New song (to me, anyway)

Not the kind we sing in church.

The original was Polish, but this is a Russian version dating from 1905. It's pretty bloody, but then so is La Marseillaise. The song is titled "Varshavyanka", and translates roughly:

Hostile whirlwinds swirl over us;
Dark forces of malice oppress us;
We have entered a fateful battle with our enemies;
Unknown fates await us.

But boldly and proudly we raise
The battle-flag of working people,
The banner of the great struggle of all peoples
For a better world and sacred liberty.

Refrain:

To battle bloody,
Holy and right,
march, march forward,
working people!

In our day the working person starves;
Brothers, shall we keep silent?
Shall the eyes of our young comrades
Show fear at the sight of the gallows?

Shall they disappear without a trace
Who fall honorably for an idea in the great battle?
Their names in our victory song
will become sacred to millions.

(Refrain)

Hateful to us are the crowns of tyrants;
We honor the chains of the suffering people;
The thrones are stained with the people's blood;
In their own blood shall we redden our foes.

Merciless death to all enemies,
To all parasites of the toiling masses!
Vengeance and death to tsars and plutocrats;
The solemn hour of victory is near.

(Refrain)

God, I hate winter

The snow was bad enough to make me cancel my plans for the weekend, and this afternoon a gust of wind took the screen door leading into my kitchen and slammed it against the railing on the outside steps, smashing the glass.

At church, the choir director arranged for a substitute organist and a soloist before going to Minnesota on family business. The organist showed up but the soloist did not, and only three members of the choir came. We had to improvise, and I don't think we were audible over the organ, which was way too loud.

The church was near but the road was icy... really icy; I almost slid off the road making a left turn onto Central Avenue. I dunno about the bar; you'll have to ask someone who drinks.

Loki went out this morning, but I doubt even the smoke detector will get him out tonight. It's like Siberia out there.