If teenage angst ends in high school, then I guess this college angst is of a more proper stature. That ever near future, tugging at us, pulling us towards the fork in the road. The one in which we can either take the road to "normality" and "comfort", the one so many of our parents have taken, the one that so many of us dread, the one of "American Dreams", of two point five kids and a two car garage.
Or, we can take the road to change. Not false Obama change, not new hair cut change. The cliche, "unbeaten" path. The one so many fear before they even get there. The one that gets us so thick into the unknown that we can't find our way back. The one that, without the right Guidance, can put us in a white walled room, thinking we're out of the forest, but really into a tundra of barren human thought and emotion, hands tied in front of us, wondering how in the playground of the world we have gotten there.
This is the path that to many fear, and once you're on it, doubt. Few have made this path to rise above the two monsters of emotion, but those who have, have humbly and extravagantly changed the way we look at our own mind, our own world. The "big picture" we often forget.
So often, the rain that erodes away our precious hiding place of a house, the statues of the people, the idols, the "greatest" of our times and the times that have past is the rain that, when we collect within a simple Carpenters cup and drink, opens our eyes and washes us clean.
But the Truth has never been an easy path to take.
And so many of us forget why we are even here..
so, why are you here?
why are you reading this?
why are you going through school?
why are you going to work?
why are you collecting retirement?
why are you graduating?
why are you taking up these "pleasures" of "life"?
why are we breathing?
why are we talking?
why are we listening
are we really listening?
"I was floating in a peaceful sea rescued by a Sinking Ship"
There is only one path to Truth, and it lies not within ourselves, but in what has been created for us.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Marcos Breton
On Tuesday, November 18, 2008 the column writing class I am enrolled in was visited by yet another guest speaker. But this one was different. Cocky, but not in a haughty, "bow-down-to-the-established-journalist" sort of way. Instead, in a way that was, although rough around the edges, very comforting to a bright eyed student with actual hopes and dreams.
The other guest speakers we had didn't necessarily condone us, or look down on us, but after their predictions of where our industry was going, it seemed like the undercurrent of their speeches had a theme that said something along the lines of "GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"
The large, uncomfortable horse pill that is Marcus Breton in all it's awkward glory and spender spilled, what seemed like, the most genuine, upfront advice I think I have ever received in my four years at this institution. The longer the small, but potent dosage of wisdom sits in my brain, the more it sinks in and waters the parched fields of my journalistic passions.
Breton is a flicker of gold in a world and industry clouded by muddy predictions. He seems to be the only person I've met, journalist or not, that says what he means and means what he says.
In a book I've been reading recently called "Blue like Jazz", the author is speaking about a friend he met, saying "Andrew is the one who taught me that what I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do." And to me, Breton has lived up to this in his journalistic endeavors.
Before suiting up to write for the Sacramento Bee, Breton attended San Jose State University and wrote for the school newspaper. He interned at the LA Times, and went on to work at the San Jose Mercury News. He has spent 22 years in the business and has written a couple books, including an autobiography on Sammy Sosa.
Breton wrote at the City desk at the Bee and shortly after, wrote a bit in sports, finally ending up with his column. He plans on staying here for as long as he can.
And after his short synopsis of his career, he asked if we had any questions regarding just about anything.
Among such advice, one student asked if he still had trouble writing his columns and he responded, "Every single one is like pulling a bowling ball out of my ass".
Another asked about how he writes his columns. He replied, "A column has to tell you something". He mentioned that one of the biggest myths about writing columns is that you don't have to report or use sources. He mentioned that when he talks to people, he doesn't necessarily want the person's quotes, but more so their insight into subject matter.
And before he left, gave us some insight of his own for us to digest. "I always liken this job to being an NFL football player. If your afraid of jumping in the pile, then don't get involved in the game."
Couldn't have said it better...
The other guest speakers we had didn't necessarily condone us, or look down on us, but after their predictions of where our industry was going, it seemed like the undercurrent of their speeches had a theme that said something along the lines of "GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"
The large, uncomfortable horse pill that is Marcus Breton in all it's awkward glory and spender spilled, what seemed like, the most genuine, upfront advice I think I have ever received in my four years at this institution. The longer the small, but potent dosage of wisdom sits in my brain, the more it sinks in and waters the parched fields of my journalistic passions.
