One thing about Christianity, as opposed to atheism, is the great diversity of thought. Christians are not all the same. Some are smart, many aren't. Some are clearly blessed. Many aren't. They aren't perfect, but they are forgiven. There is debate in evangelical circles on the theological issue of miracles. It is said that the miracles of healing and the exercising of gifts of Christ's disciples in Acts died off with the disciples .. a difficult assertion to debate, because the idea that the times mould the man means that assertion is certainly true as far as it goes. Making Charismatics look more foolish than usual. However, my take on the issue involves three thoughts. One, miracles happen today, and are no less profound for being explained. And those miracles are not isolated to Christians. I cite one example of a Jewish woman who wanted children in the 1940's, couldn't conceive, adopted two and found they were her own flesh and blood .. truly miraculous. Secondly, God is so great that he works with broken vessels. He doesn't really have an alternative. And he is very good at it. If you feel that plastic, smiley preacher on tv is too good to be true, they certainly are. And yet God works through them as effectively as he did with Saul two thousand years ago. Thirdly, that failed preacher has probably strayed from God. God humbles those who get close to him. So those who claim the Charismatic movement as being led by failed preachers, point to those who aren't, please.
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Happy birthday and many happy returns to those born on this day, across the years
- 3 BC – Galba, Roman emperor (d. 69)
- 1166 – John, King of England (d. 1216)
- 1625 – Johann Rudolph Ahle, German composer, organist, and theorist (d. 1673)
- 1726 – Johann Hartmann, Danish composer (d. 1793)
- 1822 – Matthew Arnold, English poet and critic (d. 1888)
- 1922 – Ava Gardner, American actress (d. 1990)
- 1924 – Lee Dorsey, American singer (d. 1986)
- 1945 – Lemmy, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor (Motörhead, Hawkwind, The Head Cat, and The Rockin' Vickers)
- 1971 – Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and actor
- 2000 – Ethan Bortnick, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor
Matches
- 563 – The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes.
- 759 – Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di.
- 1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.
- 1818 – The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf,Austria.
- 1865 – The Ku Klux Klan is formed.
- 1871 – Aida opens in Cairo, Egypt.
- 1913 – The Italian Hall disaster ("1913 Massacre") in Calumet, Michigan, results in the death of 73 Christmas party goers held by striking mine workers, including 59 children.
- 1914 – World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.
- 1955 – NORAD Tracks Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition.
- 1968 – Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.
- 1980 – Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England,United Kingdom, an incident called "Britain's Roswell".
Despatches
- 427 – Archbishop Sisinnius I of Constantinople
- 1524 – Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer (b. 1469)
- 1863 – William Makepeace Thackeray, English author (b. 1811)
- 1873 – Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1795)
Triggs says she can’t find $320,000 for Tim Wilson - after paying $5.4 million more for staff
Andrew Bolt December 24 2013 (10:25am)
Attorney-General George Brandis calls out the hypocrites now running the Human Rights Commission - hypocrites who should resign in shame after smearing new freedom commissioner Tim Wilson as a threat to bullied children:
UPDATE
Professor Sinclair Davidson examines the annual report of a gravy train staffed largely by well-paid women:
===Commission president Gillian Triggs warned on Monday that Mr Wilson’s appointment as a commissioner to the AHRC - with a salary of about $320,000 a year - may have to come at the expense of programs on school bullying and education for older Australians.Triggs should publicly apologise to Wilson for antics which seem to me very close to workplace harassment and bullying. And if she’s so concerned that his wage will force her to scrap anti-bullying programs I’d suggest this wealthy woman either donate her own salary to make good the difference or, even better, resign.
That is because Mr Wilson’s appointment will not coincide with a boost in the commission’s annual budget of about $25 million…
But Mr Brandis says the commission should have no trouble coming up with the money.
He has pointed to the commission’s annual reports, which show staffing costs have risen by $5.4 million over the past three years, representing an increase of nearly 50 per cent.
UPDATE
Professor Sinclair Davidson examines the annual report of a gravy train staffed largely by well-paid women:
On page 150 we get to see the staffing profile – 143 employees (of whom only 38 are male) – and the salary rank those individuals earn. More than half of the Commission are on salaries above $72,900.
We must destroy the business to save the union
Andrew Bolt December 24 2013 (10:11am)
Judith Sloan on a recent decision of Justice Mordy Bromberg who, incidentally, did much legal work for unions, was vice president of the International Centre for Trade Union Rights and stood for Labor pre-selection before going to the bench:
===JUDGE Mordy Bromberg of the Federal Court is following a long tradition in Australian industrial relations - he has delivered an outcome more likely to see the workplace to close than allow common sense to prevail. The preservation of union-imposed wages and conditions is sacrosanct, even if it leads Toyota Australia to shut down its local operations.Bromberg has been criticised in a previous important case for allowing his values to wrongly influence his judgement:
In 1909, in the famous BHP Broken Hill mine case, the president of the commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Court, HB Higgins, made this famous remark: “I face the possibility of the mine remaining closed with all its grave consequences, but the fate of Australia is not dependent on the fate of any one mine, or on any one company, and if it is a calamity that this historical mine should close down it will be a still greater calamity that men should be underfed or degraded.” The mine was suspended for two years.
More than a century later and the mindset of industrial relations regulators has not changed a jot: better for workers to be unemployed than allow a company to introduce cost-saving changes to work practices.
In an important recent case, the judges of the Full Bench had this to say about another decision by Bromberg, which had restricted the Victorian government’s ability to impose a mandatory construction code of conduct: ”Conclusions of this kind appear to us, with respect, to reflect value judgments rather than legal conclusions. In the circumstances of the present case, we do not agree that the state interfered with ‘free bargaining’.I can’t say I’m surprised.
Profitting from the birthday of the man they mock
Andrew Bolt December 24 2013 (10:07am)
Greg Craven, vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University, notes a certain double standard from some atheists at Christmas:
===Take hobby atheist Peter FitzSimons, best known for wearing a red pinafore on his head as a sign of rampant masculinity. The Fitz’s standard reaction to God rivals that of the demon in The Exorcist, but he ritually releases his pay-by-the-weight volumes in time to be advertised as the perfect Christmas gift.
Which they are, for a dad who doesn’t like to read but wants guiltlessly to discard an impressively large volume.
Minister and ABC producer declares scepticsm a “disorder”
Andrew Bolt December 24 2013 (9:43am)
Chris Mulherin has exactly the beliefs on global warming you’d expect from his profile, so closely does he (and the ABC) hew to the stereotype:
===Freelance writing & radio production, ABC Radio National 2010–presentIn fact, so convinced is he of the global warming faith - and so few sceptics has he apparently met as a minister, lecturer and ABC producer - that he considers scepticism not the product of reason but of sickness. Writing in The Melbourne Anglican:
Associate Minister, St Jude’s Anglican Church, Carlton 2007–present
Adjunct lecturer and tutor, University of Melbourne, Ridley Melbourne, Melbourne School of Theology, MCD University of Divinity 2007–present
What treatment would Mulherin suggest for my disorder - an exorcism, shock therapy or some needles? Is there a clinic that specialises in the treatment? Should some of the world’s great climate scientists - Professor Richard Lindzen, for instance - be forced to take treatment, too, and is Mulherin just the man to give it to them, his eyes bright with faith?
