Happy New Year — And My Year In Review

What I Learned In 2016:

1.  When my body began sending out distress signals in March, I should not have assumed that the ever-increasing abdominal pain and the drastic loss of appetite were normal parts of aging.  Wrong!  Had I sought medical help earlier, I certainly would not have had so many months of grinding pain.  My usual method of powering through the day was a huge mistake that I won't make again!

2. Cats know things! When I'm in crisis (including grinding pain), Nurse Cameo hovers as she stands guard and sleeps all night with me. When I'm better, she goes back to sleeping by the radiator or in the recliner. Our other two cats, Mysti and Amber, go into hiding when I'm in poor health.

3.  When I had health crisis after health crisis in 2016, Mr. AOW and I found out who my true friends were.  Thank you, dear friends, for all your help and for your words of encouragement along the way.

4.  Oh!  I almost forgot politics!  Well, it turns out that America still holds surprises in politics — including the results of the 2016 National Election.  A year ago, not many would ever have thought that Donald J. Trump would be elected the 45th President of the United States and that the following would become one of the most-frequently watched videos of 2016:

The Climate Change Scam

Click directly on the graphic to enlarge it:

I submit that the various climate change scams provide certain organizations and businesses huge rake-offs.

A Christmas Visitor

Posted by Warren

(Originally posted on "Longrange" for Christmas 2004)

4:00 am 12/24/04

There was a knock on my front door which startled me awake. My dogs were barking which required my dire threats to quieten them as I answered the door.

Maybe you have heard of our weather and the unusually cold temperatures and large amount of snow that has fallen in the last 24 hours. I live just south of Interstate 64 in Southern Indiana and you may have seen the news about the closed Interstate and stranded motorists on the national news.

A man in his early fifties, about my own age, stood at the door. He was wearing tennis shoes, jeans, a field jacket and sock hat. His glasses were frosted and his pale white hands and reddened knuckles gave witness that he wore no gloves.

He told me he was lost and asked for directions to a certain address. I told him that he missed his mark by a mile and a half and asked him where his car was. He said he was walking.

I invited him in and sat a chair for him by the warm air from the furnace vent. He was shivering uncontrollably and a faint whiff of alcohol was on his breath. I asked if I could fix him something to eat but he refused and accepted a hot cup of coffee.

My wife talked to him as he warmed himself and I could hear him speaking as I prepared his fresh coffee.

My son heard his voice and came into the living room to sit and listen, and to watch, just in case.

His story unfolded.

Wonderful Retro Christmas Video

Enjoy this oldie, but a goodie (1957). Watch the boy at Tennessee Ernie's right elbow express great joy:

Just Because...

A few of the Christmas graphics and photos I've saved over the years. Click directly on each image to enlarge it...

CHRISTMAS GRAPHICS:

Our fur babies: Amber (b. 2012), Mysti (17.5 b. 1999), and Cameo (b. 2001)

graphic created by Warren in 2008

Gingerbread house I created with the 2016 Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar [video trailer]

PHOTOS I'VE TAKEN:

Our tree before Mr. AOW's 2009 stroke, but we no longer have room for a big tree

My piano decked out for Christmas

Our house in 2013

Our house in 2013

HAVE FUN, BUT NEVER FORGET THE REASON FOR THE SEASON:

Benjamin Britten - A Ceremony of Carols

(For politics, please scroll down)

A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976):

From the YouTube link:

Hacking Vs. Truth-Telling Leaks

[Note: I had another post queued up for today, but pulled it back in order to post on the matter below]

Apparently, WikiLeaks reveaeld some inconvenient truths about Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.

According to the narrative of the past few days, however, those leaks, said to have originated with Vladimir Putin — with the intent of electing Donald Trump to the Oval Office, interfered with the United States 2016 National Election.

Yesterday, Julian Assange of WikiLeaks issued this related statement (partial transcript HERE at Infidel Bloggers Alliance):


Also see Obama Didn’t Do More About Russian Hacking Because Thought Hillary Would Win, Didn’t Want Cyber War at Weasel Zippers, citing NBC News.

