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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Busy, Busy, Busy

(If you must have politics, please scroll down)

Tammy Swofford has been visiting for a few days. She arrived the day after Christmas.

Good times!  We've been enjoying dining out every day and taking in a few local attractions — including a visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

We went to the Gallery specifically to see Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections:


Click on this link for more information and many photos.

No post-Christmas blues here in the AOW household!

Friday, December 27, 2013

Ethnicity And Race Designations Required?


I admit that I had my doubts about this October 20, 2013 story, "Obamacare seeks to segregate patients, doctors by race" — until I visited my neurologist on December 9. Before that date, I last saw my neurologist on June 17, 2013.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas!



A selection of Christmas music for today and tomorrow:

Cameo And The Christmas Tree

(This re-post will be stuck here throughout the Christmas season. Please scroll down for more recent material, including political topics.  And I will have another post specifically for Christmas Day 2013)

With many thanks to Stogie, who made the graphic for this post in 2011! Click directly on the picture to enlarge it:



I wrote the story below the fold in 2005. Over the past few years as she has aged, Cameo has mellowed — somewhat, anyway.  But the memories of those bygone days Cameo's terrorizing the Christmas tree still bring a smile to our faces. I hope that the anecdote will bring a smile to your face, too.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Another Musical Interlude

Music and images:


Lyrics:
1. God rest you merry, gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray:

O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

2. From God our heavenly Father

A blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name:

O tidings ...

3. The shepherds at those tidings

Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
This blessed Babe to find:

O tidings ...

4. But when to Bethlehem they came,

Whereat this Infant lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray:

O tidings ...

5. Now to the Lord sing praises,

All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface:1

O tidings ...

Friday, December 20, 2013

Dean Martin At The Top Of ASCAP's 2013 Holiday Songs List

According to Vintage Vinyl News (hat tip to I Love Dino Martin, a site that I visit almost every day):
Since November 1st, 2013, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow"! has aired more times than any other holiday song this season, ending the four-year reign of previous list-topper "Sleigh Ride."...

Thursday, December 19, 2013

The Christmas Spirit

(If you must have politics, please scroll down)

As I've mentioned before, this year the AOW household has received numerous Christmas blessings from Decorate A Vet, an organization that thanks veterans for their military service by putting skilled artisans and volunteers' hands to work. 

 Jeff Jones, the founder and vice president of Decorate A Vet says when we thank him, "Gotta love the Christmas spirit!"  And the expression on his face when he makes this statement is one of joy.

As you'll see in the some of the photos below, the blessings we received from Decorate A Vet go far beyond decorating veterans' homes for Christmas. Permanent home improvements are made!

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Silencing Voices

(hat tip to Jihad Watch)

CAIR/ISNA spokeswoman:
Media in the US is very gullible...If you have something to say, especially as a Muslim, they'll come running to you. Take advantage of that!
If you have a few minutes, please watch the following video, which includes a panel with two anti-Islamist Muslims:

Monday, December 16, 2013

About Global Warming

Back when I was in college (1968-1972), I heard quite a bit in my science classes about "the coming Ice Age." 

Today, of course, environmentalists' theme of "The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!" has changed to incessant chatter about global warming.

Comes this recent article from the Daily Caller:

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Musical Interlude

(If you must have politics, please scroll down)

For this third Sunday of Advent 2013, my favorite Christmas carol:


The Choir of King's College, Cambridge dates back to 1441.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Objectionable Windows?

The Washington National Cathedral's stained class windows incorporate many different themes and subjects.

Upon the recent death of Nelson Mandela, objections have now arisen to two of the stained glass windows — two separate windows depicting General Stonewall Jackson and General Robert E. Lee, both of them officers in the Confederate Army:

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Monday, December 9, 2013

Personal Update: Still Sick (But Enjoying Christmas Blessings)

(If you must have politics, please scroll down)

It's going to take a while to get over this miserable head cold.  Until I'm feeling better, blogging will be be light — if I blog at all. Thankfully, the classes that I teach will be on Christmas Break as of Thursday at 2:50 P.M.

Despite this misery, I ventured out to Hair Cuttery on Saturday to get my hair colored. As of Thanksgiving morning, I have no more bubbles in my eye, so I could finally tip my head back to access the shampoo bowl. I had to do something with my hair after a student's comment to me last Thursday: "You look like you've been run over by a dump truck."  Indeed!

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Friday, December 6, 2013

Personal Update: Sick!

(If you must have politics, please scroll down)

I have been felled by a head cold — just in time for the approaching winter storm.

The pitch of my voice has dropped to basso profondo.

Charming, just charming.

Until I'm feeling better, blogging will be light.

I will, however, be co-hosting this afternoon's edition of The Gathering Storm Radio Show. Our guest is Duck. The topic for discussion: the surveillance state.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

First They Came...[ObamaCare]



Those employer-based plans, many of which are going to be slammed by the end of 2013, and the information comes from Obama's own Department of Justice (hat tip to Bunkerville for the video below):


For all those who have been sighing with relief because they have employer-based policies, a reminder from 1946:

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Non Sequitur

(Two posts today. Please scroll down. The two posts are somewhat related)

Last week in my mailbox on the front porch, I received a card from UPS.  The card stated as follows:
We are unable to deliver this package(s) because:
CORRECT STREET # NEEDED, NOT DELIVERED
Your shipment will be held at the above address until:
Dec 02, 2013
After that date, it will be returned to sender.

Please pick up your package(s) at the address listed at the top — a government issued photo ID is required — or you may call us...
The shipment was a set of four audio CD's from Amazon. Clearly, an item that easily fits on my large front porch, where UPS has left numerous large packages over the years.

What makes this topic worthy of a blog post? The utter inanity of it all!

Recommended Reading

See CULTURE OF IGNORANCE – PART ONE at The Burning Platform. A lengthy read, but one that I hope you will take the time to peruse and absorb. Brief excerpt below the fold.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Musical Interlude

For this first Sunday of Advent 2013, Of the Father's Love Begotten, a poem paired with the medieval plainchant melody Divinum mysterium:



Another arrangement of the same Christmas carol:


Please take a few moments to consider this meditation for today.
!--BLOCKING--