PURPOSE: An individual's life is a manifestation of her/his thoughts. Lets reflect, modify, and speak prosperity in our life? This blog is an attempt to discuss topics that identify issues, generate solutions, and promote holistic growth in our lives. Ethereal is defined as being extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world. We are ethereal beings in a continuous life struggle, but through Christ, we have Victory!
"To be covered by God and walk in the area of your destiny, you can't be limited to just working with people who look like you, think like you, vote like you, or dress like you...You have to step outside of the box, because God will use many different people to bless you, and move you forward. You can't be limited and one dimensional; this is a coat of many colors....It is not the colors you need to watch it is the character."
Three Basic Categories Of People "A Child of Destiny" will Interact With:
Confidants: There will be very few of these people, They will love you unconditionally, whether you are up or down, right or wrong. "You will never inherit your kingdom without finding your confidant.., You can't be David without finding your Jonathon..." Having a good confidant is the key that unlocks the gate to the kingdom. You were raised outside of the gate and God is going to require that you reach on the other side of the gate and find a confidant who will mentor you, and prepare you for what God is about to do in your life. Don't be the person who always deal with people beneath you!
2. Constituents: "They are not into you, they are into what are for... If they meet someone else who will further their agenda, they will leave you, because they were not for you, they were for what you were for.... Be careful, if you are broken, you may mistake your constituent for you confidants!"
3.Conrads: They are not for you, or what you are for; they are against what you are against. "They make strange bedfellows..." They will team up with you to fight a greater enemy, but will be there only until the victory is accomplished.... These people are like scaffolding; they come into your life to help fulfill a purpose, and when that purpose is over the scaffolding is removed." Don't be upset, the building always remains when the scaffolding is removed!
Don't Tell Your Dream to Just Anyone!
The constituents and the conrads are not meant to be in you life forever.... "Be careful then who you tell your dream to... if you tell your dream to your constituent they will will desert you and try to fulfill the dream without you... Don't tell your dream to your conrads, because they will not support you; they were never really for yo in the first place.
How to Identify Who is REALLY for You:
They will wept for you when you wept and they will rejoice with you when you rejoice!!!!! Are they really happy for you?
This Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 6 to Nov. 2, 2011, among a random national sample of 1,936 adults, including users of both conventional and cellular phones. The full sample includes additional interviews with randomly selected African Americans, for a total of 808 black women and 301 black men. The added interviews (commonly referred to as an “oversample”) were completed to ensure there were enough respondents for separate analysis; the group is not over-represented in the reported results. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points; error margins are five points for African American women, eight points for African American men, 5.5 points for white women and 6.5 points for white men. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS) of Media, Pa.
*= less than 0.5 percent
According to the Results of the Poll,Which Topic(s) Strike/Surprise/Intrigue You Most?
We spend years living our lives based on what our mother, father, grandma, uncle and aunt taught us. We sometime latch onto a "truth" that our eleven year old best friend instilled in us back in the day.... After sitting in front of the television for hours or isolating all sound except for that of our favorite modern music in our ear plugs all day, we become conditioned to believe many warped ideas are the norm... These "truths" become a philosophical foundation on which we boldly stand in our everyday life.
Are We a Product of Our Environment? What Does that Say About the Truths on Which We So Boldly Stand? What we think affects what we view the world, or at least, how we interpret what we see. Many things mold the way that we perceive the world. Our life experiences-struggle, lavish lifestyle, extensive travel, isolation etc-, our family, our culture, or education level, our religious beliefs, etc...All of these different aspects of life come together and intertwine with our daily life situations. No wonder our individual reaction to situations are so different! In addition, social norm and social conventions are constantly changing-not always in a good way.- It's mind blowing to think that those things that were once inconceivable to say or do may at some point becomes "the norm". Let's take a look at some extremely warped "social norms."
The increasing use of “bitch” among women makes it harder to see "links between the word and patriarchy. In pop culture and in everyday life, men and women use “bitch” as an epithet against women (and non-conventional men) as well as a means of expressing dominance over a person or object. Women who “reclaim” the term—by declaring themselves “bitches,” calling other women “bitches” in a friendly way, or using the term as a female-based generic—unwittingly reinforce sexism. Unlike the term “feminist,” which is tied to a movement for social change, “bitch” provides women only with false power, challenging neither men nor patriarchy.
