The Hardest Part Is Not Finding What We Need To Be...

It is the same excuse that every artist uses when something happens in their lives does not get a positive public reaction they blame someone else. Miley Cyrus recently posed topless for photos that were taken by Annie Leibovitz for a spread in Vanity Fair. As wrong as it was for her to take photos of a 15 year old girl posing in risque positions, I think the American people as a whole are missing out on the bigger story. Her father was at the shoot with her, and while it maybe easy to fool a 15 year old in taking photos, her father should have stopped the shot from ever being done.
Why is it that the blame is so easily being passed down to the photographer when it is Bill Ray who is to take all the blame for the photos. He should have never been okay with her daughter having topless photos of herself taken. He should have said no and put an end to it. Miley is 15, she is way to young to be in photos that show off her body in anyway, no matter how artsy they are promised to be.
In some of these photos Miley is posing with her father in rather sexy ways that suggest more than a typical father daughter relationship. Being in the public requires protecting an image and if Billy Ray can sit back and allow his daughter to go through this kind of public humiliation at her young age then he is clearly as naive as his daughter.



Billy Ray is not the first father in Hollywood that has gone to far with his daughters. Have we forgotten Joe Simpson? He is constantly in the public eye for going too far with his daughters and not knowing when to say no. These men need to learn that they fathers first and managers second.

Why Doesn't He Love Me?

It is a little sad. No matter how far along any of us get in life everything comes back to the same thing... does he love me? I read once in the book EAT Pray Love that after natural disasters therapist often continue to get the same reaction from those who survived. This question is "does he love me?" it always about a relationship and as I sit here thinking about what lies ahead for me I cannot help but think just that.
I am graduating college in a year, I would love to be a journalist, but I have no job set. I would like to work for the "New York Times," I would love to go to grad school and get a masters in International Relations. I would like to do so much with my life and yet, whenever I tell people about my dreams they always ask me why there is not a man involved in this plan of mine.
I am single, and I always joke that it will be forever but I think that the real reasoning behind my fear, is that having someone in my life is something extra to be unsure about. I am currently living in a fear that I am not good enough to get a job. I look at my resume, and although long, I am afraid that I am not enough of what I should be at this point in my life. I have passed on my fear of rejection to my job, and I honestly refuse to allow the one thing that is stopping me from opening myself up to any guy be the same factor that stops me from doing what I want with my life.
I want to make great art with my life. I want to touch people with my words and allow my words, my experiences to have an impact on the life of another person. I want to have the power to move people but I am slowly realizing that I cannot in any way impact others the way that I want to unless I can allow my words to impact me and move me into following my dreams.

English Please!

I am an immigrant to this country!
I may have came when I was young but never the less I was not born here and my parent were not either. Yet one thing that we all did when we came to America was LEARN ENGLISH!
I understand the need to keep a language within a family, I really do. But one thing that I have been noticing is that we have allowed this making this country accepting of all thing to go way to far! We have tests in two languages, we have shampoo bottles in two languages and god knows if I can go anywhere in Miami without having someone speak to me in Spanish before English. Forget the fact that I think these things make people lazy and it is unsafe for people to live in a country when they do not speak the language of the lawmakers.
But now they have ads on ENGLISH speaking networks that are in Spanish!ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? no really are you? That is not right! I am sorry but I refuse to have anything that I do not understand on English networks, and yes I will say it, it does make me uncomfortable. At the risk of sounding like a non-white red neck, I thought this was America!
I do not want anything that is not English on my TV or on my Ads simply because I see it as an insult. What because my people did not come to this country in massive droves I cannot go anywhere I want and expect people to speak Farsi to me? My family went through all the motions to come into this country, and coming from Iran int he 1980s to America was not easy, yet we did it. And it was fine because we followed the rules and waited the time needed before we came. I am insulted when I see people who think that they can by pass the rules. I followed them and no one gave me any special treatment when I wanted my grandmother to stay longer in this country, but she left when her visa was over and I do not understand how if we were Hispanic we would have a whole group of people fighting for her rights.
Having ads in Spanish is probably the biggest slap in the face to all of us who came to this country from a non- Spanish speaking country. We all know that there is no way we could get an ad in Japaneses put on a network, nor could we get one in Creole placed in South Florida, even though there is a big Haitian population. These things would be rejected right away, yet one in Spanish is okay why?
I am okay with all Spanish networks and magazines in my area. I am okay with being spoke to in Spanish when I go out, even though I think I should be spoken to in English, since this is America. But what I will never be okay with is having a slap in the face by people who want to be expempt from the adaptation that every other immigrant in this country had to go through.

moments that haven't yet been defined...

Yesterday I got some bad news from my little brother. It turns out he has a tumor right unxer the birthmark on his face. It has only been a day since I found out but all ready I have learned a lot from it. Yes I have been researching the condition but most of what I have learned is how people react to bad news. We tend to avoid it. Talk about the issue for a second and then move onto a lighter topic. I never realized how empty words like "you will be in my thoughts" sound when they come from strangers. Do they mean it or is it just a line?

