Living in California costs more than the Golden State has to offer

Share: California’s gorgeous beaches, perfect weather, and diverse population are almost enough to mask the ridiculous cost of basic living essentials. Since the golden state’s founding in 1850, people from all across the country and beyond have made their way to the coast looking for that ideal Angeleno lifestyle. Although living in California has countless perks, it comes at a price that many can’t afford to pay.  The cost of living continues to grow exponentially by the year. Families who have lived in California for …

Pot program fails to provide equity for POC

Share: The California Cannabis Equity program is turning out to be a headache for the state, its applicants, and it is proving to be not so equitable for the very people who are the targeted beneficiaries. On November 9th, 2016 Proposition 64  legalized specified and personal use and cultivation of Marijuana for adults at least 21 years of age. It also reduced criminal penalties for specified marijuana related offenses for adults and juveniles; and authorizes resentencing or dismissal and sealing of prior, eligible marijuana-related convictions. …

Ukraine: US should not deploy troops

Share: Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, terrifying its citizens, alerting world leaders and the entire world. Vladimir Pudin, Russia’s president, has been escalating his invasion of Ukraine in recent weeks. The Washington Post reports the US, along with other nations, has imposed sanctions against Russia and has risen to Ukraine’s aid, not with US troops, but by equipping Ukraine with supplies to help them fight against Russia. The United States’ role in the Ukrainian conflict should be limited to delivering humanitarian help, ammunition, …

Milk sign must go: Racist relics have no place in Pasadena

Share: Some things aren’t worth saving, particularly relics of racism. Historical preservationists have worked long and hard to keep a bit of history alive in Los Angeles, which is commendable. Yet what is the purpose of saving something that is linked to individuals who aren’t worth remembering?  An old Adohr Milk sign was discovered in Pasadena on the new residence of Johnny Ray Zone’s restaurant “Howlin Rays.” When Zone took possession of the property, preservationists caught wind of the sign, which had been covered for …

Even deranged racists like Joe Rogan deserve free speech

Share: Spotify paid Rogan a reported $100 million for an exclusive licensing deal in 2020 and has backed his stance on the guests allowed on his show and topics discussed, mostly. Employees and listeners have to ask themselves if their moral compass will enable them to support a company that would do so. For the most part, the podcast is entertaining for Rogan’s broad audience, who have followed his career from stand-up comedian, the host for the tv show ‘Fear Factor” and UFC announcer. With …

Column: PCC men’s basketball lucky to be 1-19

Share: The PCC men’s basketball team is bad. And when I say bad, I mean awful. Horrible, substandard, inferior, unacceptable, or abhorrent. It doesn’t matter what synonym you choose, they all apply. It’s gotten so ugly that the bus driver should start charging the student-athletes for rides. I hate to criticize so harshly, but they are the second-worst basketball team in the entire state. And there are 100 teams from as far north as Mendocino College all the way down south towards the three San …

No more style over substance, please give women pockets

Share: The coveted pocket missing in women’s fashion is not new and has been a point of contention since at least the 1800’s. Today women’s fashions are pocketless, due in part to fashion industry designers and what they are thinking when they create fashion, such as purpose, practicability and look/image, if any. Also fashion companies are big business and like any business the bottom line is profit. For instance, the tattered and ripped jeans look. Promoted as hip, sexy and cool for the consumer, yet …

‘Euphoria’ confronts viewers with explicit vulnerability

Share: Season two of “Euphoria” was finally released on January 9th after almost two and a half years since their pilot episode. This show gets a lot of attention due to it’s controversial themes and unique delineation of drugs, mental illness, domestic violence, and sexual expression. The show is very explicit but does so in a way that creates true understanding of the gravity of the characters’ situations.  The show focuses on the main character Rue, played by Zendaya, and her social and personal struggles …

Astroworld: A tragedy four years in the making

Share: Far from the days of N.W.A. and Wu-Tang Clan, rap mogul Travis Scott exists in an era of rap music that increasingly strays from its strict, hip-hop roots. Harboring a professed love for indie-folk artist Bon Iver, 1985 cult-classic The Breakfast Club, and frequently fueling his creative process in the studio by throwing up vintage cartoons on a flat screen, it’s the blithe makeup of Scott’s personality, a genuine commitment to being himself, that creates his allure.  He’s the certified weirdo, who off his …

Don’t be like Kylie: Ditch fast fashion for these pants instead

Share: The state of fashion has always changed for every season, to create the newest most relevant style that everyone is looking for. This quick turnaround was influenced by the catwalk of high end fashion designs from the New York, Paris, London, Milan fashion weeks. Fast Fashion is the process of imitating these designs on a more consumable, lower quality, and cheaper alternative of clothing. While fast fashion caters to the majority of those who can’t afford the name brands of designer clothing, fast fashion …