Traveling the Stars with Action Bronson, Ancient Aliens 420 Special (Ful...

This is just funny to watch. I figured I'd take a break from the serious. Laughter is key to good health as well. However these shows do open your mind up a little...make you wonder. Enjoy and have a nice day.

Dorsh - Je t'aime

Conscious people and fashion

Conscious: aware of and responding to one's surroundings; awake.
                   synonyms: aware, awake, alert, responsive, sentient, compos mentis
                 2. having knowledge of something; aware.
             

The above definition of conscious is the exact definition I pulled from Google. When I see memes like this, I understand the intent but not everyone who is conscious looks at designer sneakers as being clown shoes. There's a difference between personal preference and being able to afford high end sneakers/clothes. I understand in the black and Latino communities, we tend to put fashion in front of important choices; what's more important to the person?  I get the tactic, by making it a trend to not like Jordan's, Nike's, Red bottoms, Timbs, Polo and etc, it pulls away from the distraction but what are we replacing it with? The reason high end fashion is popular in low income areas is because its synonymous with success; you take that away and what are you left with? Its okay for one to own high end fashion as long as one is not depending on others to survive.

On a show I watch called States of Undress, The host Hailey Gates takes a trip to the Congo. Democratic Republic of Congo, is actually the poorest country on the continent of Africa and the third poorest in the world. On the show, you see the environment is horrid but the people are extravagant, lavish, a tad gaudy but the approach and air is regal. The people of Kinshasa have turned the streets into a run way despite western views and economic down falls. These people I speak of are called the Sapeur people. "The Sapeurs, which stands for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes (the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People), are a band of men who turn the art of dressing into a cultural statement, and abide by a code befitting of the gentlemanly clothes they don so resplendently each morning." These people have made the conscious decision to walk down dirt roads of their town in alligator boots and designer suits while remaining in poverty. 

Among the Sapeurs, there is a Fashion designer by the name of Khaditoza who breaks down the rules of the Sape. "The Sape has to be well dressed, have nice hair, well groomed and smell good. The Congolese, we don't care about much but we care about clothes, clothes are our friends, they come to the grave with us, we'll leave behind our phones, our watches, but we will wear our clothes; you'll lie down and they'll dress you so you can go to the grave."  Another fashion designer by the name of Fanny Mandina said that, "The Congolese women care tremendously about appearance. The Kinois women would rather starve than be badly dressed." I bring this up because that meme I posted at the top, is saying that people who own high end fashion are stupid. Part of one being conscious in coming to the conclusion that people are conscious of the decision they make even though it may not seem wise to you; its what that person finds to be important to them. 

One person may find owning a home, having money for the future is idea for them, yet another may find being well dressed is life. There are a lot of people who make enough money to live in areas that are not poverty stricken but choose to own an expensive car and be able to afford nice clothing. In America, to live in poverty but own the best of the best is asinine; some may find the Sape to be absurd. A lot of  people buying expensive shoes, are turning around and selling them online at a higher price. I can't look at Jordan's or any other high end fashion and think clown shoes especially if I know nothing about the person. I understand wanting to show others that there's more to the world besides clothing, however the person has to come to that point on their own. 

Fashion is something that has been popular for centuries. The conscious Ancient Egyptian people, our God kings adorned the fashion and garments of the time, the gold, the gems, exotic foods and metals, they lived a lavish life. Mansa Musa, the king of Mali enjoyed the same as well. The people who weren't of royalty enjoyed  fashion and trends as well; even if they didn't have much, they still sported something that was fashionable of the time; people took these things to the grave with them. All through out time, man has always cherished or adorned something because fashion is art, art is creativity, and creativity is life. It may not be seen in today's society because we chase the name instead of the product, but we purchased those shoes, jeans, or shirts because we like the cut, choice of fabric or design; its a way of respecting ones creativity. Fashion, if you look closer, goes deeper then what most people think.

I have a post I wrote called "To Replica or not to Replica: That is the real Jordan" that talks about how people who own replica Jordan's look down on those who can't afford the real Jordan's. I almost tie this in because its people telling other people what to do; however buying replica Jordan's is similar to buying a piece of art that wasn't created by the artist yet if the artist were to create a master piece and paint it 100 times after that, it won't be the same as the first by the 2nd one. When you get a chance, check it out. My point is: replicas, spending on high end fashion all of this comes down to the love of the artist and for some its a way of life and they are conscious about it. Its a culture and it makes some people happy, that's why we live life right? If you're coming to my house decked out in a$1,000 dollar outfit but asking me for food, money for your bills, I'll begin to think one is not aware of their lifestyle. Do I think how to manage money should be a course in first grade? Yes. Do I think we can improve the quality of certain neighborhoods? Yes. Where do we start? Where do we begin. Its not fashion; but a better, useful educational system is a start.

                 

Mental health

(All images found on Google. Not my work)


Mental health is something we take  lightly in today's society; besides going to therapy, what is it a person can do to insure the well being of others? We live in a cold world but we need to change it.

A lot of times those we see as needy can become irritating to others who are very independent, but sometimes you have to put yourself aside. A lot of times in life, we have bad days and we tend to take things out on others, forgetting that others might be having a bad day as well. At the end of the day, "all I got is myself"  but you're not an island....what kind of contradiction is that? Those two sayings seems to circulate and I wish they would subside. I understand there's a lot of people out there who are doomed no matter what you do; but you should still try.

We don't care about others anymore and a lot of people say, "Why is it my job to care about someone I don't know? Because someone you do know might care about the person you don't care much for.(Social media has clearly showed us people we might know.) We realize we're all connected but some days I think it's something we just reciprocate. Some people we make connections with, others its a "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" kind of relationship, for some its just a season.

 I bring this topic up about mental health because I'm in a group on Facebook called DTLA and on many occasions, I see someone posting about a person jumping off the roof of a building. What was going on in that persons life they felt a need to end it? How could one be in a world of 7 billion people and feel isolated? I'm not blaming the world for being cold or anything, but for one to end their life, they had to been battling, facing some demons that we all may have faced at one point.

A lot of people say if you faced them, and I faced them, and we're still here, why couldn't he or she? Because that person was an individual different from everybody else. Biological factors, genes,  brain chemistry, traumas, family history of mental health contributes as well; just because me, you, him or her were able to take it, doesn't mean we should ignore that person and let them battle alone.

It's that kind of thinking that's like nails on a chalk board. Are you that cold? Are you hurt, upset that someone could be weak, selfish enough? Does one look down on someone for not being able to take the pressure? Do you feel a sense of pride? I guess you can but not everyone can figure it out on their own.  I get there are bigger problems but what is a big problem? There's universal big problems, things that affect, change life as a whole, then there's individual problems; however because we're all connected, one's individual problem can eventually ripple. If we help one link, does it strengthen the rest?

Here's a few early warning signs of mental health problems

• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low or no energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

      Looking at this list might strike a few chords. Usually we ignore people who display these signs because we don't recognize them as a problem; also the signs that are displayed are not as blunt because people usually mask their emotions. If someone is experiencing low or no energy, it can be covered up with, "Oh, I haven't been taking my vitamins" or "I've been busy at work" are examples some may use. Using normal everyday reasons as to why; and it can be true. Battling mental health is almost like fighting in Vietnam, its gorilla war fare. One learns to blend with their environment, usually these signs pop up and we can't tell and we don't want to assume so its like our hands are tied behind our backs and we're getting slapped. Speak. If someone doesn't want to hear you, there are others who will listen.  It may come off as weird, depressing, or even erratic but its better you speak; and as the ear, don't judge. You may not even like the person but the reason you may not like them could be due to their mental health problems, yours, or both.

A lot of us suffer and instead of speaking, seeking help, we just spread it. If one is having sever mood swings or Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared,  this causes problems in all points of life. For example, these feeling may arise with certain people in your work environment. One's average response is to outcast the person, dislike the person, treat them differently from others because you write it off as, "that's who they are."

  If one is at work and they feel they're being set up for failure all the time, its best to investigate the problem. The person could be set up for failure and they're dealing with someone who has mental health problems, or the person claiming to be set up for failure could be dealing with mental health problems  or c, they both have mental health problems. It sounds funny but the truth is, it causes unnecessary problems in the work force which in turn generate into the world. Those problems in a different environment translate into fighting or starting problems, drinking, cutting people off in traffic because you want to piss them off and if it does, it spreads, it continues it reaches you again who is still generating negative. Its a constant cycle.

In this patriarchy world, its hard to express how you feel without someone turning you into a meme or judging you.Once again, I think its about finding a balance.

 I know everyone can't be saved from their own brutal anguish because sometimes we get stuck in our ways; yet we can stop the war on each other, evolve into a matriarchy/patriarchy world. Without sounding cliche, make this a better place for our children. We may not completely restore the current , but we could get ourselves intact enough to help the future, help them realize its okay to express how you feel; also help them understand there's some people in the world who will make fun of you and that's fine, because we can all joke about ourselves and have a laugh, its healthy, when it becomes unhealthy, we need to speak and feel free to speak.

 A lot of people won't be on board because some want to control, eventually (not being mean) natural selection will root out those personalities. If you're fighting mental issues, the environment will not stay like this forever. People will change due to people pushing for the change and you either evolve with it or get left behind; usually as the environment changes, so will your mental health issues.

I can keep going with this because mental health touches on a variety of topics. If you're still reading at this point, thank you for stopping by "No Title" and please feel free to share your opinion in the comments section or on the Facebook post; please be tasteful. debate is fine. teaching is fine. bullying not accepted. Making  fun in a healthy way is fine, but not at the expense of someones pain. Once again thank you for stopping by "No Title" and have a wonderful day. One love.

Mom Tudie & Tom Misch - Waiting On You