The Battle Hymn of Cloud Cuckoo Land

By Neil "The Poet" Swanson-Chrisman



Mine eyes have seen the glory of the plumage of the Birds,
Their dazzling feathers blazing like the shining of the world,
Their beaks are sharp, their claws are out, their wings are all unfurled!
The birds go flapping on.

            Flapping, flapping through the day sky,
            Flapping, flapping through the night sky
            Hear them singing so joyously
            As the birds go flapping on!

      I have seen them build their nests in a hundred different trees.
      They’re collecting nectar, and honey from the bees.
      The birds control the planet, from the mountains to the seas!
      When they go flapping on!

                  Flapping, flapping through the forests,
                  Flapping, flapping through the beaches,
                  From tropics to th’ arctic reaches,
                  When the birds go flapping on!

            The birds have conquered Heaven and the birds have conquered Earth!
            From the gods in Mount Olympus to the humans down in Perth
            When they shake their slingshots, we laugh at them with mirth!
            While we go flapping on!

                        Flapping, flapping go the sea birds,
                        Flapping, flapping go the free birds,
                        Wouldn’t you just like to be birds?
                        While the birds go flapping on!

The Birds Cast photo. Can you see me? I'm the puffin!

Opens July 11th at 7:30 AM!

Via a friend of mine, a mashup of Buffy vs the creepy vampire from Twilight. Is good.

What I did this week:

One cleaned my outer room
Two sinks of dishes
Three loads of laundry
Four various errands
Five job applications
Six interesting movies

And that's it. Not too shabby for my first week off.

By Sojourner Truth
To the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"


We are the valiant soldiers who've 'listed for the war;
We are fighting for the Union, we are fighting for the law;
We can shoot a rebel farther than a white man ever saw,
As we go marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah, as we go marching on.

Look there above the center, where the flag is waving bright;
We are going out of slavery, we are bound for freedom's light;
We mean to show Jeff Davis how the Africans can fight,
As we go marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah, as we go marching on.


We are done with hoeing cotton, we are done with hoeing corn;
We are colored Yankee soldiers as sure as you are born.
When massa hears us shouting, he will think 'tis Gabriel's horn,
As we go marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah, as we go marching on.

They will have to pay us wages, the wages of their sin;
They will have to bow their foreheads to their colored kith and kin;
They will have to give us house-room, or the roof will tumble in,
As we go marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah, as we go marching on.

We hear the proclamation, massa, hush it as you will;
The birds will sing it to us, hopping on the cotton hill;
The possum up the gum tree couldn't keep it still,
As he went climbing on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah, as we go marching on.

Father Abraham has spoken, and the message has been sent;
The prison doors have opened, and out the prisoners went
To join the sable army of African descent,
As we go marching on.

Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah, as we go marching on.

Plus, its evidently in 3D!

Meanwhile, in the real world...

Also, this:



Speaking of weird animals, the platypus gets stranger every time I learn something new about it. Did you know they don't have nipples?

UPDATE: Over at TNR, the definitive argument: Cephalopods are like the Einsteins of the ocean, assuming that Einstein was also a ninja wizard lord of the Sith.

visited 20 states (40%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or vertaling nederlands duits?

Maine has joined the civilized world, legalizing gay marriage. Go Maine!

The prime minister of Portugal is named José_Sócrates? How frikkin' cool is that?

EDIT: The article where I learned about Portugal's prime minister has a lot of interesting things to say about how Portugal is "greening" its economy and electrical production.

A couple of grand old queens.

I posted a video of the daily news. This here is MLK's famous address is song. Very effective.

I just submitted my final paper. The last assignment I had before I was completely through! I have nothing left to do. My degree is finished. Sure, there are some small things, like getting my grades, and walking the stage, but right now, I have nothing left to do. I'm through. Finished. Like, for real.

I want to go grab a drink. Think anyone would be up for something tonight? If you're in town?

...adding, I guess I could always drive out to Warrensburg and pick up my graduation packet and cap and gown. I haven't slept in 24 hours, so I don't if driving is a good idea, but there it is. Maybe I'll wait until Monday.

I have two jobs to apply for (in Booneville and Wentzville), and my resume is up to date. I'm certified in multiple subjects. My future looks bright. I just need a job, and once that diploma comes through, that should be a dandy feather in my cap.

So yeah, rambling. But hey, did I mention? I am frickin' DONE!

W00T!