the constitution

sucks.

after wednesday, I never want to hear the terms "strict scrutiny" or "rational basis" ever again.

but, i thought i'd violate some of my friends' privacy and publicize their away messages just so you can understand...

Dan: I want to open a bar called Strict Scrutiny.

Paz: the constitution sucks
(and later): "'sometimes i think life would be easier if it just ended' - Ely. yeah, conlaw makes you go insane"
(and later still):why is this not going faster!
(still going): conlaw has sucked all the fun out of my life...i even dreamed that the constitution was after me

Jen: man oh man. this con law outline is like the song that never ends... yes it goes on and on my friend. some 1Ls started writing it not knowing what it was...and theyll continue writing it forever just because.... this fucking outline never ends! yes it goes on and on my friends

Caitlin: Dear O'Connor,
You could have made all of our lives a lot easier by following the law rather than your feelings.

Love,
Caitlin

Nancy: mind-wrestling with the Court's readings of the Constitution.

Chris: What really sucks is that i have dreams that things are unconstitutional...

(Stolen from Ely)
"Andy": oh dear i am totally useless right now
"Andy":i am staring at zobel
"Andy":rearranging the letters and making up new words
Ely: hahahahaha
Ely: all ive got is "lobe" and "zeb", and i dont think zeb is a word..

Only in Boston (2 parts)

How to encourage pedestrian safety:

Most cities in the U.S. have annual "pedestrian safety" campaigns. This usually means a ton of police officers stand at various street corners giving tickets to jaywalkers. Ticketing and illegal activity... makes sense right?

Well, not in Boston. In Boston, jaywalking is the norm and thus its accepted. So we have a different sort of pedestrian safety campaign.

Yesterday, people wearing neon shirts and carrying giant red signs ("Stop, Look and Listen" - yes, 5th grade dejavu) gave PRIZES to people who didn't cross on reds. Yes folks, we reward you for NOT breaking the law.

The goody (gift) bags included a frisbee, a water bottle - and a bunch of other stuff - of course, I wouldn't know because I don't stop at intersections (actually, I didn't leave campus while they were out there... neon shirts scare me).

The great part was that most people not from Boston only stopped because they thought these weirdos were ticketing pedestrians. Silly kids... tickets are for the rest of the country :)

Hey, honestly, I'm not complaining. This system works out much better. See, I get to an intersection see no cars and cross. Now, if I waited for "walk" signal, then I'd have to push the button and wait. Inevitably, the walk signal would not turn green until a ton of cars reached the intersection. Then they'd ALL have to sit in their cars and wait while I walked my butt across the street (and keep waiting until the light turned green for them). Now, I can dash across the street - saves me time, saves drivers the time and frustration of red lights. And we're all happy.

Part 2 of Only in Boston....
Months ago I posted a blog on "regional advertising" - so I thought I'd update you on the most recent amusing regional ad.

The Boston Marathon was on Patriots Day (April 16th - yes suckers - we get an extra holiday! hah!). Reebok had (still has) a "Run Easy Boston" ad campaign going.... "Why hit the wall? Run easy!" (and a bunch of other ads suggesting that running hard sucks so you might as well jog/walk it).

My favorite one: "The Big Dig set the pace. Run easy Boston."

HAHAHAHH! Isn't that great?

For those who don't know what the big dig is... here's some recommended reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Dig or http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61112-2004Nov18_2.html

Or, better yet... here are the key facts... The Big Dig is the most expensive highway project in America. Although the project was estimated at $2.8 billion in 1985, over $14.6 billion had been spent in federal and state tax dollars as of 2006.

And it took 15+ years (over 20 if you count "planning")

(PS - thats not just Mass taxpayer dollars - thats ALL OF YOUR taxpayer dollars... muahahahaha).

Oh ya, and there's this little problem now --- its called... LOTS OF LEAKS.

"Designers projected that the tunnel's drainage system would handle 500,000 gallons of leaking water per year.Since last December, however, 26 million gallons of leaking water has flowed through the drainage systems."

(by last december it meant December 03-Nov 04)

Hey, we like to take our time with big projects okay. Money is not an issue.... (especially when its yours )

Run easy Boston...

This is how it SHOULD look...

They still stay some things I disagree with - such as, "Armenians call it a Genocide" (a lot of people call a lot of things Genocide... but this one WAS a Genocide... not just "called")

But, nevertheless, I'm sure you'll agree that this report is 100 times better than the Fox clip...


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5241520

(Btw, Turkey celebrates "World Children's Day" on April 24th... what a coincidence...)


and while we're on that topic...
Looks like the Turks still haven't learned to get along with those darn Christians...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/19/world/europe/19turkey.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

read, react...

Read, React...

Thank you Nooneh for the Fox news clip of the Little Armenia March coverage...

But before everyone gets excited...

Watch the clip carefully. The coverage is AWFUL. LA is home to several thousand Armenians. There is no reason that FoxLA should have such horrible coverage of this event. The reporter is absolutely unprepared... the tone of the reporter and anchors absolutely downplays the event... she continuously refers to "these people" as if we're some crazy radical sect... and, (really I hope you caught this)...

The anchor introduces the piece saying, "for those who call it genocide" - uh? WTF?

We all want coverage yes, but the news reporters take such a light hearted approach, its a slap in the face.
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=3014595&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1


anyway, I suggest you write in - even if you only write one sentence! I'd tell you to call but i dont have the # (yet... give me a few hours).
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/ContactUs?pageId=5.11


Below is my letter...

I am truly disappointed with Fox News for today's coverage on the Armenian Genocide.

As your anchor reports, Los Angeles (and Glendale) is home to a very large Armenian - American community. I would hope that a local news station would be more responsive to and respectful of its community. Unfortunately, todays broadcast was not only disrespectful but also ignorant.

First and foremost, your reporter (Nischelle Turner) seemed unprepared and uninformed on the topic, stumbling and grasping to piece her story together Her approach to a solemn story seems quite careless.

Nischelle also comments that "these people believe" Turkey's alliance with the U.S. is the reason the U.S. has failed to officially recognize. Apparently, Fox News isn't doing a good job of keeping up with the news - if they had, they'd realize that its not just "these people" who believe the alliance is the motivating factor - its "this country's" politicians.

But, perhaps the biggest slap in the face is the actual introduction to the piece where Steve (?) notes, "Today, April 24th, is the official day of remembrance FOR THOSE who call it the Armenian Genocide."

"Those" suggests that there are only some who consider it Genocide. This is misleading and ignorant, particularly considering the fact that the State of California officially commemorates April 24th as Genocide Remembrance day.

