In return, I gave her this face.

Here’s the deal: I wasn’t offended because I didn’t own a mirror; I was offended because BRF is actually becoming a “thing.” As soon as the fake public safety announcement video went viral, hungry journalists wasted no time. Articles like this, this and this immediately identified celebrities that suffer from BRF. Anna Paquin even confessed to Jimmy Kimmel that she suffers from “a severe case of BRF.” She added, “It makes you look really angry all the time, like you want to kill people or like you’re a giant bitch.” Personally, the BRF trend amazes me, considering how the term originated from a YouTube skit. Everybody knows this, yet we still treat it like an actual phenomenon — or worse, a disorder.

Yep, you read that right. BRF is now officially a biological disorder that can be cured using corrective plastic surgeries. Plastic surgeon Anthony Youn told The Today Show, “Basically, many of us have features that we inherit and/or develop with age that can make us look unpleasant, grumpy or, even, yes — bitchy.” He recommended procedures like “grin lift” and Botox injection to turn that frown upside down.

It looks like our generation has found the new “cellulite” myth! (In case you didn’t know, “cellulite” was coined to lure women into condemning skin dimpling, which is otherwise a perfectly natural condition, like aging. In return, the cosmetics industry and plastic surgeons profited hugely once “cellulite” became a thing that must be corrected.)

Another thing that pisses me off is the reeking smell of sexism in BRF. Even though the original video was mostly geared toward women, it also mentioned the male version of BRF — Resting Asshole Face, or RAF. Yet, as expected, it is not RAF that gains traction in media. (I don’t see any actor publicly apologizing for his unfriendly facial expression.)

Why?

Because we have this double standard that makes a man look dangerously sexy when he scowls and a woman unattractively fierce. This is why RAF is not a disorder. Rather, it’s seen as a feature that augments a man’s sex appeal. Meanwhile, women are either bugged by busybodies on the streets — “Smile, honey!” — or tagged as a cold person.

Ann-Marie Stillion, a communication strategist and artist from Seattle, describes what she has to do to “fix” her BRF: “I smile a lot now, not because I’m so happy but because I know it makes people more comfortable.”

This kind of attitude made me push Robin Thicke aside to write about BRF instead. I mean, unless you’re a walking billboard for Crest 3D Whitestrips, I don’t see why anybody has to walk around with a fake smile on his or her face to appease other people. So, can’t we just please get through a week without feeling like the media is a sexist on Viagra?!

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Cal’s Michael Kim fell just short of winning the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship on Saturday.

Kim went up against Jordan Niebrugge in the finals and immediately birdied the first hole to put himself in the lead. However, Niebrugge took the second hole, and the match was tied.

From then on, Kim fell behind. With 10 holes left, he was four holes back. It looked like a comeback would be impossible.

Then, the impossible began to happen.

The 36-hole match dragged on with Kim trailing. Niebrugge was playing nearly mistake-free; he didn’t hit a bogey in the first 30 holes. But on 13 — and the 31st hole of the match — he hit his first bogey. The race was on.

Kim started to slowly make up ground against Niebrugge, and the margin was soon at just one hole.

When the final hole came around, Kim was just one back. Tension hung in the air.

However, Kim’s fairway shot landed in the water hazard, and he had to take a penalty. Niebrugge, who was playing more conservatively, had no such problems. When he made par, the match was over, and Kim conceded defeat.

Kim was disappointed but not bitter.

“I just have to keep improving, and we’ll see what happens next year,” he said after the match.

Cal women’s basketball releases nonconference schedule

If there was any doubt about it before, let there be none now — the Cal women’s basketball team is an elite squad.

The team recently released its 2013-14 schedule, and the nonconference games are a doozy.

Cal plays both UConn and Duke, the two teams that are projected to start the year ranked at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. And the Huskies are the defending national champions. Other squads, like Georgetown, Pacific and Northwestern, will also not be easy matches.

The schedule reflects the changing identity that the Cal women’s basketball team has, as all the top teams want to play each other. It is now clear that Cal has earned that reputation among colleges across the country, no doubt due in large part to their Final Four appearance last season.

Though the schedule may be tough, it gives the Bears a chance to prove themselves as one of the top teams in the country. After all, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.

Muhammad wins Cal-Hi Athlete of the Year for second year in a row

Cal football recruit Khalfani Muhammad just completed a feat that has not been accomplished for 109 years.

Muhammad was named the Cal-Hi Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row, something not done since 1904.

He also was only the third sprinter in state history to win state championships in the 100- and 200-meter sprints for two years running, an achievement that no doubt contributed to the award.

