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Essay: The Weight of Poverty | San Diego Magazine

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Essay: The Weight of Poverty | San Diego Magazine


Recently, I met someone and shared with them that I grew up in a single-wide trailer. He acted surprised. He said I didn’t look like I had.

I was immediately defensive. What exactly does a person raised in a trailer park look like? I wanted to ask. But I already knew the idea he had in his head: Chain-smoking in clothes that haven’t fit right in five years, dollar-store eyeshadow, and a sweat-slick messy bun in a yard littered with trash. This low-income white persona is one I often fear emulating.

And while this image is nothing like my quiet trailer park back home in Big Bear, people have ideas, and I’m painfully aware of them.

We live in a society that hates poor people. We also live in a society that hates fat people, and since I grew up checking both of these boxes, I have often felt the need to overcompensate to avoid being stereotyped.

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I wish I had the privilege thinner women have of showing up to work with no makeup on, in jeans and a t-shirt. But I’m terrified of being seen as lazy or unkept. I overwork to the point of burnout out of a fear of being perceived as careless. My love for makeup doesn’t stem from some artistic appreciation, but from the dread of being read as messy.

Courtesy of Katy Stegall

It all adds up. It’s expensive to look good when you’re overweight.

Because let me tell you, clothes for fat women aren’t cheap—even if the material they’re made from is. The most size-accessible stores are usually a few trend cycles behind. Some of the options are actually horrific. Shops like Torrid, the plus-size clothing store that holds the monopoly in this market, are still trying to sell us cold-shoulder tops. The trend died over 10 years ago in straight-sized fashion, but I have yet to escape it.

Since I can’t afford the overpriced choices, I add them to the wish list, wait, then hope a major sale comes along before the few items I want are sold out.

It’s worth it for the consistent compliments I receive on my cute dresses and flawless makeup, but I wish all this overthinking and overspending wasn’t necessary.

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I have spent an egregious amount of money to avoid looking like I didn’t have money, and that comment—that I don’t match someone’s idea of what a trailer park kid looks like—had me feeling proud… while simultaneously being embarrassed for feeling that pride.

I wish I could just live like everyone else. Some days looking good, and some days just getting out the door. But that’s not an option for someone like me.



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Moose Toys Heads to San Diego Comic-Con with MrBeast Lab Exclusives

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Moose Toys Heads to San Diego Comic-Con with MrBeast Lab Exclusives


Moose Toys, a leading innovator in the toy industry, revealed their new collaboration with  MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson — the world’s most subscribed YouTuber and a dedicated philanthropist. The new line, MrBeast Lab, includes a range of small-scale collectibles along with action, vinyl, and collector’s figures. It is set to hit the U.S. market in July and expand globally through the fall, but attendees at San Diego Comic-Con will be able to get their hands on a SDCC exclusive, as well as limited edition items.

You can find Moose Toys at San Diego Comic-Con Booth #301, where they’ll be offering two MrBeast Lab items. The first is a 3.5″ tall San Diego Comic-Con exclusive MrBeast Lab Fuzzy Panther Vinyl Figure, which features a unique flocked texture, defined detailing, and display-ready packaging. It is limited to 3000, and will be available for $14.99.

The second item is a MrBeast Lab Alpha Panther Mutator, a limited-edition figure featuring an exclusive blue chrome finish, glow-in-the-dark crystals, and more than 20 points of articulation. The 5.5″ figure is part of the recent launch of MrBeast Lab Mutators, “the wildest experiment from the world of MrBeast Lab”, but it stands apart from the other figures in the line. This iteration was designed and styled to represent MrBeast’s iconic panther logo, and has a “completely new and elevated unboxing experience” in which the premium packaging touts “restricted access”. Fans will have to remove an exterior sleeve before unfolding the lab-themed box to unveil the limited edition Alpha Panther inside. Pick it up for $29.99 at San Diego Comic-Con and Walmart Collector Con only.

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Chula Vista Police Dept. livestreaming 911 calls directly to officers

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Chula Vista Police Dept. livestreaming 911 calls directly to officers


CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Chula Vista Police Department is now livestreaming 911 emergency calls directly to officers in the field.

Officers can hear the caller’s actual words and voice providing the sense of urgency, small details that may not be otherwise provided, and immediate updates on the situation and location. Officers also see the caller’s location on a map. 

This new technology — “Live911”– provides a “head start” to officers monitoring incoming 911 calls by eliminating dispatching delays, reducing response times.

Live911 allows the officer to obtain more information for a better response plan and calculated de-escalation techniques, providing better service to the community.

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“I used to think officers could hear 911 calls, and the truth is no, that’s not ever been the case really,” said Sgt. Tony Molina with the Chula Vista Police Department.

The Chula Vista Police Department spearheaded the idea and worked with software company, HigherGround, to make it a reality. Since 2020, the department has been test driving the software and says it has been a lifesaver. 

“We’ve had multiple people that were saved from the officers just listening to it in the field,” said Dispatch Supervisor, Tina Larson. “They will get there before fire and medics, and they’ll be starting CPR.”

Late last year, officers saved a man’s life who was in a burning car after it veered off the freeway in San Diego County. Instead of waiting to dispatch the California Highway Patrol, an officer on duty could hear the callers reporting the incident in real time and decided Chula Vista should respond immediately to rescue the man. 

There are 143 agencies across the country that have adopted Live911, including the Oceanside Police Department. In California, a total of 24 police and sheriff departments are customers. 

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“We’ve been blessed with this particular software. I told my boss if we ever got rid of this program, I’m going to leave my headset swinging because it is such a game changer,” said Larson. 



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Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. placed on injured list: MLB

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Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. placed on injured list: MLB


SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has been placed on the injured list with a stress reaction in his leg, the team announced Monday.

The Padres placed Tatis on the IL Monday after recent imaging showed a stress reaction in his right femur. He had been out of the lineup for the past two games, according to MLB.com.

Tatis said he had been playing with tightness in his right quad area for much of the season ahead of his diagnosis.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says stress reactions and fractures are relatively common in athletes and are caused from overuse.

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It is unclear how long this injury will keep Tatis from playing, although he has initially been placed on the 10-day IL.

The Padres say Tatis could be out through the All-Star break, and that the injury has plainly impacted Tatis’ ability to run the bases and cover ground in the outfield. 

Bryce Johnson is taking Tatis’ place on the roster while he remains on the IL.

Currently, Xander Bogaerts (left shoulder fracture), Luis Campusano (left thumb bruise), Joe Musgrove (right elbow inflammation) and Yu Darvish are all on the IL, along with Tatis. Padres manager Mike Shildt said Monday Darvish will not rejoin the rotation as expected on Tuesday due to “a little” right elbow inflammation.

The Padres say they haven’t yet ruled anyone out for the season.

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Fans locally can watch Padres games this season at Padres.tv, with a subscription (there is a 7-day free trial available), or on Padres TV, AppleTV+, ESPN, FS1, FOX Sports or TBS. All regular season games will also be broadcast live on the radio in both English and Spanish on 97.3 The Fan and XEMO-860AM La Poderosa.





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