Dec 24 2019

The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

It ain’t Dickens. Narrated by Ossie Davis with the music of the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

In this room where shadows live

And ghosts that failed learn time forgives

Welcome, friends, please stay awhile

Our story starts with one small child

Who spends this night in attics dark

Where dreams are stored like sleeping hearts

And so it’s here that they must wait

Till someone wishes them awake

For somewhere on this night of nights

She’s looking to believe

Here among the ghosts on Christmas Eve

And there near an old looking glass

There was a trunk from Christmas past

That she had somehow missed before

But now decides she will explore

‘Twas filled with toys and one old wreath

And several letters underneath

So as the evening hours leave

The child sat down and started to read

For somewhere on this night of nights

She’s looking to believe

Here among the ghosts on Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve

Dec 24 2019

Pondering the Pundits

Pondering the Pundits” is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from> around the news medium and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.

Thanks to ek hornbeck, click on the link and you can access all the past “Pondering the Pundits”.

Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt

Paul Krugman: The Cruelty of a Trump Christmas

Republicans aren’t Scrooges — they’re much worse.

By Trump-era standards, Ebenezer Scrooge was a nice guy.

It’s common, especially around this time of year, to describe conservative politicians who cut off aid to the poor as Scrooges; I’ve done it myself. But if you think about it, this is deeply unfair to Scrooge.

For while Dickens portrays Scrooge as a miser, he’s notably lacking in malice. True, he’s heartless until he’s visited by various ghosts. But his heartlessness consists merely of unwillingness to help those in need. He’s never shown taking pleasure in others’ suffering, or spending money to make the lives of the poor worse.

These are things you can’t say about the modern American right. In fact, many conservative politicians only pretend to be Scrooges, when they’re actually much worse — not mere misers, but actively cruel. This was true long before Donald Trump moved into the White House. What’s new about the Trump era is that the cruelty is more open, not just on Trump’s part, but throughout his party.

Patrick Leahy: What the Senate Does Now Will Cast a Long Shadow

Mitch McConnell and the other 99 senators must serve the institution and the Constitution that established it, not President Trump.

When the Senate ultimately convenes to consider whether to remove the president from office, for just the third time in its history, it will convene not as a legislative body, but as a court of impeachment. And it will not just be President Trump on trial. The Senate — and indeed, truth itself — will stand trial.

Senators serve as a unique combination of judge and juror during an impeachment trial. Sworn in by the chief justice of the United States, senators take a special oath to do “impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws.” This is an oath I have taken several times. First elected to the Senate in 1974, in the wake of Watergate, I have served on six impeachment trials since then — five judges and one president. I take this oath extraordinarily seriously. And it’s one I fear the Senate is on the verge of abandoning. [..]

The Senate has a job to do. And it’s not to rig the trial in favor of — or against — President Trump. Our job is to follow the facts and abide by the Constitution. An acquittal based on anything less would hardly be an acquittal at all.

Eugene Robinson: Evangelicals can’t have it both ways

As Christians celebrate the miracle of Christmas, let us all take a moment to reflect on what the magazine founded by evangelist Billy Graham, Christianity Today, just said about President Trump: “None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character.”

Finally. [..]

“To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve,” the editorial warned. “Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come?”

The answer is no. Evangelicals cannot have it both ways. They can’t claim to be a clarion voice of Christian values in the public square while at the same time behaving in politics like amoral secularists. Why should anyone take them seriously if they talk the talk but won’t walk the walk?

Paul Rosenberg: Impeachment in an alternate universe: Will Ralph Nader’s “missing” charges haunt America’s future?

Ralph Nader proposes a sweeping 12-count impeachment that covers Trump’s many crimes — and those that preceded him

With Donald Trump impeached resoundingly on two narrow counts, Democrats left a great deal on the table. However strategically wise or even necessary this might be in the moment — as many have argued — that narrowness carries grave risks for the republic in the long run. Are we really saying it’s OK for a president to kidnap thousands of children from their parents? To lock hundreds of them in cages? To take untold millions of dollars from foreign governments and agents, in violation of the Emoluments Clause? To incite violence against the very people he’s sworn to protect? To engage in the kind of racial bigotry that got Andrew Johnson impeached 150 years ago?

