What is it? ... I dunno ! - by TPO

What is it? ... I dunno !

[ Ending and Beginning with a Bang !]
by TPO
===================

This is a true story, proving how fascinating the mind of a six year old could be.
Children do think logically!

A teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs to her class.

She came to the part of the story where first pig was trying to gather the building materials for his home.  She read:  "And so the pig went up to the man with the wheelbarrow full of  straw and said: 'Pardon me sir, but may I have some of that straw to build my house?' "

The teacher paused then asked the class; "And what do you think the man said?"

One little boy raised his hand and said very matter-of-fact like ... " I think the man would have said - 'I'll be a son of a bitch!!  A Talking pig!' "

The teacher had to leave the room.

Adolescence - by Hénock Gugsa

Adolescence

 – by Hénock Gugsa –

Discoveries continued, but at a much faster pace.

I was doing well in school, I joined my school’s boy scouts club for a couple of years. This was character-building time. My new-found love was reading, I loved hanging out in libraries. Another obsession was going to the movies every weekend. In fact, my dad used to say that I was using his money to enrich the white man (the ferenjii) both there and in foreign lands. He was right about that; but I was also benefiting from the fact that my language skills were growing at a rapid pace.

These were the "teen years" ... adolescence had arrived ... new problems began to appear and they seemed super impossible to tackle!  To name a few --- shyness, social awkwardness, and complete ignorance of the new social role.  My friends and I were all in the same boat, we were what you would call today: nerds !  Some of the disadvantages were outside our control.  For instance, the school we went to was not co-ed ... and that led to complete ignorance of the opposite sex.  But then again, even the whole society was segregationist when it came to genders.  There was always a kind of ingrained male chauvinism (machismo) which meant that hardly any friendship existed between boys and girls.

Yet, however frustrating life seemed at times, I was simultaneously realizing that time was flying by at a faster pace than ever before.  Books opened my eyes a lot, I learned more from them than any living person in my sphere.  I was now sensing that more adventures and enjoyment of life were just over the looming horizon ... a new beginning, perhaps.

By the time I was eighteen, I was fluent in English and had a good working start in French. And to cap everything, I had the great fortune and privilege of coming to the United States for my last year of high school. I had at last come to the States, as an exchange student, at the tender age of seventeen; and it was my first big adventure in life!

[In my next installment in this series, I hope to be tackling my "adulthood" years.]

The Afterlife - by Louis Jenkins

The Afterlife
by Louis Jenkins
(a Minnesotan poet born in Enid, OK , October 28, 1942)
================================================

Older people are exiting this life as if it were a movie… "I didn’t get it," they are saying.

He says, "It didn’t seem to have any plot."

"No." she says, "it seemed like things just kept coming at me. Most of the time I was confused… and there was way too much sex and violence."

"Violence anyway," he says.

"It was not much for character development either; most of the time people were either shouting or mumbling. Then just when someone started to make sense and I got interested, they died. Then a whole lot of new characters came along and I couldn’t tell who was who."

"The whole thing lacked subtlety."

"Some of the scenery was nice."

"Yes."

They walk on in silence for a while. It is a summer night and they walk slowly, stopping now and then, as if they had no particular place to go.

They walk past a streetlamp where some insects are hurling themselves at the light, and then on down the block, fading into the darkness.

She says, "I was never happy with the way I looked."

"The lighting was bad and I was no good at dialogue," he says.

"I would have liked to have been a little taller," she says.

_________________________________________________

source: www.yourdailypoem.com

From North of the Cities (Will o’ the Wisp Books, 2007) © Louis Jenkins.

~ used with the author’s permission ~

"Hallelujah" ~ sung by PS22 (New York City, 2015)

"Hallelujah" 

~ sung by PS22 (New York City, 2015)~

===================

PS22's wonderful rendition of Leonard Cohen;s "Hallelujah" is headed by 4th -grader Elisha ....

 PS22 is an elementary public school in Graniteville, Staten Island, New York City.