If it seems as though I am being nit picky, I'd like you to consider the statement, "For those who call it the Holocaust" or "For those who call it the Iraq War" or "For those who call it the Cambodian Genocide." The truth is, despite what the politicians have chosen to label it, our news media generally calls things as they are. To do otherwise is just cowardly.

Even the President, though tip toeing around the word Genocide, is one of "those" that commemorates April 24th.

Overall, the tone and attitude of the reporters downplays an important day marking one of the greatest acts of mans inhumanity to man... to a random march with some kids taking to the streets. What a horrible way to respect such a large number of your news "consumers."

Regards,
(obviously me)

i did my duty

In case you hadn't noticed, I think its very important to keep up with the media because the "media" is in the business of making money - and therefore, they need customers. Thus, the customers (us) can have a big impact on the media.

I believe its as important to respond with praise as it is to write about your outrage.

So, I did my duty... and here is the kind response. (article below)

Dear Alina,

Thanks very much for those too-kind words. It's a story shocking enough that all us non-ians should be equally up in arms.

Best,
Matt

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Welch
Assistant Editorial Page Editor, Los Angeles Times
213-237-7330
www.latimes.com/opinion
Opinion L.A. blog ~ www.opinion.latimes.com



http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-welch22apr22,0,4862327.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail



The politics of saying 'genocide'
More than 90 years after the Armenian genocide, the U.S. is deadlocked in a humiliating linguistic debate.
By Matt Welch, MATT WELCH is The Times' assistant editorial pages editor.
April 22, 2007

ON TUESDAY, President Bush will be obliged, by law, to wrap his double-talking mouth around one of the most curiously persistent debates in modern geopolitics: Whether to call a 92-year-old genocide a "genocide."

Every April 24 since 1994, the U.S. president has delivered a proclamation honoring the people Congress has declared to be "the victims of genocide, especially the 1 1/2 million people of Armenian ancestry who were the victims of the genocide perpetrated in Turkey between 1915 and 1923." And every year since 1994, the U.S. president has managed to do it without once uttering the G-word. It's a ritual of linguistic realpolitik in deference to the massive objections from Washington's important NATO ally, Turkey.

But 2007 may be the year that the cop-out finally blows up in a president's face. What was once the obscure obsession of marginalized immigrants from a powerless little Caucasus country has blossomed in recent years into a force that has grown increasingly difficult to ignore. In 2000, the Armenian issue helped fuel one of the most expensive House races in U.S. history; two years ago, it turned a mild-mannered career U.S. diplomat into an unlikely truth-telling martyr. Now the question of how to address these long-ago events is having an impact on next month's elections in Turkey.

What's more, Congress appears poised to vote on a resolution urging the president to say the words "Armenian genocide" when observing the awkwardly named "National Day of Remembrance of Man's Inhumanity to Man" on April 24 — the date in 1915 when the Ottoman predecessors of modern Turkey launched the genocide by rounding up 250 Armenian intellectuals for eventual execution.

The resolution won't take effect on Tuesday. The Bush administration, ever mindful of its delicate relationship with Turkey (especially with a war in Iraq next door), takes the bill so seriously that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned in a joint letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) that it could "harm American troops in the field." The lobbying has been successful enough that the House has delayed its vote until after this year's April 24 commemoration. But passage later this year would still be an enormous blow to the White House.

Why is this hairsplitting exercise over a single word — in a nonbinding resolution, no less — reverberating so strongly more than nine decades later? The easy answer is that there has been a confluence of mostly unrelated events. Democrats took control of Congress in January and are spoiling for a fight, especially one that can paint Bush's foreign policy as hypocritical. The president, after all, used "genocide" as a justification to topple Saddam Hussein before, during and after the war against his regime, and the United States has not hesitated to apply the word to the crisis in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have died since 2003.

Across the Atlantic, the Armenian question — especially Turkey's offensive laws against "insulting Turkishness," which have been used to prosecute even novelists who create fictional characters questioning the government's denialist position — has become one of the main lines of attack against Turkey's bid to become the first majority-Muslim country to join the European Union. Most of the 15 countries that have officially recognized the genocide are European (with Switzerland and France even going so far as to pass over-the-top laws making it a crime to deny the genocide).

Then there was the January murder of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in broad daylight on a busy Istanbul street. Dink's assassination, at the hands of a Turkish nationalist, shocked the world and led to a wave of anxious introspection in Turkey. Yet Ankara quickly — and disastrously — concluded that the proper response was to redouble its losing campaign to prevent foreign governments from using the G-word.

High-level Turkish ministers were dispatched to Washington over the last few months to warn that the resolution in Congress could force them to close the crucial U.S. Air Force Base at Incirlik and could imperil relations at a tipping-point moment for the Middle East. (The exact same argument was used by President Clinton in October 2000 to convince then-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert to withdraw at the last moment a similar bill, introduced by then-Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale), who was fighting a losing battle against Democratic challenger Adam Schiff in an $11-million race.)

For Turks, the genocide is taboo for a host of reasons, but perhaps the most important is that it occurred at the time of the founding of modern Turkey under Kemal Ataturk, a man so sainted that insulting his memory is still punishable by jail. So the battle continues, year after year.

Earlier this month, Turkish lobbyists successfully scotched a United Nations exhibit on the 13th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide because it dared refer to the "1 million Armenians murdered in Turkey." "Every time they try to censor discussion of the Armenian genocide," a New York Times editorial observed, "they only bring wider attention to the subject and link today's democratic Turkey with the now distant crime." Turks even helped water down a U.S. Senate resolution condemning Dink's murder.

Yet this flurry of recent developments doesn't adequately explain the enduring potency of the recognition issue.

For that I will defer to the most recent U.S. ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans: "In the real world," Evans told a packed Beverly Hilton hall of diaspora Armenians in February, "when an official policy diverges wildly from what the broad public believes is self-evident, that policy ceases to command respect."

Evans, a career, keep-your-head-down foreign service type, surveyed the available literature on the events of 1915-23 before taking the Armenian post in September 2004 and concluded that the U.S. position of avoiding the word "genocide" diverged so wildly from the historical consensus that it undermined Washington's moral authority.

He attempted to budge the policy from behind the scenes, but when that failed he took a page from a man he knew well from his pre- and post-communist postings to Prague — former Czech President Vaclav Havel and decided to publicly "call things by their proper names."

So in February 2005, while speaking in California, Evans said: "I will today call it the Armenian genocide. I think we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of discussing this problem." For that remark he was recalled from his post so that Washington could get back to the business of evading the historical truth.

