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.