"Building A Building" with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse (1932)

Bullying is a problem which has beset mankind for ages. From the first cavemen, up through the present time, there have always been; and probably always will be; those who would use their size, or strength, to impose their will upon others. Although a serious problem, bullying has proven to be great fodder for some of the best comedy ever produced; be it on stage, screen or even in cartoons.
 

Think of Charlie Chaplin’s early films. Wasn’t he always the victim of some bullying type, whether it be an authority figure, or just a plain old rude person? But he always came out on top in his confrontations with bullies, even if only by accident.

The same is true of the Popeye cartoons, in which the intrepid sailor was always up against someone bigger than himself. Bluto was always trying to savage him in a never ending quest for the love of Olive Oyl, only to be beaten by Popeye and his spinach each time. Since school has just begun again, I thought I would address the issue with a cartoon to illustrate the topic of bullying.

In this 1932 release, Mickey is working on a construction site, building a building. Everyone works in unison except for the riveter. He is the big man on site, and let’s Mickey know it. When Minnie Mouse comes along with her lunch wagon, he quickly makes unwanted advances towards her. This brings him into confrontation with the much smaller Mickey, who; aided by Minnie; gives him a taste of his own medicine. They then ride off together on a new joint venture, as evidenced by the sign on the side of the lunch wagon.

Bullying is a real issue in our schools today. With the beginning of the new school year, all parents should take the time to talk to their children about this topic. Give them the tools they need to confront the problem. The first is humor. Most bullies can be laughed away, but sometimes the only choice is to stand up for your own dignity. But, if fighting back is not your cup of tea, then telling an adult at school, and home, are the next best things. There is no shame in being bullied; but there is also no reason to accept it lying down

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Colocasia Esculenta - Elephant Ears

It's no secret that Sue is the gardener at our house. I am the beneficiary of all her efforts to make our yard look so beautiful. These elephant ears are a perfect example. They have grown about 2 feet in just a few short months. Of course the hot weather, with temperatures over 100 degrees for weeks, along with high humidity and daily thunderstorms have helped. They are now as tall as I am.

I have always loved these exotic looking plants, as they remind me of the jungle, both the ones I saw in the Tarzan movies as a kid, and the ones I trekked through as a young adult. They are beautiful in my yard, something to be appreciated from an aesthetic point of view. But out in the real world this is a very useful plant.

Aside from the obvious food source it offers some animals, it is also home to insects as they flit around, doing what comes naturally. But there are other uses as well, some of which apply to humans.

For instance, I once used an elephant ear leaf as a rainhat, slanting it upon my head so the rain would flow from front to back, both shading my eyes and keeping me semi-dry all at once. Natures poncho. And although I have never had to - they can be used to gather water during a rainfall. Such a beautiful and useful plant.

Growing up in Brooklyn we had window boxes on our window ledges. Our preferred plant was the geranium, usually in bright red. To this day I cannot look at a geranium without thinking of 1310 Avenue R in Brooklyn. We had the only window boxes in our 70 family apartment building. That was one of my father's hobbies. He also cultivated Bonsai trees, which fascinated me no end.

But the elephant ear, Colocasia Esculenta, is a plant with takes over 2,000 forms. In some countries they are considered part of the Taro family, with the roots being a prized source of food. In my yard however, I don't need them for food, or even a rainhat. I just like looking at them and letting my mind wander.