A family of strict traditions

Twice baked potatoes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, apple pie (for me), pumpkin pie (for my parents), biscuits, turkey of course and cranberry sauce for my mom is the year after year Thanksgiving menu, and it never gets old.

I look forward to Thanksgiving every year, there’s something about Thanksgiving that warms my heart so, more than Christmas oddly enough.

Thanksgiving, to me, is about family coming together, sitting around and just spending time together doing nothing or whatever it is a particular family has a tradition of doing.

My family isn’t big, well actually it’s just my mom, my dad, and myself every year for Thanksgiving and that really is okay with me because that’s all I have never known. I have no brothers or sisters, and all of my grandparents are deceased, so it’s just us.

My family and I sit around, eat all day, watch movies, and sleep and it’s awesome. I really couldn’t ask for anything better.

For some reason every year my mom asks, “Now what would you like special this year for Thanksgiving dinner?” And I really have no idea why she asks because every year it’s the same answer, twice backed potatoes.

So the yearly routine goes as follows: we get up around 11 a.m. or so have hot chocolate, read the newspapers finding where all the good deals for black Friday are, then my parents usually banter for about an hour or so about what time they should put the turkey in oven. By the time they are done trying to figure that out, they both come to the realization that it should have gone in about an hour ago, so they frantically put it in, it’s quite funny to watch actually.

About this time we are usually eating cheese and crackers about to pop in the first movie, really great for our metabolism considering Thanksgiving is the single day that people eat the most out of the entire year.

The movie we watch every year, “For the love of the Game,” is truly a great love story. My mom doesn’t even make it half way through the movie and she’s already asleep, one year she didn’t even make it past the opening credits, which was quite sad to say the least. Come to think of it I have no idea why she calls it “our” movie when she can never watch it with me except maybe one Thanksgiving a while ago.

Continuing on.

Somewhere along the line I fall asleep too and catch up on all the sleep I have been deprived of being so busy with school and work during the semester. And after we all wake up from our catnaps it is usually time for us to eat the big dinner, which usually lasts about 15 minutes or so.

My mom’s famous phrase, “Cook all day for 15 minutes of eating,” which I couldn’t agree with more.

Then we take one look at the kitchen with our full bellies and all simultaneously let out this horrible groan and can’t believe we actually have to clean up that entire mess that we call our kitchen.

After the cleanup, which usually takes a half hour at least, we struggle back over to couch and plop down exhausted, fat and full- just the way it should be.

About an hour after that it’s time for apple pie for me and pumpkin for my parents, thus concluding our quiet, uneventful Thanksgiving tradition with just the three of us.

I should mention that every Thanksgiving night I go to bed thinking “I am never eating again, I really do mean it this time” and that usually lasts for about three hours when I’m back in the kitchen eating leftovers.

The co-worker relationship: pro’s and con’s

Let’s face it if we aren’t at school taking notes, stressing out, socializing then we are spending a lot of time at work paying for our alcohol habit on the weekend among other things.

But while we are at work, on our down time if there is any, we tend to do some socializing there as well; we’re only human after all. The real question is, is this a good idea? Should we even have friends at work? Is the co-worker friendship damaging or beneficial?

Let’s look at all the bad things that can happen first. Too much socializing can cause one or both to not get their work done, further leading to write-ups or the unspeakable termination.

Next there are these evil things called “work cliques,” for those who are unaware of what they are, it is when there are various groups of people who have become close friends and tend to alienate other groups of people who have not formed their particular clique.

Cliques can cause a negative work environment for those who are not in one and the pressure to be in one can be excruciating if one really does want to fit in. It’s almost like resorting back to high school days in a sense.

But then there are some really good things that can come out of a co-worker relationship.

Developing friends at work can make the workplace enjoyable and exciting. I mean c’mon, how horrible would it be to go to work everyday and not know anyone, hate everyone there and just over all be a miserable mess for eight hours? Certainly not me.

Life is all about building relationships and that definitely does not exclude work. We are there to do a job but to also network yourself and show others that you aren’t a total grouch and are fun to be around.

Now that doesn’t mean spilling your entire life story and telling everyone at work your most personal intimate issues and details, like some “chatty Kathy’s” tend to do, but sharing the facts and keeping conversation light and professional is always the smartest thing to do.

With all the things above considered having co-workers as friends is really just another great way to open yourself up to someone and creating memories.

Will you be my rebound tonight?

Anyone who has ever just gotten out of a long-term relationship has first-hand experience with this. It’s almost as if people do with it without even noticing, and no matter how hard people try, these relationships never make the previous one go away completely, it just ends up getting masked and put on the back burner to dwell on in the future. Some call these relationships “pain numbing and a temporary release from the sadness” we all know them as rebound relationships, and as much as you want to deny it, you too, have had your share of these.

