Mark Twain's Wit

     "A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar".  I think this is one of life's biggest lessons.  I believe that it really means that a man is truthful when he doesn't deny something wrong he has done.  It tells that people need to acknowledge their mistakes in life so that they can move on.  If a man cheats on his wife, the best thing to do is admit it so that he can be set free from it someday.  If he holds it in, and remains a liar, he will feel guilty for the remainder of his life. This quote may have other meanings, but this is what it means to me. 

What's Good?

      What's Good?  Il Volo!  I know that I wrote about them in a previous blog, but nobody can get enough Il Volo.  They are a trio of tenors from Italy.  The youngest one, who is just 17 years old, has the best voice I have ever heard.  I would do dirty things to have his voice (but not too dirty).  They are three of the most talented singers in the world and they are all just teenagers!  I have probably listened to their song Il Mundo 200 times.  I can't get their music out of my head.  I highly encourage you to check the group out and to listen to their songs.  I guarantee that you will be blown away.

Stories of the Quest For Civil Rights

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_fisk.html

     This is the story of W.E.B. Du Bois challenging the white president of Fisk University.  Du Bois returned to the university as an alumnus, and was disgusted with what he saw.  The president wanted to take a donation from a Northern foundation, but had to stress the Jim Crow laws.  Du Bois, unlike Booker T. Washington, did not want people to submit to the Jim Crow laws.  This is exactly what Martin Luther King preached.  He said that an unjust law is no law at all.  Du Bois and King had very similar views.

Walk Through Harlem

      Going on the online tour shows how much Bessie and Sadie knew about Harlem and how much they had done there.  Marcus Garvey's story about his protests reminded me of Bessie and how she would join riots and fight for black rights.  Bessie was not not as famous as Garvey, but she still wanted to have her say, hence the title of the book.  James Weldon Johnson's mother was the first black woman to teach in Florida, just like Sadie was the first black teacher to teach domestic science.

Having My Say

      You want to know something that I hate?  Pop stars these days.  It takes no talent or hard work to be a star now.  Technology can make an anyone sound cool, like the artist T-Pain.  He is 100% auto-tuned, and I think it is unfair that he is so famous.  What happened to real, genuine singing?  Don't get me wrong, I like jamming to the songs on the radio, but it is not beautiful music. Il Volo is the most underrated group I know.  They have three of the best singers I have ever heard in my life.  Sure, they are somewhat famous, but they should be making way more money and be more famous than auto-tuners and lip synchers.  Also, I believe that groups that sound terrible live should not be listened to.  If they can't have a good sound without the help of technology, they don't deserve to make very much money.  I love the group Train on the radio/CD, but they sound like crap live.  Michael Buble, Lifehouse, and Il Volo are amazing live.  If you have not listened to Il Volo, I highly recommend it!  Another thing I don't like: songwriters don't get any credit!  Anyone can sing  songs that are technologically tampered with, but it takes talent to write a song.  I think that artists' fame should be flip-flopped from the way it is right now.  P.S.- Go Il Volo!

Expressions in Art

http://library.thinkquest.org/28172/s.13.jpg 

      This image portrays racism, an element commonly shown in Having Our Say.  Sadie and Bessie were persecuted for being black, and only for being black.  The picture is a black boy scrubbing a white man's shoe.  It symbolizes that whites think they are better than blacks.  During the 20th century, blacks were forced to do the dirty work or go hungry.  Only whites could have the good jobs.  However, a few people, like Sadie and Bessie, worked hard and got decent jobs.  They could have been millionaires with their hard work, but racism did not let them do that.  Bessie was made fun of and taken advantage of during her time in dental school.  Racism was the main issue of Having Our Say.  Bessie joined in on riots to fight it, but Sadie still hated it the same amount.