Progression or Regression ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

Progression or Regression 

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~ 

     Recorded human history is filled with narratives of different stages or arcs that are more specifically called eras or epochs. Beginning with the dark ages, man advanced to the age of enlightenment, to the renaissance, and so on to the industrial age.

     Then we arrived at the age of technology, of Space exploration, and now here we are in the Information Age.  But, have we really progressed and reached closer to the Age of perfection or even near-perfection?

     Are we now back at Square One?  Are we free in spirit, in mind, and in body? And are we in danger of going back to the Dark Ages?!

     I understand that we don't (can't) really go back to an earlier age ... but don't some periods remind us of others in the past although they may actually be even worse.  Note:  Somehow, we hardly ever talk of things improving even when they are.  

     The negative shades in our reality generally overwhelm our impressions and our outlook on life.  There seems to be more dourness and pessimism than positive prognostication.  I find it all very depressing!

 

Mark Zuckerberg's MetaVerse ! ~ by TPO

 

 Mark Zuckerberg's MetaVerse ! 

~ by TPO ~ 

    When I first heard about Zuckerberg using the term "metaverse" in connection with Facebook, all I could think of was "The Lord of the Rings" !
You remember the mantra:
     << One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. >>
     Mark Zuckerberg wants to rule our little planet and everything in it !

 

