Skins

First and foremost I will admit that this will be my favorite post that I will ever write in my life. From somebody born in this generation, this show gets you hooked immediately. I remember the first day I watched it I watched the entire first season in a day which is roughly 8 hours straight. The reason why I relate this show to our generation now is because you can relate to it. Not necessarily saying that you do drugs or have crazy relationships with other people or family, but you can just connect to these peoples lives and see everything from their perspective. It is by far my favorite show and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. Also, it is a show originated in England and filmed in Bristol, England. There is 2 versions, the UK version and the US version. (the US version is the most miserable thing I've ever watched) so don't watch the US version. This show has literally changed my life.

 

To put the show in a nutshell and not ruin what happens for those of you who've never watched it. Throughout the 6 seasons, there has been 3 generations of people (2 seasons per generation) with new people in every generation. The characters are teens where some of them have had dysfunctional families, mental illness, adolescent sexuality, drugs, and to the worse case death. They all deal with their own personal problems and are there for each other through the thick and thin. Some of the craziest things ever imagined has happened throughout this series. It goes from getting hit by a bus, to going absolutely mental, and vacations gone wrong. The characters all have a unique personality where you grow to love them. I can go on and on about this show for days but if you have never watched it, I highly suggest you do. By the way, Kaya Scodelario is the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.

Jump From Space

The thought of jumping from space and free-falling 24 miles above the Earth is just mind-boggling to me. For those of you who don't know last month, October 2012, a man named Felix Baumgartner was the first person to ever break the sound barrier by free-falling. I mean that's crazy if you really think about it. He got up to about 730 MPH while free-falling. I don't know how he does it. I hate roller coaster and that feeling last for like 5 seconds tops but I to free-fall for 4 minutes and 19 seconds is insane. I give this man all the props in the world for ever doing something as crazy as this. He should be on jackass for doing something like this. Congratulations Felix on doing one of the most absurd things that I have ever witnessed live in my life, and of course for the great accomplishment for what you have done.

Who Are You...

Who are you? How would you identify yourself? Black? White? Jewish? Straight? Truth is, these simple questions don't truly make up your identity and it is indeed more complex than just being a straight, male, African-American. Your identity is made up of many different things; including personal choices, culture, social influences, and even what your born with.

Your identity is made up of far more qualities than most people think. But the question is how would you identify yourself? Yes, we all have our social labels that other people may identify us when they see us but that's not the true definition of it. We are all our own individual person that are different from each other in a million ways.

Evolution of Hip-Hop

The evolution of Hip-Hop has changed dramatically in this past decade. Some say its better how it is now, some say it’s not. Being born in this current generation I never got to experience classic hip-hop. Growing up my father listened to Ice Cube, Westside Connection, Eazy-E and other “gangsta rap” type artists. Nowadays all mainstream artists are rapping about “weed and bitches” which honestly gets really old after 2 songs. But the question is how did it going from rapping about “real” things to rapping about more of materialistic things like cars, women, and money?

 
In my opinion you can’t really compare artists from past decades like Tupac to an artist now like Wiz Khalifa, they just don’t compare in any aspect at all. I feel like when an artist becomes mainstream their music topics changes dramatically. For example, before Wiz “blew up” I enjoyed listening to him because his flow was so different and what he rapped about actually had some-what of a meaning to it. Now that he’s mainstream he doesn’t talk about anything else besides money, cars, and women. The only person who I believe that has a classic flow/style is Kendrick Lamar. As said by some artists themselves like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar is going to “revive” hip-hop and the west-coast himself.

Social Networking: Distracting or Not?

Oh how this generation’s technology is transforming people to spend so much unnecessary time on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It’s too time consuming but yet so addicting at the same time. There are points where I should be working on an important paper or studying for a final but yet I find myself on Facebook. There’s no real explanation of how I get there but I just do every time I open a web browser.

The point that I’m trying to make about social networking is that it’s a great way to keep in contact with each other don’t get me wrong, but it’s distracting. Whether you’re at home, work, school etc. you can find yourself on a social networking site on smartphones that the majority of the people have nowadays. Maybe it’s different for some people and I’m sure it is, maybe there are people who stay away from social networking for these reasons and I give respect to them because unless I deactivate my accounts they’re almost always in a tab on my web browser or opened in an app on my phone. So now ask yourself, social networking sites, are they distracting or not?

Music and Emotions

Those moments where you’re just so amped up for a game and you’re listening to DMX or some Meek Mill to get you pumped up. Those moments where you’re relaxing on a summer day listening to some Zac Brown Band because it’s so soothing. Some people may not see it but the music you listen to has a huge effect on your emotions.

When you’re trying to get pumped up or ready for a game you want to listen to music that gets you motivated and ready to go right? Music plays a role in your readiness for that game. I know from my experiences that if I was on the bus going to an away game and I forgot my headphones at home my performance during the game wasn’t as good then a game where I listened to music before. If I’m feeling down there’s only one person/artist who I listen to that can get me in a better mood, Taylor Swift. I’m a huge hip-hop/rap fan but variety helps me deal with my emotions. So if you’re ever you’re in a mood that you don’t want to be in, try listening to types of music or songs that can help you change your mood.

Sneakerheads

Every type of shoe is different. Whether it’s the style, the brand, the color, the comfort, etc. Everybody has their preferences, but why do people collect shoes some people you may ask? There’s only one word for this. Sneakerhead.

A “sneakerhead” is a common word for people who collect sneakers, usually Jordans. I myself collect Jordans but I usually wear mine unlike most sneakerheads. Usually sneakerheads buy Jordans and just keep them, usually in the condition of DS (deadstock; a sneakerhead term for brand new—never been worn) People who have been waiting to buy the new retro Jordans have lately been angry at “re-sellers” because the people who want their shoes can’t get them. Re-sellers are people who buy multiple pairs of shoes and just sell them for higher prices, basically like flipping shoes. This leaves other sneakerheads furious because we can’t buy a pair of shoes because of these people.

Being a sneakerhead is very expensive. If you buy the shoes at the release dates then it is the most least expensive way to be a sneakerhead, but requires waiting hours in line for a pair of shoes (which seems very pointless I know but it’s worth it) So say this December you want to buy the new Bred 11s that come out December 23rd. You can buy them for retail $180 but you have to wait in line and there are very slim chances that you will get a pair of them, or a few hours later and people will be selling them for about $300-400. Being a sneakerhead isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.

Judging At It's Finest

Why do we judge? Are they always positive or negative? For what reason? Everyone judges whether you realize it or not. You may see someone wearing a new pair of Jordans everyday and think that they have money because of that. You may see someone that wears the same thing everyday and think they're poor. But we all have our assumptions of other people by how the look, how they talk, or what their hair looks like etc. It doesn't define who they are, but better yet it defines who you are.

Good Music or Bad Music?

What do you think is good music? Do we all have the same thoughts on music? We all have different opinions on what is actually GOOD music and what is BAD music. There is no such thing as either as entertainment is all a personal choice and opinion. If I think that Joey Bada$$ is the best artist out there, there are definitely thousands and millions of other people that would definitely disagree with me. I don't say any type of music is bad because I know it might offend other people but I do like different types of genres better than others.

The World As We See It

Have you ever thought about what happens in the world that you live in? The types of lives other people live? Honestly, as much peace and happiness we all want I'm sure to say that it is never going to happen as much as I want it to. I've always understood that people have lived in a perfect world struggle and poverty but I've never heard it from somebody's perspective. In Tupac's "Changes" it gets as real as it gets as he tell's it through how he sees the world as well as others living in struggle.