102 Comments

Thank you for these!

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I love In the Beak Midwinter. It is such an evocative carol and very popular in the UK when people are singing traditional carols. The shops play all the old hits from recent decades...and it becomes a point of honour for people to try and avoid being 'Whammed' aka Last Christmased.

Today most of the papers are full of stories about the fall of Assad.

If you have not followed Charles Lister on x, he is a reliable resource. The post he published this morning about the discovery of an iron press in Saydnaya (used to press people so that bodies could be disposed of easier) is somewhat stomach churning. https://x.com/Charles_Lister/status/1866028623586640133

This is why whatever comes next must surely be better for the Syrian people.

There are going to be many horror stories coming out from the prisons. They are still trying to get to the lower levels of Saydnaya become the prisoners perish. The White Helmets are there.

The HTS have issued this about women's clothing etc (including forbidding them to ask women to cover up) which is encouraging: https://x.com/ZainaErhaim/status/1866063181493293484

Assad apologists in the UK have been left with egg on their faces. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/09/assad-apologists-uk-politics-corbyn-galloway/

or https://archive.ph/N0Vwt

And Biden (aka the US government) is in secret talks with the rebels. It is expected that the UK might lift its proscription of HTS. The US has been carrying out precision bombing of known IS sites (something they could not do before) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/12/09/syria-assad-demascus-russia-israel-iran-putin-war/

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I read that Assad has been given asylum in Russia, I'm sure he and Steven Segal will have a lot to talk about.

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No one has seen him yet, but that is supposed to be where he has gone.

Russia is now going to try desperately to curry favour with whatever government emerges as they want those bases. Hence the unfurling of the new flag at the Syrian embassy in Moscow. Iran will also court as that is where all the catagen and other drugs were manufactured etc etc.

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Sheesh. Joey is bound and determined to get us involved in yet another Muslim civil war. We should back off and let them immolate each other.

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Syria is complex. There have been Christians there for nearly 2,000 years. There are also a number of other groups. They have a right to stay there and have a government which works for them.

The US is precision bombing IS sites. They can operate with impunity now. Israel has been bombing chemical weapon sites etc as well.

But I do think in general the West needs to stay out (but not allow Iran and Russia to go back in).

Right now, providing assistance in freeing the captives in some way would be good.

Interesting to see that suddenly there may be movement on the Gazan hostages as well.

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Sure Syria is complex. And that’s why it’s dangerous to intervene because the bumbling idiots in the Joey administration have not one clue about anything other than Israel bad.

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I agree. There have been many apologists for Assad in the Biden administration.

Israel though is not waiting for Biden etc but is taking steps.

All I can do is hope that the Syrian people get a regime which is focused on rebuilding that torn country and leaves their neighbours alone.

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As Israel should being a next door neighbor and directly affected. But the US? I think not. Let the Muslims kill each other off and when the dust settles, then and only then should we think about what happens next.

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Basically. The US still has troops in Iraq etc. They don't want IS regaining a foothold. But this can be done with strategic bombing raids.

Generally the Sunni and Shi'a excommunicate each other and have done for over 500 years.

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Yes but like in so many other parts of the Middle East, what exactly do the people of syria want? What are their values when it comes to tolerance of others particularly non-Muslims ? There is a marked absence of diversity and inclusion throughout the region and it has gone on for many many years.

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I know. We don't know. One of the big problems has been the 'clearing' of other religious groups such as the Christians, the Jews etc because they have been subjected to worse and worse conditions.

I did think Damascus Station was good at explaining the complexity of Syria.

One of the big slogans of this particular revolution seems to be One Syria, One People.

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One can pretty much assume that if Biden's "brain trust" stands for something, it is contrary to all sense and right..

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But "Biden?"

“…for the present, no one knows who is in charge of the United States.”

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Assad apologists? Heck, there were Stalin apologists and are Hamasites!. Maybe the New Brooms can clean out the State Department while they're at it?

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Well, I went down the rabbit hole of finding out how and why there were pre-Rafaelites in England in the 19th century (something that had been bugging me off and on for some time!) 😋

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They were quite something at one point....captured the public's imagination.

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I'm cultured enough to have heard of them, but not so much that I knew any details! Still don't know enough about Rafael to appreciate what the kerfuffle was, but I think I might be able to recognize the style now.

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Oh, what is so odd is that people rush past the Rafael rooms in the Vatican to see the Sistine chapel. Rafael altered so much on perspective etc.

The pre-Rapfaelites were v hedonistic. There is a v specific style and the models all had a specific look.

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Sadly true. If this senile imbecile was too daft to run, why is he competent to serve? Is it only become those who rule over us know that Kamala is even less competent? As Cromwell said to Parliament I say to the Democrats now -"It is not fit that you should sit here any longer. You have sat here too long for any good you have been doing lately … In the name of God go.“

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I think that is why there was not a mass demand for Biden to step down-- the fear that Kamala would be even worse.

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Because imbecility via senility is to be preferred to organic imbecility? Good God, what does that say about the state of our nation and the jesters and fools who consider themselves our "elites?"

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Self explanatory.

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Cuz Dr. Jill (not a real doctor) is doing a better job than Kamala would do?

<nods head>

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It almost sounds like there was a strategy! (Though it backfired when they felt like they owed Kamala the nomination)

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So we finally know who’s running the country. There should have been trials & people charged

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My wife sent me this quote from a blog she follows this morning:

"I'm going to explain to you what happened in Syria. But if you believed

that the rebels, who were held at bay for 14 years suddenly became Delta

Force in a week you are too dense to comprehend it so you can stop

reading now. The CIA removed Assad the same [as] we removed Saddam and

Gadaffi. And now before Trump can be inaugurated we, the United States,

are going to rush aid to the terrorists who took his place. A group that

we have on the terrorist list mind you. Those funds will be spent by the

terrorists on weapons from companies that "support" some of your

favorite politicians. Those funds will find their way, in part, to some

of those same politician's campaigns when those companies "donate." And

on and on goes the scam that has been happening in front of you for your

entire life."

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What a bloody mess.

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At least Patel, Gabbard, Hegseth, Ratchiffe et al may yet ferret out the traitors and fifth columnists who have soiled our intel agencies.

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Yikes!!!

The world will not survive another American Democratic President

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“But if you believed that the rebels, who were held at bay for 14 years suddenly became Delta Force in a week you are too dense to comprehend it so you can stop reading now”. 🛎️ 🛎️ 🛎️

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It will be a miracle if HTS turns out to not be another Taliban. I'm glad there is some reason to hope for that miracle.

But what is their position on Israel?

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Traditionally antagonistic, but they are aware of the huge debt they owe Israel for neutralizing Hezbollah. Equally that Israel means business....

YOu have to have hope. I suspect it will be more Erdogan's Turkey. And fingers crossed for an independent or semi-independent Kurdish state.

But equally it could easily just remain a huge stinking mess.

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I keep hoping for an independent Kurdish state, but it seems like Erdogan would do everything in his power to prevent that, even if said Kurdish state were planted on the opposite side of the globe.

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Taliban. My thoughts exactly. It’s proof of human nature that even theocratic leaders give out campaign promises on which they don’t intend to deliver!😉

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I’m so pedestrian.

My favorite carol is Oh Holy Night sung by Nat King Cole.

Second favorite is Angels We Have Heard On High.

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You might enjoy this lovely dance/ violin performance of Angels We Have Heard On High by Lindsay Stirling---it's one my own favs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFsDAoCHYiQ

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As the presenter at WFMT (Chicago) a few years ago was heard to say after an hour or so of particularly egregious 20th century atonal codswallop, "And now back to music.)

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Haha! My sentiments exactly.

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Love NKC, but my favourite is "The Christmas Song"

probably too common

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Oh Holy Night is my favorite, too, but I cry every time because it reminds me of my grandmother. I love Nat King Cole’s version.

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In the Bleak Midwinter is my favorite, as well! I enjoyed the poem by RLS- I had not read it before.

My second favorite hymn- not Christmas Carol- which is also a poem set to music, is ‘Lead Kindly Light’ by John Henry Newman. I couldn’t tell you whose arrangement I prefer. I found it years ago, started playing it myself, and don’t remember to whom the music should be attributed. But the words are what captivate me- it has a ‘wintery’ aura about it. ❤️

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Oh, that is a beautiful hymn! I hope it is still in our new hymnbook.

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It's not what's in the new hymnbook, it's (sadly) what's not.

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Well, the few we've seen so far are numbered all the way up in the 1000s! I don't know if that's a temporary thing to prevent confusion of numbers. I suspect that's the case, because the actual release of the new hymnbook isn't until 2026. They are just releasing a few of the new hymns at a time now, perhaps so people will have a chance to become familiar with them before the changeover.

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Personally, I favor the light-hearted, like

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wtamAbbgw-I&list=OLAK5uy_nwWCUNMumyirhBYNMhYPDbPCloxbe_tbs&index=2

And for the Members of the Tribe among us, there’s always

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LslsgH3-UFU

Born and raised Jewish in New Orleans explains a lot…..

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Hannukah in Santa Monica. Hilarious. Loved it thank you. I remember all my Jewish friends lamenting (sort of) Christmases in the movie theaters followed by dinner in a Chinese restaurant. I've often said, if you guys didn't exist, we'd have to invent you! "Nobody Wants This." Brilliant.

