Social Commentary

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Unreservedly Quirky

Posted by Jasmine McGee ⋅ February 21, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment

I often try to avoid proverbial anecdotes when discussing matters of life, matters of the heart, and the essence of the journey I’ve stumbled upon. Expressing my thoughts, my experiences, and my overall revelations have become this constant exploration of avoiding nuances in my sentences; daring to avoid mindless repetition of expressing norms, which indeed deserve abstract appraisal.

So when it comes to the subject of self discovery, I tend to prefer abstractly avant-garde analyses that lead to an often inexplicably quirky study. Honestly, sometimes I like to lead my life as if I’m in the subject of a documentary, or better yet, an independent film that follows the story of a young woman finding herself along the path. Except it’s not a nice golden path, but a road filled with a lot of potholes, rays of sunshine beaming at certain points, and a few solemn park benches awaiting company.

The sheer quintessence of the path I find myself walking is a path fueled by…liberation. For so many years I tried to meander a path that was indistinguishable to the peers crowding me, but in hindsight I uncovered the beauty of the renaissance woman I was destined to be. Yet, I still found myself trying to equate the definition of a renaissance woman to my distant role models, but then my desire to fit that mold was swiftly becoming unnerved. I couldn’t aspire to be like my so-called “role models.” Far from suitable. I couldn’t navigate myself through the necessary assimilation to transition from one mask to another, so then I accepted the reality of being unreservedly quirky, a “title” that seemed to offer the utmost liberation.

I can’t aspire to be like someone I admire, well…because that’s too much pressure. I’ve never fit the mold of any category. Yes, I’m an artist & I’m driven by the creative abstract expression that makes my art personable, but I’m more than just an “artist.” The same principal applies to my writing. Yes, I write. It’s something I love and I’m very passionate about, but even being confined solemnly to that title alone stirs apprehension in my heart. Art, writing…simply things I do. Without any immeasurable sense of doubt, both of those disciplines shape my personality, but then there is still the question of my personality. What is it?

It’s been one of those things I’ve been trying to figure out…okay, not really figure out, but accept for years. Not just my personality, but even my self awareness & appreciation for my body. My height used to frustrate me, but over the years I’ve grown to love being basically 6ft tall. But my body issues are something I’ve been dealing with for 5 years, and lately things have been bumpy since my visit to the doctor confirmed that I do have PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and it’s something that I’ll have for the rest of my life. It’s not deadly or anything (I do need to start treatment to avoid more serious illnesses), but for now its just a hormonal quandary. But I’ve come to terms with my body image, and I’ve accepted the fact I will always be curvy (as well as the occassional hormonal imbalances). Nothing wrong with that. Just means I get to be curvy & quirky, quite a fusion.

So I’ve accepted my body, and now as I’m heading towards a new phase in life (graduating college & chasing after my dream career,) I have come to terms with being my jazzy & quirky self. I tried to be one of those “flawless” divas that has got everything together, but that’s not me. I could care less about constantly getting my nails & hair done (I can do that myself.) I don’t want to constantly be seeking the approval from a male. The only approval that matters is mine. I approve myself, that should be adequate. No need to alter my personality or “dumb down” my intellectual quirkiness that generates the spark in my big almond eyes. And now that I’ve come to terms with accepting my single life & not having the pressure to constantly date a bunch, I realize that I can truly focus on expanding upon my quirky personality & finding new witty things that bring forth undying serenity. Ah, “undying serenity,” I do quite like the sound of that….

When I first sat down to write this post, I wasn’t quite sure what direction this was going to take. I just wrote. But looking back upon every delicate sentence, I realized why I love my blog. Even though I write about music, film, and other aspects of pop culture, I also enjoy sharing pieces of myself with my readers. It’s nice to break down the facade, and let my soul guide my fingers with every stroke on the keyboard. I try to write without any expectations, I just write because it’s something I love. It’s a piece of the abstraction expression held within the framework of my personality, and every time I blog, I feel like a part of me is somehow having an impact on the world. I don’t expect to make people smile or laugh, but if it happens in the process, then that’s just the beauty of my artistic soul doing what it does best, organically creating.

