Learning is fabulous!

Oscar

Up On The Roof
The Drifters

(Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King)

When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there the world below can't bother me
Let me tell you now

When I come home feelin' tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet (up on the roof)
I get away from the hustling crowd
And all that rat-race noise down in the street (up on the roof)
On the roof, the only place I know
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let's go up on the roof (up on the roof)

brief instrumental-chiefly strings

At night the stars put on a show for free
And, darling, you can share it all with me

I keep a-tellin' you

Right smack dab in the middle of town
I've found a paradise that's trouble proof (up on the roof)
And if this world starts getting you down
There's room enough for two
Up on the roof (up on the roof)
Up on the roo-oo-oof (up on the roof)
Oh, come on, baby (up on the roof)
Oh, come on, honey (up on the roof)
FADE

Everything is all right (up on the roof)

"By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity... another man's I mean." - Mark Twain

"In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends." - John Churton Collins

"Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself - and thus make yourself indispensable." - Andre Gide (1869-1951).

You're Only Human (Second Wind) - Billy Joel

You're having a hard time and lately you don't feel so good
You're getting a bad reputation in your neighborhood
It's alright, it's alright, sometimes that's what it takes
You're only human, you're allowed to make your share of mistakes
(You're only human, ooo-ooo)

You better believe there will be times in your life
When you'll be feeling like a stumbling fool
So take it from me you'll learn more from your accidents
Than anything that you could ever learn at school

Don't forget your second wind
Sooner of later you'll get your second wind

It's not always easy to be living in this world of pain
You're gonna be crashing into stone walls again and again
It's alright, it's alright, though you feel your heart break
You're only human, you're gonna have to deal with heartache
(You're only human, ooo-ooo)

Just like a boxer in a title fight
You got to walk in that ring all alone
You're not the only one who's made mistakes
But they're the only thing that you can truly call your own

Don't forget your second wind
Wait in that corner until that breeze blows in

You've been keeping to yourself these days
Cause you're thinking everything's gone wrong
Sometimes you just want to lay down and die
That emotion can be so strong
But hold on 'till that old second wind comes along
(You're only human, ooo-ooo)

You probably don't want to hear advice from someone else
But I wouldn't be telling you if I hadn't been there myself
It's alright, it's alright, sometimes that's all it takes
We're only human, we're supposed to make mistakes
(You're only human, ooo-ooo)

But I survived all those long lonely days
When it seemed I did not have a friend
Cause all I needed was a little faith
So I could catch my breath and face the world again

Don't forget your second wind
Sooner or later you'll feel that momentum kick in
(One more time!)
Don't forget your second wind
Sooner or later you'll feel that momentum kick in

Don't forget your second wind
(You're only human, ooo-ooo)

`Life's about speaking your mind and doing what you think is best. If people disagree with that, so be it."

Eric Lindros

"If I Had A Boat" - Lyle Lovett

If I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

If I were Roy Rogers
I'd sure enough be single
I couldn't bring myself to marrying old Dale
It'd just be me and trigger
We'd go riding through them movies
Then we'd buy a boat and on the sea we'd sail

And if I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

The mystery masked man was smart
He got himself a Tonto
'Cause Tonto did the dirty work for free
But Tonto he was smarter
And one day said kemo sabe
Kiss my ass I bought a boat
I'm going out to sea

And if I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

And if I were like lightning
I wouldn't need no sneakers
I'd come and go wherever I would please
And I'd scare 'em by the shade tree
And I'd scare 'em by the light pole
But I would not scare my pony on my boat out on the sea

And if I had a boat
I'd go out on the ocean
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat
And we could all together
Go out on the ocean
Me upon my pony on my boat

Ah, random processes...

Right you are, Ken!

"Using a highly simplified language, we might state at this point that adaptive algorithms are nothing but iterative search algorithms derived for minimizing the underlying cost function with the true statistics replaced by their estimates obtained in some manner."

Chapter 5, Search Methods - B. Farhang-Boroujeny

"In nondualistic maintenance gumption isn't a fixed commodity. It's variable, a reservoir of good spirits that can be added to or subtracted from. Since it's a result of the perception of Quality, a gumption trap, consequently, can be defined as anything that causes one to lose sight of Quality, and thus lose one's enthusiasm for what one is doing. As one might guess from a definition as broad as this, the field is enormous and only a beginning sketch can be attempted here."

