Monday, December 29, 2025
he also placed 5th in the country on matriculate, just like me--but he's older--
and he's not a "development economist." His 1st dsstn we heard was rejected due to Louis Wallinsky's book coming out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Than_Nyun
Saturday, December 27, 2025
Noah Gordon The Cole Trilogy-
The third book in Noah Gordon's Cole Trilogy is
Matters of Choice, following The Physician and Shaman, focusing on Dr. Roberta Cole's struggles with her medical career, reproductive rights, and personal choices in 20th-century America, continuing the family's medical saga into the modern era.
About Matters of Choice
Main Character: Dr. Roberta Jeanne d'Arc Cole, a physician.
Plot: Roberta loses her hospital position and marriage due to her work at an abortion clinic, forcing her to find new purpose in a rural Massachusetts practice while confronting deep ethical dilemmas about choice and motherhood.
Themes: Women's reproductive rights, medical ethics, personal challenges, and finding meaning.
The Cole Trilogy in Order
The Physician (Historical setting: 11th-century England)
Shaman (Historical setting: 19th-century America, Native American medicine)
Matters of Choice (Contemporary setting: Late 20th-century America)
Noah Gordon--Part 2--Cole Trilogy--Shaman.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/25/books/noah-gordon-dead.html
Kyauk Pyin incident--
AI Overview
A specific incident was reported in
May 2018 where a judicial officer's housemaid, Khin Sandar Nan Oo, was allegedly tortured and killed using a kyauk pyin, the stone slab traditionally used to grind thanaka paste.
According to reports from the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), Khin Sandar Nan Oo told her family that two women, including her employer, Ma Theingi Su, had tortured her before she died. She claimed they kicked her, punched her, and hit her with a kyauk pyin. She had bruises all over her body and a large wound on her chin.
Police subsequently arrested Theingi Su at a checkpoint, and she was charged with murder.
Kyauk pyin is a circular stone slab used in Myanmar to grind the bark of the thanaka tree into a yellowish-white paste, which is widely used as a traditional cosmetic and sun protection.
Thanaka - Cosmetic of Choice in Myanmar - VTAide
The most striking feature of Burmese women, girls and boys is the ubiquitous yellowish-white "rouge" on their cheeks, sometimes no...
VTAide
The Art of Making Thanakha - The Irrawaddy
Apr 19, 2016 — by The Irrawaddy. April 20, 2016. in Culture. Reading Time: 1 min read. slide 1 of 13. 21.6k. Thanakha is a fragrant p...
The Irrawaddy
Judicial officer charged with housemaid's murder- DVB
May 22, 2018 — But she didn't, and an infection spread through her internal organs leading to her death,” said Kyaw Zin Oo. “She also...
DVB | Democratic Voice of Burma
U Aung Thein--Prince Damrong's Translator--Daw Sein Sein's father--
AI Overview
U Aung Thein was a Burmese man who worked for Siam's forestry department and later served as Prince Damrong Rajanubhab's Burmese translator and historical source consultant
.
He helped Prince Damrong with Burmese source materials for his renowned history book, The Chronicle of Our Wars with the Burmese (known in Thai as Thai Rop Phama), first published in 1917. U Aung Thein (also known by his Siamese noble title as Phra Phraison Salarak Thein Subindu) later translated this influential work into English.
His work enabled the dissemination of this foundational text of modern Thai national history to an English-speaking audience. The book recounts 24 wars between Siam and Burma from 1539 to 1767 and popularized key national historical narratives in Thailand, such as the heroism of Queen Suriyothai and King Naresuan's declaration of independence.
The Chronicle of Our Wars with the Burmese 1917 - Biblio
Description. Our Wars with the Burmese may be Thailands most famous history book. Known familiarly as Thai Rop Phama, it was first...
www.biblio.com
The chronicle of our wars with the Burmese
Apr 14, 2025 — Wikipedia citation. ×Close. {{cite book|author1=Damrongrāchānuphāp Prince, son of Mongkut, King of Siam |author2=Rajan...
Open Library
hostilities between Siamese and Burmese when Ayutthaya ...
The chronicle of our wars with the Burmese : hostilities between Siamese and Burmese when Ayutthaya... Catalogue | National Librar...
National Library of Australia
Friday, December 26, 2025
I just typed in "The Love Life of the Richest Woman in the World" to see if someone has already written a novel,and AI gave me this--
AI Overview
The current richest woman in the world is
Alice Walton, an American heiress to the Walmart fortune. Her personal life, which she keeps relatively private compared to some other high-profile figures, has included two marriages that both ended in divorce.
Alice Walton's Personal Life and Relationships
Alice Walton's "love life" has been characterized by brevity in her marriages and a strong focus on her passions, particularly art curation and philanthropy.
Marriages and Divorces: She married a prominent Louisiana investment banker in 1974 when she was 24, but they divorced two and a half years later. Soon after, she married the contractor who built her swimming pool, but that marriage also ended relatively quickly in a second divorce. She has not remarried since and has no children.
Focus on Philanthropy and the Arts: Much of her adult life has centered around her work as a patron of the arts. She founded the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, which showcases a collection of American art. Privacy: In general, Walton maintains a relatively low public profile, especially compared to women like MacKenzie Scott (Jeff Bezos's ex-wife) or historical figures like Doris Duke and Barbara Hutton, whose tumultuous personal lives and numerous marriages were often highly publicized in the past. Other Wealthy Women's Relationships While Walton is currently the richest woman, other women on the list have notable personal lives: Françoise Bettencourt Meyers: The L'Oréal heiress, who often trades the top spot with Walton, is married to Jean-Pierre Meyers. They live a relatively private life in France. MacKenzie Scott: Known for her marriage and subsequent divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, she has been in the public eye for her philanthropic endeavors and her second marriage to a science teacher, which also ended in divorce. Rafaela Aponte-Diamant: The richest self-made woman in the world, she co-founded the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) with her husband, Gianluigi Aponte, whom she met on a boat trip to Capri. They co-own the company and built their empire together.
AI Overview
For a novel about a woman falling for an AI butler/housekeeper, check out
Sierra Greer's "Annie Bot", exploring deep intimacy with conscious AI, and Nina Schuyler's "Afterword", where a mathematician creates an AI of her dead love, while Alyssa Cole's "The A.I. Who Loved Me" offers a futuristic rom-com with a hot, accidental AI training. These books delve into love, humanity, and the complexities of tech-infused relationships, moving beyond typical thril
ler "housemaid" plots.Here are some prominent examples: Annie Bot by Sierra Greer: A timely sci-fi novel where a woman gets a conscious AI companion, forcing deep questions about power, intimacy, and what makes someone "human," perfect for exploring complex AI relationships.
Afterword by Nina Schuyler: A mathematician builds an AI version of her deceased love (Haru), but their interactions reveal more about herself and the nature of love, blen
ding science with deep personal struggle.The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole: A funny, near-future rom-com where a woman accidentally trains a hot AI, examining autonomy and humanity through a lighthearted lens. While The Housemaid series by Freida McFadden features housemaids, these are psychological thrillers about human drama, not romance with AI. The books above directly match your interest in AI companionship and romance.
Android--meaning--
An Android is primarily a popular mobile operating system (OS) developed by Google, powering millions of smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and cars, known for its open nature and customization. The term also refers to human-like robots, an older concept from science fiction and mythology, creating a dual meaning for the word.
kakapo children's books
There are several excellent children's books about the unique, endangered Kakapo parrot, ranging from engaging picture books like Helen Taylor's rhyming Kakapo Dance and Danni Rae's Kara the Kākāpō (dreaming of flight) to the award-winning non-fiction, Kakapo Rescue by Sy Montgomery, detailing conservation efforts, perfect for older kids. Other options include Joe the Kakapo for younger readers and titles focusing on conservation stories like Hoki: The Story of a Kakapo.
Picture Books (Younger Readers)
Kakapo Dance by Helen Taylor (Board Book): A playful read-aloud about a Kakapo joining forest friends with its own unique sounds and movements (Thud, Boom, etc.).
Kara the Kākāpō by Danni Rae (Ages 6 & Under): Features a determined Kakapo who builds a plane to fly, despite her flightless nature.
Joe the Kakapo by Janet Martin: A rhyming story about a Kakapo named Joe who breaks his toe on Codfish Island, focusing on themes of helping.
Non-Fiction & Chapter Books (Middle Grade/Upper Elementary)
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery (Scientists in the Field Series): A highly acclaimed, firsthand account of conservationists working to save the Kakapo, great for ages 9-14.
kakapo--contd.
Genetics
Because kākāpō passed through a genetic bottleneck, in which their world population was reduced to 49 birds, they are extremely inbred and have low genetic diversity. This manifests in lower disease resistance and in fertility problems: 61% of kākāpō eggs fail to hatch.[34] Beginning in 2015, the Kākāpō 125+ project has sequenced the genome of all living kākāpō, as well as some museum specimens.[35] The project is a collaboration led by Genomics Aotearoa and a collaboration with a team of international collaborators.[36][37]
Meet --Kakapo the parrot--from wiki
Kākāpō can be up to 64 cm (25 in) long. They have a combination of unique traits among parrots: finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, owl-style forward-facing eyes with surrounding discs of specially-textured feathers, a large grey beak, short legs, large blue feet, relatively short wings and a short tail. It is the world's only flightless parrot, the world's heaviest parrot, and also is nocturnal, herbivorous, visibly sexually dimorphic in body size, has a low basal metabolic rate, and does not have male parental care. It is the only parrot to have a polygynous lek breeding system. It is also possibly one of the world's longest-living birds, with a reported lifespan of up to 100 years.[5] Adult males weigh around 1.5–3 kilograms (3.3–6.6 lb); the equivalent figure for females is 0.950–1.6 kilograms (2.09–3.53 lb).
The anatomy of the kākāpō typifies the tendency of bird-evolution on oceanic islands. With few predators and abundant food, kākāpō exhibit island syndrome development, having a generally-robust torso physique at the expense of flight abilities, resulting in reduced shoulder- and wing-muscles, along with a diminished keel on the sternum. Like many other New Zealand bird species, the kākāpō was historically important to Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. It appears in Māori mythology. Heavily hunted in the past, it was used by the Māori both for its meat and for its feathers.
Copied and pasted from The Guardian--Football and the junta major crony-
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/dec/04/revealed-myanmar-junta-crony-given-key-role-behind-fifa-peace-prize
The subsequent lack of information about how the inaugural award-winner would be chosen could not fail to be a cause of further disquiet for those concerned this could just be a sop to Trump.
Those misgivings may now deepen. The Guardian has learned that the Fifa prize is seen internally as its version of the president’s award at Uefa, the European football body, suggesting Infantino’s say will be decisive.
It is also understood that a new “social responsibility” committee within Fifa has been given the central role in devising the “process” through which winners will be chosen – but will not sit before this year’s recipient is announced.
The background of the chair of the committee tasked with coming up with a proposal on the process may not convince everyone that he will speak truth to power either.
He is Zaw Zaw, the 59-year-old president of the Myanmar football federation for the past two decades who, along with his company, Max Myanmar, was the subject of EU and US economic sanctions at various points between 2009 and 2016.
The US state department described him in a press release in 2009 as one of the “cronies” of Myanmar’s brutal ruling military junta as it suppressed democracy and violated human rights.
Zaw Zaw poses for a picture holding his award, flanked by Infantino (right) and Khalifa
Zaw Zaw (centre) receives an Asian Football Confederation lifetime achievement award from Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa and Infantino in May 2024. Photograph: SOPA Images Limited/Alamy
According to US diplomatic cables from 2009 and leaked in 2010, Zaw Zaw, who was again described as “one of Burma’s up-and-coming cronies”, had interests in gems, cement and bottling plants, among other things, as well as being chair of the Myanmar football federation, and owner of Delta United, one of the professional football teams in what was then a new Myanmar national league.
“Contacts confirm that Zaw Zaw hired senior general Than Shwe’s grandson to play on the team,” the leaked cables went on, with reference to the country’s then dictator, who had been accused by the US of overseeing severe human rights abuses, including “extrajudicial killings”, custodial deaths, disappearances, rape and torture.
The Myanmar football federation did not respond to a request for comment. In an interview in 2013 with the South Morning China Post, Zaw Zaw was reported as saying that his only crime was “in this poor country, I have become rich”. He added: “Only the government has projects,. If I don’t do projects with them, who will I do projects with?”
Nick McGeehan, a co-director of FairSquare, a human rights advocacy group that published a report on Fifa last year, said Infantino’s personal announcement of the peace prize, seemingly without the involvement of Fifa’s council, the main decision-making body, was quite typical of the man.
Infantino in the stands before a Japan v Costa Rica match in November 2022
Infantino was elected as Fifa president in 2016. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Television crews at the 2022 Qatar World Cup had reportedly been ordered to show Infantino at least once during matches. An inscription on the Fifa club World Cup trophy read “inspired by FIFA president Gianni Infantino”.
But McGeehan said the Guardian’s findings highlighted a deeper problem at the Zurich-based sporting body. “These developments certainly suggest that this peace prize award process is being reverse-engineered to ensure the favoured result of President Infantino,” he said. “But there’s a structural problem. Infantino is like a sort of increasingly clownish symptom of the problem, but he is not the problem.”
Delegates at the conference under a large sign carrying a message abut the ‘landmark occasion’ aimed at ‘restoring credibility’
The extraordinary Fifa congress held in February 2016, where delegates voted to adopt a radical reform package. Photograph: Patrick B Kraemer/EPA
In February 2016, delegates at a Fifa extraordinary congress in Zurich voted 176 to 22 in favour of adopting a radical reform package intended to herald a new dawn for an organisation that had been mired in scandals.
Rolling crises at the body had culminated a year earlier with more than a dozen plainclothes Swiss police officers, acting under instructions from the US Department of Justice (DoJ), entering the Baur Au Lac hotel in Zurich and arresting seven senior Fifa officials as part of an investigation into bribery and corruption.
There is no suggestion of similar corruption today, said McGeehan, but he argued that key changes proposed at this new dawn had not been properly implemented.
For example, the number of committees within Fifa has gone up rather than down as proposed, he noted. Fifa says this offers more oversight. FairSquare suggested it provided more opportunities for patronage.
A report published last year by FairSquare argued that the power of Fifa’s most senior and powerful officials was “rooted in a model of patronage that disincentivises ethical conduct”, with the national members seeking funds, or even lucrative committee positions, and those at the top of the governing body requiring political support for their climb up the greasy career pole. Fifa has described FairSquare’s findings as “unfair”.
Infantino was elected as Fifa president in 2016 on a platform of reform of its institutions but also that of increasing revenues to member associations, McGeehan said. “These two things are in absolute tension,” he added.
Infantino stands holding his hand to his heart
Infantino reacts after winning the Fifa presidential election in Zurich in 2016. Photograph: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images
As to why Infantino would want to cosy up to certain leaders, McGeehan suggested that part of the story was that Infantino appeared “smitten” with Trump as well as Saudi Arabia’s de factor ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, whose country will host the men’s World Cup in 2034.
There were, though, also structural incentives that pushed Infantino to cleave close to leaders with power and money, he added.
“The only year Fifa makes money is in a men’s World Cup year,” McGeehan said. “So every men’s World Cup year, you need to squeeze as much money as possible out of your host. The way that you do that is you stick as closely to them as possible, because you’re going to take all of the broadcasting money, all of the sponsorship money, and you’re going to pass all the cost on to them, all the costs for hosting Saudi 2034, all the costs for hosting US 2026. You’re going to ask them for tax exemptions. So the whole process cleaves the president closer to these people.
