#foregin model

[cardboardheartss]

Lesbian Icons Chart Analysis

Lesbian Icons mentioned : Syd • Hayley Kiyoko • Chappell Roan • Lizeth Selene • Amandla Stenberg •

For my fellow Sapphic/Bisexual followers or blog lurkers, this reading is for you all! All I’m doing today is analyzing charts of our current lesbian representatives, to see what type of partners they attract or are currently in relationships with. Maybe you could use this to figure out your future partners/ideal types too!

Chappell Roan

Chappell’s 7H has her Revati (Pisces) Saturn. This placement could indicate that it could take her a while to find the “perfect” relationship, as she will want a partner who will love her as much as she loves them. Saturn square Uttara Ashadha (Sagittarius) Venus, Chappell has mentioned multiple times that she is not into one-night stands; this placement also could mean Chappell could struggle to develop relationships with foreigners.

Her 7H ruler, Neptune is in Uttara Ashadha (Capricorn) along with her Uranus (Shravana) in her 5H. Chappell could have a fruitful relationship with an older woman, as they could relate to one another well and her Uranus is trine her Anuradha (Scorpio) Moon and Pluto, Chappell and her partner will have many deep and intense conversations, and they will truly trust one another a lot!

Hayley Kiyoko

Hayley is also similar with Chappell as she could also struggle or experience delays in being in relationships with other women. Shravana (Capricorn) Saturn trine Anuradha (Scorpio) Moon, her ideal partner and Hayley will also have an intese and deeply connected relationship, they’ll both connect and understand each other in an emotional way.

Hayley has an Aswini (Aries) Venus, meaning her approach or character in relatioships is usally dominant and passionate. Her venus is Square Vishakha (Libra) Pluto, the intensity this woman has could kind of scare the Femme’s away a little, if i’m being honest. The perfect fit for Hayley is definitely a foregin woman; since her Venus trines her Purva Ashadha (Sagittarius) Uranus and Neptune.

Hayley unfortunately has her 9H Revati (Pisces) Sun square all her Purva Ashadha (Sagittarius) placements, this could indicate how she could struggle with the cultural differences with her spouse, as they’ll both want to follow their own cultures and customs.

Syd

Syd has her Aswini Sun 10° (Capricorn Degree) in the 7H. Her main image and career are about relationships since she makes Many love songs and openly expresses her queerness. Syd has her Sun trine Magha (Leo) Jupiter 11H, it seems as if her music has allowed her to build and be a part of a Black queer community where she has met a few romantic counterparts.

Luckily for Syd, I see when she met her wife Ariana Simone, it was like “Love at first sight” for her. When she saw Ariana for the first time, she knew that she was the perfect one. The Magha Jupiter also indicates how her spouse is well known, as she is a model.

Syd has her Revati Venus square her Purva Ashadha (Sagittarius), meaning she could also have attempted to date a foreigner and it did not end that well, since it’s in the 3H, it could be because of a Language barrier or maybe even the siblings, or both of their friend groups told them that they’re not meant to be.

Apart from that; wishing Syd and Ariana to have a long-lasting relationship filled with genuine love from both sides! <3

Lizeth Selene

Lizeth has a 7H Uttara Bhadra (Pisces) Jupiter, this placement could indicate that this woman could go through many relationships in this life time, or she could put her all in relationships and will love her partner down! Jupiter trine Punarvasu (Cancer), this aspect could indicate how Lizeth will treat her partner like how she treats her friends, or even this aspect could indicate how she will openly post her partner or share posts that relate to their relationship.

Sun square Uttara Ashadha (Capricorn) NeptuneThe perfect partner for Lizeth could be a mature/older women but Lizeth prefers to date women who are open emotionally and aren’t too strict. If this is not her type, then Lizeth could go for a really pretty woman (9H Rohini Moon), this partner could love travelling, or could be a foreigner her self, she’ll have balanced energy that Lizeth will need as this Moon is Trine her Shravana (Capricorn) Uranus and Uttara Ashadha Capricorn) Neptune.

Amandla Stenberg

Amandla has their 7H Ardra (Gemini) house ruler in their 11H full of their Chitra (Libra) Venus and Sun, as well as Vishakha (Libra) Mercury. Amandla seems to fall for their friends A LOT, heavy on the Friends-to-lovers romance trope over here. Amandla has their Mercury trine Purva Bhadra (Aquarius) Jupiter, Amandla picks their friends wisely, they have mentioned how they are apart of a huge queer community, so that is where they’re able to find their girlfriend.

Just like all the lesbians in this post, Amandla could also struggle to be in a relationship with older women. These women could be perfect for them, in a sense of financial stability, since the placements of Neptune and Uranus are in her 2H.

After analysing all these charts, I realised how I kept on picking up on specific placements like Capricorn Neptune and Uranus. Instead of assuming that they don't want to be in a relationship with older women, what if these placements indicate how Sapphic women and the rest of the LGBTQIA + community have these negative/harsh aspects with Saturn placements because they don't conform to societal standards... with heterosexuality?!

[opmun2020parl]

[LATEST] Singapore General Elections Coming, Different Political Parties Coming Up with Manifestoes to Restore Confidence

The Straits Times, 1 June 2020, 14:33hrs

The General Elections that everyone has been looking forward to has finally begun. This is a crucial event, especially following the recent series of events that showed Singapore's vulnerability to foreign interference.

To restore confidence in the current and prospective parliament members, Elections Department Singapore has requested a manifesto to be submitted from all political parties. The Straits Times has gathered the respective parties' manifestoes, and they have been summarised below. You can also click on the parties' names to access their respective manifestoes.

Workers' Party

Revising national education curriculum to understand the Singaporean constitution, and its legislative body,

Limits authority to deal with media issues to respective courts in Singapore,

Transparency by releasing state documents periodically,

Form the office of an Ombudsman to investigate complaints against civil servants, and,

Establishment of a three-strike penalty system to people found guilty in foreign interfeerence involvement.

People's Action Party

More robust mechanism for the monitoring of social media accounts, posts, and disseminated information,

Focus on vulnerable groups such as students, the elderly and lower-income households that are more susceptible to foreign interference, and

Make political and social happenings accessible to all, including the relooking at political donations, electoral integrity, and accountability to Singaporeans.

Progress Singapore Party

Enforce accountability and transparency, especially in the case of Politically Significant Persons and political donations,

Advocate for the freedom of speech,

Maintaining a strong opposition voice in the Parliament, and

Increase in social interactions between MPs and citizens.

Red Dot Party

Censorship on sensitive information,

Authorisation of self-declared political donations,

Removal of the CMIO Model, and

Increase the number of foregin worker permits.

The Straits Times will continue to closely monitor the progress of the elections, and release first-handed analysis. We urge all eligible voters to exercise their vote sensibly.

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[groovyzombiellama]

Imagine: You’re an Asian-American model and engaged to Scout Taylor-Compton

Hope you like it anon, sorry for not posting sooner :)

I was working all day with one of my friends to fix a translation from our third friend on a project we are doing, because she butchered it, literally. She translated papa de remoto origen from Spanish to Serbian, not as potato of remote/foregin origin which it is supposed to be, but instead as a potato with a remote control/magic wand, because remoto is translated in our language as remote control also... so I’m exausted and just couldn’t post, since it has been a long ass process, from Friday to now...

Anywayy

Buy me a coffee?: https://ko-fi.com/groovyzombiellama

[sentient-stove]

Clipped

So the wing AU fad lasted a day.  But is that going to stop me from posting this story? No.  Anyway, thanks to @thechatsmeow  for kinda kickstarting this, it’s ages better than adrichat as a trend.

I guess I thought that Gabriel would definitely clip Adrien’s wings and the aftermath would definitely be emotionally scaring for the sunshine kid, so here:

Clipped.

       Chat stretched his wings experimentally and looked over the edge of the roof.  The flight feathers were gone and the second that his father had brought him home, he’d ran as Chat, ran to a rooftop far enough that he could try flying.

It didn’t matter that it wasn’t going to work.

“CHAT.”

He looked to see Marinette of all people, fliting across the street, coming towards him, a look of panic on her face.   She landed on the roof  and ran to him, breathless with a few of her feathers spiraling out from her wings.

“Who did this to you?”  She whispered, her hands reaching out to examine the glossy black wings that looked foregin with the flight feathers gone.

“Doesn’t matter.”  Chat Noir tried to tug his wing out of her grasp, but Marinette held on, steely determination in her eyes.

“It’s unethical.  And cruel.  Chat, you have to tell me who did it to you.  Was it an akuma?”

“No.”  He pulled his wing from her hand and turned away, holding them closer to his body, hiding the hurt.   Marinette walked around to face him, her feet on the edge of the roof.

“Was it the same person who said you weren’t allowed to fly?”  she asked quietly.  Chat Noir looked down at his feet and let his wings hang with defeat as he nodded.   Marinette’s wings flared with anger and she grabbed his shoulders.

“My house.  Now.”  she grabbed his hand and pulled them the way that she had come.

When they’d reached the other edge, he saw the familiar balcony that was only a quick jump for him and a glide for Marinette.  She let go of his hand and jumped, blue black wings spreading, feathers shimmering as she landed gently on her balcony.

Chat jumped, awkwardly hitting down, wings struggling without the proper feathers to guide him.

“Come in.”   Marinette popped open her room entrance and beckoned for him to follow.  Chat followed timidly, entering the warm room.

A few things had changed since he’d been in here last-- as Adrien, when her friends had asked him to come model-- but the place was still friendly and clean.  Marinette kicked aside a nest of blankets and pulled her swivel chair out from where it was by her sewing machine.

“Sorry about the nest, I’ve been sleeping on the ground the past few days, so I can wake up and continue on a project I’ve been working on for my friend--”  She looked at him and blushed.  “I’m rambling, sorry.”

“No, it’s nice to hear talking.”  Chat sat in the seat and spread his wings so that Marinette could look at them.

She knelt and ran her hands along the feathers, being careful as she examined the cuttings.”

“This looks professionally done, which is good, because if it was badly cut, you’d be grounded for a year, instead of closer to three months.”

“Three months is forever, what am I going to tell Ladybug?”  He buried his face in his hands and his wing accidentally whacked Marinette in the face as it folded in, trying to hide his face.

“Chat Noir, with or without wings, you’re the best partner anyone could ask for and I’m sure that Ladybug would want to hit the person who did this to you in the face with her yo-yo.”

He smiled wetly, tears running down his face.  “How are you so sure?”

Marinette grinned and wiped a few of the tears away.  “Ladybug is compassionate, and she cares about you more than you think.”  She stood up and went to her sewing machine, looking for something.  She emerged with wicked sharp fabric scissors and spread open one of her wings.

“What are you doing?”

“Supporting you.”

Clip.

…

The next day at school, Marinette kept her head down and her wings tight against her back as the stares and whispers followed her.

“Clipped wings?  Only little kids do that.”

“Look, shh.  Her wings are clipped.”

She’d clipped her wings once as a child and when Marinette walked downstairs that morning, her mother’s fallen face hurt more than when she’d walked out of the bakery with her father’s grey dove like wings fluttering with nervousness.

“Disaster Magnet Dupain-Cheng, clipped your wings to be like the rich?  Looks like garbage!”  Chloè tittered, her bleached blonde feathers shaking.  “Look at me!  I’m an eight year old!”

Sabrina shook her head sympathetically but her face slapped on a sneer when her friend looked over.

Marinette held her wings closer.

“My friend had their wings clipped without their permission, I’m supporting him.”

Alya came up behind her and wrapped one of her wings around the girl.

“Girl, what were you thinking?  There’s other ways to show support.”

Marinette shook off Alya’s wing, her blue black ones looking even smaller without the flight feathers.

The bell rang and most of the students tore their eyes away from Marinette and headed off.  Alya gave her friend one last comforting smile before jumping, one powerful flap of her wings taking her to the second floor.  Marinette started up the stairs, each step feeling a hundred times slower than it would have felt when she just walked around for fun.

Lila was at the top of the stairs.

“What happened to your wings Marinette?”  She grabbed a fistful of feathers and pulled, a few coming loose as Marinette flinched.

“Stop it Lila.”

Familiar warm wings wrapped around Marinette, golden wings that only belonged to one person.

Clipped wings, just like hers.

Adrien Agreste held Marinette close and within their wing cocoon he smiled.

“Thank you so much Marinette.”

She looked up into his face and nodded slightly.  “Someone clip your wings too?”  She asked quietly.

Adrien’s face hardened.  “My father.  I went and talked to a friend afterwards.”

The late bell rang and he moved his wings so they could walk to class,  Marinette letting her wings hang free.

Adrien was here and they’d face this together.

…

Ladybug’s wings looked different.

Instead of flight feathers, bright red ribbons hung, replacements for what she’d cut as Marinette.

“New look M’lady?”

“I heard through the grapevine that yours were clipped and I figured you shouldn’t be grounded alone.”  She looked back at Chat Noir and smiled sadly.  “Another one of my friends lost his flight feathers to his father recently and he thought I did it for him.”

Chat stiffened, his wings spiking with surprise.

“What is it Chatton?” Ladybug tilted her head as she fiddled with her yo-yo.

“Marinette?”

She dropped the yo-yo.  “What?  No, I’m not Marinette.”

“Your wings match.  They’re a bit bluer, but I recognize them anywhere.  You did clip your wings for Adrien.”

Ladybug’s eyes filled with tears and Chat Noir walked up to her, wrapping his black wings around her.

“Thank you so, so much, Buggaboo.”

Clipped.

