Tom Faranda's Folly

George Soros said he regretted backing Obama

Why? Because the $5 million he donated to him, didn't buy him the access he expected. But maybe he was just sucking up to Hillary?

Clinton emails: Billionaire Soros said he regretted backing Obama

A Soros confident told The New Yorker: "They pissed on him... He didn’t want a f-cking thing! He didn’t want a state dinner, or a White House party—he just wanted to be taken seriously.”

In Memoriam: The MSNBC Shows cancelled this year

Yeah,  what a great series of losses. I weep for them.

Christmas afternoon Croton Landing

I had a quick walk (gym was closed!) and these two pictures were just before and after 4PM on Christmas. Can you see the Sleeping Indian across the Hudson - he's in both pictures, more evident in the second one. I took these with my Galaxy phone and they are unretouched.

Teens addicted to video games? This may be the answer

From my friend Joe.

Moderate alcohol and health

Additional studies. An interesting 2 minute discussion.

Death by condom

From the Guardian (UK).

Man dies in Germany after blowing up condom machine. Man was reportedly hit in head by flying piece of metal from machine in apparent robbery attempt

He had no protection ...

Flooding In York, England

YIKES! Brigid's hometown. York is the confluence of three rivers.

I poached this picture from the Guardian (UK)

SciAm: Elephant daughters step up when the matriarchs are poached.

Who doesn't love elephants? Great short article (20 paragraphs) in Scientific American on how the social organizations of elephants are held together against poaching.

Elephant Daughters Step Up to Replace Murdered Mothers. After poachers kill matriarchs, daughters try to rebuild social bonds in their groups

Old matriarchs are the leaders of their families, deciding when, where and with whom to group. Their choices are responsible for the emergence of these tiers of social contact. So what happens when they are killed?

Populations changed, but groups held steady

Over the 16 years of our study, the Samburu population became significantly younger. Only 30% of the elephants in the recent period were present from the beginning of the study. Yet despite these changes, family and bond groups were as clearly distinguishable after poaching as they were before the disruption.

Even more surprising was how young females recreated these social tiers. We compared the records of mothers’ relationships with one another before the poaching to their daughters’ relationships after the poaching. It turned out daughters largely maintained the same relationships across families, even if their mothers were dead.

In some disrupted groups, females reached into their bond or clan groups from years earlier to reconstruct new groups. Sometimes this resulted in family groups that comprised nonrelatives.

From previous genetic work in the population, we know that elephants sometimes create family where they have none. We watched this process anew over the last few years as poaching intensified and females reached into their mothers’ extended networks. For example, the once-dominant Planets bond group—which previously had several matriarchs over 50 years old—now comprises two young mothers named Europa and Haumea and some surviving calves (Europa is the oldest mother at 23). Their new bond group includes the Flowers, elephants that were only clan group affiliates in the prepoaching years.

This work is showing us that elephant bond and clan groups may act as important buffers from social collapse, providing surviving females with a framework from which to build their own networks. The legacy of elephant mothers lives on in their daughters’ social choices.

 

Meadowlark Lemon

The Harlem Globetrotters! After he finished with basketball, he became an ordained Minister. He was 83.

Here's his wikipedia entry Meadowlark Lemon. And here's his website. And here's his website. Meadowlarklemon.org I never saw him in person.

WaPo: Interview with Ben Carson, "A process like this is pretty brutal"

With two of their best reporters. An insightful six or seven minute read.

Throughout, he spoke in the same soft, deliberate manner to which voters have become accustomed. In person, he also makes direct eye contact and is entirely comfortable with long, awkward pauses. At times, his silence and stare seemed like a challenge.

Carson: It’s been a pretty amazing year, no question about it. Highs and lows. Obviously, going through a process like this is pretty brutal. Everybody told me that it would be, so that doesn’t particularly surprise me.

Ginsberg: What’s been brutal about it?

Carson: Well, the fact that people try to find a scandal. Of course there are no scandals, which is pretty frustrating for them, I’m sure. When they couldn’t find a scandal, they try to impugn your integrity and say, “You’re a liar.” Just stuff. Then they would put it out there. When it’s refuted, they never come back and say, “Oh, I guess that actually did not happen.” They just go on to the next thing as long as they’ve figured out a way to hurt you.

Ginsberg: Is there a specific example you’re talking about?

Carson: There have been several, like when they said, “You never took that class at Yale.” Then when it was found, they said, “Eh, let’s just move on to the next thing.” The West Point story. When they said, “You never tried to stab anyone, you’re kidding.” Then they find a Parade magazine article from 1997 where my mother was talking about it. They go, “Eh, move on.” It’s always “Move on, whatever.” I guess you can expect that, but it’s a little disappointing in terms of the integrity you’d expect to see.

Ginsberg: Can you describe what that’s like? You’ve been in the spotlight for a long time and almost always in a position of being praised.

Carson: Well, it’s not pleasant. The encouraging thing was there were so many people saying, “You know they’re going to do this, just hang in there.” Every place I go, that’s all people say: “Please don’t quit. Please stay in there. We need you.” That is encouraging. But it’s discouraging to know that we’re at that stage in our country where people don’t care so much about the truth. It’s just what’s sensational, what’s the shiny object. It’s all “Who’s in the football game? Who’s on ‘Dancing With the Stars’? Who’s yelling the loudest?”

NatGeo: Breast cancer in Uganda

A short video. Beyond sad to say the least.

 

Bernie Sanders gets it absolutely right about the media

1,000% right. The media isn't interested in the serious issues - in fact most of them don't know much about the serious issues.

Quote from (in)famous French brothel owner

"'There are two things that people will always pay for: food and sex. I wasn't any good at cooking,' Madame Claude has been quoted as saying."

From this article in the Telegraph (UK)

Madame Claude, France's most famous brothel owner, dies

 

The Queen's Christmas message, 2015

Of course this has to be posted or I'm out on the coach for a week....

Lovely sentiments for sure as she quotes the Gospel of John.

NYT op ed: "The Christmas Revolution"

A very fine short (14 paragraphs) essay yesterday.

As an aside, many of the comments left about the essay (NY Times readers after all) show a real disdain for religion in general and Christianity in particular. If you doubt me or think I'm being unfair, just read the comments.

We moderns assume that compassion for the poor and marginalized is natural and universal. But actually we think in this humanistic manner in large measure because of Christianity. What Christianity did, my friend the Rev. Karel Coppock once told me, is to “transform our way of thinking about the poor and sick and create an entirely different cultural given.”

One other effect of the incarnation: It helps those of us of the Christian faith to avoid turning God into an abstract set of principles. Accounts of how Jesus interacted in this messy, complicated, broken world, through actions that stunned the people of his time, allow us to learn compassion in ways that being handed a moral rule book never could.

For one thing, rule books can’t shed tears or express love; human beings do. Seeing how Jesus dealt with the religious authorities of his day (often harshly) and the sinners and outcasts of his day (often tenderly and respectfully) adds texture and subtlety to human relationships that we could never gain otherwise.

Christians have often fallen short of what followers of Jesus are called to be. We have seen this in the Crusades, religious wars and bigotry; in opposition to science, in the way critical thought is discouraged and in harsh judgmentalism. To this day, many professing Christians embody the antithesis of grace.

We Christians would do well to remind ourselves of the true meaning of the incarnation. We are part of a great drama that God has chosen to be a participant in, not in the role of a conquering king but as a suffering servant, not with the intention to condemn the world but to redeem it. He saw the inestimable worth of human life, regardless of social status, wealth and worldly achievements, intelligence or national origin. So should we.

Drudge Christmas headline: "Pope Urges Mercy"

Glad to see this posted by Drudge

POPE URGES MERCY

 

Farandaville, Christmas morning 2015

Brigid and I were talking a few days ago about how Christmas isn't the same without young children in the house. And it really isn't. But the two gorillas in the house were still pretty interested in opening presents early this morning! Even Brigid - who got a snowblower (not pictured). Thank you Santa!

 

Christmas: ... a detail from the mosaics in the basilica of Saint Mary Major, Rome, fifth century, depicting the heavenly Jerusalem.

Christmas Eve, 1955 was warmer than today

In the 60's in NY today but see this -

Christmas Eve 1955 was much warmer. Three fourths of the country was over 60 degrees, and Ashland Kansas, Geary Oklahoma and Encinal Texas were all over 90 degrees. Fort Lauderdale was 85 degrees. All of the stations below were over 60 degrees on Christmas Eve, 1955.

hit the link for some interesting maps and the rest of the story.

From Fr. Jack Rathschmidt, OFM Capuchin: "St. Francis at the Crib"

Besides his many roles with the Capuchins, Fr. Jack has been associated with my parish for as long as we've lived in Croton. Which is back to 1982!

He sent this around today. Love the image below his note. ...

St. Francis at the Crib

My Friends,

 

May the Peace of Christmas fill you with hope.