The myth exposed: another “stolen generations” case fails in court
Andrew Bolt December 24 2013 (8:16am)
Yet another “stolen generations” case is lost in court,
this one brought in Western Australia by two parents and seven of their
children claiming the state failed in its fiduciary care.
The case has familiar elements, including claimants who’d constructed a memory of being the largely blameless victims of nasty officials, when in fact contemporaneous documents reveal the children were removed not because they were simply Aboriginal but because they were in great need. Those officials first stepped in when one child was taken to hospital as a six month old weighing half a kilogram less than she had at birth. Those officials acted under the Child Welfare Act which applied to all children, and they had monitored this family repeatedly after finding it lived in a dirty humpy with beds for just three.
Said the judge:
No “stolen generations” case has ever succeeded in court. The one case that is sometimes claimed as an exception - that of Bruce Trevorrow - in fact establishes that in South Australia there was no law permitting the taking away of children just because they were Aboriginal. In that case, a female welfare worker secretly broke the law by giving away to a foster family a baby she thought had been half-starved and badly neglected by a father she’d falsely assumed was a “habitual drunkard” and a mother she’d heard had “gone walkabout” from her family and had not visited her baby in hospital.
As the judge in that case ruled:
The “stolen generations” are a dangerous myth. No one has yet identified even 10 children stolen just because they were Aborigines, but so powerful is this myth now that I can identify children who because of it have been left in terrible danger - only to be killed, raped and die of neglect.
(Thanks to reader Alan.)
===The case has familiar elements, including claimants who’d constructed a memory of being the largely blameless victims of nasty officials, when in fact contemporaneous documents reveal the children were removed not because they were simply Aboriginal but because they were in great need. Those officials first stepped in when one child was taken to hospital as a six month old weighing half a kilogram less than she had at birth. Those officials acted under the Child Welfare Act which applied to all children, and they had monitored this family repeatedly after finding it lived in a dirty humpy with beds for just three.
Said the judge:
The documents to which I have referred support three findings. First, Don and Sylvia’s living conditions, and their home environment relevant to the care of their children, were being monitored by officers of the Child Welfare Department in the years after the Siblings were removed from their care. Secondly, the observations made by those officers, or information provided to those officers, was to the effect that until approximately mid-1970, Don and Sylvia continued to live in the humpy in circumstances which were largely unchanged (as compared with when the Siblings became wards) that they engaged in heavy drinking and that their relationship was marred by domestic violence. Thirdly, that information was relied upon by officers of the Child Welfare Department in considering whether the Children should be permitted to return to live with Don and Sylvia.The parents are listed in documents as having admitted most of their children into care themselves after being threatened with being taken to court for neglect. The father agreed to pay maintenance.
No “stolen generations” case has ever succeeded in court. The one case that is sometimes claimed as an exception - that of Bruce Trevorrow - in fact establishes that in South Australia there was no law permitting the taking away of children just because they were Aboriginal. In that case, a female welfare worker secretly broke the law by giving away to a foster family a baby she thought had been half-starved and badly neglected by a father she’d falsely assumed was a “habitual drunkard” and a mother she’d heard had “gone walkabout” from her family and had not visited her baby in hospital.
As the judge in that case ruled:
Mrs Angas may have been well-intentioned ... but was well aware, or ought to have been aware, that the removal of the plaintiff from his family, and his placement with the Davies family, was undertaken in circumstances that were understood to be without legal authority, beyond power and contrary to authoritative legal advice.But had Trevorrow been left where he was...
The “stolen generations” are a dangerous myth. No one has yet identified even 10 children stolen just because they were Aborigines, but so powerful is this myth now that I can identify children who because of it have been left in terrible danger - only to be killed, raped and die of neglect.
(Thanks to reader Alan.)
Andy Trieu
Gearing up to to be a Pandanaut....... live action show with #TheKazoos #1000kids #NewYear2014
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Larry Pickering
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Thanks for a year of interesting, clever and informed comments.
A Happy Christmas to all and we’ll give ‘em heaps next year. I am going to take a few days off with my family of 41, sink a few reds and tell a few lies.
Thanks again and see y’all real soon,
Larry
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Police in Netherlands...
I feel that that is arresting .. ed
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was .. wasn't .. dying and being resurrected is salient .. just saying' - ed===
Glenn Beck
I have been reading a lot about Phil, Duck Dynasty and Cracker Barrel. I have a TON to say. I know, Cracker Barrel reversed themselves. I won't. I will tell you why I won't be going to there again when I get back.
Also, if they take a stand get fired, we would welcome the Robertson family to join us at TheBlaze. I know they can't take the Duck Dynasty franchise with them, but the media thinks the franchise is the show. No, it is the people and their message of truth. I don't care what they call it or what it is about. Call it "shooting and praying with Phil's family" and it will be a hit.
Tell a friend and spread the word. TheBlaze has a spine and is true to the message. Money is a by-product not the point. No one will buys the Duck Dynasty Chapstick because it is the best Chapstick. They buy it because they want to support people they like, are like them and people who don't bend in the wind.
Also, please post all stories that you want me to comment on when I come back in January. So much happening and I don't want to miss a few stories. Things are getting easier and not harder. Truth is easier to detect because frauds are getting lazy. They haven't changed because there is no one to challenge them. They are weak and really quite pathetic.
Joshua 2 :5 is the quote that won't leave me alone. I think it is the cornerstone of my New Years resolution.
Already excited to get to work
===Also, if they take a stand get fired, we would welcome the Robertson family to join us at TheBlaze. I know they can't take the Duck Dynasty franchise with them, but the media thinks the franchise is the show. No, it is the people and their message of truth. I don't care what they call it or what it is about. Call it "shooting and praying with Phil's family" and it will be a hit.
Tell a friend and spread the word. TheBlaze has a spine and is true to the message. Money is a by-product not the point. No one will buys the Duck Dynasty Chapstick because it is the best Chapstick. They buy it because they want to support people they like, are like them and people who don't bend in the wind.
Also, please post all stories that you want me to comment on when I come back in January. So much happening and I don't want to miss a few stories. Things are getting easier and not harder. Truth is easier to detect because frauds are getting lazy. They haven't changed because there is no one to challenge them. They are weak and really quite pathetic.
Joshua 2 :5 is the quote that won't leave me alone. I think it is the cornerstone of my New Years resolution.
Already excited to get to work
Send this to google
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HISTORY IN THE HEADLINES: The modern-day image of Santa Claus, icon of peace and goodwill, was actually forged during America’s darkest days when it appeared in a Civil War illustration, and it wasn’t the last time that jolly St. Nick was enlisted to support wartime efforts on the home front. Find out what happened when Santa went to war:http://histv.co/19m89ac
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http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/366989/free-speech-sarah-palin-and-mark-steyn-are-right-david-french
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Craig Kelly
MERRY CHRISTMAS
And remember - traditions count !!!