Muhammad will play running back for the Bears in the fall as a freshman.

The post Sports in Brief — July 22, 2013 appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Summer readers, lifelong bookworms, nerds and closet nerds have another reason to be happy in Berkeley. According to Amazon, Berkeley is among the top 20 “most well-read” cities in the country. Though rankings are determined by sales alone, we can experience Berkeley’s bibliophilia just by walking around. Our campus offers many stylish libraries with cafes, gardens and smoking areas in tandem. Northside, Southside and Downtown Shattuck are home to bookstores like Moe’s Books, Bookish, University Press Bookstore, Revolutionary Books and Eastwind Books of Berkeley — where book lovers find fascination like thieves in a gem-studded grotto. At bars and pizza places, locals read. On the bus, BART or ellipticals at the RSF, students read. Even on the Fire Trails, hikers stop to take in the view and read.

Behind the scenes, too, Berkeley is where books are happening. Indie and conventional publishers and distributors are located here, along with luminary writers, poets and thinkers such as Robert Hass, Vikram Chandra, Michael Chabon, Lyn Hejinian, Maxine Hong Kingston, Mark Danner, Robert Reich and Isabel Allende. Berkeley itself has been the backdrop of novels such as “Dhrama Bums,” “The Crying of Lot 49″ and “Telegraph Avenue.” The iconic poem of the Beat generation, “Howl” by Allen Ginsburg, was composed in a guest house on Southside.

Besides school, food, commerce and creativity, what makes reading a Berkeley thing and not a San Francisco thing or even a (sssssss) Stanford thing? Is it because we toiling students want to discover deeper meaning by reading self-help books (for the sterotypical Haas student), Kurt Vonnegut (for the sterotypical hipster) or David Foster Wallace (for the stereotypical English major)? Could it be that we are always bombarded with countercultural, anti-establishment, granola-loving ideas that we are driven to seek out the truth for ourselves? Is it because we can’t wait to find out what happens in the newest episode of “Game of Thrones” or the latest spinoff of “Twilight?” Or is it that the fog, that white blanket of soaring water, that enchants us to snuggle up and play morning and evening with one of the mysteries of life?

Who really knows? Maybe we’ll find out in the next book we come across.

Image source: Sharada Prasad CS under Creative Commons

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org.

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There’s no denying that we all have our guilty pleasures. For some, it’s spending $4.50 on caffeinated beverage at Starbucks, but for us, it’s the TV shows we watch in our few precious moments of free time as college students. These first weeks of summer are providing us at the Clog with the perfect amount of time to do absolutely nothing and indulge fully in our absolute guiltiest of pleasures: season nine of “The Bachelorette.” While many first-time viewers of the reality dating show may be dazed by the blatant shallowness and apparent absurdity of the plot (and trust us, we’re not disagreeing with you there), we’ve come to the realization that the numbing effect this show has on the brain is actually quite therapeutic. Although we are quite aware of how unrealistic Desiree’s life is (as depicted on the show), we picked up on several things in the second episode of season nine that can totally be applied to real life. We’re sure these five lessons are definitely applicable to the life of any Berkeley student:

1. You have to find the right balance between making an impression and being “that guy.” Dedicated “Bachelorette” viewers will remember Jeff from Ashley’s season, who wore a Batman mask on the first night of the show because he wanted to be judged only on his “true self.” Joining him on the “memorable” first impressions list this season is Diogo, who walked out of the limo in a full suit of armor. Jeff made it through his rose ceremony, but Diogo didn’t — so we’re not sure what to tell you about whether or not the “shock and awe” strategy really works when attempting to woo a lover, but our advice is to stick to something a little more relatable to make your first impression on a lady or fella.

2. Going wedding dress shopping on your first date is a little forward. Desiree’s and Brooks’ faux wedding and Hollywood sign honeymoon excursion was cute and all, but even with the romantic background music and wonders created by reality television production, it felt a little awkward. It put a lot into perspective for us: Maybe the suggestion of marriage on a first date is acceptable on a show literally based on one woman’s hunt for a husband, but in our real lives, we probably shouldn’t jump to conclusions so fast. The Clog suggests waiting until at least the third date to start choosing wedding colors.

3. When driving in your bright blue Bentley convertible, put your hair up. Or wear a hat. This one seems like a simple lesson you’d learn after watching film after film depicting long-haired women struggling to gracefully pin down their gorgeous locks amid wild winds. If you want to enjoy the ride at all, sacrifice the beauty of the down-do and opt for a bun. Or maybe a fashionable headscarf.

4. Sharing sad stories about your past gives you an instant “lovable vulnerability.” Try this game: Count every time one of the guys mentions his mother, ex-girlfriend or deceased childhood pet. Then notice how many of these guys get kicked off in the same week. We’re betting the numbers are pretty low. This is because people appreciate feeling like they’re able to share part of your past with you. If you let someone carry a little of your burden, they’re bound to feel closer to you.

5. Toned abs can get you far in life. Whether it’s Desiree’s rockin’ bod in her pool-side rap video or Zak W., who literally spent the entire first cocktail party shirtless, the correlation between a strong core and strong prospects for success has been proven time and time again. Our money’s on Drew for this season — just look at his shirtless modeling shots. Now there’s a convincing contender.

Whether you’re an avid “Bachelorette” watcher or not, we highly recommend experiencing a couple of episodes on your own. Hopefully, you’ll learn some valuable life lessons, but if not, at least you’ll have a few laughs. We suggest playing a drinking game. Try drinking every time someone says “connection” or “the right reasons.” And if you have any other “Bachelorette” pearls of wisdom, let us know in the comments!

Image source: Christina Perez under Creative Commons

Contact Sarah Branoff at sbranoff@dailycal.org.

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The Berkeley Business Academy for Youth, a program run through the Center for Young Entrepreneurs at Haas, will add 20 seats for international students as part of its International Berkeley Business Academy for Youth program.

“The way we are thinking about this is we want to give young kids a chance to be exposed to the Berkeley culture and the Berkeley environment,” said professor Teck Ho, director of the Asia Business Center and the faculty sponsor of the international program. “I’m from Asia, and I always think that Berkeley could do a lot more internationally to increase our brand presence and serve our alumni better.”

Ho said the program includes a hands-on team business project, visits to local companies and guest speakers from business-related fields. The additional 20 international students will live in university dorms and take classes with American students at Haas.

The original U.S.-only program, B-BAY, is in its fifth year and will run from July 1 to 12. The all-day program is open to 40 students and is taught by undergraduate and graduate students at Haas, according to the program’s website.

Olive Davis, a director with YEAH, said that students this year have come from across the country and all over the world, with locations including Taiwan, Canada, Utah, Virginia, India and China.

“In this first phase, we’re actually doing Asia and Canada right now, but we’re hoping to go to India and Chile and other places where the university has attracted students,” Davis said.

Although students pay a fee for the program, Ho said accessibility is important.

“We want this program to be accessible to everybody,” Ho said. “Obviously, you have to pay a fee for it, but in the long run, we want to give out scholarships to people who can’t afford it. We are not doing this to make money. It is a good way to energize the alumni and increase our brand presence globally.”

In addition to its summer programs, YEAH offers year-round programs for under-resourced sixth- to 12th-grade Bay Area youth. Proceeds from the summer programs allow the year-round mentorship programs to be offered free of charge to participants.

Mitchell Handler covers academics and administration. Contact him at mhandler@dailycal.org and follow him on Twitter @mitchellhandler.

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Erum Khan/Staff

Walking by the GBC after class yesterday, we saw something strange and out of place (even by Berkeley standards): bubbles in our favorite fountain. We’re not just talking a few measly pockets of air, but full on foam taking over the entire thing! It was a veritable bubble bath. The only things missing were a rubber ducky and loofah.

This particular feature of Sproul — fondly named after Ludwig the dog we all hear about during CalSO tours — is usually just the home of flat, not-so-clean water. Occasionally it will act like a fountain and spout some water upwards a few inches, but that’s the most we’ve ever seen it do until yesterday’s unusual sighting. So what could be the cause of this frothy mystery? We at the Clog tried our hands at answering just that.

Maybe someone’s apartment ran out of water and they were forced to bathe themselves in the open air, bringing plenty of shower gel with them to froth up the pool and maintain a modicum of modesty. Maybe a chemistry student had a mishap and decided to dispose of the evidence as far away from Pimentel as they could. Or maybe someone just had some leftover soap they didn’t need. Or better yet, maybe this is what the fountain’s actual function as been all along.

We’re not entirely sure what was going on with that part of campus today, but we hope it shows up again sometime. The opportunity to pull out more rubber ducky jokes would definitely be worthwhile.

Contact Erum Khan at ekhan@dailycal.org or follow her on Twitter @erumjkhan

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As we descend into the month of madness, we can only fill out our brackets and hope that our basketball teams defy the seemingly insurmountable odds and beat the myriad of teams with the same heightened aspirations. However, one of our teams is not without official support. Barack Obama – more widely known as the President of the United States, has put his stamp of approval on Cal Women’s Basketball, picking them to advance to the Final Four.