 

In the Capuchin Franciscan tradition, the crib is one of the two great images of God that draw us to ongoing conversion. Rooted in the vulnerability of God, the crib reminds us that God chose to be dependent and weak, unable to feed or dress himself, unable to walk or talk. He is simply presented to us as a gift so that we might remember God's enduring and unending love for us. No matter where we wander, or even if we turn away, God waits for our return and presents Himself to us year after year as a child needing our love.

 

As you celebrate Christmas this year with the threat of world wide terrorism and the fear that accompanies it, I pray you will not fail to be vulnerable and available to your families, friends and enemies. The Gospel is very clear and demanding. Unless we become like children we cannot enter the Kingdom of God. (Mt 18:3) Especially during this Holy Year of Mercy, let us be unafraid to follow the example of Jesus who continually makes Himself available to us even unto death.

 

God will strengthen us in our resolve. We have only to let God do God's work.

 

Love and prayers,

 

(Br) Jack

 

 

Christmas art - from past postings

These are all from some of my past Christmas postings. Maybe I'm getting lazy? No, I just like them!

 

A Botticelli, Lifted from Michelle Malkin's weblog. Merry Christmas!

Trump an ISIS recruiter? - this is amusing

HAHAHA! From my friend Joe.

Specially designed - French version of a swiss army knife

Not sure everyone will get it - Brigid said "I like it, I like it...". Wants one for Christmas.

Apple and the corporate tax structure

Great 3 minute video on the onerous level of corporate taxes, and how it effects EVERYBODY badly, including Bernie Sanders. And my leftie friends. If only they'd take the time to listen...

Why Hillary was late back on stage at Saturday's debate

If true, this is really weird.

 

A Trump tweet -

Picked it up off the Althouse blog.

As mentioned in comments on her blog, no doubt Trump is responsible for much of the higher Republican ratings. He's a blowhard, BUT it's quality blowhardness.

Here's his tweet:

Just out: TRUMP GOP DEBATE - 18,000,000. CLINTON DEMOCRAT DEBATE - 6,700,000. And they were on major network vs. cable!

Exercise and fighting off colds/the immune system

Another interesting article from the health section of the NY Times. I've seen other research making a link between exercise and a better immune system and here's more.

Working out could help us fight off colds and other infections, according to a timely new study. The study, which found that regular exercise strengthens the body’s immune system in part by repeatedly stressing it, was conducted in animals. But the results most likely apply to people, the researchers say, and could offer further incentive for us to remain physically active this winter.

...the workouts caused small amounts of continuous tissue damage and inflammation. This process, the researchers said, seems to have familiarized the animals’ bodies with trauma and how best to initiate healing.

The swimmers, in effect, appeared to have developed a more refined and effective immune response. Their immune systems appear to have learned to produce a beneficial amount of inflammation, but not too much. So when germs invaded, the system could rely less on indiscriminate, blunt-force inflammation and instead turn to targeted, antimicrobial killers.

Of course, as we all know, rodents are not people.

But Dr. Park believes that the effects are likely to be similar in people. “We strongly believe that long-term, regular exercise can considerably improve the immune defense mechanism,” he said, including, thankfully, “against viral infections such as colds and the flu.”

SNL does the CNN Republican debate

Kidnapped by ISIS, Syrian priest speaks out after his release

A great two minute video -

NatGeo: "Guess Where You Are"

In one minute. Like this one, NatGeo: Guess the City!  I got it wrong. But at least was in the right hemisphere this time.

Mother Teresa canonization coming soon

The Vatican approved a 2nd miracle. Will be interesting to know the details - will the man who was cured attend the ceremony? Very likely.

 

Nat Geo: Another "Guess Where you Are"

In 60 seconds. I didn't get this one right either, making me zero for three.

Krauthammer, and comparing Obama & LBJ

I saw this little segment while in the gym and then found the video. What a comparison! It starts at minute 4:00.

Kimmel: He has Trump on.

This is the opening of several videos posted on Kimmel's youtube channel.

 

Here's another, on temporarily banning Muslims, which already has close to 400,000 views.

Yesterday's Fed interest rate increase

A quarter point, long overdue in my mind. The actions of the Federal Reserve have distorted the financial markets and haven't really helped the economy (my opinion).

However, not everyone agrees.

This is from the uber left wing Center for Economic and Policy Review.

