Welcome Back Everybody!

I wanted to officially welcome all my previous students back to the newer, better, and updated version of my blog, Cultural Perceptions (previously Cultural Perspectives). I hope you enjoy the changes I've been making keeping all of you in mind.

Remember that this blog is intended for all my classes, World History, World Cultures, and Italian. I extend a very warm welcome to the new Freshmen Class, I can't wait to meet all of you.

Looking forward to an exciting new year together, and for now I leave you with a video I used to love when I was in High School (which was not so long ago, you'll see). I think it still has a very powerful message. Hope you like it!

See you all in class, regards,
Ms. Dimas



Here's the link in case it doesn't open well on the page:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1c5b3jB1FY&feature=related

Here are the lyrics to help you out with the assignment given related to the video.


"What's Going On?"

[P Diddy:]
What's Going On

[Jermaine Dupri:]
Tell Me

[P Diddy:]
People Dying
People Crying
Lord help us

[Bono:]
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying

[Gwen Stefani:]
Oh, brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying

[Jermaine Dupri:]
That's Right

[Aaron Lewis:]
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today

[Nona Gaye:]
Oh my father, father
We don't need to escalate

[Backstreet Boys:]
You see war is not the answer

[Nona Gaye/Backstreet Boys:]
For only love can conquer hate

[Christina Aguilera:]
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today

[Britney Spears:]
Barricades, can't block our way

[J-Lo:]
Don't punish me with brutality

[Destiny's Child:]
Talk to me
So you can see

[Destiny's Child/Britney Spears:]
[First Chorus]
Oh what's going on
What's going on
Yeah what's going on
Ahh what's going on

[Ja Rule:]
What's going on in a world filled with pain
Where's the love for which we pray
What's going on
When our children can't play
Homeless can't eat
There's got to be a better way
What's going on
When we politically blind
Can't see the signs of endangered times
What's going on

[Nelly Furtado:]
Ah tell me
What's going on in the world today
I'd rather be dead
Than turn my head away
We gotta first world vision to complete, to lift our
Hands in the air and cry for a switch

[Michael Stipe:]
Father, father

[P Diddy:]
Father help us, come on

[Michael Stipe:]
Everybody thinks we're wrong

[Alicia Keys:]
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Together we can all be strong

[P Diddy:]
United we stand, Divided we fall

[N'Sync:]
Oh you know we've got to find a way

[Mary J. Blige:]
To bring some understanding here today

[N'Sync:]
Barricades can't block our way

[Darren Hayes (Savage Garden):]
Don't punish me with brutality

[N'Sync:]
Baby talk to me
So you can see
[Second chorus]
Yeah, what's going on
Hey, what's going on
Somebody tell me what's going on
I'll tell you what's goin' on-uh

[Nelly:]
What's going on 'cross seas
Every minute a child dies by this disease
In record numbers indeed
Got momma's crying out please
My baby hold on
My child ain't done nothing wrong
Still I want to holler
Ask them why they don't bother
Oh no, oh no
Make me turn to my father
And ask him why they all got a trapped soul

[Nas:]
I can feel what was bothering Marvin
Why his words forever remain
Dealing with these modern day problems
'Cause of ignorance surrounding me and my constituents
Too many infected
Too many lives diminishing
Nobody say Protestants, Jews, Blacks, and Whites, Latinos and Asians
Pray together
Less fight
We better unite
As genocide chemical war
And the rich and the poor
Know that God delivers a cure

[Eve:]
It's a shame our reality is devastating
People praying for a cure
Dying while they're waiting
Ask the Lord for the comfort and strength to face it
All the kids with dreams
Won't get the chance to chase it
Makes me sad
Think about the lives they would've had
Think about the orphan babies got no moms and dads
How can we sit back and not try to make it right
We gotta come together
We gotta fight for life

[Fred Durst:]
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
We got human beings using humans for a bomb
But everyone wanna live
Don't nobody really want to die
You feeling me right
I can't be watching people die
(die)
And watching people cry
Let me break it down for a minute
If there's enough room here for you and me
There's plenty of room for some humanity

Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)
Somebody tell me what's going on
(what's going on)