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    Boo

    Julia Hurley shouldn't apologize for her Hooters: Slut-shaming female pols needsto stop

    Sarah Rufca
    Feb 10, 2011 | 10:11 am
    • State Rep. Julia Hurley in her Hooters days.
    • Senator Scott Brown bares all in Cosmopolitan.
    • Virginia House candidate Krystal Ball received negative attention over oldphotos from a costume party.

    Last month, Twitter — the Internet's most sophisticated source of information — gifted us with the trending topic of "#rulesforgirls." Tweets included delightful advice, such as "If you don't have an ass don't wear leggings it looks gross," "These dishes aren't going to wash themselves," and "If you don't want to be cheated on u better be a bad bitch, better show ur man ur the shit."

    While these are all undisputable aspects of life every female should remember, the curious case of Rep. Julia Hurley is a reminder that these rules don't go far enough. We need rules for female politicians so us ladies don't waste our time and money running for an office we don't deserve.

    Here's what I've got so far:

    1. Don't be too qualified, serious or ugly or everyone will call you a bitch (or maybe a lesbian) and complain that your shrill voice reminds people of their nagging wives and mothers.

    2. Don't be too young, too pretty or too blonde or no one will take you seriously.

    3. Don't run if you're single, because how can you succeed in office if you can't even succeed at getting a husband?!

    4. Don't run if your husband has ever done anything wrong (like cheat on you) because that is a stain on your character.

    5. Don't run if you have non-grownup children, because that makes you a bad mother.

    6. Don't run if there's any evidence that you have ever had or desire to have a sex life or might allow yourself to be a sexual being — except for the purpose of having a brood of children, of course.

    Easy enough, right? Now why is it women are so underrepresented in public office?

    The latest female politician to earn the scorn of the Internet for violating these rules is Julia Hurley, a first-term state representative in Tennessee. Hurley's crime is two-fold — having worked in her youth at a Hooter's restaurant and having the gall to not completely disown such a scandalous past, and instead try to inspire other Hooters girls with her success.

    Hurley wrote in the newest issue of the Hooter's magazine in the "Orange Pride Spotlight" section that her work at the restaurant helped prepare her for success.

    "I have taken quite a bit of flack from the public at large during my run for State House in Tennessee for being a Hooters Girl," she said. "But I know that without that time in my life I would not be as strong willed and eager to become successful."

    Hurley was a teenage mother who says she worked at Hooter's to help pay for college. Having known other Hooters waitresses, I can confirm that waiting tables in skimpy clothes earns you more money — but it also earns you stalkers, constant pressure to maintain your perfect measurements and apparently a lifetime of jokes at your expense. Just ask Adam Sandler.

    Now I'm not a fan of Hurley's beliefs — she's a Republican, a Southern Baptist minister, a supporter of gun rights and a volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center that uses Christian counseling as information on reproductive choices. But while I may fight against everything she has to say, I'm disgusted that her experience, rather than relevant political discourse, has been used as a weapon to silence her.

    Compare the fuss over Hurley's past — as a fully clothed waitress who worked to improve her station in life — to the collective shrug produced when it was discovered Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown had once posed nude in Cosmopolitan magazine. The standard of propriety is so lopsided it's not even double — it's more like quadruple.

    Hurley is only the latest in a string of women politicians and candidates to get slut-shamed for living their lives. Last year, Virginia House candidate Krystal Ball (yes, that's her name; no, she's not a stripper) lit up the Internet when photos emerged of her at 22 wearing a sexually suggestive Halloween costume and leading her husband on a leash. And just this week, women running for student government positions at Concordia University were dismissed as beauty queens for daring to include a (normal!) photo in their flyers.

    As Ball said in an op-ed in The Huffington Post,

    [My supporters] will not see their daughters called whores when they run for office just because of some college or post-college party. They will not watch the tide of everything they fought for washed away by the public exposure of female sexuality ... they are stepping up to protect young women like me and to support us and to help us to grow up. We are young women. And we are dedicated to serving this country. And we will run for office. And we will win."

    2011 is the first time in over 30 years that the number of women in Congress actually decreased. America will continue to lag behind other industrialized nations in female political involvement and representation if women can't be politicians and people, too.

    unspecified
    news/city-life

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    supreme suburbs

    2 Houston neighbors shine as top-10 best places to live in the U.S.

    Amber Heckler
    May 22, 2025 | 12:04 pm
    Pearland water tower
    City of Pearland - Government/Facebook
    All eyes are on Pearland.

    The Houston suburbs of Pearland and League City have landed among the top three best places to live in 2025, according to U.S. News & World Report.

    New for the 2025-2026 "Best Places to Live in the U.S." rankings, U.S. News expanded its coverage from 150 to 250 U.S. cities, and updated its methodology to examine each city based on five livability indexes: Quality of life, value, desirability, job market, and net migration.

    Pearland ranked No. 3 nationwide, earning a 7.0 score alongside No. 1-winning Johns Creek, Georgia and No. 2 winner Carmel, Indiana.

    Pearland also landed on top of U.S. News separate rankings of the best places to live in Texas for 2025-2026.

    Some facts about Pearland that put it at the top of the list include its median household income ($115,504), its median home values ($319,753), and its bustling population of nearly 124,000 residents.

    Housing costs in Pearland are extremely attractive compared to other places in the country, as the national average home is worth over $370,000. It's no wonder this Houston neighbor has been adding more high-income households than many other places in Texas.

    Pearland's population is a healthy mix of young individuals and families, with 29 percent of residents being under 20 years old and 36 percent of the population being between the ages of 20-44. Nearly a quarter of Pearland's population is between 45-64-years-old, while only 12 percent of residents are over 65, the report says.

    Pearland's reputation as one of the safest cities in America is also boosting its community appeal.

    Pearland Pear TrailPearland's Pear-Scape Trail is a popular public art trail that residents, families, and visitors can enjoy. The sculptures are scattered all over the city.City of Pearland - Government/Facebook

    "Finding a community to be part of can play a major role in making a place feel like home," U.S. News said. "If you’re a parent with young children, you may want to live in a neighborhood with other people in that phase of life. If you’re a professional moving to a hot job market for your field, you may want to live in an apartment close to the office or within walking distance of friends and colleagues."

    Pearland also enjoys a better job market than other cities, the report added. Pearland's unemployment rate as of 2023 was only 3.6 percent, lower than the national average unemployment rate of 4.5 percent.

    However, if people are looking for a public transportation-friendly city, they may need to look elsewhere. Almost all commuters in Pearland drive to their workplaces, making access to a vehicle absolutely necessary for living in the suburb. Pearland's 31.2-minute average commute time is also 9.2 minutes higher than the national average, U.S. News said.

    Other Houston-area suburbs
    League City only ranked three spots behind Pearland as the 6th best place to live in the U.S., and No. 2 in Texas. The city boasts a median household income of $120,670, and affordable median home values at $327,511.

    Workers in League City also predominantly rely on vehicles for their daily commutes, and only 3.7 percent of the population use public transport to get to work. Commuters spend an average time of 27.5 minutes driving to work, U.S. News determined.

    More than half (63.5 percent) of all League City residents are married, and 54 percent of the population are between the ages of 25 and 64-years-old.

    Here's how other Houston-area cities faired among the top 100:

    • No. 16 – Sugar Land
    • No. 44 – The Woodlands
    • No. 45 – Katy
    • No. 67 – Missouri City
    • No. 73 – Spring

    Houston drops out of the top 100
    Though Houston proper made substantial improvements to land among the top 100 best places to live in U.S. News' 2024-2025 report, the city has once again plummeted toward the bottom of the list for 2025-2026.

    Houston slumped into No. 381 this year, and only ranked No. 63 in the statewide comparison, showing that the city has lost its charm in favor of its appealing suburban neighbors.

    The top 10 best places to live in the U.S. are:

    • No. 1 – Johns Creek, Georgia
    • No. 2 – Carmel, Indiana
    • No. 3 – Pearland, Texas
    • No. 4 – Fishers, INdiana
    • No. 5 – Cary, North Carolina
    • No. 6 – League City, Texas
    • No. 7 – Apex, North Carolina
    • No. 8 – Leander, Texas
    • No. 9 – Rochester Hills, Michigan
    • No. 10 – Troy, Michigan
    news/city-life

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