Like Kate, it's hard to imagine Natasha in high school. In my image of her, she's wearing high heels and a pencil skirt, sitting at an outdoor café, drinking and espresso and smoking a cigarette while she waits to give you sensitive information. Or to get such information from you, while making you think she's giving it. If Natasha hands you a briefcase, I can pretty much guarantee that it contains not the documents you paid a million Swiss francs for, but a single rose and a handwritten note that says, "Better luck next time." That's just how she rolls.

Even if she's not actually a spy, Natasha has a cool beauty and natural reserve that would make her a natural for spy movies. You've never been to her apartment; you don't even know where it is. Her boyfriend is some kind of financier, but you rarely see them out together. Her friends are other enviably cool women, possibly of international extraction. Some of them may be named Isabel. Natasha doesn't often show anger — or any emotion, except maybe mild amusement — but people who get on her bad side have a way of getting audited, or worse.

Of course, the quintessential Natasha is Natasha Fatale of Rocky & Bullwinkle fame. This villainess from the nation of Pottsylvania may have been a little silly, but with her stilettos and strapless dress, she definitely looks the part. So, in their own way, do actresses Natasha Henstridge and Natascha McElhone, and model Natasha Poly. Sasha Obama's name is also short for Natasha, and she seems too adorable to be a femme fatale. But she's only eight, so maybe it's too early to tell.

From a peak of #72 in the eighties, Natasha has tumbled all the way down to #413 in US popularity. Far more popular — at #13 in 2008 — is its less threatening cousin, Natalie. Both names derive from the Latin dies natalis, or birth day, referring to the birth of Christ. But watch out — if you cross Natasha, it might just be your death day.

Natasha [Wikipedia]
Natasha [The Baby Name Wizard]

Earlier: M Is For Michelle, An Elegant Mystery
L Is For Lisa, Whose Looks Are Deceiving
K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
J Is For Jennifer, The Vanilla Of Names
I Is For Isabel, Who's Snooty, But Earns It
H Is For Hillary, A Barrel Of Laughs
G Is For Grace - What's That Up Her Sleeve?
F Is For Francesca, And I Wish I Were Her
E Is For Emily, Who Seems Sweet (At First)
D Is For Danielle (Or Dani, Who's Apparently Kinda Judgey)
C Is For Courtney, Who's Too Cool For School
B is for Beth (And Barack! And Bandana!)
A Is For Anna: What My First Name Says About Me

[Washington, D.C., December 3. Image via Getty]

WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 03: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama greets children before she reads the story 'The Night Before Christmas' to them during the annual National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse December 3, 2009 in Washington, DC. Lighting the National Christmas Tree is a yearly tradition for the President of the United State during the holiday season. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

[Washington, D.C., November 27. Image via Getty]

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 27: First lady Michelle Obama welcomes the White House Christmas Tree at the North Portico of the White House on November 27, 2009 in Washington, DC. The 18 and a half foot Douglas fir was donated by Eric and Gloria Sundback of Shepherdstown, West Virginia; the tree will stand in the Blue Room throughout the holidays. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

[Washington, D.C., November 25. Image via Getty]

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 25: Sasha Obama, the daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, looks at a turkey named 'Courage' during an event to pardon the 20-week-old and 45-pound turkey at the North Portico of the White House November 25, 2009 in Washington, DC. The Presidential pardon of a turkey has been a long time Thanksgiving tradition that dates back to the Harry Truman administration. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Related: Obama Sends Turkey to Die in California [Gawker]

• Kate Moss says her motto is, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." [WWD]

• In December Harper's Bazaar, Victoria Beckham reveals that she is itching to dress Emma Watson. [People]
• Alexander Wang is now 100,000 Euros richer, thanks to the Swiss Textiles Award. [WWD]
• Bridget Moynahan is becoming a face of Garnier Nutritioniste skincare. [WWD]
• It took a while, but someone finally got around to identifying what Sasha and Malia wore in the official White House family portrait, and putting together a press release. (Turns out it was French children's label Dino e Lucia.) [WWD]
• Miss J, on fun times with André Leon Talley: "I was working for Lars Nilsson at Bill Blass and André Leon Talley came over to the studio with Elizabeth Taylor's epic movie Boom!, which Karl Lagerfeld did the costuming for. We got down on some fried chicken, corn bread and popcorn shrimp and were in fits of hysterics well into the night. We went from working with models who don't eat all day to watching all of us get down on some soul food!" Says Miss J, "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but fabulous gets you most places." [The Moment]
• Naomi Campbell held a Fashion For Relief runway show to raise money for maternal health in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. (Previous stops have included Mumbai and New York, and have raised $1 million in aid for Hurricane Katrina and the Mumbai terrorist attacks.) Campbell walked the runway for the first time in the continent of Africa, and talked about the importance of diversity in fashion. "There's definitely space [for more black models] but has there been enough effort? It was getting better but it's slipped back this year," said the model. "The world is not made up of blonde hair and blue eyes. We need to share ourselves." [Reuters]
• Claudia Schiffer wouldn't rule out starting a clothing line. "I would consider it but it would have to be the right thing. They would need to be clothes that I would want to wear." [Telegraph]
• Liu Wen will be the first Asian model to walk in the Victoria's Secret fashion show. [Modelinia]
• Marc Jacobs' fiancé, Lorenzo Martone, and Ryan Brown, formerly of Elite, are starting a talent PR agency for models together called ARC NY. Lydia Hearst has signed on. [P6]
• Mango might ink a distribution deal with a U.S. department store, like JC Penney, Macy's, Bloomingdales or Saks, to help its retail expansion. [WWD]
• What other fashion house has ever inspired poetry upon its demise?
  "Luella, we will miss
  The frills
  The spills
  But know this