So why do we do this? Are we really that shallow that we need constant companionship and absolutely not be alone? Or is that we have to prove to ourselves that we can still get someone if we had to? This rebounding phenomenon makes no sense, which is why this blog is going to explore the rebound relationship.

For those of you who are completely lost and have never heard of this before, a rebounding relationship is defined as the following: when you or your partner are still affected by a previous significant relationship that impacts on either the quality of the current relationship of your perception of it. In other words, when you are in a rebound relationship you tend to spend a lot of time focusing on your previous one. Focusing on what could have been, what went wrong, wondering if you did the right thing in breaking up and while you are doing this you are also draining the potential of your current one to be successful. Often times rebound relationships are very short term, lasting a few months, maybe three weeks, maybe even one or two nights. Most people say the idea of a rebound relationship is to be distracted from the previous one, that’s all that rebounds are meant to do.

According to divorcesupport.com, there is a few things rebound relationships are meant to do: distract, mask the pain, and create high unrealistic expectations. Cathy Meyer, author of the “Rebound Relationship,” she says rebounds are a distraction, “It is a connection to another person that keeps up from having to experience the full extent of the emotional pain of our resent break up. It is a misguided attempt to move on with our lives. Many people will jump back into the dating scene because they fear being alone. It’s a quick fix, one in which we can drown out our pain by reveling in the emotional intensity and passion of a new found love. It can be a lot more fun than dealing with the misery of a recently broken heart.”

Meyer also says that people make common mistakes when getting into rebound relationships, she says, “Don’t go into a rebound relationship expecting your new partner to make up for the shortcoming and mistakes of the old partner.” High expectations can often times lead to disappointment, which will almost always result in the relationship ending. Having an open mind is the best idea even when that may not always be the easiest thing to do.
Masking the pain is a common mechanism we use when rebounding, Meyer says, “This is the biggest problem in a rebound relationship, usually someone ends up being used and hurt as a result. If you are in a relationship to distract yourself from the pain of a broken heart then you are using person. More than likely when that person has served their purpose you will move on, leaving them to pick up the pieces. Be honest with your new relationship partner about your intentions.” This analogy is true, rebounds are meant to put of the pain for a short period of time when the person knows that the pain will still be there waiting to be dealt with.

In other words smartest thing to do is to give the break up time, people always say time heals all things for a reason, and to move on when you’re ready. Everyone is different so it really is hard to tell when it’s too soon to be moving on, some move on faster than others. But if you think you are in a rebound relationship, odds are you are. Rebound relationships really don’t do anything for people other than get their minds off the pain, but that is not to say that all rebound relationships are destined to be a failure, that part is up to you to make it work.

The Malabar: A chill spot for young people

“That’s not what I ordered. I ordered the meatloaf” were the first words uttered walking into the Malabar, any sane person would have left right then and there. But even hungry bellies make people do weird things.

While the food is moderately priced, there is something on the menu called “The early bird special” that gives its customers half the amount of food for half the price at dinner time which is nice for people, especially students, on a budget.

No alcohol was consumed while at the Malabar, but the drink prices were reasonable for the location and area. The area is conveniently located right off the Interstate 5 freeway, right off the Del Paso Rd. exit on the right hand, there is no way to miss this wondrous sight.

The server seemed a bit preoccupied and at times unaware of the fact that she was serving four tables at one time. Aside from her being perpetually busy, she never failed to make sure a drink was refilled or that extra salad dressing was supplied when needed which is a definite plus.

The salmon with mashed potatoes and vegetables, eaten while during the early bird special, was barbequed a little too much but the veggies were cooked well and the sauce it was prepared it was of a spicy chipotle family but not overbearing.

Aside from the salads and soups there are no vegetarian dishes for people who follow that strict “religion.”

The atmosphere was pretty relaxed; the majority of the restaurant goers were professional business people or a younger crowd of people, which was refreshingly nice.

The facilities were quite plush. Automatic soap dispenser as well as automatic towel dispensers makes the Malabar modern as well as unique to other fine dinning restaurants.

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness” is oh so true for the Malabar. It was almost spotless on first glance; the bus boy was constantly cleaning tables or even cleaning counters that looked like they didn’t need cleaning. Trust that your food is being handled in safe and sanitary environment.

All in all the Malabar was of a good rating. Good atmosphere, very clean, average food, reasonable prices with the option of specials which people always like to take advantage of. A good place to recommend to anyone that wants to enjoy good food on a reasonable budget.