Misogyny in hip hop culture refers to lyrics, videos or other aspects of hip hop culture that support, glorify, justify, or normalize the objectification, exploitation, or victimization of women. It can rangerom innuendoes to stereotypical characterizations and defamations.[2]Scholars have proposed various explanation for the presence of misogyny in hip hop culture. Some have argued that rap artists use misogynistic lyrics and portrayals as a way to assert their masculinity[2] or to demonstrate their authenticity as rappers.[3][4] Others have suggested that rap music is a product of its environment, reflecting mainstream attitudes toward women,[5][6][7] and that hip hop artists have internalized negative stereotypes about women.[2] Still other academics have stressed economic considerations, arguing that rappers use misogyny to achieve commercial success.[2]
Content analyses have found that approximately 22% to 37% of rap lyrics contain some misogyny, depending on subgenre.[8][9][10] Individual artists have been shown to use such lyrics more frequently. Eminem, for example, used misogyny in eleven of the 14 songs on his third studio album.[8] Common misogynistic themes include the use of derogatory names such as "bitch" and "ho", sexual objectification of women, legitimation of violence against women, distrust of women, and the glorification of prostitution and pimping.[11]
Responses to misogyny in hip hop music have ranged from criticism by women's rights activists, student protests and organized campaigns to a 2007 congressional hearing.[12]Female rap artists have used their music or started organizations to explicitly oppose hip hop misogyny[13] or expressed resistance by using self-empowering lyrics and adopting an independent woman persona.[14] By contrast, some female rap artists do not actively resist misogynistic portrayals.[14]
Video game controversies are societal and scientific arguments about whether or not the content of video games can change the behavior and attitudes of a player. Since the early 1980s, advocates of video games have emphasized their use as an expressive medium, arguing for their protection under the laws governing freedom of speech and also as an educational tool. Detractors argue that video games are harmful and therefore should be subject to legislative oversight and restrictions. The positive and negative characteristics and effects of video games are the subject of scientific study. Results of investigations into links between video games and addiction, aggression, violence,social development, and a variety of stereotyping and sexual morality issues are debated.[1]
Increasing Amount of Violence, Derogatory Language, and Sexual Exploitation in Movies Researchers have presented a model hypothesizing indirect effects of media sexual violence on aggression against women. It suggests that certain cultural factors (including mass media) and individual variables interact to affect some people's thought patterns and other responses that may lead to antisocial behavior, including aggression. Two streams of current research are relevant to the model. The first shows connections between exposure to sexually violent media and the development of thought patterns that support violence against women. The second reveals links between such patterns and various forms of antisocial behavior in the laboratory and in naturalistic settings. Suggestions for further research are discussed.
Overall, youth violence in the United States has increased at an alarming rate in the last fifteen years. Homicide has become the second leading cause of death for persons aged 15 to 24, and the leading cause of death for African-Americans in this age group. Between 1985 and 1994, annual arrest rates for weapons carrying for youth under 18 years of age increased 104%1.
Yet little of the violence reported for children and youth occurs in school; nor does national data show that the problem is getting worse2. Less than one percent of homicides and suicides among schoolchildren in the period from 1992 to 1994 were school-associated. With a school homicide rate of less than one in a million, the chances of violent death among juveniles are almost 40 times as great out of school as in school. While shocking and senseless shootings give the impression of dramatic increases in school-related violence, national surveys consistently find that school violence has stayed essentially stable or even decreased slightly over time (see Resources for a listing of websites of some national reports on school violence).
Unfortunately, not all schools are equally safe. National level data suggests that middle and high schools, especially larger schools, are more at-risk for serious violence. Moreover, students in urban schools serving predominantly lower SES minority children remain twice as likely to be victims of violence as students in suburban, town, or rural areas. In addressing the tragic incidents that have occurred recently in suburban and rural schools, it is critical that the more ongoing and severe problems of lower SES urban schools and students not be forgotten or ignored.
Gun violence is a regularly debated political issue in the United States. Gun-related violence is most common in poor urban areas and frequently associated with gang violence, often involving male juveniles or young adult males.[1][2] High-profile mass shootings have fueled debate over gun policies, even though these events are relatively rare.[3] In 2010, 358 murders were reported involving a rifle while 6,009 were reported involving a handgun; another 1,939 were reported with an unspecified type of firearm.[4] High-profile assassinations such as those of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and the Beltway sniper attacks involved the use of rifles, usually with telescopic sights, from concealed locations.
In 2009, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 67% of all homicides in the U.S. were conducted using a firearm.[5]Two-thirds of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. are suicides. In 2010, there were 19,392 firearm-related suicides, and 11,078 firearm-related homicides in the U.S.[6]
Research concerning the effects of pornography is concerned with multiple outcomes.[1] Such research includes potential influences on rape, domestic violence, sexual dysfunction, difficulties with sexual relationships, and child sexual abuse. Viewers of novel and extreme pornographic images may become tolerant to such images, which may impact sexual response.[1] Currently, there is no evidence that visual images and films are addictive.[2] Some studies support the contention that the viewing of pornographic material may increase rates of sexual crimes, whereas others are either inconclusive, suggest no effect, or conclude the liberalization of porn in society may be associated with decreased rape and sexual violence rates.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
What Should We Do With This Information?
All of these things have an impact on each of us individually, how we think, and how we see the world. These things also impact our world as a whole, social norms, and social convention. Again, are we a production of our society? What does that say about the "truths" on which we so boldly stand?
Sometimes the way we think limit our understanding of life! The "Truths" that we build our entire mentality on are sometimes warped by our life experiences, our family, our culture, social norms, social convention etc...Our philosophical view of the world can take us to some dark places and limit our outlook on f life, but there is a brighter world out there. It's all about how you look at things....
Edited by Mikeaemisegger, Catie, Teresa, Hafiz Mohammad Shayan Tariq
Reflection is the art of pondering on one's virtues and faults. It is also the ability to reflect on the "here and now", on your feelings and thoughts. This also includes reflecting on the thoughts, emotions and the feelings of others. This can help to improve oneself as you assess and reflect upon the decisions you made in life. Use your reflections as an opportunity to make profound and a constructive or positive change in your life. This may require letting go of some people and retaining others. This will depend greatly on the outcome of your reflections, also on the accuracy and intuitive feelings of these reflections.
In a spiritual sense, it means seeing life from God’s point of view. In the Bible, the words "understanding,” "wisdom,” and "discernment” all have to do with perspective. The opposite of perspective is “hardness of heart,” “blinded,” and “dullness.”
There are many benefits of learning to see everything from God’s perspective:
Perspective causes us to love God more. The better we understand the nature and ways of God, the more we love him. Paul prayed "May you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is" (Ephesians 3:18 LB).
Perspective helps us resist temptation. When we look at a situation from God’s viewpoint, we realize the long-term consequences of sin are greater than any short-term pleasure sin might provide. Without perspective we follow our own natural inclinations. "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12 NIV).
Perspective helps us handle trials. When we have God’s perspective on life we realize that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28) and that “the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:3). Perspective was one of the reasons Jesus was able to endure the cross (Hebrews 12:2). He looked past the pain to the joy that was set before him.
Perspective protects us from error. If there was ever a time that Christians need to be grounded in the truth, it is today. Pluralism has created a very confused culture. The problem is not that our culture believes nothing but that it believes everything. Perspective is the antidote.
When believers, new and mature, are given both knowledge and perspective, the result is rock solid: "Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth" (Ephesians 4:14 LB).
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
The Herald-Sun | Bernard Thomas Patrick Douthit, better known as Grammy Award-winning producer and scholar "9th Wonder", will return to NCCU in fall 2014 to teach an interdisciplinary course on hip-hop context and culture that will be based in the Department of History at North Carolina Central University.
DURHAM —
Patrick Douthit, the Grammy Award-winning hip-hip producer known as 9th Wonder, will teach a class on “Hip-Hop in Context” at N.C. Central University this fall, which will also launch the university’s Hip-Hop Institute.
NCCU formally announced the move at a news conference Monday on campus. NCCU Chancellor Debra Saunders-White said the university is embarking on a new era in its academic offerings. The Hip-Hop Institute is the beginning of an interdisciplinary program, she said, based in the history department.
Jim Harper, chairman of the NCCU history department, said the department is proud to house the Hip-Hop Institute and will also be working with the mass communication and music departments.
“It’s funny how things come full circle,” 9th Wonder said. He, Harper, and NCCU Men’s Basketball Coach LeVelle Moton were all in history class together in the mid-1990s at NCCU. This is also where 9th started his academic journey teaching, he said.
His mother and father were his teachers, but so was hip-hop artist Chuck D. Originally from Winston-Salem, 9th attended NCCU, but didn’t graduate, instead following his hip-hop career. He has worked with a large range of artists, including Mary J. Blige, Jay Z, Murs and Drake. He started the group Little Brother while a student in Durham along with Rapper Big Pooh and Phonte. He came back to NCCU the first time as an adjunct professor from 2006-09, also teaching “Hip-Hop in Context.” He then went on to teach at Duke University and at Harvard University. A documentary about 9th Wonder’s year as a Harvard University fellow, “The Hip-Hop Fellow,” premiered April 5 during the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham. While there in 2012, he worked with professors Henry Louis Gates and Marcyliena Morgan, who heads the Hip-Hop Archive at Harvard.
9th Wonder said Monday that if the Hip-Hop Institute was going to start anywhere, it needed to start at NCCU.
“I found my favorite albums while here on campus,” he said. Those include Nas’ “Illmatic” and Outkast’s debut album, both of which were released 20 years ago this month. It’s funny to say hip-hop albums are classic, said 9th Wonder, who is 39 years old. The 20th anniversary of those albums’ release is another example of things coming full circle, he said.
