You put too much pressure on me. Unlike you, and you know I can't handle it. I'm on edge. Quit with the superlatives. I handle the normative better. Thanx anyway for the undue pressure. Take care men. You know for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why our president personally tours the offices of the SOS to see if they are keeping good house. I understand how he may feel the need to protect Gambia's assets but I think Yahya burdens himself inordinately. I expected that task to fall on the lap of a clerk at the Facilities and Maintenance division of the Works and Infrastructure SOS. I just don't get it. Yahya is too big for inventory of facilities. I will discuss this matter with him when next I speak with him. Anyway, God bless Galleh. Haroun Masoud. Keep the satires coming. They offer enormous opportunity for reconnaisance and sobriety. MQDT. Darbo. Al Mutawakkil. In a message dated 11/2/2007 1:03:16 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: The best shortest story I have ever read. Quite a style there Haruna. Congratualtions!! And thanks for sharing. Baba >From: Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Animal Farm Reloaded (Part Two) >Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2007 01:27:24 EDT > > >Galleh, what are you doing up so late? I thought I could sneak in and out >without notice. Men! > >I must say though that I love these satires you share and you have a knack >for our pleasure. I thank you for sharing. Allow me to share a story with >you: > >He is from Calcutta. Uttam Das. >Has been all his life. >Satinder comes to join him >As she does intermittently >Only this time she declares its for good. > >Satinder shares there was a Tsunami >In Bombay. >And Shawkat escaped the Tsunami >He made for the hills >his colleagues in the Bombay guild >All drowned to join us in Calcutta. > >Satinder promises to share a story. >She squats, legs folded >In the air of a Talube. >Her flute raised, the maestro hums >Uttam glanced at me >the notes had wafted in the monsoons all year >in the air around Calcutta. > >In Calcutta, we make the mould. >For the folks in Bombay. >Discouraged, Satinder uncoiled. >as the adder recoils back in the burlap. >On Jaaraama. > >Easy Baby boy. Haroun Masoud. MQDT. Al Khairawan. Darbo that is!! > >In a message dated 11/1/2007 11:01:43 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, >[log in to unmask] writes: > >Animal Farm Reloaded (Part Two) > >By Baba Galleh Jallow > >Oh yes, Napoleon the pious pig had become a great goat-lover over the past >several years. Muriel and other local goats were not very much in favor; >but >a new species of goat had surfaced in Animal Farm from other surrounding >farms, and had been particularly favored by Napoleon, and for good reasons >too. These goats had exceptionally long beards and had the peculiar custom >of wearing either oversized gowns or strange animal skins with pieces of >mirror and cowry shells stitched to them. They profess great spiritual >knowledge and power and put themselves at the service of the superstitious >Napoleon. These goats professed an uncanny capacity to see into the future >and to smell out Napoleon’s actual and potential enemies long before they >even thought of harming the great pig. Every night, these medicine-goats, >after a long day of feasting, drinking, and stoking Napoleon’s fat ego, >would retire to bed with strange objects such as lizard tails, frog >carcasses, boar teeth, pieces of dry feces, and small animal horns under >their pillows that would help them scan the distant horizons of the future >for the great pig. In the morning, they would all meet with Napoleon and >tell him which animal to be wary of, what sacrifices to offer, on which >day >not to venture too far, and a host of other warnings and advices all >geared >toward the eternal protection of the great and benevolent pig. They also >told him that he must personally take control of all local animal >structures >because there were some strange rumblings at the local level that might >cause him some unease. > >But whatever they did and whatever powers they possessed, these long-beard >and strange-clad goats could not help Napoleon against making the lower >animals so angry that they would fart near his house, sing only >half-heartedly, poop on his doorstep in the middle of the night, or >whisper >vicious things about the pig who thought he was a god. Neither could they >protect Napoleon against the birds who deliberately shot small balls of >shit >at Napoleon’s mansion and sometimes on the back of his grand boubous, or >the >chickens who made it a point every dawn to litter Napoleon’s front and >backyards with hundreds of droppings. The chickens also made sure that >they >dropped a few eggs here and there all over the yards. The appearance of >eggs >at Napoleon’s doorstep every morning was quickly proclaimed as another >sign >of Napoleon’s esteemed status in the divine scheme of things. The >droppings >were of course ignored and surreptitiously removed. “You see,†>Squealer the >Dealer would announce every morning to the traditional assembly of >animals; >“Eggs are now falling from the skies to show you that our beloved leader >is >indeed a favorite of the high powers above! So rejoice, O ye wretched >animals, for ye have been blessed with a miraculous leader!†> >It was one of these long-beard and strange-clad goats who advised Napoleon >to beware the animals of the red forests and all their talk about animal >rights and the rule of law. These red animals, this particular goat had >told >Napoleon, were a bunch of thieves and liars who were hatching a mammoth >plot >to drive him out of animal farm and have him replaced by some lowly animal >of no consequence who would then be compelled to dance to their red tunes. >Their description of this lowly animal cost many an innocent animal their >lives. For whichever animal fit the description of this pious goat was >made >to disappear, accused of planning to overthrow Napoleon, or otherwise >effectively neutralized. This particular long-beard and strange-clad goat >also told Napoleon that he must befriend the leaders of the animals of the >brown forests. He must, Napoleon was told, particularly look out for a >leader whose eyes were squinted because he was one animal who could help >him >fight the treacherous animals of the red forests. And so Napoleon had >picked >Mr. Squinteyes of dubious fame as his favorite colleague and friend among >the league of animal leaders. Mr. Squinteyes was a vehement critic of the >red animals and professed a philosophy that sounded very much like a >combination of Animalism and Pigism combined. Moreover, Mr. Squinteyes >ruled >over a very wealthy forest with lots of milk and apples, Napoleon’s >favorite >foods. It was on account of the ceaseless pouring of milk and apple-aid >into >Animal Farm that Napoleon had grown so fat that he could hardly raise his >paws. > >That Napoleon, Squealer, Napoleon’s dogs, his black cockerel and all the >other pigs were greatly enjoying themselves had become clear as daylight >to >the lower animals. Napoleon had grown so fat that he could hardly open his >eyes and spent most of his time sleeping in Jones’ comfortable bed, >while >Squealer directed farm affairs. In addition to ‘Animal hero, first >class’, >‘Animal hero, second class’, ‘Animal hero, third class’ Animal >hero all >classes’ and the Order of the Green Banner, Napoleon created and >bestowed >upon himself many other gallant decorations and titles, all of which he >wore >on his many public appearances. In addition to his titles of The Great >Leader Comrade Napoleon and Savior of the Animals, Napoleon now took on >the >additional titles of Gallant Benefactor, Grand Master of Wisdom, >Benevolent >Guardian of the Lost, and His Excellency And Most Royal Highness Dr. >Ratahal > >Bemutoye of Miracle Tree Fame, Commander of the Faithful and Raiser of the >Dead. He insisted that on every public appearance, first Squealer and then >Kokoliko the black cockerel came forward to address him with all his >gallant >titles and make mention of his divinity, his heroic deeds and his >decorations before his hallowed name itself was pronounced to the unworthy >ears of the lower animals. After the battle of the Windmill, Napoleon had >also bestowed upon himself the honorable title of Lord Chancellor of the >Chequered, as a mark of his gallantry and patriotism. > >Not even Moses the raven, who never tired of talking about the mysterious >Sugar Candy Mountain hidden beyond the distant clouds, failed to see that >Napoleon had become worse than Farmer Jones. Clearly, Farmer Jones did not >change the rules at every turn to suit his personal needs; Farmer Jones >did >not drink so much beer and make so much merry as Napoleon did now-a-days; >Farmer Jones never claimed divine and miraculous powers; and Farmer Jones, >in spite of all his vices, did not have all the long-beard and >strange-clad >goats of nearby forests flocking to his feet to serve as medicine-goats. >Like Benjamin, Clover, and Minimus, Moses the raven could not fail to see >that Napoleon now considered Animal Farm his very own personal property >and >the animals nothing less than his personal slaves. They had heard him say >that he held the title deeds to Animal Farm and all the animals that lived >within it. Over and above everything else, they had seen him contradict >all >the rules in the books and all the promises he had ever made by trading >with >humans, sleeping in beds, wearing Jones’ flamboyant tails and ties, >walking >on two legs, and wearing colorful ribbons to his tail, among many other >outrageous extremes. Eventually, they had seen him abolish “Beasts of >England†the anthem of the anti-Jones rebellion, and change the name >Animal >Farm back to its original name, the Manor Farm and then to Nap’s Farm. >Thus, >it was from Manor Farm to Manor Farm to Nap’s Farm. The wheel of fortune >had >gone full circle for the lower animals and in spite of themselves, they >increasingly saw through the gross inconsistencies of Comrade Napoleon and >his fellow pigs. Happily, Squealer had grown so fat that he was fast >losing >his honey-coated voice and could now only croak “Lort Naple is the >beastâ€, >a >mispronouncement for which he once received a hard slap and a sharp rebuke >from one of Napoleon’s top dogs. > >Unhappily however, some of the lesser pigs and animals had absolutely >mastered the art of puppetry, their sole occupation in the course of time >being always to be there when Napoleon delivered his flamboyant >exhortations >on the virtues of sacrifice and squealing and shrieking and clapping and >crying ‘poleon! at every word. But there were also many angry animals, >and >these expressed their disgust at Napoleon in every imaginable and >unimaginable manner. Yes, the weak also have their weapons; and when the >powerful set out to oppress them, they must remember that the weak also >have >their weapons. So sang the birds of Animal Farm. No help from goats! > >_________________________________________________________________ >FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! >http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ > >¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤ >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface >at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] >¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤Â¤ > > > > > > > >************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com > > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface >at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > _________________________________________________________________ FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask]