Articles of Confederation

The articles of confederation was a huge turning point for many Americans because it represented a greater future for those subjected to the rulings of a stranger. This attempt at the creation of a constitution was great because it allowed American colonists to have liberty from, what they thought to be, unlawful rulings. Also, it allowed them an opportunity to create a better life because they could travel freely between the Union's boundaries. Although this was great, the articles of confederation had some major flaws. One of these was the fact that they couldn't pull together one army because each state had their own troops, which meant their own agenda. Also with the Articles of Confederation, it was extremely hard to tax, which was necessary in order to get the nation stable again from war.

English Bill of Rights

The English bill of rights was essential because it made sure the rights of the people were protected no matter what. That was essential to the American constitution due to the fact that the original just outlined the powers of each branch of government and the powers of the state. This could have possibly made individuals pawns of government once again stripped of their natural rights.

Magna Carta

The Magna Carta is important because it set a precedent all around the world. The Magna Carta made it possible for the leader of a country to skip immunity to laws. Due to this, when the American government was formed, the constitution was set up to where the man we call our leader could never take advantage of us. This was done in Article II of the constitution where it says that the president must abide by the law or be removed from office. Therefore, he is being held accountable for his actions like the rest of Americans. Also due to the constitution, he can never create an amendment to void this.

Creating a State

 Although we are all most comfortable with no change at all, if we wanted to create a new state the is only two ways to do it. The first way is by being a territory. Territories are allowed admission as a state once their population grants them admission to the constitutional convention. After that, the territory representatives must create a state constitution, which must be approved by congress. In past cases, all states were admitted at that point.The other way to become a state is by either combining with another state or breaking off from a state. This can only be done with the approval of congress and the representatives of that state in the legislative branch.

Roots of Democracy

 Although American independence from Britain set an amazing precedent across the world, our government didn't just come from thin air. As a matter of fact, other types of government, such as athhenian and fuedalism, influenced our government.

 During the very begining of the colonization of American our government resembled Anthenian styled  government and fuedalism in Europe. An Athenian style government was a government that ran much like a republic where the people were able to vote, but simply living in the region wasn't enough to be a citizen. There were those that were superior and those that were inferior, but unfortunately only the superior group was granted citizenship. This part was a direct relationship between colonists and native americans. Unfortunately, this wasn't the only issue with the formation of the American goernment.

  Making the category as the superior race just meant you were a citizen, but being a citizen didn't push foward respect very much. In other words, the only way one was able to make an impact was by being successful, and the only way to do that was by owning land. This was called Fuedalism. Therefore, the way many early countries were being ran was extremely bias. This made things extremely hard for those tied to their race or another man's land.

Evolving Fashion Through A Clothing Line: Promoting

Getting exposure further than the sun for a dollar stretched as far as a brickroad is every fashion designer’s dream.  Fortunately, with that in mind, any designer’s line can be made famous for a cheap cost by relying heavily on free promotions such as networking, talk shows, and wearing conversation-starter clothing. With these methods success doesn't have to mean gawking at that stunning Elie Saab gown for years with no apparent end due to one's lack of a refreshing pile of green money, the symbol of success.

If reaching one’s goals could be as simple as climbing a ladder, they would make it to the top much faster, and, amazingly enough, networking will provide a ladder made of people necessary to know in order to make a successful clothing line. Networking can be done by being around the people one aspires to be like or simply by the use of social media. Social media provides immediate exposure and an opportunity to interest a celebrity within your potential customers.  For example, on twitter it’s very common to know a friend who is followed by a verified user, which, of course, means their new follower is of importance. So as easily as they got attention, one can receive it almost effortlessly as well by simply hashtagging something general or currently trending that relates to one’s line in an appropriate way. With this method, not only is exposure gained, but also an opportunity to obtain a helpful friend. Because networking can be a runaround at times, being invited to a talk show is also a great way to get free publicity for one’s line.

Heart rushing, as the vivid colors pop through the screen, seeing oneself on the television is a mile marker toward success. As a matter of fact, national exposure by a television show that millions of people follow like it’s the bible can be a guaranteed way for an entrepreneur’s sales to luxuriate. Although one can't just show off their line before the long desired reveal, simply hyping up viewers can leave them itching with anticipation and open up a crevice for investors. A great way to do this is by relating the line to target customers and the well known faces associated with it. Customers love hearing about how they can look primped with little to no effort so giving them what they crave in a truthful manner guarantees exuberant sales. Another guaranteed way is associating risky designs with celebrities that have worn them to give the shy customer a sense of security. Making the audience comfortable in all ways triggers joy and desire for the upcoming line within the customer, which is a great way to have one's fashion line portrayed.

