Monday, December 22. 2014
 From Here We Come A-Wassailing:
We are not daily beggars
That beg from door to door;
But we are neighbors' children,
Whom you have seen before.
They are not beggars, but they would like a Christmas coin and a taste of Wassail as they go from door to door, singing.
"Old English wæs hæl, literally 'be you healthy.'" Here's an alcohol-free Wassail recipe but anything similar would work. In its classic form, it was made with ale or mead, and often nowadays with rum or vodka added to cheer up your guests.
 but you will not be happy with it. Say Goodbye to the Family Doctor - Young doctors are increasingly becoming employees rather than independent practitioners.
Not only will they not know you (other than your chart data), but they will have no connection with you. We are approaching the tail end of a long era of personal and personalized medical care.
A physician can not be commoditized, but they can try. A physician is more than a technician.
 Who do you tip for the holidays?
I tip my garbage men, the mailman who is kind enuf to deliver stuff to my front porch, and a much bigger tip than normal to the early morning Dunkin gals. I'm not sure who else I have to Christmas tip these days.
Medieval Scribal Marginalia
"Legendary Mad Magazine Illustrator Jack Davis Calls It Quits at 90″
Legendary
Mad Magazine Illustrator Jack Davis Calls It Quits at 90″ - See more
at: http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=55758#sthash.NvPcECDG.dpuf
Autism Moms Have Stress Similar To Combat Soldiers
2015 GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado Test Drive
The United States of Anxiety - Sony brass might be cotton candy, but they are iron men compared with the American college student.
If 2014 had a grand theme, it was testicular absence.
The key to understanding Environmental Economics is understanding unintended consequences
A Model Senator retires
Civil Rights Group Outraged at Bowdoin’s ‘Cultural Appropriation’ Outrage
UVA Enters Damage Control Mode Over Rolling Stone Rape Story
NY to Ban Fracking: Turn out the Upstate Lights
To Save Australia From Hotcoldwetdry, We Need To Kill All The Rabbits
Eric Holder Dictates That Cross-Dressing on the Job Is a Civil Right
On Halloween, or all the time?
Time Magazine: Right-Wing Militias Are The Real Threat To Cops
Sultan: Saving Comrade Castro
Who needs Cuba?
President Obama’s ‘betrayal’ of Cuban democrats
Funding the Castros’ tyranny
Mead via Insty:
Shell-shocked liberals are beginning to grasp some inconvenient truths. No gun massacre is horrible enough to change Americans’ ideas about gun control. No UN Climate Report will get a climate treaty through the U.S. Senate. No combination of anecdotal and statistical evidence will persuade Americans to end their longtime practice of giving police officers extremely wide discretion in the use of force. No “name and shame” report, however graphic, from the Senate Intelligence Committee staff will change the minds of the consistent majority of Americans who tell pollsters that they believe that torture is justifiable under at least some circumstances. No feminist campaign will convince enough voters that the presumption of innocence should not apply to those accused of rape.
Sunday, December 21. 2014
The stone age meets the 21st Century. The sad truth about uncontacted tribes
Santa (who is clearly an obese white male in this accurate photo) is well-known to prefer Coke to Pepsi, but in our family he preferred brandy, Scotch, or Irish Coffee. Why Pepsi in this photo of him? Somebody must have paid him off.
Christmas became a federal holiday in the US in 1870. When people talk about the secularization and the material and food and booze indulgence of Christmas, I laugh because it was ever thus even though, in my family tradition, it's a pleasant if hectic blend of religious - with goodies and parties with friends, friendly acquaintances, and family.
We've been thinking about all of the charming pagan Saturnalian, and especially the pre-Christian Germanic, aspects of modern American Christmastime. A fine history of the modern Christmas here. Lots of interesting details.
One quote:
Celebration of birthdays — even including that of Christ — was rejected as a pagan tradition by most Christians during the first three hundred years of Christianity, but the matter became increasingly controversial. Partly in reaction to the claims by Gnostics that Jesus had not been mortal, Christians began to emphasize the Nativity. The Incarnate God as a lovable infant born to a holy mother evoked powerful instinctive emotions. The third century Christian writer Tertullian supported observance of Christ's birthday, but condemned the inclusion of Saturnalia customs such as exchanging of gifts and decorating homes with evergreens. Chapter 10 of the Book of Jeremiah begins by condemning the heathen practice of cutting a tree from the forest to "deck it with silver and gold".
The Protestant Reformation in 16th century Europe was associated with a profound rejection of the Roman Church and a return to scripture as the ultimate source of spiritual authority. There was no scriptural support to be found for celebration of Christmas, no commandment that Christ's birthday be observed and no date of birth had been given that could be used for the celebration. Martin Luther called Rome a modern "Babylon" — parallels could be drawn with the mother-goddess worship of the ancient Babylon. The birthday of Mithras and the festivals of Saturnalia for the celebration of Christ would be symptoms of the paganism upon which the Romans had built the Catholic Church.
In 1583 the Presbyterian Church suppressed the observation of Christmas in Scotland because there are no biblical references to Christmas celebrations nor any biblical commandments to celebrate the birthday of Christ. The Church of Scotland continued to discourage the celebration of Christmas, which remained a normal working day in Scotland until 1958. Hogmanay (December 31) was the main day of Scottish celebration.
English Puritanism was probably the most extreme manifestation of the Protestant reaction against the Roman Church. Exodus 20:4 could be taken to indicate that God does not want to be worshiped the way pagans worship their gods — with idolatry such as Christmas trees and Nativity Scenes (much less revelry, drinking and gluttony). Oliver Cromwell campaigned against the heathen practices of feasting, decorating and singing, which he felt desecrated the spirit of Christ. Christmas was called such names as "the Papist's Massing Day" and "Old Heathen Feasting Day". Cromwell's government abolished English Christmas celebration by an act of Parliament in 1647, and the ban was not lifted until Cromwell lost power in 1660. But the tradition of caroling at Christmastime did not resume again in England until the 1800s.
and
Although Christmas was not widely celebrated in New England until 1852, it was popular in the American South beginning with the Anglican settlement of Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. The Virginian colonists were the first to establish eggnog as a holiday beverage. ("Nog" may come from the word grog, meaning any drink made with rum.) Dutch influence in the settlement of New York City (New Amsterdam) helped make New York a mostly pro-Christmas state, although there was still an anti-Christmas New England influence. In 1836 Alabama became the first State to recognize Christmas, which finally became a federal holiday in 1870.
My conclusion at the moment is that it's an ancient winter solstice Pagan holiday - with the baby Jesus added to the mix as Roman marketing. I have seriously-Jewish friends who do Christmas. Heck, even atheists love Christmas. My atheist Dad loved it: his entire life was about giving to others and more so than almost any Christian - or anyone of any religion - I know.
Every culture needs party seasons too, festivals. The real Christian holy day is Easter. I never heard of an Easter Party, and Easter parades are only in the movies.
No, I am not a Grinch. I love Christmas, especially Christmas Eve in church during which I shed tears every year. Advent is important to me, but far less so than Lent. I like all the parties, too, to catch up with my million best friends. Just one more, tonight, with carols. Yesterday was family pre-Christmas brunch to accommodate those who would be away, and last night's jolly party had carols too, with a neighboring pastor on the pianny and great and abundant food and drink - Champagne and wines, multiple turkeys and hams, all sorts of cakes and pies and cheeses, huge rounds of Stilton with Port. Good, memorable fun for the whole family, ages 1 to 90. Christmas balloons, lots of little kids underfoot, crazy reindeer hats and Santa hats, etc. And, finally, the carols to end it up.
In 2013, both of my parents died. That puts a damper on family things and leaves a large hole in family get-togethers, but Christmas goes on with times of its holy meaning and times of its secular delights:
The Intense Competition to Be the World's Most-Decorated House
Good clean fun.
Despite the climate crisis, looks good.
 My favorite holiday party is an annual open house that friends hold the Saturday before Christmas.
The house is great and the food is great, the guests dress up in holiday finery and Christmas ties, the bartenders are pleasant, the hors d'oevre waitresses are always near, the cheeses are excellent, especially the little room with the port and Stilton and cookies. Their pastor plays Christmas songs on the pianny (between cocktails), boxfulls of goofy Christmas hats are distributed, and carols are sung.
All of that is very good, but what is special is that they invite your entire family - all ages, so the place is full of peoples' kids and grandkids from 6 months to 40. Probably 150 people, maybe more, arriving, and going off to other parties. There are some crawlers underfoot dressed in their Christmas best. Balloons everywhere. That's what makes it merry, relaxed, and interesting. My kids love it, and it's a chance for others to catch up with them too.
If and when my daughters decide to tie the knot, I'd love it if they wanted to do a jolly wedding like that, with no formal sit-down, no deafening band, and with kids running around. I guess that is sort-of Mediterranean-style.
Luke 1:46b-55
1:46b "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
1:48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
1:49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
1:50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
1:51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
1:55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Saturday, December 20. 2014
By coincidence, God Isn’t Dead in Gotham - Thousands pack the services of the evangelical Redeemer Presbyterian Church, most of them single and under 35.
 From Tim (not Ted) Dalrymple's Four Reasons Why Christmas Matters:
It is right and fitting to "walk and talk with Jesus." Without Jesus, our relationship with God grows cold and abstract, the contractual relationship of a creature to its Creator. With Jesus, the very same Jesus who entered the world in the event we celebrate at Christmas, our relationship with God is interpersonal. It is passionate and intimate, characterized not only by worship and reverence but also by tender mercy and forgiveness, love and mutual understanding. With Jesus, we can know God and be known by God through and through. With Jesus, we have footsteps in which to walk. With Jesus, we have the transformative presence and power of God with us even in our most human and most painful moments.
He also has another good piece up: What’s Better: Grilled Cheesus or the Absent God?
The Washington Post editorial, "President Obama's 'betrayal" of Cuban democrats", obliterates the ignorant comparisons of establishing relations with Vietnam compared to doing so with Cuba.
The negative response from the people whom Mr. Obama portrays as the beneficiaries of his initiative is one reason to question his contention that Cuba should be treated like China and Vietnam, two Communist nations with which the United States normalized diplomatic and economic relations decades ago. The United States was not able to join with opposition movements in those countries in demanding democratic reforms as part of a normalization process because, at the time, such movements barely existed in either place. In Cuba’s case, the opportunity was there.
Engagement with China and Vietnam also offered huge economic and geopolitical benefits that don’t exist in the case of Cuba, an impoverished island whose main interest to the United States is the freedom and prosperity of its 11 million people....
The Washington Post describes the human rights results in China and Vietnam, after their rulers and lackeys profit from US trade:
But in the past decade, political freedom in China has declined — there is less freedom of speech, of the press, of cultural expression. More political prisoners have been locked up and tortured. Tens of thousands of censors keep tight control over the Internet. The same is true in Vietnam: more foreign investment, less political and religious freedom, more bloggers in prison. And these are not anomalies: In the years that Mr. Obama has been in office, freedom has receded across the globe — without much protest or response from his administration.
Instead, the Washington Post supports the human rights demands from those brave enough to speak out within Cuba:
In Cuba’s case, that means listening to the brave freedom fighters Mr. Obama spurned. Mr. Obama’s prescription was not the only alternative to what he saw as the failed policy of the past half-century. Opposition leaders from throughout the island have agreed on four immediate demands to put before the government: the release of political prisoners; the end of repression against human rights and pro-democracy groups; the ratification of international covenants on human rights; and the recognition of Cuban civil society groups.
Friday, December 19. 2014
The article begins:
The year was 1943, and another Advent had dawned for Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer loved Advent and had often preached sermons on this holy season of waiting and hope as a metaphor for the entire Christian life. Just one year earlier, during the Advent of 1942, Bonhoeffer had written a circular letter to some of his friends and former students:
"The joy of God goes through the poverty of the manger and the agony of the cross; that is why it is invincible, irrefutable. It does not deny the anguish, when it is there, but finds God in the midst of it, in fact precisely there; it does not deny grave sin but finds forgiveness precisely in this way; it looks death straight in the eye, but it finds life precisely within it."
Those words took on a deeper meaning in December 1943 as Bonhoeffer found himself one of eight hundred prisoners awaiting trial in Berlin’s Tegel military prison.
I do not hate lefties, liberals, progressives at all. In fact, I am always interested in their views and their reasons for them. I often find that they have a hatred of those with differing views which is difficult for me to understand. So much hate and anger that you can hardly have a civil chat or a civil debate.
No problem with hate, because many things and people deserve it but I sure don't.
Why Liberals Really, Really Hate
Thursday, December 18. 2014
 We want it easy but good. We're thinking something like this:
Eggnog and/or Champagne, and Martinelli's of course for the teetotalers, then wine
A spiral-cut full-size Harrington's Country Ham big enough for 20, with some cool sauces and mustards for it
Corn Pudding
Scalloped potatoes with bacon
Asparagus
Biscuits
A green salad
Misc. Christmas cookies for dessert - bring homemade ones with you
We do church Christmas Eve, not Christmas morning as I did as a lad. We forbid gifts with extended family so we omit that silliness - except gifts of homemade cookies. In fact, we are not too big on gifts in general anymore. Instead, we'll have Mrs. BD on ye olde Steinway playing Christmas songs for us all to sing off-key, and some group games. We often play the "Who am I?" game.
At night, the kids go off to the movies with friends.
What's your plan?
Read it and weep, not only about this "comprehensive bailout — from the Obama administration" as the Washington Post editorial terms it but it continues "Mr. Obama says normalizing relations will allow the United States to be more effective in promoting political change in Cuba. That is contrary to U.S. experience with Communist regimes such as Vietnam, where normalization has led to no improvements on human rights in two decades." Further, it will encourage other despots and their useful idiots in the Western Left, as "they will press the Obama administration not to sanction Venezuela."
Then weep that ignorance at Maggies Farm abets useful idiocy, and gives a pass to the dispiriting of those facing the China and Russia bullies.
As I said yesterday, Cuba is an insignificant, God-forsaken 3rd world s-hole with the population of the state of Georgia and with a crappy, corrupt, and cruel government like most other crappy 3rd world countries. It does not deserve all this attention or all this debate. All we Americans want from Cuba is cigars (possible in the near-term) and some political justice for their people (possible eventually). The latter is of course what we wish for all terrible crappy countries which include most countries on the planet, but which we cannot provide for them.
As I have said, Cuba is just another Haiti. Same population as Haiti, too.
But here's this: Every big question you have about the U.S. opening to Cuba, answered
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