Conformisim ! ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

Conformism ! ~ by Hénock Gugsa 

~~~ // ~~~

     Conformism is a very hard pill to swallow.  I remember once I almost could have gotten into hot water at my last job.  An administrative assistant to the CEO sent out a company-wide heads-up memo about the latest advertisement drive for our organization (which was an HMO).  She was bragging about how innovative and smart our latest ad was.  One of the venues they were using was billboards on major highways and expressways in the Twin Cities. 

     This particular ad was supposed to be unique because the name of the HMO was written upside down.  So in effect, a motorist going at 75 or 80 mph was expected to twist his head upside-down to be able to read the name.  So I got my digital camera and drove by one location with highway overpasses and exit ramps, etc., which had one of these billboards with our ad on it.  I took a snapshot and sent it as an attachment in a response email to the lady's communique.  I also expressed my opinion on what a bad idea it all was.  I actually pointed out that as a "health and well-being concern", we should not be creating a hazardous and ineffective distraction in our cities' highways.  

     I thought I was doing a proactive thing with my response.  But my immediate supervisors, whom I had copied in my missive, just went nervous and almost catatonic saying to me that I could be getting a serious reprimand or something.  Well, I did not hear anything from  the CEO's office for about a week.  And then I got a lukewarm response where they essentially stood firm on their Management decision.  They even went a step further and poured praise on the vendor saying that it was a prize-winning and acclaimed company.  

     And so ended the drama!

Post script -- Whatever the driving force, I don't think I would have gone thru with such an impulsive reaction had I slept on it for two, or three nights. I should have remembered that in many situations, 'discretion is the better part of valor'! 🤔 😉 

 

The Focus on Race ! ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

The Focus on Race !

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~ 

It is also about: National Origin!
You may have lived here 40 years or 50 years or longer as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen with full legal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit  of happiness ... BUT ...

When strangers ask: "Where are you from?" ... they really mean: What are you?  
They are really not that much interested in who you are ... they're not even interested in you as a fellow human-being !  🤔 😕 ☹️

 

My Take on Education~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

 My Take on Education 

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~

     My take on Education
     [Conversation in Facebook]
     ====================
     HG ===> I never liked it in school when they talked of percentiles and standard deviation bullshit when assessing where a student stood vis-à-vis his peers. Later in life, I began to appreciate the "school of life" because it made more sense to me ... like applied algebra ! 🤔 😁 😁 😁
-----------------
     FCM ===> School education is the backbone of how we will educate ourselves further down the road. It is important to evaluate pupils vs their peers, because it's a way to tell them how they perform, and also evaluate who, as an example, can go to med school.
Schooling is not perfect, but it's necessary, no bullshit there, as long as the schooling system is fact based. which goes without saying.
Hénock, I understand you because after my dad died and 6 months later our house was lost to fire, 2 weeks before I changed school, I developed a severe ADD that affect me to the point of passing from 1st in class, to 30th. I thought I was losing my mind, could not retain anything, and it took me 24 months to get back in the 1st two of the class, in Secondaire-III at Collège Bourget.
By chance I had people in the family who never lost faith in me and my potential.
But ADD stayed with me, and it prevented me from doing what I would have loved to do, becoming a physician... sad? No, not at all, because I lived a life of adventure that most don't have access to, like you and Nancy.  😉
-----------------
     NZ ===> FC: Girls and brown people were informed of their being crappy, no statistics being supplied...
I was told,
" There are no women artists. There is no female Picasso!"
I replied," Then I'll be the first!"
Fortunately, I had tons of support. My non artistic, non alcoholic parents best friends were alcoholic artists. They advised I go to the Art Students League in NYC, best advice ever!
-----------------
     FCM ===> NZ: there's nothing we can do about stupidities of the past, let',s move one and promote fact based ideas in order to prevent future slippery slopes and mind farts.
-----------------
     HG ===> FC: When we say "peers", don't we mean equals or equivalents ?  So why do we then go and evaluate them against each other?  And if we do go ahead and evaluate them, aren't we saying they're not peers?  What is the final measure of one's superiority and by whose parameters and measure ?! 🤔
