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Tuesday, December 22. 2020

Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem? Why the Gospels disagree over the circumstances of Christ’s birth

Why the Puritans cracked down on celebrating Christmas

Bob Dylan’s ‘Neighborhood Bully’ Gets Memory-Holed - "Me, I romp and stomp/Thankful as I romp/Without freedom of speech/I might be in the swamp"

Experts send Vitamin D and Covid-19 open letter to world's governments

EU Approves Pfizer Vaccine; US Warns "No Hard Evidence" UK Mutation More Infectious: Live Updates

New Study Shows Mask Mandates Had Zero Effect in Florida or Nationwide, But the Lie Continues

2020: The Year We Let Ourselves Be Infantilised And Dehumanised

Covid-hypocrisy: Dr. Birx Travelled For Thanksgiving, Visited Relatives

San Francisco: Many More People Have Died From Drug Overdoses This Year Than From COVID

AMERICA SAVED: Robert E. Lee Statue Removed from Capitol Building

It’s beyond disgraceful that Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza are exploiting the pandemic to forward their war on standards in the public schools.

Colleges churning out leftist voters

The Upcoming Biden Administration Calls For Extreme Levels Of Reality Denial

“President Trump Is Preparing to Fight Back Against Mounting Evidence of Voter Fraud”

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 06:47 | Comments (20) | Trackbacks (0)

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Anarchists:
FWIW: I watch Bret Weinstein's podcasts. Though he is a Lefty and I am not; he exhibits enough Classical Liberalism that he is not off putting. YMMV. This particular interview attempts to clear the fog around BLM/Antifa/ Occupy based on the insights of a reporter who is focused on them. Weinstein and Quinn are not entirely successful because these "ideologies" are pretty muddy, in their own right. Nevertheless, it is useful to know what you are up against. It was irksome that Weinstein and Quinn recognized the legitimacy of some the the social anarchist grievances, yet failed to give Trump credit. I wanted to yell those are the very problems that Trump confronted, and he has been the only political figure to do so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VepV6sM5Sw4

#1 Exasperated on 2020-12-22 08:58 (Reply)

Bethlehem- whatever that was, it certainly does not qualify as "academic rigor" from my perspective. It was a sloppy, non-rigorous essay that was a manifestation of sloppy, non-rigorous thought and scholarship.

The Vitamin D letter however, was encouraging. While I would like to have seen more details on the mechanisms they mention, I think this is an important assertion in response to the UK's ridiculous criticism of Vitamin D's efficacy.

#2 DrTorch (Link) on 2020-12-22 09:09 (Reply)

You are correct, it is not rigorous. The claim that the accounts are impossible to reconcile is ludicrous.

A simple reading of the facts has no contradictions. Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem for the census, Jesus was born there. After the birth, they went to Jerusalem, then home to Nazareth.

The magi arrive in Jerusalem, where they expect a king to be born, and go to the royal palace. They are told the birth is prophesied to occur in Bethlehem. But the text says not one word about them going to Bethlehem. It says they followed "the star" and went to find Jesus in a house, most likely back home in Nazareth. Herod massacred children in the wrong town. Note he had them kill children under two, not newborns. That presumes some time between time of birth and the magi's visit.

#2.1 Michael Johnson on 2020-12-22 18:24 (Reply)

I was taught that Matthew tells the story from Joseph's side; Luke from Mary's. They both begin with a pregnant Mary, not just Luke's story. And I agree the two stories aren't that much in conflict if one assumes a time lapse between birth in the stable and the shepherds' visit, and the subsequent move to a house (perhaps but not necessarily in Bethlehem) where the Wise Men visit.

#2.1.1 Frances on 2020-12-22 21:09 (Reply)

You are right. It was certainly not a rigorus study. It was useless drivel by someone purporting to be an academic. Perhaps one reason people are confused about the birth of Jesus is that they don't realize it's , if you'll forgive me, the least important part of the gospels. Jesus' birth, of course, was extremely important, but it was the least important part of His life, and so has the least explanation in the gospels. His teachings, His final week, death and resurrection rightly receive the lion's share of the accounts.

#2.2 Frank on 2020-12-27 07:50 (Reply)

Do You Know Balto, The Dog Who Helped Stop An Outbreak And Got A Statue In Central Park?

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/do-you-know-balto-dog-who-helped-stop-outbreak-and-got-statue-central-park

#3 feeblemind on 2020-12-22 09:17 (Reply)

Antarctica rocked by 30,000 tremors in three months, Chilean scientists say

QUOTE:

Scientists with the university’s National Seismological Center said the small quakes - including one stronger shake of magnitude 6 - were detected in the Bransfield Strait, a 60-mile wide (96-km) ocean channel between the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Several tectonic plates and microplates meet near the strait, leading to frequent rumbling, but the past three months have been unusual, according to the center.

“Most of the seismicity is concentrated at the beginning of the sequence, mainly during the month of September, with more than a thousand earthquakes a day,” the center said.

The shakes have become so frequent that the strait itself, once increasing in width at a rate of about 7 or 8 mm (0.30 inch) a year is now expanding 15 cm (6 inches) a year, the center said.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-quake-antarctica/antarctica-rocked-by-30000-tremors-in-3-months-chilean-scientists-say-idUSKBN28Q2XO

#4 feeblemind on 2020-12-22 09:21 (Reply)

If Antarctica suddenly erupts, or subsea lava flows start melting the ice, who do we blame the global warming on? More importantly, what do we do about it?

#4.1 Aggie on 2020-12-22 09:43 (Reply)

Oh, that's easy. It's the US's fault, and an immediate carbon tax must be implemented to save the planet.

Just like every OTHER time. (SMH)

#4.1.1 JLawson on 2020-12-22 09:52 (Reply)

From 2017, are the quakes and this connected?

NASA Discovers Mantle Plume Almost as Hot as Yellowstone Supervolcano That's Melting Antarctica From Below

https://www.newsweek.com/antarctica-melting-below-mantle-plume-almost-hot-yellowstone-supervolcano-705086

JLawson is likely right. More taxes and diktats will be required.

#4.1.2 feeblemind on 2020-12-22 10:13 (Reply)

The masks. Well you all know my thoughts. I will not say that there is no place for them, but what we have is theater of the absurd. What did make an a lot of sense to me, was the highest up voted comment at the linked to article at Town Hall.

Now knowing that our great corrupt government will never admit that they are wrong about anything, they will only triple down on stupidity. It pains me to point out the one small common sense reason for the mask failure. Not the only reason, but in makes a lot of sense. The constant touching of the blasted thing with your filthy hands. Coupled with most masks are simple bandanas, that are not capable of filtering out particles as large as dust, thousands of times larger than the virus; that they are worn for weeks at a time, with no cleaning, I can only come to the conclusion that it is more about control than health.

Armed with this information, we all know what the government would do with it. That's right, a simple bandanna will no longer be acceptable, you will wear the State approved mask, with threats of jail and fines that go along with non compliance.

The commenters final sentence is so very true, I agree whole heartedly: "It breaks my heart that much of America, once strong and free, now cowers in fear and has surrendered personal freedom for dependence on a corrupt power structure."

#5 B. Hammer on 2020-12-22 10:13 (Reply)

There's a great Captain America meme circulating:

Captain America: You don't have to worry about these kids peeing in the pool. They're all wearing swim suits.

Government Bureaucrat, with puzzled look on his face: How does that even work??

Captain America, leaning in: Like a mask

Pan out, Captain America getting roughed up by Government Agents.

#5.1 Aggie on 2020-12-22 18:08 (Reply)

Apparently, starting today, older vulnerable people wil die NOT because there is no way to prevent them from getting Covid BUT because the vaccine is being politicized. Prisoners will get it first, school teachers and "essential" workers too. But for the first time in this pandemic the deaths will be intentional (well maybe Cuomo's decisions did too). Most of the deaths are in the 65+ age group while most of the vaccines will be delivered first and for the next few months to those under 65 and who are not likely to die from Covid. This is intentional! Make no mistake the "experts" KNOW that the older people should be protected and vaccinated. They KNOW that this choice that they made will lead to more unnecessary deaths not fewer. THIS is MACABRE!!!

#6 Anon on 2020-12-22 10:38 (Reply)

Bob Dylan’s ‘Neighborhood Bully’ Gets Memory-Holed: Not being a Dylan fan, I don't care.

De Blasio, Carranza exploit pandemic to strike at public-school standards: It's NYC. He's THEIR problem, not mine.

The Upcoming Biden Administration Calls For Extreme Levels Of Reality Denial: Yep, and they're gonna be gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood at that.

#7 Sam L. on 2020-12-22 10:38 (Reply)

Vitamin D doesn't prevent Covid! We all know it is 'Super beets' that prevents everything. Well, at least until the next 'super' discovery comes out. But wait! If you call now you will get a second bottle of super beets for just $99.99 shipping charge. Whoop! Whoop!

#8 Anon on 2020-12-22 11:41 (Reply)

Oh no, sir. You have left out THE most important ingredient of all:
After years spent, studying the nomadic people of the Amazon rain forest. Analyzing their diets. Trying to understand why the cancer rates are so fantastically low. Our crack research team discovered the breakthrough health miracle. Found only deep within the Amazon forests, growing on the south side of trees, this special fungus was the key to a vastly superior immune system. A careful mixture of this fungus and 50 other special ingredients, including super red beat powder, would normally cost $20 dollars a pill. But you can have this breakthrough miracle for only $60 dollars a bottle. Buy four bottles, and we will include one bottle free. Act fast. This offer won’t last!

#8.1 B. Hammer on 2020-12-22 12:09 (Reply)

But wait! There's more . . . .

#8.1.1 Jim on 2020-12-22 13:33 (Reply)

The Bethlehem essay was just awful. If the website that published the essay pretends to be a place of academic rigor, then they have a long way to go. Moreover, the essay gave the usual cranks in the comment section to spew their ant-Christian bile.

Not sure why a link to that drivel was offered.

#9 RetiredSOF on 2020-12-22 12:39 (Reply)

"Neighborhood Bully" in translation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoVq2ATtLK4
I just don't see Joan Baez covering this...

#10 Jeff Allen on 2020-12-22 15:42 (Reply)

re: Why the Gospels Disagree...

It's funny that the 'About" for the author lists a string of his theological degrees and positions of authority, yet never mentions what church he goes to or what tradition he follows. These are probably more important that what PhDs he holds.

#11 Jack Walter on 2020-12-22 22:39 (Reply)

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Tuesday, December 22. 2020

Tuesday morning links