SecularSolstice · dspeyer · Dec 27, 2025 · Dec 26, 2025
diff --git a/lists/Montreal_2025.list b/lists/Montreal_2025.list
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Light
+What_is_Solstice_2024
+Always_Look_on_the_Bright_Side
+X_Days_of_X_Risk
+
+# Dusk
+Galaxy_Song
+Space_Oddity
+Zombie_The_Cranberries
+The_Sun_Is_Burning
+Origin_of_Stories_Twilight_Edition
+Matt_Speech_2025
+
+# Night
+Hymn_to_the_Breaking_Strain
+No_Royal_Road
+Firesong
+Stopping_in_the_Woods
+The_Meditation_on_Winter
+
+# Dawn
+Jodie_Speech_2025
+Here_Comes_the_Sun
+Natural_Questions
+
+# Future
+What_Does_It_Mean_To_Be_Forever_Young
+Contract_Drafting_Em
+Still_Alive
diff --git a/lists/gen/Montreal_2025.html b/lists/gen/Montreal_2025.html
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+
+<html>
+  <head>
+    <title>Montreal 2025</title>
+    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../theme.css">
+    <script src='../../theme-switcher.js'></script>
+    <meta charset="utf-8">
+    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width initial-scale=1.0">
+  </head>
+  <body>
+        <div class=header>
+      <a href="/">Home</a>
+      <a href="/lists/gen/All_Songs.html">Songs</a>
+      <a href="/lists/gen/All_Speeches.html">Speeches</a>
+      <a href="/misc/gen/Programs.html">Programs</a>
+    </div>
+
+    <h1>Montreal 2025</h1>
+<h2> Light</h2>
+<ul>
+<li><b><a href=../../speeches/gen/What_is_Solstice_2024.html> What is Solstice? (2024)</a></b>  <i class=small> by Daniel Speyer</i><li><b><a href=../../songs/Always_Look_on_the_Bright_Side/gen/>  Always Look on the Bright Side</a></b>  <i class=small> by Eric Idle</i> &#x25e6;  A silly song about making the best of terrible things
+<li><b><a href=../../songs/X_Days_of_X_Risk/gen/>  X Days of X Risk</a></b>  <i class=small> by Raymond Arnold</i> &#x25e6;  Six (or more) ways the world could end
+</ul>
+<h2> Dusk</h2>
+<ul>
+<li><b><a href=../../songs/Galaxy_Song/gen/> Galaxy Song</a></b>  <i class=small> by Monty Python</i> &#x25e6;  How big the universe is and how lucky we are to be a part of it
+<li><b><a href=../../songs/Space_Oddity/gen/> Space Oddity</a></b>  <i class=small> by David Bowie</i> &#x25e6;  A confused account of going into space
+<li><b><a href=../../songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/> Zombie</a></b>  &#x25e6;  by The Cranberries &#x25e6;  All the things that can only be done while here
+<li><b><a href=../../songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/gen/>  The Sun Is Burning</a></b>  <i class=small> by Ian Campbell</i> &#x25e6;  A beautiful but fragile world
+<li><b><a href=../../speeches/gen/Origin_of_Stories_Twilight_Edition.html> Origin of Stories, Twilight Edition</a></b>  <i class=small> by Raymond Arnold and Daniel Speyer</i><li>Matt_Speech_2025 [Not Available]</ul>
+<h2> Night</h2>
+<ul>
+<li><b><a href=../../songs/Hymn_to_the_Breaking_Strain/gen/>  Hymn to the Breaking Strain</a></b>  <i class=small> by Rudyard Kipling</i> &#x25e6;  Abide the twin damnation, to fail and know we fail
+<li><b><a href=../../speeches/gen/No_Royal_Road.html> No Royal Road to Knowledge; No Mercy for Ignorance</a></b>  <i class=small> by Daniel Speyer</i><li>Firesong [Not Available]<li><b><a href=../../songs/Stopping_in_the_Woods/gen/>  Stopping in the Woods</a></b>  <i class=small> by Robert Frost and Randall Thompson</i> &#x25e6;  A vignette of looking into snowy woods at night
+<li><b><a href=../../speeches/gen/The_Meditation_on_Winter.html> The Meditation on Winter</a></b>  <i class=small> by Raymond Arnold</i></ul>
+<h2> Dawn</h2>
+<ul>