These are just a few of the 26 examples cited by Mehdi Hasan in “The A to Z of Things Trump Could and Should Have Been Impeached For,” examples that began even before Trump took office. As if these acts aren’t bad enough, if we allow all this to go unpunished, not even charged, under Trump, how much worse lies ahead?

A more systematic version of this was put together in a list of 12 articles of impeachment, mostly organized around specific constitutional provisions — the emoluments clause, the “take care” Clause, the appointments clause, etc. — that was drafted and sent to Speaker Pelosi in November by Ralph Nader, working with constitutional scholars Louis Fisher and Bruce Fein. There may not be any method to Trump’s madness, but as Nader, Fisher and Fein remind us, there is definitely a method to what he’s trying to destroy. Reminding the nation of that fact has never seemed more necessary than right now.

Dec 24 2019

NORAD Santa Tracker – 2019

On Christmas Eve in 1955, NORAD begins tracking Santa in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition.

According to NORAD’s official web page on the NORAD Tracks Santa program, the service began on December 24, 1955. A Sears department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper. The advertisement told children that they could telephone Santa Claus and included a number for them to call. However, the telephone number printed was incorrect and calls instead came through to Colorado Spring’s Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. Colonel Shoup, who was on duty that night, told his staff to give all children that called in a “current location” for Santa Claus. A tradition began which continued when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) replaced CONAD in 1958.

On Christmas Eve, the NORAD Tracks Santa website videos page is generally updated each hour, when it is midnight in a different time zone. The “Santa Cam” videos show CGI images of Santa Claus flying over famous landmarks. Each video is accompanied by a voice-over, typically done by NORAD personnel, giving a few facts about the city or country depicted. Celebrity voice-overs have also been used over the years. For the London “Santa Cam” video, English television personality and celebrity Jonathan Ross did the voice-over for 2005 to 2007 and the former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr narrated the same video in 2003 and 2004. In 2002, Aaron Carter provided the voice-over for three videos.

The locations and landmarks depicted in some of the “Santa Cam” videos have changed over the years. In 2009, twenty-nine “Santa Cam” videos were posted on the website. In previous years, twenty-four to twenty-six videos had been posted.

NORAD relies on volunteers to make the program possible. Many volunteers are employees at Cheyenne Mountain and Peterson Air Force Base. Each volunteer handles about forty telephone calls per hour, and the team typically handles more than 12,000 e-mails and more than 70,000 telephone calls from more than two hundred countries and territories. Most of these contacts happen during the twenty-five hours from 2 a.m. on December 24 until 3 a.m. MST on December 25.Google Analytics has been in use since December 2007 to analyze traffic at the NORAD Tracks Santa website. As a result of this analysis information, the program can project and scale volunteer staffing, telephone equipment, and computer equipment needs for Christmas Eve.

By December 25, 2009, the NORAD Tracks Santa program had 27,440 twitter followers and the Facebook page had more than 410,700 fans.

Official NORAD Santa Tracker

Dec 24 2019

Some Background Noise

Oh yeah, lots of holiday cheer here.

Father Christmas – The Kinks

Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses

Holmes and Watson

Dec 24 2019

What’s Cooking: Crème Brûlée French Toast

Here’s something special for Christmas morning breakfast or brunch, Crème Brûlée French Toast, that can be prepared the night before and tossed in the oven with a pan of bacon at the same time.

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Dec 24 2019

The Breakfast Club (Ultimate Measure)

Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:00am (ET) (or whenever we get around to it) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it’s PhilJD’s fault.

This Day in History

Apollo Eight astronauts orbit the moon; Ku Klux Klan is founded; Human voice first transmitted via radio; Suez Canal opened

Breakfast Tunes

Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Dec 23 2019

Prepare Every Vessel That Floats

We are at War!

