all things californian

95% Decrease in Egg Production; California

Would you be able to spend 95% of your lifetime in a closet with seven other people?

In California, let alone the United States, chickens live in a small cage for approximately 95% of their lives with 6-8 other chickens. Proposition 2, or in other words, "The Standards for Confining Farm Animals," prohibits "the confinement of farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs."

Although animal morality is a touchy subject, can we afford it?

The biggest issues conforming to proposition 2 are as followed:

 

Supporting arguments

• Prop 2 prevents cruelty to animals, since it is simply wrong to confine animals in tiny cages barely large enough for their bodies. To emphasize this argument, supporters of Prop 2 released a video on October 14 that according to the Los Angeles Times shows "egg-laying hens crammed into filthy cages, while, nearby, discarded birds are left to die in piles of corpses."^[12]
• Prop 2 improves our health and food safety by requiring better conditions for animals.
• Prop 2 supports family farmers, who are driven out of business when factory farms cut corners and put profits ahead of animal welfare and our health.
• Prop 2 protects air and water and safeguards the environment.
• The price of cage-free eggs will go down.^[13]

Opposing arguments

• If it passes, egg supply will go down and egg prices will go up.
• If chickens are not in cages, they are more vulnerable to attacks by predators, including other chickens;
• If egg companies don't want to deal with the new regulations, they can move to other states or Mexico, taking their benefits to local economies with them.^[8]
• According to a study put out by the University of California-Davis, if Prop 2 passes, it is likely that it would force the state's $300 million egg industry to move out of the state or out of business entirely.
• The cost of producing eggs would increase by 20% or more.
• The egg business would have to invest about $500 million on new ways to house chickens.^[26]
• Consumers would buy trucked-in eggs from other states and Mexico which would be more exposed to salmonella, and the hens more vulnerable to bird flu.^[27]
• According to the National Taxpayers Union, Proposition 2 would place additional regulations on how livestock owners must handle their farm animals, which could increase food costs.^[28]

According to studies made my a Californian University, It is said the price of an egg will increase "76%" by "2015" if Prop 2 passes. Also, with an approximate 3600 people working in the labor field of Chicken care, it too would increase if they were allowed to roam freely, allowing a more increase in price.

The dream of California as being a "free" state definitely does not apply itself to every inhabitant of California; as shown by Proposition 2. Although Chickens moving around freely is a step towards equality in animal morality for animals themselves, Can we as humans afford it? Even if we could, would we want to?

LSD; a cure for alcoholics

The illicit drug, LSD or better known as acid, is a hallucinogenic drug that is created in laboratories in Northern California, and runs wild in the Southern region. When LSD is used, it creates "perceptual distortions" and allows people to "see or hears things that don't, in reality, exist." Also, it is so damaging to the body, it can allow for a fuse of senses; that is "colors are heard and sounds are tasted."

"Some cultures have used hallucinogens for religious purposes, as a way to experience 'other realities' or to communicate with the supernatural." Many artists use hallucinogens for a "mind-expanding" experience that allows them to easier think out-of-the-norm and to become creative. Furthermore, scientists have used LSD in tests to cure alcoholics, having their subject take LSD to have an "out-of-body" experience and to judge themselves without prejudice, from a third-person view. Although there has been about a 60% success rate, there are a lot of intricacies that follow these tests, and the law declared this type of testing to be illegal for health reasons. Taking hardcore street and laboratory drugs can cause much harm to your body; physically and mentally. One of the most leading results of hardcore hallucinogens is schizophrenia; defined by dictionary.com as "a state characterized by the coexistence of contradictory or incompatible elements."

However, because the drug is a hot topic among moral and ethical issues, should this type of testing be allowed? What if the experiment goes wrong and the patient is involved in a "bad trip"? LSD can in some cases, lead to a beings death, how does this effect the research?  Although there are a lot of potential consequences for taking LSD, for medication purposes, I feel that it should be allowed with the patient meeting a certain number of qualifications in a hospital or laboratory. This way, they do not harm themselves physically or do not do such things as running into the middle of the street, uncontrollably. Although the Californian dream of being sober is prevalent, as seen by many Hollywood celebrities, the fact that LSD testing is illegal and cannot even be used as a last resort, is a limitation on ones' triumph to become sober by any means possible.

Tylenol Cannot Cure All Headaches

All the talk of the California Dream is giving me a headache.  Yes the weather is beautiful, the breeze is to die for, and I cant argue about what California as to offer.

So why? Why do I feel the way I do?