+<li><b><a href=../../speeches/gen/Jodie_Speech_2025.html> Jodie's 2025 speech at Montreal's solstice</a></b>  <i class=small> by Jodie</i><li><b><a href=../../songs/Here_Comes_the_Sun/gen/>  Here Comes the Sun</a></b>  <i class=small> by The Beatles</i> &#x25e6;  A light-hearted celebration of the sun
+<li><b><a href=../../speeches/gen/Natural_Questions.html> Natural Questions</a></b>  <i class=small> by Seneca</i></ul>
+<h2> Future</h2>
+<ul>
+<li><b><a href=../../speeches/gen/What_Does_It_Mean_To_Be_Forever_Young.html> What Does It Mean To Be Forever Young?</a></b>  <i class=small> by Daniel Speyer</i><li><b><a href=../../songs/Contract_Drafting_Em/gen/> The Contract Drafting Em</a></b>  <i class=small> by Zack Davis</i> &#x25e6;  The special horror when your employer has root on your brain
+<li><b><a href=../../songs/Still_Alive/gen/> Still Alive</a></b>  <i class=small> by Jonathan Coulton</i> &#x25e6;  A smug, sociopathic celebration of survival and science
+</ul><a class=rawgit href=/misc/list_building.html#Montreal_2025&autoslides>Autogenerated Slides</a><a class=rawgit href=https://github.com/SecularSolstice/SecularSolstice.github.io/blob/master/lists/Montreal_2025.list>Raw Git</a></body></html>
diff --git a/songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/README.md b/songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/README.md
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
 ## A beautiful but fragile world
 
 
-The [original recording is available on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L2Tn-YFlKk) as is the better known [Simon and Garfunkel cover](youtube.com/watch?v=-FySFvQoapU).
+The [original recording is available on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L2Tn-YFlKk) as is the better known [Simon and Garfunkel cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FySFvQoapU).
diff --git a/songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/gen/index.html b/songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/gen/index.html
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ <h2 id="a-beautiful-but-fragile-world">A beautiful but fragile
 world</h2>
 <p>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L2Tn-YFlKk">original
 recording is available on youtube</a> as is the better known <a
-href="youtube.com/watch?v=-FySFvQoapU">Simon and Garfunkel
+href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FySFvQoapU">Simon and Garfunkel
 cover</a>.</p>
 <p><a href=https://github.com/SecularSolstice/SecularSolstice.github.io/edit/master/songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/README.md class=editbutton>edit description</a></p>
 </div>

diff --git a/songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/gen/thumb.png b/songs/The_Sun_Is_Burning/gen/thumb.png
diff --git a/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/Makefile b/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+PREFIX=Zombie_The_Cranberries-
+FILES_TO_LIST=lyrics.txt
+
+gen/${PREFIX}lyrics.txt: lyrics.txt
+	cp lyrics.txt gen/${PREFIX}lyrics.txt
+
+include ../Makefile.common
diff --git a/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/README.md b/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Zombie
+## by The Cranberries
+## All the things that can only be done while here
+
+This song is about the [Warrington bombings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrington_bombings)
+and [The Troubles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles)
+that they are part of.
+It is about innocent people and children dying.
+
+> **More than 3,500 people were killed in the conflict, of whom 52% were civilians,**
+> 32% were members of the British security forces,
+> and 16% were members of paramilitary groups.
