Lessons in Real Life 101

North County Times/The Californian ^ | Tuesday, May 24, 2005 | Rick Reiss

[DogByte6RER]

Lessons in Real Life 101

By: RICK REISS - For The Californian

Left-wing propagandist Michael Moore recently awarded six Cal State San Marcos students $2,500 each. The premise of these scholarships: to recognize students who defy school administration and fight for student rights.

OK, let's rewind and review the background of these "slacker scholarships." Last fall, the CSUSM administration vetoed spending $6,500 in student funds to help pay for Moore's "Slacker Uprising Tour" on campus.

This event was pegged at $37,000; $25,000 going to the "working class" Moore and the remainder going toward his traveling, lodging and presumed eating expenses.

I love free speech. Yet why do liberals always demand free speech rights, but expect someone else to pay the tab? Free speech means just that: free speech. If you want to stand up on a soapbox, fine. Just don't compel everyone else to subsidize your soapbox.

Predictably, the university's decision raised the ire of campus leftist groups. Thus, Moore instituted the scholarships for CSUSM students most likely to agitate for left-wing causes.

To the winners, congratulations. Really.

But there are some facts of life that Moore will never tell you.

In 1995, researcher Charles J. Sykes wrote "Dumbing Down Our Kids." Sykes' book mentions 11 lessons never taught in high school or college:

- Life is not fair; get used to it.

- The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

- You will not make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.

- If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

- Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger-flipping; they called it opportunity.

- If you screw up, it's not your parents' fault so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them.

- Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning your room, and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. So before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

- Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades, they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

- Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

- Television is not real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

- Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

So wise up, college slackers. These life lessons are worth much more than Moore's table scraps.

Rick Reiss of Temecula is a regular columnist for The Californian. E-mail: RickReiss6@netscape.net.

[DogByte6RER]

For more info, see related articles and references:

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/09/15/news/top_stories/22_51_229_14_04.txt

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/09/29/news/top_stories/23_50_329_28_04.txt

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/10/13/news/top_stories/24_54_5510_13_04.txt

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/03/23/news/inland/23_41_263_22_05.txt

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/04/20/news/inland/san_marcos/0_43_034_20_05.txt

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/04/20/news/inland/san_marcos/0_43_034_20_05.txt

http://www.michaelmoore.com/takeaction/sanmarcos.php

http://www.conservativeforum.org/authquot.asp?ID=1289

[Atheist_Canadian_Conservative]

A lot of university students I see need lessons in real life, and a lot of people I see in real life are exactly the kind of people we need more of in university.

Too many spoiled brats. Not enough realistic hard workers.

[MHGinTN]

"Rick Reiss of Temecula is a regular columnist for The Californian." ... With such wisdom so easily available, it is interesting that Leftafornia is still so darn backward. [Oh they think they're the progressive ones, but look at what those doofuses pay for a 'fixerupper house! Duh, only in Leftafornia is it so hard to awaken to reality.]

[etcetera]

"Be nice to nerds."

I like this guy! 8-)

[CaliGirl-R]

Hey, Temecula is my neighbor. Lots of conservatives around here. My newspaper, The Press Enterprise, leans conservative. I think they were one of the first to editoralize against CNN's Eason Jordan's foul comments about our military targeting journalists. I kid you not, lots and lots of W04 bumperstickers and those magnetic bumperstickers "Support our Troops" and "God Bless America". Many vehicles with 2 or 3 of these on their bumper. So far, no liberal crap being pulled in our schools. Very patriotic area. I love where I live. Mountains, desert and beach-all about an hour away.

From what I remember, I think there is a lot more red than blue in California. I do feel I won't stay in CA for too much longer. Depends on how much more the Dems screw it up. So far, their bs isn't affecting my life. :)

[Big Red Badger]

I have been searching for back storylines of SoCal activism and here I am at your beginning.
Protest Warrior,
Minute Men
And Tea Parties,,,now gone.
Obama is about to go as well ,soon.
HOPEFULLY.
Have You any thoughts?

I was active in All The above,
Now it’s almost like We are Surrounded.

Life ain’t Fair,,,
To quote This post.

Thanks

[DogByte6RER]

I still remain active with a local chapter of the California Republican Assembly; here is a link to our next upcoming event:

http://nebula.wsimg.com/49a8c5d11b0be2e423a5fd5e7922155c?AccessKeyId=AA88A25F3F39C7C7D8F8&disposition=0&alloworigin=1