"Oh, is there still racism."

I grew up in a house where 'people of color' were considered to be undeserving of respect or power in any form; I had heard slurs of all forms while growing up. As I got older I saw that this was not the proper way to behave. I feel that all people should have equal rights in the world. We are all born the same and would live the same if all of the crazy restraints that are put on the world did not exist. To me race, sex, or religion have no say in who I befriend. I have really christian friends even though I am agnostic/atheist. I have male and female friends (in fact most of my friends in high school were male), and I also have friends in multiple races (not as many in high school but that can be expected when the the white to all others ratio was 10/1). While growing up in such a sheltered world I some how found a way to have the courage to speak up.... To my parents when they make a racial slur... To my friends as well... Be friending someone that many in the society I lived in would choose to ignore. Over the years I have seeming experianced 'counter racism' (if you could call it that). In example this one guy would ask me out over and over all the while knowing that I was not availible. Even though he knew that I was with someone he always seemed to think I would say yes and when I said no he would always exclaim venomously, "it's because I am black isn't it!" When this would hapen I would always seem to feel like a bad person. I can remeber a time after this hapened going up to one of my black friends in high school and asking her if I was racist. She was always very adament to get the point across that I wasn't. In reading the articles I am being thrown these examples of privlage that I white person recives. But being so young I have yet to be put in many of these situations so I cannot say for sure if those are a correct. But saying just because a person is white they have this ingrined racism is a bit absurd... if those privlages can be used to in your advantage then maybe we can use these privlages to help others. maybe I can create equality yet!

"I don't suffer for my beauty, I die for it"

The media is the devil! It produces this image of the body that is impsible to obtain without taking drastic mesures to get there. The female body is portreyed as a stick with a well rounded chest and this perfect botom. Many would think that this is stupidity has gone too far. With girls being diagnosed with eating disorders (which cause long term poblems and even death) at young ages. Women have had this set role to be one size but that size is getting smaller and smaller as the years pass, what's next ghosts?!

This horid media trend is reaching into the relm of childhood. Teenage dolls marketed for children, lacy panties and bras for preschoolers... And dare I say Highschool musical. These things are showing a sexuality young girls that they are taking to be the real world. They are trying to become these images that just are not realistic for a young girl. Make-up at age twelve or younger? Really?

The media hates REAL women! We are not all a size zero. We do not all have these perfectly shaped bodies. We are not all perfect and we never said we wanted to be. We do not want these rediculous images forced upon us so just leave us alone!

Sometimes good music just finds you.

I had never been to a concert before starting at Tech fall 08, but since then I have been to quite a few... Two of them featured in TTU's own Backdoor Playhouse. The most recent was a CD release party for the local band The Runaways. I had seen this band in the previous concert but not as the headlining act, and as a headlining act they did not disapoint. They were absolutely amazing even with a few, um, technical issues... Cords will always be a musicians' worst nightmare. There was nothing to be disapointed about with this concert. From the two opening acts (one of which I knew personaly) to the headlining band there was many a few amazing songs to be heard. Totaly looking forward to the next concert!