First Impressions: how important are they?

Say your best friend, Stephanie, sets you up on a blind date. Nothing serious, just coffee at the local college hang out spot. Your friend tells you nothing more about this person other then that the two of you are to meet there at 8 p.m. and that you should look for someone wearing white. So you get there, find a seat where you can easily see the door and scope out anyone wearing white who walks through the door when suddenly a guy wearing baggy jeans, no shoes and a ripped white shirt comes walking towards you, sits down and says, “Uh hi, I’m Bobby. Stephanie made you sound a lot prettier than you really are, so let’s just get this over with.”

What do you do?

For one you should slap Bobby in the face and walk out, but you should also re-think letting Stephanie set you up on a blind date. Ever again.

First impressions are everything. Think about it, how many times have we met someone and critiqued every little thing about them from the way he or she is dressed, hygiene, even how he or she has their hair styled? Many times. The littlest things like too much facial hair, too many freckles, bushy eyebrows, or weird moles easily turn off some people.

Lets face it; we are harsh when it comes to first impressions.

First impressions can make or break any situation. From job interviews to introducing yourself to your boyfriend or girlfriend's parents, it’s all about the way you present yourself, the firmness of that first handshake, eye contact, mannerism and so much more. People sometimes forget how important first impressions are.

Experts say that the first seven seconds are the most important moments in first meeting someone. According to Lydia Ramsey in her article, “First Impressions: How seven seconds can make a deal” she says, “When you meet someone face-to-face, 93 percent of how you are judged is based on non-verbal date- your appearance and your body language. Only seven percent is influenced by the words that you speak.”

This is completely true; we judge each other by the way the other person carries himself or herself. We critique how the person walks and presents himself or herself not so much about what her or she says.

But that doesn’t mean you can just mumble out some nonsense even if you have a great mannerism, the words you speak are important as well.

Positive comments and affirmations are the best way to be remembered, in a good way. Saying what Bobby above said is definitely not a positive affirmation. As humans we feed off of vibes and energy and if someone’s first impression of you is a negative one complaining about how much you hate your life and everyone in it and wish you could just kill them all, that really sends a bad vibe to the person you are meeting for the first time. Not to mention the fact that he or she now might think you are homicidal.

I mean after all, wouldn’t you present yourself the way you want others to perceive you?

THE BRAND NEW RELATIONSHIP

My relationship column ironically hits a little close to home this time around being as how I just got into a relationship yesterday, so I figured I would blog about brand new relationship.

He said, “I really like you and I think we should be together” and I said yes, thus beginning a new and exciting relationship.

While getting into a new relationship, whether it is a gay or straight one, can be exhilarating and blissful, there are a few crucial things that need to happen in order to keep a new couple, well… blissful.

There are hundreds of online articles about new relationships all of which giving advice something like “communication is key, always be honest, be yourself” and so on, but what a lot of those articles don’t say is what not to do.

One key thing not to do is have sex right away. While this may seem like a “yeah I already knew this” phenomenon, jumping right into something so intimate without knowing the other person makes the relationship die quicker before it even started.

Make sure you tell the other about your vices. Talking about bad habits is a good way to show the other that you want them there in the long run.

Don’t spill all your personal details about your ex. It might really easy to bash the him or her, but all this does is show your new boyfriend or girlfriend how bitter and resentful you which is definitely a negative way to start a relationship. If he or she asks questions about your ex, answer them but don’t pour all those old feelings out. This new relationship is about you and whomever you’re with, not you and him or her and your ex. Leaving it alone is your best bet.

Getting all of the ugly stuff out of the way is the hard part, it’s also important to enjoy each other, fully.

Go out and do things. Go to a coffee shop, see a band, go to the movies and take road trips. The couple that goes places together stays together. Immediately becoming the “stay at home, being bored” can get old really fast. Being active keeps things exciting and new and that is exactly what a new relationship should be.

Honesty and trust is a given, but really being honest and really trusting the other is key. If you see this new and exciting relationship going somewhere really give it your all, make it all it can be.

Another important aspect is not caring about what the people around you think. Being together is a big step in itself and sometimes outsiders can easily influence the relationship, but only if you let it. So make sure you’re in the relationship for the right reasons and not to make the people around you happy.

Lastly, have fun with it and try not to worry about every detail too much. The exciting part of the whole relationship is having someone unexpectedly wonderful come into your life and change everything forever. Trust me, I know.

The long distant relationship: can it work?

There isn’t anything worse than being in a relationship with the one you love when he or she lives 10,000 miles away or half way across the continent. The hardships of a long distant relationship, some couples simply can’t take the space while others find ways to work around it.

