTC more than a million dollars to settle charges of deceiving consumers. To recap, credit really matters. You should use credit responsibly and monitor your credit reports annually. Starting these habits now can help you get a job, a cell phone, and an apartment. It can also save you thousands of dollars during the course of your life. email: blg3h@virginia.edu *Columnist’s Note: I strive to offer sincere, good faith advice in this column, although we do not legally enter into a fiduciary relationship when you read it. Benjamin Grosz ’11 is founder and principal of Grosz Financial Planning, LLC and is a candidate for CFP Board’s certification.
Page 1: Friday, 4 December 2009 Volume 62,

VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?