Posts

Showing posts from August, 2024

A00295 - The Legacy of the Ancestors

 Tony, Wayne, and Renee, Thank you for providing this information. I will be sure to note in my Fred Parker's post.  By the way, Walter followed me to UC Berkeley (as did Sheila Maddox, Class of 1980).  His legal career is far more illustrious.  His Russian language skills came in quite handy during the demise of the Soviet Union and the opening up of Russia to commercial activity.  His London based law firm is quite prominent.  Indeed, as I recall, one of his partners happens to be the twin sister of Elin Nordegren, the former wife of Tiger Woods.  It is my understanding that Walter's law firm represented Ms. Nordegren in her divorce negotiations.   As I also recall Walter has served on the Board of Trustees for Hampshire College and one of the coolest things he has done was to host an international conference in London a few years ago that brought together some of the most accomplished people from Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States to discuss various issues pertaini

A00294 - Books of the Month for the Month of June 2024: A City on Mars: Contents

I have about 40 pages left to read for my June 2024 co-book of the month,  A City on Mars.   In lieu of highlighting specific comments today, I shall simply share the Table of Contents for the book.  If you read this Table of Contents, you will see that there are many major biological, psychological, legal and political issues that we have not even begun to adequately address with regards to Space Exploration.  For those who like to gaze at the stars and dream of other worlds, this book provides a nice slap to face.  Ultimately, the message may be: Wake Up! And begin take better care of the only Real World that You've Got!  ***** Introduction: A Homesteader's Guide to the Red Planet? 1. A Preamble on Space Myths Part I - Caring for the Spacefaring 2. Suffocation, Bone Loss, and Flying Pigs: The Science of Space Physiology 3. Space Sex and Consequences Thereof 4. Spacefarer Psychology: In Which the Only Thing We're Sure of Is That Astronauts Are Liars Nota Bene:  Rocketry Go

A00293 - Books of the Month for the Month of June 2024: Searching for Zion: Jamaica

  "I knew this Zion was a holy place, a dwelling to roost, a country that was supposed to offer some kind of cure for the long disease of slavery. Maybe I'd find the Zion they sang about in Jamaica, in spite of my father's warning.  I hadn't found it in Israel.  But I knew next to nothing about the religion that underscores so much of what we hear in reggae, which is not only protest music but also sacred music. "My plan was to talk to the Rastas on their home turf.  Funnily enough, the nightclub I danced at in Tel Aviv -- The Rasta -- moved me to visit reggae's homeland.  Since my trip to Israel, black folks who'd been brave or troubled enough to strike out from "home" for the Promised Land had begun to inspire me."  ( Searching for Zion , pgs. 66-67.) ***** "So here I was, flying into Kingston rather than Dublin.  One thing became clear when I arrived in Jamaica, I was a white woman.  It didn't matter what I said to the contrary b

A00292 - Frederick Allen Parker (Amherst College Class of 1920), Dunbar High School Graduate and Civil Rights Activist

  As I continue with my Amherst College Biographies Blog, I come now to Frederick Allen Parker, Class of 1920.  Like so many of the pre-1960 African American students at Amherst College, Fred Parker was also a graduate of Dunbar High School.  The following indicates what Mr. Parker did for much of the rest of his life.  8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 Frederick Allen Parker graduated from Amherst College in 1920.  He died on April 9, 1991. The May 2, 1991, edition of  The Indianapolis News o n page 37, reads FREDERICK A. PARKER DEAD IN WISCONSIN MEQUON, Wis. Frederick A. Parker, 91, a former Indianapolis teacher who helped racially integrate the state's schools, died April Services were last month in O'Bee Funeral Home, Milwaukee. Mr. Parker taught mathematics and was the department chairman for Attucks High School from its beginning as a school for blacks in 1927 until 1946. He was then a teacher at Indianapolis Public Schools 17 47, l

A00291 - Prayers for Houston

  I am a late (after midnight) riser and I am just now seeing the devastation in Houston.  My prayers go out to all those affected by Hurricane Beryl, especially for my Amherst Brother Ellis and my niece. May God be with you all. Peace, Everett "Skip" Jenkins  Fairfield, California July 10, 2024