Charlène - Le Marais - Paris

Charlène
" ... I sudy to ba a Make-up Artist.
For me Fashion is a state of mind.
My look is normal. I love Make-up.
I hate insects. My message to the world:
Nothing !
I wear a tunic and cardigan by H&M
bag just bought in Châtelet ..."

Maxime - Le Marais - Paris

Maxime
" ... I am student in High-School.
For me Fashion is a social code. Today,
my look is sports wear casual. I love Lady Gaga,
I hate black chocolate. My message to the world:
God made us as we are and God cannot be wrong ..."



I wear a sweat by John Galliano
Pants by The Kooples
Sneakers by Dior
Suniies by RayBan
Bag by Lancel
Perfume: "Alien" by T.Mugler

Timothée - Le Marais - Paris

Timothée
"... I am a student in Art & Fashion.
For me Fashion is a part of culture.
It's very important in life. Today, my look
is "à l'arrache" casual street wear ...
I love Art. I hate mathematics.
My message to the world: stay yourself ..."



I wear a sweat by Franklin Marshall
shirt by Blend
Shorts by Eleven
Sneakers by Converse
Glasses by Marc Jacobs
Bag vintage

Rachel - Rue Tiquetonne - Paris

Rachel
"I work as Brand Manager.
iN Fashion I think that aesthetic is
less important than confort. You have to
find the right middle. I love Sun, Sea and
good food like french cheese: le Chèvre is the best !
I hate disrespect and arrogance and people who don't mesure
consequences of their behaviour. My message to the world:
You make your own luck ..."



I wear a denim dress by GAP
shoes 10€ in a small shop in Paris
bag from Sidney
Sunnies by Carrera
perfume: "Romance" by Ralf Lauren

Thomas - Etienne Marcel - Paris

Thomas
"I work as Glass-Blower
For me Fashion is to stand out of the crowd
with my own style. Today, my look is Rock.
I love music. I hate cheese"



I wear jeans 511 by Levis
T-Shirt by H&M
Shirt by Levi's
Sneakers by Converse
Cap by All Saints
Perfume "A Man" by T.Mugler

Vintage Girl - Rue Tiquetonne - Paris

Safety, Risky, Danger

Safety, Risky, Danger

This is a three-stage drill meant to help jammers find holes in the pack, teach them to break through blockers without assistance, and build their confidence.

As a bonus, it teaches blockers to form a cohesive pack when at a disadvantage and helps them understand the importance of communication and passive blocking.

This drill works very well with smallish groups and is just as good for the experienced jammer as it is for the player who is starting to make a transition to jamming.

I've found this drill works best if you explain the rules one portion at a time, and then have the skaters do the drill the way you just outlined.

Phase 1: Safety

Make a pack of about 10-15 blockers and get them moving at a normal pack pace (I have also done this drill with as few as 6-8 blockers, though it is not as challenging for the jammers if they are experienced).

The pack has to follow these rules:
Blockers can move laterally (from side to side) on the track in any way they want. They can hop, veer, crossover, whatever, as long as they do it often and randomly.
Blockers cannot look behind them. The rear of the pack has to let the front of the pack know when they are getting too far ahead. This is probably the most difficult rule for the pack to follow at this point.
Blockers cannot talk about or verbally communicate the jammer's position to the rest of the pack.
Blockers are not actively trying to stop the jammer, they're just presenting moving obstacles.
Now, send your jammers through one a time, a few seconds apart. Encourage the jammers to watch the movement of the blockers' hips so they can anticipate the holes, and to keep their speed up as they hit the pack. This should be like a game of Asteroids for them, where they are just avoiding the moving players.

To keep the pack engaged in the drill, remind the blockers that this is their chance to be working on their agility by moving quickly around the track, and to practice staying packed up tight. Encourage them to change positions within the pack.

Run this for 5 minutes or so, or until the jammers start feeling confident or the blockers start getting bored.

