Christmas Eve Open Thread

Happy Holidays everyone! Do remember the old advice - friends don't let friends drink and shop. Not alone, anyway.

Comments

[pagar]

Happy Christmas Eve to all!

[Momto2]

Merry Christmas Eve! God bless us, everyone!

[Captain Hate]

Maybe Outhouse makes sense at Christmas:

I've observed over the years that researchers tend to explain any gender difference in a way that makes whatever is true of women good. This is an interesting example of that. You can see that they're presenting the independence and courage of men as "risk taking," "deviance," and insensitivity to "morality." I'm intrigued by the presentation of women as pushed by the Democratic elite. Is being a follower regarded as a positive quality (when you follow the Democratic elite)?

[James D.]

Merry Christmas Eve to all y'all!

What are everyone's exciting holiday plans? We are staying local - just going out to the family compound in Great Falls tomorrow for Christmas dinner but home otherwise.

[pagar]

We'll be home all day. There will be relatives here but stop by anyway if you're in the area.

[Marlene]

Merry Christmas! Thank you Tom Maguire!

[MissMarple2]

Merry Christmas Eve to all of my friends here!

[Marlene]

test

[Momto2]

We are home and have no plans to venture out tomorrow. My favorite plan of all is everyone home under one roof!

[Marlene]

Dorothy and Toto got lost !

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
8h8 hours ago

President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of ISIS in Syria....and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right “next door.” Our troops are coming home!

[Captain Hate]

The Ballad of Eddie Munster:

https://www.amgreatness.com/2018/12/22/a-stooge-leaves-congress-paul-ryans-career-in-perspective/

[rse]

I asked a substance abuse question towards the end of the last thread involving stuff that came out when my nieces were in town. Anyone with experience in that area may want to take a look and forward advice. Clearly many things will be coming to a head in 2019.

Merry Christmas all.

[MissMarple2]

Captain Hate,

That was a good article. I despise that guy.

[MissMarple2]

rse,

I read your concerns and question, but I have no experience. I will keep your family in my prayers, though.

[MissMarple2]

https://cbs4indy.com/2018/12/23/2-iu-scholars-get-150k-for-discover-indiana-history-app/

Federal grant for two history professors.

[henry]

Etna celebrating early:

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/749868/breaking-mount-etna-volcano-eruption-explosion-pictures-sicily-italy-catania/amp

[Tom Bowler]

Merry Christmas Eve, JOMers!

I was watching football on CBS last night and caught a plug for "Madam Secretary." I've never watched the show and I have no plans to, it being created as such an obvious plug for a Hillary presidency.

Anyway, in the plug for "Madam Secretary" CBS offered up two sound bytes, the first with the Hillary bot expressing her outrage, "You mean they are separating children from their parents at the border!!" How timely. Just as we watch a government shutdown play out in real time over funding for the border wall, CBS weighs in to offer the proper position for thoughtful viewers to take.

In the next scene Madam dramatically proclaims, "Don't think you can intimidate me!" Or some such. Obviously someone has to stand up to this president! Maybe Madam is supposed to represent Nancy Pelosi in that little segment.

I bring this up as yet another example of the left's perpetual war against conservative America. It's useless to think there is any dealing with Democrats and the left (but I repeat myself) except to recognize that we are in an ideological war that they have been waging against us for decades. Think of Ted Kennedy seeking quid pro quo with Yuri Andropov back in 1983 when he thought he might challenge Reagan.

The media assault is comprehensive and unending. It's everywhere.

[Narciso79]

Merry Christmas all.

[Account Deleted]

12 step programs are bustling during the holiday period (Thanksgiving thru New Years).
Can find meeting times & locations here - https://www.aa.org/

Al anon can be a great resource for family members that don't know what to do.

[Jane]

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas Eve!

[henry]

rse, the only family experience with interventions failed. A couple relatives that have their own additions under control stepped in to help, but the person has to want freedom for themselves. Hopefully someone here has a path that works.

[Account Deleted]

Al-anon link - https://al-anon.org/

[Account Deleted]

((The media assault is comprehensive and unending. It's everywhere.))

SO true. We've stopped watching pretty much all TV programing, not just "news" programs.

[Account Deleted]

Does Cindy Sheehan think we should get out of Syria?
She was the big expert who had to be obeyed during the Bush administration...
What does SHE think?

[Momto2]

Me, too Janet - one more advantage of the MAGA movement - it has forever broken my TV habits. Visited relatives recently who leave it on constantly and it sounded like nails on a blackboard. I felt like physically cringing at the onslaught of bilge!

[Account Deleted]

Yeah, Momto2. Same here.

[Jim Eagle]

A Merry Christmas to All, and to All, a great Christmas Eve.

We are at our home in Florida, and intend to stay here until I take Frederick, on the 28th, to his friends in Key Biscayne, via Sarasota and a visit to Capt. Eric. He'll fly back to CT from Ft. Lauderdale on the 2nd. Plan on having select group of friends over for Boxing Day, may walk 5 holes of golf on Christmas day but I have a lot of cooking first:)

Janet,

Try the Hallmark Channel!

[MissMarple2]

Janet, Momto2,

Same here. I used to haveFox on daylight to bedtime. Not any more.

I watch zero network or cable. We do have Netflix so I will watch an occasional movie or British murder mystery. That's about it.

[Tom Bowler]

We've stopped watching pretty much all TV programing, not just "news" programs.

Same here, Janet. We'll watch sports and occasionally Fox cable channels, but prime time programming is out.

I use to like watching NCIS until that one veered off into the absurd. The scene that did it for me had petite blonde Bishop in hand to hand combat with a guy you might expect to see in the ring with Hulk Hogan. She has the gun but he knocks away, just out of reach. She kicks him. They struggle. He has her by the foot, but with super human effort she is able to drag herself and him the few inches to where she can grip the weapon and successfully subdue him.

Funny how feminism in Hollywood means women are just like men only more so.

[MissMarple2]

Reason # 127 why cable television is a waste of money:

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/422713-msnbc-to-feature-event-with-pelosi-the-speaker-an-msnbc-town-hall

[MissMarple2]

Fox reporter:

Chad Pergram
‏Verified account @ChadPergram
6m6 minutes ago

House & Senate to both meet in pro forma sessions today with no business scheduled. No deal on ending shutdown. Just gavel in, gavel out. Skeleton crew on hand. Next opportunity to move something will be Dec 27

[MissMarple2]

For anyone with little ones in the house, this is a really neat site with animation:

https://www.noradsanta.org/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top

Norad tracks Santa.

[Captain Hate]

Miss Marple, I still think the story that no GOP Congress critters wanted to be Speaker until Ryan reluctantly agreed to it was one of the biggest Uniparty con jobs around.

[Account Deleted]

a tweet that MM posted awhile ago -

Mark Dice Verified account @MarkDice

I'm just a guy on a laptop making YouTube videos in my kitchen, and they average 1/3 of the viewers of Anderson Cooper. That's why the Establishment is scared. One guy on a laptop vs a billion dollar 'news' corporation. And I'm just getting started. Let's keep rocking!

and another tweet that I saved -

John LeFevre
‏ @JohnLeFevre

There are 25,000 YouTubers who get more views than CNN.

--------------------

They are killing themselves.
My kids, both in their 20s don't watch any network TV & no cable news.
My son & my husband have podcasts they regularly watch/listen to now.

If someone wants to hear a discussion on a topic without head-exploding emotionalism, they've got to search out a podcast or only read the news.

[Buckeye]

The media assault is comprehensive and unending. It's everywhere.

Sports is about all I can watch anymore.

[MissMarple2]

Tom Bowler,

Because I have an interest in antiques and collectibles, I follow a site on Twitter called Collectors' Weekly. Today they were featuriing an article on how so many of our Christmas decorations were invented in the aftermath of WWII, when companies like Reynolds Aluminum had to think ofother uses for their product.

I thought "what a neat article" so I clicked on it to read the interview with the author of the book about the subject.

Here is the FIRST statement by the author in the interview:

Sarah Archer: As I was writing the book, the presidential election was weighing heavily on my mind. It was so disturbing to hear the rallying cry to “Make America Great Again.” We know that factory jobs in this country have declined because of automation not immigration, but there’s an emotional attachment to the idea of Americans making lots of stuff like they did in the 1950s. That was an era when Americans believed in projects—like the Space Race—that were bigger than ourselves, and when we relied on, rather than shunned, facts in order to understand the potential of our new technologies. All I could think was, “God, it would be so great if people wanted to revive that aspect of the 1950s, instead of Jim Crow.”

