Updated Fall 2006

So I’m guessing that there are at least a couple of new readers of this blog. Freshmen perhaps. I just wanted to introduce myself to you guys so you can know what to expect from me.

I’m currently a 4th-year EECS major, originally from Orange County. I plan on working for some Silicon Valley/Bay Area tech company, at least until I figure out what to do with life. I enjoy finding about and getting hooked on new television shows, bands, and authors. Hobbies include collecting graphic novels, photography (trying to get into it), surfing Wikipedia aimlessly, and walking around San Francisco aimlessly. I’m an American of Filipino descent. And that’s about all I care to share about my personal life for now.

For the Patriot, I’m in charge of both the print and web design. I don’t know how that happened since I’m as unartistic as it gets. But the blogging is just something that I thought would be fun. I’d probably do it on my own, even if I weren’t affiliated with any publication.

Moving on to the more interesting and relevant stuff: politics. I’m a registered Republican, mainly because I grew up that way (typical O.C. backstory). I’ve leaned libertarian ever since I first started caring about politics (10th grade or so), having read some Ayn Rand and a Goldwater biography. On social policy I think you should be able to do what you want and be who you want as long as you don’t hurt anyone. So I’ve been ideologically tolerant for a while, but after a couple of years in college, I think I’ve grown more personally tolerant. On economic policy, I’m your typical laissez-faire, free-markets kind of guy. And by that measure, I think most Republicans these days don’t qualify.

It’s in the area of foreign policy that my beliefs have evolved the most. I went along with the neocon agenda after 9/11, the Iraq War included. I don’t know why, since I’ve always been somewhat of a pacifist. Moreso than getting revenge, I actually believed that America and its allies could help spread freedom around the world. Well, I was wrong. I actually started to think about it: This is the same government (regardless of administration) that only makes things worse on social and economic matters. Why should it be any different when it comes to foreign policy?

Anyway, that’s who I am. Liberal, socialist, communist, green, moderate, and conservative opinions dominate on this campus. So every now and then, when I can’t take it anymore, expect a libertarian rant to balance things out. But I’ll mostly be blogging about Berkeley and Bay Area topics. Just don’t be surprised about some of the stuff you might read on this blog. Consider this post a warning in advance.

Hope you all have fun reading and commenting on this blog.