What Child is This

What child is this who laid to rest
On Mary's lap was sleeping
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherd's watch are keeping

This, this is Christ the king
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary

Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and lamb are feeding
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here
The silent word is pleading

This, this is Christ the king
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant, king, to own him
The King of Kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him

This, this is Christ the king
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary

This, this is Christ the king
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary
The babe, the son of Mary

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

Jolly old Saint Nicholas,
Lean your ear this way!
Don't you tell a single soul
What I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me;
Tell me if you can.


When the clock is striking twelve,
When I'm fast asleep,
Down the chimney broad and black,
With your pack you'll creep;
All the stockings you will find
Hanging in a row;
Mine will be the shortest one,
You'll be sure to know.


Johnny wants a pair of skates;
Susy wants a dolly;
Nellie wants a story book;
She thinks dolls are folly;
As for me, my little brain
Isn't very bright;
Choose for me, old Santa Claus,
What you think is right.

Mark Steyn is So Brilliant

If you're asked to register - do it. It's worth it.

So what does get the Dean juices going? A few days later, the governor was on CNN and Judy Woodruff asked him about his admission that he'd left the Episcopal Church and become a Congregationalist because "I had a big fight with a local Episcopal church over the bike path." I hasten to add that, in contrast to current Anglican controversies over gay marriage in British Columbia and gay bishops in New Hampshire, this does not appear to have been a gay bike path: its orientation was not an issue; it would seem to be a rare example of a non-gay controversy in the Anglican Communion. But nevertheless it provoked Howard into "a big fight." "I was fighting to have public access to the waterfront, and we were fighting very hard in the citizens group," he told Judy Woodruff. Fighting, fighting, fighting.

We Three Kings of Orient Are

We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, morr and mountain,
Following yonder Star.

Chorus
O, star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to the perfect light.

Born a babe on Bethlehem's plain;
Gold we bring to crown Him again;
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Chorus

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God on High.

Chorus

Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Seal'd in the stone-cold tomb.

Chorus

Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Heaven sings, "Hallelujah!"
Hallejujah!" Earth replies.

Chorus

We Got Him


Thank You to All of Our Proud Military and Intelligence -- and today, special thanks to the 4th I.D.

The Army Song

First to fight, For the right
And to build the Nations might,
And the Army goes rolling along.

Proud of all we have done,
Fighting till the battle's won
And the Army goes rolling along.

(CHORUS)

Then it's Hi ! Hi ! Hey !
The Army on it's way.

Count off the cadence loud and strong,
For Wher - e'er we go, you will always know,
That the Army goes rolling along!


I'd been planning on saving Joy to the World 'til Christmas Day. But I'm feeling very joyous, as I bet you are too.

JOY TO THE WORLD
[1719, Isaac Watts]

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n and nature sing,
And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessing flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders of his love,
And wonders, wonders of his love.

LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent starts go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary;
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

O Holy child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord, Emmanuel.

Arnold still needs a Sacramento Home

Via Voy, I stumbled across this old (but interesting) news.

Sacramento lawyer Steve Merksamer thinks he has the solution: Take the never-used mansion created by Nancy Reagan for subsequent governors.

Place to call home

This structure, not to be confused with the house Nancy and Ron lived in, is the 12,000-square-foot, pretentiously dubbed Casa de los Gobernadores, chosen by Nancy from more than 80 design proposals. It sits commandingly on a bluff overlooking the American River not far from the current governor's home. Wild turkeys roam the five acres that include a swimming pool and a sweeping lawn that doubles as a helipad. It has a dining room that comfortably seats 22. The home, like the White House, is divided into private and public wings. It features a large, manly den, partly designed by Ronald Reagan himself, perfect for smoking cigars and drinking cognac after a hard day cutting the budget deficit.

Moreover, it's on the market for a mere $5.9 million. "It's the kind of house built with security in mind," said real estate agent Geoff Zimmerman, who conducted a tour for a reporter. "It has 2-foot thick walls gauged to withstand even an artillery barrage. It's perfect for a very high-profile person."

The mansion would solve the Schwarzenegger-Maria Shriver tennis problem. It's only blocks away from the Arden Hills Country Club and Spa, which has the area's best, if not most exclusive, tennis facility.

Arden Hills is also where Olympians Mark Spitz and Debbie Meyer trained.

Let It Snow
Sammy Cahn, J.Styne (c) 1945

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, [F C7 F]
But the fire is so delightful, [F Abdim C7]
And since we've no place to go, [Gm D7 Gm]
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. [C7 F]

It doesn't show signs of stopping, [F C7 F]
And I brought some corn for popping; [F Abdim C7]
The lights are turned way down low, [Gm D7 Gm]
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. [C7 F]

When we finally kiss good night, [C]
How I'll hate going out in the storm; [Dm7 G7 C]
But if you really hold me tight, [C]
All the way home I'll be warm. [D7 G7 C7]

The fire is slowly dying, [F C7 F]
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing, [F Abdim C7]
But as long as you love me so. [Gm D7 Gm]
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. [C7 F]

Thank you for your prayers

Yesterday I asked for your prayers. Please keep them coming. While I should have been doing my work this fall, I was only interested in the recall and barely went through the motions. If I don't work at double or triple time, I'll lose thousands of dollars in commission. But I've already done really well this year, so that's not the worst part. I'm worried that for one reason or another, my customers won't talk to me now, and will I run out of time to make the changes they want. I pray that as I call them tomorrow and next week, they'll answer the phones and say Yes I can talk to you now.

My job is sometimes great. I get to help people achieve their dreams and I have made lots of people lots of money. But my assignment is too big. I have 250 customers who spend about a million and a half dollars annually with my company and it's too much. I would gladly trade some income for less stress.

On to a happier subject. How cool it is to have a permanent link from a Rugby-Playing Pirate. I wonder if he knows that George W. Bush was a wing at Yale?

Update: Oops, I was wrong, he was a fullback.

Good Morning

Good Christian Men Rejoice is thought to have originated in Germany. It was originally a very old Latin Christmas song, or carol,called In Dulci Jubilo. John Mason Neale translated the words around the middle of the 1800s. The words were translated by John Mason Neale in the late eighteenth century. The composer of the music to Good Christian men rejoice is unknown.

Good Christian Men Rejoice

Good Christian men rejoice
With heart and soul and voice!
Give ye heed to what we say
News! News!
Jesus Christ is born today!
Ox and ass before Him bow
And He is in the manger now
Christ is born today!
Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice
Now ye hear of endless bliss
Joy! Joy!
Jesus Christ was born for this
He hath ope'd the heav'nly door
And man is blessed evermore
Christ was born for this
Christ was born for this

Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart and soul and voice
Now ye need not fear the grave:
Peace! Peace!
Jesus Christ was born to save
Calls you one and calls you all
To gain His everlasting hall
Christ was born to save
Christ was born to save