Found this. Loved this.

DATE A GIRL WHO READS

by Rosemarie Urquico
(In response to Charles Warnke’s You Should Date an Illiterate Girl)

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

Entering the Labor Market: What is our dream?

Democratic Club of Carlsbad & Oceanside. August 27, 2011 - Honor Labor Event

Here is the text from a speech I gave this morning at the Honor Labor DEMCOO meeting. :) enjoy.


--------------------

Good morning everyone! What a great day to be here. Thank you to everyone that dedicated their time, effort, and hard work to make this event possible. I appreciate the opportunity to share with you a few of my life experiences with our education system and my recent entrance into the work force.

I may be a new face to some of you, so let me take a second to introduce myself. I'm Jennifer, I am 24 years old and I have lived in Oceanside for 16 years. I was born and raised in California, and I am a product of the Oceanside Unified School District. I graduated from El Camino High School in 2005 and, with the help of my parents, was able to enroll at the University of Redlands.

I graduated from the University of Redlands on the 3 and a half year plan with a Bachelors degree in Physics and a minor in Mathematics that I fully blame on my high school physics teacher and I've made sure he knows it.


I completed my college courses at the end of the fall semester in December of 2008 and had to wait until the end of spring before I could participate in the commencement activities with the rest of my class. Between December 2008 and the moment I got to walk across the stage to formally accept my diploma, I had been engaged in a completely fruitless search for employment. I submitted countless resumes and applications in a maniacal daily effort to find the job that I had been assured would be mine with a degree. I did the hard work and would be rewarded. Not so easy.

After graduating from Redlands, I moved home and began math and physics tutoring to help earn extra cash. The entire spring semester came and went, and I celebrated my graduation with friends and family. The sobering truth about what it takes to pay for and earn a degree hit me hard right after my graduation party: my first student loan payment was due, and I still had no job, no positive prospects for employment and no income. My only option was to use the money I received for graduation gifts and apply it towards my first student loan payment.

It took both of my parents and me 6 months of intensive full time search to find my job. I consider this timeframe the "perfect Sallie Mae timing" because that's exactly when the payments needed to begin to be paid back. From that point forward, I have been able to pay them on time, every month. To piggyback a little bit on the previously discussed "Making Ends Meet"... every month, 30% of my monthly income goes straight to Sallie Mae & the Department of Education. For reference, I pay more for my student loans, than I do for rent and utilities combined. And I will continue to do so until I am about 40 years old.

I am sharing this information with you today because I fell in the very middle of the pack when it came to requesting and receiving financial aid. I grew up here in Oceanside, in the Rancho del Oro community, and my parents made enough money to make us completely ineligible for public funding assistance. But the cost of college was still prohibitively expensive for my family. So we decided that my education would be paid with the assistance of student loans, and we would work out the living expenses between each other.

Please keep in mind that I graduated high school in 2005 as I read you these next 2 facts...

Here in California, attending a UC school this fall will cost a freshman TWO TIMES what it cost in 2004.

For a student enrolling at a CSU campus, it will cost TWO TIMES what it cost in just 2007! That should scare you. Considering that it's taking students more than 4 years to complete their degree in the public school system, for a student enrolling as a freshman in 2007, they paid TWICE as much to enroll in their 5th year of school than their 1st.

We are entering a very scary time for education. Historically speaking, the concept of education has been treated as a public good. It is becoming more and more clear that a college education will no longer be something that is available to most students from any walk of life. Public education is consistently being treated and transformed into an exclusively expensive privatized industry and unless we're honest with ourselves about the role it plays in building our society, our population, and our nation's ability to compete on a global scale... we will have a grossly undereducated population that can not compete on the international stage, much less protect themselves from any predatory force or policy at home.

In order to put Americans back to work, we need to begin with an educated -- involved -- informed -- and useful -- population. Such a population is also required to ensure that our government runs the way it was designed to. We have to be honest about the state of our education system and where it NEEDS to fit in our culture. But I'll come back to that.

I want to talk a little bit about what "having a job" actually means for someone my age...

It means more than just a paycheck. It means health insurance. It means a regular daily schedule. It means accountability. It means responsibility. It means (most of the time) financial independence. It provides opportunity. It offers experience. It increases one's marketability. It builds confidence.

When you take a capable, successful, confident person, enable them and congratulate them all the way through their 16 years of school, most likely with some sort of debt upon graduation, only to drop them in an economy where there are little to no opportunities... or hiring managers that don't want any currently unemployed persons to apply.... You've stunted their growth as a perfectly employable person. You've given a perfectly healthy ambitious mind no outlet. Eventually it becomes a deeper personal issue because it doesn't make sense.

These types of issues have dire consequences when propagated out at the national level to millions of people. If we do not make job creation a serious priority, we are literally fostering an entire generation of citizens ready and willing to work with no companies willing and ready to hire. It's as if we've mastered the art of building cars, and paving roads... but there's no one putting gas in the tank.

There are few things we need to do to get back on track... today I would like to discuss what I believe are the top 3.

NUMBER 1.

1. Our most recent graduates, high school, college, vocational, technical school... it doesn't matter... our most recent graduates are our absolute best problem solvers and we need to create a culture where today's students are inspired, excited and given the opportunity to solve both today's and tomorrow's problems. I call this "The NASA Effect" and here's why:

At the time that Apollo 11 safely parachuted into the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969 the average age of the people in the control room was 28 years old. The average age at NASA now is 47. According to NASA's public affairs site, the average hire in 2009 was 41 years old. Why?

I believe the way to face off "The NASA Effect" is not to expect our institutions to change their ways, but empower our young people. A couple years ago I toured NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory research center with a group of 9-12 year old girls as part of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics summer camp called Minds for Design. If you asked these girls what the acronym JPL meant at the beginning of this camp, they would have had no clue what you were talking about. By the end of their session, not only did they know, they knew what went on inside JPL's walls, and it was on their radar as a future career option. It became part of their world.

The reason why this is so important is simple: the children of today do not know what they're capable of, what their options are, or what they may be passionate about unless they're given the chance to expand their horizons. If we can empower our students from a young age, equip them with the tools to succeed, and provide opportunities to channel their creativity into innovation... they will undoubtedly rise to the occasion as the world's best and brightest. We must give them the chance to do so and the companies to hire them... which leads me to my next priority.

NUMBER 2

2. American corporations must stop outsourcing our jobs. The rate that American corporations are laying off their own citizens only to hire abroad, or hire through a 3rd party to avoid paying a living wage is un-American. The cost and standard of living that we have all become accustomed to in this country is not an excuse for a company to hire outside our borders. It's completely irresponsible. I call this problem the "Cold Shoulder."

We have some of the greatest corporations in the world in this country but in a culture saturated with iPads, smartphones, tablets, and computer screens... our world is virtually flat. Outsourcing a job to save money and protect profit margins is inherently the same as turning a cold shoulder to the American worker. Finding a place where workers can be paid less, and labor protections are not as established seems like it could be almost more of a moral issue than a business decision. You would think that American companies would take responsibility for American citizens, right? What good would it be to have a corporation in the United States if American citizens are not taken care of to maintain it?

This leads me to my next point...

NUMBER 3

3. In order to keep any employee a happy, healthy, contributing member of society our corporations need to take responsibility for the well being of every single person that relies on them for a living. When employees are treated like real people with real families, certain "benefits" like health, dental, and vision insurance are no brainers.

If you expect to hire a college-educated person, perhaps you should consider offering tuition reimbursement as part of their compensation package. If one expects to hire and retain a healthy individual -- health insurance is a perfectly reasonable benefit. Ahem -- Wal Mart.

Here is a fun fact about Wal Mart: Wal Mart currently employs 1% of the working population in the United States. Out of every single person in this country with a job, 1% works for Wal Mart. For a single person household, Wal Mart provides an annual salary that is basically at the poverty line with virtually no benefits. Is that where the standard for American workers is set? Wal Mart is the biggest private employer in the world with over 2 million employees. We must demand that they step up to the responsibility of being such an international economic force.

It's time for our businesses to treat their staff like people, and not like tools to maintain their profit margins. But again, this is an instance where we can not expect humongous institutions to change their ways, we must empower each other. Only by working together and collectively agreeing that there is a standard at which we as workers deserve to be treated, can we change these types of practices.

It's going to take passion, and organization, and information, and participation to make these ideas a reality... and it's possible. The solutions to these issues do not require a huge amount of money. They require commitment. I firmly believe that education, corporate responsibility and workers rights are a place where we can find common ground with any voter, citizen, both adults and children and begin a conversation about getting involved.

Focusing on the education of our children and employment of our citizens today will insure our success in the future locally, nationally and world wide.

Thanks for your time and your personal commitment to be a contributor in the changes that will shape tomorrow's world.

I love my beach.

Protect Our Coasts - just a thought.

"Fighting to protect and preserve our coasts isn't the same thing as a sunset walk on the beach. It entails long, boring city council meetings. It calls for people to organize others. Protecting our coasts asks us to step into positions of leadership in ways that we may never have thought we were capable of.

It's hard." - Jim Moriarty, CEO of Surfrider

I feel like this is the story of my life right now, so I decided to share. Here is the latest entry in Jim's Blog. Jim Moriarty's Blog

The ABCs of Oceanside Politics

Here's what's going on in Oceanside... these are the people and organizations responsible for systematically ruining our beautiful little beach town.

ABC stands for Associated Builders & Contractors.

“YES ON K” was the Proposition that decided Oceanside would become a Charter City thus allowing the Oceanside City Council to make decisions independent of California State mandates or Oceanside Voters.

Bill Baber:
· Is listed as the "Director of Government Affairs" of ABC on their web site.
· Is a registered lobbyist for ABC (as per official City Clerk documents)
· Is Treasurer for Oceanside Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility OCFR (Located in La Mesa, California)
· Was investigated and reprimanded by Fair Political Practice Committee FPPC for failing to identify ABC as an over 80% contributor to “Yes on K”.
· Failed to report two contributions from OCFR (for which he is Treasurer) $6920 on 5/10/10 & $4325 on 5/18/10

Bill Baber wrote the Charter for the City of Oceanside.

Gary Felien (current councilmember):
· Is an officer of OCFR Oceanside Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility
· Is an officer of “Yes on K”

Both OFCR and “Yes on K” share the same office in La Mesa California & Both are sponsored by Associated Builders & Contractors!

This is why Oceanside is pandering to the building industry. These are not people that are concerned about our communities. They have their own plan for Oceanside.

Welcome to ABC West

Formerly Known as Oceanside

If you follow the money… you see exactly where their loyalty lies. It's time to take back Oceanside.

SB 833 - What I said to the Oceanside City Council re: Gregory Canyon Landfill

Last week, the Oceanside City Council voted to switch their supportive position on California Senate Bill 833 which says that landfills can not be built within 1,000 feet of a water supply, and they can't be built on sacred Indian ground. Oceanside spent over millions of dollars fighting this battle over the past 20 years. Now that we have a council majority that is grossly out of tune with the citizens of the city, they decided to establish Oceanside's position against SB 833. A project that SB 833 would stop dead in its tracks is the Gregory Canyon Landfill.

The Gregory Canyon Landfill would literally be built on the San Luis Rey River which dumps right out between the Oceanside Harbor and the Oceanside Pier. 

Here is what I read to the city council on Wednesday:

"It is absolutely deplorable for you to sit on our Council and act like you are not foolish for even bringing this to the table given our city's location and history.

I can not believe that you continue to use your position on this council to make decisions about projects that will hurt our communities when you DEFINITELY will not be here to maintain or oversee them. It is as though you believe that you can just pass on such responsibilities to future generations when really the TRUE responsibility lies in your decision tonight to prevent this from even happening! You can not be serious when you say that there will be no environmental impact to our coastlines and our water supply with a TRASH DUMP.