Long distant relationships can work; it’s all about using your imagination, and following a few important guidelines.

First, establish the relationship rules in the beginning. Not knowing the rules of what is and is not expected of the other person never helps better a relationship. It is important to know if the relationship is considered an open relationship where both are free to casually date other people since their significant other cannot be near them. Setting the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ is essential.

Second, communicate every single day, whether is be via e-mail, AIM, web cam, text message, mail or phone, communication is all a long distant relationship has to survive. If there is no communication it is very easy to start feeling insecure about the other and that’s when arguments arise.

Next, expressing your feelings is so crucial, how else is the relationship supposed to grow? If one feels lonely and depressed not being able to be with the other everyday then that needs to be discussed. Talk about it; make sure to hold nothing back. Express those feelings until your blue in the face!

Show him or her what the other means to you, send care packages to show how much the relationship means to you. CD’s with notes attached, maybe make a picture frame with the picture of you two inside, or if you are really talented, knit a blanket and spray it with your favorite perfume or cologne. May sound cheesy, but it’s the little things that can make or break a long distant relationship.

Getting creative and thinking of unique things to do really is the key to making a long distant relationship last. A few articles on the Internet suggest watching your favorite television show or your favorite movie together.

Some couples may not realize this, but another very important aspect of a long distant relationship is going to visit one another. Visits are absolutely necessary in keeping the relationship alive, as humans, physical contact is crucial. Making sacrifices to show one another that they are in this for the long run and even thought they lives thousands of miles away they can make it work.

Another important thing to remember is that anything is possible, so if you really want to stay together and make it work it will. Long distant relationships are the hardest to survive but if a couple can make it work, then that says a lot about their relationship in the future, it means they can withstand anything.
While some couples may seem long distant relationships are impossible, like me, they really aren’t, commitment and true dedication is the key. If two people really have the desire to make it work, it will, just have to have faith.

Marcos Breton: a realist.

It’s safe to say that I really dislike talking about politics. It’s so dry, and so boring and it seems like the same thing is said over and over just in a different context or about a different state. So when I saw the columnist I had to choose from on the Sacramento Bee’s website it seemed like all of them just talk about politics, so annoying!

Then I came across Marcos Breton who surprised me. While he does do his fair share of writing about boring politics he also writes about real stuff, you know, things of interested to real people like gay marriage, sports, and shocking courtroom decisions.

He is what I like to call a real columnist. Someone who is able to write about a bunch of different topics and write about them well.

One thing I did notice that is a big “no-no” in the column writing world is that he started out asking a question in his “Bad vote on gay marriage a wake-up call at American River College” article when he starts out asking a question, “What do you do when a college student tells you he is against gay marriage because he fears the wrath of God?” While the question is a pretty interesting one it still is too cliché to start out by asking a question, right Professor Fitzgerald?

While Breton did get his point across that the student at American River College are against same sex marriage he did it in a way that was not confusing, it was very easy to read and he leaves his audience thinking at the end of his article which I really like because it makes us ponder the possibilities of whatever he is writing about.

A good example of this is when in the same article he states, “ARC proves that. But the students at the school also prove that democracy works. You just have to pay attention.”

Another article titled, “Next time, you could be a panhandling victim.” He starts off by writing about his experiences with panhandling in downtown Sacramento as well in the Arden Fair parking lot. Of his experience in the Arden Fair mall parking lot, “She carries a baby whom she doesn't shield from Sacramento's blazing summer sun. Also in tow is a preteen boy, possibly her son. This lad never looks up. One wonders if his spirit has been broken from being party to such a pitiable scene?”

When he writes about this I can actually pictures myself there with him as he writes it, which to me is so crucial in good column writing. I like to feel a part of the experience and not be looking in on it even though I literally am.

All in all I really like his style of writing because he just makes sense and his wording is not confusing as most columnists I find are. There is nothing worse than trying to decipher the meaning of what I’m reading and Breton makes this especially easy.

Child-relationship: Is there such a thing as TMI?

Generally speaking, your parents are supposed to be there for you whenever you need them, you confide in them when you have problems and they come up with the perfect solution. Your parents are there to bail you out of trouble, if you were to ever get in any.

When you have a bad day at school and little Timmy hit you, you would go home and tell your parents and they would make sure something was done about it. Your parents are your everything. But as children grow up and get older there comes a time when some things, well a lot of things, are better left unsaid.

So where does one draw the line? What is safe to talk about with your parents without them judging you in the vilest way?

