He's Cute, He Has My Vote.

Last night I was watching the Cafferty File on CNN, and with midterm elections coming up, Cafferty was talking about a popular voting trend based on...good looks.

The latest study released by MIT has found that people will vote for a candidate because he "looks the part" whether they actually know his stance on the issues.

These findings are not just specific to America, but across the globe. Cafferty goes on to explain:

According to the study, just by knowing which candidate looked better, researchers could accurately predict the winner in 68 percent of Mexican elections and 75 percent of some Brazilian elections.

Are we seriously exercising our democratic liberties based off of which candidate looks better?

But this is actually a phenomenon we studied in my business class the other day (yup, the same lecture I mentioned in my last blog post on leadership). People said that key factors in leadership were charisma, competence, and character. Leaders could give off the perception that they would be a good leader if they had charisma, were well spoken, well dressed, and overall in good poise. Their charisma transcended into the public's belief that they must also be competent and have good character - the trifecta for a good leader.

Sounds to me like our society is taking the importance of image too far. If you want to read more about MIT's study you can visit the Cafferty File by going here.

And that's my two cents.

If Everyone is a Leader Then Where are all the Followers?

Today in my Commerce 1800 class Making Business Work we had a guest lecturer talk about leadership. As I was listening to the lecture it made me start thinking about how many times the importance of leadership has been thrown at us as students.

In high school while filling out college applications, they emphasized: student leadership, student leadership, student leadership. They made you feel as if you would not be accepted into college unless you were a student leader.

So now all of these ambitious student leaders are all together in one place at UVA, making an even more competitive enivronment as students continue with their belief that we all have to be student leaders.

But the question that I feel needs to be asked is: If everyone is a leader then where are all the followers?

In reality, not everyone can be a leader. I worry that we are creating a generation of people who will all expect that they will assume leadership positions in the real world, which simply isn't the case.

Furthermore, with the obsession of creating leaders, American society is creating a culture where people derive their value out of their power and postion in leadership roles. People who are not leaders or are simply happy to be a follower are left feeling that they are not contributing as much or as valuable compard to the leaders in their community.

What happened to the value of a strong and invested member in their community, organization, or firm? With all leaders, not only are there not any followers, but there are also not any strong members as the backbone of the organization that helps it function.

I worry that our generation is going to enter the workforce running and gunning for every promotion and top position - because it was what we were told to. But this only leads to disappointment and the disregard for the value of sincere and caring members.

And that's my two cents.

Betsy Ross - Fact or Fiction? Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

In April 1776 while Boston was being plagued with a smallpox epidemic George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross approached the upholster Betsy Ross with making an American flag.

Washington, Morris, and Ross were supposedly a part of a secret committee of the Continental Congress ordered to develop an American flag. Washington approached Betsy Ross with the project, and she happily accepted.

However numerous historians have said that this story is mere legend. They say there never was a secret flag committee and a Flag Resolution wasn't even passed until 1777. Furthermore, they claim that during the Revolutionary War the United States did not fight under a single standard flag.

But I believe there is enough historical evidence to make Betsy Ross' story valid. First there is her numerous connections with Washington. She was well acquainted with him, because they went to the same church in Philadelphia, and her daughter is quoted in saying he hired her to embroider "ruffles for his shirt bosoms and cuffs, and that it was partly owing to his friendship that she was chosen to make the flag."

So it makes sense that Washington would approach her, if anyone, for the assignment.

Then in the book Pioneer Mothers of America, the niece of Roger Sherman, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, is quoted talking about Betsy Ross. She was talking about how her aunt Rebecca Sherman was excited about America's independence:

"When a little later, George Washington designed and ordered the new flag to be made by Betsy Ross, nothing would satisfy Aunt Rebecca but to go and see it in the works, and there she had the privilege of sewing some of the stars on the very first flag of a Young Nation. Perhaps because of this experience she was chosen and requested to make the first flag ever made in the State of Connecticut."

Sounds like good enough evidence to me! Betsy Ross was the real deal!

And that's my two cents.

America's got a Mulan too - Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

I don't know why they haven't made a movie about this story...

Deborah Sampson was a poor girl with no family growing up in Massachusetts. With no one to hold her back, she became swept up in the patriot cause and "the zeal which had urged the men to quit their homes for the battlefield found its way to a female bosom."

She completely transformed herself into a man: sewing a soldier's uniform, changing her name to "Robert Shurtliff", and enlisting herself in Washington's Army.

She served for three years, during that time she was wounded twice but continued to fight. None of her fellow soldiers ever suspected that "Robert" was a woman, but they did jokingly call her "Molly" because she never grew a beard like the rest of them!

But one day she contracted an extremely high fever that nearly killed her, and when a doctor examined her, he discovered that Robert Shurtliff was definitely not a man. But surprisingly, the doctor protected her identity and allowed her to continue her disguise as she recovered.

When "Robert" returned to the army, the doctor sent her with a letter to George Washington detailing the confidential information, and without saying a word, Washington simply discharged her from the service and gave her money to help her find a place to live.

Years later Washington invited the woman who so fearlessly fought for her country to Congress where she received a pension and some land in recognition of her service. When she died, her husband petitioned Congress for survivor's benefits and Congress said that there was "no other similar example of female heroism, fidelity and courage" and her husband "has proved himself worthy of her, as he has sustained her through a long life of sickness and suffering (which were) occasioned by the wounds she received and the hardships she endured in defense of the country...the committee does not hesitate to grant relief."

Woah! I still cannot get over this story. I just cannot imagine literally going into battle and on top of that being wounded TWICE and still pushing on. I also think it is really interesting how both Washington and Congress handled Deborah's situation. You would think that back then a woman fighting would be viewed as a disgrace and they would have demonished her. But instead they helped her find a place to live and gave her and her family benefits for her service! When I read this story it made me really glad to know that Congress realized her level of service despite the probable shock of her being a woman and fighting at the time.

And that's my two cents.

Who else is excited about this!?

In October the movie The Social Network will be premiering in theaters, and it is all about the founding of our good ol' friend Facebook! Plus it stars Justin Timberlake - so that should be your reason to go see it right there :)

I'm really interestd to see this movie, purely because of how much Facebook has impacted our generation. I'm hoping it is going to show past generations that Facebook isn't something to be tossed off, but it has very legitimate purposes and benefits.

Take campaigning on facebook: Candidates are so much more accessible to their voters through their facebook pages. What's more democratic than that?

Or take marketing: almost every company now has a facebook page to sell their service or product to consumers, making it more accessible for buyers and gives companies more face time without having to pay pricey tv ads. What's more capitalist than that?

Of course there are the negative aspects of Facebook that our past generations have cried foul on. Facebook has quickly made our generation narcissitic and obssessed with...ourselves. Look at me, look at how awesome my life is, don't you wish you were me? And unfortunately, what's more American than that at times?

Good or bad, Facebook has affected this generation and ultimately represents this generation. It has completely changed how we socialize and communicate with each other. Eitehr way, I think The Social Network will be a movie worth seeing since it is truly about our generation and what we have contributed to society. It is a movie about us.

And that's my two cents.

Restaurant Review: Filomena, Georgetown

Today my family and I went to an Italian restaurant called Filomena in the heart of Georgetown, Washington DC and we loved it so much that they told me, "You have to write a review about it on your blog!"

So this is my review about it on my blog haha.

From the outside it looks really small and like not much is going on in there, but the restaurant is actually downstairs, and it is really pretty and well-decorated and actually a big restaurant, much bigger than you would first suspect.

They have both a buffet, and you can select entrees from their menu. The buffet is nice, because even though it is an Italian restaurant the buffet offers other foods such as fried chicken and brunch. But if you order an entree, you get the salad buffet included, so it is like the best of both worlds! The buffet AND an entree :)

Now to the main course: the food. We all agreed that it was DELICIOUS. Plus you didn't have to wait long for it either. The prices were also very reasonable for a nice Italian restaurant in Georgetown. My pasta alla carbonara was $11.95, and the 5 of us walked out spending $70 total.

Filomena is a really great deal, but the trick is to go during lunch time, when the prices are cheaper. You get the same amount of food for a LOT less.

We are definitely planning on eating again at this restaurant - the drive into Georgetown from Northern Virginia is easy and underground parking is everywhere. Filomena is right off of M street - the main hub of Georgetown. So you can also enjoy walking around the Georgetown shops and spending time with your favorite men: Tommy Hilfiger, Steve Madden, and Calvin Klein :)

Click here to go to their website for more information and directions.

So what's better than a nice afternoon eating pasta in a city you love for a great price?

And that's my two cents.

America's favorite heroine...may be a myth - Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

While the majority of our "Founding Mothers" during the Revolutionary War supported the cause by running the households and businesses while the men were away fighting, there were also a fair share of women on the battlefield.

But the most well known of these women, Molly Pitcher, may have never even existed.

According to the story, a woman named Molly brought water to the soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth. They would say, "Molly, Pitcher," calling her for water, and that is how her name became Molly Pitcher.

Then Molly saw her own husband shot on the battlefield. I cannot even imagine the horror...but she just continued the fight and took his place firing the cannon.

Some say that Molly Pitcher is just a generic name for all the women who were water carriers on the battlefield, but there is sufficient historical evidence by eyewitness accounts that there was a woman at the Battle of Monmouth working the cannons.

A woman by the name of Mary Hays was also accounted for at the battle, and she is believed to have been Molly Pitcher, because Molly was a common nickname for Mary at the time (I know right, don't ask me why, but anyway, it was). Mary even received a pension for her services in the Revolutionary War.

Sounds like good enough evidence for me - I'd say Molly Pitcher was real, let's not dilute her to mere folklore.

And that's my two cents.

Helping Homeless

It has happened to us all: we are walking outside in a city and we see a homeless person begging. He's holding a can asking for change as people pass him by.

We all think to ourselves: Should I give him money or shouldn't I?

I think it's a common debate we all have, because ever since we were little there have been numerous adults that told us, "Don't give homeless people your money, they will just spend it on drugs and alcohol, and you aren't really helping them."

While I am sure there are some homeless people out there who will take the money you give them and squander it away on alcohol and another hit of drugs, I believe there are more in the world that will actually use it for food.

Maybe that is the innocent, naive little girl in me, but I am still going to believe it. I am still going to believe that not all homeless people are lazy trying to live off of hardworking people and government. I still believe that there are some people who are honestly just down on their luck, sick, with no one to turn to.

I also don't think all these homeless people are spending the money they get from begging on alcohol and drugs. Last time I checked, both of these are not inexpensive commodities. So he is definitely not headed to a bar with the total of $0.73 he got that day. I've never seen a homeless person with a cup full of change.

But with even less than a dollar or a little more, he can buy food.

At the end of the day, I also think it comes down to that this is not a big, political question of whether we should or shouldn't give people handouts. It's a much more narrower reality. This is just you and a homeless person on a street corner in one city, in one country of the world.

And I would much rather be a few cents short with a compassionate heart than have the warmth of change in my pocket with a cold heart.

And that's my two cents.

Wives and Spies - Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

The most notable Philadelphia woman to help the Patriot cause, was Lydia Darragh. She had a great view from her window to watch British activities, and she would record them in coded messages and hide the messages in her sons' coat buttons who would then bring them to his older brother serving in Washington's army.

Crazy right?

One night, British Major Andre commandeered Lydia's house for him and his fellow officers to bunker down in. Which, by the way, is why we have the 3rd Amendment - that civilians don't have to quarter troops. When a woman would have to "host" troops in her house, she would have to do all their cooking, cleaning, and laundry - at best. And at worst, she was raped as well.

When Andre commandeered her house he told her he wanted her asleep while his troops were in there, and he would come upstairs to let her know when they wanted to be let out. Sensing that something wasn't right, she snuck into the hallway and pressed her ear against the keyhole. Sure enough, she hears the British plan to stage a surprise attack on over 5,000 American troops two days from then.

This was during the wintertime, and in the 1700s, armies did not fight during the winter - all fighting was called off and each army camps out. So this attack would have been a huge blow to the American army, because it would be both unexpected and during the winter. All in all, a crippling defeat, moreover, not the fair way to play war.

Lydia rushes back to bed and pretends to be sleeping when Andre knocks on her door for his troops to be let out. He knocks on the door once. No answer. Knocks again. No answer. Then he bangs loudly on the door and a groggy Lydia pulls herself out of bed to open the door.

Lydia then came up with a plan to be able to report her findings to the American army. She pretended that she needed to go out of town to get flour, and since during the war they were under martial law, she had to receive a pass from General Howe to do so.

With the Americans informed of the British surprise attack, they were well prepared, and the British walked straight into a line of cannons, completely defeated by the end of the battle.

The British goes back into town, and Major Andre KNOWS that someone tipped off the Americans. He goes to Lydia and demands to know who in her family was awake, and she says, "All my family was asleep, you know that," and he says, "I know it definitely wasn't you, because I had to knock on your door three times to wake you up."

Tricky, right?

And the British never figured out who it was that told, and who it was that saved over 5,000 American troops that day.

The even more amazing part of this story is that Lydia Darragh and her family were Quaker. Quakers are known for not getting involved, remaining neutral. During this time, if they were to have taken any side, they would have been quiet Loyalists, because that was maintaining the status quo.

So not only is it extraordinary that Lydia as a Quaker she was a Patriot, but that she did something about it too. It's interesting that her husband refused to get involved, yet she did. And after she did, the church excommunicated her.

All in all, Lydia Darragh was an amazing woman who sacrified for a cause she truly believed in.

And that's my two cents.

Puerto Rican is a language!?

The picture I posted is the view from my apartment window here in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Pretty sweet, huh? It's called Isla Verde, the area where I'm staying and its strip of beach.

So in honor of me being in Puerto Rico on vacation now, I thought I'd tell a funny story:

My grandparents and everyone on my Dad's side live in Puerto Rico, and we visit them every year during the summer. But during the rest of the year, for our birthdays, mi abuela (grandma) always sends us checks.

Recently, our bank told us that they couldn't process her checks anymore, because they were from Puerto Rico and from a Puerto Rican bank. This is absolutely ridiculous, because Puerto Rico is a territory of the US! Why won't you process American checks??

So when my mom got her birthday check from mi abuela, and the bank wouldn't process it, she was on the phone with them trying to figure out why.

As she's talking to the bank teller, the woman responds, "Well we can't process the check, because it's written in Puerto Rican."

!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

My mom just paused and said, "Umm, well the check is written in SPANISH, yes."

We just couldn't believe any of this. First of all: PUERTO RICAN!? Seriously? Second of all, Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, and this bank teller was from Northern Virginia, so don't tell me she hadn't heard Spanish before. We all know Northern Virginia has its abundance of hispanics.

It's not like the check was that hard to read too. It was from el Banco Popular. Hmmm, I wonder what that means in English? And the amount was for "cuarenta dolares" and if she didn't have the simple motivation to look up "cuarenta" or ask a friend that easy question, the amount is written right there for her in the box! $40!

It's really not that difficult.

Puerto Rican!? Oh goodness...

And that's my two cents.

16 and Pregnant? Nah. How about 16 and Plantation Owner - Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

Oh my goodness! I am not even halfway through Founding Mothers, and I have already read so many fascinating stories about the women during the American revolution. Where to begin? Let's start from the beginning...

The first woman, or I guess I should say girl, the author Cokie Roberts introduces is Eliza Pinckney. Around 1734, her father had to leave to join his regiment in Antigua in fighting the war against Spain. So he left her, a 16 year old girl, in charge of their 3 South Carolina plantations, her sick mother, and all the children.

Phew! That's a lot for a teenager to handle! But she proved that she was up for the challenge.

"I have the business of three plantations to transact, which requires much writing and more business and fatigue of other sorts than you can imagine. But least you should imagine it too burdensome to a girl at my early time of life, give me leave to answer you: I assure you I think myself happy that I can be useful to so good a father, and by rising very early I find I can go through much business."

Man, I admire her already! But not only did she just run three plantations, she did a heck of a job at it too. She realized that rice was basically the only cash crop making South Carolina money, and she was determined to find another way to make the colony prosperous. She predicted (and was eventually right!) that growing indigo would become a lucrative business.

It took a lot of hard work, trial and error, and years until her indigo experiment worked. She was finally able to harvest enough plants and distributed the seeds to other planters so that indigo would make South Carolina an exclusive hub for indigo and thereby an important colony with more power. England snatched up the indigo and paid South Carolinians in bounty for it.

So here is a girl who not only had an extreme amount of responsibility for her age, but she went above and beyond the call of duty, for herself and her colony, and showed wisdom beyond her years.

And that's my two cents.

¿El Fin de los Toreros?

Just today, Barcelona and its region of Catalonia banned bullfighting. This is the first region in the mainland of Spain to abolish the long time tradition and hallmark of Spanish culture.

But this has been a critical issue in Spain for a long time, as opponents of bullfighting cry animal cruelty. When I was in Spain, I never attended a bullfight, and if I go back, I don't think I ever will. I just don't understand what is entertaining about watching an animal being tortured and eventually killed. Plus it seems even more disturbing to have tons of people watching in a ring and cheering as the bull dies. It all comes across as barbaric.

But everyone in Spain that I talked to was against bullfighting, especially the youth. The only main argument for bullfighting is tradition. It has become such a part of the culture, that many, especially older people, have a hard time letting it go.

When I was reading this article, nothing really surprised me about what they were reporting. Everything that is unfolding with this issue is so true to Spain. Bullfighting has always been a problem, Barcelona has always been the most independent region, and there has always been tension between the youth and the elderly.

The region of Catalonia, where Barcelona is situated, is the most unique region and distinct in Spain. People there call themselves Catalans first, and Spaniards second. They even speak their own dialect of Spanish called Catalan. So some are saying this bullfight ban is more than just to save animals, but a political push as well. Could it be another step for Barcelona to gain more independence from the rest of Spain?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the rest of Spain: how the rest of the Spanish public will receive the ban, and if other Spanish cities will follow suit. Some say if anything, Madrid and Seville will definitely keep bullfighting around, as it is the most popular and culturally significant in those two cities.

So is this the end of the bullfighters? I certainly hope so.

And that's my two cents.

Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History

A few weeks ago I was watching Glenn Beck, and every Friday in the summer he does a segment called "Founding Fridays" where he focuses on a topic about the founding of our nation.

So on this particular day he focused not on the Founding Fathers, but the Founding Mothers. Most of our knowledge of important women during the Revolutionary period begins with Betsy Ross (which doesn't really even count, because that story is mainly a folktale now) and Abigail Adams and Martha Washington...

...and it ends there.

Little is taught in the history books of the women who sacrificed and fought for America's independence too. They supported their husbands and made their own mark as well. During Glenn's Beck show, he told numerous stories of the women who showed immense courage and conviction for our new nation.

I was so intrigued by these women's lives that I decided to start a little project this summer! (frankly beause I knew I'd NEVER actually do it during the school year) I am going to learn more about these great women by reading Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts, and I will talk about some of the stories I find most interesting on here (because if I don't post it somewhere then I'll never actually do it ha).

So I am going to start a series on my blog post called "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History." Be looking out for entries in this new series!

And that's my two cents.

America Now - Friends and Neighbors

Last night I was watching Dateline, and Ann Curry did an entire segment on how hard the Great Recession has hit some Americans. It was called "America Now-Friends and Neighbors." For nine months she followed a community in southeastern Ohio.

The segment follows an owner of a food pantry and her struggle to keep the pantry up and running, especially as people visiting fod pantries has jumped 30%. Desperate for help, as people wait in line they write notes to the President on empty plates, a symbol for their hunger, asking him to help them out. Eventually over 1200 plates were sent straight to the White House.

It also follows several families in the area. One man has worked for 10 companies that went under and cannot find a job, an extended family of 14 people all have to live in a house together, and another family lives in a camper without running water.

None of them can find jobs. And all of them are barely getting by, just trying to feed their children, as they go hungry.

And the saddest part is these stories are just a dime a dozen.

Did you know that 40 million Americans are now living in poverty? And that means 1 in 5 children are living in poverty?

I sure didn't, and that blew me away.

These are conditions we expect in poorer, less fortunate countries, but not in the wealthiest country in the world...

... not in America.

Poverty is right in our backyard now. Literally. The University of Virginia Health System went to Wise, Virginia for a free health clinic last weekend. It's called a Remote Access Medical clinic, and thousands of people waited in line and even camped in tents in the parking lot to receive free medical care. Wise county has unemployment rates and poverty levels well above the national average. Most of the people in Wise do not have health insurance, and last year 6,000 people were treated and over $2 million of aid was given. You can read more about it here.

