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Escape into Sin

July 19, 2008

From the busy streets to the fast-paced lives, LA has become notorious for taking the simple man and turning them into a hard working, stressed out citizen. As the summer heat strikes down on me I imagine myself in a place where I can forget about my troubles and lose myself. Of course I can only be describing one place. Las Vegas.

Rightfully named ‘Sin City’, Las Vegas has become an escape from reality into a world where an individual can go from no one to someone in one roll of the dice or wakeup the next day forgetting what happend the last night. From the buzzing sounds of the slots to the limitless amounts of foods at the buffets, to some Las Vegas has become there paradise. Upon recently visiting Las Vegas several things came to mind. The first of which is the obvious difference between going with your family, and going with your friends on your own. The differences are like day and night. Literrally. When the ‘kiddies’ go to bed, another group is just beginning there day. From the club hoppers to the ‘strip’ walkers, Las Vegas never sleeps. Giving new meaning to ‘sleepless nights’, one can find themselves losing track of time.

Las Vegas has plenty to offer to its tourists. From its cleverly themed casino’s such as Luxor, New York New York, and Caesers, to its lavishly designed buildings such as the Venetian and the Bellagio, the Las Vegas ‘Strip’ has become a city within itself. Walking on the Las Vegas is both an adventure and also a workout. While the weather in Las Vegas changes from season to season, the people on the strip do not. From the ‘adult solicitors’ handing out there ever so important 4×6 ‘business cards’ to the always classic Las Vegas ‘Drunk’, the strip is always an adventure outside the casino’s. Whether you are looking for the next place to throw your money at or the next place to eat at, the Vegas strip caters to everyones inhibitions and desires.

Like the moto, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, Las Vegas has its own rules, its own timezone, and its own culture.

News, Sports

The Shoe That Became A Lifestyle

June 20, 2008

As I signed on the dotted line, I signed away $143.24. In return, I was given the newest pair of Kobe’s to hit stores. While some may consider it a waste, some consider it hobby and to others a passion. Like car collectors, coin collectors or even stamp collectors, shoe collectors are plenty in numbers.

The shoe that started it all became the starting point of what would undoubtedly launch a new chapter in lifestyle and culture. The Air Jordan 1.

Launching in 1985, Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan’s, were first banned by the NBA for its violation of its color schemes. Still this did nothing but help the sales of the Air Jordan’s. Instead, the Air Jordan’s were advertised as being the reason that Michael was so good in the first place. They made him so good, the NBA wouldn’t allow him to use them. Of course, this made people want them more. Along with the new shoe came Michael Jordan himself. Michael Jordan became one of the most popular sports figure of his time. Through his flashy dunks and acrobatic moves, MJ won fans on and off the court.

The new Air Jordan’s created a whole now lifestyle and culture. From inner city kids who made them a must-have, to suburban kids who wanted to have a piece of “his greatness”, the shoe became a cultural lightning bolt. Selling at around three figures, Air Jordan’s made getting one a status symbol as well as lifestyle. Proof of which can be seen from gang violence in which individuals were killed for there Jordan’s.

While many would say that they are just ‘shoes’, let us dissect what exactly they mean by that. As a society we have certain ideas on what is appropriate attire. For example, wearing a suit and tie to a meeting is appropriate while wearing jeans is not. The Air Jordan has become a new symbol. Not only does it represent just a ‘shoe’, but it represents the whole lifestyle and culture of basketball. Athletes buy the shoes in hopes that they can have a shed of ‘Jordan’ in them, while others buy them just to be part of the culture. In some cases, Jordan’s have become part of ones wardrobe on a daily basis.

Whatever the case may be, when a boy or girl begins to tie the laces to there Jordan’s they are putting on a piece of history. They are putting on the shoe that Michael Jordan helped create. Michael Jordan wanted to create a shoe that was stylish and trend setting while comfortable and supportive to the athlete. Not only has he done this, but he has created something else.

The Lifestyle.

News

Lost Faith?

June 6, 2008

As I stared at the clock, it read 3:14am. Like a nightly ritual I turned on my TV and lied in bed and began to slowly slip away to dreamland. As I began to subconsciously change channels, I settled on an HBO special on the scandals revolving the Catholic Church. The special delved into the circumstances regarding the situation as well as having first hand accounts of ‘abuse survivors’. What astonished me was that most of the victims still attended church on a regular basis with even more determination to become a ‘good catholic.’ As I listened to one after another speak of the unforgivable acts that occured, only one thing came to mind: Why? Not why did the events happen, but why do they still believe in the church and what it stands for.

Many believe that religion causes wars. That is partly true. They weren’t called the ‘Crusades’ for nothing. But aside from that, religion also provides hope, reason and most importantly faith. Faith that humanity has a future. Faith that there is some good in this world. Seeing the torn faces of the ‘abuse survivors’ I could only feel pity for them. Listening to them speak words that could only come from the heart was surreal. These were people who had there ‘faith’ taken away from them. The church is supposed to embody the teachings and beliefs they preach. They are in a sense the ‘library’ or ‘school’ of the religion. The church teaches people ways to interpret ideas and concepts and how to apply them to there daily life. From how to treat others to views on abortion and same sex marriages, the church plays a vital role in many peoples lives. But for the people who are victims of the church, they are faced with a room with no light. To find the switch to turn on the lights, they must go to the only place they know: back to the church.

Wouldn’t an event so devastating and so life changing not make one question there ‘faith’ or whats left of it? To make the question clear, I will make the comparison of love and religion. Love is a word we use to describe an emotion. While there is no general way to define what it ‘feels like to be in love’, when it happens, we just know. Whether it is the sudden realization that you can’t live without someone or the fact that you will miss them that one weekend you are gone, we can say we know love exists. When we break up with someone that we love, we hate the world. We hate everything associated with love and that relationship. Still, we won’t deny that fact that love exists. Going back to religion, we have the similar situation as with love. An individual that is a devoted to there religion can go to church everyday, pray everyday and live by the teachings. But the main difference is that while in love we can experience it and know it exist, in religion an incident like the situation with the priests that sexually abused the children, it makes one question its existence.

As I once heard someone say,

“Life without love is empty, but life without hope, meaning or faith is not a life at all”

News

Wanna get away?

May 27, 2008

One of the more memorable of catch phrases, “Wanna get away” has becomes the moto of Southwest. Aside from there creative motto, they are at the front of the industry with there commitment to low fares for quality service. Evidence of there success is apparent when looking at other airline companies that have tried to imitate Southwest in much the same such as JetBlue and Virgin Air.

Who doesn’t want to fly a 747 Boeing that looks like Shamu?

While Southwest gives us the “freedom to go places”, they also have a tight grip on the competition. With special fares around the clock, Southwest is able to give the last minute flyer an opportunity to find that low fare, or that large family looking forward to that family trip a chance to save a bundle on air fare. Many say that Southwest is becoming a monopoly, but to those that fly often either for business or leisure, Southwest makes flying fun and most importantly “cheap”.