  Your work will live on
  In a sample sale shirt
  I once purchased
  Cheap as chips." [Guardian]

• As one exits, another enters: Biba is being revived. Again. [Catwalk Queen]
• Jimmy Choo has opened a Chinese restaurant in London. [Elle UK]
• For $8,500, you could own a sofa in the shape of the Chanel logo. [FWD]
• Bamboo fabric, though made from a plant that can be grown without pesticides and fertilizers, is processed with toxic solvents, just like rayon and viscose are made from wood. Eco-friendly it is not. [WSJ]
• Nordstrom's revenues for the third quarter jumped 17% on last year's results, but the company missed its earnings forecast by one cent, which sent the share price tumbling. [TS]
• Abercrombie & Fitch's quarterly profit fell to $38.8 million, from $63.9 million a year ago. [Reuters]
• Sales of department store fragrances fell by 11% on last year during the first three quarters, to $1.38 billion. [WWD]
• That hasn't stopped Gwen Stefani and her perfume partners, Coty, from putting out five new Harajuku Lovers fragrances. [WWD]

[Washington, D.C., October 13. Image via Getty]

WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 13: Malia (L) and Sasha Obama, daughters of U.S. President Barack Obama, attend a White House music series 'Fiesta Latina' on the South Lawn of the White House October 13, 2009 in Washington, DC. Salsa and Spanish classical music was featured. (Photo by Alexis C. Glenn-Pool/Getty Images)

[Washington, D.C., October 11. Image via Getty]

US President Barack Obama holds up his fist as he walks back to the White House with First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (R) and Sasha after attending a prayer service at the St. Johns Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, on October 11, 2009. St. John's was organized in 1815 to serve as a parish church for Episcopalians residing in neighborhoods in the west end of the District of Columbia. Beginning with James Madison, every U.S. President has attended service at the church. Pew 54 is the 'President's Pew.' AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

"I am not one of the women at your disposal, Prime Minister." Women's groups, feminist organizations, and even Facebook groups are urging Berlusconi to apologize. •  Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to meet with Britain's most senior representative in the country, Andrew Heyn, for the first time since 2003. British foreign secretary David Miliband says of the meeting: "The fact that the Burmese authorities have allowed this meeting gives us some hope that the authorities might finally be ready to start a genuine dialogue which can lead to political reconciliation." • A recent study shows that cognitive behavior therapy may be the fastest way to help bulimia patients. After only a few months of the talk therapy, 37% of ED patients showed an improvement. • Senior Catholic Bishops sent a letter to congress saying that they will oppose healthcare reform unless changes are made on the abortion coverage. They also ask that Congress make quality healthcare affordable to everyone, especially those living near the poverty level. • Amanda Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, says she is hopeful about the outcome of her daughter's trial. Knox has been imprisoned in Italy for the last two years for the murder of her roommate, but Mellas says she is innocent, and the court needs to overcome "a year's worth of bad press and lies." • A 40-year-old Bavarian woman who fell into a coma in her 13th week of pregnancy delivered a healthy baby a year and a half ago. The hospital director said, "We wanted to keep the spectacular case secret for as long as possible to demonstrate that we're not experimenting on people and that the child is still healthy." • President Obama says that after he was woken up by a telephone call telling him he'd won the Nobel Peace Prize "Malia walked in and said, 'Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday.' And then Sasha added, `Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up.' So it's - it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective." • President Obama will donate the $1.4 million cash award that comes with the Nobel Peace Prize to charity, but hasn't decided which organizations he'll give it to. • The International Olympic Committee is unhappy with three unnamed countries for failing to support the participation of female athletes in the games. IOC president Jacques Rogge said the countries all pose "religious, cultural and political difficulties for women" to compete in sports. "We are engaged now in high-reaching discussions with these countries to try and persuade them to be a little more liberal or positive about women's sport." • Journalism groups and media law experts are defending TMZ founder Harvey Levin. The groups say the L.A. County sheriff's investigators violated the law when the obtained a search warrant for Levin's record to find out who gave him details on Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic tirade during his 2006 drunk driving arrest. • German researchers have found an account of Joseph Goebbels post-war trial that reveals in more detail how his six children were killed. Dr. Helmut Kunz, who helped with the killings, said, ''Towards the end of April, Magda [Goebbel's wife] came up to me and said, 'I need your help in the killing of the children.' I refused her, saying that was not my responsibility... But Magda Goebbels insisted and shortly afterwards declared to me that it was no longer a request for help but a direct order from Hitler.'' He escaped from the bunker but was tracked down and told by Magda that he had to return or, ''you will be a dead man." • The first Norman Mailer Writers Colony Gala will honor novelist Toni Morrison for lifetime achievement and the late David Halberstam for distinguished journalism on October 20. • A woman from New Mexico has sued Delta Airlines for throwing her off the plane when she refused to cover herself while breastfeeding her baby. The lawsuit was brought in Vermont, which has some of the strongest breastfeeding laws. • 12-year-old Jennifer Valdivia caught the ball from Ryan Howard's 200th home run. A representative from the Philadelphia Phillies asked her for the ball back because they wanted to give it to Howard. When Valdivia's mother found out Jennifer had given up the ball she contacted a lawyer who sued on her behalf and made Howard return it. • Serena Williams says on her nude ESPN magazine cover photo, "ESPN had a 'Body Issue' and they told me I had a great body and they wanted me to be on the cover so I was super flattered. But I wanted to do it really classy and not trampy. I thought it was a really tasteful picture... I love it." •

[Washington, D.C., September 15. Image via Getty]

US President Barack Obama's daughter Malia plays with the family's pet dog Bo as she waits for the Marine One presidential helicopter to land on the South Lawn of the White House upon her father's return to the White House in Washington on September 15, 2009 following a trip to Ohio and Pennsylvania. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

Straightening hair has been perceived as a way to be more acceptable to certain relatives, as well as to the white establishment…

In the face of cultural pressure, the thinking goes, conformists relax their hair, and rebels have the courage not to. In some corners, relaxing one's hair is even seen as wishing to be white.

We've covered this issue many times, as has the Times, and the discussion is ongoing. Frankly, the debate does get tiring. Saint Louis writes that many people of color ask: "Why can't hair just be hair? Must an Afro peg a woman as the political heir to Angela Davis? Is a fashionista who replicates the first lady's clean-cut bob really being untrue to herself?"

But a quote from Noliwe M. Rooks, the associate director of the Center for African American Studies at Princeton, struck me as as close as we're going to get to an answer. She was asked about what it meant when the hair of Sasha and Malia Obama was sometimes pressed straight, and said: "There's a complexity to who we are now. There wasn't an easy answer to why."

Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics [NY Times]

Earlier: Weaves, Extensions & "Creamy Crack": Chris Rock's Good Hair Trailer
Chris Rock's New Documentary Explores "Good" Hair
Solange Chops Hair, Is Called "Insane"
The Flesh-Eating Phonies Also Known As Lace-Front Wigs
Why Is Straight Hair The Epitome Of 'Style'?

[Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; August 23. Image via Getty]

US President Barack Obama (2nd L), First Lady Michelle Obama (3rd R) and their daughters Malia (R) and Sasha (L) arrive to board Air Force One at the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on August 23, 2009 en route to Martha's Vineyard. The First family are on a week-long vacation on the exclusive island of Martha's Vineyard. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

The program scours the internet for information about the person and then fits them into a set of categories using an algorithmic process. Obviously from the results below, the process isn't perfect, but that's part of the point. The creators explain:

It is meant for the viewer to reflect on our current and future world, where digital histories are as important if not more important than oral histories, and computational methods of condensing our digital traces are opaque and socially ignorant.

In other words, it may be telling that one of Nadya Suleman's biggest categories is "fame," but "sports" winding up on Anna Wintour's profile probably means the computer misinterpreted combative phrases in articles about her.

You can check out what Personas reveals about your favorite (or unfavorite) people here. Feel free to share the results in the comments.

Click on the images below to make them larger:

Personas [MIT]

[Washington, D.C., August 17. Image via Getty]

US President Barack Obama (L) and First Lady Michelle Obama (2nd R) walk off MArine One with their daughters Malia (R) and Sasha as they return the the White House in Washignton on August 17, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Jim WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

[Washington, DC, July 19. Image via Getty.]

WASHINGTON - JULY 19: U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd-L) waves he arrives with wife Michelle (2nd-R) and daughters Malia (L) and Sasha (R) after their weekend stay at the presidential retreat at Camp David to the White House on July 19, 2009 in Washington, DC. Obama will meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki this week. (Photo by Mike Theiler-Pool/Getty Images)

[Cape Coast, Ghana, July 11. Image via Getty.]

US President Barack Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia tour Cape Coast Castle, a former slavery outpost, in Cape Coast, Ghana, on July 11, 2009. The visit marks Obama's first to subsaharan Africa as president. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)