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com

For more information on Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, visit the PCOSupport site.

Bon Iver- Holocene

Awesomesauce & the Art of Being Geeky Chic (thinksoul25.com)

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Spoken Words | Boddhi Satva feat. Osunlade & Athenai – “Flesh Of Your Flesh”

Posted by Jasmine McGee ⋅ February 5, 2012 ⋅ 2 Comments

When it comes to house music that has an organic/native vibe, I tend to opt for a track from Osunlade or Boddhi Satva.

Both producers have a knack for crafting house tracks that usually have an organic vibe (especially when they incorporate African vocals.) One of my favorite house songs that features that atmosphere of nature/native elements is “Warriors of Africa (DJ Le Saint Remix)” by Boddhi Satva & Fredy Massamba.

“Warriors of Africa (DJ Le Saint Remix)” is an awesome track worth checking out, but the latest track from Boddhi Satva features Osunlade & Athenai; a track that is worth listening to repeatedly. The song is called “Flesh of Your Flesh,” and it’s a house song that captures that organic vibe, yet is brought to life with beautiful spoken word (lyrics & notes for the soul.)

The track is such powerful message for the soul, especially when it comes to dealing with pain, regrets, and family ties. The song is about a woman who is addressing her father and admitting that she is the flesh of his flesh, but she is different. Her path is written by God, and her decisions are going to be hers to make.

When I listen to the track it just touches my soul. It makes me want to dance (of course, it’s house) but it also touches my soul. It makes me thing of my family and the ancestors before me; decisions made & and the things spoken & unspoken. Many people try to differentiate themselves from their parents, especially if they made bad decisions. But at the end of the day we are the flesh of our parents flesh, but that doesn’t mean we will make the same mistakes as them. Yet, even if we do make the same mistakes, we still have to remember that we still have to realize and admit that we are often of flesh of their flesh. So no matter what, we’ve got to proud of where we come from.

I’m proud of where I come from and I’m proud to be the flesh of my parent’s flesh, but at the end of the day I’ve got my own path, my own life, and my own journey to take. Luckily I look up to my parents and the path they have walked, but I’m still on my own journey of discovery. Yet the journey is copacetic because my parents gave me insight that I can hold onto years. So at the end of the day, I’m thankful for everything my parents have done for me thus far, and how they continue to inspire me daily to find my own path.

http://www.traxsource.com/index.php?act=show&fc=tpage&cr=titles&cv=136959

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com

Music from Central African Republic – Boddhi Satva (xworldmusic.wordpress.com)
Soulful Vibes | DJ Doctor feat. Nathalia – “If You’re Ready(DJ Haze Chillydub Remix) “ (thinksoul25.com)

National Geographic | Doomsday Preppers

Posted by Jasmine McGee ⋅ January 18, 2012 ⋅ 2 Comments

***Before I start this post, let me remind you that today is the official strike against SOPA. So if you noticed a lot of you’re favorites sites are blacked out (including the wordpress homepage) it’s a strike against SOPA and they bill they are trying to pass; passing the bill will restrict some of our freedom expression on sites such as YouTube, so stand up, make noise, and pass this information along. Tweet it, Facebook it, and keep talking about it. They can’t just pass such a strict bill that eliminates our favorite websites and ways of interacting with the world. http://sopastrike.com/ ***

Okay, so now that we’ve covered the strike, lets dig into this doomsday prepping business! So basically in the fall National Geographic aired a documentary called Doomsday Preppers. The doc followed four families who had altered their lifestyle completely in order to prepare for impending disaster which is supposed to take place in the year 2012 (you know, the world is “supposedly” going to end this year…)