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I love (and honestly, forgot about until you mentioned it) In the Bleak Midwinter.

...but this is the version that speaks to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBCYZ9jIJkI

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That's beautiful!

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Loreena McKennit has a beautiful rendition of In The Bleak Midwinter on her A Midwinter Night’s Dream album:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-midwinter-nights-dream/1440825467

Also on YouTube I listen to Gregorian chants by The Bard and Patrick Lenk. Not exactly Christmas but it’s a good alternative to, like Michelle said, getting Whammed or Mariahed every five minutes!

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Gregorian Chant. Thank you for that idea. We’re jumping all over music -wise. Nancy Wilson to Gregorian chant. It’s all good!

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Also the app Hallow has a section with Christmas music that’s very nice. I think most is free but some might fall under the paid version.

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I love In the Bleak Midwinter as well. Other favs are Christmastide by Jessye Norman and Count Your Blessings by Bing Crosby.

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Another tour de force. Thank you, Celia. I am always struck by the fact that winter is both our most beautiful and magical season and the harshest and cruelest time of the year. And just like my ancestors of old, I like fires and lights to ward off the darkness........

As I await the liberation of January 20th.

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“Announced by all the trumpets of the sky, arrives the snow!” “Fires and lights”. The firewood is in, the candles are gleaming in the windows. Let it snow!

January 20 I’m going to raise a toast, to much needed change and after Trump, 2 terms of JD or DeSantis-pick your favorite. Just no Democrats!

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I am wondering whether you have read "Rossetti: His Life and Works," by Evelyn Waugh. It was Waugh's first published book.

Your two selected carols are wonderful. I am very partial to "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."

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I love the Manheim Steamroller rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNKc_6ZqxrY

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I have not. Interesting!

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Very nice, Celia, thank you…I will have “In the Bleak Midwinter “ running thru my head all day…not a bad thing at all!

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What beautiful poems. Thank you, Celia. Last night I saw a ballet about the Gospel performed by a local troupe. The dancers ranged in age from adult all the way down to infant. The baby playing the newborn Jesus did something none of the other babies in the earlier performances did (according to one of the choreographers). She cried just as the heavenly hosts celebrated Christ’s birth (“Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;”) The baby’s timing here was exquisite. What a compelling announcement to the world that God had successfully delivered our Redeemer to the world. Cue the tears.

As for the haunting “Christmas at Sea,” I can’t tell you how often during our expat years as we flew west over Eurasia toward the states, I’d wonder about the strife going on 40,000 feet — a mere 7 miles — below. There in that climate controlled tube, I was no different from RLS’s blissfully cosseted revelers.

As for Syria, all I can say is be careful what you wish for. This is scary.

.

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It is things like that that make live performances something that can never be fully replicated.

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Interesting and educational as always! I learn so much here and this and the comments got me thinking about my own favorite Christmas- Solstice Season songs. Lots of good memories. Thanks!

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I guess that I'm aware that there's poetry hiding inside the much-loved carols but it's generally not front-and-center to me because the music's so much the thing. (I've so often been the tenor section in small choirs and one of very few such even in larger choirs that it's hard not go kinda get off on such as Joy to the World.) Bleak Midwinter has always been an exception; it is well that (at least in arrangements that I've sung) it doesn't have a very wild tenor part because I can't see the music by the third verse. Thank you.

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BTW: Three generations of The "Joneses" did the Longwood Christmas last Friday. (Longwood Garden, for probably most of y'all, is a frankly spectacular botanical establishment that was built by (approximately) the third generation The duPont.) Over the past 110 years or so, it has largely followed the path established by Conquest's Law; ie, it has the most stupidly PC restroom arrangements that I've seen anywhere -- but it's still Longwood CHRISTMAS. Not DIE-approved Generic Winter Holiday. So maybe there's hope!

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Meanwhile over at the unFree Press, the comical Eli Lake writes "[b]ut since Trump first ran for president in 2016, both parties have been engaged in a game of chicken when it comes to deploying the justice system against their opposition." Both parties??? What arrant bullshit. What political "enemies" did Trump target during his first Administration? Exactly none. Of course Bari hides the rest of his inane diatribe behind a paywall but without hypocrisy, the Free Press would have no principles, at all.

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I guess they're of the view that asking Ukraine to investigate the Biden's activities to be "deploying the justice system against their opposition". Admittedly it was not clear at the time that Biden would be a meaningful political opponent.

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Or that DJT might have been on the right track re Biden Crime Family Enterprises

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My subscription ran out yesterday thankfully. I’ve had enough of their drivel over there.

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Thank you, Celia. "In the Bleak Midwinter" has always been one of my favorite Christmas carols, but I didn't know anything of its history. I also really enjoyed being introduced to the Robert Louis Stevenson poem.

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