Got that? "Decline in manufacturing is due to automation, you ignorant Trumpsters! And by the way, you're all racists!"

I didn't read any further.

[Account Deleted]

This is a great 2 minute clip - https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1062530026283982849/video/1

Benny
‏Verified account @bennyjohnson

This answer from @TuckerCarlson on the power of the internet over establishment media is just 🔥🔥🔥

Wow.

Brings a tear to my eye.

[Jim Eagle]

Sports is about all I can watch anymore.

Buckeye,

The worm has augered down into there also. I give you the kneelers for example, and ESPN's political tone in recent years.

I watch the NFL sparingly, and only since Frederick wants to see some games. Most of my watching is Premiership Rugby, and soccer plus NHL if the Caps are playing.

[Tom Bowler]

Instapundit linked this last night: https://althouse.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-about-you-just-admit-you-hate.html

Strong performance by Rand Paul. I confess I opposed pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan when it was announced by Obama, but I'm not against the pullout from Syria. Hypocrisy? Naturally, I wouldn't say so. When Obama pulled out it amounted to abandonment. I don't believe that's what Trump has in mind. Trump's been arming the Saudis, cutting deals. I won't pretend to know what's going on over there, but I have faith in Trump.

I had faith in Obama, too. But it was faith that he would demonstrate his pragmatic side by screwing America's allies in the middle east.

[Extraneus]

We cut the cord last year, but MeTV is pretty good. My wife watches it all the time. (She canceled Netflix after reading about the Obama deal.) Black & white westerns in the morning, Perry Mason later on, even stuff like Andy Griffith and Leave It To Beaver.

There's another channel with all Star Trek at night. First the original series, then Next Gen, then Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery. I think you can watch it all night, every night.

No politics, and men were men and women were women.

[Narciso79]

That's heroes and icons, I watch comet which has Babylon 5 and stargate and charge which has older movies,

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
12m12 minutes ago

Virtually every Democrat we are dealing with today strongly supported a Border Wall or Fence. It was only when I made it an important part of my campaign, because people and drugs were pouring into our Country unchecked, that they turned against it. Desperately needed!

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
3m3 minutes ago

To those few Senators who think I don’t like or appreciate being allied with other countries, they are wrong, I DO. What I don’t like, however, is when many of these same countries take advantage of their friendship with the United States, both in Military Protection and Trade...

(Looks like a second part will be added. I will post it when it shows up.)

[rse]

Have been out to pick up baked goods for christmas eve and just wanted to update momto2 that the buche noel has a tiny woodland deer on it as part of its decorations.

Red pronounced it 'adorable' and is very happy.

On the other matter, I suspect the issues of self esteem that may have led to the problem that is now manifestly obvious make it unlikely that the necessary "I need help" can occur. I just need to help my mom deal with it, which she does not need as my dad dwindles in his recognition.

[Jim Eagle]

daddy,

Here is ENR on the Anchorage EQ. Looks like smaller buildings most affected. Engineering analysis of the seismic recorders. Two UA-A professors doing the heavy thinking:)

https://tinyurl.com/y9kfpgok

[James D.]

There's another channel with all Star Trek at night. First the original series, then Next Gen, then Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery. I think you can watch it all night, every night.

Heroes & Icons.

[MissMarple2]

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1076903998970568707.html

This is a thread about how the internet oligarchs are deplatforming important voices like Thomas Wictor.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

Actually, the Holidays are when addiction treatment slows down, but boy it gets busy in January. We like in one of the most treatment saturated counties in the country. There is a constant battle over sober living, which if you think about it, is pretty stupid.

[Tom Bowler]

Got that? "Decline in manufacturing is due to automation, you ignorant Trumpsters! And by the way, you're all racists!"

Miss M, there is no escape, I guess. I was in a U.S. History course at Rivier College where I finished up my bachelors degree (on the 43-year plan). The instructor in that course was bent on selling the concept that life in the 50s was horrible, especially for women. It did no good to point out that I lived through it. The 50s set records for women entering and graduating from college. Blacks were finally making their way into Major League Baseball, and barriers were falling. (Then government helped out.)

