After hitting the home bed last night, the hard deck snuck up fast on me.

I'll be back in a bit with something for you all to read, especially for those that need a shoveling break.

In the meantime: :coffee:
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11 comments (Latest Comment: 12/27/2010 17:50:07 by TriSec)

Good Morning! (Posting late Xmas eve so I don't have to worry about it in the am.)

I hope this Christmas finds you well, with friends, family, and whatever else it is that you want in abundance in your home this year.

It's been a tumultuous 2010 around these parts, but last night everyone was healthy and happy and we celebrated another traditional Cuban Christmas. Today we're off to the other side of the family for the Italian traditions....so enjoy whatever it is that makes it Christmas for you.

Among the many things that make it Christmas for me is the music. As the son and grandson of working musicians, there has always been music in the house. Even working in retail, with incessant music starting from Veteran's Day...it's still some of my favorite stuff to listen to.

We all have our likes and dislikes, and Mr. McCartney notwithstanding, there's one song that actually irritates me more, and has since I was a wee lad. So I'll post my favorite Christmas song from my favorite Christmas album below...followed by the one that endlessly irritates me.

As a bonus, check out the inspired performance from Mr. Bunny Briggs at the Grace Cathedral, circa 1965. It's from Duke Ellington's "First Sacred Concert". Although not Christmas music per se, a local radio station always plays the 3 sacred concerts during Christmas week, so it's got that attachment for me. If you've never heard them before, I highly recommend you check them out.

Happy Christmas, everyone!

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10 comments (Latest Comment: 12/26/2010 16:32:00 by wickedpam)

So it was with great joy that upon landing in Altanta Hartfield airport, we learned that the START treaty and the 9/11 responders bills had both been passed into law.

Aside from the DREAM act - which is still not dead, an awful lot seems to have been accomplished in this lame duck session of Congress. Perhaps the Senate should be forced to only work 3 weeks out of the year? Anyway...
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39 comments (Latest Comment: 12/24/2010 17:06:27 by livingonli)

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,834th day in Iraq and our 3,362nd day in Afghanistan.

We'll start this morning as we always do; with the latest casualty figures from our ongoing wars, courtesy of antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4429
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03) 4290
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3570
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 201
Since Operation New Dawn: 11

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,438
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 831
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$1, 124, 479, 100, 000 .00

So "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is history. While we here in the real world applaud the Senate for finally doing the right thing, as I noted in yesterday's blog, it could still be a purely symbolic move unless the Uniform Code of Military Justice is reformed as well.

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47 comments (Latest Comment: 12/21/2010 22:37:25 by livingonli)

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Art-Deco Revival Garden-syle House,
Not a creature was stirring, most certainly not a mouse.
The Martha Stewart inspired stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
Designed by our friend, TJ, who had quite a flair.
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6 comments (Latest Comment: 12/20/2010 15:01:18 by Scoopster)