WARNING: Religious content

If you had a cure for cancer would you keep it to yourself? Would you sell it? Make a profit from it? Let’s turn things around. If someone were selling it, would you buy it? At what price? Sky’s the limit? Would you take it? Would you be suspicious if it were free? These are no longer hypothetical questions. We face the same questions with the vaccines of Covid 19. Like politics and religion, there is no middle ground. Even if the vaccine is free, people are either for or against it. People are suspicious of each other. Where is truth in our technological 21st century?

I heard a good sermon a few Sundays ago and I will attempt to share what I learned. To my Jewish brothers, please comment on the accuracy of my analysis.

Since the time of Adam, God had always had a designated mouthpiece to guide man to the truth. But stubborn man refused to listen so after Malachi (who was the last prophet of the Old Testament) God was silent for 400 years. All the Jews had to guide them was their religious history written in sheepskin parchments and stones. It was business as usual at the religious office — a shell without substance. The smartest Rabbis were tasked to lay down the rules of the land by interpreting scripture. The writings of these religious leaders is called the Rabbinic law. In essence a religious Jew would defend his position about working on the Sabbath by quoting Rabbi X’s exposition on the subject matter. The source of Rabbi X would be the works of Rabbi Y’s interpretation. You can see how distilled the law became with each generation of interpreters. Truth, like today, was actually opinion.

Then one day, an unschooled carpenter’s son started to teach the law. He did not have a Law Diploma yet the people “were astonished at his teaching for his word was with authority” [Luke 4:32]. He did not quote complex Rabbinic laws. He simplified the laws to its essence. While others would say “do not murder or you will be judged” he would say “do not be angry in the first place.”

Jesus said: “Don’t suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.” — Matthew 5:17

Common sense isn’t common anymore yet everyone claims to have it more than anyone else. May I suggest, before we take sides, before we start defending with arrogance, let’s pray for clarity. If we humble ourselves we will listen more. If we listen more, we will have a dialogue and we will whittle away our differences and hopefully, the essence of truth will come out.

No disrespect. This is just tired ol’ me. TGIF, people.

Raoul

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC for this joke.

Videos of the Week

Thanks to Mike of New York for these 2 videos.
FUNNY:
Buddy Hackett in the Tonight Show: Animal Whisperer

Remarkable Commercial. You gotta see it to believe it.

Parting Shots

Thanks Mel of Washington DC

Thanks to Pia of La Crescenta, CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

From Peter Paul of South Pasadena,

The post Funeral Songs appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Don’t Get a Dog!

I’m not fully healed from the mix-up of my blood pressure medication. This morning I thought I was gonna die.

Tonka and Tinker are our two corgis. The reason corgis have very large ears is because they are herding dogs/guard dogs. A little strange sound and they bark like crazy. Tonka is the older of the two … the more mature and smarter dog. He’s cool. Tinker is a teenager in dog years. Tinker’s energy level is always up, she loves to play and to tease. She steals Tonka’s toys and runs away. She’s always wagging her tail and looking for mischief. She’s your regular party animal. She’s the one that drives me up the wall.

I was working quietly on the computer. when I suddenly I hear this THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! On cue, the corgis sound the alarm: “Intruder! Intruder!” No amount of shushing worked. Before my eardrums explode, I decide to carry them up to the window and show them what’s going on. When they see what’s making the sound, they usually calm down.

I go to the window. The barking dogs follow. I wonder which dog would be first up the window. I am still weak so I decide to carry Tinker first since she’s the lighter of the two. That miserable joker goes running away thinking I am playing a game. Exasperated, I pick up the heavier 40 pound dog. My back strains; my feet wobble; but I manage to bring Tonka’s nozzle to the window. He looks at the gardener fixing the sprinkler system and I put him down. Tonka is quiet because he knows the gardener’s a good guy. I’m exhausted. I want to sit down and rest. Unfortunately, Tinker now understands I was trying to carry her, and is yelping like a  hysterical lunatic:“My turn! My turn!” With my last ounce of energy I lift that overweight smiling freak up to the window.

Any sensible animal would do the obvious thing. But instead of focusing on the source of the noise, this elephant from hell looks at the cars, the trees, and to all those shiny objects. My back begins to crumble so I put her down. That little chatterbox shrieks all the more asking to be carried again. Tonka stares at her thinking: “this is the stupidest dog in the world. When I asked you for a partner, you gave me … this?”

In my pain and misery, I start to giggle. I nearly die laughing.

Take my advice. If you’re thinking of getting a pet, buy a cat, a rabbit, a goldfish — they’re easy to maintain and guaranteed to give you a peaceful existence. You wanna die? Get a dog!

TGIF People!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Jeff of Pasadena, CA who actually wrote this joke.

Videos of the Week

Thanks to Mike of New York for sharing the story of Grandma’s speeding ticket

Thanks to Don for this Reaction Time Test that guesses your age

Parting Shots

Thanks to Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA

Thanks to Mel of Washington D.C.

Thanks to Mel of Washington D.C.

Thanks to Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

The post The Shoe Repair Shop appeared first on Traveling Archive.

This installment of Three Things About Slovenia is courtesy of Aleksandra Jezeršek Matjašič of the Slovenia Tourist Board

1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that Slovenians do for fun?

Answer:

A “true” Slovenian has to do and does several things. It is expected from him (her) that at least once in his (her) life time climbs the Mt Triglav, the highest peak of Slovenia. During the spring and summer he (she) has to climb other mountains, too, and hike around the hills, forests and natural parks. In the winter time, he (she) skies in different Slovenian ski resorts. Slovenians are very sporty, they like to cycle, play golf, try different adrenaline sports such as paragliding, canyoning and rafting. They love to pumber themselves with the thermo-mineral waters therapies in different natural thermal spas and wellness centres across the country.

It is also expected that a  “true” Slovenian at least once in his (her) life time visits the Slovenian  hidden world. In Slovenia, there are over 10.000 karst caves with the mysterious limestone stalagamites, stalactites and halls. The most famous are Postojna Cave and Škocjan Caves. He (she) has to visit the birth place of the elegant, amazing, world-famous white Lipizzaner horse in Lipica, too.

The Slovenians love to meet with their friends, colleagues and parents for a cup of coffee or for a glass or two of amazing Slovenian wine such as traditional red teran – and talk for hours about the current politics situation and their neighbours. The Sundays are usually reserved for a lunch with the family. The plates have to be traditional and made of plants and vegetables grown in their own gardens, terraces or fields. Or at least bought from the trusted farmer.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Slovenia?

Answer:

The identity of the Slovenian nation is inseparably connected to its culture and the Slovenian language. The traces of the cultural creativity on the today’s Slovenian territory leads us several ten thousands years back in the history. In the Slovenian museums, there are amazing artefacts such as 60,000-year old flute, 30,000-year old needle or 5200-year old wooden wheel which is the oldest known in the world.

Slovenians are proud of its language, too. The proof of its existence take us to the  9^th–10^th century to the Freising Manuscripts (Brižinski spomeniki). The manuscripts are not just the oldest known  text in the Slovenian language, but they have wider importance, too. They are also the oldest known written proof of any language from the Slavic linguistic group.

Although the Slovenians got their own state just in 1991, they are in fact very old nation with the rich history. And a big secret how did they survived thorugh the rough history lead by different foreign masters.

3. Share some aspect of what Slovenia has contributed to the world.

Answer:

Technical legacy:

The first report on skiers of Bloke is from 1689. The skiers of Bloke are considered inventors of special skies and the oldest skiers in Central Europe. Their legacy is continued today by Slovenian ski brand Elan.

Lovrenc Košir (1804–1879) reformed the post system in Habsburg monarchy. He invented the stamp in 1835, but he never got the credit for it.

Janez Puh (1862–1914) was inventor and pioneer  in the motorcycle and automobile industry. He obtained 13 patents and made several inventions and improvements regarding the vehicles and even for the typing machines. As founder of motorcycles and automobiles manufacturing company in Graz he was one of the most significant vehicle producers in Europe, developing different types of cars, lorries, buses, military and some other special vehicles such as limousines for the imperial Habsburg family.

Baron Anton III von Codelli (Anton Freiherr Codelli von Codellisberg, Sterngreif und Fahnenfeld; 1875–1954) invented several improvements for the automobiles: an ignition device, a miniature in-car food refrigerator, rotary engine etc. But he didn’t limited himself on the cars, he also invented mechanical mower, wireless conection of different devices, high-frequency telephon, mini radio … He is considered, too, a pioneer of television technology.  He even produced and shot the film The White Goddess of the Wangora in Togo, the first feature film ever to be shot in Africa.

Herman Potočnik Noordung (1892–1929) was the first architecture in space, one of the first rocket engineers and pioneer of cosmonautics. His work was focused on the long-term human habitation of space. He is the author of the revolutionary book The Problem of Space Travel – The Rocket Motor (1928). It served as an inspiration for the International Space Station and for the wheel-shaped space station in famous Stanley Kubrick‘s film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The genious ancestors are succeeded today by different individuals and companies – as Robert Lešnik, the director of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars’ exterior design, Akrapovič, the leading international company in inventing and producing the exhaust systems for motorcycles and performance cars, or Pipistrel, constructor and inventor of advanced light and zero-emission aircraft.

Cultural legacy:

Slovenia is the birth place of Jurij Slatkonja (1456–1522), who became the bishop of Vienna and in 1498 the first director (in some sources he is consider the founder, too) of the boys’ choir that is know today as Vienna Choir Boys and as one of the  best of it’s kind in the world.

In Slovenia were born the late Renaissance composer Jacobus Gallus Carniolus (1550–1591), who is famous for his motets, and Baroque composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (1692–1770).

Maks Fabiani (1865–1962) left his home land for Vienna to became personal advisor of Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire throne, professor at the University of Technology and author of interesting architectural projects – such as noticeable observatory Urania, placed by the river Danube.

Ljubljana was the first city in  the world to establish an industrial design biennale in 1964 (BIO) and one of the first to organise a biennale of graphic arts in 1955 (Biennal of Graphic Arts Ljubljana).

Slovenians are making many contributions to the contemporary art and culture and to the philosophy, too. The most famous and notable person is Slavoj Žižek,  continental philosopher, Global Distinguished Professor of German at New York University, international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities of the University of London and critic of capitalism, neoliberalism and political correctness.

Country of powerful women:

Through the history, different powerful and famous men were attracted by the beautiful and smart Slovenian women. One of the examples goes many centuries back in the history of Europe. Barbara Celjska (Barbara of Celje; 1391/92–1451) was married to  Sigismund of Luxemburg, king of different lands and Holy Roman Emperor. Barbara was involved in politics, negotiations, administration and economy, too. Among different assignments, she was also the regent of Hungarian kingdom and the co-founder of the royal Order of the Dragon.

In the present times, another Slovenian woman is married to a powerful man and gets a lot of international interest. After the last presidential elections in USA, ex fashion model Melania Knauss (today Trump) has become the USA First Lady and one of the world’s most famous women.

Thanks to her hard work, creativity and skills, another Slovenian woman is rocking the word. Ana Roš was seeking perfection in the kitchen for years so that she was finally declared the World’s Best Female Chef.

Additional Information

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