Why so many?

So recently I was looking through a magazine and lately I feel like the world’s been bombarded by overly fertile women who are having 6, 7, 8, even 18 kids?! I understand that having children is a blessing and all that good stuff, but at the same time I feel like a woman who has children consecutively is taking individual time away from each kid, as well as depriving her mind and body from a much-needed rest.

What is the fascination with octomom? Yes, she had eight kids, however, that would be a lot cooler to me if she was naturally impregnated and happened to be carrying 8 eggs, but instead she simply paid a fee and 8 eggs were injected into her. I don’t have a problem with in vitro fertilization, I just don’t think this woman in particular should be glorified for simply having a lot of kids. A mother should be glorified for raising good, respectable children.

I also recently read a story about a mom who has 18 kids whose in the hospital for exhaustion among other things…OBVIOUSLY?!?! I would be dead if I had to raise 18 kids between the ages of 20-0. Having kids for two decades does not sound fun to me, no matter how magical the experience is.

I guess it just bothers me that people are looking at having a lot of kids as the new fad, the new “it” thing to do. To many people already look at children as objects, we don’t need people reproducing just to be the Guinness Book of World Records.

The Ultimate Party Crashers

I was looking through the LA Times website and came across a story of a married couple who crashed a White House party over the holiday week. Michaele and Tareq Salahi decided to test the limits and see if they could get into the most exclusive party in the United States…well they did!

Have no fear, they went through all the same security screenings so Obama and other members of Congress were all safe, however, the Secret Service is getting a severe backlash because of their lack of control in this situation.

Personally, I think it’s kind of funny that this married couple totally duped what’s supposed to be the smartest and most on point security team in the country. I guess I understand why some people are upset about what happened, but as long as my president wasn’t in danger, which he wasn’t, then I’m not too concerned about it. Obviously it just goes to show that if you act a certain way, people will seriously believe you and that is what makes me the most sad. Money and a title is more important to so many people, then personality and morals, and honestly that saddens me so much. These people were treated like upper crust citizens….until everyone found out they weren’t actually wealthy & “important”.

REAL? housewives of orange county

Recently I was watching the hit Bravo TV show, “Real Housewives of Orange County”…this show is not something I would consider a favorite, but when you’re sitting at work like me, any TV time is entertaining. The women in the show are as real as their weaves, fake implants, and numerous other extravagancies. However annoying all of that is, it was the new addition to the group that I cannot understand.

I don’t even know the lady’s name, but what I do know is that she is COMPLETELY m0nitored and bossed around by her husband. The first introduction of her on the show she lists her priorites: God, husband, kids…Okay so God coming first is fine I suppose, although I don’t fully agree, but your husband coming first before your three kids is a little worrisome to me. Then she talks about how her husband wouldn’t like her getting a job other than taking care of the house, ummmm ARE WE IN THE 50s?? Now besides angering me, all of this makes me think, are these women seriously alright with giving up their self respect and freedom just to be financially taken care of?

I would rather go to school, have my OWN career, and find a husband who supports all of that! I’m honestly disgusted that this show is as popular as it is…I definitely do not think that this show is doing anything positive for women, marriages, or family life in general. There is no mutual respect, only ill will towards each other mixed in with people who have wayyyyy too much money.

Okay, my rant is over…

Signs of Trying Times

Recently I went on the website for the New York Times. I was interested in how they placed their front page and what things they deemed most important to announce first. There was a blurb about the Afghanistan war, some information on an oil related issue, breaking news on the Fort Hood incident, and of course, something about the current job woes in America.

My eyes centered in on a quote printed in the newspaper by Paul Bachmuth an unemployed father of two., “I’ve heard a lot of people who are out of work say it’s kind of been a blessing, that you have more time to spend with your family. I love my family and my family comes first, and my family means more than anything to me, but it hasn’t been that way for me.”

This quote makes me really sad and kind of angers me at the same time. I really feel for this man because it’s obvious how much he is struggling and how the fact that he doesn’t have a job is taking a toll on his family life. I have read various quotes by people who are apparently happy or grateful for being laid off because of a renewed freedom for family time. However, is it simply the newspapers creating these ideas and reports or do people really feel this way? Personally for me I don’t think I’d be very grateful at all if I got laid off at work, ESPECIALLY if I had two kids. How do you survive? I feel like the media is trying to hide how bad the actual job market is by portraying things that aren’t even accurate because I really don’t believe that any father who is out of work would ever be excited about it. Yes, obviously they’re happy that they get to spend time with their kids, but I’m sure the time they spend with their kids is a constant reminder that they don’t have a job..