As a matter of fact, fashion is all about creating a fresh look filled with admiration, youth, and inspiration, but it's also a great conversation starter.      Therefor, instead of starting a conversation about cheap horribly stitched clothing from a local mall, one can promote their clothing line by simply wearing an outfit designed and styled fresh from their own sewing room. No matter which point one is in their journey toward being a successful designer, receiving a compliment on a work of art fastidiously constructed from home can trigger a seemingly superfluous blather of words explaining one garment. As a fashion designer that may sound wonderful, but in order to keep the bait reeling in one must remember to be intriguing while also being concise.  As a matter of fact, that's just enough time to get a potential buyer for the price of nothing, nada, aucan.

Although it's no secret that building a successful clothing line is neither effortless nor affordable, with the methods of free promotion such  as networking, being on talk shows, and wearing high fashion homemade clothing, one's dream of a thriving clothing is much more palpable in money and selling aspects of it.

Evolving Fashion Through A Clothing Line: Designing

Fashion is like the hands of a clock that always inevitably hit the same points but on a different date; Great trends are continuously revolving in fashion just with a different twist each time. Constantly roaming around in my mind, this fact latches on to every pattern, cut, and neckline that generates from my brain.

I defy the nonchalant image every little girl has of themselves designing a clothing line.

Paper hurling, I toss graceful erroneously stroked balls of thinly sliced wood relentlessly to the floor. Hit and misses are okay with sports, but when putting out a clothing line that’s a foreign experience. Therefore my pencil is a vein where passion streams from my body to my paper, but the swift movement of my hands aren’t blindly advancing along it. Every mark acts as a link in a meticulously planned theme. Fuchsia pocket here, fuchsia shirt there, fuchsia shoes over there.  Fuchsia, the joint that connects my ballroom gown with my jaunty dailylook, represents the transition from frilly colors that repel the blazing heat waves of the sun during June and July to the sinister dyes, similar to a cloudy day, that grasp wavelengths creating a toasty feeling in the crisp dry air of winter.

But wait, Exactly what do I want my customers to do with my clothing? Most definitely not just pair fuchsia with the basic colors, but I’m shooting for my customers to be rejuvenated with life as they freely color block. Finally, after tossing away numerous designs, I have found the perfect theme that will be held up by stepping stones, the objective for the theme.  Regardless of all the work put in already, I’m just the piece still at the start on position en through the Candyman’s sticky path. In order to get past this point, I transfer my designs to my computer by shifting minuscule pixels in a CAD (Computer assisted Design) Program. To be sent with the CAD, I carefully weave the sharp dainty needle of my sewing machine through each piece of fabric in order to bring my designs to life. In other words, the prototype, or the last step in designing a clothing line,  is complete.

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    Surrounded with wonderful designs and anxious customers, I am forced to crank  out the supply demanded from me. Therefore, every morning my employees walk in to me managing a room inundated with fabric before the first shifts even begin. Although the salty beams of sweat and tears of joy flow from my face, I am ecstatic to know my clothing line is on it’s way to success.

Fall Fashion Sketch By Alexia Moore

Evolvinng Fashion Through a Clothing Line: Sketching

Perfect figures, elongated legs, and stunning outfits are a necessity for all types of fashion sketches whether it’s for a young, old, thick, or skinny person. Due to this, at a first glance fashion sketches can be mistaken as just a tool to spark a wave of inspiration for the designer and his use only, but in reality sketches can determine the success of one’s clothing line. The sketches do this by allowing others to see the full talent of the designer and provide a guide for those bringing the sketches to life.

   

As a matter of fact, starting a clothing line can be extremely hard without stunning sketches because investors will refuse to fund anyone who cannot sketch well. This is because, as Ms. Gipe said, they can’t truly see the vision they are funding. Unlike getting a small loan for a car, a designer of a clothing line has to get a large loan in order to start a business for manufacturing. Therefore, by having a polished sketch investors get an idea of the success to come or not to come.

         

Giving a manufacturer a design that is unclear is like a blind person playing a game of heads up, it just won’t work out. Because foreign manufacturers are cheaper, as an upcoming fashion designer many people seek that route, but unfortunately they are unable to travel back and forth to thoroughly explain their own vision. Therefore, it’s essential for the sketches sent to the manufacturer to show things from fabric patterns to fabric folds. Without being extremely meticulous with detailing while sketching, major gaps of misunderstanding can arise. This was really evident when Ms. Gipe said, “ I would have made you a pair of leggings,” during our interview because my vision included harem pants, which are  far from leggings,while she could clearly tell my intentions in the same more detailed sketch.