President Bush won't say "genocide" on Tuesday. In the words of Condoleezza Rice, the administration's position is that Turks and Armenians both need to "get over their past" without American help.

But this issue won't go away. Watching Rice's linguistic contortions in response to harsh congressional interrogation by Schiff, who has become the Armenians' great House champion, is profoundly dispiriting; it makes one embarrassed to be American. Of all issues subject to realpolitik compromises, mass slaughter of a national minority surely should rank at the bottom of the list.

Hitler reportedly said, just before invading Poland, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" It's a chilling reminder that forgetting is the first step in enabling future genocides. Yet Hitler was eventually proved wrong. No temporal power is strong enough to erase the eternal resonance of truth.

*

matt.welch@latimes.com

sunshine

Okay, I swear I will stop posting about the sunshine soon.

I just figure its only fair to write about the sun as much as I wrote about the snow (which I don't think was very much - so i might be at my limit already).

But today was/is skirt weather. YES! Of course, I don't have any skirts I like but whatever, I'll fix that eventually.

I got on the T and EVERYONE was wearing skirts. Long skirts, short skirts, "work" skirts... flip flops, sandals... tank tops, halters, dresses. YAY! Its not the clothes I'm obsessed with so much (okay, I lie, maybe I'm a little obsessed)... but its the fact that its finally warm enough to wear this stuff!

Unfortunately, I'm stuck in contracts class learning about third-party beneficiaries (don't ask me what that means in English). On that note... my contracts prof gets SO giddy about a case he likes. He just did this little valley girl head tilt... it was adorable. (fine, i confess, i used to have a little crush on him but i swear thats over... though i'm still in love with his brain).

(I need to make a sunshine label)

its a beautiful morninggggg

(I was singing in the headline there)

Its actually a beautiful afternoon. I slept in, woke up late, went to a pip meeting, then the ILS meeting (say hello to the new treasurer - yes yes, back to my old habits - i'm sure Has and Maria will know what I"m referring to).

Its gorgeous outside right now. 56 with a real feel of 62 - i don't even know how that happens. I guess thats that wonderful warm sun. I am going to go home, grab a blanket and head to the part by my house to do some studying in the sun. Yes! (Park = no internet = better focus - and who doesn't want to be outisde on a gorgeous day?)

Anyway, just wanted to share. Yay for spring. Adios.

Today!

Today was/is (in progress) an awesome day.

Yesterday marked the 2 week countdown to finals - needless to say, I was feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed all day. It didn't help to attend the OCI meeting and find out that only 30-50% of people get their 2L jobs through OCI. WTF?!?!?! More work to do! great!

Anyway, today we are one day closer to our first final... but TODAY has been fantastic so far.

First, contracts started a few minutes late, con law ended a few minutes early. We did a tedious survey for some professor but were rewarded with donut holes. After that a certain someone went out of his way to say hi... which always makes my day :) .... Next I headed to the bookstore to buy a lil somethin for my little cousins and bought myself some red BU shorts (I wanted hot pink ones but they didn't have them in my size).

On my way home, I had one of those rare "Aw, LA" moments (I mean, I often miss Harout parahandeses but its rare that I miss anything else about LA social life). I was flipping through my iPod trying to find something I haven't listened to in awhile and I came across Gnarls Barkley which totally brought back memories of Standard Downtown rooftop pool/bar Memorial Day weekend... and I thought, gee, I can't WAIT to head to the Standard (in 3 weeks)! It's one of the few places that I just love! And that thought along with the momentarily gorgeous weather just contributed to my already good mood.

When I got home, I discovered that my "stuff" had arrived. It really wasn't a huge discovery - I was tracking the package and expected it to be there. But the exciting part was that everything I bought (dresses, shirt, skirt, accessories) FIT. How rare is it to buy something online and it fits? I mean, I won't lie - some of them looked a little different than what I had pictured but they fit and look cute nonetheless! Clothes make me giddy! Particularly cute summer clothes and dresses and cute work outfits and... okay, I give up. All clothes make me giddy.

So, I took some pictures to send to my mommy and decided to take lots of goofball ones for her enjoyment. In the meantime, another little something happened that put a huge smile on my face. When I finally sat down to do a little myspace/facebook stalking before working on my memo, I received word that I won (for 2L rep). Yay, after a 3 year vacation from student group stuff.... I'M BACK!!!!

(Really, I tried to pretend those days were over but after I planned the Armenian Genocide event my mom pointed out that I keep going back to this - planning, organizing, being involved etc. I told her I wanted to avoid it and she said, its impossible - "its just in you and it makes you happy!" The odd part of that convo was that my mom was probably most against me joining "school organizations" (and even organizations - non profit etc) in the first place - but I guess over time she has come to realize that i love this stuff.)

So now, I am going to go to sleep because its been an absolutely fantastic day and I'm afraid if I stay up any longer, something bad will happen.

(Okay, I'm not really going to sleep - I'm going to work on my memo - which sucks!)

It's that time of the year...

it's that time of year

for ASUC elections!

I mean, its finals season too... which is why I even bothered doing this (procrastination).

But, I visited some of the Cal blog pages to find out the scoop. I was very sad to discover that CalStuff is officially DEAD! I can't believe it. CalStuff was practically my homepage during the ASUC days....

Apparently there is a new blog in town - the Clog. Obviously, I was slightly attached to Calstuff so Clog doesn't really cut it for me... (oh ya, and they don't have a minute by minute breakdown of elections drama!). Surprisingly, the East Bay Express also blogged on the elections... its amusing that they include gender statistics in there (only 1/3rd of candidates were female).

I guess same old - SA bombarding with "DONE" campaign posters and CalServe trying to mock them with the same campaign. (Here is a fun contraversy) I was surprised to see that BEARS-United is still in there. (Sad that BEARS lasted and FreeWeed didn't - i mean c'mon, which is a better name?). There are some new "parties" - doubt any of them will get anywhere. Interesting independent candidate running for Prez as well.

But now with elections over, its time for the famous ASUC lawsuits (and more). Yes folks, 17 suits... most of which will get settled by the Judicial Council but there is almost always 1 suit that gets taken to (real) court. Fortunately, unlike previous years, they will be doing a vote count and releasing prelim results (in previous years, you had to wait until all the suits were settled... and sometimes that wasn't until summer).

Anyway, I don't know why I care. Actually, I don't really. I don't know what the issues on campus are. But damn it was a fun time. And, really, reading that stuff was better than con law.

(PS - If you're read this far, you must be a former ASUCker... so HI!)

In love...

