Photoshop vs. GIMP

C L I C K H E R E

Wrongful Law Enforcement Ethics Towards Standing Rock Protestors

Many weeks have passed since the protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation have been brought to the media's attention. The 1,172 mile long pipeline in question is a $3.7 billion investment in order to connect the oil-rich areas of North Dakota to Illinois: being used for crude oil transport to refineries along the Eastern Seaboard. One of the areas of concern in the path of the pipeline's construction is the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The pipeline is set to cross the Mississippi River, of which the Reservation is located just a mile from. There is worry that the water in that river would be poisoned, as well as harm being done to the sacred land that lay at the Reservation.

Protestors holding banners as well as a "defend the sacred" banner

The protesters have been met with aggressive and invasive force as well as violence by law enforcement agencies in Morton County. According to this Change.org Petition, it states that Kyle Kirchmeier, the Morton County Sheriff is not doing his job of protecting the people in the ongoing crisis. He has apparently failed to protect the citizens from dog attacks by private security companies. There is also a possibility of bias towards the media and nothing but silence towards the people in order to contribute to the pipeline's agenda. Also, the protesters are constantly being watched and questioned, and are being blamed for harassment of ranchers and farmers: but to the creator this is not the case at all. They don't just want Kirchmeier possibly removed from his position: but also have the Attorney General Wayne Strenehjem conduct an ethics investigation on him.

The creator of this petition is very mindful when it comes to interacting with people like her and who are fighting for the same cause. The way this was written was straightforward and to the point. However, as the pipeline is apparently well into construction, many of the people who are protesting there may be receiving more violence, and possibly being kicked out. While it is important to remember those who call this place their home and to put the people over business, it is unfortunate that the dangerous and polluting business of oil production is more appealing. It is also to the disadvantage of these people that the ones that could be helping them out are shutting them down and the contributions to the pipeline agenda are plentiful. Just as an example when Amy Goodman, a journalist, had received a warrant for her arrest: to them being a violation to free press. However, as much as there is to be as much faith as possible in these peaceful protesters and their capabilities to their futures, it just may not be enough to attract attention to even those who block them off. I would sign this as much as I believe just a little bit that this is not going to go through. In reality, as mentioned before, business and money over people and what they care about in their lives and their devotions to those things.

People holding up a banner that says, "WE ARE WATER"

Getting Awarded For Potential Skill-Gain and Effort is Encouraged

Children should be awarded participation trophies because in today's society, it is difficult to get very far in being the best in any kind of sport or competitive environment. There can only be very few players that can be called the best, the amount that seemingly go so above and beyond. However, there are a lot of kids that are on sports teams who do put in the best effort that they can put forward. Although they may miss the chance of being called the best by a small amount, they should still be awarded for their effort. Without said effort, a sports team would not necessarily be a sports team. There is more to a team than just the star players. In some cases, a trophy may only be a physical entity that may not make sense in the future: however it is the gesture of accomplishment that counts. In the end, what matters to a child as they progress in life with this experience in the back of their minds is that they actually had a head-start at the basic values of what it means to work alongside others and to encourage the positive building of their self-esteem.

Children giving each other high fives at an end of a game

In this video source, the main point is that players should not be given participation trophies; kids should learn to "toughen up" and work as hard as they can for a trophy, that being the only way to get one. Anything less than that, then forget about it! There is a man that is later interviewed about the trophies: however this part of the video is biased for the fact that the man in question works  for a company who makes trophies, as shown by the shirt he is wearing along with a trophy that he holds. However, this exactly does not make his point invalid. It is true that kids should work hard, and at such a young age, they may get frustrated if they are not the best of them all, or if their team doesn't win a certain game.

There is a point given by Betty Berdan, a high school student that had actively participated in sports for a long time. She states that the more trophies that are given out to kids, the more significance behind the whole point of trophies is lost. Whatever definition of a trophy that is. After looking through many other points set by others, is there really a specific definition of a trophy? Anyways, she further argues that every single kid that had participated in something: not just necessarily sports, should not feel as if they are a winner. "It is dangerous for them to think this way". She elaborates with the point that only the ones with the superior skill-sets should be awarded, that in the future, there cannot and will not be any kind of award of just trying your best, no matter what. Although that may be true for the complicated world that we live in, we shouldn't necessarily push this topic of this kind of sport to that higher level. The necessary development of a skill-set comes with growing up, and so may be the unfortunate fact that the world is tough.

If I were to bring up an example from my own personal experiences, I would talk about my time in my middle school's choir. It was near the end of the year of when all of the 8th graders got "trophies" with our names on them and the name of the choir we were in (concert choir for example). Although this is on a different level compared to sports, it is definitely a competition, especially when I was competing against other schools for medals. 1st place in District, 2nd place in State. It didn't really hurt my feelings at all when I received a 2nd place medal. Besides that, I was well aware that I gave my best effort, and it is important to many who are involved that they are recognized for their hard work and dedication to choir. It was quite a bit of work, for we would always practice for concerts and whatnot. The lessons of dedication and potential build-up for skill are present here, as they are important for any kid's future.

What it Means To Be an Audiophile

The author's audio rack

Lately, I have been expanding my knowledge in the music I listen to as well as what I mediums utilize (such as vinyl and cassettes). I had many inspirations, such as from the cassettes I had taken from my grandfather after he had died, as well as taking in the vinyls from my mother's closet and giving them a new home. With this newfound experience, I have been wondering: "what does it mean to be extremely wise when it comes to music?" Well, according to the Audioholics Magazine, the writer begins with an explanation of their own definition of an audiophile: which is basically you thinking about music all of the the time. Quote on quote: "Morning, noon and night!"

The author then continues on to explain their experience with upgrading various pieces of audio equipment with both their vinyl and cassette setup throughout the decades. They also mention CD, DVD, and Laserdisc setups(they point out that this is not the focus of the article.)
The author is very specific in what media they convert and their listening routines (such as that of music in the car and their preferred audio setup.)

At the end of the article, the author ties in their final thoughts as well as bringing in a quote from the famous Agnes de Mille, "the truest expression of a people it in its dances and music; bodies never lie"
I feel the criteria that is presented is very good in terms of what it can be. I feel as if maybe the article would have benefited without the mention of the laserdisc and DVD part; however it is a part of his history of their equipment collection that can be associated with having lots of experience.

A Description of The Word "Focused"

The highlighted word "focused" in a dictionary.

There are people that have come to know me personally and think of me as "focused". According to Dictionary.com, some verbs that are used with and without object(s) include to concentrate: to focus one's thoughts, and to direct one's attention or efforts. I assume that they think of me as being focused mainly because of my exceptional academic abilities. For example, I have maintained all A's and B's throughout my entire high school career. As a result, I have been accepted into my school's chapter of the National Honor Society, the highest honor that anyone at my school can recieve. Besides being committed to my good grades most of the time, community service and club participation is something I do quite a bit. I say this because that is another one of the NHS requirements, not just having a decent GPA.

I also have a set of visible skills that people see when they look at me, such as being able to draw and having a sense of style that people can recognize as being you. To me, being focused means while I am maintaining good marks for the future, I am also taking the time to create my persona, something that is very important if you want people to remember you well. So yes, I do embrace this term.

Although one can slip up every once in a while for some reason, it should not be frowned upon ultimately. It can be seen as the perfect opportunity to improve yourself. Being focused on this can positively affect you and the people around you. The more that you stick to this philosophy as well as getting advice from trusted people around you, the better of the chance that this will stick with you for the rest of your life.

My Experiences with the Female Gender

In terms of my gender, there are just a small amount of things that I feel I should do in order to feel sane. For one thing, I can agree that I have very long legs for a girl. I have been complimented on them and got asked if I play a sport such as volleyball. However, I don't play a sport at all. This leads to the stereotype of if you look a certain way such as being skinny or only slightly muscular in some places, you must play a sport. I think about my body image and expectations from others. I do enjoy my skinny and tall figure, and I feel more pressured on myself than by others to make sure my body stays that way. I want to impress people by the way I look. I wear clothing that shows off these long legs of mine, such as skirts and dresses. Some girls that I know express their jealousy to me of not having such a figure as mine. However, I encourage them to try and to love themselves the best they can, because it just simply does not matter for the fact that with age, my body will be different from what it is right now.

Also, I have had an occurrence when I was out at the JcPenney shop finding some clothes with my mother. I was in the men's section, and I happened to find a really cute sweater. I piped up to my mother, who then tells me, "but honey, that's a men's sweater." I then say, "I really don't care." She went silent after that. I'm not trying to say my mother is a bad person for saying that: I feel like she might have been saying that because of the sizing differences between men's and women's clothing. It seems as if from today's society that girls should not be allowed to wear guy's clothing. It can be seen as a certain look if a girl were to wear guy's clothing, and I feel as if the act should not be judged. Some people feel comfortable wearing clothes that are specified for another gender, and they should embrace it as long as they are comfortable.

A guy and girl initially in clothes specified for their own gender, then swaps for the opposite's clothes.

Promise Those Boys Your Kisses, With The Lip Gloss That's Sure To Work!

Advertisement for Kissing Potion Lip Gloss

The first thing to catch your eye being a girl looking happy next to a boy's photograph and a tube of lip gloss by her. The colors and design overall are very lady-like and appear to attract the female audience. The ad describes a product called the Kissing Potion Flavored Roll-On Lip Gloss by Maybelline. It boasts different flavors, "plenty left for Richie, Fred, David, Bob..." and the list could go on.

 These are advertised as the best lip glosses a guy could taste, showing the stereotypical behavior of girls putting in their best effort to try and impress a guy, having many boyfriends, etc.

The advertisement wouldn't have been made if the gender roles were switched. The colors and the theme that seem to mix together in a girly fashion would not work with a man trying to directly enticing a girl with his own lip gloss. That would clearly be unmanly(the stereotype of course). Maybe if it was a guy that expresses how much he likes girls with a roll-on lip gloss, it would possibly entice girls into getting one for themselves. There were also many other lip glosses/balms/lipsticks that girls were into at the time, not just this one. 

The Whisper of AIDS

On August 19th, 1992, Mary Fisher addressed the Republic National Convention about the ongoing HIV/AIDS Epidemic. She extensively incorporates ethos and pathos to get across the her views about the problem and to make people think twice about how it can easily affect them.

It is very significant when Fisher talks about her own experience with HIV with herself as well as the many people in the hospital, and reassures the public that she has faith in fighting it: especially with her family surrounding her with support. The stance that is constant throughout is that the reality of the disease should not be silent, nor should people have a false sense of security that they are safe from the disease. No matter what race, sex, or religion one could be, you are at risk. Although she expresses the fact that more awareness needs to be exhibited, she does not bash anyone. She is very devoted in her tone, and speaks to the future, in a positive light. In order to feel comfort during this difficult time, you must have courage. She explains this to give off the idea that there is nothing you can do if you do nothing but be afraid. It's okay to feel this way, but it is the future and the improvement and mankind that is extremely important during this difficult time of extreme suffering.

Access. Your Flexible Friend.

"Your Flexible Friend"

The Access Card was a credit card that was mostly popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and had lived from the 1970's up into 1996, when it was taken over by Master Card.

This advertisement was many of the ones that were created back in the 1970's. It depicts the Access Card as a character, engaging in various activities that required money. Under these pictures were descriptions of various purposes of which someone could use the card for. For example, by owning this card, you did not have to use cash for various purchases, and have the flexibility of paying on your own terms. I find this advertisement to be effective, for it presents a simple but eye-catching design that makes you think about all the future purchases you could make with this card.

Role of Argument in My Life

I was and still am never necessarily confident with arguments. It always seems to have a negative tinge in my mind whenever I think about it. I sometimes forget that there is more than what meets the eye in terms of evidence and viewpoints that people can bring up to make their argument stronger. However, I am aware that an argument doesn't always have to be negative.

For example, when I was younger, I always thought that The Beatles were the the best rock band ever because of their significant history and contributions to music, as well as their influences on others. I was extremely pretentious, and thought that The Beatles were all I ever needed. As much as I still appreciate their music, there are many groups across many genres during the Beatles' time that created music: of which is still being listened to by people of various generations today. While expanding my horizons, I had truly realized that there are many different musical innovations that The Beatles didn't necessarily accomplish. And I would say that is a good thing, because variety and different minds is beneficial: especially in music!

The Beatles.