I'm no Romney fan, but...

Hi all!

The title of the post was possibly misleading, though that was somewhat deliberate. I've kept pretty quiet about it (on here), but you should have been able to reason out by now that I'm supporting Barack Obama in this election. I can think of probably a million reasons why Romney is NOT the man we're looking for, but one thing that I don't hold against him is his religion.

This meme is representative of the mean-spirited attacks on Romney's religion.

A lot of my fellow liberals and Obama supporters seem to see no problem making fun of Romney for being a Mormon, and I'd like to spend this post explaining why I take issue with this.

Don't get me wrong - some of the beliefs of Mormonism are absurd and unbelievable. The fact that it's a relatively young religion isn't exactly helping either. It's like Tosh said, "Let's not base your entire life on a religion that's old enough for my dad to be like, 'Oh yeah, that's not true. That didn't happen.'" I mean, magic underwear? Really?

But here's the thing: ALL religions have one aspect or another that's entirely ridiculous. Christianity believes that Jesus was dead for three days and came back to life. In Hinduism, the deity Ganesha lost his head, so he picked up an elephant's head and used that one instead (shown below). Scientology was created by a science fiction writer who admits he did it to become rich, yet it has a significant following. Christian Science has little to do with either Christianity or science, and rejects medicine for the sick. Where's the fairness in acting as if Mormonism is any more absurd than any of these other examples?

Lord Ganesha, just because I felt like sharing. He's pretty awesome - remover of obstacles, patron god of knowledge and learning, and the overcomer of vices. It's almost like Hindus see a connection with knowledge and overcoming obstacles. Weird. 

But that's not all, and nor is it the most important reason to shy away from ridiculing Romney's religion. The more important reason is, quite simply, that it is no one's place to make fun of others' beliefs. I've told you since my intro post that I value all belief systems and believe that there's something to be taken from each of them. That's still very much the case. I also abhor self-righteousness and anyone acting like their impossible-to-prove beliefs are any more sound or valid than anyone else's. Last but not least, I mean it when I say that I believe in religious tolerance and freedom of religion - even for Mitt Romney.

It especially irks me because Obama supporters were so quick to defend the president against claims that he's a Muslim, largely by stating that the religion of the president is irrelevant and to act otherwise is just trying to distract voters from the real issues. How is it any different this time around?

And, really, it's not like there aren't a million other reasons to not vote for Romney. His flip-flopping policies on issues such as reproductive rights, his opposition to equal pay for women, his lack of regard for the environment (I mean, "clean coal?" REALLY?!), his disconnection with the working poor (or, really, anyone who isn't a millionaire), his dirty business sense, and his positions on government aid for education are all good reasons. He practically hands out new ammunition every day! (Privatize FEMA?! Are you kidding me?!)

My point is this: my fellow liberals need to follow their own advice and STICK TO THE ISSUES. Leave irrelevant personal information out of the discussion. No one sounds informed by bashing someone's personal beliefs, especially when they attack the other guy's but defend their candidate from that same scrutiny. Freedom of religion applies to ALL religions - even the religion of the opposing party's candidate.

(For the record, this also reflects my views on people making fun of Sarah Palin for having a pregnant daughter and a child with Down's syndrome. I can't STAND Sarah Palin, but why get nasty when there's so many REAL reasons to dislike her?)

Cruelty-free beauty (Part II)

Hello lovelies!

I hope everyone is a safe distance from the coast and has everything they need to breeze through Sandy! (And, secretly, I hope you have power long enough to read this! :P )

Anyway, I restocked on some shower/beauty supplies over the break, and I thought I'd review some of the new brands I'm trying and talk some more about cruelty-free cosmetics.

First off, I know I talk about them like a schoolgirl with a crush already, but it's Burt's Bees:

Lotion that will be good for dry skin in winter!

Simple pink grapefruit body wash. It smells SO good! And wakes me up.

This shampoo and conditioner is from their new(ish) line that I'm a big fan of, Gud. I've tried cherry blossom, but this is Vanilla Flame. It smells SO good. 

I'm loving all of these products! And, as usual, completely cruelty-free and vegan. Here's some more that I'm loving right now:

I know I told you about my Yes to Cucumbers makeup remover wipes. I added to my collection their Yes to Carrots exfoliating cleanser. Smells fantastic, makes my face feel soft and purified. 

I told you about Tom's of Maine toothpaste, but in NoVA I actually found their mouthwash! Yay! Just like with the toothpaste, it makes every other brand taste like chemicals. Imagine - mouthwash that's safe to swallow! (I also found their deodorant too, but I'm not out yet. Update on that to come!)

That's it for the hygiene portion, now onto some beauty products:

                                   

I've NEEDED new makeup brushes. These Ecotools brushes are made of natural and recycled materials and  do NOT use real hair in the brushes. The ones shown in the reusable storage pouches are the powder brush (1200) for all-over complexion/finishing powder, and the blush brush (1201) for blush/bronzer. The smaller one is an eye shadow brush that I've had for a while (# unknown). 

This is Hard Candy's Perfect Cover Up in 508 (light). It works beautifully! I had of course heard that they were the only "cheap" cruelty-free brand, but was hesitant after Leaping Bunny claimed that they, and Urban Decay who apparently owned them, were to start selling in China, meaning they would have to engage in mandatory animal testing. Happily, Leaping Bunny was mistaken about the affiliation between the companies, and at the time that the controversy occurred (June/July of this year) Hard Candy was no longer owned by UD. They do not sell in China, and they DO NOT test. I'm excited to phase out Almay (which I use grudgingly anyway) and phase their products in! (Also, for the record, UD decided to pull out of China so as not to compromise their stance against animal testing. They're really expensive, but I'd LOVE to be able to buy their stuff more often!)

This is Paul Mitchell's extra body root lifter. I got it at the salon the day I got my hair cut. Paul Mitchell and John Frieda both stand firmly against animal testing and have cruelty-free products, so I felt the splurge was worth it. It makes my hair (which is VERY fine and tends to lack volume) look fantastic! And there's no guilt involved. :)

Last but not least, I had been using a cruelty-free (certified by PETA) product without knowing it all along!I grabbed Physician's Formula bronzer in 3104 (Moonlight) last semester in a hurry. This was before I truly cared (or, rather, made time to care), so I just grabbed it and ran. But, checking PETA's website out of curiosity, I ran across their name on their List of Companies That Do Not Test on Animals!

So that's it for my current beauty finds and obsessions! I think I might actually make this a common thing on my blog, both to keep you informed and to document my journey into phasing out animal-tested products.

One last photo lovelies, this one being of me in my hurricane-appropriate attire:

Mwah! Appropriate, right?! :P
Sorry about the picture quality, I took it fast because I didn't want to seem self-obsessed around the family :P

Until next time! Stay safe and dry!

<3, Ali

UPDATE!
A friend told me to look up e.l.f cosmetics, a brand that I'd heard of but had never really looked at. They're completely vegan and cruelty-free, and they're even cheaper than Hard Candy ($1-5)! Makeup that makes my conscience AND my wallet happy? Yes please.

Evacuation

dear readers,

As many of you may already know, Hurricane Sandy is making her way the East coast. She's bound to hit our area on Monday, so our campus is closing at noon on Sunday and our Monday classes are cancelled.

I refuse to drive all the way to NoVA, so I'll be staying at my boyfriend's parents' house with the family. It's fortified and has an emergency generator, so I think we'll be fine. :P

This shouldn't interrupt my next posts I told you about, but I just wanted to let you guys know that things are getting pretty hectic over here!

I'll post sometime over the weekend.

Til then,
<3, Ali

The Casual Vacancy, and fall break!

Hi all!

As promised, today I'll be talking about J.K. Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy, and just summing up fall break :D

Sorry I haven't posted yet, but the few days of classes we had this week were pretty busy. There has been a presentation to prepare (that I didn't end up getting to give >:/ ), a paper to outline, and an o-chem quiz. Ugh.

And, I'll be honest, there was one more thing: I had to finish my book.

I know it was past the end-of-break deadline, but I only had like 100 pages to go, and I finished it last night. It was actually a hilarious (now, but infuriating at the time) story. Here I was, 30 pages away from the end of the book, and my nook dies on me. UGH. Simple enough, just plug it in, wait for it to charge a little and continue reading. Except, the little metal part of the charger that actually goes into the device was hanging out and broken. An hour and a frantic wild goose chase across Newport News (which conveniently rolls up the sidewalks at like 9 at night) later, I was still empty-handed. I ended up having to download the Nook app on my iPhone and finish it on there. Frustrating!

