INVICTUS (unconquered)

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley (1849–1903).


It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know
victory nor defeat.

Teddy Roosevelt on April 23, 1910.

Im against Violence to Women.... Are you?

2010 and still almost blogging

Today is my first day back into the office since going on holidays in mid December. Our holidays were lots of fun. Christmas day was a good time, as we had it at Cath's sister's house. Our boy had a wonderful time with his cousins. He recieved man presents, which he has enjoyed playing over our time at home. He especially likes Guitar Hero. His rhythm is good and getting better every day, but the thing that he loves to do is at the end of each song he holds the guitar above his head and imagines he is a rock star.