No matter. Progressives always measure history by contemporary standards, and then revise it so that conservative policy is shown to fail while socialism is demonstrated to be efficient and fair.

That class was one of several that provided an education for me, but not in the way that instructors had intended. It showed how far the left had come in coopting education for its purposes.

[MissMarple2]

#Update: Video of the Massive explosion rocks Mount #Etna as volcano ERUPTS with huge ash cloud in #Italy! pic.twitter.com/TW1bE0yJTs

— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) December 24, 2018

Video at link.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

RSE, I have quite a few friends who have recovered from addictions and they fairly universally say that "hitting rock bottom" is not a cliche. Until then they can fool themselves into believing anything.
It s only when they know to a certainty that they are about to die if they don't stop and they are utterly powerless to stop it that they reach out.
And of course, as ugly as it is, many never get to that point in time to recover.
I suppose an intervention can make one realize they're impotent and need help but they seem to have a fairly low success rate.
I have a friend who has led and been involved in Celebrate Recovery for some time. It's Rick Warren's Christian version of AA and has a good record. But as henry says, the internal desire to change has to come first.

[MissMarple2]

Here is Part 2 of the President's tweet:

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
4m4 minutes ago

....We are substantially subsidizing the Militaries of many VERY rich countries all over the world, while at the same time these countries take total advantage of the U.S., and our TAXPAYERS, on Trade. General Mattis did not see this as a problem. I DO, and it is being fixed!

[Tom Bowler]

We cut the cord last year, but MeTV is pretty good. My wife watches it all the time. (She canceled Netflix after reading about the Obama deal.)

Haven't mustered up the initiative to do either of those things, Ext. Funny how Netflix is getting to be just like cable, 200+ channels to watch but there's nothing on. At least nothing worth watching.

We've been watching British shows on Netfix, Amazon, or Acorn.

[Account Deleted]

rse:

the *best* any of us who've survived alcoholism and drug addiction is prayer going forward. it is no booby prize, believe me. it's the only thing that *works* with it's lasting inducement for human beings to find the simple spiritual solution to a very human problem. so there's that.

the only insight i can share of any value is experience with interventions, more of an observation than a claim to any kind of specialized competence.

what i've learned from 28 years of involvement (support/observation only) with interventions: *all* of the family members must be prepared to manage their expectations.

the entire "family system" will influence the family's way forward re the family member; the same as it has influenced the family member on their "individual" road.

not that it's the family's "fault"--- but everyone in the family has been influenced and has had influence on the situation.

the tendency is for the expectations surrounding the intervention to skew towards ventilating the situation, getting it out in the open "so we can move forward."

the chapter in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous "The Family Afterward" is an enormously powerful read--- no matter what the revealed addictions might be (there tends to be a primary addiction, enmeshed in various others which reinforce the primary). Sometimes the family members themselves will find out things about their own ways of living which can throw a lot of confusion and panic into the mix. Most of all-- the challenge of forgiveness and amends. Doozies!

more often than not the "family will spin" as the focus received by the family member can result in a lot of confusing behavior, especially more hiding--- the shame and guilt factor is enormous.

and the spinning can escalate as the family member begins recovering (if that can even occur!) to reveal their true nature, emerging with a great deal of power and new found autonomy (emotionally and spiritually). this can lead to the individual refusing to play the old familiar roles they are expected to resume.

this is an all-hands on deck process. and family members must be willing to be as changed by the process (intervention) as the focal person is. recovery affects everybody in that person's intimate sphere. a sense of relief is going to be the most temporary of feelings, believe me.

a successful intervention can be experienced much like a set of new parents bringing a newborn home for the first time. somewhere in that first 24 hours the parents realize: everything is going to change. a newly recovering parent is no infant--- but the change will be very very significant for the other family members, especially in the beginning.

surrender is not necessarily the hallmark of family values; yet, it is the key to emotional and spiritual integrity needed for efficacy in the healing process that is about to be "invoked."

if you think you'd like to share the family member's first name with me, i'll place it on the Tree of Life mini-mural i keep with the names of those who are "still out there with their children caught in the crossfire."

no matter. the family will be included in the daily prayer fire from this day on.

God Bless. God Bless One and All on this Christmas!

Kev

[Narciso79]

Well I caught a few instances like the marvel films and bodyguard but otherwise Netflix is part of the kultursmog.

[Extraneus]

Yeah, Tom, it took a while but I just couldn't stand the idea that a certain amount of my cable bill was going to CNN, ESPN, and other channels I would never contribute to. In fact, as James might say, I would rather they experience a rather huge fire. I did end up accepting a deal the cable company kept bugging me about to choose 10 channels for $21/mo. Although none of the ones we picked are mortal enemies, we hardly ever watch those either.

[Account Deleted]

a followup thought re interventions.

they neither "work" nor do they "fail."

they either "happen" or they don't.

if the intervention process brings the family into the same time and place for just a few hours, then it can be very useful to move *the family* forward.

too often, the intervention is thought of as a one and done.

Janet's referral to Alanon is spot on. should the family access that group (there are meetings EVERYWHERE at all hours of the day), they will meet first-hand other members of family who have been through their own process, and have supported others.

Godspeed!

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Perhaps a little humbuggy during the season I'm supposed to be endorsing good will toward men, but consider three examples of the lunacy, irrationality and stupidity of man;

1. One of the two or three richest men in the world got that way by churning out a product that is so worthless, inefficient, buggy, complicated and irritating people have actually shot their computers. The equivalent in an automobile would get four miles a gallon, break down a couple of times a day, require an overhaul/update every week or two, would be obsolete after a couple of years and when you most needed it to work would stare at you with a bovine placidity, it's windshield replaced by a large, blank, blue screen. And as further illustration of man's basic retardation are the fools like me who keep paying this guy to make us hate him.

2. For decades the all powerful developed world bristling with missiles, tanks and ships has placidly and supinely let a handful of disgusting, backwards, powerless shitholes steal trillions of dollars of wealth from them. It hasn't been a free exchange of goods which would be mutually beneficial and unobjectionable. It has been the rulers of the developed forcing their own citizens to fork over those trillions of wealth to countries at best indifferent to us and at worst actively hostile. And the citizens just pull out their wallets and pay it instead of demanding the other trillions they pay for gunboat diplomacy be used to go do a little gunboat diplomatting right up those camel jockey's arses.

3. Both sides of the political aisle in the US are staunchly in favor of NATO, even though for decades, rich Europe has refused to pay its fair share while we pay more than ours. The Eurotrash weenies cynically fake it and tell us how invaluable they are to us while we pay to defend a bunch of countries who refuse to pay to defend themselves. And if anyone ever does point out the lopsided relationship idiots on both sides of the pond trot out the old "stop me before I kill again" argument, that even if they won't defend themselves from invaders, the gauche, uncultured Americans are needed in their midst to keep the high culture of the Euro snobeoisie from descending into another bayonet-fest, firestorm and general slaughter of one of their periodic bloodbaths.

Merry Christmas!

[Account Deleted]

MHz Choice is pretty good for old foreign shows. We love the Montalbano series & Young Montalbano.

[Tom Bowler]

I did end up accepting a deal the cable company kept bugging me about to choose 10 channels for $21/mo.

Which cable company did that for you, Ext?

[Narciso79]

Is that cook, gates or zuckerberg.

[clarice]

Merry Christmas!!! And thanks to TM for this site.

[Extraneus]

Spectrum, formerly Time Warner Cable. As soon as I quit, they started sending me offers, and the more I ignored them the better the offers got. Finally, the $21 offer was repeated over a period of months so I figured that was their bottom line. (I had kept them for internet.)

[Account Deleted]

Mrs Kid is the Queen of shopping deals. When i buy her gifts for Christmas or Hannukah, the lower the price (which she insists on knowing!) the better the gift.

She's one of those shopping challenges--- "What can you buy a woman who literally has EVERYTHING?!" :D

Well, i am not going to disappoint her this Christmas.

From Amazon's "Last Minute Deals": a blue tooth portable speaker, for her yoga class instruction at the Women's Cancer Resource Center (they like having the meditation music background).

it's a royal blue SONY model.... got it for under $25. clean oval design shape and it will easily fit in her "go bag". 2 year factory w for $1.99 more. it arrives today!

My Yogini can set up her phone before class, and set the mood for this special class for these special lady survivors.

[Narciso79]

And tomorrow is a Babylon five chritsmas or whatever holiday that corresponds to in minbari or centauri.

[Buckeye]

I just finished getting the kitchen squared away for Mrs. Buckeye.

Emptied the dishwasher, put the pans on the drying rack away and cleared every available square inch of counter space.

I am sure by late afternoon it will look like a bomb went off, and then my work will REALLY begin:)

[Account Deleted]

the "blue screen" was the giveaway deet. MicroScoff?

[henry]

Narciso, Gates invented the “good enough” software model of having customers test his products instead of spending money testing before release. He is why “beta” is a common term.

[Account Deleted]

as in "beta" males too, henry? :D

[Account Deleted]

we fly to Palm Springs tomorrow at 8am, via Ontario in SoCal. pick up the rental car and will be at the Westin Resort Rancho Mirage by noon. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Salt mine closed til Jan 2. :D

[Momto2]

Emptied the dishwasher, put the pans on the drying rack away and cleared every available square inch of counter space.

buckeye - you are a treasure - a cook's dream! I hope Mrs. Buckeye appreciates you!

[Extraneus]

Btw, the 10-channel Spectrum deal requires a smart TV, but also works on laptops, tablets and phones. You get an ID and password, and it doesn't require cable. I've watched NFL games on my boat.

[Buckeye]

Is that cook, gates or zuckerberg.

They all look the same to me:)

[henry]

Kev, sure. We can blame Gates & his schools initiative for those. ;)

[Jim Eagle]

In Florida, we got rid of cable (Charter aka Spectrum) but kept the landline (Alarms), and ISP. That allows me to watch my Soccer, Football, Hockey, movies, etc. Plus for Mrs JiB, we have Prime Video and Netflix.

In Southampton, we kept basic cable (Optimum) but got rid of the phone, kept the ISP. Optimum is more finicky about streaming but I am still able for most of what I want. If refused I just stream it on computer or iPad.

We also have HD antenaes for some of the TV's like in the office to watch news if breaking.

This site gives you a lot of good tips on how to "cut the cord".

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/cord-cutting-guide,news-17928.html

[Extraneus]

Dow -350, approaching 22,000.

[JimNorCal]

For anyone who didn't dip deeply into the Der Spiegel story, the bias was blatant and transparent. And unintentionally humorous.

https://donsurber.blogspot.com/2018/12/press-trumpenfreudes-itself.html
Relotius visited Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to write about Trump supporters. It was a disaster. Liberals Michele Anderson and Jake Krohn live there and wrote a piece that pointed out the numerous errors in his 7,300-word piece.

They went with the Top 11 boners he pulled. He wrote: "'After three and a half hours, the bus bends from the highway to a narrow, sloping street, rolling towards a dark forest that looks like dragons live in it. At the entrance, just before the station, there is a sign with the American stars and stripes banner, which reads: 'Welcome to Fergus Falls, home of damn good folks.'"

There is no forest. There is no sign. There are no dragons.

The pair wrote, "Fergus Falls is located on the prairie — which means our landscape mostly consists of tall grass and lakes. While we have trees, we do not have any distinct forests in our city limits, and definitely not in the route that the bus Relotius would have taken from the Twin Cities. And sadly, our welcome sign is quite mundane in its greeting."

They showed a picture of the sign. It reads, "Welcome to Fergus Falls."

Nor is there a sign that says, "Mexicans Keep Out." Relotius wrote that, too.

[Captain Hate]

Emptied the dishwasher, put the pans on the drying rack away and cleared every available square inch of counter space.

Ahem.

I just scrubbed the kitchen floor. Not mopped; hands and knees.

[Account Deleted]

such a mensch, CH!

[henry]

I looked at a sponge this morning, but let it rest on this holiday.

[henry]

. Rats

[jimmyk]

Merry Christmas everyone, we're up in Lake Placid for the long weekend.

Apparently Mnuchin went around querying banks about their liquidity and scared everyone, causing markets to go down again.

[Manuel Transmission]

Merry Christmas Eve from the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. Got here Friday afternoon just in time to have a full on head cold kick in. Got to be 20 yrs since I’ve had one. Saturday lunch in Springs with a HS pal who helped organize his 50th AFA reunion. Of course the trip down there was in heavy snow that was not forecast.

Went back to Springs yesterday to have an early dinner with pals from the Test Center who all prefer 3 hr RT daily commutes to living in Pueblo.

