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Subterfuge again, but not electronic this time; I looked in a book I bought myself for Christmas:

"Ships that pass in the night, and speak to each other in passing,
Only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness;
So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak to one another,
Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

What WAS that book??? I hear you cry.

It was

"A Word in your Shell-Like"

(6000 Curious & Everyday Phrases Explained)

by Nigel Rees

My word, McTag. Spanish as well? You're becoming quite the polylinguist.

Isn't that Brit clever, listeners? You're right about the phrase as far as it goes, BUT.......................................What is the name of the narrative poem from whence it came?

Shall I give him a hint, panz? (panz nods) Very well, then. Any friend of Joe Turner is a friend of mine.

Hint: Think Grand Pre and Cajuns.

(my book told me more than I let on)

Soooooooo, McTag, you know the forest primeval, do ya. It's a beautiful, poem, Brit. and a fantastic part of history.

Checking in merely to listen to the words of friends. Lovely.

This is a lovely thread for it mirrors the Grand Dame.

Hey, Lady Di. our studios welcome you and wish you would drop in more often.

Well, Panz, I think Diane is grand as well. <smile>Me, I'm just a dame (there is nothing like a dame, after all)

All right, listeners. It's time to dedicate a song to Cyracuz of Norway via Mercy Street:


Beatles
» Norwegian Wood

I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me.
She showed me her room, isn't it good, norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere,
So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine.
We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed."
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath.
And when I awoke I was alone, this bird had flown.
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, norwegian wood.

Speaking of which, listeners, it's a might chilly and damp here in my little corner of Florida.

Brrr Letty-It's 55 and I'm suffering

The Beatles

Rain

If the rain comes they run and hide their heads.
They might as well be dead,
If the rain comes, if the rain comes.
When the sun shines they slip into the shade,
And sip their lemonade,
When the sun shines, when the sun shines.
Rain, I don't mind,
Shine, the weather's fine.
I can show you that when it starts to rain,
Everything's the same,
I can show you, I can show you.
Rain, I don't mind,
Shine, the weather's fine.
Can you hear me that when it rains and shines,
It's just a state of mind,
Can you hear me, can you hear me?

Well, Panz, I thought that I had heard all the Beatles tunes, but that was perfect for my state of mind.

We have a dedication request, listeners. This is for dys and Di.


Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
We could float among the stars together, you and I
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon
It wears a nicer face in my beautiful balloon
We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
Suspended under a twilight canopy
We'll search the clouds for a star to guide us
If by some chance you find yourself loving me
We'll find a cloud to hide us
We'll keep the moon beside us
Love is waiting there in my beautiful balloon
Way up in the air in my beautiful balloon
If you'll hold my hand we'll chase your dream across the sky
For we can fly we can fly
Up, up and away
My beautiful, my beautiful balloon
Balloon...
Up, up, and away.....

Where in the world are the Aussies. I read something about a cyclone headed toward Sydney.

Msolga and all--what's happening down there?

Just Autumn arriving...

Arriving ...

You must take the "A"-Train
To go to sugar hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the "A"-Train
You'll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry - get on now it's coming
Listen - to these rails a-humming - all board
get on the "A"-Train
Soon You will be on sugar hill in Harlem

You must take the "A"-train

Well, listeners, Walter has switched us to trains, and Francis has given him an "A" on his transportation mode, so let's go with it: This comes from Virginia:

Well, they handed him his orders in Monroe, Virginia,
Sayin', "Steve, you're way behind time.
This is not 38, it is Old 97
You must put her into Spencer on time."
Well, the engineer he said to his black, greasy fireman
"Shovel on a little more coal,
And when we cross that White Oak Mountain
You can watch Old 97 roll."

It's a mighty hard road from Lynchburg to Danville
A road with a three-mile grade.
It was on that grade that he lost his airbrake,
You can see what a jump she made.

He was goin' down the grade making 90 miles an hour,
When his whistle broke into a scream,
He was found in the wreck with his hand on the throttle,
He was scalded to death by the steam.

Now the telegram came into Washington Station
And this is what it said:
That brave engineer that drove old 97
Is layin' down in Danville, dead.

Now listen, all you ladies, you must all take a warning,
From this story a lesson learn:
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband,
He may leave you and never return.

Freight train freight train goin' so fast
Freight train freight train goin' so fast
Please don't tell what train I'm on
So they won't know where I've gone.
Freight train, freight train, comin' round the bend
Freight train, freight train, gone again
One of these days turn that train around
Go back to my hometown.
(Chorus)
One more place I'd like to be
One more place I'd love to see
To watch those old Blue Ridge Mountains climb
As I ride ol' Number Nine.
(Chorus)
When I die please bury me deep
Down at the end of Bleecker Street
So I can hear ol' Number Nine
As she goes rollin' by.
(Chorus)

Listeners, don't tell me this is a coincidence:

Transportation Strike Starts France

Published: 3/9/05











PARIS (AP) - Strikes by transportation workers got under way Wednesday night, threatening to disrupt travel and embarrass organizers of Paris' bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In Paris, authorities forecast significant subway disruptions for Thursday and said that service on more than a dozen lines would be rerouted because of expected street protests. Trade unions have called for a massive demonstration in Paris to defend the 35-hour work week and to push for more jobs and pay talks.

Paris commuter trains were expected to be hardest hit, with only about 20 percent of suburban lines running, while half of France's long-distance TGV trains were to be suspended, the national rail authority said.

Eurostar links with London and Thalys services to Belgium were expected to run normally. International disruptions were expected to be limited to Artesia night trains between France and Italy.

Civil aviation authorities said strikes were also likely to affect air traffic through Friday at 5 p.m.

Public services such the post office and social security also could be affected.

The ground transportation strikes began after the evening rush hour Wednesday and are to end at midnight Friday.

The work actions, which come amid a wave of labor discontent, were an embarrassment to officials who are hosting International Olympic Committee officials through Saturday.

Both trade union and bid officials say the timing of the strikes is unrelated to the IOC visit in Paris. Trade unions have pledged support for the games, which would create a windfall of extra jobs.

Unions have also pledged not to disrupt the IOC visit and are working with the Paris police department to make sure the two don't cross paths.

Nonetheless, Olympic inspectors will get a close-up view of French labor and the protests raise the question of whether an Olympics in Paris would be disrupted if workers walk off the job in the summer of 2012.

On Wednesday, scientists nationwide were protesting a draft law that would provide more state funding for research but which protesters contend remains inadequate.

A student protest in Paris a day earlier turned violent, when hundreds of troublemakers interrupted a peaceful rally against planned curriculum reforms.

Much of the discontent is over proposed reforms to France's welfare system and labor laws. The nation's conservative government, trying to control its deficit line with European Union limits, wants people to contribute more to their health care and has trimmed the generosity of state pensions. Public sector workers oppose plans to reform the 35-hour work week to allow more overtime.

The last public transit strike in January caused wide disruptions.

Deja vu?

Déjà vu? Yes.
French governments, likely dont know how to make reforms.

Walter, you beat me to the station. I love that song, incidentally.

I never liked Peter, Paul and Mary that much, when they were in the charts, but now, old-aged, ....

Francis, do a translation for this--

Down at the station,
Early in the morning.
See the little puffer bellies
Standing in a row.

See the little fireman,
Turn his little handle.
Puff puff tweet tweet
Here we go.

I have always wondered about onomatopoeias in other languages.