Possibly, with all of California offers, I am turning into one of the type of people i hate most; spoiled.
Maybe its because I am surrounded by people who use a smile to mask how they truly feel; depressed, stressed, and worried.
It could be the fact that I live a three minute drive away from school, but because of all the traffic, stop signs, and stop lights, it takes fifteen minutes.
Maybe its because I feel like I am in a never-ending vacation, which almost seems to be a direct result to my laziness.

Here in California, a good handful of the residents are money hungry. Unhappy. Angry. Greedy. Just like everywhere else.

I feel that although California has more to offer than possibly any other place on this world, its a double edged sword, more problems come with the opportunities.
Perhaps, this is just a personal phase.

So what is the dream? Is the California dream different for everybody? How is the California dream different from the Florida  or Oklahoma dream? Let me know.

"THE" Dream...

The greatest Californian dreams ranging from hopes for riches and fame to those who wish the impossible, these dreams are mostly put in the head of younger children and teenagers. For not being the individual that the society in California wants, for example, not being financially empowered or the unwilling of a young teenager to receive an education, the creation of a machine has been molded. These examples are just two of many more of how the California dream has been created to benefit a small handful of people. Who might those people be? It might be those men and ladies living in big fancy houses that look down on the blue collar working class. The idea that California should be represented as the greatest place has created a world where all the wrongs and bad things such as drugs sexual exploitation crime or basically anyone who is not the owner of the big fancy house. In California the idea that every individual is molded into being a college student is unrealistic, ok the world does need educational leaders but the same world does need just as bad the working class. From plumber’s landscapers and anyone who may fit in between, these where the creators of the great land of California and in a sense California has lost the backbone in which it was created on. The selfish California dream is the real reason to why many pursuit all the great things on this golden state. If you take a look around almost everyone at this time is out to get theirs in a sense, what I mean is that we all do what we do in a selfish manner and that what I do will better me in a way. A teacher might say that he is in it for students but in reality he or she might just be happy knowing that "I" did something and now "I" feel better. My California dream of survival in an injustice world :)

This is all I was able to write after having writers block so yeah. . . (P.S. not intended to be offensive either)

A Man with Four Eyes

A Man with Four Eyes

Along with the idealized attributes that contribute to a utopian society, a new vision had prevailed because of the gold rush movement. “Americans did not want ‘to work for’ someone else,” writes Carey McWilliams, this indeed was the feeling that had been apprehended by the souls of the native and upcoming Californians (46). This quote relates much to a painting which depicts a group of six men walking through the mountains with nothing but the clothes on their skin and the essentials that are needed to mine the gold. To many, finding gold was the only way to let loose of the iron ball of misery which had drastically drained the energy out of individuals of whom were slaves in their own workplace. In the forefront, the picture portrays two men and a donkey that are all holding a number of tools that are needed to not only mine the gold, but to mine away their incarceration of employment; a pickaxe, sleeping bag, buckets, pans, and a shovel. The figures in the background aren’t as physically detailed as those in the front, possibly stating that it wasn’t only white settlers who wanted to attain such success to work by themselves, but even those of different nationalities, lifestyles, and like where the figures themselves stand, backgrounds. California’s gold rush has shown the desperateness of men from all over the world who wanted to be given an opportunity to saw off the extra pair of eyes that have molded themselves quite comfortably on their shoulders, constantly watching what they do as if they were experimental lab rats. The Irony of this painting is the voyage of attaining such dream by oneself is nearly impossible, however along with individuality, the only way to achieve such success is to be around those who too have the same dream; The dream of working for oneself, but not alone, in California.

Works Cited

McWilliams, Carey. California: The Great Exception. New York: Greenwood Press, 1949.

Kean Collection, “Miners travelling to find new diggings during the California Gold Rush era.” 9 Sep. 2008. span>

<http://www.jamd.com/image/g/51363106>.

California, the Western Millionaire

“The Union is an exclusive body but when a millionaire knocks on the door, you don’t keep him waiting for too long; you let him in.” -Carey McWilliams (48)

California’s growth in the past century has had an immense impact not only in the state, but also to other states within the Nation. Carey McWilliams compares the state of California to a wealthy millionaire, from an early stage of California’s growth; the discovery of gold became such great advantage against other Western states (48). The eastern states that were part of the Union immediately incorporated California as their new member. This event was very exceptional since the California was the first Western state declared as part of the Union.  In the painting, California’s landscapes are represented by ocean, mountains, forest, snow, and desert, which show the geographic diversity found in this beautiful state. This complex combination of different climates is, in a way, is what makes the Golden State a “millionaire”. The Pacific Ocean slightly reflects the shining rays of sun; the sky’s warm golden color symbolizes the gold found in this beautiful state. A variety of flora and fauna can be found in extended forests in Northern California; meanwhile, as the sun vanishes through the deserted mountains, a new day and new opportunities start. At the time, California, as a state, had such great potential to give to the Union, wealth in the form of gold found in Northern California. Incorporating California to the Union was one event the state faced thanks to its natural resources.

