As you all know, I do not have cable television. This is the second year that I havent had cable and if you told me that I would be able to live and thrive without it a couple years ago, I would have called you a liar. lol.
SO I have been watching a lot of PBS. I have never watched so much PBS in all my years alive combined compared to this year. I have watched so many awesome documentaries on PBS world. I'll try and list of them as I remember them.
As we speak I am watching a documentary on why so many Black males are struggling in the education gap. I guess this is now a mini series I have started. I didnt do it on purpose, this is just things that have been in the media lately...kind of like the phenomenon of successful single black females.... but here is the link to a previous post I did on "The Boy Crisis" a couple weeks ago.
I am halfway through the documentary and it is indeed informative. Check it out below.
So the past 2 days has been a quasi-RedBox binge. Ok..not really, but I watched 3 movies. I enjoyed all 3 movies, but in a different way... ::spoiler alert::
1. The Adjustment Bureau
This movie was cool, I was kind of confused in the first 13 mins, but eventually it came together. I really like the idea that our lives are part of a plan and certain things are just supposed to happen to keep you on track, but then again, where does free will fit in? Hence this movie... I enjoyed it, more like a futuristic love story.
2. The Lincoln Lawyer
I rented this movie previously, but somehow ended up falling asleep. I gave it another shot and it was aight. I don't really like the whole lawyer thing much, in terms of this is why I never actually considered the profession. It did have some unique twists that I couldn't predict so I liked it in that aspect.
3. Limitless
This is my favorite movie of the bunch. I liked it mostly because it unpredictable. I had no idea what the movie was about going into it, it was getting dark outside and I essentially picked the first movie that I could select. lol. Even though it kind of semi-endorses drug use. It had several plot twists and turns, it also had a sufficient amount of action. The short version is it's about a guy who takes a performance enhancing drug and how his life is drastically affected from there. 2 thumbs up from me!
You guys should be proud of me...all this blogging that I'm doing. lol.
I decided to check out the latest videos from TedTalk... The first video that I saw was quite intriguing it was only 4 minutes, and it was called, "The Demise of Guys." It addressed how men are lagging behind their women counterparts in educational arenas. In addition, he humorously addresses how men are being subjected to unlimited amounts of arousal and how they actually seem to be perferring that than the company of the opposite sex. Very interesting!
This second video is even more intriguing it is much longer, but it is truly eye opening. It is titled, "New Data on the Rise of Women." Hanna Rosin made a good point and said "Thousands of history don't reverse themselves without pain." She said "men are losing their identities and are having a hard time finding themselves"
Sometimes it makes me wonder is this why men for hundreds of years subconsciously and consciously "oppressed" and denied women true access to the work force?
I think this is definitely a phenomenon that is happening everywhere. I saw it at Emory, there were at least 3 times more women in the black community. I see it in Optometry school, there is more women in each class. Even with Optometry in general, it used to be a completely male dominated profession, but now it is mostly women that are graduating from optometry schools.
Just the other day I was talking to one of my friends about how I'm so proud of all my friends. Just this year, I have friends who started a PhD program, Med school, Pharm school, and Law school. And then we started discussing how our male counterparts don't seem to be as "motivated"... and I put motivated in quotes, just because I mean that on a surface level in terms of those seeking professional school degrees. And yes my opinion is biased of course... but it is something that I've been noticing..
How do I feel about it? Hmm... well I do think it is a backlash to many years in which women were put into a box and expected to do only, "XYZ."
::sidenote:: I dated this guy who was adamant that women should still "solely" fulfill traditional household duties, ie cooking and cleaning... as you can tell that didn't go over very well. I just didn't understand what is the point of me getting a doctoral degree, and my 'partner' expects me to still essentially be a housewife AND work a full job...umm no thanks.. ::sidenote over::
But the fact that Rosin says it is not just happening in the US, but countries all over the world, I wonder how this is going to pan out..hmm...
These two videos are in fact intriguing, check them out!
So I made an impromptu trip to Chicago for the 4th weekend. American Airlines had crazy cheap tickets, up until the night before I left. So I bought my ticket on Thursday night and flew out on Friday night. Still hard to believe. I really didn't want to spend my 4th weekend in St. Louis.
I got to hang out with 2 of my really great college friends. It all worked out so perfectly. I am so happy!!
