Here are the topics for this morning's Christmas Day blog and in keeping with the season, this week's items are upbeat: holiday advertisements; false legends; Yuletide in Denver and the mountains; Christmas carillon concert.
Tis the season. I know Christmas is approaching when I see the ads for alka seltzer, the clapper, and chia pets. Of course, the alka seltzer ads continue through New Year's; alas, my grocery discount coupons expire on 1/3/2015.
The North Pole and Greenland. Bummer! Seems the North Pole, traditionally thought to be the "home" of Santa Claus, is too far north for both trees and reindeer. By the way, Rudolph should not have horns -- either that or he is not Scandinavian because male reindeer in Scandinavia lose their horns in the winter. Oh, oh!
Lest we forget, "Yuletide" is a pagan festival period that is now firmly
entrenched in the Christian era. I suppose, though, there might be some
druid celebrants among my readers. As I wrote this portion of the blog (mid-day Saturday, 20th), the winter solstice celebration at Stonehenge was less than 24 hours away. I have not been to Stonehenge for any solstice celebrations. No doubt, the modern day congregants/believers and the curious tourists were on the plain to celebrate. For those interested, here is a link to the site. Later weather reports and webcam pictures showed it to have been a cloudy, overcast celebration.
Christmas-time in Denver and Breckenridge. On Thursday (18th), we visited the Denver Zoo to take in their extensive annual light display. For the first time visitor and children of all ages, the colorful animations using bright LED lights make for fascinating displays. A mountain lion that twitches its tail, jumping tree frogs, swimming penguins, all manner of other zoo creatures move about in the darkness. To enter one area you walk in through the brightly lit "mouth" of a hippopotamus.
In Breckenridge it was good
fun to see how the town was decorated and to watch the visitors stream in. The Christmas vacationers to the Breckenridge found the previous snowstorm had deposited some 36 inches on the slopes. More is predicted for later Christmas week. Some beginning skiers were probably unsettled as they had to make their first ever runs without being able to "see" their feet. Here in southeast Denver, we had a meager 2-3"; the 4 inches predicted on Christmas Eve night never materialized. Christmas morning has dawned clear with only a few clouds.
Christmas carillon. There was a special Christmas eve concert at Denver University. The university's carillon began with Silent Night and continued with other favorite hymns. It was meant to commemorate the very unofficial truce declared by soldiers along one section of those murderous trenches of WW I, December 24, 1914. Legend has it that the shooting stopped, Yuletide greetings refreshments and small gifts were exchanged, even a soccer game played in the mud of no-man's land. The carillon's wonderful sounds were heard over the entire campus and the story in the Denver Post drew many listeners for something special on Christmas eve, 2014.
Thank you for reading and I do hope your Christmas is enjoyable. Now it's on to the first blog of 2015!
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Here are the topics for this delayed blog: P,P, & M; a monarch rediscovered; candle making in Sweden; winter in FL; a December college graduation; finally, holiday music.
PBS fundraising. It is that time of the year -- again: money-raising time for Public Broadcasting. Sometimes, though, PBS fund raising has its moments. Last Wednesday there was a music segment from Peter, Paul, and Mary, one of my favorite groups from the '60s. Their songs were interspersed with pictures and a bit of commentary on the day. For example, their appearance at MLK, Jr's March on Washington. No massive electronics or pyrotechnics, just three great voices with marvelous harmony. Good stuff!
Parking lots, lost churches, and DNA. Word came this past week about "them bones." Location, age, skeletal similarities, and evidence of multiple wounds had given rise to much speculation. Now, DNA has virtually assured the world that the bones recovered from a parking lot on the past site of the Greyfriars Church in Leicester, England, are indeed those of Richard III. After his death in the Battle of Bosworth (1485), his bones had not been thrown into the River Soar at the Bow Bridge -- as legend would have it. Another mystery solved. RIP, Good King.
Winter in southeast Sweden. My wife's relatives live near Helsingborg, Sweden, just across the Ōresund from Hamlet's castle in Helsingor, Denmark, just north of Copenhagen. Even though it is not, as they say, "far north," the sun goes down early and comes up late. A past Christmas holiday visit gave us our first taste of eating both breakfast and dinner by candlelight! Hence, their Swedish family ritual of December candle making. There are craft shops where you can try your hand, though the Delanders have "graduated" and now make their own candles at home. A fun family holiday activity.