The Power Of Film...

As anyone who knows me maybe able to tell I am very much anti- war in most cases, yet I tend to keep a somewhat objective view thanks to my friends and family in the military. If there is one movie thus far that I feel everyone should see about this current war it is In The Valley of Elah. This is the most compelling war movie that has ever been made, simply because it touches home with every emotion and feeling a parent would go through when a son comes back from war, missing.
The movie centers around a soldier who comes back from Iraq only to be found murdered before he ever really made it home. His father spends time looking for who the real killer is. However, the most compelling part of this movie is not the fact that the murder happened and the person involved is found. No, it is the fact that this is the only movie that touches on the pain that a soldier will go through after coming home from war. It touches on how the American people do no understand that these men go through when they are at war and the emotional toll that it takes on them. The men in this movie lost control after coming home form war.
They are lost and disconnected from everything because lets face it a day home from war it is hard to get back to reality. This movie is not trying to make any political message that are too strong other than we need to take care of our men. We cannot any longer sit aside and say we support these men without anyone trying to understand the horrible things they go through.
This movie makes the reasons we go to war and the reasons that we fight crystal clear. The title of the film is a bible reference to the battle between David and Goliath. It was in the valley of Elah that David fought and stood face to face with what caused the most fear within him. The same goes with soldiers in this war, they fight, oddly in the Middle East as well, to face their fear and hopefully, like David, win it all in the end.
Powerful is the only word I can use to capture the emotional power of this and yes this whole blog may sound off, but I have the movie on at the moment and simply do not want to loss the emotion that it is giving off.
Was this war worth it, who knows in the end.
If there is anything I am taking from this movie is that when a flag is waved at half mass it means that there is some kind of distress... this movie ends with just that and god knows if that does not bring tears then there is just ice in your heart.

When I Get Where I Am Going...

(What would make a man, running for president go from doing a semi- serious interveiw... to appearing on a comdey show?)

My favorite topic at the moment is the presidental campagin. This is not because I am waiting to see who will win the Democratic party, or if we will have a black or female president. Those things are important but lets face it the same old is not what is making this season differnt. What keeps me tuned into watching political coverage at the moment is the amoung of times these canadiates are spending on regular shows, trying to prove that they are "like the average Joe."
Every campaign season is differnt, and this one seems to be running under the theme of who is the least elite and better able to connect with the American people. I love how I cannot turn on my TV anymore without seeing Obama or Clinton on a network than than CNN.
What makes these guest spots appel to me is that I have a feeling they are going to open up a whole new category in the reasons why uneduacted people vote for a person. Already people are making choices based on, "oh well she has a last name that sounds like me," or "i want him to win because he gave me a free sticker." Now all these lovely phrases will be joined with, "I want so and so to win because he/she was on my favorite show last week and was so funny."
I understand the reasoning as to why they feel as if they should be in the public eye and frankly I am loving it.
I cant wait to see where they will end up next or how far from the topics will they go before they win over all those people who sit and watch TV, all the underage voters and all the Hollywood stars before they start to loss the people who truly care for the issues.

(When did drinking shots become something a presidental hopefull will do in public?)
The things that these people are doing for votes is scary. Clinton was drinking shots with a bunch of middle aged men at a press event and Obama was seen bowling at another. To me it is funny to see how far these people will go for votes and to be likeable. What is even better is that everything they do to look normal simply just makes them look the opposite in my eyes. Do I want a president who will drinking a beer with me, or one that will make it so that I can afford that beer I like so much?

I'm Not Going To Write You To Stay...

There have been many a time when the amazing people at the Daily Show find a way to say everything that I want. I do not know how Jon and the rest of his writers put the media to shame on a nightly bases for buying into political spins, but they do and I love it. Take this clip of what they said about Obama being called an elitist.

Other Peoples Misery Are Up For The Next Three Hours... Commerical Free.

I am not writing this to be bitter that my class did not get a reality show when I was in high school, I promise, I swear it on my grandfathers life. But lets be honest, when did it become the trend to display ones life on national television. I understand how much people love reality these days, I really do and I admit I am a huge fan of anything consist show on TV. Yet, all the shows that I watch anyway have adults on them... although they may act like children, they are not in high school.
Having a show based on the lives of high school students seems immoral in many ways. It proves that teens are buying into the roles that networks require of them; to be the drama queen, popular ones, the hated one, the guy that every girl likes. It is sad that we have come to the point when 16 year olds are old enough to display every aspect of their lives on television, and anyone who says they are doing this to help other kids learn from their experiences is a liar.
We live in a world where everything is always on display. Facebook lets everyone of our friends know what we are doing 24/7 thanks to the newsfeed that it has. Blogs like this one allow people like me to state their opinion about anything and out it out there for the world to view. Youtube does not allow anyone to make a mistake anymore, because you fall down making a speech in front of a a group of people once, and it will be viewed and talked about forever. We are all our own celebrities these days, and anyone who goes on a reality show always has a motive to being there.
Honestly I do not think that high school students, no matter how "mature" we like to think they are, are going to act anymore natural in front of a camera as the next guy. In fact I think they were act more immature, because at this point every high school students knows what the camera is looking for in good reality drama and knows how to deliver. Also there is the factor of friends and the image that will be portrayed on TV.
I am not saying that I am not getting some weird guilty pleasure out of watching my former high school newspaper life being displayed on national television, but I do find every moment of it sad. We have a generation of kids now who do not know what privacy really is, and are willing to put their lives on display for the gain of a company like MTV, who market "coolness" to the youth, and for entertainment value.

