The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Charge of the Light Brigade

by Alfred Tennyson

Half a league half a league,
    Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
    Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
    Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
    Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die:
Into the valley of Death
    Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
    Volley'd & thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
    Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
    All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd & sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
    Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
    Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
    All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
    Noble six hundred!

"The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred Tennyson

The Pledge of Allegiance

 On October 12, 1892 that the Pledge of Allegiance was recited en masse for the first time, by more than 2 million students. It had been written just a month earlier by a Baptist minister named Francis Bellamy, who published it in Youth's Companion and distributed it across the country. It was recited on this day to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas. It was slightly shorter in its 1892 version: "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands — one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

After that, it got revised twice, and both revisions made the Pledge wordier. The first was in 1923, when it was changed from "my flag" to "the flag of the United States of America." This change was made to ensure that immigrants were pledging to the American flag and not the flags of their home countries. The second change was to add the words "under God." A few determined preachers worked for years to get it changed, but it wasn't until 1954 that it was amended. President Eisenhower attended a sermon by the Reverend George Docherty, who said: "Apart from the mention of the phrase, 'the United States of America,' this could be a pledge of any republic. In fact, I could hear little Muscovites repeat a similar pledge to their hammer-and-sickle flag in Moscow with equal solemnity." Eisenhower was convinced and within a few months the Pledge was amended to include "under God" as a way to distinguish this country from the Soviet Union.  (from "The Writer's Almanac)

Prize Being Offered by Monkeybusinessworks to Whoever Can Explain the Meaning of this Disclosure Statement

 

The following was copied directly from a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Disclosure Statement to supposedly inform creditors of certain matters concerning the bankruptcy.  Monkeybusinessworks is offering a prize for anyone who can explain what the heck the below disclosure means. To collect the prize please contact us at our address.

 