-----------------
     HG ===> I don't mean to knock down educational systems in toto !  I know and appreciate their value as foundations for further learning down the road because learning never ends, curiosity never ends, and challenges never end.  However, when one considers some of the methodologies and practices of the educators, one finds  there is no consistency.  

You may find you like or understand one teacher better than another because of the way they teach the subject matter.  Some teachers prepare the lessons to be pleasurable and not onerous.  
     [ A sideline observation: I used to wonder (and I still do) why some teachers assume students know the answer to any question before it is asked?  In my mind, I'd go:  I should be the one asking the questions, and you should be the one knowing the answers.  If I knew the answers, why should I be here wasting my time ! ]
The other aspect of education is in the area of good learning material, namely text books and such !  Generally, the best of these are written by actual teachers who have interfaced with students and know their problems and concerns.  Text books by some genius with his head in the clouds can sometimes be actually dull and boring (unstimulating) ! 

Teachers have a great opportunity to counsel students because they can observe the strengths and weaknesses of each student in all areas: the specific subject matter being taught, the student's analytical and expressive talents, the student's potentials overall.  So screw the percentiles, screw the comparisons of students to their peers.  Instead, give them guidance and assurance early and often!

In my personal experience, I have known only less than a handful dedicated teachers who have bothered to go beyond the call of duty and make a life-impacting difference in any student's life !

Discussing Abiy's "Big Vision" ~ by TPO

 

Discussing Abiy's "Big Vision" 

~ by TPO ~

<><><><><><> 

G A ===> Selam Hénock!  I, like you, was always proud of growing up in ስድስት  ኪሎ area;  there has been no place in Addis with greater prominence for the past century.  Going down from ሽሮ ሜዳ to መስቀል  አደባባይ  makes my point. The Abiy video you posted will reinforce our neighborhood's first class status.  Cheers.

Hénock ===> Wonderful !!!  ...
Big and ambitious.  However I don't care for some of the "westernization" ideas like golf courses, etc.  When you still have homeless and others wasting away elsewhere, Abiy seems to be catering to the affluent and to foreign tourists.  
- Abiy does not talk in depth about changing the culture and habits of the people, e.g. in the areas of health and hygiene!  Contrast that with the situation in Asmara (in Eritrea) ... how Eritreans are obsessed with keeping their city clean and beautiful!  
- What is the point of building boulevards if you don't have anti-littering laws?  Where are sidewalks on streets?  Where are traffic laws and signs?
- So many pre-fab skyscrapers by/from China but very scant water for public utility !  And electric power is in poor supply and not equitably distributed as far as usage goes.  Imagine how much electricity is deployed leaving the common man with little or no service.  
- Abiy seems to be enamored with shiny and superficial face-lifts, but priorities and a down-to-earth, reality-based value system needs to be the foundation of all development projects.  Above all, focus should be aimed at all the citizens and how their lives could be affected.  
- The municipalities of the many precincts of Addis still have to learn and enforce "zoning principles".  For instance,  Residences and Businesses should not be side by side.  

G A ===> Your concern is well-taken.  I was in Asmara two years ago, impressed by the neatness and orderly lifestyle.  One other thing that vexes me is the Amharic signs on businesses [in Addis] are being replaced in English.  Tourists looking at that may wonder if we were colonized by the British.

Hénock ===> Not to sound too political, but the reactionary Oromos may have something to do with that.  They have simmering resentments despite the fact that they don't have an alternative language script of their own.  So instead they prefer a "ferenji" script.

On Parenthood ~ by TPO

 

On Parenthood (ስለ  ወላጅነት)

 ~ by TPO ~

**** /// **** 

  From a Facebook thread under the heading -- Husbands' and Wives' Jokes

   After 10 years, the wife starts to think their kid looks kinda strange so she decides to do a DNA test.
  She finds out that the kid is actually from completely different parents.
Wife: Honey, I have something very serious to tell you.
Husband: What’s up?
Wife: According to DNA test results, this is not our kid.
Husband: Well you don't remember, do you??
   When we were leaving the hospital, we noticed that our baby had pooped.
   Then you said:
 - Please go change the baby, I’ll wait for you here.
   So I went inside, got a clean one and left the dirty one there.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
KG ===> This is really really serious.  I could not laugh but be sad. But, being it is a joke    ... why not I chuckled a bit.
