Marine Corps 237th Birthday Ball

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending my first Marine Corps Birthday Ball. I've been dating my Marine for over two years, but this was the first Ball I've ever gone to. Every year, he would suffer through a barrage of "He's taking HER?" and "They're not even dating," while I would listen to him weigh in on whether or not Kate Upton would accept his invitation.

It's safe to say that this year, I was excited when he asked me to attend. I quickly learned that there are certain unsaid rules that go along with the Ball though.

1. Dates must match the Marine dress blues. That means dresses should be red, blue, black, gold, or white.
2. Don't be a skank. No cut outs, no plunging necklines, no sky-high slits. Doesn't matter if you're a double 00 or double D (or a lucky son-of-a-b*tch who's both), be modest.
3. Don't be a prom queen. No ball gowns, quinceanera dresses, or wedding gowns. You're going to meeting a lot of people, and if people can't get within five feet of your tooled, poofed, and fluffed dress, that's kind of problematic. (Also, don't wear a train. People will step on it all night despite your cautionary stink eye.)
4. Remember the Ball is not about you, it's about celebrating Marines, past and present, who have been giving their minds, bodies, and souls for our country since 1775. This means act appropriate--no drunk messes or club dancing. No one wants to have Frank as their date:

Chris wanted to make sure I knew these rules, especially the first one. So, many of our conversations went like this:

Chris: "Just remember to match my uniform."
Stephanie: "Soo how about a gold sequin dress?"
Chris: "No."
Stephanie: "But that matches!...Silver sequin dress?"
Chris: "No! Keep it simple, wear black."
Stephanie: "You want me to be a wallflower??"

If he hadn't specifically told me to wear black, I would have just told him I had already bought a black dress. Of course, since he DID say that, I told him that I bought a pink, glittery ball gown. ("Hey Chris, how hard will it be to get glitter out of dress blues?")

I flew to Virginia Saturday morning, arrived at 7am, and greeted Chris an hour later with a sour puss face and a second Starbucks in hand. We drove to Richmond, where we stayed at the Lindon Row Inn.

It was southern, with a porch and rocking chair outside every room. It was Gothic with black fountains and autumn-swept gardens. And it was historic. Edgar Allen Poe met his life-long love Elmira there. Poe's mother even died there and is rumored to still haunt the rooms.

Every room contained real antiques from the 1800s. Our room had hand-painted blue and white vases, tarnished gold lamps, and creeky floors. I loved it. For a guy who chooses minimalist modern decor, he definitely went out of his way to find something I would gush over.

It was such a perfect hotel that I felt slightly bad for my faux pink ballgown. It's an understatement to say that Chris was grateful to see me in this instead:

Our Ball was at the Richmond Convention Center. One of the guys said that Richmond has the largest Ball in the country. While I'm not sure if that's true, our Ball was definitely big. At least 700+ officers and their dates. Children weren't allowed (though there was childcare offered), so no one had to worry about screaming babies or tripping on a galloping toddler.

The first hour was cocktails, where I met all the people I've heard so much about. The little things like knowing your boyfriends friends become so meaningful in a long distance relationship. Putting faces to names is a rare treat. Altogether, there were nine bars (one with a fountain), and they were busy all night long. Later, we were shuffled into a secondary room, where dinner and the ceremony would take place. My favorite part of the ceremony was the cutting of the cake. Marines take their cake cutting seriously. (Have you ever been to a Marine wedding? They use their sword. Overkill? Perhaps. Awesome? Definitely.) For the Ball, the oldest and the youngest Marine are each invited up. The oldest Marine then cuts a piece and hands it to the youngest, symbolizing the passing down of tradition and honor from old to new.

The ceremony as a whole reflected the Marines dedication to our country and each other. While everyone was happy-go-lucky the whole night, they were also incredibly respectful. To my surprise, the ceremony began with prayer. And not a standard ceremonious one either; it was a true, individualized prayer. Throughout the night, every Marine I spoke with included me in conversation and seemed genuinely pleased to meet me. Several Marines offered to get drinks for everyone at the table, especially the girls. At the end of the night, we all got taxis, and the Marines we were with made sure us girls got the first one, accompanied by an escort Marine. Chivalrous and thoughtful. While these men and women have a well deserved reputation for being the biggest bad-asses in the world, they are also the most respectful people you will ever have the honor to meet. The Ball reminded me exactly how proud I am to be dating one of them.

Altogether, the night was wonderful. I'm so thankful I was able to attend, and with such a good looking date too. It's nice to see people who work so hard get a night to just enjoy themselves and their Corps. It was definitely worth the two year wait.

Thank you for all you do, Marines. Happy 237th birthday!

Summer Playlist

My first summer in D.C. has changed me in more ways than I ever expected: I'm so dark I could pass as part African, I now think 89 degrees is chilly, and I'm realizing the world has so much more in store for me than I ever thought possible. With all this change, it's nice to know some things are always constant. Good company, chilled wine, and my music are never far away. Here's the playlist that's kept me going all summer:

1) "Too Close" - Alex Clare

2) "It's Time" - Imagine Dragons
3) "Glad You Came" - The Wanted
4) "Home" - Phillip Phillips
5) "Ho Hey" - The Lumineers

6) "I Will Wait" - Mumford & Sons
7) "I Won't Give Up" - Jason Mraz (my favorite music video of the summer)
8) "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" - Train
9) "Sail" - AWOLNATION
10) "Safe & Sound" - Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars

11) "Somebody that I Used to Know" - Gotye feat. Kimbra (as if you need a link to this video)
12) "All Summer Long" - Kid Rock
13) "Call Me Maybe" - Carly Rae Jepsen (the video is nearly as good as the song)
14) "Little Talks" - Of Monsters and Men

15) "Young Blood" - The Naked and Famous
16) "Tighten Up" - The Black Keys
17) "The Funeral" - Band of Horses
18) "Animal" - Miike Snow

19) "Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen
20) "Settle Down" - Kimbra
21) "Starships" - Nicki Minaj
22) "Peponi" - The Piano Guys feat. Alex Boye (listen to all of the Piano Guys stuff while you're at it)


These songs have been sung in shady Georgetown bars, danced to at clubs on Connecticut, and drowned out thoughts walking around Dupont.

There are 22 songs because my 22nd birthday is my last day here. Eight hour flight back to my last year at Berkeley--happy birthday to me.

My Problem With "One Chance"

I was originally just going to post a Facebook post in response to this video, but when it got past 500 characters, I figured you'd all thank me for making it a blog post rather than clogging up your wall. I just saw Obama's "One Chance" video. (and my extra long facebook post makes sense now.)

Brilliant PR strategist behind that. Someone got paid big bucks to make such a good video. First, it opens with the quote, "The Commander-in-Chief gets one chance to make the right decision." As it continues, we find out that Bill Clinton said it, but since it's not cited at first, it leaves the possibility open for either party. At this moment, it could be a Republican campaign knocking Obama for failing to make "the right decision" with the economy or foreign policy or whatever they want to nag on at the moment. But the video goes right to Bill Clinton quoting George Bush. Clinton is the authority that the video rests on, a "I know what I'm talking about because I've been President" authority. To add to that, he jokingly adds that bit about George Bush, purposely throwing Bush's weight into the mix too.

Next scene, remind the audience of the weight of Obama's decision. Throw in some images of Pakistan and America's reaction to Bin Laden's death. Make sure the voters remember exactly how they felt when the man who orchestrated the deaths of 3,000 Americans was killed by U.S. Special Forces. Continue with counterargument of the "what if" situation. What if Seal Team Six had been captured, tortured, killed? "The downside would have been horrible for them." That's political correctness for "America would have turned on Obama." No, not that kind. We're talking total alienation of the President. Can you imagine if Special Forces had been captured in a country that was presumed to be our ally (kind of) and the government wasn't giving us any reason as to WHY they were there in the first place? The media would have ripped them and Obama apart. But Clinton continued, "BUT he reasoned." That simple sentence turns the whole counter situation around. It's Writing 101:
1) present counterargument
2) negative conjunction
3) negate
This implies that Obama was only agent involved in the decision. He's the only subject in the sentence, and he's a reasonable one at that. That's really all we Americans want for a president, right? A reasonable person who can make the tough decisions. Cherry on the top, he's a moral person because his "conscience couldn't do nothing." Seriously, this may be my English major showing through, but this is brilliantly written. Clinton then says that Obama made the decision that produced "in [his] opinion" to best result. This is overlaid with a picture of American firefights kneeling before the sign stating, "Osama Bin Laden is Dead," implying that Clinton isn't the only one who thinks it produced the best result.

And the political spear comes out! Enter Romney. What would Romney have done? Quotes from 2007 and 2008 about America spending billions of dollars on one man suggest he wouldn't have done a thing. But shouldn't we move Heaven and Earth to capture the man who planned 9/11? As the reporter purposely under-exaggerates, Romney's quotes generated "a little controversy." Transition to the image of Obama--the solitary pillar of strength facing the light of day from his dark, isolated office.

Finally, it ends with fantastically manipulated word choice. In an economy placing so much weight on jobs and money, Clinton ends by stating, "You hire the President to make the calls when no one else can do it." The language reminds the audience of the picture of Obama that we just saw. But its the "you hire" that is so well thought out. By saying "you," the video speaks directly to the individual, and "hire" implies that the choice is yours. You have the power, the President only has the ability to make the choices that no one else can. Hence, he better step up the plate when we need him to. If I wanted to be that "baseball metaphor guy," the president is our pinch hitter. He makes the hits when we can't. And with that, the video has come full circle back to the opening quote.

I want to be that good at PR. The fact that this was timed exactly one year after Seal Team Six killed Osama Bin Laden is no coincidence. I'm jealous of the strategist behind this video. But drooling aside, I have some serious issues with it.

First, I recognize that it was a difficult decision for Obama to make, but aren't we forgetting that it was the brave Seal Team Six that did the real work? A campaign strategy shouldn't be built on the actions of others. Obama did not coordinate any of the actions that took place leading up to that night. He said yes to an opportunity that military generals advised him to. I don't want to down play the risk Obama took in approving Seal Team Six's mission, but I do not think it should impact his reelection. As Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said, "It's now sad to see the Obama campaign seek to use an event that unified our country to once again divide us, in order to try to distract voters' attention from  the failures of his administration. With 23 million Americans struggling for work, our national debt soaring, and household budgets being squeezed like never before, Mitt Romney is focused on strengthening America at home and abroad." I would have thought that a nation that has been so against invasive foreign policy lately would have agreed with this. Alas, Romney's PR isn't as good as Obama's in this situation. The fact remains that when Seal Team Six invaded Pakistan illegally, Pakistan was still presented as our ally. It's true that our international relationship was complicated and convoluted, but that makes Obama's decision to drop our Special Forces in there even more ballsy, in my opinion. If Ron Paul were in office, I doubt the mission would have happened at all. But Romney, I'm not so sure. His quotes from 2007 and 2008 were said during times when Pakistan was cooperating with the United States. If we had dropped a team of Special Forces into their country during those times, we would have looked like a bully. Whether we still did in 2011 or not, is up to you. Either way though, we can't speculate our future based on hypothetical past situations.

