Happy Christmas 2023 and a lucky 2024 to you all.

С праздником Нового Года!

С Рождеством!

Простите меня, «свергнутый» Эйнштейн!

All the best to the Captain... Still staying at the upper deck behind the helm despite the storm.

A Visit from St. Nicholas

BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly

That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

May Cold Fusion be the Christmas gift all the world receives the coming year.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE INSTALLATION

Twas the Night before installation,

and all through the house;

Not a program was working, not even a browse!

The programmers were hung by their terminals in despair,

With hopes that a miracle would soon be there.

The users were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of inquiries danced in their heads.

When in the lobby there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my terminal to see what was the matter.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But SUPER PROGRAMMER; with a six-pack of beer!

His resume glowed with experience so rare,

He turned out code with a bit-pusher's flair.

More rapid than eagles, his programs they came;

And he whistled and shouted and called them by name;

On Add! On Update! On Inquiry, Delete!

On Batch Jobs! On Closings! On Functions Complete!

His eyes were glazed over, fingers nimble and lean;

From nights and weekends in front of his screen.

A wink from his eye, and a twist from his head;

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word and went right to his work,

Turning specs into code, then he turned with a jerk.

And upon laying his finger on the "ENTER" key,

The System came up and worked perfectly!

The updates updated, the deletes they deleted,

The inquires inquired and closings completed.

He tested each whistle, he tested each bell;

With nary an ERROR, all had gone well!

The System was finished, all tests were concluded;

The client's last changes were even included.

And the client exclaimed with a snarl and taunt,

"It's just what I asked for, BUT NOT WHAT I WANT!!!"

- Dennis J.

(This describes 1970s programming. Nowadays those functions are built-in and work perfectly. But the scenario is the same as ever. Customers never change.)

Source: https://mastodon.social/@weirdxmas

Thanks to everyone who makes this place interesting!

Hope for interesting news in 2024

Let's hope it's a good year for revealing those hidden elephants...

Einstein passes the baton to 2024!

And 2024 is now sweeping its way around the globe...

It’s roughly 14 hours away for me.

Quote from Curbina

It’s roughly 14 hours away for me

The International Date Line map isn't quite right, since Sidney has just set off its fireworks. I guess it doesn't include "daylight saving time".

New Year's Eve live: Sydney welcomes in 2024 with spectacular fireworks display - BBC News

Eight tonnes of pyrotechnics are launched from the city's Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

www.bbc.co.uk