[ivesambrose]

Pick a card | Which career is likely to nurture your soul & bring you prosperity 🍀

The cards are face up and the reading doesn't relate to the tarot card you're choosing so simply use your intuition. This is a general reading if it doesn't resonate it's not for you 💜

If you'd like to book a personal reading with me you can click here

Card 1: A career where you are your own boss or are running a small business or are a part of a small business. You could also be working in decor, aesthetics, styling and be a part of a big agency later on. I'm also picking up a career in modelling, acting and entertainment. Likely you have good hair and have and independent streak to you and may not work well under a boss or constant supervision. You can also be good at organising and maintainence, even have the skills to go for real estate. However, what will nurture you, is a career which allows you freedom and also allows you to be the center of attention for a moment after which you can come back home and retreat.

Card 2: This is a strange pile, I feel as though money is just an energy which can some easily to you once you align yourself to it. Could likely be your life path is different because for career I'm seeing that you can use your damn skills and wit or even inheritance and get damn lucky. If that's not the case you'll work hard and likely opt for a career where you can save up a lot of money and also teach others how to do the sam or teach others how to invest their money properly, guide people in financial matters etc You might just end up running some kind of business empire or working for one. Careers in finances, investment banking or even housing and property will be good for you. For some reason I heard the word 'casino' so maybe working at a big hotel or casino even? I just feel lady luck will favor you in some way in the long run.

Card 3: You have a gift in speaking and communication. Both verbal and written. Your words feel like a note wrapped nicely in a bow and placed in someone's hand when they need it the most. A career where you can simply bring comfort to others through words or messages is what I'm picking up on. Careers in counselling, blogging, singing, writing, marketing, designing something and selling too since likely you're good with persuasion which leads to sales. Add a bit of love to whatever you do.

Card 4: A career which allows you travel and live life, be in the moment. You can't stay in one place doing one thing for too long, you need to go out and explore and learn about different cultures. Careers in traveling, airlines, lodging, event management, travel vlogging or blogging, travel photography, photographer in any field in general, teaching English in a foregin language, cruise, Airways etc is where you'll feel the best in.

[existentsouls]

“i'am human.” 👸🏽✨

@sevdaliza @sevdaliza-that-other-girl

[kaoarika]

I rarely do written posts in Tumblr anymore because I am still figuring out how this new UI works in general (and there might be still be some bugs about writing posts + leaving them on drafts + publishing them accidentally as well), and tbh, between the past two months have been sorta chaotic and very mentally draining (besides some work I have been doing) and me attempting to think around some of my few active fandoms... well, haven’t had an eureka moment where I sit and write what I think about stuff.

So, let’s talk about some “stuff”.

Some days ago, I accidentally noticed by PURE CHANCE that some of the completed webtoons I was going to “eventually read” in LINE were going to get “locked”/converted  for Daily Pass. I mean, tbf, I knew that they were going to stick to this plan since past October, but it seems they really went full force this month (they only “locked” like a couple of series back then). And it’s exactly how I thought they would do so - popular series that have been already completed, old and recent.

I’m not going to complain about “Daily Pass” because I do have some thoughts about that and the fact they could use another model than just readers farming/buying coins, but, what do you do, especially since lots of these series are PRETTY long (140+ chapters long)?

My complaint does come from that, as a web user, I found this by pure chance, despite them saying they would announce what series would be locked in a 30-day advance notice. Because there’s no apparent indicator in the main page about THIS (The only Notice/News detail you see down below the page is about Canvas creators). Heck, I don’t think they even tell you about it in their mail newsletter, which kinda suck :))).

So, anyway.

I checked and, yes, a couple of VERY old series I was interested in reading were/are going to get locked. Problem, like I mentioned? THEY are pretty long! I know I can binge read as much as I want, but I cannot make miracles like reading over 100 chapters (if one series, try thinking about 2 or 3 -  I WAS NOT GOING TO DO THIS) in less than 12 hours! ESPECIALLY if those series were going to get locked THIS WEEK.

FML.

...anyway crisis was averted when I had to let go some interesting series that I may would get my way to read them (if there is a new buying/rental model they would apply) in the future... BUT I did read stuff I was curious or wanted to read... and mainly old stuff that I was willing to eventually finish one day.

Opinions on those series?

Okay, as brief and spoiler free as possible:

Untouchable: A story about modern-day vampires that instead of drinking blood, they have evolved to absorb the energy of their preys. This one is a romantic series about Sia, a vampire model and this human guy who has a very deep microphobia, and she puts her eyes on him when she realizes that his energy is like none she has tasted before. But, again, dude has microphobia (that is more or less controlled as time goes on).

I stopped reading this one for a while because  I was sorta smelling love triangle from a jealous friend of hers that OBVIOUSLY didn’t want to be looked as “just a friend”, lol. Like “how would this get solved”, kind of thing in your typical romance stuff. But then, last week I retook it... and it wasn’t as bad... but it leaks typical shoujo stuff/problems that become a newer obstacle as time goes on and on (misscomunication, lack of trust, overprotective family ANNOYINGLY hurting their own offspring, sudden deux ex machina...?). So, I think it finished fine... But man, I was so pissed off in how some stuff was managed at the end, lmao. Especially the way a “villain” was redeemed? I know that they say “karma is a b*tch”, but, DUDE KILLED PEOPLE BEFORE!? and you redeem him in a “lol, you will find out how love will make you feel” LIKe, DUDE, WHAT THE HELL. DON’T REDEEM HIM LIKE THAT.

Ghost Wife: I started reading this series in an unofficial manner a long while ago, but I supposed that the first chapters are pretty slow and it didn’t catch me on in the first place. It’s about a girl that starts seeing ghosts/spirits, and there’s this one that becomes WAY too attached to her, that offers her two options: either been eaten/killed or agreeing to be his wife. Given the title of thise series, you might wonder she accepted the second one

My lesson? Should have kept reading. The story picks up when other ghostly creatures are introduced and they start interacting with the main female character and her “ghost husband”, especially since this ghost cannot really imitate human interaction and his solution is “hypnotizing” everyone so he can “normally” fit. And the interaction between those two becomes more gracious and natural. You can feel that she likes being with him, despite the dangers of attracting ghosts that might kill her and all that. Heh.

Other lesson I had is that: the artist isn’t EXACTLY well into action scenes and some other details (but their ghostly creatures’ designs are TERRIFYING), so, I thought “well, I know there are other artists like this in the webcomic/webtoon environment, I shouldnt be too worried about my art once I get done with mine, right?

Also, some details started to make sense later on. And I cried like a baby in some moments, as well. Don’t have too many complaints, though. Perhaps more obvious “falling in love” moments... but then I realized that some actions speak lots better than words.

About Death: And speaking of “crying like a baby”, this one. This is a very old work, and it’s a gem, and it’s short, to top! And HECK, the art was AMAZING. Very touchy, and it makes you think. There’s quite a lot of South Korean webtoons that have made me cry because... they really make you think a LOT about stuff... especially about life and death.

Oh! Holy: Story about a shy and lonely loveable dork that is in love of his childhood friend, and that they eventually find each other in high school. Said childhood friend is idolized in school (but she is... hmmm... a dork as, well). Oh, he sees ghosts. OH, and she dies within the first three chapters accidentally :3. Shenanigans happen.

I HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH THIS ONE. SURE, it’s another shoujo but WAY less dramatic than Untouchable, because this was comedy (so, a rom-com!). And this one made me want more and more to read it. The characters all had an amazing personality, chemistry and their interactions were FUN AS HELL. The author seems to have my my sense of (dumb) humor, and the art was too attractive and knew where it should bright.

I don’t think I have too many complaints about this one. I may have felt unsatisfied in some minor stuff, but everything else felt “okay” to me, in general. 

A couple of things, though: localization and some quality stuff relating to translation in this series. I cannot judge the translation, but I do think it could have handled more quality checking on this one or proofreading, I’m not sure. I know that these (licensed and translated) series come in a weekly basis, but they REALLY need to pay more $$$ to their own staff to not let this stuff happen THAT frequent.

Localization is a bit of an issue I do HAVE though, and it is the same as in “Ghost Wife” and some other recent Korean series they have licensed in the recent past: Why using English-localized names, though? SURE, they retain their original last Korean names... but... why don’t keep their FULL NAMES, I wonder? I mean, weren’t we supposed to be over that kind of stuff already (videogames, JPN anime, manga other foregin stuff)? Is it because marketability? And/or because some names are “puns” that couldn’t easily be translateable in other languages? 

If it’s the latter, I think the same is applied in other regional language localization, like, in Spanish, original English language “Axed” is called “Natacha la del Hacha” and you cannot wonder how it crawls over my skin. I know this series is BUILT ON and is full of puns (as I am following it)... but... “Axelia” is a much more cooler name than “Natacha”... :I or so I THINK? Don’t take me too seriously...

In “Ghost Wife” I get it, you have spiritual creatures... their “human” names are puns of what they really are, and these words MAYBE don’t have too much meaning in English or Spanish or whatever... but... its a bit... glaring... when the main cast has English first names... and then you have a side character called... I dunno, “Soyeon” :I. or Haetae (a creature that didn’t have a human character name...) or, heck, characters that never appear again like... there was this “Damien” dude that for some reason, his name is slipped a couple of times as “Suho” (I wonder, his original name). But, then, you have people named “Liz”, “Drake”, “Sarah”, “Nathan” ????

I suppose that in “Oh! Holy” that might be the case, too. The original Korean name of the series is “오!주예수여” that is translated as “Oh! Lord Jesus”, because Holy in Korean is named “Yesu”. And, *sigh* I think that says enough. The pun STILL works... but :’))

But at the same time, I think my thing with the English localized names in “Oh! Holy” is that they are... blatantly boring and I don’t think they fit their faces. At all. But, maybe that’s me? (I mean, the “ultimate” reaper is called Norman. NORMAN.) Like I said, they still keep their original Korean last names... but... ugh.

(this is coming from someone who gave two of her characters very not obvious Spanish names given that they are Mexican, but I do have some valid cultural and VERY obvious explanations about those...)

Also - I don’t get LINE Webtoon’s selectiveness in this localization decision. Some of the South Korean series they bring, they do KEEP their original full names (see “A Good Day to be a Dog”, “Ghost Teller”, heck, the afforementioned “Untouchable”), but then you have stuff like “Oh! Holy”, “Ghost Wife”, “Scorching Romance”, “Mom, I’m Sorry!” or “Lookism”... ?????

And, this is very blatant annoying because a) K-Pop is HUGELY global mainstream nowadays and you can hear/read fans screaming their NAMES?! And 2) K-dramas are also pretty popular these days??? 

?????? 

*LONG SIGH*

There’s a few series that I want to check out, but I still have some more days for that to happen (heck, even a bit of more than a week). But, it SURE DOES suck that most of the interesting series I had my eyes on all were going to get locked this WEEK. :))))

[kinder-dejavu]

Jerome

K-AU

Official full name is Jerome Mattias Schnelle.

Misses his father tremendously, but his grief isn’t as powerful as his fuel for revenge on Lily and Billy.

Still has his yo-yo from his previous kindergarten. Whenever he feels down he plays a few yo-yo tricks with it alone.

Sits alone and away from others because he fears that if he attaches himself to another person he might lose them.

Occasionally confides in Ozzy because the two have shared their own loss of loved ones.

C-AU

A part of him still wants to blame Lily and Billy for his father’s death, but he always reminds himself that his father wasn’t the best role model.

Has practiced many tricks with the yo-yo which he now calls the “Razor Blade”. In truth the name was recommended by Teddy, who was the first to ever compliment Jerome’s yo-yo.

His fear of losing loved ones still remains. So he refuses to involve himself in relationships of any kind and pervents others from becoming close friends. Aquaintences, yes, but never too close to form an emotional bond. Though somehow he often rivals himself with Felix for Monty’s attention...

He and Ozzy consider one another exceptions to this, because the two are prone to depressing memories they both attempt to forget. But they don’t realize the only way to heal is to come to terms with their fears.

Now lives in Canada with his roommate Alice, one of Ozzy’s friends. The two keep their relationship strictly professional rather than any kind of friendship.

Studies foregin languages and international affairs. Also has his own radio talk show called Down To Earth.

Click for quality!

[viciousheart]

VERSE  INFO   ---   CLICK  HERE  FOR  THE  FULL  STATISTICS  PAGE.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: ABUSE, EATING DISORDER, AND MURDER MENTIONS.

TEN.

viviana genoa had the perfect life: loving parents, a little sister with whom she was attached at the hip; wealth; popularity amongst her peers. she wanted for nothing. she was young, carefree, and happy. she was.

TWELVE.

viviana genoa’s life was turned upside down when a fire in her family home killed her parents(1). she and her younger sister, vienna, were saved by their mother, who then went back into the burning house for their father. the girls waiting for her long after the screaming stopped and they knew both their parents were dead. they waited right where their mom put them until they were found.

a week later, viviana and vienna were shipped off to their only living relative, their father’s brother, their uncle, riccardo genoa. he co - owned the oil company gladiator with his brother and ran the american side of the business from new york city. her new home.

THIRTEEN.

viviana genoa learned of her uncle’s cruelty very early on. whenever she talked back, whenever she slacked off, whenever she wasn’t absolutely perfect, she was severely punished(2). so, she got the best grades, had the most friends, she won the most drassage competitions  ━  no, she won the most competitions period  ( she also jumped horses and did competitive ballet ),  and when an agent approached her uncle about signing viviana as a model, he grabbed at the chance for the money, and she became a model.

she walked her first runway when she was thirteen. it was the highlight of her year.

SIXTEEN.

viviana genoa’s name was known world - wide. she was unattainable and foregin and beautiful. you saw her face on runways, in magazines, and on every social media site that existed. to see her, you would think she had the perfect life. and she did. past tense. 

a year into viviana’s modelling career, she developed an eating disorder(3) due to increased pressure to remain perfect from the public and her uncle. when she was sixteen, she was in the worst of it. she barely ate, was constantly working out. she wished she was dead.

but on the outside looking in, you’d think her life was as perfect as the pictures. after all, she was one of new york’s top young models, she was graduating high school a year early and she’d been accepted into columbia’s business program, her riding coach was talking olympic level prospects for her and her horse, jupiter, in dressage, and she just cracked one million twitter followers.

not to mention, she was falling in love. her uncle was trying to set her up with jase valois, a descendant of french kings, but viviana had very little interest in jase. she had her eyes on his brother, lucas, and lucas noticed her, too. they quickly fell into an unhealthy and obsessive romance. she told him everything. she told him things that she never even told vienna, like the fact that she learned that year that their uncle had the fire in their home intentionally set so he could kill his brother and own gladiator completely(4).

lucas whispered sweet nothings of revenge into viviana’s ear.

EIGHTEEN.

viviana genoa died one seemingly mundane night.

there had been no concrete plan, but she talked to lucas about killing her uncle for what her did to her parents, her family, for what he still did to her. one night, after vienna cleaned her up following a particularly bad lashing  ( because she didn’t get the fashion week gig ),  viviana made the mistake of going into the kitchen when her uncle was in there, and he started berating her again. and when he went to grab her, viviana dodged him and picked up the closet thing to her so she could defend herself. it was a butcher knife.

viviana genoa stabbed her uncle in the chest(5), and viviana genoa died when he took his last breath.

she didn’t realize vienna had been behind her and saw the whole, ugly thing.  “we’re delucas now,”  viviana told her.

she called the only person she could think of  ━  lucas. him and his family, with their unlimited resources and influence, cleaned it up. viviana spent months waiting for the cops to storm the place and arrest her, she waited for everyone to find out. but no one did.

TWENTY TWO.

viviana deluca finally has her life back.

she took a year off school to travel the world with her sister, and became an influential blogger. and when that was over, she decided to take a break from modelling, and finally sought help for her eating disorder. her popularity kept soaring, though, and she can never stay away from the modelling world for long, but now she only does occasional photoshoots and interviews, nothing intense like before as she doesn’t want to be pulled back into that toxic world. she came out as bisexual. she broke up with lucas.

now, she’s in her final year of studying for her master’s degree at columbia’s business school in preparation of inheriting gladiator when she turns twenty five, and she has a whole new, clean energy reboot thought out for the company. she’s finally happy again.

but in this life, secrets don’t stay secret very long. when will viviana deluca’s secrets catch up with her? you’ll have to wait and see…

[rangeroverenginespecialistsus]

Most Common Problems and Fixes for Range Rovers

Range Rover cars are famous for their dynamic engines, latest technology and outstanding facilities. Every vehicle has their own problems. The experts at…,.They have been providing service for decades and maintaining these foregin cars. It’s the time to take an appointment with a British car specialist if you observe any of the four common issues below.

Power loss

Several factors are the reasons for loss of power in a Range Rover. This problem can only be properly identified with a professional automotive scanning tool. This tool takes information from the vehicle's computer system and then uses it to identify any problem or fault code . This tool also allows the Range Rover service department to identify the exact problem correctly.

Ignition issue:

Ignition issues can range from minor problems, such as a faulty ignition switch, or more complicated problems, like continuous engine interruption. An ignition switch can be replaced easily, complicated issues are other things. For any major issue , such as a stalled engine, you should bring our Range Rover into the Range Rover engine specialist for a detailed review by our expert mechanics.

Air Suspension issue:

Range Rover feels proud because of its energetic engine, it also offers drivers a high quality riding experience with plentiful off-road power. Excessive use of acceleration can lead to serious problems. If you examine initially with its suspension and fully diagnose its checklist. Our Range Rover Engine Specialists expert mechanics offers complete examination of vehicles which also include range rover & land rover makes.

Engine Leakage Issue:

Oil leakage is a very common issue in all kinds of Land rover & Range rover makes and models. Some leakage problems are easily fixable but some are severe if you can't manage it timely then it will create a big disaster. If you see this problem regarding engine or something else it's best for you to book an appointment from Range Rover Engine Specialists.co.uk. It's Better to be safe than to replace the engine. So don't hesitate to come confidently at Range Rover Engine Specialists. Read the full article

[dwisemon]

Diamond Wisemon

Mandi Sena 

English 1102 

26 June 2020

    Blog Post 2: Gun Violence

Introduction: Weapons are a problem in our country, any kind of weapon is a problem. Citizens will pick up any kind of weapon to defend themselves to hurt the other citizen. When citizens use weapons on each other either someone has major injuries or someone is dead. Weapons shouldn’t exist as citizens to take another citizen's life. All weapons should be banned and it's taking a toll in our country because it's spreading fear. Fear spreads everyday because these harmful weapons exist. 

Assault rifles are a major contributor to fear and should be banned. Assault rifles are a shoulder-fired weapon that allows the shooter to shoot between two. Semi-automatic allows the shooter to pull the trigger for each shot. Fully automatic is when the shooter holds the trigger and the gun continuously fires or three-shot burst modes. Those assault rifles are only made for military purposes but citizens are able to purchase those assault rifles. Some citizens sue those assault rifles as sporting guns. In view of Mark Gius, author of “The impact of state and federal assault weapons bans on public mass shootings”, “ Using a Poisson effect model and data for the period 1982 to 2011, it was found that both state and federal assault weapons bans have statistically significant and negative effects on mass shooting fatalities but that only the federal assault weapons ban had a negative effect on mass shooting injuries” (Gius 2). Assault rifles have a negative effect on mass shootings, but it's not just about mass shootings. It's about how assault rifles are someone 's cause of death because the shooter killed them with their assault rifle. 

According to Christopher S. Koper, “In April of 1998, the Clinton administration broadened the range of the AW ban by prohibiting importation of an additional 58 foreign semi automatic rifles that were still legal under the 1994 law but that can accept LCMs made for military assault rifles like the AK-47 (U.S. Department of the Treasury, 1998)” (Koper 5). The Clinton administration prohibited importation of 58 foregin semi automatic rifles; it was still legal under the 1994 law. LCMs made for military assault rifles like the AK-47 which shouldn't have been made if they already have the original assault rifle. Assault rifles shouldn’t exist because in this country we already have other weapons. Also the military has other weapons too. Assault rifles are very harmful; the semi automatic allows you to pull the trigger for each shot. Fully automatic on an assault rifle is a very harmful way to kill someone. Holding the tigger while shots are getting fired continuously trying to kill another citizen. Some shots the shooter might miss, but having the assault rifle on Fully automatic holding the trigger while the shots fire continuously that person is most likely to die.

