Zaporizhzhya volunteers have launched an action event for St. Valentine’s Day. Volunteers of the NGO
“Chesne Zaporizhzhya” (Honest Zaporizhzhya) address their appeal on FB: – We call on all our wonderful and beautiful girls and women! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner… So we decided to launch an action event called “Give a Soldier your Gift of Love” (for Valentines Day).
Zaporizhzhya volunteers have launched an action event for St. Valentine’s Day. Volunteers of the NGO “Chesne Zaporizhzhya” (Honest Zaporizhzhya) address their appeal on FB:
– We call on all our wonderful and beautiful girls and women! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner… So we decided to launch an action event called “Give a Soldier your Gift of Love”. Please write letters and declarations of love to our defenders, make a handmade gift, or prepare snacks and treats… It could be anything. Let’s give them the warmth and love that they need and deserve. For there, at the front, it’s important for our soldiers to know that lovely warm hearts are waiting for them at home.
Your gifts and sweets can be delivered every business day to our warehouse located at 152V Lenina Prospect, Room 21. Please call before visiting us: +0505393006, +0938729270 or +0966124412). If you arrive and no one is in the office, please leave your gift with the watchman.
Suggested snacks, treats and sweets:
– candies, chocolate, cookies, cakes and waffles;
– salo (lard), sausages, canned meat and fish, meat pâté;
– tea, coffee, cocoa;
– sugar, sugar, and more sugar;
– flour (for baking needs; our patriotic girls bake pies, pastry, cakes and buns and bread; the flour disappears in the blink of an eye!)
– you may add shaving supplies, socks (never enough!), flashlights with extra batteries, lighters and anything that pops into your mind.
The volunteers plan to travel to the front on February 16.
Pickhitt: This is very special because it is where my Ukrainian friend and other half of the “Cafe` Skype” story lives – or lived last time I heard from her. Bravo.
Pick Hitt: Sadly, WordPress apparently is not offering its Bloggers a Year in Review for 2016! It is yet another example of one of the nice things in life that our online corporate administrators are withdrawing after getting us used to them! It Sux and is not about the “statistics”. Nyet, it is about the creatively fun way that WordPress presented this gift to us, lo these past years since I began to blog in 2009. If you know ofd another blog platform that has not thorwn the “baby out with the bathwater” and still is fun, please let me know because mayb e it is time to take my writing “business” elsewhere it is FUN and appreciated.
S novym godom or “Happy New Tear! The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for my blog. Were you a participant or on the bench? Thank you for stopping by. Peace.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,100 times in 2015. If it were a cable car, it would take about 52 trips to carry that many people.
Yeah, indeed this tune wedgie just came to haunt me as if she really called or emailed me a “letter”…You have heard this one before, right? It is a classic “tune wedgie” from The Box Tops!
“Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain’t got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I’m a-goin’ home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
I don’t care how much money I gotta spend
Got to get back to baby again
Lonely days are gone, I’m a-goin’ home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
Well, she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn’t live without me no more
Listen mister, can’t you see I got to get back
To my baby once-a more
Anyway, yeah!
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain’t got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I’m a-goin’ home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
Well, she wrote me a letter
Said she couldn’t live without me no more
Listen mister, can’t you see I got to get back
To my baby once-a more
Anyway, yeah!
Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain’t got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I’m a-goin’ home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter ”
In my insanely contemporary musical Disc jockey mind, this “tune wedgie” appears most mornings while I try to make breakfast, wake-up and convince myself that I have a purpose in life to move on towards. Yes, it is lonely like that unless I am strengthened via prayer.
The lyric, “Its me that’s missing your love, and I….” repeats most often.
You are listening to vintage Al Green from 1973 “Call Me” album, with a song of unrequited yet reciprocal love that endures because every day the dawn will happen with a renewed chance for healing romance. I always appreciated how during his vamp-to-fade, he listed his previous, at that time, hit song’s names, lol.
This light-listen and “B-side” selection garnered major market airplay and herein is dedicated sometimes to the Ukrainian lady I thought I’d be married to by now, Inna-Nina. I blame myself for not being able to raise enough money to import her to the USA ahead of the Russian intervention and her mother’s cancer diagnosis in the spring of 2014.
This is likely the sad climax conclusion for “Cafe` Skype” because something is amiss. I will put it point-blank: If you are my girlfriend or fiancee` and my elderly mother or father becomes ill, I will not push you away or go to a mental clinic for a “breakdown”. To the contrary, I would need you more to lean upon through troubled times – even if five thousand kilometers away via a five year relationship as difficult as that may be – or if it honestly will not work anymore and I have a person in the same area of the opposite sex (maybe a past schoolmate) who fulfills that role, I would tell you. Or maybe that’s just me.
Here is when needs begin to challenge that I am a loyal, faithful man.
Murphy’s law seems to stalk my female companionship quest…
The chances increase that, now that I am sixty-plus, I might get a condition also and suddenly slip away, or that the war there in your country will take you from me; your mother may pass on and then we will never fulfill our London plus four years promise to see each other again and marry since meeting at Café Skype in 2010.Afraid, yet optimistic – to a point.
When you are Concerned
or when you are in need of reassuring…
I’ll be right beside you
Comfort you will find.
If you need a vacation from war in your country,
Or a loving helpful Long distance love to walk with hand-in-hand
Better for having met you gefore (before).
I’ll be right here for you,
Tell your mother I want to meet her
And to stay strong.
Via your not-so-good written English,
I do not know how long she has!
I am with you even if you cannot see me;
I truly understand.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,300 times in 2013. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.
Pickhitt: With deepest thanks for the creative and intuitive mind of my favorite person and fiancee`, Nina and WordPress for hosting because I couldn’t have kept blogging without you. ~ Naphtali
Components (ingredients) of salad (translated from her Russian words)…
1. London evening (the backdrop of this dish) accents!
Behind a window of our pleasant first meeting’s evening,
The rain drizzles behind a window sill and underscores that I am in London!
2. Add some leaves of green salad
3. Some thin slices of meat – (on Spanish sounds as jamón)
4. A little grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
5. Three olives
6. Three cherry tomatoes
It is necessary to dress the salad with music from Sinatra, Sammy Davis and Dean Martin.
7. Muffled soft room lighting
8. A bottle of Merlot wine
9. A little bit gentle and sensual kisses
And Music, music flew throughout our room,
Softly and unostentatiously enveloped us is similar the warm plaid weaved from various notes and sounds of a saxophone. It is an atmosphere it was similar to hypnosis … Sounded soul and blues, replaced an easy jazz, and popular music again sounded. All this has got mixed up in pleasant musical mix skillfully and competently created on radio to a wave from Capital FM and our favorite became Magic 105.4 FM.
It is so lovely to relax after a stimulating excursion in Great historical places of London on a sofa in beloved embraces with a glass of vino and having the London salad supper, having covered by a musical blanket.
I feel sweet heat on my skin from their gentle kisses. The rain, a fine rainy drizzle, an easy fog behind a window … Yes, of course – this is London; also is his style!
The door of a balcony is ajar; we can see the shiny wet sidewalk of the evening street. Dim streetlight reflects against mysterious patches of sidewalk and then back to us on our balcony. Pleasant damp and slightly raw, prickly air creeps to us in our room. In this rainy pleasant London evening, music made our evening happy. It is charming; Music has acquainted us (via our first conversation in the record shop in Boston) three years ago. Music has pulled us together; we have many things to tell the friend and to share a musical stock and sensations!
I think, “we do not make music, but music makes us!”
We live in our own separate small world for these chosen moments! And it is unexpected for us that we see that we have chosen this hotel, not knowing, that rooms are decorated on a theme of popular known musicians, “The Rat Pack”… It was an unexpected, pleasant surprise! When she has seen these portraits on the walls of our room, she told Naphtali, “You all life worked on radio, all your life is connected to music and music accompanies with you all your life. And suddenly a surprise for you….! I and you, we did not know, that we an apartment – hotel in London will be decorated by portraits of well-known musicians! You see, music pursues you! It means – Music is still your destiny!”
My Sleeping Beauty sleeps as I am still on EST USA and party solo…she needed the rest.
Pickhitt: What A MAGICAL experience! “Brilliant!” “Cafe` Skype”…the real, international relationship love deal.” Comments encouraged as always and thank you [who know who you are] for the content!
[Some of this material is re-posted with grateful acknowledgement to a blog post by Elizabeth Abosch who I have tried to get in-touch with/link to regarding this post, unsuccessfully.] When I was a little boy, one of the ladies who made sure that I had an after school snack and got on with my homework until my hardworking parents returned home, was our next-door neighbor, whose name was Odessa (Redus) Brown. I took the name for-granted, yet always thought “Odessa” as a regal, majestic name and I never thought to research it until my Inna, who I hope will spend the rest of my life with me as my wife, introduced me to a place in her country that she wants us to enjoy together that has an historic beach-port, called Odessa, Ukraine, two years ago. Recently, she writes: “Naphtali, check out This Unpleasant Information… By the way, yesterday there was a whole transfer on TV with participation of real girls on a similar theme…. These girls told about the histories as they were used by years… Men from USA, England, Italy, Switzerland, Australia. Men promised to marry them, met on resorts, or came to them on a visit. Or invited to itself, and after one or two months sent the women home. As, have told and have shown a photo of the man which each two years invites to itself women home in in USA under the visa of the bride. And then exposes for doors of women… And so already proceeded [has done this for] with about 10 years. Now to this to the man any more does not give embassy the sanction to invitations of the following brides. I see, the whole system of entertainments and games on feelings was already created, and it is expensive(dear) costs(stands)! I of nothing want to tell bad about you and about us. I only share with you the information and as, has thought, if You will publish this information on the BLOG. Cheerfully it is possible to spend in Odessa to American guys! [Can have a good time] You remember, two years back, you sent to me the reference from YouTube about Odessa…. Yesterday wanted to find this reference again…. But has lost…. I any more do not remember, that there spoke…. But I remember, that there there was a dirty. Also it is the truth much to our regret. But this dirty is everywhere in any city of the world. And you know it. Only it is interesting, why particular Now this time, do they began to give this more than attention?!(Why?)” Yeah, Honey, I agree. Why the sudden attention to this? And so now, please peruse parts of Ms. Abosch’s historical account. “With access to Turkey and its closeness to the rest of Europe, Odessa is an international human trafficking hub. Women and orphans from Odessa or even poorer areas like rural Moldova travel to the city to find good jobs abroad, and are promised them by traffickers before their passports are taken away and they are sold into slavery or work as prostitutes within the city.” Video from a movie about Odessa: Elizabeth Abosch writes, “In wartime and in post-war Soviet film, one man made a name for himself portraying an Odessan and portraying him as a hero. That man was Mark Bernes, the first great Soviet Star and the possible creator of what I like to call, the Odessa “Hero Myth”. Bernes (who was of Jewish ancestry) became famous for his character Arkady Dzubin, first in the 1943 movie “Two Soldiers”. He spent time with troops in military hospitals who were native to Odessa, and picked up that their dialect seemed quite lazy and was accompanied by much shoulder shrugging and lip pursing. He created an archetype for “the Odessan”, a vaguely Jewish, musical, easy-going person who could calm his brothers with humor and then rise to any bravery needed….” In “Two Soldiers” he distracts a woman from a bombing raid by singing an ironic song about a fisherman, Konstantin, and his wife Sonya: “Shalandy Polnye Kefali”:”
And also of heartfelt interest, Ms. Abosch continues, “Perhaps his most famous song as the Odessan Arkady Dzubin was “Dark Night”, which became the unofficial anthem for Soviet citizens and soldiers barely surviving World War Two. The song is about a soldier who believes no harm can come to him as long as his wife and new baby still wait for him…
The lyrics are, “Dark night, only bullets whistling over the steppe, Only the wind humming in the woods, dim stars twinkle. In the dark night, darling, I know, I’m not sleeping, And in the crib, you secretly wipe away a tear. How I love the depth of your gentle eyes, How do I want him to press my lips against you! Dark Night divides us, my love, And a disturbing, black steppe lie between us. I believe in you In my sweetheart, This belief is the bullet Dark night … Happily me I am confident in mortal combat: I know you will meet with my love To me no matter what. Death is not terrible. With time it’s time to meet. Here and now She whirls on me. You got me waiting And the cradle, And so, I know, with me Nothing will happen!” Maybe a bit more than many other famous cites in the world, Odessa is fueled by the myths surrounding it which shape perceptions about the place to this very day. Ms. Abosch’s blog from 2012 is concise, precise and enlightening – sometimes sadly so. Here is one more sample video and song with great classic pictures of “the city of the steps” that she brought to light, “I Remember Mother Odessa” (“Odessa Mama”): “Whoever has not been In the beautiful city of Odessa Has not seen the world And knows nothing of progress Who cares for Vienna of Paris, They’re puddles, jokes, no comparison Only in Odessa is A Paradise, I say. There in a restaurant They serve you beer And with it a bite Of fresh skrumbli Bashmala and balik And with them a shashlik With a good glass of wine – What could be better? Oh, Mother Odessa, You’re forever dear to me. Oh, Mother Odessa, How I long for thee! Oh, Mother Odessa, Who can forget you? Oh, Mother Odessa, I see you no more. Oh, Mother Odessa, I long for you and vow: Your avenues, promenades Are light, beautiful. The cafes, the boulevards, One can never forget. The carriages, the gypsies, The tumult, ta-ra-ram, The hotels, the young ladies Still are on my mind. Oh, Mother Odessa, You’re forever dear to me. Oh, Mother Odessa, How I long for thee! Oh, Mother Odessa, Who can forget you? Oh, Mother Odessa, I long for you and vow: Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, One cannot forget. Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, How I should like to see you again! Hop tidl dam ti stidl didl dam ti….. Oh, Odessa-Odessa Mother, You are the most beautiful panorama; Everyone treasured you dearly. The cabarets, restaurants, You will still remember today Who knows what has become of you? Odessa, Odessa, I long for you” It is amazing that Odessa still is controversial and standing today; I guess they wouldn’t have it any other way. I encourage you to read Ms. Abosch’s whole piece here, http://odessahistory-eabosch2012.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html Out of respect for her brilliant research and blog, I shan’t devote more space to it than I already have, in order to peek your curiosity.
I feel this is a lesson in how stereotypical thinking ruins reputations on both sides of any argument. It reminds me of the rolled eyes, doubting looks, behind-my-back whispers that I am being “tricked” or scammed, that I notice when I tell some people about my relationship with Inna, inferring that she isn’t “real” or is “stringing me along”. Being a black American, I know first-hand how stereotypes, painted with a broad brush, can distort the perception of a whole people – or country.
I also can hear my late father commenting how black Americans and Jews have many more similarities historically than most people realize. A story about Jews hiding in a Ukrainian cave comes to light here: After you’ve absorbed her blog, please come back here to comment. Maybe we can get Elizabeth herself to weigh-in!
I commute
You are cute.
“Toot-Toot!”
Yet abhor
Lack of success.
In a picture,
I digress;
Love you on the beach,
In that red dress!
Stay inside,
Someday in I’ll slide.
Then again I awake while commuting,
From my dream;
I come in pants,
Silently scream.
To work I quake and settle into it.
Close my eyes,
Thinking of you;
For over ninety minutes daily when I
Ride the subway metro.
I plan our dream;
Plot this is no bullshit scheme!
Our future is now.
And Holy Cow!
I sit in a seat like this!
Imagine me sitting here with you!
Oh, so “koo-koo”!
Spring bird calls return;
Now are heard.
I want you to back-up into me,
Until you feel my hard ecstasy.
I want you to back-up your
Ass to me;
Feel the hard head of need;
Tooo crazy now not to succeed.
Back-up, Baby
Back-up to when we met.
Back-up, love,
Never forget;
That you honestly found me,
Then helped me improve my life
Without conditions nor regret.
This song comes to mind from the 1970s…my college days, ever since your last email letter and until I achieve the funding solution I am seeking for the past year now – which isn’t easy for me, who never/could not because of outside interference, use “credit” here in the USA until the mid-2000s – and now I desperately wish that I could talk to you who, mired in “disappointment” and disbelief now, is silent for the most part.
“TALK to you”, like we used to not that many months ago in the scheme of things (the “big picture”) so that I can let you hear just where I stand.
Communicate by telephone voice or Skype so I can explain how the “United” States financial credit system catches dolphins in the shark net, denying and delaying those who are mature, responsible, organized and worthy of being lent money to, the chance to further their dreams, inventions, plans or in our case “The January ProjeX” family business model that I am pitching nowadays. https://gust.com/c/the_january_projex I am one such victim, but I will keep fighting until my dying breath or until you say not to – which ever comes first.
And I know that I am getting closer to getting that money that we need! Maybe the real “empty promise” is “The American Dream” for most of us…
I live ONLY to repay you by whatever means it takes to get the money, and restore your playful desires and faith in me.
Other songs that come to former disc jockey-musical mind are Al Green’s “Living For You” and Abba’s “Take A Chance On Me”.
I still want to be your forever Man.
“I, I, I, I wish that I could talk to you, baby
So that I can let you know
(So that I can let you know, I)
I wish that I could talk to you, baby
So that I can let you know
(So that I can let you know)
Oh, if only I can hear
Your voice so sweet and clear,
It would ease my lonely state of mind
Somehow I got to get in touch with you
To let you know
(Let you know, yeah!)
That my love is true
(So true)
I only wish I knew just where to find you
I realize, yeah, yeah
(Realize)
That time is turning the tides
And I’m unsatisfied
I, I, I, I wish that I could talk to you, baby
So that I can let you know
(So that I can let you know, I)
I wish that I could talk to you, baby
So that I can let you know
(So that I can let you know)
There’s no hidden plan…”
As I’ve always, since you found me, tried to gently remind you, Honey, “What I SAY I will DO, I WILL do. It may take longer than we both desire, due to factors out of our control, but I WILL get it accomplished. Conversely, If I do NOT say I will do it, you have only a 50/50 chance – if I feel like it.” With You (another song title), I always “feel” like trying like with no other woman and take every daily step to the bus stop and down the subway (metro) train to work for our eventual union.
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