Frostproof. Yes, that is the name of one small town in central FL. This past week I spent time not far away and, though it seems counter intuitive, it was just chilly enough that the orchards around Frostpoof were spraying the trees to keep the oranges from freezing. Counter intuitive, but true.
Graduations. It seems they are all the same and always involve the everlasting debate over timing! How to recognize graduates from all the disciplines, faculty (distinguished or otherwise), et. al. The most fervent hope is that the featured speaker does not drone on and on. Sadly, she did, so the ceremony for my grand nephew at the University of Central Florida was no exception, but a good time was had by all.
Holiday music. Like it or not, the season is upon us. The car radio gave forth with one of the more unusual seasonal melodies: Eartha Kitt singing that sassy ditty, "Santa Baby." You know her list: sable coat, '54 convertible, yacht, deed to a platinum mine, duplex and checks, tree decorations from Tiffany's, a ring (please, not on the phone), and do "hurry down the chimney tonight."
Another favorite that will come around more than once is "Frosty the snowman," now available with an accompanying animated movie. Believe it or not, my father and our piano-playing cousin once sang Frosty live on the local radio station. Sadly, dad's 78rpm vinyl has been lost.
One past mid-December, my wife and I took a trip to the UK. We spent one week in London (plays, museums, etc.) and a second week in a 300 year-old manor house located in Droitwitch, a famed spa city near Birmingham. (The town's salt baths date to Roman times.) The manor, Hanbury Hall, is now owned and operated as part of the National Trust. The manor has two third-floor apartments, but for our week we had the manor to ourselves. Quite decadent!
A sign on the bulletin board outside the Trust office noted an upcoming evening gala with Christmas carols, tea, hot mulled wine, and traditional mincemeat pies. When we inquired, all the reservations were taken, but the lady in charge said, "Oh, you are staying with us so do come down. There's always someone who does not make it."
What an experience. The local chorus were beautifully dressed in traditional garb and aligned themselves along the ornate railing of the tall spiral staircase between the 1st and 2nd floors. Glorious voices, but of the 15 or so carols on the program, we recognized only one! We were welcomed as manor guests for the refreshments and were told all the carols were all very traditional English holiday tunes. The warmth of the mulled wine spread more than enough holiday cheer. I happen to love mincemeat and the individual pies were divine; my grandmother could not have done better!
Thank you for reading and enjoy your holiday preparations.
PBS fundraising. It is that time of the year -- again: money-raising time for Public Broadcasting. Sometimes, though, PBS fund raising has its moments. Last Wednesday there was a music segment from Peter, Paul, and Mary, one of my favorite groups from the '60s. Their songs were interspersed with pictures and a bit of commentary on the day. For example, their appearance at MLK, Jr's March on Washington. No massive electronics or pyrotechnics, just three great voices with marvelous harmony. Good stuff!
Parking lots, lost churches, and DNA. Word came this past week about "them bones." Location, age, skeletal similarities, and evidence of multiple wounds had given rise to much speculation. Now, DNA has virtually assured the world that the bones recovered from a parking lot on the past site of the Greyfriars Church in Leicester, England, are indeed those of Richard III. After his death in the Battle of Bosworth (1485), his bones had not been thrown into the River Soar at the Bow Bridge -- as legend would have it. Another mystery solved. RIP, Good King.
Winter in southeast Sweden. My wife's relatives live near Helsingborg, Sweden, just across the Ōresund from Hamlet's castle in Helsingor, Denmark, just north of Copenhagen. Even though it is not, as they say, "far north," the sun goes down early and comes up late. A past Christmas holiday visit gave us our first taste of eating both breakfast and dinner by candlelight! Hence, their Swedish family ritual of December candle making. There are craft shops where you can try your hand, though the Delanders have "graduated" and now make their own candles at home. A fun family holiday activity.
Frostproof. Yes, that is the name of one small town in central FL. This past week I spent time not far away and, though it seems counter intuitive, it was just chilly enough that the orchards around Frostpoof were spraying the trees to keep the oranges from freezing. Counter intuitive, but true.
Graduations. It seems they are all the same and always involve the everlasting debate over timing! How to recognize graduates from all the disciplines, faculty (distinguished or otherwise), et. al. The most fervent hope is that the featured speaker does not drone on and on. Sadly, she did, so the ceremony for my grand nephew at the University of Central Florida was no exception, but a good time was had by all.
Holiday music. Like it or not, the season is upon us. The car radio gave forth with one of the more unusual seasonal melodies: Eartha Kitt singing that sassy ditty, "Santa Baby." You know her list: sable coat, '54 convertible, yacht, deed to a platinum mine, duplex and checks, tree decorations from Tiffany's, a ring (please, not on the phone), and do "hurry down the chimney tonight."
Another favorite that will come around more than once is "Frosty the snowman," now available with an accompanying animated movie. Believe it or not, my father and our piano-playing cousin once sang Frosty live on the local radio station. Sadly, dad's 78rpm vinyl has been lost.
One past mid-December, my wife and I took a trip to the UK. We spent one week in London (plays, museums, etc.) and a second week in a 300 year-old manor house located in Droitwitch, a famed spa city near Birmingham. (The town's salt baths date to Roman times.) The manor, Hanbury Hall, is now owned and operated as part of the National Trust. The manor has two third-floor apartments, but for our week we had the manor to ourselves. Quite decadent!
A sign on the bulletin board outside the Trust office noted an upcoming evening gala with Christmas carols, tea, hot mulled wine, and traditional mincemeat pies. When we inquired, all the reservations were taken, but the lady in charge said, "Oh, you are staying with us so do come down. There's always someone who does not make it."
What an experience. The local chorus were beautifully dressed in traditional garb and aligned themselves along the ornate railing of the tall spiral staircase between the 1st and 2nd floors. Glorious voices, but of the 15 or so carols on the program, we recognized only one! We were welcomed as manor guests for the refreshments and were told all the carols were all very traditional English holiday tunes. The warmth of the mulled wine spread more than enough holiday cheer. I happen to love mincemeat and the individual pies were divine; my grandmother could not have done better!
Thank you for reading and enjoy your holiday preparations.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Here are the topics for this week's blog: Thanksgiving; the huge paper; Christmas preparations; Tom Harken; business as usual; jobs or Obamacare; Gardner vs. Udall; SCOTUS and Facebook
Thanksgiving Day. I hope all of you enjoyed a pleasant day.
Advance warning. There had been the appropriate advance notice (warning??): Thursday's Denver Post would be the "biggest ever." Indeed, the morning paper was monumental, another testament to American excess! This was one day to be especially thankful for my electronic edition, a convenient way to find just the news without having to struggle through all the unwanted flyers.
Tis the season. The early evening hours in the neighborhood has begun to brighten as holiday decorations go up all along our gently curved street. Some we have seen before, but there are always some new additions. The trees along the nearby Denver Tech Center Blvd are now sporting their usual white trunk and branch decorations. Gated and near-gated enclaves are also decorated. Enjoyable seasonal sights.
US Senator Tom Harken (D, IA). Harken, who has served in both the House (1975-1985) and Senate (1986-2015), is retiring at the end of the 113th Congress. As a House aide in 1970, he photographed and then safeguarded the film which disclosed the existence of the South Vietnamese government's infamous "tiger cages." Harken was fired for his actions, but went on to be elected to Congress and became an unabashed champion of human rights. His efforts in this regard will be sorely missed.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), minority leader. It is often the less publicized, back-door maneuverings that reveal the true inner workings of any bureaucracy. Hence, the current brouhaha over a proxy vote for a House member unable to attend her opening caucus meeting. This is not just another low ranking representative; rather, the current controversy concerns Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D, IL), double amputee, Iran war veteran, and first disabled woman to be elected to the House. Complications with Rep. Duckworth's current pregnancy make her unable to travel. Rep. Pelosi refuses to change the caucus rules to allow Ms. Duckworth to cast an absentee vote on the question of who will be the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce committee. The real problem is that in all probability, Duckworth would NOT vote for Pelosi's preferred choice. Remember Kris Kristofferson's lyrics, "...rules are rules and any fool can see..." Many House Democrats are upset, but, bureaucracies being notoriously hide-bound, the Democratic caucus rules probably forbid using Skype.
Senator Charles Schummer (D, NY). The #3 ranking senate Democrat certainly made an alternative pitch when he opined that the party's number one goal (what the people wanted) -- should have been jobs for the struggling middle class, not health care. Interesting, especially with 2016 looming just off stage.
Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Mark Udall (D-CO). Chalk two up for Ski Country USA! Long time election-watcher, Stu Rothenberg, rated Senator-elect Garner (now Rep) as the "best candidate" of the [Nov] cycle; alas, Stu also rated the campaign of Gardner's opponent, the soon-to-be-retired Sen. Mark Udall, as the "worst run." You can't win them all!
"Fire in a crowded theater" Forget past dictums, this is the 21st century. Justice Holmes's famous phrase was uttered in 1919, the veritable media-dark ages in Schenck v. U.S. Mr. Schenck's public anti-war statements were about US involvement in WW I. Today's equivalent problem well be yelling "Ebola" in the theater.
But what happens today when someone uses Facebook to issue seemingly very public threats that emanate far, far beyond Justice Holmes's small theater? Is the "theater" now so much larger that the old rule no longer applies?
The Supreme Court heard arguments on December 1st, but will likely not hand down its decision until the end of the current term in June 2015. The case title is Elonis v. U.S. for those who want to follow the story.
Thank you for reading and have a good week.
Thanksgiving Day. I hope all of you enjoyed a pleasant day.
Advance warning. There had been the appropriate advance notice (warning??): Thursday's Denver Post would be the "biggest ever." Indeed, the morning paper was monumental, another testament to American excess! This was one day to be especially thankful for my electronic edition, a convenient way to find just the news without having to struggle through all the unwanted flyers.
Tis the season. The early evening hours in the neighborhood has begun to brighten as holiday decorations go up all along our gently curved street. Some we have seen before, but there are always some new additions. The trees along the nearby Denver Tech Center Blvd are now sporting their usual white trunk and branch decorations. Gated and near-gated enclaves are also decorated. Enjoyable seasonal sights.
US Senator Tom Harken (D, IA). Harken, who has served in both the House (1975-1985) and Senate (1986-2015), is retiring at the end of the 113th Congress. As a House aide in 1970, he photographed and then safeguarded the film which disclosed the existence of the South Vietnamese government's infamous "tiger cages." Harken was fired for his actions, but went on to be elected to Congress and became an unabashed champion of human rights. His efforts in this regard will be sorely missed.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), minority leader. It is often the less publicized, back-door maneuverings that reveal the true inner workings of any bureaucracy. Hence, the current brouhaha over a proxy vote for a House member unable to attend her opening caucus meeting. This is not just another low ranking representative; rather, the current controversy concerns Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D, IL), double amputee, Iran war veteran, and first disabled woman to be elected to the House. Complications with Rep. Duckworth's current pregnancy make her unable to travel. Rep. Pelosi refuses to change the caucus rules to allow Ms. Duckworth to cast an absentee vote on the question of who will be the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce committee. The real problem is that in all probability, Duckworth would NOT vote for Pelosi's preferred choice. Remember Kris Kristofferson's lyrics, "...rules are rules and any fool can see..." Many House Democrats are upset, but, bureaucracies being notoriously hide-bound, the Democratic caucus rules probably forbid using Skype.
Senator Charles Schummer (D, NY). The #3 ranking senate Democrat certainly made an alternative pitch when he opined that the party's number one goal (what the people wanted) -- should have been jobs for the struggling middle class, not health care. Interesting, especially with 2016 looming just off stage.
Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Mark Udall (D-CO). Chalk two up for Ski Country USA! Long time election-watcher, Stu Rothenberg, rated Senator-elect Garner (now Rep) as the "best candidate" of the [Nov] cycle; alas, Stu also rated the campaign of Gardner's opponent, the soon-to-be-retired Sen. Mark Udall, as the "worst run." You can't win them all!
"Fire in a crowded theater" Forget past dictums, this is the 21st century. Justice Holmes's famous phrase was uttered in 1919, the veritable media-dark ages in Schenck v. U.S. Mr. Schenck's public anti-war statements were about US involvement in WW I. Today's equivalent problem well be yelling "Ebola" in the theater.
But what happens today when someone uses Facebook to issue seemingly very public threats that emanate far, far beyond Justice Holmes's small theater? Is the "theater" now so much larger that the old rule no longer applies?
The Supreme Court heard arguments on December 1st, but will likely not hand down its decision until the end of the current term in June 2015. The case title is Elonis v. U.S. for those who want to follow the story.
Thank you for reading and have a good week.
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