We are happy to note that we are acclimating well to the New Regime, and they… ferdobachew love us. They really love us. This past week they passed around a “Are you a CHiqun?” questionnaire, “to better understand you people”, they said. Awwww. Nobody has ever cared to try to understand us. Heck, we’ve never cared to understand us!

And so we were summoned to the Boardroom to discuss these findings, and for our new upper management to bond with our woes.And let us tell you, these are no prissy warriors. They, too, have wounds so deep and jarring. They, too, have been oppressed for simply wanting a few good things in life. For example, we learnt that a few of them were indeed in “mEda” for quite a while, fighting the good fight. (In one case, a very senior New Upper Manager recalled the harsh days in bereha where he was a foot soldier for the BolE Peoples Liberation Front. “Bereha” in this case was Arizona.)

So what are their plans for SELEDA? Who cares? We get to enjoy actually sitting in the Boardroom chairs rather than underneath them. Tadiya lEla mn yasfeligal?

Dehna senebetachiu SELEDAwiyan? And welcome to the 2015 Issue!

Is it us or are most of us optimistic about the future of Ethiopia/Ethiopians? IndE, mn nekachiu? Mnnew memo bitE satilikulin, jal? Here we were, thinking that the abyss was going to get a shade darker, and there you are shining a bawza on us. Gud new. This was, for us, a delightfully enlightening issue to explore, and we hope you find it equally fulfilling.

Speaking of eske poont fulfilling us, we are giddy with pleasure to tell you that new writers have taken our challenge from last month and jumped into the SELEDA Hot Tub full o’ contributors. Welcome, one and all. We are honored to have you on board. Please, don’t mind the infalot… nor our resident vixen. Neither will hurt you unless you specifically ask to be….

Huh?

Hmmm!

Annnniiiiway!All to say, ye kebere tenkiew to all those who took their time to write us these wonderful pieces, and by doing so raise the bar for civil, intelligent discourse. This month’s scribers especially took on a difficult subject, and so artfully managed to weave their golden webs around it. They are gigantically impressive.

A great big ke akbrot gar yetelewese gursha of gratitude to our friend and tireless supporter, Gashe Esseye Medhin, whose cover art this month says it all so beautifully.

Innnna, what’s new at SELEDA?

ECH! Fqr, that’s what’s new. Be lElaw nfro belanibet. We look forward to seeing you back here in September when our New Webmassa has promised to deliver a new SELEDA look and a few bells and whistles to make your reading pleasure pleasurable. Yes, we are overdue for a facelift.

And as we are sure you are doing right at this moment, you are fidgeting your way through this column, trying desperately to drown us out so that you can find out what the upcoming SELEDA Issues are. “Tell us, you wefefEs,” you hiss. “For the love of God just shut up and tell us!!”

You know, our new bosses tell us thatchikola is a … what did they call it…? We forget. But they keep on telling us, “Esti atchekulu” in a very eshurruru-ing voice. And then they…

Ok, OK already!

Septemberwill be the Paranoia And… Issue.
October will be the Irony and Platitudes Issue
November will be the Fathers and Sons, Fathers and Daughters; & Mothers and Daughters and Mothers and Sons Issue.

Check out 50 Lomi for more details and deadlines. Please be aware that no articles from you means more quality time for us lounging in them leather couches in former Upper Management’s office staring into a gigantic picture of a group shot of them. So, send in your articles!

Ere sewech mehEd alebin. It’s movie night at SELEDA. We’re going to see home videos of our new leaders’ days as guerrilla fighters. “Those were the kifu, qewTi timeoch,” they recalled wistfully. “We all had to share one blow drier.”

M'Ts. ENa iningebgeb ! G'b-g'bbbbb! CHerqoss, please protect these people from any more hurt. Le eNa b’leh.

See you in the New Year. Until then,

Selam hunulin

The Humble Editors
editors@seleda.com