This is a pre-holiday plethora of whimsy, Part II

Christmas Whimsy

From Parade Magazine (12/13/15):  Facts gleaned from "Oh, Christmas Tree (Parade Picks)":

• "The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree--The exquisite 550-lb Swarovski star topper...is made of 25000 crystals, 720 LED bulbs, 44 circuit boards, & 3,000 ft. of wire. [I can neither confirm nor deny that our tree in downtown Norfolk is flashier.]
• "The White House Tree . . . And celebrate your own White [House] Christmas w/the White House Historical Association's official 2015 ornament, which honors President Calvin Coolidge & the first national Christmas tree lighting in 1923. [Do they know that he was a Republican?]
• "Country Music Trees. Hankering for a Christmas tree just like Dolly Parton's? You can bid on a tree decorated by Dolly [or other music stars, including LeAnn Rimes & Little Big Town] as part of Parade of Trees:  a Dazzling Gaylord Opryland Resort. ["Hankering." A word I definitely associate w/the season.]
• "Blame It On Charlie Brown. The popularity of the aluminum Christmas tree introduced to the mass market in 1959...took a nosedive when A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired in 1965. (In the show, Charlie Brown & Linus choose a humble real tree over a flashy aluminum model.) [And Linus quotes Scripture in this special! Would anyone dare produce a tv special like this one today? I'm just sayin'.]

Whimsy:  Special Star Wars Edition *

From Omaha World Herald (12/13/15):  "'Star Wars' memories." 

• (From Eileen Williamson, La Vista, NE) "The first time my brother & I went to see it was in Little Rock, AR. We didn't know what 'Star Wars' even was. I have one of those very detailed memories, so I remember riding in the car w/my family & complaining that I didn't want to see a movie about a horse. I thought my parents were saying 'Star Horse . . . ' 
• (From Rachel Jacobsen, Omaha) "My dad is the one who remembers. I will warn you, he's known for hyperbole. His claim is that he took me to see 'The Empire Strikes Back'...when I was not yet 2 yrs old. I was born 8/23/78, & it was released in May of 1980. He says he had to take me into the lobby every time Darth Vader came on screen because he was too scary . . . 
• (From David Jacobsen, Rachel's Father, Omaha) "I'll just add that the experience was so incredible for Rachel; it shaped her love of movies for the rest of her life."

Also from OWH (12/21):  "Dating service for 'Star Wars' fanatics. For 'Star Wars' fans who are looking for love in Alderaan places, Ryan Glitch has a solution:  sci-fi speed dating, which he hosts at Comic-Cons around the country. In 5 years of geek speed-dating, the events have led to 112 couples who are dating seriously; 43 couples who are currently engaged; & 74 couples who have tied the knot. 'Our 19th baby was just born,' Glitch said."

* No comments necessary. I'm just providing a public service.

Criminal Minds

Also from OWH (12/14/15):  "After finding drugs, police arrest man who called them. A 21-yr-old man who called police to report an attempted burglary wound up being arrested himself . . . The officers who responded asked if they could look around for a suspect. While doing that, the officers saw marijuana stems & seeds & later found 2 grams of the drug. The man who called police was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance." ["You have the right to remain stupid . . . "] *
* My blog consultants have chided me for being unnecessarily harsh. I apologize, IF my comment offend any stupid criminal.

Also from OWH (12/21):  "Man wearing Santa hat sticks up Raising Cane's. You'd think someone w/enough Christmas spirit to wear a Santa hat in public would give instead of take. A guy robbed Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers restaurant near 72nd & Dodge Streets early SUN morning. He wore a ski mask, a brown hooded jacket, dark pants--& a Santa hat . . . After taking cash from the register, he fled on foot. Police are continuing to investigate. The robber also wore a scarf."  ["But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight--'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!'" Clement Clarke Moore.]

