It's Seriously A Bad Idea

Hey all! So, I'm trying to get the word out about H. Res 1553, which is a resolution recently proposed by the Republican party (who else?). Basically, it states that the US will support any action taken by Israel against Iran, including a pre-emptive military strike.

There are numerous reasons why this is a bad, bad, bad idea. Israel has been looking for a way to launch a strike against Iran for some time, going so far as to ask for the codes necessary to fly over Iraq. Bush didn't allow it, thank goodness, despite his obnoxious fear-mongering on the topic. If this bill gets passed, Israel would have a green light to launch a strike, which would be horrible.

Why? Well, not only would it most likely draw the US into another war in the Middle East that will be impossible to actually win, but it will have damning affects in Iran itself. Not only will there be numerous casualties, but it will send the nuclear program underground, allowing for zero IAEA oversight. It would undermine all the reform and opposition movements currently active, as well as provide the more hardline elements of the government with a huge boost in support. Israel launching an attack would be playing right into their game, providing them with all kinds of legitimacy. I've read a few places that the first troops on Iranian soil will turn everyone into a nationalist, and it's true. Iran is not Iraq, and Iran is not Afghanistan. We will not be liberators in any sense of the word.

Please, please, please add your voice to those calling out against H. Res 1553, which is nothing more than a political stunt meant to boost Republican results in the mid-term elections. It is a HUGE mistake, and will be of unimaginable consequence for US security and any hope of moving forward diplomatically with Iran. Visit the NIAC website to add your name!

Missing W. Wolfram

This nostalgic panda is seriously missing her beloved Lincoln Park and her slightly shabby studio.

Felt & Wire Shop

Yes, I'm a huge nerd and love letterpress stationery. So I was tickled when I found the Felt & Wire Shop online yesterday! Ridgecrest doesn't have much to offer in the way of greeting cards, so it was a real treat to find this adorable and affordable resource! I just ordered some wonderful card sets and the above print, which I cannot wait to hang on the wall at home!

Watermelon-Lemonade Pops

Had to share this to-die-for recipe Ben and I are loving right now (via Bon-Appetit). This California weather is such a killer, but these super simple and super delicious ice pops are such a refresher on hot afternoons! All it takes is watermelon, lemon juice, and sugar (recipe calls for salt, but we don't use it) and a few hours to freeze! I threw some in the freezer earlier to bring over to a friend's for grilling out tonight. So good!

The Angel-ohn Gan-berts Wedding

This weekend, Ben and I flew home for a whopping 26 hours. Why? Well, not only was Aly getting home from Venice, but two of my oldest friends were getting married. Being the Cheez-Nip I am, I couldn't have missed it -- although we almost did. At 48 hours before we were supposed to be at the reception, Ben and I bought tickets home and made all our arrangements. We literally landed in Peoria at 1:30 and raced to the church, where the ceremony was supposed to start an hour later. We made it in the nick of time, thank goodness.

Angie and John, the lovely couple, started dating when we were 16. My friends and I set them up, giving their wedding even more emotional draw for all of us. From the day they started dating, we all called it that they would be the first to tie the knot. We even had bets on what year they would get hitched, but no one remembers now who had 2010. Little to say, seeing Angie in her wedding dress touched my heart. It's nuts that they finally got married! I literally couldn't be happier for them!

The thing about the wedding, too, was that it was the first time in multiple years that most of our friends from high school were in one place. Through various shifts post high school, our once very close knit group of friends grew apart, as is want to do in such situations. But having everyone back together was great. It didn't take long for all of us to gravitate to one table, start goofing around and laughing, generally falling back into the roles we all played back in the day. It was nice, refreshing, and felt great to touch base after so long, particularly in a setting like that.

All in all, it was a wonderful night. We were among the last to leave the reception, after spending the whole night dancing and laughing. As everyone reminded me during the night, barring any major upsets by other couples, Ben and I are next, which is super exciting!

So Soon?

Time for a confession. I miss college. I know, I know. It's only been one month. But even with my freedom so new, I know that not being in class will slowly drive me insane.

I miss everything about school. I miss the professors (obviously) and the discussions; the papers and the proposals. I miss constantly discovering new information, feeling like I was in it, not just an observer. I miss feeling like I was being heard on issues that matter to me, even if it was just by the professor. I miss classes so much more than I thought I would, and so much sooner than I thought I would.

I started hunting around for graduate programs yesterday, and of course, they are all on the East Coast. The United States Institute for Peace offers online courses on random stuff at no cost, and I plan on busying myself with those while I make a plan of attack for grad school. I thought I would at least have until September, when DePaul starts classes, before I started longing to go back to 990 W. Fullerton. Go figure.