NB : Original cartoon by Chris Madden.
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"You will soon give birth to a Son. He will be the Son of the most high. The Holy Spirit will move in you. Don't be afraid." -Angel
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Michele Bachmann
100 years ago, the Federal Reserve was created to oversee monetary policy, and has since been allowed to operate in secrecy under the veil of “independence.” Economic liberty and political liberty are inextricably entwined. We must continue to push for a full-scale audit of the Fed.
Wilson was a popular Democrat too .. ed
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Peter Collier
May each and every one of you have a blessed and joyous Christmas and may 2014 bring you good health and happiness.
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<+1 for big government?>
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Katy Perry wins!
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Dean Hamstead It also seems appropriate to mention that private industry can manufacture cars so fast that government cant build roads fast enough to accommodate them - hence traffic jams.
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Be sure to bring out the fine china for the guests this Christmas!
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.. showing why research is bad .. instead of honest and trustworthy, try predictable and self obsessed - ed
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www.israelvideonetwork.com
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James Calore
The elf has game
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Johns Candle Store
Apple Harvest !
Price 24.95 plus shipping !
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Ah my love, have you found the game I sent you? No, not the turtle doves. No, not the Lords a-leaping or the maids a milking .. yes the game .. no .. not the partridge .. you ate the what? Pears are fruit, but the tree? .. The calling birds suggested it, I see .. ed
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We can go without much .. but not love. Merry Christmas. - ed
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He knew what he was doing when he embraced Arafat. - ed
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I wrote this story then deleted it but now decided to write it again.
For years I patronised a Greek barber who finally retired and sold his business to his worker Ishmael, an expatriate Muslim from Turkey.
Ishmael has a thriving business and employs two other barbers; another Turk and a Greek.
Various corporate identities and others frequent his establishment in the arcade that joins the entrance to Martin Place railway station.
Last time I was there early one morning Ishmael joked about how there were three Jews all at the same time occupying his three chairs. None of us knew each other and had one not one been an orthodox Jew wearing his kippah and tzitzit none of would have been the wiser or even cared.
I alway remembered in the back of my mind years ago Ishmael saying to me the Israelis were too strong an unfair in how they dealed with the Arabs. I chose to ignore the comment because I knew if I did not where the discussion would lead to with his bad English.
But yesterday proved to me the DNA in some Muslims is embedded each in their single cell brain cells.
I was in the chair and in a hurry because a client was coming to see me. It always intrigues me how so many bald men go to the barber and how extra long it takes them to have a haircut. What should take about three minutes because there is no hair to cut takes about fifteen minutes. I suppose they have to humour them by giving them some value. Poor saps if they only realised how silly they look.
So there is Ishmael sheering my healthy crop when my mobile phone rings. The client has cancelled in the last minute to my annoyance because the traffic was bad. Fair enough but I was pissed off. I hate hurrying the barber. They are hard to find old fashion barbers these days instead where metrosexuals are treated like old queens by gay hairdressers and they never know how to do a beard trim or use hot towels, razors and powder or some girl washing your hair while rubbing her tits in your face overcharging you for a crap haircut.
Ishmael asked what was wrong. I told him I was not happy about the cancelled appointment in the last minute but what can you do ? That's life.
To my surprise he yelled out in front of everyone " Don't be such a bloody Jew ! " Everyone, the other two barbers, the other two cuttees in the chairs and the five other blokes waiting their turn stiffened, the barbers blushed, there was an awkward silence and Ishmael suddenly realised he had made an incredible fool of himself because I just sat their looking at him via his mirror as he stood behind me with his cut throat razor in his hand. He tried to make light of the situation.
Now normally I would say something but this was one of those opportunities where I quickly realised the less I said the better because my silence and the look he saw from the darkness of my eyes was enough to make him feel even more foolish and churlish. I had the power at that moment and I was not prepared to relinquish it.I enjoyed watching him squirm pretending like nothing happened as others in his barber shop all kept quiet watching to see what I would say or do. My wife often told me " that look " I give scares people and I make them nervous.The force was with me.
I thought to myself should I just stand up and walk out ? But I looked like a half cropped chook and the last thing I needed was to look like some demented feral halfwit kid you see at a rock concert so he had me trapped there without realising it. I remained calm. I was not going to lose my dignity to this primitive cretin in front of others.
So while he completed his task knowing he screwed up I thought how unfair it was that I should have to even pay him for the vilified comment he had made about me. I was the customer after all and the customer is always right ( except in my office LOL ).
So when it came to wishing me good bye and seasons greetings as is the custom I told Ishmael I had forgotten my wallet. Ishmael does not take credit cards. We all know why. He probably has not paid one cent of GST in the last five years.He said that was cool. He'd known me long enough and to to pay him next time.
Only there will NOT be a next time and I now will have to find another old fashion barber where men are men and blokes treat each other with dignity and respect.
But the best part is I " Jewed " him out of his $42 for a haircut and beard trim.Screw him the closet anti Semitic drek fressing turd.
By then Ishmael will have figured it out if he has not already.
As my late father used to advise me. Don't argue. Just get even.
For years I patronised a Greek barber who finally retired and sold his business to his worker Ishmael, an expatriate Muslim from Turkey.
Ishmael has a thriving business and employs two other barbers; another Turk and a Greek.
Various corporate identities and others frequent his establishment in the arcade that joins the entrance to Martin Place railway station.
Last time I was there early one morning Ishmael joked about how there were three Jews all at the same time occupying his three chairs. None of us knew each other and had one not one been an orthodox Jew wearing his kippah and tzitzit none of would have been the wiser or even cared.
I alway remembered in the back of my mind years ago Ishmael saying to me the Israelis were too strong an unfair in how they dealed with the Arabs. I chose to ignore the comment because I knew if I did not where the discussion would lead to with his bad English.
But yesterday proved to me the DNA in some Muslims is embedded each in their single cell brain cells.
I was in the chair and in a hurry because a client was coming to see me. It always intrigues me how so many bald men go to the barber and how extra long it takes them to have a haircut. What should take about three minutes because there is no hair to cut takes about fifteen minutes. I suppose they have to humour them by giving them some value. Poor saps if they only realised how silly they look.
So there is Ishmael sheering my healthy crop when my mobile phone rings. The client has cancelled in the last minute to my annoyance because the traffic was bad. Fair enough but I was pissed off. I hate hurrying the barber. They are hard to find old fashion barbers these days instead where metrosexuals are treated like old queens by gay hairdressers and they never know how to do a beard trim or use hot towels, razors and powder or some girl washing your hair while rubbing her tits in your face overcharging you for a crap haircut.
Ishmael asked what was wrong. I told him I was not happy about the cancelled appointment in the last minute but what can you do ? That's life.
To my surprise he yelled out in front of everyone " Don't be such a bloody Jew ! " Everyone, the other two barbers, the other two cuttees in the chairs and the five other blokes waiting their turn stiffened, the barbers blushed, there was an awkward silence and Ishmael suddenly realised he had made an incredible fool of himself because I just sat their looking at him via his mirror as he stood behind me with his cut throat razor in his hand. He tried to make light of the situation.
Now normally I would say something but this was one of those opportunities where I quickly realised the less I said the better because my silence and the look he saw from the darkness of my eyes was enough to make him feel even more foolish and churlish. I had the power at that moment and I was not prepared to relinquish it.I enjoyed watching him squirm pretending like nothing happened as others in his barber shop all kept quiet watching to see what I would say or do. My wife often told me " that look " I give scares people and I make them nervous.The force was with me.
I thought to myself should I just stand up and walk out ? But I looked like a half cropped chook and the last thing I needed was to look like some demented feral halfwit kid you see at a rock concert so he had me trapped there without realising it. I remained calm. I was not going to lose my dignity to this primitive cretin in front of others.
So while he completed his task knowing he screwed up I thought how unfair it was that I should have to even pay him for the vilified comment he had made about me. I was the customer after all and the customer is always right ( except in my office LOL ).
So when it came to wishing me good bye and seasons greetings as is the custom I told Ishmael I had forgotten my wallet. Ishmael does not take credit cards. We all know why. He probably has not paid one cent of GST in the last five years.He said that was cool. He'd known me long enough and to to pay him next time.
Only there will NOT be a next time and I now will have to find another old fashion barber where men are men and blokes treat each other with dignity and respect.
But the best part is I " Jewed " him out of his $42 for a haircut and beard trim.Screw him the closet anti Semitic drek fressing turd.
By then Ishmael will have figured it out if he has not already.
As my late father used to advise me. Don't argue. Just get even.
Thank you for reminding me good people are always thinking .. even when they aren't saying something .. it reminds me of the time a colleague called me a 'parasite' and when I challenged them before the Principal to account for it they made out they were dying and needed support of their spouse and without apologising claimed they had called me that in a jocular fashion. - ed
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newsblaze.com
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calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.se
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www.algemeiner.com
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calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com
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Once again Caroline Glick has explained simply so that even the Left can follow and succinctly why the US in the form of John Kerry is beating a dead horse. "After the Iran deal, only the most reckless and irresponsible Israeli leaders could take American security guarantees at face value.
Israelis frustrate the land-for-peace processors from Washington because we have actually been awake for the past 20 years. And we refuse forget what we know.
Land for peace was killed by Palestinian terrorists.
Jordan is not forever.
And US security guarantees are about as useful as a three dollar bill."
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/
www.jpost.com
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www.jpost.com
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world.time.com
No reason why they should have a Christmas tree .. however, not reporting on atrocities is not the work of a news journal - ed===
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www.geocurrents.info
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www.jpost.com
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I want to wish you a merry Christmas. Special thanks to Stephanie Ann,Mandy Mclean, John Tran for their support with Bolt report and everywhere else. Special shout out to Timothy Ly, who took me to Jesus Family Centre on Christmas 2007 .. you have a gift, mate and the Lord has blessed you. And many thanks to her, for whom I dream that He might make me young. I see in her the promise of new life .. ed
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In the past day, rockets have exploded in Israel's northern and southern regions. A missile fired from Syria exploded this morning in the Golan Heights. It appears to be related to the dangerous civil war being fought close to Israel's borders in Syria. Earlier this month, a Syrian rocket landed in an Israeli town and a bomb exploded near Israeli troops patrolling the border. In southern Israel, a rocket exploded last night in a small town near the city of Ashkelon. "Code Red" sirens forced residents of many of Israel's southern communities to run for cover. Last night, at least two rockets were fired from terrorists in Gaza, aimed at IsraeIi towns. Unfortunately, the need for more portable bomb shelters is ongoing. Israel sits between enemies of terror in the north and south, both with a formidable array of missiles destined for Israeli communities. CLICK BELOW TO HELP BUILD MORE BOMB SHELTERS https://donate.unitedwithisrael.org/donate/s1 United with Israel has already installed 10 bomb shelters, but so many more are needed. Please join us in giving the gift of life to Israeli citizens who simply want to lead normal, peaceful lives. Shelters provide not only protection and peace of mind - they can save countless lives. There is no time to waste. The People of Israel need your prayers but most important is concrete action to save lives. The time to act is now, before it's too late. You can make a real difference in protecting Israeli citizens. Let's get more bomb shelters installed BEFORE the next rocket explodes. Click to donate --> https://donate.unitedwithisrael.org/donate/s1 We ask you to please forward this email to your family and friends. Give them the opportunity to take action in helping to protect the People of Israel. With Blessings from Israel, The 'United with Israel' Family PS - Please consider giving monthly (just check the box), as the vital need for more shelters is ongoing. May God reward you for your kindness and generosity. CLICK BELOW TO MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE ONLINE DONATION: https://donate.unitedwithisrael.org/donate/s1 Checks can be sent to our US address: United with Israel PO Box 151 Lawrence, NY 11559 United States Checks can be mailed directly to Israel: United with Israel 8/19 Nachal Maor St. Box 71530 Bet Shemesh 99623 ISRAEL To donate by phone please call: +1-646-213-4003 (USA) +972-2-533-7841 (Israel)===
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I want to wish you and your family a very happy Christmas.
Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year.
It’s a time to reflect, to count our blessings and to give thanks for all the good things we enjoy.
We are a good and generous people and I hope this Christmas we will remember everyone who is doing it tough and lend a hand where we can.
You can watch my Christmas video message here.
From my family to yours, I wish you a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas.
Regards,
Tony Abbott
Prime Minister
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December 24: Christmas Eve (Gregorian calendar)
- 759 – Tang Dynasty poet Du Fudeparted for Chengdu, staying with his fellow poet Pei Di, where he composed poems about life in his thatched cottage.
- 1818 – "Silent Night" (audio featured), a Christmas carolby Josef Mohr and Franz Gruber, was first performed in a church in Austria.
- 1913 – Seventy-three people were crushed to death in astampede after someone falsely yelled "fire" at a crowded Christmas party in Calumet, Michigan, US.
- 1953 – On New Zealand's North Island, at Tangiwai, a railway bridge was damaged by a lahar and collapsedbeneath a passenger train, killing 151 people.
- 1973 – The United States Congress granted Washington, D.C. home rule, allowing the residents to elect their ownmayor and city council.
Events[edit]
- 563 – The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by earthquakes.
- 640 – Pope John IV is elected.
- 759 – Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di.
- 1144 – The capital of the crusader County of Edessa falls to Imad ad-Din Zengi, the atabeg of Mosul andAleppo.
- 1294 – Pope Boniface VIII is elected Pope, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned.
- 1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.
- 1814 – The Treaty of Ghent is signed ending the War of 1812.
- 1818 – The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf,Austria.
- 1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.
- 1851 – Library of Congress burns.
- 1865 – The Ku Klux Klan is formed.
- 1871 – Aida opens in Cairo, Egypt.
- 1906 – Radio: Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.
- 1911 – Lackawanna Cut-Off railway line opens in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- 1913 – The Italian Hall disaster ("1913 Massacre") in Calumet, Michigan, results in the death of 73 Christmas party goers held by striking mine workers, including 59 children.
- 1914 – World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.
- 1924 – Albania becomes a republic.
- 1929 – Assassination attempt on Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen.
- 1939 – World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
- 1941 – World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.
- 1942 – World War II: French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers,Algeria.
- 1943 – World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the Supreme Allied Commander.
- 1951 – Libya becomes independent from Italy. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
- 1953 – Tangiwai disaster: In New Zealand's North Island, at Tangiwai, a railway bridge is damaged by a lahar and collapses beneath a passenger train, killing 151 people.
- 1955 – NORAD Tracks Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition.
- 1964 – Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.
- 1966 – A Canadair CL-44 chartered by the United States military crashes into a small village in South Vietnam, killing 129.
- 1968 – Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.
- 1969 – Charles Manson is allowed to defend himself at the Tate-LaBianca murder trial.
- 1972 – Japan Airlines Flight 472, operated Douglas DC-8-53 landed at Juhu Aerodrome instead of Santacruz Airport in Bombay, India.
- 1973 – District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
- 1974 – Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
- 1979 – The first European Ariane rocket is launched.
- 1980 – Witnesses report the first of several sightings of unexplained lights near RAF Woodbridge, in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England,United Kingdom, an incident called "Britain's Roswell".
- 1994 – Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground, over the course of 3 days 3 passengers are killed, as are all 4 terrorists.
- 1997 – The Sid El-Antri massacre (or Sidi Lamri) in Algeria kills 50-100 people.
- 2000 – The Texas Seven hold up a sports store in Irving, Texas. Police officer Aubrey Hawkins is murdered during the robbery.
- 2003 – The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Station.
- 2005 – Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
- 2008 – Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group, begins a series of attacks on Democratic Republic of the Congo, massacring more than 400.
Births[edit]
- 3 BC – Galba, Roman emperor (d. 69)
- 1166 – John, King of England (d. 1216)
- 1389 – John VI, Duke of Brittany (d. 1442)
- 1475 – Thomas Murner, German poet (d. 1537)
- 1508 – Pietro Carnesecchi, Italian humanist (d. 1567)
- 1588 – Constance of Austria (d. 1631)
- 1609 – Philip Warwick, English politician (d. 1683)
- 1625 – Johann Rudolph Ahle, German composer, organist, and theorist (d. 1673)
- 1635 – Mariana of Austria (d. 1696)
- 1679 – Domenico Sarro, Italian composer (d. 1744)
- 1698 – William Warburton, English bishop (d. 1779)
- 1724 – Johann Conrad Ammann, Swiss physician (d. 1811)
- 1726 – Johann Hartmann, Danish composer (d. 1793)
- 1745 – Benjamin Rush, American physician, signer of the United States Declaration of Independence (d. 1813)
- 1754 – George Crabbe, English poet, surgeon, and clergyman (d. 1832)
- 1761 – Jean-Louis Pons, French astronomer (d. 1831)
- 1761 – Selim III, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1808)
- 1784 – Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia (d. 1803)
- 1798 – Adam Mickiewicz, Polish poet (d. 1855)
- 1809 – Kit Carson, American soldier (d. 1868)
- 1810 – Wilhelm Marstrand, Danish painter (d. 1873)
- 1812 – Karl Eduard Zachariae von Lingenthal, German jurist (d. 1894)
- 1818 – James Prescott Joule, English physicist and brewer, (d. 1889)
- 1822 – Matthew Arnold, English poet and critic (d. 1888)
- 1827 – Alexander von Oettingen, Baltic German theologian and statistician (d. 1905)
- 1837 – Empress Elisabeth of Austria (d. 1898)
- 1837 – Cosima Wagner (d. 1930)
- 1843 – Lydia Koidula, Estonian poet (d. 1886)
- 1845 – George I of Greece (d. 1913)
- 1867 – Suzuki Kantarō, Japanese politician, 42nd Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1948)
- 1868 – Emanuel Lasker, German chess player (d. 1941)
- 1869 – Henriette Roland Holst, Dutch poet and socialist (d. 1952)
- 1872 – Adam Gunn, American decathlete (d. 1935)
- 1872 – Frederick Semple, American golfer and tennis player (d. 1927)
- 1875 – Émile Wegelin, French rower (d. 1962)
- 1877 – Sigrid Schauman, Finnish painter (d. 1979)
- 1879 – Otto Fickeisen, German rower (d. 1963)
- 1879 – Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (d. 1952)
- 1879 – Émile Nelligan, Canadian poet (d. 1941)
- 1880 – Johnny Gruelle, American author and illustrator (d. 1939)
- 1880 – Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya,Indian Political Leader(d.1959)
- 1881 – Charles Wakefield Cadman, American composer (d. 1946)
- 1881 – Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1958)
- 1882 – Hans Rebane, Estonian politician, diplomat and journalist (d. 1961)
- 1886 – Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-American director (d. 1962)
- 1887 – Louis Jouvet, French actor and producer (d. 1951)
- 1891 – Feodor Rojankovsky, Russian émigré illustrator (d. 1970)
- 1893 – Ruth Chatterton, American actress (d. 1961)
- 1893 – Harry Warren, American composer and songwriter (d. 1981)
- 1894 – Georges Guynemer, French pilot (d. 1917)
- 1894 – Jack Thayer, American survivor of the Sinking of the RMS Titanic (d. 1945)
- 1895 – E. Roland Harriman, American financier (d. 1978)
- 1895 – Noel Streatfeild, English author (d. 1986)
- 1896 – Jens Oliver Lisberg, Faroese designer of the Flag of the Faroe Islands (d. 1920)
- 1897 – Koto Okubo, Japanese super-centenarian (d. 2013)
- 1898 – Baby Dodds, American drummer (d. 1959)
- 1898 – Héctor Scarone, Uruguayan footballer (d. 1967)
- 1900 – Joey Smallwood, Canadian politician, 1st Premier of Newfoundland (d. 1991)
- 1903 – Ernst Krenkel, Soviet Arctic explorer and radio operator (d. 1971)
- 1903 – Ava Helen Pauling, American activist (d. 1981)
- 1904 – Joseph M. Juran, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2008)
- 1905 – Howard Hughes, American engineer and director (d. 1976)
- 1906 – Frank DiPaolo, American politician (d. 2013)
- 1906 – Franz Waxman, German composer (d. 1967)
- 1907 – I. F. Stone, American journalist and author (d. 1989)
- 1910 – Fritz Leiber, American author (d. 1992)
- 1910 – Max Miedinger, Swiss typeface designer, created Helvetica (d. 1980)
- 1914 – Ralph Marterie, Italian-American trumpet player and bandleader (d. 1978)
- 1914 – Herbert Reinecker, German writer (d. 2007)
- 1919 – Qateel Shifai, Pakistani poet (d. 2001)
- 1920 – Franco Lucentini, Italian author and screenwriter (d. 2002)
- 1920 – Yevgeniya Rudneva, Russian navigator (d. 1944)
- 1922 – Ava Gardner, American actress (d. 1990)
- 1923 – Michael DiBiase, American wrestler (d. 1969)
- 1923 – George Patton IV, American general (d. 2004)
- 1924 – Lee Dorsey, American singer (d. 1986)
- 1924 – Mohammed Rafi, Indian actor and singer (d. 1980)
- 1924 – Norman Rossington, English actor (d. 1999)
- 1926 – Paul Buissonneau, French-Canadian director
- 1927 – Mary Higgins Clark, American author
- 1928 – Lev Vlassenko, Russian pianist (d. 1996)
- 1930 – Robert Joffrey, American dancer and choreographer (d. 1988)
- 1931 – Ray Bryant, American pianist and composer (d. 2011)
- 1931 – Mauricio Kagel, Argentine composer (d. 2008)
- 1934 – Stjepan Mesić, Croatian politician, 2nd President of Croatia
- 1937 – Félix Miélli Venerando, Brazilian footballer (d. 2012)
- 1938 – Bobby Henrich, American baseball player
- 1938 – Valentim Loureiro, Portuguese army officer and politician
- 1940 – Janet Carroll, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
- 1941 – John Levene, English actor
- 1942 – Jonathan Borofsky, American sculptor
- 1942 – Doan Viet Hoat, Vietnamese journalist
- 1943 – Tarja Halonen, Finnish lawyer and politician, 11th President of Finland
- 1944 – Barry Chuckle, English comedian and actor
- 1944 – Mike Curb, American composer and politician, 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California
- 1944 – Oswald Gracias, Indian archbishop
- 1944 – Daniel Johnson, Jr., Canadian politician, 25th Premier of Quebec
- 1945 – Lemmy, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor (Motörhead, Hawkwind, The Head Cat, and The Rockin' Vickers)
- 1945 – Nicholas Meyer, American author
- 1945 – Steve Smith, Canadian comedian and actor
- 1946 – Jan Akkerman, Dutch guitarist (Focus and Brainbox)
- 1946 – Brenda Howard, American activist (d. 2005)
- 1946 – Jeff Sessions, American politician
- 1947 – Kevin Sheedy, Australian footballer and coach
- 1948 – Frank Oliver, New Zealand rugby player
- 1949 – Warwick Brown, Australian race car driver
- 1949 – Randy Neugebauer, American politician
- 1950 – Dana Gioia, American poet
- 1951 – John D'Acquisto, American baseball player
- 1951 – Nick Kent, British rock critic
- 1952 – Christopher Buckley, American author
- 1953 – Timothy Carhart, American actor
- 1953 – François Loos, French politician
- 1954 – Yves Debay, Belgian journalist (d. 2013)
- 1954 – José María Figueres, Costa Rican politician, President of Costa Rica
- 1955 – Grand L. Bush, American actor
- 1955 – Scott Fischer, American mountaineer (d. 1996)
- 1955 – Clarence Gilyard, American actor
- 1957 – Hamid Karzai, Afghan politician, 12th President of Afghanistan
- 1957 – Diane Tell, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1958 – Munetaka Higuchi, Japanese drummer and producer (Loudness, Sly, and Lazy) (d. 2008)
- 1958 – Paul Pressey, American basketball player
- 1958 – Gene Sperling, American economist and lawyer
- 1959 – Keith Deller, English darts player
- 1959 – Anil Kapoor, Indian actor
- 1960 – Glenn McQueen, Canadian-American animator (d. 2002)
- 1960 – Carol Vorderman, English television host
- 1961 – Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani politician, 4th President of Azerbaijan
- 1961 – Jay Wright, American basketball player and coach
- 1962 – Kate Spade, American fashion designer
- 1962 – Darren Wharton, English singer-songwriter and keyboard player (Thin Lizzy and Dare)
- 1963 – Caroline Aherne, English comedian and actress
- 1963 – Jay Bilas, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1963 – Mary Ramsey, American singer-songwriter and violinist (10,000 Maniacs and John & Mary)
- 1963 – Neil Turbin, American thrash metal vocalist
- 1964 – Mark Valley, American actor
- 1965 – Millard Powers, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (Counting Crows, The Semantics, and Majosha)
- 1966 – Diedrich Bader, American actor
- 1967 – Mikhail Shchennikov, Russian race walker
- 1967 – Pernilla Wahlgren, Swedish singer and actress
- 1968 – Doyle Bramhall II, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Arc Angels)
- 1968 – Choi Jin-sil, South Korean actress (d. 2008)
- 1968 – Marleen Renders, Belgian runner
- 1969 – Ed Miliband, British politician
- 1969 – Mark Millar, Scottish author
- 1969 – Sean Michael, South African actor and singer
- 1969 – Michael Zucchet, American politician
- 1969 – Brad Anderson, American wrestler
- 1970 – Adam Haslett, American author
- 1970 – Larissa Netšeporuk, Ukrainian-Estonian heptathlete
- 1970 – Amaury Nolasco, Puerto Rican-American actor
- 1970 – Will Oldham, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1971 – Oro, Mexican wrestler (d. 1993)
- 1971 – Giorgos Alkaios, Greek singer
- 1971 – Christopher Daniels, American wrestler
- 1971 – Sascha Fischer, German rugby player
- 1971 – Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1972 – Álvaro Mesén, Costa Rican footballer
- 1972 – Klaus Schnellenkamp, German-Chilean author
- 1973 – Stephenie Meyer, American author and film producer
- 1973 – Eddie Pope, American soccer player
- 1973 – Ali Salem Tamek, Moroccan activist
- 1974 – Thure Lindhardt, Danish actor
- 1974 – Marcelo Salas, Chilean footballer
- 1974 – Ryan Seacrest, American radio and television host
- 1976 – Yuri, South Korean singer (Girl Friends)
- 1978 – Yıldıray Baştürk, Turkish footballer
- 1978 – Warren Tredrea, Australian footballer
- 1979 – Chris Hero, American wrestler
- 1980 – Stephen Appiah, Ghanaian footballer
- 1980 – Maarja-Liis Ilus, Estonian singer
- 1980 – Tomas Kalnoky, Czech-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Streetlight Manifesto, Catch 22, and Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution)
- 1980 – Jaanus Uudmäe, Estonian triple and long jumper
- 1981 – Dima Bilan, Russian singer-songwriter and actor
- 1981 – Shane Tuck, Australian footballer
- 1982 – Masaki Aiba, Japanese singer and actor (Arashi)
- 1982 – Robert Coppola Schwartzman, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (Rooney)
- 1985 – Alexey Dmitriev, German ice hockey player
- 1985 – David Ragan, American race car driver
- 1986 – Tim Elliott, American mixed martial artist
- 1986 – Kyrylo Fesenko, Ukrainian basketball player
- 1986 – Riyo Mori, Japanese model, Miss Universe 2007
- 1987 – Jane Summersett, American ice dancer
- 1988 – Stefanos Athanasiadis, Greek footballer