Works Cited:

• McWilliams, Carey. California: The Great Exception. New York: Greenwood Press, 1949.
• California-Redwood <http://www.4windsartist.com/images/California-Redwood%202.jpg>

Common Misconception

A common misconception of the California dream is that it is a breeze to live here. People assume that a cushy job and a nice home will just fall into place. While it is a nice image, unfortunately it is not the reality for the average person. The fact is that the cost of living is much higher in California than most other states in America. Gas prices, rent, taxes, are all costlier here in our sunny state.

What kind of an effect is this going to have on future generations? High property costs make it almost impossible to own even a small condo in a descent area. A one-bedroom condo at around $315,000 costs the same as a three-bedroom house along a pier in Virginia! I'd hardly consider it a dream to live in a seven hundred square foot condo when you could be getting so much more in another state. The mortgage alone at around $1,700 monthly is high enough, not to mention property taxes, homeowner's association fees, and utilities. How is our younger generation supposed to support themselves? $1,700 is alot of money to make monthly for a college student. Sure, renting is an option, but who really wants to pay Joe Shmoe rent money for the rest of your life? It just makes the California dream that much harder to achieve.

Why would anyone want to live in California?

    Everywhere you go in California it seems like there is always a new housing complex being built or a house for sell. So what makes California such a great place to live? Well i believe it is not just because of the Hollywood image that attracts people but what it represents. For many it is the dream to have a new beginning  and because of the variety of culture Californians are more tolerate to sensitive issues. The Hollywood image that is displayed world wide shows California as a haven for misfortune people whether it is immigrants, criminals or people who suffered hardship in their lives. For some reason people see California as being the light out of their dark tunnel. Others see it as just being a place were all rejects are accepted. In reality I believe it's neither.Many people have to struggle even more here because the housing prices and gas prices are so expensive.I do not believe it is possible for a place to be less judgmental then others.Certain issues are tolerated because we have to live here but then we always find something else to push in its place.Though i do feel that California does open up some opportunities that might not be available in other places i don't really understand the fascination with California. But perhaps since i been living here so long i never was able to fully appreciate all that California stands for to the American dream.

Celebrities: Inspiring an New Generation of Idiots

      Old fashion, small town values have gone down the drain in California and have been replaced with Californians obsession with the glamorous lives of celebrities.Celebrities are the trend setters for numerous of things within our society such as, politics with P. Diddy's Vote or Die slogan, fashion and whats "cool" socially.People now-a-days know more about Britney Spears and her marriage issues with k-fed then they do of their own family.Ironically people continue to mock and judge her but i suppose for many people it's like a train wreck that no one can keep their eyes off of. Sadly as some see her as an idiot others idolize her. Many people are comforted in the fact that someone who is placed on a mantel as some kind of divine figure has their faults like every average person. I suppose when celebrities act like trailer trash it makes the average persons life seem perfect.Those icon's such as,Britney spears, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are the idols this generation of children have to look up to.The paradox of celebrity were everybody can be famous and successful is far off from actual reality. Millions of people say they would be willing to do anything to become a celebrity, as long as they don't have to work hard to become successful.We live in a time where many people expect fame and wealth to come knocking at their doors but in reality majority of celebrities today had to also work hard to get where their at now.

2.5 Million for Dog Food

Did anyone hear about the latest lawsuit? A fireman won 2.5 million dollars for eating a bite of dog food. How rediculous is that? Supposively, it was racially motivated but the fire department had a history of playing pranks on eachother. This guy was a pretty big guy and he walked around saying "feed the big dog." Thats exactly what his prank was, feeding the big dog. Sure its disgusting but its not poison. The jury was being interviewed on the radio and they said they awarded him the money because the prank made him lose his job. How? He wasnt fired. It was his descision to quit. Ive heard of rape cases where the man goes free yet California thought it was fair to award a rediculous amount of money for eating dog food. Are you serious California????? That money came out of tax dollars. This is why im getting charged taxes? For the fool that decided to sue for something silly and for the retards that awarded him the money. Why wasnt this case just thrown out? I wish i was that judge so I could tell Big dog "get over it, go to therapy if your really hurt!" Would people stop being such cry babies!!!