Aberjhani's Blog: Notes of a 21st Century Digital Scribe, page 30
February 22, 2011
Report on 2011 International Year part 4: Haiti's Hope Now and Tomorrow
Out of the 250,000 deaths caused by natural disasters in 2010, the overwhelming bulk of them occurred when the massive 7-point earthquake struck Haiti on January 12 and took some 230,000 lives, prompting concerted relief efforts that are going on to this day. A major part of those efforts has been maintaining awareness about Haiti's continuing recovery needs and U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon ...
February 13, 2011
The Winged Heart of Valentine's Brilliant Desires
May the winged heart of Valentine's brilliant desires spin your sobs into songs, weave your dreams into blood-thick truth, and lift your broken soul into diamond-bright flights of a joy-blessed fulfillment... and love-astonished wonder. by Aberjhani ©text & art Feb 2011
February 4, 2011
Hillary Clinton Gives 2011 International Year for People of African Descent a Needed Boost
There's no question that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's hands are more than full these days with the war in Afghanistan, military tension between the two Koreas, relationship-building with China, and of course the revolution in Egypt. Nevertheless: Secretary Clinton took time out of her demanding schedule earlier this week to post a video message in support of the 2011 International ...
January 31, 2011
As Egypt Howls and History Tweets
The quote “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is a well-known one attributed to the British historian Lord Acton (nineteenth century). What is rarely discussed after someone quotes these words are the different ways that power can and does corrupt.
The assumption is that too much power diminishes an individual’s capacity or inclination to render “good works” on behalf of others. At the same time, it increases his or her capacity or inclination to generate malice in the world.
When watching TV reports and reading Internet posts about Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s attempt to stand down protesters calling for his removal, the 82-year-old does not come across as someone whom power has enticed to consciously wreak havoc in the lives of people he claims to love and serve. Writing from this distance of many miles across the Atlantic Ocean, it seems more as if power has convinced him that he is doing the one most important thing he can do on behalf of his country by struggling to hold on to a position he has occupied for nearly 30 years. But from the images of people weeping, dying, and shouting in the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, and Aswan, it is clear that history is begging—and in many cases tweeting–– to differ.
Chaos or Revolution?
To continue reading please click this link:
http://www.examiner.com/african-ameri...
by Aberjhani
© January 2011
January 25, 2011
Black History Month Enhanced by International Year for People of African Descent
With the United Nation's proclamation of the year 2011 as the "International Year for People of African Descent," the annual Black History Month observed by African Americans for nearly a century will reflect a deeper significance when it kicks off next week. The proclamation was first issued by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 2009, and launched December 10, ...
January 19, 2011
Regarding Rituals, Elegies, and This New Year 2011
"I run my fingers over her keyboard and suddenly it all starts up With a tinkling sound the music begins, then speeds up more and more..." --Reinaldo Arenas, The Parade Ends Depending on its assigned purpose and on how it is carried out-- as in not designed to create havoc or manifest malice in the life of another-- a ritual can be a very good thing. It can reinforce commitment ...
December 27, 2010
Countdown of 10 Great Moments in African-American History Year 2010 (part 1)
The first decade of the 21st century ended in 2009 with concerns expressed worldwide over the state of the economy, and the second decade kicked off the same way in 2010. Historically, whatever challenging conditions have impacted upon Americans in general tends to hit African Americans twice as hard. This new series over the next five installments will count down from 10 to 1 some of most ...
December 22, 2010
The Spice of Holiday Joy
The holidays always presented one of the most challenging times during my years as a stay-at-home caregiver for my now deceased mother. Being male and spouse-less, I was not the best substitute for the generations that previously filled her holidays, but like most caregivers who neglect their own lives in support of another's, I did the best I could. One year I invited over for Christmas Eve ...
Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance eBook Published
News about the Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance eBook (Facts On File and Infobase Publishing) came just this week. Along with the total lunar eclipse (which yes, I did stay up to watch) it made a great holiday surprise. One good major reason to pick up the Encyclopedia in any format (aside from homework assistance) at this time is for the background information it provides on any number of current television series and films that deal with America in the 1920s through the 1940s, and that tackle issues at any time pertaining to multiculturalism, diversity, democracy, war, etc.
One example is HBO’s hit television series Boardwalk Empire, about alcohol prohibition and mobster antics in the Northeast during the Jazz Age. Another is the movie The Great Debaters and the forthcoming film On The Shoulders of Giants. And there’s also the PBS broadcast… well, you get the point.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Google launched its Google Editions eBook Store, which includes several of my other titles: Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World, I Made My Boy Out of Poetry, and The American Poet Who Went Home Again. Kensington Books made The Wisdom of W.E.B. Du Bois available in eBook format earlier this year. This new eBook edition of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (ISBN 1438130171) now makes almost all of my books available for digital download.
Aberjhani
Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance
December 17, 2010
Dimensions of Time and Creative Vision
After receiving an invitation from Amazon to add an author's note to the site's product pages for my books, I accepted and found myself having quite a bit of fun looking back on the experiences of writing different books. The following reflections are on ELEMENTAL, the Power of Illuminated Love (which btw is on sale right now): Dimensions of Time and Creative Vision If we accept the ...
Notes of a 21st Century Digital Scribe
- Aberjhani's profile
- 251 followers