The Trauma of War

Reading about all the various stories about the soldiers coming back from their Iraqi deployment literally makes me weak. I cannot imagine the feeling of sadness and insecurity when your loved ones leave and abundant happiness IF they return. But what seems the hardest for me to comprehend is, what if they return alive, but completely different than how they left? Republicans and Democrats argue back and forth, should we stay in or get it? How much money are we spending? Why are we even fighting anymore? But no one seems to ask, WHAT ABOUT THE SOLDIERS!? AND THEIR FAMILIES? 

Yes, there are programs similar to the G.I. Bill in 1945, that help pay for further education and family necessities. However, eventually the benefits will run out, and soon the only thing that these veterans have left are the emotional and physical injuries they incurred while deployed. 

In particular, I read one story about a soldier who was a reserve for a few years and in 2004 got deployed to Iraq for a year. He already had some pre existing injuries from previous jobs and military things, however, when he returned home he was hardly recognizable by family. On the outside he seemed to be doing ALRIGHT, but inside it was even worse. He told his sister about how when he closed his eyes he would see bloody children, exploding bodies, and hear the constant sounds of bullets all the time. This all proved to be too much, and after being caught by his roommate trying to shoot himself, he resorted to puncturing his wrist. He didn’t die from that, but it soon triggered an intense addiction to pain and anxiety pills.

Perhaps the most disheartening thing about this story is not that he was hurt, but that the VA basically ignored the warning signs of a major issue. How does the government expect people to enlist in the Army when it’s so obvious that they’re not being properly treated. The story ends tragically anyhow. After surviving his suicide attempts and a drug addiction brought on by sever back pain, this man eventually OD’d on morphine given to him by the VA hospital after it had explicitly said, NO MORPHINE. 

It’s sad to think that you put the care of your life into the hands of certain strangers and they can’t even take the time to read proper paperwork…

Suicide Watch

Every single person has had their share of bad days, but what pushes those string of bad days into a permanent cycle? A person can either surrender to the pressure and commit suicide, or stay strong, keep a clear mind, and push forward. Apparently, some students at Palo Alto High School don’t feel that way. In the last six months the high school has lost 4 students to suicide, all choosing to kill themselves the exact same way. Though the times vary, each victim flung themselves into an oncoming train.

It’s sad to think that so many people’s issues and struggles go unnoticed by society. One would think that a school that’s already lost one, two, and then three students, would try to prevent as many future incidents as possible. However alarming that is, what’s scarier is the fact that this issue has gotten absolutely no airtime or publicity from the newspapers. Why you ask? According to police, they want to remain quiet on the issue so as not to give other people with psychological disorders any ideas. Hmmm sounds a little questionable to me…I feel like if this were to happen at a school like Beverly Hills High, the world would be up in arms.

Why are affluent students killing themselves?! The world watches in horror. Take those same kids and put them in Palo Alto, it’s a whole different story. It’s sad how old fashioned people’s ways of thinking can be…

Creepy Surprise

I was looking through the LA Times magazine, and there tactics for catching my attention really worked. In the bottom right corner of the homepage of the website is a headline stating “Dead Man Confused as Halloween Decoration.” WHAT?! Instantly, I was lured in.

Apparently, Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed lay dead since Monday on the balcony of his Marina Del Rey apartment. In plain view, Zayed laid motionless from a single gun shot wound to the eye. What’s even weirder is that he was clearly visible by his neighbors, yet no one said anything to police until Thursday. Didn’t anyone smell his decaying body? I think this story is so sad, but what’s even sadder perhaps is that the LA Times used a “shocking” story that would shake people’s emotions in order to bait people into reading the newspaper. Although this is interesting, there are far other things going on in the world that deserve that coveted spot on the front page.

Shame on the LA Times for using someone’s misfortune as a means to gain business…

UCLA Stabbing

On Friday I heard about a student at UCLA that entered the organic chemistry lab and stabbed a fellow student. Wow. It seriously makes me so sad that people are crazy enough to just walk into a room, pick someone out, and hurt them without any remorse or thought. Although authorities say there was no proof of a premeditated attack, reports are coming out stating that, Damon Thompson, the suspect, was known for erratic behavior. Now the question is, are signs of erratic behavior automatic signs that someone is going to do something crazy?