+
+--- [The Troubles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles), Wikipedia. (emphasis from nik)
+
+[official youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts)
diff --git a/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/Zombie_The_Cranberries-lyrics.txt b/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/Zombie_The_Cranberries-lyrics.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+Another head hangs lowly
+Child is slowly taken
+
+And the violence,
+caused such silence
+Who are we mistaken
+
+But you see, it's not me
+It's not my family
+In your head, in your head,
+they are fighting
+
+With their tanks,
+and their bombs
+And their bombs,
+and their guns
+In your head, in your head
+they are crying
+
+In your head, in your head
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
+What's in your head,
+in your head
+Zombie, zombie,
+zombie-ie-ie, oh
+
+(Du, du, du, du, du
+Du, du, du, du, du
+Du, du, du, du, du
+Du, du, du, du, du)
+
+Another mother's breaking
+Heart is taking over
+
+When the violence
+causes silence
+We must be mistaken
+
+It's the same old theme
+Since 1916
+
+In your head, in your head,
+they're still fighting
+With their tanks,
+and their bombs
+And their bombs,
+and their guns
+
+In your head, in your head,
+they are dying
+
+In your head, in your head
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
+What's in your head,
+in your head
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
+
+Oh oh oh oh oh oh
+oh, ay, oh, ya ya
diff --git a/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/index.html b/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+<html>
+  <head>
+    <title>Zombie</title>
+    <meta charset="utf-8">
+	<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width initial-scale=1.0">
+    <link rel=stylesheet href=../../../theme.css>
+    <script src='../../../theme-switcher.js'></script>
+    <meta property='og:image' content='https://secularsolstice.github.io/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/thumb.png' />
+    <meta name='twitter:image' content='https://secularsolstice.github.io/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/thumb.png' />
+    <meta property='og:title' content='Zombie' />
+    <meta property='og:description' content=' by The Cranberries //  All the things that can only be done while here // This song is about the [Warrington bombings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrington_bombings) // ' />
+  </head>  <body> 
+    <div class=header>
+      <a href="/">Home</a>
+      <a href="/lists/gen/All_Songs.html">Songs</a>
+      <a href="/lists/gen/All_Speeches.html">Speeches</a>
+      <a href="/misc/gen/Programs.html">Programs</a>
+    </div>
+<div class=notes>
+<h1 id="zombie">Zombie</h1>
+<h2 id="by-the-cranberries">by The Cranberries</h2>
+<h2 id="all-the-things-that-can-only-be-done-while-here">All the things
+that can only be done while here</h2>
+<p>This song is about the <a
+href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrington_bombings">Warrington
+bombings</a> and <a
+href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles">The Troubles</a> that
+they are part of. It is about innocent people and children dying.</p>
+<blockquote>
+<p><strong>More than 3,500 people were killed in the conflict, of whom
+52% were civilians,</strong> 32% were members of the British security
+forces, and 16% were members of paramilitary groups.</p>
+</blockquote>
+<p>— <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles">The
+Troubles</a>, Wikipedia. (emphasis from nik)</p>
+<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts">official
+youtube video</a></p>
+<p><a href=https://github.com/SecularSolstice/SecularSolstice.github.io/edit/master/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/README.md class=editbutton>edit description</a></p>
+</div>
+<h2>Lyrics</h2><p class=lyrics>
+Another head hangs lowly<br>
+Child is slowly taken<br>
+<br>
+And the violence,<br>
+caused such silence<br>
+Who are we mistaken<br>
+<br>
+But you see, it's not me<br>
+It's not my family<br>
+In your head, in your head,<br>
+they are fighting<br>
+<br>
+With their tanks,<br>
+and their bombs<br>
+And their bombs,<br>
+and their guns<br>
+In your head, in your head<br>
+they are crying<br>
+<br>
+In your head, in your head<br>
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie<br>
+What's in your head,<br>
+in your head<br>
+Zombie, zombie,<br>
+zombie-ie-ie, oh<br>
+<br>
+(Du, du, du, du, du<br>
+Du, du, du, du, du<br>
+Du, du, du, du, du<br>
+Du, du, du, du, du)<br>
+<br>
+Another mother's breaking<br>
+Heart is taking over<br>
+<br>
+When the violence<br>
+causes silence<br>
+We must be mistaken<br>
+<br>
+It's the same old theme<br>
+Since 1916<br>
+<br>
+In your head, in your head,<br>
+they're still fighting<br>
+With their tanks,<br>
+and their bombs<br>
+And their bombs,<br>
+and their guns<br>
+<br>
+In your head, in your head,<br>
+they are dying<br>
+<br>
+In your head, in your head<br>
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie<br>
+What's in your head,<br>
+in your head<br>
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie<br>
+<br>
+Oh oh oh oh oh oh<br>
+oh, ay, oh, ya ya<br>
+</p>
+<h2>Files</h2><ul>
+<li><a href=thumb.png>thumb.png</a>
+<li><a href=Zombie_The_Cranberries-lyrics.txt>Zombie_The_Cranberries-lyrics.txt</a>
+<li><a href=../lyrics.txt>lyrics.txt</a>
+<a href=https://github.com/SecularSolstice/SecularSolstice.github.io/edit/master/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/lyrics.txt class=editbutton>edit</a>
+</ul>
+<a class=rawgit href=https://github.com/SecularSolstice/SecularSolstice.github.io/tree/master/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries>Raw Git Folder</a>
+</body></html>
diff --git a/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/thumb.png b/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/gen/thumb.png
diff --git a/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/lyrics.txt b/songs/Zombie_The_Cranberries/lyrics.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+Another head hangs lowly
+Child is slowly taken
+
+And the violence,
+caused such silence
+Who are we mistaken
+
+But you see, it's not me
+It's not my family
+In your head, in your head,
+they are fighting
+
+With their tanks,
+and their bombs
+And their bombs,
+and their guns
+In your head, in your head
+they are crying
+
+In your head, in your head
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
+What's in your head,
+in your head
+Zombie, zombie,
+zombie-ie-ie, oh
+
+(Du, du, du, du, du
+Du, du, du, du, du
+Du, du, du, du, du
+Du, du, du, du, du)
+
+Another mother's breaking
+Heart is taking over
+
+When the violence
+causes silence
+We must be mistaken
+
+It's the same old theme
+Since 1916
+
+In your head, in your head,
+they're still fighting
+With their tanks,
+and their bombs
+And their bombs,
+and their guns
+
+In your head, in your head,
+they are dying
+
+In your head, in your head
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
+What's in your head,
+in your head
+Zombie, zombie, zombie-ie-ie
+
+Oh oh oh oh oh oh
+oh, ay, oh, ya ya
diff --git a/speeches/Jodie_Speech_2025.md b/speeches/Jodie_Speech_2025.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Jodie's 2025 speech at Montreal's solstice
+## By Jodie
+
+[[canonical post]](https://jodie.website/#solstice25)
+
+On the face of it humans aren't very equipped for survival.
+We have no claws to defend ourselves, no fur to protect us from the cold and the sun. But what we have is one unique trait that allowed us to thrive: imagining the future.
+
+Through predictive modelling, long term planning and a fair bit of wishful thinking, we didn't just hope a better world was possible, we were able to execute on our plans and mould the world into the shape of our fantasies.
+
+We imagined a world where a mother didn't have to watch her child die of smallpox... and then we made that world real.
+Our ancestors looked at the sky and imagined touching it. And their grandchildren left footprints on the moon.
+
+Most of our problems are a failure of imagination. If we only believe in shitty futures. How can we plan for utopia? We have a moral duty to use our powers to imagine futures that should exist.
+
+Tonight, on this darkest day, we do what our ancestors did: we gather, we speculate, and we steal warmth from the future. May the worlds we conjure tonight be the ones we build tomorrow.
diff --git a/speeches/Natural_Questions.md b/speeches/Natural_Questions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Natural Questions
+## By Seneca
+
+The time will come when diligent research over long periods will bring to light things which now lie hidden.  
+A single lifetime, even though entirely devoted to the sky, would not be enough for the investigation of so vast a subject...  
+And so this knowledge will be unfolded only through long successive ages.  
+There will come a time when our descendants will be amazed that we did not know things that are so plain to them...  
+Many discoveries are reserved for ages still to come, when memory of us will have been effaced.  
+Our universe is a sorry little affair unless it has in it something for every age to investigate...  
+Nature does not reveal her mysteries once and for all.
+
+--- Seneca, Natural Questions, Book 7, first century. From Carl Sagan’s Comos (how the book starts)
+[make sure to say it’s a quote from the first century AD]
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
Expand Up		@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
		## A beautiful but fragile world


		The [original recording is available on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L2Tn-YFlKk) as is the better known [Simon and Garfunkel cover](youtube.com/watch?v=-FySFvQoapU).
		The [original recording is available on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L2Tn-YFlKk) as is the better known [Simon and Garfunkel cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FySFvQoapU).