"Said a blade of grass ..." ~ by Khalil Gibran

Médina, (Dakar) Senegal - by TPO

Médina, a poor neighborhood in Dakar, Senegal 

- by TPO -
-~~~~~~~ // ~~~~~~~

Médina, a poor neighborhood in Dakar, Senegal, has become a draw for art fans!

 

Conan in Ghana ~ by TPO

Conan O'Brien in Ghana 

~ by TPO ~

Cultural Differences !!! - by TPO

Cultural Differences ! *

-- Americans share the things they didn’t realize were typically American until they traveled. --

Observation # 4:
Ask a cop how he’s doing here in the States, and you’ll get tased!

It is very different in Paris.  I Walked up to a security guard at the library adjacent to Centre Pompidou, which is where we were headed and asked in English if he could tell us where the entrance to the museum was.

He stared at me blankly. I started stammering, trying to repeat myself in French, when he said very sarcastically, “ ‘ALLO? ‘OW are you DO-EENG?!” ....  You see, I had not first offered a greeting before asking my question!

In large American cities, public servants and other people providing services to tourists are often not looking for such niceties. They want you to make it as quick as possible and keep moving.
________________________________
* Source: RoughMaps

Childhood - by Hénock Gugsa

Childhood

~ by Hénock Gugsa~

The best gift I received in life aside from good health was my "Childhood".  Looking back at it now, it was golden, and idyllic.  If there were critical moments, they must have been insignificant because I don't recall them now, not even in bits.

My childhood years were a period when everything appeared enormous … my dad seemed like a giant although he was only 5’ 9” tall … houses and fences loomed large … and a block of street was like an infinity to my eyes.  I do not believe that, in the very early part of my childhood, I had any concrete concept or even awareness of time; but later on, I remember feeling it was the slowest thing on earth; it felt as if everything was standing still, that all moments were one and the same.  An hour was like an eternity.  Of-course my attention span was probably only just at the bare minimum level to qualify me as a human-being.  That was understandable as this was a time when I was absorbing everything about my surroundings, i.e. the sights and the sounds.

The most joyous and fun times were when I was between eight and twelve years old.   This was a time of innocence, of curiosity, and of endless discoveries.  But I had not yet reached complete self-awareness, or acquired a sense of responsibility when you know to be always on your guard and not require adult supervision.  I had friends and playmates both at school and in my neighborhood.  There was peace and stability in Ethiopia, and I felt safe and un-harassed.  My family was not enjoying a life of luxury, but we were not in dire poverty either.  We belonged in the lower middle class, and the future held some good promises.  It was all good !

Un Malheur N'arrive Jamais Seul (1903) ~ de Georges Méliès

Un Malheur N'arrive Jamais Seul (1903)! 

~ de Georges Méliès (1861-1938) ~
💙 💙 💙

- Misery loves company !!
- መከራ  ብቸኝነት  አይወድም !! 

First Hand - by TPO

First Hand !

- by TPO -

"Kyiv not Kiev !" - by Hénock Gugsa

"Kyiv not Kiev !" *
- by Hénock Gugsa -

Kinda reminds me of ... in the early 70's Nixon, while enmeshed in the Watergate mess, went to China ... a first for an American President.  So, then, we all had to learn not to say "Peking" anymore ... the correct (i.e. phonetically) way to say Beijing !   

Americans and Brits have always been lousy with names ... how to say them and even how to write them.  For example, even now, American soldiers in the Middle East pronounce Iraq as "Ay-rack" , and Iran as "Ay-ran".  There is not even an effort to ask Iraqis or Iranians for the correct pronunciations of the names.  I don't know if it is laziness or ineptness!
--------------------------------------------------------------
*Inspired by the following article in the Atlantic: "Kyiv-not-Kiev-why-spelling-matters-in-ukraines-quest-for-an-independent-identity".

 

The VanDyke Affair ~ by TPO

The VanDyke Affair *

~ by TPO ~

Trump's Candidate for 9th Court of Appeals,  Lawrence VanDyke, has been rated by ABA (American Bar association) rated him "Unqualified".
 
~ He's been cited as "arrogant, lazy, and an ideologue."
~ He "lacks humility, has an entitlement temperament ... [and] does not have an open mind, ... [he's] not always candid and truthful."