I can’t imagine what the new safety regulations are going to be in the after math of this case-is his case enough to alter the status quo of UCLA? As far as they were aware, Thompson wasn’t a physical threat, maybe just a little weird? He woke up at 3 AM to tidy his dorm, which included tidying this roommates’ area. That in it of itself is alarming simply because he is touching stuff that’s not his.

So is this guy “bad” or is he just confused? Does he deserve the $1 million bail, or does he deserve a thorough psychological exam? I think both is the answer. Authorities cannot just ignore the fact that this guy harmed a person so brutally, but they also can’t forget that he might have been in an altered state of mind.

My prayers go out to the young girl and her family.

Sexiled Off the “Island”

Sex + Exiled = Sexiled….what does that mean exactly?

I was reading an interesting article about a new rule added to the rule book at Tufts University in Boston. After many complaints from students, this liberal arts college made an addition to the student handbook regarding sexual activity in the dorms. The new rule would put into effect a prohibiting of sexual activity in the dorm room when roommates are present. Many people are all for the new rule stating that it allows students more freedom so they don’t have to worry about interrupting anything, yet others are up in arms over the situation.

Personally, I think it is a ridiculous rule. Even though I’m not away at school a lot of my friends are participating in dorm life, and one of the first things I asked them about was the guy situation. “So how do you guys deal with having someone over?” I asked my friend. “We just do…it’s not that big of a deal,” was her response. And really, it isn’t that big of a deal. I mean come on, if people are old enough to live on their own, feed themselves, clothe themselves, and make life changing decisions like picking a major, or a school better yet, don’t you think they’re capable of figuring out a system for managing the sex situation?

I feel like it’s a right of passage in some ways. First, you don’t have mommy and daddy to help you figure out how to deal with the big, bad, and even worse sexual roommate. Second, it teaches people the importance of compromising…obviously one roommate is going to have to give something up in order for another roommate to gain something. That something being sex. Third and perhaps most importantly, this “situation” is a test of maturity. Will a person deal with this problem like an adult? Or will they complain like a baby?

If I were in this situation, I would certainly rather have my roommate confront me about this issue openly, then go behind my back and rat me out to the school…seems kind of tactless if you ask me. However, the story doesn’t end with a conclusion, but more of an agreement to disagree. Even though people are upset over this new rule, Tufts University has not taken any initiative to change it and as of right now it doesn’t seem like that is even a possibility.

Marijuana vs. Starbucks

Last night while watching Bill Maher’s show on HBO, he presented the audience with a really interesting statistic. Did you know that in Los Angeles, there are more medicinal marijuana dispensaries than there are Starbucks? Researchers say that it is actually easier to open up a marijuana clinic then it is to open a nail salon or yogurt shop. I personally think that actually adds to the coolness of Los Angeles, but I’m sure there are many people up in arms over this.

How much of a bad thing could it possibly be? I mean, people would rather relax with a joint then sip a cup of caffeine…the effects are totally different on the body and now, both activities are used socially. Not only are there more dispensaries, but officials in California are rigorously trying to pass a law that would make marijuana legally accessible to anyone over 21 years old and it would be taxable by the state. More and more today, people are beginning to realize that legalizing marijuana might actually have some positive effects on the economic state of California. Making money off of California’s cash crop is the easiest and most obvious route to take…By taxing and allowing marijuana to be used recreationally, more people are likely to buy, thus providing the government with more revenue.

Although there is a lot of controversy with this plan, many people view it in the same way as prohibition in the 20s. Yes, alcohol is bad for you and can have damaging effects if used irresponsibly, just like marijuana can, the only difference is that there has never been a case of someone overdosing on weed, which makes it difficult for opposers to argue. Obviously, the age old believe that “marijuana is a gateway drug” still holds true to some people, but many others, even those in their late 50s-early 60s, are starting to agree that perhaps cashing in on this major market wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

The fact that this is even being talked about is a step in the right direction considering where the US stood in the 1940s and 50s with the “War on Drugs”. I mean how bad can it possibly be when our own president has smoked before? I think people need to just relax, sit back, and maybe just maybe try to enjoy the new things California is trying to do.