Dubbed the “Baracketologer-in-Chief,” the President is an avid fan of basketball and fills out a bracket every year — to varying success. It’s doubtful that he actually gets an inordinate amount of time to watch the teams and the players he supports, and it wouldn’t surprise us in the least if he had his own task force to deliver scouting reports on the most politically palatable picks to advance. Cal fans can do little more than believe in the presidential prediction of a man who has built his life’s work on the mantra “Yes, We Can!”

Though the pick wasn’t the toughest to make — the ladies are the second seed in their region — it was the only non-top seed to make it to New Orleans in the President’s eyes. More importantly, it shows the lack of confidence in a Stanford team that happens to be top-seeded in that very same Spokane region. The move may have the won him the favor of already adoring Bears — seriously, did you see Sproul Plaza on election night? But someone should remind him that pleasing his California constituents isn’t necessary, because the alleged “tyrant” — courtesy of FOX News — is legally unable to run for a third consecutive term. It is also reportedly unlikely that President Obama will use drone strikes to target opposing players before games.

After falling to the UCLA baby Bears unexpectedly early in the PAC-12 Tournament — a game that most thought would kill any chance of a favorable tournament matchup — the best seeding in Cal women’s history may just breathe life into the team. And with an executive endorsement, rumors of their demise may indeed have been greatly exaggerated.

Contact Uday at umehta@dailycal.org or follow him on Twitter at @mehtakid

Image source: The White House

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Saint Patrick’s Day. The mere mention of the holiday conjures up images of green leprechauns spouting limericks and dancing a jig with unicorns at the ends of rainbows. Maybe toss in some shamrocks and a pot of gold and you’ve got yourself the perfect stereotypical St. Paddy’s celebration. In actuality, the holiday comes from a religious background: the feast of Saint Patrick, the Christian patron saint of Ireland. But beyond that, the day has become widely celebrated as an Irish/Celtic cultural extravaganza! And what better way to enjoy any holiday than with some killer tunes. Here’s a playlist of many revered Irish/Celtic music acts throughout the years:

1) The Pogues, “Blue Heaven”

2) Dropkick Murphys, “Barroom Hero (Live on St. Patrick’s Day)”

3) The Irish Rovers, “The Unicorn”

4) The Thrills, “Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far)”

5) Pladdohg, “Dublin in Rare Ould Times”

6) Rory Gallagher, “Walking Blues”

7) Van Morrison, “Moondance”

8) The Boomtown Rats, “Someone’s Looking at You”

9) My Bloody Valentine, “Sometimes”

10) The Cranberries, “Sunday”

As always, you can kick up the Irish spirit right on Spotify!

Contact Hailey Simpson at hsimpson@dailycal.org or follow her on Twitter at @hailey117.

Image source: homer4k, under Creative Commons.

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Mercedes Benz/Courtesy

Ever want to have a spot in an international photo exhibition but don’t have the money to buy real photographic equipment? Here’s your chance. A project sponsored by Mercedes Benz, #Untamed is an Instagram-based installation in Paris, in which you can submit three of your most unusual snapshots.

All you have to do is choose three of your most anything-but-average Instagram photos, which are given an #Untamed score and then join the ranks of the other photos in a live-viewing experience in Paris.

The photos that are already on the site are weird, beautiful and abstracted — photos that obviously have had more thought than just whether to use the Valencia or Lo-Fi filter.

Though clearly a contest that just wants to spread the word of the new Mercedes CLA, why not have some of your shots be seen in Paris?

A.J. Kiyoizumi covers visual art. Contact her at akiyoizumi@dailycal.org.

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UCPD responded to a call from an unidentified female student reporting the theft of 10 iMac desktop computers, valued at $2,300 each, from room 209 of North Gate Hall, which houses the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Police responded to the report at 8:26 p.m., 10 minutes after the initial report, to find the lab’s door broken in.

According to the police report, the student entered the lab to look for her notebook and discovered that the door had been forced and the computers stolen. About five computers remained in the lab, with a standard Apple keyboard left on the stairs leading to the lab.

The door to the lab was secured by a keypad lock. Police believe the door was kicked in.

The computer lab, called the Greenhouse, functions as a classroom, an audio-video lab and a photography lab for the School of Journalism, said Roy Baril, the school’s director of technology. Police are still investigating the theft.

Previous campus thefts this summer at Mulford Hall, the Foothill Residence Hall library and the Lawrence Hall of Science resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of dollars in computer equipment, though UCPD later recovered most of the computers stolen from Mulford Hall.

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