I'm in love with my google homepage. i mean, i've always loved google and more specifically my google homepage but now it has the theme setting feature.... and the colors change throughout the day ("day" "night").... its cute.

that's all.

oh yes, and one month till my bday! woooohooo.

(that means, less than one month until school ends... which means less than 2 weeks to study.... booo )

Letter...

Yay... my letter was printed today...

http://glendalenewspress.com/articles/2007/04/16/opinion/gnp-mailbag16.txt

(The link will only work for two - three weeks so I've included the GNP version below - same letter that I blogged a few days ago).

When the city editor called to "verify" my letter, we chit chatted a bit about Glendale... politics, community relations, etc. He was a bit surprised to hear that I still read the GNP everyday. Yes, I'm lame. I know. But it was great to be asked my opinion - OFF the record for once.

Also, he asked about school and whether I'm incorporating this stuff in. I wonder if he asked that because he remembers the really harsh email I accidentally cc'ed him threatening future legal action. hm.




Ethnic politics in city is still an eyesore

In his From the Margins column, Patrick Azadian suggested that a certain amount of tribalism might have played a role in the recent elections ("Going tribal during elections," April 7). In typical fashion, readers responded with a knee-jerk reaction, attacking Azadian's theory.

The unfortunate truth, however, is that tribalism exists. The exact manner in which tribalism works and effects elections is not a hard science. But the notion of bloc voting and voting based on race or last names is nothing new or unique to Glendale. Those who were so quick to reject Azadian's comments should take a course on politics or even sociology.

I don't believe Azadian means to suggest an absolute theory. There are always exceptions, and sometimes more than just a few exceptions. Not everyone votes based on last names. In fact, many of those who are so vocal in the Glendale News-Press are those who are most aware of the issues and perhaps least prone to tribal voting.

The message here is not that candidates always win or lose solely based on their ethnicity. Indeed, Councilman Rafi Manoukian would never have been elected in the first place without support from all Glendalians. But the numbers suggest that Manoukian lost the support of only one segment of the community. Furthermore, I would propose that after his failure to take the lead for Genocide Commemoration Week, Mayor Dave Weaver lost a majority of the Armenian-American votes. Thus, Weaver was likely voted into office solely on non-Armenian votes. If true, this shows tribalism on two fronts.

I believe the message here is that we need to be aware of our own tribalism. Self-awareness is the first step to erasing imaginary lines and breaking down the walls we've created. The suggestion that there was an anti-Armenian sentiment heading into these elections is not meant to be a racist remark. The suggestion is based on real and actual events throughout the last two years. Mailers linking Armenians to terrorism targeted to non-Armenian male voters (the tribalism there is undeniable), letters in the News-Press making unsubstantiated claims that Armenian-Americans commit a disproportionate amount of crime, a slew of e-mails against a proposed Armenian high school, backlash against multilingual ballots (produced by an Armenian-American city clerk), etc. Although some of these discussions are based on issues, they undeniably show that ethnic background still plays a significant role in community politics and relations in Glendale. It is on us to move beyond this.

I second Azadian's wishes. I congratulate those who were elected and have high hopes they will work to unite this community rather than using the divide-and-conquer method for the sake of their own political aspirations.

Tidbits...

Tidbit #1: So, I'm sure you all know that I'm not a huge baseball fan. Nevertheless, its a little exciting that baseball season has started...

I love seeing all the Red Sox fans out and about. I ride into Kenmore everyday then out past the Fenway stop (though most fans get on/off at Kenmore, some also wait at the Fenway stop) and on gamedays, there is such a buzz in the station. Groups of excited fans decked out in their gear - young old short tall skinny fat... Its cute to see the little boys going to their first game or the girls with their braided hair and excessive glitter. This week I saw an old granny with her Red Sox shirt and earrings. And when the Sox win, the T is filled with super excited drunks! lol.

Of course, I have to admit that I sometimes get a little frustrated when I'm exhausted and trying to get home. The influx of fans makes the commute a little less comfy (just imagine the hundreds of fans packed like sardines in the trains!).

But its still fun. Can't wait to go to a game... I mean, not that I care for the game but they do sell Guinness at fenway (they have a great selection of beers actually). And fenway franks? yum. Its just great to be around diehard fans. Unlike the LA bandwagon syndrome, the people here are Red Sox all the way and I love that sort of passion and loyalty.


Tidbit #2: I bumped into my roomie (Sarah) today on my way home from school. She was buying chocolates for work (or so she says...). I get so giddy when I bump into people I know on the street. I don't know why. I bumped into Sarah at the post office once. And I bumped into Angela at the BU Pub long long ago. I really don't know how to explain it. I guess its because in Glendale you're used to seeing someone you know EVERYWHERE you go. Post office, grocery store, mall, gas station, Glenoaks... lol. I know everyone complains about it - including me. I hate looking like a wreck and bumping into someone at Ralphs. But the truth is, its kinda nice to know everyone in your community and bumping into my roomies (and occasionally my classmates) outside of set functions (or school) is kinda fun.

My first month in Boston, I bumped into Misha, an old friend/senate colleague from Cal. I had last seen him at Has's graduation in May of 05. As Lev, Armen and myself were walking around government center trying to find our way to (I guess Quincy?), I stopped at a bus stop to look at the map. There were two guys there also looking at the map and I recognized one of their voices - I turned around and it was none other than Misha himself (beard and all). I'm sure I've told this story before but I just can't get over it. It totally made the world feel a little bit smaller - and more cozy :).

Anyway, I THINK thats it for tidbits. Actually, I'm sure its not - there was something else I wanted to write but I can't remember now so oh well....

Re: Patrick's column

Patrick wrote a column suggesting that "tribalism" affected elections. As you can imagine, he was attacked as being racist... practically labeled crazy and/or stupid. Of course, part of this backlash was perhaps due to the title (which i'm sure some people didn't even get beyond). But the backlash is absurd. ANYONE who thinks there is no such thing as "tribalism during elections" is A MORON. Its the same reason we are sitting here today debating whether a black man can win the presidency. If there was no such thing as tribalism, "black man" would never be a factor to debate. Heck, "woman" wouldn't even come into play. Silly silly people...

My response (which prob won't get published since I'm not a resident)(second parenthesis - I gave the GNP readers and "Glendale" far too much credit when I said we're on the brink of moving beyond it - i just didn't want people to interpret my letter as being hateful so I had to soften it up):

In his column, Azadian suggested that a certain amount of “tribalism” might have played a role in the recent elections. In typical fashion, readers responded with a knee jerk reaction attacking Azadian’s theory.

