A trip to L.A., another step into adulthood

A trip to L.A., another step into adulthood

In mid-July, me and my girlfriend took a road-trip to L.A. where we stayed for a week while dog-sitting my Aunt and Uncle’s two young golden retrievers. We had wanted to visit L.A. together for awhile and this was our chance to hit Star-land for a week without paying for a room! It was more than just a vacation for us. It was a retreat from our busy summer lives which hardly give us a break even though the time was called Summer Break.

We planned it months ahead of time and saved money from both of our jobs so we could vacation comfortably and come back with some cool stuff. By the end of the trip, we both had to have spent almost a month of wages on clothes even though we didn’t plan to. We were able to find the newest styles of clothes which we couldn’t quite find in the Bay Area or Sacramento.

The Santee Alley was our favorite spot which earned us two visits because of its great deals in a flea-market atmosphere. I picked up around 15 blank white t-shirts for $2 each which I usually pay around $5 back at home.

After our trips around the city, we would come home to the sound of heavy, furry paws clawing on the back door. The pups would barge in once we gave in and they kept our engines warm when we were really trying to relax. Even though it didn’t utilize the benefits of being in L.A., relaxing at home while playing Wii games was one of the highlights of the trip. Sometimes the simplest things can make a couple grow closer.

The trip not only allowed me and my girlfriend to grow closer as a couple, but also gave me a higher regard of independence from my parents. Even though my mom helped me with gas money and packed a bunch of food for us, being able to embark on my first long trip without my parents or a lot of friends made me feel more grown-up.

Even after 22 years of growing, I still feel dependent on my parents because they pay for my tuition and rent and this trip brought a sense of independence and readiness to jump into the real world. We chose our own itinerary and met up with my family down there which is usually something my mother always plans out.
The week went by so fast and I felt like I could really get used to living in L.A. I thought traffic was going to be horrible all the time, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I dreaded driving through grid-locked traffic with cars zooming by, but it ended up being nothing I couldn’t handle.

Even though we have been living together for 2 years now, I noticed that my girlfriend and I would get annoyed with each other especially during the long drives to and from L.A. We got lost a few times trying to find restaurants or Starbuck’s and ended up blaming it on each other even though it’s probably normal to get lost in unfamiliar cities.


Besides coming back with a higher sense of independence, we also developed an addiction for Pinkberry frozen yogurt. Pinkberry is a fad down in L.A. and the chain hasn’t spread to Norcal yet so after we got back, my girlfriend and I spent several visits to Pinkberry alternatives to satisfy our craving. We found the best fix at Mochii in downtown Sac, which is even better than the original Pinkberry and ever since, we insist on driving across town every week for our dose of nonfat, fruit-topped deliciousness.

The Media’s Ashley Dupre Part 2?

The Media’s Ashley Dupre Part 2?

Natalie Dylan. She’s another young woman selling her body to “advance her career.” Doesn’t this sound familiar? Lately, it seems as if the media has a recurring infatuation with young prostitutes.

Earlier this year, the exposing of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal birthed what seemed a month-long fixation of Ashley Dupre. Her musical career and past with Girls Gone Wild added to the fire to keep her in the headlines. There are plenty of young prostitutes out there being “resourceful” with their bodies, but what made the Spitzer case so juicy was that New York taxpayers were the ones paying for Dupre’s services. Also, Dupre attempted to use the media spotlight to advance her music career to no avail. I guess music fans didn’t find her as orally-talented as Spitzer did.

So this time we have a less-experienced prostitute flaunting her v-card to pay for school. She is expecting close to $1 million so I don’t buy the notion that she is screwing for school. She goes by the fake name of Natalie Dylan, but with her picture buzzing all around the net, what’s the point? Plus if she claims to be so proud of what she’s doing and truly feels that she is “empowering” herself by selling her virginity then why hide her real name?

In this case, Dylan said she didn’t expect such a big response, but we can be sure she doesn’t mind since she is truly “capitalizing” off all the buzz. She didn’t quite make “Dupre status“ yet, but making it to Fox News and US magazine shows America’s love for putting prostitutes on the spot. Let’s face it, there are many prostitutes out there, but most are ashamed of it and most succeed in keeping it pretty much under the rug. People are sinners themselves and like having a scapegoat they can point the finger at and that’s why Dupre and Dylan got so much attention.
After news broke about Dylan, Raffella Fico, a 20-year-old Italian model also decided to sell her virginity for $1m euros.

