What in the world - you may wonder - is a "We twa hae run about the braes"? The answer can be found in an HSI Forum thread titled "Auld Lang Zine." A member named Tom starts off the thread with an urgent request: "Help! I need to find lyrics to Auld Lang Zine to print out for a New Years eve party. Anybody know all the lyrics? I'm also trying to find out what Auld Lang Zine means."  Tom has opened quite a lyrical can of worms with this one. But as it happens, a member named lae provides a thorough response, starting with the correct spelling of the title: "Auld Lang Syne." Lae: "Auld Lang Syne is based upon an early Scots ballad, which is equivalent to English 'old long since, and can best be translated as 'times gone by'. Lyrics: Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne! Chorus- (repeated between each stanza)- For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne, We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, For auld lang syne. We twa hae paidl'd in the burn, Frae morning sun till dine; But seas between us braid hae roar'd Sin' auld lang syne. Chorus- And there's a hand, my trusty fere! And gie's a hand o' thine! And we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught, For auld lang syne. Chorus -" A member named Jo UK sums up my own reaction with this comment: "Memorable, if not completely understandable! What on earth is We twa hae run about the braes, And pou'd the gowans fine; But we've wander'd mony a weary fit Sin' auld lang syne. Chorus I can sort of work out the rest, but this one has me stumped. Any Gallic speakers here?" Lae clears things up a bit with this response for Jo UK: "Did I not tell ya… that Auld Lang Syne was equivalent to English version of 'old long since?' Sort this out, Lassie, for you Brits: 'We twa hae run about the braes, And pou'd the gowans fine; But we've wander'd mony a weary fit Sin' auld lang syn', translates t 'We two have run about the hillsides And pulled the daisies fine, But we have wandered many a weary foot For old long ago.'" In another posting in this thread, lae translates the entire song for those who aren't comfortable with Gallic. Meanwhile, a member who calls himself Spoofy offers a completely different lyric: "There was a man His name was Lang and he had a wooden sign Now Mr. Lang Was very old So they called it Old Lang's Sign" On that note I'll wish you a cup of kindness and a Happy New Year from HSI. Other topics on the HSI Forum this week include: * Weight loss help * Cat nutrition * Snoring - a natural cure * War on vitamins * Viagra * Prolotherapy for knees You can easily reach the Forum on our web site at www.hsibaltimore.com. Just click on "Forum," and join in with any of the dozens of discussions about nutrition and natural health care. RAVEN MAD Week after week, when we prepare the Friday e-mail, we refer to it as "the wrap." This week, though, that has a different meaning entirely. That's because Sunday night, in a terribly weak showing, my beloved Ravens wrapped up their season. You'll forgive me (and maybe even thank me) if I don't go through all the highs and lows. Suffice it to say we were dominated and outplayed by our fiercest rivals, capping off a season that should have been spectacular but ended with a thud. Yes, there is one game left, but as I see it, all they're playing for now is the draft pick. Honestly, I think they should give the second-string some playing time, let Miami fans enjoy a fifth win and bump ourselves up a spot in the draft. All the top talent will be going to the NFC this year. But it was a tight race in the AFC, so moving up one or two spots could make a big difference. Most people will think that's a loser attitude, that you never purposely give away a game. But the truth is that the Ravens gave away this season so what's 60 more minutes for a better pick? They went from a franchise-best start of 7-3 to 8-7 in 5 weeks. It started with the crippling loss at New England and continued with an embarrassing loss at home against the Bengals, where Baltimore was up 20-3 and ended up losing in the fourth quarter. Had it not been for a victory against the anemic Giants, the Ravens would be winless in December, which is usually their strongest month. There's really no point in my predicting anything about the game against Miami next week. They might win, but is 9-7 really any better than 8-8 when the post-season is already out of reach? So as all good sports fans say when their team is done for the season: "Wait'll next year!" And my new favorite team for the post-season? Whoever is facing the Steelers. Go Team!