Statement on Federal Reserve and Interest Rates

For Immediate Release: December 16, 2015
Contact: Alan Barber, (571) 306-2526

Washington, D.C.- Dean Baker, economist and a co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) issued the following statement in response to the Federal Reserve's decision regarding interest rates:

"The Fed's decision to raise interest rates today is an unfortunate move in the wrong direction. In setting interest rate policy the Fed must decide whether the economy is at risk of having too few or too many jobs, with the latter being determined by the extent to which its current rate of job creation may lead to inflation. It is difficult to see how the evidence would lead the Fed to conclude that the greater risk at the moment is too many jobs.

"While at 5.0 percent, the unemployment rate is not extraordinarily high, most other measures of the labor market are near recession levels. The percentage of the workforce that is involuntarily working part-time is near the highs reached following the 2001 recession. The average and median duration of unemployment spells are also near recession highs. And the percentage of workers who feel confident enough to quit their jobs without another job lined up remains near the low points reached in 2002.

"If we look at employment rates rather than unemployment, the percentage of prime-age workers (ages 25-54) with jobs is still down by almost three full percentage points from the pre-recession peak and by more than four full percentage points from the peak hit in 2000. This does not look like a strong labor market.

"On the other side, there is virtually no basis for concerns about the risk of inflation in the current data. The most recent data show that the core personal consumption expenditure deflator targeted by the Fed increased at just a 1.2 percent annual rate over the last three months, down slightly from the 1.3 percent rate over the last year. This means that the Fed should be concerned about being below its inflation target, not above it.

"While wage growth has edged up somewhat in recent months by some measures, it is still well below a rate that is consistent with the Fed’s inflation target. Hourly wages have risen at a 2.7 percent rate over the last year. If there is just 1.5 percent productivity growth, this would be consistent with a rate of inflation of 1.2 percent.

"Furthermore, it is important to recognize that workers took a large hit to their wages in the downturn, with a shift of more than four percentage points of national income from wages to profits. In principle, workers can restore their share of national income (the equivalent of an 8 percent wage gain), but the Fed would have to be prepared to allow wage growth to substantially outpace prices for a period of time. If the Fed acts to prevent workers from getting this bargaining power, it will effectively lock in place this upward redistribution. Needless to say, workers at the middle and bottom of the wage distribution can expect to see the biggest hit in this scenario.

"One positive point in today’s action is the Fed’s commitment in its statement to allow future rate hikes to be guided by the data, rather than locking in a path towards “normalization” as was effectively done in 2004. If it is the case that the economy is not strong enough to justify rate hikes, then the hike today may be the last one for some period of time. It will be important for the Fed to carefully assess the data as it makes its decision on interest rates at future meetings.

"Recent economic data suggest that today’s move was a mistake. Hopefully the Fed will not compound this mistake with more unwarranted rate hikes in the future."

##

Rugby: South Africa 7's, 2nd day and final

Some great stuff. Overall USA now ranked 3rd after the first two tournaments.

More about your brain and exercise

Further evidence that exercise is good for your mind. From the NYT health and fitness section.

Does Exercise Help Keep Our Brains Young?

... the most aerobically fit of the volunteers did not follow this pattern. The fittest men showed little or no activation in their right hemispheres; they needed only their left hemisphere for the task.

In terms of attention and rapid decision-making, their brains worked like those of much younger people. They also were quicker and more accurate in their keystrokes, indicating that they attended and responded better than the less-fit volunteers.

Over all, Dr. Soya said, the results suggest that “higher aerobic fitness is associated with improved cognitive function.” Fit older people’s brains require fewer resources to complete tasks than do the brains of older people who are out of shape.

Of course, this study was observational and does not prove that fitness changed the men’s thinking, only that fit men had different brain activation patterns.

Feel The Bern!

From my friend Joe.

New Dinosaur Species -

Who doesn't love dinosaurs. The Kunbarrasaurus is about "the size of  a sheep" and a herbivore (so it won't eat anyone). If looks could kill though ...

Tim Conway, 82 today; the Elephant Skit

Conway got his start of course, as Ensign Parker on McHale's Navy.

This is a scream as no one can keep a straight face during this Carol Burnett Show skit.

 

Bad news for Trump-haters: his health "astonishingly excellent"

The health report from his personal physician is full of Trumpisms.

Bornstein wrote that Trump's laboratory results were "astonishingly excellent" and that Trump's "physical strength and stamina are extraordinary."

"If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency," he concluded.

In a statement accompanying the report, Trump suggested that his health report shows that he is well-prepared to make the country great again:

I am proud to share this report, written by the highly respected Dr. Jacob Bornstein of Lenox Hill Hospital, stating that I am in excellent health. I am fortunate to have been blessed with great genes — both of my parents had very long and productive lives. I have truly enjoyed working on the campaign trail with one objective in mind, to Make America Great Again! People have been impressed by my stamina, but to me it has been easy because I am truly doing something that I love. Our country will soon be better and stronger than ever before.

Earlier this month, Trump said he would release a report showing his health was "perfection" after Politico ran a story questioning it.

Amazing Blowhardism!

CNN: Carly Fiorina v. Chris Cuomo on Planned Parenthood

As she says "Oh please, really Chris"? Of course he is a Cuomo ...

Colbert: He goes "Moby Dick" @ Six Flags

Pretty good. When I had to read Moby Dick in HS, we only did the first and last parts of the book - left out the middle on how to be a whaler.

New Star Wars film is increasing the Jedi church membership

 Yes there's such a thing. From The Telegraph (UK).

Yes there's such a thing. From The Telegraph (UK).

More than a thousand people a day are signing up as members of the Church of Jediism, leading figures in the organisation said

Leading figures in the Church of Jediism, the religion inspired by the fictional warriors who battle against the Dark Side, have told The Daily Telegraph that the group is signing up more than a thousand new members a day, as excitement builds ahead of tomorrow’s launch of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Jediism started as a joke, ahead of the 2001 census, in which respondents were asked to declare their religion for the first time. At the time, 390,000 people declared that they were Jedis, a number that fell by more than half, to 177,000, at the following census, in 2011.

Now the organisation, described by its members as “a set of philosophies based on focusing, learning and becoming one with the Force”, claims to have more than 250,000 followers. Patrick Day-Childs, a member of the church’s five-strong UK ruling council, said that more than a thousand people a day are signing up for the religion. He said: “It’s gone up substantially in the past couple of days. The real test will be in a couple of weeks when the film hype has died off. “

Daniel Jones, who founded the religion and who goes by the Jedi name Morda Hehol, said: “We’ve been rushed off our feet. People want to know more about it. It’s great for us.”

Following the church involves learning about the principles of Jediism, which include tenets such as: “There is no emotion; there is peace,” and “There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.” Mr Day-Childs said: “I think people are shying away from traditional religion because it doesn’t reflect their views. We’ve got no problem with homosexuality or anything like that. We are very accepting.”

Members are allowed to wear robes, but Mr Jones was ejected from a Tesco, in Bangor, in 2009, for refusing to pull down his hood. Mr Day-Childs said: “We encourage people to wear them for events, but if I’m brutally honest, they’re not really very practical.”

Rugby: South Africa 7's, 1st day

Played in Cape Town, 2nd leg of the 7's World Series.

Orangutan with a sense of humor

From the guardian (UK) website.

He just likes magic!

 

WSJ: Review of "The Big Short"

Sounds pretty funny. I'll wait for it on Netflix -

 

CBS: ACLU Board member urges people to kill Trump supporters

Bizarre. TIS (Trump Insanity Syndrome)?

A board member for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado has resigned after urging people to kill supporters of presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The post states, “The thing is, we have to really reach out to those who might consider voting for Trump and say, ‘This is Goebbels. This is the final solution. If you are voting for him I will have to shoot you before Election Day.’ They’re not going to listen to reason, so when justice is gone, there’s always force…”

“It’s almost like, you will think the way we think, you will do what we want you to do, or we eliminate you?” says Steve House, chair of the Colorado Republican Party.

It’s the second threat against Republicans in Colorado in one week.

Fern Delise, 54, of Fountain was arrested after police say she called Planned Parenthood saying, “It’s tempting to walk into a republican party meeting with my dead husband’s gun and just start shooting people.”

 

12/12 - Brigid's birthday, a feast day & Sinatra's 100th

But the big deal is Brigid's birthday -

 A few days ago, heading up Bear Mountain

Here's a bit of art - a light box  - she actually did it with Joe and it's part of her this weekend exhibit in Croton - the image (seahorses in this one) is backlit. There are a variety of images - Brigid does them to order and people's pets are popular.

It's also the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe - a great private revelation. The image from 1531 is half painted and half - no one can figure out.

And Frank Sinatra shares his 100th birthday with Brigid and the Virgin of Guadalupe ... who knew?

 

Former Giant Punter Steve Weatherford, still waiting for the right team to call him

 

Weatherford was cut by the Giants right before the season began - his salary was too high. Anyway he is well-known for his physique - been written up in numerous publications and I posted about him four years ago. The NY Giants players say the Giants punter is the strongest man on the team  "Pound for pound that is." Also well-known for his philanthropic work.

Off the WSJ website.