I understand the concept of being prepared for a disaster (at least we’ve always made sure to have canned goods, water, etc,) but I couldn’t imagine altering my lifestyle in order to be well prepared. I’d prefer to just live for the moment, and only plan ahead for my career goals and direction I’d like to take. We don’t really know if the world is going to end in 2012. Perhaps the Mayan’s did really run out of space on the stone calendar, which could explain why it stops at 2012. Or maybe the “carving the calendar” skill wasn’t passed down to an apprentice, so the guy who did all the work died before he could finish it or make another stone with the rest of the years. Who really knows what happens? The Mayans aren’t around, so guess giving them a call or writing a letter wouldn’t work…

I prefer not to over analyze it and think about the possibility of disaster in 2012; I have other issues to worry about, life itself can be tough some days. But there are avid doomsday preppers out there who take extreme measures to be ready for anything that takes place. I mean, maybe it would actually be a good idea to have a gas mask in the house just in case something toxic ever got released in the air, but I wouldn’t want to spend every waking moment of my day rehearsing for disaster. I just don’t have it in me, so I can honestly say I actually kind of respect these doomsday preppers for being so committed to the cause. It’s not for me, but hey it works for them.

The documentary only followed four families, but a quick YouTube search of “doomsday preppers” or “survivalist” quickly results in hundreds of videos across the nation & world of people (all races, this isn’t just something that is limited to one race/group of people) that are preparing for disaster. With so much disaster talk and horror/thriller films that often shed light on a major catastrophe that could take place, you can see why people would want to be prepared. I’m not going to lie, the thought of a disaster such as a viral infection spreading or some time of permanent blackout has crossed my mind, but I haven’t changed my lifestyle in order to be ready. I just know that we always have the basic essentials in the house, and in case of an emergency I would be able to survive for at least a week or two.ster

That’s good enough for me. Because if a disaster/virus/zombie attack happened that was on a major level like I Am Legend or The Walking Dead, then I wouldn’t want to be the only person left behind that is “normal.” Even if I was with a group of survivors that hadn’t been bitten/infected (The Walking Dead,) then I still wouldn’t want to survive for such a long time. IDK, it would be crazy toimagine living like that. I mean if I had to survive then I’m sure I would figure it out along the way, and learn from mistakes as each day comes. But I would never be as prepared as the doomsday preppers, I’m just not that committed. But my question is, are you committed? Would you actually change your entire lifestyle right now in order to prepare for a disaster taking place in 2012? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please chime in.

While you’re sitting their contemplating disaster or what could happen, you should watch the Doomsday Preppers documentary. I saw a series advertised for it on National Geographic the other day; new episodes following survivalists will be airing February 7th. I look forward to watching the show, and possibly taking some notes for surviving (or just eating popcorn, and enjoying the frantic preparation.) But if you can’t want till February to learn more about survivalist, then watch the documentary on YouTube. All four parts have been uploaded, so check out part one below.

Oh, and check out this hilarious disaster guideline I got from cracked.com. Pretty funny! Click on the picture below for larger view. And here is a list someone made for the 73 best disaster movies. I seen most of them, so it’s a good list!

http://www.alonelylife.com/thread-73-best-survival-movies

How to Survive a Global Disaster

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com

Everybody Says Sh*t

Posted by Jasmine McGee ⋅ January 17, 2012 ⋅ 1 Comment

I guess 2012 is the year for sh*t everyone says. Nobody is holding back this year, and this is evident by the rise of these Sh*t {insert Race/Group] Say. At first there was the Sh*t Girls Say, then it was followed by the Sh*t Black Girls Say, followed by Sh*t Black Guys Say, followed by Sh*t White Girls Say to Black Girls, and on, & on, & on!

The video are super hilarious! But after doing a simple YouTube search you see a bunch of people trying to make their own versions of Sh*t [insert word] Say. Some of the videos are hilarious, while others are sad attempts at comedy. But I have to say that this phenomenon of copy cat videos is not going away, and the latest addition Shit Nobody Says is one that takes a different spin on the approach. Check it out.

And here is another video, except this one is Shit Nobody Black Says. Haha, it’s funny & kind of true.

The videos just keep on rolling in, and the views keep racking up. It’s a great way for budding filmmakers & average people to make a name for themselves. I personally don’t think I’d do a video, but I will keep enjoying these hilarious videos! They cover so many topics from what lesbians say, gay guys say, white people say, monks say, asians say, and even what redneck guys say. Now I have spent some time around some rednecks, so I can honestly say I’ve heard some of the things in the video Shit Redneck Guys Say.

Oh, and there is even a Shit Monks Say. Which if you think about it, monks tend to be quiet. So watch the video below and enjoy the shit monks say or shall I say lack of actual conversation.

Oh, and we can’t forget about the random stuff us girls have said to gay guys. Haha, not gonna lie I’ve also said some of the stuff in the video. It’s super funny!

There are just so many of these videos! But I tend to like the ones that are have good sound & film quality. Some people have just filmed themselves in their room or their bathroom, and it’s just so sleazy looking. I like the videos that at least put some creativity into it, and actually planned it out. So I could have easily posted lots of videos, but these are the best ones I’ve seen so far.

Anyone have a favorite? Perhaps any random ideas on the next video someone should make. I mean everyone says shit, so what group/category of people have been left out? Hmmm….Shit Babies Say? Oh wait, never mind. I just watched one. LOL….man, YouTube is insane!

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com

Yeah, I Said It | Sh*t Girls Say Ep. 2 & Sh*t Black Guys/Girls Say (thinksoul25.com)
VIDEO: SH#% Nobody Says (patspapers.com)

Save $$$ | Rent Your Textbooks & Plant a Tree

Posted by Jasmine McGee ⋅ January 10, 2012 ⋅ 4 Comments

Remember the days in middle school & high school when your teacher would assign you a textbook for the entire semester/year? It would usually be during that first or second day of class. The teacher would show up with a pile of books (sometimes a cart) and would go over how precious the books were. Some teachers would even have a contract you’d have to sign, and if you broke that contract then you would be in big trouble; it was literally life or death if anything happened to that book.

Ah, I used to love those days. I didn’t have to worry about spending cash on a textbook. The only thing I’d probably have to buy is a book cover to protect it, but even that could easily be made out of a brown paper bag or newspaper (creative & cheap.) Being a middle school & high school student wasn’t as expensive as college, but of course college is often the path you need to take in order to get a good career making decent money (college isn’t everything, but it sure does help.)

As a college student in my senior year, I can’t even begin to tell you how much money I’ve spent on textbooks. During my underclassmen days I probably spent well over $500 a semester on textbooks online, and that was just textbooks I bought used on Amazon.com & other websites. Luckily I always had a little bit left over from tuition, but sometimes the money did come out of my parents pocket. But those are trials of the past. Thanks to Chegg.com I’ve been able to save hundreds of dollars on cheap textbooks and in the end simply return the books I really didn’t want in the first place.

There is nothing worse than having spent a bunch of money on textbooks, and in the end not being able to sale back the books for a decent price. Ah man, I’ve been mad so many times when I found out a new edition of a textbook has come out, which essentially decreases the value of the book I had bought for more than $80. But with Chegg.com I’m able to rent my textbooks, and at the end of the semester ship them back for free in the adorable orange Chegg box.

If you’ve never rented your textbooks before, then I’m telling you it’s awesome! For instance, this semester each of my textbooks cost about $60 or more for a used copy on Amazon.com. My technical report writing book was $167 used on Amazon.com & new for about $200. But with Chegg.com I was able to rent each of my books for about $30 and save almost $205.

Not only did I save money, but I also helped plant a tree. Yes, I helped a tree get planted somewhere in the US. I’ve actually planted a tree when I was in elementary school.We did a project in which we all got in groups and planted a medium size tree which would grow to full size as the years progressed. I never went back to see if that tree grew very tall, but it was such an amazing project to be apart of. Since I haven’t planted any trees since then or done anything with Habitat for Humanity, it feels nice knowing I saved money; Chegg.com worked with American Forests to plant a tree.

Every time you buy a book with Chegg.com, they plant a tree. So you’re actually helping the environment. Not only does planting a tree help the biodiversity of forests, but renting textbooks also limits the amount of paper used to reprint books. So if your goal was to be more “green” in 2012, then consider renting your textbooks and helping the environment by allowing Chegg.com to plant a textbook either in the US or World (you get to choose either one after checkout.)

Don’t go spend thousands of dollars on books you might not ever read again. Save money, rent textbooks, and a plant a tree!

Dosage of Truth | NDL – “Young World”

Posted by Jasmine McGee ⋅ January 3, 2012 ⋅ 6 Comments

A new year marks a time for people to make changes, consider the route they want to take, and even find themselves. It’s the perfect opportunity to carpe diem, seize the day. There are a lot of different resolutions and aphorisms people try to jam into the last 10 seconds before the clock signals the arrival of the new year, but the best way to start off 2012 is with a hint of positivity & a large dosage of truth.

It’s nice to have a large dosage of truth coming from a friend or a loved one, but sometimes it’s also nice to have that inspirational truth come from an influential & talented artist. Musicians, rappers, & other artists have the power to make a statement to the masses, so it’s nice to see that Napoleon Da Legend has released a new video that will truly speak to the masses.

Napoleon Da Legend’s new video is called “Young World” and it’s another dope Crazy Al Cayne directed video. In the video NDL gives a dosage of wisdom and solid truth that is a powerful message for the young generation & the individuals of the “young world” who often shy away from being original; lacking the sheer importance of being an individual. It’s a message that reminds the youth of this world to be free, be young, but most importantly be yourself. Conformity is not a beautiful trait, yet rather embracing a zest individuality is the way to go.

Check out the Crazy Al Cayne directed visuals below & be sure to show Napoleon Da Legend some love on his official Facebook fan page.

Hot New Release | The Sugar Cayne Experiment Vol #1 (thinksoul25.com)
Napoleon Da Legend – Elixir (Ruff Kut Videoz) (thinksoul25.com)
Can’t Help Myself - N.D.L ft La Femme Nikita (thinksoul25.com)

Another Day, Just Believe

Posted by Jasmine McGee ⋅ January 1, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment

It’s amazing how a simple shift from 11:59pm to 12:00am can mark the start of a new day, a new year, a new path, and new dreams. All the hiccups of 2011 have quickly become hazy fragments. Everything that happened in 2011 are just events & circumstances that can easily be added to my Facebook timeline, but now I’m staring at a blank slate of 2012 waiting to be written.

H.P. Lovecraft once said that “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” He had a very good point. Fear. We’ve all experienced the apprehension that is the essential building block of fear, but 2012 shouldn’t be another year that is wasted. It should be a aggressively progressive journey that leads towards your dream. Whatever your dream is, make it a reality in 2012.

Whether you’re sure or not, but somewhere deep down inside you have a dream(s). In the past I’ve entertained quite a few different dreams, but at the end of the day I just want to be a successful writer. By successful, I mean I want to become an established writer and actually have an impact. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get over my apprehension of NYC and try making it as a writer there. Or perhaps I can end up traveling the world and pursuing my desire to be a travel writer ( I write for a travel site now, but I don’t actually get to travel.)

I can’t exactly where I’ll end up, but that’s the beauty of life. You never know what’s going to happen the next in a few seconds, an hour, the next day, or the next decade. I mean apparently the world is supposed to end in 2012, so I should make every day count and not fret about tomorrow. I have to honestly work on my worrying and annoying trait of over analyzing my future. At this point all I know is I graduate in summer 2012 and whatever happens after that, well it happens. It’s just another day for me to just believe. So instead of worrying like I did in 2011 and wondering about the prospects that lay ahead, I’m going to spend 2012 being spontaneous and taking risks.

Everyday this year is another day. Each day is a chance for me to become a better writer, get my name out there, make mistakes, network, believe in the uncertain future of relationships, and to just live in the moment. I’m going to make the best of the year, and even start actually spending more time in New York. Maybe it’s not such a fairytale to believe I could actually make it as a writer there, or maybe it is. Who really knows? All I do know that in the end it’s just another day, just breathe.another day, just believe. Just breathe. Just believe….