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21st September this year fell on a Wednesday. The whole nation was told to sleep or take a rest at home. We (I mean the Association that embraces the legal practitioners of (or in) Ghana, including me) were attending the annual conference in (some writers prefer �at�) Elmina. �At� is preferably used for small places: He has spent ten years at the bar. He was born at Kokobra. �In� is used for large places: The event took place in Accra. The day was episodic or episodal that is, characterized by episodes. For one thing, it rained heavily, that is, it rained cats and dogs where we were, and we had decided to visit Kakum Forest. To rain cats and dogs is to rain heavily, or rain very hard. The downpour nearly marred the joy we wanted to derive from the excursion. For another, the walk on the ropes was terrifying for those who were walking on the almost 300-feet high ropes for the first time. �Terrifying� is synonymous with awesome, fearsome, frightening, formidable, ghastly, grim, startling, menacing, nightmarish, scary, harrowing, macabre. From a distance, I could hear someone shout to urge the frightened ones: �Be bold,� another screamed in response: �For all die be die�: Walking on the ropes could be nightmarish, and it required �boldness� (bravado, courage, effrontery, impertinence, panache) to go through the ordeal. The fear was that one could fall from the rope into the valley about 300 feet below, so one needed to remind oneself that �all die be die� to get the needed push or boost (a re-enforcement of self confidence) to take the risk. We did not see wild animals or animals in the wild. Perhaps, all the living creatures had gone on hibernation (lying in a state of dormancy; or in a torpid or inactive state). One person was delighted to have seen butterflies, and another screamed when that person saw a solitary snail. We got drenched (wet) in the rain. On our return to camp, there were drinkables to gulp or quaff; and eatables to bite and munch, except that the rain would not allow for easy collection of them from the vehicles. We were famished (very hungry). �Eatables� are usually used in the plural, and they refer to items of food. The rivers around were in flood. They got flooded; their banks burst. The rivers overflowed their banks. The nearby places got flooded. NOT: The rivers overflooded, and NOT: The rain made the place overflooded. �Flood� and �Overflow� can be useful in other usages, e.g. He offered us ready assistance with a heart overflowing with kindness. Figuratively, �flood� means �a great amount of�, e.g. a flood of tears; a flood of letters; a flood of words. Whereas the debate on the founder or the founders of the state of Ghana is enmeshed in controversy, what everybody thought was not controversial (debatable, disputable, doubtful, moot) has been thrown into the arena of dispute. Here, one is talking about the �founder� of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The controversy reached a high gear when Major Boakye- Djan insisted that he was also among the founders of the NDC, apparently because he had masterminded the release of Flt Lt JJ Rawlings from the cells in June 1979. Then came the argument by the returnee, Dr Obed Asamoah, to the NDC camp, after a stint in the Democratic Freedom party which he indubitably founded. He had stated; �Legally, former President Rawlings could not have been the founder of the NDC because the law at that time did not permit that.� Dr Obed Asamoah explained: �In saying former President Rawlings could not have been the founder of the NDC because the law at that time did not permit that, I was simply stating the �legal fact� and in no way attacking the importance of Mr. Rawlings. �Indeed, I did not denigrate former President J. J. Rawlings�, as he told the Daily Graphic on Monday, October17, 2011. He added: �Members of the PNDC knew Mr. Rawlings was going to contest the 1992 elections, but since he was a serving military officer, he could not openly declare he was going to contest so other people had to do all that work in getting the party founded and recognised by the Electoral Commission.� While re-admitting Dr Obed Asamoah into the NDC, Mr. Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the party is reported to have stated: �The barking dog that scared away people from our party has been tamed�. Friends of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings (FONKAR) in the Central Region has issued a statement: �The Executive and the entire membership in the Central Region of Ghana, consider as disappointing, dangerous, irritating and deeply insulting, the deliberate attempt by the mischievous elements in the party and government, led by Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, to tarnish the image of our beloved founder, Jerry John Rawlings. As a result, the General Secretary of the party has been (or should it read: is being) asked to resign.� Talking about holidays (i.e. public holidays), one is tempted to ask: �Where are all the holidays gone�? Times were when we used to have 24th February, beginning in 1966 when General Kotoka staged his military coup d�etat. Then came 13th January, beginning in 1972 when General Kutu Acheampong staged his coup d�etat. Then came 4th June, beginning in 1979 when Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings staged his coup d�etat, and, of course, 31st December, beginning in 1981 when Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings once again, staged his coup d�etat. ***** �I am the Founding Father of NDC. You don�t enter your house and say I have joined my house� Major Kojo Boakye-Djan