There is also THIS (dated December 15, 2016):

So now we find out that the CIA will not OFFICIALLY brief, and testify before the Congressional intelligence oversight committees over their intelligence on who, what and how, and if the election process was hacked in the USA.

Yesterday we have the Director of National Intelligence Clapper saying we have virtually no insight or evidence about the chain of events in which Wikileaks GOT the information they released, IN OPEN TESTIMONY....

Read the rest HERE.

Quotation Of The Day

Maybe even the Quotation of the Year!

By my good friend Silverfiddle at Western Hero:

Living in post-election America is like being a beleaguered passenger trapped on a long airline flight plagued by crying babies.

Ever get a song stuck in your head? How about crappy pop music in general? Shopping, in the car, on the street, sometimes it seems you just can’t escape it. You want ear plugs. Well, life in America these days, you can’t escape the whiny, howling chorus emanating from that latest Progressive Pop act, The Butthurt Bawlers from Hilloonville.

They still refuse to grasp reality and admit Hillary lost. President Obama said she was on the right side of history! So they comfort themselves with alt-reality fairy tales about how Russian Spymaster Boris Badinoff “infiltrated” and “hacked” the election with “fake news” while Steve Bannon rallied the millions of Klan voters.

Like a poo-throwing child in a tantrum, they fling blame in all directions: Racism, sexism, old white people, that recently-uncovered secret cabal called the Electoral College...

Anti-Voter-ID Agitators Are Racists — Or Ignorant.

In the video below, the filmmaker first interviewed liberals, then blacks in Harlem. Please watch the video to the end (hat tip to DC Statesman):

"People in glass houses..."

This — from the woman who insisted that a YouTube video was the horrific cause of the September 11, 2012 attack on Benghazi:

Hillary Clinton warns of 'fake news epidemic'.

Video proof of HRC's assertion is HERE.

See THIS LINK for the timeline of blaming the Benghazi attack on a YouTube video. Notice the names of those who participated in the fake news story propagated as the cause of Benghazi.

Related: Pope Francis says spreading fake news is a sin

and

Fake News Flashback: Hillary Clinton Claims She Was Under Fire By Snipers In Bosnia

and Clinton crime family urged NBC to take Morning Joe’s Mika off the air (via Bunkerville).

As long as this post relates to "fake news," exactly what does the term mean? Does "fake news" actually mean anything that doesn't support the narrative of the moment?

Musical Interlude

For this third Sunday in Advent 2016:

Lyrics:

The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
'All hail,' said he, 'thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favoured lady,' Gloria!
'For known a blessèd Mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honour thee,
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold.
Most highly favoured lady,' Gloria!
Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
'To me be as it pleaseth God,' she said,
'My soul shall laud and magnify his Holy Name.'
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!
Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say --
Most highly favoured lady, Gloria!

Those Evil Disney Films

Certain "educators" in the UK have pronounced Disney films as evil and have available to them lessons plans condemning various beloved Disney films.

From the UK's Telegraph (dated November 20, 2016, emphases mine):

Pupils taught Disney fairy tales promote sexism and domestic violence in online lesson plan

For centuries, children have grown up with Beauty and the Beast, which tells the story of how a cursed man-beast is transformed into a handsome prince when an evil spell is broken by the love of a beautiful and gentle young girl.

But now pupils as young as 11 are being taught that loyal heroine Belle is in an abusive relationship with the Beast in which "her only asset is her sexuality".

A lesson plan available on a teaching resource sharing website reads: "The Beast does not attack Belle but the threat of physical violence is present.

"The movie says if a woman is pretty and sweet natured she can change an abusive man into a kind and gentle man.

"In other words, it is the woman's fault if her man abuses her. And of course, the beast turns into a handsome prince because ugly people cannot be happy."

Belle is just one of the Disney favourites portrayed as scheming bimbos who boost macho ideas about female slavery by their willingness to do anything to get a man.

Others include The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin's Princess Jasmine, and Snow White - branded a domestic skivvy for the seven dwarves.