 Police brutality is a contributor to fear because everyday on the news you see cops killing citizens. When these citizens get pulled over their hands are already up because they don't know what that cop will do.  It is when a police officer uses excessive force against a subject. In many cases policemen are using deadly force on a subject. According to Robert E. Worden, author of The “Causes” Of  Police Brutality Theory and Evidence On Police Use Of Force “ One prominent sociological approach to understanding the behavior of police officers is based on the premise that police behavior is influenced by the social dynamics of police- citizen encounters.” (Worden 2). However the citizens actions are how the police respond in their behavior. Police are likely to pull out their guns because of how the citizens respond to them. According to Andrew Rasodo Shaw, author of Our Duty in light of the Law’s Irrelevance: Police Brutality and Civilian Recordings “ In the 1960s, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense sent armed and uniformed citizens patrols through the ghettos of Oakland, California” (Shaw 1). These brazen young men, belts of bullets across their chest and shotguns in their hand, marched to end the brutal abuse of the poor and minorities by the Oakland police” (Shaw 2). The Black Panther Party put an end to the police abuse in Oakland California in the 1960s, but it didn’t stop police brutality in today's society.

Citizens with mental illness tend to feel left out sometimes. People with serious mental illness always get picked on by other people that don't have any type of serious mental illness. According to Colleen L. Barry, author of News Media Framing of Serious Mental Illness and Gun Violence in the United States, 1997-2012 “ Across the study period, most news coverage occurred in the wake of mass shootings, and “dangerous people” with SMI were more likely than “dangerous weapons” to be mentioned as a cause of gun violence” (Barry 3). Some serious mental illness people are being framed for gun violence, but some mental illness people are actually abusing a gun. Serious mental illness people with ADHD have guns and they shouldn’t because some of them don’t take the medicine. In view of Elizabeth McGinty “ On the other side, the National Rifle Association, which arguably wields far greater influence over national firearms policy than public opinion does, laid the blame for mass shootings on unrelated mental illness rather than unregulated guns and proposed the creation of a national database of persons with mental illness” (McGinty 23). Most mental illnesses are being blamed for gun violence it's not all of the people that have a mental illness that have a gun. I believe it's the people who don't have a mental illness that do it and not the people with mental illness. I believe they put it as the mental illness people are also included with gun violence too. Not all mental illness people will take their behavior to use a gun on another citizen.

Reducing guns isn’t reducing gun violence. Guns should be taken away all together because reducing them will cause even more gun violence. According to Sarah M. Shalf, author of The Legal Context of School Violence: The Effectiveness of Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Efforts to Reduce Gun Violence in Schools ``A variety of legal measures have been debated and proposed. These include: the enactment of tougher gun control laws and more vigorous federal and local enforcement of existing gun control laws; the enactment of laws imposing civil or criminal liability on parents for their children’s violent behavior; the establishment of specialized courts and prosecution strategies for handling juveniles who are charged with weapons offenses; stricter enforcement of school disciplinary codes; reform of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to make it easier to expel students for weapons violations; and greater use of alternative schools as placements for students who are charged with weapons violations'' (Shalf 2). If there were  already gun control laws we all as citizens are supposed to go by and we don’t go by them. Then enforcing tougher gun control laws will not work because gun violence still will go on. When there were no guns back then gun violence never came about. In view of Angela Devan “The suggested strategy for the reduction of violence is to collaboratively address the problem, based on an intervention system focused on prevention, rehabilitation, and development” (Devan 1). I agree with Angela Devan, but if we’re going to address the problem we have to do actions about the problem so that the problem won't continuously happen. 

Conclusion: Guns across the country shouldn’t exist whether its a handgun, assault rifle, AK-47 etc. We all as citizens aren’t responsible with a gun because at any given moment when we have a gun we can kill someone. Even though it's not the guns that's killing the citizens it actually is, but it's also the people that's killing people. The guns are killing us because that's the easiest weapon that can most likely kill us. Assault rifles most definitely shouldn’t be allowed because that's all the chances to kill someone. People are hurt, scared, and afraid to walk outside today because of gun violence. When officers use deadly force with a gun it causes extreme fear throughout the nation. Guns contribute fear in every nation. Why should we have guns when we have other weapons ? Any type of gun can easily kill anyone. Being the fact that these guns came about crime rates went up. The News, T.Vs, Magazines, and Newspaper spread fear about guns and showing pictures of them. Guns equal to fear and all weapons should be banned.

                                                      Works Cited

Gius, M. (2014, August 01). The impact of state and federal assault weapons bans on public mass shootings. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504851.2014.939367 

https://phibetaiota.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2004-NIJ-Assault-Weapons-Ban-Report.pdf

Wodern, R. E. (n.d.). The "Causes" of Police Brutality Theory and Evidence On Police Use Of Force. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en

Gius, M. (2014, August 01). The impact of state and federal assault weapons bans on public mass shootings. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504851.2014.939367 

Shaw, A. R. (2012). Our Duty in Light of the Law's Irrelevance: Police Brutality and Civilian Recordings. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals%2Fgeojpovlp20 

Redding, R., & Shalf, S. (2002, December 16). The Legal Context of School Violence: The Effectiveness of Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Efforts to Reduce Gun Violence in Schools. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-9930.00115 

Devan, A. (2015, July 07). A Ground-Up Model for Gun Violence Reduction: A Community-Based Public Health Approach. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15433714.2014.997090 

[bbreactions]

Big Bang reactions when his foregin gf visits her family and they have Super bowl party and she fangirls over a player

[GIFs not mine] A/N: Hope you like this one... I did a little thing with parents too. I'm still without wi-fi [ at 11.20 p.m. on 22nd of February 2017] and when I wrote that I felt like I'm writing military diary lol. I am out of kpop world for 2 days now. I missed a lot of memes and I know it so when I come back I want you guys to help me get back on track with kpop world. [now I feel like I'm on deserted island wtf is wrong with me]

T.O.P You were super excited to introduce T.O.P to your family and friends. Only a few of them knew what kpop is so when they met him they treated him like a normal not-popular person. He felt great by that fact. Your friends invited you both to Super Bowl party where you watched game together and drank alcohol. He liked alcohol, but when you started to express your feelings to your favorite player he wanted you to stop and asked why yo never express love like that to him. Then you both giggled because you were drunk af. "Buuutt Jagi~ I am so much better from that British guy, come on..."

G-Dragon You didn't plan to come home at this time, but Jiyong bought tickets as a surprise and you convinced him to stay at your parents together. When your parents heard you were both coming they told your friends and they made a surprise Super Bowl party because they knew you loved football. You came and Jiyong finally met your parents and they loved him, but they didn't like his ripped jeans and told him it was bad for his knees. He was really surprised they cared about him as he was their son. You were watching the game at a local pub where you had a few drinks too much and started screaming how awesome Lewandowski is and how pretty and talented he is and how much you love him. He knew you were drunk and he was too so he teased you if that means he can go and you'll just date Lewandowski. "Okay. Then go date Lewandowski and I'll date a model from the USA, okay? *joke*"

Taeyang He was excited to finally meet your friends in your home country. He already knew your parents from a trip yo went together. Your friends invited you to Super Bowl party and you were super excited because your favorite player was playing. When you came at the party the first thing you saw was crisps and other snacks you loved when you still lived at home. Taeyang was unfamiliar with most of them, but he at least knew what Pringles are. The game started and Taeyang was busy getting to know your male friends while your female friends watched football and fangirled football player Reus. You kept saying how you admire his six packs and how strong he is and how cute and hot he looks. When Taeyang heard that he came in front of TV to block your view and took off his shirt in front of everyone and asked you if his abs weren't as beautiful as Reus' are. "So you are trying to say you like his abs more than mine? Okay then I guess I'll just be shirtless for a while"

Daesung He was very nervous to meet your parents and friends. It was his first visit to your home country and he was scared your parents wouldn't understand him but when he met them they understood each other with same broken English. It was later afternoon when your friends invited you both to a Super Bowl party at one of your friend's house. When you came in you saw everyone from your high school and you introduced all of them to Daesung, who ended up talking with your best friend who was the only kpop fan and kept him busy with questions and requests. You saw your favorite player on big screen and started screaming how cool and great he is, how his muscles are shining when he's shirtless. Your best friend sadly translated everything to Daesung, who ended your fangirling.He stopped you with putting his hand over your mouth and asking you cutely who's got better muscles and who is better looking. He had some alcohol in his veins and so did you so you kind of ended up kissing each other... "You better not fangirl over football player ever again, okay? *suddenly starts kissing you*"

Seungri He was scared to meet your parents because he didn't want to do anything wrong to make your parents hate him. He tried to avoid coming to your home country, so whenever you went home, you went alone, but this time your parents invited Seungri to come with you so they could finally meet him. When you come he was very nervous, but when he talked with them they actually became friends. Your parents told you about Super Bowl party at the pub and you decided to go.While you were there and watched a game with friends and drank beer together. Yo were drunk after 2 beers and you started saying nonsense and when you saw your favorite player Rooney you started fangirling and screaming how awesome he is.Seungri was offended and tried to keep you quiet but then decided it would be better if you would go home. The whole way to home he told you about how he became Ronaldo's manager in Korea. He was all about words and he didn't stop talking until he saw you fell asleep right before he drove to your house. "I couldn't believe I actually... Oh... You're asleep. Great. I have to carry you now. In front of your parents. Even better."

[miatamerica]

recap: new mexico to arizona to california!

here's where i get almost to the pacific ocean!

i left the very large array and arrived in Datil, New Mexico - a place that, according to the 2010 US census, has a population of 54.

i arrived at my campground, and it looked like everything was going to go well. it was dark out, but it was $5 for the night and the campground was just the right amout of crowded for me to feel ok being in the middle of new mexico at night with no cell service. i'm used to setting the tent and sleeping bag up by now, and i'm headed to sleep by 11:30 after trying my hand at astrophotography and having it go poorly:

i wake up at about 2:00am, my body protesting the cold ground i'm now in contact with from my leaking mattress pad. i'm cranky, and it really was cold. looking it up now, it got right below freezing that night and sure felt like it. my dad said something before i left along the lines of “you can blow the mattress pad up a little bit more than i would normally to have it stay inflated longer” so i try that. because i'm pretty pissed my beauty sleep has been interrupted, i inflate it what is, uh, perhaps too much and it springs a leak near the inflation valve. it's now leaking air fast enough that i can feel myself sinking into the ground, exactly like i would if i were in a saturday morning cartoon.

i bust out the patch kit that comes with the mattress pad because maybe that'll work? but because the leak was on the seam on the edge the patch doesn't take. it's now 2:30am, freezing, and i'm not sure what to do. i play soduku on my phone, and i think i go two for three expert games. which isn't bad, but i still haven't figured out how to sleep and also how to not get frostbite tonight?

i try to sleep for a little longer, but no luck. by three o'clock, i try and sleep in my car because maybe that'll work? no dice. my car is still freezing and my brain is a little freaked out - the past hundred hours or so that i was in this position i was making very sure to not sleep, so it's falling back on that and fighting me. so at around 3:30am i have the bright idea to drive it around for a few minutes until it warms up because maybe that'll work? i get back to the campground, but get nowhere by 4:00am. even with handwarmers inside my gloves and shoes it's still dangerously cold, so i let out an audible "fuck it!" and decide to drive to my next stop, arizona. at four in the morning. on ~two hours of sleep. i can't use google maps, so i've only got a road atlas (thanks, aunt katie!) to guide me.

i take one of the caffiene pills i brought for this exact scenario and hit the road. it's eerie. i listen to paul simon (thanks, jared!) for something that is chill but not too chill and familiar but not too familiar (but not too not familiar, i guess). the drive is slow going, and somehow cathartic. everything is closed, it's beyond dark, and i can count the number of other drivers encountered (all big rigs) on one hand.

the sun comes up as i'm leaving springerville, arizona, and it's beautiful. at least for a moment, the desert sunrise cancels out the events of the night and honestly made it all worth it, in a way. i stopped right on the highway (there was no shoulder and absolutely no traffic) for a few minutes to admire it. it was like being on a foregin planet, and i'm glad i was there to see it:

the drive continues through the forests in eastern arizona. the caffiene wore off, and i grew dangerously tired somewhere in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. i pulled over and napped on the side of the road for what must've been at least a half-hour. 

the next leg of the drive is winding. it snakes through native american reservations and scenes somehow simultaneously ripped from Model Railroader and National Geographic.

to be honest, i'm a little too tired to truly and fully take it all in.

i make it to Scottsdale, and meet family friend Lori from Arizona! i used their pool and had the best time doing nothing on purpose all day. later, we went to Sweet Tomatoes, the best all-you-can-eat salad bar i've ever seen. of all the food i've eaten on this trip, this is the one place i wish i had easy access to on the east coast. it was great. we hung out for a little, and Lori and Don help me plan some other parts of the trip. it was very nice meeting the whole family, getting shown a little bit around scottsdale, and having some nice company! 

the next day, i head to LA, stopping at joshua tree state park.

it was great to drive EXCEPT FOR THE CATERPILLAR HAULOCAUST

oh my GOD there were stretches of the park where thousands and thousands of caterpillars were crossing the road and it was too many for you to avoid them so you had to just DRIVE OVER THEM and it was SO HORRIBLE. parts of the road were stained with caterpillar guts

they were huge and just doing their best and i killed like at least a thousand of them :(

it got like, four times as dense as this, but here’s a picture of when i first encountered them:

the rest of the park was ok, though:

you know what's funny? i'm embarrassed to admit this, but i kept expecting to find the Joshua Tree. like, as if there was one real big tree that's the most famous one. then when i got to the other side of the park i was like "huh, ok!" and that was that. i also didn’t see U2, which was a bummer.

then, that night, i finally got to LA!

[msavisuals]

#model📷 @wood.m #photographer @msavisual Felt #artsy today. Shout out to @wood.m for doing this shoot with me. And i know this was your first shoot im sure your going to have more to come! But in the meantime enjoy. #cannonbeach #foregin #msavisuals #msabrownn #lightskin #photoshoot #photography #photooftheday #white #woods #beautiful #beauty #hair #mixed #höt #hot🔥 #new #2017 #wilmington #art #creative (at New Castle, Delaware)

[travellingteachingreflecting]

An autonomous learning environment

Since my last post, the question that came from that particular reflection on classroom motivation was how to take the next step into autonomous learning. Just from reading alone, I have realised that actually I was already implementing some of the key elements in this teaching area. Rather, the reading that has occurred has developing my understanding of it, and how to make steps to ensuring the autonomous classroom environment is more consistent and effective.

Prior to this, I understood that autonomous learning was about intrinsic motivation, yet asides from providing a positive classroom environment, I still remained lacking in confidence on how to accomplish this effectively.

This first writing I will discuss is David Little, particularly what he said in 2003 (learning Autonomy in the foreign language classroom, teacher learn curriculum and assessment). Learner autonomy is often referred to as critical reflection, and first steps are taken towards this when they recognize they are responsible for their own learning. Again, this was something I was aware of, but it how does one create learner responsibility?

Ribe, R. (2003, Tramas in the foregin language classroom) really begins to build on this for me. He defines autonomy as creating:

o   Initial spaces for individual differences through humanistic, cooperative, and previous-knowledge elicitation techniques that ensure the learner’s active role in a mainstream modelling processed is essentially shared and predefined.

o   Ongoing spaces for individual learning action and choice within the task that reflects personal strategic preference and procedural initiative, but still parallel the predefined sequence of class or-on-line learning action.

Moreover, Ribe outlines three main perceptions of autonomous learning in foreign language education: Convergence, Divergence-Convergence, and Convergence-Divergence. He add that Divergence-Convergence is favored in context involving adult learners, or where self-study or on-line facilities exist. Furthermore, the Convergence-Divergence is an expansion of Divergence-Convergence, therefore I will focus only on Convergence, due to it being more relevant to the Secondary Classroom Context.

Convergence-Divergence position is defined as allowing for autonomous action within boundaries of mainstream action. It’s giving the students a certain choice within the task with a pre-established curriculum which provides the students with a certain degree of a general direction. In addition, students are provided with different starting point, or task menus, and class action often becomes unilinear. This position is often ‘progressively well served by the publishing industry and are becoming more deeply rooted in the in the prevalent educational culture.’

The key elements to notice in Ribe’s work here is that his definition really provides me of a really clear picture of what a teacher should be working towards in creating an autonomous classroom environment. Relating this to my current practice, I find that often I do indeed assign my students with open-ended activities to apply what they have learnt throughout the classroom. An example being that I often will let students choose to produce a posture, write a letter, or record a speech about the lesson content. The choice that I give the students does often produce much more motivated students as they are doing an activity which they prefer. Despite this, students often choose the working methods they prefer, not the working methods that are the most productive or effective in meeting the learning objective. For example, a student will make a decision to work with their friends, or spend to much time on a lesser important element of their project (such as the coloring of a comic), rather than actually using the comic to apply and demonstrate what they have learnt. Nonetheless Ribe does really support me in giving a clearer mental definition of an autonomous classroom. 

A lot of literature supports the points by Ribe. David Sousa and Carol Ann Tomlinson’s book on Neuroscience, differentiation and meeting learners needs, as well as  Wormeli, R. (2006) ‘Differentiating for Tweens’  agrees on many points, specifically on providing multiple choices, and overall working to ‘reflect personal strategic preference’, which all could address the various needs of the learner in the classroom. Dörnyei adds that interest is part of his ‘ten commandments’ for motivation in the language classroom.

Referring back to my critique of Ribe, Assor (2015) ‘An Instruction Sequence Promoting Autonomous Motivation for Coping with Challenging Learning Subjects’ answers this for me nicely.

He addresses some of the ways teacher’s can support students when working in an autonomous working environment, such as providing short term optimal objectives (that are specfic and timely) is essentail to meeting sense of efficacy, competence, and motivation  (schunk 1996) (The uses of targets is support by Zadina and  Dörnyei). This would ensure that students are more efficient and spend analyse how they spend their time more effective during their projects.

In addition, Assor uses the Success-determination theory (SDT, Ryan & Deci, 2000) to argue that amotivation and avoidance of challenging tasks as a result from the experience, and relatedness. Challenging tasks also threatens their need for competence, which comes from fear of failing (based from past experience), exposure the behavior (likely from other students) that suggests they are of a low ability, or belief in a harmful theory of success (pretty much the opposite of Growth Mindset). He describes this as naive and dangerous.

Contrasting this, children who do succeed, hold constructive success theory, in which the they believe previous knowledge, appropriate strategies and effort cause success. (This does support the idea that growth mindset is a key element in building a classroom where students are engaged and it meets learner needs). 

Autonomous learning environment can be supported by creating a class culture around a constructive theory of success, as well as autonomous adherence to classroom rules. When students work, they negotiate the learning objective, negotiate the work plan and then work according the plan they have made. The teacher gives specific feedback, focusing and developing the constructive success theory, as well as supporting those who need help in understanding why their project is less successful then it could be. The teacher also works with students on how they can develop their peer support and provide feedback to each other. This relates a lot to the literature upon creating an inclusive classroom environment. 

Promoting the Constructive success theory in your classroom is done through modelling and clearly explaining how it works, and it’s benefits. When students have moments of fail, it is crucial the teacher intervenes, show empathy, and teach the effective copping strategies for failure, such as acceptance and commitment (Hayes, Stosahl & Wilson, 1999). This will always end the learning on a reflection of the use of SDT and the conclusion of the learning.

This gives me an incredibly clear picture on how I would create an autonomous learning environment. Actually teaching effective working strategies, and how to create a more supportive environment is something I have not considered until this reading. The impact this is likely to have on my teaching is that I will strategically plan to have activities designed to teach students how to support each other and the language involved. There are times in my class where students do not show support, and often cause issues and require intervention before student behavior and classroom learning is severely disrupted. Teaching students on how to support each other (and possibly how to deal with conflict would not only be a way of setting incredibly clear expectations of learning, provide students with the tools for a supportive classroom environment. 

In addition to self-assessment at the end of each class, I would also now opportunity to reflect not only on the progress made during the lesson, but on how that progress was made. (A common self-critique is that although self-assessment occurs in my class, I know it is not to the most effective way of developing students’ future learning.

In regarding to the key points of addressing the needs of learners, this has simply identified more potential needs I will more likely be able to identify, and therefore meet them. This has been a key step in moving towards a more engaging and differentiated classroom environment.