Perfect figures, elongated legs, and stunning outfits are a necessity for all types of fashion sketches whether it’s for a young, old, thick, or skinny person. Due to this, at a first glance fashion sketches can be mistaken as just a tool to spark a wave of inspiration for the designer and his use only, but in reality sketches can determine the success of one’s clothing line. The sketches do this by allowing others to see the full talent of the designer and provide a guide for those bringing the sketches to life.

   

As a matter of fact, starting a clothing line can be extremely hard without stunning sketches because investors will refuse to fund anyone who cannot sketch well. This is because, as Ms. Gipe said, they can’t truly see the vision they are funding. Unlike getting a small loan for a car, a designer of a clothing line has to get a large loan in order to start a business for manufacturing. Therefore, by having a polished sketch investors get an idea of the success to come or not to come.

         

Giving a manufacturer a design that is unclear is like a blind person playing a game of heads up, it 
just won’t work out. Because foreign manufacturers are cheaper, as an upcoming fashion designer many people seek that route, but unfortunately they are unable to travel back and forth to thoroughly explain their own vision. Therefore, it’s essential for the sketches sent to the manufacturer to show things from fabric patterns to fabric folds. Without being extremely meticulous with detailing while sketching, major gaps of misunderstanding can arise. This was really evident when Ms. Gipe said, “ I would have made you a pair of leggings,” during our interview because my vision included harem pants, which are  far from leggings,while she could clearly tell my intentions in the same more detailed sketch.

My Reading Life.

1. Did I meet my reading goal?

                Although I didn't meet my goal of 16 books, I came pretty close with eight books and an enormous textbook that I completed. 

2. So, what does a girl like me read?
     
               Honestly, being forced to read just made me resent reading so much more, and despite that I  am actually very glad I was. As paradoxical as that may seem, if I hadn't been forced to read I would have never opened such wonderful books (listed below):
                  

• Midwinter BLOOD by Marcus Sedgwick
• The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• He's Just Not That Into You by Liz Tuccillo and Greg Brehrendt 
• The Room by Emma Donoghue 
• The Canon by Natalie Angier
• America's History
• Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Abandoned, but it was a great book and I will be finishing it)

3. Which book was the sweetest?

                 

             The Devil Wears Prada  was my favorite book out of all ten books listed. Maybe it was simply because I hope to one day be consumed by the world of fashion and turn into the very mouth that ate me, or maybe it was the unexpected ending. Also besides those two factors, a nice cherry on top was Andrea getting free designer clothes. Although the events in the book were just fictional, I still felt a rush of joy and love as if I were the one actually receiving those precious garments.

4. Which book was the most brain busting?

              That would definitely have to be The Canon.  Although I loved learning interesting facts like why my hair seems to defy gravity after wearing my beautifully woven beanie, the process was a lot more challenging than most books I've read. To add the kerosene to the fire, Angier mixed in higher level vocabulary with technical scientific names for things such as heat.

5. What's my reading superpower?

              I've grown tremendously with my ability to spot the rhetorical devices authors use to put emphases on certain aspects that are clues to the overall theme.

6. What's my kryptonite? 

             I'm still very weak when I have to read quickly, so I definitely need to improve my reading speed to a much faster pace.

7. Did I need guidance during my reading journey?

             The reading conferences with my teacher were really helpful with making me aware of my areas that still needed improvement. Although I could give a prize winning summary of the books I was currently reading, when she asked me certain questions to see evidence of thinking as I read, my eyes opened up to what I needed to work on as I read because I couldn't answer all her questions correctly.

8. Who did I turn to as a support group during my reading journey?

             Being apart of a reading community filled with my AVID peers was really beneficial because, for the first, I was actually able to have an intellectual conversation with people just as into it as I was. Also with other readers, like myself, I could see another trusted perspective on the same or similar book topics and themes.

9.

                                    

He's Just Not That Into You book cover by Chelsea Dagger

I Believe

I believe judgement should be a second look,
though the first look can make it hard to do it again.

I believe it takes one generation to save the next.
I believe almond butter can save lives.
I believe I am a quiet voice in a loud world, which does not make me unheard, unimportant, or inactive.