Luckily I'm trying to replace my e-reader with a tablet that does more, so I think my phone will suffice until then. Now I don't have to go buy a new charger!

Anywho, about the actual book itself :P

For a quick summary (hopefully without revealing too much), it is a book about a small and close-knit town that is actually very divided and engaged in a political civil war. A casual vacancy is when a council seat is left open by death or resignation, and after the death of a prominent member of the local Parish Council, the empty seat is very coveted as it could determine the outcome of many issues that divide the town.

My issues may be unique, since I can be rather picky and somewhat pedantic in my reactions to things. First off, pacing and length. It's by no means too long of a book, but a lot of focus tends to be put on very small personal developments among the vast list of characters, and this causes the middle to drag considerably. Honestly, you could carve a chunk out of the middle and still have the story perfectly intact. Secondly, none of the characters are very likeable, or even relatable (to me, maybe you will feel differently. The only "good guy" who does the right thing for the right reasons dies very early in the book, and everyone else squabbles over his seat for selfish purposes. Even the "good guys" are full of vitriol and spite. The only character I could relate to was a teenage girl, and that's only because I've also dealt with insane parental pressure and low self-esteem. Last but not least, and this I acknowledge probably comes from me being old-fashioned, I didn't feel like the ending was truly the ending. Since all of the characters were woven into such an intricate web, there were a lot of issues to be resolved by the end, and I just don't feel like enough of them were. In fact, some issues weren't presented until the very end. There was a small glimmer of hope for a few of the characters, but overall not enough questions were answered. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for an open ending, just not ten open endings. It's not even that it isn't a "happy" ending (Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies for crying out loud!), it just doesn't feel complete.

I don't mean to tear the book apart, because in all honesty, I neither loved nor hated it. I liked it, as in I'm glad I read it and spent money on it. It's very well-written, the characters are realistic, and it deals with social issues that are current and very real (both in America and in the UK, where it takes place). I also appreciate how well she tied the characters together to really capture how small of a town the reader's dealing with. I'd probably give it a 7.5 out of 10. What did you guys think?

So, now that that's out of the way, on to fall break! Probably the most important thing is NEW HAIR!

I got roughly 6 inches off, and bangs. Technically they're side bangs, but I LOVE being able to brush them across to mix it up. Please excuse my makeup-less face!

I didn't do too much, besides having lunch with my dear friend Anna from highschool and attending my 2-year-old cousin's birthday party. I did actually do some thrifting though! At a consignment shop that sells furniture from model homes, I found this table that someone had brought in and NOBODY wanted. It's teal and antiqued, and everyone else thought it was ugly, but I thought it was the perfect thing for my bedside table. I've been re-doing my room in shades of blue, and it fits really well. I'll be sure to post a picture sometime :)

At my absolute FAVORITE consignment shop in Manassas, a little place called Carousel, I found this lovely Vera Wang for only $24:

It'll surely be fantastic for winter! I also got a set of mint beads and a really pretty decorative scarf for $8 each. Pretty fabulous, eh? I'll definitely be incorporating them into outfits soon, and I'll share with you guys then.

Another fun thing was clearing space on my bookshelves. They were literally overflowing with books I've been collecting for years, so I decided it was time to make some room for my changing tastes. Twilight? Gone. Private/Gossip Girl? Gone. Anything of that nature went into a giant bin, and then down to the used bookstore. The only two "teenager-y" series I kept were my Harry Potter books and the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen (even if you're not a teenager, they're really good). I ended up taking store credit for them and went a little wild. :)

The first thing I did was hunt down the first two Harry Potter books in hardcover. They were tragically lost the first time I moved in 10th grade, leaving me with only books 3-7 (I feel lucky that I still have book 3 though, because my grandmother bought it for me and wrote a note inside congratulating me on going into the 5th grade), so I definitely needed to right the situation. I found both of them in fabulous condition, and for much cheaper than had I gone online or managed to find them in a bookstore. After that, I found The Dream of the Earth by Thomas Berry, who is a prominent writer on topics relating to deep ecology, or "ecospirituality," and which sounds like something someone like myself is bound to enjoy. I also picked up a copy of Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love by Dava Sobel, a biography of Galileo and his relationship with his daughter, Maria Celeste, during his trials and triumphs. I've found her to be a fascinating figure since I learned about her, so I'm excited to get around to that one. 