Phase 2: Risky
The jammers job is till the same, but the pack now follows a new set of rules:
Blockers can now look behind them.
They can now communicate the jammer's position to the rest of the pack.
Blockers can also now try to actively stop the jammer, but NO CHECKING! Only booty blocks (or passive blocking or The Ass of Fury, or whatever your league likes to call it) are allowed.
The jammers are going to feel more challenged by this, but they will find that the first round has made them more able to see holes.

This phase is great for encouraging blockers to talk to one another, since they've just seen what a handicap it is when they don't communicate, so remind them to do so. The blockers should also be working on their "smear" or "swipe" (veering across the jammer so that their booty goes right into her crotch, throwing her off balance) and practicing their snow plow like crazy.

Once again, run this for about 5 minutes, or until antsy-ness is evident.
Phase 3: Danger
It is, as they say, "on". Jammers are still going it alone, but now the blockers are off the leash.
Blockers can now check the jammer. Observe the evil grins when you declare this new rule.
You may, depending on your players, remind your girls that since the jammer is a lone ranger, as it were, to keep their checking to say, 50% power, if you don't want them breaking each other before a bout. Use your judgment and knowledge of your skaters.

Your jammers will no longer be having be having the sort of cats-away-mice-will-play fun they were having at the beginning of the drill, and you may even hear a little whining. Punk N' Pi suggests reminding the jammers that if they can make one legal pass through a pack of 10-15 vengeful blockers alone, they should be able to get through the toughest pack in a bout, when they will have help.

Jammers will typically do very well in the last stage, and may even surprise themselves, since the first two phases have forced them to focus on exploiting holes and getting through while keeping their speed up.

Only run this for a couple minutes, especially if your jammers are getting bounced around a lot. If you like, you can run it from the top a second time, either keeping the same groups, or changing them up.

Virginie - Rue Montorgueil - Paris

Virginie

" ... I work for AgnèsB Brand
For me Fashion is a manner to express myself.
Today my look has a "Capri" side Look.
My message to the world: Travel in Italy ! ..."



I wear a dress by AgnèsB
Shoes found in Portugal
Basket by AgnèsB
Perfume: An Italian Secret
(a mix of Musk and Orange Blossom)

Olivia - Etienne Marcel - Paris

Olivia
" ... I work as Sales Assistant in a Levi's Store
I am very interested in Fashion. I read a lot of magazines
and I love it ! Today my look is a mix = Street-wear
If I had 1 000€ to sped in Fashion Stuff, I would buy
a Louis Vutton Bag. I love to be kidding and have a laugh.
I hate injustice. My message to the world: Have fun !"



I wear a jacket by no particular brand
Shorts and sleeveless T-shirt by Levi's
Sneakers Air Jordan by NIKE
Earrings by Galeries Lafayettes
Perfume: "Dior Addict"

195s

$386(The Tuner package is the one i'd like with the upgraded Aluminum plates)

[411$ w/shipping]

It is advised to get ankle booties and use heat to stretch the counters on the inside, they are said to be extremely hard.

Reidell 195 - Another low ankle boot but this one laces all the way down to the toes. Really nice comfortable boot. Comes with the shearling tongue. Flat sole. Only downside for derby with this boot and the 811 is that many people have trouble with their heel coming up/slipping. However we have a few top skaters on our league who swear by them and won't use anything else, so again a lot of personal preference.

Wheels & Skates

I stood on one of those Dr.Scholls foot detector things yesterday.

Said I have a high arch and high foot pressure.

I'm still trying to find the right skate, i'm wondering about getting a pair of 195s from Sin City.

I really love 'em i'm thinking of getting aluminum plates to be sure though.

However, these are more advanced boots and i'm wondering if I should wait a year or two till my R3's are dust and i'm an above average derby skater before I get them?

I'm going to ask around for advice.

Wheels

Zodiacs

Béatrice - Rue Tiquetonne - Paris

Béatrice
" I work for an Insurance Company.
In Fashion, I don't read to much
magazines. I just look at people
in the street as inspiration. Today, my look
is the favorite outfit of my boy-friend.
If I had 1 000€ to spend in Fashion, I would
buy a pair of YSL shoes.
I love to read books. I hate Brussels sprouts.
My message to the world: Give me a break and leave me alone !"