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/2971511/Italian-model-plans-to-sell-virginity-for-1m-euros.html

This shows the impact of the Dupre and Dylan episodes on an international scale and shows that not only Americans are so drawn to the subject. Like Dylan’s terms, Fico’s offer contains an asterisk which allows her to approve of the winner instead of solely deciding by who’s willing to put up the most money. I guess both prostitution prospects are willing to possibly sacrifice some cash to avoid eloping with an ogre, but at the end of the day, they are still whores whether they are first-timers or not.

Dylan’s promoter, Bunnyranch.com, already has a feature where her male fans can make an appointment with her for sloppy “seconds.” It’s clear that prostitution is at least a plan B for Dylan who claims she only intends to do it to get her Master’s degree.

Dylan’s unconventional approach to achieving success was her choice and she probably feels like she is now in over her head. Everyone knows she is a Sac State alum. Even though she supposedly missed out during her stay at Sac State by not “hooking up,” students, teachers, family, and friends probably can’t resist sharing their own experiences with the new “star.” Talking about star status, take a look at this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270276028523

A piece of fried chicken that supposedly looks like Dylan is currently going for over $900 on eBay. After staring at the thing for nearly a minute at all the possible angles one can realize how ridiculous this whole thing has gotten. Bill Gates or Oprah should just cut the check and bring an end to all of this madness and let her screw whoever she wants.

WHAT'S MY AGE AGAIN? - BIG BROTHER'S WATCHING

A quote from deceased rapper 2pac reads, “And did you ever stop to think? I’m old enough to go to war, but I ain’t old enough to drink.” The USA Patriot Act gives the government authority to monitor everything from telephone conversations to financial records if they suspect any American is involved with terrorist activity. Rules are made by the people and for the people in order to maintain order, but they often backfire and create limitations on the same body of people that create them.

The legal drinking age of 21 in the U.S. was set to discourage underage drinking, but in reality, the law doesn’t stop rebellious teens from getting saturated. In fact, some feel that having the legal age set at 21 makes underage drinking more frequent in America especially in college. Underage drinking is not good and can lead to alcoholism and DUI’s, but making alcohol the “forbidden fruit” is not the solution. This is because the age of 21 in America is older than most international countries, but America remains one of the worst countries regarding alcohol abuse among youth.

The legal drinking age law in America is ineffective and appears even more excessive when compared to the age required to join the military. At the age of 18, the same kid who can’t legally get faded with his friends at a party can be enlisted, pick up a gun and hit the battlefield. Shouldn’t armed combat require more responsibility than alcohol consumption? Thank God we don’t have a military draft where an 18-year-old can legally die in battle before he or she gets his or her first legal beverage.

Another ineffective law is the USA Patriot Act which basically gives big brother full access to nearly all communications that Americans enjoy. This is a violation of privacy for the non-terrorist Americans which are thankfully the mass majority of our country. Where does the government draw the line when determining if a person is a potential terrorist or not? The law will justify and increase racial profiling by authorities and ultimately strip privacy from America. All our emails, voicemails, and financial records are at risk of being reviewed which doesn’t sit well with many Americans.

Ever since September 11th, Americans have felt more apprehensive about national security, but the Patriot Act may be creating more uneasiness. The 4th Amendment which requires a warrant for search is basically thrown out the window as it acts as an extension of the probable cause rule which gives authorities the right to search without a warrant.

Essentially, authorities can bend the law by “tapping” anyone and blame it on terrorism. What happens if the person isn’t a terrorist, but instead reveals non-related illegal activity? There is no set way to gauge the possibility of terrorist activity. Basing the law on the authority’s discretion gives them the freedom to search anyone’s personal records and that’s unfair to the innocent Americans which the law was made to protect.

Of course Americans want all the terrorists caught before they threaten our national security, but not at the cost of their own privacy. The law is on the right track in fighting terrorism, but should be adjusted to limit the authorities’ power to monitor unrelated records.

Rules are made and rules are broken when people figure the benefits of breaking the rules outweigh the possibility of getting caught. Rules can also conflict with each other making them less effective as a whole. Humans aren’t perfect and it’s only natural to have some bad laws still floating around. And remember breaking the rules isn’t what’s bad, it’s getting caught!