In today's world people with no regard to the environment which are all people probably very similar to you.. are throwing away batteries, computers, tvs, electronics, and although they may be doing so irresponsibly and incorrectly, THE CHEMICALS AND REMNANTS of such products can and will end up on our beaches and in our oceans. Seriously. Think about it. And it's not just electronics... Diapers...? Dog Waste...?

I am a Surfrider Foundation member. I get weekly emails from them and this week's email has some information I believe needs to be passed on to you. The Natural Resources Defense Council's annual survey of water quality and public notification at U.S. beaches found that the number of beach closings and advisories in 2010 reached 24,091 — the second-highest level since they began tracking these events 21 years ago. This confirms that our nation's beaches continue to suffer from pollution that puts all ocean users at risk. Stop ignoring these facts. You are not entitled to your own facts and you don't get to avoid this responsibility. As a coastal community it is OUR responsibility to stand up and protect our coastlines. If we don't, who will?

OCEAN... SIDE... IT'S IN OUR CITY'S NAME. It is impossible for me to imagine the density one must have to live here, love living here, and feel no urge to protect our coastlines. So, sure. Our beaches are clean... FOR NOW. Our water quality is acceptable... FOR NOW. Our kids and neighbors can enjoy programs like the Junior Lifeguards all summer long... FOR NOW. We can enjoy the economic benefits of year round tourism... FOR NOW. But here's what really matters... when WILL it be too much for you? When will you put your foot down? I am pretty confident you don't even have a threshold. I bet you haven't even drawn a mental line in the sand and for that reason alone, you are absolutely not qualified to make this decision. Let me help paint a picture for you...

Do our beaches have to close regularly and consistently before you start to protect our coast? Do our residents' and tourists' children have to come down with disgusting skin rashes and serious viral and eye infections after a day at our beaches for you to understand the effects this will have on future generations living here? Do our businesses have to wither up and close because the tourists stopped coming? Does our harbor have to empty because the water's so gross? Do we have to lose all of the tax revenue from our beachfront businesses because our water smells so bad? Can you imagine what this city would even look like if we allowed previous councils to get away with this type of crap? I know I can't.... because that's not the Oceanside ANY OF US WANTS. You have to answer to us... whether you like it or not. Reversing the city's long standing position on the Gregory Canyon Landfill is a decision you will NEVER be able to run away from.

Good luck."

Jack Feller, Gary Felien, & Jerry Kern all suck.

Padres Opening Day 2011

The adventures began at about 8 am with every intention of catching the 9am Coaster down to Petco Park. After a few mini disasters, forgetting tickets, keeping track of all 4 of us (1 with a lost phone) we missed the train but ended up in Carlsbad Village by 10. Naturally, we went to the Village Cafe and had ourselves a little breakfast. The food here is always awesome, and waitress commiserated with us over the fact that they do not serve mimosas or bloody marys.

After breakfast, we got ourselves a six pack, jumped on the next Coaster and headed down to the Opening Day block party just behind the Park at the Park.

 I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that Stone Brewery was the only local brewery down there serving beer. Karl Strauss, Ballast Point, Oceanside Ale Works, Pizza Port, Coronado Brewing Company, Rock Bottom Brewery, San Diego Brewing Company, Lightning Brewery, Green Flash Brewery, The Lost Abbey Brewery... you all really missed out. Hopefully next year there is a bigger representation of our county's fine craft brew selection.

Our tickets were AWESOME in the Toyota Terrace on the 1st base side. We were seated before the Opening Ceremonies began and they were AMAZING. Jason Mraz sang the National Anthem beautifully. Here are some pics from our seats: 

Trevor Hoffman threw the first pitch of the 2011 season! With Hells Bells playing and everything it was absolutely fantastic. 

The Padres ended up winning the game, and we jumped back on the Coaster (Thanks, NCTD, for the safe ride!) and headed home.