Dec 23 2019

Cartnoon

The problem with GeeBees is that they’re basically a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp Air Cooled 9 Cylinder Radial engine with a human being hanging on to it. I knew a guy who flew one (he had no reason to lie, or impress me, and those in a position to judge his credibility kind of nodded their heads) and what he said was they were fine planes except they always wanted to screw themselves into the ground which makes sense because they have huge torque, a heavy engine, and minimal control surfaces to reduce drag (the one he flew didn’t even have flaps).

Funny huh? He went on to other low risk jobs like testing Helicopters, when I met him he was an Organist.

Dec 23 2019

Crap. Festivus. Again.

Symbolically represented by the Festivus Pole, an aluminum tube between 3′ to 6′ high stuck in some drab and out of the way corner.  It can be used as a weapon and frequently is.  Traditionally it is stark and entirely unadorned and the stand crudely fashioned.  Under no circumstances should any ‘presents’ be placed near it unless they’re of the sort a too long ignored pet would leave.

There are several rituals that accompany the celebration of Festivus.

I think I’ll spare you the feats of strength, though if you think I’m dead you can poke me with a stick and see.

Festivus Dinner

A Festivus Dinner menu is typical of any other holiday, Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef, Lamb, with the customary sides poorly cooked and resentfully served.  It’s rarely if ever eaten and instead used as weapons which explains why it’s frequently over cooked to flacid sogginess except in fundamentalist circles where a Ham Bone or Lamb Shank becomes an instrument of murderous intent.  It is often accompanied by copious consumption of alcohol (well, in fairness, the food is inedible).

The Airing of Grievances

The Airing of Grievances takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served (but frequently before any of it is actually consumed).  It consists of each person lashing out at others and the world about how they have been abused and disappointed in the past year, particularly by the other Festivus celebrants.  It often ends in insults that lead to life long resentment and violence.

Feats of Strength

The most misunderstood of the Festivus rituals, there is only one Feat of Strength.  The head of the household picks a challenger and engages in a wrestling match.  They typically pick the weakest first.  This continues until the head of the household is defeated.

That concludes the essential rituals of Festivus.  Now you might think that defeat of the head of the household results in ceremonial bragging rights or change of some sort.

No.

It is essentially pointless as is the rest of the Festivus celebration which is, in fact, entirely the point.

No hugging.  No learning.

It’s for the rest of us.

The airing of grievances is mandatory.  ‘Tis the reason for the season.  I’ve been quite cranky this year, as those close to me and faithful readers will attest.

Here’s hoping your Festivus is uninterrupted by visits from ‘Law’ Enforcement Officers or trips to the Emergency Room.

Dec 23 2019

The Breakfast Club (Aspirations)

Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:00am (ET) (or whenever we get around to it) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it’s PhilJD’s fault.

This Day in History

The Christmas poem ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ is first published; Former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo is executed; Mormon religion founder Joseph Smith, Jr. is born; North Korea releases the 82 U.S. Seamen.

Breakfast Tunes

Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac

We need to change America’s image round the world. America has lost some lustre in terms of how folks aspire to be like us.

Samuel L. Jackson

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Dec 22 2019

The First Night of Hanukkah

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins tonight at sundown on December 22 and end at nightfall on December 30. This year the first night coincides with the first full day of winter. It is a commemoration of he rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt. Traditionally the story goes that there was not enough oil to last for eight days to rededicate the Temple but miraculously the oil lasted.

