Posted on May 8 at 11:50 a.m.

I would say "amen," but I'm an atheist, too.

On Pearly Whites

1 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.

Posted on December 11 at 1:52 p.m.

Kids are so babied these days.
As a college student, I see many young adults depressed about their small failures that don't matter, looking for the instant gratification that they are used to receiving their whole lives for doing nothing.
The "I deserve this, this, this, and this" attitude.
When a lot of people are rewarded, they are unfulfilled by the rewards, because they mean nothing.
When I played soccer at age 8, I daydreamed a lot on the field and didn't do a whole lot for my team. During the last few games, though, I ended up playing well and helping my team out.
When trophies were passed out, I was awarded for "most improved."
I think trophies shouldn't just be passed out like candy. I think a good medium between the "everyone wins" attitude and the "face the fact that you are a loser" attitude is rewarding kids for different things, things that they actually DESERVE praise for.
Of course, I wasn't going to get the trophy for scoring the most goals or exhibiting the best teamwork. If I had, I wouldn't have felt fulfilled by the trophy. Even at age 8.

On Trophy Atrophy

1 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.

Posted on November 20 at 2:26 p.m.

"I know people with college educations voted overwhelmingly against Prop. 8."

But don't you know? All college professors are crazy, radical liberals, brainwashing all college students everywhere.

It has nothing to do with the fact that more intelligent, "thinkier" people tend to lean to the left. It's not that the left is more logical at all.

Rather, all college professors are brainwashed liberals, too, with agendas to change the world to a place where all people have equal rights.

How horrible. Keep your children away from college! God forbid they use logic and find it doesn't fit so well with religion.

Well spoken, Starshine.

On Dear Prop. 8 Supporters

1 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.

Posted on October 23 at 6:55 p.m.

When I was 16, I partook in the competition for attention by dressing up as a slutty firefighter-- a costume I thought was so original.
Four years later, I realize that being a "slutty" anything is more unoriginal than putting a pillowcase over my head with a few holes cut into it.
At the same time, I don't want to disappear among all the boobs and butts in a granny get-up, so I've found a very nice middle ground.
Last year I was a flapper girl, in a knee-length, fire engine-red dress, a jet black bob wig, and some amazing heels. I received tons of compliments and attention, but they were concerning my ideas, style, and effort (not my body parts).
This year I was trying to find a simple, cute tinkerbell dress, and after searching the internet for way too long, the only dresses I found were of the slutty sort.

I'm far from prude, but everyone's focus is now on how much sexual attention they can garner, rather than what is fun or creative.
Well, I have news for all of these people: When there are 800 other girls walking around in the same EXACT pre-packaged halloween costume that you are wearing, you stop looking sexy and start looking trite.

Amen, Starshine.

On Halloween for the Slutty Sort

Posted on August 2 at 9:25 p.m.

I would be very proud to teach at SBCC, as well as have my own column in The Independent.

Lots of great teachers from prestigious universities come to teach at City College.

I went to SBCC (and took Starshine's fantastic class), and both UCLA and UCSB invited me into their Honors programs.

... Get over yourself, mcconfrontation.

This article wasn't even really about McCain. It's about how, as far as journalism is concerned, even famous people and authorities don't necessarily get the golden treatment.

On Column Me Irresponsible

Posted on June 27 at 2:58 p.m.

I enjoyed this column very much. Not just because of your writing style, but because I, too, am a little bus-phobic, having never had to use the system.
Back where I grew up, the bus was out of the question for anyone even slightly affluent, as the only people who used the systems were the Hispanic housekeepers and nannies (and even many of them drove their own cars).
I heavily support the use of bicycles, legs, and public transportation, and have really wanted to try taking the bus more often. It is so foreign to me that I've sort of shied away from it.
However, hearing it from such a personal point-of-view, and one with which I can identify so much, I feel very inspired to get my butt on one. I'm sure I would enjoy that kind of freedom, and also the company of new, interesting, and diverse people.

On Next Stop: Freedom

Posted on June 1 at 9:20 a.m.

I like how you covered this unspoken topic with brevity and unhampered honesty.
I think a lot of unhappiness and anxiety in the world can be directly attributed to the fact that people are afraid to talk about such things.
Kudos for speaking up about this in such a delightful manner.

On Do You Have to Like Your Kids?

Posted on May 5 at 10:34 p.m.

I think some of you here are taking this way too personally.
Seriously.

On A Croc of Shoe

Posted on February 23 at 5:50 p.m.

billclausen, I'm sorry I didn't read your comment thoroughly enough, but I was a bit amazed from a couple of statements that you said which became a bit distracting. I was only really responding to those points-- not to your overall comments.

For that, I apologize, I just read your comment the wrong way, I suppose.

I would like to make a couple of things clear, though.
I am the last person in the world who would excusively believe what the nice people in school have told me. Furthermore, I've completed expansive research projects on the 1960s era, and I don't think the whole "equality, freedom" movement had everything right, either.

I'd also like to point out that I really take care to avoid extremes, especially when it comes to politics. Like you said, I do really believe both liberals and conservatives possess both good and bad attitudes, values, and solutions.

I think you may have read my comment the wrong way, too. My whole point was that putting metal detectors and telling people to "watch out" for potentially dangerous students isn't going to solve anything. I mentioned that this is just another manifestation of one of society's innate problems that has roots far deeper than the original Columbine shootings. What I was really trying to get across is that, while I'm sure the media and today's culture has some influence over school shootings, we can't really blame one particular thing for such a nebulous problem.

Hope that cleared things up. I didn't mean to attack you at all, so please don't take it personally. I only attacked some of your words.
The fact that you even care to analyze and discuss issues like this one shows that you are a remarkable person.

On Starbucks, iPods, School Shootings

Posted on February 22 at 6:24 p.m.

Oh, wow. I didn't know that rebellion DIDN'T EXIST before the 1960's. Well, that explains everything.
For someone who was born in 1960, you sure are naive. I know the '50s looked all peachy keen and wonderful, and divorce rates were low, but why do you think things changed in the first place? Are you really decieved by the 1950s' image?
Believe it or not, people cheated, lied, stole, and (gasp!) even rebelled before the 1960's.
And though I can clearly see how kids being allowed to run around restaurants influences said children to murder others (cue sarcasm), I really don't see how this is "connecting the dots."

Now, in response to the column itself, I think Mollie has said all she can possibly say-- and beautifully.
I don't really think there is much of an explanation for this, and I believe in each case the reasons vary. It's incredibly difficult to pinpoint why, and why now?
I think, in theory, this is something mankind has always had to deal with, though this is a new outlet. A new manifestation of another one of society's glitches. It's really a matter of someone taking the lives of some innocent people, plain and simple.

I do think our generation-- with the media and depression and anxiety-inducing cultural habits-- may be more inclined to do something like this.
I also would like to mention the drugs this person was on. You mentioned it briefly, since it wasn't exactly your focus, but I think it is incredibly significant.
Psychiatric drugs can leave a person senseless, out-of-control, and completely unaware of themselves and others. It's astonishing how many people (especially young people) are on these drugs that transform the brain's chemistry.
Yes, they help a lot of people, but they do a lot of harm as well.

I guess that's really just one facet of the issue, but definetely a remarkable one.

Also, what about the common youth lifestyle? Watching TV all day long-- progams showing some of the most vapid, superficial, depressing people in the world; video and computer games all about shooting, killing, dying, only to restart the game with the press of a button.
The mainstream values of this generation-- MY generation-- are so sad. Now, I'm what most people would consider an "atheist," but I have stronger morals and values than 99% of people my age, most of who assign themselves to a faith.

Well, I could go on and on and on, but I would need my own weekly column for that. I guess my point is that each and every person in this country needs to think about themselves and how they are contributing as individuals to this society, and that would fix a lot of the problems that people blame on "media, society" and blah blah blah, while practicing all these behaviors without any self-evaluation.

In the meantime, I hope we find a more short-term way to somehow prevent anymore tradgedies like this.

On Starbucks, iPods, School Shootings