Donald Trump’s Warmongering is Dangerous.

The 2018 midterm elections are coming to a close and polls are showing the Democrats have a good chance of taking the House, but the Senate looks likely to remain in Republican control.

President Trump wants to have complete dominance of the United States Congress and will do just about anything to make sure it happens. He is currently endorsing Republicans in high-profile contests in Florida and Georgia with the intention of smearing Democrats.

His strategy is to use misleading rhetoric about the nature of the migrant caravan heading to the southern United States border.  He calls it an ‘invasion’  and describes a few thousand people who are fleeing violence and poverty as bad people. At the same time he attacks Democrats and opposition media by calling them the enemy of the American people. It doesn’t make sense because the job of the Free Press is to hold people in position of power accountable for their words and actions.

Instead of talking about his achievements he weaves a tale of lies where the Democrats gain power over Congress and the apocalypse happens.  In the end his style of rhetoric is to embolden white nationalists to commit heinous crimes against those who don’t fit their political ideology.

I’m going to stop here because every day is something new with President Trump  and the GOP that it’s difficult to tell who actually has the people’s best interest.

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https://thehill.com/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/news/

 

 

I miss celebrating Halloween as a child.

It was one of the few holidays that my mother would take off and spend time with my older sister and I. We would often scrounge for costumes at thrift stores and visit our local gardening center for jack-o’-lanterns.

On Halloween we’d usually end up either at the children’s museum or the mall. I liked the mall better since most stores would be open and give out candy by the handful. It was also a great opportunity for my dad to join since he worked a lot in those days.

I guess Halloween brought my family together and made it one of the few moments in my life worth remembering. It wasn’t so much the decorations or costume but who I spent with it.

 

Fall/Winter 2017: For her first solo collection, Aryes Peña finds the inspiration in her Mexican roots

Aryes Peña went back to her Mexican roots for her solo collection, the first following the completion of her studies from The Art Institute of Houston.

Traditional patterns, bright colors and indigenous textiles serve as inspiration for the charming lineup, which – in keeping with her bubbly personality – was focused on comfort.  

Colors were everywhere, but hues of purple, teal and fuchsia dominated the collection. Precise cuts on dresses flattered the female figure and when embellishments, including sashes and fringe embroideries popped up, they never looked exaggerated.

Peña’s creativity shined with several knit dresses in teal, black and purple that exhibited floral and skeletal designs. What was even more peculiar, but no less exciting was the cross over knit sweater and fuchsia poncho made from wool. 

So whether you’re going for a night on the town with friends; attending a wedding or going to work; there’s something edgy, quirky and comfortable about Aryes Peña’s collection that will leave you wanting to see more.

 

 

For anyone interested in a custom made design by ARYES please visit her site here. 

Pepper Ann Pearson in Pepper Ann, too cool to be twelve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were funny, smart and thought provoking shows in the late 80s, early 90s that introduced girls to iconic feminist characters, and what it meant to be a teenager/woman in America almost twenty years ago.

How do I even begin? Pepper Ann was a feminist ahead of her time. She was never afraid to speak her mind, had a badass single mother, and a little sister who wasn’t afraid to defy female gender stereotypes. More importantly, Pepper Ann imagined herself a very tough warrior and was in real life while facing moral dilemmas.

Helga G. Pataki in Hey Arnold!

 Helga was classified as tough, bossy and cynical. However, she’s also a genius when it comes to academics. More importantly she is very ambitious despite her almost obsessive love for Arnold. There’s even a dream sequence where she imagines herself the president of the United States with Arnold at her side as first gentleman. If this isn’t #GirlBoss then what are we to aspire to?

Miss Grotke in Recess

 If there was ever a badass teacher in the classroom that was certainly Miss Grotke every time she called out white misogyny in History. Class assignments were close to something you find at a college level rather than a 4th grade classroom. She also never failed to recognize women who contributed to our society.

Buffy Summers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Buffy Summers showed us that even pint sized girls can be strong in the face of adversity. More importantly she wasn’t afraid of being vulnerable, and she was the Chosen One. You could also argue that Buffy’s greatest quality was in sharing power with others. She proved many times that nobody will ever be too powerful to subdue others for their selfish whims. It’s almost political if you think about it. In the end she gives the biggest speech of her life surrounded by other girls soon to be Chosen One(s) as well to fight against evil.  Thank you Buffy for letting us ladies know what it means to be a real leader.

Xena in Xena: Warrior Princess

Lucy Lawless as Xena was epic. She exhibited qualities that inspired women (and men) to fight against the forces of evil, and do what is morally right. She taught us to rely less on our sexual appeal, and focus more intellectually. More importantly she empowered other women along to realize their own strength as well accept their imperfections.

Moesha in Moesha 

Finally, a black girl we could all relate to at some level.  She wore braids and attended high school in a good neighborhood located in Los Angeles. It was also one of the first shows that really showed what teenage minorities go through at home, school and work. It even health with darker elements such as death of a parent and discovering secrets within a close niche family. More importantly, the protagonist, is not afraid to say ‘no’ when she’s being pressured to do something she doesn’t like.

 

 

Do you miss TV programs with strong female leads? 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s in my purse?

I don’t carry a purse but a little backpack from madden girl. It’s super light, and water resistant. However, it does get dirty easily from the inside and usually requires washing at least every six months.

Most days, this backpack, carries my wallet and keys. I never leave without chapstick or mascara, but recently I got this Cool Eye Stick from Tony Moly’s Pandas Dream So. There’s always loose change at the bottom as well old receipts from a local pizzeria. Last, but not least a spare t-shirt just in case of an accident or me just sweating profusely.

Sometimes my backpack will contain several books either for writing down ideas or drawing. I know for certain snacks are a popular occurrence during workdays so that’s there too. Finally, I think backpacks are better than a purse. The latter is more of a luxury item than anything else, but I don’t want to discourage anyone from owning them. It’s my belief that every woman (and dudes) should own at least own one luxury item: a purse. Below is a representation of those items in my bag.

1. Born and raised in Houston, TX. 
2. Graduated from Loyola Maryland in Baltimore.
3. Favorite drink is LaCroix water.
4. Favorite food is Asparagus. 
5. Feminist is my favorite F word.
6. Never fails to watch The Life Aquatic by Wes Anderson.
7. Seeking new job opportunities in Advertising/PR and Marketing. 
8. Listens to music by  Marina + Diamonds, The Killers, Beethoven and Miguel Bose.
9. Black cats are my spirit animal.
10. Seriously in love with Tina Fey, and all her TV/Film projects.
11. Does a lot of volunteer work in promoting health, science and medicine.
12. Wants to decorate personal space  with everything Kawaii.
13. Roommates with a 1 year old chihuahua.
14. Likes everything British except the whole colonization thing.
15. Has a lot of crushes on guys who’ve been dead for over 200 years.
16. Ran into actor Kevin Spacey once while filming House of Cards.
17. Favorite thing to do is go horseback riding. 
18. Has had artwork displayed at galleries, and on the streets of Houston.
19. Currently reading dystopian novels by women of color. Check out Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor.
20. Trying to write a successful blog! 

It’s been a rough 2 weeks for me.

I just started my new temporary job as a photographer at an amusement park. I’ve just been on the go-go and trying to learn new skills to keep up with crowds, but ultimately crashed and burned after like 5 days. It’s a tough job, but at the end of the day it’s about making guests happy. However, my photography skills have gotten bad over the years. I used to be great at taking portraits, but nobody ever told me about baby strollers and how annoying they are to get on camera. Anyways it’s not so bad as long you don’t stand up on your feet all day.

I would like to move the conversation in another direction  and reveal day 2 of my 31 Day Blog Challenge.  I chose this week a fun topic that allowed me some creative leeway with presentation using papelook. It’s apparently a very popular app amongst teens who use Tumblr, Pinterest and what have you. Honestly, it’s  fun to use.  I also stuck a couple of stickers here and there just for amusement.  So what do we have?

1. Lululemon Athletic Black Tech Mesh Tights: I need them for running errands, not for workout. 
2. Dairy Queen Ultimate Choco Brownie Blizzard: My local DQ know me so well by now they repeat my order without me having to say anything. 
3. Lush Products: I rely on chemical free products since my face is very sensitive and prone to acne.
4. Hamilton (musical, 2016) ft. Schuyler Sisters: Who doesn’t love a good sisterhood?
5. Tom Hiddleston: He’s such a cinnamon roll.
6. The Killers, Hot Fuss album: I need to own the album and not just a couple of singles.
7. La Croix water: I can’t survive without it.
8. Victoria, ITV: I liked this up until Albert showed up and Queen Victoria was depicted as a sexed up maniac.
9. Princess Jellyfish:Best manga/anime story for girls of all ages
10. Black Cats: They’re my spirit animal.

I’m not entirely sure what is the purpose of this list except to show some of the things that I like or can’t live without. It’s my greatest desire to win a lifelong supply of LaCroix water.

This is a tough question to answer because there’s no definite answer. 

1. I wanted to incorporate my name Lorena into what was going to be my creative writing portfolio.
2. I enjoy being greeted by people.
3. I love hearing the sound of my name (call me narcissus).
4. #whateverthisis is literal.
5. I write to figure out what my passions are.
6. There is no meaning.
7. It’s just a simple greeting from a young woman to everyone who is willing to listen/ and or criticize.
8. I’m in transition mode from colleague graduate to young adult in the real world.

Quid Pro Quo

What is the Chinquapin Prep School?

Chinquapin is already one of the most sought after private schools in the greater Houston area ever, but the majority of its students come from low-income households. Founded by Robert P. Moore in 1969, the school – a 50 acre campus located 20 miles east of Houston, Texas – has seen hundreds of Chinquapin graduates go on to earn a four-year college degree.

Chinquapin employs a motley crew of faculty and staff to challenge their students to aim for excellence, to be curious, to question everything in order to not fall for the astounding  claims of others.

In mid January, Chinquapin opened a new two-story building on campus, which holds a dining hall on the first floor and a girl’s dormitory on the second floor. Historically, girls have never been allowed to stay overnight on campus unlike their male counterparts.

The school board of directors started this project in hopes of achieving better academic outcomes for the girls. According to the school’s current development director, Marilu Garza, “…male students who board on campus have an average grade-point average of 3.2, versus an average GPA of 3.08 for girls”. Therefore it’s imperative that girls receive the same opportunities to stay more focused on academics and grow on a personal level as they get their first real taste of a college atmosphere.

It still begs the question, why should a parent allow their child to stay on campus at Chinquapin?  In my personal experience, Chinquapin, has always put emphasis on the liberal arts. This means we read a lot of works inspired by the Graeco-Roman world like Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound to mythical history/and paradigmatic figures: Julius Caesar, Augustus, Charlemagne and Napoleon. In addition we get to do many hands-on activities pertaining to science, health and medicine. This has fostered a sense of curiosity in us all. However our days are also spent in finding our lesser binding pursuits like art, politics or sports. Finally, living on campus proves that a liberal arts education is worth every dollar because every student grows up to become a great humanist.

Many of our alumni association are now dedicated towards teaching other less fortunate than themselves as well fundraising money to keep the Chinquapin School fulfilling the school’s motto Quid Pro Quo, something for something, for nothing is more endearing than giving back to the community that believes you can make a difference.

 

To learn more about Chinquapin click here.

 

 

 

Can’t wait to see Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Disney released a clip from their upcoming film Beauty and the Beast today in which the titled character played by Emma Watson treks across the village while singing “Belle”.

I love it!

The clip begins with a closeup of a clocktower ringing thus waking the entire village.  Women, men and children are seen opening their homes, businesses and doing chores while Belle in her blue dress skips across town in a jovial mood. Even with only 58 seconds we can tell everyone in town thinks she’s a little funny and aloof for reading books especially one of romantic inclinations.

Anyways it’s great footage and gives me hope the film will live up to its expectations.