Tag Archives: race

‘Fani Willis’ & ‘Nathan Wade’ Would Have Just Added Grist To The Mill For ‘Hans Eysenck’.

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by Anura Guruge
on March 15, 2024

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Click image to ENLARGE. Both snippets from From ‘Google‘.

I came of age in the U.K. at the time when Hans Eysenck was in his prime. To the disgust of many, especially my first wife (who was very white, had a decree in Sociology & the most intelligent person I have ever met (& yes, I realize that that doesn’t gel with why she would have married me)), I subscribed to his views. I had a copy of his book “Know Your Own IQ” (and it was one I referred to OFTEN in those days). They made sense & I had seen examples. The prestigious, fee-paying school in London that I had attended (i.e., ‘Mill Hill’) even had a ingrained saying about it. Mill Hill kids, for generations, had talked about ‘Munda Logic‘ (i.e., African thinking)!

I listened, in the car, to hours of Nathan Wade & his ex-lawyer’s testimony. Also to some of Fani Willis. I will be upfront & honest — because I don’t have to be politically correct. I am non-white, have been ALL MY LIFE & have endured my share of race prejudice, race discrimination & racial abuse. They did NOT strike me as very intelligent people. They came across as extremely STUPID. OF COURSE there are very intelligent black folk. My HERO ‘Nelson Mandela‘ immediately comes to mind. I can’t say ‘Obama‘ BECAUSE he is HALF-WHITE. [And just for the record, my son is named after a black cricketer. So, I am NOT a racist. I find many black folks ultra cool. It is just that some, like Willis & Wade, give ‘scientific racism‘ a fair amount of credibility. Yes, there are STUPID people of all colors. But, these are SUPPOSEDLY educated & allegedly ‘clever’ people who are demonstrably NOT. Enough said.

I hope that they are both PROSECUTED for misconduct and sent to prison. That is where they should be.

‘Hunter Valley Steamfest 2023’ In Australia: 4 Steam Trains Racing — Blinking, Bloody Brilliant.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 19, 2023

Frame grab from YouTube video BELOW.

Google it. They have a Facebook page (left) & their own website.

There is also a TON of YouTube videos — some better than others. I am still searching.

This is BLOODY brilliant. 4 parallel tracks with 4 steam locomotives. Pretty heady stuff for train lovers (like I). Wow, wow, wow.

I am AMAZED that I have never heard of it given that I have been an avid, committed train buff all my life.

One of the videos from the 2023 Steamfest came up on YouTube as a ‘recommendation’. Given that I watch at least ONE train video per night, YouTube knows what will get my attention. I was BLOWN AWAY.

I have watched about 6 of the videos — though I will confess that I am still looking for a ‘better one’. I want a mini-documentary of sorts — with a commentary explaining what is taking place. Yet to find that. If YOU do, please let me know.

I was struck by these 4 points in particular:

1/ I am a TOTAL SUCKER for Beyer-Garratts. So, that one of them, the 6209, is a Garratt, alone would have been enough to get me hooked.

2/ At least two of the trains had HUGE water tenders coupled to the engine. I have not seen that before. Must be an Australian thing. I am going to check that out. Interesting.

3/ Two trains, from what I can see, had ‘modern’ diesel locomotives at the back — & there are clips of the train being pulled back by the diesels. Not sure what that is all about.

4/ Quite the set-up with 4 parallel tracks. I need to learn more.

IF you like trains, especially STEAM, check this out. You will NOT be dissapointed (bar from the non-documentary nature of the videos).

‘The Dry Grass Of August’, By ‘Anna Jean Mayhew’ — A Wonderful Story That Deftly Portrays 1950s Racism In Georgia & S. Carolina.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 19, 2022

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Click image to access the Amazon listing for this marvelous book.

As I alluded yesterday on my post about ‘zippers’ I have been listening to this marvelous book, with great relish, for the last few days. I thoroughly enjoyed it & as it was getting towards the end I wished that it would go on for a bit longer. Always a bang up recommendation.

Quite the story. Told with a really pleasing, deft touch — breezy, but detail-packed. She, Mrs. Anna Jean Mayhew, is quite the writer. Bravo.

Click to ENLARGE and read here. Link to this page.

One of the drawbacks of listening to a book on (the excellent) ‘Audible‘ is that you don’t get a chance to see & study the author. It tells you the author’s name (& copyright) but that is it. Of course, there is no photo you can see & they don’t include anything about the author. So, since she was new to I, I had no idea who she was. I wasn’t sure of her race. Yes, the book is in the first person & that narrator is a v. mature & sensitive 13-year white young lady. But, I was NOT sure whether the authoress was black. Her handling of race — or the difficulties & conflicts thereof — are masterful. Wow.

I see the book has worn awards & she is quite rightly lauded. That is due. She did good.

Great book. I thoroughly recommend it.

I will put it alongside ‘The Pecan Man‘ by ‘Cassie Dandridge Selleck’ & ‘The Book of Harlan‘ by ‘Bernice McFadden’, two other recent books I listened to which also dealt with race in the U.S., as a book that really made an impression with I. Thank YOU, Mrs. Mayhew. Yes, I will listen to your latest book “Tomorrow’s Bread“.