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From: BookWorm ~~"/
Date: 15 Dec 1999
Time: 17:38:38
Remote Name: 208.161.28.225
THE MEGABYTE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
{all due credit, of course, to Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) - a seminary professor of Hebrew and Greek - for his 1822 classic, A Visit from St. Nicholas}
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a modem was stirring, nor clicking, a mouse.
The keyboardwas covered in plastic with care,
In vain hopes that e-mail would not soon be there.
The children drank Nestle's Quick (mugs in their beds),
While visions of video games danced in their heads.
And momma in nightgown and I in my sweats,
Had settled our brains from worries 'bout debts.
When out from the 'puter there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from myhot tub to see "what's the matter?"
Away to my den, I flew from the shower;
To open my Windows™, to fire up the power.
The brightness and glowof the newly-lit screen,
Gave lustre like emeralds to my sweatshirt of green.
When what to my aching red eyes should appear,
But a marvelous web site which was yet barely clear.
With a two-year-old browser, so slow and not quick,
I knew in a moment, "it must be a trick."
More rapid than eagles the image did come,
And it whistled and rattled just like an old drum.
Now Microsoft, Netscape, World Wide Web, the 'Net,
Bring comets and "cupids," chat rooms and Lear jets.
And suddenly from sound bytes, I heard with my ears,
A "ho ho," a sleigh bell and something like deer(s).
As I clicked on the icons and surfed all around,
Up on the small screen came St. Nick with a bound.
He was dressed in all red and he looked pretty glad;
And to download his belly took all RAM I had.
A bundle of e-mail he had in his sack;
And he looked like he'd traveled to Venus and back.
The monitor, it twinkled! My mood, it was merry! :-)
But then "momma" saw all the "e's," and 'twas "hairy!" :-(
When she grimaced and winced , and shook her fair head, {{{ >;-C }}}
She gave me to know I had plenty to dread. :-O
Then without a word, she left really quick, :-I ----> {?}
And I was alone with ole jolly St. Nick. :-D
But pointing his finger straight out at my nose,
He launched into most shocking "preacher man" prose:
Emmanuel's what this great night's all about;
He's brought us new life so you better not pout.
Focus on Him, not malls, lights, and me.
And cut down on e-mail so a dad you can be.
Christmas is much more 'bout love than of credit.
Its message will fill up your soul if you let it.
So always remember the most valued things,
Are God, loved ones, heart, not cyberspace flings.
He sprang to his web page; my PC gave a clickin';
And away he did fade, and his exit did quicken.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he "morphed" out of sight,
"Christ in Christmas is All, and to all He is Light!"