UPON SIX MONTHS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE, IF THE POST CONFIRMATION TRUST HAS NOT INSTITUTED AN ACTION AGAINST THE DEBTOR RELEASEES, FOR GOOD ANDVALUABLE CONSIDERATION (INCLUDING FOR SERVICES PERFORMED BY THE DEBTORS’DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS DURING THESE CHAPTER 11 CASES), THE ADEQUACY OF WHICHIS HEREBY CONFIRMED, THE DEBTORS (IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES AND AS DEBTORSAND DEBTORS IN POSSESSION) WILL BE DEEMED TO RELEASE FOREVER, WAIVE, ANDDISCHARGE ALL CLAIMS, OBLIGATIONS, SUITS, JUDGMENTS, DAMAGES, DEMANDS, DEBTS,RIGHTS, CAUSES OF ACTION, AND LIABILITIES (OTHER THAN THE RIGHTS OF THE DEBTORSTO ENFORCE THE PLAN AND THE CONTRACTS, INSTRUMENTS, RELEASES, INDENTURES, AND OTHER AGREEMENTS OR DOCUMENTS DELIVERED UNDER THE PLAN, AND LIABILITIESARISING AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS) WHETHERLIQUIDATED OR UNLIQUIDATED, FIXED OR CONTINGENT, MATURED OR UNMATURED,KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, FORESEEN OR UNFORESEEN, THEN EXISTING OR THEREAFTERARISING, IN LAW, EQUITY, OR OTHERWISE THAT ARE BASED IN WHOLE OR PART ON ANYACT OMISSION, TRANSACTION, EVENT, OR OTHER OCCURRENCES IN CONNECTION WITH,RELATING TO, OR ARISING OUT OF THE DEBTORS, TAKING PLACE ON OR PRIOR TO THEEFFECTIVE DATE (OR THE DATE OF RESIGNATION OF AN OFFICER OR DIRECTOR, IFEARLIER), THE CHAPTER 11 CASES OF THE DEBTORS, THE NEGOTIATION AND FILING OF THE PLAN, THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THEFILING OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES RELATING TO THE DEBTORS, THE PURSUIT OF CONFIRMATION OF THE PLAN OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THE CONSUMMATION OF THE PLAN, THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN, OR THE PROPERTY TOBE LIQUIDATED AND/OR DISTRIBUTED UNDER THE PLAN THAT COULD HAVE BEENASSERTED BY OR ON BEHALF OF THE DEBTORS OR THEIR ESTATES, AGAINST THE DEBTORRELEASEES, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT THIS RELEASE SHALL NOT EXTEND TO OR COVERANY ACTS OR OMISSIONS THAT ARISE FROM GROSS NEGLIGENCE, WILFUL MISCONDUCT,OR FRAUD. FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE RELEASES GRANTED IN ARTICLE XI.B OFTHE PLAN SHALL NOT EXTEND TO OR COVER ANY DIRECTORS OR OFFICERS OF THE DEBTORS WHO WERE NOT DIRECTORS OR OFFICERS OF THE DEBTORS AS OF THE PETITION DATE, OR ANY OF THE DEBTORS’ SHAREHOLDERS OR EQUITY INTEREST HOLDERS WHO ARE NOT DEBTOR RELEASEES. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED IN THE PLAN, THE DEBTORS, THE POST-CONSUMMATION TRUST ADMINISTRATOR, THE POST-CONSUMMATION TRUST, THE COMMITTEE, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE (SOLELY IN THEIR CAPACITY AS SUCH),AND ANY OF THE FOREGOING PARTIES’ RESPECTIVE PRESENT OR FORMER MEMBERS,OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, ADVISORS, ATTORNEYS, REPRESENTATIVES,FINANCIAL ADVISORS, INVESTMENT BANKERS, AGENTS OR OTHER PROFESSIONALS AND ANY OF SUCH PARTIES’ SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, SOLELY IN THEIR CAPACITIES AS SUCH,SHALL NOT HAVE OR INCUR ANY CLAIM, ACTION, PROCEEDING, CAUSE OF ACTION,AVOIDANCE ACTION, SUIT, ACCOUNT, CONTROVERSY, AGREEMENT, PROMISE, RIGHT TO LEGAL REMEDIES, RIGHT TO EQUITABLE REMEDIES, RIGHT TO PAYMENT, OR CLAIM (AS DEFINED IN BANKRUPTCY CODE SECTION 101(5)), WHETHER KNOWN, UNKNOWN, REDUCED TO JUDGMENT, NOT REDUCED TO JUDGMENT, LIQUIDATED, UNLIQUIDATED, FIXED, CONTINGENT, MATURED, UNMATURED, DISPUTED, UNDISPUTED, SECURED, OR UNSECURED AND WHETHER ASSERTED OR ASSERTABLE DIRECTLY OR DERIVATIVELY, IN LAW, EQUITY,OR OTHERWISE TO ONE ANOTHER OR TO ANY CLAIMHOLDER OR INTEREST HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY IN INTEREST, OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENTS, EMPLOYEES,REPRESENTATIVES, ADVISORS, ATTORNEYS, OR AFFILIATES, OR ANY OF THEIR SUCCESSORS OR ASSIGNS, FOR ANY ACT OR OMISSION ORIGINATING OR OCCURRING ON OR AFTER THE PETITION DATE THROUGH AND INCLUDING THE EFFECTIVE DATE (OR THE DATE OF RESIGNATION OF AN OFFICER OR DIRECTOR, IF EARLIER) IN CONNECTION WITH, RELATING TO, OR ARISING OUT OF THE DEBTORS, THE CHAPTER 11 CASES OF THE DEBTORS, THE NEGOTIATION AND FILING OF THE PLAN, THE DISCLOSURE STATEMENT OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THE FILING OF THE CHAPTER 11 CASES OF THE DEBTORS, THE PURSUIT OF CONFIRMATION OF THE PLAN OR ANY PRIOR PLANS OF REORGANIZATION, THE CONSUMMATION OF THE PLAN, THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN, OR THE PROPERTY TOBE LIQUIDATED AND/OR DISTRIBUTED UNDER THE PLAN.