- 1988 – Simon Zenke, Nigerian footballer
- 1991 – Lara Michel, Swiss tennis player
- 1991 – Wasim Tareen, Pakistani footballer
- 1991 – Louis Tomlinson, English singer (One Direction)
- 1992 – Melissa Suffield, English actress
- 1995 – Anett Kontaveit, Estonian tennis player
- 2000 – Ethan Bortnick, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor
Deaths[edit]
- 427 – Archbishop Sisinnius I of Constantinople
- 1257 – John I, Count of Hainaut (b. 1218)
- 1453 – John Dunstaple, English composer (b. 1390)
- 1524 – Vasco da Gama, Portuguese explorer (b. 1469)
- 1635 – Hester Jonas, German midwife (b. 1570)
- 1660 – Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (b. 1631)
- 1707 – Noël Coypel, French painter (b. 1628)
- 1813 – Empress Go-Sakuramachi of Japan (b. 1740)
- 1863 – William Makepeace Thackeray, English author (b. 1811)
- 1865 – Charles Lock Eastlake, English painter (b. 1793)
- 1868 – Adolphe d'Archiac, French paleontologist and geologist (b. 1802)
- 1872 – William John Macquorn Rankine, Scottish physician and engineer (b. 1820)
- 1873 – Johns Hopkins, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1795)
- 1889 – Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (b. 1819)
- 1898 – Charbel Makhluf, Lebanese monk and priest (b. 1828)
- 1914 – John Muir, Scottish-American author (b. 1838)
- 1920 – Stephen Mosher Wood, American politician (b. 1832)
- 1926 – Wesley Coe, American shot putter (b. 1879)
- 1935 – Alban Berg, Austrian composer (b. 1885)
- 1938 – Bruno Taut, German architect (b. 1880)
- 1941 – Siegfried Alkan, German composer (b. 1858)
- 1942 – François Darlan, French navy officer and politician, 122nd Prime Minister of France (b. 1881)
- 1947 – Charles Gondouin, French rugby player (b. 1875)
- 1957 – Norma Talmadge, American actress (b. 1893)
- 1961 – Robert Hillyer, American poet (b. 1895)
- 1962 – Eveline Adelheid von Maydell, German silhouette artist (b. 1890)
- 1965 – William M. Branham, Christian minister (b. 1906)
- 1965 – John Black, English chairman of Standard-Triumph (b. 1895)
- 1967 – Burt Baskin, American businessman, co-founded Baskin-Robbins (b. 1913)
- 1969 – Alfred B. Skar, Norwegian politician (b. 1896)
- 1969 – Seabury Quinn, American author (b. 1889)
- 1971 – Maria Koepcke, German-Peruvian ornithologist (b. 1924)
- 1972 – Gisela Richter, English historian (b. 1882)
- 1972 – Melville Ruick, American actor (b. 1898)
- 1973 – Fritz Gause, German historian (b. 1893)
- 1975 – Bernard Herrmann, American composer (b. 1911)
- 1976 – Duarte Nuno, Duke of Braganza (b. 1907)
- 1977 – Samael Aun Weor, Colombian author (b. 1917)
- 1980 – Karl Dönitz, German admiral (b. 1891)
- 1980 – Siggie Nordstrom, American actress and singer (Nordstrom Sisters) (b. 1893)
- 1982 – Louis Aragon, French author and poet (b. 1897)
- 1984 – Peter Lawford, British actor (b. 1923)
- 1985 – Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, American lawyer (b. 1904)
- 1985 – Camille Tourville, Canadian-American wrestler and manager (b. 1927)
- 1986 – Gardner Fox, American author (b. 1911)
- 1987 – Joop den Uyl, Dutch politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1919)
- 1987 – Betty Noyes, American singer and actress (b. 1912)
- 1987 – M. G. Ramachandran, Indian actor, producer, and politician (b. 1917)
- 1988 – Jainendra Kumar, Indian Hindi Writer(b.1905)
- 1990 – Thorbjørn Egner, Norwegian author (b. 1922)
- 1991 – Virginia Sorensen, American author (b. 1912)
- 1992 – Peyo, Belgian cartoonist (b. 1928)
- 1992 – Bobby LaKind, American singer-songwriter and conga player (b. 1945)
- 1993 – Norman Vincent Peale, American minister and author (b. 1898)
- 1994 – John Boswell, American historian (b. 1947)
- 1994 – Rossano Brazzi, Italian actor (b. 1916)
- 1997 – James Komack, American television producer (b. 1930)
- 1997 – Toshiro Mifune, Japanese actor (b. 1920)
- 1997 – Pierre Péladeau, Canadian businessman, founded Quebecor (b. 1925)
- 1998 – Syl Apps, Canadian ice hockey player and pole vaulter (b. 1915)
- 1999 – Bill Bowerman, American sports coach and businessman, co-founded Nike, Inc. (b. 1911)
- 1999 – Maurice Couve de Murville, French politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1907)
- 1999 – João Figueiredo, Brazilian military leader and politician, 30th President of Brazil (b. 1918)
- 2000 – John Cooper, English businessman, co-founded the Cooper Car Company (b. 1923)
- 2000 – Nick Massi, American singer and bass player (The Four Seasons) (b. 1935)
- 2002 – Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author (b. 1920)
- 2002 – Jake Thackray, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1938)
- 2004 – Johnny Oates, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1946)
- 2005 – Michael Vale, American actor (b. 1922)
- 2006 – Braguinha, Brazilian singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1907)
- 2006 – Kenneth Sivertsen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and poet (b. 1961)
- 2006 – Frank Stanton, American businessman (b. 1908)
- 2007 – Nicholas Pumfrey, English judge (b. 1951)
- 2007 – Akbar Radi, Iranian playwright (b. 1939)
- 2008 – Harold Pinter, English scriptwriter, director, and actor, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1930)
- 2009 – Marcus Bakker, Dutch politician (b. 1923)
- 2009 – Rafael Caldera, Venezuelan lawyer and politician, 65th President of Venezuela (b. 1916)
- 2009 – George Michael, American sportscaster (b. 1939)
- 2009 – Gero von Wilpert, German literary scientist and author (b. 1933)
- 2010 – Elisabeth Beresford, French-English author (b. 1926)
- 2010 – Frans de Munck, Dutch footballer (b. 1922)
- 2010 – Orestes Quércia, Brazilian politician, 28th Governor of São Paulo State (b. 1938)
- 2010 – Eino Tamberg, Estonian composer (b. 1930)
- 2011 – Johannes Heesters, Dutch actor and singer (b. 1903)
- 2012 – Richard Rodney Bennett, English composer (b. 1936)
- 2012 – Ray Collins, American singer (The Mothers of Invention) (b. 1936)
- 2012 – Brad Corbett, American businessman (b. 1937)
- 2012 – Charles Durning, American actor (b. 1923)
- 2012 – Jack Klugman, American actor (b. 1922)
- 2012 – Xavier Mabille, Belgian historian (b. 1933)
- 2012 – Dennis O'Driscoll, Irish poet (b. 1954)
- 2012 – Capital Steez, American rapper (b. 1993)
Holidays and observances[edit]
- Christmas Eve (Christianity) and its related observances:
- Aðfangadagskvöld, the day when the 13th and the last Yule Lad arrives to towns. (Iceland)
- Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italy)
- Jul (Denmark, Norway and Sweden)
- Nochebuena (Spain and Spanish-speaking countries)
- The Declaration of Christmas Peace (Old Great Square of Turku, Finland's official Christmas City)
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”” Luke 2:11-14 NIV
===
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon
Morning
"Friend, go up higher."
