Lighting a Candle

For John, BLUF:  We should all be aware of the Miracle of Hanukkah, and fortunately, it falls during the general time of CHristmas.  This movie captures the spirit of the event. And it can be found in song.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Hanukkah on the Rocks

From IMDB.

Here is the story line:

One week before Hanukkah, corporate lawyer Tory finds herself unexpectedly unemployed and questioning the career she's dedicated years to.  As she helps her Bubby prepare for the holiday, she embarks on a quest across Chicago to find the last box of coveted Hanukkah candles.  Her search leads her to Rocky's, an Old Town bar, where she encounters Jay, a charming doctor from Florida, his grandfather Sam and a cast of quirky regulars who make her rethink everything.  Torn between keeping her job loss a secret and embracing a newfound sense of belonging, Tory ends up bartending at Rocky's, transforming it into the vibrant "Hanukkah on the Rocks" celebration.  Through festive food, drinks, and games, she revitalizes the bar, bonds with Jay, and finds the courage to pursue her true calling.  As Tory navigates the holiday, she learns that sometimes a detour can lead you exactly where you're meant to be, lighting the way to a future filled with joy, romance, and self-discovery.

I admit I was totally charmed by Actress Stacey Farber, playing the lead as recently terminated lawyer Tory.  The rest of the cast is pretty good also.

The movie is about hope and spiritual growth, as Tory and other cast members work through their early trials.  And their spiritual issues.  Thus, it is a true ovie in the spirit of Christmas.

Hanukkah is a holiday that Americans should honor.  The eight days of Hanukkah represent the period needed for ritual purification of the victorious returning Maccabee soldiers, so they could produce ritually pure oil for the Temple.  upon returning, they had found one cruse (cruit) of ritually pure oil available.  The miracle, aside from the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, was that the one day of oil lasted for seven more, so that properly ritual oil could be produced.

The Maccabees were fightong for religious, freedom to worship God as they thought right and proper.  This is a goal that all Americans should applaud and support.

Regards  —  Cliff

Kevin, alone in His Father's House

For John, BLUF:  Well, it made me think of Kevin in Home Alone.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Cycle C

Here is the Gosoel Reading (Luke 2:41-52):

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

The thing I took from the Gospel was the way Jesus, alredy demonstrating knowledge of who He was and His eventual mission, still understands the importance of family and family relations.  He returns with his Parents to Nazareth "and was obedient to them."  This is a model for all families.  Members of families need to respect their place in the group and all work together to make everyone succeed.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Christmas List

For John, BLUF:  Not every movie has to be serious.  This is a movie that relaxes and entertains.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH

Here is the sub-headline:

"CHRISTMAS ROMANCE MEETS OLD HOLLYWOOD MAGIC"

From Movie Guide, by .

Here is the lede plus one:

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH on Great American Family is a delightful “Christmas romance meets Old Hollywood” spectacular.  Mario Lopez stars as Brian Ortega, a small-town mayor who revisits his childhood Christmas wish list.  He discovers a deeper meaning of Christmas and a rekindled appreciation for his community.  Meanwhile, a real estate tycoon has plans to turn the town into something more modern, trendy and corporate.  With the help of his childhood sweetheart, played by Mario’s real life wife, Courtney, the Mayor must find a way to bring in more revenue to save his special town.

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH is an unusually highly entertaining Christmas romance promoting Christmas spirit and the importance of community.  Full of dancing, singing and festive fun, it’s a holiday delight.  Great acting and choreography keep viewers clamoring for more fun.  The movie opens with schoolchildren singing the classic Christmas carol “Silent Night.”  It also has plenty of delightful singing, dancing and Christmas cheer promoting the reason for the season and celebrating love and community.  ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH is a win!

I thorooughly enjoyed this movie, although I fully admit that it is corney.  It is, however, pure Christmas, with Saint Nicholas showing up in the guise of a local Santa playing helper.  The Christmas Wish List has been hidden in a wall in the back stage of the Elementary School Auditorium.  The Mayor, watching a Fourth Grade Student sing a Christmas Carol reminds him of his time in Fourth Grade and the list and why he hid it.  It was his Fourth Grade sweetheart announcing that the family was moving away that made him abandon the list.♠  When he pulled out the list he found the items on the list come to fruition.  And thus the story evolves as the list is completed.

