Thomas On Rails

Sex! And social ills...

Posted by Codejoy Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:51:00 GMT

     Now that I got your attention with the Sex part, I would like to share a discussion I had with a friend this lunch hour. On the news was a report of a middle school offering the pill to students without parent consent. He asked what I thought of it, and I said I think its great! But I retracted quickly stating, I think the pill is the wrong thing to offer, ESPECIALLY without parent consent as it is a drug, it changes a woman’s body. Though in that same sentence I told him that I thought they should offer condoms in school. Well this is where the discussion started. I wish I could transcribe it word for word, but now it being almost an hour ago I will just state meat of the whole thing.

     Essentially, my friend had a huge problem with the idea that schools would offer condoms even without the parents consent. I thought it was a good idea and a step in perhaps bringing down teen pregnancy. His argument was that its not the job of the schools (And there by the government and taxpayers) to be telling kids what to do. To me just offering a way to do something they will probably do anyway safely was a great stop gap measure for a growing problem, and in no way is suggesting or telling kids how to behave. He insisted this isn't the case, and that schools shouldn't do that as their only job is to teach kids reading, math, science etc. While agree with him that schools only job should be that, in reality it isn't. A lot of kids go to school for 8 hours a day to get away from their crappy family lives, so schools have taken on a role unfortunately which they originally intended to do.

    He tried to use the argument that if they legalized weed then schools should provide weed to students cause "They are going to do that anyway", another analogy he used was putting brochures for Christianity and denominations within the counseling office as well, which he knew I would disagree with. I'm curious what others, that is you all think? No right or wrong answer, but just curious. I guess his biggest argument is that it takes away any and all say of the parent and government especially schools shouldn't do that. He also thinks its schools saying its okay to do stuff behind the parents back. I just don't see it that way. Thoughts???

Pro-Photographer Wannabe?

Posted by Codejoy Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:21:00 GMT

I found this through my feed today: Is a Pro Photographer Wannabe Cutting Into Your Business?

It speaks of Uncle-Joe Digitals cutting into the profitability of pro wedding photographers. I have studied this area a lot and one of the first things I learned is not to underbid what the rest of the community (other pro photographers) are charging for a wedding. Common mindset for anew photographer might be "well my portfolio isn't as fleshed out as others so I should charge less to just get jobs." This really pisses off other pro photographers cause under bidding takes jobs awy from them and in the end drives the market down cause its what prices people begin to expect. This is true I would say everywhere but where I live. I live in a city of modest size where high paying jobs seem to be very rare, therefore I suspect the majority of the populace here wouldn't have the $5,000 to spend on a wedding photographer (which is what I gather other pro wedding photographers are charging in areas with clients more likely and able to pay such a fee). But I digress, the entire article speaks briefly of underbidding and mostly just makes a point that anyone with a digital camera thinks they are a pro, or near pro. I have a digital camera? Am I pro? Or am I wannabe? Its almost like a foot-in-the-door catch 22, if getting your first paid gig that you turn out great work for makes you a pro, then at some point all pros were wannabes until they got that first gig.