The ladies are on their 3rd day of heavy shopping with an early start after finding hour long check out lines later in the previous days. Ugh.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Here's a link to that dago professor dude anonamom linked earlier;
The Longevity Diet.
Believe I'll order a copy.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Same here on the head cold, Manny.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

A complete Spiegel meltdown. What a great Weihnachtensgeschenk!

As to addiction as someone who is involved I am not sure when that time to hit bottom is. Our daughter is currently resident in the local hoosegow for various and sundry minor felonies. The good new is that we where she is and that she is probably not using at the moment. She has been through rehab 7 or 8 times now. Alway went back to using after a short period of time. She has never had the "God" or higher power thing.

We know that faith and spirituality work. You have to give it up to a higher power cause what you're doing right now isn't working out too well.

There are three models; the medical model (substitution with another opiod like methadone), the social model (IOP, 12 step), and then the behavioral model (Salvation Army, Teen Challenge)

Addict brain takes a year to 2 years to recover from the synapses and serotonin transfer mechanism are all screwed up. But insurance only pays for a week of detox and 3 weeks of IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program). After that, you're on your own, hopefully in sober living.

AA is a great program, but the best are Teen Challenge and Salvation Army. Each of them are 6 months of hard work and behavior modification. AA is for maintaining one's sobriety. Celebrate Recovery is AA/12 step based. Very faith focused.

In addiction, as in mental illness, one size does not fit all.

Most people in recovery I meet have strong faith. It helps them when they feel like they are going to lose it all and it helps them to become and remain their better selves.

If anyone ever needs help or an intervention I know a lot of people in the field. The Holidays can be very rough for some.

Tonight, Querida and I will spend the early evening at a sober living home bringing Christmas to them. Walking the walk.

Later on, family and the big gathering tomorrow.

God bless you every one!

P.S. CH, we have this cool Bissell floor cleaner that might help. Not that expensive. Maybe a late Santa run?

[Tom Bowler]

Spectrum, formerly Time Warner Cable. As soon as I quit, they started sending me offers...

Thanks, Ext.

[Buckeye]

JiB

Our new place has cable run to about every room.

At some point, a wideband amplifier/splitter was installed.

I simply connected an "outdoor" antenna (installed in the attic) to the input and voila, over-the-air HDTV in every room.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Agree with this guy completely;

In Defense Of Powell's Restoration Of Price Discovery

We've spent ten years abandoning the free market to save it and it is almost dead as a result. Meanwhile socialism gains new credibility because wealth inequality has risen sharply as a result of the Fed forking over dump-trucks full of free money to the already rich.
What did they think was going to happen? .

[GUS]

Merry and Blessed Christmas to all. I hope everyone has time with family and friends, and eats to their heart's content.
God bless all of you.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Most people in recovery I meet have strong faith.--

I think every person I've known who was truly recovered did it through faith.

[Account Deleted]

"AA is for maintaining one's sobriety. "

Patently false.

[peter]

Matt, I wanted to express my condolences on your puppy's passing away.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

I think matt's point was not that one can't obtain or achieve sobriety through AA, but that the other two programs he mentioned were better for that, while AA is a good program to stay sober because it can be life long unlike the other two.

[Tom Bowler]

Thanks for the link to Tom's Guide, JiB.

[peter]

There's someone here who regularly posts how long it takes to do the Saturday Times crossword, was it Henry? Not sure. Anyway,I did not see such a post yesterday. Did I miss it?

Also, Merry Christmas Eve to all my fellow JOM-ers.

[mike in houston]

RSE

Here is a link to The Mayo Clinic's page on interventions

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/in-depth/intervention/art-20047451

The most important thing is to have a plan of action set in place for the person to get treatment.

Here is the directory for addiction pros

https://www.naadac.org/sap-directory

just enter your zip code

[Buckeye]

Iggy,

I agree that we need a return to free markets. "Free" money distorts nearly everything.

The Swamp wouldn't have nearly the power in a more rational financial climate.

Not sure cold turkey is the wisest course of action, but we shall see.

Regardless, still say Jerome Powell needs to stay in hiding:)

[jimmyk]

I think James D is the NYT crossword maven. I usually just do the Sunday one, and I don't time myself. But since I'm on vacation, maybe I'll take a stab at Saturday's.

And speaking of which, James D, are you all recovered?