THREE LITTLE WORDS ...

This morning Desi is in both a hi-and-lo mood.

Because he's on a high, he again promises not to speak in tongue-in-chic from the third sentence onwards -- which, to some or most, of my EsteemedReaders, is a bonus! -- lest he be misundersood.

And he cannot afford to be misunderstood, or he can land up being pursued, or/and sued.
And my unknown name is not Sue, though I count the Man in Black as my teenage idol, and I have Walked The Line with him many times.
Up hill, down dale, chasing butterflies, winged and unwinged.

If you don't catch Desi so far, it's because you have NOT followed my Sunday's desiderata.english faithfully, as some Borneo Post readers and Young&Articulate (Y&A) at http://ignorantcows.blogspot.com have had for some privileged eight months since First of May, 2005.
So remain thee an Ignoramus, it's not my loss. It's no living body's loss. It's just Shakespeare's loss, for he has one less "potential" mentee.

The First of May is significant to Desi for three prime reasons, viz:

* I am a declared Socialist, and if you don't know by now that this date is universally acknowledged as LABOUR DAY, then you're not yet (Desispeak would have combined the two preceding words as 'nyet'...ah, I digress, which does not fall under Da Desi Code, but a blardy Blogger's luxury or indulgence...and some 'swear' words are allowed too.)

** I started my love affair with The Borneo Post on that date. It's been productive, fertile, and in some ways, IMHO, has contributed to many scoring "A" in the English language paper at Sec 3 and 5 levels. That's my guess (I didn't leave it as gues' as that would have been a breach, quite distinctive from a digression).

*** The date is significant to one Other. Without his/her/in-between permission, this piece of vital information may not be divulged, at risk of Desi being put to the guillotine. I don't wish that you say an "Ave Maria" for Desi before Mary Antoinette catches up with me.
I'll leave IT for another day -- for a ChallengiA,mayhaps, when I have the PRIZES ready.

NOTE: 'Mayhaps' has been defined by Desi in an entry before -- meaning an entry previous, prior, precedent, old, foregoing OR None of the Above. Feel free to pick any one, as in an Objective English test at university level at 'present' time in Malaysia. No wonder a whole class could score straight As in public exams at some residential college in Fu Rong I know -- some kind of a towering achievement. But to teachers of the old school well versed in Elementary mathematics, in such Objective testing, even if you throw a dice (with 6 options), you can be assured of at least 16.6 recurring% success of getting IT Right!, by Probability Theory, with "6" as a None of the Above option.)


I scratched my head last night after exchanging some email with another Y&A @yvonnefoong about her upcoming CAMPUS NOTES column at the prompting of sisdar Yan ('sisdar' is blogspeak, not Desispeak!) from nigh-Catsville or Kuching, Sarawak -- about promoting her initiative. Marketing is a skill I have learnt a little from Yan, and I'm using it now.

So I am appealling to all The YoungOnes (age range un-defined but I presume all who believe in lifelong learning and feel young@heart do qualify, unless yvonne rules otherWISE!) to respond to WRITE FOR BORNEO POST to get your own 15 minutes of fame, and get paid some moola too. (I did not get any reference when I hit Heritage Dictionary for the word 'moola', but I have sighted its use in mainstream media, so I assumed it's okay to use and not be guilty of ...'yadda, yadda', the last repeat is a first timer use here, definitely falls under blogspeak, as even my London blogger-mate, Howsy, uses IT.)

SO KILLING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE,

YOU WRITERS OUT THERE, SEND THY SCRIPT TO

yvonnefoong.com

~~~~~~~

After much beating about the garden of the American president, Desi emerges with this Short Story.

~~~~~~~~Little John was se7en years old when he came home one day, all excited, and even before putting down his schoolbag, yelled out to Mom dearest: "I've been chosen to act in our end-of-year Graduation Play!"

"WoW, you're My Hero!" Mum was all smiles and jumping too.
"Now let's sit down to lunch and if you tell me the 'hole story well, I'd reward thee with an ice-cream. Durian too!" Mum was always the child psychologist, better than those at Hospital Besar Fu Rong though she had not attended college.

:
:

The next se7en days saw JohnLi'l standing before the mirror in his exclusive room trying all the poses that would make an impact on the audience. Also repeating three little words -- "Yes, I did." in different decibels, and varying accents.

The story board has a Robber running past JohnLi'l with his loot, and moments later, a Policeman would come running, catching John by his shoulder and asking:
"Hey boy, did you see a man running past just now? He's a thief!"
JohnLi'l's part is to point in the direction of the robber, and excitingly reply: "Yes, I did!"

:
:

John heard among the guests coming could be one big Hollywood Taiko back in Seremban to give a "large" (teacher said 'humongous' but John could not recall that funny word!) donation to the school as it was his -- the Taiko's, also John's -- Alma Mater.

Day by day JohLi'l practised, again and again, in front of the mirror, ending with the climactic: "Yes, I did!"

Even in his sleep, Mum smiled as she heard Sonny Boy murmur: "Yes, I did...I did..."

And the big day arrived
Mum was among the audience in the school hall, all decked up with flowers and streamers, multi-designed and coloured, and lights, multi-sized and hued. The decking was on the hall, not on John's mother, of course.

The woman was proud as any mother would be, and had hoped her husband could attend, but like most men, he preferred the Pub. "He wouldn't sacrifice the pinta even when our Sonny Boy is making his stage debut," she sighed. She prayed hard for her apple's eye, as she had often heard of the frightening words -- stage fright.

There was a loud commotion on the stage. One burly-looking fellow clutching a lady's hangbag raced past a bewildered-looking JohnLi'l.

Then a man in blue uniform arrived, and shaking JohnLi'l, asked in a raised voice: "Boy, did you see a man running past? ... He's a thief!"

But the cop was a little rough on Little John.
Shaken, the young boy looked at the burly cop, and in an excited voice, replied: "Did I?"

~~~~~~~

So my YoungOnes, learn one new word today: ENTHUSIASM.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.


SYLLABICATION: en·thu·si·asm
PRONUNCIATION: n-thz-zm
NOUN: 1. Great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause. 2. A source or cause of great excitement or interest. 3. Archaic a. Ecstasy arising from supposed possession by a god. b. Religious fanaticism.

ETYMOLOGY: Late Latin enthsiasmus, from Greek enthousiasmos, from enthousiazein, to be inspired by a god, from entheos, possessed : en-, in; see en–2 + theos, god; see dhs- in Appendix I.

WORD HISTORY: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm,” said the very quotable Ralph Waldo Emerson, who also said, “Everywhere the history of religion betrays a tendency to enthusiasm.”

These two uses of the word enthusiasm — one positive and one negative — both derive from its source in Greek. Enthusiasm first appeared in English in 1603 with the meaning “possession by a god.” The source of the word is the Greek enthousiasmos, which ultimately comes from the adjective entheos, “having the god within,” formed from en, “in, within,” and theos, “god.”

Over time the meaning of enthusiasm became extended to “rapturous inspiration like that caused by a god” to “an overly confident or delusory belief that one is inspired by God,” to “ill-regulated religious fervor, religious extremism,” and eventually to the familiar sense “craze, excitement, strong liking for something.” Now one can have an enthusiasm for almost anything, from water skiing to fast food, without religion entering into it at all.

ATTRIBUTION: I have copied frpm The American Heritage Dick and hereby record full appreciation for its generosity not expresed but perceived by a discerning YLChong.


DESIDERATA: This post is dedicated to yvonnefoong, whom I had the privilege and pleasure to meet at a recent GSE'EN Meeting hoRsted by that luvly Malaysian across the South China Sea, @http://yancorner.blogspot.com. And the hoRstspeak came from Yan, definitely NOT from Desi, so I'm innocent of committing any breach. I acknowledge as my most times Mentor, and some times, mentee because of her many initiatives to guide and advance the Youths in Malaysia.
"Steady as she goes!"My salute to a fine lady!

And a parting important shot, as some YoungOnes have not been particularly obedient or responsive, hence the story recollected to suggest a moral somewhere:
Please NOTE that the word before NOT is NOT spelt 'definAtely' when you send your script for THE BORNEO POST.



~~~~~~~

I Walk The Line

by Johnny Cash


I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line