A Ballad of Suicide

This is probably the only poem around about not commiting suicide.

A Ballad of Suicide
by G.K Chesterton

The gallows in my garden, people say, Is new and neat and adequately tall; I tie the noose on in a knowing way As one that knots his necktie for a ball; But just as all the neighbours-on the wall- Are drawing a long breath to shout "Hurray!" The strangest whim has seized me.... After all I think I will not hang myself to-day. To-morrow is the time I get my pay- My uncle's sword is hanging in the hall- I see a little cloud all pink and grey- Perhaps the rector's mother will not call- I fancy that I heard from Mr. Gall That mushrooms could be cooked another way- I never read the works of Juvenal- I think I will not hang myself to-day. The world will have another washing-day; The decadents decay; the pedants pall; And H.G. Wells has found that children play, And Bernard Shaw discovered that they squall, Rationalists are growing rational- And through thick woods one finds a stream astray So secret that the very sky seems small- I think I will not hang myself to-day. ENVOI Prince, I can hear the trumpet of Germinal, The tumbrils toiling up the terrible way; Even to-day your royal head may fall, I think I will not hang myself to-day

Finally, I have time to post on this blog. and now, drum roll please..............

What I did at Camp Rivendell

I arrived at Camp Rivendell on July 30Th for officer training. On August 3rd there was the first mission, a mission to rescue some officers captured by officers. The Next we got our ranks. (I got the rank of lieutenant) The day after that, the boys arrived and there were lots of fireworks. In addition, I got sick. Friday August 6Th, Still sick until 3:30, just in time for mass. Later we went on a mission to capture the evil bad guy's magic staff thingy that could control the minds of orcs & men. We captured it to the accompaniment of more fireworks and a horrible loud terrible screeching noise that made me go deaf for five seconds. We then took it to the high elf leader's base. The next day there was a council to determine what to do with the staff thingy and it was decided that we would trick the evil bad guy into destroying it. Later that night we crept into "Minas Morgul" and watched as the bad guy was going to destroy some traitorous orcs (hidden behind one of them was the staff) He blew up one of the orcs (more fireworks + a big fireball) but he spared the other orc who then revealed where the staff was. The bad guy took it and we fled. Saturday August 7Th, Big battle tons of fighting, more fighting, still more fighting, oh, and did I mention fighting. Then big explosion and lots of smoke and the evil bad guy appears with his staff. Break (finally) in the fighting, the evil bad guy uses his magic staff to bend the wills of all the officers and make them come to him. We come, walking like zombies, and he is about to give the order to attack, when Prince Malletus (played by Mark Mallet) snatches the staff the evil bad guy shoots another fireball at the prince, the prince dodges and it hits the staff destroying it killing the bad guy. More fighting to destroy the orcs. Then victory fireworks followed by a victory feast with dancing (including yours truly.) The next day was the final day with awards and mass followed by lunch followed by going home and taking a shower.

Thus endeth Camp Rivendell

Liutenant Prince Rillian
Lorien Squad, Elven Legion, Reunited Kingdom.

Camp Rivendell

Only two more days until I leave for Camp Rivendell, I am so excited.

RE: B.O.O.K

You should be warned that, re: the message quoted below, this BOOK technology has serious shortcomings in user outcomes which, while not apparent from an immediate usability analysis, seriously impair its market desirability. Research shows that prolonged and repeated exposure to this BOOK technology causes users to become contemplative, reflective, and, in severe cases, it can induce bouts of concentration and focused thinking, with common side effects that include swelling of the imaginative and/or analytical portions of the brain. Such swelling can impede market-critical emoto-cognitive functions like the impulse-purchase quadrant of the cerebellum.

In one overlooked period of history, the installed user base of this BOOK technology spread with almost epidemic speed. This period, known in BOOKish techno-jargon as the Renaissance, saw that after the introduction of BOOK there were unpredictable outbursts of individual and collective creativity. But, as the record clearly shows, this BOOK technology has no useful market outcome, in that during the entire period of the Renaissance, historians can find no evidence of a single IPO.

