...keepin' it real...

Well, as fast-paced and fascinating as my life usually is, things have been fairly sedate as of late. In fact, I spent most of Sunday afternoon watching a pirated 'B' rated television show called "Empire Gladiator." What's more, I enjoyed it. It's possible that my interest in this mediocre broadcast is the result of the three years of Latin I took in high school and its requisite study of Roman history and culture, or perhaps it was the brief unit I recently taught to my students on the early Roman Empire, or more likely it was the fact that there isn't that much to do after Christmas, it's harmattan season and the weather outside is frightful (and the fire isn't even lit...let alone delightful), and to top it all off, I have another cold. Bah!

The highlight of my past week has been working on a presentation for my students to do for the Martin Luther King Jr. assembly on Friday. It's gonna be ghetto-fabulous. I've take the Black Eyed Peas song "Where is the Love" and mixed it up with some quotes by Dr. King and of course, included a powerpoint slideshow of moving photos. The students are picking up on their bad-to-the-bone hip hop moves, and I must admit, the choreography looks fa-bu-lous. Thanks to Mr. Wallace for his help. I'm hoping I can get a video camera and record the performance and then post it here. We'll see...for now, here are the lyrics we're using from the song:

What's wrong with the world mama?

People living like they aint got no mamas

I think the whole worlds addicted to the drama

Only attracted to the things that bring you trauma

Overseas yeah we tryin to stop terrorism

But we still got terrorists here livin

In the USA, the big CIA

The Bloodz and the Crips and the KKK

But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And if you hatin you're bound to get irate

Yeah madness is what you demonstrate

And that's exactly how anger works and operatesY

ou gotta have love just to set it straight

Take control of your mind and meditate

Let your soul gravitate to the love y'all

People killing people dying

Children hurtin you hear them crying

Can you practice what you preach

Would you turn the other cheek?

Father Father Father help us

Send some guidance from above

Cause people got me got me questioning

Where is the love?(where is the lovex3)(the love2x)

If you never know truth

Then you never know love

Where's the love y'all?(I don't know)

Where's the truth y'all?(I don't know)

Where's the love y'all?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder

As I'm getting older y'all people get colder

Most of us only care about money makin

Selfishness got us followin the wrong direction

Wrong information always shown by the media

Negative images is the main criteria

Infecting their young minds faster than bacteria

Kids wanna act like what the see in the cinema

Whatever happened to the values of humanityW

hatever happened to the fairness and equality

Instead of spreading love, we're spreading anomosity

Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling under

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feeling down

It's no wonder why sometimes I'm feeling under

I gotta keep my faith alive, 'til love is found