Breton is a flicker of gold in a world and industry clouded by muddy predictions. He seems to be the only person I've met, journalist or not, that says what he means and means what he says.
In a book I've been reading recently called "Blue like Jazz", the author is speaking about a friend he met, saying "Andrew is the one who taught me that what I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do." And to me, Breton has lived up to this in his journalistic endeavors.
Before suiting up to write for the Sacramento Bee, Breton attended San Jose State University and wrote for the school newspaper. He interned at the LA Times, and went on to work at the San Jose Mercury News. He has spent 22 years in the business and has written a couple books, including an autobiography on Sammy Sosa.
Breton wrote at the City desk at the Bee and shortly after, wrote a bit in sports, finally ending up with his column. He plans on staying here for as long as he can.
And after his short synopsis of his career, he asked if we had any questions regarding just about anything.
Among such advice, one student asked if he still had trouble writing his columns and he responded, "Every single one is like pulling a bowling ball out of my ass".
Another asked about how he writes his columns. He replied, "A column has to tell you something". He mentioned that one of the biggest myths about writing columns is that you don't have to report or use sources. He mentioned that when he talks to people, he doesn't necessarily want the person's quotes, but more so their insight into subject matter.
And before he left, gave us some insight of his own for us to digest. "I always liken this job to being an NFL football player. If your afraid of jumping in the pile, then don't get involved in the game."
Couldn't have said it better...
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Ortiz Profile
As a 2003 Sacramento State journalism graduate, Sacramento Bee's business reporter and columnist Jon Ortiz has had much luck in starting his career off on the right foot.
Prior to his journalism pursuits, Ortiz had come down with a serious stress-related sickness from working at and eventually owning a part of a medical supply company. Ortiz decided it was time for a change and went back to school.
Ortiz was hired onto the Bee's staff a couple of weeks after he graduated from the university. Before he applied for the job, he interned with the Los Angeles Times. His passion for the subject comes out very strong within his determination for the career.
In his stories, columns and blogs, Ortiz seems to say what everyone is thinking but no one wants to express. And he does it in a way that doesn't inject a heavy dosage of self-righteous opinion. He seems to grab the thought that floats around in everyone's head and, without killing it, nails it down with words.
A good example of this is a story that he did at the beginning of the year on the ever increasing gas prices:
"They're playing with us. You suspect it every time you fill up your tank or look over at the numbers on the gas station sign.
You notice that the price always goes up like a rocket but drifts down like a feather. You swap conspiracy theories with friends, family, neighbors.
Still, you always, always return to the pump and pony up for your high-octane fix."
The great thing about the story is that it's actually interesting to read. It isn't just another plug-and-chug sort of story that we hear all the time. You know, those stories about the impending doom that we seem to have trapped ourselves with? Ya, thanks for the reminder, couldn't notice that filling up at the gas station last night or anything.
He goes out and interviews a gas station owner, an oil industry consultant, a UC Davis historian and a representative from Chevron as well as an associate from an independent refinery. The spectrum is broad and his sources seem to hit all the major points along the way.
What I respect most about Ortiz is not his direct, concise yet clever way of writing, but his way to do what I believe the heart of all journalism is. He gives a voice to the voiceless in what seems for most to be a detached form of writing and news.
In his blog, "The State Worker", Ortiz seems to have hit the jackpot for those who have been long since undermined and overlooked. The blog is, obviously, about state workers, and he uses it as a way of keeping those to whom do the grunt work of the state up to date without having to follow every little move the government makes, some affecting them and others not.
He seems to play the translator for all the jargon that can all to often be associated with government and informs state workers on what they need to know. He lets them in on how it will affect them or why something has happened.
In a recent "State Worker" column, Ortiz responded to the outrage some Californians were feeling over recent pay raises to California state engineers. He received an email from an electrician in North Hollywood that was outraged over the ordeal, and Ortiz began to explain why it happened in a calm voice of reason.
Overall, Ortiz is one hell of a writer and one to defiantly watch. I'm not even a state worker and the stuff is brilliant.