This week was mercifully short and there weren't any labs, so I've had it pretty easy (comparatively). Still, like I said, there's just never enough hours in the day! Here's some outfits I'm proud of from the week:

This is from Wednesday 10/24, our first day back.
Button-down: American Eagle
Cami: Target
Leggings: Target? I can't keep track, I have so many!
Necklace: Tiffany & Co.
(I wore black flip-flops from Old Navy, not pictured)

Thursday 10/25
Shirt and cami: American Eagle
Jeans: PacSun
Flats: PacSun
Necklace: Same as above.
Bracelet: Vintage? See below.

I found this beauty in an antique desk that we rummaged from our attic in our old house and that I'm planning on re-painting. No one knows whose it is/was, but I thought it was precious and unique!

Welp, that's it for today, folks! I know it was kinda long, but I had an entire break to recount! :P Thanks for sticking around and reading. I think coming up I'll share some really interesting illustrations we've been looking over in one of my classes, as well as do an update post on some new cruelty-free products I've been using.

Til then!

<3, Ali

A non-Christian follower of Christ?

Hi everyone!

This post is going to put on paper some thoughts I mused upon after overhearing a conversation between two girls after a club meeting. One, a pro-gay marriage Christian, said that she had a hard time coming back with anything anytime someone hit her with "It's in the bible!" or, as I like to call it, the Bible Bomb.

Though I didn't interrupt, it got me thinking. As you guys know, I grew up in a family that was (and is) largely conservative and very very Christian. I, too, when trying to make the case for marriage equality, ran into the Bible Bomb. And I know personally that, if you're a Christian and put the same amount of authority in the bible that your anti-gay marriage coreligionist does, it's hard to overcome that.

But, it's possible. Even besides the fact that we have separation of church and state written into our Constitution that prohibits non-believers and those of other religions from being bound by Christian law, the Bible itself does not support the argument it is used for. Here's why:

People who are against gay marriage usually justify their position with Leviticus 18:22:

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. [ESV]

The most obvious reason for this argument to be written off as blatant hypocrisy is that EVERY other verse in Leviticus is currently ignored by Christians. If Leviticus was still strictly adhered to, there would be no tattoos (even Christian ones), football, haircuts, or working on Sunday. Slavery would be okay, but say goodbye to lobster dinner. So why does 18:22 get special treatment? The honest answer is that there's absolutely no reason to throw out everything else and keep that ONE verse. The next logical question here is simply, "Why did the rest get thrown out?"

The answer: Jesus. Leviticus is in the OLD. TESTAMENT. Christians, who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ (hence, CHRISTians), have no business throwing the Old Testament at people. The Old Testament is a Jewish text, only useful because it shares a creation myth. They are (though they don't seem to realize it) free from the Old Testament because Jesus died on the cross for their sins while preaching love, tolerance, and peace. 

I should, for the record, state that though I am no longer a "Christian," I. Love. Jesus. Very very much. I love and admire his teachings, no matter what. And for this reason I'm happy that Christianity was a part of my life, even though it isn't anymore. I don't even care how the debate about whether he was real or not ends up. If he was real, then he's my hero. If he isn't, he's my favorite fictional character of all time. This brings me closer to my point. 

After I mused upon all of this, I realized that had I been taught this the whole time, that the atrocities of the Old Testament had no bearing on my life and that my focus was to be on Jesus, I would probably still be a Christian today. And it got me thinking: do I go back now that I realize this?

I ended up deciding, no. Even though I love and admire Jesus the person, I feel unqualified to truly call myself a Christian when I don't buy into the mythology of the Bible and follow all of the rules of the religion. However, I have no problems calling myself a follower of Christ. Because I do strive to live my life by his teachings - love, kindness, caring for those in need, frowning upon corruption and greed - and I already do make them a part of my spirituality and beliefs. By my pantheistic worldview, we're all we've got, so we need to treat each other well .

