Programming wisdom

December 9, 2022

From ACM’s SIGPLAN publication, (September, 1982), Article “Epigrams in Programming”, by Alan J. Perlis of Yale University.   One man’s constant is another man’s variable. Functions delay binding; data structures induce binding. Moral: Structure data late in the programming process. Syntactic sugar causes cancer of the semicolon. Every program is a part of some other […]

Dorothea Mackellar: “My Country”

February 24, 2021

The love of field and coppice Of green and shaded lanes, Of ordered woods and gardens Is running in your veins. Strong love of grey-blue distance, Brown streams and soft, dim skies I know, but cannot share it, My love is otherwise. I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain […]

Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen

January 25, 2021

Now, I’ve heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don’t really care for music, do you? It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Your faith was strong but you needed […]

The Night Watch (by James Mickens)

June 30, 2016

“A s a highly trained academic researcher, I spend a lot of time trying to advance the frontiers of human knowledge. However, as someone who was born in the South, I secretly believe that true progress is a fantasy, and that I need to prepare for the end times, and for the chickens coming home […]

Once in a lifetime

June 22, 2016

You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack You may find yourself in another part of the world You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here? Letting the days […]

Mysterious Ways

June 22, 2016

Johnny take a walk With your sister the moon Let her pale light in To fill up your room You’ve been living underground Eating from a can You’ve been running away From what you don’t understand… Love She’s slippy You’re sliding down She’ll be there When you hit the ground It’s all right, it’s all […]

Blauw

June 22, 2016

Ik heb vannacht gedronken en gezien Hoe geen vrouw ooit krijgt wat ze verdient Het zien duurt een seconde, de gedachte blijft voor altijd Ik heb vannacht gedronken en gezien Ik heb vannacht gedronken en beleefd Hoe geen vrouw ooit terugkrijgt wat ze geeft Er is geen macht ter wereld die niet vroeg of laat […]

Bioshock Infinite

June 22, 2016

Will the circle be unbroken There are loved ones in the glory Whose dear forms you often miss. When you close your earthly story, Will you join them in their bliss? CHORUS: Will the circle be unbroken By and by, by and by? Is a better home awaiting In the sky, in the sky? In […]

De zittende politicus

June 22, 2016

Hij heeft nog nooit gedanst. Hij kent zijn doel. Nog nooit is op zijn vale klerkensmoel Zomaar een lach verschenen, maar die nacht, Nadat de gek de nar had omgebracht, Kroop hij zijn bed uit, glimmend van de pret, En maakte hij onbespied een pirouette. Dank, dank, riep hij, het monster is geveld. Hij oefende […]

What am I (riddles)

June 22, 2016

#1 At night I come without being fetched. At day I am gone without being stolen. #2 Two brothers we are, great burdens we bear, all day we are bitterly pressed; Yet this I will say – We are full all the day, and empty when we go to rest. #3 Here, in this place, […]