Food for Thought

From 'Ask Dr. Roach' in Norfolk Daily News (12/19/15):  "Hot peppers, onions OK for child to eat. Dear Dr. Roach: My 4-yr-old grandson enjoys eating raw onions, jalapeno pepper slices & all kinds of hot spicy foods. Is this normal? I worry that this is going to harm the lining of his stomach in some way. He eats other normal foods, but at such a young age, I don't think it's good for him. W.G. Answer:  A normal diet for a 4-yr-old depends on culture. Raw onions & peppers are not harmful . . . I think any raw vegetable is healthier than the sugar-laden sodas I see some 4-year-olds drinking." [Not so fast! I would choose sugar-laden sodas over asparagus. And brussels sprouts. Also beets.]

There is No Place Like . . . 

California?

Also from OWH (11/13; yes, I realize this is a little dated):  "When it doesn't rain, the bears pour forth into town. Tourists & animal lovers hoping to see a bear in Sequoia National Park this fall probably stand a better chance of spotting one in this tiny town at the park's entrance. Three Rivers (CA) is literally crawling w/hungry bears driven down from the mountains by drought in search of food to fatten up for winter. Everyone seems to have photos of the creatures on their phones or anecdotes of encounters."  [In a related story, one man was allegedly arrested for offering a bear a drink of water.]

China?

Also from OWH (11/21; yes, also a little dated):  "China plunging into toilet business w/bells, whistles. 'Innovation' is the buzzword of the moment in Beijing, w/the government putting special emphasis on connecting every part of life to the Web as a way to boost the economy & create jobs. Now, even the humble public restroom is getting pimped for what authorities call the 'Internet Plus' era.
      In time for World Toilet Day on THU, Beijing literally rolled out a red carpet at a prototype new public loo that bears little resemblance--in sight or smell--to the often odoriferous & sometimes downright squalid facilities many inhabitants of the Chine capital endure. 
      Resembling a bright, shiny mini-mart, the new facilities feature services including an ATM, a lounge w/vending machines, a computerized telephone contraption for paying utility bills, plus an electric-car charging outpost, & recycling receptacles for paper & plastic bottles." [Chinese facilities . . . a bigger threat to American than global climate change?!]

New York!

Also from OWH (12/8):  "Man finds wedding cash on road, returns it to newlyweds. A newlywed says she's shocked that a New York man went to the trouble to return a wedding envelope containing $200 that he found alongside a road. Peter Palushaj of Thornwood, spotted the envelope while driving in Tarrytown on Oct. 11. It read, 'Mr. & Mrs. Goldstein' & contained 10 $20 bills & a note to 'Dave & Teresa.' A guest had dropped it on the way to the wedding. A quick check led Palushaj to the couple's online wedding registry & the bride's Facebook page . . . He sent her several FB messages, which she discovered only last week. The new bride told the Journal News if it hadn't happened to her she wouldn't believe it"  [There is no place like New York?! I may have indulged in just a wee bit too much egg nog last night.]

Theological THU . . . Special WED edition

Also from OWH (11/12; also a little dated):  "Maybe an apple didn't bring down Adam, Eve. "In Genesis, the Bible mentions the 'forbidden fruit.' Commonly identified as any apple, many people contend that it was actually a quince.
      "The quince's Mideast origin, as well as its fuzzy daffodil-yellow skin & a lemony perfume as penetrating as musk, make it a strong candidate for the fruit that tempted Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden.
      "Don't take a bite! Fresh, a quince is tart, slightly astringent & dry." [I can't help but think that this is false doctrine. I've seen way too many paintings that show Eve holding an apple.]

Also from OWH (12/17):  "Christian prof is suspended for saying Muslims have 'same God.' Wheaton College has suspended a tenured professor who said Christians & Muslims share the same God. Larycia Hawkins, a political science professor at the private evangelical Christian college west of Chicago, announced last week that she would wear a traditional headscarf as part of her Advent devotion to show support for Muslims who have been under greater scrutiny since mass shootings in Paris & San Bernardino, CA."  [As I've said before in another blog, let's ask any Muslim if he or she thinks Christians & Muslims worship & pray to the same God.]

Political TUE . . . Special WED edition

Also from OWH (12/12):  "Atheists outflank Nativity effort. There's no room in the rotunda for a Nativity scene this Christmas. The Grinches who stole Christmas are two atheist groups, which had already booked the display space at the NE State Capitol for the week of Christmas. The conflict inspired a verbal spat on FRI as the Thomas More Society, for the 2nd straight year, erected a Nativity science on the 1st floor of the Capitol rotunda. The display will have to be taken down Dec. 18 because Omaha & Lincoln atheist groups, in AUG, had already schedule displays for Christmas week."  [And I'm quite confident that in the same spirit of being true to their convictions, these atheists will refuse to take the paid holiday of Christmas off.]