I strongly recommend this movie as a good Christmas relaxation story.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Is there something about Fourth Grade?  The prettiest, smartest, strongest student in Fourth Grade, Susan Sawyer, moved away at the end of the school year.  Her Father had been given the job of Assisstant City Manager for Philadelphia and they had to move to the City.  Tragically, her Father died of a heart attack a short time later.  We never saw Susan again, unlike our Hero, Mayor Ortega, who gets to reacquaint with his Fourth Grade love.

A Long Trip to Bethlehem

For John, BLUF:  Be skeptical of fancy new ideas.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Fourth Sunday of Advent

Here is the sub-headline:

Cycle C

Here is the First Reading (Micah 5:1-4a):

Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;v he shall be peace.

Just in time for Christmas, The Daily Mail has an article "Scientists reveal exactly where Jesus was born - and say it probably Wasn't in Bethlehem".♠ 

On the otherr hand, Bethlehem-Ephrathah fits with scripture, not just the book of Micah, but also the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 2:1-6).

Wise Men from the East Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

The Wise Men out of the East knew to come to Jerusalem, in Israel, where they inquired about the one they sought.  The priests and scribes went ot Micah and guided the Wise Men to Bethlehem, in the land of Judah.  That makes sense to me.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  I question the use of the term "Scientist" to describe the people doing this speculation.  Is this science or is it something else?  I was not convinced by the article.

His Last chance to Make Everyone Happy

For John, BLUF:  As the Biden Administratino winds down there is a question some minds as to how it will end.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away?

Here is the song:

Dan Hicks Sings It

President Joseph Robinette Biden has been in politics since 1970, and in Federal Office since 1973.  He did have a four year hiatus while Donald J Trump served his first term.

Some wondered if Cabndidate Biden running his 2020 Campaign out of his Basement was a sign that he was being hidden away.  That was viguriously denied by one and all, including by Presidential Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, including, recently, with her classic line regarding "'Cheap Fake' Videos".

REPORTER:  There seems to be a sort of a rash of videos that have been exited to make the president appear officially frail or mentally confused. I'm wondering if the White House is especially worried about the fact that this appears to be a pattern.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah, and I think you all have called this the cheap fakes video and that's exactly what they are. They are cheap fakes video, they are done in bad faith and, and some of your news organizations have been very clear, have stressed that these right-wing, the right-wing critics of the president have a credibility problem because of the fact-checkers have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation, disinformation.

And so we see this and this is something coming from your part of the world, calling them cheap fakes and misinformation. And I'll quote the Washington Post where they wrote, they wrote about this and they said how "Republican used misleading videos to attack Biden in a 24 hour period" and to their credit, we have a conservative Washington Examiner did call them out as well, calling out the New York Post.

Ironically several recent cheap fakes actually attack the president for thanking troops -- for thanking troops. That is what they're attacking the president for, both in Normandy this happened and again in Italy, and I think that it tells you everything that we need to know about how, how desperate, how desperate Republicans are here. And instead of talking about the president's performance in office, and what I mean by that is his legislative wins, what he's been able to do for the American people across the country, we're seeing these deep fakes, these manipulated videos. And it is again done in bad faith.

This all came up for review two days ago in an article in The Wall Street Journal.  .

I believe some are asking themselves if President Biden will make it to 20 January.  His deteriorization has been slow.  Is it to a point when it could pick up speed and he could find himself undeniably incapable of czrrying on as President.  None of us should wish that on him, but it is possible.  It could happen to any of us who have reached the 82 age mark.

There is, however, another possible branch for this story.  It is possible that President Biden could step aside and allow his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to become President for the last month of this Administration.♠  I, for one, think this is a distinct possibility.  I would give it a one in three chance.  If President Biden ressigned, it would make Vice President Kamala Harris the first female President, even if it were just for a month.  It might also set a precedent as to the idea of Presidents stepping down when they find that physically or mentally they can't keep up.  A previous example could have been President Woodrow Wilson, who sufferred a stroke in October 1919, with his Wife, Edith Wilson, basically assuming the office.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  While President Biden appears to be angry with the leadership of the Democratic Party, and thus is unlikely to take actions to help out the party, his Wife, Dr Jill Biden, may well be thinking that such a move would enhance his place in history, and thus be an good thing.