To find more of Jon Ortiz's stories or to read the "State Worker", follow this link:
http://localsearch.sacbee.com/sp?keywords=Jon+Ortiz&aff=1100
Prior to his journalism pursuits, Ortiz had come down with a serious stress-related sickness from working at and eventually owning a part of a medical supply company. Ortiz decided it was time for a change and went back to school.
Ortiz was hired onto the Bee's staff a couple of weeks after he graduated from the university. Before he applied for the job, he interned with the Los Angeles Times. His passion for the subject comes out very strong within his determination for the career.
In his stories, columns and blogs, Ortiz seems to say what everyone is thinking but no one wants to express. And he does it in a way that doesn't inject a heavy dosage of self-righteous opinion. He seems to grab the thought that floats around in everyone's head and, without killing it, nails it down with words.
A good example of this is a story that he did at the beginning of the year on the ever increasing gas prices:
"They're playing with us. You suspect it every time you fill up your tank or look over at the numbers on the gas station sign.
You notice that the price always goes up like a rocket but drifts down like a feather. You swap conspiracy theories with friends, family, neighbors.
Still, you always, always return to the pump and pony up for your high-octane fix."
The great thing about the story is that it's actually interesting to read. It isn't just another plug-and-chug sort of story that we hear all the time. You know, those stories about the impending doom that we seem to have trapped ourselves with? Ya, thanks for the reminder, couldn't notice that filling up at the gas station last night or anything.
He goes out and interviews a gas station owner, an oil industry consultant, a UC Davis historian and a representative from Chevron as well as an associate from an independent refinery. The spectrum is broad and his sources seem to hit all the major points along the way.
What I respect most about Ortiz is not his direct, concise yet clever way of writing, but his way to do what I believe the heart of all journalism is. He gives a voice to the voiceless in what seems for most to be a detached form of writing and news.
In his blog, "The State Worker", Ortiz seems to have hit the jackpot for those who have been long since undermined and overlooked. The blog is, obviously, about state workers, and he uses it as a way of keeping those to whom do the grunt work of the state up to date without having to follow every little move the government makes, some affecting them and others not.
He seems to play the translator for all the jargon that can all to often be associated with government and informs state workers on what they need to know. He lets them in on how it will affect them or why something has happened.
In a recent "State Worker" column, Ortiz responded to the outrage some Californians were feeling over recent pay raises to California state engineers. He received an email from an electrician in North Hollywood that was outraged over the ordeal, and Ortiz began to explain why it happened in a calm voice of reason.
Overall, Ortiz is one hell of a writer and one to defiantly watch. I'm not even a state worker and the stuff is brilliant.
To find more of Jon Ortiz's stories or to read the "State Worker", follow this link:
http://localsearch.sacbee.com/sp?keywords=Jon+Ortiz&aff=1100
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Presidential Debate Review
Tonight, the two presidential candidates bucked heads and words in Nashville, TN for their second presidential debate. Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain battled it out for a little over an hour and a half while moderator Tom Brokaw tried to corral the two long winded politicians to under a minute per response.
Almost every response from each of the senators ran over, and quite frankly, I think they spent more time using other questions answer time to rebuttal the opponent than to actually answer the question at hand. Which is troublesome, but when the issues came down to it, both had a lot of finger pointing to do.
And now, for the subjects at hand.
As far as health care goes, McCain believes that Americans should get a $5,000 check for health care and that it is a requirement. He believes it is on the shoulders of the government, small businesses and businesses alike to help provide for health care.
While Obama believes that those whom already have health care will get an improved plan and those that do not will be put on the same type of health care that himself and McCain are being provided through the government. Obama believes, however, that health care is a right and that no American should be denied it.
The biggest issue, and of course the first covered, was the issue of the economy.
McCain believes that the economy will stabilize through buying out the houses that have triggered this house mortgage crisis, and this will help partially to stabilize the economy. He also has linked this to nuclear energy (I failed to see the quantum leap to this subject) by saying that through becoming energy independent on nuclear energy (and of course, drilling off shore) we will create jobs and therefore help to stabilize this shaky economy that we are now facing.
Obama believes that we are living in the twenty first century with a twentieth century health care policy. He wants to reform health care completely.
All in all, it wasn't exactly what I would call a successful night. There was quite a bit of jargon (language specific to a certain industry or culture) that a lot of these "middle class" people that they talk so much about don't really understand.
