Dec 24 2018

The Breakfast Club (Twas The Night Before Christmas)

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.

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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

There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.

Bill McKibben

Dec 23 2018

Not A Rant

Cody Johnston

The Truth About The War On Christmas

Told you he was funny.

Dec 23 2018

Festivus

photo f8ea703c-0f2e-42fd-ab9f-9455b7f58a8e_zps1b3e5b10.jpgSometime around December 23rd, but canonically any time between December and May, we celebrate Festivus.

Symbolically represented by the Festivus Pole (seen at right) an unadorned aluminum pole 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 flaccid 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 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 2018

The Breakfast Club (Jingle Bells)

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 10:30am (ET) 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.

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AP’s Today in History for December 23rd

 

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 Tune Jingle Bells

 

 
 

Something to think about, Breakfast News & Blogs below

MAJOR LIBERAL GROUPS SAT ON SIDELINES AS SENATE PASSED HISTORIC RESOLUTION ON YEMEN WAR
Clio Chang, Ryan Grim, The Intercept

THE SENATE VOTE this month to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen marked a historic break from a bipartisan embrace of a pro-war foreign policy, yet it was accomplished without strong backing from Washington’s liberal foreign policy infrastructure.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., invokes the rights laid out in the War Powers Act of 1973 that assert Congress’s authority over war, and it was the result of many months of work by a coalition of progressive activists and anti-war lawmakers. The war is Saudi-led, but the U.S. has provided critical support, and an end to that support effectively means an end to the war.

Backers of the effort approached the Center for American Progress, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the American Civil Liberties Union, and all declined to specifically endorse the resolution or become members of the activist coalition. And when a procedural vote on the resolution came to the House floor, it got the same kind of half-hearted support from Democratic leadership, falling just three votes short.

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Something to think about over coffee prozac

 
Bernie Sanders calls out Boeing for firing pro-union North Charleston workers

Boeing is feeling the burn after the plane manufacturer fired six employees who supported a union effort back in May.

In a letter to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sherrod Brown of Ohio accused the company of mounting a “campaign of intimidation” against flight readiness technicians at the company’s North Charleston campus.

In May, technicians voted 104-65 in favor of joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW). In the days leading up to the vote, Boeing mounted an aggressive “vote no” campaign that included a voter guide for workers to to oppose efforts to organize. Boeing is currently appealing its employees’ vote with the National Labor Relations Board.

…

Dec 23 2018

House

Told you this would be back.

Happy Festivus.

I Am Santa Claus – Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio

The Season’s Upon Us – Dropkick Murphys

Snow- Red Hot Chili Peppers

Dec 23 2018

Pondering the Pundits: Sunday Preview Edition

“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.

On Sunday mornings we present a preview of the guests on the morning talk shows so you can choose which ones to watch or some do something more worth your time on a Sunday morning.

Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt

The Sunday Talking Heads:

This Week with George Stephanopolis: The guests on Sunday’s “This Week” are: Incoming acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney; and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

The roundtable guests are: Otherwise unemployable former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ); Democratic strategist Donna Brazile; New York Times Washington Bureau Chief Elisabeth Bumiller; and National Review Editor Rich Lowry.

Face the Nation: Host Margaret Brennan’s guests are: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY); Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE); and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY).

Her panel guests are: Major Garrett, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent; David Martin, CBS News National Security Correspondent; Jeff Pegues, CBS News Chief Justice and Homeland Security Correspondent; and Paula Reid, CBS News Correspondent.

Meet the Press with Chuck Todd: The guests on this week’s “MTP” are: Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL); Pat Toomey (R-PA); and former Obama Housing Secretary Julian Castro.

State of the Union with Jake Tapper: Mr. Tapper’s guests are: Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN); Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY); and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

His panel guests are: Democratic strategist Nina Turner; unemployable former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA); Democratic strategist Paul Begala; and conservative commentator Mary Katherine Ham.

Dec 22 2018

Winter’s Long Night Moon and the Ursids

Winter Solstice was special this year. The Northern Hemisphere’s shortest day and longest night was graced with a full moon and meteor showers.

The final and thirteenth full moon of 2018 occurred at 12:29 PM ET. Tonight the moon rose at 4:47 PM ET and sets tomorrow morning at 6:55 AM ET. The last time the full moon happened a day within the Winter Solstice was 2010 and will not happen again until 2019 according to Earthsky. The Long Night Moon, as Native Americans call it, or the Cold Moon, will be brighter than usual, too, the last Super Moon of 2018. This is because it comes during perigee which is when the moon is closest, or near its closest approach to Earth. Perigee also causes higher than normal tides.

