January 28, 2020

At the Gray Sunrise Café...

8879CD8F-D741-4702-B530-0D08FAD75FC5_1_201_a

... you can talk about whatever you want.

Photo time: 7:19. Actual sunrise time: 7:17.

94 comments:

Bill Crawford said...

Does the concept of double-jeopardy apply to impeachment?

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

The danger for Trump in Bolton testifying is not impeachment, he still seems pretty safe given the number of red team votes required. The danger is that it may open the floodgates for all the other credible witnesses who are disturbed by Trump's character/decision making. If what is described in the recent book 'A Very Stable Genius' is close to correct there are a lot of these people (Tillerson, Kelly, Mattis, etc.) who have largely remained quiet. Bolton speaking out may make them question this decision leading to a tsunami of denunciations from very credible first hand witnesses.

narciso said...

Its like the game of fizbin

https://mobile.twitter.com/RepLeeZeldin/status/1222315561759186945

traditionalguy said...

South Jersey gal Kellyanne Conway said she loved Donald Trump back. Conway Creep hardest hit.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

ARM,

The same could be said about every single administration in American history. If that was the point of the Democrat's $20 hooker routine I think they're likely to be disappointed at the dearth of eager johns. Given how successful the Trump administration is shaping up to be, it seems far more likely that the people you mention will be massaging into being a narrative that tells how instrumental they were in creating that success.

narciso said...


They strive to be ignorant


https://mobile.twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1222254492814651398

Beasts of England said...

The RNC has already released an ad featuring the Rick Wilson, Lemon, and Ali. It’s a peach, hon.

https://youtu.be/xuzfmxSvnD0

Rory said...

"It’s a peach, hon."

It sure is. It's a House Divided, for sure.

Michael K said...

ARM has no idea.... well I could quit there, but he has no idea of the danger of the present Democrat insanity. There are thousands of people standing in line to get into that Trump rally. What if he was tempted by the insane opposition to just say "Fuck It " and take over?

I'm trying to think of an example where insane, delusional opposition was too much temptation for a leader. Italy after WWI was disorganized and ripe for Mussolini. They said "He made the trains run on time." We have had 50 years of incompetence by self anointed elites who cannot get out of their own way. Incompetents with an exalted opinion of themselves that was undeserved.

Watch out, ARM. If he was the dictator you think you see, you would be the last to learn.

Smerdyakov said...


Nice pictures. A little early for me though. The only time I got up early to see a sunrise was when we were in Maine. Acadia National Park. Cadillac Mountain. Don't regret it.

Roughcoat said...

Its like the game of fizbin

Or 23 Man Squamish?

StephenFearby said...

Containing new coronavirus may not be feasible, experts say, as they warn of possible sustained global spread

https://www.statnews.com/2020/01/26/containing-new-coronavirus-may-not-be-feasible-experts-say/


Why the new virus doesn't have a name yet [Political Correctness, of Course!]

"...However, in 2015, the WHO issued new guidance, urging scientists to avoid names that could cause unnecessary negative effects on nations, economies and people. It said:

Terms that should be avoided in disease names include geographic locations (e.g. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Spanish Flu, Rift Valley fever), people’s names (e.g. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Chagas disease), species of animal or food (e.g. swine flu, bird flu, monkey pox), cultural, population, industry or occupational references (e.g. legionnaires), and terms that incite undue fear (e.g. unknown, fatal, epidemic).
The WHO said that a disease name should consist of generic descriptive terms, based on the symptoms, those who it affects, its severity or seasonality.

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-01-27-20-intl-hnk/index.html

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Michael K said...
What if he was tempted by the insane opposition to just say "Fuck It " and take over?


President Bone Spurs isn't starting a civil war. The rich elite rarely start civil wars - too much damage to their own property.

Big Mike said...

May I inquire which type of sunrise this one is? I'm guessing type #2.

narciso said...


We should consider this


https://babylonbee.com/news/congress-tries-to-drum-up-interest-in-impeachment-trial-by-releasing-horde-of-angry-honey-badgers

Seeing Red said...

Via Lucianne:

What exactly are they getting? A stock market doing well? Jobs?

Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff (D.) told a crowd earlier this month that Democrats needed to defeat President Donald Trump's backers so badly that they wouldn't be able to show their faces in public. "We need to send a message this year," Ossoff said. "We need to send a message that if you indulge this kind of politics, you're not just going to get beat. You're going to get beaten so bad you can never run or show your face again in public, because we have had enough, absolutely enough of what we are getting from Donald Trump and his fellow travelers right now."

rehajm said...

What exactly are they getting? A stock market doing well? Jobs?

What did Trump ever do for us?

rehajm said...

Oh, peace? SHUT UP!

narciso said...

Tosoff, wasnt he beaten like a redheaded srepchild, now hes aspiring to the senate.

Beasts of England said...

I just went outside to view the Moon and Venus, and while doing so noticed a football-sized ‘lump’ on my roof. I turned on my trusty phone flashlight and discovered an eviscerated Red-tailed Hawk.

They’re not apex predators, but I think they’re close. We have Bald Eagles in the area, but they’re rarely around my part of the lake. My best guess is that it lost a dog fight and hit the roof while I was out this afternoon, because I’d have heard the impact. Very strange.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

is it the "any living thing is food" approach to cuisine?

SARS outbreak started in China
Avian Flu Outbreak started in China
Coronvirus outbreak started in China.
1918 flu that killed 50 million people worldwide started in China.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

per Parscale:
Wow! New Jersey Data:
✅ 158,632 Requested Tickets (92,841 distinct signups)
✅ 73,482 Voters Identified
✅ 10.4% Didn't Vote in 2016
✅ 26.3% Democrats

blue Wildwood NJ is cold and windy right now, and it's an absolute ghost town in the winter.
People camped out for 2 days for the rally.

Pluggs cant even draw a few mourners to his rally/wake,
...and tells some to vote for someone else

FullMoon said...

That was fast: The GOP has already turned that ridiculous Don Lemon segment into an ad

Narr said...

43 Man Squamish, Roughcoat! (I hear there's some stuporbowl or something this Sunday; I'll look in from the Puppy Bowl.)

ARM, we had rich elites start a civil war right here, but I'm happy to agree with you that Trump doesn't intend any such thing.

Narr
Cool, Beasts (not so much for the hawk)

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

when Felonia von Pantsuit arrives in "Scooby" the tricked-out triage van

...will she get a reception like this?

vid per dan Scavino:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1222310198435598337

Inga said...

“ARM has no idea.... well I could quit there, but he has no idea of the danger of the present Democrat insanity. There are thousands of people standing in line to get into that Trump rally. What if he was tempted by the insane opposition to just say "Fuck It " and take over?”

So who are the 75% of Americans who want the Senate to allow witnesses?

“January 28, 2020 - 75% Of Voters Say Allow Witnesses In Senate Impeachment Trial, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; 53% Say President Trump Not Telling Truth About Ukraine”

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3654

stephen cooper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
stephen cooper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
narciso said...


Dont you get tired of being wrong

https://hotair.com/archives/allahpundit/2020/01/28/mcconnell-doesnt-votes-block-witnesses-yet-sounds-like-will-friday/?fbclid=IwAR1Ff9RTYEgLR4zfLyVWl920kFwIZgIrpfttVruk0fbE_kQO8meu-OgwCww

Unlike chuck i see you as a sincere person but you persist in the most picayune tropes.

Narr said...

I wants me some humble sly pride! I deserve it, too, and so do you.

Narr
Look, Inga has polls! Polls, people!

FullMoon said...

So who are the 75% of Americans who want the Senate to allow witnesses?

Deplorables. Want to see Biden suffer. Just like the impeachment gang. If not for impeachment, nobody but us would know the Joe/Hunter Biden corruption story.

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows..

StephenFearby said...

Lawyer says Parnas can't attend Senate trial due to ankle bracelet

'...Joseph Bondy, Parnas’s attorney, said his client had received tickets to attend Wednesday’s proceedings from Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). Schumer's office confirmed it offered the tickets.

“Although we couldn’t arrange to have Lev Parnas watch the trial with us because his GPS ankle monitor is not allowed, Lev will join us in DC tomorrow to show support for a fair trial, with witnesses & evidence,” Bondy tweeted.'

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480423-parnas-unable-to-attend-senate-impeachment-trial-due-to-ankle-bracelet

FullMoon said...

Best of the Web today,part1 :
"CNN is arousing the ire of conservatives for a segment in which a network host and two political pundits giggle as they make fun of the alleged ignorance of Donald Trump and his voters. The odd exchange obscures how little the CNN guys know about the story they’re supposed to be covering.

According to a CNN transcript, the network’s Don Lemon opened a recent program by talking about the “great oratory” of House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D.Calif.).

Then Mr. Lemon criticized Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his handling of a dispute with National Public Radio’s Mary Louse Kelly about Ukraine. According to Mr. Lemon, the NPR reporter “pressed Pompeo over whether he owed former ambassador Marie Yovanovitch an apology.”

Mr. Lemon then invited comment from two CNN regulars named Rick Wilson and Wajahat Ali. Much laughter ensued on the set as the CNN pundits took turns pretending to be Trump voters. Here’s an excerpt from the transcript:

WILSON: [Mr. Pompeo] also knows deep in his heart that Donald Trump couldn’t find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter U and a picture of an actual physical crane next to it. He knows that this is, you know, an administration defined by ignorance of the world, and so that’s partly him playing to their base and playing to their audience, you know, credulous boomer rube demo that back Donald Trump, that wants to think that Donald Trump’s a smart one, and y’all -- y’all elitists are dumb.

ALI: You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling even though --

WILSON: Your math, your reading.

ALI: Yes, your reading, you know. Your geography knowing other countries. Sipping your latte.

WILSON: All those lines on the map.

ALI: Only them elitists know where Ukraine is. Sorry. I apologize.

LEMON: Oh my God.

ALI: But you know what -- it was Rick’s fault. I blame Rick.

LEMON: Oh my God.

ALI: But in all honesty --

WILSON: Blame Rick, why not.

ALI: -- you know what NPR should do.

LEMON: Sorry, hold on. Wait, wait. Give me a second. Hold on. Hold on. That was good. Sorry. Rick, that was a good one. I needed that. OK, so listen let’s go back to business here.

The discussion surely must have been insulting to non-leftist viewers who clicked on CNN or—more likely—were simply stuck in the terminal awaiting a boarding announcement. But ironically the program also exposed a gap in CNN’s coverage.

This column will go out on a limb and say that even regular CNN viewers don’t look to any of the three segment participants for deep knowledge of Ukraine. A quick review of recent history demonstrates why it would be preposterous for the former ambassador to expect an apology.

And the three gents who were so successful in amusing themselves aren’t the only people at CNN who’ve been missing the story. The network has largely accepted the narrative from Rep. Schiff casting the former Ambassador Yovanovitch as the heroic defender of Ukraine as it faces the Russian bear. The record suggests the President should consider apologizing to Ukraine for waiting so long to fire her.

The credulous CNN reported in November:

Marie Yovanovitch, the former US envoy to Ukraine, offered a powerful and impassioned defense of the work the US foreign service in the face of attacks from the President of the United States and his allies and minimal public defense from the secretary of state.

FullMoon said...

part 2
Contrasting the “perception that diplomats lead a comfortable life throwing dinner parties in fancy homes,” Yovanovitch described her own tenure in the foreign service: moving 13 times, serving in five hardship posts, getting caught in crossfire in Russia.

She also offered a cutting criticism of the State Department’s failure to defend her against smears, including from President Trump.

When Ms. Yovanovitch was nominated to serve as ambassador toward the end of the Obama administration, the Ukrainians were looking for help to defend themselves against—not smears—but the Russian military which had occupied large parts of their country in 2014, killed thousands of their people and was abusing countless others. Ukraine needed weapons.

According to a New York Times report last year from Glenn Thrush and Kenneth Vogel, the Ukrainians’ need for weapons to defend themselves was well known for years, even at the highest levels of the U.S. government:

When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2014, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. pressed President Barack Obama to take decisive action, and fast, to make Moscow “pay in blood and money” for its aggression. The president, a Biden aide recalled, was having none of it.

Mr. Biden worked Mr. Obama during their weekly private lunches, imploring him to increase lethal aid, backing a push to ship FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missiles to Kiev. The president flatly rejected the idea and dispatched him to the region as an emissary, cautioning him “about not overpromising to the Ukrainian government,” Mr. Biden would later write in a memoir.

Appearing before the Senate in 2016, Ms. Yovanovitch perfectly toed the Obama line, so much so that senators from both parties wondered aloud if the U.S. was being too tough on a country under constant pressure from its aggressive Russian neighbor.

Even while acknowledging that the Russians were not honoring cease-fire agreements and that “We are, in fact, seeing a spike in military activity in the region,” Ms. Yovanovitch never mentioned the critical need for weapons. Instead, she simply pronounced that the Russian violence was “a great concern.”

While ignoring the military hardware necessary for Ukraine’s defense, Ms. Yovanovitch then went through a list of policy reforms the U.S. was demanding of the embattled country.

Sen. Christopher Murphy (D., Conn.) said, “I worry sometimes that we are asking the Ukrainians to make economic reforms in the middle of an invasion that are simply unrealistic given the very fact that the Russians are occupying territory and attacking along the front lines in order to create an economic crisis that Ukraine can’t dig itself out from under... I sometimes think that it is patently ridiculous that we are asking them to do something that is impossible in the face of invasion.”

One can only imagine how worried the Ukrainians must have been—and not just sometimes.

Fortunately for them, a few months later the U.S. elected a new President who provided the critical weapons Mr. Obama never would.

narciso said...

Ask george nader how this works outin the end, after mueller used him they threw him to the wolves.

Narr said...

So anyway I was thinking about how triggering the Three Splooges of CNN were, mocking other people, and the parallel to the Taylor Swift video thread a while back.

Mockery and ridicule are staples of my life; in my circles we mock and ridicule people all the time (not always the same people of course, and sometimes each other), and consider it normal human behavior.

Narr
A nice shared sneer about a third party can be a great bonding experience

JackWayne said...

Someone thinks that 70% of people wanting witnesses are people who want witnesses to witness against Trump. My bet is that the majority of people who want witnesses are people who want to hear from the whistleblower, Biden and Atkinson. It’s also prof that this person and the 70% are absolutely stupid to think that doing the work of the House is a good idea. Not to mention the complete insanity of any Senator that will vote for that.

Mark said...

In tonight's episode, Seven of Nine makes her debut.

She's still all Borged up, and at the time of first airing, you didn't know she would become a regular.

Neither did you know that Kes would leave -- or that the actress who played her would go on to crash and burn professionally and personally.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Oh yay, a cafe. I have questions.

We have been invited to my husband's lifelong friend's daughter's bat mitzvah. I haven't been to one, ever, and he hasn't since he was a kid in suburban New York. So I need some info and don't want to ask the hosts in case they feel put on the spot in any way. Can you Jewish or Jewish-adjacent Althousians help me out?

Do we take our youngest kids (barely 4 and barely 2 when it takes place)? Normally for a ceremonial occasion we'd get a babysitter but A. we're traveling to New Jersey from Texas for the occasion and don't know anyone there to ask and B. I have in my head, probably from the movies, that it's supposed to be kind of a family thing (maybe that's just the reception though?). The ceremony thing is at their (Reform, if it matters) temple at 9:45 am on a Saturday and then there is a reception at a hotel at 1:30 pm. What should we expect from the temple part--being not Jewish what do we need to know in terms of etiquette? Do we wear anything different than our usual church clothes? And is a check in a congratulations card an appropriate gift for the young lady, and if so, how much?

Thanks in advance!

Mark said...

Seven of Nine -- yet another victim of Democrat dirty tricks in the zeal to gain power.

narciso said...

I never really grokked kes, now jeri ryan i knew from dark skies, the pre x files where he played a soviet operative. This was a decade before her acromonius divorce would be a tool to catapult obama to the senate.

JML said...

I just received a fundraising email from the Trump campaign:

Johnny,

I’m absolutely disgusted.

The other night on CNN, Don Lemon and his liberal friends laid their cards on the table and made it obvious what ELITES think of everyday Americans who support President Trump.

These radical hacks painted conservative voters as illiterate hillbillies on national television because they DESPISE President Trump and they DESPISE you, Johnny.

JML said...

CAPTCHA Tip: The "Walk/Don't Walk" device is not considered a Traffic Signal...

Mark said...

Not Jewish, Pants, but your question made me curious -

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-a-barbat-mitzvah-guest-needs-to-know/

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3891125/jewish/BarBat-Mitzvah-Etiquette.htm

https://reformjudaism.org/what-expect-bar-bat-mitzvah-services

They all pretty much say the same thing. Respectful "Sunday best" clothes, with head covering for both.

Oso Negro said...

@Pants - Where in Texas is the event? Jewish culture in Texas is pretty low-key for the most part.

Inga said...

“Someone thinks that 70% of people wanting witnesses are people who want witnesses to witness against Trump. My bet is that the majority of people who want witnesses are people who want to hear from the whistleblower, Biden and Atkinson.”

On week two of the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, registered voters say 75 - 20 percent that witnesses should be allowed to testify in the impeachment trial, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN- uh-pea-ack) University national poll released today.

Support for witness testimony includes 49 percent of Republicans, 95 percent of Democrats, and 75 percent of independents.

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3654

Mark said...

The thing about Seven of Nine is that hot-bod appearances aside, she is still just six-year-old Annika Hansen.

Beasts of England said...

Newest update to the Rick Wilson’s Wikipedia page: ‘Wilson is also well known for his physical appearance which resembles a human thumb.’ :)

Mark said...

Seven's contrived end-of-the-series hook-up with the boring Chakotay was never believable.

Mark said...

Any poll showing 70-plus percent support for impeachment witnesses is rather curious given that probably 90 percent of Americans haven't been following this farce and could not tell you what it is about.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Ah, I didn’t even think of googling it. Duh. Thanks Mark :)

Oso-we live in Texas (where we know precisely zero Jewish people) but the event is in New Jersey.

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

They are pretty low key people in terms of observance (the husband is a convert, I’ve never seen him cover his head and they always put up a Christmas tree too) but I just want to find out more about what’s customary so the nice Irish Episcopalians don’t do something embarrassing.

Hagar said...

The whole thing was a set-up to sell John Bolton's book!

Iman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mark said...

Interesting that Seven, T'Pol and Ben Sisko all had understated, kind of breathless, weak voices.

Iman said...

Frank always used to say, "Tell your story walkin', pal" he was more philosophical than your average gumshoe but he liked to do his talkin' on the move so here's how it all went down. I got something wrong with my head, that's the first thing you should know. It's like havin' glass in your brain, I can't stop pickin' things apart, twisting them around and then putting them back together. Words and sounds especially.

"Stop doin' that, you're makin' a fuckin' mess", Gilbert tells me.

"I got threads in my heads", I says... "I got threads in my head"... "I got threads in my head, man!" And I twitch a lot... it's hard to miss... it gets worse when I'm nervous. I'm spastic, but if I try to stop it, it just gets worse. The nun said my soul wasn't at peace with God, and I should do penance. Frank said "anyone who teaches you about God's love while hittin' you with a stick should be ignored on every subject."

Frank Minna... if there's only one guy you can pick to be on your side, he's the one you'd want. It's Minna's game, we're all just in the line-up.

"Boys", Frank says.

"Frankly, Franketty, Frank-oh", I says.

Frank says, "Alright... listen up, here's the shot. I'll be up on the third floor, Lionel will go to the pay phone, in about 20 minutes They come, about 3 or 4 of 'em... they come you call me at this number. You hear me say 'we got a problem', you hustle on up".

Gilbert says, "but I don't got a gun, Frank".

Frank says, "I know you don't gotta gun, that's how I sleep at night. You with no gun. I gotta gun. I wouldn't want you two chuckleheads showin' up with just a hairpin and a harmonica".

"Hairy chin, harmony harp... quit windin' me up!" I says

"With an unlit cigar and a chicken wing", says Frank.

"Chicken wingding... I'll wing that chick in the ding", says I



Mark said...

Get yourself a nice traditional veil or scarf.

William said...

Here are my theological insights into The Expanse, the scifi series on Amazon. The protomolecule is God, the Father. The proto molecule is arbitrary and cruel, and its motives are occult. Jim Holden is Jesus. He is the redemptive and forgiving interface of the protomolecule. Joe Miller, the noir detective, is the Holy Spirit. He visits on occasion and speaks in tongues.

YoungHegelian said...

@Pants,

but I just want to find out more about what’s customary so the nice Irish Episcopalians don’t do something embarrassing.

You mean, like making the sign of the cross on yourself?

It has been difficult for me at Jewish funerals not to make the sign of the cross at the end of some of the prayers when the congregation says "Amen". I mean, the prayers, aside from no mention of Jesus, The Trinity, Mary, etc, etc, could really fit in any Christian service, and then follow up with an "Amen" & you've got the Mackerel-Snapper reflex kicking into action.

It's almost like it's right out of Dr. Strangelove!

YoungHegelian said...

@Pants,

Maybe you'll get lucky & the plucky young Daughter Of Zion will have a stripper.

Amadeus 48 said...

“Feinstein leans towards acquittal”
LA Times

I guess Dianne is thinking about putting Scheisskopf in his place.

I see the the GOP stepped on the Dems in that Texas House race.

Straws in the wind, no doubt.

Big Mike said...

@Pants, perhaps I can help a little:

Do we take our youngest kids (barely 4 and barely 2 when it takes place)?

No. Just, no to the Shabbat. They might be okay at the reception Check with your husband’s friend Trust me, they’ve been planning the reception for months and will know whether toddlers can be accommodated.

Normally for a ceremonial occasion we'd get a babysitter but A. we're traveling to New Jersey from Texas for the occasion and don't know anyone there to ask and B.