To date, Mr. VanDyke has not been confirmed by the Senate.  Let us hope they don't sneak him in when we are not looking now as we are engulfed in the President's impeachment process !

________________________
* Source:- https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/31/1896344/--Aarrogant-lazy-ideologue-Trump-nominee-cries-crocodile-tears-in-confirmation-hearing

 

Defining the Generations - by TPO

Defining the Generations 

- by TPO -

 ** A general guide !!!  🧐 😳

A dying democracy ! ~ by TPO

A dying democracy ! 

~ by TPO ~

“A society, a democracy, can die of too many lies ...." 

- Bill Moyers -

"Okay, boomer." ~ by TPO

 "Okay, boomer" !
================ New Zealand Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick was speaking to the New Zealand Parliament. Her speech was an attempt to outline the fundamental need to change the business-as-usual narrative when it comes to climate change, and what needs to be done by nations all over the world. Swarbrick is 25 years old and represents a new generation of politicians who can see that there is no more road down which the proverbial can of political expediency can be kicked. So that is how she began her speech:

    MP SWARBRICK: We are in a climate crisis. If we don't get this right nothing else matters. In the year 2050 I will be 56 years old, yet right now the average age of this 52nd Parliament is 49 years old.

The room, hearing themselves called out for being exactly how old they are, began to titter and some old windbag decided to begin heckling Swarbrick. Without missing a beat, she dropped this millennial term, used to dismiss (usually) baby boom generation condescension aimed at the younger generations.

    SWARBRICK: Okay, boomer.

The room goes silent, in part because most of these folks have probably never heard “Okay, boomer” used in any context, or been condescended to in such a dismissive way. The “OK boomer” meme is something that took off on the social media platform TikTok, with short clips of Generation Z and millennials using the term to explain why the baby boom generation’s slandering of younger folks is hypocritical at best, and false most of the time
------------------------------------------------------
source:-  dailykos.com

The Kitten Call ~ by TPO

The Kitten Call 

~ by TPO ~ 
 ===============
 The kittens are prowlin'
The coyotes are howlin'
Way out where the doggies roam.
Where spurs are a jinglin'
And the cowgirl is singin'
Her lonesome kitten call!
[ yodels ]
Singing her kitten call ! 

All about Hope ~ by Hénock Gugsa

All about Hope 

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~

"Hope" is the thing with feathers
~by Emily Dickinson~

"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—

I've heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me. 

Billy Eckstine: The Rise and Fall of Billy Eckstine ~ by Gary Ginell

Billy Eckstine (1994-1993)

Billy Eckstine: The Rise and Fall of the Fabulous Mr. B
[... all due to an innocent LIFE magazine photo ! ]
By Gary Ginell
[ Excerpted from  ARSC - Academic Journal Article ]

~~~~~ /// ~~~~~

In 1950, Billy Eckstine was one of the most famous singers in the world. Screaming teenagers swooned to his sold-out performances in overcrowded concert halls, he was married to a beautiful socialite, had a spacious home in a fashionable Los Angeles suburb, and was looking forward to a career in motion pictures and television. But a controversial photograph published in a Life magazine profile halted the momentum of his career right at its peak. There are those who believe that although Eckstine was successful, he never reached his potential, and played out the rest of his career as a Las Vegas lounge singer.

 

The Geography-Challenged Americans ~ by Hénock Gugsa

The Geography-Challenged Americans 

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~

Hénock Gugsa : ===> I know exactly to what this relates. When I returned to Ethiopia after my one year in New York State (at East Rochester), I had a hard time explaining that I was not in NYC all that time ! 🤠 😃   
Pat K : ===>  Hénock, I have to explain that all the time and I just live in Ohio! 
Hénock Gugsa : ===> Pat, what is more amazing is the confidence and conviction behind such wrong ideas or conceptions. In the same vein, people have been known to confuse countries with continents.  I think it is all due to a deficiency of schools that ignore or exclude "Geography" from their curricula. 
I have a funny but true anecdote* about a Nigerian student in Rochester many years ago. He had gone to a X-MAS party, and while there he was being introduced around to the other guests. So, an affluent elderly lady who happened to be quite well-traveled asked the student what country he was from. 
He politely answered, "I'm from Nigeria."
The old lady stiffened up as she fixed her unwavering eyes on him.  She clearly was struggling to conceal her indignation as she cleared her throat and said aloud, "You mean Algeria, don't you, young man?"
_______________________________________________________
 *  The story was told to me by my dear "Aunt" Caroline Branch, who along with her husband,  "Uncle" John, were my sponsors and dear benefactors.

The "Hunter Biden" Headache ! ~ by Hénock Gugsa

The "Hunter Biden" Headache ! 

~ by Hénock Gugsa (on Facebook) ~