The Full Moon won’t be the only thing sky watchers will be observing. They will also be searching the sky for the Ursid Meteor showers which started December 17 and end around December 26. Not as spectacular as other meteor shower, they might be hard to see because of the bright moon. but according the Eartsky, if around 1 AM ET, you look to the sky in the north- northeast near the Big and Little Dippers, you just might spot a few.

All meteors in annual showers have radiant points on our sky’s dome, and the showers take their names from the constellations in which the radiant points lie. The Ursids radiate from Ursa Minor, which contains the Little Dipper asterism. If you trace the paths of the rather slow-moving Ursid meteors backward, they appear to come from the section of sky marked by the Little Dipper star Kochab.

Although the Little Dipper is circumpolar (out all night) at northerly latitudes, the star Kochab sits below Polaris, the North Star, at nightfall. Kochab (and all the Little Dipper stars) circle Polaris in a counterclockwise direction throughout the night, with this star reaching its high point for the night in the hours before dawn. The higher the radiant climbs in your sky, the more meteors that you’re likely to see.

Bottom line: If you want to watch the Ursids, find a country location where you can camp out. Dress warmly! And plan to spend several hours reclining under a dark sky. The predawn hours are usually the most favorable – when the full moon is not obtruding on the show.

The first full moon of January 2019 will not only be a Super Moon, there will also be a total eclipse which will be visible in North and South America and parts of Western Europe and Africa.

So tonight dress warm and get out there to watch the sky and bring a friend.

Dec 22 2018

Robert Reich Is An Optimist

Do you want to tell the story?
No, you’re doing fine.
Because if you think you can tell the story better, I would absolutely love to hear you try.
Well I guess technically I am more qualified…
Are you? How so?
Because unlike you… I’m an optimist.

Almost ek’smas and I’m in my usual funk of too much to do, no desire to do it, the days are short, the light is flat, bad, and not at the right time. The weather sucks too.

What I used to do before I started writing was crawl into bed after Thanksgiving and sleep until Groundhog Day (which I would then repeat until I got it right). Now, I feel a certain responsibility to my dozens of readers.

Robert Reich on the other hand is brimming with schadenfreude cheer.

Trump’s End
by Robert Reich
Friday, December 21, 2018

This morning I phoned my friend, the former Republican member of Congress.

So, what are you hearing?
Trump is in deep sh*t.
Tell me more.
When it looked like he was backing down on the wall, Rush and the crazies on Fox went ballistic. So he has to do the shutdown to keep the base happy. They’re his insurance policy. They stand between him and impeachment.
Impeachment? No chance. Senate Republicans would never go along.
Don’t be so sure. Corporate and Wall Street are up in arms. Trade war was bad enough. Now, you’ve got Mattis resigning in protest. Trump pulling out of Syria, giving Putin a huge win. This dumbass shutdown. The stock market in free-fall. The economy heading for recession.
But the base loves him.
Yeah, but the base doesn’t pay the bills.
You mean …
Follow the money, friend.
The GOP’s backers have had enough?
They wanted Pence all along.
So …
So they’ll wait until Mueller’s report, which will skewer Trump. Pelosi will wait, too. Then after the Mueller bombshell, she’ll get 20, 30, maybe even 40 Republicans to join in an impeachment resolution.
And then?
Senate Republicans hope that’ll be enough – that Trump will pull a Nixon.
So you think he’ll resign?
No chance. He’s fu*king out of his mind. He’ll rile up his base into a fever. Rallies around the country. Tweet storms. Hannity. Oh, it’s gonna be ugly. He’ll convince himself he’ll survive.
And then?
That’s when Senate Republicans pull the trigger.
Really? Two-thirds of the Senate?
Do the math. 47 Dems will be on board, so you need 19 Republicans. I can name almost that many who are already there. Won’t be hard to find the votes.
But it will take months. And the country will be put through a ringer.
I know. That’s the worst part.
I mean, we could have civil war.
Hell, no. That’s what he wants, but no chance. His approvals will be in the cellar. America will be glad to get rid of him.
I hope you’re right.
He’s a dangerous menace. He’ll be gone. And then he’ll be indicted, and Pence will pardon him. But the state investigations may put him in the clinker. Good riddance.

It’s a nice fantasy. I think the likely outcome is… nothing. Democrats too gutless to act, Republicans too arrogant and complicit to care.

