Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS
And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

Happy 2010!!!

Merry Christmas!

By Clement Clarke Moore:

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

A Thorny One

For the Supreme Court to decide:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/us/03scotus.html?th&emc=th

Will the high Court be able to find middle ground? Or will the shifting sands of time dune their endeavors? A rising tide sinks all cases?

Concerns About the Comcast Purchase of NBC

Buzzflash is of course very much a left-leaning political website, but I would consider this column to not be overtly leftwing:

http://blog.buzzflash.com/analysis/943

The article fails to mention it but Comcast has also been playing hardball with DirecTV (I cannot speak for Dish as I don’t work for them) the past couple months on the rights agreement for Versus. They are charging an exorbitant rate that DirecTV is refusing to pay. And where I live MSNBC is still in basic but CNBC requires a digital package.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

November 10, 1975. By Gordon Lightfoot:

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy.

With a load of iron ore – 26,000 tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconson
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most
With a crew and the Captain well seasoned.

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ships bell rang
Could it be the North Wind they’d been feeling.

The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,
T’was the witch of November come stealing.

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashing
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane West Wind

When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it’s too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it’s been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours
The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay
If they’d fifteen more miles behind her.

They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the ruins of her ice water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams,
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.

And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral
The church bell chimed, ’til it rang 29 times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.

Returning to the Flock?

The Vatican is making overtures to disaffected conservative Anglicans to welcome them in the Roman Catholic community:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/world/europe/21pope.html?th&emc=th

Its an interesting notion. The schism is a lasting legacy of Henry VIII, but as one Anglican Bishop put it, there was a reformation you know. I don’t know how many Anglicans would be willing to make that leap back into Papism, but if there is a Protestant group that would en masse, its likely the Anglicans. Its a delicate matter that would have to be handled properly.

Of course, I would like to see the Catholic Church ordain female priests. But that’s another discussion.

Food for Thought

By Calvin Trillin:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/opinion/14trillin.html?th&emc=th

Zero Tolerance Nonsense

In refusing to use a modicum of common sense, some school districts end up throwing out the baby with the bathwater:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html?th&emc=th

As Zachary says, “but I think the rules are what is wrong, not me.”

One Tough Hombre

Or, in this case, one tough owl:

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2009/10/12/D9B9OJG00_us_odd_owl_vs_truck/

Now if it turns out that a Chevy truck kills the same owl down the road, I we would have ourselves a new Howie Long ad.

Multitasking

Proof that some people take their jobs entirely too seriously:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/technology/01distracted.html?th&emc=th

I would say technology that makes it impossible for cellular signals to depart a moving vehicle is too draconian. But people shouldn’t really be trying to read e-mails while driving, and certainly not texting and eating while driving. I’ve texted while driving a few times myself and know its not entirely safe. I know studies say different, but I don’t think simply talking, especially on a hands free, is that bad to do while driving. But if your work is so important you need to spend the whole 45 minute drive reading and responding to e-mails, you might want to consider hiring a chauffeur. And I would certainly have issue with companies that tacitly expect their employees to respond to messages while behind the wheel.