Another point that I think deserves mentioning is that the video's authority, Mr. Clinton, is not the best ground to stand on when talking about decisive action. In 2011, Forbes reported that in 1998 then-President Clinton had the opportunity to kill Bin Laden, but was too indecisive to do so. Whether or not this happened depends on if you believe the numerous third parties, dozens of books, and key witness, Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Patterson (no lie, I might have typed Pattinson just now. damn you twilight.) who wrote about the event in his book, Dereliction of Duty. Patterson said,

"Berger ambled down the stairwell and entered the Sit[uation] Room. He picked up the phone at one of the busy controller consoles and called the president. Amazingly, President Clinton was not available. Berger tried again and again. Bin Laden was within striking distance. The window of opportunity was closing fast. The plan of attack was set and the Tomahawk [missile] crews were ready. For about an hour Berger couldn’t get the commander in chief on the line. Though the president was always accompanied by military aides and the Secret Service, he was somehow unavailable. Berger stalked the Sit Room, anxious and impatient....Finally, the president accepted Berger’s call. There was discussion, there were pauses – and no decision. The president wanted to talk with his secretaries of Defense and State. He wanted to study the issue further. Berger was forced to wait. The clock was ticking. The president eventually called back. He was still indecisive. He wanted more discussion. Berger alternated between phone calls and watching the clock."

By the time President Clinton made a decision, Bin Laden had slipped away to begin plotting the attacks that would take place 5 years later. So is Clinton really the best support for a video centered on decisive action and tough decisions? Not in my opinion.

But all of those reasons pale in comparison to the fact that the men of Seal Team Six are the true heroes. I hate that their actions are being used as publicity for an election. It degrades the work they did and continue to do. Presidents will come and go, but the military will always be there to protect us. By using them as a pawn in an election, President Obama is disrespecting them because, ultimately, that mission was never about Obama--it was about protecting the American people. I hope that when people see this video, instead of honoring Obama for his decision, they remember the brave men and women who fight for them every day. The ones who actually stand alone, looking out at the world, because they can't tell their families where they are or what they're doing. The ones who make life or death decisions every day, but are never honored for them. The ones who give their bodies, minds, and souls, not just their election. These are the heroes. Remember that.

Holla Military Girls

When I see posts, videos, or pictures about military homecomings...

Before I was dating a military member:

Now:

You too?

Afghanistan vs. America?

History of Afghanistan Professor: "In America, there is racism against the Middle East."
Me: "Agreed. But don't you think there is also racism in the Middle East against America?"
Professor: "No, no. That is just xenophobia."

This class, History of Afghanistan, is the most interesting class I've taken at Berkeley. There are a lot of things I disagree with, and I'm one of the not-so-favorites because I'm not Persian, but it really is fascinating. Out of 40 or so people, half is Persian (mostly Afghans) and the other half is ROTC or veterans. Being Mongolian and a military girlfriend, I fall somewhere in limbo land between the two. The lectures are traditional (aka: hard to follow and we're not allowed to ask questions until the end), so because of my non-Farsi background my notes are unintelligible and look something like this:

"Anu Shervan Anoushirvan defeated Sha Hahbeebala Shah Habib Allah"

And the professor asks questions like,

"As we all know, 'amir' means..." to which the class resoundingly answers "King."
or
"As you all have seen Habibia high school, you know who it is named after."

Yeah. Classic white person problems.

But today the dynamic of the class made it particularly interesting because, instead of lecture, we held a discussion about the recent events in Afghanistan. For those of you who don't follow the news, those events include the US military burning Qur'ans and a US soldier who killed 16 Afghan civilians. Unrelated events, but both are emotional for Afghans and Americans. So, obviously, the discussion got pretty heated, pretty quickly. But some really interesting and important things were said that I think are worth repeating.

1) Role Reversal
After several people are claimed PTSD, multiple deployments, and insufficient numbers of soldiers in the US military (all of which are inter-related as reasons for each other), one very astute Persian girl brought up the question of what would America do if the situation happened to us? What if an Afghan soldier burst into your home in the middle of the night and murdered your family? What if he beat your wife's head against the wall until she died? I'll tell you what would happen: America would flip the eff out. Media reports would scream about jihads and Muslim extremists. But, no one, at least in my opinion, would stop to consider the stresses that that Afghan soldier was under as an individual. Just like we don't know what the US soldier was going through. It's not just American soldiers who deal with stressful deployments and training, every soldier, no matter the country, deals with some sort of stress. So while there are protests going on in Afghanistan right now because of what this soldier did, we need to think about where their anger is coming from. Afghans have a right to be upset. Americans need to understand that.

2) The Other Option
As the conversation continued, one of the ROTC guys said that he thought we should pull out before 2014 because the Afghan people don't want us there anymore. In response, an Afghan student told us about his time in Afghanistan. He grew up there and was present in when the US bombed the Taliban over ten years ago. He said that his family ran up to the top of their house to watch because they weren't afraid anymore. When the Taliban was in control and there was a shooting or bombing, everyone ran away and hid, but when the US troops were bombing the Taliban, they felt safe enough to watch and even celebrate. He spoke for his own family, but said that they were glad the US stepped in. He offered an opinion saying that Afghans are frustrated because the US hasn't done as much as they hoped. Peace hasn't happened. The Taliban is still around (proof of that is shown by the attack on the government delegation on Tuesday). However, he reminded the class that the Taliban has burned many more Qur'ans for a lot worse reasons. They've burned mosques, destroyed religious monuments, murdered Muslim leaders. So while Afghans may be upset over the US military burning the Qur'an, they need to recognize that there is a bigger bad out there. Also, if there's one thing I've learned in this class, it's peace doesn't happen in ten years, especially in Afghanistan. The tribal system is too complex, the combination of religion and government is challenging, and let's be honest, the US doesn't know a thing about either. Recognizing that the other option is the Taliban, I urge Afghanistan to be patient. We have the same goal, promise. Afghanistan needs to be patient. And America needs to accept that Afghanistan will never politically be Baby America.