When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and services stopped, Judaism was outlawed. In 167 BCE, Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. He banned brit milah (circumcision) and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple.[33]

Antiochus’s actions provoked a large-scale revolt. Mattathias (Mattityahu), a Jewish priest, and his five sons Jochanan, Simeon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah led a rebellion against Antiochus. It started with Mattathias killing first a Jew who wanted to comply with Antiochus’s order to sacrifice to Zeus, and then a Greek official who was to enforce the government’s behest (1 Mac. 2, 24–25). Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi (“Judah the Hammer”). By 166 BCE Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 165 BCE the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted to celebrate this event. Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made. According to the Talmud, unadulterated and undefiled pure olive oil with the seal of the kohen gadol (high priest) was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was required to burn throughout the night every night. The story goes that one flask was found with only enough oil to burn for one day, yet it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of kosher oil for the menorah. An eight-day festival was declared by the Jewish sages to commemorate this miracle.

Truth be told, there is no mention of the “miracle” in 1 Maccabees. But, hey, who ever said reindeer can’t fly?

Hanukkah, like most Jewish festivals, is centered around the family and food. Food being the most important component. Children play spinning the dreidel and are rewarded with “gelt,” gold foil covered chocolate coins. Based on an old German gambling game, the four sides of the top bear four Hebrew letters: nun, gimel, hei, and shin. Each player in turn spins the dreidel and proceeds as follows:

  • נ‬ nun – take nothing
  • ג‬ gimel – take everything
  • ה‬ hei – take half
  • ש ​shin – put one in

Traditional foods are all fried or baked in oil (preferably olive oil) to commemorate the miracle of a small flask of oil keeping the Second Temple‘s Menorah alight for eight days thus the tradition of Potato Latkes and jelly donuts. Below the fold is my families favorite recipe for Latkes. We cheat a bit on the donuts; they come from either Duncan Donuts or Tim Horton’s. We also serve an chicken recipe from an old cookbook by Jennie Grossinger, The Art of Jewish Cooking, that coats the chicken in breadcrumbs, browned in oil (I use canola) and finished in the oven. It makes it less greasy but keeps with tradition. I can’t find the recipe online but the cookbook is still available.

Bon Appetite and Happy Hanukkah!

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Dec 22 2019

Winter Solstice: Return of the Sun

The shortest day, the longest night, for those of us who reside in the Northern climes Winter Solstice is here. Last night at 11:19 PM ET the sun reached is most Southern destiny and touched for but a moment, the Tropic of Capricorn and immediately reverses her course. It is the astronomical event that marks the beginning of lengthening days and shortening nights. You won’t notice the difference in the longer days of light until about the beginning of February. It was also the last Winter Solstice of the decade.

The Winter Solstice, also know as Mid-Winter, is a special night for those who practice the craft and has a rich history from many cultures. In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel. It is one of the eight holidays, or Sabbats, that are held sacred by Wiccans and Pagans around the world. In Celtic traditions it is the battle between the young Oak King and the Holly King:

the Oak King and the Holly King are seen as dual aspects of the Horned God. Each of these twin aspects rules for half the year, battles for the favor of the Goddess, and then retires to nurse his wounds for the next six months, until it is time for him to reign once more.

Often, these two entities are portrayed in familiar ways – the Holly King frequently appears as a woodsy version of Santa Claus. He dresses in red, wears a sprig of holly in his tangled hair, and is sometimes depicted driving a team of eight stags. The Oak King is portrayed as a fertility god, and occasionally appears as the Green Man or other lord of the forest.

The re-enactment of the battle is popular in some Wiccan rituals.

As we prepare for the longest night, we decorate our homes with red, green and white, holly, ivy, evergreen and pine cones. We honor the solar year with light. We place candles in the windows facing the North, South, East and West to ward off the darkness and celebrate the return of the sun/ With the setting sun, fires are lit in hearths and fire pits and kept burning to keep us warm until Sol returns at dawn.

There is food a plenty, roasts and stews and winter vegetables and sweets, chocolate and peppermint candy, apples and oranges and sweet breads. All these reminding us of the last harvest, the gifts of Gaia, Mother Earth and the hunts by Hern of the Wild Hunt. Of course there will be honeyed and spiced wine and hearty, dark beers, some made by friends who will join the festivities.

What ever your beliefs, or none, may the traditions and celebrations bring you peace and joy. Blessed Be. The Wheel Turns.

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