Also from OWH 'TV Q & A' (12/13): "Q: Why did MSNBC cancel 'The Alex Wagner Show,' 'The Ed Show' & Al Sharpton's show? Was it poor ratings or what? A:  First of all, the network didn't kill all those shows. It cut back weeknight telecasts of Sharpton's 'PoliticsNation' to a single weekly showing--@ 8:00a Sundays. But it has made a strategic (& ratings-driven) change. As Variety reported in AUG,'MSNBC has sought to move away from the progressive analysis [?] & viewpoint that once fueled it to new heights' in favor of 'programming aimed to burnish the reporting of NBC News.' The gradual turnaround comes not only after MSNBC ratings have tumbled in recent years . . . " [I confess to never having watched Alex Wagner or Ed. I have watched Al Sharpton while channel-surfing. I've also seen him occasionally as a guest on other programs. I could only take him in short doses. His reasoning, logic, not to mention his grammatical & syntactical . . . well, maybe I better just stop. All emphases are added.]

Also from OWH (12/15):  "Did judge err in sentencing assailant to study Islam? After a [Boston] landlord was convicted of pushing her Muslim tenant down a flight of stairs, a judge ordered her to respect the rights of all Muslims & to take an introductory course in Islam. Now the highest court in Massachusetts is being asked to decide whether the judge violated the landlord's constitutional rights."  [I have no issue with this. I'll be eagerly waiting to see if the same judge sentences the next thief who shows up in his courtroom to enroll in a course on the Ten Commandments.]

Political TUE . . . Special WED Edition:  Our President's Legacy [CAUTION:  May contain adult language!]

Also from NDN (12/9):  "U.S. says Iran tested ballistic missile last month. A U.S. official says Iran tested a ballistic missile last month in at least the 2nd such test since lasts summer's nuclear agreement...Ballistic missiles are especially sensitive w/Iran because they could provide the delivery system for a nuclear warhead. The test may reflect an effort by Iranian hard-liners to derail the nuclear pact."  [Well, we wouldn't want to trample on the sensitivities of their hardliners, would we?]

Also from OWH (12/10):  "Climate talks are at odds with reality." (excerpt from editorial re-printed from Orange County Register) " . . . President Barack Obama, on the opening day of United Nations' Climate Change Conference in Paris, said that the event was a 'turning point...the moment we finally determined we would save our planet' . . . Although some sort of agreement likely will be hammered out in Paris, the only real turning point at hand is that Obama soon will be gone from office.
      "For one thing, the climate data used to justify Draconian regulations are just not reliable. Writing this year in the Telegraph of London, Christopher Booker detailed how, for 30 years 'the official temperature records...were systematically 'adjusted' to show the Earth as having warmed much more than the actual data justified.'
      " . . . Then there's the difficulty of getting an agreement w/developing nations, who need fossil fuels to lift their people out of poverty . . . In CA, we have seen that carbon taxes have funded the high-speed rail boondoggle. Assembly Bill 32 & other laws have increased energy costs so high that 15% of people in Tulare & other counties suffer 'energy poverty,' meaning 10% or more of their incomes go to energy...That's a major reason CA now has the nation's  highest poverty rate. Such is the reality beyond the greenhouse-gas emitting conference in Paris."  [No, no, no . . . Global climate change is settled science. Right? Right?!]

Also from OWH (12/21):  "Shootings push Obama to move on gun violence. On the afternoon that he decided to launch perhaps the most controversial effort of his 2nd term--gun control by executive order--President Barack Obama took one look at remarks written for him to address a mass shooting in Oregon & warned that he would go off script. 'I'm just going to riff off it. I'm pissed,' one aide recalled Obama saying before he strode off to talk to reporters."  [And we all know that people intent on using guns to commit violent acts are now trembling, trembling, I tell you, at the knowledge that our President is p----d!]