For The Fourth Sunday In Advent

First, read about the Choir of King's College (emphases mine):

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, is one of the world’s best-known choral groups. Founded in the 15th century, it ranks among the oldest of its kind, and, while originally created for singing the daily services in the college chapel, now enjoys an international tour schedule that has seen it perform all over Europe and beyond. Every Christmas Eve, millions of people tune in to watch the choir’s A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s – a service which has been continuously broadcast since 1928.

Recorded in 1994, this reissue joins the group’s already extensive discography of Christmas music – recordings that have enhanced its worldwide fame and reputation. The compilation mixes some of the best-loved traditionals, including Once in royal David’s city and O Come all ye faithful, with more recent repertoire – such as Rutter’s rousing What Sweeter Music and Judith Weir’s striking Illuminare, Jerusalem (specially commissioned by the choir for its 1985 annual service). Also featured are traditional German, French, Dutch and Polish carols (including two settings of Dulce Jubilo) – works which, together with Pärt’s enchanting Bogoróditse Dyévo [meaning Mother of God and Virgin], contribute to a wonderfully eclectic disc that provides over an hour of festive cheer.

This music is an important part of our heritage of Western Culture, of Christianity. Volume up!  The index to the selections is below the video.

 

Track list: 

 00:00:00 Once in royal David’s city 

00:04:41 Rejoice and be merry 

00:06:11 Ding dong, merrily on high  

00:08:19 What Sweeter Music 

00:12:37 O little town of Bethlehem  

00:16:17 A Spotless Rose  

00:19:25 Heer Jezus heeft een hofken (organ variations) 

 00:26:44 King Jesus hath a garden  

00:30:10 The Lamb  

00:33:39 Bogoróditse Dyévo 

00:34:55 Infant holy, infant lowly 

00:36:43 Illuminare, Jerusalem  

00:39:12 While shepherds watched  

00:41:54 Quittez, pasteurs 

00:45:05 In dulci jubilo (organ prelude)

00:48:06 In dulci jubilo  

00:50:46 The First Nowell 

00:56:09 Coventry Carol  

00:59:17 Personent hodie  

01:01:49 O come all ye faithful 

Artist: The Choir of King's College, Cambridge 

Stephen Cleobury (conductor)

Canada: Prime Minister Harper Says, Face Veil Is From Anti-Woman Culture

Nation Of Wusses

So, on July 4, Mr. AOW and I went to the local VFW for the annual Independence Day barbecue.

Rarely do we discuss politics there.  Mr. AOW, however, said something about recently attending a Romney rally here in Northern Virginia because he wanted to tell the guys about one of the anti-Obama buttons we got at the rally; that button has a drawing of Obama on it and reads "Does this ass make my butt look bigger?"  I've been on a diet (almost done now) and just had to have that button.

One of the other VFW patrons (might not have been a veteran but should have some kind of connection to the military and about 30 years old) piped up and said, "Romney scares me."

Whisky Tango Foxtrot!

I kept quiet, but my brain shouted to itself:

"Romney SCARES you?  Are you kidding me?  OBAMA doesn't scare you?"

We're a nation of wusses. I'm convinced of it. And what happened at our local VFW a few days ago serves to reinforce my theory.

List Of Jewish And Muslim Nobel Prize Winners

HERE

From the above-linked site:

After reviewing this list, can you supply a reason for the large discrepancy between the Arab/Islamic population's contribution to the world body and that of the Jew? There are 165 Jews listed as opposed to 6 from the Arab side.

'Nuff said.

Parable of the Geese

                          Painting by Faigee Niebow

1. Hear now, ye seekers, the parable of the geese.

2. In the twilight of seasons, in the North, ere winter cometh, they take flight, and no man guideth them to their appointed nests in the South.

3. And when they take flight, they darken the sky, and fill it with noise. And by that we know they are moving to and fro. And that winter cometh soon, or that spring is well upon us.

4. But geese, when they have all their cares meted out to them by foolish men with only the best of intentions, lose their desire to fly to their proper nests, and finding some convenient pond, there upon they settle, and grow fat, and make demands of the birds who are native to the pond, and befoul their waters and take their provender, and hatch younglings, who stay and cause the other birds to flee.

5. Look well to your own pond, therefore, that the geese take not which is yours and leave you with neither nest nor sustenance.