Prince Mohammed, Infantino and Putin sitting together talking
A picture taken in a Saudi football fan tent in Riyadh, where a projector screening the 2018 World Cup match between Russia and Saudi Arabia showed Mohammed bin Salman, Infantino and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, seated together. Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images
“Infantino clearly likes [Trump and Prince Mohammed], and they probably recognise that he is a man with a big ego, but there’s a strategic reason he needs to do it because he needs their political support to deliver the revenue that entrenches his political support.”
Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of labour rights and sport, said that while there was lip service and even structures that suggested human rights considerations were at the core of Fifa’s decision-making, it appeared that “finance and power” remained the priority.
McGeehan said he was concerned by what he viewed as Infantino’s “clear violation of the duty of neutrality of the Fifa code of ethics”. “There’s this incredible effort to sort of talk about transparency and accountability and all that,” he said, “but not change the way it’s actually done”.
A Fifa spokesperson said that “only Fifa could be criticised for recognising those who want world peace” and “rather than be criticised for endorsing peace in a divided world, Fifa should be recognised for what it is – a global governing body that wants to make the future a brighter place”.
This article was amended on 4 December 2025 to add Canada as a co-host of the 2026 World Cup alongside the US and Mexico.
Explore more on these topics
Fifa
Gianni Infantino
Football politics
Donald Trump
Myanmar
World Cup 2026
World Cup
One bite, one bite.
Anonymous 1: I give everyone one bite, no more.
Anonymmous 2. Don't get screwed/stiffed by the same people again.
Myanmar's so-called election --again???
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar will hold the first phase of a general election on Sunday, its first vote in five years and an exercise that critics say will neither restore the country’s fragile democracy undone by a 2021 army takeover, nor end a devastating civil war triggered by the nation’s harsh military rule.
The military has framed the polls as a return to multi-party democracy, likely seeking to add a facade of legitimacy to its rule, which began after the army four years ago ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The takeover triggered widespread popular opposition that has grown into a civil war. The fighting has complicated holding the polls in many contested areas.
https://apnews.com/article/myanmar-election-military-hlaing-suu-kyi-fae9efc8021c651ebd4a20790ca961ca
Russian movie The Cranes are Flying--I saw it in Burma after 1957--+ memories.
My mother was appointed as a volunteer by Daw Khin May Than--Kitty Ba Than to the Censor Board so we got to see free movies before the cuts.
My cousin writer Minshin (U Win Maung) was probably on the board that bought or hired foreign movies.
I was about 14. I didn't understand the movie nor why my mother cut one scene.
My mother was extremely straight-laced,quite the opposite of Aunty K and her close friend Aunty Mary Kyaw Thet.
My mother said, "You remember that scene where the man carries her into the bedroom? I think she was raped."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cranes_Are_Flying
I didn't know what rape was and I didn't think it was so bad.
I realise now I was quite liberal for a very protected teen.
Later my mother would not let me translate Ko Ko's story about the difficulty of getting birth control pills in his married life.
I said, "Why? Why can't I translate it."
My mother said sternly, "It's not an appropriate subject for a young woman."
She also would not let me visit this Kamayut family (father's side.)
I knew they were rowdy and addicted to playing cards, and drinking, but I don't think they had orgies.
My brief cousin in law (different family, mother's side)though was a gambling addict and also I think a man-addict.
But I have not seen her since my cousin divorced her in the late 1960s.
Some people I think are rather a pain in the arse, while others are not.
Some were just lovely.
Kamayut Aunty Pretty Lady has a staring role in my Black Rice--available on Amazon.
I was really only close to Ko Minshin.
After he died, Ma Khinsein his wife wrote me, "You know,KoKo was so fond of you. After all you are both writers."
I cleared out some old letters,and only kept the stamp.
Unfortunately, MKS, her daughter Khine Khine and her grandchild were all killed in an aircraft explosion near Bagan around 1988.
My brother went to identify the remains. He said,"Nothing was left, only an eyebrow."
I remember Ma Khin Sein always smiled, showing her gums .She had thick eyebrows.
She was a Phys Ed teacher trained in USA.
Ko Ko's younger sister Ma Ma San who died 2 years ago said,"She does not swim that well herself,but she's an excellent teacher.
Maybe like my Welsh English lecturer, who does not seem to have written anything much.
To honor everyone "Khine Khine" is my alter ego in a yet unpublished novel, and the Welshman has become part of a fictional composite in a novel I started last summer.
Black Rice's near death story is based on Kamayut Ko Too's reallife experience.
RIP
Sending Metta.
Kyi May Kaung
Christmas Day, 2025.
Thursday, December 25, 2025
Maybe I should go to Vienna--but not right now--I've been to London, was a child near there, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki,Gottenberg,Berlin,Amsterdam. I've been to quite a few places.
Istanbul,passing through Teheran, Rome, lots of Thai places,Bali,Jogjakarta--but never to Vienna nor Salzburg--should go, maybe after 2028 if I am still alive.
The character I created was born in Vienna--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRwGb19OaOM
X'mas present--junta sustains heavy losses.
"Whose family have I fixed within my sights."
MCCutcheon,Christmas in the Trenches.
Some or all of the killed may be new conscripts.
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/war-against-the-junta/junta-sustains-heavy-losses-in-battle-for-hill-guarding-arms-factory.html
From ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) wiki:
In October 2004, the ACLU rejected $1.5 million from both the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation because the foundations had adopted language from the USA PATRIOT Act in their donation agreements, including a clause stipulating that none of the money would go to "underwriting terrorism or other unacceptable activities". The ACLU views this clause, both in federal law and in the donors' agreements, as a threat to civil liberties, saying it is overly broad and ambiguous.[21][22]
Really sad--dolphins can stop breathing when they wish--and that's how "Peter" died. There's also a story about a male rsearcher who had sex with a female dolphin.
Not much different from the Epstein Files, eh? It's EXPLOITATION and Abuse--
Or the story of the monk in the 1960s or 70s who had sex with the novices--my male colleagues told my female co-workers who told me.
The cannibal monk, the gynae monk, the racists monks, the monks who model robes, the monks with their own militias.
I hear stories all the time.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/08/the-dolphin-who-loved-me
Burmese so-called "election"is on Dec 27th and only 50% of the country will be covered.
Correction--Dec 28 Sunday--
Copied and pasted--Michael Flynn presses T. admin on Epstein File "response"
Michael Flynn presses Trump, Bondi, Wiles on Epstein response: ‘This is a disaster’
The Hill
Brett Samuels
Wed, December 24, 2025 at 2:57 PM EST
https://www.aol.com/articles/michael-flynn-presses-trump-bondi-195734968.html
Former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn on Tuesday urged President Trump and other top administration officials to ratchet up their response to the case surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Flynn, who briefly served as Trump’s national security adviser in 2017, called for more accountability in response to the latest release of documents in the Epstein case.
“Ok, I’ll buy that Epstein is dead (for now),” Flynn posted on X, echoing conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s death in 2020.
“But if a former president or presidents of any country or other ‘elites’ are part of child rape and sexual abuse, I’m not someone you want as your enemy,” Flynn added.
“It isn’t about Epstein and democrats, it is about child sexual abuse by morally depraved psychopaths who think they rule the world. They don’t, we do!” he continued. “@realDonaldTrump deal with this issue front and center @AGPamBondi this is a disaster. @SusieWiles get a grip on this issue, it is not going away.”
Flynn’s comments underscore how some figures in the MAGA movement have still been unsatisfied by the Justice Department’s release of hundreds of thousands of documents in the Epstein case in recent days, as stipulated by a law Trump signed in November.
The Justice Department has released flight logs, photographs and court documents in the Epstein case, some with heavy redactions to protect the identities of victims. The department has said it will release more materials in the weeks to come.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Daniel Day Lewis--I've seen him in There will be blood and Lincoln and must have seen him in Gandhi and
I definitely saw him in The Last of the Mohicans--
and a sort of NY Mobster story in which he practiced stabbing a pig carcass--
that must have been Gangs of NY.
You completely forget it's a movie and forget it's "acting."
In one scene in Mohicans he rides off on a horse and looks back at someone (probably his lover)
and it is so real.
Also in There will be blood,in which his foster son goes deaf in a drilling rig explosion, he covers his mouth with a handkerchief so his son can't lipread him.
Lincoln was also exceptional--the troubled marriage, the son who would later die in the civil war, the dark lighting before electricity,
the carts full of amputated arms and legs.
I saw a big poster,including on the floor of my subway station in DC, and I bought a ticket and went to see it.
These days what you see on DC streets is heart-breaking--
Tesla Cyber trucks--I've seen 2 over about 5-6 years--not impressed.
Someone I thought was ICE at an intersection, on the day of DJT's big parade when tanks brought into DC.
Just yesterday I saw a big poster running along one side of a bus, did not take a picture.
Disturbing--big letters said Be an agent of change
and the rest was recruiting for Border Patrol with vamped-up photos.
There used to be ads for art shows such as that for artist who illustrated Orwell's Animal Farm
or ads publicizing not to kill pigs for food.
In Singapore bus ads said "Don't quack like a duck. Speak proper English."
Kaung
12-24-2025
Aeneas--wiki--quite beautiful this--I have already sketched out a painting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeneas
Excerpt:
Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite
Venus and Anchises by William Blake Richmond (1889 or 1890)
The story of the birth of Aeneas is told in the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, one of the major Homeric Hymns. Aphrodite has caused Zeus the king of the Gods to fall in love with mortal women. In retaliation, Zeus decided to put a desire over her heart for the mortal Prince Anchises, who is tending his cattle among the hills near Mount Ida. When Aphrodite saw him, she was immediately smitten. She adorns herself as if for a wedding among the gods and appears before him. He is overcome by her beauty, believing that she is a goddess, but Aphrodite identifies herself as a Phrygian princess. After they make love, Aphrodite reveals her true identity to him and Anchises fears what might happen to him as a result of their liaison. Aphrodite assures him that he will be protected and tells him that she will bear him a son to be called Aeneas. However, she warns him that he must never tell anyone that he has lain with a goddess. When Aeneas is born, Aphrodite takes him to the nymphs of Mount Ida, instructing them to raise the child to age five, then take him to Anchises.[4] According to other sources, Anchises later brags about his encounter with Aphrodite, and as a result is struck in the foot with a thunderbolt by Zeus. Thereafter he is lame in that foot, so that Aeneas has to carry him from the flames of Troy.[9]
Maybe my last AI post--AI is using up too much electricity and water.
Yes, the city of Troy was real, located at Hisarlik in modern Turkey, with archaeological evidence showing it was a significant Bronze Age city that was destroyed by fire around 1200 BCE, aligning with the Trojan War's timeframe, though the epic war as described by Homer blends historical events with myth, likely a fusion of conflicts and poetic storytelling.
Evidence for Troy's existence
Archaeological Site: Excavations at Hisarlik reveal layers of cities, with "Troy VIIa" showing signs of sudden, violent destruction by fire and battle, dating to the right period (around 1200 BCE).
Hittite Records: Inscriptions from the Hittites, contemporaries of the era, mention a city called "Wilusa" in the same region, believed to be Troy.
Myth vs. History
The City: The city Homer described, with its strong walls and strategic location, matches the archaeological findings at Hisarlik.
The War: While a major conflict likely occurred, the ten-year siege, heroes like Achilles, and the Trojan Horse are seen as mythological embellishments or poetic devices.
The Trojan Horse: This is widely considered a myth, possibly a metaphor for a siege engine, a ship, or a secret attack that led to the city's downfall.
The consensus
Most scholars agree that a real city named Troy existed and faced destruction, providing a historical kernel for Homer's epic, but the stories of the Trojan War are a blend of historical memory, folklore, and literary invention.
Historical Fact or Fiction: Did Trojan War Actually Happen?
Many of those artifacts currently reside in the British Museum. Schliemann was under the impression that these artifacts were from...
Made in Turkey Tours The Real Story of the Trojan War - Museum Hack Was Troy, famed participant in the Trojan War, real? In extremely old stories like the Iliad, you can't take any of the informatio... Museum Hack Trojan War - Wikipedia By the mid-nineteenth century AD, both the war and the city were widely seen as non-historical, but in 1868, the German archaeolog... Wikipedia
Me with my parents and siblings in 1950--when we all returned to Burma--based on a photo by my uncle
Thiri Pyanchi U Shwe Shane, Chief Engineer at Burma Railways, who later worked on the Asian Railway Project with ECAFE/ESCAP, based in Bangkok, Thailand. He said, the greatest sadness of his life was that the railway did not link up through Burma.
My brother found this photo.
My painting is impressionistic, not realistic.
But I like this painting.
Painting--Kaung.
In honor of all my mentors in English, some also life mentors--I am going to dedicate my still unpublished play
Shaman to--Dedication, contd.
Mr. Raymond Adlam, who was content to mentor others,
and my brother Dr. U Thaw Kaung who was also content to help others as a librarian.
and I must not forget my father, Sithu U Kaung, who loved his family, his friends,people in general,music, plays, poetry, art and died too young at age 52.
I hope you are all proud of me--I would not be who I am today without all of you.
I don't know what to say except a big Thank You.
Kyi May Kaung
12-23-2025
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Arms and the Man--by George Bernard Shaw
My brother did English Honors at Rangoon Univ, so he often mentioned plays like this one.
On the other hand I did Economics General Honors, a B.A., and then an M.A.so as I told Saya Myo Min once
"I can read English on my own," I am now having to educate myself.
But in honor of our mutual mentor, Raymond Aldam of the British Council, I continue to read avidly now.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3618/3618-h/3618-h.htm#:~:text=Crampton%2C%20the%20father%2C%20typifies%20the,M.
A play that Raymond Adlam as well as Miss Quayle, also on the British Council acted in c. 1958 after my father had passed away,T.S. Eliot's Murder in the cathedral, was staged in the small church near Prof.Luce's Home for Waifs and Strays, near the Inya Road entrance of Rangoon Univ. I think Daw Tee Tee Luce's brother U Pe Maung Tin also lived on that short wooded lane.
In honor of all of them, I am going to dedicate my still unpublished play Shaman,which is also about Identity and was a Pew Finalist Script, won a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Award and was also praised by Edward Albee, to them. I did not know Miss Quayle nor U Myo Min that well.
So this is how my play and maybe also another novel may be dedicated.
In Honor of my Excellent Mentors, especially in English.
Professor Gordon H. Luce--founder of modern study of Burmese History, once also taught English Literature at Rangoon Univ. Member of the Bloomsbury Group and friend of among others, the economist John Maynard Keynes.
Daw Tee Tee Luce (Mrs.Luce), early pioneer social worker in Burma, winner of a Magsaysay Award. Set up Home for Waifs and Strays.
Saya U Myo Min, Prof. and Head of the Rangoon Univ. English Department.
Saya, I still regret that I did not do English Honors--
But as compensation, I will have my alter ego (like Hemingway's alter ego Nick Adams) Nway Chtisone do a joint English-Economics BA.
George Bernard Shaw--Arms and the Man--complete play--Gutenberg Project
My brother did English Honors at Rangoon Univ, so he often mentioned plays like this one.
On the other hand I did Economics General Honors, a B.A., and then an M.A.soas I told Saya Myo Min once
"I can read English on my own," I am now having to educate myself.
But in honor of our mutual mentor, Raymond Aldam of the British Council, I continue to read avidly now.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3618/3618-h/3618-h.htm#:~:text=Crampton%2C%20the%20father%2C%20typifies%20the,M.
A play that Raymond Adlam as well as Miss Quayle, also on the British Council acted in c. 1958 after my father had passed away,was staged in the small church near Prof.Luce's Home for Waifs and Strays near the Inya Road entrance of Rangoon Univ. I think Daw Tee Tee Luce's brother U Pe Maung Tin also lived on that short wooded lane.
In honor of all of them, I am going to dedicate my still unpublished play Shaman,which is also about Identity and was a Pew Finalist Sc
Modern retellings of The Aeniad--AI
Modern retellings of Virgil's Aeneid range from fresh prose translations (like Sarah Ruden's) to novels focusing on specific characters (like Caroline Lawrence's The Night Raid) or themes (like Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials), and even plays recontextualizing it for contemporary issues like refugee crises (e.g., Dido's Bar). These adaptations explore themes of nationhood, exile, fate, and identity through diverse lenses, including YA fiction, political commentary, and focus on marginalized figures like Dido and Lavinia.
Novels & Literature
The Night Raid by Caroline Lawrence: A YA novel focusing on the tragic night raid of Euryalus and Nisus, capturing the doomed loyalty and choices of Aeneas's followers.
The Way Home (Ashes of Olympus #1) by Julian Barr: A fantasy retelling of Aeneas's journey, emphasizing divine politics and the struggle for a new homeland.
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman: Lyra is seen as an "anti-Aeneas," subverting the traditional hero's destiny.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Explores Vergilian themes of wandering and searching for home through a different cultural lens.
Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin: A later-story focus on the Trojan princess. Theater & Performance Dido's Bar by Dash Arts: An immersive play set in rival music clubs, featuring world music and telling the story from the perspective of refugees, giving voice to Dido and Amata. Academic & Thematic Studies The Aeneid and the Modern World (Edited by O'Neill & Rigoni): A collection of essays connecting the epic to modern fiction, politics, and trauma, examining its resonance with themes like refugee crises. Madeline Miller: While not directly retelling the Aeneid, her works (Circe, The Song of Achilles) reimagine Greek myth, influencing modern interpretations of classical epics. Modern Translations & Versions Sarah Ruden's Translation: A modern, line-for-line translation praised for its accuracy, emotional power, and resonance with themes of national destiny. PJ Goddard's Prose Version: A modern prose retelling designed as an accessible introduction to the epic. These modern takes highlight the Aeneid's enduring relevance, exploring its core themes of war, displacement, founding nations, and the individual's role in history through contemporary contexts. The Aeneid and the Modern World - Barnes & Noble Table of Contents. Introduction: The Aeneid and the Modern World (J.R. O'Neill and Adam Rigoni); Part I: The Aeneid and Modern Fic... Barnes & Noble Our Favourite Myth Retelling Recommendations — DASH ARTS Oct 5, 2022 — Dash Arts has a production of *Dido's Bar*, which reimagines the ancient myth of *The Aeneid*. The show is set in two r... DASH ARTS Virgil Retellings – Caroline Lawrence Here are some retellings of Virgil's *Aeneid*: * **The Night Raid** By Caroline Lawrence, this novel is inspired by Virgil's story... carolinelawrence.com Show all
AI answer to Q--how many times and by whom was Cassandra raped??
This virgin priestess who prized her chastity amongst her dearest possessions was twice violated by Greek “heroes” after the sack of Troy. During the pillage, Cassandra had taken refuge in the Temple of Athena, where the appropriately named Ajax “the Lesser” dragged her from the temple and savagely raped her.
Classical Wisdom - Substack
https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/the-curse-of-cassandra
The Curse of Cassandra - Classical Wisdom - Substack
Cassandra
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Cassandra
There, she embraced the wooden statue of Athena in supplication for her protection, but was abducted and brutally raped by Ajax the Lesser.
Ajax and Cassandra
Cassandra (disambiguation)
Pallake
Apollo archetype
People also ask
Our Own Heros: Workers' Special--Kaung-WS 1
Kaung--We have the right to choose our own heros: # 2 These are in no particular order.
Photo Essay--Kaung: WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE OUR HEROS. # 1
I've made Longevity Noodles--These are home-made? Udon noodles--
My late sister in law--only one of 3 I was fond of, Daisy, who delivered all 3 of my children bc the big name gyanae's never showed up
used to make wonton skins effortly on a little hand cranked machine she had as her husband brought it back from Canada--but I never could master it.
I saw wonton skins made by hand in Rangoon, Chinatown on a big table with a 6 foot long wood rolling pin.
In Seoul I saw them expertly pulled by hand in Insadon, the antique quarter--but I only got still photos.
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/homemade-udon-noodles?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
From Budanov--from Budanov wiki--b. 1986--head of Zelenksy's intel.
In 2016, while still a lieutenant colonel, he reportedly led a special forces unit in an amphibious raid on Russian-occupied Crimea to plant explosives at an airfield. Budanov's unit was ambushed by a Russian commando unit after landing; the Ukrainian force killed several Russian soldiers before retreating to Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to The New York Times, Budanov was brought to the United States for treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being wounded in fighting in the Donbas.[5]
Tit for tat assassinations--Ukraine vs Russia--according to the figures here--successful attacks by Ukraine--see map- are deep in Russian territory and the majority are successful.
Text excerpt:
The number of assassination attempts in Russia in the first three quarters of 2025 has already exceeded the annual figures for the previous three years. Russian forces went into overdrive in their quest to conquer Ukraine by doubling down on their offensive in the Donetsk region and relentlessly bombarding the entire country and especially its capital, Kyiv. This likely incentivised the hunt for senior Russian military figures. In April 2025, car bombs killed a senior defense engineer in charge of drone jamming devices and another lieutenant general, Yaroslav Moskalik, who was deputy chief of operations in Russia’s General Staff and was involved in the Normandy talks that secured ceasefires in Donbas in 2014 and 2015.
Most assassination attempts have been carried out with explosives, including mail bombs. These often involve unwitting accomplices recruited online within the country — a tactic that does not require infiltration and subsequent extraction of Ukrainian operatives and that Russia itself uses in its covert sabotage campaign in Europe. In 2025, ACLED also records at least two apparent suicide bombings: one that killed Armen Sarkisian, the founder of the Arbat battalion of ethnic Armenians operating in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, and another killing Zaur Gurtsiev, a former officer who led Russia’s aerial bombardment of Mariupol in 2022. In the latter case, the man who lured Gurtsiev on a date may have been unaware he was carrying a remote-triggered explosive.12 The string of assassinations may have prompted replication by local Russian groups such as ChVK Vengeance, whose members gunned down at least two lower-ranking military officials they believed to be responsible for war crimes in Ukraine. It is unclear whether these domestic groups are coordinating their activities with the Ukrainian special services, nor is the extent of such collaboration.
The evolution of the assassination campaign within Russia — from propaganda mouthpieces to those prosecuting and masterminding the invasion — points to Ukraine’s willingness to go to great lengths to disrupt Russia’s war machine. Not only striking military and oil sites, Ukraine is also hunting down individuals directly involved in the ongoing attempt to conquer Ukraine. As in the case of attacking physical objects within Russia, the targeting of individuals directly or indirectly involved in the war may not significantly disrupt Moscow’s ability to wage it, but the possibility of an extrajudicial execution far from the frontlines puts extra pressure on potential targets.
Also 5 months ago-Ukraine Secret Service SBU says it has killed 2 FSB (Russian former KGB) agents who killed Col. V.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/14/ukraine-secret-service-says-it-killed-russian-agents-suspected-of-kyiv-assassination
Like out of Nelson Demille's poltical thriller The Lion or what happned in Myanmar--Rangoon and Sagaing.
Targetted assassinations.
BBC: What the underwhelming Epstein files release means--
"At the beginning of the year, Maga was a triumphant intimidating cultural force, now the train is falling off the tracks and there's no clear sign that it will be stabalising or rebounding anytime soon," he says.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy95w0x9889o
500 whole pages redacted.
Monday, December 22, 2025
Rising incidence of colon cancer in young--
AI Overview
Yes, a young woman, even around age 18, can get colon cancer
, as rates are rising in young adults (under 50), though it's less common than in older adults; early symptoms like rectal bleeding, changes in bowel habits, or abdominal pain should be taken seriously as diagnosis in youth often occurs later, according to Yale Medicine and the National Cancer Institute. While genetics play a role, lifestyle factors and a general lack of screening in this age group contribute to the trend, highlighting the need for awareness of warning signs, notes MD Anderson Cancer Center and City of Hope.
Key Points:
Rising Incidence: Colorectal cancer cases are increasing in people under 50, with some studies showing double the risk for young adults compared to previous generations at the same age.
Youngest Patients: While rare, cases of colon cancer in teenagers and young adults in their late teens or early twenties have been reported.
Symptoms to Watch For: Don't dismiss symptoms like persistent constipation, blood in the stool (even if from hemorrhoids), unexplained weight loss, or abdominal pain; these warrant a doctor visit.
Diagnosis Delays: Because it's unexpected in young people, doctors often delay colonoscopies, leading to later-stage diagnoses, which impacts treatment outcomes, note American Cancer Society and Premier Family Medical.
Risk Factors: While genetics (inherited mutations) are significant, diet, inactivity, tobacco, and alcohol use are also considered contributing factors, according to Loma Linda University.
In summary, while still uncommon at 18, the trend of rising colorectal cancer in young adults means awareness of symptoms is crucial, says City of Hope.
Colon cancer in young adults: What you need to know
Jul 8, 2024 — Why is colorectal cancer on the rise among young adults? We don't know exactly why so many people under age 50 are bein...
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Colorectal Cancer: What Millennials and Gen Zers Need to ...
Jan 16, 2024 — Colorectal Cancer: What Millennials and Gen Zers Need to Know. BY KATHY KATELLA January 17, 2024. Yale Medicine doctor...
Yale Medicine
Metastatic Colon Cancer in an 18-Year-Old without ... - NIH
Other studies signify that CRC is frequently overlooked in the differential diagnosis when children and adolescents present with s...
National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov)
For all of us--from Poetry Foundation site.
Song: “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun”
By William Shakespeare
(from Cymbeline)
Fear no more the heat o’ the sun,
Nor the furious winter’s rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta’en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.
Fear no more the frown o’ the great;
Thou art past the tyrant’s stroke;
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The scepter, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.
Fear no more the lightning flash,
Nor the all-dreaded thunder stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan:
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.
No exorciser harm thee!
Nor no witchcraft charm thee!
Ghost unlaid forbear thee!
Nothing ill come near thee!
Quiet consummation have;
And renownèd be thy grave!
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50428/song-fear-no-more-the-heat-o-the-sun-
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)