Going Postal

The Washington Post has a nice slideshow of commemorative postage stamps issued in 2011. The stamps I definitely have to get include #10 (industrial designers),  #11 (Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch), and #13 (Ronald Reagan). I have a feeling the Reagan stamp will be extremely popular with collectors and non-collectors alike.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Anchoress links to this Peggy Noonan article on the origins of "Auld Lang Syne". I never hear it without thinking of Guy Lombardo  and his Royal Canadians, shown on TV every New Year's Eve when I was a kid.

Remembering Rosie the Riveter

Her real name was Geraldine Hoff Doyle .

Enough Already!

From England, an article about Christmas shopping frenzies that also sums up conditions here. Again, today, there was a huge traffic tie-up of people heading to the mall. Just how much shopping can you do, anyway?  What I can't wait to see is the number of people who actually pay their credit card bills when they come due -- or will we have to hear more sob stories about financial hardships?

The author says, "Once upon a time, the Christmas break was supposed to be a time to relax, a few precious days off work to spend with ­family and friends, a moment of quiet reflection and Christian contemplation by the fireside. Not to mention the ingestion of industrial quantities of roast ­poultry and fine wines before exploding in a quiet corner like a forgotten cracker. Now it’s all about the shops. Shop, shop, shop. Shop till you drop, or expire in the effort."

The Art of Chocolate

Doesn't this look wonderful?  I'll take "The Scream" to go.

Words of the Year

Here is a list of the Wall Street Journal's words of 2010 (Via Interesting Pile).  You just can't help loving Eyjafjallajokull!

Rally Against the Mosque

A protest against the Ground Zero mosque will be held in New York on January 12.  As the great Mayor Bloomberg once said, "You should be ashamed."

Annoying Year in Review

Jim Mullen lists some of the more annoying things that happened in 2010.

My Word!

Here's an interesting column on word origins.

Movie Magic

Roger Ebert says this 3-1/2 minute long film by Jamie Stuart should win an Oscar.  Well, it's certainly better than the garbage at the box office, plus the music is awfully catchy.

Most Ridiculous Lawsuit of 2010

Vote here!

"Unemployed Because They Want to Be"

No surprise here.  This is what happens when they've removed all the stigma as not to hurt people's feeeeeeelings!

16 and Lowlife

They ought to have a show called "16 and Sterilized" instead.

Cruising With Betsy

Check out Betsy's latest roundup of interesting links.  The story about the recent cracking of a coded Civil War message is quite fascinating.

Norman Rockwell Exhibit

Here's a nice video about the Norman Rockwell exhibit in England.

Our Anything-Goes Society

I've read about this creature before, but her Christmas gorge-a-thon takes the cake: "She makes a living from being fat, getting paid to make public appearances and keeping a website where people can pay to watch her eat."  Who's more shameless, this woman, or the people who actually visit her website?

Good Reading on a Snowy Afternoon

Doug Ross @ Journal announces the winners of the 2010 Fabulous 50 Blog Awards.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOCHMAS!

From Mental Floss, a list of 8 famous Christmas babies. Unfortunately, they forgot #9: my grandfather Louis Hoch, born December 25, 1900.

A Tree Grows In New York

Make sure you see the video clip about the "Survivor Tree": "A modest-looking tree that survived the collapse of the twin towers during the 9/11 attacks was replanted at the Sept. 11 Memorial plaza Wednesday."

The Slaughter of the Jews

Last night I watched Hitler's Hidden Holocaust on the National Geographic Channel, and I wanted nothing more than to jump through the TV screen and kill the Nazis myself. It was more than you could bear to see home movies and souvenir photographs taken by conscienceless murderers that show children and even a family's pet dog among the bystanders who viewed these mass shootings of Jews (which were known more benignly as "actions".)  This program, which airs again on December 30 at 4 pm, should be required viewing for Holocaust-deniers.

Jews & Chinese Food

Jews and Chinese Food from Jewish Forward on Vimeo.

