Happy Black History Month

Ok, so I've been celebrating Black History Month for as long as I remember as today I learned something that I don't remember ever learning. Not saying that I didn't, as my memory is not as long as it used to be lately! Any way: one of my writing idols (Kevin Powell) posted on facebook this morning about the "founder" of the month we celebrate. [To be fair my BFF posted some similar fact some hours after Kevin Powell. Wait, how'd she know about this and not tell me?]

Kevin Powell

FEBRUARY is Black History Month. Carter G. Woodson founded "Negro History Week" in 1926, which marked beginning of this celebration. Woodson didn't get his high school diploma until his early 20s, but later earned a Ph.D. from Harvard, second African American to do so, after W.E.B. DuBois. Carter G. Woodson is widely considered "The Father of Black History."

So this prompted me to look for even more information and I came across this website:

About.com Black History Month's history

We've all heard the jokes about Black History Month being the shortest month of the year, but when looking at the history of it all, does it really matter? Especially now: The President of the United States of America is black, the richest self made female billionaire (information may be outdated) is black...Am I saying its changed to be black in America since the that first Black History week, in some ways but in some ways it's the same. Racism still exists...


The theme for Black History Month 2011 is African Americans and the Civil War. I want to take a different spin on this theme. Not to take anything away from the contributions that the soldiers that fought in the Civil War made but there is a different type of Civil War that I'm concerned about.


The definiiton of civil war according to wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn is a war between factions in the same country. And factions being defined as a group of people connected by a shared belief or opinion within a larger group by wikipedia.org. The "Civil" War that I'm concerned about is the one in my own and your own backyard. Our young men are killing each other over drugs, cars and just to get a "rep". Our young women are killing each other over these same young men and we are killing each other by not protecting themselves from HIV.  And they are killing the spirits of the youth with all the negativity! In this war there are so many battles yet to be won that it becomes increasingly difficult to see an end near. The real Civil War ended when the Confederate army surrendered. The gangs, hoodlums and others that just don't give a f*$& are the equivalent to the Confederate army but they are not going to surrender. They don't care, they only see their way of life and it's not that they don't know any better or haven't seen the other side of the coin, they just don't care. But it's the same lack of caring that keeps the North(the hardworking, law abiding citizens) from gaining in this war. If we only care what happens in our house, with our family, where is the love for people on a whole?

What did you take away from this year's Black History Month?

Late night learning

Its 1:50am and I am still up fondling the Droid...at some point in this relationship a restraining order may be needed!  I posted a question on a forum and received some really good feedback that I had to follow up on. A guy told me to put the phone in safe mode...yeah like you do with the computer to see if the lag existed at that point.  I had never heard that you could put the phone in safe mode. It took me three tries only because I have patience issues otherwise it was quick and easy.
The lag didn't exist and it was like the phone I initially fell in love with. It was perfection squared but the best part would be to have that performance in regular mode.
I will attempt yet another factory reset...waiting for some further information from the nice forum guy to proceed. I am waiting, ever so patiently for October (upgrade time) before I attempt further "play" just in case I'm not successful.
Well ...nighty night ;-)

BIRTHDAY BROTHER-For Kevin Powell

Back in March I asked that you check back on April 24th for my tribute to Kevin Powell, my birthday brother but I never posted it. I sent it to him on April 20th and I think secretly I was hoping to have a response to post along with it. But...nope, no response. That's cool though, he's a busy man and maybe he just wasn't that impressed. LOL 
I was reminded of this because today he posted on Facebook:

Kevin Powell

I have a perfectly fine tv at home. Why am I considering going to a Super Bowl party again? This sofa feels really good right now, too.

28 minutes ago ·  · 

And I responded saying:

 Regina Dee Stay home...rest...invite the less rowdy and neat of your bunch over so you don't have too much to clean up...you provide the tv and they can provide the snacks ;-)

 23 minutes ago · 

And then he responded saying:

 Kevin Powell Nah, no one's getting invited over here. :)

23 minutes ago · 

Well for those of you who know me...and my antisocial...well, ok, just not liking people to come over my house...I was reminded...we are going to have some similarities based on our birth date, hence the reminder to post the tribute. 