I had the opportunity to go to Taste of Chicago, for the 2nd time. It was amazing. I love love trying different types of food. It was great!! I hope I can remember everything I tried, let's see:
Baklava
Kiefer
Connie's Deep Dish Cheese Pizza
Pralines and Cream
Oreo Parfait
Jerk Chicken and Rice
Chocolate Dipped Banana
Chicken Kabob
I even made it back to St. Louis in time to catch the fireworks show downtown. So that made me really happy.
(I'm currently uploading photos from the trip onto facebook)
For some reason, I felt especially patriotic on this 4th of July. Not sure why, but you guys know I love holidays, I love warm weather, I love fireworks, and I love food. So basically the 4th is usually one of those holidays that I love.
Something that I really miss going to is Stone Mountain...yeah I know it is really a "Confederate Memorial" but I really love the Laser Show. It basically became a summer tradition of mind, but summer is coming to a close and it's looking like no laser show. Anyways, but I really like how they usually set the lasers to music.
The fireworks show in Downtown St. Louis was especially impressive. It was beautiful. We had the perfect seats on the great lawn right under the arch. I was just so happy to be there in that moment. I actually shot a couple of videos. I will post them. Beware...in most of the videos I'm yelling something along the lines of "Wow...thats Awesome".. like the whole time. Anyways, enjoy!
[Having problems uploading this video on Blogger, I'll figure it out..lol]
I have been saying for quite some time that I was going to post a couple of tutorial videos on how to make "sets" on Polyvore. It really does take some time to "perfect" your skills. Each set takes me a while, mostly because I am indecisive and there are just so many options. This is helping me get my urge for fashion/shopping out of the way without spending precious money. Hope you enjoy the videos and if you create a profile be sure to add me.
I absolutely love this video!!! My line sister sent it to me earlier today. I heard about it through twitter, and I am glad that I finally got to see it. This is extremely important for young black girls. Our society, especially black culture really needs to start accepting each other for who we are. It is almost ingrained that at a certain age you should get your hair straightened or permed, but why can't you just love your hair the way it grows out of your scalp?
Anyways, positive affirmations are great and can do so much for women/girls self-esteem. I am glad that people are really starting to be more open minded and accepting. Black women can be beautiful in so many different ways!! Love it!
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
So any of my "faithful" blog readers know that I love Ted Talks. Last week I started watching a talk by Sheryl DuWann. She is the author of the book, Stop Abuse of Women Worldwide. I had to stop and take the time to create a blogpost on this, not only because the video was moving, but I think it is essential information that people need to know.
I have found myself many times having heated debates/discussions on gender inequities in America and around the world. Honestly the people that I usually have these debates with are men. Sometimes I leave feeling so defeated because I don't know if "male privilege" is really operating that much or do people refuse to see the gender inequalities that span worldwide.
There are some highpoints from this video that really stuck with me.
She talks briefly on Female Sex Trafficking (also known as "modern day slavery", which is at an all time high around the world. This topic has really had an eye opening transformative effect on me, for several reasons. In undergrad my sorority held a Symposium on Sex Trafficking, that was extremely informative. Things are things that often go unlooked and thought about, mostly because it doesn't involve the every day person (or does it?). It's also important to know that many of these women are in fact young girls. As young as 6 or 7. Lisa Ling has also done a wonderfully enlightening documentary on sex slavery.
She also talks about childbirth and how around the world a woman dies every 1.5 minutes while giving birth.
Infanticide is a large issue when it comes to girls, because around the world, even in America...male children are often looked at as being more valued than girls.
DuWann's solution to these problems are to educate girls. Often girls are not given the opportunity to be educated, but instead they are married off at young ages and forced to be domestic servants to their husbands. She also reiterates that when a woman is educated, she tends to have fewer kids, get married later on in life, and also educate her own child. Which would inevitably stop the vicious cycle.
Overall the video is extremely informative, and it is something I think is worth taking a look at, especially for men, who think that we have reached gender equality.The specific stories she gives are so moving and dynamic. For me, it is especially touching as I sit here in my apartment and take a break from studying. I have been blessed beyond measure. There are girls around the world who will never go to school, let alone college and a doctoral program. It gives me strength and motivation to keep going, so that I can help those that are less fortunate.
So week one is down and I'm feeling like I've been in school for about a month now...eek. I was in my Ophthalmic Optics class and my professor showed us the double rainbow video. Apparently it has been one of those youtube hit videos, but watching it early in the morning was hilarious... But then I watched it again, and I just couldn't stop laughing. Of course this optometry related, don't get me started on the visual spectrum and my Visual Perception textbook has a huge rainbow on the front. Well basically the video is funny you have to watch it...it's below:
Darren walks into the American Deli on Random Rd. in Atlanta, Ga. Orders the usual Chicken Philly and Wings special. The waitress – Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Japanese, who knows – takes his order, shouts back to the cook in an indecipherable dialect and takes the next person’s order.
10 minutes elapses and the waitress shouts, “89!” Darren looks down at his receipt. One more order away.
“Number 90!” Darren steps to the counter, grabs his order, looks in the bag and asks for more blue cheese.
“It’s gonna to be fifty cents extra,” the waitress says.
“It was just thirty cents last week,” he responds.
The waitress, with a bewildered grin on her face, gives a half shrug. Darren pays the extra fifty cents, grabs the blue cheese and walks out the store. As he opens his car door, he turns around to notice the Korean Beauty Supply store and the Discount Store on the same strip as the American Deli. Across the street is a nail shop, ran by Vietnamese business owners (he knows that much).
Shaking his head, he dips into his car and cranks it up. Pausing for a second, he ingests the situation of it all. The movies. The looks of perceived condescension. The lack of Black business owners in the hood.
With the blare of Nas and Damian Marley through the speakers, he drives off.
So I honestly thought I did a blogpost on the Empowerment Experiment, but I guess I didn't,...and I just sent it in an email to some of my friends. Basically a family (The Anderson's) decides to only buy from and support black businesses for a whole year. Yes you might think that it is nearly impossible, but after watching the video, you will see that it isn't as crazy as it sounds.
I think it is so important that black people become more aware of their "buying power"...It seems as though whenever my family or certain groups of my friends get together the topic of black businesses always surfaces. As you can see from the narrative of "Darren" and his experience in American Deli, others have come into the black community and have been reaping the profits of the "black dollar"... The Clutch Mag article refers to a lot of these issues...so what should be done? It is just such a problematic situation. Some would say boycott/forgo buying from these businesses (which can work, but there needs to be more of a movement)..also there is a need for more black businesses, but more importantly black people need to support each other... I'll keep this short for now. It's really To Be Continued..
So one morning last semester, my Clinical Optometry professor showed us this video.. I meant to post it a while ago, but clearly I have slacking on posts..good thing I remembered. For some reason, I was dying laughing in class, but after watching it again, it was still pretty funny... so enjoy! Oh and Blogger introduced this new template designer thingy, so I am going to try it out because I have been wanting to change the design of my blog for some time now (change is good). Geesh I have a lot to catch up on, I need to rededicate myself to blogger. I'll be better next week...lol.
So today I saw an email from one of my line sisters... She enclosed a link to an interview by CNN Money with the founder and Chief shoe giver of TOM's shoes, Blake Mycoskie. She said it made her think of one of the blogposts that I did on TOM's shoes a month ago, check it out here.. Well below is the video, its only ~3 mins:
There is a lot I can say about this. First off, I love when I get feedback from people on my blogposts. It reminds me that people are actually reading my blog and semi-care about what I have to say. (That is one thing I want to thank my oldest sister for...she often comments on my posts when we talk on the phone.) It ALWAYS warms my heart. It is just weird, because I find it hard to believe that people actually read the randomness that I write/that flows out of my head. So feel free to leave me a comment on here, drop an email, or just check off the reaction thingy.. (Yes I do read/see every comment)
Secondly, the title of the video on CNN money was "Conscious Capitalism"...wow that is actually very powerful. How many people can say they are conscious consumers, let alone capitalists. Basically do you know where the goods come from that you buy? How they got there? Who manufactured them? Roughly how much they costs to make? Why they are marked up almost 500% before they are even sold to you in the store? Anyways...I think as consumers we are blind consumers...we should be more in control of what we buy and why.
It seems as though the media/fashion industry markets certain labels that will make us look and feel better about ourselves if we spend over a certain amount of money on a particular clothing item. Don't get me wrong, I like certain labels..but a lot of time things can get a little excessive especially if you can't afford it. Oh well...I got one of the first things off my list, I'll cross it off...woohoo.
1. Toms Shoes follow up
2. 1 year blogaversary (Recap)
3. First Year of Opt school (Looking Back)
4. Diversity/ Janelle Monae
5. St. Louis/Midwest
So I saw this TedTalk video a couple of months ago, but I never got around to posting and commenting on it. So I figured I'd just post it anyway, in case anyone was interested. The video was remarkable, and it left me thinking about how proper nutrition or the lack of affects children for the rest of their adult life; especially with the rise in childhood obesity, which leads to a whole array of diseases such as the rise in Type II diabetes among children.
Maybe sometime last week, I saw that Jamie Oliver actually has a show coming out about the nutrition problem around the US, it's called "Food Revolution". It instantly reminded me of this video, and I guess I wasn't the only impressed by his ideas and what not. What sparked me to think of this, was a phone call from my sister asking me how was my school lunch in high school. She was appalled by the lunch that was being served.
Oh also there is a petition that you can sign on Jamie's website. Watch the video hopefully you are inspired by something and realize that it does matter, especially for the longevity of our nation.
So if this isn't funny I don't know what is...I didn't even know Chia Pet's were still being sold..Hilarious! I busted out laughing when I saw this, my favorite part is they call it the "Great American Series." They even have a ridiculous video/advertisement to accompany the product. Maybe it is/was an April Fool's Joke...either way it is still funny and I wonder how many people will actually buy it. Here is the video:
So hopefully everyone laughed as hard as me...I just wanted to do a quick update. Right now I am on my spring break..it has been GREAT! Honestly the week has really flown by! I can't believe it is Friday. I have really been able to catch up on my sleep which has been nice. The weather outside has been marvelous, even reaching and exceeding 80 degrees (doing a happy dance). Unlike STL, flowers and trees are really starting to blossom; it just looks beautiful outside. One of my professors, gave us some work to do (notes to review) and what not..definitely don't feel like doing it..Let's just be honest, I probably won't do it until Sunday when I get to "Misery/Missouri." There have been a lot of changes in my life, but we will see what all becomes of it... (not jumping to any conclusions, like the Jump to Conclusions mat on Office Space)
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/30/japan.video.game.rape/index.html
This makes me sick to my stomach... Women are constantly being objectified around the world, and it is ridiculous that the object of a game is to find and rape women. Utterly and completely disgusting... Everyday it seems as though things in the world are getting more and more ridiculous... I'm at a loss for words..
So I have already posted 4 other updates and it is only March 3rd... I think you can tell I really missed my blog and all of my creative outlets. The past two weeks were filled with exams, tests, quizzes, and more exams. I have had a little more time to breathe, before the madness resumes.
I meant to write a blogpost on Nneka. Basically she is an amazing emerging artist, I hope I can do her justice.She is classified as a Hip-Hop/Soul/Afrobeat artist.
Quick side note: So if you have been keeping up with my blog at all, you know that I was mildly miserable in MO last semester, but I have been trying to do more things. So I was recently introduced to a new friend in STL, she is an Emory alumnus as well, and she invited me to the Nneka concert a couple weeks ago. The ironic part is my line sister posted on my wall (on FB) a link to Nneka's video the very same day that my new friend invited me to the concert, because she thought I would really like her music...
So I went to her concert and completely fell in love with her music and everything she is about. Nneka is a Nigerian-German singer, songwriter and a lot of her songs are about political and conscious issues and what not, mostly having to do with the exploitation of Nigeria. Her concert was at the Gramophone, which was a cute little diverse spot. Her newest album, "Concrete Jungle" was recently released, but hearing her CD is nothing compared to hearing her live.Her single, "The Uncomfortable Truth" was iTunes single of the week a couple of weeks ago. I have so many songs that I like...my fav is probably "Come with Me"...I love the lyrics, beat, gosh everything. However while making this blogpost I just discovered she has a lot of videos for a lot of her songs...
Well back to my narrative, we ended up getting her autograph and a picture with her... which is unusual for me, because I am not usually a groupie, but I think she is a refreshing sound in music. Very uplifting, and it creates a wonderful awareness that I feel has been missing from music lately. Below are some videos of her songs, check them out. I wish I could post all of her videos/songs, but definitely check her out on youtube, myspace, R.I.P. imeem, playlist, etc...
SO I went a little overboard with the videos...Oh here are two pics I took at the concert. Enjoy...
This video really was worth my time watching. It is called the Story of Stuff and I saw it on the website, The Story of Stuff. It is about the idea of Sustainability, which I found out recently that everyone is not aware of what sustainability is (I almost fainted), but basically it deals with the interactions among the Economy, Environment and Society. In short, how people have abused the earth's resources (and each other) in order to keep producing more and more things, therefore creating the crazy consumerism that we all know and have experienced today.
