Premio Dardos Award

May 18, 2015 / Erica Herd / 12 Comments

I was nominated for the Premio Dardos Award by my esteemed fellow blogger JC whose blog is entitled “Writing Post Parkinson’s.” Please stop by and be inspired!

I accept his nomination with gratitude. Here’s a blurb about the award:

The Premio Dardos award exists to acknowledge the values that every blogger shows in their effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

The rules:

1. Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his / her blog.

2. Include the “Premios Dardos” image in the post.

3. Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgement (I am doing 12). Let them know they have been nominated.

And the nominees are:

Kicking Stroke’s Ass in Words

Art by Rob Goldstein

Autistic and Proud

Electrica in the Desert

Fear of the Reaper

Find Your Middle Ground

I Am Not a Sick Boy

Exposing the Big Game

Jane Eyre Gets Real

Musings of a Puppy Doc

Pastor Jim Bell’s Jottings

World Youth Success Inspirer

Check out their blogs when you have a chance!

Death by Blogging

March 30, 2015March 30, 2015 / Erica Herd / 22 Comments

Bangladeshi blogger Oyasiqur Rhaman, 27 years old, was macheted to death over his comments on extreme Islam. This is the second killing of this kind in five weeks in the capital city, Dhaka.

The other slain blogger was Bangladeshi-American Dr. Avijit Roy who harshly criticized fundamentalist Islam on his website, “Mukto-Mona” or “Free Mind.” He wrote articles on scientific reasoning and religious extremism of all kinds, not just Islam. He and his wife Rafida Ahmed were living in Atlanta, Georgia and went to Dhaka to attend a book fair when he was killed. His wife tried to fend off the machete-wielding assailants and was injured herself, but survived. She has since returned to the U.S.

Daily Mail, 2-27-15 (Rafida Ahmed standing over her husband’s body)

The extremists said that Roy was singled out because he was a U.S. citizen, and they sought “revenge” for U.S. attacks on ISIS in Syria.

Monika Ammerman, a friend of Roy’s daughter Trisha wrote a tribute to him, aptly entitled “Words Cannot be Killed.”

It’s hard to put into words my feelings surrounding these brutal killings. I feel privileged, on the one hand, to be living in the U.S. and fairly confident I won’t be murdered for writing inflammatory posts, but at the same time, the War Against Words has begun in the U.S. too. Do any of us feel truly free to speak our minds, pen our thoughts or expose certain truths, truths that might be considered subversive or threatening to the powers-that-be? I would be lying if I said I did.

I honor those who have died and continue to die and be persecuted for what they believe, in words and in deeds.

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

January 2, 2015January 5, 2015 / Erica Herd / 17 Comments

I want to thank Terri Webster Schrandt who writes “Perspectives On . . .” for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger award. I humbly accept. To pay it forward, I’m going to nominate some fellow bloggers as well.

I started blogging on Word Press in September 2014, and it has been a great source of creative comfort to me; actually, it’s kept me sane (whatever that is). Having spent 2012 and 2013 developing and performing a play about my mom who has Alzheimer’s disease, I needed another venue to explore new ideas and stories, and found it here. Yay!

I have been inspired and supported by other writers on Word Press, and their colorful, unique perspectives on the world and their personal corners of it, whether domestic or international.

It’s been mostly a good year, and a challenging one, both personally and in the community (New York / New Jersey). Citizens have taken to the streets to protest police brutality, and specifically, the murder of innocent black men and boys. Two innocent police officers were assassinated in their squad car by a mentally ill man. The NYPD and Mayor de Blasio continue to struggle to find a common cause. I am inspired by the protesters (not those calling for violence against the police), and I hope for a continued dialogue and progress towards justice for all.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the dear friends (will not name names) who are going through very trying times who inspire me daily with their strength and courage.