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Frosty the Snowman
Was a jolly happy soul
With a corncob pipe and a button nose
And his eyes made out of coal
Frosty the Snowman
Made the children laugh and play
And were they surprised when before their eyes
He came to life that day
There must have been some magic
In that old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head
He began to dance around
Oh, Frosty the Snowman
Was alive as he could be
And the children say, he could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me
Frosty the Snowman
Knew the sun was hot that day
So he said let's run, And we'll have fun
Before I melt away
So down to the village
With a broomstick in his hand
Running here and there all around the square
Saying catch me if you can
He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cops
And he only paused a moment
When he heard him holler stop
For Frosty the Snowman, Had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye, Saying don't you cry
I'll be back again some day
Thumpety, thump, thump
Thumpety, thump, thump
Look at Frosty go
Thumpety, thump, thump
Thumpety, thump, thump
Over the hills of snow
Songwriters: (C) Jack Rollins, Steve Nelson. For non-commercial use only.
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POEM PAINTED ON THE NORTH WALL OF THE 55TH STEET ILLINOIS CENTRAL VIADUCT!
Rapid Transit
Squealing under city stone
The millions on the millions run,
Every one a life alone,
Every one a soul undone:
There all the poisons of the heart
Branch and abound like whirling brooks
And there through every useless art
Like spoiled meats on a butcher's hooks
Pour forth upon their frightful kind
The faces of each ruined child:
The wrecked demeanors of the mind
That now is tamed, and once was wild.
— James Agee, 1937
See more at: https://civicengagement.uchicago.edu/news/newly-restored-under-city-stone-mural-unveiled
Sir Joseph.
When I was a lad I served a term
As office boy to an Attorney's firm.
I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor,
And I polished up the handle of the big front door.
Chorus.
He polished up the handle of the big front door.
Sir Joseph.
I polished up that handle so carefullee
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Chorus.
He polished up that handle so carefullee,
That now he is the ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Henry Lytton as Sir Joseph 1920
Sir Joseph.
As office boy I made such a mark
That they gave me the post of a junior clerk.
I served the writs with a smile so bland,
And I copied all the letters in a big round hand.
Chorus.
He copied all the letters in a big round hand.
Sir Joseph.
I copied all the letters in a hand so free,
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Chorus.
He copied all the letters in a hand so free,
That now he is the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Sir Joseph.
In serving writs I made such a name
That an articled clerk I soon became;
I wore clean collars and a brand-new suit
For the pass examination at the Institute.
Chorus.
For the pass examination at the Institute.
Sir Joseph.
That pass examination did so well for me,
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Chorus.
That pass examination did so well for he,
That now he is the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Sir Joseph.
Of legal knowledge I acquired such a grip
That they took me into the partnership.
And that junior partnership, I ween,
Was the only ship that I ever had seen.
Chorus.
Was the only ship that he ever had seen.
Sir Joseph.
But that kind of ship so suited me,
That now I am the ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Chorus.
But that kind of ship so suited he,
That now he is the ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Sir Joseph.
I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament.
I always voted at my party's call,
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.
Chorus.
He never thought of thinking for himself at all.
Sir Joseph.
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Chorus.
He thought so little, they rewarded he
By making him the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Sir Joseph.
Now landsmen all, whoever you may be,
If you want to rise to the top of the tree,
If your soul isn't fettered to an office stool,
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.
Chorus.
Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.
Sir Joseph.
Stick close to your desks and never go to sea,
And you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navee!
Chorus.
Stick close to your desks and never go to sea,
And you all may be rulers of the Queen's Navee!
This isn't "Good Stuff" in the sense that it's about something good. In fact it's about something awful! But it's important stuff, so it's good to know about it and to think about how to confront it.
That's why I'll post it here for now.
Remember that film Groundhog Day? In this 1993 film, actor Bill Murray finds himself trapped in a sequence of events that keeps happening over and over like a bad dream.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_(film)
See a clip here:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/
This is how I feel during these dark days at the end of January, 2022, watching TV coverage of the Supreme Court 5-4 vote to overturn Roe v Wade.
How long will this horrific battle go on?
It is like watching a bizarre volleyball game, with an important human right as the ball knocked back and forth by politicians playing to their bases, with judges as referees whose motives may be more guided by their personal biases than by the public good.
For a Boston Globe article with the text of the recent Supreme Court opinion, see:
For other commentary presenting many views on this, see:
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-supreme-courts-argument-for-overturning-roe-v-wade/
and:
and:
https://www.cnet.com/health/dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-overturn-roe-abortion/
and:
I may annotate the above links later. For now, just past midnight, I'm too exhausted to do more.
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Today, June 18, 2022, is a perfect day in Chicago.
It is 4:30 pm and people are out on Oak Street Beach and there is a brisk breeze for sailboats as well.
Here's the view of beautiful Oak Street Beach from my balcony today:
And out on the lake is what I call the "Octopus Boat" because of the picture of an octopus on its sail. (Sorry it doesn't show up so well here - the camera in my iPhone has its limits!)
This boat is a regular feature - I'll try to catch it again when it's closer!
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