'How Many Ukrainians?' Goes a Variation on the Old Joke (Study in Threes)

Those who remember the old light bulb and ladder joke may smile when

they see the caption (I'll retell it in comments), as I did when I

spied these two Ukrainians guarding the ladder of this painter,

Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, recently. Your ratings and critiques are

invited and most welcome. If you rate harshly or very critically,

please submit a helpful and constructive comment/Please share your

superior knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy!

John

As I first heard it, it related to Italians, but it can relate to any denigrated ethnic group, nationality or other bunch of people.

Question: How many (denigrated group) does it take to change a light bulb?

A. Three. One to hold the light bulb and two to turn the ladder.

I thought of that when I slowly walked past this bunch of workers.

This will end up in my presentation on 'Threes'.

John (Crosley)

Being Italian I heard it a zillion times and it still makes me laugh, although we cahnged it to other nationalities. To the photo: a great study on "Threes" Three workers; three reflections of the same men; the "Triangle of the ladder. You gaught them all so well. Congratulations and a great street shot to boot.

Well done.

It is interesting that you still identify with 'being Italian' more than being American given that you live here (and may be a citizen of the U.S.), since the U.S. is a nation that absorbs nationalities and give its unique identities to those it absorbs -- but especially to the second generation. The first generation probably continues to think 'well, I'm Polish, I'm Italian, or I'm Mexican, but the second generation, well, they're different: 'I've got rights' they tell the cops and they have a sense of entitlement.

I grew up in a household that didn't allow ethnic jokes, though my parents quietly talked among themselves about 'nationalities' and things 'racial' but in a foreign language (literally) that I didn't understand, and still don't. I was insulated and the black men (always men) who showed up at the door in my university town, always had their hand written masters or doctors dissertations (theses) in hand, asking my mother to type them professionally and they were welcome in our home, and that was my introduction to people of differnt colors (and nationalities). My first work was typing (at age 12) a thesis for a stutterer and stammerer (and I stuttered and stammered for 6 months afterward -- power of suggestion and self-awareness).

Yes, you saw the shadows, which I didn't see, the three three angles of the triangle, also which I hadn't factored in, but would have seen, I'm sure.

And, of course, I couldn't resist taking this photo -- it was so easy to recognize.

(I have one in a nearby Safeway I'm waiting to take, someone up high on boxes on tippytoes putting that last box on the last shelf almost ready to fall with a second arm held out for counterbalance and I'm wondering if I'll ever get that shot of those night shelf stockers. We'll see. I keep hoping, which is why I take a camera everywhere.)

Thanks for your illuminating contribution.

John (Crosley)

We call that in composition 'mirroring' and in this case, it literally is.

I hadn't even seen that.

How wonderful to have observant critiques.

And I only saw 'threes' for my 'Threes' presentation and actually was inspired by that old canard (French for joke -- literally 'duck' as in bird.)

You have wonderful powers of observation. I'd love to go hunting with you; I'd never go hungry.

John (Crosley)

for your presentation "3"... nice

What is the plural of 'trois?' -- in America it is 'threes'. Anyway, I think I immediately placed this in my Presentation 'Threes' and in fact shot it expressly for that folder -- it was on my mind even more than presenting it for critique.

Merci mon ami,

John (Crosley)

There is no Plural of "trois" ....

only for "20" "100".. C U .. merci a toi..

Merci, mon ami,

Jean (John Crosley)