Year of the Rat

Year of the Rat

2008, the Year of the Rat. The story is that the Jade Emperor invited the animals for a party. The first 12 to arrive were the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and lastly, the Pig. Why was the rat first? The animals had to cross a celestial river, and the Rat asked the Ox to ferry him across. When they arrived on the other side, the Rat jumped down off the Ox's head, touching ground first, and that's how he gained first spot in the order of the Chinese zodiac, much to the Ox's chagrin.

In a similar vein, can you imagine if the second man on the moon had pushed past the first to take top spot in the history books?! Most unseemly. Not that there's much room to do anything on those lunar vehicles. I saw one at a museum and the occupants have very little space to maneuvre.

In this fractal, the rat is looking at you over his shoulder. You can make out his eyes and ears and nose, with a little imagination, and his hind quarters, as though he's just jumped down off the Ox's head and is looking back.

Happy New Year to all!

Celebrations

Celebrations

Yes, ongoing feasting and celebrations. Good music too, I mean we usually take in the King's College service. Whenever we see such services on TV, we can't help thinking that the choir boys probably act up a lot for the poor choir master. Legend has it that they even used to play up papa Bach himself!

Speaking of Bach, someone unearthed a program from early in his time where he was listed as just another musician in the orchestra! Makes for strange reading, flute... so-and-so, violin... so-and-so, harpsichord... J.S.Bach...

Lump of Coal!

Lump of Coal!

Oh no! Haha, what the bad kids got for Christmas... although I never heard of it actually happening... kids usually smarten up by Christmas.

"I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a Wonderful World"
- Bob Thiele and George David Weiss

Recorded by Louis Armstrong and many others. The 2000 Stars on Ice Finale has a nice dance version, perhaps it was by "Beatbox vs DJ Miko". I don't know because the credits got cut off, but I've often wondered.

I'd like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Twelve Days of Christmas

Christmas Day in the Morning

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas day in the morning?

Our Savior Christ and His lady,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day;
Our Savior Christ and His lady,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Pray whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day?
Pray whither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day,
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas day in the morning.

Hmmm, isn't Bethlehem landlocked? Nevermind, it's the spirit that counts.