3) The Big Picture
While both these incidents are news-worthy, they're not war-worthy. My professor showed his true history professor colors by claiming that neither of these events will change history. He said that most Afghans understand that burning the Qur'an isn't the end of the world. And while no one wants to negate the killing of 16 innocent people, the independent acts of one disturbed man do not speak for a nation. Yes, there are protests going on right now, calling for "Death to America and Obama" but one of the largest is roughly 600 people and mostly students. Come on, people, Berkeley puts on a bigger show than that. We can't use just those events when interpreting a nation, just like I sincerely hope no country ever uses Berkeley as the basis for America's opinion. And while there was a Taliban attack on a government delegation, people should realize that the delegation consisted of two brothers of Afghanistan's president visiting the families of those who were killed. The fact that the President's family came, in person, to support and comfort the families of those who were murdered speaks volumes. Yes, you can argue PR or whatever you want, but maybe, just maybe, they really are nice people. I know, right? Not to be a parrot, but my professor's opinion is that America will stay in Afghanistan until at least 2014, as the current plan states, and I think he's right. Because, in the grand scheme of things, these two events won't even make the history books. Afghanistan and America need to accept this.

Read up on the news if you have no clue what I'm talking about:
American soldier kills 16 Afghan civilians
US troops burn Qur'an

Farewell is necessary before we can meet again...

For those of you who know me, I'm not a huge sharer, whether that means clothes, music, ideas, or feelings. I like to be in control and sharing is not conducive to that. (What if Jane spills mustard on my favorite white shirt? What if Jack steals my idea for a paper and then has the audacity to get an A on it?) This makes flying standby a huge ordeal. I literally don't know if I'm going anywhere until everyone is boarded, the terminal is empty, and the gate attendant has stubbornly refused to make eye contact with anyone for the last 10 minutes. It's awful, and yet it's the biggest rush of appreciation in your life when your name actually does get called.

This is how Chris and I have made the majority of our long distance relationship work. When he was in Pullman, I flew standby to go see him. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but it averaged out to about one trip per month. Now that I'm in Berkeley, it's been a lot of the same. Last weekend, I went through all those emotions just to get home for three days. While flying standby has helped my control-freakedness, it's being in a relationship with a Marine that has really put me in my place (AKA: the back seat).  Recently, I've been learning to let things go. That may mean sharing my concepts for movies with a friend, or letting my coworkers eat half my Girl Scout cookies. But much more importantly, it meant saying goodbye to a certain Marine officer for an undetermined amount of time.

Now, don't be fooled by the melodramatic-ness of that statement. We are still completely happy and still 100% together. It's just that now, he is at The Basic School (TBS) for Marine officers in Quantico, Virginia. For those of you who have non-military lives, let me break it down for you. For the past two summers, Chris has attended a 6-week program called Officer Candidacy School (OCS). The program physically and mentally tests men and women who are interested in becoming Marine officers. If the candidates pass the tests (because everything they do is scored and ranked), then they are given the option to commission. A commissioning is the formal initiation into the Marines as an officer. There is no going back after that's done. After that, the now-officer goes to TBS for 7 months where they are again tested, but this time it's to decide their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). For normal people, this translates to their career. At TBS the better you perform, the better chance you get the MOS you want because the top of the class gets first pick. When I learned this my inner Berkeley student freaked out. Could you imagine if there were limited spots in your major and you had to be the mental, academic, and physical cream of the crop to ensure a spot? (PS: This is pretty much how I understand military things: just translate everything to my situation.) After being assigned their MOS, they report for MORE training depending on what they get. For example, if assigned Human Intelligence, he would be assigned 2 months of sniper school and X months of another school, etc etc. I haven't listened well enough to understand that part yet. Maybe in another month or so, I'll have it down and explain it to you. Anyways, so as you can imagine, TBS is a super stressful time for the officers. 

Chris reports for TBS on March 8th and last Wednesday, we had a bitter goodbye in between poor jokes and half smiles. But, our situation is a tiny speck in comparison to the thousands of families and girlfriends who have a loved one deployed. To further lighten our predicament, I will be interning in D.C. this summer. (D.C. is about an hour train ride away from Quantico.) It seems like just when we think our long distance relationship won't work, some sort of opportunity opens up. Just like we've been able to use our flight benefits to see each other, we will also be living generally close this summer. This makes me eternally grateful for every opportunity, be it a cross-country internship program, an extra seat on the airplane, or the 30 hours of free time he gets per week. I can't control everything, but some things are worth the chaos.

I don't know how long we'll be apart.
I don't know if we'll have time to see each other this summer.
I don't know when we will talk or text.
I don't know what MOS he will get.
I don't know if this will work.

But I know he's worth it.

In the mean time, please excuse any melancholic Eeyore moments I may have in the coming months. Your words of encouragement will be much appreciated.

This is the last picture we took: Enjoy it as much as I do :)

PS: Like the new hair? :P

Book Review: "R.U.R." by Karel Capek

As an English major, I'm lucky enough to read some of the most influencing literature of all time. That said, I tend to get a little jaded reading mountains of Pope and Emerson. Lucky for me, English 180Z breaks all that up. Officially titled "Speculative Fiction and Dystopias," this class was made for me. Scifi created my passion for literature. Forget those snobs who read Jane Austen at 13 years old, I was reading Jordan's Wheel of Time and Haydon's Symphony of the Ages. So when this class came around, I had to take it. Now, one month into it, I can honestly say it's the best decision I've ever made.

This week, we're reading "R.U.R. (Rossum's  Universal Robots)" by Karel Capek. It's technically a play, but it's rarely performed and almost as rare to find in a bookstore. Capek, a Czech author born at the turn of the 20th century, coined the name "robot." So it's safe to suffice that this guy's work is a Big Deal. "R.U.R.", in particular, was intended for the Czech audience in 1920. For the Czech's, the play's background of war and subjugation hit home. But, it was Capek's pragmatism in combination with these motifs that made "R.U.R." internationally popular.

Focusing on an alternate reality where robots were mass produced in the early 1900s, the play explores the question of humanity in regards to God, man, and robot. The plot focuses on a huge corporation, R.U.R., that controls the manufacturing, production, and marketing of every robot. The robots have perfect memories, but lack creativity. Over the course of ten years, the robots save the world from hunger, poverty, and suffering. But, (because there's ALWAYS a "but" with robots) the robots revolt, causing a world-wide apocalypse. Frankly, it's just impressive that Capek fit all of this into an 80-page play. Despite how crazy it sounds though, the plot is framed by the question of capitalism and humanity. (Which makes it strangely relevant for today.)

If you don't want to take away an economic moral from the story, simply enjoy the science-driven themes. If you've ever seen I, Robot, Terminator, or Blade Runner and enjoyed it, then you will also enjoy this book.

The play itself is translated from Czech; and, while I can't speak to other editions, Penguin does a fantastic job. The language skims the border of ars gratia artis. So, to the inexperienced reader, it gets a little embarrassing. For example, at the end of Act II, this is what a lot of lines sound like:

"Fabry: You're still burning, you beacon of ingenuity. You're still shining, you bright, preserving thought! Pinnacle of science, beautiful creation of mankind! Blazing spark of genius!"

The language, however, is like that for a reason. The poetic, original language of the humans contrasts the simple, direct language of the robots. So, if you find yourself attempting to roll your eyes at the over dramaticness of some lines, please please think about why it's like that. It'll make it worth your time.

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Specs

Title: R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
Author: Karel Capek
Written: 1920
Motifs:

• Scientific life vs. Natural life
• Capitalism
• Violence/Pain
• Order vs. Chaos
• Robots (duh)
• Sexism and Racism (because what piece of literature would be complete without those two?)

Favorite quotes:

1. "Fabry: You think that a soul begins with the gnashing of teeth?"
2. "Domin: ...But then the subjugation of man by man and the enslavement of man by matter will cease. Never again will anyone pay for his bread with hatred and his life. There'll be no more laborers, no more secretaries. No one will have to mine coal or slave over someone else's machines. No longer will man need to destroy his soul doing work that he hates."
3. "Hallemeier: When precision reigns, human law reigns, God's law reigns, the laws of the universe reign--everything reigns that should. The timetable is greater that the Gospels, greater than Homer, greater than all of Kant. The timetable is the most perfect manifestation of the human intellect. Mrs. Helena, I'll pour myself another."
4. "Domin: That's nothing! A man should be a bit of a brute. That's in the natural order of things."
   

Reviews:

"One of the great plays of the twentieth century by 'a great writer of the past who speaks to the present in a voice briliant, clear, honorable, blackly funny, and prophetic'" - Kurt Vonnegut

Music Review: Bell x1

If there's one thing my ex-boyfriends have been good for, it's new music. In between the sappy, predictable mixed CDs, there is a gem of startlingly good music. That's exactly how I discovered the Irish band, Bell x1, in 2007. My first experience with Bell x1 was "Flame" from their third album, Flock.

Take a listen...

With the strong beat and a collective chorus that makes you wanna grab your friends and head to karaoke night, it's no wonder this band stole my heart. The band has been popular in the UK since the early 2000s, but only became popular in the U.S. due to their spotlight on The O.C. As depressing as that is, don't let it turn you off. I promise, they deserve more than the CW limelight. The band has stood the test of time. In fact, they've been together since 1991 (sort of)...

In 1991, five musicians formed a band called Juniper. Not long afterward, their lead singer jumped ship (ever notice its ALWAYS the lead singer?). So the remaining four decided to regroup under the name Bell x1. The name comes from the name of the first airplane to ever break the sound barrier, Bell X-1. And the lead singer? Oh yeah, his name is Damien Rice. Small world, huh?

But, Bell x1 hasn't been sitting in the corner, eating Ben and Jerry's since the Damien break up. Their electronica/indie sounds have made them popular with a wide audience. They've been on David Letterman and The View. One of those shows has more weight than the other, I'll let you decide which one. Ultimately, I think they're a great band to chill out with. Check them out if you haven't already.

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If you like...


Radiohead

Snow Patrol

Keane

Romney 2012

This past weekend, I participated with some fellow students for the Romney campaign. We phone banked registered Republican voters in Florida. It was my first time phone banking and I found it really interesting. A script is provided and you enter all the information online through Romney's campaign website. Everyone experienced a disgruntled phone call or two, but my experience was generally positive. One phone call in particular stood out in my mind. A genuinely sweet old lady answered my call and when I asked her which Republican candidate she supported, she honestly told me that she had no idea. The internal division between the candidates had driven her away from making any decision at all. Personally, I couldn't agree more. For a long time, I avoided politics like the plague. It's not a realm for everyone.  It's full of small covert jabs that only the politically-savy catch (let alone understand); but as the elections draw near, it's the particularly open and vicious attacks that grab our attention. Romney and President Obama's One-Term vs. Two-Term funds are prime examples. (Log onto Twitter if you don't know what I'm talking about). Beyond the specific turnoffs, the idea of how people should be governed is an odd one to begin with. As a democracy, we get to pick our poison, so to speak. A lot of people don't want to have anything to do with that choice as a whole. Like the old lady I spoke to, I am one of those people. That is why I'm conservative and voting for Romney should he win the Republican candidate position.