The unfortunate truth, however, is that tribalism exists. The exact manner in which tribalism works and effects elections is not a hard science. But the notion of bloc voting and voting based on race or last names is nothing new or unique to Glendale. Perhaps those who were so quick to reject Azadian’s comments should take a course on politics or even sociology.

I don’t believe Azadian means to suggest an absolute theory. There are always exceptions, and sometimes more than just a few exceptions. Not everyone votes based on last names, just as not every man votes against a woman and not every white man votes against a black man. In fact, many of those who are so vocal in the Glendale News Press are those who are most aware of the issues and perhaps least prone to “tribal” voting.

The message here is not that candidates always win or lose solely based on their ethnicity. Indeed, Manoukian would never have been elected in the first place without support from all Glendalians. But the numbers suggest that Manoukian lost the support of only one segment of the community. Conversely, I would propose that after his failure to take the lead for Genocide Commemoration Week, Weaver lost a majority of the Armenian – American votes. Thus, Weaver was likely voted into office solely on “non-Armenian” votes. This shows tribalism on two fronts.

The message here is that we need to be aware of our own tribalism. Self awareness is the first step to erasing imaginary lines and breaking down the walls we’ve created. The suggestion that there was an “anti-Armenian” sentiment heading into these elections is not meant to be a racist remark. The suggestion is based on real and actual events throughout the last two years. Mailers linking Armenians to terrorism targeted to non-Armenian male voters (the tribalism there is undeniable), constant letters in the News Press making unsubstantiated claims that Armenian – Americans commit a disproportionate amount of crime, a slew of emails against a proposed Armenian high school, backlash against multilingual ballots (produced by an Armenian – American city clerk) etc. Although some of these discussions are based on issues, they undeniably show that ethnic background still plays a significant role in community politics and relations in Glendale. It is on us to move beyond this.

Every community in the United States has gone through its share of “tribal” elections and community tensions before fully accepting the beauty of the diversity. Glendale seems to be on the brink of putting race behind it. Today, I second Azadian’s wishes. I congratulate those who were elected and have high hopes they will work to unite this community rather than using the divide and conquer method for the sake of their own political aspirations.

sad day

i'm sitting here in class going through my usual emails and i received one from Dave.

For some reason, I had a bad feeling. The email just had a link with a line saying no explanation was necessary.

http://www.polisci.berkeley.edu/

NelsonW. Polsby, my undergraduate thesis advisor, passed away in February.

A few months ago I had emailed him just to see how he was. I never got a reply. I had a bad feeling but just shrugged it off hoping it was just because he was busy. I really had no other reason to believe anything worse.

I feel horrible for not knowing.

I had so much respect for this man - just read his CV - its impossible not to admire him.

But aside from his resume, he really had an impact in my life. I don't know what initially led me to sign up for his Poli Sci grad course. When I did sign up, I had to get him to agree to have me in his class or else the department wouldn't approve it. So, I went to see him during office hours a few days after the first day of class. He was very blunt. "I don't think you can keep up with this course."

Of course, I have an ego. Telling me I can't do something usually makes me want it more. "I think I can. I want to try!"

"Have you even looked at the syllabus? This course is demanding and requires a lot of reading."

I refused to admit to him that the 1-2 book a week (required + a book or two suggested) reading was a little intimidating. Instead, I told him I had noticed but didn't feel it was a problem.

He didn't believe me. He sent me off to the IGS library to look at the various books he had assigned. He wanted me to understand that these weren't simple novels I could fly through - and he wanted to make sure I felt comfortable with the material.

Well, I picked up one book, read the first 3 pages and returned to his office to let him know I wanted to be on board. And so, he signed me on to the first part of his two semester course. Whether I was allowed to continue would depend on my first semester performance.

In the meantime, he also agreed to be my thesis advisor. It wasn't an area he really had an exertise in but the faculty-teacher ration at Berkeley made it very difficult to find a professor. Not only were there 0-1 profs who'd really know anything about my topic (and the 1 that did was not in the country at the time - in fact, I believe he was stuck in Iran), but all the profs in general had already signed on to be advisors and didn't want more students. As a transfer student, I hadn't had the advantage of having 3 years to build a relationship with my professors. I had only been at Berkeley for 1 year and 1 year was not enough for me to really bond with any prof. So, I was screwed... until Nelson agreed.

The semester went on. I must admit - I wasn't always on top of it. Each week, one (or two) people were assigned to start the class discussion. Sometimes we'd stay on topic and other times I remember conversation going so off track - and Nelson was okay with that. He wanted us to think, discuss, analyze, argue. Every other week, we had to submit a 5 page paper - but it was nothing formal - just a sort of "reflection" on the reading.

I was understandably intimidated. I was a young senior in a class full of PhD students/candidates (though a few only went as far as their masters). So, I was quite timid when it came to speaking up in class and Nelson was always on my case for that, "DONT ASK to make a comment or ask a question - JUST SAY IT!" And when I'd go to visit him, he'd always encourage me to speak more and discuss more.

As for my papers - he was usually satisfied/happy with them. The first time I received negative remarks, we talked it over in office hours. He found out I had been in LA that weekend - and so from then on he decided he didn't like me going to LA - he'd joke that going to LA made me less of a thinker (less "smart").

When I'd tell him about law school - he'd roll his eyes a little. For him, the only acceptable law school was Yale. I think he viewed the rest as technical schools. But either way, he encouraged me to continue on with my education and wrote me several letters of recomendation along the way.

At the end of the first semester, I met with him again. I needed him to give me a grade for the course (most students received one grade for the entire year so the semester grade was reported as "in progress"). He refused. He wanted me to stay on for the second semester. I told him that I had too great of a course load. He offered to let me use my thesis as the semester's "paper" (all other students spent the entire second semester working on a paper). He kept telling me to at least think about it but I just couldn't say no - he was pretty set on having me stay. And so I did. (21 units my 2nd semester of my senior year - whereas all my friends were taking 13!).

Honestly, there wasn't much more I had to do second semester so I guess it was 4 free units. I just had to be in class and discuss - and eventually present my thesis.

And that was that. I haven't really returned to Berkeley. I really couldn't wait to go back. It's my own fault. Instead of going on my own I waited for someone (in particular) to make the trip with me. And when he didn't come, I sorta just put it off figuring, well, i'll go later I guess.

Now I won't ever get to go back to his office to hang out with him... no more afternoon tea. He was one of those huggable grandfather types. Sometimes he'd fall asleep in class. Sometimes he'd get angry (in a more disappointed way)... but most of the time he was a sweet and easy going man.

Nelson, you will be missed.

Damn the T

I know I said I hate the "T" - and, I know I sometimes change my mind and say, despite its annoyingness, its great because its better than driving.

