A Fond Farewell from the Former BROTM

[WI-Tom]

Friends and Fellow Bilge Rats:

The period for a new election of a BROTM having passed, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, to rejoice that in the present circumstances of our Bilge, you will not disapprove my determination to retire.

I beg you at the same time to do me the justice to be assured that in withdrawing my service, I am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future interest, no deficiency of grateful respect for your past kindness, but am supported by a full conviction that the step is compatible with both.

The acceptance of and continuance hitherto in the office to which your suffrages have called me have been a uniform sacrifice of inclination to the opinion of duty and to a deference for what appeared to be your desire. I constantly hoped that it would have been much earlier in my power, consistently with motives which I was not at liberty to disregard, to return to that retirement from which I had been reluctantly drawn:

Sailing in company.jpg

I anticipate with pleasing expectation that retreat in which I promise myself to realize without alloy the sweet enjoyment of partaking in the midst of my fellow-Bilge rats the benign influence of frank and often thoughtful discussion, with opinions freely shared and sometimes even supported by facts seen to be reasonably congruent with reality, under a free Bilge--the ever-favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors, and dangers.

Reef early, reef often.

WI-Tom
ex-BROTM

(apologies to G. Washington)

[WX]

Jeezus mate, you been reading too much Dickens?

[Paul Pless]

it was a pretty good reign tom

[Garret]

I can't believe you're not contesting the election! Are you absolutely sure Joe won? It was internet voting after all & we know we can't trust that.

[Ted Hoppe]

A nice reign Tom. I enjoyed your time this month. Come back soon. i can be your Mark Meadows in an effort to take back the thrown.

[Breakaway]

Out of doubt, out of dark, to the days rising he rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing. Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended; over death, over dread, over doom lifted, out of loss out of life, unto long glory.

Kevin



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[WI-Tom]

Jeezus mate, you been reading too much Dickens?

Is it even possible to read "too much" Dickens?

But no. That was shamelessly stolen from George Washington's letter announcing his refusal to run for a third term as president.

Tom

[WI-Tom]

Out of doubt, out of dark, to the days rising he rode singing in the sun, sword unsheathing. Hope he rekindled, and in hope ended; over death, over dread, over doom lifted, out of loss out of life, unto long glory.

Kevin

Ah, but who was playing Grima W.?

Baxter? David G.?

Tom

[WI-Tom]

I can't believe you're not contesting the election! Are you absolutely sure Joe won? It was internet voting after all & we know we can't trust that.

Well, I considered calling up Spindrift and telling her to "find" the dozen votes I needed for a re-election, but I didn't have her number. So back into well-deserved obscurity I go.

Tom

[Joe (SoCal)]

Tom I honor your service and I only hope I can come nearly as close during my reign.

[WX]

Is it even possible to read "too much" Dickens?

But no. That was shamelessly stolen from George Washington's letter announcing his refusal to run for a third term as president.

Tom

Equally wordy, it would appear.

[Jim Bow]

He had me, hook, line, and sinker until "diminution of zeal". For some chemical-electrical-neural reaction my 3/4ths of a century old brain recognized Geo. Washington. Go figure.

[WI-Tom]

He had me, hook, line, and sinker until "diminution of zeal". For some chemical-electrical-neural reaction my 3/4ths of a century old brain recognized Geo. Washington. Go figure.

Well done!

I did think that the "Apologies to G. Washington" at the bottom might have been a clue for the rest of my readers...

Tom

[WI-Tom]

Equally wordy, it would appear.

It is certainly a mental shift to make, reading prose from the 18th and 19th century. Very slow-moving, built of complex arrangements of clauses--lots of clauses--dependent clauses, relative clauses, clauses-within-clauses--and very dense relationships. A slow-moving prose, with weight and gravitas.

Not to everyone's taste. But I find myself using it more and more these days as an antidote for the fruit-fly attention spans encouraged by so much screen time in our lives.

And, I'm finding it useful to help my students build a more ornate prose style. Not that you should always BE ornate--but that you should be ABLE to be ornate when it suits the purpose and audience.

Tom

[WI-Tom]

Tom I honor your service and I only hope I can come nearly as close during my reign.

Thanks, Joe. Looking forward to what you've got coming up. Cheers!

Tom