I personally have no idea what "ear marks" are. And I heard McCain through around "cronies" and "cronyism" quite a bit. I personally believe that it was an attempt to try and separate himself from the current Commander in Chief and crew, whom a lot of people call "Bush and his cronies".
McCain actually stumbled after what seemed like a well plotted accusation thrown in at Obama, "...Obama and his cronies - uh, colleagues..."
It was hard to follow, and I got lost in a lot of the back and forth between the two of them. We'll see if they can focus in for the next round.
The finale included both Senators walking right in front of Brokaw's teleprompter, and Brokaw had to stop and ask them to move before he could continue the sign off.
Here's looking to the future of America.
Almost every response from each of the senators ran over, and quite frankly, I think they spent more time using other questions answer time to rebuttal the opponent than to actually answer the question at hand. Which is troublesome, but when the issues came down to it, both had a lot of finger pointing to do.
And now, for the subjects at hand.
As far as health care goes, McCain believes that Americans should get a $5,000 check for health care and that it is a requirement. He believes it is on the shoulders of the government, small businesses and businesses alike to help provide for health care.
While Obama believes that those whom already have health care will get an improved plan and those that do not will be put on the same type of health care that himself and McCain are being provided through the government. Obama believes, however, that health care is a right and that no American should be denied it.
The biggest issue, and of course the first covered, was the issue of the economy.
McCain believes that the economy will stabilize through buying out the houses that have triggered this house mortgage crisis, and this will help partially to stabilize the economy. He also has linked this to nuclear energy (I failed to see the quantum leap to this subject) by saying that through becoming energy independent on nuclear energy (and of course, drilling off shore) we will create jobs and therefore help to stabilize this shaky economy that we are now facing.
Obama believes that we are living in the twenty first century with a twentieth century health care policy. He wants to reform health care completely.
All in all, it wasn't exactly what I would call a successful night. There was quite a bit of jargon (language specific to a certain industry or culture) that a lot of these "middle class" people that they talk so much about don't really understand.
I personally have no idea what "ear marks" are. And I heard McCain through around "cronies" and "cronyism" quite a bit. I personally believe that it was an attempt to try and separate himself from the current Commander in Chief and crew, whom a lot of people call "Bush and his cronies".
McCain actually stumbled after what seemed like a well plotted accusation thrown in at Obama, "...Obama and his cronies - uh, colleagues..."
It was hard to follow, and I got lost in a lot of the back and forth between the two of them. We'll see if they can focus in for the next round.
The finale included both Senators walking right in front of Brokaw's teleprompter, and Brokaw had to stop and ask them to move before he could continue the sign off.
Here's looking to the future of America.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Review of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
When most people think of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", they don't think of substantial news. Generally speaking, people think of it as it is intended, a satirical piece of comedy (given it is on a network called "Comedy Central").
But with the way that most news networks are perceived these days, it's hard to take any news station serious. So why not go for a show that at least admits to its purposeful lack of integrity and objectivity and makes news just plain hilarious.
October 2, 2008 was a big day as far as news goes and Stewart definitely had his hands full. Stewart covered for the most part the bailout plan and Senator John McCain's response to it.
He started the show talking about the Vice Presidential debates that happened earlier in the evening between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. He, however, made more fun of the people expecting Palin to choke then Palin herself.
The next topic of satire was over the bailout bill that was passed by the senate. Stewart focused primarily on McCain's contradictions during the same interview over him saying how proud he was because he suspended his campaign, but also saying this will not solve everything, that "this is a tourniquet, this isn't a cure". Stewart went on to compare Golum from "Lord of the Rings" to John McCain with his impersonations and facial expressions.
And with all of this joking, Stewart and the crew at "The Daily Show" still have managed to inform us on what is going on in the nation today.
Julia R. Fox from Indiana University did a study of the show's coverage of the 2004 presidential election. The study, which was published in the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media
in 2007, concludes that "The Daily Show" is just as substantial to news as any other network broadcast, despite the fact that Jon Stewart calls himself a comedian and not a journalist.
"Thus, the argument could be made that while the amount of substance per story was not significantly different, the proportion of each story devoted to substance was greater in the network news stories than in stories from "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", said Fox in her study entitled, "No joke: a comparison of substance in The Daily show with Jon Stewart and broadcast network television coverage of the 2004 presidential election campaign"
All together, Stewart's Emmy award winning show is a funny, substantial source of news information, even if it is biased. Take that, Katie Couric.