Well last night, I was hating the T!

I started heading home - sometime before 12:30. I caught the last B train to Kenmore square where I had to switch to the D line. As I got off at Kenmore, I realized the D train was at the platform so I made a mad dash for it but unfortunately, it left before I got there. Bummer.

It was around 12:35 or so. I was a little nervous. I know the last trains usually leave at 12:30 (from Park St). But, I figured there HAD to be another train or else someone would close off the station (as they had already closed off the inbound side). So, I decided I'd wait.

A C train came. Then a B. Then another C. That only gave me more hope - since all those trains were coming, there had to be one more D! Another girl was waiting for the D and some guy waiting for the B so I waited too.

A part of me really wanted to catch a cab but I figured, "Murphy's Law" - as soon as I get up the stairs, I'll hear the train come through. And, I've waited this long - how much longer could it take? If the train comes every 10 minutes or so - even if its late - its bound to be there soon... right?

So we waited. and waited. A man (construction worker for MBTA) walked over to us and asked which line we were waiting for. We told him the D - he said they had had some train problems but the D would be here in a few minutes. Some other kids came to wait for the B. They gave up after awhile and decided to leave but when they got up to the top of the stairs - one of them swore he heard the train so they all ran downstairs. No train. THey went back up. A minute later they were back down. Again, they decided to wait. After a few minutes of waiting, they left again.

The girl and I were obviously frustrated at this point. She was headed to Riverside and had a $40 cab ride if the T didn't come... I, on the other hand, would probably only have a $10 - $15 cab ride - and, I DID for once have cash on me so it wouldn't have been a problem. But again, after waiting this long, I thought - why leave now? If i was going to get a cab, I should have done that 40 min ago.

A few more minutes. Okay, I can do a few more minutes.

Wait. Wait. Wait. At this point, the girl and I had lost our minds. We kept hearing a train coming - and still, no train came. I went upstairs to call the MBTA... no answer. Instead I called the MBTA police and they put me on hold.

Suddenly I heard the other girl call from downstairs - "THE TRAIN IS HERE!" - Are you sure? "Yes!" Is it the D? (there was still some guy waiting for the B) "YES! Most definitely!" - I ran downstairs just as the B train came rolling in. Gr. The guy got on and laughed at us...

I went back upstairs - still on hold with the police and finally, just as the police got back on the phone to say, "The D line should be coming in the station right now," I heard the train pull in.

It was 1:43. No joke.

We got on the train - absolutely excited - heck, I was about to kiss the T! (Okay, not really - we all know what a bad decision that would have been). We sat down and started joking around with everyone on the train (apparently, we'd been waiting at Kenmore since 12:30 and they'd actually been sitting on the train since about that time - if not earlier). One train had broken down and they had taken apart this train to create a B train and D train (with one car each). Gr!

Of course, our excitement was short lived as we realized, we weren't leaving the Kenmore station. For what felt like another hour, we sat there staring at the open doors wishing we could just be on our way home.

Finally, around 1:48 or so, the train pulled out. We were finally heading home.

I was thankful that I only had 4 stops to go. Some people had to go to the end of the line which meant they wouldn't be home for awhile. As soon as we got out of the Kenmore station- everyone who'd been on the train underground the whole time quickly picked up their phones to call people saying, "you won't believe this... we just left Kenmore"

Honestly, I was miserable. I should have been home by 12:50 or so - instead, I was home a little past 2. That's absurd. The sign in Kenmore says last outbound train leaves at 12:50. NOT 1:50 am!

what a night. (I should have gotten some reading done that whole time but i was exhausted and cold and frustrated all in one - not in a productive mood.)

Flip Flop time!

No no, I'm not talking about those damn flip floppers. I'm talking about flip flops! I wore flip flops today! YAY!

Granted... I did do crazy things during winter -such as wearing flip flops on cold days - but this is the first time in months I've worn flip flops without worrying about losing my toes! I'm absolutely giddy. (it might hit 60 today!)

Spring is here. (Happy belated Norouz to those who celebrate it). I have never been so excited for Spring. I never really understood what the big deal was. Spring doesn't mean anything in Southern California. Spring is... when you change the clocks and lose an hour of sleep (Spring ahead...).

But after experiencing my first real winter, I get to experience my first real spring. And now, I GET IT. The days are getting longer, the weather is slowly warming up and it just seems like everything is coming back to life. People are back out on the lawn reading, napping, talking on their phones. The flowers in the yard are blooming... and pretty soon i'm sure the trees will be all green too.

Earlier this week, as I walked out of class, I noticed that people are back on the river. The Charles was frozen over for the last few months but now its flowing again and the crew and sailing teams are back out there in their boats. I don't think it's possible to look out at the river - with all the sailboats and their white sails - and not get happy.

I guess seasons give you something to look forward to. For now, I'm going to enjoy spring - light jackets, 50-60 degree temps, and pretty flowers! And I'm sure, come June, I will be eager for summer. And, after enduring a few weeks of heat and humidity, I will likely be ready for the fall - changing colors and cooler temperatures. And, once the leaves are all gone, I will eagerly await the first snow. How wonderful!

English as a requirement to vote

I know many of you (including a few in my top 8 - you know who you are) will be in disagreement with me over this but I'll share my views regardless.

The Glendale City Clerk recently issues the sample ballots for the upcoming elections. To the horror of many Glendale residents, the sample ballot was in 4 different languages!

I can only quantify this as a backlash against the immigrant population. I went through my days of, "damnit, if you live in the US, you must learn english!" - but, it was my own resentment of having to sit through spanish class. And now its a resentment of "minorities" "taking over" glendale. Even my Armenian friends who disagree with me on this mostly disagree because they hate walking around glendale and hearing everyone speaking armenian. So, before you attack my views, examine your disagreement - could it be founded on your own animosity towards a person? I've heard my armenian friends complain about some armo who didn't speak english but its often the rude assholes - not the really sweet lady (whether 35 or 65) who says, "I'm sorry dear. I don't speak english very well... can you please...." (its more like the "Ara, kuro, help me because i'm armenian and you have to" that draws criticism). Moreover, when we choose to deny a non-english speaker of their right to vote, we're doing so because we feel they do not deserve it... but, again, that is our own bias. that individual still pays taxes (unless they are a crook - which is a different story of course) and they are still affected by the same laws that govern us!

Anyway, back to the ballots. Whether you agree or disagree, california mandates that "elections materials" be provided in the language of the voters. So, wherever you stand on principle, its what we gotta do.