Your husband’s friends may be able to help by suggesting someone who can look after during the ceremony. They would probably be welcome during the reception, but check.

I have in my head, probably from the movies, that it's supposed to be kind of a family thing (maybe that's just the reception though?).

It’s a coming of age event. Since they’re Reformed the girl will be 13 and the ceremony is meant to correspond roughly with puberty (for Orthodox Jews the age at which a girl has her bat mitzvah is 12, and I am not certain about Conservatives). There is an implication in Jewish law and tradition that prior to the bat mitzvah her parents are responsible for any of her transgressions against the community; after the bat mitzvah she is responsible for herself.

The ceremony thing is at their (Reform, if it matters) temple at 9:45 am on a Saturday

Be a few minutes early. That’s when the ceremony starts.

and then there is a reception at a hotel at 1:30 pm. What should we expect from the temple part--being not Jewish what do we need to know in terms of etiquette?

Your husband’s friends should coach you a bit. I will try to find an online article for you.

Do we wear anything different than our usual church clothes?

If you participate in a laid back Christian congregation you might be underdressed. A suit and tie for the man, a nice dress for the wife. No pants suit. You may be offered a blue and white prayer shawl (tallit) as you enter. As goyim you should decline. However the man should wear a small skull cap (kippah). I was given one by my son’s friend’s father at the first bar mitzvah we attended, as a thank you for coming, and I wore it to other bar and bat mitzvahs. The tallit is worn to remind one of his (or her, as Reform Jews permit women to wear them too) but the kippah to show reflect to God. Many Jewish women wear hats to synagogue, but not all.

And is a check in a congratulations card an appropriate gift for the young lady, and if so, how much?

Yes to the first. “How much” depends on how well you know the girl and her family. Last time we were at a bar mitzvah we had known the boy since he was still inside his mother, and we were generous with our gift.

Mrs. X said...

Pants, raised Jewish, been to countless of these events. In a reform synagogue women don’t generally cover their heads. Men wear yarmulkes which will be provided at the door (or always have been in my experience). A two and four year old will likely have a hard time getting through the service. It’s not a lot of laughs and much longer than a typical church service—think three hours. You can try bringing them but be prepared for you and Mr. Pants to take turns leaving the service and amusing the kids outside. Unlike church, people do walk in and out, and that’s fine. Ymmv, hope others chime in here.

Big Mike said...

@Pants, I looked up Mark’s article and it left one thing out. After the bat mitzvah girl finishes her reading from the Torah, it is placed back in a silk sheath and carried around the congregation. In some synagogues the congregants kiss the Torah and in others they touch it. As gentiles I do not recall whether you are allowed to touch it or not. I think so, but try to confirm.

Ralph L said...

In the 70's, we decided to go to the Christmas Eve midnight service at the (Episcopal) National Cathedral in DC. My LLEpiscopalian aunt hadn't brought a head covering she thought suitable, so she wore a black lace mantilla my father had bought in Spain. An usher, thinking she was RC, walked up and told her that all were welcome at Communion. My Methodist father spent the rest of the service wishing he'd asked, "What about us Jews?"

narciso said...

Thats an intriguing perspective willian,i only got as far as season 2.its one of the most fleshwd out exercises in world building

narciso said...


I know i may be crying beetlejuice here


https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/01/29/the-fifth-column-and-the-pro-iran-movement-in-the-us/

YoungHegelian said...

@Pants,

Try & figure out if the girl was taught Hebrew & then learned the prayers or if she just memorized the prayers in Hebrew.

Many of my male Jewish friends, who all grew up Reform, regret that they didn't get better instruction in Hebrew as boys. They are all very honest about the fact that as 11 & 12 year old boys getting prepped for their Bar Mitzvahs, the last thing on their minds was slogging through Hebrew verbs, but, as adults, they wish they had.

In earlier times, the boys knew Hebrew better, as getting Hebrew beat into you was often interpreted literally, as, for example, portrayed in the great novel Call It Sleep.

Yancey Ward said...

"Here are my theological insights into The Expanse, the scifi series on Amazon. The protomolecule is God, the Father. The proto molecule is arbitrary and cruel, and its motives are occult. Jim Holden is Jesus. He is the redemptive and forgiving interface of the protomolecule. Joe Miller, the noir detective, is the Holy Spirit. He visits on occasion and speaks in tongues."

William, an interesting take. Probably completely wrong, but interesting all the same.

Yancey Ward said...

On witnesses- I want witnesses, but not one sided ones. The Democrats are in a tough spot- Ciaramella and Atkinson are the witnesses the Democrats most want to protect since it will be impossible to hide the fact that it was all plotted with Schitt and his staff. The Bidens will either refuse to appear, or will refuse to answer any real questions, and I am not even sure the Trump team will call the Bidens- they would rather have Ciaramella and Atkinson.

The Democrats are in a tough spot- the NYTimes published the most damaging stuff Bolton could give them, and yet it didn't really add anything that wasn't already known- it won't move the polls and it won't move the Senate. Worse is that Bolton won't be testifying live- it will be a private deposition. Is Bolton worth it? I suspect he really isn't- they will take it if they can be assured that Trump's defense doesn't get Ciaramella or Atkinson, but that really isn't realistic, and Romney warned the Democrats today that it wasn't realistic.

Right now this is a negotiation- Romney, Collins, and, my guess Murkowski and Alexander have made an offer to Schumer- they will support calling Bolton to a deposition, but that the called witnesses will include Ciaramella, Atkinson, and probably members of Schiff's staff. The Trump list could definitely include the Bidens. I think the ball is in Schumer's court right now- he has to decide if Bolton (and Mulvaney are worth it). If he agrees to a deal, the Senate is likely to vote unanimously for the witness list- in other words, there will not be a witness by witness vote- the deal will be all or nothing so the Democrats can't back out.

Yancey Ward said...

I listened to Lindsey Graham earlier, and from what he said about the timeline suggests to me that Schumer has probably declined the offer so far.

Ralph L said...

Washington-Post-reporters-revolt-decision-suspend-colleague-Kobe-Bryant-tweet saying she is receiving death threats and has been hounded out of her home

William said...

I'm still working out who the Mary Magdalene figure is. Amos rates as a possible St. Peter....The crew of the Rocinante, for people who have saved various worlds and, on occasion, the cosmos don't get much love or gratitude from their contemporaries. In true Christian spirit, they steadfastly continue their providential endeavors.....We're always looking for a higher power. Star Wars has The Force. The Force is pretty elemental. Not too much dogma attached to it. The trick is to stay on the right side of it and not get too vainglorious.... The various gods and religions in GOT are far more confusing. Well, that's the way it goes with God and gods. There's not much unanimity among humans as to how God or gods go about manifesting their presence and how to stay on the right side of Them....I'm bound to confess that The Matrix lost me after the first movie. It would take Thomas Aquinas to figure out the theology of the later movies, but I liked the premise of the first movie. Life does appear to be a simulacrum that masks something more vital. "Our little sleep is bounded with a dream.".....The theology of Marvel movies is unworthy of serious study. Too many portals to alternate universes and radioactive Eucharists.....Star Trek doesn't seem to have a higher power guiding their cosmos. Well, anyway, what with all the hot girls in the first series, the crew was not in need of a higher power. Maybe the dilithium crystals that powered the Enterprise caused the erasure of wrinkles and cellulite in the bodies of the female crew members, and this obviated the need to find God.

Seeing Red said...

Bellwether to Blowout: Texas House District Gets Redder to Lead Off 2020 Elections

...HD28 is a red district in a county, Fort Bend, that has been trending blue. Hillary Clinton won it over Donald Trump 51-44 in 2016. Republican incumbent John Zerwas won HD28 +9 in 2018. His decision not to seek another term left it open and the Democrats pulled no punches to try to take it.....

...But after early voting, Republican Gary Gates sprinted to the lead going away, 59% to 41% over the Democrat. The lead was surprisingly strong and held up as the count wore on. He finished the night winning 58% to 42%, with 30,000 votes cast — a new record for a Texas House special election by about 9,000 votes....

Seeing Red said...

Don’t get cocky tho.

Yancey Ward said...

Funny, I just saw the first Sanders campaign ad just now on YouTube. For me, it has been a never-ending barage of Steyer and Bloomberg ads. I see lots of Warren still ads online, and Biden, too, but none for Sanders until tonight.

Mark said...

Many of my male Jewish friends, who all grew up Reform, regret that they didn't get better instruction in Hebrew as boys.

In the modern tendency to think that young people won't accept being challenged (especially in areas like religious education), leading things to be watered down, they end up being impoverished and robbed of their heritage.

narciso said...

Not surprising since james corey is actually two of george martins collaborators. They did try to tame sterlins gnostic vision of thanos

Seeing Red said...

I love didn’t want to take a shower, but that spittle....

Via Rantburg:


Al Arabiya English
@AlArabiya_Eng
Opinion: Palestinians should grasp this opportunity before the goal posts of history move once again, and not necessarily in their favor, writes
@AlArabiya
’s Chairman of the Editorial Board
@aalrashed
.


The levers have moved. The UN will fight against it, too many rice committees losing funding, Zerope will have to find another cudgel against US, but, we will see.

Hagar said...

Wanting to hear all the witnesses sounds very safe, moderate, and democratic (small "d").

Michael McNeil said...

CAPTCHA Tip: The “Walk/Don't Walk” device is not considered a Traffic Signal…

CAPTCHA Tip: Ignore CAPTCHA on Blogger.

Ann Althouse said...

"May I inquire which type of sunrise this one is? I'm guessing type #2."

This view looks northwest, so the bit of cloud interest isn't relevant to the typing process. Looking right at the sunrise, it was solid, undifferentiated clouds, so... type #1 again.

Michael K said...

So who are the 75% of Americans who want the Senate to allow witnesses?

Inga is lost on the 2016 hysteria while Texas previews a blowout election.

Bernie is going to win CA and 1972 is coming around again. It will be fun to watch the DNC scramble.

The 100,000 who wanted tickets to Trump's New Jersey rally probably don't care about witnesses.

tim in vermont said...

Somebody here recommended Shibumi. Thanks. The author is a total commie, but a very good writer. It seems like he makes excuses for Mao and blames fossil fuel companies for the lousy engineering prospects of solar and wind power, but he sure has the CIA and the deep state nailed. I am not that deep into it though, so my opinion may change.

tim in vermont said...

" regret that they didn't get better instruction in Hebrew as boys.”

I hear more regret that the parents only used Yiddish to talk in front of them without them understanding instead of teaching to them.

tim in vermont said...

They were so jealous when mom would laugh out loud at a Yiddish line in a Mel Brooks movie, for example.

rhhardin said...

Some of the Trump lawyers are really bad, as to style. Listening to somebody on day 8. Should have a hook.

tim in vermont said...

Tulsi Gabbard 🌺@TulsiGabbard
14 states have no paper ballot record of your vote. This is the Achilles heel of our elections process. I’ve introduced the Securing America’s Elections Act to ensure every state has a paper trail, and you have the peace of mind knowing your vote counts


Go Tulsi! She could never deliver on this, there is just way to much Democrat fraud that would go way, but boy would it be great.

Chuck said...
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Chuck said...
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Big Mike said...

@Ralph L., response from Instapundit:

”What they don’t seem to understand is that the plight of Felicia Sonmez is an object and abject lesson about cancel culture. She has done this to others. She has called for the suspension of due process and the termination, of her own peers. Her voice has loudly denounced those who have been hit with allegations without evidence. Sonmez has helped us get used to the idea that accusations are enough to take you down. It’s a commonplace idea, now, thanks to her and her peers in thought crime. Once we are so long immersed in the sludge of it, turnabout seems like fair play.”

Fair or not, as a creature of the left, cancel culture eventually eats its own.

Nichevo said...

Big Mike said...
@Pants, I looked up Mark’s article and it left one thing out. After the bat mitzvah girl finishes her reading from the Torah, it is placed back in a silk sheath and carried around the congregation. In some synagogues the congregants kiss the Torah and in others they touch it. As gentiles I do not recall whether you are allowed to touch it or not. I think so, but try to confirm.

1/28/20, 11:23 PM



This is what you do. Everyone will have a prayer book. Take your prayer book, or your tallis, and kiss it, as the Torah will be passed around and you touch it with the object, not your hands.



Blogger Mark said...
Many of my male Jewish friends, who all grew up Reform, regret that they didn't get better instruction in Hebrew as boys.

In the modern tendency to think that young people won't accept being challenged (especially in areas like religious education), leading things to be watered down, they end up being impoverished and robbed of their heritage.


Yes! Stalked at my synagogue, most of the kids that there is an English in the large sanctuary, for the Hebrew, which I chose, you read it in the small sanctuary. And I really wish I had done more.

Jim at said...

President Bone Spurs isn't starting a civil war. The rich elite rarely start civil wars - too much damage to their own property. - ARM

That reveals just how willfully ignorant you are of the insanity on your side and what you're trying to do.

Trump won't have to start a damn thing.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

"The rich elite rarely start civil wars - too much damage to their own property."

That's a very good reason to elect the extremely wealthy.