" En hiver la terre pleure; ..." ~ Victor Hugo

En hiver la terre pleure
Poème de VICTOR HUGO
~~~~~~ **** ~~~~~~

En hiver la terre pleure ;
Le soleil froid, pâle et doux,
Vient tard, et part de bonne heure,
Ennuyé du rendezvous.

Leurs idylles sont moroses.
Soleil ! aimons ! Essayons.
O terre, où donc sont tes roses ?
Astre, où donc sont tes rayons ?

Il prend un prétexte, grêle,
Vent, nuage noir ou blanc,
Et dit : C'est la nuit, ma belle !
Et la fait en s'en allant ;

Comme un amant qui retire
Chaque jour son coeur du noeud,
Et, ne sachant plus que dire,
S'en va le plus tôt qu'il peut.

A Mental Hurdle ?! - by Anonymous

A Mental Hurdle ?!
~~ by Anonymous ~~
====================

During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the Director how do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.

"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because its bigger than the spoon or the teacup."

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

The Demise of Language - by Hénock Gugsa

The Demise of Language 

- by Hénock Gugsa -

======== **** ========

// Someone asked on Facebook  (and I paraphrase):  How does the citizenry get dumbed down so effectively, so fast? ....  And the same someone answered (again I paraphrase):  By the systematic decline and neglect of the national language within the educational structures  ....  Then, a bit later, the same person wrapped up the discourse with a reference to the story of the Tower of Babel. //

~~~~ 

My response:  I don't believe Government has ever made a conscious and deliberate move similar to God when He was punishing humanity for their pride, and their insolence toward Him.  And if Government ever had any such nefarious  designs on its citizens, it would certainly not have been so lucky as to have willing accomplices like science and technology.  In this day and age of acronyms, emoticons, icons, and the vehicles of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.), the destruction of our language by abbreviations and punctuation marks is inevitable and unavoidable.

The limited boundaries set in Twitter, for instance, are emblematic of a society already addled by attention-deficit-disorder.  But then again, even in ordinary situations of police reporting or doctors' or nurses' medical chart reports, the English language is so stilted and mechanical-sounding, it does not even sound human.  Strangely, the police may surprise you with their vocabulary which may include the word: "semaphore" ... but then at another point, they would confound you with: "vic", or "unsub".  

Conclusion:  I don't think the Government has cursed us into the situation we are in.  I think that, much the same as in the time of Babel,  we ourselves are our own ruination! 

~~~~ 

 

Trying Times! - by Hénock Gugsa

Trying Times!

- by Hénock Gugsa -

In these crazy Orwellian days, of-course anything goes.  Right is wrong, and wrong is right!  The crazies have indeed been calling the shots.  Yes, I'm talking about the national epidemic of "unreason" being spread around by Wall Street, Financial Institutions, governments, the police, the mass media, and political institutions.  Tell me: Has anybody stopped to ask the most fundamental questions to explain the irrational actions or thoughts that are affecting our lives now and will in the future?  So let us now ask:  W H Y  ???

~~ Why are lies being spread about the economy? -- To destroy what has been achieved and to profit from the ruin. 
 
~~ Why are immigrants, and minorities targeted as enemies? -- Because scapegoats are always needed when legitimate reasons are not evident for the perceived problems, and immediate solutions are scant.
 
~~ Why are decency and civility cast aside? -- Because they get in the way of the quick and easy .... "Political Correctness" is seen as denial of freedom of speech by some, and coverup of "truth" (reality) by others.
 
~~ Why are people (normal everyday people) so upset and het up by the "Black Lives Matter" movement? -- It's not really because they don't understand or that they disagree with the movement ... they are not even willing to sit at the table to discuss the burning issues.  No, I just thought of a reason, and it is radical and inflammatory:  I submit to you it is because, deep down, they believe that "black lives" don't really matter at all !

********************************************************************************** 
The conservatives have been outed ... they are the destructives!
Can anything good be salvaged?  Will the nation survive?          
-- Answer:  Yes, it has before, and it will again!
**********************************************************************************

Lake Nokomis, My Lake ~~ by Hénock Gugsa

Lake Nokomis, My Lake *

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~

 * Part 2 is posted on 11/17/16 as:  "Lake Nokomis - Part 2 ~~ by Hénock Gugsa"

Insane Asylum Admission Criteria - by TPO

Insane Asylum Admission Criteria *

=== by TPO ===

Some of these reasons are, IMO, possibly applicable to the orange-headed Presidential candidate of 2016 .... By order of strength of validity ===>
~~ Egotism
~~ Bad habits and political excitment
~~ Greediness
~~ Gathering in the head [very appropriately so!]
~~ Brain fever
~~ Intemperance and business trouble
~~ Immoral life
~~ Excessive sexual abuse
~~ Dissolute habits
~~ Vicious vices
~~ Feebleness of intellect

-------------------------------------------------------------

* log book of the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane, 

archived by West Virginia Division of Culture and History 

Common Pitfalls of Sudden Wealth - by The Onion

Common Pitfalls Of Sudden Wealth  *
-- by The Onion --

~~ No longer any need to partake in thrilling hunt of finding cheapest airfare.  
~~ IRS suddenly beating down your door to snatch away huge portions of your  hard-inherited money.

~~ Have to purchase 1,436 mattresses to store your fortune.

~~ Exterminator can’t do anything about the members of Congress in your living room.  
~~ No excuse for your face to still look like that.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
* Source: The Onion, 9/28/2016

My Takeaway ~~ by Hénock Gugsa

My Takeaway
(of the Presidential Debate, 10/9/2016)
- by Hénock Gugsa -
========================

Spellbinding!  Fantastic !!
I have for a long time opted to watch these debates on C-Span for the basic reason that you get an unalloyed, unfiltered presentation of the events first-hand.  As a result, I am able to formulate my opinions or to describe my impressions as my own with a clear and uncluttered mind.  
So, here is my summarized take of last night's debate participants ...  ************************************************************
Last night's Presidential debate between Hillary and Donald was, in my opinion, unique and for the ages. It was historical (on many levels) and educational for everybody, young and old.

Donald Trump ===> unfocused, petulant, petty, insolent, bullish, and stubbornly unremorseful.

Hillary Clinton ===> polished, in-control, knowledgeable, confident, unperturbed, and worthy of high respect.
************************************************************ 
 

How to Hit the Powerball - by Tim Torkildson

How to Hit the Powerball *

(a sure-fire formula, Guaranteed!)

- by Tim Torkildson -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I aim to hit the Powerball just once in my short span;
and I have got a logical and foolproof master plan.

First I take my birth date and divide it by 16,
then I add that number to the price of Ovaltine.

Next I take the license plate of any car I pass
and multiply it by the days until I mow my grass.

Finally I cast my horoscope with a hand of Uno,
and divide it by the temperature up there in snowy Juneau.
I come up with a number that is guaranteed to win,
and write it down upon a piece of certified buckskin.
I’ll share my system with you for a negligible fee
(since I have been quite broke since back in ’63…).
----------------------------------------------------------------
*Bulletin Board, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, October 2, 2016

 

Marriage, Old Testament Style! - by Hénock Gugsa

Marriage, Old Testament Style !

- by Hénock Gugsa -

The wise king, Solomon, had 700 wives and 300 concubines !!
All those women ...
and he would be hard pressed to visit anyone of them more than 2.74 times a year on a fair rotation system !!!