The first obvious one that probably should never be discussed with a parent is sex. If it’s not extremely awkward, and your parents aren’t sex therapist like Gaylord Focker’s mom was in “Meet the Fockers”, to talk about sex with them then there is something very wrong with you. Besides the “birds and the bees” talk, sex should never be discussed with parents at any time.

Can you imagine telling your parents, “Yeah mom and dad, I had this banging orgy last night, you should’ve been there”? I didn’t think so. As long as parents know you are using some kind of protection there should be no worries on their end and then it should immediately be dropped and never mentioned again.

But then there are more complicated and serious things that usually should not be discussed with a parent. For instance, when you get into a fight with a good friend over something serious. Think about it, telling your parents about a fight you had with one of your best friend and telling your mom or dad all about is only going to give them your side of the side and as we all know there are two sides to a story, so it is a little bit biased.

And then once you and your friend are done being mad at each other and go back to hanging out everyday your mom or dad might be like “well I thought you were mad at her? What she did was pretty messed up.” So to avoid confusion, it is a lot easier to keep your mouth closed on BFF (best friends forever) disputes.

Another issue that generally should not be discussed between a parent and a child is how much drugs the child does. Unless the parent can see drugs are clearly interfering with the child’s education and or work life.

“Recreational” drug use as some high school and college kids like to call it is usually just a phase. Some may go through this phase in high school, some may go through it in college, some may stretch that phase through both, but the point is as long as it truly is a phase it generally should not be talked about. Talking about it with a parent will only make your mom or dad worry more than they already do, and we don’t want to give our parents heart attacks do we? Of course not.

A parent’s life is hard enough, so the next time you think about telling your mom about that drunken rage you went to last Friday where you had unprotected sex with a complete stranger and did four lines of coke, just hold off on that one, seriously.

The much talked about Presidential debate review

Finally Obama and McCain go head to head in the Presidential debate attacking and discussing issues such as the bailout, healthcare, the war in Iraq and finally why the other should not be the next president of the United States.

Aside from them both attacking each other saying the other does not know what the difference between tactic and strategy is, both also discussed complex issues such as education and families in the United States.

One quality that McCain has that the past presidents have is that he loves to hear himself talk. That is one of the most annoying qualities a president can have because that means he is not willing to listen to others around him only say how he feels on a situation and have that be the last word.

When Obama speaks he makes perfect sense. He uses intelligent words but doesn’t muddy up those words so that what his message is not completely lost. When McCain speaks it appears as though he is searching for the correct words to say, he almost looks unprepared.

Another interesting thing I noticed during the debate is the when McCain speaks Obama looks right at him and listens to what he has to say, when Obama speaks McCain looks down as if he does not know how to begin to rebut anything Obama has to say. This makes me think McCain is not prepared for the allegations against him or that he is lying to make himself look better.

Obama sounds hopeful for the future of our country and McCain seems pessimistic and doubtful. We cannot have someone in office who really does not see changes happening, we need someone like Obama who is excited to get in there and get things done.

Out of the entire debate I think McCain made one good point, but only just one. Obama talked about how he was against the war from the beginning and how back in 2003 he said he was against it, which was a bold thing to do. He also said that we should have gotten the troops out a long time ago since we did capture the one person we went there in the first place to find: Osama Bin Laden.

Then McCain said that it is not the future president’s job to say we should not have been in Iraq in the first place it is his job to figure out to clean up the mess Bush left. And this surprised me because for one that was the smart and obvious answer but it was also showed that yeah, we messed up bad over there but dwelling on the past really is not going to do us any good, which is very true.

In conclusion, Obama seemed to be the more prepared and honest of the two political scumbags, but what do I know?

A closer look at Family Guy

Peter Griffin if like the animated version of Al Bundy from Married with Children, he's funny, not so bright and obnoxious. The only difference between the two "Family Guy's" is that Peter makes being a stupid funny guy more enjoyable being that he is well… animated.


This show takes place in the fictional town of Quahog, Rode Island. Its main characters are Peter, Lois, their three children Meg, Chris and Stewie and the family's dog, Brian, who talks. This adult show centers on the family living with each other in a dysfunctional and often times degrading manner.


The main characters' main objectives are as follows: Stewie has elaborate plans of taking over the world and killing his mother, Lois, Chris and Meg are two teenagers dealing with the every day struggles of high school life, Peter is a fun-loving father who often puts his needs before the needs of others, and Brian is the pessimistic alcohol who is secretly in love with Lois.


In the past this show has been compared to another animated series called South Park. There have been allegations that one show has been copying but in the end, ratings speak for themselves. Both are animated, but there are many differences between the two shows. South Park is about four kids, Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny, who go to school and find adventurous ways of getting into mischief. Both are adult shows not suitable for children and both are seen as purely for entertainment purposes.