So, I'm a non-Christian follower of Christ. And I'm proud of that. 

I'm sorry that I took such a long and roundabout way to get to the rather short point, but I felt like it was necessary to give context and provide at least a little bit of the thought process behind it. I'm also sorry if it comes across as anti-Christian, because I most certainly didn't intend it to. Like I said, I'm glad that Christianity has been a part of my life and that I can talk about it having lived it. But, I can't help the facts. 

Any thoughts/commentary/dialogue are WELCOME! This is a journey for me, and a wise person never makes journeys alone. :)

See you guys during/after fall break!
<3. Ali

Reading projects!

Hi all!

I mainly wanted to post this so that I would feel pressure to complete these reading projects. If I have an obligation to talk about them to my readers, then I'm much more likely to sit down and do them. :P

Anyway, This Friday our fall break starts, and that lasts until next Tuesday night (classes resume Wednesday). Also, Thanksgiving break will be coming up in November, from the 20th until the 26th.

I've picked out some readings that I want to do over each break, and then I'll be able to blog about them when I come back! :)

Fall break: J.K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, her new novel for adults. (Being the HP nerd that I am, I'm loyal to J.K. and vow to read whatever else she writes.)

Thanksgiving Break: Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, the anti-war classic, and Richard Dawkins' The Greatest Show on Earth, a book documenting some of the monumental evidence for evolution.

I'm still working on what I want to read over Christmas break. Hopefully, since we have close to a full month off, I'll be able to read multiple things.

Thanks for checking in! And I look forward to all of these great reads!

<3,
Ali

Michael Vick has a new dog. (The rant you were promised.)

Yesterday it came to my attention that Michael Vick, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and convicted dog fighter, is once again a dog owner (Source, Source). I would like to, if I may, point out why I have a HUGE problem with this. 

First of all, a recap: Vick was convicted in 2007 of both financially supporting and being directly involved in an illegal dog fighting ring called Bad Newz Kennels. Dogs who were "tested" and did not perform well were either killed by hanging, drowning, or electrocution, or were used as "bait dogs" for the stronger dogs to rip apart for practice. Trained dogs were often put up against pets or strays, as those involved thought it was fun to watch such an unfair fight. Females had claws and teeth pulled out and were strapped to rape stations and forced to bear litter after litter of puppies. Vick ended up pleading guilty, and served 18 months in prison in Virginia (Source). 

Lovely.

And, now that he's "served his time" and has taken a photo with PETA, he's decided to go and get another dog. In reading some of the comments on the ESPN article above, a lot of people seem to think that it isn't a big deal. According to many (even my own family), he's obviously rehabilitated and has turned his life around, so why not? 

Vick cites his children as the driving force behind his decision to bring a dog into the house. "As a father," he says, "it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals. I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God's creatures with kindness and respect. Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family" (ESPN article). 

How nice. Except, as someone who was admittedly raised in a dog fighting culture, teaching his children to love animals is the last parental responsibility that Vick is qualified for. He needs to focus on teaching himself to treat creatures with love and respect before he can teach them anything. If anything, he should serve as an example of what not to do, and leave it at that. (Personally, I don't understand how his wife and children stay with him, but that's just me.)

My anger is not just at Vick and his supporters, however. I see this not only as a failing of human integrity on his part (and on the part of those who support him), but as a failing of our justice system. Dog fighting has only been a felony across our nation since 2008 (Source), and is not uniformly dealt with. My question is, why is someone convicted of this felony not stripped of the right to own a pet when they are stripped of the right to vote and own a gun? That's one thing that makes felonies different from misdemeanors: a felony conviction comes with the loss of certain rights, for life. There is no excuse for Michael Vick to own a dog with all the blood that's on his hands, and I fear for that poor dog. 

I know that I'll be watching this one closely, and I hope you guys do too. Maybe with enough scrutiny, Vick will feel some pressure to treat his new pet with some decency.

Announcement: Rant Incoming!

Dear readers,

It has today been brought to my attention that Michael Vick, the Eagles quarterback who was released in prison from 2009 after having served time for dog fighting, is once again the owner of a dog. Though I don't currently have time, I sense a rant coming sometime tomorrow afternoon. Consider this fair warning.

'Til then,
Ali

Williamsburg, thrifting, and an evening at the theatahhh.