Romney is dedicated to limiting the government's expansion into our private lives. A lot of people freak out when this idea is brought up. If the government currently provides people with healthcare, education, and employment, what will happen to these people once those facilities are taken away? My answer to that is the private sector. The private sector thrives on competition. Entrepreneurs are waiting for the opportunity to build the next great company. However, the government has taken some of that away by over-encompassing the market.

I think of it like this...The Internet is an expansive system of websites. Let's say that you want to create a blog. You have many free options: Blogspot, Wordpress, Blogster, Tumblr, Windows Live Spaces, etc. Beyond that, there are also more fancy options for those willing to pay for them. But, what if Facebook decided to start a blog-centered site using the Facebook name brand. As people began to transfer to the Facebook blog, many of the smaller sites would get gobbled up by the larger ones until, in the end, only the strongest survived. Now, your only options for a blog would be Facebook and (maybe) Blogspot. Wouldn't you rather have a variety of options to choose from? Maybe you wanted a photoblog, in which case Tumblr would have better suited your needs much better than this hypothetical Facebook blog website (because, let's be honest, Facebook photo uploading and arrangement is NOT the best layout in the world). This basic analogy is my reasoning for limited government. I want choices; I want a free market. If the government were to back out of healthcare, the private sector will close that gap. I promise. More private companies also means more options for healthcare plans. Car insurance companies always talk about comparing each other because their customers (aka: you) have a choice. It's the same idea. Healthcare and education could be the same way, and as those companies grow, so does the job market, providing places for the former government workers.

All of this privatization is a drastic change, but it's one I think Romney can handle. Coming from the private sector, Romney has extensive experience in handling the financial and logistical issues and benefits that come with it. A lot of his critics use his private sector background in a negative way, but I think it's quite the contrary. During his time at Birm Capital, Romney helped rebuild multiple big-name companies. As CEO of Bain & Company, he worked hard to turn around a financial disaster and succeeded. That's the type of person I want in office. It's time to stop looking at the politics of the situation and start looking at the resumes. Elections should be an interview, not a lecture. These people are, after all, your choice.

If there's one thing I've learned through Cal in the Capital, it's relevant experience makes or breaks your application. For me, Romney is the ideal candidate to fix our economy due to his successful private sector management background.

Romney 2012.

Fashion Obsession of the Moment: Crochet Headwraps

In 2008 when headwraps came out, I was a skeptical. The faux-turbans were only seen on particularly daring fashionistas and celebrities.

Kourtney Kardashian

Ashley Olsen

The roots of this tread were clearly Middle Eastern, but Europe and America have taken their own perspective and morphed the headwrap into an everyday accessory. Instead of covering the entire head like Kourtney's sea green wrap, now they are usually the thickness of a typical headband. Though, the different shape isn't what convinced me that this trend was going to be the newest addition to my closet. Nope, it was the crochet that sold me.

Kaboodle.com: Crochet Trellis Headband

Polyvore.com: Swell Bundle Crochet Headwrap

Cozy Couture: Bella Custom Headwrap

(The last site, Cozy Couture is one of my favorites. I discovered the seller on Etsy and everything she does is Amazing, capital A.)

This trend is perfect because you can dress it up or down. Wear it with a blazer and jeans with some flashy pumps or if you're in a colder part of town, pull on your Uggs and Northface with the confidence of knowing that your head at least looks sexy.

My only recommendation for wearing this is do it with your hair down. Loose, care-free bohemian curls are the way to be. If you wear it with a pony, you run the risk of looking like you're heading off to shovel snow. 

Now I'm off to go buy at least 3 of these little beauties on Etsy ;)

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Seattle

In the 6 months I've been here, I've noticed a reoccurring conversation when introducing myself:

"Nice to meet you, Stephanie. Where are you from?"
"Washington State, not DC"
"Whoa! Seriously? That's so cool!"

Essentially, as a UCB student who's not from California or China, I'm a mythical anomaly on par with unicorns and Tupac. And while I love Berkeley, Seattle will always have my heart. So this post goes out to all my California friends who think Seattle is the bomb, because it really, truly is.

#5) Exercise

Whether you live in the heart of Seattle or the outer edges, biking and walking is pretty much the best way to get around. Somehow, Seattle missed the boat on the mass public transportation (unless you want to count the light rail, but no one really does). So, thankfully, there's tons of trails that take you as far as your little legs can carry you. The Burke Gilman trail is the most famous because it's one of the longest bike trails around, and it also has the most beautiful views you can get on two wheels.

But, if walking is more your thing, have no fear, unless of course you're scared of hills. A lot of non-Washingtonians learned through the recent weather reports that Seattle is one of the hilly-est major cities in the country. They weren't lying. We're talking hills where drivers stay a healthy distance away from the car in front of them during stop lights, just in case that little '86 Subaru junker has a temperamental stick shift. So, it's safe to say that while you're strolling around the city, your calves will burn. And it feels so good.

If the weather keeps you indoors (you are from California after all), go climb the Pinnacle at REI. This gargantuan indoor rock wall will get your heart pumping and reward you with the best view around once you get to the top. Having done it 4 times, I highly recommend it.

#4) Theo's Chocolate Factory

After all that exercise, you need to reward yourself with some world famous chocolate from Theo's. This relatively new company prides itself on Fair Trade, delicious chocolate made from the world's best organic ingredients. Founded in 2006, the shop and factory are one building in North Seattle. If you get there early enough, you get the honor of taking a tour through the factory and tasting all of its scrumptious goodies. But, even if you're more of a late arriver, there are still free samples of every type of chocolate they offer.