GB ===> Very funny! Thanks for the laughter!
EM ===> Well....... He is done.
BZ ===> Omg ....this is not funny even if it is joke!

Hénock Gugsa ===> This is hilarious ! What is there to be serious about ? A baby is a baby  ... is it any more special than another ?

KG ===>  If you do not mind raising somebody else's child of course not ....

Hénock Gugsa ===> KG -- In the final analysis, it's how a child is raised that matters. Babies are like clean slates. Some great personalities started out as orphans or babies given up for adoption. And then, of-course, there is no iron-clad guarantee that real (natural or blood) parents will automatically love and bond with a child. እንዴ የባዳ ልጅ ይወደዳል አይደል አንዳንዴ ? የክርስትና ልጅም ከራስ ልጅ እኩል ወይም የበላይ የሚታይበት ጊዜ አለ ።

KG ===> Hénock Gugsa -- yehe k[l]ej yetewisedew ke hospital new eko. Yerasun kej kezen netreg aketote yelela sew lij yezo temelese.. bakebeteh yanten lij lewita betmeta behetsanenetu tej[k]ebekeh setasadig noreh yante lij aydelem betebale [gize] men yisemahal. [sic]  [Apparently no access to the Amharic alphabet font !]

Hénock Gugsa ===> KG -- ታድያ በዛች ሰዓት ልጁን እርግፍ አድርጌ እጥለዋለሁ ማለት ነው እንዴ ？ ምንም ቢሆን ፥ ምንም ቢሆን ያው ልጄ ነው ። እርግጥ ሕግ ወይም መንግስት ወይም ዘመዶች እና ማህበረ ሰቡ (society) ላይስማሙኝ ይችላሉ ። ግን የልጁን መውደድ ከመቅስፈት ሊያጠፉት አይችሉም ፣ የራሴንም ልጅ እንኳን ቢመልሱልኝም እንደ አዲስ ሀ ብዬ ነው ላፈቅረው የምጀምረው ! በነገራችን ላይ ባዳ （stranger) የሚባለው ቃል እና ሃሳብ (concept) ዋጋ የለውም !  It's nonsense ! ለመሆኑ ባዳ አይተን ፥ ወደን ፥ አግብተን ዘመድ እናደርጋለን አይደለም እንዴ ?  በሕግም በሃይማኖትም ከስጋ ዘመድ መውለድ ክልክል (taboo) ነው !  On the other hand, when you think about it, the child we make with a stranger is actually half a stranger too !
=======================
  7/4 -7/5, 2021

Ethiopia: Comical Conflict and Angst among the Youth ~ by TPO

 

Ethiopia: Comical Conflict and Angst among the Youth
L'éthiopie:  Le conflt et l'angoisse comique entre la jeunesse
(ጆኒ ምን እዳ ነው / አልማዝ ምን እዳ ነው)
💚 💛 ❤️ 

 

Dishta Gina ( ዲሽታ ጊና ) - by Tariku Gankisi

 

 

Dishta Gina ( ዲሽታ  ጊና ) 

- by Tariku Gankisi -

Eva Green, Royauté véritable ! - by Hénock Gugsa

 

Eva Green, Royauté  véritable ! 

- by Hénock Gugsa -

Please click on the image to magnify !

Eva Green, French actress born 1980
A veritable royalty !

~ a ferocious princess 

(une féroce princesse)

~ a mad, evil queen !
(une folle méchante reine)
 

 

The Case for Salt and Other Things ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

The Case for Salt and Other Things *

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~ 

PC ===> TRY THIS ....
When artificial sweeteners hit you mouth, you have sensors that instruct insulin production to start to combat what seems like sugar,  when the artificial sweetener hits you gut, there is another set of signals sent that do the same thing.  Now your cells are deprived of needed energy and your hunger will increase, not to mention that your system starts to ignore the important signals to regulate sugar balance.  This has been documented very well in lab studies and Very high doses of Artificial sweeteners will even cause diabetes in lab animals in a short time........  If this is not believable, you can do a small experiment yourself.  Choose a weight that is hard to lift, bench press or just a couple of push-ups.  Do this once or twice - not multiple reps.  Now take a bite of chocolate or a big drink of diet soda.  Wait 1-2 minutes and repeat the exercise... you should notice its more difficult until the sugar gets into your system.... with the diet soda that never happens because your system got tricked and messed with.  This tricking of your system leads to increased hunger and thus weight gain not to mention the desire for more of your diet soda... hmmm. What a racket.

PC ===> I can get started on the salt debate too. So much regurgitated bs about limiting sodium.  What’s the first thing they put into you when they start an IV ??? Sodium chloride!!! Most important electrolyte in your body.

TL ===> PC:> I can get started on the salt debate too. So much regurgitated bs about limiting sodium.  What’s the first thing they put into you when they start an IV ??? Sodium chloride!!! Most important electrolyte in your body.

PC ===> TL:> yes the salt limiting bs has been debunked but it takes a long time for people to admit they were wrong... if ever.  The American Medical Association had published the debunking in may of 2011 but still docs,mainstream media, food manufacturers etc. are staying on that bs bandwagon.

HG ===> PC:> I'm with you about salt.  I generally don't comprehend the "one-size-fits-all" philosophy of medicine where they don't take into consideration the different makeups of human physiology.  Also why do they mess with the body's messages such as affinity and/or dislike toward certain foods or drinks or even simple things as the need for sleep.  If I feel, I need salt in my food, that's what my body tells me.  And if I feel a nap coming, then off I go to a comfy spot!  

The trick, I think, is not to take things to the extreme, of-course.  And so, I try to follow my common sense guide for moderation.  

