HILLARY CLINTON HOSPITALIZED WITH BLOOD CLOT

Secretary Hillary Clinton was hospitalized today after a doctors doing a follow-up exam discovered a blood clot had formed, stemming from the concussion she sustained several weeks ago.

She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the medication over the next 48 hours, Deputy Assistant Secretary Philippe Reines said.

Her doctors will continue to assess her condition, including other issues associated with her concussion. They will determine if any further action is required, Reines said.

Prayers for restoration to full health for Secretary Clinton.  I admire her greatly for her tireless dedication as Secretary of State.  She's done an outstanding job.

PAUL KRUGMAN - IT'S THE DEBT CEILING...

It sure looks as if we’re going over the fiscal cliff, but that may be the least of our problems. The debt ceiling is a much bigger and more dangerous issue, and it looks very much as if Republicans are set to destroy the full faith and credit of the United States if they can’t get their way.

Read the entire post.  I wanted to add "stupid" to my title, but I refrained in the spirit of the season of peace and good will, but I suppose thinking "stupid" is in the same category as lust in the heart.  Oh well. Mea culpa.

Paul Krugman is my favorite economist.  Why the president and Democrats in Congress don't pay attention to Krugman is a mystery to me. He knows his subject, does the research and the math, and speaks what looks like plain common sense to me.  He should be Secretary of the Treasury, but, if offered the position (not likely), he might not accept.  A Facebook friend reminded me that Krugman won the Nobel Prize, which should count for something, however I fear certain citizens of the country view Nobel Prizes as a liberal plot, thus it counts for nothing with them.

IT'S STILL CHRISTMAS - 6

Steven Bridges and Michael Snell, the first same-sex couple to be married in Maine

I invite you to celebrate the sixth day of Christmas, not with six geese a-laying, but with newly-weds or about-to-be-weds in Maine where the law allowing same-sex marriage went into effect at midnight on December 29.  Steven and Michael look so happy.  What a lovely Christmas gift.  Congratulations all you love-birds in Maine.  Why would anyone be against marriage between two adults who love each other and want to commit themselves to one another?

Besides, six geese a-laying around and about the house would make for quite a mess added to the partridge, turtle doves, French hens, calling (colly) birds, and pheasants, with yet more birds to come.

SNOW IS GLISTENIN'

 

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

IT'S STILL CHRISTMAS - 5

Red-golden pheasant

On topic for a change today, I invite you to celebrate the fifth day of Christmas with five gold rings.  Ha!  I'll bet you thought the rings were jewelry.  It has been suggested by my Facebook friend James and other sources that the rings are pheasants, which makes sense if you consider that the first seven Christmas gifts in the song are birds, but for the anomaly of the five gold rings.  Still, if you prefer gold rings, then carry on.  Chacun à son goût.

Straight No Chasers sings the song not-so-straight in the video.

 

IT'S STILL CHRISTMAS - 4

 

Celebrate the fourth day of Christmas with me if you don't mind the gift of two doggies rather than four calling birds.  Pictured above is my daughter-in-law with Molly and Max.  Molly, who was adopted just before Christmas, is the newest member of the family.  She was found abandoned on the side of the road and taken to an animal rescue center.  I don't understand how could anyone could be so heartless as to abandon such a cute and sweet dog as Molly.

Max went to live with my son and daughter-in-law at Christmas time last year.  Max's elderly owner died, and he was abused by family members who did not want him.  He is yappy and excitable, but, considering his history, his behavior is understandable.  The family hopes that Molly will be a good example for Max.  He is already more contented when the humans leave for work now that he has a companion.

UPDATE: I should have said Molly is on the left and Max on the right. 

THE HOLY INNOCENTS

Why this feast on the church calendar so soon after Christmas?  Why the martyrdom of Stephen on the day after Christmas?  At times, I say, "Oh no!" to the church calendar.  How can I help but think of the holy innocents in Newtown, Connecticut?  And the firemen in Webster, New York, who were killed by the arsonist when they arrived to fight the fire?  And the innocents killed daily by gunshot here in the US?

Collect of the Day: The Holy Innocents

We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

No more words.

Picture from margaret at leave it lay where Jesus flang it.

UPDATE: From Andrew Gerns at The Lead.

Let us remember the 150th anniversary of the hanging of the Dakota 38.

On December 26, 1862, the day after Christmas, 38 Dakota men and two others were executed. The hangings were the result of the Dakota War of 1862, which was to end of the Dakota people from living in the state of Minnesota. President Abraham Lincoln, the freer of the slaves ironically, ordered their executions.

JUST IN...

 

...from howling at the full moon...

 

...out of she-werewolf mode...




...back to blogger mode. :-)

IT'S STILL CHRISTMAS - 3

 

Celebrate the third day of Christmas with me, if you don't mind the gift of two roosters instead of three French hens.  The roosters were intended to be laying hens by my daughter and her family, but the donors made it clear that they guaranteed nothing when they gave away the chicks.  By the time the family found out both chicks were roosters, they had fallen in love.

 

The roosters compete with each other to eat the dog's food.  It's obvious that the birds are familiar with humans, because they are gentle.  The pictures do a poor job of showing off their handsome colors.

 

There were humans at the Christmas gathering, too, but everyone was entranced by the birds.

We were under a tornado warning all afternoon, but, although it rained some, and strong winds blew, and scary-looking low clouds were all around, the weather never became dangerous.

FEAST OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST

Today is the feast of St John the Evangelist, the patron of my church. The Fathers of the Church believed John the Evangelist was the author of the Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, and the same person as John the Apostle and John of Patmos.  Later scholars suggest rather that a disciple of John the Apostle wrote the Gospel and three Epistles and that John of Patmos was a different person, because the writing style of the Book of Revelation is too different from the Gospel and Epistles.

Pictured above is the stained glass window at St. John's Episcopal Church in Thibodaux. If you click on the picture, you see (somewhat blurred) the detail in the glass which shows a snake coming out of the goblet in John's hand. According to legend, the emperor Domitian offered poisoned wine to John, but he blessed the wine and the poison came out of the goblet in the form of a snake.  A painting by El Greco illustrates the same legend.

Collect of the day

Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light; that we, being illumined by the teaching of your apostle and evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.