2013 - a New Year


1.

2013. A new year. A new me! I have made my resolutions too. On New Year’s Eve when the giant apple about to fall, I silently made the mental note what I would like to accomplish in the coming year. The cheers, fireworks, music with wintry gusto make every new year’s eve feels special, though know it well that in cosmic timeline, our skimpy existence and boisterous celebrations may not surmount to anything, but for the mortals billions, these moments spur the longing of a commonality where our aspirations, existential anxiety, love for the beloveds and the daily humdrum of our lives fuse into collective roars that can be heard across the globe, through cyber net, cable media or the simple presence in a stampede free firework show.

The bygone 2012 was memorable. It was the year when dictators fell from their long held power, democracy returned to nations where it was absent for many years, global economy seemed to be turning back from the plunge of dismal recession (though a struggling path is ahead), and technology made more bold advances occupying further aspects of human lives. It was the year the pragmatic progressive Obama won the election over confusing Romney, and it seemed terrorism’s ceaseless bloodshed is cornered like a despotic king isolated in a strategic chess game. These are all the good points to remember from 2012. These are the uplifting stories and events that shaped many of our consciousness and thoughts, opened the horizon’s visibility a bit more, lilting our conscience pleasantly buoying toward the new possibility.

Then there are bitter memories. The repeated wars between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza and Israel where hundreds of innocent children, women and men died for incomprehensible rationales, the brutality in Syria where more than 60,000 dead in a prolonged war between a ruthless dictator and his democratic but vengeful oppositions, the senseless murders of children in Sandy Hook Elementary School just 11 days before Christmas, Aurora shooting in the summer where mere movie spectators were gunned down during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises, a 23 year old unnamed Indian woman was brutally gang raped in a bus in Delhi, beaten and thrown out of the moving bus, her fight to survive ended tragically over heartfelt candle light vigils and prayers from around the world, the burnt bodies of 117 poor garments workers in Bangladesh, and 315 garment workers in Pakistan, a business man named Bishwajit Das hacked to death in broad daylight on the street of Dhaka while his gruesome murder was captured by sidelined media, these are the few samples of decadence that perhaps illuminate the world’s collective failures in the realm of humanity.

2.

2012 was the year we lost some great human beings like any other years. A few of them listed below; whose works I was familiar with through their lives’ contributions:

·        Ravi Shankar (musician and composer)
o   A tribute with links to music videos
·        Mehdi Hassan (singer)
o   A music video of Mehdi Hassan singing Zindagi Mein Tu Sabhi
o   Rafta Rafta – a nostalgic song performed by Mehdi Hassan
o   Duniya Kisi Kay Pyar Mein Janat
o   Mehdi Hassan performing at London Albert Hall
o   Mehdi Hassan performing live at London, 1990
o   Mehdi Hassan Live in India
o   Mehdi Hassan singing a Bangla song “Tumi Je Amar Bhalobasha” written by my father Bangladeshi lyricist Masud Karim and the music was composed by Pakistani music director Hamid. Another link with better sound quality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj1S2mBnt3A
·        Sunil Gangopadhyay/Ganguly (writer/poet)
o   A poem by Sunil Ganguly “Keu Kotha Rakheni” recited by Shimul Mustafa
o   “Mon Bhalo nei” – a Bangla poem recitation by Sunil Ganguly
o   “Jodi Nirbasan Dao” – the poet reciting his poem in 2009
o   “Pahar Churai” – Shimul Mustafa reciting Sunil Ganguly’s poem
o   “Ami Ki Rokom Bhabe” – Shimul Mustapha reciting Sunil Ganguly’s poem
o   “Kobir Mrityu” – Shimul Mustapha reciting Sunil Ganguly’s poem
o   “Jodi Nirbashon Dao” – Recited by Shubir Lawrence
·        Humayun Ahmed (writer)
o   A tribute
o   “Anondo Bedonar Kabboy” – a recitation by Humayun Ahmed
o   Humayun Ahmed’s Exclusive Video
·        George McGovern (US Senator, World War 2 veteran, civil rights champion, anti-war proponent)
o   A tribute
o   George McGovern Acceptance Speech at the 1972 Democratic Convention
o   McGovern’s Concession Speech
o   OETA Newsmaker Interview with George McGovern (2009)
·        Arlen Specter (US Senator)
o   Congressman Brady’s Tribute to Senator Arlen Specter
o   President Obama Pays Tribute to ‘Fighter’ Arlen Specter
·        Michael Clarke Duncan (progressed from being a ditch-digger to becoming a famous actor and later in life became an activist for vegans/vegetarians)
o   Michael Clarke Duncan Tribute Video
o   Michael Clarke Duncan’s Exclusive Interview with PETA
·        Neil Armstrong (first man who walked on the moon)
o   First Moon Landing 1969
o   Neil Armstrong Interview, BBC 1970
o   NASA: Neil Armstrong Remarks from Congressional Gold Medal, July 21, 2009
·        Gore Vidal (a fearless writer)
o   A tribute
o   One on One – Gore Vidal
o   BBC Hardtalk – Gore Vidal
o   William Buckley Vs Gore Vidal
o   Vidal vs Buckley: Battle Begins
o   Gore Vidal – ‘South Bank Show’ (2008)
·        Sherman Hemsley (“The Jeffersons” actor)
o   The Jeffersons – George’s Dream
o   Math – Bunker Style
·        Dr. Stephen R. Covey (motivational speaker and writers of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People)
o   The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
o   Convocation 2008 – Steven Covey Speaks at MSU
o   Stephen Covey explaining what is a paradigm and a paradigm shift
o   8th Habit
·        Norman Schwarzkopf (Stormin’ Norm)
o   World Remembers “Stormin Norm’s Military Legacy
·        Larry Hagman (known as J.R. Ewing in TV show “Dallas”)
o   Remembering Larry Hagman - CNN
·        Andy Griffith (television icon)
o   The Andy Griffith Show – Barney and The Cave Rescue
·        Ray Bradbury (science fiction writer)
o   A Conversation with Ray Bradbury
·        Eugene Polley (inventor of wireless TV remote control)
o   Eugene Polley-Inventor-TV remote control
·        Robin Gibb (Bee Gees singer)
o   Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive
·        Donna Summer (singer)
o   Hot Stuff
o   Last Dance
o   I Feel Love
o   She Works Hard for The Money
·        Chuck Brown (singer)
o   Chuck Brown Performs ‘Wind Me Up!’
o   The Party Roll
o   Bustin Loose
o   People Make the World Go Round
o   It Don’t Mean a Thing
·        Carlos Fuentes (writer)
o   Carlos Fuentes on Mexico’s Drug War
o   Carlos Fuentes on his book Destiny and Desire and the future of Mexico
·        Vidal Sassoon (hairstylist)
o   Five Minutes with Vidal Sassoon
o   TEDxOxford – Vidal Sassoon – Ted Talk
·        Dick Clark (TV host)
o   Dick Clark: Farewell to a TV Legend
·        Mike Wallace (“60 Minutes”)
o   A Look Back at Mike Wallace’s Tough Interviews
·        F. Sherwood Rowland (discovered the linkage between by-product of aerosol sprays, deodorants and other consumer products that have negative impact on earth’s atmosphere)
o   F. Sherwood Rowland on Origin and Uses of Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs
·        Whitney Houston (singer)
o   I Wanna Dance with Somebody
o   I will Always Love You
o   I Have Nothing
o   It’s Not Right But It’s Okay
o   I Believe In You and Me
·        Etta James (singer)
o   Seven Day Fool
o   I’d Rather Go Blind
o   At Last
o   Let’s Roll
o   Life, Love & The Blues
o   Got My Mojo Working
o   The Sky is Crying
o   Try a Little Tenderness
o   Tell Mama
o   Something’s Got a Hold of Me
o   Etta James & Chuck Berry – Rock n’ Roll Music
·        Dr. William House (promoter of implantable ear device)
·        Dr. Joseph Murray (successfully performed first kidney transplant)
·        Andy Williams (singer)
o   Moon River
o   Merry Christmas – O Holy Night
o   Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
·        Nora Ephron (author and screenwriter)
o   Nora Ephron – Conversations at KCTS 9
o   Nora Ephron on her mother and journalism
·        William S. Knowles (Nobel Prize-winning chemist, helped developing drug for treating Parkinson’s disease among other of his scientific accomplishments)
o   Obituary in The Washington Post
·        Elizabeth Catlett (artist)
o   My Childhood
o   Sculpting the Truth
·        Adrienne Rich (poet and essayist)
o   A tribute
o   What Kind of Times Are These – a poem recitation by Adrienne Rich
o   The Life of the Legendary Poet & Activist – Democracy Now
o   Hearing – a poem recitation by Adrienne Rich
·        William Hamilton (theologian)
o   Obituary in Los Angeles Times
·        Marie Colvin (fearless war correspondent)
o   Obituary in The Guardian
·        Anthony Shadid (journalist)
o   Award winning work at The Washington Post
o   Anthony Shadid Remembered – PBS News Hour
·        Wislawa Szymborska (poet)
o   Biography at  Nobelprize.org
o   “A Few Words on the Soul” – a translated poem
o   “Nothing Twice” – a poem with background music
o   “Tortures” – poem recited by Karin
o   ”Metaphysics”
o   “Statistics” – poem recited by Martha Briggs
o   “Hatred” – Videography by Shadi/Greg
o   Some of her poems can be found here: http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/web/arts_culture/literature/poetry/szymborska/poems/link.shtml
·        Lakshmi Sehgal (freedom fighter and social activist)
o   Who is Lakshmi Sehgal?
o   Obituary - The Telegraph
·        Rajesh Khanna (actor)
o   Ye Shaam Mastani – a song from Rajesh Khanna’s acted movie “Kati Patang”.
o   Zindagi Ek Safar
o   Haathi Mere Saathi
o   Mere Sapno Ki Rani
o   Achcha To Hum Chalte Hain
o   Chanda Hai Tu
·        Yash Chopra Humayun Faridi (actor)
o   Conversation with Yash Chopra
·        Humayun Faridi (actor)
o   A remembrance
Links to other notable deaths in 2012:
o   http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-2012notables-gallery,0,1269713.photogallery
o   http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/celebrity/sns-2012-deaths-pictures,0,1525006.photogallery
o   http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/notable-deaths-of-2012/2012/01/12/gIQAiKoWUU_gallery.html

3.

Everything seemed slowed down in last ten days of December. Winter started officially. Where I live, snow had covered every inch of the earth, and temperature dived below -20 degree centigrade. It was the time to reflect on life, and perhaps mortality too.

As I have read the passing away of many great men and women of our time belonging to different nations and professions, one commonality that was found in everyone was their continuous struggles and belief in human endeavours, their ceaseless contributions throughout their life in this progressive journey of humanity. Through their writing, singing, acting, scientific discovery or inventions, theological/philosophical/metaphysical/political curiosities and fearless journalism, pursuance toward artistic truth or fighting for justice, equality or a sustainable environment, there seemed to be one universal constant nudging these great men and women, and that was their undying love for humanity, though how lost sometimes it felt in the face of flashing violence and painful apathy.

The ridiculous premonition of Mayan collapsible globe is already literally hanged in the past, and the vilified number “13” is upon us as a mere numeric of this year 2013. Who knows, maybe the over clichéd “unlucky 13” may prove to be the luckiest year for human beings and other species of our world when dictators, bigotry, devious greed, violence and endless wars will be sidelined by humanity’s common yearning toward love and peace. We cannot change a bone chilling winter into a summery breeze outside instantly in this decade of 21st century, but there is no barring from dreaming. Is there?




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