I believe God loves us unconditionally, but if I kiss a girl I'm going to hell

I believe going to hell is eternal darkness

But with a flick of a switch darkness turns into light

I believe with true love the dark spots filled with pain and anguish in a normal person's heart might be healed.

Unfortunately, the pain I've endured will always stick around,
and so will the joyful memories.
I believe in Family, I believe in blood, I believe in loyalty,
but if you stick around long enough- Hey, Sister. Not because I am easily trusting,
but because I'm done pushing away good people.

I believe ambition is the key to success

I believe goals will increase my lifespan,

and maybe leaving high school sooner will save me.

When I break free, hopefully I'll break a leg, and break records that set new standards for "great."

I believe I am meant to be like Beyoncé, but greater.

Yeah I said it, and I meant it, but in my special way.

Wanting her body and her nose is playful wishing, unless

it's the reason our friends lie paralyzed on the floor next to pill bottles.

I believe confidence would have saved her.

I believe confidence is looking in the mirror and telling myself I am more than Beautiful.

I believe Beauty can happen on all faces even if it takes a second glance.

I believe we are all beautiful in our natural state.

God made us that way.
I believe in God, and if you give me a chance, I'll make your day if you need me. Do you need me?
Do you believe in being real?

I believe opening ourselves up to God can release every tear of despair

I believe God loves me. Not the 1/4 of me or the 9/10 I show my friends, but all of me, all at once.

My mom loves me like God loves me, and will never say goodbye, but that's good because I don't believe in those. Because I don't, when the day it's necessary comes, her heart will ache, and this will cause me pain. Sometimes a burning sensation. Sometimes my heart will throb.

I believe we should appreciate the ones that have stuck by us.

I believe it's hard to show full appreciation as an immature teenager.

I believe everyone who is living a happy life has an immature side.

I believe living life seriously is a mistake,

a mistake I'll never do again. As a matter of fact,

I believe the world should be like Adam and Eve before the sin.

Be Free.
I believe good designers invent, great designers innovate, and only if we spent more time caring for others, we wouldn't have to worry ourselves to sleep caring how others feel about us. 
We would realize our own greatness. 
I believe pugs, both white and black, can make Alexia the happiest girl in the world.
I believe hot dressing and peach cobbler, from Chandler, Texas, is the best meal one could dream of.
I believe in sunny days, funny ways, and dancing for no reason, I believe that someone loves me and they will rescue me from evil, and if you pat me right here, right here in this spot, you will find
close-minded open-mind trying to make sense of the world. 

Response to "As Life Was Five"

  Writing about certain situations in his life and others' life, Jimmy Santiago Baca, through poetry, gives his audience a taste of the culture that surrounded him as a child. In "As Life Was Five" he talks about his innocence being robbed from him in one moment. In one moment he was left with a scaring memory that changed his attitude completely, but eventually led him to a revelation.

 Unlike Baca, I learned about racism not through the way others were treated, but instead through the way I was treated. Although I have never been rejected because of the color of my skin like Baca's grandfather, constantly I receive comments from people of another ethnicity explaining how I'm not like the rest, or from fellow African Americans explaining how I speak white. Because I've dealt with this most of my life I have learned to embrace my differences, like Baca, and to rise six feet higher instead of being struck down two feet lower. Therefore, as I relate to the lines of  "As Life Was Five," some of the same emotions from my own experiences run through my veins.

Maturing Slowly, but Surely

    Knowing that "[Baca's] heart [was] a wet-feathered bird growing but never able to crack out of the shell," takes me through the mental process of Baca up to "[his] behavior shattering." Step one I see Joy. Step two I see Confusion. Step three I see Comprehension. Finally, step four arrives arrives and we see Flames. Because Baca uses an intense metaphor portraying the heart as weak and uses the action verb, shattering, my emotions were ignited. Shattering was an interesting word choice because, by using that, Baca seemed to change so abruptly.  When glass shatters it is a very quick process, and because they hurt him so badly, I wanted him to  seek revenge. I didn't mind if he hurt innocent people, because like shattered glass, guilty or not guilty, if one grazes the mess they're going to get hurt.  This feeling took me back to a time where I was at the lowest point in my life. I allowed others' judgement to burden me, not only with racist insults, but also beauty and personality insults, and eventually I began to seclude myself away from the people who did me wrong. Showing them my dramatic shift in attitude, I soaked in satire while they sunk from guilt. Through the process of releasing comeuppances on everyone, I realized I wasn't helping myself by becoming the insults they threw at me. As "a song ...[makes] his heart into an eagle," I began to feel like I was finally making progress up a mountain and the weather was clearing up.  My jaw unclenched my grinding teeth. I started to stand up straighter. Now that I could clearly see that I had to embrace my differences in order to rise above, I felt like I was Baca transforming from a bird barely out the egg to a soaring eagle.

Painting emotions on Paper in the Form of Words...(Analysis)

No matter how serene things

may be in my life,
how well things are going,
my body and soul
are two cliff peaks
from which a dream of who I can be
falls, and I must learn
to fly again each day,
or die.

Death draws respect
and fear from the living.
Death offers
no false starts. It is not
a referee with a pop-gun
at the startling
of a hundred yard dash.

I do not live to retrieve
or multiply what my father lost
or gained.

I continually find myself in the ruins
of new beginnings,
uncoiling the rope of my life
to descend ever deeper into unknown abysses,
tying my heart into a knot
round a tree or boulder,
to insure I have something that will hold me,
that will not let me fall.

My heart has many thorn-studded slits of flame
springing from the red candle jars.
My dreams flicker and twist
on the altar of this earth,
light wrestling with darkness,
light radiating into darkness,
to widen my day blue,
and all that is wax melts
in the flame-

I can see treetops!

Jimmy Santiago Baca had a very tough life at a young age and faced many challenges, and in his poem "A Daily Joy To be Alive" he reflects on  a lifestyle of trying to grasp one's inner-self by exploring different aspects of life on a daily basis. Baca expresses these ideas by using symbolism as seen in these lines, "I continually find myself in the ruins of new beginnings, uncoiling the rope of my life to descend ever deeper into unknown abysses, tying my heart into a knot." Baca uses the rope to represent a long journey of finding the words to express himself in a subject where there is so much to learn. To further express this struggle Baca uses "light wrestling with darkness, light radiating into darkness", a juxtaposition, to describe the turning point when he breaks free from the scuffle of discovering himself artistically  and  turns his thinking from negative to positive. All in all Baca uses this poem to show us, through symbolism and juxtaposition, the transition he makes from not knowing how to convey his emotions to suddenly breaking free into a clear view where he can see all the possible ways to present his thoughts to the world.

#One Little Word

#One Little Word

"I will succeed in anything I set my mind to"...

The quote above is nothing more than a statement, but we can turn it into so much more with a little bit of effort. If we are willing to do EVERYTHING it takes to achieve a goal, we can transform such an insignificant statement into the catalyst that drives us closer to success.  With AMBITION, we naturally pick up every other quality necessary to achieve success. Because ambition is "a strong desire to do or to achieve something", if we truly have ambition initiative, perseverance, and persistence will follow. I've experienced all the pain when there are barriers preventing me from success  and I've also experienced all the gratification after overcoming the barriers when I was only in middle school. Ever since I was un nina, I knew that learning spanish would give me an edge over my competition in any industry I chose to join. Therefor when I was in sixth grade I started a long complicated journey toward being bilingual. As a sixth grader with no friends or family in spanish I had to go through a long process of guessing the meanings of words and attempting to use them correctly. Of course being so young with an undeveloped brain, I made mistakes and even had to face criticism from native spanish speakers who laughed at my incorrect grammar and use of words. Because of my dedication I was able to become bilingual by the time I reached eighth grade.

Helping Myself by Helping Others

When I did community service for the first time I was filled with such a high that left me wanting to tell everyone around me about all the great deeds I accomplished even though it was really just one. Therefore, when I took The Six Human Needs Test I wasn't surprised to see that contribution, at 93%, by far out shot all the rest of my needs including growth at 79%. After seeing my results I began evaluating different aspects to see if my actions really were led by the need to contribute and grow.

After analyzing my reading life, I found that most of the books I have read turn out to be a quest. For example The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, Midwinter Blood by Murcus Sedgwick, and The Notebook  by Nicholas Sparks are all books that appear to have nothing in common, but in reality they share the same ambitious protagonist. Because of my urge to have growth in every area of my life I choose books that have a character willing to give up everything for what they desire. Once I find these books, although I'm really into them, I tend to read a lot slower because of my desire to become a better reader. In other words as I read each sentence find myself over analyzing each sentence for hidden messages to the point of my reading rate being cut in half. I face this problem especially when I'm reading books that involve a character doing their best to provide for the well being of another like in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

The main character, Mariam, always ends up in a position of trying to please others and when she faces a personal loss she finds herself wanting to please the same person who treats her similar to that of a dog. Because of my need to contribute, like Mariam, I stretch myself in all different direction to please the ones I love and make life a little bit more decent for strangers. I even go as far as attempting to get my friends on board with community service and other events. Also I make the mistake of expecting the ones I love to want to contribute to my happiness like I desire to do for them.


Although growth and Contribution seem to always be a good thing, having those needs can lead to the disruption of a peaceful relationship. I found this out the hard way one year I when I went through all the trouble of throwing a surprise party for my friend although nothing was expected of me, but then when my birthday came around I made the mistake of expecting appreciation for what I did earlier and barely got a "Happy Birthday" the next day.

It's Never Too Late to Vamp Up our Wardrobe

      I remember being able to go anywhere in the world as a child, but not because I was spoiled or just had the money laying around for the perfect moment; the true key to my expansive travel was imagination. Although I'm no longer a child at the beach with Barbie, I still allow my imagination to take me on journeys around the world with aid from my outfits. My imagination never stops flowing due my access to the eclectic people on social media. In order to expand our outfits we must learn from different people around the world by way of social media to prevent our style from being plain-jane.

      Over the years I have found the best mood kill in the world is fishing for a compliment, but no one catching on because they've seen the same bait for about a year (which is about as long as a fashion trend takes to be worn by the average person). Therefore, I make it a routine to check Instagram every morning in order to stay caught up with the trends in Tokyo, New York, Paris, and England. Just recently, because of what I had seen on social media, I picked up, what would have been, just a boring T-shirt dress and turned it into something my peers gawked over just by simply taking inspiration from a picture and adding my own flair. That day I got more than just a few pat-on-the-back compliments, with out a lot of work I was able to accomplish, what I call, the "neck-snapper," which is that dramatic look people give a person when he looks stunning.

       Unfortunately in today's society the only way to be noticed is by being loud, being smart, or creating a couple of neck-snappers. Many people, like myself, neither have the brains of a mathematician nor the voice box of a megaphone, therefore looking flawless is about our only option. Thanks to YouTube, Instagram, and retail store's online look books, making this happen, literally over night, isn't impossible. Many people have the assumption that the only way to prevent others from mistaking our name as Jane, we have to buy a whole new wardrobe, when in reality if we turn to social media they give us great examples of how to spice up our worn out wardrobe. For example, in the video below , who many of us have never met, is able to teach us how to transform garments we already have in ways that will make others wonder about us and where we got our clothes from.

       All in all it's pretty amazing that we are able to get influence from pretty much anywhere in the world by utilizing social media. From a fashion perspective, social media really multiplies our wardrobe from as ordinary as we'd like to just as breath taking as we desire.

Assumptions aren't Always Accurate

   What does it take to be a model? Many people would answer this questions with these three words:

   Skinny
   Pretty
   Tall

   Unfortunately for models, no matter how hard we try to avoid it, we have bias when talking about certain situations that we are unfamiliar with, therefore we commonly describe models as "lanky toothpicks with pretty faces." In reality, modeling has now evolved into a more inclusive industry therefore agencies are looking for someone who differs from modeling stereotypes.
   
     So many people, including myself, say their height disqualifies them from being a model, but this isn't quite true. Today''s model employers realize that their product is more credible with a face closer to the average person. Due to this realization, if I were to decide to switch from dressing the model to being the model, the fact that I'm only five feet and one inch wouldn't be an automatic dream killer because their are some companies who are anyone who can look the look even if they're just faking it. Although this may be the case, being a petite model is more of a challenge because length has always meant SEXY, FIERCE, and GRACEFUL even to this day. Because of companies desire to have length, petite models have to perfect the art and look just as tall as their five-foot nine coworker. Although petite models are put at a slight disadvantage, the end result boils down to skill rather than stereotype. This amazing break through in the modeling industry doesn't just top there.

      Due to the development of the modeling industry, the perfect smile, for some companies, has turned to one with a statement. In other words, companies are looking for that compelling gap that sits right between our two pearly white front teeth. A great example of someone who has broken through the stereotype with her own "pretty," contradicting the perfect smile, is Georgia May Jagger. Through Jagger businesses are telling the world imperfections make you beautiful and wanted in the modeling industry. This is very similar to H&M's direct display of flawed perfection when they placed "...two size 6 and size 10 mannequins, dressed in sexy lingerie..." in their store, so the next time we go to the store we should keep our eyes wide open to catch a first-hand glimpse of a company evolving in the way they hire models.
   

My Reading Life

    Many people would say that a person who reads is an educated person, and if one doesn't read then he truly isn't educated.  Before this year, my junior year, I would have turbantly gave a tirade selling myself as an educated person who used books as placemats more often than reaing from them, but after reading every day of every week, I've lerned just how far I was from being educated. With that knowledge I also learned more about who I am as a reader, my stengths and weaknesses, and what steps I need to take to improve as a reader.Surprisingly, when I read for long periods of time it was much like training for a marathon because I had to go through the same process of a runner.

    As my endurance increased I accumulated a greater knowledge of just how far I could go before reaching my breaking point. When I first started my reading journey I was reading, disappointingly, only two books per year, but now I've read three books in the span of only nine weeks. Obviously, the amount of books I've read is increasing at a rate much faster than years prior to this one, but that's not my only area or improvement. Now reading so quickly I could be mistaken for swiftly skimming through a book, I am able to breeze through a book without incessantly stuttering due to my mental vocabulary being broadened. Although I struggle with staying awake when reading, I have planned to increase my reading goal to 20 books per year. In order to do this, I must read on the weekends, like I've been doing, and also during the weekdays. All in all if I keep up my training toward my own personal marathon, I will be able to read an amount five times greater than the most challeneging book I've read, "the devil wears prada"

Picking the Perfect Outfit

    BLEEP, BLEEP, the blaring sound of my alarm clock beckoning me to break free from the shackles of  my bed. Frantically tossing clothes in the air, I scour my wardrobe for the perfect outfit to conquer the day. After completely obliterating the neatness of my room, I find the one, the Perfect Outfit.
    Dressed as smoothly as a celebrity, I step on the scene as a completely metamorphosed person. Mouths dropping to the floor, on lookers wonder about the, at a first glance, new girl.  With panache, I walk down the halls and embrace the stares from intrigued peers reverencing for me and accept their copious compliments. Compliments levitating me and allowing me to pretense the fact that I'm not confident at all. As I strut down the hallway with my newly found confidence, I begin to realize guys are offering their hearts to me; they are  insisting I allow them to devout themselves to my every need. Glaring their eyes directly toward me, girls all around me give me the notorious outfit check and realize my outfit looks, irrefutably, AWESOME as they gingerly look me up and down.
    Although all the above is plenty enough of  "a pat on the back," I'm still not to the apex of praise.  Tapping me on the shoulders, my elders ascertain to instill in my mind that they respect what I've done with today's outfit by explaining my attire's high points. Receiving compliments from my elders confirms that razing the neatness of my room for an amazing outfit was completely worth it. I, without a doubt, picked an AWESOME getup.


 http://pixabay.com/en/fashion-woman-yellow-dress-gown-300337/

How I tackled the Go World Video Project

Go World Video:http://animoto.com/play/2Q5dn4Ldids3QhfDUYdQ2g

       In today's society we are all weighed down by burdens that seem catastrophic in our eyes but petty in the rest of the world's eyes. In order to give the world a peek into my mind I created a Go World Video by starting with a good topic as a foundation, using diction that contributes to my message , and revising based on how I desired my audience to feel. The process seemed easy until I realized I had to produce similar results to those of an essay in only 30-65 words, so at that point I knew I had to start sturdy from the beginning.

     With every great argument it is crucial to have a topic that we can distend on as we write, and the easiest way I figure to achieve it is by simply having passion for the topic.  Therefor I chose to write about the one struggle that could have changed my whole life if I had handled it the the wrong way, which was, for me, my A's atrophying to, what felt like, obliteration. Because I hadn't ever experienced working hard in school and not seeing results, the solution of dropping out seemed to be pleading for me to down that path and I had no one to tell me not to. Because I was at a point when I was struggling so badly that my two options were dropping out or to keep pushing until I saw results, due to them being exact opposites I knew my message was very clear.

      Much like my topic, my goal was to choose words to narrow in my argument. For example in my Go World Video I said, "School wasn't made for asinine people, people who are stupid like her. Oh, how asinine she was to think those silly thoughts." By saying this I was able to say that not pushing ourselves until we see success is foolish. Also by the use of repetition I allowed the reader to see an obvious transition in the way I thought about myself. I also simply utilized my personal vocabulary by choosing words with a really negative connotation or really positive connotation. A great example is defeat because if we are on the side of defeat we lost a battle, we lost a since of respect, and we lost a piece of our pride. Although it seems like I knew exactly where I was going with my writing process, I actually needed to make crucial revisions to evoke the audience's emotions.

      When revising, my overall goal was to instill the emotions I felt while going through this struggle, into my audience members as they watched my video. During my struggle to improve my grades, I was depressed for a really long period of time, but slowly my hard work started to pay off. In order to create and terminate this feeling of depression in my audience under thirty seconds I revised the beginning to get really sad really quickly so the effects would happen sooner. While trying to achieve the above, I had to write, erase, substitute weak words with strong words, and repeat until I finally found the right words to express exactly how I felt once they were brought together. As for creating the relief part of my video, I did the opposite of the depression period by gradually  working my way up to the "happily ever after." By doing this I caused my audience to see the good times coming, but being so anxious for it's arrival that they became almost desperate similarly to the way I felt right before everything worked out. It's hard to believe putting all that emotion in so little words is possible, but with a process anything is possible.

        Because I had a goal in mind I was able to accomplish this by having a good buttress for my video, or argument, word choice that made my argument more specific, and revising so that I took my audience on the same journey of emotions that I went through.

Stop the Microaggressions

  Rumplestiltskin, a fairytale character in a TV series called Once Upon A Time, can twist and turn anyone's words to work in his favor and leave the other party tasting regret, the aftertaste of a bad deal. It's hard to imagine America's future leaders creating a play on words to work against others just like Rumplestiltskin, but in "Sorry, but it's your fault if you're offended all the time" Matt Walsh brings light to the issue. In the blogpost Walsh says that Americans are taking insult by twisting non offensive phrases into ones with malicious intent and he claims that we are taught to continue this way of thinking through out college by discussing these microaggressions as if they were true aggressions. Like Walsh's opinion, I agree that one should stop making these microaggressions because one isn't in the path of true harm, the microagressions aren't adding to the process of our society's development, and doing this simply just makes our society look weak.

    Although, some comments truly are meant in an offensive way, people aren't in the grasp of danger just by hearing these comments. For example, if one African American child was offered fried chicken by a person of another ethnicity they could easily say they were only approached with the deal because the color of their skin. Just like the African American child an African child has also faced racial profiling except the African's offender assumed the color of their skin meant the world would be a better place without them and proceeded to stone this African child and place him in the need for extensive care after receiving his "punishment" for being colored. Just like the African American child, many other Americans face situations when they may be belittled, but if no physical  harm is being done the situation is not a major crisis to complain about. Therefore, the complaint just becomes a microaggression and attacking that certain issue doesn't achieve much.

    In order to develop society we must improve, but microgressions counter that progression due to awareness not being raised toward the right subjects.  Many Americans are getting worked up by issues like that, but once these issues are solved they serve to do nothing more than to make certain people feel better about themselves. Earlier this year the microaggression about the Redskins' team name actually became viral. Some people thought that the term "redskins" was outdated and offensive. In reality the name wasn't meant to degrade native Americans, but this issue is came up as if the team just loved to belittle Native Americans which was far from reality. So basically the only result to fixing that would just be a smile on a small group of peoples' faces, but would it stop the Native Americans from getting physically abused or maybe even stop Americans from holding them captive? The result of fixing that issue would definitely not do any of that considering we never had that issue to begin with. To people looking in from other countries it seems like Americans are desperate to have important matters happening to gain,what Matt Walsh called, the "hero" position.

     Because Americans are so desperate to have relevancy, they are creating microaggressions, and in result they are just making the American soceity look weak as a whole. In the video by Andrew Klavan, provided as support in Walsh's blog, Klavan read out loud real responses, from people around the world who've had to deal with real aggressions, to microaggressions. In those letters each response had a tone as if they were being patient while explaining something to a child. Each writer also implied that they had it way worse, but still managed to keep the tone. By this repetitive tone, it's apparent that the people from other countries think American "issues" are petty compared to theirs. If this is the case Americans should just stop making the microaggressions all together because people from other countries would gladly trade their problems in for american ones even though Americans claim to face the same problems. Therefor it makes Americans look weak because Americans can't even handle something as simple as a non life-threatening insult while the lives of others are being threatened for the "same" issue. Redemption is never too late, so Americans should hop on the one way flight straight for it.

       In order to this, the termination of microaggressions is a necessitity. By doing this, when real danger comes around Americans will have preserved their energy for the right moment instead of wasting it on petty microagressions, Americans will finally be on the path to a developing society once again, and Americans can finally wave the flag of United States flag proudly with strength without being looked down upon by other countries.

http://badgerherald.com/news/2014/03/27/uw-madison/#.VC0uNX48KrU

"Sorry, but it's your fault you're offended all the time" by Matt Walsh

http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/09/16/sorry-but-its-your-fault-if-your-offended-all-the-time/