The stereotypes that people say about people in poverty and on welfare simply are not true. These people aren't just living off of welfare checks, being lazy, and having 25 kids so they can continue to live on the government's dime. They are working hard every day, trying to find jobs that simply aren't there. Most of them are trained in manufacturing and construction, live in low income areas where they couldn't afford to go to college, and all of their labor jobs have been outsourced to other countries.

I would REALLY encourage you to check out Ann Curry's segment America Now - Friends and Neighbors. The site has the Dateline episode posted there, as well as the full text from the show if you just want to skim through it. There are also personal pictures taken by Curry and ways you can help.

If you go to just one of the several articles/websites I post on this blog, this Dateline episode should be it.

And that's my two cents.

Washington Post Silent on Black Panther Case

As news of the Black Panther voter intimidation case unraveled, the Washington Post apparently decided to simply not report on it.

As a recap: the Black Panthers on election day stood outside of a Philadelphia polling place and threatened people with brandishing sticks to vote for Obama. When they were prosecuted, only one of them was punished, and even that was just a slap on the wrist - he couldn't come within 100 yards of a Philadelphia polling place for a few years.

Please.

So after readers complained to the ombudsman FOR MONTHS about not reporting on the case, the ombudsman scolded his own newspaper for neglecting the topic, and the Post finally issued a full length news article about the Black Panthers.

Many people are now accusing the Post of a double standard. Critics of the Black Panther case say that the only reason people such as J.Christian Adams are fighting for a harsher prosecution is purely partisan politics.

This is just simply not the case. Since when is the right to have a fair and equal voting process only a Republican issue?

Adams spoke out, to the media and the US Commission Civil Rights, that the Justice Department was showing favor to the defendants because they were black, as if trying show reversal racism.

But in the case of the Post not reporting the issue, it should not matter that this has become the conservative fight (even though I really don't understand why), or that it is a possible issue of reverse racism, or even if it's a partisan fight (which I really don't believe it is) - the important thing is that it is an issue. It is a story. And a newspaper's job is to report stories of interest and importance to it's readers. Many other newspapers and news organizations felt it was worth reporting except for the Washington Post.

See this is why I get frustrated when people complain about Fox News, calling them out for being too conservative. They're absolutely right - Fox News is conservative, and I'm not going to act like they aren't unbiased. Journalism is supposed to be unbiased, but really, what newspaper is nowadays? Fox News just reports about more issues that are of interest to the conservative audience. It was the first to pick up on the Black Panther case, and if Fox News doesn't report about these issues, then who will?

Obviously not the Washington Post.

It's clearly not just Fox News and conservative agencies showing a bias in what they choose to report - it's the liberal side, like the Washington Post too.

And again, it still baffles me why this has become a conservative issue. Why does it have to be on one party/ideoligical side at all? It's about the right that each citizen has to vote without any intimidation and experience a fair and equal voting process.

What's so political about that?

And that's my two cents.

Sometimes you just need a different perspective on life...

I first saw this video in church one time when my pastor showed it, and it's funny but also so true. Sometimes we just got so caught up in our little world, a one-track, straightforward mindset, that we forget to look around us. We don't think outside of the box. Sometimes you just need a different perspective on life, to realize maybe things aren't as bad as they seem, that life will go on - that there is always a solution, and you're never really helpless.

If not, we might just find ourselves stuck on an escalator like these two idiots :p

And that's my two cents.

Its cool when your job makes the nightly news

Last night, ABC 7 World News aired a spot about how social media is revolutionizing politics.

Which is exactly my job!

I work for Harris Media, a political communications firm that handles the social media for candidates running for political office. So I get to help update their Facebook pages, twitter accounts, websites, blog posts, etc. You can check out Harris media by going here.

There is definitely no denying how important, almost "viral" social internet media is becoming in politics. What I love about it is it brings voters closer to the campaign and the candidate. Voters can "tweet" a candidate a question or ask them a question on their facebook, and they can communicate with the campaign! Everything is literally at the voter's fingertips - whether they want to learn about the candidate's stance on certain issues, his voting record, or donate/volunteer to the campaign - it is all just a click away. The opportunities are endless.

So in the spirit of social networking - please go "like" Harris Media if you found this interesting! And yes, of course we have our own facebook page :)

Needless to say, I love my job :)

And that's my two cents.

Let's Talk About Arizona

It will probably come as no surprise to those who know me that I support the Arizona immigration law. Especially now that the Justice Department is suing Governor Jan Brewer against the law, it is all extremely ironic.

The Arizona law is actually only following federal immigration regulation. In other words, Arizona is just doing what they were told by the federal government, and more importantly, following the letter of the law.

While the fed is focusing all of its time on Arizona, it is ignoring several other local governments who are not complying with federal immigration law. These local governments are telling their police to not cooperate with federal immigration officials.

Why aren't those governments being sued? You can read more here

Arizona is not actually the first place to enact such a law. My hometown, Prince William County, put a similar law into place before Arizona did, and it succeeded. 80% of residents in Prince William County supported the law. The crime rate went down by 38%, and there was a drop in ESL enrollment and the number of uninsured illegals giving birth in the county. You can learn more, by watching this video.

I just don't understand why the federal government is fighting a law that is protecting its own tax-paying, law abiding citizens in order to promote some amnesty, political agenda.

Lastly, shoot outs resulting in numerous people dying near the Mexican-US border have become all too frequent. The drug cartels, human trafficking, and organized crime is wreaking havoc in our country. You can read more here.

So don't tell me we don't need tighter border control.

And that's my two cents.

DC area says, What Recession?

While the rest of the US is struggling in this current recession, my hometown, the greater DC-Metro area, doesn't seem to be feeling its effects.

Ever since Obama expanded the government and hence government jobs, everyone in politics, policy, and government jobs have had strong job security - aka everyone in Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland.

Just look at the stats:
Out of the 15 largest metropolitan areas, DC was the one to lose the fewest number of jobs.
Unemployment in the Washington area was only 6% in May, while the national average was 9.5% - not to mention areas in the Midwest that are experiencing the worst unemployment spikes at 14.7%

Northern Virginia has been called one of the wealthiest, most educated ares in the country, and this current economic disconnect is only increasing DC's gap from the rest of the country.

As a resident of Northern Virignia, I have definitely experienced this. Just go to Fair Oaks Mall or Tysons Corner and you will always find a jammed parking lot and think to yourself, "What recession?"

To read more, go to this article.

And that's my two cents.

Georgetown Cupcake - worth the hype?

Georgetown Cupcake is an extremely popular "cupcakery" in the heart of Georgetown, Washington DC. It has been praised across the board from numerous newspapers and food critics - making it a place for people to gather in hopes of eating delicious cupcakes...

...and wait 40 minutes in line for them.

Which is exactly what I did with my friends while we were in DC for the day.

Georgetown Cupcake is so popular that people are willing to wait in line up to an hour for just one of their cupcakes! The line was literally wrapped around the block. People walking around in Georgetown would come up to those of us waiting in line and say, "Really? Those cupcakes are THAT good? You guys are waiting in line for a cupcake!?"

So the experience was definitely fun, to wait in line and be laughed at by passerbys and talk to other people in line - many of who were tourists enjoying the sights of DC - and apparently Georgetown Cupcake had made it onto that prestigious list of places to visit in our nation's capital.

So are the cupcakes really that good?

I was thinking that they must be really good for them to receive all this hype, but I have to say, I was disappointed when I finally bit into what was supposed to be my "40 minutes good delicious morsel of red velvet cupcake." I chose red velvet, because it was apparently what Georgetown Cupcake was known for. While the icing was very good, the cupcake part just tasted like bread and had no flavor to it. My other friends agreed that their cupcakes just tasted like bread too.

Maybe it's a result of mass production, that a once out of this world delicious cupcake fell prey to mainstream popularity which resulted in quick production for more profit. I'm glad I went though, just to see what all the hype was about. But maybe I'm saving you a trip.

Then there is the show that just aired about the cupcakery - called DC Cupcakes on TLC. My best friend and I sat down to watch it, and again, were disappointed in another Georgetown Cupcake production. The scenes looked staged and scripted, and there wasn't enough drama or story to make an interesting plot. Plus the sisters came across as whiny and self-absorbed. I don't know if I'll be tuning in for the next episode.

So the consensus?

Close...but not cigar.

And that's my two cents.