Free Internet & Self-Esteem

Here we go again, that "the Internet is a basic right" argument, as also seen here back in January.  I swear this sounds like a joke:

“'Broadband is becoming a basic necessity,' civil rights activist [and former Executive Director of the NAACP] Benjamin Hooks added. And earlier this month, fellow FCC panelist Mignon Clyburn, daughter of Congressional Black Caucus leader and Number Three House Democrat James Clyburn of South Carolina, declared that free (read: taxpayer-subsidized) access to the Internet is not only a civil right for every 'nappy-headed child' in America, but is essential to their self-esteem. Every minority child, she said, 'deserves to be not only connected, but to be proud of who he or she is.'

Please, spare me!

Bush Derangement Syndrome: A New Low

Even for CBS News -- which, as we all know, has faked documents before -- this is really disgraceful:

"Whether or not it was intentional, CBS News made a poor 'desision' on Sunday when it broadcast a fake cover of former President George W. Bush’s new memoir, 'Decision Points,' during a book special. CBS aired a grammatically incorrect book cover that read, 'Desision Points: How I managed to go on eight years without making one good decision.'

"Whether or not it was intentional"?  Oh, it was intentional, all right!

Christmas Greetings from the Religion of Peace

Merry Christmas!: "'Christmas is evil': Muslim group launches poster campaign against festive period".  One of this Telegraph article's commenters writes,  "If you put up a poster pointing out the evils of Islam (which are legion) you'd be arrested for inciting religious hatred, breech of the peace , hate speech or what ever else pops into their 'one rule for you' and no rules for them mindset."

I Hope He's Right!

From the UK Telegraph: "Barack Obama is firmly on course to become a one-term president."

Anti-Antisemitism

Here's a great ad used in response to antisemitic ads in Seattle. Isn't it a shame we even have to do this in our own country?

"Unbroken": An Amazing Story

After reading the wonderful "Seabiscuit" three times, I knew I would read Laura Hillenbrand's next book. That book is "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption", and it's so well-written I don't want it to end.  For those who still think America was evil for dropping the bombs on Japan, this book will make them see it was not only necessary, but a shame we didn't do it sooner. The Japanese were sadistic barbarians, and the fact that anyone like Louie Zamperini survived the torture and inhumanity of captivity in the POW camps is a tribute to their incredible courage and sacrifice. I highly recommend this book.

Politically Correct Insanity

If you want to do a double-take, check out this headline: "Muslim Student Files Complaint Against Teacher … for Talking About Ham."  What next, "Muslim Files Complaint Against Congress for Discussions on Pork"?

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds Vol. 7, No. 13 is underway at ChronicBabe.

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

Here's a lovely story about one of my favorite movies, "A Christmas Story", and about its creator, Jean Shepherd.

Jewish Museum

Visit the website of the National Museum of American Jewish History, as seen in this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Argus Hamilton Quips

You'll enjoy Argus Hamilton's take on the news, including this item: "GOP senators forced an oral reading of Harry Reid's spending bill on Friday which was two thousand pages long. It took two days to print. The Democrats brought in Mike Tyson at the last minute to make sure the bill set the record for most number of earmarks."

Haveil Havalim Time!

Haveil Havalim 296: The Cold of Tevet Edition is now up at Letters of Thought. Mottel is a "Rabbi by education, Journalist by profession, Blogger by choice." (Per Jack)

Santa Was Jewish!

Here's an amusing reminiscence by Daniel Berman at the Forward.  (I knew this would be a good one, because I had a great-uncle with the same name.)

Difference Between Hanukah and Christmas

"100 Years Ago in the Forward":  "There’s nothing sadder than a Jewish kid at Christmas. It’s even more difficult in America, where the barriers between Jews and others are not as big. But there is a cure for what ails the Jewish child. It’s Hanukkah! Does this holiday not fall around the same time as Christmas? And is this holiday not better than Christmas? When you get slapped, you turn the other cheek — that’s Christmas. If you’re willing to fight for it, you can win your freedom — that’s Hanukkah."

Antisemites of the Year

I've seen many year-ending top ten lists before, but this list of  the Top 10 Anti-Semitic Slurs is one I would rather not ever see again. It proves how much more brazen people have become in their hatred toward Jews. And you won't be surprised to find that Helen Thomas is #1 on this list.

The Lark Ascending

Exquisite.

Parental Irresponsibility

FINALLY,  people are putting the blame not on McDonald's, but on the parents, where it belongs.  As this editorial puts it, "be a parent":  "If Monet Parham, the mother of two who filed the lawsuit, is genuinely concerned about her children's health, then it's about time she take some responsibility upon herself and eliminate McDonald's food from her children's diet. Oh, but the children might whine, cry, stomp their feet and throw a hissy fit! Then what's a parent to do but succumb to the whining and take the children to McDonald's to get a nutritionally challenged Happy Meal, complete with toy. It's apparently futile for parents to resist the marketing force that is McDonald's."

Best Conservative Bloggers

Right Wing News has selected the 25 Best Conservative Columnists Of 2010 (Version 4.0).

Most Ridiculous Lawsuits

Make sure you vote for November's most ridiculous lawsuit. (You'll be happy to know that the Case of the Exploding Snails was thrown out of court, so at least there's one decent judge out there.)

Misplaced Sympathy

Looks like it's time to use the old sympathy ploy: "Bradley Manning's health deteriorating in jail, supporters say".  I was immediately reminded of this recent news: "Lockerbie bomber's recent health deterioration 'unfounded rumours'"  (Via The Scotsman)

Foolishly Fluish

What is so terrible about having to get a flu shot? If I were in a hospital or a nursing home, I certainly wouldn't want to get the flu from the people supposedly taking care of me. That's a betrayal.

Going to the Dogs

Why on earth would Michael Vick suddenly state that he wants a dog, thus sabotaging all the good will and accolades he's otherwise received this football season?

How Annoying!

"According to The Marist Poll, 'whatever' remains the most annoying word or phrase in conversation today."  For me, "cool" and "awesome" are still the most annoying words, and I now have to add the workplace expression "going forward" to the list.

Richard Holbrooke

I had absolutely no idea that Richard Holbrooke was Jewish until I read this story today: "Holbrooke, a Son of Jewish Refugees, Was a Champion for Holocaust Survivors."

Mona Mystery

Isn't it amazing that they can still find new revelations about the Mona Lisa after 500 years?

Grand Rounds

I prescribe a good dose of Grand Rounds, brought to you by Dr. John M.

Chinese Food on Christmas

Here's another enjoyable article about the relationship between Jews and Chinese food.

Gall of the Day

Adding insult to injury: "The family of the Stockholm suicide bomber last night blamed Britain for his transformation from an 'ordinary teenager' to an al-Qaeda fanatic."

"Unacceptable"

I checked "The Local", a Swedish newspaper in English, to see how they're covering the Stockholm terrorist attack. Apparently,  Sweden suffers from political correctness, too, because I didn't see the word "Muslim" mentioned on the page.  Terrorists there must be quaking from fear after hearing the Prime Minister's strong denunciation: "Stockholm terror blast 'unacceptable': Reinfeldt".

"O Sole Mio" - as You've Rarely Seen It

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(As seen at Instapundit)

Bubbamania!

There are some great analysis on the Internet regarding yesterday's Bill Clinton deja vu.  For instance, read the comments that follow this Bryan Preston article. It's just mindboggling, not just the sight of Clinton reprising his role as President, but also Obama's rudeness in leaving while he was speaking. But then again, didn't he do something similar to Netanyahu?

Terror in the News

Michelle Malkin writes: "Americans show more emotion over Dancing with the Stars than they do over troops’ deaths."  Speaking of terrorism, did you hear about that 100,000 planes are missing?

Co-Presidents

When I saw Bill Clinton's press conference today, all I could think was, "co-presidents".  Obama must be more desperate than we thought.  Maybe he thought Clinton could miraculously fix the economy for him, since blaming Bush no longer works.

Curses!

My first thought when I heard this story was "It must've been Joe Biden!" - Which Democrat Said: 'F**k the President?' (And yet President Bush is still called "polarizing"??)