"She doesn't mind house work because she is sure a rich young man will soon come and take her away," children are told.

"This is typical of Disney's movies. Young women are naturally happy home-makers. They wait - like Snow White in her coma - until a man comes along to give them life."

[...]

The lesson plan called Racism/Sexism in Disney, targetted at 11 to 16-year-olds, was uploaded by an unknown teacher in England for lessons such as RE and Citizenship.

It has been viewed more than 11,000 times and downloaded more than 5,808 times.

Phil Davies, the Tory MP for Shipley, West Yorkshire, said: "Parents will be horrified to think that their children are being brainwashed with this politically correct claptrap.

"Most parents send their kids to school to learn about maths, science and history - not to be brainwashed with garbage like this.

"The Government should stop this idiocy and ensure schools teach things that parents expect."...

Disney has issued a statement:

“For more than 90 years, Disney’s timeless stories and beloved characters, including Disney Princesses, have been universal, relatable and relevant for everyone.

“They are loved by millions of children and adults across gender because it is their inner qualities such as determination, kindness, loyalty, humour, courage and wit that shine through and define them."

Read the entire article HERE.

Lest you think that such nonsense is restricted to the UK, know that a few years ago a seventh-grade Honors English class in Fairfax County Public Schools spent an entire week watching the film The Lorax so as to promote environmental awareness.  See THIS about The Lorax's message.

An entire week spent on watching an animated film instead of spent on reading classics or writing compositions!  In Honors English!  This was the breaking point for a particular student whom I know: she refused to return to school and is now homeschooled.

75 Years Ago Today

One of the World War 2 veterans  in our family stated the following about that infamous day, and he enlisted in the US Navy the next day:

"My heart came up into my mouth when I heard the news."

Also note this warning about losing our American heritage:

Curmudgeon's excellent comment to this thread:

The bonds between the crew members of the Arizona have lasted far beyond the ship’s loss on December 7, 1941. Since 1982, the US Navy has allowed survivors to be interred in the ship’s wreckage upon their deaths.

Following a full military funeral at the memorial, the cremated remains are placed in an urn and then deposited by divers beneath one of the gun turrets. To date, more than 30 Arizona crewmen who survived Pearl Harbor have chosen the ship as their final resting place. Crew members who served on the ship prior to the attack may have their ashes scattered above the wreck site, and those who served on other vessels stationed at Pearl Harbor that fateful day, may have their ashes scattered above their former ships. In 2011, only 18 of the 355 crewmen who survived the bombing of USS Arizona were still alive. Today there are only six. All of them are in their 90’s or older. This will be their final commemoration appearance.

If you have never visited Pearl Harbor or the Arizona Memorial you are missing one of the more poignant testaments to the madness of man’s inhumanity to man.

Endless Scapegoating

I hear what the strategists of the Democratic Party are doing as they try to explain the election results of November 8, 2016, and, at the same time, plan ahead for the 2020 Election.  Do you hear what I hear?

For The Second Sunday Of Advent 2016

(For politics, please scroll down)

Enjoy the music and the images presented in the two videos below — the first choral and the second orchestral:





[Cyber Hymnal's entry for "Of the Father's Love Begotten"]

[Wikipedia has a detailed entry]

Recommended Reading

See these two links: (1) Sarah Palin Says Trump's Carrier Deal Could Be 'Crony Capitalism' and (2) China lodges complaint over Trump-Taiwan call. Blunders — or brilliant moves?

What is this "fundamental transformation" of which you speak?

Posted by Warren

I've heard many people comment on this.

To "Progressives", it seems to be a quest against a wicked and cruel America full of hate and repression against the poor and minorities. An America with imperialist ambitions that causes all the problems in the world, that represses blacks and women and wants to destroy the environment.

Utter BS! But notice this meme hits all the paranoid fantasies of delusional leftists.

To Conservatives, it sounds like a focus group tested phrase that would appeal to the delusional left, which it is, but I am afraid it has a far more serious implication than just a catch phrase.

I believe there is a specific task that is required as a first step.

I said all of that to say this.