In conclusion the show is well written and highly comedic. The characters each have their own individual dilemmas and personalities and when they clash with one another that is when the true comedy can be seen. The amount of violence and vulgar language is kept at a minimum so that is does not take away from the show it merely adds to it. Overall, Family Guy is enjoyable to watch and being apart of their adventures each and every episode is more than worthwhile it's "gigity gigity goo!"

My drunken river rafting experience on Labor Day.

This had been my first time rafting down the American River so I had no idea what to expect and certainly no idea what I was getting myself into. I did not come prepared at all, in fact the only thing I brought with me was my bathing suit, a skirt, one towel, and a little bit of alcohol.

I decided to go rafting with one of my best friends, Derek, it was just the two of us a 6 person raft. He was even less prepared than I was; the only thing he brought was a lot of beer. No towel, no change of clothes. Nothing. So as soon as we get there he says, “So yeah, I just got a tattoo a few days ago and they told me I shouldn’t be in the sun right now. I mean I don’t care, but you’ve got sun block right?” I didn’t, I didn’t even bring that with me, which was a really bad idea as well considering we would be out on the river for six hours.

Oh, and now might be a good time to mention that neither one of us brought water. I would later depend on this simple pleasure to save my life. Literally.

Nonetheless, we think this will be the best experience ever and figure we’ll be fine being completely unprepared for what was about to come. We finally get the raft and the woman handling our paperwork says, “Okay now you have to carry your raft about a half mile to were all the rafts are starting.” The raft weighed about 200 pounds and it was just the two of us. Already I was getting the feeling that this was going to be a bad idea.

We finally get out on the water and everything is going great. The weather is perfect, not too hot, and not too cold. We’re just hanging out having a good time, talking, drinking, just like everyone else out on the river is doing as well. We even make stops periodically along the way to make friends and enjoy the scenery.

So we continue floating, having a blast, when all of a sudden we float down some pretty fast, rapid water. I didn’t see the water coming until we are already going over them and apparently I could not react fast enough to hold on to anything so I fall in headfirst. I was wearing sunglasses at the time and holding a beer and as soon as I hit the water my sunglasses broke and I lost what was left of the beer.

I’m in the water and I look up and see Derek hysterically laughing at me. I could not believe that actually happened, I was so embarrassed.

Anyways, we get finally get to the end of the American River where we are all supposed to get off and head down to the bus area. Derek and I are pretty drunk at the time and really just wanted to go to sleep.

The workers at the rafting place told us that is would be 30 minutes until the next shuttle came to take us home and that we would have to stand and wait. The designated spot for us to wait at was right underneath the scorching sun that we had been floating under for the last six hours.

We’re standing there waiting for what seems like forever and all of a sudden I start feeling really weird. I feel like I have to throw up but not really, then everything around me starts spinning, including Derek. So I told him I didn’t feel good and that I needed to go sit down. As I walk from the line to go sit under a tree the feeling gets worse, I felt like I was going to black out or something.

From what happened her on is kind of a blur all I remember was sitting under a tree with my eyes open and not being able to see a thing. Nothing at all! It is the scariest feeling in the world to open your eyes and not see anything around you. So of course I start freaking out, screaming, “I can’t see anything what’s wrong with me? Help me!” Right about this time I can hear the bus pull up and people getting on but I can’t see the bus or the people at all. I felt like I was blind for a few moments, which is a scary feeling to say the least. Derek thinks fast, goes and grabs water from one of the guys working on the bus and gives it to me. As soon as I start drinking the water my vision comes back and I stop freaking out. It was by far the scariest thing I had ever experienced in my life.

the roommate relationship

Co-habitating together, it really is possible.

There is nothing more annoying then when your roommate deliberately leaves dishes in the sink for weeks at a time or when it’s your roommates turn to take out the trash and he or she continuously forgets to do it.

Is it possible to live with a roommate without ripping eachothers’s heads off? Absoultely! The key is communication. First let’s explore all the irritating things that roommates do.

An inconsiderate roommate has zero disregard for the person he or she is living with. For example, an inconsiderate roommate will often times leave the bathroom a mess or will sometimes leave lights on all over the apartment and forget to turn them off. Also, an inconsiderate roommate will leave the common living space a mess or will blast the AC while having the windows open. There are a million little things that inconsiderate roommates do all the time that can easily be avoided.

The one major thing that can be done to solve these issues is simple: communication. Communication is the key in any relationship really, but especially one where two or more people are living together under one roof.

Talk it out. Set down rules in the beginning before move in time so there is no confusion about what is expected of one another. Plan a day and time to do all the bills together once a month so that everyone is involved and knows how their money is being spent.

If someone has a problem with the kitchen being a mess because another roommate forgot to clean up after himself or herself say something, do not just shrug it off and hope they keep up after himself or herself next time.

Keeping the common living spaces clean is probably one of the easiest ways to avoid unnecessary arguments because that is where everyone hangs out and spends most of their time together.

According to educationportal.com the top three tips for living with a roommate in college is establish rules, compromise and communicate. Easy enough right? You’d be surprised at just how difficult these three things might be. But if one puts forth the effort there is no reason why college students cannot live together successfully.

Establishing rules is simple enough. Discussing each other’s personal needs and habits. For example, your new roommate may listen to loud music at all hours of the day and night or your roommate likes to have people sleep over every night and eat all the food in the apartment. Things like this need to be discussed, what is okay and what is not okay to be done at home? When boundaries like this are established it makes it easier to live together.

Compromise is easily as important as establishing rules. Ego can often times get in the way of giving others what they want but it is also necessary in keeping a healthy roommate situation. If you live with a loud roommate who plays their music constantly, letting them have their music loud a few times a night is a good compromise but when it becomes excessive that is when you need to step in and say something.

So again, communicate. Being in college means being an adult, we are no longer in high school where every day dramas make the world go round, we live in the real world now which means we have to act maturely. The only way for two roommates to be completely happy is to talk to one another, maybe have weekly meeting to discuss how things are going and kind of touch base. Communicating does two things, for one it keeps you in contact with the person you live with everyday and two, if there is a problem with your roommate it can be addressed head on instead of hiding issues that really bother one another.

you can pop my cherry for 1 mil

There really is only one word to correctly describe this situation: disgusting!

Seriously though, her parents definitely have raised her the wrong way. If you have not heard by now, meet 22-year-old Natalie Dylan, graduate of our very own Sacramento State University. Dylan currently lives in San Diego and famous talk show host Howard Stern has agreed to auction off her virginity to the highest bidder.

For those of you who care, the bidding is currently at $250,000 dollars, all of which will go towards tuition for graduate school, Dylan says.

There are so many things wrong with this, where to begin? First of all what she is doing is high priced prostitution but since she has decided to do this on the bunny ranch in Nevada, authorities legally can’t do anything about it. For her “15 minutes of fame” she will forever be known as the whore who sold her body for money, so sad.

Secondly, how in the hell are her parents OK with this? Any other family would disown their daughter and claim that she simply is not related to them.

In an E entertainment interview she says she is hoping for the auction to reach as high as one million dollars. A million dollars is more than enough to pay for graduate school if that really is her true reason for doing this. It also sounds like she is trying to profit heavily by giving away her virginity. Even with the current bid at $250,000, that is still plenty for school. There is definitely something else going on.

This girl is obviously not religious in the slightest because if she were she would know that trading sex for money is a sin. Having sex outside of marriage is one thing, exchanging your virginity for a large amount of money is another.

When asked how she felt about this and why she was doing this in the first place she said, “I don’t have a moral dilemma with it. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity? I understand some people may condemn me. But I think this is empowering. I’m using what I have to better myself.” In other words she does not care about what people have to say about her or what they think about her, which is great. For her. I think a normal, sane person would reconsider something so extreme and something so dangerous.

Dylan says it’s not just about the money and that there are other factors that she will consider when choosing her first lover, she is looking for someone who is smart and sophisticated but someone is also extremely wealthy.

While there are many disturbing things about this story, probably one of the most disturbing things is the fact that there is an actual place in the United States that allows such things to go on, exchanging sex for money. Why is it legal there and illegal everywhere else? And how could this even been seen as legal in the state of Nevada?

If protestors wanted to they could blame the bunny ranch for this. Had the bunny ranch never been in operation, Natalie Dylan would have never got the idea in her head to do something so disgusting like this.

In any event this is happening and it is a sad, tasteless way to make a lot of money. This whole “trying to pay for graduate school” excuse just does not cut it when the amount is already at $250,000. Any normal person that was not in it strictly for the money would have taken it already and be satisfied.

Really though, what is the world coming to these days?

relationships: men and women, just friends?

As the old saying goes: men are from mars and women are from Venus. The two are just too different to ever be anything other than sexual partners.

But is that really true? Can a man and a woman really be just friends? Some say that both are naturally sexual beings and could never see the other in any other way. While other say that it is completely possible to be just friends and not see the other gender in a sexual way.

Before this question can be answered it is necessary to look at some studies done on this puzzling question.