 ~~~~~ // ~~~~~

          Hénock Gugsa ===> What is it with these talent-less, dependent, self-serving, thoughtless sons of big-name politicians in America? It is not like this guy and Trump's children are special in any way, shape, or manner !!!
          David H ===>  Hénock Gugsa, are you nuts? Hunter Biden is a Harvard Law School graduate with 20 years experience on many corporate boards. What are your qualifications for spewing bullshit on the internet? Ample, apparently.
          Hénock Gugsa ===> David H,  so why, if he's such a brainy giant, has he not had the smarts to steer clear of occupations that could potentially land his father in a scandalous situation? Perception is all it takes to sink a political career ... remember Ted Kennedy and Chappaquiddick, Gary Hart and Donna Rice ... etc., etc., .... As for your views on who should opine on the internet, I would not care to comment on it except to say that your praise of "a Harvard Law School [degree] and 20-years' corporate board membership" is extremely immature and pathetic. Obviously you confuse wisdom or intelligence with school smarts. Keep your damned PHD and your corporate board and country club membership to yourself. I'll stop here before I really get pissed off.
          Paul  R  ===> Hénock Gugsa,  because the GOP will make up a scandal even if there isn’t one.
          Hénock Gugsa ===>  Paul  R, that is true, I agree. But Democrats should all know that and be prepared for all scenarios. I find this Hunter Biden situation so incomprehensible from his vantage point. He and all scions of politicians should know they are fair game. Why does he go and be corporate board chairman in Ukraine, in China? ... Where next? I could understand Japan, South Korea, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Italy, and all those fine countries ... but nooo, he picks these pesky places to stick and ground his
 tent !!! 

A Wonderful Evening ... ~ by Hénock Gugsa

A Wonderful Evening 

in MAINSTREET, Hopkins, MN
(October 12, 2019  6:30 - 9:45)

~ by Hénock Gugsa ~

===============

          A typical, old-fashioned American little town is Hopkins, MN  on a Saturday evening!
          I was there to attend an evening of jazz-blues entertainment by the legendary Dianne Reeves at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.  The concert was scheduled to begin at 8:00, but I arrived in town early to make sure everything went smoothly with finding the venue, and with parking.
When I got there, it was already dark, slightly chilly and a sprinkle of rain was happening, a kind of misty spray really.  I found it all charming somehow and not at all unpleasant.  MAINSTREET, all in caps, and is about a half-mile long, I estimate.  I walked the street a bit and could tell this was a quaint little town.  There were closed-for-the-day stores dealing in jewelry, clothing, and a barber-shop with the candy-stripe spiral lamp hanging on the door.  I saw also a hardware store, and it too was not open.  I also made out one or two church spires a small distance away ... no crowds ... but this was a Saturday evening, actually sin night !
           I saw the aforementioned culture center, and across from it was, guess what ... a downright old-fashioned marqueed movie theater, the  and they were offering the latest fare!  Good for Hopkins ... no mall duplex b.s. for them !!!
There are a few restaurants in town --- a hamburger and ice-cream shop, and even a Tibetan place !  However, the best attraction in town was the sprawling MAINSTREET  Bar & Grill.  Not a huge monster compared to some sports bars you could find anywhere in Minnesota, but this was just comfortably big.  I was surprised to find it  somewhat crowded.  I could not find a free seat at the bar, but there was a cozy little booth table in an airy, uncrowded corner.  There I installed myself, ordered a burger with onions, pickles and lettuce.  I also asked for Michelob Ultra, and got one.  While I was feasting on the burger, the staff at the bar unfurled a huge wall-to-wall white movie screen and projected a sports program on it.  It was a college football match between Baylor and Texas State!  This was such an exciting game that I was totally immersed in watching it.  Baylor won  a THRILLER in double overtime against Texas Tech , become "Butt Bowl" eligible, and remaining  undefeated!  So, in short, the meal was great, and the TV show was just exciting as heck!
           When the time approached to go to the concert, I walked out of the bar promising myself that I will visit it again soon. A few minutes later,  I went up the steps of Hopkins'  Center for the Arts which was only a block-and-a-half away.  I was a little early, but there were no crowds outside or inside.  I entered and was promptly ushered to my seat in the Main Theater Lobby.  And the show started right on time at 8:00 p.m.
           Dianne Reeves and her quartet were fabulous even though the audience was more of a quiet though respectful sort.  But then one can hardly expect rowdiness from a mature, senior even, crowd !  Despite all of that, I have to say that I had a memorably great experience ... great music and a peacefully relaxing time !!!
 

Ain't that good news ! ~ Sam Cooke

Ain't that good news ! ( ግሩም  ዜና )

~ Sam Cooke (ሳም  ኩክ ) ~

Sam Cooke (1931-1964)

A Lee Marvin Anecdote ... ~ by TPO

A Lee Marvin Anecdote

["The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"]

~ by TPO ~ 

          I read an interview of Lee Marvin* close to his death.  He was asked about many of his films, and then about co-stars.  
          The story about filming Liberty Valance was interesting.  The year 1962, rumbles about getting fully involved in Vietnam in the news.  Now three years before Stewart became a Brigadier General, John Ford was still a Commander in the USNR, and Lee still saw VA doctors about the nerve damage from his war wounds.  On set the Duke mouths off with a rant to some crew and others about bombing and sending in the Marines ‘to teach them all a lesson’. 
          Overhearing this rant are Marvin, Jimmy Stewart & John Ford.  Stewart was sitting in his chair reading the newspaper, Ford was talking to a camera operator, and Marvin was getting his costume adjusted.  Wayne finishes his rant and sits in his chair next to Stewart.  Marvin comes over and takes his chair the other side of Wayne. They both also start reading parts of the newspaper, Ford finishes with the crew member and still looking over paperwork walks over by his stars. 
          Mischievously, Marvin asks, ‘How are you doing today General Stewart?’  Stewart with a slight smile says ‘Just fine Private Marvin, just fine.’ Ford by this point is also starting to smile, and then laughs when Stewart asks ‘How are you feeling today, Commander Ford?’ 
          By this point the Duke has the newspaper all the way up covering his face, hiding.  Then Ford tells everyone on set to take their places.  Last to walk on set is the Duke and the makeup lady runs forward because she is worried about his makeup being wrong because he has turned a nice shade of pink under his makeup. He waves her away and they shoot the rest of the day.  After that the Duke NEVER brought up politics or war or violence around any one of those three.  This was all the more interesting considering the plot of Liberty Valance.  

          After Marvin died, Stewart was on the Tonight Show and Carson asked about this.  Stewart was even more tongue-tied than normal and finally just waved his hand to dismiss talking about it.

=======================================
 * Lee Marvin served as a Marine in WW-II, was wounded in action, and won a Purple Heart for his heroism.  In real life, he was (like Richard Widmark) against violence ... he was also a liberal democrat to the core.

Demera in Addis Ababa ~ by TPO

Demera in Addis Ababa

~ by TPO ~

The holiday of Demera in Ethiopia falls on the eve of Maskal (መስቀል), which is a religious commemoration of the discovery of the actual Cross upon which Jesus was crucified.  The Cross (Maskal, መስቀል) was lost for a long time and was discovered by Eleni (Helena, እሌኒ) who was the mother of Constantine, the first Christian Emperor (272-337 AD).  

** According to Wikipedia ===> The Meskel celebration includes the burning of a large bonfire, or Demera, based on the belief that Queen Eleni, as she is known, had a revelation in a dream. She was told that she should make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where the true cross was buried. So she ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile. After adding frankincense to it the bonfire was lit and the smoke rose high up to the sky and returned to the ground, exactly to the spot where the Cross had been buried. **

This video from a German journalist source from 1956. Emperor Haile Selassie, his two elder sons, and high government were attending the celebration of Demera.

 

Facing Harsh Realities of the Past and the Present ~ by TPO

Facing Harsh Realities 

of the Past and the Present!

~ by TPO ~

(Please click on picture to enlarge !)

          America was never ever [fully] great in all of its history.  Sure, there were outstanding flashes of brilliance, of goodness, and of exemplary leadership.  But America's strength has been in its aspirations, its dreams, and its infectious and dynamic optimism!  Thus, it is really a nonsensical and even an idiotic proposition to suggest that we should or will "make America great again!"  The nation has been on a historical journey ... it has been inspiring, and idealistic.  It has been bloody, it has been heroic.  It has also been shameful, cruel, and simply awful.  But the unique thing about America is that it has constantly evolved, it has generally been growing and maturing politically, socially, and economically.  

          In November 2016, however, the country stumbled and fell on its face.  We awoke to a call for intransigent, and unapologetic regression to reactionary impulses to progress, and to common sense, and higher ideals.  

          Racism has never gone away from daily life in America.  And perhaps this evil will always be around in one form or another.  But at present, racism is back in full force with the blessings of a racist and corrupt President.  His idea of greatness is going back to the ugly face of America !

          Fortunately, the end of the current disease may be near.  Just today, Congress (the democrats) are standing up to this evil man  ... they are embarking on a process of Impeachment to put a check on him !!! 

 

Pa Janvier - by Leyla McCalla & Cedric Watson

Pa Janvier (ፓ ዣንቪዬር )

- by Leyla McCalla & Cedric Watson - 

Leyla McCalla and Cedric Watson make good music together ! 

~ Janvier means January, and Pa Janvier means Father Winter. The song is about a young man telling Pa Janvier that he (the young man) is in love with Pauline, Janvier's daughter. He is begging Janvier to give him Pauline because he loves her so much. [If or when] Janvier refuses, the young man says his heart will be crushed and it will be the ultimate and forever farewell! 

~ Elsewhere (at a venue in Ireland), Cedric gives a little more detailed background story for this song. It is about "a pretty lady with dark hair and dark eyes, like most women in Louisiana, and she's really young and she gets a little drunk for Mardi Gras, and she decides to go in a little horse and buggy ... back then, even though they didn't have motor vehicles, you still couldn't go riding around drunk. She ended up running off a bridge and she fell into a bayou ...."

Victory in Rural France (La victoire de la ruralité)

Victory in Rural France

Victory in rural France ===> Morris, the rooster, can now legally resume his early morning cock-a-doodle-doings to his heart's content! A Rochefort court tribunal has not only ruled in favor of the king of the roost, but has penalized the plaintiffs 1000 € (euros) for damages and for making such a fuss !!! 💙

አስደሳች ድል ለአቶ ሞሪስ ===> በፈረንሳይ ገጠር በ ሳን-ፒየር-ዶሌሮን የሚኖረው አውራ ዶሮ ፥ ሞሪስ ፥ እንደልቡ የፈለገውን ያህ ማለዳ ጠዋት እንዲጮህ በሕግ ተፈቀደለት ። እንዲያውም ዳኛው ከሣሾችን በሞሪስ ላይ ስላደረጉት የመንፈስ ሽብር አንድ ሺ (1000 ዩሮ € ) እንዲከፍሉ በተጨማሪ ፈርዶባቸዋል !!! 💙

La victoire de la ruralité ===> Le coq Maurice pourra continuer ses vocalises matinales. Le tribunal de Rochefort (Charente-Maritime) a tranché jeudi 5 septembre. Faute de preuve, la juge a débouté les plaignants, condamnés à verser 1000 euros de dommages et intérêts !!! 💙