12/9/06

Late thinking...

I know this comes months after the election, and late all around, but a thought just occurred to me.



For the City? or F the City?

12/7/06

What do WW1 and WW2 have in common?





This ship. Commisioned 10/17/1916.. this ship cruised the Atlantic as the flagship, and then the Pacific as part of several battleship divisions..



Then she met 1,700+ lbs. of Japanese steel.. a bomb tore through one of her ammunition magazines, and destroyed the ship.



The USS Arizona sits in 40 feet of water, and holds the graves of 1,177 crew members...



A rallying cry at the time, a reminder now.







Dignity, and most of all.. something that we seem to have very little of these days... Honor.

LOCAL WEATHER ALERT!!

Light snow will fall late this afternoon...



Areas of light snow... reducing visibilities to mile at

times... will fall late this afternoon. The heaviest snow will fall

between 4:30 and 6 PM... but accumulations will be less than inch

and that will occur mainly in grassy areas. After 6 PM... off and

on show showers will be seen.



Motorists should use caution during the evening commute... as slick

spots may develop especially on bridges... overpasses and elevated

roadways.



Roanoke-Found will be on scene with a camera should any white stuff begin falling..



more to follow...

12/6/06

Withholding information

I'm in the midst of a quandary... I want to post, a serious hard-core post railing against the way the city operates, the political nonsense they engage in, the absolute stupidity of hiring as a consultant someone who resigned in basic disgrace from the VMT, so many things...



But the holidays are in the air, and my hearts not in it just yet. I'm still waiting for that one story that will push me over the edge, but I'm finding it hard to have that red streak run up my spine... what with the chill in the air (too much at 6am, but still...), the lights, the trees, the hustle and bustle of holiday shoppers..



And the windows of Florabella down on First St. True Christmas windows.. here in Roanoke. Something you won't get at the mall, or anywhere else short of 5th Ave. in Manhattan, although somehow better..



Photos will follow shortly - as soon as I drag them off my camera.

12/5/06

A seasonal re-run

Thanks to Pope Telesphorus, for ordering this ditty sung at every Christmas mass, and Pope Symmachus (they just don't make names like that anymore) for bringing this into the conscious mind of the faithful. And, like most viral marketing ploys, it spread from there.



Gloria in excélsis Deo
Et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis.
Laudámus te.
Benedícimus te.
Adorámus te.
Glorificámus te.
Grátias ágimus tibi propter magnam glóriam tuam,
Dómine Deus, Rex cæléstis, Deus Pater omnípotens.
Dómine Fili unigénite, Jesu Christe.
Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fílius Patris.
Qui tollis peccáta mundi, miserére nobis.
Qui tollis peccáta mundi, súscipe deprecatiónem nostram.
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris, miserére nobis.
Quóniam tu solus Sanctus.
Tu solus Dóminus,
Tu solus Altíssimus, Jesu Christe,
Cum Sancto Spíritu in glória Dei Patris. Amen.
Ok, your all looking at me funny again.



No, I don't know Latin, but wikipedia does - thankfully. And the reason that we all know this Latin bulldozer of a song?



Angels we have heard on high


Sweetly singing o’er the plains,


And the mountains in reply


Echoing their joyous strains.


Refrain


Gloria, in excelsis Deo!


Gloria, in excelsis Deo!


Shepherds, why this jubilee?


Why your joyous strains prolong?


What the gladsome tidings be


Which inspire your heavenly song?




It takes a quiet strength to properly belt out the refrain.. one which most reserve for special times, like Christmas..



And yes, I did post Angels we have heard on High around this time last year.. consider this the blogging equivalent of A Charlie Brown Christmas.