WA2K Radio is now on the air

Oh, dear, folks. Our bear is getting no results in attempting to secure an appointment with his doctor. I simply do NOT understand what is happening to our health care system.

and another discouraging health item:


Walter Reed Medical Center to Be Closed
AP - 1 hour, 1 minute ago
WASHINGTON - A federal commission signed off Thursday on the Pentagon's plan to close the crown jewel of the Army hospital system as part of an effort streamline medical services across the armed forces. Located in the nation's capital, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington has treated presidents and foreign leaders as well as soldiers and veterans.

LADY WITH THE LAMP
Album : Carry On
Country Joe McDonald


I don't mind, please don't misunderstand ?-
I know the score of war.
A soldier's life is give and give
And then they ask for more.
Walking on the picket line
Where my comrades fell,
Holding up the thin-red-line
In the shot and shell.

The lady with the lamp,
You know she understands.
The lady with the lamp,
She's the soldiers' friend.

I don't mind the blistering heat,
I think I can endure.
It's freezing cold and I can't feel my feet ?-
Well, that's the hell of war.
I never thought about the big red wound
When I saw my comrades fall.
Now I'm in this cold and lonely room
Wondering if I'll live at all.

The lady with the lamp,
You know she understands.
The lady with the lamp,
She's the soldiers' friend.

First they use us
And then they throw us away.
Only Miss Nightingale
Knows the price that we pay,
The lady with the lamp.

Excuse me please, a cup of tea,
I've such a terrible thirst.
Would you please come and sit with me,
I feel it's come to the worst.
Write my mother that I love her so,
I can't seem to hold the pen.
Take this keep-sake and send it home,
To those I'll never see again.

The lady with the lamp,
You know she understands.
The lady with the lamp,
She's the soldiers' friend.

She will hold his hand,
Stay with him to the end.
You know she understands,
She's the soldier's friend.

Ah, Walter. That is a very somber song, and quite timely today.

"War takes man's best to do man's worst."

and, of course, women as well.

I was amazed at Florence Nightingale's later life. After all of her good work in the Crimean war, she went blind; however, she had a wonderful father and companion who taught her everything.

Walter was kind enough to show me the carved stone window of the three hares. It is an ancient Persian symbol. There was a programme on BBC radio about it some time ago, and research on that topic is still progressing. There is actually a "Three Hares Project"

The answer to my query about the Easter Bunny was not what I had in mind. The whole thing goes back to the ancient symbol of the March Hare, which gambols and leaps about our fields in springtime.
It is a fertility symbol, and a symbol of rebirth (hence the eggs) and it goes way back into Celtic folklore...maybe, as said before, to the lands of the Middle East as well, maybe three thousand years or so.

Your chocolate rabbit comes with a lot of baggage, and quite a pedigree.

Well, Thanks, McTag, for that added info. There are many different types of rabbits. The ones in Walter's picture look like hounds with pointed ears. It is my understanding that a jack rabbit is huge.

I do believe, listeners, that the March hare and the Mock turtle played a prominent role in the Alice books.

One Christmas, a group of us went caroling and sang for a prominent local doctor. He gave us a can of mock turtle soup; psychiatrist, you know.

funny spoof of my funny valentine, Letty.

McTaq: hare as fertility symbol? who dreamed that up? and does this explain its use as a men's magazine logo? ;-)

here's a wry little exercise in self-criticism by Mose Allison it would behoove some *private citizens* to emulate:

Stop this world
Let me off
There's just too many pigs in the same trough
There's too many buzzards sitting on the fence
Stop this world
It's not making sense

Stop this show
Hold the phone
Better days this lad has known
Better days so long ago
Hold the phone
Won't you stop the show

Well, it seems my little playhouse has fallen down
I think my little ship has run aground
I feel like I'm in the wrong place
My state of mind is a disgrace

Won't you stop this game
Deal me out
I know too well what it's all about
I know too well that it had to be
Stop this game well it's ruining me

Well, I got too smart for my own good
I just don't do the things I know I should
There's bound to be some better way
I just got one thing more to say

And that's
Stop this game
Deal me out
I know too well what it's all about
I know too well that it had to be
Stop this game
Well, it's wrecking me

Yit, I was wondering if any of our jazz folks would get that spoof.

That song, says a lot, my friend, should the world tilt just a hair more on its axis, we may have no choice.

And here is a dedication to your bunny.

, Mercy, Mercy
Joe Zawinul, Cannonball Adderley

My baby, she may not look
Like one of those bunnies out of the Playboy book
Well, I'm sorry bout that, Mr. Williams
But she's got something,
Johnny, much greater than gold
Well, now what's that?
I'm crazy 'bout that girl,
she's got so much soul

She's got the kind of loving, kissin' and a-huggin'
Sure is mellow, glad that I'm her fellow
And I know that she knocks me off my feet
Have mercy on me!
'Cause she knocks me off my feet
Can you dig it?

There is no girl in the whole world
That can love me like you do - ow!
Tell 'em bout it, Watson

My baby now, when she walks by
All the fellows go '~~~', and I know why
Have mercy, just look at her walk
It's simply because that girl, she walks so fine
And if she ever leave me, I will lose my mind

Because she's got the kind of lovin',
kissin' and a-huggin'
Sure is mellow, glad that I'm her fellow
And I know that she knocks me off my feet
Have mercy on me!
'Cause she knocks me off my feet
I'd better tell 'em one more thing

There is no girl in the whole world
That can love me like you do
Ow, tell 'em bout it, Mr. Williams

Now everybody in my neighborhood
An' that's what's grooving me
Will testify that my girl, she looks so good
Well, let me tell you something else right here
She looks so fine, she give eyesight to the blind
Help 'em to make 'em see
And if she ever leave me, I will lose my mind

Because she's got the kind of lovin',
kissin' and a-huggin'
Sure is mellow, glad that I'm her fellow
And I know that she knocks me off my feet
Have mercy on me!
'Cause she knocks me off my feet
Can you dig it?

There is no girl in the whole world
That can love me like you do
Mercy, mercy, mercy!

Joe Zawinul/Johnny 'Guitar' Watson
Larry 'Bad Boy' Williams

If we can stop splitting hares for a second, there's a warning re: worms getting smarter.

Multilingual MSN Messenger Worm Spreads

John Blau, IDG News Service Thu Aug 25,10:00 AM ET

Users of Microsoft's MSN Messenger should be aware of a new "smart" worm that checks the configuration of their Windows client and sends a message in the appropriate language, according to security companies Akonix Systems and Symantec.


Both companies published alerts this week.

The Kelvir.HI worm, a variant of the Kelvir IM malware that surfaced earlier this year, appears to be the first instant-message bug capable of checking systems settings and communicating in the victim's native tongue.

Sending Its Message

When the worm penetrates a system, it sends a message in one of several languages, including Dutch, English, French, German, and Greek as well as Portuguese, Swedish, Spanish, and Turkish.

The message in English is: "haha i found your picture!"

If a user clicks on a link included with the message, a copy of the W32.Spyboot worm is automatically downloaded to their computer. Spyboot is a backdoor program that can, among other things, close security applications and help further spread the worm.

The Kelvir.HI worm affects computers running
Windows 2000, Windows 95,
Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, and
Windows XP, according to a Symantec advisory.

In July, Akonix reported 42 new threats to IM systems, up 24 percent over the previous month.

I've already posted this on the internet forum but thought I'd repeat the warning here as some of you may have computers.

Must be animal day. I found this bit of whimsy in the news.

Villagers drop dog of a name to win respect

Wed Aug 24,11:19 AM ET

BEIJING (Reuters) - More than 50 people in a central China village have thrown their centuries-old surname to the dogs, hoping to free themselves of a stigma supposedly imposed on their clan by an ancient emperor, Xinhua news agency reported.


The villagers legally changed their surname from "Gou," a word that means "humble" in Chinese but is pronounced the same as "dog" -- a sharp insult in China -- back to their original family name "Jing," which translates as "respect," Xinhua said in an overnight report on its English Web site, www.chinaview.cn.

"It was really embarrassing. My son couldn't even find a girlfriend because of his name," Gou Feng from Tangzhuang township in Henan province was quoted as saying before the name change.

When the Gou families of Tangzhuang collectively petitioned the local police in May to change their names, they said Shi Jingtang, the founder of the shortlived Jin Dynasty (936-947), ordered their ancestors to give up the surname Jing and adopt Gou.

In modern China, changing one's name is a much more difficult process.

"I had never heard of such a thing before," local police chief Ma Huiqiang was quoted as saying. "It sets a precedent for our bureau."

Gou is an uncommon, but not unheard of, surname in China and tends to provoke laughter at its mere mention.

Hey, Bob. Thanks for splitting the hares and telling us about the MSN worm.

I knew that surnames were a big thing in China, but I didn't know that getting them changed would be so difficult. Interesting how dogs and such can be shuffled around to be good or bad:

Hey, Bob. You handsome dog.
Man, your date is really a dog.
Dog gone it!
Oh, where has my little dog gone.
Quit dogging me about my surname.

For the dogs:

[to the tune of "Day-O" and "Star-O"]



This is a Sirius Song.
Dog Star shining up there on high.
Yes, it's a Sirius Song.
Dog Star's the brightest star in our sky.

CHORUS: Ay Oh! Ay Oh!
That's its star class, scientists say.
Yes,... it's A0.
And I'm saying that it's A-OK.

It's 2-point-7 parsecs out.
Dog Star shining up there on high.
Not very far by astronomer count.
Dog Star's the brightest star in our sky.

CHORUS

It's one-third hotter than the sun.
Dog Star shining up there on high.
Rises in north when the heat's begun.
Dog Star's the brightest star in our sky.

CHORUS

It's not lonely, I'll guarantee.
Dog Star shining up there on high.
Got a white dwarf companion, name of B.
Dog Star's the brightest star in our sky.

CHORUS

This is a Sirius Song....
Dog-star shining up there on high.
Yes, it's a Sirius Song....
Dog-star's the brightest star in our sky.

Ay Oh! Ay Oh!
That's its star class, scientists say.
Yes,... it's A0.
And I'm saying that it's A-OK.

You're really dogged about you dogma. Aren't you?

is dogma overrun by karma roadkill on path to enlightenment?

Bob, how does anyone ever learn the English language. Especially difficult are the idioms. That is what is so amazing about Francis. I think it must take an ear for the language. Being musicians, you and I should be able to learn another language quite easily, but they do it all backwards in schools.

Well, folks. It seems that Katrina may not be a big threat, but it is a mistake to become complacent, I suspect.

I missed your comment, Yit. Thanks for the sunshine!

Hey, we haven't played that song in a while, so let's hear it now:


You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always be around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart

I feel like this is the beginning,
Though I've loved you for a million years,
And if I thought our love was ending,
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears.

You are the sunshine of my life,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart,

You must have known that I was lonely,
Because you came to my rescue,
And I know that this must be heaven,
How could so much love be inside of you?

You are the sunshine of my life, yeah,
That's why I'll always stay around,
You are the apple of my eye,
Forever you'll stay in my heart.

(background) love has joined us,
Love has joined us,
Let's think sweet love.

I've always thought that too much rote is required and not enough logic. I had an English teacher in high school who had a phd. I thought it odd that someone like that would be teaching high school and not college. When I got into his class I relized why. His specialty was vocabulary. He'd written books on the subject. If the subject shifted to concepts he was totally lost
One time I corrected him in class on the spelling of a word and gave him the correct spelling. Bad move! He lifted a huge dictionary and slammed it down on the desk ordering me to look it up. I did and pointed out that mine was the preferred spelling. He ordered me to come back after school.
When I entered his room after school he pointed out a stack of papers. I asked what it was. It turned out they were notes for a new book and he wanted me to help him with it. I did.

What do you get if one hundred rabbits step backward at the same time?

A receding hare line! Budda boom.


(BTW, I suspect I may have made a factual error, but let's not spilt hares, okay?)

Oh I love silliness and you all seem to have been tickled by a silly feather today.

Letty, it does seem that Katrina won't be a terrible threat, but, as you said, it pays to stay alert--hurricanes aren't known to stay on a predictable path.

For my donation today, here is a remarkable picture of an alligator with butterflies on his head.

The Early Years: While on a river trip along the Río Iguazú, Michael Wang, 19, snapped this shot of an alligator crowned in butterflies.

"During a four-day field trip, I was rafting above the falls of Argentina's Río Iguazú when I saw this alligator frozen still just 15 feet (4.6 meters) away from our boat. Even though there were butterflies fluttering above and landing on its head, not one elicited any movement from the beast. Somewhat awestruck, I managed to take eight or nine pictures of the scene. It was very humbling to witness this animal in its natural habitat."

?-Michael Wang, 19
Student, Pepperdine University
San Diego, California


A very stylish gator!

Grateful Dead

Sleepy Alligator in the noon day sun,
Lyin' by the river just like he usually done.
Call for his whiskey, he can call for his tea,
Call all he want to, but he can't call for me.

Oh no! I've been there before,
And I ain't gonna come around here any more.
Creepy alligator coming all around the bend,
Shoutin' about the times when we was mutual friends,
I checked my memory and I checked it quick, yes I will.
I checked it runnin' some old kind of trick.

Oh no! Well I've been there before,
And I ain't gonna come around here any more.

Sailin' down the river in an old canoe,
A bunch of and an old tennis shoe.
Out of the river all ugly and green,
Came the biggest old alligator that I've ever seen!

Teeth big and pointy and his eyes were buggin' out,
Contracted the union, put the beggars to rout.
Screamin' and yellin', he was pickin' his chops,
He never runs he just stumbles and hops.
Just out of prison on ten dollars bail,
Mumblin' bitches and waggin' his tail.

That was a hare brained idea.

A woman walks into a vet's waiting room. She's dragging a wet rabbit on a leash.

"Sit, Fluffy," she says. Fluffy glares at her, and sopping wet, jumps up on another customer's lap, getting water all over him.

"I said SIT, now there's a good Fluffy," says the woman, slightly embarrassed. Fluffy, wet already, squats in the middle of the room and pees.

The woman, mortally embarrassed, shouts, "FLUFFY!! WILL YOU BE GOOD?!"

Fluffy then starts a fight with a Doberman and pursues it out of the office.

As the woman leaves to go after it, she turns to the rest of the flabbergasted customers and says: "Pardon me, I've just washed my hare, and I can't do a thing with it!"

GROAN

some appropriate songs for this turn of events

you're no bunny til some bunny loves you

my bunny lies over the ocean

me and bunny mcgee

you're becoming a rabbit with me

at the hop