Hi friends,

This weekend just keeps getting better and better! I told you all about Bo Burnham on Thursday and shopping on Friday, but Saturday is probably the icing on the cake. Here's what I wore:

Lace undershirt: Forever 21
Chambray shirt: Old Navy
Leggings: Target
Belt: Charming Charlie (Maurissa's)
Boots: PacSun.com, about two years ago

I felt like it was perfect for autumn. Layers and a mix of patterns and textures. 

Enjoying the architecture at W&M

And, ladies and germs, allow me to introduce for your viewing pleasure, the lovely Maurissa!

Top: J. Crew Outlet
Pants: Vintage, from her mother (and very cute)
Flats: DSW

Well heyyyy, beautiful lady!

Lookin' like a model in a magazine. 

First of all, Maurissa and I went to nearby Williamsburg to visit Connor, a friend of mine from high school who attends the College of William and Mary. We stopped for lunch at a place near their campus called Aroma's, an adorable little coffee shop. I get a disgustingly delicious vegetarian cheese melt. Literally, it's just liquefied cheese on bread with some lettuce and Dijon mustard. 

Both of these are photos I found on the internet, because I was too absentminded to take actual photos. The photo on the bottom actually has credit to the photographer. Isn't it adorable?!

 That was fabulous, like always. :) But the fun didn't stop there. Next stop: thrifting! Being an amateur thrifter myself, all I was gonna get was a cool Target lamp that was only $14 but would have been like $35 in the store. (It's not a stupid purchase! *shifty eyes* We're gonna have an on-campus apartment next year that needs a lamp!) However, then Maurissa and I found this baby:

Isn't it HIDEOUS?! We've taken it on as a personal project to make this cute somehow. And to have it to wear to an ugly sweater party. Either way, it's gonna be fun. You guys will probably see some ideas bounced around for it, so be prepared!

Anyway, after thrifting we went to the Williamsburg outlets for some more shopping. I bought a really soft mint sweater from J. Crew for only $30, plus a phone case. With all the discounts (sale + 15% student discount) I got the sweater and the phone case for the same price as the full-price sweater. It's like the phone case was free! I'll post a pic in the sweater sometime this week, because it's DEFINITELY getting worn.

After all was said and done, I found myself facing a free evening. ("Free" as in I didn't have a million homework assignments staring me down.) I ended up going to the Ferguson Center to see Theater CNU's student production of Mary Stuart.

Playbill

It's an adaptation of the conflict surrounding Mary Stuart's imprisonment and subsequent execution in England at the hands of Elizabeth I. It was awesome! It was surprisingly factually accurate, beautifully acted, and just overall very nicely done. 

Now, I was raised to always dress up to the theater. Luckily, the basic skeleton from my outfit transferred nicely into an evening look:

Lace shirt & Leggings: Same as above
Blazer: Macy's
Flats: Target

It was so easy! And all I had to do was pin up my bangs and pull a few tendrils out of my fishtail braid to make it look a litle more dressy.

Well, that's it for a super fun Saturday! Not that my wallet could have handled any more! :P Anyways, now I'm off to cram for an o-chem test tomorrow morning at 8am sharp. Wish me luck, and have a good week!

<3, Ali

A fun week!

Hello lovelies!

This week was of course busy (I've come to expect nothing less), but it ended on a FANTASTIC note!

First, though, I just wanted to share an outfit from this week that I'm actually pretty proud of. It's from Thursday, 10/11:

I went for vintage! I kept it monochromatic, black and white with a pop of red. 

Top: Forever 21
Leggings: Charlotte Russe
Flats: Target
Sunnies: Borrowed from the lovely Maurissa

I decided the lips weren't enough of a pop - so what better than a bow?!

So, now that the self-obsession is over, it's time to get down to what REALLY made this week amazing - BO BURNHAM!! He came to CNU on Thursday to do a show, and it was awesome!

I've been a fan for YEARS, ever since he was making YouTube videos singing in his bedroom, like so:

This came out when I was a FRESHMAN. IN. HIGH. SCHOOL. Seriously. And there's even older ones. He's brilliant, witty, and sometimes biting in his comedy, and I'm really proud of how far he's come.

Best $10 I ever spent. (Student discounted ticket price.)