Camp Rivendell + B.O.O.K

Hooray! In two weeks I am leaving for a summer camp called Camp Rivendell. Here is a little information about Camp Rivendell. It is a Catholic LOTR-themed boys summer camp dedicated to the formation of young men. In it, all the boys get foam-swords with which they attack/defend against "orcs" (really the fathers of the boys in disguise.) It runs from July 30th to August something, I think the 8th.

and now on a less serious note, introducing an advance in modern science:

Introducing the new Bio-Optical Organized Knowledge device, trade named B.O.O.K.

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology; no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it. Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc.

Here's how it works.

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain.
A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.

BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.

BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, though like other devices, it can become damaged if coffee or soda is spilled on it, and it becomes unusable if dropped too many times on a hard surface. The browse feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and to move forward or backward as you wish.

Many come with an index feature which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval.

A Manually Accessed Retrieval Knickknack (MARK) allows users to open BOOK to the exact place they left off in a previous session - even if BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKmarks can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in a BOOK.

Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave.

BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking to invest. In some areas, entire buildings are constructed to house BOOKs for public access. Look for a flood of new titles soon.

Much Ado About Something

Well, there goes that schedule idea, we went on a week long trip to Vancouver Seattle area, we got back, the next day we went to the Family Life Conference, we got back from that and I had a Shakespeare camp to go to. Speaking of Shakespeare I am in an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing tomorrow, and it is going to be terrific.

Jabberwocky in 3 languages

Here is Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll in English:

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
	Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
	And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
	The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
	The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
	Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
	And stood awhile in thought
And as in uffish thought he stood,
	The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
	And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! and through and through
	The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
	He went galumphing back.
"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
	Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
	He chortled in his joy.
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
	Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
	And the mome raths outgrabe.

and in French:

Il brilgue: les tôves lubricilleux
Se gyrent en vrillant dans le guave,
Enmîmés sont les gougebosqueux,
Et le mômerade horsgrave.

Garde-toi du Jaseroque, mon fils!
La gueule qui mord; la griffe qui prend!
Garde-toi de l'oiseau Jube, évite
Le frumieux Band-à-prend.

Son glaive vorpal en mail il va-
T-à la recherche du fauve manscant;
Puis arriveé à l'arbre Té-Té,
Il y reste, réfléchissant.

Pendant qu'il pense, tout uffusé
Le Jaseroque, à l'oeil flambant,
Vient siblant par le bois tullegeais,
Et burbule en venant.

Un deux, un deux, par le milieu,
Le glaive vorpal fait pat-à-pan!
La bête défaite, avec sa tête,
Il rentre gallomphant.

As-tu tué le Jaseroque?
Viens à mon coeur, fils rayonnais!
O jour frabbejeais! Calleau! Callai!
Il cortule dans sa joie.

Il brilgue: les tôves lubricilleux
Se gyrent en vrillant dans le guave,
Enmîmés sont les gougebosqueux,
Et le mômerade horsgrave.

and in German:

Es brillig war. Die schlichte Toven
Wirrten und wimmelten in Waben;
Und aller-mümsige Burggoven
Die mohmen Räth' ausgraben

Bewahre doc vor Jammerwoch!
Die Zähne knirschen, Krallen kratzen!
Bewahr' vor Jubjub--Vogel, vor
Frumiösen Banderschnätzchen!

Er griff sein vorpals Schwertchen zu,
Er suchte lang das manscham' Ding;
Dann, stehend unten Tumtum Baum,
Er an-zu-denken-fing.

Als stand er tief in Andacht auf,
Des Jammerwochen's Augen-feuer
Durch tulgen Wald mit wiffek kam
Ein burbelnd uhgeheuer!

Eins, Zwei! Eins, Zwei! Und durch und durch
Sein vorpals Schwert zerschnifer-schnück,
Da blieb es todt! Er, Kopf in Hand,
Geläumfig zog zurück.

Und schlugst Du ja den Jammerwoch?

Umarme mich, mien B&oumlhm' sches Kind!

O Freuden-Tag! O Halloo-Schlag!

Es brillig war. Die schlichte Toven
Wirrten und wimmelten in Waben;
Und aller-mümsige Burggoven
Die mohmen Räth' ausgraben

Next up will be the meaning of some of the words in the English version.