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, R. M. Pirsig

A rainy day. A warm bed. Music of John Prine playing in the background. And a wonderful woman laying beside me. I love Sundays.

Ah, adaptive filtering...

Young Man Dies
(David Wilcox)

There's a young man dying
as he stands beside the sea.
You can see him smiling, unbelievably free:
wind in his hair, light in his eyes.
He looks a lot like you, and you look so surprised
that he would send you on your way
with no good-byes.
But he can't go, and you can't stay,
'cause in the years it takes
to make one man wise, the young man dies.

Meanwhile you're sailing,
as you wave good-bye to shore.
You're anticipating what these new days
will hold in store.
It's the mystery of the ocean,
but now he's in over his head.
This is no place for the young man,
he's got to send you on instead.
And still you're looking so surprised
that this change has come as prophesied
but the years won't compromise,
'cause in the years it takes
to make one man wise, the young man dies.

The young man:
He was such a lonely boy.
Yeah, but he could dream, all right.
He could picture you a perfect sunrise
in the middle of your darkest night.
And he could take a sip from someday,
like he had a secret well.
He could listen to the voices calling
from a distant time will tell.
It's you in that picture where you're looking far away
like you hear a whisper of the things
you'll know someday.
But back then your heart was hungry
for something hard to find; you were
just holding out for someday,
but you've left that pain behind
'cause he walked you through those mountains,
for as long as he could bear.
He never reached the fountain,
but he could take you there.
The young man's dying
'cause in the years it takes to make one man wise,
the young man dies.

Southern Cross
(Crosby, Stills, & Nash)

Got out of town on a boat, going to Southern Islands
Sailing a reach before a following sea.
She was making for the trades on the outside, and the downhill run to Papeete.

Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas,
We got eight feet of waterline, nicely making way.
In a noisy bar in Avalon, I tried to call you.
But on a midnight watch I realized, why twice you ran away!

(Chorus)
Think about..Think about how many times I have fallen. Spirits are using me, larger voices calling.
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.
I have been around the world, looking for that woman-girl, who knows love can endure.
And you know it will. And, you know it will.

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time,
You understand why now you came this way.
'Cause the truth you might be running from is so small.
But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day.
So I'm sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a dying.
And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain.
I have my ship and all her flags are a flying.
She's all that I have left and music is her name.

(Repeat Chorus)

So we cheated and we lied and we tested.
And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do.
You will survive being bested.
Somebody fine will come along, make me forget about loving you....at the Southern Cross.

In A Moment
Collective Soul

The walls came up as the thoughts went down
To the hush of disparity
Sure we know the problem lies
With some insecurities
But we'll never see eye to eye
As long as our tongues are tied
And we'll never be seen as one
Until we find love

In a moment it could happen
We could wake up and be laughing
In a moment it could happen
We could forgive and be happy

It's a shame our world responds to life
As a puzzle in disguise
I wish our course would lead us towards
The peace and loving kind
But we'll never walk hand in hand
Until we let old wounds mend
And we'll never sing songs as one
Until we find love

In a moment some wisdom could be learned
In a moment new voices could be heard
In a moment we could make heads turn
In a moment we could change

Bird-by-bird...

Statistical Signal Processing... Cool! Too cool!

Long, Cool Woman in a Black Dress
Rockapella

Saturday night I was downtown, workin' for the FBI
Sitting in a nest of bad men,
Whiskey bottles piling high
A bootlegging boozer on the west side
Full of people who were doing wrong
I was just about to call up the DA man
When I heard this woman singing a song.

A pair of 45's made me open my eyes,
My temperature started to rise.
She was a -

Chorus
Long, cool woman in a black dress,
Just 5'9", beautiful, tall
Just one look, I was a bad mess
'Cause that long, cool woman had it all.

I saw her head up to the table,
Just a tall walking big, black cat,
Charlie said, "I sure hope that you're able, boy,
'Cause I'm telling you she knows where it's at."
Well, suddenly we heard the sirens
And everybody started to run,
Jumping out of doors and tables.
When I heard somebody shooting a gun.

Well the DA was pumping my left hand,
And she was holding my right.
I said, "Don't be scared, you're going to be spared,
Well, I'm gonna be forgiving
If I'm want to spend my living with a -

(Chorus)

Missy was fine, she blew my mind.
I think about her booty all the time.
She was a long, cool woman in a black dress...