Not bad seats! Especially considering I waited until pretty late to get my tickets.

Weeeeee! Sorry for low picture quality.

 He was hilarious, and I absolutely loved getting to go see him. Our campus actually has a lot of good people coming this year; on November 18th I'm going to see Wanda Sykes! Liza Minnelli was here tonight, but I went to support our student-run sketch comedy group, CNU Tonight, instead. I miss being a part of it like last semester, but I'm just WAY too busy. Still, I made sure to get out and support my friends.

Finally, I just wanted to show you the most glorious product of today's impromptu retail therapy with Maurissa:

Forever 21. Originally $35, on sale for $24.

I LOVE it! It's super cozy and rather fabulous, if I do say so myself. By the way, I didn't lie when I said that the self-obsession was over, because this is about the sweater. :P

It's been a good pretty fantastic week. Botany is over (thank the heavens) and zoology starts this coming week, which is exciting. Also, I'm waiting to hear from our local SPCA about a volunteer opportunity. As you guys know, that's where I want to make my career as a vet, so I reallyyyyy hope it works out. Wish me luck! And have a fun and safe weekend everyone!

<3,

Ali

Be The Match.

Hi all!

Another disgustingly busy week has passed. I seriously just want to curl up and sleep until Monday morning. A girl can dream!

Today, I wanted to help raise awareness about a cause and organization that I just recently got involved in, but I'm really proud of. Literally as soon as I heard about their on-campus group, I knew I had to help out.

Anyway, the organization is called Be The Match, a national registry of bone marrow donors kept in order to match a donor to someone with leukemia, apoplastic anemia, and other disorders. This week we had our second drive of the semester, and signed up over 40 people!

What I love is that not only does BTM recruit potential donors, but they also raise awareness of the need for bone marrow and fight misconceptions about donation. I've listed some of them here, as well as the truth behind them, and lots more information can be found on the website linked above.

It's just like blood -  they stockpile it.
No, not at all. If you get called to donate, which is a slim chance from the beginning, it is because you have tested to be a match for a SPECIFIC PERSON who needs it as soon as possible. One donation = one transplant.

It's painful
Those who think this don't really understand the process. 85% of the time, with a healthier adult patient, the donation process will be a lot like donating plasma. Have you ever, at a blood drive, seen someone hooked up to a machine where the blood goes out of their arm, into a machine, and then comes back out and is pumped back into the other arm? If yes, then it's that exact same procedure - in peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation, the blood is extracted through a needle and goes through a machine that separates out undifferentiated blood cells. Once these cells are extracted, it comes back out of the machine and into your other arm. The only difference is that undifferentiated blood cells, not plasma, is taken out. Also, for a few days before the donation you inject yourself with a chemical called filgrastim to maximize the number of peripheral blood stem cells in your blood. This makes you feel some muscle pain in the days leading up to donation but go away after collection. Typical side effects of blood donation apply to actual donation - tiredness and feeling lightheaded lasting for a few hours afterwards.

The remaining 15% of the time, with a small child or a patient that is more critically ill, a straight marrow donation will take place. This is an outpatient surgical procedure during which you are completely anesthetized and feel nothing. A needle is placed into the pelvic bone near the bottom of the back and marrow is extracted that way. Side effects are slight back cramps in the days following, and the marrow will regenerate within 4-6 weeks.

What if the person lives across the country? Is the procedure/ travel expensive?
It's true that this is a NATIONAL registry, and travel may be required to donate. A great thing about Be The Match is that you will be 100% reimbursed for any travel expenses, as well as having the medical procedures taken care of.

I cannot donate blood because of travel/illness. Can I join BTM?
Probably! Despite being more important, the restrictions for bone marrow donation are not as strict as they are with blood donation. This is because relatively few illnesses can damage your actual bone marrow, while your blood is susceptible to many different illnesses and toxins. Living in a certain area or traveling to a certain country is VERY unlikely to affect your ability to donate marrow.

How do I join the registry?
All it takes is a simple form, a VERY brief medical history, and a cheek swab! Couldn't be easier.

I highly encourage everyone to go out and join the registry! It could be the difference between life and death for someone, and it's really easy! I always took immense pride in being a blood and organ donor, and now I get to add marrow to the list :)