The Most Wonderful Time of The Year? #314
By Hank Silverberg
Commentary
You know the song. It's in almost every commercial on TV, and all over the radio. I don't want to say bah, humbug and sound like Ebeneezer Scrooge, but it's really not a good time of the year for many people.
If you are not Christian, it can be awkward at company parties, public events or even a simple greeting. If you say "happy holidays," some people will be offended. After all, the right-wingers have been claiming for several years that a "happy holidays" greeting is part of the "WAR on Christmas".
It's not a "war on Christmas," of course. "Happy holidays" is just a recognition that there are other holidays this time of year. There are 11 in December alone. Outside of close friends and immediate family, you really don't know when greeting someone what holiday they celebrate. So "happy holidays" works for everyone, and in reality should offend no one.
But it can also be very awkward.
I have given up on trying to explain this to people just like I have given up explaining to many people that the celebration of Chanukkah has NOTHING to do with Christmas, and involves an event about 200 years before Jesus was born.
But what irks me even more are the people who walk around with smiles on their faces, talk of goodwill toward men and peace on Earth at this time of year while practicing malice toward many other people during the rest of the year.
And then there is this. I give money to several charities of my choice. The local food bank is my preferred one, because food insecurity around the world, and even here in the richest country on Earth, is one of the biggest tradgedies of our times.
But I don't like the look on some people's faces around the holidays when I politely say "no" to their particular charity. It's not that I don't think their charity is legit (though many aren't) or worthy, which most are. It's just my choice to where my money goes, and I don't like the hard approach by some folks who are often more obnoxious about giving than a used car salesman.
So as you are getting ready for your holiday, just be aware that we live in a big country where diversity and free thought are our strengths, and conformity is a weakness.
I was going to write even more on this, but I need to spend the time explaining to many people why this year Chanukkah starts Christmas night (Dec. 25th) and runs through New Year's Day.
News
(note to readers. This story is changing rapidly)
What's this about all those drones flying across the eastern seaboard? Reports of drones the size of cars hovering over New Jersey have spread elsewhere with alledged sightings in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
The FBI is investigating. So is Homeland Security. But so far we have been told it's not a case of national security and those drones are not a safety issue. No one seems to know their origin, although the government says they are not from a "foreign" source.
Even Donald Trump got into the act saying the Government MUST KNOW where they come from or they should "shoot them down." But that reaction may be because some of those drones flew over Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course.
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| (Drones hovering over New Jersey) |
What made some election officials nervous is where the drones were spotted. That included several military facilities and at least one reservoir in New Jersey. New York had to breifly close Stewart Airport in Newburg, which includes an Air National Guard base because of a drone sighting.
Mayorkas says they have deployed additional resources to check out the drones. And he says a Chinese national living in Northern California was arrested last week on suspicion of flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base.
But authorties have said some of these sightings may have been over reactions, with people mistaking small piloted planes for drones.
Surprisingly, no one has yet suggested these UAV's are from outer space. And sorry, H.G. Wells fans, Mayorkas says they are "not Martians."
There are several more crebible possibilities:
They are private drones being used for some business project.
They are government drones testing military applications, though no one in the government will talk about that.
Or, it's all some kind of publicity stunt.
Whatever is going on, the conspiracy theorists are having a field day, and the public now has something to distract them from the impending change of power in Washington.
News You May Have Missed!
Mitch McConnell may not be Majority Leader any more when the new Senate convenes in January, but he has one strong word of advice for Donald Trump. McConnell, who had polio as a child, says
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| (An Iron Lung, used to treat Polio victims, Courtesy the CDC) |
Trump's nominees seeking Senate confirmation should steer clear of efforts to discredit the polio vaccine. In a statement on Friday, McConnell said "efforts to undermine the public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed--they're dangerous."
The statement was aimed at Trump's pick for Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., after a report from one of his advisors advanced debunked ideas that vaccines cause autism.
The words are a sign that Kennedy could face some resistance in the Senate to his nomination.
Kennedy, who has denigrated vaccines for years, now seems to have backed off on this one. A spokesman, Kate Miller, released this statement:
“Mr. Kennedy believes the Polio vaccine should be available to the public and thoroughly and properly studied.”
McConnell contracted Polio when he was two years old, before the vaccine was available and survived after a long struggle. The Polio vaccine has been used effectively on American children since 1955, and millions of Americans were inoculated against the disease for the last 69 years.
Kennedy has pushed other conspiracy vaccine theories, particularly about the Covid-19 vaccine.
He has been nominated by Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services, which has a $1.3 trillion budget.
Dumbest Story of The Week!
This week the dumb story comes from a group rather than an individual. It's the right-wing "One Million Moms" organization, which has never proven it actually represents one million women.
This group had an interesting review of the very popular movie "Wicked," and put out a call for a boycott of the movie with this statement:
"Of course the musical contains a tremendous amount of witchcraft and sorcery, and that content prompts most parents to avoid taking their children to see Wicked."
Wait, it gets even dumber.
"But the film also shows not-so-discreet crossdressing, and men crashing on men which parents may not expect. Instead of an uplifting Broadway musical about friendship and family, talents and resources were used to create a dark movie that also pushes wokeness."
The peition asks parents to boycott the movie because it pushes an LGBTQ agenda.
Not so sure where they got all this from. My wife and daughter saw the movie and thought it was great.
Kristin Chenoweth, who played the role of Glinda in the orginal Broadway production, shot back at the group. She says she's a "Christian woman," and called the comments from One Million Moms "silliness, they spew out of hate."
Said Chenoweth: "...they don't get it. For anyone who wants to see girl power, then go see Wicked on stage or in a movie theater."
Wicked, which cost about $150 million to produce, has grossed $359 million worldwide in its first few weeks in theaters, so apparently the public likes it.
(You suggestions and comments are welcome)
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
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