Dr. Seuss

March 2^nd marks the anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s birthday.  While it may seem trivial to celebrate an author of children’s books, it is hard to imagine what life would be like without the influence of The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham.

Now that you are older I can imagine you may have lost an appreciation for the genius of Dr. Seuss and his work.  But as you watch the number of first graders and kindergarteners walking around looking like Thing 1 and Thing 2, it is difficult to deny the cultural and educational impact his work has had on society.

A couple of years ago, in addition to celebrating his birthday, a movie based on one of his books, “The Lorax” was released.  While it seems like a simple, enjoyable children’s story, it is also a political and social statement by Dr. Seuss concerning the over industrialization of our world and the fear of losing our natural resources.  Dr. Seuss often used his stories to not only entertain and engage children in reading, but provide insight into the world for the parents reading the books.  One of the most gifted books at high school graduation is “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”  It’s not so subtle message about how to live your life, through the good times and the bad is extremely relevant to people entering into new phases of their lives.

Did you read or were you read Dr. Seuss stories when you were a child?  If so, what is your favorite and why?  What life lessons did you learn by reading Dr. Seuss or by any other children’s book?   What do you think about the younger kids at school celebrating his birthday

The Beatles

What kind of music do you listen to?  What is your favorite genre?  Regardless of your preferences, the odds are you favorite band, song, or performance was influenced someway by the Beatles.  It was 50 years ago on February 9^th that this band from Liverpool, England performed on the Ed Sullivan Show and changed the world forever. 

The Beatles are the greatest selling band of all time.  They have more number one hits in the United Kingdom and the United States than anyone ever.    You can see and hear the influence of the Beatles in most music today.  They were not afraid of experimenting in different genres or with different instruments.  They were the first to perform a stadium concert.  Each album was a unique experience with a different sound.  John, Paul, George, and Ringo each contributed in their own way to the sound and success of the Beatles.

For having such a huge influence, they had a surprisingly short career.  After less than a decade, the Beatles broke up in 1970.  The pressure of being forever and always linked to one another proved to be too much.  Most fans were anxiously awaiting a reunion which unfortunately was made impossible after John Lennon was killed by a crazed fan in December of 1980.  George Harrison lost his life in 2001 after battling cancer.  The remaining members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, continue to perform and contribute to the musical world.

What kind of music do you listen to?  Why?  Do you like to listen to music?  Why is it appealing?  Can music change the world?  If so, how?

Black History Month Controversy

February is Black History Month.  It has been Black History Month for decades now.  In school and in the media we spend time discussing and celebrating the contributions of African Americans to the Americans society.  It may come as a shock to some of you that the idea of Black History Month is not inspiring, but insulting.  It is ridiculous and unnecessary.  

Below is a video clip from Morgan Freeman explaining why he feels the month is ridiculous.  

There are a number of African Americans that agree and disagree with his opinion.  Regardless, he does bring up interesting points.  Black history is American history and if we ever hope to truly reach a society in which race does not matter, should we still be separating Black history from the rest of history?

That being said, without Black History Month, how much would we know about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or Rosa Parks?  By dedicating a month to the contributions of African Americans, teachers and students discuss and commemorate the lives of people who have greatly shaped the fabric of American culture.  Without this focus, we may miss the opportunity to the educate ourselves on these great Americans.  

There are others who criticize not so much the idea of Black History Month, but the fact that it has been boiled down to the contributions of a limited number of African Americans.  Black History Month has evolved into discussing the lives and times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglas.  While these individuals have greatly influenced our present day society, there are so many others whose addition to our world needs to be recognized.  

Below is another video questioning the need for Black History Month.

After watching the videos, what do you think about Black History Month and have your thoughts changed?  Is this something that we should continue in society?  Do we need to expand or modify the way in which we commemorate the Black Americans?