Watched the "Battle of Algiers,", have it on VHS...not light viewing, but important history, and amongst others of its sort, IMHO, wouldn't be bad mandatory viewing.

On my one jaunt to Paris, a city I fell for far more than I expected to, I remember this exchange most fondly. A friend had told me about a fabulous inexpensive crepes place, and it was located on Rue Washington. My more-world-traveled friend on the trip with me was fixated on a map. She didn't like asking for directions. I, the American rube but not entirely unsophisticated, got fed up and went to a magazine vendor and asked where Rue Washington might be. (Near, I knew, off the Champs-Elysees (sp?).) At first, disconnect completely. I was pronouncing it Rue WASH-ING-TON. When I finally got through to her, it was because I pointed on a map and she said: "Oh, Rue Wash-ing-TONNNE." Accent totally and Frenchy on "TONNNE." Forgive my inability at phonetics here. But paraphrasing Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady": "The French don't care what you say, as long as you pronounce it correctly." (Oh, ugly American moi, I was thinking: I know how to pronounce the father of our country!)

Anyway, got to London next and met just about anybody except Brits. Go figure. Loved it.

Joyous jinns. Tell me more. Otherwise I'll have to look up "jinns" and tax my wobbly brain.

You get it. I am so not surprised.

"That still astounds, and memory haunts." Yes. History, showed and told well, should do that. I remain thankful that my own personal history led me to even know or care about such a film. Well done, with the real footage intertwined. No syrup.

There was the Hollywood "Algiers" film...Charles Boyer, Hedy Lamarr...as if any comparison? None. Running around the Casbah to catch (if I remember correctly?) a jewel thief, versus documenting a serious revolution with major national and international impact. Ah, forget I brought that up.

Meanwhile, I think I'm a bit of a Jinn.

I can't take credit where it's not due.

"There's a hell of a universe next door" is from an e.e. cummings poem. He is my favorite poet, and one of the several reasons I appreciate GoodCelery! and Klytus, too.

The rest I wrote ("...but we can't go. Booked up. Or hermetically sealed.") That's my add-on.

Thanks for resonating to any or all of it, though.

If I'm remembering correctly...you've got the mother with the Irish surname? My mom's was Mahoney. :)

That's two smiles you've brought me in less than two minutes!

Merci mucho :)

(As long as devilish Jinns can do for good, of course.)

Ok, my dear Klytus, now you have to explain "ifrits" to me! You confounder you!

Crafty critter? I'll accept that. I like it. May have to change my first & middle name to have the correct initials. Hmmmm, that would turn me from KK to CC.

No tire-sapping. Nah. Bad behavior. But I did throw wine bottles at some adolescent males one night (me an adolescent too, who listened to way too many sappy 45's). That's sorta like "forever bustin' beer bottles"? Moved on (at least in action, if not mindset heehee).

On the other hand..."Born of an ancient smokeless fire"...I embrace that. Shiver me timbers.

I'm a sucker for an "A." Just don't go telling strangers that that's my M.O. Don't want to lose my tough creds (hoho heehee).

Hooligan (another smile). Wben going for whimsy, I go for Harrigan..."H-A-Double RR-I-...GAN spells Harrigan..." I used to play it on the piano, family sing-alongs..."it's a name that a shame never can be connected with...Harrigan! that's me...kiss me, I'm Irish...Harrigan, that's me" :)

O'Neil. In my mom's old-country heritage, hers would have been O'MAH-oney. I got to take her (well, actually, she made me! I avoided NYC parades in general, those years I was there provided me enough crowds daily) to the St. Patrick's Day parade in NYC and when the "sea of blue" (the NYPD) marched forth, she (a cutie and a half) was yelling out to them: "Are you all Irish?" Most ignored her. My sweet dad wasn't the least bit annoyed with her. And FINALLY a kind cop yelled back to her: "Today we are." At the Irish pub afterwards, the waiter so took to her that we got a huge bag of soda bread and whatnot to take home...

Thanks again for your kind words. It's been a rough week or so around here (writer-wise included, me trying to find my way back into, around, or transforming completely, egads) and I really appreciated your nice exchange.

I suspect that you're wrong and I sincerely hope that you're wrong. You're from Texas? So was my daddy, God rest his soul. He always said his vote was private, so I can't speak for him politically. But personally, I think he'd find your post appalling.

The Honest Party

Break out the champagne

No reason to refrain

Churchbells will be ringing

Jinns will be singing