While you're there, don't forget to mark your hometown with a pushpin in their world map, posted in the store. Visitors from Argentina to the Arctic have joined the ranks of hundreds of little pushpins, making you feel that much tinier in this 7 billion person-filled planet. Also, important note! Don't think Theo's is just for girls. I took a couple (skeptical) guy friends there, where they bravely faced the Ghost Chili Salted Caramel. As for me, I played it safe with their Pink Salted Vanilla Caramel. So this is definitely a destination for everyone of all ages and taste buds. Just as their website proudly states, Theo is the only organic, Fair Trade, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the United States. But beyond that impressive claim to fame, they make some darn good chocolate.

#3) Art

Seattle may not have the impressive art of Paris or New York, but we do have some really fantastic modern art, both professional and amateur. By professional, I'm of course talking about the Olympic Sculpture Garden that sits right on the edge of the water, outside of the Seattle Art Museum.

Personally, I'm not a huge modern art fan myself, but this is definitely worth seeing. If nothing else, to just watch the ships pass in and out of the Sound.

There is also Gas Works Park, albeit a little ways away from the heart of Seattle. This park is an abandoned (you guess it) natural gas plant. The plant itself is closed and barricaded, but some light-hearted politician created an adult-sized playground full of colorful faux machine bits and pieces.

There are benches everywhere to sit and cuddle with your honey on those moderate 60 degree days, or you can be more adventurous and climb all over the displays. After all, what's art without audience participation?



Which leads me to the amateur side of Seattle "art." In the back alley of Pike Place Market (which is awesome, but not on this list), there is the infamous Gum Wall. Exactly what it sounds like, this 50 foot wall, named one of the Top 5 germiest tourist attractions, has collected gum from thousands of people since 1993. Once upon a time, the wall connected to the Market Theater, who refused to let the gum-chewers in. In an act of defiance or laziness, they mooshed their gum onto the outer wall. Hence, a legend was born.

So join the ranks of Russell Brand, Nirvana, and myself and go stick some gum on the wall. It should be noted that some claim Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo has the Seattle Gum Wall beat, but I honestly have my doubts.

2) Bars
As far as quantity of bars go, Seattle is definitely not even close to the top, unless of course you're counting pubs. Seattle has a range of bars, from the glitzy appletini-style bars to the underground, beer-only pubs. The U-District is the place to be for college students due to its proximity to UW, but it also has some little known Irish pubs, such as Flynns. This bar is mainly college students, but it has a raised wooden platform known as the Treehouse where groups of 10-15 can oversee the entire bar with an air of buzzed superiority. These are the places where you can get the largest selection of microbrews in the country. A friend went to the East Coast, where he quickly learned that "microbrew" is a foreign word in that side of the country. California is pretty decent with their selection of microbrews, but for a truly novel beer taste, you gotta go to Seattle or Portland.

If flashy is more your drinking style, Capital Hill is the place to be. Known for its parties and liberal lifestyle, Capital Hill is the place to be for a hot and crazy night on the town. There's been a bit of talk about Seattle's Red Light District, all centered in Capital Hill. But to get more of a history on that, you'll have to take the Seattle Underground Tour. (Yep, its a tour of old Seattle, which is underneath the Seattle streets we all know and love)

#1) Music Music Music
Perhaps some Seattlites disagree with me on my #1 choice, but honestly, I couldn't think of anything better suited for this position. The land that brought the world Bing Crosby, Pearl Jam, Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse, Brandi Carlisle, Dave Matthews Band, The Foo Fights, Jimi Hendrix, The Postal Service, and of course Nirvana, does not disappoint in an abundance of quality live concerts.



The selection of venues really can't be beat. Whether you want a larger than life experience at WaMu Theater or the Tacoma Dome...

Or you prefer the intimate setting at the Showbox Market or The Triple Door, Seattle has the venue for you. I've experienced it all, from the reserved Snow Patrol concert at the historic Moore Theater to the rowdy Flogging Molly concert at the outdoor concert stage, Marymoor Park.

It all depends on your personality, but if you're adventurous enough, there is always some music just around the corner. While our large venues are nothing special in comparison to others, our small venues are popular enough to put some envy in other cities' eyes. A lot of popular bands choose to play at small pubs and bars. Last year, The Wombats played at The Crocodile, a tiny, indie 21+ club. At the time, I was 1 month from 21 and heartbroken, so fingers crossed they come back soon. It's these types of venues that shape the music culture of Seattle, and I think the musicians know it. For the megastars, it reminds them of their early days and reconnects them with individual fans; for the up and coming, it's a great way to solidify a loyal fan base. But either way, its an opportunity to bring the artist and the audience together to appreciate the art of music without the busyness of strobe lighting and giant TV monitors. The greatest quality of Seattle concerts is that they bring everyone back to the basics.

That, boys and girls, is Seattle in the tiniest of nutshells. Hopefully, I've given you one or two reasons to brave the rain and visit the best city in the world, my home, Seattle, Washington.

Curse of the American Dream

Yesterday, I was looking at decals to add to my schedule. For non-Cal people, decals are 1-2 unit student-led classes on anything. This year, we have James Bond: Politics and Pop Culture, Quantum Consciousness: The Large, the Small & the Human Mind, and Whiskey: History and Culture, to name a few. Whenever I look at the list of courses I have to consciously tell myself to only take what I can apply to my major or a future career. So instead of taking Learn to Play the Sather Tower Bells, I am taking Berkeley Fiction Review: Small Press Publishing. It's not that I don't want to take this class, but there are decals that are much more interesting to me right now. However, interesting and important are not synonymous.

This isn't the first time I've stumbled into this conundrum. As an English major, the first question people ask me is "So what are you going to do with your degree?" I'll be honest, it's a fair question. The obvious answers are teaching or law school. The subvert answer is waitress. But why is this answer not ok? Why is it stigmatized?

Perhaps it's because after a person pays thousands of dollars for a degree, they don't want to get the same job they could have had in conjunction to those thousands of dollars. Understandable. But that should make the issue an individual one, not a socially frowned upon one.

Then again, maybe it's because these jobs (waitress, retail, barista) don't pay as much as people assume a college graduate should make. But that raises the question of, well, how much should college graduates make? How much should an individual with, oftentimes, little work experience earn? In my opinion, it's not nearly as much as college grads think they should. These jobs are oftentimes fantastic. Some of my best work experiences were at Starbucks. A lot of people want jobs that are challenging, creative, and make a difference. Starbucks baristas have all of that. Clearly, it's not the job itself, it's the money.

So why should society care if I don't make as much money as Mr. Engineering Major? I think it stems from the American Dream. The story that "grandpa came to America with $2.00 in his pocket" is known to many American families. America is a mutt, so it makes sense that everyone has their own version of "Back in the day..." Obviously, that generation had qualities that this Occupy generation doesn't understand--determination, diligence, patience. All of those things are fantastic, it's what made America. But, what is the backlash of that mentality? This current generation is having such an issue with inequality because it is no longer ok to be anything less than a millionaire. As an English major, I've gotten my fair share of "English? Oh so you're going to work at McDonalds?" So what? McDonalds offers healthcare, dental, vision, and life insurance among other fantastic benefits. Simply because great-great-grandpa Thomas earned thousands in his day, doesn't mean I have to earn millions. It's no wonder the middle class is disappearing when middle class jobs are so scorned. Now, I'm not saying this is the entirety of this generation's issues, but I think it is a relevant. This generation has been pushed so far forward that we can't even think about filling in the gaps behind us. The American Dream has backfired because dreams aren't made of spatulas and aprons.

Final anecdote to make my point...a friend of a friend was recently protesting at the Occupy Seattle camp. She had been laid off for months and was living on food stamps. That day, the secretary of a near-by company quit, so the VP walked to the camp and told everyone who had their resume and wanted a job to line up. Along with a handful of others, she lined up and upon giving the VP her resume was offered the secretary job. She asked for 24 hours to think about it. This woman who was living on food stamps and Occupy freebies had to think about it because the salary wasn't high enough for her. Ultimately, she took the job.

Scholarships: Socially Encouraged Gambling

As a poor college student, scholarships are a necessary part of my life. Last semester I spent a good portion of my free time applying for scholarships. During that time I didn't think twice about the large amount of time and money I put into these applications. Every organization wanted my life story and verification. To be fair, it's free money, I would want to know where my money was going too. But, when it gets to the point that financially-disabled college students are required to pay hundreds of dollars (no, not an exaggeration) all in order for the chance to get some money, I start to get a little confused.

To apply for a certain scholarship, I needed to supply the following:

BC Transcripts: $9.60
HCC Transcripts: $6.05
UCB Transcripts: Free (because Berkeley is awesome)
High School Transcripts: Free (once again, awesome)
SAT Scores: $9.50
SAT Subject Scores: $9.50 (each) = $19.00
ACT Scores: $8.00
FAFSA Report: Free

Total: $52.15 (and that's without having to pay for my current college or high school, which a lot of students have to do)

Taking into account the odds of most scholarships, I just paid to have a rejection email sent to me in the next 6-8 weeks. Now, I know that we're all suppose to take those odds into account. Because of the horrible odds, students are encouraged to apply to dozens of scholarships. Odds are you have to get one right? But what if that one is $500 and you applied to ten scholarships? If you're me, you just lost money. In the end, no matter what scholarship you pay to apply to, you are still taking a risk, and according to the dictionary, that is gambling. 

Courtesy of Free Online Dictionary:

gam·bl

v. gam·bled, gam·bling, gam·bles

v.intr.

1.

      a. To bet on an uncertain outcome, as of a contest.

      b. To play a game of chance for stakes.

2. To take a risk in the hope of gaining an advantage or a benefit.

3. To engage in reckless or hazardous behavior

The only definition that might not work is 3, but I'm sure someone could argue it.

The point of all this isn't to change the way it's done, just to point out another way that the academic system sucks money out of students. I will still continue to apply to scholarships because, in the end, what else can I do? Do I think that transcripts should be free? No. That'd be way too expensive for the schools. Do I think that it costs too much to apply for the chance at winning money? Yes. Solution? Forget scholarships and play the Lotto. But then again, now that the connection between gambling and scholarships has been made, maybe the hyper religious will stop applying. Better odds for the rest of us.

New Years Resolution

I always hate blog introductions. I mean honestly, no one cares why you're writing a blog, they just care if it's entertaining. In lieu of that, let's move on.


This is the first year I made a resolution that has nothing to do with my weight. The subtext of that statement means that this is the first year I might actually keep my resolution. Instead, my 2012 resolution is to know what career path I want to take by the end of the year. A few older people that I've told patronizingly smiled at me. One even replied, "You're a college student, you don't know what working for a living is even like." I thoroughly enjoyed telling that idiot that I had worked three simultaneous jobs right out of high school so I could pay for college and I've been working every since. It was the verbal equivalent of the triple snap. (Ex: Snap Tutorial.)

So I have one year to figure my career out. I don't plan on a big epiphany, let's be honest, this isn't an ABC Family movie. But, I do have a lot of opportunities this year. I am lucky enough to go to a fantastic school packed with amazing professors. So, Step 1, I plan on making use of their knowledge by actually talking to them. I learned in high school that teachers are a valuable asset, not for what they teach you in class, but for what they tell you outside of it. Step 2 is interning in D.C. with an amazing program on campus. Finally, Step 3, keep my eyes and ears open. Obviously, I'm not one of those people who has always wanted to be a doctor or a teacher. So, it doesn't make sense for me to blindly sprint through my college career focusing on some hazy goal.

There you have it. My three-step process to career nirvana. 
1) Talk to professors
2) Intern in D.C.
3) Be open

I expect great things from you, 2012.