Life Advice from John the Baptist

Treat People fairly.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Third Sunday of Advent—2024

Here is the sub-headline:

Cycle C

Here is the Gospel (Luke 3:10-18):

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

Johm the Baptist's advice to the average Joe or Jolette is fairly straigt forward.  It is what one would expect.  Share and help your Brothers and Sisters.

What is perhaps a little surprising is his advice to government employees.  It isn't quit your job.  It is do your job properly and don't abuse your office to ripe off others.  Good advice from both a secular and a religious point of view.

Regards  —  Cliff

Ignorance in the Young

Those who don't know history are in danger of being led around by the nose by dangerous ideologues.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University

Here is the sub-headline:

At Columbia University

From 𝕏, by Eyal Yakoby, 16 December 2024, 8:17 AM.

Here is the posting on 𝕏:

Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University revealed they are "fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization."

Why are taxpayer dollars going to Columbia University when they are teaching students to take down Western civilization?

cuapartheiddivest  —  FOLLOW

• •• We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization. We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South. Our Intifada is an internationalist one-we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people. We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized.

As the fascism ingrained in the American consciousness becomes ever more explicit and irrefutable, we seek community and instruction from militants in the Global South, who have been on the frontlines in the fight against tyranny and domination which undergird the imperialist world order. "Biplob Cholbe" (Revolution must continue)

Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD)  —  "The Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary, wherever [they are], as a cause of the exploited and oppressed masses in our era." - Ghassan Kanafani.

The problem with not knowing history is that one is likely to fall for any rubbish that comes down the road.  Judging by student reactions on campus one can only assume that these students learned little history, and no economics before graduating from high school and this ignorance was not corrected in college.

It is sad.  Very Sad.

I blame Ms Randi Weingarten.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Medical Staff Avoiding the Jab

For John, BLUF:  This is about COVID Vaccinations in the United Kingdom and the British health care system, the NHS.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why NHS staff are shunning the vaccines

From The Conservative Woman, by Ms Sally Beck, 9 December 2024.

Here is the lede plus two:

NHS staff are boycotting covid and flu vaccinations while the government is busy promoting them to the public in a television and radio campaign.  Concerned by the low uptake in the health service, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has appealed to healthcare practitioners to get jabbed.  This season, only 14 per cent of NHS workers took covid jabs and only a quarter received flu vaccines.

The NHS say this is because hospital staff are busy and have no time.  Official figures tell a different story as NHS staff are taking double the days off sick post-covid vaccine rollout than they have since 2009.  Unusually, in 2020, absences rocketed in the summer months; absence is traditionally low between May and November.  Covid vaccines were offered to front-line staff from December 2020, a sharp rise in absences began in March 2021, three months into the rollout, when seasonal illness is traditionally waning.

Sick days have doubled from the baseline of 3.75 per cent to 6.75 per cent, the highest since 2009, and have not dropped back to 2019 numbers which were between 4.5 per cent and 4.75 per cent.  Even during peak pandemic months, absences ranged between 4.75 per cent in February 2020 to 6.10 per cent in May 2020.

This is just one more hit on our faith in the integrity of our health care systems.  Doctor Fauci did not increase trust in Medicine, but rather reduced it.  How long will it take to rebuilt that trust?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

SecDef Nominee

For John, BLUF:  There is a lot of opposition to many of President Elect Trump's nominations for his Cabinet,  The Republican Wets are the problem.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Here is the message:

Oilfield Rando
@Oilfield_Rando
The people who turned the US military into a social laboratory for “transgender rights”, “racial equity”, abortion advocacy and climate change want you to know that Hegseth is too dangerous to lead it because he’s a Christian

4:12 PM · Dec 7, 2024

The Department of Defense has been led by the head of GM and the head of Ford, by a US Congressman, and a variety of people with other backgrounds.  I would sugget that since I joined the Air Force, back in 1960, no one has done a great job runninng that place.  I will give credit to Secretary Robert S McNamara for bringinig in the Planning, Programming and Budget System (PPBS), but then he made a hash of the war in Viet-nam..

