The “Girl Next Door?”

Marge Simpson is the cover girl for November’s Playboy Magazine. She even has a “pictorial.” I guess you could say good for Playboy for taking a mid-thirty-something mother of three, who quit a promising career in the police force because of out-of-control corruption and sexism, and worked as a nuclear technician as a perfect example of the “girl next door.”

Weird, yes. But even weirder is the cartoon-like photoshopped women in recent Ralph Lauren ads. Woman 1: My head is bigger than my waist. Woman #2: I have no ribs/pelvis. And to add insult to injury, Filippa Hamilton, the model in the first ad, was fired by Ralph Lauren because she was too big. Filippa is 5’10” and 120 lbs. (a “normal” weight is ~150 lbs).

Those are damaging messages to send our friends, family, and culture. But Ralph Lauren isn’t the only one sending them: we are bombarded every day with these messages. They impact on how we view and talk about our bodies. (more…)

Unnerved by Responsibility, Democrats Signal a Yearning for the Minority

Our country’s pathetic excuse for an “organized” left, the Democratic Party, has once again begun to disappoint, much to the dismay of those that the party so vigorously claims to represent. Although time and again the Democrats have promised massive change and reform for America, the postwar and post-FDR left in the United States is somehow still reeling from an identity crisis that subverts its platform when viewed in the limelight. Aside from the four years of Carter and the twelve years of Reagan (ok, and Bush), the presidency has pretty much followed the eight-year cycle of alternating stewardship shared by the Democrats and the Republicans since the end of the Second World War. (more…)

J’taime, Togo

As I hopped on the back of a taxi-moto, the zippy motorcycles that serve as the main mode of transportation in Togo, and sped off along the brilliant coastline towards the tree-shaded boulevards, I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Au revoir, Ghana,” I thought. “Bonjour, Togo!”

When you step across the Ghanaian-Togolese border, everything changes. Togo is a world away. (more…)

Hungry for Careers?

I enjoy stopping at tables of employers hungry to hire bright UCSB students. Besides the free pens, mugs and Frisbees, one often discovers that you are speaking with a fellow Gaucho now on the other side helping out those who want to follow in their footsteps.

In this digital day of on-line applications, it’s nice to connect a personal face with an organization, and feel encouraged that maybe you too could find a corporate home beyond UCSB. While the information overload can be overwhelming, at least there is hope of what next steps are needed to get a foot in the door. This year’s fall fair will host almost 60 different companies ranging from Amgen to Enterprise Rent-A Car or Verizon Wireless to Peace Corps and Teach for America. Twenty-four companies offer internship programs, the single best way to test drive a career and prove yourself worthy of an offer upon graduation. (more…)

Tuesdays With TED: Inspiration

I want to be inspired continuously.  Reality check: That’s not possible. Sometimes we have to just get it done, inspiration be damned. But, I don’t want to just go through the motions for most of my life.  I seek out inspiration for motivation and to see the world from different points of view. (more…)

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