This past week CC asked our readers whether or not racism was still an issue in the country. You all were pretty mixed in your responses—a third of you said that it was a major issue, another third said that we’d made progress but still need to work on it, and another third said that it wasn’t an issue anymore.

Probably a lot of the confusion comes from what we perceive to be racism.

For example, a male Caucasian clerk is friendly with a Caucasian female and then rude to an African American male—now this could be a clear cut case of sexism—clerk is hitting on the female and rude to the male, or a clear-cut case of racism.

The way in which you experience that scenario is really dependent on your previous life experiences.

During my childhood in Southern California, I understood racial tension to be part of a larger issue—i.e. gang violence or immigration. For me the civil rights movement was a thing of the past. In the scenario above, I definitely would have leaned towards the sexist explanation.

Then I moved to Washington, DC. Read More »

I have something shocking to tell you:
I just went a full 24 hours without Internet or TV.

I know it is hard to believe – impossible, even – but it is easy to go twenty-four hours without checking your email, refreshing your Facebook home page to see if there are any new updates from your friends and watching old re-runs of True-Life, I’m Moving to New York.

Unfortunately, I have become one of those girls who, in her downtime, sits with her laptop, refreshing Facebook every twenty seconds (just in case someone changes their status!) while watching reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 on the Soap Network. Did my ex-boyfriend break up with that tramp he’s been dating? Did my best friend add a new band to her favorite music? And did that person that I met once (and therefore HAD to add as a friend) add a new application?

Sad? Absolutely. Addicting? You bet.

In an effort to get my life back, I decided to throw caution to the wind and step away from technology. Read More »

The Real World is making its way to Brooklyn for its 21st season. In case you’re counting, this will be the third time the show has been in New York City. I know Brooklyn is its own distinct borough filled with unique charm, but when you take a subway or two right over to the previous Real World houses, it’s just too close. It’s time for the folks at MTV to branch out. Here are some suggestions for future destinations:

Minneapolis
It was heavily rumored that the Real World was heading to this upper Mid-western urban center for its 19th season. Sydney may have provided the castmates with sunny beaches and hot dudes with accents, but Minneapolis is pretty cool too. There’s a fantastic art scene, friendly locals, giant university, funky bars and the town is surrounded by gorgeous lakes. Plus, the the weather isn’t so bad in the summer.

Washington D.C.
Nothing goes better with historic buildings, sketchy elected officials and government offices than 20-somethings with ‘roid rage and girls in hooker boots. D.C. is vibrant, has a ton of cute neighborhoods and lots of things to do. Plus, it’s the most walk-able city in the nation, perfect for coming home drunk. Can you picture Real World folks as congressional pages? Tour guides? The options are endless. Read More »

After weeks of anxious waiting and post office stalking I finally got the letter…the LARGE envelope letter — you all know what that means (drumroll please) Grad School Here I Come!!!

After dancing around my apartment building, calling everyone I knew, and startling various DC residents at the local CVS while buying celebratory chocolate–(yes to those of you who may have seen me, I wasn’t insane—just very very excited!), I finally calmed down enough to think through the logistics…

…and then the panic set in. Read More »

Senior year of college marks the beginning of an entirely new lifestyle. Here are a few of the top post-graduation destinations, what brings people there, and what you should know before renting a U-Haul:

Chicago, Illinois

Kanye West’s hometown is clean and pretty, giving Midwestern culture a big city to call their own. This is where about eighty percent of my college friends moved after graduation.

Yea!
It’s right on the beach for summertime. You also have tons of grad schools to choose from if you don’t want to work just yet, and a great laid-back vibe. It’s a driving city, too, so you’re not obligated to give up your car. Go to Cubs or Sox games, or start supporting the ‘da Bears!
Nay?
Ever heard of lake-effect snow? The Chi can get bitterly cold in the winter. Traffic is rough, so you may want to study up on your public transportation. Also, it has the potential to feel like undergrad relocated. Read More »

Clooney/Pitt ‘08!

So, there’s this semi-serious (but mostly joking) whispering among peeps on the internet that George Clooney should (or depending on what you read, is going to) run for president in 2008.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to political matters, my eyes vote first, so in this case, this is one George I’m willing to support!

Okay, I’m not completely vapid. Important issues matter to me (ugh, that sounds kinda vapid though, huh?). Things like the war, the environment, and the fact that there are people in this country that go without food, water, or electricity is absolutely unbelievable. Can George help fix the problems we face as a country?

A Clooney bid for the White House wouldn’t be that far fetched. I mean, if Kindergarten Cop can be one of our largest state’s governor, and a B-List movie star could be one of our most beloved presidents…a liberal-minded, actor/activist can certainly fill the bill.

Skeptical? Here’s Five Good Reasons George Clooney Could Make it to Washington: Read More »

You might not have heard that Randall Tobias, director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, stepped down from his political posts on Friday. Even if you did hear, you might not have cared. Because, I mean, who is the guy?

Right. He’s just some old, white dude who used to have a long title. But his reasons for resigning are more interesting than you might think. The State Department claimed that Tobias resigned for “personal reasons”. Personal as in, whoops I paid for prostitutes!

Yup. Tobias himself revealed to ABC News last week that he had been a client of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the alleged “D.C Madam” who supposedly ran an escort service that catered to some pretty high profile Washington D.C clients.

Palfrey herself is currently in court, fighting a federal racketeering and money-laundering indictment, and pages and pages of personal client information are being inspected in the process.

While Tobias claims that he hired “gals come over to the condo to give me a massage”, he denies any sexual contact. Palfrey also denies sex as being a component to her girls’ work, although any person with half a brain knows that escort service is basically synonymous with “high class prostitute”. Read More »