Monday Open Thread; December 25 is Christmas


December 25 is the 359th day of the year, there are 6 days left
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Today's number is 25

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25 is 5 squared, and it has no other divisors

25 is the smallest square that is the sum of two smaller squares (9 & 16). Carpenters and others make fact of this property to draw large right angles, since this is a pythagorean triangle, with sides of 3, 4 and 5
25 is manganese
25 is the minimum age to get elected to the House of Representatives
I-25 connects Wyoming and New Mexico, but nobody is sure why
25, in Hindi, is Pachisi, the national board game of India. Ours in the US must be Monopoly, I guess.

Title 25 of the US Code is INDIANS

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25 BCE
was the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Silanus.
This was the 9th consulship for Caesar Augustus
The temple to Neptune was built on the Circus Flaminius. There was no temple to Uranus.
Rome surpassed Chang'an, China as the largest city in the world.

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25 CE
was the Year of the Consulship of Lentulus and Agrippa
Liu Xiu restored the Han dynasty in China, becoming Emperor Guangwu of Han.

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On this day in:

274 -- A temple for Sol Invictus was dedicated in Rome
336 -- First recorded celebration of Christmas (in Rome.)
496 -- Clovis I of the Franks, was baptized as a Catholic
800 -- Charlemagne was coronated Holy Roman Emperor
1492 -- Columbus' flagship, The carrack Santa Maria, ran onto a reef off Haiti
1758 -- Halley's Comet was sighted, confirming Halley's prediction
1776 -- Washington crossed the Delaware at night to attack at Trenton, New Jersey, the next day
1809 -- The first ovariotomy, removing a 22 pound tumor
1815 -- The Handel and Haydn Society (US) gave its first performance
1831 -- The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt started.
1868 -- Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all Confederate veterans (moving on, as they say)
1946 -- The Soviet F-1 nuclear reactor began Europe's first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. *****
1968 -- Apollo 8 did the first successful Trans-Earth injection (sending the astronauts back to earth)
1977 -- Begin met with Sadat in Egypt
1991 -- Gorbachev resigned as President of the Soviet Union, which dissolved the next day
1991 -- Ukraine's referendum was finalized and Ukraine officially left the Soviet Union.

****** It and its successors failed to produce energy too cheap to meter, unlike in the US.

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Born this day in:

1642 -- Isaac Newton, physicist and mathematician (old style date = Julian Calendar)
1776 -- Sydney, Lady Morgan, author
1821 -- Clara Barton, nurse, founded the Red Cross
1878 -- Louis Chevrolet, race car driver and businessman, co-founded Chevrolet
1886 -- Kid Ory, trombonist and bandleader
1889 -- Lila Bell Wallace, publisher, co-founded Reader's Digest
1890 -- Robert Ripley, anthropologist, cartoonist, and publisher (Don't believe it)
1899 -- Bogie
1907 -- Cab Calloway, singer, songwriter, and bandleader
1913 -- Tony Martin, singer
1918 -- Anwar Sadat, politician, won a Nobel for bringing peace to the middle-east
1924 -- Rod Serling, screenwriter and producer
1937 -- O'Kelly Isley Jr., singer and songwriter
1939 -- Akong Rinpoche, Tibetan-Chinese spiritual leader
1942 -- Barry Goldberg, keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
1945 -- Noel Redding, singer,songwriter, and bass player
1946 -- Jimmy Buffett, singer, songwriter, guitarist,
1948 -- Barbara Mandrell, singer, and songwriter
1954 -- Annie Lennox, singer & songwriter

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Died this day in:

1635 -- Samuel de Champlain, soldier, geographer, and explorer
1938 -- Karel Kapek, Czech author and playwright
1946 -- W. C. Fields, genius
1977 -- Charlie Chaplin, ditto
1983 -- Joan Miro, painter and sculptor
1995 -- Dean Martin, singer and actor
2006 -- James Brown, singer and songwriter
2008 -- Eartha Kitt, singer
2011 -- Jim Sherwood, saxophonist, inventive mother
2016 -- George Michael, singer
2016 -- Vera Rubin, astronomer

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Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days and such:
Christmas

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So, for music,
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Louis Chevrolet

Kid Ory

Cab Calloway

Tony Martin

O'Kelly Isley Jr

Barry Goldberg

Noel Redding

Jimmy Buffett

Annie Lennox

Dean Martin

James Brown

Eartha Kitt

Jim Sherwood

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Bonus:

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picture is public domain by Aussie~Mobs

It's an open thread, so do your thing

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mimi's picture

to me What Christmas means.

hmm ... he quotes T.S. Ellit's poem:

The magi turn their backs on their old world to embrace one that is alien, obscure and perplexing. They are full of doubt. They feel pain, not joy, “with the voices singing in our ears, saying that this was all folly.” There is no sudden epiphany. There is only bewilderment. They become aliens in their own land, “with the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly.” Faith, they find—this new faith—is exhausting and even disillusioning. Eliot concludes:

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we led all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,
But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

America is in terminal decline. It is enveloped by radical evil. Its corporate systems of power and empire exploit and kill with impunity. Its perverted values champion cruelty, mendacity and greed. It bows before the idols of money and power. It is severed from the human. It, like Herod and the Roman Empire, damns the infant Jesus. There is nothing easy about faith. It demands we smash the idols that enslave us. It demands we die to the world. It demands self-sacrifice. It demands resistance. It calls us to see ourselves in the wretched of the earth. It separates us from all that is familiar. It knows that once we feel the suffering of others, we will act.

