Amendment 18

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of  intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is herby prohibited.

Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

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What does this mean?

Well, let's take it into parts.

Section 1:
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of  intoxicating liquors within [.]

This meant that 1 year from 1919 (the year this was written) the making, selling and transporting of alcohol in between states..

the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States

and the import & export of alcohol from the United States

and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is herby prohibited.

All territories - The United States currently has 16 territories but in 1919 the U.S. had 10 territories - also had to follow this Amendment that prohibited the making, selling and transport of alcohol.

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Let's jump into a history tangent / crash course:

What was the reason behind this Amendment being created?
Well around the early-mid 1800's religious groups (i.e. Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) of Ohio) began calling for the end of alcohol being sold in the United States. This was called the Temperance Movement.

Why?
In 1830 America had a pretty bad drinking problem. The average American over 15 years old drank about seven gallons of alcohol a year.

SEVEN GALLONS. YOU SEE THAT MILK GALLON IN YOUR FRIDGE IMAGINE 7 OF THOSE
So if the average American over 15 had 7 gallons of alcohol a year
That makes 112 cups a year.
(and no I'm not talking little red plastic cups, I'm talking about an actual measurement cup used to measure liquids)

According to PBS - this is only 3 times the amount average American's drink today.

Why was this an issue (besides obvious health reasons)?

During this time period, women didn't have that many legal rights and were dependent on men. So the question then became: How can he provide for this family if he is drinking 7 gallons of alcohol a year?

Why did it not become effective immediately and instead waited a year?
That was done so that way the people who made a livelihood from selling alcohol could have time to adjust and find another way to support themselves.

 AND THAT ENDS CRASH COURSE SECTION 1 OF THIS AMENDMENT

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 Section 2:
The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this amendment by appropriate legislation.

If you've been keeping up with the Amendment breakdowns, you'll realize this line is similar to a section in Amendment 13, 14, 15 except for a slight difference. In the previous Amendments, it only specified that Congress will be able to make laws to enforce the Amendment.

Why does it say several States?

This specified that every state - i.e. making state laws - was allowed to make laws to enforce this Amendment.

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Section 3:

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution[.]

This meant that the article would become null if it was not made an Amendment by the legislative body (those who were able to make laws) of States...

within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

within 7 years from the date that this article was submitted.

To put it all together:

This article would remain null unless the State government confirmed it as an Amendment 7 years after it was submitted (7 years from 1919).
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Now why was this Amendment the definition of failure?

Well, although the aim was to end all sale and production of alcohol - the opposite was what actually happened. Instead of selling alcohol out in the open it was done underground - y'know illegally. The average americans over 15 still wanted to drink 7 gallons alcohol a year (REALISTICALLY SPEAKING I CAN'T GET OVER THE 7 GALLONS A YEAR BUT ANYWAYS) and the National Prohibition Act ( referred to as the Volstead Act) wasn't going to stop them.

So what could possibly go wrong with alcohol being made and sold illegally?
Well - a lot. It turned into a massive underground business that was controlled by gangs. The gangs made a lot of money - y'know since legit people were drinking 7 gallons a year how can you not be making enough to fill a bank is the real question - and as a result they had enough money to bribe police and politicians to kind of look the other direction.

Also here's where things get a little bit crazy - a few minutes after the Amendment itself passed, gangs stole 4 barrels of alcohol from a government owned warehouse and another gang emptied out a 2 trucks full of alcohol.

So this lead to organized crime in order to get to the alcohol that was illegal - this resulted in a lot of violence.

This amendment set out to make one thing happen (America to become sober - no more alcohol consumption) - but ended up with an increase in organized crime.

This is the only Amendment to be repealed from the Constitution on Dec. 5 1933 by Amendment 21.

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To Summarize
‣ In 1919 making and selling alcohol was made illegal
‣ Congress & States were allowed to make laws to enforce the Amendment
‣ This article would remain null unless the State government confirmed it as an Amendment 7 years after it was submitted (7 years from 1919).

‣ Amendment was repealed by Amendment 21.

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In what ways has President Trump & his Administration done something that pertains to this Amendment:

Nothing at this time.



- If needed this will be updated from time to time.

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Is there an Amendment you would like to more of?
to be taken to a list & choose which one you would like to learn more about.



This is a series that is ongoing - [Every other] Wednesday [ #WednesdayAmendment] there will be an Amendment Explanation paired with what Trump & his administration have done that pertains to the Amendment discussed.













We all see them right before we head to the check out at the supermarket. They're chilling right beside the tic-tacs and the mint gum we really don't need but suddenly get reminded of their existence when we're ready to pay.

I used to be the type of person who flipped through magazines while I waited for the person in front of me to finish ringing up their order and paying. This goes towards any magazine. Fast forward to present day - I don't really even flip through them anymore. Majority of them are just rumors and you know, actual fake news just to get you to pick up the magazine.