There Is Nothing Better Than Not Knowing What's Going To Happen Next...

There is no one in American politics at the moment who is more out of touch with the American public than Hilary Clinton. She has spent much of her life in the spot light of the political world, and let's face it the women comes off as dry as a piece of toast. There is no reason for Clinton, out of all people on the world, call Obama an elitist and out of touch with the American public. Being poor does make people bitter and if anyone would say otherwise then they are lying. Not having money or a job will make anyone upset and bitter at the world. Being in a tough spot will make anyone turn to religion and who knows maybe even drive a person to buy a few guns. This is the reality of the America we live in today. It is full of unsure Americans that are trying to hold onto anything to keep faith and stay face.
Clinton making any remarks about this makes her look worse!
She never, ever goes with her party and for bitterly attaching a person in the manner she did shows a lack of professionalism.
What has happened to us as a nation that we complain that people are not honest enough with us, that politicians are not as honest as they should be and as soon as one is, WE REACT THIS WAY!!
What it comes down to is that Cliton is scared she is going to lose, and because of that she is attacking others. No matter what if she wins the election then she is ensuring McCains nominations. If Obama wins, then there will be a fair race, but an elitist selfish person like Clinton does not see things this clearly.

We Don't Need To Education?

When I first applied to Florida International University I did so with this silly idea that my school would provide an education that would prepare me for my feature as a journalist. Well... I was let down. And I cannot help but feel this way.
I understand that the state has budget cuts and that Educational programs tend to be among the first to go. I understand that the university needs to budget money but throughout the past two years I have been at this university they have cut the budget for the school of journalism, hired fewer teachers, offered fewer classes and have provided insignificant counsellings by changing the course work required making gradation requirements immpossible to meet.
On top of all this, today I find out that the school is willingly giving up their accreditation. This is great! Now the school I am going to has put journalism on the bottom of their to do list and put other issues ahead.
Ever wish you made a different choice in life?
I do.

I've Been Watching You Dad Ain't That Cool?

I know as a daughter I have a certain amount of influence over my mother. I can tell her that an outfit does not look nice on her, and she will not buy it. I can tell her that a certain drink at Starbucks is amazing and she needs to try it, and she will. But I do not think that I would ever be able to tell her who to vote for and have her actually do it.
It has to be one of the shocking articles I have ever read in the New York Times in my life, Young Obama Backers Twist Parents' Arms. The article was about how kids are influencing their parents into voting for Obama, simply because the child believes in his policy and wants him to get more votes. Now to be honest, I am an Obama supporter and always have been, I refuse to have him get votes by people who do not support him or his policies, but rather voted for him because their little girl begged and held her breath until her father said he'd vote.
The article said that it maybe because of the close ties that kids have these days with their parents that maybe a factor in their influence in their parents vote. "Parents now are exponentially more entwined with their offspring, inclined to place their children’s emotional well-being ahead of their own. Even when students live away at college, many parents call them and send text messages every day."
Again I am all for students having a close relationship with their parents, I don't think anyone is against that, but to have the power to influence voting takes away the meaning and spirit behind democracy as a whole. A vote is supposed to be a persons voice being made. It is a personal choice, not one made by anyone else. It is upsetting that parents are so desperate these days to be closer to their kids that they will vote for a person their kid supports and in some cases even change party affiliation.
Having a college student help in a campaign is fine, having political talks with parents is wonderful too because it opens generational dialogue but voting for a person without that choice being your own... that is UnAmerican.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/us/politics/08kids.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=todayspaper

You're Gonna Miss This, Your Gonna Wish These Days Hadn't Gone By So Fast...

It is amazing to me still to this day how much pride can get the best of us, even when we do not want it to. It can easily make us put up walls that we never even knew we had and in many cases leave out the people in our lives that mean the most to us. The thing about pride is that it does not allows us to face our problems head on. We only really just sit there and dwel on them for a while, letting grow inside of us, while we miss the emotions that make us human in the first place.
no talking occurs when pride is in the picture.
no understanding.
no sitting down thinking of things in the other persons point of view because heaven forbid the other person may have a vaild point.
The funny thing about pride is that whenever we use it, whenever we let it get the best of us we always expect someone else to be the adlut and take over... to say sorry frist, to give the first hug and to start the first i am sorry conversation. but the catch is that this is a lot of assiming... maybe the other person will not say sorry first, and put up their walls as well.. then what are we stuck with?

wasted time over a silly argument, memories that will never be made and a broken bond... all because one person had to much pride to let a brused ego go...