Luke 14:10
Luke 14:10
When first the life of grace begins in the soul, we do indeed draw near to God, but it is with great fear and trembling. The soul conscious of guilt, and humbled thereby, is overawed with the solemnity of its position; it is cast to the earth by a sense of the grandeur of Jehovah, in whose presence it stands. With unfeigned bashfulness it takes the lowest room.
But, in after life, as the Christian grows in grace, although he will never forget the solemnity of his position, and will never lose that holy awe which must encompass a gracious man when he is in the presence of the God who can create or can destroy; yet his fear has all its terror taken out of it; it becomes a holy reverence, and no more an overshadowing dread. He is called up higher, to greater access to God in Christ Jesus. Then the man of God, walking amid the splendours of Deity, and veiling his face like the glorious cherubim, with those twin wings, the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, will, reverent and bowed in spirit, approach the throne; and seeing there a God of love, of goodness, and of mercy, he will realize rather the covenant character of God than his absolute Deity. He will see in God rather his goodness than his greatness, and more of his love than of his majesty. Then will the soul, bowing still as humbly as aforetime, enjoy a more sacred liberty of intercession; for while prostrate before the glory of the Infinite God, it will be sustained by the refreshing consciousness of being in the presence of boundless mercy and infinite love, and by the realization of acceptance "in the Beloved." Thus the believer is bidden to come up higher, and is enabled to exercise the privilege of rejoicing in God, and drawing near to him in holy confidence, saying, "Abba, Father."
"So may we go from strength to strength,
And daily grow in grace,
Till in thine image raised at length,
We see thee face to face."
Evening
"The night also is thine."
Psalm 74:16
Psalm 74:16
Yes, Lord, thou dost not abdicate thy throne when the sun goeth down, nor dost thou leave the world all through these long wintry nights to be the prey of evil; thine eyes watch us as the stars, and thine arms surround us as the zodiac belts the sky. The dews of kindly sleep and all the influences of the moon are in thy hand, and the alarms and solemnities of night are equally with thee. This is very sweet to me when watching through the midnight hours, or tossing to and fro in anguish. There are precious fruits put forth by the moon as well as by the sun: may my Lord make me to be a favoured partaker in them.
The night of affliction is as much under the arrangement and control of the Lord of Love as the bright summer days when all is bliss. Jesus is in the tempest. His love wraps the night about itself as a mantle, but to the eye of faith the sable robe is scarce a disguise. From the first watch of the night even unto the break of day the eternal Watcher observes his saints, and overrules the shades and dews of midnight for his people's highest good. We believe in no rival deities of good and evil contending for the mastery, but we hear the voice of Jehovah saying, "I create light and I create darkness; I, the Lord, do all these things."
Gloomy seasons of religious indifference and social sin are not exempted from the divine purpose. When the altars of truth are defiled, and the ways of God forsaken, the Lord's servants weep with bitter sorrow, but they may not despair, for the darkest eras are governed by the Lord, and shall come to their end at his bidding. What may seem defeat to us may be victory to him.
"Though enwrapt in gloomy night,
We perceive no ray of light;
Since the Lord himself is here,
'Tis not meet that we should fear."
===
Today's reading: Nahum 1-3, Revelation 14 (NIV)
View today's reading on Bible GatewayToday's Old Testament reading: Nahum 1-3
1 A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
The LORD’s Anger Against Nineveh
2 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
and vents his wrath against his enemies.
3 The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
and clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither
and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
5 The mountains quake before him
and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
the world and all who live in it.
6 Who can withstand his indignation?
Who can endure his fierce anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire;
the rocks are shattered before him....
the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
and vents his wrath against his enemies.
3 The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
and clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither
and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
5 The mountains quake before him
and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
the world and all who live in it.
6 Who can withstand his indignation?
Who can endure his fierce anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire;
the rocks are shattered before him....
Today's New Testament reading: Revelation 14
The Lamb and the 144,000
1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless....
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Ahio [Ăhī'ō]—fraternal or his brother.
- A son of Abinadab and brother of Uzzah. It was in Abinadab’s house that the Ark of God rested for twenty years after its return by the Philistines (2 Sam. 6:3, 4; 1 Chron. 13:7).
- A son of Elpaal, a Benjamite (1 Chron. 8:14).
- A son of Jehiel by his wife Maachah and an ancestor of Saul (1 Chron. 8:31; 9:37).
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BEGINNING
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. - 1 John 1:1-2
Beginning. The Beginning. How much we all want to know about the beginning of all things, in order to understand the now of all things, and to pursue the way things are supposed to be in our lives today. The original design must be the ideal, the way things ought to be. The Bible's opening words: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," delineate between a time in which there was only God, and a new time in which his magnificent creation began (Gen. 1:1).
The opening words of the Gospel of John place the Son of God right there-at the beginning: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
Unlike any other birth, the birth of Jesus was not the beginning of a new life. Rather, one who was there in The Beginning, appeared among his creation through his birth. "The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us" (1 John 1:1-2). This appearance was no dream or vision or apparition, it was an extended visitation, a flood of revelation, an appearance of the Everlasting in terrestrial form, a real life.
"The life appeared." It was heard; it was seen; it was felt. Bethlehem was not the beginning of the life of Christ, and that's why his life can change our lives. Jesus said: "Before Abraham was born, I AM."
"I AM": I always was, I am now, and I will always be. That is why he can connect us with our original purpose.
God reached out to the human race in a new way in Bethlehem. Whereas in the past God spoke through the words of prophets, a new channel of God's communication was opened in Bethlehem. God "has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Heb. 1:2-3).
So Christmas is about the good beginning (Genesis 1), and it is about the rescue of the now (John 1). That means that Jesus will help us regain everything that a human life was supposed to be in the first place-a real relationship with God, real wisdom, real character, real virtue. He intends to restore the image of God in our humanness.
Prayer for today:
Lord, I acknowledge that you are the only one who can begin something new in my life. Thank you for the appearance of Jesus, "the life." Help me to be a true disciple.
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