Given that the Pentagon's major problem is recruiting and retention of uniformed personnel, Nominee Pete Hegseth seems like a good choice.  He will, of course, have a fight from the inplace bureaucracy, but he should be able to handle that.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Penny Update

Even the lawyers get it.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From Twitter / 𝕏, by Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley), 4 December 2024, 12:14.

Here is the Tweet:

Word from attorney in Manhattan court house today:

“Everyone with a shred of common sense about the madness surrounding crime in New York is on pins and needles, desperately hoping for an acquittal for Penny. Today, I spoke with prosecutors, clerks, court officers, and my colleagues in the defense bar. In absolute unison, they agree: this is a case that should never have seen the inside of a courtroom. G-d save Daniel Penny.”

I agree with the quoted lawyer.

Could there have been some out of touch political theater going on here?  Perhaps the Jury will enlighten us.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Crime and Response

For John, BLUF:  Reaching back in history 60 years we see a New York City indifferent to violent crime.  Now we have New York City prosecutivng someone for not showing indifference.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police; Apathy at Stabbing of Queens Woman Shocks Inspector

From The Old Gray Lady, 27 March 1964.

Here is the lede plus one:

For more than half an hour 38 respectable, law‐abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens.

Twice the sound of their voices and the sudden glow of their bedroom Iights interrupted him and frightened him off. Each time he returned, sought her out and stabbed her again. Not one person telephoned ‐ the police during the assault; one witness called after the woman was dead.

And today someone is on trial for not showing apathy.  Former Active Duty Marine Daniel Penny is on trial for the outcome of his coming between subway passangers and a deranged man.  The outcome ended up being the death of the man threatening passangers, Mr Jordan Neely.

Jurors Set to Weigh Penny’s Fate in Choking Case That Divided New York Prosecutors in Daniel Penny’s manslaughter trial finished closing arguments Tuesday.

The trial has touched on fears about crime and the city’s failure to help its most troubled residents.

It turns out that Mr Neely was not only having emotional problems, but he was physically in poor shape.  As a result, he died from being restrained by Mr Penny.

Unlike the neighbors of Ms Kitty Genovese, who ignored her murder while it was in progress,♠ Mr Penny acted like a stand-up guy.  The outcome of the jury decision may determine if we have more stand-up guys, or gals, or not.

In the mean time, the real culprit is the City and State of New York for not having the needed mental health facilities and the laws that would allow people like Mr Neely to be hospitalized and treated.  This was an unnecessaqrry death.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Subsequent reporting suggests the origiinal headline is an exageration of the indifference of the neighbors, but the fact is that there was no Daniel Penny to stand betwee Ms Kitty Genovese and her attacker.

Disinformation Again?

For John, BLUF:  It is That City, so who knows what to trust coming out beyond the Beltway?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Pardon Me

Here is the sub-headline:

There are two sides to Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter ... and lots of shades of gray

From Truth and Consequences, by Political Analyst Michael A Cohen, 2 D3cember 2024.

Here is the lede plus two:

So this is a tricky one.

It’s tough to defend Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter on the merits. Biden has used his absolute pardon power to grant a reprieve to his son, who earlier this year was convicted of lying on a gun application and pleaded guilty to a series of tax evasion charges. Even if the president believes, as he claims, that the criminal justice system mistreated his son, the fact is Hunter Biden committed multiple felonies — and a jury of his peers found him guilty.

And Biden’s pardon went beyond these two cases — he issued a sweeping pardon that covers any criminal behavior by Hunter Biden dating back to 2014.

I am not believing this "Biden pardons Hunter" story.  President Biden has assured us he would not pardon his Son, Hunter Biden.   He gave his word as a Biden.  His Press Secretary, Ms Karine Jean-Pierre, assured us President Biden would not pardon his Son.

Might not this be another case of Disinformation, like The New York Post article on the alleged Hunter Biden Laptop?  Fifty-one Intel Leaders assured us the laptop srory actually had all the earmarks of Russian disinformation.

Wold Presidet Biden betray us that way?  Remember, he promised to bring us together

Hat tip to Speech Boy.

Regards  —  Cliff