T P O

T   P   O
The Patient Ox (aka Hénock Gugsa)

G r e e t i n g s !

** TPO **
A personal blog with diverse topicality and multiple interests!


On the menu ... politics, music, poetry, and other good stuff.
There is humor, but there is blunt seriousness here as well!


Parfois, on parle français ici aussi. Je suis un francophile .... Bienvenue à tous!

* Your comments and evaluations are appreciated ! *

Sunday, May 31, 2015

TPP in Essence - by Hénock Gugsa


TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) in Essence
- by Hénock Gugsa -

TPP seems to be nothing but NAFTA inflated and expanded ... yet more dangerous because of its lack of openness.

In the long run, it is very highly likely that the participating nations will regret such a pact. The rush and the secrecy behind the agreement package is a dead giveaway to the perils that lie ahead. The manipulators, i.e the puppeteers, behind TPP are big nameless corporations and financial organizations. And the first thing they focus on is their legal immunity in all matters. They even go further and and get assurance of their citizenship rights to sue governments if they feel wronged or damaged. Have you heard AIG (the ungrateful bastard of a corporation) is suing the U.S. Federal government for "its 2008 bailout of the firm violated [their] constitutional rights"?!!

Thus, it is a very scary scenario all around. Corporations are beginning to rule the world. No wonder China is not currently a member of TPP. Maybe, it is because Taiwan already is ... but that could change, of-course.

Meanwhile, the President is dismissing all convincing arguments against TPP as mere scare-based hypotheses. What does he have against hypotheses? Isn't science based on hypotheses and observations? What next ... deny science? ... deny climate change? And even going by observations alone, haven't we observed the behavior patterns of corporations right here inside America? Can you imagine let alone believe a tiger changing its stripes?!
 

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News update: 


Per Huffington Post, "The House is expected to vote on fast track trade promotion authority as soon as [this coming] week. If it passes, the corporate-negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a done deal -- even though it is still secret."
[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/fast-track-hits-house-nex_b_7465280.html]

The probability that the fast track is going to be authorized is quite high despite vehement opposition from many democrats and even ultra-conservative groups.


Friday, May 29, 2015

English-to-German Idioms - by Ktcakes of Stillwater



English-to-German Idioms 
- by Ktcakes of Stillwater -
Bulletin Board
 The Saint Paul Pioneer Press
(04/21/2015)
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OK, I'm game. I would be happy to share my nominations for most obnoxious and overused expressions that make my skin crawl: 'At the end of the day'; 'Moving forward'; 'It is what it is'; 'I know, right?'      

A couple years ago, I was in a German hotel, waiting to meet up with my brother and sister-in-law. I had the TV on because it was fun to watch German-speaking TV, trying to figure out what they were talking about. There was a movie on, something in the vein of Valley Girls. There were three teenaged girls walking down the street, angsting, and one of them said: 'Oh Mein Gott!' Cracked me up! Suddenly the offending 'Oh My God' didn't seem so bad anymore, when it was expressed in another language.

So now, whenever I hear an overused expression, I translate it to German. I figure I can learn the language, one idiotic idiom at a time. If they overuse the expressions as much as we do, it'll practically make me fluent!

          Here's how to improve 'Oh My God! It is what it is!' ...
          Try this: 'Oh Mein Gott! Es ist was es ist!'

  'Es ist was es ist!'
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