Random Nuclear Strikes

Because it is Christmas Day, I can think of only one tune that will do. Again, bagpipes. Again, from Miss Laura MacKensie. From all of us at RNS Blog.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas / Ding Dong Merrily On High

Celebrate well, for if you are like me, tomorrow you have to go back to work.

A number of folks have asked me where I’m getting all this tunage from. I hate to say it, but the first few came from those goofy music samples in the displays at shipping centers. You have to choose carefully because there are some real crappy CDs there, but some of thse discs are real jems.

The majority of the rest of the bagpipe music I have found in the music section of a little Irish shop in North Seattle. The last few selections have been from Celtic Music star, Laura MacKensie. The CD is almost 10 years old and I’m not finding this particular one anywhere, though if you look around the web, you can find pieces of it here.

This is why I haven’t been providing the usual links.

Today, I have saved one of my absolute favorite bits of tunage from her.

What Child Is This / Cold and Raw / The Greensleves Jig

It transitions at around the 02:05 mark and as much at the beginning will mellow you out, the latter half will get you out of your seat.

There will be music here tomorrow for anyone who wishes to stop by. But if I don’t see you then, have a very Merry Christmas.

Hello and Merry Christmas, everyone!

Professor Booty here, just wanting to pass along a message of goodwill towards men (and women, of course) and show you how the folks at the Occidental Tush Institute are spending the days of late.

Miss Triana was our tree decorating supervisor this year

She put in a well rounded effort of close to four hours. The tree was beatiful as well.

Miss Bethany, on the other hand, was just wanting to relax after stringing over 100ft of tinsel.

Though we’re devoid of snow here, you can plainly see that it isn’t exactly warm.

While OK’ing the substitution of my post with one from Dr. Brest, Phil also agreed that I could send him a video for him to post for me. However, I think that waiting until tomorrow would be best for all for that project. He said that he’ll be posting music for tomorrow, so make sure you can get away from the party for a bit and swing by for something very special.

How about a little dance music today.

A Bourree is a dance.

St. Nicolas will be stopping by in a couple days.

So that means todays tunage is…

Bourree de St. Nicolas

Ol St. nick is a big guy and he can’t dance for too long a while, so today’s tune is only 2:31.

Hello everyone and a Merry Christmas to you all!

Dr. Goodwin Brest here. I have asked the good Professor Booty to let me post a couple things today to make up for all the posting I had to do for him earlier this year. I didn’t want to then, but I do now. He’ll be back tomorrow with something for you.

Really quickly, and I hope you found this as funny as I did, I had a couple first year student who didn’t go home for the holiday over to decorate the small tree yesterday while I was grading some home other student’s work. It had been some years since they had done any tree decorating and they asked me if I could lend them a hand. I told them no and that they’d have to do it themselves.

Looking back on it today, I think that that would have been fun to watch.

Also, guys, I know that we don’t hold the attention span to be listening all year for the subtle hints that women leave as to what to get them this time of year (or anniversaries, or birthdays, etc) , so I just want to let you know of a gift for that has always worked for me and kept peace in my house.

A new friend for her to play with.

Of course, it could just be my luck.

Either way, have a very Merry Christmas!

I was originally thinking of posting this on Monday “The Day” itself, but I want a little wider exposure for it than that.

Today’s tunage is sung in Irish gaelic and would be perfectly A-cappella if not for the minimalist organ in the background and a flute in the breaks. It is titled Airdi Cuan and it is one of the saddest songs you don’t know the words to.

The origin of the tune is unknown, but I’ve read multiple accounts of varying versions of it being sung at Christmas time by people fleeing from the Great Famine (known in the US as the Irish Potato Famine) to the US. Cuan is almost directly translated into harbor and Airdi is the base word for places that are welcoming or friendly.

I put the song up because I think every one of us can think of someone serving our great nation who would much rather be home, and while we cannot either bring them home or go to be with them, a bit of tunage that may remind us what they’re feeling would be a good thing, even if just for five minutes and nine seconds.

So, I don’t mean to be a bummer, but you should really give it a listen.

Airdi Cuan – Maighread and Triona Ni Dhomhnaill