The really bad thing about it all is that, if before the threshold for Impeachment was too low (a consensual blowjob, albeit with disturbing power dynamic implications), it is now impossibly high.

If you won’t Impeach someone who committed Election Fraud to gain his office, just plain Fraud to line his pockets, lies 10 times a day (every day), Suborns Perjury and Obstructs Justice, abuses the National Security apparatus of the United States to punish his enemies and incite his supporters to violence (Abuse of Power), and is a Traitor to boot…

Well, what is your standard?

Dec 22 2018

Health and Fitness News

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Gazette‘s Health and Fitness News weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here.

Follow us on Twitter @StarsHollowGzt

What To Cook

Tuesday is Christmas. So by now everyone most likely has their meal planned. But, what about Christmas Eve? Italian-Americans have a tradition of eating fish which. most likely, evolved from the Roman Catholic tradition of not eating meat the day before a holy day. They call it the “Feast of Seven Fishes” where there are seven different seafood dishes served. In Italy, it’s called La Vigilia, The Vigil, commemorating wait for the birth of Jesus. According to Wikipedia, it’s not clear where or when the term “Feast of the Seven Fishes” originated:

The meal may include seven, eight, or even nine specific fishes that are considered traditional. However, some Italian-American families have been known to celebrate with nine, eleven or thirteen different seafood dishes. “Seven” fishes as a fixed concept or name is unknown in Italy itself. In some of the oldest Italian American families, there was no count of the number of fish dishes. Dinner began with whiting in lemon, followed by some version of clams or mussels in spaghetti, baccalà and onward to any number of other fish dishes without number. Some have suggested that the idea of “seven” fishes originated in restaurants.

The most famous dish for Southern Italians is baccalà (salted cod fish). The custom of celebrating with a simple fish such as baccalà reflects customs in what were historically impoverished regions of Southern Italy, as well as seasonal factors. Fried smelts, calamari and other types of seafood have been incorporated into the Christmas Eve dinner over the years.

If you have a big family or lots of friends over for Christmas Eve, The Feast of The Seven Fishes can be a problem solver for what to cook. There are fifty one suggested recipes to choose from at Epicurious. Here are just a few:

Clam Toasts with Pancetta

Shellfish and pork are a power duo. The salty-sweet pancetta soffritto is the backbone of this clam toast.

Cioppino Seafood Stew with Gremolata Toasts

Feel free to experiment with your favorite seafood in this classic San Franciscan fisherman’s stew. And don’t forget to use the toasts slathered with zippy gremolata butter to soak up the flavorful broth. Bonus: This stew is great for entertaining since you can make the base a day in advance.

Lobster Fra Diavolo

To keep lobsters alive in your fridge for up to one day, pack in damp newspaper. You can substitute eight frozen tails; sear per recipe method, then use the meat from four in place of the knuckles and claws, and split the others for serving.

Crab Toast with Lemon Aioli

This dish is only as good as the crab it’s made with; buy the freshest you can find.

Seafood en Brodo with Tarragon Pesto

Most fish markets will sell you the bones you need to make the rich broth, but avoid those from oily fish like mackerel or bluefish, which will overpower the stew’s flavor.

Rock Shrimp Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce

A flavorful tomato sauce that’s a cinch to make and rock shrimp that come already peeled mean a weeknight dinner recipe has never been so easy—or delicious.

Charred Asparagus with Citrus Bagna Cauda

The one–two punch of citrus zest and juice balances all that anchovy richness in our new favorite dressing recipe for spring veg.

Roasted Potatoes and Haddock Puttanesca

Puttanesca isn’t just for pasta. Anchovies and olives punch up a sauce hearty enough to stand up to meat or fish.

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Dec 22 2018

Cartnoon

Yeah, yeah, yeah. House.

I have material to work off. Music over ek’smas.

Dec 22 2018

The Breakfast Club (Soul Cake)

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.

photo stress free zone_zps7hlsflkj.jpg

This Day in History

Uprising topples Romania’s Nicolae Ceausescu; Richard Reid tries to light explosives in his shoes on Miami flight; French army officer Alfred Dreyfus convicted of treason; Pop star Madonna marries Guy Ritchie.

Breakfast Tunes

Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac

It’s odd that you can get so anesthetized by your own pain or your own problem that you don’t quite fully share the hell of someone close to you.

Lady Bird Johnson

Continue reading

Dec 21 2018

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. The sun reaches is most Southern destiny and touches for but a moment, the Tropic of Capricorn and immediately reverses her course. That moment will occur toady at 5:23 PM EST.

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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