Iran is part of the global nuclear monitoring agency. Israel isn't. Israel refuses to say whether it has nuclear weapons or not when the world has known since the time of the Kennedy administration that it does have them. Fears are not facts. Insinuations are not facts. Accurate, concrete intelligence represents facts. I don't have a reason to think that there isn't fear mongering and war mongering happening now on the part of the powers that be who have openly, publicly been announcing their intent to go to war with Iran for decades now.

I've decided to change the bar pendant with crosses to this cross pendant. https://athenagaia.com/products/silver-faced-greek-cross-small You can get a sense of what it looks like in three dimensions by looking at this cross pendant. https://athenagaia.com/products/rustic-center-stone-silver-greek-cross-small

Addendum: I did bring out the oil-filled heater today for the room with the TV. It’s working well and the heat is so comfortable even on the low setting. It didn’t have much effect in the kitchen, which is draftier. It’s possible that the radiator isn’t getting hot enough because of air in the system. I should try bleeding it. [image: 1766893369546-img_2287-resized.jpeg]

His point seems to be things have changed over 60 years. A 25 to 30 year old doesn't share all the cultural touchstones of my generation. Go figure. Maybe he should play assisted living facilities.

@piano-dad Congrats to the family! For Christmas I love pulling out the china (my mom’s Noritake Oriental, bamboo motif) and her silverplate (service for 12; we have sterling for 8 from her uncle, but that’s not enough). It’s like playing dress up for the house. I don’t mind hand washing it all after guests go home. My kids stay and help with the clean up.

In a nearby suburb, a critter does what it was born to do. https://www.fox32chicago.com/video/fmc-1acbbiqidajexr23

@Piano-Dad said in Who’s decorating for the holidays?: Not me. We're out in Las Vegas preparing to welcome granddaughter Raven on New Year's Eve! Ahem. Is there something you’d like to announce?

Cheers for Kimmel

BBC's list of 12 books to read in 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2e6nw1w40o

What a lovely looking pan. We already had a couple of heavy cast iron griddle pans at about 25cm, so our skillet is 30cm... and no handle at that size. Petromax brand. Got to look after them though!

It will be like the cliche-- banned in Boston. Now everyone will make a point of watching it. I haven't because the pictures alone are upsetting. I guess the point is Trump is sending people to this prison with no due process. He's also sending people to foreign countries in Africa where they haven't been been since childhood and when they don't speak the language (and presumably arrive with nothing). It's mind boggling.

@ShiroKuro Agreed.

A singer-songwriter is refusing to perform at the Trump-Kennedy Center after the venue’s name changed. Kristy Lee announced Monday that she canceled her scheduled performance at the Washington, D.C., arts institution scheduled for Jan. 14, 2026. The move came days after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the former John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “I don’t have much power, and I don’t run with the big dogs who do. I’m just a folk singer from Alabama, slinging songs for a living,” Lee wrote on social media. “Hell, my songs are really just my own diary set to music. They’re not polished or hit songs, but they’re my truth and nobody can take that from me. I’m proud of that.” “I believe in the power of truth, and I believe in the power of people. And I’m gonna stand on that side forever. I won’t lie to you, canceling shows hurts. This is how I keep the lights on. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck,” she continued. “When American history starts getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody else’s ego, I can’t stand on that stage and sleep right at night. America didn’t get built by branding. It got built by people showing up and doing the work. And the folks who carry it don’t need their name on it, they just show up. That’s all I’m doing here. I’m showing up.” Her post went viral, generating hundreds of thousands of likes, shares and comments. She thanked fans for their support and said she plans to instead perform virtually at home on Jan. 14. https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2025/12/singer-cancels-kennedy-center-concert-after-trump-name-change.html Kristy Lee's statement. https://www.facebook.com/kristyleefans/posts/pfbid0w7d3eFTsc2vLJpMs2247qxGP7aGtLBBsAWJBHYfd7HTDCxoxSyuBkuCAR5za6tN5l?rdid=Z1VFv8Fv68WWgkLY# Samples of her music, and a donation link. https://www.kristyleemusic.com/

A lovely feel-good story for this Christmas.

I made a sweater just like mine for Mr wtg; we are sweater twins. A friend stopped by today when Mr wtg and I were wearing our sweaters and said we should have done a Christmas card with a photo of the two of us wearing them. We said we don't have any friends to send cards to, and she came up with the brilliant idea of simply sending Christmas cards with our sweater photo to random people. We got a good chuckle out of the thought that the recipients would be trying to figure out where they know these two oldsters from....

@AndyD lovely!!

@Piano-Dad said in One reason they were holding up the release: Alternatively, they're just truly incompetent. I cast my vote for that option. Details on the "how to": Epstein Files Hacked And Posted To X “Trump’s DOJ is so incompetent that they don’t even know how to properly redact PDFs,” Brian Krassenstein, political commentator and journalist, tweeted the day the agency released the files. You might be inclined to write this off immediately, given that Krassenstein is known for his anti-Trump stance. In this case, however, that would be a mistake. As well as providing the evidence in a series of tweets that showed the highly redacted documents as well as the unredacted versions, Krassenstein went on to explain precisely how the Epstein files could be hacked. While it is common to read about hackers using PDFs in attacks, the portable document format is susceptible to attack itself. The shocking truth is that it was ridiculously easy, employing straightforward methods that have been known for years. That the DOJ was seemingly unaware of the PDF bugs that have been exploited to do this is concerning from a national security viewpoint at the very least. I am surprised, given that the DOJ has shown technical competence in operations with the FBI in the past, such as remotely deleting files from thousands of U.S.-based computers. I have reached out to the DOJ for a statement, but in the meantime, here’s how the hack went down. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/12/24/epstein-files-hacked---all-you-need-to-know/