I pretty much became familiar with most of these things when I went out on a limb sophomore year at Emory and took an Economic Anthropology class, which might have easily been one of my top 3 classes at Emory. Basically we discussed everything having to do with consumerism. That is first when I learned about the Grameen Bank (before it won a noble prize), Kiva microloans, and what Fairtrade really means.
Anyways... my final project in my Econ Anthro class was a consumption project. We had to track our consumption for 3 days straight and then write an analysis of it. Of course when I initially read this on the syllabus I thought it would have been extremely easy, but as the time approached and we received more information on the project I realized that it was going to be more involved than I thought. We had to record not just what we ate/drank, but how long we were in a room with the lights on (how many lights were on), how far did we drive (amount of miles/gas consumed), room with the A/C and approximate temp in the room, how many sheets of paper did we write on, how long did we write with an ink pen, amount of toilet tissue used, beauty products, etc. the list goes on and on. Basically those three days was a nightmare. I honestly did not realize how much I consumed on a daily basis. The things that seem to be so essential for life, are so numerous.
That is why I really appreciate this video with Annie Leonard. I look forward to reading her book and also seeing her video on the "Evolution of the Water Bottle," basically how have these water companies gotten us to buy bottled water even though we (Americans) have free flowing water coming out of our taps. I am guilty to having been a slave to water bottles, but buying my Brita filter has made me feel much better and now i just refill my stainless steel bottle. Anyways...I am really interested in all of these issues, because I did write my Ethnography project (every anthro major has to do one) on Sustainability at Emory, more specifically Recycling. So that was long winded. Enjoy the video, I hope it makes you more aware of the NASTY linear cycle that has been created and continues everyday. Wish me luck on my first test of the semester tomorrow. Until Next Time...
So as I shared some time ago, I really enjoy Ted Talk Tuesdays (Ideas Worth Spreading). They always have innovative talks about a wide variety of subjects. I recently saw this video. In the beginning the speaker addresses the importance of sight/optometry and how it impacts people's everyday lives.
Sometimes when I tell people I am in Optometry school, I usually get one of two reactions. The first is they are really excited and then proceed to ask me a personal eye related question or they look at me blankly. Hopefully for the first response I can answer their question or simply tell them "Oh I haven't learned that yet." However for the second response I usually have to tell them, oh I'm going to be an Eye doctor, and if they continue to look at me blankly I usually give a 10 sec explanation of why vision is important.
I guess because I wear corrective lens, I know how important vision is, but I honestly feel as though we (Americans) take it for granted. Imagine if you were in "developing" nation and you did not have the access to an Optometrist (they are everywhere, just notice when you take your next trip out and about). How would you see? How would you function? The ability to see dramatically affects our quality of life. Even though school is kicking my butt right now. I am sooo HAPPY that I stumbled upon Optometry because I am reminded almost everyday that it is the field for me.
The inability to see is as much a personal problem as it is a global health issue. Before ever really thinking about optometry as a career I thought about almost every possible health field from an MD, to dentist, podiatrist (lol), getting a Public Health degree, but with all of those options, I never was really sure how I would make a difference. Now that we have started learning Clinical procedures, I have been happy (for the most part).
Ok back to the video. So the speaker, Josh Silver, speaks about the global crisis that the lack of correction lens can present in a population. His solution is "Water filled glasses," although he doesn't get into the optics of it (I would like to know) because I took an optics class and I currently taking two more this semester. He makes it seem like it is just that simple. There is a reason glass is used in glasses and although water is clear medium, it has a different refractive index than air, the aqueous, and the vitreous. Oh and did you know that before anything strikes your retina it goes through 6 different surfaces. Yes...6. Anyways...so here is the talk. If you want to check out more talks go to Ted.com. Enjoy! Until Next Time...
Powerful video. I stumbled across this website when I was on Freerice.com. Everyone should check out Free Rice. If you have never heard of it, basically you play little multiple choice trivia games and for each question you get right, 10 grains of rice is donated. It's not a lot, but its something. Also you can change the category for the different trivia questions. I like to put mine on french so I can brush up on French words they also have where you identify countries, capitals of countries, English grammar, many other languages, Chemistry, Algebra...basically check out the website. It's cool.
And it's something you can do in your downtime instead of wasting time on FB. Speaking of FB I am going to add yet another widget to my blog, from the Billion for a Billion website. Until Next Time...
