Never Judge a (Face)book?

During the process of my apartment search, one potential subletter friended me on Facebook. Nowadays, it seems, Facebook and Google searches are my generation's version of a background check and references.

This process certainly is fallible. In addition to outright lying about information, people can also mislead others about who they are. And of course, like in-person judgments, the judger's first impression can be completely wrong (from law school alone, I admit that I completely read people incorrectly about 1/4 of the time).

However, I do believe that the majority of facebook profiles can accurately tell a fair amount about a person. What groups you choose to join, how much information you are willing to provide (and how organized you decide to present the information), and which pictures you choose to put up (or will not de-tag) can be revealing. Although we may not like to be judged by an electronic page, we are putting the information out there in the same way that we present ourselves in person.

So as I accepted the friend request from the potential subletter, I reassessed whether I think my facebook profile says about me and whether that aligns with who I think I am. I think/hope so.

All Order is Restored in the World

• It was 75 degrees and sunny today
• I found another apartment for this summer that is cheaper, closer to the beach, has more amenities, and has a subletter that is more responsible
  
• The General Counsel's Office told me that I am welcome to come back to work with them anytime next year
• I do not have any journal assignments to do this weekend unlike 90% of the jr. staff
  

I am going to not think about finals for a moment and relish in this moment.

Wanted: Housing

Dear Santa Barbara,

I am really looking forward to moving back to California this summer and working off of State Street, but this housing search has become frustrating. After turning down some other offers because I thought I had locked down an apartment for a good price nearby work, the owner backs out on me. I should have never trusted a girl who took so many days to respond to emails.

You would think that such a nice place would have some decent housing options. But no. Everyone seems to be a pot smoker- excuse me "420 friendly." Alcohol- fine, smoking outside- whatever, but pot? I do not mean to be uptight because I know that a lot of people have tried marijuana, but 1) if you are a 25-30 year old "professional" and 2) smoke so much in your apartment that it is a requirement that someone must be tolerant, than its time to grow up.

It was so easy to sublet my apartment, I would think it would be as easy to get something. Maybe I will just take my friend's suggestion and pitch a tent on the beach.

Kristina

Final Four Lessons

I am back from San Antonio, and despite UCLA's tragic loss, I had a great time. Thank you to all my friends and family who called, texted, and sent me messages of encouragement. Fortunately, I did not need much cheering up because I learned four quick ways to heal a broken Bruin heart.

1. Come back with fun stories
"But for" my 13 hour delay in Newark and trip to San Antonio, I would not have some great stories to tell. One of my favorites is when we got a ride from Austin to San Antonio from Kevin Love's Uncle and Cousin because our flight came in so late that we had to share a rental car. (Long story, I can explain better individually).

Also, if we were not put on another flight, we would not seen the man sitting behind me get pulled off the plane for acting in a threatening manner towards one of the flight attendants.

2. Surround yourself with fun people
First of all, I felt lucky that we were sitting by really nice people in the Alamodomo dome. The Kansas fans in particular were very nice, even before they beat UNC and Memphis. After UCLA loss, they all told Alex and I that they would have much rather gone to UCLA than any other school in the Final Four and that we should we be proud of our team. The complete opposite of USC games, where the fans are obnoxious and arrogant.

Also, Alex and I got to spend the weekend with two of our UCLA friends--Ryan and Doug--who were also bummed, but did not let it affect the rest of the trip at all. I love fun and positive people. We went thrift store shopping, kayaked, lounged by a pool, visited the Alamo, saw the bats in Austin, and a lot more. By the end of the weekend, I really did forget about the loss.

3. Enjoy the local flavor
Dare I say it-- I actually like Texas. The warm weather (90 degrees!) and open spaces reminded me of being in California. Moreover, I enjoyed doing Texas-ish things such as eating BBQ brisket and beating all the boys (Republicans no-less) at the arcade firing range.

However, there were aspects of Texas that equally humorous and frightening. For example, seeing multiple babies in smoke-filled bars. It was a very Sweet Home Alabama moment.

4. Keep things in perspective
My quick recovery to the UCLA loss was watching UNC implode against Kansas. When UNC was down by 28 points, all we could do was laugh and thank goodness that we were not UNC.

On a larger scale though, I remembered what my dad always tells me when I get riled up after sports losses: It's just a game. I had the good fortune of being able to go to UCLA, having enough money to fly out for a game for the weekend, being able to see a historic Final Four, and going back to my normal life after this loss.

I feel bad, however, for the coaches and players--19 and 20 year old boys who have to deal with an inordinate amount of pressure and who are impacted more directly by the outcome. Thank you for a great season Bruins. You made it further than 99% of the teams and were great role models to many.

Here are two of my favorite pictures. The rest are on Facebook and will be up on Flickr hopefully by the end of the weekend.