The show is on Monday through Wednesday night at 11pm Pacific time on Comedy Central. "The Daily Show" is followed by it's republican counterpart, "The Colbert Report" which is hosted by Steven Colbert who used to be a news correspondent on "The Daily Show" until he branched off onto his own and debuted in October of 2006.
But with the way that most news networks are perceived these days, it's hard to take any news station serious. So why not go for a show that at least admits to its purposeful lack of integrity and objectivity and makes news just plain hilarious.
October 2, 2008 was a big day as far as news goes and Stewart definitely had his hands full. Stewart covered for the most part the bailout plan and Senator John McCain's response to it.
He started the show talking about the Vice Presidential debates that happened earlier in the evening between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. He, however, made more fun of the people expecting Palin to choke then Palin herself.
The next topic of satire was over the bailout bill that was passed by the senate. Stewart focused primarily on McCain's contradictions during the same interview over him saying how proud he was because he suspended his campaign, but also saying this will not solve everything, that "this is a tourniquet, this isn't a cure". Stewart went on to compare Golum from "Lord of the Rings" to John McCain with his impersonations and facial expressions.
And with all of this joking, Stewart and the crew at "The Daily Show" still have managed to inform us on what is going on in the nation today.
Julia R. Fox from Indiana University did a study of the show's coverage of the 2004 presidential election. The study, which was published in the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media
in 2007, concludes that "The Daily Show" is just as substantial to news as any other network broadcast, despite the fact that Jon Stewart calls himself a comedian and not a journalist.
"Thus, the argument could be made that while the amount of substance per story was not significantly different, the proportion of each story devoted to substance was greater in the network news stories than in stories from "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", said Fox in her study entitled, "No joke: a comparison of substance in The Daily show with Jon Stewart and broadcast network television coverage of the 2004 presidential election campaign"
All together, Stewart's Emmy award winning show is a funny, substantial source of news information, even if it is biased. Take that, Katie Couric.
The show is on Monday through Wednesday night at 11pm Pacific time on Comedy Central. "The Daily Show" is followed by it's republican counterpart, "The Colbert Report" which is hosted by Steven Colbert who used to be a news correspondent on "The Daily Show" until he branched off onto his own and debuted in October of 2006.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Adventures on road bikes
My birthday is August 28, and for a present, a very good friend of mine fixed up an old Peugot he had at his house. The bike is glorious; silver with light and dark blue logos, very chic at the time it burst onto the biking scene.
The bike has toe cages on the pedals, which helps prevent the foot from falling off when cycling at higher speeds, and amazing tires that have treated the bike and the road well.
And so, my adventures with Polly the Peugot began.
At first, Polly and I just rode around the neighborhood, getting to know each other, how she handled hills and her very touchy shifters which are very different from today's standards.
This wasn't to long before school started, and so I figured what better way to save money on gas then to ride the bike to school whenever possible.
Once school got into gear by September 2, and the first week of classes was through and done, i figured out the days that would be easiest to ride my bike to school. I have a few night classes, and so I knew that a parking permit was an inescapable fate. A twenty something girl riding her bike home along the river at 9:00 at night doesn't exactly spell out s-a-f-e-t-y. At least the gas money saved would make up for the cost of the permit.
So, my second or third day riding to school along the American River parkway (during the day) I was speeding home from my last class. Shortly after I got onto the trail a friend of mine yelled my name after I whizzed by her. I stopped and turned very abruptly to return the hello.
In trying to dismount the bike for balance, I tried to put my foot which was lodged inside of the toe cage on the pedal on the ground. Thinking that my foot will just slide off the pedal.
It became apparent very quickly that my foot was still very firmly within the confines of the toe cage. I quickly tried to recover, but London bridge was already falling down.
I took what would have been to huge staggering steps while still committed to the plastic prison around my foot, and finally with all my wit and grace decided it'd be a good idea to take my foot out rather than off of the pedal and all it's "racing" accessories.
I stumbled, but thankfully didn't eat gravel for an early dinner.
So, I picked myself up with valor and decided to saddle back up, give myself a few chuckles and ride off into the soon to be sunset.