People have written statements such as:
"We our losing our identity as Americans. I want all people to have the right to be American citizens, but I want them to remember that they are citizens of the USA.

By allowing other languages to be represented on American voting ballots, we are telling people that you don't have to adhere to American policy. And that is not right.

Please, change the language to English to make sure we don't forget who we are."

WTF? Forgetting who we are? We are imposing McDonald's on every country in this world. I promise, no one is forgetting who we are. And btw, who are we?

"I do not think it is the responsibility of government to provide rudimentary instruction at the polls, on election day, for those who have failed to prepare themselves for this important civic responsibility."

Um, well then, next time i'm at a polling place and a 45 year old, fluent english speaking "American" asks, "wait, which box do i check? how does this work?" - i'll just respond with the above quote. (Actually, I almost agree with that - because if you can read the instructions in english and still don't get it, you have NO excuse!)

Anyway, below is my way too long response - don't worry - i'll be cutting it down eventually....


I have been a little dismayed with the recent slew of letters in the Glendale News Press denouncing Glendale's efforts to embrace its minority population and include them in the electoral process.

I, for one, commend Mr. Kassakhian for his efforts to include all U.S. citizens the opportunity to be an informed voter. But lest you think my opinion (as an Armenian – American) is biased, I'd like to point out a few facts.

We must all recognize the ideals on which this country was founded. You may recall, from grade school, the phrase, "No Taxation without Representation." I am not so naïve to believe that our founding fathers truly believed in a utopian democratic society, as these individuals were the same ones who maintained a cruel system of slavery for centuries and provided for the electoral collage. But regardless of their concept of equality, it is undeniable that this country was founded on the principle of representation.

Nearly a century after the founding of oldest democratic society, the concept of equality finally made its way into our constitution with the end of slavery and the addition of the 14th amendment which provided for the "equal protection" of the laws. And finally, nearly a century after that, the civil rights movement gained momentum as the Supreme Court of the United States brought an end to an era of Jim Crow laws, legal segregation and voter disenfranchisement.

I am not suggesting that the language barriers are necessarily equivalent to the Jim Crow laws of a century ago, but it does seem counterintuitive to retreat on the progress we have made as a democratic society. Those who do not speak English are governed by the same laws as those who are fluent. Are we advocating a return to taxation without representation?

Moreover, though the Constitution was written in English, the founders conspicuously omitted a language clause from the Constitution. This leads me to draw the conclusion that representation (for which they fought a war) was of greater concern than speaking English. Aside from facilitating communication, what other reason do we have to make a mandatory language requirement? If communication is the goal, then why are translations such a crime?

Regarding the U.S. citizenship test, it is important to note that the test does allow for translators based on certain criteria. Furthermore, the test asks questions such as, "What are the colors of our flag?" This quite different from, "The degree to which we can educate our children today will directly impact the future of our community…." I'm not sure how many native English speakers would be able to read a similar sentence in French, German or even Spanish (a language which many of us are familiar with). And, though we all have an opportunity to learn about candidates throughout their campaigns, many of us rely on the sample ballot to learn about more complicated ballot measures which we rarely hear about.

Of course, if this does not seem convincing enough, perhaps you'll be more convinced by California's own election standards. The California Voters Bill of Rights says, "You have the right to election materials in another language, if there are sufficient residents in your precinct to warrant production." The "Bill of Rights" goes on to state that any person who believes they have been denied one of these rights may call the "fraud or misconduct" hotline. Our City Clerk is doing his DUTY and saving our city from lawsuits. If you are in disagreement with the multilingual sample ballots, you should be complaining to the Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, rather than the Glendale News Press.

Lastly, there are countless individuals who not only speak English fluently but have also been voters their entire lives, yet they are still confused by the voting system. Unlike their non-English speaking neighbors, these individuals may turn around and ask a poll worker what to do. It is only fair to allow non-English speaking individuals, including those who have taken the time to educate themselves about the candidates, the right to ask questions at the polling place!

I am in agreement that learning English in today's world is essential because our world is increasingly becoming a global society with English as the common language. Those who do not learn English may find themselves at a loss. But, it is quite paternalistic for me to force someone to do what I believe is "best" for them. And, it is against our country's own ideals for us to advocate the denial of anyone's rights. Many of these voters did come from the former Soviet Union and Iran and are thus much more unaccustomed to and alienated by the election process. Shouldn't we welcome their desire to be a part of a democracy with open arms rather than slammed doors?

My first st. patty's in boston

So, yesterday was my first st. patty's in boston. first real st. patty's i guess. It was madness. We started out at a classmates house a little before 9:30 am (yes, AM). Of course we began drinking right away - on an empty stomach. In fact, I was playing flip cup while my bagel was getting toasted. We continued to drink and play while the crowd got bigger and bigger... and by 1 or 2 pm, we were finally ready to head out.

Unfortunately, it was a little too late. When we got into the city, it was madness. Crowds of people and lines everywhere. There was not a single bar without a MASSIVE line. A lotta bars were charging covers - some were a bit crazy (I heard some place was charging $30! - in boston! places here don't have cover and if they do its like $5). Anyway, it was just insane. We finally gave up on the idea of going to a bar and we headed to another friend's house. I think I drank some more at the house - i might have even tried to play beer pong but I couldn't see straight - not sure what I was thinking... and then I passed out for good. Well, for a few hours at least.

Woke up around 8 i think... ready for round two! (except, by this point in the day i looked like a crackhead - seriously - make up smudged and all). We grabbed some pizza then headed to a bar... once again, long lines and since no one was leaving, the lines weren't moving. We finally found one place (bar/club) that didn't have a line! And, best of all, they had two pretty good dj's spinning together (records, not cd's). Maybe I just thought they were good because I was drunk....

Anyway, the night ended with lots of dancing.

9am - 1am. What a St. Patty's day!

(I'm glad it's only once a year because my body would kill me if I tried to do that again anytime soon!)

Random Blogging

.... because i'm in.... yes, you guessed it, property.

Why do I never pay attention in property? Well, I walked into class today and this was written on the board:


"To Christina for her life, then to Haley and her heirs if Britney is bald one year from the time of effectiveness of this grant, and then to Jessica and her heirs if Britney is not bald one year from the time of effectiveness"

and

"To Christina for her life, then to Haley and her heirs, but if Britney is not bald one year from the time of effectiveness of this grant, then to Jessica and her heirs."


Do you sympathize?

Thanks

So. I had to do a little bit of shopping yesterday. I headed over to Downtown Crossing and as I was heading home (around 4 pm) I walked past Ballys and noticed the sign outside said, "-10 C"

For those who don't know what "-10 C" means, let me give you my "conversion" - "-10 C" = "ears falling off" (in human terms). Of course, thats about "14 F" for some. But, that wasn't taking into account the freezing cold wind.

