...but, instead of a song, i'm offering a friday parable. i can't take credit for it, so it might be worth taking to heart.


""On the fifth day of the third year of the duck, Jacob of Migraine went into the wilderness seeking counsel of the wise. Before night had fallen, he came upon Roshom the Renowned, Prophet of the QUOFE, friend of animals and plants alike.

"Roshom! I beseech thee!" cried Jacob. "My head aches day & night! Behold! Blood drippeth from mine brow! What shall I doeth, oh Veritable one?"

Roshom reached & pulled something from Jacob's wounded head. It wath bark of the gopher tree. And the prophet spake unto him, "From wherat hath this bark come?"

Jacob said "Why, from whence I beateth my head against the gopher tree."

"And why dost thou doest that?" asked the Prophet.

Jacob replied, "For, I hath always done so."

"Then, verily, I say unto you, stopeth doing so," spaketh the Prophet.

And therby Jacob left the Prophet, bowing, but gave no tithing - not one copper sheckl nor a fruit, for Jacob was cheapeth.

A fortnight passed, and yet the headaches of Jacob continued. But, lo! He had ceased to beateth his head against yon gopher tree as the prophet had enticed. "I am pleased that I paid not the Prophet, for verily, I say unto myself, he is false and untrue."

In that very moment, Berthia, his wife, steppeth from the house. "Art thou beatething thine head against this very door... again?" she loudly asketh, plump hands on plumper hips, sandaled foot tapping rapidly.

Jacob raised his shoulders, and his head doth dropped.

"Why, er yea," replied Jacob, now Jacob the Meek.

"Stopeth doing so!" shouted she.

Jacob repented in full, promising never to sin against the door again when lo! He beheld with grin the nearby clay brick wall.""

This one appears to fit in better.

She wore a beautiful dress to her own death
And everyone agreed it was tasteful
She had declined to meet their eyes
For, at this point, she was unable
She held her breath while the water met her steps
Steeled herself for the journey
Fantasized for years that there'd be no tears
And, furthermore, she was in no freaking hurry

Without a sound

Gracefully she mimicked dreams
Played out each and every scene
Cancelled the paper while making tea that morning
With every obligation met
She climbed the stairs into that dress
She hit her marks and the exit planned was glory
Her mindset was elaborate
No need for a jacket, a stimulant depressant or placebo
She'd been alone for years
With the grinding of the gears
Waiting for the pull of the ocean

Without a sound
She's going down without a sound

She wore a beautiful dress to her own death
From the rocks to the beach into the ocean
Coast guard said "it's the strangest thing
She seemed to grimace and to wink"
But I knew it was a smile that had frozen

Without a sound
She's going down without a sound

He's gone,
2000 miles,
It's very far.
The snows falling down.
It's colder day by day.
I miss you.
The children were singing,
He'll be back at Christmas time.
And these frozen and silent nights,
Sometimes in a dream,
You appear.
Outside under the purple sky,
Diamonds in the snow,
Sparkle.
Our hearts were singing,
It felt like Christmas time.
2000 miles,
Is very far through the snow
I'll think of you
Wherever you go.
He's gone,
2000 miles,
Is very far.
The snows falling down,
It's colder day by day.
I miss you.
I can hear people singing,
It must be Christmas time.
I hear people singing,
It must be Christmas time.
--" The torture never stops"--

One of my favorites, because I feel like it.

When you were here before
Couldn't look you in the eye
You're just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
I wish I was special
You're so f***ing special

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here

I don't care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice when I'm not around
You're so f***ing special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell I'm doing here?
I don't belong here

She's running out again
She's running out
She runs runs runs

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
You're so f***ing special
I wish I was special

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here
I don't belong here

Because of the season, because I like the idea of recasting some elements of the traditional in my milieu, and because I'd like to have a blizzard...

The Blizzard Carol

The snow is scudding 'cross the fields,
The drifts are blowing higher,
As the child's tucked into a makeshift bed
Beside a woodstove's fire.
Mary is exhausted, sleeping;
(Oh, the winds do blow)
Winter winds her vigil keeping.
(Blow, winds, blow softly)
Whisper, wind, sink to a sigh;
(Oh, the winds do blow)
Sing your king a lullaby.
(Blow, winds, blow softly)

The choring farmers hear the song
That cuts through wind and weather,
And the sight they see in the neighbour's barn
Will change their lives forever.
Wake the village; tell the story.
(Oh, the winds do blow)
Eyes shine with reflected glory.
(Blow, winds, blow softly)
This the tale they'll always tell
(Oh, the winds do blow)
God is come, all will be well.
(Blow, winds, blow softly)

While far away the plans of kings
Entwine, and twist, and alter,
As Mary ponders many things,
Her joy begins to falter.
Child, your foes will rise around you;
(Oh, the winds do blow)
Men would kill you if they found you.
(Blow, winds, blow softly)
Soon the dangers you must face,
(Oh, the winds do blow)
But tonight the storm will keep you safe.
(Blow, winds, blow softly)

My boys are 4 and a half years apart and get along very well, thankfully. We were fortunate that the older one had a couple of best friends [one an only child, one the younger of 2 boys] who more or less treated our youngest as their little brother too.

I think it also helps that we have a large extended family that basically dotes on all the kids, especially the younger ones, so everyone gets plenty of attention at those big family gatherings.

Of course, that didn't help me get along with my older sister. We are 18 months apart and got along great until Jr High and the relationship has been strained since then. [her fault, of course] I'm much closer to my younger sister and she is 10 and a half years younger than I am, and neither one of us get along with our older sister. [so I'm SURE it's her fault]

And my little sister is the one who told her 3rd grade teacher she was an only child, because, well, at the time she WAS the only child in the family.

I know it's a bit early, but I'm all but hopping up and down with joy to have finally found this song. You see, I heard it once on the radio, toward the end of high school or early in college, and then never again. I never knew the artist, I couldn't think of any way to find out, and I eventually gave up on ever finding the song. Then, a couple nights ago, my wife was watching Pump Up the Volume, and Hard Harry's opening music ("Everybody Knows") caught my attention. So I tracked down the song they play in the film, rather than the Concrete Blonde cover that's on the soundtrack, and found it's by a guy named Leonard Cohen. And I found out that Mr Cohen is also the guy who did this song, heard so long ago and never truly forgotten:

"Closing Time"

Ah we're drinking and we're dancing
and the band is really happening
and the Johnny Walker wisdom running high
And my very sweet companion
she's the Angel of Compassion
she's rubbing half the world against her thigh
And every drinker every dancer
lifts a happy face to thank her
the fiddler fiddles something so sublime
all the women tear their blouses off
and the men they dance on the polka-dots
and it's partner found, it's partner lost
and it's hell to pay when the fiddler stops:
it's CLOSING TIME

Yeah the women tear their blouses off
and the men they dance on the polka-dots
and it's partner found, it's partner lost
and it's hell to pay when the fiddler stops:
it's CLOSING TIME

Ah we're lonely, we're romantic
and the cider laced with acid
and the Holy Spirit's crying, "Where's the beef?"
And the moon is swimming naked
and the summer night is fragrant
with a mighty expectation of relief
So we struggle and we stagger
down the snakes and up the ladder
to the tower where the blessed hours chime
and I swear it happened just like this:
a sigh, a cry, a hungry kiss
the Gates of Love they budged an inch
I can't say much has happened since
but CLOSING TIME

I swear it happened just like this:
a sigh, a cry, a hungry kiss
the Gates of Love they budged an inch
I can't say much has happened since
but CLOSING TIME

I loved you for your beauty
but that doesn't make a fool of me:
you were in it for your beauty too
and I loved you for your body
there's a voice that sounds like God to me
declaring, declaring, declaring that your body's really you
And I loved you when our love was blessed
and I love you now there's nothing left
but sorrow and a sense of overtime
and I missed you since the place got wrecked
And I just don't care what happens next
looks like freedom but it feels like death
it's something in between, I guess
it's CLOSING TIME

Yeah I missed you since our place got wrecked
By the winds of change and the weeds of sex
looks like freedom but it feels like death
it's something in between, I guess
it's CLOSING TIME

Yeah we're drinking and we're dancing
but there's nothing really happening
and the place is dead as Heaven on a Saturday night
And my very close companion
gets me fumbling gets me laughing
she's a hundred but she's wearing
something tight
and I lift my glass to the Awful Truth
which you can't reveal to the Ears of Youth
except to say it isn't worth a dime
And the whole damn place goes crazy twice
and it's once for the devil and once for Christ
but the Boss don't like these dizzy heights
we're busted in the blinding lights
of CLOSING TIME

The whole damn place goes crazy twice
and it's once for the devil and once for Christ
but the Boss don't like these dizzy heights
we're busted in the blinding lights,
busted in the blinding lights
of CLOSING TIME

Oh the women tear their blouses off
and the men they dance on the polka-dots
It's CLOSING TIME
And it's partner found, it's partner lost
and it's hell to pay when the fiddler stops
It's CLOSING TIME
I swear it happened just like this:
a sigh, a cry, a hungry kiss
It's CLOSING TIME
The Gates of Love they budged an inch
I can't say much has happened since
But CLOSING TIME
I loved you when our love was blessed
I love you now there's nothing left
But CLOSING TIME
I miss you since the place got wrecked
By the winds of change and the weeds of sex.

I'd just like to add, I thought it would be Friday by the time I placed all those fershlugginer break tags. And sorry for the length.

I just took the last test of my college career.

The cap and gown are on the front seat of my car.

And if anyone ever again mentions Fourier series to me, I will track them down and insert my Sensors textbook into their rectum with a vigorous twisting motion.

Consider yourselves forewarned. *gryn*

In my experience, people who think things like "It's all about me" tend to continue thinking that way, regardless of circumstances and heedless of reality, until the end of their miserable, vapid, narcissistic little lives.

(Me, hate people? Well... maybe a little.)

I've said before that I have seven brothers and a sister. I'm the middle child. There are at least a year between each (36,34,33,31,29,27,26,21,9). All the brothers teased, well, not the youngest. My sister's birthday is within a week of mine and she's a scene stealer. I had to deal with the hand-me-downs of boys, save the suits and dress clothing.

After all the pains of growing up, you'd think that I wouldn't want to have a large family of my own. *grin*

That ruled paul. hehehehehe.....

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Karma Police