Look at this...

You really just can't win! People make fun of you if your teeth are inexplicably "bad", crowded, crooked, etc. Note the picture of Steve Buscemi from Armageddon (whom I love by the way!)

But look at this!These aren't even chicklet teeth. This is a full block of cartoon mouth! Now I do feel bad about talking about this guy because he did just pass (as in ...away.) This is the guy from Law & Order, Jerry Orbach. Read more about him by clicking on his picture.

Does this make any sense?!

Anyway, I just had to point this out...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Friends and Family!

This year has proven to be quite packed so I'm going to update you and wish you Happy Holidays electronically.

I turned 24 on September 28th. I just preached my second sermon last Sunday, December 19th, 2004. I am currently in Grad School at Fuller Theological Seminary, where I have just completed my first quarter in a Masters in Divinty Program. I am a minister at Allen AME Church in Tacoma and an Engineer at Tacoma Power, where I celebrated my 1.5 year anniversary on December 16th, 2004! My how time flies. As you can (or will) see that I am a growing "blogger" AKA a web logger, so you can read my daily (or when I have time-ly) posts at my new site, The Jazz Spot. This blog was birthed from my need to get my thoughts out, as I have so many continually running through my head, and my desire to have my own webpage (no matter how elementary it is!)

Let's see...oh yes, so The Jazz Spot is for my personal thoughts and personal commentary. However, seeing as the world is seems not to willing to fund graduate study in Divinity, I also created The Jasmine Bridges Scholarship Fund, which will help fund my studies at Fuller. Indeed, scholarship and aid are difficult to find and obtain for relgious study so FEEL FREE TO DROP BY The Jasmine Bridges Scholarship Fund AND DONATE! All donations are more than appreciated and needed!

Ok, the thing that I may be the most proud of (aside from following God's lead of course) is that I created and am selling shirts memorializing Election 2004. This was indeed the largest election in history as 1.8 million new voters came out for the 2004 Election. This voting numbers in this election are noteworthy and we must be proud of having voted (Regardless of party or winner) ....WE MUST EXERCISE OUR RIGHT TO VOTE!!!

So I Created and am SELLING VOTED T-Shirts...as in...I VOTED!

VOTED T-Shirt
Here is a small graphic for those of you who are interested!
Front: VOTED, Election 2004
Back: Mine Counts...

Just click on the shirt to go to a the website to purchase it, VOTED2004.blogspot.com . And do please purchase one for support if nothing else (although I might add that I think they are pretty cool!)

So all is well chez moi! It's about time for another vacation; however! I've finally posted picture of my August 2003 trip to Ghana here! I shall soon posted other pics represting The Life of Jasmine!

Do stay in touch and know that I am praying for you! God is still blessing and molding me so continue to keep me in prayer. (And if you haven't been praying for me... PLEASE START ;)!

LOTS OF LOVE,
Jasmine Bridges....Jazz!

Now this is scary...the reason why I pray!

First of all, it's 6:15pm on Thursday, the eve of Christmas Eve and I'm still at work. I mean I am writing this blog, so I'm not working but nonetheless I should not be here! Can we say, "NO LIFE?!"....uh...yeah!....NO LIFE! Anyway, something pressing has managed to grasp my attention in a not so positive way! So I've been working on a new blog to see my VOTED 2004 shirts and I came across the most disgusting, vile, wordly sick story. I wouldn't normally post this type of thing on my site but I feel it duty to call all of us who pray to action because this stuff is real! I don't necessarily urge you to read but I'll just comment on the state of our country. So this girl Staff Assistant in the White House (This all occured a year ago), was sleeping with multiple men-young, old, married, interns, etc. and writing about it on her site. I mean she was simply writing about her daily activities as most of us bloggers do, but all of her activities-nights and days, involved having sex or performing some self-disrespecting act with someone. White House agents searched to find the perpetrating author and once they did, fired her. (Read this for more commentary.) So this young ho (24 years at the time) found it doable to continue her sex-capades with old, married and or rich men just to subsidize her $25k salary. I mean don't get me wrong, it is indeed difficult to live on that, but in college we all lived in far less....SO THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE! The most abominable part is that I'm sure this happens all of the time. I mean that is how you move up on the Hill right? (Disclaimer: This is a rhetorical question. Not a comment on my beliefs about the US Government). I mean haven't we gone through this before with....a blue dress...and some white film? The girl refers to the the rampancy of such behavior in her blog:

"If you investigated every Staff Ass on the Hill, I am sure you would find out

some freaky shit. No way can anybody live on such a low salary. I am convinced

that the Congressional offices are full of dealers and hos."

And if this happened a year ago, there's not telling what's going on now. Well nevermind, we can see it! So anyway, Children of God, IT REALLY IS TIME TO PRAY! We need to pray for the state of our country, the state of our world, the state of American morality....the morality of the world for that matter! We can't go on blowing such sickness off as "comical" or "just the way it is"! Something's gotta give...and it won't be be GOD!

13“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

~Luke 16:13 (NIV)

So Let's pray people. This story is a warning for all those who are going to be working on this Hill or in general. Everything has a price! So remember...
36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
~Mark 8:36-37

This is a call to action!
~Jazz

http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/

I think that every socially conscious person should read the BOONDOCKS Strip, so I'm putting a link to it on my site...lol...sounds like every socially conscious peruses my site huh? Well, anyway, here's today's and the other is probably the funniest one I've ever read: it's the funniest THING I've every read. Enjoy!

Two new things for you.....about ME!

The "You" of course means...."ME!"

You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone. Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people. Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run. No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way. You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle. Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings. A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning. You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

AND...

You are 60% Libra

How much do you match your zodiac sign?

It's time to make a change...

So I've decided, I'm tired of hearing all of the ludicrous and negative things that are going on in the world. Don't get me wrong, I know it's real and is more than ever evidence that we are truly in the End Times. But dang! There is a lot of amazing stuff going on in society too. People are making a difference, no matter how small it seems and I'm going to start highlighting it. I've done a very preliminary search and there are a few "Good News" broadcasters out there. But at this point, I can literally count them on one hand. So before I get into the "Good New Report" let me show what prompted me. Take a look at today's headlines from the Seattle PI:

December 9, 2004
Mom's eavesdropping violated privacyThe state Supreme Court has ruled that the Privacy Act prohibits a parent from eavesdropping on a child's phone conversations. New · 10:20 a.m.
Canadian court OK's same-sex marriageCanada's highest court said today the government can redefine marriage to include same-sex couples.Update · 10:54 a.m.
Target's bell-ringer ban stirs revoltTarget customers have latched onto Internet-fueled boycott campaigns, angry that the retailer might cost the Salvation Army nearly $200,000 in local donations.
Tedious hand recount beginsNineteen new ballots turned up yesterday, ultimately boosting Dino Rossi's lead in the governor's race by three votes.
In-home service: It's a hitThis holiday season, as thousands of consumers get electronic gifts, in-home help to set them up and keep them running is just a phone call away.
Convicted murderer freed by courtA Bothell nurse sentenced to 40 years in prison for beating her toddler daughter to death walked free yesterday, released after 14 years because of a state Supreme Court decision.


But what really spurred me is the ban of tragic headlines (from today's paper) below:
- Monorail to restart before Christmas
- Skiers set to hit Crystal after snow hits Cascades
- Agents arrest 4 suspects in visa-fraud case
- Kirkland family mourns soldier who perished in Iraq
- 2 women struck, killed by cars
- 6 missing in crash of Coast Guard helicopter
- Divers may help Hanford cleanup
- Boy, 17, held in beating over traffic incident
- Several people taken to hospital after crashes
- Avalanche closes North Cascades route
- 3 children found home alone after fire erupts
- Boy abducted by stranger in Rochester, then released
More local news

Not all of it is bad, but do you really want more local news? I mean come on...it's ok, to tell the bad, grim and ugly, but is it too much to ask to infuse some of the good?

Like,
-Starr Finishing Her Last Year of Law School!

-J'nai applying to college for Classican AND Contemporary Music Performance after Surviving as the ONLY Black Girl in an ALL white private school!

-Jordan and J'nai perfoming in Small Vocal Ensemble Concert tonight at Charles Wirght Academy in Tacoma, WA!

-After 150 years Chief Leschi gets another trial. He's a Hero NOT a murderer! (This was actually in the paper but I want everyone to see it!)

- Bloggers informing folks: Ambra Nykol, the Black Informant, and many more...

- Courtney Payne starts Professional On-line Community, Code624

-Paris and Pamela, two African-American parents who are still married and raising their family with God's guidance!

-Jayson , car salesman, paving his own way in the industry!

I mean for real, the list could go on and on. It could fill up a full newspaper...and it soon will!
Keep posted. Until then, here are some other sources of "Good News":

The Good News Network, Good News Broadcast , Good News, Etc.

She does it again....

Ambra Nykol does it again! Somehow my low times are always lifted with a quick peruse through her site. Her latest bit actually evoked a chuckel (look at how tired I am) ....chuckle and slight motivation to ask/tell my boss I need a few hours off...TODAY. On her latest blog "Thoughts On the Mall" she gives " a few...deep insights and observations about the mall."
This is the one that gets me:

Salespeople should be required by law to wait at least 3 nanoseconds before abruptly asking, "Are you looking for something special today?" Why yes I am Suzie. I'm looking for you to ease back just a smidge, thanks.

Too funny! I can see it in my head...it always seems to be the "Suzies" who are all up in it...."ease back". LOL! Forget "Lean Back." My new slogan is: "Now ease back (uhh huh) ease back...ease back....EASE BACK!"

Thanks God! I asked for strength and He's hooking me up a little at a time. Ambra really is doing God's work ;)!

~ME!

Tired!

Have you ever been just tired?!!.....of working of doing of thinking....of just stuff? Well, I am. I'm working everyday. Don't get me wrong the job is great (for a job). It's a job nonetheless. I'm also in the midst of finals: just completed my Hebrew final yesterday. I hope it gets delivered to my professor. We had to send it in and I didn't put a return address on the envelope b/c I didn't have a pen in my car. And after I dropped it in the box, I realized that it may have needed another stamp just to be safe (I'm praying on that one). I now have to do my Biblical Interpretation final plus a 15 page paper. I haven't written 15 pages since the 11th grade. That was the first and last time I did that and I think it took me like a week straight plus some serious guidance. The 10-page paper I wrote in college was turned in late....if that shows you how excited I am about papers more than 2 pages! Church is cool minus that fact that a certain someone is always trippin'; doesn't seem to realize that I'm in SEMINARY, which in my opinion is just as much ministry as being at a bunch of church meetings....but whatever. So anyway, I'm not in all that great of a mood as you can see. I'm tired, I'm broke even though a make enough money and I live at home....uhhhhhhhhh. So the Bible says (and I believe it): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I'll just put it frankly, God, I'm asking for strength b/c i surely can't do all of this on my own, well...not with a smile at least. So somebody, PRAY FOR ME! I need all that help I can get. And yes, I need a vacation (or something)!
~Later

Herman McKinney, VP of Urban Affairs for the Urban Enterprise Center, Me and Edward James Olmos