Use of the N-word at Circle K yesterday

Now I have to learn Portuguese and Marathi. If I were young, I could skip Portuguese -- but I wouldn't! Eu gosto de portugues. Isso soa bem. (I like Portuguese. It sounds nice.)

 

There is a language in Spain called Valenciano, and it is very similar to Portuguese.

 

Spain is quite the place for minority languages. Some say Valencian is a dialect of Catalan; many others say no - it's a separate language. There is an established Academy of the Valencian Language; it maintains that Catalan and Valencian are two names for the same language. That's from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencian

I read up and the consensus is that Catalan/Valencian is/are more like Spanish first and French second. A third minority language, Galician, is said to be closer to Portuguese than either of the others. I think they're all close enough to count. Especially since I've always heard a bit of French coming through in Portuguese - especially in some French-sounding nasals that are pretty well absent in Spanish.

Es bueno aprender varios idiomas. Spanish. It is good to learn several languages.
És bo aprendre diversos idiomas. Catalan / Valencian. Same thing. (I note Valencians, at least, also use "llengua" for language; Spanish sometimes uses "lengua" and Portuguese sometimes uses "lingua." (All from Latin "lingua" - tongue or language.)
É bo aprender varios idiomas. Galician: Same thing.
É bom aprender várias línguas. Portuguese: Same thing.

I note "language" in Galician is often "idioma" - masculine - same kind of gender mismatch as a few Spanish words - feminine ending on masculine noun.
"Galician" is a confusing word. It applies to both a Spanish regional minority of Celtic origin - and sometimes (years ago) it was applied to people from Western Ukraine.

Ukrainian Galicians here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galicia_(Eastern_Europe)
Spanish Galicians here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galicians

 

And nobody should discuss minority languages of Spain without mentioning Basque. I believe Basques were in demand in the US as shepherds for many years; Basque shepherds were known to be exceptionally skilled at their work. 30 or 40 years ago I read a novel, "The Year Walk" that dealt with Basque shepherds in Nevada.

Basque isn't like the other minority languages here. It doesn't seem that Basque can be reliably linked to any other language. (See the article.) It likely developed in place, prior to any Indo-European, Roman or other influence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_language

Euskaldunak harro daude. Euskaraz ikastea ona da. Basques are a proud people. It is good to learn Basque.

 

Ukrainian Galicians - Spanish Galicians. Totally unrelated - but both Galicia (Spain) and Western Ukraine have bagpipe traditions. How about that! A bagpipe is gaita in Galicia, Spain; the same word also means 'harmonica' in Brazilian Portuguese. In Ukrainian, the traditional bagpipe is duda. (I've also seen 'volinka' - I'm guessing that word may refer to the region they mostly come from - sometimes known in English as Volhynia. Also seen 'dyubelka' - also means a chatterbox. How many words do they need?)

 

Abner, from my point of view, standing up for ANYONE is rare these days. Most people cower in the corner, are weak, or just don't have the ()() to speak up. Whether it was a black man, blue man, green woman, or artic fox- you have my respect.

 

Speaking of Basque, here's my favourite Trikitixa player, Kepa Junkera. Trikitixa (Basque) has about the same meaning as "squeezebox" - a diatonic accordion. This is Kepa, playing live for the Basque community in Chino, CA.

 

Johann, you really are one of my favorite posters.
Challenge: from "N word" to "accordion" in 2 pages or less.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Jennifer. It's easy to get to "accordion" quickly. Accordions are at the centre of everything. If space-travellers locate the exact centre of the Universe, I'm sure there will be an accordion there, floating in space - playing "the music of the spheres." Its very name connotes accord, agreement and harmony through well-ordered musical chords.

I took accordion lessons for a while when I was 12-13, but really wasn't interested in the dumb tunes and exercises they made me play. 20-odd years later I heard a Black man, singing Kokomo Arnold's "Milk Cow Blues" in a (to me) odd French dialect. What a revelation! That was Clifton Chenier, the finest accordion player in Louisiana. He capped off his performance with a few Lightnin' Hopkins blues guitar licks, remixed for accordion. (I found out later, Clifton and Lightnin' sometimes played at the same places.) Didn't take me long to locate an instrument for sale. Back then (late 70s) the stores were full of cheap, used ones!

I now have two accordions - a Cajun button-style and a small piano-type. Plus a concertina. Perhaps World leaders could attain agreement easier if they got together to play accordions. What better to promote harmony? But I bet Vladimir Putin would cheat! He'd bring some souped-up bayan (Russian folk accordion) that could play licks unobtainable on non-Russian instruments!

Anyway - might be worth a try. Nothing else seems to work. Now your last president - Mr. Obama. There was a guy who could sing! Heard him do the Barry White thing --- amazing!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Chenier

 

I think that's something many minorities do right and a whole lot better for kids than the parents who think indulging Jefferey's selfish tantrums or giving little Cynthia a "time out" does any good. The biggest issues with young people is broken families, absent fathers, parents who care more about "finding themselves" than sacrificing for their kids and daddies who go about making babies with sundry girls, then running off and leaving the kid without an intact family. And that is a problem that transcends race. I see a ton of it in my former hometown in Kansas, and in my extended family there, all these single moms and dads in and out of relationships, and all those young cousins of mine left with nothing secure. I somehow danced between the raindrops and had parents who stayed married until death parted them, and both of them whopped me on occasion--and probably not nearly as much as I needed it!

Until I see a study on spanking that accurately separates out abusive parents who tyrannize their children (and there are plenty) from parents who spank in love (and yes, absolutely I believe that such is not only possible but common), I say horse manure squared to all the studies. And in my profession, in my former experience on the editorial board of a journal, I see some garbage from academics so-called and thinkers so-called that makes my head explode--you look closely enough at some of these studies and see past the headlines that journalists produce, trust me, you get very cynical indeed about their validity. I believe most of those studies are people wanting to push an agenda rather than produce legitimate scholarship. When I take a switch, a wooden spoon or my hand and whip one of my kids' butts, I think of setting them free from the slavery of self-obsession. The biggest problem I see on campus these days is not some kids who are violent in relationships, but kids who are self-centered twits who think they're all that. They probably needed a few more butt whippings and a few less time outs growing up.

 

One more thing: I think Abner was right. The Indian fellow was probably just trying to be cool, had heard others talking this way, and, not having that deep cultural understanding, was trying to relate in a ham-handed way. He may have saved the guy from a fist fight or a loss of customers. It sounds like the guy took it well enough, so mission accomplished. Since we moved to the Deep South, we've stepped on a lot of cultural toes innocently and I wish someone had taken me aside years ago and told me "Why God bless your little heart" was generally an insult, even when spoken with a smile, and that when the clerk at the store or waitress calls you "sweetie" or "honey", that she's not necessarily trying to demean you if you're a woman or interested in bedding you if you're a man.

 

I'm not saying they didn't. But to date, 50 countries (not US and not Canada either) have banned physical punishment of children in all settings, including the home. Why might that be? Are they all misguided?

 

Yes.

 

There are then 150 countries that do not ban butt whippings. Are they all misguided?

I'm going to continue moving my hand in a rapid, horizontal manner, coming into sudden and unwanted contact with my childrens' gluteus maximus, and I am not--repeat, not--an a-hole for doing it. I am an a-hole for a host of other reasons, sundry reasons...but not for that. And I'm going to continue raising great kids who love other people and respect them as fellow creations of God, who treat others as they'd want to be treated, and who are quite willing, thank you very much, to use violence when it's warranted. And it undeniably is warranted at times, such as spanking a child who needs to learn that the world does not revolve around their worst nature, such as for soldiers in battle, such as for handling sadistic bullies when they're tormenting their prey (and don't try to tell me that's me when I spank my kids out of genuine concern for their well-being, don't even go there), or when corrupt religious types are embezzling money within the temple courtyards from unsuspecting religious tourists through unfair exchange rates (such a thing inspired Jesus, Prince of Peace He was, to grab a whip and go after their buttocks). When it comes to choosing between the Creator of the Universe and some confused, sanctimonious socialists in Western Europe who invariably raise spoiled brats, guess I'm going with the former. And without a hint of a second thought.

 

Yes, I'd whip their butts, anyday. For any reason. And politicians. All of them. BTW - That "choosing the Creator of the Universe" line of yours sticks in my craw - it is not impressive. Jesus may have whipped some deserving butts - at least in your mind. I read about His overturning tables - don't remember any butt-whipping. I AM positive I never read anything about His spanking or hitting any kids. Ever.

I'm always suspicious when somebody claims they're doing something in Jesus' name. Often refers to something He never did - and never would have done.

 

Correction - I was wrong. The Gospels say Jesus made a whip of cords when He cast out the money changers and dove sellers. OK - maybe some butts came into sudden and unwanted contact, as you put it. But nowhere did He hit kids. I'll stick with Steve, the flowchart, and the 50 countries here. My country (Canada) is looking like it'll be the 51st to ban physical punishment completely. . The many restrictions will soon become a total ban, methinks. It's already pretty easy to get into serious trouble now and possibly lose custody of your kids.

 

I do not support whipping. However, I am very grateful for my parents, a few of my uncles,and those teachers, that care enough to whip my backside. I am sure in this current time they will use whatever would’ve been acceptable to society to set me straight, until that method was no longer acceptable. My wife, Canadian, may have gotten one whipping from her dad when she was a kid and she is still upset. It is nuts. I am smart enough to see how important my parents, uncles and teachers were to me. They may have just saved my life. If my parents were alive i would have been thanking them.

 

Happy memories of the annual Cotati Accordion Festival, north of San Francisco. Thousands of players from every genre -- blues, cowboy, polka, on and on. Highlight: all of them --- ALL of them -- playing together in the Lady-of-Spain-athon.

 

Wow! Thanks for this important cultural post, Dr. Bear! I think you have uplifted this discussion to a new level. The Cotati Accordion Festival website is very well-done: http://www.cotatifest.com/
As I'm always interested in degree mills, the group "Duckmandu" caught my attention. I'm sure you (and probably others) will get the significance.