I believe also that the body gives us cures that we often overlook ... for instance, our own saliva is a great defense against canker of the lips, balms and chap stick only seal up the sore and shut out natural moisture.  Just like animals, we should be able to find a way to use our own saliva to quickly heal ourselves.  With this realization, I have been able to effectively fight off cold sores which are common in the winter time!  Cats and dogs are my teachers! 🤔😏

PC ===> HG 💯 % agree with you.

PC ===> HG:> this is a tough story to believe but I’ll share it.
Had most of a kidney removed in 1965, had an incredible hunger for all things licorice following that surgery, so much that I got in trouble for eating so much (ice cream store around corner had real licorice ice cream that would stain my face).... I grew a new kidney 😊
In 2000, read an article in Scientific American, large amounts of licorice was able to cause some organs to regrow.. namely the kidneys.

HG ===> PC:> Wonderful ! In Ethiopia, there is an all-encompassing saying (piece of wisdom) : No one knows better the self than the self ( ከባለቤቱ  ያወቀ  ቡዳ  ነው ! ) ... not even the devious shaman ! 🤔

FCM ===> PC:> Marie-Claude is diagnosed 34 days at the hospital.  When she was 5 y-o, she was dialyzed, and tested over and over.
You should see her [now] eating sugar... I'm flabbergasted every day! And when she's in a real craving, she's sad, and eats raw onions with vinegar and salt ....

______________________________________________________

* Culled from HG's Facebook exchanges with friends on 6/7/21
 
 

Sometimes ...! Quelquefois ...! ~ (by) de Hénock Gugsa

 

Sometimes ...!  Quelquefois ...! 

~ (by) de Hénock Gugsa ~

 

" Cancel Culture " ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

 " Cancel Culture " 

~ by  Hénock Gugsa ~

Not such a bad thing ... lets you unfollow/unfriend/unsubscribe to people or things that bug you.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FC ===> cancel culture leads to ignorance.

HG ===> FC -- and so we come back to the concept of "perspectives", right ?
 
PC ===> HG -- depends on who’s perspective you like at the time.  Galileo’s perspective got him into trouble with authority because of “Cancel Culture”.  Don’t let that type of idiocy rule your mind.

HG ===> I won't necessarily be starved for knowledge or wisdom if I'm deprived of outright lies, and misdirection. I should be able to make my own judgment and not be led by the nose all the time. Oh and the term "cancel culture" is a deceptive cover that some use to gaslight and muddy the water. We actually have come to a point where we label anything as "cancel culture" when we cannot accept it because it really is wrong ... like murder, like insurrection, like tyranny. So, if I'm accused of practicing "cancel culture" because I don't accept those things, so be it ! Let me be an ignorant idiot !

HG ===> ... Oh, and I try to go by my own perspective as much as possible without forcing it on others !

JS ===> FC -- true, but so relaxing.

PC ===> HG -- as long as you know I respect your perspective, as I hope you respect mine.... this leads us to be able to have constructive debate, (which I love BTW).

PC ===>  

FC ===> Nothing should be cancelled, even what we don't like. Because cancelling something cultural involves ignorance, most of the time.  Here we are between open minded and fairly educated people.  But we have to be careful what we promote, because it will be blindly followed by masses of ignorants [sic] only interested in promoting what they have been indoctrinated by.

 

HG ===>   I wonder if I have scum on my face and they tell me to leave it alone ... if I clear it, will that be "cancel culture" ?! .... That's how ridiculous things have gotten! The "objectivity" of the opposition to "cancel culture" is not wholly objective. I submit that there is some subjectivity there because of all the passion and furor behind it ! 🤔 🤭

 

 

HAPPY FASIKA ! ... መ ል ካ ም ፋ ሲ ካ ! --- by Hénock Gugsa

 

 HAPPY   FASIKA  !  - by Hénock Gugsa

Today, Sunday May 2nd, is Ethiopia's Easter ("Fasika") Holiday. It is the day of Christ's Resurrection! The same is true for all other Orthodox and Coptic Christian Churches !

HAPPY FASIKA ! ... መ ል ካ ም ፋ ሲ ካ !

እንኳን ለብርሃነ ትንሳዔው በሰላም እና በጤና አደረሰን !!!

🙂 🙏 ❤️

 

 

The "Lazy" Student ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

 

The "Lazy" Student *

[totally revised, edited, and translated]

 by Hénock Gugsa

Modern education finally arrived in rural Ethiopia.  Students began to be taught not only reading and writing but also basic arithmetic.  Some students were very bright and were advancing pretty well in their studies, but others were finding the going pretty near impossible.   But, the situation was especially more challenging to the teachers who had to improvise and find new ways of teaching. 

One such teacher began a method called "Applied Arithmetic" .... Basically, he was now using examples from daily rural life to make problems comprehensible and solvable to students.  Among his charge was one particular student who was finding the concept of "subtraction" completely incomprehensible.

“Look,” said the teacher, “Say you have five sheep in a pasture. If one sheep goes away from the herd,  scampers off  by itself and escapes, how many sheep would you now have left? ”

“ None,” replied the student firmly.

“Incredible! ” said the teacher with a heavy sigh.  “How did you arrive at that answer? ”

“This one actually made sense to me, teacher, ” said the wide-eyed student.  “If one sheep goes, all the rest will follow! ”

The teacher gave up.  He couldn't begin to argue with a student who was also a shepherd boy.

_________________________________________________________

* inspired by an Amhara folk tale from Ethiopia that was narrated by Kassa Alamrew

 

Panic Notes to Self ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

Panic Notes to Self

by Hénock Gugsa

     I can relate completely with almost everyone of the items on anybody's Panic list.

     I wonder ... do you also write little panic notes to yourself on any piece of paper and have them laying around on desks, night stands, kitchen counters, dining-room table, etc. ?! 

     I have found these notes helpful although I have been curious at times about why I wrote them down in the first place !  Also, sometimes I wonder if I should dispose of them completely knowing full well that I have already dealt with them once and for all !  Maybe I should now write a new note to myself about this !

 

Judgemental perhaps ?! ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

Judgemental perhaps ?! ~ 

by Hénock Gugsa 

I asked a lady friend of mine, " Why are more and more men shaving their heads completely and trying to look like Yul Brynner?!  What's up with that?! " ....

She answered :  Coz men are getting vainer and vainer by the day.  They prefer no hair to hair loss or graying hair !!!

There might be some grains of truth to that !!!
________________________________________
Comment by FC on Facebook :
Hénock, judging men as a hole is like judging women as a hole, irrelevant.
A perfect example of misandry. 😉
-------------------------------------------
Hénock responds :
FC --- And there may be more grains of truth here !

 

In the last four years ...! ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

 In the last four years ...! 

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~

Not that there are any new revelations, but we are now more aware of the flaws in American Politics. 

1 - The weakness of the First Amendment, i.e. Freedom of Speech
- free pass is given to bullies, normalization of outrageous speech and acts
- the timidity of the media in not steadfastly challenging lies
- the propagandizing (by some sectors of the media) of conspiracy theories
2 - The role of money
- corrupt media,
- corrupt political parties,
- and corrupt interest groups (churches, and corporations)!
3 - Cynicism everywhere else !
- Defeatism
- Lack of Faith and Will to stand up for Truth
_______________________________________
*******************************************************
Some Practical Tools we almost forgot we had for combating  bullies and demagogues ! ...

1 - Taking away their platforms (i.e. social media presence) when necessary.
2 - Muting bullies when they attempt to disrupt orderly debates and conversations.

 🤔 🤭 🥴 

 

The Last 4 Years ~ by Hénock Gugsa

 

The Last 4 Years 

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~

FC ===> The last four years are in the category of life experiences. They are neither good or bad, as they are simply events from which other events will emerge.

HG ===> FC, ... Sometimes, I can't swallow neither "good" nor "bad" despite the connectivity between them. But right now, it feels like a respite from whatever situation we've been in; and I'm aware things could change back. I'm thinking positive thoughts to maintain my current state of calm and tranquility.

FC ===> Changing back is impossible, and it's not desirable either.
Change is the constant, let's adapt to it.  😉

HG ===> FC, ... You are right, of-course, 'changing back' is not a plausible concept.  I should have chosen my words carefully.  What I was striving to get across is the idea of a reversal of direction, i.e. going backward instead of forward as in physical motion.

Despite the futility of attempts to affect 'change', as humans, we never tire of trying ... we think and believe that under similar sets of conditions, similar outcomes can be achieved again and again.  But isn't that what scientists believe in when they keep trying to simulate a situation?  Politicians want to take us back to a former time (e.g.- MAGA).  Then, on the other hand, there are those who want to move us forward to a utopia of sorts, and they don't want their idea of 'a perfect world' to change.  

The whole point of my post is to state that I did not particularly like our experiences of the last 4 years, and my subjective prognostication for the years ahead is :  relief and continued improvement.  We'll see !!! 🤔 

 

A Smile Multiplied! ~ by Anonymous

 

 

A Smile Multiplied!
~by Anonymous~ 

 Someone gave me a smile today.
I tried my best to give it away
to everyone I chanced to meet,
as I walked down the street.

But everyone that I could see,
gave my smile right back to me.
When I got home, besides my smile,
I had enough to reach a mile.