Rally Against the Ground Zero Mosque

Read Atlas Shrugs to see some ideas about posters for the December 14 protest against the Ground Zero mosque.

Drs. Sowell and Williams

Here are two men I admire: Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams.

It's a Book!

This is "something wonderful" indeed at American Digest.  In this world of overstimulation from electronic gadgets, it's a pleasure to still find people who love a good, plain, old-fashioned book! Who needs a Kindle when you have a book with pages to turn!

You're Going To Need a Bigger Boatload of Nonsense

I read about this insane theory yesterday, but the accompanying poster at Atlas Shrugs makes it even more laughable.

Why We Love America

William J. Bennett  and John T. E. Cribb list Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country .

Infamy: December 7, 1941

Sixty-nine years ago today.

Lessons of Pearl Harbor

David M. Shribman has an interesting column on the subject of Pearl Harbor:

"Never again will we present so easy a target to potential adversaries. But now we need to revise our perspective, and consider that for all of the great change we are experiencing now, the greatest change in our history may have begun when 354 Japanese planes arced toward Hawaii, destroying 188 American aircraft and sinking or damaging 18 American warships in a great American tragedy and military defeat. 'Pearl Harbor continues to haunt its survivors, as well as their descendants,' Thurston Clarke wrote in the evocative volume 'Pearl Harbor Ghosts.' But as we consider what happened here, let us remember, too, how almost every ship — though not the USS Utah, USS Arizona or USS Oklahoma — was put back into service, and that America recovered, and then some.Remember Pearl Harbor, but remember its other lessons, as well."

Obama Cartoon

I spotted this Ramirez cartoon at Lucianne.com today.  It's a shame Obama doesn't go after the WikiLeaker and terrorists with the same zeal with which he goes after the rich and the successful in our country.

Cutting Off Her Nose to Spite Her Face

Again, you have to wonder what is possessing Helen Thomas to continue with her rabid antisemitic attacks at her age, when she could have been remembered instead for opening doors to other female journalists.

Blackmail

There's another word for trading tax cuts for further unemployment benefits: blackmail.  I am sick and tired of the Democrats constantly trying to make the Republicans look heartless and evil.  They in turn should not cave in and should emphasize the importance of sacrifice and making do during tough times. And parents: instead of expecting others to donate a Wii or iPod to your child for Christmas, go buy them coloring books and crayons -- it doesn't cost a million dollars.

Entitlements and Demand

They "demand" a bigger house? If I lived in England, I'd demand that my taxes stop going to support leeches like this! Make sure you see the reader comments that follow the story.

Norman Rockwell

I've always loved Norman Rockwell's paintings and don't consider them at all "kitschy", as this article claims. (Perhaps this is more to the Telegraph's liking.)

Jewish at Christmastime

Greg Crosby's latest column is a good read, as always. Compared to years ago, when Christmas was all about the birth of Christ, these days I personally find Christmas to be extremely obnoxious, exhausting, and greedy, and I'm always glad when it's over.

From Cradle to Grave

If you hate the entitlement mentality as much as I do, you simply must read this column by Jerry Della Femina. You can get the general idea from the title alone: "What The Hell Is Wrong With Us?"

Hanukah in Santa Monica

I've never heard this in an a cappella version until now!

Before and After

I can't stand Obama, so I really enjoyed this!

Very Tired

Neal Boortz read this article on the air the other night. Among other things, the writer says, and I agree, that:

"I'm tired of being told that I have to spread the wealth' to people who don't have my work ethic.  I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it...I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions.  I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems."

I'm also tired of people assuming that welfare and unemployment benefits should be endless. Aren't they both supposed to be temporary measures?  Here's a good post by Michelle Malkin on the subject of jobless benefits. How about a little more gumption and self-reliance for a change?

The Right Way

Jennifer Rubin has left Commentary magazine and is now writing a conservative column at the Washington Post. Take a look.

HAPPY HANUKAH!

Here's a replay of Orrin Hatch's Hanukah song from last year. Enjoy!