Anyway, here it is:

BIRTHDAY BROTHER

You have long been an unknowing but not necessarily an unwilling participant in the development of my social conscience, so this birthday I want to celebrate you the way you know best, in the written word. I hope you enjoy it. 

Born in a city they call ChillTown
Infused with the strength and
Resilience of a single mother
Tested and found to be the TRUTH.
Heaven birthed you with a
Decree to empower, uplift and help
Advance a people who have been lost.
Yielding to a generation possibilities they never knew existed.

Born in the same city, on the same day
Rose up in a different time
Only to find a passion in common.
The written word
Housed in our minds crammed with creativity
Echoing a past that brought you here to this moment
Reaching for a future that was destined on …

With Love and RespectHappy Birthday!(c) 2010 Regina Davis

Born April 24th/Jersey City,NJ

So, what do you think? Corny? Like my use of Acrostic Poetry? Oh well, whether you like it or not...I loved it and meant it and felt it! YAY ME!



Sidebar:
But you know what, recently I read that Kevin Powell wrote he's just not that into the writing anymore and it made me sad. I enjoy him so much. Here is what he said:

Kevin Powell

Since someone just asked: I have been writing since I was 11, 12, became a professional writer at 20. Have written books, screenplays, narratives for doc films, radio, tv, and ad copy, you name it. There have been times when I have loved being a writer, and times when I despised it. Now I am just at peace with it, and know it is not for me. All artists are just vessels being used by a higher power.

January 30 at 1:01pm ·  · 

I hear him though and of course respect his honesty and the fact that he knows himself enough to realize this.
Still looking forward to his memoir, 2012 seems so far away right now.

LiveActionFilms making a point or causing a problem?

I'm not really sure what to say. Have we not all "yes'd" someone to shut them up? How long was it between taping and her firing, did she report anything about this encounter? Were they quite clear on the prostitution/underage/trafficking part? I'd like to say yes. Was Amy(the office manager) setting them up for failure with her "compliance"? We don't know. But, what I do know is, PlannedParenthood offers a services that is needed in the community. ITS AFFORDABLE CARE that some people might not ever receive! There were points in the video that I cringed at the thought of the office manager being so numb to what was being said to her but at the same time, unfortunately, this is what she deals with on a daily. Young girls go to Planned Parenthood because they have no other options at times. Some of these young girls could very well be prostitutes, under age, brought here from another country to be in the sex industry against their will and some of them could be a young girl who just didn't know she could say no. Am I condoning abortion, I wouldn't say that but I'm not speaking out against it either. Please believe, I'm speaking as a Christian woman, that is not my choice to make for any other woman or girl. I understand both pro choice and pro life arguments and my decision lies with me as it should for anyone else in that situation. I don't condone females using abortion as a form of birth control at all. I have heard "friends" of mine (and I use that term loosely, not because of what they have said or done just the person), say "you can meet me at the chop shop if I get knocked up". And I have heard "friends" say they would never "kill" their baby. Both groups coming from similar backgrounds. Who is to say who is right and wrong when it comes to someone else's body? I know I don't want anyone making any decisions for me because they are not the ones that have to live with the consequences and there are consequences for both. 
So, the meat and potatoes of this is, should the office manager been fired, did she act in a manner that deserved termination? I'm on the fence. I'd love to hear her side of the story. Granted, hindsight is 20/20 but she may have a valid explanation for everything we viewed. 
Did this exposé potentially harm the funding that Planned Parenthood receives and thereby causing other young women to go without the services they provide?

What's your opinion or are you sitting on the fence with me?

I'm an Appthusiast!!

What's an Appthusiast?

Here are a few ways people describe you: excitable, energetic and passionate. But you probably already knew that! You are a social creature who enjoys going out often and chatting about all the latest trends. You are curious and spontaneous and enjoy being involved in all pursuits. These likes/ dislikes are illustrated in the content on your mobile; you download loads of apps (it doesn’t matter what they are) and use them all the time.

http://blog.ovi.com/dailyapp/appitype/results.php

Haybabasilolo...

Miracle Detectives

You might be asking yourself what the heck does that say in the subject...I don't know but once in a church service this lady repeated it over and over and over and over...yes AND OVER! This was more than 3 years ago and I remember it clear as day the "words", the inflection in her voice, everything. All that leads me to is this:

Have you seen the show on the new OWN network called Miracle Detectives? I've only seen one full episode and half of another, but I did set the DVR to catch more, it seems pretty interesting. The episode that caught my attention was one that spoke out speaking in tongues. If you click above that goes directly to that episodes page and you will see my comment that is below too:

Here is what I thought about this episode...It's the first full episode that I watched. I am a Christian, I believe in speaking in tongues, however I have been taught that when someone speaks in tongues and it is truly of the Holy Spirit, there will be someone there who can interpret. I didn't see that in this episode. All I saw was the  speaking, speaking, speaking....if the Holy Spirit has got something to say, why would it be in unintelligible for nobody to know what was said? Now, don't get me wrong, I have heard people "fake it" but as a friend of mine used to say: that's their sin not mine!     I have no opinion on the other part of the episode...nope.

When I first started going to a church that the pastor and other members spoke in tongues, I was taken aback to say the least. I didn't know what in the world was going on and it frightened me. It was all new to me because the church I had went to as a child was quite reserved and had none of that. There are times when it still frightens me and in those times I pray because I don't want the wrong spirits in my atmosphere. Have any of you ever experienced speaking in tongues in your church or a church you were visiting? So you believe that it's the Holy Spirit communicating? Has anyone ever interpreted what was being said? Do you, yourself speak in tongues? It took me a while to get used to it, even the first time I heard my BFF speak in tongues, I was skeptical but at least I could ask her about the experience. And even then, right after she spoke in tongues one of the other members interpreted what she has just spoken. I guess the antagonist would say, how do you really know that's what she said. To that I would say, how do I know it's not. The church I attend now, I have not heard anyone speak in tongues, nor really is it that type of atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, the Spirit does get high in there on special nights, but not a weekly thing there. If I recall correctly the Pastor said he doesn't speak against it as it is in the Bible but he really didn't say he believes that it's something that is real for this current time.

I look forward to hearing from you all: 

Have any of you ever experienced speaking in tongues in your church or a church you were visiting? So you believe that it's the Holy Spirit communicating? Has anyone ever interpreted what was being said? Do you, yourself speak in tongues?

When the Hurt Runs Deep...A Review

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review

I received this book in mid December, there abouts and had a very difficult time getting into the meat and heart of it. I chose this book because of the topic,  like the jacket says: who hasn't had these feelings, questions, doubts etc? 

Overall, I didn't like the book, I felt like it lacked something that I can't quite put my finger on. I found it hard to follow during some points and others it just wasn't interesting enough to follow. I've thought to myself that maybe I was in a place where I wasn't ready/willing to receive the help that the book was trying to convey. 

What I did like and always appreciate in these "self-help" type books is the strong biblical references. I felt like everything the author had to say,  she was able to back it up with scripture. I would have it no other way! I also like the study guide in the back of the book.

Could I relate to the stories and the feelings? Yes, of course I could. I understand pain and hurt and all of that but I got no comfort, nor any new way of dealing with the hurt and feelings. That's what I was looking for from this particular book, a coping mechanism of sorts and I didn't really find that. 

Will I re-read this at a different time? YES, I believe, just like with scripture sometimes you don't get the full meaning until you really need it. So I will revisit this book and pass it on, as someone else may be blessed by it.

I have read better reviews and hope that my second read gives me those great feelings that other readers got.

Thanks Blogging for Books for the opportunity to read this book and hope to read more, review more and keep blogging!