Back to Fitness Magazines. For the most part, majority of the models on the cover are always posed in a sports bra and shorts or perhaps a tank top and shorts. Recently, I came across an athlete* on Instagram essentially talking down on what the women on the magazines were wearing.
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The athlete I am discussing is not an Olympian - just thought to throw in that disclaimer.
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What a woman wears to workout is no ones business but her own. Majority of women on fitness magazines are dressed like that; sure some representation of what other women are wearing would be nice but that doesn't hide away from the fact that there is a good amount of women that dress like that when exercising. Just because it's not your reality that doesn't mean it isn't hers. As long as she's comfortable in what she's wearing, that's all that matters.



There are people that like to wear loose clothing and that's cool too. Everyone has their own standards and often - I think perhaps we all do it in our minds? - we look at fitness magazines and hold what the models are wearing to our own standards.

I'm all about representation. This year there was the first hijab-wearing athlete on the cover of Women's Running magazine - and it was awesome to see someone who sort of dressed like me on the cover of a sports magazine. 
me making sure me & balance are best friends for the .3 seconds it took to take this photo

The point I'm trying to make here is this: Someone may exercise in a completely different outfit than you. There are people who prefer loose clothing. There are people who prefer clothes that stick to them. There are people who wear less clothing than you while working out. Women from either sides do not have the right to police what the other is wearing. Just like what you're wearing is your reality, what they're wearing is theirs. 

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P.S. if you see any of your idols,  favorite athletes, influencers (anyone you look up to etc.) talking down on what other people are wearing I'd like to advise you to reconsider following them on your social media. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself- would I ever be friends with someone who shamed what other women are wearing just because it's not their standard of workout (or any) clothing?

PPS. this was actually just going to be a twitter thread but then I ended up typing here. (Well, before tweeting I was ranting in my notes and then realized WOW THAT'S A LOT OF WORDS I HAVE TO SAY ON THIS.)

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I like to say I'm surprised I didn't complete the full 2 months of the Nike Training Schedule - but then again have I met myself? The first three weeks were amazing  - it challenged me on speed during 400M sprints and on endurance when the schedule had me run 2-3 miles. Though, here's the thing: The workouts followed a repetitive schedule of it's own.

There was a long run, speed workout sprinkled in somewhere during the week, and a cardio workout thrown in to make things interesting. In the beginning, it worked well for me because I wasn't used to any schedule - just ran everyday the same/similar distance. As I got to the third week, I sort of got bored of doing some variation of speed workouts, long runs and cardio. My body was used to keeping endurance for 2 miles, it grew comfortable with the sprints and the cardio workouts chosen weren't that much of a challenge anymore.

The app does move you up in terms of miles each week but finding motivation to continue with some variation of the three workouts soon became difficult. Yes, adding miles to get used to is amazing, but it's repetitiveness of the same thing every week (the only difference was the increase in miles) - it just got boring. (This might also have to do with running the same path on the sidewalk everyday.) It all comes down to motivation - this training schedule didn't really motivate me to continue.

Since the training plan didn't progress with me, I decided to make my own training schedule. Yes, I did this before I signed up for the Nike Training Schedule and found myself also lacking motivation - but I think this time it'll be different. Having the right training schedule keeps you motivated to continue.

What is a right training schedule?
Well, it depends on the person. For me - this month- it's switching around everything every 2 weeks.
(I'll let you know how that goes next month)

I learned I cannot do the same thing every week. If you workout as well, hi you should not be doing the same thing everyday.

Let me put it this way:

Every bone in your body, every muscle, is connected from one to the other, right?

If you do thigh workouts but not calves, your thighs are strong but your calves are weak. The point of working out is to workout your entire body not just one part. Every muscle should have it's time to shine as the focus of your workout.

The only way your body is going to feel strong is if you workout every part.

This is what I've learned since deciding to drift away from the Nike Training Schedule:
‣ Focus on different things each day and have variation
‣ Find a game to play while you're running to keep things interesting 
(I've stopped listening to music on my runs - which means my form is perfect but I find I am getting slower due to not listening to music.)
‣ After 2 weeks - change the entire training schedule (which I'm testing out making my own) to continue to challenge yourself & motivate you to continue.

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What Exercises Am I Doing Now

I've been doing the Body Love With Lucy Challenge for the month of July

 DAY 1: HOME HIIT WORKOUT - 10 MINUTES - FULL BODY WORKOUT HIIT CARDIO (suitable for every fitness level)

One thing I love is that there is a beginners version of the exercise and an advanced on the right. Another thing is how motivational she is in the audio and how body positive the whole challenge is - if you're new to exercise I'd definitely recommend it!

If you give the workouts a try - let me know what you think!

Each day she focuses on a different part of the body which keeps things interesting!


In terms of Exercising Before & After a Run

These are the same as my previous fitness post 

Before Run:
(Personally only use the ones before running)

After Run:

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I am trying to decide if I should write down my average pacing for the month - would that be something helpful to see or motivating to see progress (if there is any) ?

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Missed a previous fitness type post?
Here's the one prior to this -> Motivation



Amendment 17

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualification requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.


When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That is the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.



This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution. (X)


What does this mean?

 Well, let's take it into parts.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State

First thing's first: Congress is made up of The House & The Senate [ For more information you can check out Crash Course: Freedom Caucus under the heading 'What is their purpose?' ]

BACK TO THIS SPECIFIC LINE

This means that the Senate will contain 2 representatives (Senators) from each Sate.

[E]lected by the people thereof, for six years;

This means that the 2 representatives from each State are chosen by the people and have a term for six years.

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Let's go on a slight history tangent

Prior to this Amendment - the people of the State did not choose their 2 representatives. 
Each State, like Congress, has 2 Houses: The House and The Senate ( I'm going to nickname it State Version of Congress)
well minus Nebraska - they only have one house.

The State Version of Congress decided who would be the 2 representatives rather than the people of the State voting for their representatives in the actual Congress.

This had it's issues though and soon it became a 
How much money will you pay me to vote for you to be a Senator in Congress
xo State Legislature (aka. State Version of Congress)

Then this Amendment was born.

For additional reading on State Version of Congress:

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and each Senator shall have one vote. 

Kind of self-explanatory but: Each senator has one vote [To learn more about Bills becoming laws & Senators Voting - Crash Course: Freedom Caucus under the heading What is their purpose details that.]

The electors in each State shall have the qualification requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

In Article 1 Section 3 of the Constitution it details the qualification to become Senator.

- Must be 30 Years old
- Must be a citizen of the U.S. for at least the past 9 years
- They must live in the State they want to represent at the time of election.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies:

Who is the executive authority?
The Governor of the State

This line means that if there are openings in the State Representatives in Congress then the governor has to call an election to fill those empty seats.

Provided, That is the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This means that while the people are voting, the Governor can temporarily place someone in the Senate as a State Representative until the people vote.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

This means that this amendment didn't affect the Senators in the Senate that were chosen before this amendment.

So I take this as: HI YES YOU PAID YOUR WAY TO BE IN THE SENATE BUT YOU CAN STILL STAY. BUT WE CHANGED THE RULES SO THAT ROUTE TO BECOME A SENATOR DOES NOT EXIST ANYMORE.

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To Summarize:
‣ Each state has 2 Representatives in the Senate
‣ They serve a term for 6 years
‣ If a Senate seat is left open before the end of a 6 year term (i.e. death, leaves office earlier) then the Governor temporarily places someone in while the people vote for the replacement


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In what ways has President Trump & his Administration done something that pertains to this Amendment:

Nothing at this time.



- If needed this will be updated from time to time.

_____

Is there an Amendment you would like to more of?
to be taken to a list & choose which one you would like to learn more about.



This is a series that is ongoing - Each Wednesday [ #WednesdayAmendment] there will be an Amendment Explanation paired with what Trump & his administration have done that pertains to the Amendment discussed.








Towards the end of June, I saw that Amber from Barefoot Blonde was doing a gallon of water a day challenge. This had me thinking - how much water do I actually drink in a day?

Well, sometimes I find myself forgetting to drink water and if I do drink water it's only a small cup every few hours. When I go running, I don't really drink water like a mid-break-type-of-thing. This is because:

A. I don't feel like carrying a water bottle in my hand.

B. Taking a string backpack to put only a water bottle in - having it bounce on my back the whole time - doesn't really spell out a nice comfortable run.

Solution?

Drink water before and after a run (though, I do have to admit, sometimes mid-way through my run I do get thirsty and want water to hydrate).

I have seen the I AM RUN BOX backpack and it's made specifically with athletes in mind - doesn't bounce while running- however I think it's a bit too big to just put a single water bottle inside. 

Technically speaking if I exercise a lot, shouldn't that mean I drink more water? Well, that's how it's supposed to be.

You're losing a lot of sweat = you start to get dehydrated = your body is begging you to drink water. 

The only days where I find myself drinking a lot of water is during strength training - those days are intense and if I don't have water I might as well not workout at all.

According to WEB MD it says that a person should be drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water. (Would you believe me if I told you when I first read that, I thought it said to drink 8 ounces of water then had to re-read it.) If you exercise you should be drinking more water to keep yourself even more hydrated because you're sweating so much. You have to drink water to make up for the water your body is losing via sweat.
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WEB MD IS COMING THROUGH WITH THE INFORMATION TODAY:

On the second page it details a schedule go when to drink water before/during/hours leading up to a workout.

If you decide not to read it that's cool too; here's a quote from it:
"I tell all of our young athletes this: you can improve your performance simply by drinking enough water."

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So I decided why not set myself a challenge to drink at least one water bottle a day for July because really I need to start drinking more water, 3 cups a day isn't enough.

According to WEB MD I should be drinking 64 ounces of water. A water bottle is 16.9 ounces. OK THAT IS VERY FAR OFF HOWEVER IT'S BETTER TO START SMALL AND THEN MOVE UP TO 64 OUNCES.

Currently - as of the 4th of July - I've been drinking at least 1 bottle a day & occasionally drink 2 bottles if I'm doing HIIT workouts.

Anyone else forget to drink a lot of water?

Drink water = you won't feel dehydrated & you'll feel more energized

If you drink water bottles regularly, that's awesome keep doing that, your body is thanking you for drinking water! If you don't drink water, and tend to drink sugary drinks, maybe think of joining this challenge with me?