Saunders-White said that the institute is a way to engage students where they are.
“You cannot deny the impact of hip-hop culture,” she said, and it’s their responsibility at NCCU to engage students. She hopes the institute will be another way to graduate more students, and she is looking forward to developing the curriculum. Hip-hop is not a fad, and the university is making a major investment, Saunders-White said.9th Wonder’s class this fall will be a large introduction class with more than 100 students. Future classes will be smaller seminars, he said.
Harper said they’ll first build a curriculum for a concentration crossing the history, mass communication and music departments, and perhaps business and technology, too. “The power of hip-hop is global,” he said. The course will launch by the end of the week. Saunders-White said that if demand grows, it’ll move from a concentration to a full-fledged major.
9th Wonder said he’ll continue producing, as making beats is his foundation, he said. He has a recording studio in Raleigh.Harper remembers being undergrads with Moton and 9th. They took a class together called “The Black Experience since 1865,” taught by Glen Harris, who now teaches at UNC-Wilmington. Moton carried a basketball everywhere back then, and 9th was always making beats, Harper said. Harper spent his time in the history department, which he now leads. Harper said thei r success is what Saunders-White is talking about when she says “Eagle excellence.” 9th said that he and Harper are building the hip-hop curriculum now.
“We’re not just instructors, we’re children of hip-hop, around to make sure it’s taught the right way,” 9th said.
The Struggle: How much of this information do you think is true?
Society will tell you a great deal about African Americans, and unfortunately most of it is negative. The battle becomes your own sense of discernment: determine what is true and what is exaggerated, reflect on any issues, modify problems, and claim the victory! The truth is reflected in the way YOU live your life...
Interesting Statistics about the African American Population
The Struggle: How much of this information do you think is true?
8 Important Statistics that Black Americans Need to Recognize Now
www.MadameNoire.com
According to a recent study published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February 2011, “Although blacks make up only 13.6 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 50.3 percent of all diagnosed cases of HIV. Additionally, the rate of HIV diagnosis among black men is eight times that of whites and two times that of Hispanics, and the rate for black women is 19 times that of whites and four times that of Hispanics.
According to a recent study conducted by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University, “The wealth disparity between white and black households has more than quadrupled, regardless of income bracket.” Predicated on economic data from 1984 to 2007, the IASP study indicated that the average white family in the sample group held around $95,000 more in assets than the average black family. Additionally, the study found that middle-income white families have more assets (stocks, bonds, business interests, real estate other than primary residence) than do high-income black families.
According to the most recent government figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “72 percent of black mothers are unwed which eclipses that of most other groups: 17 percent of Asians, 29 percent of whites, 53 percent of Hispanics and 66 percent of Native Americans.” To be sure, these statistics do not imply that babies born to unwed mothers will be unsuccessful or devoid of opportunities. However, the data does bespeak of the need for more fathers in the home who are involved in their child’s life.
According to the US Department of Education, “Nearly half of the nation’s African American students attend high schools in low-income areas with dropout rates that hover in the 40-50% range.” “Dropout factories” (i.e., high schools that routinely have senior classes with 60% fewer students than their entering freshmen classes) are estimated to produce 73% of African American, 66% of Latino, and 34% of White dropouts, respectively.
According to a relatively recent graduation rate report from the Education Sector, an independent think tank, “Fewer than half of the black students who enroll in college graduate from four-year institutions within six years. Nationally, the average six-year graduation rate for all students is 57 percent.”
Moreover, a 2009 Associated Press analysis of government data on the 83 federally designated four-year HBCUs indicated that only 37 percent of their black students finish a degree within six years, which is 4 percentage points lower than the national college graduation rate for black students.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “The racial composition of the US prison and jail population as of 2008 was 60.21% (African American (non-Hispanic), 20.29% Hispanic, 13.44% White American (non-Hispanic) , and 6.06% Other (American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander American, and Multiracial American).”Relative to black on black crime, the most recent government statistics indicated that “43% of all murder victims in 2007 were African Americans, 93.1% of whom were killed were African Americans.
According to recent US Census Bureau data, “24.7% of all African-American live in poverty in comparison to 8.6% of all non-Hispanic White, 11.8% of all Asian-American and 23.2% of all Hispanic.” The Labor Department statistics still show the current unemployment rate among blacks hovering around 16 percent, although the economy as a whole has shown some improvement.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (Jan. 2011), “Black women and men have much higher coronary heart disease (CHD) death rates in the 45–74 age group than women and men of other races. A higher percentage of black women (37.9%) than white women (19.4%) died before age 75 as a result of CHD, as did black men (61.5%) compared with white men (41.5%). And, a higher percentage of black women (39%) died of stroke before age 75 compared with white women (17.3%) as did black men (60.7%) compared to white men (31.1%).