Relationship expert, Linda Sapadin, a psychologist in Valley Stream, New York, said, “The belief that men and women can't be friends comes from another era in which women were at home and men were in the workplace, and the only way they could get together was for romance.” (Camille Chatterjee, psychologytoday.com) Meaning that in the older days men only looked at woman as sexual objects because of the way they were raised, but as traditions have changed so has the mentality of men and women. We grow up in some pretty exciting times when are no longer seen as superior to women and with that change comes a different mind frame.

Another important aspect to mention is the homosexual male and female relationship, which often does exist. Now the woman may in some weird way feel attracted, sexually, to him but he obviously does not feel the same way since he prefers males. In that case, yes, men and woman can be just friends, definitely.

Now lets consider the heterosexual male and heterosexual female relationship, a recent survey done shows that anywhere from 58% to 62% of people in cross-relationships report sexual attraction or sexual tension. (Afifi, 200, oppapers.com) More than half of the reasons given for their answer were that sex always got in the way of their cross-relationship and there was just no other way around it. There have been many times when men and women have hooked up and realized that a relationship between them could never work so they decide to be friends instead, that is how more than half of men-women relationships form. And there is nothing wrong with this, most of those relationships turn out to be great.

Then there are others that feel that they could never be friends with someone of the opposite sex, they feel it is simply impossible.

How the relationship starts dictates how to the relationship will end. If a man and woman start out as more than friends, have sex but have zero attraction to the other, then they could end up never talking again. On the other hand, if a man and woman start out strictly as friends and feel no romantic chemistry towards each other then there is a good chance they will end up as just friends.

While this question is a very difficult one to answer, it boils down to the person. Is the person able to be in a friendship with someone of the opposite sex and not be sexually attracted to him or her? Or does sex always get in the way? Men and woman are two very sexual beings and to carry on a healthy friendship between the two seems difficult if not impossible. But there are millions of people in the world that carry on relationships like this everyday.

The real question is how many people in these men-women friendships look at the other person in a sexual way and are just too afraid to say or show it?

the most meaningless law of all...

A relatively new and meaningless law that is being enforced as of July 1, 2008 is the hands free cell phone law.



Taken from the Department of Motor Vehicles website, there are two parts to this law “The first prohibits all drivers from using handheld wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle. Motorists 18 and over may use a ‘hands-free device.’ Drivers under the age of 18 may not use a wireless telephone or hands-free device while operating a motor vehicle.”



The reason why this law is completely meaningless is because it is not being heavily enforced. Because of this, people do not take this law seriously and continue to chat away on their phones while driving like they did before the law existed.



An article by Robert Roy Britt titled, “Drivers on cell phones kill thousands, snarl traffic,” Britt says “A new study confirms that the reaction time of cell phone users slows dramatically, increasing the risk of accidents and typing up traffic in general, and when young adults use cell phones while driving, they’re as bad as sleepy septuagenarians.” (livescience.com) While this statement may be undeniably true, the same goes with people who eat, read, shave, apply makeup and do all other miscellaneous things while driving.



A law targeted strictly towards people who chat on their cell phones while driving is a little discriminatory when there is a million other things to distract us that are just as dangerous as well. How many accidents have been related to drivers who eat? How about drivers who shave or drink coffee in the morning? The numbers might be surprising.



Either enforce a law that prohibits doing anything else besides driving or don’t enforce a law at all, especially a law that is as meaningless as this one is.



Another meaningless provision of this law is the citation amount that goes along with this law. From the DMV website it states, “The base fine for the first offense is $20 and $50 for subsequent convictions. With the addition of penalty assessments, the fines can be more than triple the base fine amount.” A measly $20, seriously? The minimum price for parking in a handicap spot is $445, a law that surely anyone is bound to take seriously. A small amount of $20 makes people laugh, if law enforcement really would like to see people respect this new cell phone law at least make the fine $100 for first time offenders. The second time they get pulled over make it $200, maybe then people will step back and say, “Whoa that’s a lot of money. We should probably not use our cell phones or at least get a Bluetooth while driving.”



There are hundreds of accidents of accidents every year related to people just being careless and looking down at the radio for a moment. Laws are not being created for carelessness just like this law should not be enforced because no one respects it and thinks it is necessary.



There are hundreds of other laws that are enforced which make absolutely no sense. For instance, did you know that in the state of California it is illegal to set a mousetrap without your hunting license? What does hunting and mice have in common? Absolutely nothing. But it’s laws like these that make people in this state wonder, “why have laws like these at all if it makes no sense?”



So in conclusion, the next time you are driving in your car and you go to grab for your cell phone ask yourself how many people are illegally setting mousetraps then proceed to make your phone call. Illegally.