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 ! *

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Billionaires Playing Space Astronauts ! ~ by TPO

 

Billionaires Playing Space Astronauts !

 ~ by TPO ~  

    FB Post --- " I can't imagine having enough money to end hunger in the U.S. and deciding that all  I wanted to do was play space tourist ." 

~ Annie Gabston-Howell (The Talk on Main St.)     

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     F C M ===> It would only be temporary .... Ending hunger is out of human reach.  Humans are not very good at determining what's good for them.
       S R ===> No lie !!
      Hénock Gugsa ===> They certainly won't be able to end anything even their low self-esteem ... or self-hate as you referenced in your earlier post today, titled I think, "S'aimer".
      J S ===> Hénock Gugsa - so true.
      F C M ===> Hénock Gugsa - I understand what you're saying, but feeding everyone is impossible, not to say detrimental, in the dogmatic contexts in which we humans are living .... We are simply too many, and no system, even ecosystems, can support our self-centered madness seen throughout the social spectrum .... Humans are the problem, all of them.
     Hénock Gugsa ===> That sounds a bit defeatist.  Are we surrendering the battle before it is even joined?  I understand our historical record is dismal, but still ...!  If we can arrive at a tough and incontrovertible conclusion that humans are the problem, couldn't we strive toward a constructive solution to the problem ... or is there no solution at all ?!  I am not thinking (or saying) feed everyone, feed only those who cannot feed themselves for reasons beyond their power to overcome, such as natural calamities and wars.  But then we see, on the other side, wealthy countries  already wasting and throwing away surplus crops and food products?  I'm not being a soft non-pragmatist or a non-realist here.  I know and understand the laws of economics.  We are given to asking what is the value of this and what is the cost of that ?  But for the most part, we are short-sighted and lack wisdom.  So a country in Africa undergoes starvation from drought or civil war.  So a practical, two-pronged assistance should be made to that country: 1) immediate palliative assistance of food and health care;  2) infrastructural assistance with meaningful long-term results, i.e water wells, irrigation, forestation, roads and bridges, and electric power.
The "charity trap" should be avoided because it could end up in fatigue and disappointment.  But certain types of investments although high-risk on the surface could be labeled "good-will".  Their returns-on-investment may not be immediate but they are beyond valuation for sure.  

     F C M ===> Hénock Gugsa - To make this simple, we reproduce too much, and grow at a faster rate than ecosystems can heal ....  Humans are too stupid, too much attached to their cultural values and religions to accept evidences.  If one wants to reduce poverty, he'll have to accept the fact that reproduction is no longer a right, but rather a privilege.


Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Tom Brady at the White House ~ by Tod Perry

 

 

Tom Brady at the White House
~ by Tod Perry ~
 

[] [] [] []

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were honored by President Joe Biden in a ceremony on the White House lawn Tuesday. The event celebrated their Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs in February.

In his short speech, quarterback Tom Brady found common ground with president Biden. Brady, 43, was the oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl, and Biden, 78, is the oldest to ever win the presidency.
"Personally, it's nice for me to be back here," Brady said. "We had a game in Chicago where I forgot what down it was. I lost track of one down in 21 years of playing, and they started calling me 'Sleepy Tom.' Why would they do that to me?"

Biden, who was often referred to as "Sleepy Joe" by Donald Trump during the 2020 election, responded with a smile, saying, "I don't know!"
Brady also noted that the Bucs were such underdogs midway through the season that few people thought they could or did win the title. He jokingly compared that to a large number of Republicans who can't bring themselves to accept Biden's victory.
"It didn't look great there at one point. We were 7-5, struggling a little bit, as the President alluded to. But we found a rhythm, we got on a roll," Brady said. "Not a lot of people think that we could have won. In fact, I think, about 40 percent of the people still don't think we won."
"I understand that," Biden responded.
"Do you understand that, Mr. President?" Brady replied.
"I understand that," Biden jokingly confirmed.
Coach Bruce Arians (68) and Brady's victory made them the oldest coach-quarterback combo to ever win the Super Bowl.
"Well I'll tell you right now, you won't hear any jokes about that from me," Biden said. "As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with being the oldest guy to make it to the mountaintop. That's how I look at it."
Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl champion but this is the first visit he's made the trip to the White House to celebrate since 2005 when George W. Bush was president. He turned down Barack ibama's invitation in 2015 and Trump's in 2017.

The Patriots chose as a team not to attend the White House event after winning in 2019.