Will we act?

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enhydra lutris's picture

@mimi
daily in individual small ways, and, in time, in concet and with tffect. We can only try, try to be consistent in out acts and to prod others.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

divineorder's picture

Our sins away.' Washing away the sins of tptb' and military seems such a daunting tadk.

Peace, el.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

enhydra lutris's picture

@divineorder
is for all of to act, continuously, a step at a time and a day at a time.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

OLinda's picture

everybody. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. I don't celebrate Christmas. I did put lights on the porch though. Just because it's pretty I guess.

Still cold here, but above single digits this morning!

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enhydra lutris's picture

@OLinda
& tree just for the sake of celebrating, possibly a late yule, because the solstice varies but a major shopping holiday cannot, or something. Glad it is warming there. Our morning temps have gone from 28 last week to 39 today, which is good. Enjoy your day.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

riverlover's picture

Unless one counts my harbor bell ringing, bong-bong and the winds are supposed to pick up today. Power-outage threats for us peons. A white Christmas here. Colder this coming week. Teens for highs.

Dog is asleep after a warm Christmas breakfast of what looks to me like gruel with a few pieces of kibble. I am probably getting a visit later from my daughter and her husband and maybe their two dogs. Not ready. I am considering making a chorizo/potato casserole later for me.

Now that my health is declining, I get lucky and win stuff in random or guess-the-number giveaways. I find that somewhat unsettling.

Happy Monday and this week, however you do it!

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

enhydra lutris's picture

@riverlover
Potato-chorizo casserole sounds like just the thing for doing so. Sounds great, though I might go with kielbasa instead. We later shall travel for a gathering and indulge in ham and what goes with it.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Raggedy Ann's picture

and everyone ~~ it's not as cold this morning. We had a nice family dinner with traditional NM food. So delicious and so warmed to be with my family.

My grandson has a friend living with him who was too depressed (bad upbringing) to join us. I sent him a small gift (his only one, sigh) and dinner. Hope he's ok.

I'm grateful for what I have and who I have in my life. I'm so grateful for this community. There is so much evil around us, let's work to smother each other with kindness.

Let's think of others as we strive to have a beautiful day, folks. Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

enhydra lutris's picture

@Raggedy Ann
NM food sounds possibly great. My wife invented a new delicacy, a thick, chunky variant of leek and potato soup, using leeks, white potatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and parsnips with a cilantro garnish. It was surprisingly fabulous, especially with fresh homemade artisan style sourdough batard.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Raggedy Ann's picture

@enhydra lutris
Good hearty soups and stews are the order for the day! Enjoy!

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

Raggedy Ann's picture

in stereo!

Edited to provide content in an otherwise empty comment. Cheers! Drinks

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

enhydra lutris's picture

We will be gone afternoon and evening.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

divineorder's picture

@enhydra lutris

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

thanks and have fun!

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enhydra lutris's picture

The same old tired bullshit say
The same obnoxious garbage spew
So I turned it off, good Yule to you.
- enhydra

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

@enhydra lutris Sposed to be News, not bells, ah well.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

I was there at the Youth Consciousness Festival in National Stadium Kingston Jamaica. My boss Peter Tosh gave an impressive and very controversial speech about Lies and Truth. If you want to listen it starts at around 56 minutes in. I remember walking into that stadium on December 24th for set up and having someone shout "Hey who are those two white guys?" I also remember later that day one of the local crew guys stealing a full size bus and rolling it on it's side while trying to drive it around the stadium on the banked track. Link to a web site with audio below.
https://soundcloud.com/raversecords/peter-tosh-youth-consciousness-festi...

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divineorder's picture

@jbob

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Shahryar's picture

time to go to the neighbor's for some Christmas sherry!

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divineorder's picture

@Shahryar tradition! Have a great time.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

enhydra lutris's picture

@Shahryar

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

earthling1's picture

a great bacon, egg, potato, and cheese casserole, everbody is napping on the floor or couch.
Well, at least they're not glued to their phones. Just me.
Anticipating a great dinner and evening.
Then, the 1200 mile drive home. Freezing rain awaits us.
Glad I packed the chains.
Have a safe day everyone.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

enhydra lutris's picture

@earthling1

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --