“Great difficulties may be surmounted by patience and perseverance.” – Abigail Adams
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Thought For the Day: Great Difficulties May Be Surmounted By Patience and Perseverance
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Abigail Adams, Difficulty, Patience, Perseverance, Susmount, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: We Also Glory In Our Sufferings, Because We Know That Suffering Produces Perseverance; Perseverance, Character; Character, Hope
“(W)e also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” – Romans 5:3-4
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Character, First Principles, Glory, Hope, Perseverance, Romans 5:3-4, Suffering
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Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon
by Michael Doyle
It doesn't matter what screen she's on
Here's to the legendary Merle Oberon
In 1935, she set eyes and minds reeling
Playing the heroine with thought and feeling
South Asian, yet with Javanese eyes
Her ascent had come with some surprise
As Goldwyn made her his dark angel to tantalize
She became the first colored actress to rise
Kolkata born she became a star of Hollywood
She was dead 10 years before it was understood
A pioneer of color-blind casting accidentally right
It was a secret was hidden from us all in plain sight
Her starry eyes would look down to silently glisten
Telling beautiful secrets if we would only listen
Not to be discounted but perhaps given some compassion
Oberon was Asian before such a thing was in fashion
A mixed-race child forced to experience alienation
From India, she arose the result of a studio's creation
Destined as exotic looking from her tarnished youth
She gave her all to pursue her vision of artistic truth
Society's torments provides its multiple cautionary tales
As the psychological will for troubled desires prevail
Hostility set the terms with its need to cautiously hide
What in the present time we would proudly confide
(c) March 1, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Alienation, Artistic Truth, Ascent, Asian, Cautionary Tales, Color-Blind Casting, Compassion, Confide, Creation, Dark Angel, Eyes, First "Colored" Actress, Goldwyn, Heroine, Hide, Hollywood, Hostility, India, Javanese Eyes, Kolkata, Legend, Listen, Merle Oberon, Minds, Mixed-Race, Plain Sight, Poetry and Poems, Present Time, Psychological Will, Reeling, Screen, Society's Torments, South Asian, Starry Eyes, Studio, Tantalize, Terms, Troubled Desires, Understood, Vision
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First Principles: The Supreme Art of War Is To Subdue the Enemy Without Fighting
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” – Sun Tzu
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Art of War, Enemy, Fight, First Principles, Subdue, Sun Tzu, Supreme
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Thought For the Day: The First Thing To Decide Before You Walk Into Any Negotiation Is What To Do If the Other Fellow Says ‘No’
“The first thing to decide before you walk into any negotiation is what to do if the other fellow says ‘no’.” – Ernest Bevin
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Decide, Ernest Bevin, First Thing, Negotiation, No, Other Fellow, Thought For the Day, Walk
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Signs of Peace In An Artificial World
Signs of Peace In An Artificial World
by Michael Doyle
I grew up strong and being taught what it means
To walk justly and forthright with other human beings
This meant that one didn't have to fight to be a man
Throwing one's weight around didn't make one more American
It seems pertinent to what was said in The Art of the Deal
To understand your leverage, think big and get to what's real
Knowing the market requires knowing the playing field
To do this requires knowing who will and will not yield
In this case, one man understands firsthand the evidence
Every day of his life, he lives the resulting consequence
True peace rests on pillars like national self-determination
Freedom respects human rights, including for Ukraine's nation
The rule of law clarifies values cannot be negotiated away
This is regardless of how bleak one's position is any given day
When I was younger, I with others, signed my name on the line
Willing to give all that freedom be kept by me and for mine
These same principles stand before the issues we examine today
Signs of peace in an artificial world have this value and play
Much the same as they always have, and hopefully always will
This is where things stand in the living art of my life's deal
It's the same world that I see revolving around before my eyes
And as I stare up at the constellations in the darkened skies
I ask you, Mr. President, to reconsider the things you've said
Reexamine who's side you are on inside thoughts in your head
Neither fear nor force; nothing can make a brave man change
Until that man sees a reason he's willing to make that change
No bluster, loud words, nor threats of standing on his own
Will make such a man feel as though he walks this world alone
Such a man, like all men, absolutely needs his sense of dignity
On this occasion, you must cede the need for Ukraine's integrity
Constituted an independent state, it governs by its own choice
A good negotiator recognizes he must honor the other's voice
Isn't that right, Mr. President?
(c) February 28, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Agreed Pillars, Alone, American, Artificial World, Bluster, Brave Man, Change, Choice, Consequence, Dignity, Evidence, Fight, Freedom, Given DAy, Good Negotiator, Government, Honor and Glory, Human Rights, Independent State, Integrity, Issues, Just, Kept By Me For Mine, Leverage, Line, Living Art, Market, My Life' s Deal, National Self-Determination, Negotiation, Peace, Playing Field, Poetry and Poems, Politics, Real, Reason, Rule of Law, Russia, Same Principles, Signs of Peace, Strong, Taught, The Art of the Deal, The Other's Voice, Think Big, Today, Ukraine, Values, War, Writing, Yield
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First Principles: Education Is Not Complete Unless We Teach Our Children Not Only How To Read and Write But the Difference Between Right and Wrong
“Education is not complete unless we teach our children not only how to read and write but the difference between right and wrong.” – George H. W. Bush
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Children, Complete, Difference, Education, First Principles, George H. W. Bush, Read and Write, Right and Wrong, Teach
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Thought For the Day: Never Worry About Numbers. Help One Person At A Time, and Always Start With the Person Nearest You
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.”– Mother Theresa
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Help, Mother Theresa, Numbers, One Person, Person Nearest, Start, Thought For the Day, Time, Worry
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Napoli Treats For Friday Nights
Napoli Treats For Friday Nights
by Michael Doyle
Mouth watering, the aroma fills the air
Prepared by two hands that care
Piping hot pizza pie and glasses of red wine
Never has Friday night been more divine
Humble origins in good old Italy
Are fancy enough for the likes of you and me
Its tasty creation calls for time and skill
Ignoring the caloric content is a matter of will
Pizza's cheesy goodness and savory sauce
Are the beginnings, and you are the boss
It's a little slice of heaven in every bite
If tacos have Tuesdays, Pizzas are for Friday nights
Craving a little bite of the perfect pie
There's no time like now to begin wondering why
We aren't already folding over a tasty slice
Take two if you want my best advice
Ready-made food may have its time to stuff a face
But my best moments are at the order in pizza place
Smiles and happy sorts of dreams are often shared
In this gastronomic wonder where Napoli treats are prepared
Pizza's cheesy goodness and savory sauce
Are the beginnings, and you are the boss
It's a little slice of heaven in every bite
If tacos have Tuesdays, Pizzas are for Friday nights
Napoli where the laughing people are convivial
As they celebrate each day as if a carnival
A mural of Vesuvio decorates the otherwise plain wall
While students, artists and children fill the stalls
Real pizza comes from brick ovens and two generations
That have learned every nuance held with veneration
Each spice and every tidbit has its respected place
And we the paying customers wisely enjoy their trace
Pizza's cheesy goodness and savory sauce
Are the beginnings, and you are the boss
It's a little slice of heaven in every bite
If tacos have Tuesdays, Pizzas are for Friday nights
(c) February 27, 2025 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Aroma, Best Advice, Boss, Caloric Content, Cheesy Goodness, Crave, Divine, Every Bite, Friday Night, Friday Nights, Glasses, Humble Origins, Italy, Mouth Watering, Napoli Treats, Pizza Pie, Pizzas, Poetry and Poems, Red Wine, Savory Sauce, Slice of Heaven, Taces, Tasty, Tuesdays
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First Principles: True Peace Rests On the Pillars of Individual Freedom, Human Rights, National Self-Determination, and Respect For the Rule of Law
“When we speak of peace, we should not mean just the absence of war. True peace rests on the pillars of individual freedom, human rights, national self-determination, and respect for the rule of law.” – Ronald Reagan
ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER 