Capitol Hill Blue Forums Hot Topics & Breaking News The RoundTable Round Table for Week of December 16 - 22

Welcome to the Round Table -- Let's See What This Week Holds In Store, or for the Non-consumer Driven Ranter, On the Calendar...

First off, let's just say December 16 is a pretty wonderful day in history. After all, we're here, and that alone is a wonderful thing. Then there is all this Solstice Stuff coming up, which has made significant numbers of people worried about the end of the earth, because a civilization that wrote 5000 years or more of calendars, stopped on December 21, 2012.

Well, duh...They figured 5000 years was enough.

Then there is what has gone on in history.

And of course, there is the end of Hanukkah, and the upcoming Yule, Christmas, and New Year's Holiday preparations. And the Solstice. And that "We survived the end of the world" party.

You all will have to supply your own goodies for your own parties. I'll be in MN, so we'll be having rabbit tracks and snowballs.

Don't ask.

In great film history, Lawrence of Arabia was released on the 16th in 1969. Talk about a great film, scenery wonderful, and the whole legend of Lawrence was glitzed again for the public. It was great fun and great entertainment. However, don't see the movie on a day when the outside temps are 102 and above, because those desert scenes will cancel out any air conditioning in the movie house. At the time, it was to be the end of everything or a victory. Stark choices.

For your viewing pleasure, a bit from the anniversary, and another...


and...



There are still, lots of additional reasons for celebrating this day, the 16th, and this week.

Remember that old phrase, the handwriting's on the wall? Well, this week is the feast day for Daniel the Prophet. He's the one that upset Nebuchadnezzar, and did it enough to get himself and his friends tossed into a double hot furnace that burned the guards putting him, and his friends inside. Interestingly, the group exited the furnace with nary a hair on their heads singed, and didn't even smell of smoke.

At a feast given for Nebuchadnezzar, there was this moving hand, writing on the wall of the dining room, and it said Nebuchadnezzar had been measured and found lacking. Right afterward, the Medes and Persians took over Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. Talk about special effects. Rembrandt did it in a painting.


Later in history, the Emperor of Special Stuff in Physics, released his biggest find. Einstein let out the secret of relativity.

The 16th is also the day of the Boston Tea Party.



Make mine Earl Gray.

Whoops! Politically incorrect from that time, so I guess I'll have Lipton's?

Still wrong?

Give me Red Zinger. That'll teach 'em...

Yeah, riiiiiight.

Well, there's also another across the world explorer that brought another phrase that has changed our own phraseology. "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

Stanley, of that phrase, found Livingstone in 1871. But, on December 18, he found East Africa. This article, discusses the Livingstone discovery that brought us the phrase. And, here's another, here.

Those were the heady days when evangelism was concerned with saving souls, not making political statements. Fast forward more than a century, and we have people in the spreading the word business, calling for the end of the world, and naming the Antichrist.

As President Obama.

What???? Not only do we have the end of the world, the Rapture when Jesus is coming down to lift all the good, believing, megachurched, reactionary Christians into Heaven, so they don't have to suffer. Complete with blow dried Bibles, they litter the airwaves with, either the world is ending, or Maitreya is coming, or our President, the Pope, or pretty much any disliked leader of any nation, can be named as the Antichrist.

Sheesh.

Remember, some called Hitler the Antichrist. Jon Stewart explains it well.



Some of these guys even claim that the Rapture won't happen on that day when the Mayan Calendar runs out, but they're also hedging their own bets. Well, they would hedge if they believed in gambling, but that's another part of the Zeitgeist.

Now, the Solstice is the 21st. The End Of the World is the 21st. We know it won't happen, because any of these endings predicting a particular date pass uneventfully. Even the Bible says no one knows the exact day or hour, nor can they. It's right there in Matthew 24.

Then there is NASA, and the whole Nibiru, the big planet that's going to take out little old Earth, is not there. If it were close enough to take out the planet, we'd be seeing it now. In daylight.



One of those blow-dried boys that call out the President as the Antichrist, agrees with NASA. I don't watch this guy often, but when I feel the need to toss something, like a few pillows around the room, his logic is impeccable for meeting my needs.

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OEbasHExOq8#![/video]

The planetary alignment issue is also addressed in a gazillion videos, and this one has a pretty easy to follow explaination of what is likely an inaccurate view of astronomical matters. No matter. Just going out at night to treasure the winter sky is worth the trip.



But, come December 21, we'll be viewing the Solstice and the celebrations surrounding it. Up in the North Country, various tribes will be meeting with the other settlers, just as they did in 2011. Check it out.



You'll likely find me out with the Ojibway or with the Lakota, celebrating the season. Of course, there will also be concerts, bell ringers and bells singing.

During this week, way back in 1946, It's A Wonderful Life premiered. Now, we see this classic every year, sometimes closer to Thanksgiving, and only one time, because they renewed the copyright, so we'll never again see it on all major networks and as many cable outlets possible.

But, every year we are reminded that angels get there wings whenever a bell rings and sings. And so, in honor of the bells, Clarence, and angels everywhere, there is this seasonal music.

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OrHWKPzaF_M#![/video]

And, from Chicago, the Kuklapolitans home town, the medley we loved as kiddies.

Nice opener Lillibet.

Wow Lillibet, what an opener! Thanks and welcome to the Opener Pack!

Considering what last week brought - I don't think we can take anymore of that...

Limbaugh to caller: "You're A Woman And You Like The Super Bowl? Or Is That When Your Husband Beats You?"

Tawny Newport Beach Mall has shooter

Yes, people usually are running to see a 'celebrity.'

Preparing to go home!

That's good news Phil! Glad to hear it.

Pack em up ’n move ‘em out!