Monday Musings - December 23, 2019

1. The year is drawing to a close. This is the next-to-last Monday of the year. There are two short days until Christmas and only 8 days remaining in 2019.

2. Winter began on Saturday night Eastern Standard Time. I almost did not notice it.

From Saturday Night Live
December 22, 2019

3. I do not usually watch Saturday Night Live because it is on too late and often I do not appreciate the humor. This Saturday, however, we recorded the show to review later and on Sunday we watched the show because it had Eddie Murphy as the host. It was very funny. One of the funnest parts was the comparison of Mitch McConnell to a Star Wars character. It made me laugh. 

4. Family NFL Results. There is one week remaining in the NFL season.
  
    Steelers lost to Jets 10-16 (Playoff hopes on life support)
    Cowboys lose to Eagles 9-17 (Playoff hopes on life-support)
    Redskins lose to Giants 35-41
    Ravens defeat Browns 31-15 (Earned 1st seed in AFC)

5. The packages are bought and everything is ready for the holiday! Really? No, but it is great to think about.

6. Dual youth basketball games highlighted my Sunday. The boys split with one win and one loss, but both had great performances.

7. The temperatures are going to be in the 50's for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yay! I wonder if there is any way I'll play golf. Who am I kidding?

8. Today in History. On December 23, 1888, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cuts off the lower part of his left ear with a razor while staying in Arles, France.  He later documented the event in a painting titled Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear. Today, Van Gogh is regarded as an artistic genius and his masterpieces sell for record-breaking prices; however, during his lifetime, he was a poster boy for tortured starving artists and sold only one painting.



Headlines


Three Big Child Predator Sites Were Closed.  - The New York Times

In France, Holiday Skating Rinks Are an Unlikely Climate Battleground - The New York Times

'Bull's-eye' landing for Boeing's Starliner - Reuters

Hong Kong braces for protests over Christmas holidays - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week


Christmas is also a time to remember the treasures of our own history. We remember one Christmas in particular, 1776, our first year as a nation. The Revolutionary War had been going badly. But George Washington’s faith, courage, and leadership would turn the tide of history our way. On Christmas night he led a band of ragged soldiers across the Delaware River through driving snow to a victory that saved the cause of independence. It’s said that their route of march was stained by bloody footprints, but their spirit never faltered and their will could not be crushed. The image of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow is one of the most famous in American history. He personified a people who knew it was not enough to depend on their own courage and goodness; they must also seek help from God, their Father and Preserver.

Ronald Reagan Christmas Address 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD