Everybody Hurts

When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,
When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on
Don't let yourself go, 'cause everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes

Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go, (hold on)
When you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on

'Cause everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on

Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
Everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts. You are not alone

~“Everybody Hurts”, R.E.M.

The literal meaning of the song poem is that whenever you are feeling lonely or sad, you can always count on your friends to help you out. They are always there to count on. The theme of the song is friendship and counting on others around to help you out. It explicitly stated theme. A metaphor in the song is “the night is yours alone” An image that I find is in the first line, “when the day is long and the night.” Both lines portray how the day can go on and you can still be alone. The speaker of the poem can be someone telling you advice. It could also be a higher power telling you or a friend. There are not any hyperboles in the poem.  However, it can address a person who could or could not be around the narrator. The language of the poem is pretty concrete. It is easy to understand and the message behind the song is clear. The song does not contradict itself at any point in the song. The word placement is pretty fluid. The song flows and there is not anything that is particularly out of place. The song is still relevant today because there are still people who can get lonely and need to lean on their friends for support. People should know that they have the option all the time look to their friends for support. It is a great song and the message behind it is a very important one that anyone can relate to.

Propaganda

In 2011, propaganda still exisits. Even though it may not seem as extreme as was in the past, it most deifintely still exists. It is seen in political, religous and social situations.  The propaganda of the past was often seen as a way to entice people into following the beliefs of certain groups. It was a way to make people think a certain person, group or idea was correct.  Today propaganda is not always as obvious as it was in the past. Propaganda in current times is often played out through the social media that exists today. Social networking sites such as Facebook encourage people to support causes. There are many Facebook pages encouraging people to support various causes such as cancer research, fundraising events, etc.  As recently as Januaury of this year, Facebook was the propaganda media source for the events that took place in Egypt.  The people of Egypt organized through Facebook and coordinated demonstrations in protest of the current government.  The propaganda displayed on the Facebook page encouraged people to participate in the demonstrations and the end result was resignation of the President of that country.  Various religious groups are also currently using propaganda to encourage people to continue participation in their group or to join their religious groups.  The propaganda is shown through the television ads as well as newsprint ads for these religious groups.  Propaganda most definitely is still in existance today and I imagine it will always be!

Black Boy

The novel Black Boy follows the life of Richard Wright as an autobiography. It follows what is going on the mind of Richard throughout his early years (when he is like four/five) to his twenties. He goes into great detail of things going on in the early twentieth century. When the reader is reading the beginning of the book, it seems a little unrealistic that a four/five year old was aware of all the terrible things happening and how he would know that doing certain things would get in trouble, but do it anyway. I think because he obviously wrote this when he was older that he wrote through the eyes of his current age and how he would think if the things were going on his present time. He writes beautifully and clear, don't get me wrong but, sometimes it is hard to believe that a four year old is very world consicous.

Hungry for Attention

Throughout Black Boy, Richard is getting into trouble often. He does stupid things such as lighting the curtains on fire which ended up burining down the house. He is also describes having this hunger. I think it is a hunger for attention. He is doing all of these things to get attention from someone. His family does not watch him all the time and he wants to be noticed. He has this need to noticed and wants people to pay attention to him. He needs people to see him. By doing stupid acts, he knows he will get reprimanded, but he gets noticed by it. It is the only way for him to be seen by his family and anyone else. Richard is kind of a attention hog. He needs to be noticed and says he has hunger for it. He is attention hungry and does things so that he can be noticed by someone.

King Still King?

King still King?

…I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today…
~Dr. Martin Luther King, August 28, 1963

These are the words of the speech we all know and have heard, bout how relevant are they still today?

In the year 2011, these words and Dr. King’s ideas are still relevant today. Over forty years ago he spoke these of equality and getting rid of discrimination. The words he spoke are still ones we need to abide by.

We all have to continue to live in a world were it does not matter what gender, the color of skin, etc. you are. We still have to live as one nation and one society. His words still play a part in how we as a nation function today.

As the days, months, and years go by, Dr. King’s words are still heard and read all the time. His speeches and teachings still influence us today to act as one. His words are always in our minds and how we need to be see the person by their personality, not the color of their skin.

No matter how many years go by, his words will still be very important and relevant to us as a nation.

Music Review

So for my music review I  looked through my mom's iPod and ended up listening to a song  from 1982 called "Come Eileen" by Dexys Midnight. This song is definitley a one hit wonder for the band because my mom doesn't even know any other songs by them. The song it self has a good beat and is definatley a dance song. Even  though I find a lot of fast paced songs a song that you can dance to, this one really is. When I was listening to (even  for the first time), I found myself dancing around my room to it. The song itself it pretty decent. I found myself liking it a lot. I am not going to lie, most of the music I listen to a majority of the time is very modern. It was definitley a change listening to a song that is alomost thirty years old. If I was to rate this song on a scale of one to ten (ten being AMAZING!), I would give this song about an eight. I actually liked it and I even dowloaded it onto my iPod. I also recommend listening to it if you haven't yet.

Winter Poem

The snow is falling
All white, pretty, and perfect
Outside all is calm

There is no loud noise
As I sit inside all warm
Watching the snow fall

Gazing at the world
Through the window all is calm
No one to disrupt

As the snow fall ends
I get up to leave the room
Then it starts again


The snow is falling
All white, pretty, and perfect
Outside all is calm