BTW. When I say wind - I don't mean "cool wind" or "warm Santa Ana's" - I mean - 40 - 50 mph gusts of freezing (f*#$ing) cold WIND! Wind that finds its way through your layers into your hood and to your EARS.


The weather forecast has described this weeks temperatures as "very cold" "bitterly cold" and "FRIGID" - when have you read weather reports that say frigid?

Our overnight low was "2" with the "real feel" of "-25" (thats not celsius folks!)

Of course, I'm a silly Californian. As I left the house in the morning I thought - "Oooh, nice sunny day" (HAHAHA). I realized ten steps out the door that not grabbing gloves was a big mistake but I was late so I didn't turn back. Instead, I kept my hands in my pockets and hustled to the T.

After class, my friend asked me to help her carry some stuff from her car to school. We got to her car and I realized - hm... I have to carry a box which means, I can't stick my hands in my pockets... uh oh.

It was a 1 block walk from her car to campus - and honestly, I was scared to death that I wouldn't have fingers. I mean, I've said that before. I've told many people, "I took my gloves off and I thought I was going to lose my fingers" - but this was bad. This was no gloves for like 5 minutes. My fingers were burning and throbbing... then semi numb (in fact, I couldn't even grip the box anymore) and when I got into the building they went back to throbbing and burning - my fingertips were a funny color.

Moral of the story - CARRY GLOVES WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES! Five minutes felt like 30... it was just incredible... Bright, Sunny, Gorgeous - Fingers Falling Off - the two just don't seem to go together.

Anyway, I'll end my post with two fun quotes from school:


"Harvard, Harvard. Everyone is always talking about Harvard. Forget Harvard. We're at BU. Better. Thats what the B stands for. Better University." (Professor Maclin)


"I take it the proposition is that I should cancel class on Friday so you can all run off to Florida.... (some convo).... Done" .... "History suggests the Friday before break is not the time to do perpetuaties (sp?)" (Professor Lawson)


And Selmi... something along the lines of, "I was thinking of cancelling class but... (interrupted by applause from class)... okay." (Student... "what's the but") "Well, since there was such an enthusiastic response, no but."

Change

On my T-ride home today, I was listening to Boston by Augustana. I really haven't listened to this song since last August/September. I sorta over played it back then and was pretty sick of it for a while.

Today as I listened to it, I remembered the thoughts that went through my head when I first heard it... i remember how I felt when I was getting ready to move... when I did move.

I remember in an old blog I wrote about how the song applied but noted that I wasn't necessarily tired of the weather - and snow would not be nice.

Today, as I listened, I looked out the window at the muddy remainders of snow from a week or two ago. You know, some snow was nice. It was different. It was a change.

I realized looking back how much things have changed, how much I've changed. I like to think I do a pretty good job of embracing change. I remember my first night in Boston - the momentary panic that sank in as I thought - oh my god, what have Its done this time!?!?! Lol. I was a bit scared, I'll admit it.

But it lasted for a day - maybe two - and then Boston was home. Things changed, I moved on.

So much has changed for me in the last 5 years. Heck, so much has changed for me since HS. I changed - I went through so many evolutions. I remember being 17/18 and loving the LA party life... or the little of it I experienced. My 5 year plan was set - I was going to graduate at 21, get my credentials by 22 and be a teacher by day, party queen by night. I worked pretty hard back then - didn't have this internet addition yet (that always seems to keep me from what I really want to be doing). My first summer in college was such a DRASTIC change from HS. I want from being a hermit to a social butterfly - a non-drinker to a drunk! I went from bad student to great student; uninvolved to overinvolved. Taken to single.

Then I moved away. I changed. All of a sudden, doing the club thing until i was 30 wasn't my cup of tea. Heck, I began to despise the LA "scene" - suddenly became a fan of beer and bars and "get togethers" at home... dropped the hoochie outfits (perhaps the transfer 30 had something to do with that) for jeans and sweaters.

So much change.

The biggest of course was from "white washed" to "fob" lol - it was more like - apathetic to very involved and concerned Armenian.

Every day at Berkeley felt like something new for me. I loved it. And its the reason I am who I am today - the good, the bad - all of it. Who would I be if I wasn't writing letters to the Glendale News Press every other day? hehe.

Returning to Glendale was more change - but it felt like stagnant change. I went from crazy bars to low key lounges. I went from social to hermit. I went from involved to uninvolved.

And then Boston.

There's just so much. Its not just me, its the world around me. A different bedroom, a different bed, different house, street, friends, school, world, perspective....

perspective.

change can be good or bad. change is not synonymous with improvement. Going from social drinker to beligerent drunk was not "improvement" - but it was change.

But change is growth. Change is perspective.

This all seems like a given right? We all change. Everything changes. The world changes.

But I'm not sure it really is a given. I am constantly amazed at how many people fight change. I know, change is scary - scary as hell - but if you never take that step, where does that lead you?

The world is not as you see it. THe world is never how you see it. You have to see the world through a billion different experiences before you can even pretend to understand it - and even then perhaps you can't.

TO change is to evolve - and evolution is how we've become who we have. If you fight change, you fight your own evolution and you stay who you are... who you have been...

Maybe you like who you are... maybe you have no desire to change that person or the world that person lives in.

But I wish everyone would give change a chance - not just a new haircut or a new outfit - something different... something that scares you.

I dwell on the past a lot - the past was fun. I had some good times, good laughs, scary times, sad times. I'm happy about the past and I like reminiscing - but its not because I don't appreciate the present of believe in the future. I dream about the future constantly. And I try to appreciate the present every second of the day. I walk down the street everyday and say to myself... "I am not in Glendale" - its invigorating just to think about it. I look at the houses that I have now become so accustomed to seeing I could easily ignore them - but I don't. I stop and I look and think... damnit, I love this - its DIFFERENT... its change. The streets, the T, the lifestyle... its freakin Boston!

See, I know that change is constant - and I've made sure to enjoy all of it - because in the blink of an eye - I might not be in Boston anymore - I might be back in LA or god knows where... either way - I won't always walk down this street to Clark Rd (where I live) and I won't always get to walk up three flights of wooden stairs to my bedroom in the back. Someday this too will change - for better or worse, who knows (hopefully better) but I make sure not to take any of it for granted.

I'm ready for more change. There are changes ahead of me that scare the shit out of me right now... but I'm okay with that. I'll learn, I'll grow. I'm sure I'll screw up... but oh well. But thats all okay......