I laughed and turned to my friend to say, "Don't be that girl..."
And it became very clear that I had become "that girl", the sober one, of the road bike world for a brief lapse of time.
The bike has toe cages on the pedals, which helps prevent the foot from falling off when cycling at higher speeds, and amazing tires that have treated the bike and the road well.
And so, my adventures with Polly the Peugot began.
At first, Polly and I just rode around the neighborhood, getting to know each other, how she handled hills and her very touchy shifters which are very different from today's standards.
This wasn't to long before school started, and so I figured what better way to save money on gas then to ride the bike to school whenever possible.
Once school got into gear by September 2, and the first week of classes was through and done, i figured out the days that would be easiest to ride my bike to school. I have a few night classes, and so I knew that a parking permit was an inescapable fate. A twenty something girl riding her bike home along the river at 9:00 at night doesn't exactly spell out s-a-f-e-t-y. At least the gas money saved would make up for the cost of the permit.
So, my second or third day riding to school along the American River parkway (during the day) I was speeding home from my last class. Shortly after I got onto the trail a friend of mine yelled my name after I whizzed by her. I stopped and turned very abruptly to return the hello.
In trying to dismount the bike for balance, I tried to put my foot which was lodged inside of the toe cage on the pedal on the ground. Thinking that my foot will just slide off the pedal.
It became apparent very quickly that my foot was still very firmly within the confines of the toe cage. I quickly tried to recover, but London bridge was already falling down.
I took what would have been to huge staggering steps while still committed to the plastic prison around my foot, and finally with all my wit and grace decided it'd be a good idea to take my foot out rather than off of the pedal and all it's "racing" accessories.
I stumbled, but thankfully didn't eat gravel for an early dinner.
So, I picked myself up with valor and decided to saddle back up, give myself a few chuckles and ride off into the soon to be sunset.
I laughed and turned to my friend to say, "Don't be that girl..."
And it became very clear that I had become "that girl", the sober one, of the road bike world for a brief lapse of time.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Follow your heart, Natalie
Natalie Dylan, she's got the picture. Way to stimulate the bowels of the economy as well as of men Natalie, you really hit home with this one.
The 22-year-old Sacramento State graduate of the woman's studies program, who is going by the pseudonym, Natalie Dylan, decided that in order to pay for the schooling she can't afford, she's capitalizing on her long saved virginity to make an extra dollar. To help with her education to get a masters degree in marriage counseling.
So, Dylan, after being denied by eBay for her auction, went to Dennis Hof at the largest brothel in Carson City, Nevada - The Bunny Ranch, who said he would handle the transaction. Dylan is not, however, giving it out to the highest bidder, but to one man at her discretion. She is screening the bidders to make sure that it is just the right guy.
CNN interviewed Dylan earlier this month and Dylan is said to have "definitely wanted to be 100% about the romance," when she was younger, but she describes that as she grew up, "reality kind of hit" and so she "capitalized" on what she saw as the only option to go.
Hof mentioned in an interview with CNN that Dylan's step dad applied for student loans fraudulently, and once he received the checks, cashed them and ran off. There is a warrant out for his arrest.
The woman obviously comes from a broken home. Her parents are obviously either divorced, or never married. And if her step father was bold enough to fraudulently sign for student loans, and then run off, I can't imagine how good of a father he really was to her, if he was even there in the first place. A fleeting image of a man. He seemed like he just used her for money, sound familiar? And like Freud said, if fathers are a model for what women look for in a husband...
Oh, but how the tables have turned. Now Natalie is getting money, but instead of cash from the government in loans and grants, she's getting it from the one thing she can think of that's left. Cashing out the check that she has held onto for 22 years.
It's hard to fathom the awkward nature of the feelings to which she would be going through on the night when her bidder comes to take his bidding. He has put a price on something precious to her, on an area of the body and of life that is private, and secluded. A place we have spent our whole lives saving; covering; hiding from the public view.
But Dylan has "capitalized" off of this view.
There have been to many instances observed of completely unhappy, moneygrubbing people who crawled their way to the top of a ruthless society by being just as equally as ruthless to their inferiors. While some of the most poor people are some of the most content, not because of what's in their pockets or because of what's in their closets or garages, but because of what they have in their hearts, as cheesy and as cliche as it may sound, but a warm heart and an empty wallet are better than a cold heart and a fat money fold.
No, the two cannot go together. Think about what it means to have a warm heart. Think about what it means to have a cold heart. What are the characteristics of each?
So, Ms. Dylan, is a masters degree really worth losing something you once thought to be precious? Something you once thought you would wait till marriage for? For that right guy? I guess the one with the right price will be the one. And you will be joined in the matrimony of capitalism, opening those good old legs up for business.
There have been way to many girls who once thought that they were the last virgins on earth. That losing such innocence was a shameful badge to be bashfully worn, but worn with a sense of accomplishment. Slut if you do, prude if you don't.
Empowerment is not taking advantage of what women fight to keep from getting taken advantage of. Empowerment of a woman is taking every stereotype and throwing it out the window. The sluts, the hoes, the prudes, the tomboys, the bitches, and the dikes. Throw it out of a moving car, and keep moving. Open up the mind and the heart, connect the two and let the mind be content blind to everything but what a woman's heart is after. Whatever that may be.
The 22-year-old Sacramento State graduate of the woman's studies program, who is going by the pseudonym, Natalie Dylan, decided that in order to pay for the schooling she can't afford, she's capitalizing on her long saved virginity to make an extra dollar. To help with her education to get a masters degree in marriage counseling.
So, Dylan, after being denied by eBay for her auction, went to Dennis Hof at the largest brothel in Carson City, Nevada - The Bunny Ranch, who said he would handle the transaction. Dylan is not, however, giving it out to the highest bidder, but to one man at her discretion. She is screening the bidders to make sure that it is just the right guy.
CNN interviewed Dylan earlier this month and Dylan is said to have "definitely wanted to be 100% about the romance," when she was younger, but she describes that as she grew up, "reality kind of hit" and so she "capitalized" on what she saw as the only option to go.
Hof mentioned in an interview with CNN that Dylan's step dad applied for student loans fraudulently, and once he received the checks, cashed them and ran off. There is a warrant out for his arrest.
The woman obviously comes from a broken home. Her parents are obviously either divorced, or never married. And if her step father was bold enough to fraudulently sign for student loans, and then run off, I can't imagine how good of a father he really was to her, if he was even there in the first place. A fleeting image of a man. He seemed like he just used her for money, sound familiar? And like Freud said, if fathers are a model for what women look for in a husband...
Oh, but how the tables have turned. Now Natalie is getting money, but instead of cash from the government in loans and grants, she's getting it from the one thing she can think of that's left. Cashing out the check that she has held onto for 22 years.
It's hard to fathom the awkward nature of the feelings to which she would be going through on the night when her bidder comes to take his bidding. He has put a price on something precious to her, on an area of the body and of life that is private, and secluded. A place we have spent our whole lives saving; covering; hiding from the public view.
But Dylan has "capitalized" off of this view.
There have been to many instances observed of completely unhappy, moneygrubbing people who crawled their way to the top of a ruthless society by being just as equally as ruthless to their inferiors. While some of the most poor people are some of the most content, not because of what's in their pockets or because of what's in their closets or garages, but because of what they have in their hearts, as cheesy and as cliche as it may sound, but a warm heart and an empty wallet are better than a cold heart and a fat money fold.
No, the two cannot go together. Think about what it means to have a warm heart. Think about what it means to have a cold heart. What are the characteristics of each?
So, Ms. Dylan, is a masters degree really worth losing something you once thought to be precious? Something you once thought you would wait till marriage for? For that right guy? I guess the one with the right price will be the one. And you will be joined in the matrimony of capitalism, opening those good old legs up for business.
There have been way to many girls who once thought that they were the last virgins on earth. That losing such innocence was a shameful badge to be bashfully worn, but worn with a sense of accomplishment. Slut if you do, prude if you don't.
Empowerment is not taking advantage of what women fight to keep from getting taken advantage of. Empowerment of a woman is taking every stereotype and throwing it out the window. The sluts, the hoes, the prudes, the tomboys, the bitches, and the dikes. Throw it out of a moving car, and keep moving. Open up the mind and the heart, connect the two and let the mind be content blind to everything but what a woman's heart is after. Whatever that may be.
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