I wear a simple 20€ shirt
Jeans by Edwin
Shoes by MiuMiu
Belt by Le Comptoir des Cotonniers
bag by Minelli. Sunnies by Diesel.
Perfume: none, never.

2000 000 - Merci - Thank you !

It's time to go back to work.
Easy Fashion Paris had its 2 000 000th visitor last week.
I could'nt imagine that, when I started my little blog.
It's a great pleasure for me. Thanks to all my models.
Thanks for all your comments that encouraging me !

Easy Fashion Fred

Pierre - Rue Tiquetonne - Paris

Pierre
"I am Graphist and Stylist
I work for DIESEL Store
Each part of my outfit is like a
word in a sentence.
My look is techno-animal.
If I had 1 000€ to spend in a
Fashion Item. I would buy
Givenchy golden boots.
I love small pleasures and
golden shoes
I hate disrespect
My message to the world:
Listen to yourself and express
yourself".



I wear a jacket by Maison Martin Margiela
Pants "Black Gold" by Diesel
Boots Ikitabi by Trazita
Waistcoast by All Saints
T-Shirt by Sandro
Vintage Shirt
Tie by Diesel
Necklace by myself
Perfume by Comme des Garçons

Derby Tips & Tricks

Jammer Tips:

Hip pads, or Azz Pads will help a lot. Get the ones with hard plastic shells on the hips that skateboarders and snowboarders use.

Another trick, watch for the hits that are coming at you. If you see it coming, but don't have time to avoid it, you can take the momentum out of the hit by hitting them first. If you beat the hit, even by a split second, and hit the other person before they hit you, their momentum is forced back into them, rather than into you. You will be able to knock them down with the power of their own hit.

Another one, if you are jamming, learn the hip check and USE IT. This is where you give your hip a little flick like you are doing the bump with someone. Hitting someone, even gently, in the hip immediately takes them off balance because it's where their center of gravity lies. You can also do a booty bumo type of hit where just as the hit is coming to you, you turn your back so that they end up hitting you as you poke out your hit and butt. This will take their momentum, keep you on your feet, and could get the hitter a back blocking penalty.

Last one--are you trying to take corners on the outside? Big no no. Good blockers pray that a jammer will take the outside on the way into a turn. That sweet spot is the most fabulous place to hit a jammer and with little effort, send them flying and sprawling off the track. As you get to the turns, do everything possible to cut immediately to the inside or at least middle of the track. You will live longer!

The fastest path on a derby track is to cut close on the corners then cross out on the straights and back into the next corner.
Of course, that assumes there's no one there trying to stop you. When going into the pack, you will have to be more maneuverable and juke inside from the outside. Still, as a general rule of thumb, the jammer should take the inside to get through the pack. If you end up on the outside on the sweet spot--you could be dead meat unless you've timed it perfectly and stay super low to avoid detection. There's an art to taking the outside, and it takes a good bit to learn.

* skate low, you have probally read this a hundred times, but for the love of derby, SKATE F****NG LOW!!! and HIT low as well! the best way to take out a big blocker is hitting her in her thigh, when she doesn't see you cause you are skating so low.
* constantly look around NO MATTER WHAT. even if you are trying to assist the jammer, look on both sides of you, cause if you get blind sided you are useless to the jammer while you are on the ground, and yer ass is gonna hurt.

As for developing your speed, you need to try to add variable speed work to your skating workouts. Fartlek is great, or get in a speed line and practice intermittent sprints and recovery. That is the best way to increase speed IMO.

As to shortening your stride--I would say no to that. You should be able to take some shorter choppy steps if needed (duckwalk type of sprint steps) but overall, a strong long stride is a benefit you don't want to loose.

The thing is know when to do what. Long strides are for when you are catching back up to the pack. Shorter and more maneuverable ones are to get you through the pack.

Get Low. The lower, the better. Try for a 90 degree knee bend. Over longer distances, you won't be able to maintain this, but bend 'em as much as you can.

Keep your weight centered and off of your toes. Push through the center of the frames. As an exercise, think about pushing through the heels at the end of the stroke. Make your heel-wheel the last wheel to leave the pavement at the end of the stroke. If your feet are cramping after every jam or on long warmup drills, lace your skates up every other hole. This reduces the pressure on the top of the foot when you lean into and around turns 1 and 3.

If you still get cramps, or feel out of control, loosen your trucks a little so you get more give on the turns, making your crossovers tighter.If this adjustment helps, in the long run you will need to get softer bushings, but just playing with the tightness will help diagnose the problem.

if the truth is to be told, then a good jammer NEVER glides, they cross the entire track, which should be completed in an oblong oval around the track by taking the outside on the straightaways and then cutting to the inside line on the "corner". This will get the jammer max speed, continually crossing over.

Falling Tips:

Fall small.
practice your falling techniques!
always turn to yer side when you are falling. (it sounds like you are doing this, so if you don't want the impact to hurt, keep rolling in the direction you are moving.)
remember physical science in high school? it is all about your energy, where it is directed , your momentum and enertia. i forget which one is which sometimes, but i remember that energy has to be released, and there is a reaction for every action.
you should be practicing falling WHEN EVER you put your knee pads on

*double knee fall- do this like a rock star, take a few strides and fall on your knees, at the same time raise your arms and LEAN BACK! if you don't lean back you are gonna be sorry, and break your knees. i have the most trouble with this when we are just practicing.
*single knee falls- do equal amounts on both knees. try single knee 180s, this will help you keep from sliding off the track and keep you in control. the better you get at these falls the better you will be at derby! being able to POP UP is priceless!!
*baseball slides(wear all gear!!!)- This is best used for not killing any body if you were knocked out of bounds and headed toward the crowd. it looks great and is O SO MUCH FUN! i will give directions for a right foot slide.
~pick up some speed(for more fun and more slide) destribute all of your body weight onto right foot. pick up left skate and drop BEHIND right foot(hitting your left knee pad on the floor), at the same time, lean back and to the left. It looks like you are making the number 4 with your legs and falling back and to the left. you can slide and slide and slide if you do this right.

Hitting Tips:

In most any sport, making a good hit is all about timing. You have to make sure your opponents weight is shifted to the side that you want her to go, before you hit her. If you are on her inside, and want her to go outside, wait till her weight is on her outside leg, then explode from a lower position, up into Her. If you are not big, or fast, you will need to be accurate in your timing. Basically try to hit them when they are off balance in the direction you want them to go.

It's not necessarily hitting HARD that's important, it's following through with the hit. Don't just hit and then back off. Hit through the person you're hitting. Aim for their opposite side. Like if I were skating next to X on her right side and wanted to hit her, I would get down low, and hit, making sure I hit and KEEP contact so all energy flows where you want it.

Strengthen your core. Your core is your most important muscle group in derby. It keeps you balanced, which will allow you to hit better and harder. Do ab twists, crunches, wall sits, etc. Anything to improve your core. These things can all be done at home, you don't even have to go to the gym! Which is a huge plus if you're someone like me who's pressed for time.

Also, an important part of blocking is simply keeping that jammer behind you. Use your hips and booty. Practice skating low and really using what your mama gave you to make it hard for her to get around you.

Try to put your shoulder in their hip. Don't try to just go shoulder to shoulder. Most opponents are ready for that. Do a quick drop and hit them where they aren't defending themselves.

First drill point, is keep your knees bent while doing this exercise. What your going to practice is what we in Roller Derby have done for years to develop our blocking ability. Your going to Push-Glide and how that's done is simple, you won't lift or pick up your skates from the floor but push and glide, leaning to the right while while pushing with your left leg and skate and then just the opposite, leaning to the left and push with the right. continue this exercise for at least 3 to 4 laps. Very simply this exercise will force you to keep your body weight over your skates and that is the first key in developing good blocking habits. Remember to keep those knees bent. The better you get at this the less your upper body will sway and your balance will improve greatly. Blocking Derby style is simply staying alert and by that I mean, You learn to know where your at and everyone else is. Don't think this alone will make you a great blocker but master it and you will have the first most important element BALANCE.

By the way keep your elbows bent while doing this push-glide and juking with your upper body.

Footwork:

Blocking power can come from speed instead of size, so use your skating skills to your advantage. You have probably done drills where you cut from one side of the track to the other, or where you veer through cones placed in a wide zig-zag pattern. That's the move you need to use, that quick cut from one side of the track to the other.

Make sure you lead with the foot that's on the same side you are blocking toward. Turn that toe and knee out toward your target and focus the weight on that foot into the outside of your heel. You should be able to lift your front wheels clear off the floor once you get comfortable with it. At the same time, dig in with your other foot and carve a half circle toward the side you are blocking on, like when you skate with all eight on the floor. The weight in that skate should be focused on the inside edge and you should push through the heel, almost pivoting on the front wheels.

Really drive your hips into it like you're skiing and remember that the deeper you scissor your legs from front to back and from side to side, the faster you can cut. Lead into it with your hip and really commit to the block.

Make sure you are skating in a proper stance. Your knees should be flexed pretty deeply, your ass should be down, not up in the air and you should be low, wide, and balanced. This makes you hard to knock down, and when you're hitting someone, most of the time it's the lower, more stable skater who will stay on their feet.

Block Smarter:

Use the corners to your advantage. When you block with a quick cut from the inside of a corner to the outside, where centripetal force is on your side, you don't need a ton of power to knock down a larger skater.

If you're smaller, don't forget you can work with your teammates on whipping and pushing you into blocks for more power. This is especially effective if you have a 1-2 blocker combo where you have a larger, power hitter, and a smaller, agile blocker. The power blocker can take on the big girls and focus on forceouts, and the agile blocker an move quickly for surprise hits or to get in front of a jammer for a positional block, lining her up for a takeout by the power hitter. I work with bigger girl on my team this way. She knows to whip and throw me into the jammer, I know to use her as a screen and line up hits for her. And I'm quick enough that when she falls behind the pack, I can give her a push to help her catch up and then run up past her myself.

Use 6.2.10 to your advantage. Make the opposing skater, especially the jammer, cut the track by blocking her to the inside, especially on the corners where she can easily re-enter illegally before she can stop herself. I've also seen lots of blockers hit a jammer out of bounds and then slow almost to a stop, making her wait to re-enter or get the penalty, although personally, I think it's a pretty cheap rule loophole, you will usually get away with it.

Be sneaky. The hardest hit is the one you don't see coming. So hit girls on the side they aren't looking on. A great place to do this is on the corners when blockers look over their left shoulder for the jammers. As soon as you see the back of an opposing blocker's helmet, knock her into the infield.

Be unpredictable. Don't telegraph your block by looking at the girl you want to hit, tensing your body, and lining her up. She will see it coming a mile away and you'll whiff the block big time. Use your peripheral vision and work on your timing, so you can move at the last second and still connect.

Use your strongest weapons against their weakest points. In roller derby that usually means a hip check to the mid thigh. You'd be surprised at how many skaters you can take out with a hard block, low in the legal zone, when you could shoulder check them all day and just bounce off. A great way to use a hip check is actually to aim for the inside of the opposing skater's thigh, on her outside leg. So you actually cut in front of her body and hit on the inside of her leg instead of hitting her in her side. Time it right and it will usually take a skater right out.

Learn to block backward. I can't stress enough how important blocking to the front of the body is. I don't even try to check girls shoulder to shoulder anymore because it's a waste of my energy. Instead, I focus on using my shoulders to hit girls in the chest, or if you get low and swoop upward, in the solar plexus, which is even better. For hips, hit them in the front of the thighs, crotch, or stomach, which will really mess up their skating stance and force them out of balance. The can opener is your friend.

Cut: turn sharply and quickly toward your opponent. Try to get your feet just in front of hers.

Down: just as you near her, drop down as low as you can (without getting under her knees, of course)

Up: as soon as you make contact (I use the whole side of my body from hips to shoulders) pop up sharply and drive your weight through her body.

Follow up by muscling into her spot (rather than retreating back into your old one). If I do one of the three, I annoy her, two of the three, I'll move her, and all three I can often knock her down.

Agility tips:

pack up on the jammer line and walk on their toe stops 3 laps around the track. Good for overall balance.

1) Having trouble weaving past the pack.

Learn to be patient, don't just plow into the pack and hope that you will find your way through. Skate toward the pack, hang at the back weaving back and forth. When an opening presents itself, pick your line and pass through. If you get caught in behind the other teams blockers it can be hard to get free and this will waste a lot of time.

Practice your lateral movement, this includes being able to do tight crossovers in both directions and little steps. Practice skating around the track doing zigzags back and forth using crossovers and little steps.

A good drill is to skate in a pacing line, and have the gal in the back weave through the line. She steps (not slalom) in ( a step to the left) between the first two girls in the line and then crossovers out. Then she steps in between the next two girls and then crossovers out etc....

Practice starts and stops. A good jammer needs explosive speed. She must be able to go from almost a stop to a full out sprint instantly. This is not just for the start of the jam but as a way to make it through the pack. When an opening presents itself you have to be able to take it.

2) Hitting

Try stepping into your hits. As you go to hit a girl, stomp your inside skate to the ground. You will find that you will hit 3 times at hard without even trying. You have to do it in one solid strong motion. At the very second you throw your weight at her, you stomp your inside foot. It sends a shock wave through the oponent.

Work on hip checks. Make contact with your hips first. This is hard to learn but it is really efficient. When you strike this way, you send girls flying.

Breathe out when you make a hit. To make sure that you do this, it is helpful to yell or swear when you make contact. If you are breathing out when you hit, you will hit harder.

Captains, Work and Derby

Our team captains are:

Dotty B.

Lightweight Champ

Sweet D. Struction

YAY!

I'm so excited to be drafted!

I had work today and confirmed some of my new work days/times.

I'm finishing up our poster and met with the instructor we'll be assisting this year for Writing Fellows.

I really love the Divine 265 Skates

I found these shorts and I want them too.

I have practice here soon, three hour practice; endurance, hitting group, scrimmaging.

I made sure to eat meat, a full serving of veggies and a full serving of fruit.

I am SO ready!

Skates and more

The voting for captain closes tonight, then the draft party is next monday.

Eeep!

I'm going this Saturday down to St.Louis to Rockstar Skates to try on new skates and get properly fitted. I don't think I have the right size.

So i'm excited about that!

They have a St.Chux bout that night too, which would be a lot of fun, but i'm not sure if I can afford it.

It all depends.

I've been looking at some skates I like, i'd like to try them on down at Rockstar Skates once she finds my size and specifications.

Divine 265

*They are Vegan, I LOVE the white pair with the black marking. I'm wondering how well they work with scuff marks and such though*

Vixen 165

*I like these more and more when I look at them.*

I got my textbooks today and a few other things from the bookstore.

Next monday school starts, and Wednesday is the official start of my Art Show so i've got some work to do!

New Skates?

Vandal 265

$324.00 (with shipping)

I need to get a new pair of skates and use my current pair for outdoor skating.

American Culture

I received an email today about a concept called Breast Ironing in Cameroon, where they iron down the breasts and it can cause the disappearance of one or both breasts among other health concerns.

Here are my thoughts:

On one hand yes, the idea of mutilating someone because they believe it helps prevent early pregnancy and other immoral things, makes me a little squeamish. However, how is that different from what we do in our own country? People say, well we don't mutilate our children. Yes we do! Have you ever seen those 3-6 year olds with spray tans, flippers, make up etc.? Do they really get a choice in the matter? No! What about infants that get their ears pierced? They are giving their child an extra hole in the body (which constitutes mutilation) because they think it is desirable in some way. Not to mention that it is almost always done with a gun, guns cause trauma to the skin because it is a blunt object being forced through your ear, it causes extra pain because it tears through the tissue.

What about how people are giving 4-9 year old girls BIKINI WAXES?! That is mutilation, anything that changes your appearance is considered mutilation, these girls actually will STOP growing body hair after the 3-4th wax. These people believe that the coarse black hair that grows is considered ugly and that they will be made fun of. Why?! Since when did our society turn into one that celebrates things that aren't natural and aren't real, to the extent that we are physically changing our children to be perfect barbie dolls? Most of the girls in other countries that undergo things like the breast ironing or vaginal sewing truly believe it makes them beautiful or better, if you tell them it doesn't they don't understand because IT IS THEIR CULTURE! Who are we to tell them they are fucked up and should be stopped when we are no better?! WHY do we feel like we are so much better and more "progressive" than them because they are still living in tribal states? We have a fucked up tribal state we live in, one that tells people it isn't 'normal' to be smart, to not have perfect breasts, to not have perfect teeth, to not have perfect skin etc.

So many teenage girls suffer from eating disorders, suffer from mental disorders or desperately believe that getting breast implants, getting a tummy tuck or a face lift will make them more beautiful. When you tell them it won't they don't understand, this is the culture of America. What about how little girls get the sluttiest clothes now-a-days and many start participating in sexual acts in PRIMARY SCHOOL! Girls actually PRETEND to be STUPID because that is how they feel they will be loved and appreciated by men! We give our youth so much shit that tells them they have to be perfect, nobody will love you if you aren't. How is this truly different than what they do to girls in tribal African Countries that we constantly put down for their culture and the way they treat women, when we treat our women just as badly if not worse at times.

We get inside the heads of our women and tell them they aren't beautiful, they aren't loved and aren't desirable because they don't fit a mold. In many ways fucking with someones mental state is a lot more damaging than mutilating their bodies. We take away any sense of self-esteem or of personal satisfaction, teenage girls are stripped of this at an early age by peers, parents (at times) and the media! How about we worry about fixing how fucked up we are before we go to other countries and tell them how terrible they are because they participate in a form of mutilation we don't? What if they came to us and told us how fucked up we were because of what we do to our little girls? Or how we let 16yr olds get breast implants to be popular(maybe bobby will notice me!) and give them a false sense of self worth? We force our children into doing things they don't want to do or things they can't make true decisions about, but we do it because we believe we are making their lives and futures better. The tribes are the same way but we treat them like they are beneath us because we don't share the same materialistic values. It is like an American going to a South American country and saying your disgusting for eating bugs(most countries do except America) you should eat processed meat. Really? 'Cause i'm 110% sure that eating bugs is WAAAY better for you than processed meat. We have such a plastic society that we lift ourselves up on a false sense of righteousness because we have so much more advanced things and that makes us better. That alone is proof that we(as a whole) have no real sense of self, we don't have a real understanding of ourselves and we rip that from our children because we want them to become who we want them to become, who the media tells them and us is the way they will be accepted and loved.

We have such a jagged and narrow view of the world, but yet we are considered to be a place of acceptance a place of opportunity. Is this why homosexuals can't get married in over 50% of the states? Is this why Christianity is considered to be the unspoken religion of America? Is this why many Americans think English is our language and everyone needs to speak it in order to live here? Is this why people still get fired for being Muslim, Jewish or Pagan?

I'm not saying there isn't a lot of good in America, because there is, however, there isn't enough good for us to go around telling other cultures what to do when our own culture has many faults that are mirror images of the faults we are telling them are wrong.

Why don't we stop telling everyone else what to do and start fixing our own culture, eh?

The 'we' is a generalized 'we' for everyone in America. You may be an exception or maybe you aren't, either way you are somehow affected by American Society in some way.

How do you feel about it?

First Mini Bout!

We had a scrimmage bout/mini bout, there were 5 girls on the white team and 6 on the black team.

10 minutes of jam time, 5 minute break, 10 minutes of jam time.

Needless to say, we didn't get a break in between jams.

Which was really hard.

I jammed for the first time ever!

I got out of the pack first, but cut the track so I wasn't lead.

I got a lot of compliments when I was jamming and some when I was blocking.

We have our team captain votes here in the next week, then draft results and the draft party the day I go back to school.

I'm applying for captain, we are going to have three home teams and our first bout in September as teams.

Shoes

I like both of these, i'd probably buy the first pair over the second though.

However, WINKLEPICKERS are my main concern for footwear right now.

I'm going to buy a pair for 100$ from the UK when I get my grant money.

Ahhh they shall be mine soon enough.

Right now I am consulting a friend of mine from Chicago who has a pair.

Asking her about sizing (because not only do they run small but they are also in UK sizing), how well do they hold up etc.

I am ecstatic about getting a pair.

EEP!

I've wanted them for so long!

*sigh of happiness*

Derby Skinz/Hot pants ideas

I'm thinking of ideas for hot pants.

There is this fabric available on Derby Skinz.

I like the idea of a plain black fabric hot pant with the phrase "So it Goes" on it.

Or

Plaid pants with black skeleton hands and zippers on the front.

Or

Is a good color.

It also slightly depends on the team colors once i'm drafted.

Scrimmage Ready

Yesterday was our draft test, the test you have to pass in order to be drafted onto a local team.

We find out the results next week and we then nominate our captains, we are going to have three local teams.

From the batch of us that have passed the draft test the captains choose the rosters for their teams.

I'm excited and I hope I get drafted, we made it optional for the captains to choose whether or not to draft everyone who passes.

After that, we'll have colors and a name/theme.

I'm so excited for it!

I am also looking for another job two-three nights a week or sunday morning if you're Barnes and Nobles.

Tomorrow i'm applying for the downtown library.

Alec and I are trying to move out and in with one another.

Yesterday, I became eligible for scrimmage group, therefore I can now scrimmage and I scrimmaged four on four with one jammer twice yesterday. Three more times and I am officially ready to scrimmage like a real bout.

Yesterday was also tryouts and we've got 15 new girls.

Which is pretty insane.

This weekend I've got an art show and i'm going to Canton, IL with the girls at 5:30am.

So...early....

Next week, Aug 15th is Alec's birthday.

I've got to spend the next two weeks making up two posters for my Publications Management job and i'm getting some extra cash too.

August 23rd, first day of school and my other art show.

I got business cards.

I'm so busy!

Shades - Paris Fashion Week

Clothes and Places to go!

I've been looking up places to go when in Chicago, alternative stores.

There is an ice cream place and a cupcake shop i'd like to check out.

The Alley:

3228*

$23.oo

*I like it*

I could add some patches and such.

$54.95

*I LOVE her hair!*

$17.95

*I could paint on these*

$10.95

OR

Any color that corresponds with my team colors!

$10.95

Broken Cherry

1734 W North AveL 60622

*They sell Derby Merch!*

$4.00

*Patch*

$13.00

Ragstock

8120657

$22.99

Food places in Chicago

I Cream

*Custom Ice Cream made on the spot with Nitrogen.

Bleeding Heart Bakery

*Punk Rock Cupcake Store with Vegan Cupcakes.

Glenn's Diner

*Diners, Drive Ins and Dives featured them for their Crab Cakes.

Smoque

*Diners, Drive Ins and Dives featured them for their BBQ.

White Palace Grill

*DDD, open 24/7.

Cemitas Puebla

*DDD, Pobalno food.

Vito and Nicks II

*DDD, Best Pizza.

Kuma's Corner

*DDD, Best Burgers.

Depot American Diner

*DDD

Tre Kronor

*DDD

Honky Tonk BBQ

*DDD

Taste of Peru

*DDD, Authentic.

Springfield

Charlie Parker's Diner