VATICAN CITY (AP) — The following is the Vatican’s official English translation of Pope Francis’ Christmas Eve Mass homily, which he delivered in Italian.

___

“Tonight ‘a great light’ shines forth (Is 9:1); the light of Jesus’ birth shines all about us. How true and timely are the words of the prophet Isaiah which we have just heard: 'You have brought abundant joy and great rejoicing’ (9:2)! Our heart was already joyful in awaiting this moment; now that joy abounds and overflows, for the promise has been at last fulfilled. Joy and gladness are a sure sign that the message contained in the mystery of this night is truly from God. There is no room for doubt; let us leave that to the skeptics who, by looking to reason alone, never find the truth. There is no room for the indifference which reigns in the hearts of those unable to love for fear of losing something. All sadness has been banished, for the Child Jesus brings true comfort to every heart.

Today, the Son of God is born, and everything changes. The Savior of the world comes to partake of our human nature; no longer are we alone and forsaken. The Virgin offers us her Son as the beginning of a new life. The true light has come to illumine our lives so often beset by the darkness of sin. Today we once more discover who we are! Tonight we have been shown the way to reach the journey’s end. Now must we put away all fear and dread, for the light shows us the path to Bethlehem. We must not be laggards; we are not permitted to stand idle. We must set out to see our Savior lying in a manger. This is the reason for our joy and gladness: this Child has been 'born to us’; he was 'given to us’, as Isaiah proclaims (cf. 9:5). The people who for two thousand years has traversed all the pathways of the world in order to allow every man and woman to share in this joy is now given the mission of making known 'the Prince of peace’ and becoming his effective servant in the midst of the nations.

So when we hear tell of the birth of Christ, let us be silent and let the Child speak. Let us take his words to heart in rapt contemplation of his face. If we take him in our arms and let ourselves be embraced by him, he will bring us unending peace of heart. This Child teaches us what is truly essential in our lives. He was born into the poverty of this world; there was no room in the inn for him and his family. He found shelter and support in a stable and was laid in a manger for animals. And yet, from this nothingness, the light of God’s glory shines forth. From now on, the way of authentic liberation and perennial redemption is open to every man and woman who is simple of heart. This Child, whose face radiates the goodness, mercy and love of God the Father, trains us, his disciples, as Saint Paul says, 'to reject godless ways’ and the richness of the world, in order to live 'temperately, justly and devoutly’ (Tit 2:12).

In a society so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism, this Child calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential. In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice, to discern and to do God’s will. Amid a culture of indifference which not infrequently turns ruthless, our style of life should instead be devout, filled with empathy, compassion and mercy, drawn daily from the wellspring of prayer.

Like the shepherds of Bethlehem, may we too, with eyes full of amazement and wonder, gaze upon the Child Jesus, the Son of God. And in his presence may our hearts burst forth in prayer: 'Show us, Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation’ (Ps 85:8).”

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2015.

Would you vote for a time traveler for President?

His name is Andrew Basiago. He claims to be a time traveler. He claims he was on Mars during secret missions–with Barack Obama. And he says he wins the presidency in 2016.

He declared he is running for office on–of all things–Coast to Coast AM.

So good luck.
Time–travel–will tell.

This is my original artwork.. it’s my nostalgic Christmas postcard to you.

The scene I drew in this picture, several years ago actually, is gone now. It is of the former St. Ignatius Church in Centralia, PA, a place I attended Christmas midnight mass for several years when my life began. The road signs are indicating that a highway was closed, most likely because of the Christmas blanket of snow causing mine fire fumes to overtake the highway.. The footsteps? Could be mine walking around .. could be my father, as he was the caretaker of the property for 20 years..

But it’s all gone now.
So often, we are greeted yearly with cards of this nature–places that are now gone or changed for good.

My Christmas memories hold this scene in high esteem.
They always will.
Times were simpler then–even though my hometown was being bulldozed over and people were being forced out. Still simple.
A quiet blanket of snow..
This year, 2015, it’s about 60 or so degrees outside of my house.
This scene is a memory.
As is the town and all buildings that were in it.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE.

Desperate times call for desperate discounts. Christmas Eve proves you’re out of time to buy..

The worst thing you can do is panic buy.. no big boxes. Just do a gift card.. don’t embarrass yourself.

HAPPY EASTER!!

Christmas records are right now, as I type this, being shattered in 2015..

Christmas Eve 1955 Was Much Warmer

Yes it has been warm before.
And it is this year.

Enjoy a Heat Miser. You never know when the next really white Christmas will be.

In Irving Berlin’s 1954 musical “White Christmas” – the story line was 70 degrees in Vermont on Christmas eve and no snow. That was why they were “Dreaming of a White Christmas”

Christmas Eve 1955 Was Much Warmer

SCARY CHRISTMAS!!

The live temperature map this Christmas eve looks more like Easter than December..

Christmas Eve horror and hell: Deadly tornadoes sweep through Midwest and Southeast.. 7 confirmed dead..

This is weather for spring time days.. not Christmas Eve..

But this is the year, as the AP reports here, the weather has changed and everything is upside down.

Americans in Beijing warned of terrorism threat; parts of city locked down: “The U.S. Embassy has received information of possible threats against Westerners in the Sanlitun area of Beijing, on or around Christmas Day,” the embassy said in an email to American citizens living in Beijing. “U.S. citizens are urged to exercise heightened vigilance. The U.S. Embassy has issued the same guidance to U.S. government personnel.

Americans in Beijing warned of terrorism threat; parts of city locked down: “The U.S. Embassy has received information of possible threats against Westerners in the Sanlitun area of Beijing, on or around Christmas Day,” the embassy said in an email to American citizens living in Beijing. “U.S. citizens are urged to exercise heightened vigilance. The U.S. Embassy has issued the same guidance to U.S. government personnel.

I like today’s Drudge Report headline. Good touch ole sparky.

The story linked above his fold is well to do with weather–it’s some weird weather this year actually. The temperature this Christmas Eve as I write this at 7:15am outside my Pennsylvania abode is nearing 60. It’s going to edge towards 70 as the day persists.. by nightfall, Santa’s sleigh will trudge through mud as it attempts to gain entry to all East Coast cities and towns.

This is going to be a warm one.. Actually a hot one.

All records in various places may be broken today.. There will be no white Christmas.. the Heat Miser is winning.

From ACCUWEATHER:

It is a strange moment, walking out into the December air and being greeted with the warmth of a spring or summer morning.. And even more, explain the Santa’s sleigh issue to a nearly 5 year old child who analysis things way too much for his own good at his age. My son told me he could not wait to build a snow man Christmas day. I had to break the bad news of weather. . while he did not seem to care too much after a few months, it was an intense line of questions hurled at me all about why pictures show snow and he was under the impression that Santa needed it.

Nonetheless, 

No white Stuff.

Only the hot stuff.

And lots of it.

Merry Christmas EVE.

A few more reminders of the heat:

New Yorkers Seen Wearing Sandals, Shorts During Freak Heatwave…

Ice Cream Sales Up in Times Square!

Orlando to reach 86°, topple 1924 record…

Vatican Newspaper Slams 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

The Vatican descents!
The pope won’t watch it!
Paper says it overdoes the darkness..

Vatican Newspaper Slams 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

Warmest Christmas Eve on record to unfold across eastern US

Wear shorts and a bathing suit caroling this year.. No snow for Santa. Warmth is about to break records ..

Warmest Christmas Eve on record to unfold across eastern US

AP Poll: Islamic State conflict voted top news story of 2015

Mass shooting, racial police issues, and fear over terrorism reign high as well.
Looking back with poll results like this, the spirit of he nation seems battered, broken, and down..

AP Poll: Islamic State conflict voted top news story of 2015

A New Years dissolution

The final few days of shopping are here..
The last chances to wrap gifts..

Tis the season for small annoyances, like bad traffic or office Christmas parties where someone you never expected would get a bit too tipsy, or offensive. I have often thought that often co-workers (sometimes family, too), aren’t people you pick. They aren’t friends. They are necessary. You may like some.. but chances are, if you’re at a party of 50, you’ll really want to associate with just four or five.

Nonetheless, at a gathering just days ago of people, I noted several conversations were about attempts to get better health in the new year, be happier, eat right, and cut down on the luxuries and lushness of life. All this being said while food was in one hand and alcohol in the other..

I am perplexed yearly by this notion that December 31 into January 1 will suddenly equal a burst of health, weight loss, and better moods. By the second week of January, when the bills start coming in and researchers say “Blue Monday” hits, we are already ditching the yearly get rich or well quick schemes, and replacing them with the bad habits all over again.

But maybe that is because the actual attempts are wrong to begin with.

The end of a year and the beginning of a new one is sort of the same as how parts of the earth feel this time of year, as well. The cyclical nature of seasons and time—we are one with the planet and quite possibly one with the feelings of the season. Sorry to go pagan, but maybe even the natural phases of the moon and sun, along with the Solstices, deserve a party! Minus the human sacrifices of ancient Yule time.

My point is, trying to change habits at this time of year is fine. It’s the end of a year. Again. Another 12 months, 525,600 minutes behind us, and a whole new 12 months of anarchy on the way..

But what habits are you trying to break? And why..?

“I want to be healthier.”
Fine and cool. It is not bad to be healthy.. But think before you drink. I love the idea that “wine may be good for my heart.” I’m no doctor, but I know the dangers of alcohol when used in excess. And while the skin of grapes could have benefits, so does dark chocolate. Oh, and skin of grapes—meaning you can actually eat grapes as opposed to drinking fermented versions of the product..

“I want to lose weight.”
So quick diets and fad trends are imposed on your body. You don’t react as you’d expect in two weeks, and you give it. Weight loss takes time. It took a while to gain it, you surely won’t lose it faster. So if you’re serious about losing weight, just realize you may get a quick hit of ten pounds if you’re really overweight, then it will become stagnant. If you’re closer to normal, you may lose very weight at all but could gain muscle if done the right way…and muscle has weight, so your scale could stay the same.

“I want a new job.”
Don’t we all sometimes? Before you get on a new job bandwagon, make a “why I hate my job list.” Then make a “why I have it okay at my job list.” And be honest, include everything, like 401K or pension, free parking, health insurance. See which list has more. Afterwards critically think about what you put. If hatred of your co-workers made the “Why I hate my job list,” go back and read some Yoda. Fear equal hate. Hate equals war.
Be brave and be honest. Trying to get a better job is not a bad thing. But never do something simply based off of hate. You’ll make the wrong decision every time.

My advice for this time of year.. Use the force. It’s all around you. Close your eyes…wait…I saw STAR WARS too many times.
or did I?
The ‘force’ may not only be strong for the Jedi, but it could be real..
You could be a part of something far greater than yourself. A universe that goes on forever and somehow is connected in strange ways by invisible math and physics. It’s a great time to be alive, with advanced discoveries that are beautiful and making life better. Yes there is loathsome fear and terror, as we talked about on here several times over the past few weeks, but don’t give into it. Do not let fear guide you. Embrace fear.

A few years ago when I had to give a public speech to a group of 700 people, I did something remarkable. It changed me forever. Up until that point I Was scared to death of public speaking. It’s when I realized that my entire life was made up of public speaking that the fear started to dwindle. I was a waiter since 16. I addressed crowds of 8 to 50 people on a regular basis, even made an open mic speech to a wedding party of 200 naming dessert choices. So public speaking was the simple part.. the hard part was figuring out that if you just do it and stop thinking so much, you’ll be fine. I embraced the fear and actually let it consume me for a moment, I purposely even tried making myself more fearful of the event. At that point, it left me.
Was I still a bit nervous? Yes. Was I filled with trembling fear anymore? Not even close..

Fear about the future is a strange thing, after all.
Consider this: The future is not real, it did not happen, and there is no proof of what is coming. The only thing real is now. Even the past may not be real anymore since it stopped existing. The second of time you stand in, however, is undeniable.
So fearing the future is insane. You’re fearing something that did not occur, that is not here, and that is not year coming to fruition.
Stop fearing.

And on that note, the real new years’ resolution you should strictly maintain:
Be you. Stop hating. Your hating is equaling worse things. It’s creating a worse world. It’s making things bleak. It’s ruining children’s futures. It’s stopping progress. And it’s forcing you to be cemented in ideologies that are failed and ones that should be long gone.

Believe me, I have never been accused of being an optimist.
But I equally have never defined myself as a pessimist. I am a realistic, sometimes nervous and paranoid, conspiracy-theory loving (not always believing) observer of society. From my own personal circle of friends and family to the world as a whole, I sit back and often watch.

My resolution: in 2016 I plan on watching less and doing more..
The next time a fight breaks out at a mall, and I know who is at fault, I will make sure I speak up.
Fear is not an option.
In 2016, neither is silence.

CDC investigating another outbreak of different E. coli strain at Chipotle

Oh lord..

CDC investigating another outbreak of different E. coli strain at Chipotle

CHRISTMAS WEEK.. BE CAREFUL IN THE JUNGLE OF TRAVEL..

And seriously it’s December 21 already? The year…went…where? It’s almost gone? Done? Finished.. That’s bizarre to me. It really feels like it turned the big 15 yesterday… It did not. But ‘tomorrow’ or something similar it will be 16.. And you know how 16 year olds act… Get ready for another wild year no doubt..

THE MEAN SEASON IS HERE.. THERE IS A CAMPAIGN TO REMOVE MARISSA MAYER AS THE CEO OF YAHOO!

Michael Wolff in USA TODAY writes,

For investors the choice is simple. Sell it now in a way that, according to various estimates from some of the funds now heavily invested in the company, would yield approximately $46 a share. Or, look a year or more into the future, when, after a restructuring, Yahoo managers can try again to make good on a turn around plan that they have for several years gamely tried, and abjectly failed at.

In the eyes of investors, and, likely the cosmos too, it is not just mismanagement, and lack of vision, or lost opportunities — not buying Netflix when it was cheap, for instance. Rather the problem is in the nature of Yahoo, and, arguably, digital media itself.

And this is important for a few reasons to some of you reading. If you blog on Tumblr, don’t forget who the landlord is..

Geocities part 2?

Star Wars smashes US box office record! $500 mil worldwide in one weekend, smashing United States opening record

Star Wars smashes US box office record! $500 mil worldwide in one weekend, smashing United States opening record