Ubuntu Linux Live CD
Posted on 2005-01-31 at 08:03
Speaking of the live CD, I gave a copy to Charles at work. I got him to give Firefox a try as well, and he's considering checking out Open Office. Good!
Windows
Posted on 2005-01-31 at 08:02
So, Denise keeps one Windows partition on her box for Microsoft Money and for games. On the new box I planned on puttng a small Windows partition for the same purposes. Windows is crap. Windows XP simply won't install. It errors out during the hardware detection phase, before ever even beginning the install phase. LAME!!! Then I found that Windows offereed an upgrade to XP 64 online. I figured, "hey, I have a valid XP disk. Maybe the upgrade will allow me to boot and install." Sure it will, but only if I purchase another version of Windows. wtf? I own the dam OS legally, but it won't install and to get a disk that will install they want me to pay...again?!?! Bill Gates can kiss my ass.
Just for the record, I was able to boot up and install two different distros of linux on that same box. No problems there. It's currently running a 64-bit version of Fedora Core 3. Ubuntu Linux works as well. I tested that with the live CD. Sweet stuff. Booted up and worked just fine.
Home wiring
Posted on 2005-01-31 at 08:01
So, I wasted a day trying to wiring my home for networking. Lame. Lame and useless. I got nowhere. I ended up calling the people that began the job (under the previous owner) and asked them for a quote to finish it. Life is too short to be doing these frustrating weekend projects!
RSS, CSS, and maybe XSL
Posted on 2005-01-28 at 08:02
I'm looking to change the underlying tech of this blog so that people are able to subscribe to its RSS feed. We'll see how it goes. I'm running into some stupid problems in Mozilla with mime type issues. [beedy beedy beedy]
I just need to say...
Posted on 2005-01-28 at 08:01
Bryan, this is for you.
Loves Labours Confused - Augustine and the Journey to Christianity
Posted on 2005-01-27 at 08:02
Abstract:
Concerning Augustine's transition from a Gnostic knowledge of God to a Christian relationship with God. Augustine's conversion and insight forms the basis of so much of Christianity that study of the subject is central to any study of modern theology.
Paper:
In many ways, the death of Augustine's mother became his moment of true gestalt. Though he had had an earlier moment of insight which led to his conversion experience in the garden in Milan, it was not until his mother's death when, confronted with the need to apply his new-found insight, he truly understood its importance. Until this point, even after his conversion, Augustine existed in a state of anxiety produced by what he might describe as a contest of conflicting wills. It was his mother's death that settled that anxiety.
Augustine seemed to see those two wills as a dialectic between man's covenant with God and his desire for attachment to worldly things---that is to say, between the spirit and the flesh. The tension born of this dynamic conflict within the soul of man, according to Augustine, caused much of man's suffering. At one point, he describes this state of anxiety:
The one necessary condition [of entering the covenant with God], which meant not only going but at once arriving there, was to have the will to go---provided that the will was strong and unqualified, not the turning and twisting first this way, then that, of a will half-wounded, struggling with one part rising up and the other part falling down. (Augustine 147)
Augustine originally saw this anxiety as an inescapable side-effect of his own humanity. His flawed nature could do nothing but produce the effect. His reasoning in this matter relied heavily on a Manichean---and ultimately Gnostic--- dualistic approach to understanding the human condition. He believed that the mind was of a higher order than the body. This hierarchy created in man the innate ability of free choice---the ability to choose the actions which one will perform in any given situation. "The mind commands the body," Augustine believed, "and is instantly obeyed" (Augustine 147). Yet this same hierarchy was cause for conflict when the mind tried to command the mind. Apparently the mind need not follow its own commands, therefore one cannot command oneself not to want something or not to think something. "The mind commands itself," Augustine added, "and meets resistance" (Augustine 147). Man, under this system of thought, becomes his own most difficult problem.
Added to this dire theory was Augustine's view that Man's will was confused at heart since his fall from grace and now, rather than loving God for His own sake and God's works for the uses they provide, he loved God's works for their own sake and God for the uses He can provide. Man's will is thusly confused and Augustine simply did not see a way to correct that since he could not will himself to change his own will. Prior to his episode in the garden of Milan, Augustine sought after worldly things just for the sake of having them. He chased after women, sought academic prizes, and desired money. Anything that satisfied his desire for the purely sensual was the recipient of his attention. As Augustine put it, "in an ulcerous condition [my soul] thrust itself to outward things, miserable avid to be scratched by contact with the world of the senses" (Augustine 35).
It was Lady Continence, a figure who appeared to him in the garden, who brought Augustine, intellectually, out of the quandary of fighting a losing battle against an evil will. She talked of God's grace as the answer:
Why are you relying on yourself, only to find yourself unreliable? Cast yourself upon him, do not be afraid. He will not withdraw himself so that you fall. Make the leap without anxiety; he will catch you and heal you. (Augustine 151)
Through this experience Augustine became able to accept, logically, the precepts of Christian faith, thus the whole garden incident is often dubbed his conversion experience. However, examination of the text both during and after this experience may indicate that it was only a prequel to the actual moment of his entering into a relationship (or covenant) with God. That moment may have been later, at his mother's death.
It is true that Augustine described a difference of worldview after the garden conversion. He used typically Gnostic imagery when he talked of a "light of relief" which removed his anxiety (Augustine 153). He described a peaceful time when, with his mother, he learned to climb the scale of goodness to reach its near-peak, which he believed was the human mind. As he put it, "we ascended even further by internal reflection and dialogue and wonder at your works, and we entered into our own minds" (Augustine 171). Using the Gnostic, and therefore Manichean, doctrine of salvation through intellectual reflection and special insight, Augustine had taken the next step toward Christianity by being able to embrace its doctrines because of his rational for them. But he had not yet entered into a relationship with God. That was to come a bit later.
The reader gets the impression, through Augustine's writings, that anxiety had left him, as much as it ever would, at this point. As a testament to the falsity of that statement, however, the death of Monica, his mother, crumbles the framework of Augustine's logical-salvation experience. His first substantial test proves to be his true conversion experience. Augustine falls back into an anxiety once again--- this time unsure of his condition or its possible solution. He became, "tortured by a twofold sadness," (Augustine 175) and his mind and body warred again:
I closed her eyes and an overwhelming grief welled into my heart and was about to flow forth in a flood of tears. But at the same time under a powerful act of mental control my eyes held back the flood and dried it up. The inward struggle put me in great agony. (Augustine 174)
Augustine suddenly saw his attachment to his mother, formed of the habit of living with her for so long, as drawing him toward some inappropriate grief. He wrestled with the idea that he had fallen into the habit of loving her for her own sake rather than for her use to God and the world as a Christian. He retired to a bath in hopes that this thing would help resolve his conflict. Again he turned towards worldly things, just as he was wont to do earlier in life, for a salvation that he would never find there. After the bath he found that he was, "exactly the same as before" (Augustine 176). His Gnostic manner of understanding God had not produced in him any relationship with God and therefore he had not learned to truly let go of the world around him. Exhausted from his returned anxious state, he slept. It was this sleep which would herald his actual conversion. In chapter IX, paragraph 33---rather than chapter VII, paragraph 28--- Augustine truly converts to Christianity by accepting its doctrines of salvation and love not simply with his mind, but with his heart.
Suddenly, Augustine, "was glad to weep before [God] about and for her, about [him]self and for [him]self" (Augustine 176). He learned to cry not for his loss of a mother, but for a mother, "who had wept for [him] that [he] might live before [God's] eyes" (Augustine 176). He saw his mother, and the rest of creation no longer as ends, in and of themselves, but as means to know God. "If anyone lists his true merits to you, what is he enumerating before you but your gifts" (Augustine 177)? Augustine has that moment of Christian gestalt, which some call rebirth, here at his mother's death, not in a garden in Milan as has been suggested. "Thereby [Augustine] submitted [his] neck to [God's] easy yoke and [his] shoulders to [God's] light burden" (Augustine 155). Augustine had finally made the transition from a Gnostic knowledge of God to a Christian relationship with God. His conversion was complete.
SOL's?
Posted on 2005-01-27 at 08:01
Johnny Apathyseed
Posted on 2005-01-26 at 08:02
Mark called me yesterday. Apparently before he met me he was always on time and diligent and stuff. Now...not so much. Apparently, he now understands all too much why I don't go into work until 10 or 11 in the morning.
Denise's new system
Posted on 2005-01-26 at 08:01
It's arrived. It's screaming fast. It's sitting unused. :( I need to get the network wired into that room (can you guess how my foray into wireless networking went?) and I need to get a small Windows partition on it, too. I have a valid Windows disk, but Microsoft, in their greed, has forbade me from installing that specific disk on that specific system. God, I hate them. The problem should be solved in a few days, I hope.
Busy at work
Posted on 2005-01-21 at 08:03
The client is hopping right now with a big systems rollout. It means longer hours and such. I can't wait to be through with Corporate America for good. Of course, "for good" is a long time if we live forever! (see first entry for today)
Alas, poor Voom. I knew him, Horatio.
Posted on 2005-01-21 at 08:02
Yep, it's official. Voom has sold off their satellite and will discontinue service soon. It's a sad day. Voom was the best (despite the installation troubles) and I seriously doubt I'll be as happy with another provider. Echostar, of Dish Network fame, has purchased the Voom satellite. I'll keep an eye on them to see what they plan on doing with it. It'd be nice if they continued service for the Voom subscribers, but somehow I doubt it will be so simple a solution.
Who wants to live forever?
Posted on 2005-01-21 at 08:01
I do and this guy wants to help.
Full House
Posted on 2005-01-19 at 08:03
DnD was pretty packed last week. We had, me, Will, Bryan, Conspiracy Dave, Roy, Eruption Dave, Berry, and Will's friend from Boston. Eruption Dave has said he plans to return next week to join the campaign as a Paladin. Cool. We could use a Paladin.
Gnome 2.10 feature preview
Posted on 2005-01-19 at 08:02
Someone has posted a draft of the Gnome 2.10 release feature preview. Looking good.
He's so dreamy!
Posted on 2005-01-19 at 08:01
This is a photo from a 1983 photospread in Teen Beat magazine featuring Bill Gates.
Two things of note. First, wtf is that look on his face?!? One can almost hear the photographer saying "Make love to the camera, Mr. Gates, Make LOVE to it!" And second, behind him, you should notice that there are two computers. One is a PC (probably with the Windows 1.0 sourcecode on the screen, and the other is an old Mac, so he has something to copy the sourcecode from! ;-)
Mammon by Day
Posted on 2005-01-18 at 08:03
I've been testing out my skills as a Day Trader with a spreadsheet (faking it to see if I should enter the market for real). So far, I'm doing quite well. I earned myself an 11% return on investment in about a week. I'm gonna track my performance for a month before I consider committing any real funds to the process.
Dizzying Heights of Power
Posted on 2005-01-18 at 08:02
Our D&D party is getting up there in level and in power. It's been a while since I played a truly high level character, so this will be fun. Still, I prefer low level campaigns overall. Arturr is 14th level, and he is nigh invincible!
The new box
Posted on 2005-01-18 at 08:01
Denise's old system died, so we ordered a new Monarch computer. It should get hear in a few days. Athlon64, 1GB RAM, and Fedora Core 3 preloaded all add up to a sweet system. I shall be appropriately jealous.
#95: Expand or die.
Posted on 2005-01-14 at 08:01
Roy is meeting with another flooring place this morning so we can diversify our client list. Right now, we rely on one client way too much. The hope is that expanding to other clients will keep the company healthier in the long term. It will also keep us independent, and thus keep our options more open than they currently are.
The Smart Ferengi's Guide to Profit
Posted on 2005-01-11 at 08:01
As I used these rules to good success in my business, I figured I'd pass them along as advice. I, of course, did not invent them, rather these are the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. My favorites and the most useful/practical are accentuated. Enjoy!
Rule 001 - Once you have their money, you never give it back.
Rule 002 - The best deal is the one that brings the most profit.
Rule 003 - Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.
Rule 004 - A woman wearing clothes is like a man in the kitchen.
Rule 006 - Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.
Rule 007 - Keep your ears open.
Rule 008 - Small print leads to large risk.
Rule 009 - Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.
Rule 010 - Greed is eternal.
Rule 011 - Even if it's free, you can always buy it cheaper.
Rule 012 - Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.
Rule 013 - Anything worth doing is worth doing twice.
Rule 014 - Keep your family close, keep your Latinum closer.
Rule 016 - A deal is a deal. (until a better one comes along).
Rule 017 - A contract is a contract is a contract - but only between Ferengi.
Rule 018 - A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all.
Rule 019 - Satisfaction is not guaranteed.
Rule 020 - Only give money to people you know you can steal from.
Rule 021 - Never place friendship before profit.
Rule 022 - A wise man can hear profit in the wind.
Rule 024 - Latinum can't buy happiness, but you can sure have a blast renting it.
Rule 025 - There's always a way out.
Rule 026 - As the customers go, so goes the wise profiteer.
Rule 027 - There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
Rule 028 - Whisper your way to success.
Rule 029 - What's in it for me?
Rule 031 - Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother. (insult something he cares about, instead).
Rule 033 - It never hurts to suck up to the boss.
Rule 034 - War is good for business.
Rule 035 - Peace is good for business.
Rule 037 - If it's free, take it and worry about hidden costs later.
Rule 039 - Friendship is temporary; profit is forever.
Rule 040 - She can touch your lobes, but never your Latinum.
Rule 041 - Profit is its own reward.
Rule 042 - What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine too.
Rule 044 - Never confuse wisdom with luck.
Rule 045 - Ambition knows no family.
Rule 046 - Make your shop easy to find.
Rule 047 - Don't trust a man wearing a better suit than your own.
Rule 048 - The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.
Rule 049 - Everything is worth something to somebody.
Rule 050 - Gratitude can bring on generosity.
Rule 051 - Reward anyone who adds to your profits so they will continue to do so.
Rule 052 - Never ask when you can take.
Rule 057 - Good customers are as rare as Latinum, Treasure them.
Rule 058 - There is no substitute for success.
Rule 059 - Free advice is seldom cheap.
Rule 060 - Keep your lies consistent.
Rule 062 - The riskier the road, the greater the profit.
Rule 065 - Win or lose, there's always Huyperian beetle snuff.
Rule 068 - Ear stroking will get you anything.
Rule 069 - Ferengi are not responsible for the stupidity of other races.
Rule 072 - Never trust your customers.
Rule 073 - If it gets you profit, sell your own mother.
Rule 075 - Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of Latinum.
Rule 076 - Every once in a while, declare peace. "It confuses the hell out of your enemies".
Rule 077 - It's better to swallow your pride than to lose your profit.
Rule 078 - When the going gets tough, the tough change the Rules.
Rule 079 - Beware of the Vulcan greed for knowledge.
Rule 082 - The flimsier the product, the higher the price.
Rule 084 - A friend is not a friend if he asks for a discount.
Rule 085 - Never let the competition know what you're thinking.
Rule 087 - A friend in need means three times the profit.
Rule 089 - Ask not what your profits can do for you, ask what you can do for your profits.
Rule 092 - There are many paths to profit.
Rule 093 - Act without delay! The sharp knife cuts quickly.
Rule 094 - Females and finances don't mix.
Rule 095 - Expand or die.
Rule 096 - For every Rule, there is an equal and opposite Rule, (except when there's not).
Rule 097 - Enough... is never enough.
Rule 098 - Every man has his price.
Rule 099 - Trust is the biggest liability of all.
Rule 100 - If they take your first offer, you either asked too little or offered too much.
Rule 101 - The only value of a collectible is what you can get somebody else to pay for it.
Rule 102 - Nature decays, but Latinum lasts forever.
Rule 103 - Sleep can interfere with...
Rule 104 - Faith moves mountains... (of inventory).
Rule 105 - Don't trust anyone who trusts you.
Rule 106 - There is no honor in poverty.
Rule 107 - A warranty is valid only if they can find you.
Rule 109 - Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
Rule 111 - Treat people in your debt like family, exploit them [ruthlessly].
Rule 112 - Never have sex with the boss' sister.
Rule 113 - Always have sex with the boss.
Rule 115 - The best contract always has a lot of fine print.
Rule 116 - There's always a catch.
Rule 117 - Everything is for sale, including friendship.
Rule 119 - Never judge a customer by the size of his wallet, (...sometimes, good things come in small packages).
Rule 121 - Everything is for sale, including friendship.
Rule 123 - Even a blind man can recognize the glow of Latinum.
Rule 125 - You can't make a deal if you're dead.
Rule 126 - Count it.
Rule 127 - Stay neutral in conflict so that you can sell supplies to both sides.
Rule 135 - Never trust a beneficiary.
Rule 139 - Wives serve, brothers inherit.
Rule 141 - Only fools pay retail.
Rule 142 - There's no such thing as an unfair advantage.
Rule 143 - Risk is part of the game... play it for all it's worth.
Rule 144 - There's nothing wrong with charity...as long as it winds up in your pocket.
Rule 146 - Necessity, n. The mother of invention. Profit is the father.
Rule 152 - A lie is a way to tell the truth to someone who doesn't know.
Rule 153 - Sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Rule 162 - Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit.
Rule 168 - Whisper your way to success.
Rule 169 - Competition and fair play are mutually exclusive.
Rule 171 - Blood is thicker than water, and Latinum is thicker than both.
Rule 172 - Chances aren't what they used to be.
Rule 177 - Know your enemies... but do business with them always.
Rule 181 - Not even dishonesty can tarnish the shine of profit.
Rule 188 - A fool and his money is the best customer.
Rule 189 - Let others keep their reputation. You keep their money.
Rule 190 - Hear all, trust nothing.
Rule 191 - A Ferengi waits to bid until his opponents have exhausted themselves.
Rule 192 - Never cheat a Klingon... unless you're sure you can get away with it.
Rule 194 - It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door.
Rule 200 - If you're going to have to endure, make yourself comfortable.
Rule 202 - The justification of profit is profit.
Rule 203 - New customers are like razor-backed Gree worms... They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back!
Rule 204 - It takes a Ferengi to cheat a Ferengi.
Rule 208 - Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer.
Rule 211 - Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success... don't hesitate to step on them.
Rule 214 - Never begin a business negotiation on an empty stomach.
Rule 216 - Never gamble with an empath.
Rule 217 - You can't free a fish from water.
Rule 218 - Always know what you're buying.
Rule 219 - Possession is 11/10 of the law.
Rule 223 - Beware the man who doesn't make time for oo-mox.
Rule 229 - Latinum lasts longer than lust.
Rule 231 - There's a sucker born every minute; be sure you're the first to find each one.
Rule 236 - You can't buy fate.
Rule 239 - Never be afraid to mislabel a product.
Rule 241 - Never trust a hardworking employee.
Rule 242 - More is good... all is better.
Rule 253 - Synthehol is the lubricant of choice for a customer's stuck purse.
Rule 255 - A wife is a luxury... a smart accountant, a necessity.
Rule 256 - Accountants do not play the game; they only keep the score.
Rule 260 - Life's not fair. How else would you turn a profit?
Rule 261 - A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.
Rule 262 - A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.
Rule 263 - Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for Latinum.
Rule 265 - The customer is always right, (...until you get their cash).
Rule 266 - When in doubt, lie.
Rule 267 - If you believe it, they believe it.
Rule 270 - In business deals, a disruptor can be almost as important as a calculator.
Rule 277 - Anything worth fighting for is worth hiding from.
Rule 284 - Deep down, everyone's a Ferengi.
Rule 285 - No good deed ever goes unpunished.
Rule 286 - When Morn leaves, it's all over. (Quark made this rule up)
Rule 299 - Whenever you exploit someone, it never hurts to thank them. That way, it's easier to exploit them the next time. (Neelix made this rule up)
The Unwritten Rule - When no appropriate Rule applies, make one up!
My notes on the rules follow:
Rule 025: I've found this to be a clear truism. If you don't see the way out, you haven't looked hard enough. The question is not if there is a way out, but rather whether or not the way out is worth the price.
Rule 047: People who are powerful rarely feel the need to make show of it. If they are wearing a thousand dollar suit they are lying either to you, to themselves, or to both. In any case, don't trust them. They are desperate.
Rule 069: As a consultant, I am asked to do things that aren't always the smartest or most efficient way to achieve the goals in mind. I always explain my concerns, knowing that they will rarely listen. When I implement something that fails becuase I followed orders, I refuse to feel bad about it. They were warned.
Rule 076: The most useful of the rules when it comes to corporate politics! Works flawlessly and consistently.
Rule 095: Here's the rub. I knew the rule. I acknowledged the validity of the rule, but I did not follow the rule and I can honestly say this is why my business is waning.
Rule 142: You can be certain that almost everyone you work with has this rule unspoken in their hearts. Disagree at your profit's peril.
Rule 190: If you listen closely enough, you will hear the doom of your enemies. If you believe everything you hear, you will hear your own doom.
Rule 217: No matter what angle you approach a thing from, it will always be the same thing. A scorpion will always sting you. A true friend will always help you. A corporate fatcat will always exploit you.
Rule 261: Truer words were never spoken. It's amazing what you are asked to compromise on the road to wealth.
Rule 284: When the latinum starts jingling, I've met few people who don't listen. This rule makes me sad.
The Unwritten Rule: This is the most important. These rules do not cover all things. Rule 062 relates. If you haven't travelled the road before, it may be risky, but be certain that there can be profit in it. Make the leap. Do the deed. History and profit are no respectors of lethargy. If there is no rule, mkae one up and keep moving forward!
TiVo's CES announcement
Posted on 2005-01-07 at 08:02
TiVo has said that they plan to offer TiVo units that accept CableCards so they can bypass cable companies and market themselves as a hi-end DVR. Sounds good to me, but I still want my HiDef DVR, and I want it now, not in 2006 when TiVo plans this rollout. That could be too late for them, and it's definately too late for me.
I am your GAWD!
Posted on 2005-01-07 at 08:01
Since I've been blogging, Will and Bryan have both pick up an interest in it. Bryan doesn't blog a lot, but Will has recently decided to try to blog every day. He wants to use it as a tool to improve his mad writing skillz (or at least get used to writing a lot). Bow before my blogging might!
Belief
Posted on 2005-01-06 at 08:04
An exercise for your mind: Think about those things you accept as fact and note something that you believe but cannot yet prove. I know God is the obvious first answer, try to go deeper. Other assumptions about the world around you. I can think of three offhand:
1. I will live to see 200 years of age. My confidence in the immediate progress of medical science and the direction of their interests suggests to me that I am right...but I cannot prove it.
2. There are aliens and we have been visited by them. That's the crazy one, I know. But statistically, it is implausible that we are alone in this universe, and given the age of the universe it is equally implausible to me that we are the most advanced. Given my belief that science will have us travelling the stars in short order (a few decades or maybe as far out as a century), I cannot assume that others have not already done so in this vast universe or that they have managed to overlook our (fairly loud, electromagnetically-speaking) planet...but I cannot prove it.
3. Cell phone radiation and other EM radiation is harmful to us. Studies have been inconclusive, and I still use these them, but in my gut I believe they are harmful, and possibly carcinogenic...but I cannot prove it.
Now you try.
Remote Blogging
Posted on 2005-01-06 at 08:03
I need some way to post to this blog from elsewhere. That'd be ideal. I'm gonna look into that. That way, while I'm at work a lot, I can still post commentary. Either way, I'm renewing my efforts in this blog, so stay tuned for more frequent updates. :)
The Campaign
Posted on 2005-01-06 at 08:02
I've spent some time lately working on the D&D campaign. The results have been positively received by the group. I'm pleassed as well. The Sundered Coast religious structure is something I'm getting to be quite proud of. I expect to post some details here soon enough.
Peace
Posted on 2005-01-06 at 08:01
I'm OK with the slowing of the business. It has its upsides and that's kinda cool. Corporate America isn't worth the effort it takes to stay in it. That's my latest epiphany.
Things have been hectic
Posted on 2005-01-03 at 08:02
The business is slowing, but my workload has increased. Not a good combination. Either way, Denise and I have determined to move back into Serious Savings mode so that our dependence upon my business income is lessened as much as possible. So far, so good.
Thomas Mann, novelist, Nobel laureate (1875-1955)
Posted on 2005-01-03 at 08:01
"Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols."
Happy New Year!