In his footnotes to "The Waste Land", T.S. Eliot glosses the lines:

Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you
with:  "The following lines were stimulated by the account of one of the Antarctic expeditions (I forget which, but I think one of Shackleton's): it was related that the party of explorers, at the extremity of their strength, had the constant delusion that there was one more member than could actually be counted." 

Carolyn observes: I seem to recall something I always considered to be an expression of some religiosity about Shackleton, I believe. He and who? (Scott perhaps in their early expedition) and a reference to a "third" who seemed to accompany them.

 

Jansy Mello:  A fitting Christmassy feeling? ( with the "y" ending, like in "zesty"). At least, that's what seems to be alluded to by T.S.Eliot and Schackleton ( as CK noted here), a kind of mysterious presence.  But then, we all know now arises from an optical illusion that may thrill romantic hearts, such as Chekov's Black Monk ( this mirage even spoke and sat in a bench) and metaphors lose their initial thrust linking feeling and word. 

 

In America, at this time of the year, people usually watch some kind of ballett or presentation of the "The Nutcracker suite" ( "Le Casse-Noisettes" which reminds me of Hazel...). In ADA there are allusions to Swann and Odette, usually interpreted in connection with Proust.  I cannot remember ever seeing a reference to Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" and a metamorphosed Odette, that might fit in with other more classic pointers to Jupiter Olorinus, Leda and murals at The Three Swanns hotel . I wonder if my disinformation is simply ignorance or if there a problem with Tchaikovsky and VN?

 

G.Shimanovich: Mathematical genius Perelman has been making the news, here, after he refused the prize that was offered to him in connection to his Poincaré find, living as he seems to live with less than a hundred dollars a month he even shares with his mother. He seems to have extended his scientific rigour and discipline to his entire life.