Some Guantanamo detainees released Dec. 31 -- they were deemed not a threat in 2003 -- NY Times reporter / Pentagon

from Dec. 31 Online story about the Military detention center / prison for those caught in post 9/11 sweeps of suspected "terrorists": In what the Pentagon called a “significant milestone” in the effort to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the military announced on Tuesday that the United States had transferred three Chinese detainees to Slovakia. The three were the last of 22 ethnic Uighurs from China who were captured after the American invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and brought to Guantánamo. Although the military decided that they were not at war with the United States and should be released — and a judge ordered them freed in 2008 — they remained stranded because of difficulties in finding a safe and agreeable place to send them. “The United States is grateful to the government of Slovakia for this humanitarian gesture and its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantánamo Bay detention facility,” said Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary. “The United States coordinated with the government of Slovakia to ensure the transfer took place in accordance with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.” With these transfers, a total of nine detainees have departed Guantánamo in December, and 11 since last summer, when President Obama revived his stagnant efforts to close the prison by appointing Cliff Sloan as a new State Department envoy for the effort to winnow down its population of low-level detainees. There are 155 prisoners remaining at Guantánamo. Of those, about half have long been approved for transfer if security conditions can be met in the receiving country, the bulk of whom are Yemenis. In a statement, Mr. Sloan said, “We deeply appreciate Slovakia’s humanitarian assistance in accepting these three individuals from Guantánamo who were in need of resettlement,” and he portrayed the relationship between the United States and Slovakia as strong and close. “All 22 Uighurs from Guantánamo now have been resettled to six different countries, and these three resettlements are an important step in implementing President Obama’s directive to close the Guantánamo detention facility,” he said. The Uighurs have long served as a particularly high profile symbol for opponents of the Guantánamo policy. Leaked dossiers for the three detainees sent to Slovakia — Yusef Abbas, Hajiakbar Abdulghupur, and Saidullah Khalik — say that at least as early as 2003, the military had determined they were “not affiliated with Al Qaeda or a Taliban leader” and should be released. But the United States could not repatriate the Uighurs because the Chinese government has a history of mistreating Uighurs as it deals with ethnic unrest in its vast Central Asian border region of Xinjiang, where Uighurs are the largest ethnic group; the American military believed some of the Uighurs had received weapons training at a camp in Afghanistan run by a separatist Uighur group. Other countries were reluctant to take them, in part because of Chinese diplomatic pressure. U.S. Frees Last of Uighur Detainees From Guantánamo By CHARLIE SAVAGE _______________ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/us/us-frees-last-of-uighur-detainees-from-guantanamo.html?_r=0&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1388502563-Gfm7OL5/eK/z0Dpilrf7Sw

7 p.m. Dec. 31, 2013 -- Advisory as far as Road and Travel conditions

Posted at local CBS affiliate website -- Weather Alerts: Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 7 P.M. EST /6 P.M. CST/ this evening to 1 P.M. EST /noon CST/ Wednesday JANUARY 1... The National Weather Service in northern Indiana has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for snow...which is in effect from 7 P.M. EST /6 P.M. CST/ this evening to 1 P.M. EST /noon CST/ Wednesday. Hazardous weather... ◦ snow is expected to overspread the area from west to east this evening and persist through Wednesday. ◦ Accumulations during this time will range from 2 to 5 inches. ◦ Additional snow is possible Wednesday night and into Thursday January 2, 2014. Impacts... ◦ roads will become snow covered...slick...and hazardous late this evening and into Wednesday. Visibilities will also be limited. This will make travel across the area difficult. Precautionary/preparedness actions... A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means that periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties. http://www.wsbt.com/weather --- for Berrien County, Michigan USA

Local Weather advisory -- Sunday evening Dec. 29, 2013

from National Weather Service -- affecting Berrien County (Niles and other communities) in Michigan : ... A MIX OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND SNOW SHOWERS EARLY THIS EVENING. A MIX OF LIGHT PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE AND SHOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 7 P.M. Eastern Time Zone. THE MIXED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO PRIMARILY SNOW SHOWERS AFTER 7 PM EST. THE FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY RESULT IN A THIN GLAZE OF ICE FORMING ON UNTREATED ROADS. THUS, MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ENCOUNTER SOME SLIPPERY TRAVEL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING.

Secretary of State Kerry -- to visit Israel and West Bank -- first day of New Year 2014

from STATE DEPARTMENT dot-gov website (Posting Dec. 28, 2013): On January 1, Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Jerusalem to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to Ramallah to meet with President Abbas. In these meetings, he will discuss the ongoing final status negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, among other issues.

150 years ago -- December 27, 1863 (President Lincoln visits Prison Camp in Maryland)

from CIVIL WAR online almanac -- web resource: Sunday Dec. 27 1863 PRESIDENT PONDERS POINT PRISONERS President Abraham Lincoln, in company with Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, went for a visit on this day to the prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, Maryland. Elsewhere, skirmishes took place at Somerville, New Castle, and Mossy Creek, Tennessee, possibly in celebration of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston assuming command of the Department of Tennessee. http://www.civilwarinteractive.com/This%20Day/thisday1227.htm

Local Elvis Presley impersonator -- New Year's Eve festivities -- Niles, Michigan 49120 - Dec. 31, 2013 - Jan. 1, 2014

from Events listing -- In The Bend dot-com/ New Year's Eve Dance Party "Dancing with the Stars!" Tuesday, Dec 31 8:00 p.m. to Wednesday, Jan 1, 2014 2:00 a.m Kubiak's Tavern, 319 State Line Road, Niles, Michigan New Year's Eve DJ dance party. Featuring Irv Cass as Elvis Presley. DJ music and hors d'oeuvres; champagne toast to ring in the New Year 2014. Couples dance contest.____________________ http://events.inthebend.com/niles_mi/events/show/368939708-new-years-eve-dance-party-dancing-with-the-stars

Fifth day of Christmas, Year of our Lord 1170 -- Murder in the Cathedral (Canterbury) of Archbishop Thomas Becket by King Henry's assassins

from Fordham University posted historical websites / anthology = http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1170benedict-becket.asp ______________________________________________________________________ In the year of the incarnation of the Lord 1170, Henry king of the English, son of Empress Matilda, held his court in Normandy at Bur, keeping the day of the Lord's Nativity, saddened and troubled greatly because the archbishop of Canterbury did not wish to absolve the English bishops whom he had bound with the chain of excommunication. And since the above-mentioned king thus angry was in ire, four knights of his household, on account of the disturbed spirits which they saw in him, desiring to defend him, secretly, without the knowledge of the king, hurried to the sea to cross the channel to England. And when they had crossed the channel, they seized their journey with hastened course toward Canterbury. And the father [Becket] had spent barely a month in his church, when behold, on the fifth day of Christmas the aforementioned four knights came to Canterbury, indeed vassals promised to Satan, whose names are these: William de Tracy, Hugh de Moreville, Richard Brito and Reginald fitz Urse; and the armed men in their rage came upon the aforementioned archbishop in the church. And having entered into that church, they said with great shouts, "Where, where is the traitor?" No one responded to them. And they asked again, "Where is the archbishop of Canterbury?" That one himself responded to them, "Here I am, the servant of Christ, whom you seek." One of the murderous knights retorted to him in a spirit of fury, "You will die in a moment; it is truly impossible that you live any longer." However the archbishop responded with no less steadiness in words as in spirit: "I am prepared to die for my God, and for the establishment of justice, and for the freedom of the church. But is you seek my head, I forbid, on behalf of Almighty God, and under anathema, that you should harm in any way anyone else, whether monk or cleric or layman, great or small, but let them be immune from penalty, as they are not involved in this." These words of his are seen to imitate Christ speaking in the Passion: "If you seek me, let these men go." [John 18:18] With these words, seeing the butchers with drawn swords, he bowed his head in the manner of praying, offering these words: "To God and the Blessed Mary, and to the holy patrons of this church, and to the Blessed Denis, I commend my very self and the cause of my church." Then in all these tortures the martyr, of unconquered soul and admirable steadfastness, did not utter a word or cry, did not bring forth a groan, nor lay bare his arm or his garment to the one striking him, but offered his bowed head to their swords, holding fast until it was accomplished. Thereupon the aforementioned knights, fearing a multitude of both sexes rushing on them from all sides, and lest he be delivered by the prayer he had begun, sped their villainy. And when one of them reaching out brandished his sword at the head of the archbishop, he nearly cut off the arm of a certain cleric, who was called Edward Grim, and likewise wounded the anointed of the Lord in the head. Truly that cleric stretched out his arm over the head of the father, so that he might receive the blows or rather divert the blow of the one striking. He stood thus far just on behalf of justice, patient as a lamb, innocent without a murmur, without complaint, and offered himself as a complete offering to the Lord. And lest any of the deadly vassals be able to argue later that he was blameless, the second and third cruelly smashed their swords against the top of the head of the steadfast athlete, crushed it, and threw down to the ground the victim of the Holy Spirit. Truly the fourth, raving with furious cruelty all the more, cut off the tonsured crown of the dying man already prostrate, scattered the top of the head and, inserting the sharp point into the head, poured forth the brain with blood over the stone pavement. Thereupon in the beginning of the seventh year of his exile, the aforementioned martyr Thomas, for the law of his God, and for the justice of his church, which had completely perished in the English church, struggled all the way unto death, and did not fear the words of the impious, but founded on the rock which is Christ, for the name of Christ, in the church of Christ, by the swords of the wicked, on the fifth day of Christmas, that is on the day after the feast of the Innocents, he himself lay down innocent. Then all ran away, leaving him behind, so that what was written might be fulfilled: "I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." [Matt. 26:31] Truly the knights who had perpetrated that profane deed made their way back through the stable of the martyr and removed his horses, which they divided among themselves just as it pleased them. Those wicked ones, suddenly aware of their deed and despairing of pardon, did not dare to return to the court of the king whence they had come; but they withdrew to the western parts of England all the way to Knaresborough, an estate of Hugh de Moreville's, and there remained for awhile until they were considered vile by compatriots of that province. Truly everyone avoided their company, nor did anyone wish to eat or drink with them. They ate and drank alone, and they were banished to the scraps of food with their dogs. And when they had tasted from that dish, even the dogs no longer wished to eat anything from there. Behold the manifest and worthy vengeance of God, that those who defied the anointed of the Lord were despised even by their dogs. Meanwhile, the king, who held his court at Bur as we have said above, came to Argentan. Where, when he had heard that the archbishop of Canterbury was slain so cruelly in the church of Canterbury, he grieved violently, even more than it is possible to say. His life was miserable beyond words. Truly he did not wish to eat anything for three days, nor to speak with anyone, but conducted his lonely life behind closed doors for five weeks, until Rotrod archbishop of Rouen and the bishops of the Normans came to him to console him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source. The Chronicle of "Benedict of Peterborough": The Murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, 29 December 1170

Endangered Species Act (signed on Dec. 28 forty years ago) -- posting from Think Progress dot-org website

www.thinkprogress.org/ Forty years ago on December 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act (ESA), saying, “Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed . . .I congratulate the 93rd Congress for taking this important step toward protecting a heritage which we hold in trust to countless future generations of our fellow citizens.” Since then the ESA has been credited with saving a number of species from the brink of extinction, including the bald eagle, the American alligator, the grizzly bear and the prairie dog. The act has prevented the extinction of 99 percent of the more than 2,140 species it currently protects. The ESA became law during the first waves of the modern environmental movement in America. Rachel Carson’s influential book Silent Spring had been published 11 years earlier. The Santa Barbara oil spill happened in 1969. Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency and signed the Clean Air Act in 1970. At the time of its signing, the ESA was meant to protect against the rapid development and pollution that was depleting habitats. Since then another major factor has come into play, one that exacerbates these already prominent issues as well as adding new elements of its own: climate change. . .

Results "Pinstripe Bowl" -- 29 - 16 wins requires five field goals (Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights) - at Yankee Stadium, NY City

from posted story by ND SMC Student reporter Mike Monaco -- posted after the Noon - 4 p.m. Eastern Time game on Dec. 28, 2013 = Notre Dame out-possessed and outgained Rutgers all afternoon, but the Irish couldn’t pull away until late in their 29-16 victory over the Scarlet Knights in the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. Notre Dame (9-4) more than doubled the offensive output by Rutgers (6-7), but the Scarlet Knights kept hanging around as the Irish offense struggled in its opponent’s territory and Rutgers constantly started with strong field position. But Irish freshman Tarean Folston rumbled in for a three-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter, as Notre Dame finally ended a long possession with a touchdown. The score capped a 79-yard drive and gave Notre Dame a 26-16 lead with 3:38 remaining. Notre Dame’s previous three drives that spanned at least 70 yards all ended with field goals. On the ensuing Rutgers possession, Irish graduate student inside linebacker Dan Fox intercepted Scarlet Knights senior quarterback Chas Dodd, his fourth pick of the day, to effectively ice the victory. Irish junior kicker Kyle Brindza nailed a 49-yard field goal — his fifth of the game — minutes later for good measure. more to be posted at www. ndsmcobserver. com

Jeh Johnson -- who is this new "Homeland Security" czar?

from DHS dot-gov -- Department of Homeland Security official website: Secretary Jeh Johnson Jeh Charles Johnson was sworn in on December 23, 2013 as the fourth Secretary of Homeland Security. Prior to joining DHS, Secretary Johnson served as General Counsel for the Department of Defense, where he was part of the senior management team and led the more than 10,000 military and civilian lawyers across the Department. As General Counsel of the Defense Department, Secretary Johnson oversaw the development of the legal aspects of many of our nation’s counterterrorism policies, spearheaded reforms to the military commissions system at Guantanamo Bay in 2009, and co-authored the 250-page report that paved the way for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2010. Secretary Johnson’s career has included extensive service in national security, law enforcement, and as an attorney in private corporate law practice. Secretary Johnson was General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force from 1998 to 2001, and he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1989 to 1991. In private law practice, Secretary Johnson was a partner with the New York City-based law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. In 2004, Secretary Johnson was elected a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, and he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Secretary Johnson graduated from Morehouse College in 1979 and received his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1982.

Remembering the Wright Brothers (pioneers in U.,S. aviation) as well as their sister, Katharine of Ohio -- 110 years ago was First Flight in Plane/Aircraft

from White House dot-gove Press office proclamation for Dec. 17 (annual day of commemoration):' On December 17, 1903, decades of dreaming, experimenting, and careful engineering culminated in 12 seconds of flight. Wilbur and Orville Wright's airplane soared above the wind-blown banks of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, pushing the boundaries of human imagination and paving the way for over a century of innovation. On Wright Brothers Day, our Nation commemorates this once unthinkable achievement. We celebrate our scientists, engineers, inventors, and all Americans who set their sights on the impossible. America has always been a Nation of strivers and creators. As our next generation carries forward this proud tradition, we must give them the tools to translate energy and creativity into concrete results. That is why my Administration is dedicated to improving education in the vital fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We are working to broaden participation among underrepresented groups, and through Race to the Top, we are raising standards and making STEM education a priority. Last year, we announced plans to create a national STEM Master Teacher Corps -- a group of the best STEM teachers in the country, who will receive resources to mentor fellow educators, inspire students, and champion STEM education in their communities. As we remember the Wright brothers, let us not forget another Wright who took up the mission of powered flight. Orville and Wilbur's sister, Katharine, used her teacher's salary to support the family and ran the Wrights' bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, while her brothers worked in Kitty Hawk. She went on to manage press, conduct business with foreign dignitaries and heads of state, and wrangle support for the burgeoning aviation enterprise. Today, let all of us draw inspiration from a family who taught us that when bold ideas meet scientific thinking and tireless experimentation, the sky is no limit. The Congress, by a joint resolution approved December 17, 1963, as amended (77 Stat. 402; 36 U.S.C. 143), has designated December 17 of each year as "Wright Brothers Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation inviting the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. signed by President Barack H. Obama

Kwanzaa -- seven-day observance (to New Year 2014)

from "Official Kwanzaa Website" dot-org; Celebrating Kwanzaa Preparation There is a traditionally established way of celebrating Kwanzaa. We should therefore observe these guidelines to make our Kwanzaa the most beautiful and engaging one and to keep the tradition. Without definite guidelines and core values and practices there is no holiday. Kikombe cha Umoja - The Unity Cup First, you should come to the celebration with a profound respect for its values, symbols and practices and do nothing to violate its integrity, beauty and expansive meaning. Secondly, you should not mix the Kwanzaa holiday or its symbols, values and practice with any other culture. This would violate the principles of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) and thus violate the integrity of the holiday. Thirdly, choose the best and most beautiful items to celebrate Kwanzaa. This means taking time to plan and select the most beautiful objects of art, colorful African cloth, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc. so that every object used represents African culture and your commitment to the holiday in the best of ways.

Today is a Feast Day -- Dec. 26, 2013

from INTERFAITH CALENDAR dot-org (posted for calendar year 2013): D E C E M B E R ===== • 28 ◦Holy Innocents - Christian • 29 ◦Feast of the Holy Family - Catholic Christian

Christmas Day message -- "Urbi et Orbi" -- Pope Francis on day of Christmas 2013 to audience that includes the world's citizens

Pope Francis, celebrating his first Christmas as Roman Catholic leader, on Wednesday called for dialogue to end the conflict in South Sudan and all wars, saying everyone should strive to be personal peacemakers. Speaking to tens of thousands of people from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the same spot where he emerged to the world as pope when he was elected on March 13, Francis also made another appeal for the environment to be saved from "human greed and rapacity". The leader of the 1.2 billion-member Church wove his first "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and world) message around the theme of peace. He called for "social harmony in South Sudan, where current tensions have already caused numerous victims and are threatening peaceful coexistence in that young state." Thousands are believed to have died in violence divided along ethnic lines between the Nuer and Dinka tribes in the country, which seceded from Sudan in 2011 after decades of war. He also called for dialogue to end the conflicts in Syria, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq, and prayed for a "favourable outcome" to the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. "Wars shatter and hurt so many lives!" he said, saying their most vulnerable victims were children, elderly, battered women and the sick. The thread running through the message was that individuals had a role in promoting peace, either with their neighbour or between nations. The message of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was directed at "every man or woman who keeps watch through the night, who hopes for a better world, who cares for others while humbly seeking to do his or her duty," he said.

Space Walk -- a success

Eight-hour effort of International Space Center astronauts finished on Dec. 24 with replacement of Ammonia Pump -- congratulations to the team and those in support back on earth at NASA! posted 7:45 a.m. Dec. 25, 2013 Eastern Time Zone

Rethink Christmas (Christmas telecast from St. Mark UMC, Wichita, KS) - December 24-25, 2013 -- ABC network affiliates

from publicity at RethinkChurch dot-org -- posted for Dec. 24, 2013: The people of The United Methodist Church are showing the world the light of Christ through an opportunity broadcast on ABC-TV. “RETHINK CHRISTMAS: Unwrap the Gift” is a worship service from Saint Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas. United Methodist Communications collaborated with the church to produce the event that can be seen overnight on December 24th and early December 25th. This special event is airing at different times on Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning, so you'll have time to attend your candlelight services and catch the televised service when you get home. Because local ABC affiliates determine independently whether they will air the service and at what time, please check your local listings or go to umc.org for a full listing of cities airing the broadcast. We hope this worship service will be an opportunity for you to share with your family, friends and neighbors the diversity in worship as we're invited to sing along to familiar Christmas hymns with a bit of a Gospel twist, experience the movement of the Spirit through liturgical dancers, be invited to light the Advent candle and hear a dynamic message from Rev. Junius Dotson, Senior Pastor of Saint Mark United Methodist Church.

Christmas Eve Space Walk (7:10 a.m.) Television coverage on NASA TV network

from Space dot-com -- posted Dec. 23, 2013 NASA astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins will don their spacesuits and float out into the weightless wonderland of space for another spacewalk to repair the orbiting outpost's critical cooling system Tuesday. This EVA (extra-vehicular activity, or spacewalk) is the second in a series of spacewalks quickly planned after a problem with the vital system arose on Dec. 11. NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio stands on the International Space Station's robotic arm during an urgent spacewalk to fix the station's vital cooling system. Originally, NASA officials planned three spacewalks to fix the issue, however, if all goes well during the Christmas Eve EVA, the astronauts should be able to get the system back up and running at full capacity without a third spacewalk. You can watch the full 6.5-hour long spacewalk on SPACE.com via NASA TV. Live coverage starts at 6:15 a.m. EST (1115 GMT), and the Christmas Eve spacewalk should start at about 7:10 a.m. EST

Christmas presents to kids brought by the Camels on the 11th day of Christmas (Jan. 5) -- traditions and religious observance in the Middle East

World of Christmas dot-net -- Syria -- substantial customs and ways to observe the Birth of Christ: Syria, where only about 10% of the entire population follows Christianity, celebrates Christmas with the same enthusiasm as anywhere in the West. Here, since a majority of people are Arabs, The standard greeting of Christmas is 'Milad Majid', which is Arabic for Merry Christmas. Christmas in Syria is celebrated on December 6th and the churches of Syria hold special masses in honor of Saint Nicholas Thaumaturgus whose legend is similar to those of St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. As is the case with most countries in the world, the tradition of exchanging gifts also exists in Syria. Here, of course, in line with the local traditions and the importance that camels hold in them, it is the Smallest Camel of the Wise Men who brings gifts for the kids on the Eve of Christmas. The smallest camel is a seasonal character of the Nativity story and it is said that he had an extreme rough time to make it to the journey but did reach in spite of his enervation. For his loyalty and will to see the Christ Child, he got the blessing of immortality and hence, on every January 5th night, the little camel brings gifts. Syrian Christmas Customs •Syria mostly has Eastern Christians whose traditions are molded in the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe. Their way of celebrating Christmas is slightly different from the other Christian communities. •The various denominations in Syria include the Syrian, Greek and Armenian Orthodox church, the Maronite Church, the Syrian Catholic Church and the Greek Catholic Church. •The Eastern Christians observe a fast as a part of spiritual preparation for the birth of Christ at Christmas time. During this fast, they avoid meat, dairy products, fish and eggs. •Other than this custom, on the Christmas Eve, families and relatives also gather together around an unlit bonfire and carry a lit candle with them. The youngest kid in the family reads out the Nativity story and the bonfire is lit after the story finishes. Similar to Iraqis, Syrians also believe that the flames of the bonfire bring good luck and prosperity to the house. •Many hymns are sung while the bonfire burns and once it gets burnt completely, everyone jumps over the ashes and makes a wish. •On the Christmas morning, every family goes to church to attend the mass. Here, another bonfire is lit and, while it burns, hymns are sung by the congregation members of the church. •A celebrant holds the figure of the Christ Child and walks around the building. At the end, he touches the hand of the person next to him who, in turn, passes this touch further, to every person who is a part of the procession. This touch is the blessing called the ‘Touch of Peace’. •Gifts are a major attraction of Christmas in Syria also. Children leave their shoes outside on the Christmas Eve with some hay and water beside them. The hay and water are for the camel to feed upon before he fills the shoes with gifts and goodies. Christmas Dinner Christmas dinner is one such regular tradition followed by every Christian in every part of the world. In Syria, the dinner includes chicken, pastries, nuts, oranges and soft drinks.

Night of the Radishes - Oaxaca, Mexico - December 23 annually

Night of the Radishes Festival in Oaxaca, Mexico While Americans have pumpkins for Halloween, Oaxacans have the radish for Christmas! The Night of the Radishes is one of the most anticipated celebrations in Oaxaca. Every year, the humble radish is carved into beautiful, intricate sculptures of animals, dancers, saints, conquerors, kings and everything else imaginable. Once Oaxaca's radish-artists are done with this vegetable, it barely resembles something you might eat at the dinner table. Nobody really knows how this festival started, although it is believed to have originated in 1897, when the then mayor of the city started the first exhibition of radish art. In the last century, markets during Christmas eve sold salt-dried fish and vegetables for customers coming out of the midnight mass. To differentiate the items from one another, vendors sculpted their radishes into tiny figures, sometimes even decorating them with other vegetables such as onions or lettuce. The radishes seemed to be a hit with the housewives then, as these women sought out the most interesting sculptures to add to the air of cheer to their Christmas tables. Every year since the first exhibition, the best displays receive cash prizes. Radish artists begin carving three days before the festival, which is held on December 23. Children are taught this unique craft on the morning of the festival itself. By the afternoon of the festival, the Zocalo is filled with contestants all eager to display their fabulous sculptures. Over time, some artists started toying with other vegetables such as flowers or corn husks for their masterpieces. By nighttime on the 23rd, the winners are announced but the celebrations are not yet over. Come December 24, the Zocalo comes to life again, this time with parades of floats designed by the many different churches in Oaxaca.

At Syracuse University, D.C. area, London, England, and Lockerbie, Scotland acts of memorial for those killed in terrorist bombing Pan Am Flight 103 -- Dec. 21, 1988 (25th anniversary)

To mark the 25th anniversary, of Pan Am 103, five services are planned in the United States and the United Kingdom on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013 (please note that all times listed are local times). Syracuse University will be represented by staff members, students and/or alumni at each location. On the SU campus, a service of hope and remembrance will begin at 2:03 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel, followed by a procession to the Wall of Remembrance. All are welcome to attend. Other services include: Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington Va., at the Pan Am 103 Memorial Cairn at 1:30 p.m. New York City at SU’s Lubin House (11 East 61st St., in Manhattan) at 2:03 p.m. Those wishing to attend this service are asked to RSVP to Scott Austin at scott.austin.sca@gmail.com. Westminster Abbey, London, England at 6:45 p.m. Lockerbie, Scotland at Dryfesdale Cemetery at 2 p.m. and at Dryfesdale Church at 6:30 p.m. Many of the Lockerbie Scholars have joined local officials and clergy in planning and carrying out the services in Lockerbie. The Scholars are hosting a gathering on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Lockerbie Academy Assembly Hall. For more information, contact Jessica Liddon at jess0593@hotmail.co.uk. Hendricks Chapel Dean Tiffany Steinwert and Lockerbie’s Rev. Sandy Stoddart have composed a Common Prayer, an ecumenical statement distributed widely – especially via social media – and intended to be read on Dec. 21, 2013 at 2:03 p.m. (Eastern time, 7:03 p.m. Greenwich time). The prayer appears below. http://syr.edu/pa103remembrance25/

Prayer on 25th Anniversary of terrible terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland (posted at Syracuse University blog)

at Syracuse (NY) University website and archive: A message of hope has begun its journey across the globe. How many eyes see it and how many mouths speak it likely will never be known. But its purpose is clear: to instill a sense of resolve from sorrowful acts of the past to help ensure they never occur again. The Common Prayer for Peace has been placed in circulation via social media (#peaceprayer) and email, and can also be found on the Web. Simple instructions accompany the prayer, asking those who receive it to share it widely and then, wherever they are on the eve of the winter solstice/summer solstice in December 2013, join together as one to recite the prayer aloud and convey its compelling message in one communal voice. The 142-word passage draws upon the shared experience of Lockerbie, Scotland, and Syracuse University, two communities previously unknown to one another that became irrevocably bound on the dark night of Dec. 21, 1988. At 7:03 p.m. local time that day, a Boeing 747 named Clipper Maid of the Seas was leveling off at 31,000 feet, just north of the England-Scotland border, when an explosive device in the forward cargo hold detonated and blew a basketball-sized hole in the fuselage. Over the next several minutes, the plane broke apart and plummeted to the ground. The terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 killed 270 people, including 11 residents of the town of Lockerbie, where the wreckage came to ground. Among the jetliner’s passengers were 35 Syracuse University students returning from a fall semester studying abroad. After a three-year joint investigation by Scottish and U.S. authorities, two Libyan nationals were implicated in the bombing. In 1999, following eight years of United Nations sanctions and negotiations, the pair was turned over by the Libyan government to face trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands. One, a Libyan intelligence officer, was convicted of murder. The Common Prayer was composed by the Rev. Tiffany Steinwert, dean of Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel, and the Rev. Sandy Stoddart, minister of the Lockerbie (Dryfesdale) Church of Scotland. “Sandy and I decided to co-author the prayer as a symbol of the unity and friendship that has sprung from the tragedy over the past 25 years,” Steinwert says. “If anything good can be said to come from this act of terror, it has been the deep bonds of friendship that have grown across the pond, connecting the hearts of Syracuse and Lockerbie as one.” While the origin of the Common Prayer is rooted in the tragedy of Pan Am 103—and this year’s commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist bombing—the prayer is intended to resonate with people throughout the world who have been impacted by terrorism: the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995; 9/11; the London Underground bombings of 2005, this September’s terrorist attack on a Nairobi mall; multiple car bombings and suicide bombings in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Northern Ireland; and thousands more acts that have left so many killed, injured, and emotionally and physically scarred. To them, the prayer is dedicated. From them, and from others who believe in its message, comes the resolve to work toward a better future in which that sorrow has no place. http://syr.edu/pa103remembrance25/

NASA Astronauts take space walk to repair cooling system -- International Space Station

posted at USA TODAY dot-com -- Saturday Dec. 21, 2013: Expedition 38 Flight Engineers Rick Mastracchio and Mike Hopkins wrapped up a 5-hour, 28 minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station at 12:29 p.m. EST Saturday, completing the first in a series of excursions aimed at replacing a degraded ammonia pump module associated with one of the station's two external cooling loops that keeps both internal and external equipment cool. After exiting the Quest airlock, Hopkins made his way out to Saturday’s worksite at center of the Starboard 1 truss segment. Mastracchio meanwhile attached himself to a foot restraint at the end of the station’s 57-foot robotic arm so that Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata, the robotics operator for the spacewalks, could fly Mastracchio to the worksite and position him for his various tasks. The two spacewalkers first spent some time demating four ammonia fluid line “quick disconnects” from the pump module. Once the four fluid lines were disconnected, Mastracchio and Hopkins worked to attach the fluid lines to a pump module jumper box, which allows the ammonia to reach the system’s plumbing in the ammonia and nitrogen tanks to keep it in a liquid state. Afterward the spacewalkers installed a generic thermal cover over the pump module jumper and ammonia fluid lines. With the spacewalk proceeding well ahead of schedule, Mission Control in Houston informed Mastracchio and Hopkins that they could press ahead with the first task originally planned for Monday’s spacewalk –removing the degraded pump module from the starboard truss and attaching it to a stowage location on the Payload Orbital Replacement Unit Accommodation (POA) on the station’s railcar, or Mobile Base System. While Hopkins set up the POA and an adjustable grapple fixture, Mastracchio removed the five electrical connectors from the pump module and unfastened the module from the truss. With Mastracchio holding the 780-pound pump while he was attached to the end of the robotic arm, Wakata guided the arm to attach the module to the grapple fixture and activated the snares to hold it in place. Mastracchio now holds 43 hours and 58 minutes of spacewalking time during seven spacewalks, and Hopkins now holds 5 hours and 28 minutes during one spacewalk. Saturday’s spacewalk was the 175th in support of space station assembly and maintenance.

Winter Solstice -- December 21, 2013

The shortest day of the year -- Winter Begins at 12:11 p.m. Eastern Time; DETAILED feature story from CS MONITOR dot-com (online Christian Science Monitor) -- today's online article: "Up until winter solstice, the sun is moving southward from day to day. As it approaches solstice its southward march slows down," says Benjamin Burress, an astronomer at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. At the solstice the sun stops going south and pauses, motionless. "Then after solstice, it is again moving northward in the sky each day," he says. Solstice means "stationary sun." The solstice occurs because the Earth is tipped on its axis 23.5 degrees. In the northern hemisphere in the summer, the axis is pointing its most toward the sun on June 21. On that day the most light reaches us and we experience the longest day of the year and warmer temperatures: the summer solstice. The reverse is true on Dec. 21. Then the axis is pointing its most away from the sun, bringing less light and colder temperatures. That is the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. It's the opposite in the southern hemisphere, where Dec. 21 marks the longest day of the year and June 21 the shortest. The midpoints, on March 20 and Sept. 22, are known as the equinoxes. On these days the axis is exactly in between and night and day are each the same length, 12 hours.

"Make Music Change the World" -- benefit for homeless youth - Friday December 20, 2013

Details released to SOUTH BEND (Indiana) Tribune "Briefs" Upcoming events for charity causes: WorkOne's Jobs for America' Graduates will host a student-organized youth charity concert to raise money to benefit youth and children in an area homeless shelter (South Bend, IN). From 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army Kroc Center on Western Avenue, there will be music and entertainment. Tickets in advance are $5 while admission at the door on the 20th evening will be $8. Contact person is Yung Blu -- telephoen (574) - 440-7927. www.southbendtribune.com/

A Ghost Story of Christmas: Title Page of Dickens' A_CHRISTMAS_CAROL (Project Gutenberg copy of December 1843 novel)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL IN PROSE BEING A Ghost Story of Christmas BY CHARLES DICKENS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN LEECH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PREFACE I HAVE endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it. Their faithful Friend and Servant, C. D. December, 1843. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ http://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm

"When the sun is at its highest and the shadow is shortest" -- Burial of Rolihlahla / Mandela, former S. African President

Online summary article at Daily Mail (online periodical) -- dot-com (December 15, 2013): His flag-draped casket resting on a carpet of animal skins, Nelson Mandela was laid to rest Sunday in the green, rolling hills of the eastern hamlet where he began his extraordinary journey — one that led him from prison to the presidency, a global symbol of endurance and reconciliation in the fight against South Africa's racist rule. Artillery boomed and military aircraft roared through a cloud-studded sky, as the simple and the celebrated gathered to pay their final respects in Mandela's native village of Qunu at a state funeral that blended ancient tribal rituals with a display of the might of the new, integrated South Africa. “Yours was truly a long walk to freedom and now you have achieved the ultimate freedom in the bosom of your maker," Brig. Gen. Monwabisi Jamangile, chaplain-general of the South African military, said as Mandela's casket was lowered into the ground at the family gravesite. "Rest in peace." "I realized that the old man is no more, no more with us," said Bayanda Nyengule, head of a local museum about Mandela, his voice cracking as he described the burial attended by several hundred mourners after a larger funeral ceremony during which some 4,500 people, including heads of state, royalty and celebrities, paid their last respects. The burial ended a 10-day mourning period that began with Mandela's death on Dec. 5 at 95, and included a Johannesburg memorial attended by nearly 100 world leaders and three days during which tens of thousands of South Africans of all races and backgrounds filed past Mandela's casket in the capital, Pretoria. For South Africans, it was also a time for reflection about the racial integration they achieved when Mandela presided over the end of apartheid, and the economic inequality and other challenges that have yet to be overcome and seem certain to test his legacy's endurance. The burial site marked a return to Mandela's humble roots, but the funeral trappings were elaborate. South African honor guards from the army, navy and air force, including both black and white officers, marched in formation along a winding dirt road. In contrast to the military pomp, some speakers evoked the traditions of the Xhosa tribe, to which Mandela's Thembu clan belongs. "A great tree has fallen, he is now going home to rest with his forefathers," said Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima, a representative of Mandela's family who wore an animal skin. "We thank them for lending us such an icon." Another speaker, Zolani Mkiva, served for many years as Mandela's praise singer, a traditional role in which he shouted out the leader's attributes to audiences, prefacing Mandela's many stations in life with the words "very important:" person, prince, patriot, politician, prisoner, philosopher, president, pensioner, patient, papa. "The bones of our ancestors are vibrating. The waves of African oceans are reverberating," Mkiva said. In keeping with Xhosa traditions, Mandela's casket was brought to Qunu Saturday draped in a lion skin, an honor bestowed on those of a high rank like Mandela, who is the son of a traditional clan chief. His body lay for the night in his family home before burial, a time when tradition dictates that family elders "talk" to the body to explain to his spirit what is happening. South African television showed Mandela's casket at the family gravesite, but the broadcast was stopped just before the coffin was lowered into the ground at the request of the Mandela family, which often talked of how it had to share its patriarch with the nation and the world. His body was buried around noon, "when the sun is at its highest and the shadow at its shortest," said Cyril Ramaphosa, deputy leader of the country's ruling party, the African National Congress. Mandela spent 27 years as a prisoner of apartheid, then emerged to lead a delicate transition to democracy when many South Africans feared the country would sink into all-out racial conflict. He became president in the first all-race elections in 1994 and served one five-year term. At the funeral ceremony, Mandela's portrait looked over the assembly from behind a bank of 95 candles representing each year of his life. His casket, transported to the tent on a gun carriage and draped in the national flag, rested on a carpet of cow skins. Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, and his ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, were dressed in black Xhosa head wraps and dresses. Guests included veterans of the military wing of the ANC, as well as U.S. Ambassador Patrick Gaspard and other foreign envoys. Britain's Prince Charles, Monaco's Prince Albert II, Oprah Winfrey, billionaire businessman Richard Branson and former Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai also were there. At one spot overlooking Mandela's compound, several hundred people gathered to watch the televised ceremony. A group of Zulu traditional dancers with spears and shields gathered nearby to pay their last respects to Mandela.

How are the St. Lucia Night festivities observed / practiced?

from online web posting about national traditions of Christmas and Advent (St.Nick dot-org): Sweden Swedish families celebrate Saint Lucia Day on December 13th. The oldest daughter wears a white robe, a red sash, and a crown of lighted candles as she serves coffee and buns to other members of the family. Communities celebrate with Saint Lucia parades. Carols are sung in praise of the Queen of Light, who is said, brought hope at a dark hour. Following Saint Lucia Day, everyone starts Christmas preparations. The house is cleaned and gingerbread is made. Bundles of wheat are tied and placed outside for the birds. Holiday breads and cakes are baked. Candles are plenteous for they represent the desire for the return of light. On December 22nd, the darkest, shortest day of the year, candles are even placed in the church yards. Their Santa is a little dwarf-like person known as Jultomten, who delivers presents on Christmas Eve. Long ago funny little gifts called julklappar, were given by a secret rap on the door. Many families attend a pre-dawn church service celebrating the birth of the Christ child. Special Christmas foods are lutefisk, a dried cod fish that is boiled and eaten with melted butter. Kringle, sandbakkels and crumcake are favorite Christmas sweets. http://www.saintnick.org/html/traditions.html

Human and Civil Rights in Constitutional language -- Bill of Rights Day (Dec. 15 annually)

from WHITE HOUSE dot-gov proclamations: __________ When America's Founders declared our independence, they set forth an idea that became our Nation's defining creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." They understood that while these truths have always been self-evident, they have never been self-executing. After 15 years of democratic experimentation and national debate, the Bill of Rights came into force, touching off a long journey to carve America's highest ideals into enduring, enforceable law. The Bill of Rights is the foundation of American liberty, securing our most fundamental rights -- from the freedom to speak, assemble, and practice our faith as we please to the protections that ensure justice under the law. For almost two and a quarter centuries, these 10 Constitutional Amendments have served as a basis from which civil society could grow and flourish. They have encouraged innovation and defended Americans who questioned, challenged, and dared our Nation to be greater. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and constitutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind." Our liberties opened heated debate over the questions of citizenship and human rights, driving progress in the American mind. We learned that our Nation, built on the principles of freedom and equality, could not survive half-slave and half-free. We resolved that our daughters must have the same rights, the same chances, and the same freedom to pursue their dreams as our sons, and that if we are truly created equal, then the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Americans with disabilities tore down legal and social barriers; disenfranchised farmworkers united to claim their rights to dignity, fairness, and a living wage; civil rights activists marched, bled, and gave their lives to bring the era of segregation to an end. As we celebrate the anniversary of the Bill of Rights, let us reach for a day when we all may enjoy the basic truths of liberty and equality. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 15, 2013, as Bill of Rights Day. I call upon the people of the United States to mark this observance with appropriate ceremonies and activities. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/12/13/presidential-proclamation-bill-rights-day-2013

Mass for Peace & Justice (in memory of Nelson Mandela) -- Friday Dec. 13, 5:15 p.m.

from ND dot-edu, News = Notre Dame to remember Nelson Mandela with Mass, film Author: Dennis Brown _ _ _ _ Published: December 10, 2013 Nelson Mandela _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The University of Notre Dame will offer a Mass for peace and justice in memory of Nelson Mandela at 5:15 p.m. Friday (Dec. 13, 2013) in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, campus of University of Notre Dame. Rev. Emmanuel Katongole, a priest of the Ugandan Archdiocese of Kampala, will preside and be assisted by Deacon Melvin Tardy. Mandela, the longtime anti-apartheid leader and the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, died Thursday (Dec. 5, 2013) at age 95. Notre Dame also will mark Mandela’s passing with the screening of the film “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” on Thursday (Dec. 12) at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, to be followed by a presentation by a panel of scholars who will discuss the film and the significance of Mandela’s life and work. Panelists will include Father Katongole, Thomas Hibbs from Baylor University and Thomas Allen of Allied Faith and Family. Sponsored by the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture, the film and panel presentation are sold out. While Mandela never visited the Notre Dame campus, the University hosted his presidential successor, Thabo Mbeki, and other members of his African National Congress (ANC) for a landmark conference in 1991. Titled “The ANC and New Investment in South Africa,” the conference brought together officials from the ANC, U.S. government and more than 40 major U.S. corporations to discuss for the first time a policy for investment in the soon-to-be post-apartheid South Africa.

La Virgen de Guadalupe Fiesta (online Mexico summation)

from INSIDE MEXICO -- on December 12 annually Before the Christmas season "officially" begins on December 16, day when the first Posada takes place, Mexicans join together for the festivities of La Virgen de Guadalupe, Our Lady of Guadalupe, on December 12. This is one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar. On this date, thousands of the faithful to Our Lady of Guadalupe, from all over the country make the most important pilgrimage of all those undertaken during the year to the Basílica of Guadalupe, in Mexico City, where the miraculous image of la Virgen Morena is kept. On the day before the great celebration, thousands and thousands of people start to arrive. Many of them make the trip from their place of origin by bicycle. Trucks follow them to provide assistance and for them to have a place to rest if necessary. I was very moved when I saw all these riders, mainly men, tirelessly riding their bikes kilometer after kilometer, with their hearts set on seeing la Morenita - our Lady of Guadalupe. The monumental atrium of more than 46 thousand square meters begins to fill up. Some of the pilgrims arrive on their knees as a sign of their enormous devotion and gratitude for a favor received. There are many groups of dancers and musicians that have come to offer their art to the Virgin. By nighttime, the atrium is filled to bursting with pilgrims. People of all ages and of all regions of the country gather together, physically as well as spiritually. A mass is officiated inside the Basilica and it is at this moment that I could really feel the warmth and spiritual richness of the people. Although it is in the Basílica de Guadalupe where the most important rituals and celebrations of this special date take place, there are fiestas all over the country in Honor of Mexico's Patron Saint. Practically everywhere where there is an altar to the Virgin, a special celebration is held on her day. By the early hours of the morning, in every niche and cranny of the country, the burst of fire crackers is heard and their brilliant lights crown this great fiesta dedicated to the Mother of all Mexicans...Our Lady of Guadalupe. WRITTEN BY May Herz for "Inside Mexico" web posting = http://www.inside-mexico.com/guadalupe.htm

International Space Station -- coolant loop pump module shut down Dec. 11, 2013 - NASA press release

from "Latest News" -- NASA dot-org (Thursday, 12/12/13): Update on Space Station Cooling System Dec. 11, 2013Earlier Wednesday, the pump module on one of the space station’s two external cooling loops automatically shut down when it reached pre-set temperature limits. These loops circulate ammonia outside the station to keep both internal and external equipment cool. The flight control teams worked to get the cooling loop back up and running, and they suspect a flow control valve actually inside the pump module itself might not be functioning correctly. At no time was the crew or the station itself in any danger, but the ground teams did work to move certain electrical systems over to the second loop. Some non-critical systems have been powered down inside the Harmony node, the Kibo laboratory and the Columbus laboratory while the teams work to figure out what caused the valve to not function correctly and how to fix it. The crew is safe and preparing to begin a normal sleep shift while experts on the ground collect more data and consider what troubleshooting activities may be necessary.

Annual Day of Marian Apparition 500+ years ago -- Mexico (Dec. 12)

from "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly" (PBS dot-org) -- Multi-faith calendar D E C E M B E R 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe (Christian) Celebrates the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (by her title, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of Mexico and the Americas) before Juan Diego, an indigenous convert to Roman Catholicism, on the Mexican hill of Tepeyac in 1531.

The "Comet Ison" Show is over -- worldwide expectation is quashed

from SPACE WEATHER dot-com -- online information on sightings and space / cosmic events: COMET ISON UPDATE: Later this month, NASA plans to point the Hubble Space Telescope at Comet ISON to see if anything remains after the comet's death plunge through the sun's atmosphere on Nov. 28th. Note to Hubble: Don't expect to see much. Amateur astronomers are already searching the comet's position and setting hard limits on the brightness of any remains. Consider this image taken on Dec. 8th by Eric Allen of the Observatoire du Cégep de Trois-Rivières in Champlain, Québec: [ visit SPACEWEHATER dot-com ] The position of the comet--had it survived--is circled. "I unfortunately have to say that there is nothing down to about magnitude +16.5, not even a small condensation," says Allen. More information about Allen's observing techniques and image processing may be via weblink at www.spaceweather.com ] As Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab comments in his blog on the Comet ISON Observing Campaign web site: "The evidence appears strong that at some point approaching perihelion Comet ISON likely began to completely fall apart. What remains of ISON now is going to be either just a cloud of dust, or perhaps a few very depleted chunks of nucleus. Either way, it's not going to flare up at this point and we should assume the comet's show is over."

December 1 - 31, 2013 National Impaired Driving Prevention Month -- Proclamation and Challenge

from White House dot-gov -- Proclamations -- During the holiday season, Americans join with family, friends, and neighbors to take part in longstanding traditions. For some, those celebrations are tempered by the absence of loved ones taken too soon in traffic crashes involving drugs or alcohol, or caused by distracted driving. During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, we dedicate ourselves to saving lives and eliminating drunk, drugged, and distracted driving. Impaired drivers are involved in nearly one-third of all deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the United States, taking almost 30 lives each day. This is unacceptable. My Administration is committed to raising awareness about the dangers of impaired driving, improving screening methods, and ensuring law enforcement has the tools and training to decrease drunk and drugged driving. We are designing effective, targeted prevention programs, and are working to curtail all forms of distracted driving, including texting and cell phone use. To keep the American people safe this holiday season, law enforcement across our Nation will participate in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from December 13 to January 1. This initiative increases enforcement and reminds us all to consider the consequences of impaired driving. Everyone has a role to play in keeping our roads safe -- from parents, schools, and businesses to faith-based and community organizations. Together, we can teach young people, friends, and fellow citizens how to avoid a crash brought on by impaired driving. I encourage all Americans to designate a non-drinking driver, plan ahead for alternative transportation, or make arrangements to stay with family and friends before consuming alcohol. Americans should also know what precautions to take if using over-the-counter or prescription medication. For more information, please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/ONDCP and www.NHTSA.gov/Impaired. This month and always, let every American drive sober, buckle-up, and avoid distractions while driving. If we take these actions and encourage those around us to do the same, we will save thousands of lives and keep thousands of families whole. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 2013 as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. I urge all Americans to make responsible decisions and take appropriate measures to prevent impaired driving.

Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (NOBEL Laureate - Dec. 10, 2013) -- Acceptance speech and Invitation to Israel, Egypt, N. Korea, and other outliers

from Online posted article in Christian Science Monitor (CS Monitor dot-com) -- Dec. 10, 2013 -- Nobel Peace laureate urges holdouts to join chemical weapons pact The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which received the prize, called Tuesday for Israel, North Korea, Egypt, and three others to ratify the Chemical Weapons Convention. By Valeria Criscione, Correspondent CS MONITOR dot-com / December 10, 2013 The head of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway today, appealed to the remaining six countries outside the Chemical Weapons Convention to join the organization's quest to rid the world of chemical weapons. OPCW director general Ahmet Üzümcü said that there was no longer any “reasonable defense” for Angola, Egypt, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, and South Sudan not to ratify the convention after the recent international reaction to the use of chemical weapons in Syria. “It is my fervent hope that this award will spur on efforts to make the Chemical Weapons Convention a truly universal norm,” Mr. Üzümcü told the hundreds of Nobel Lecture attendees at Oslo City Hall. “We cannot allow the tragedy that befell the people of Ghouta [site of the Aug. 21 chemical attack in Syria] to be repeated.” This summer’s chemical attacks in Syria, where several hundred were killed, sparked widespread international outrage, spurring the Norwegian Nobel Committee in October to select the organization for the Nobel Peace Prize for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.______________ Üzümcü pointed in particular to the security advantages he said the current 190 member states enjoyed. In the 16 years that the Convention has been in force, no member state has experienced an attack with chemical weapons. During that time, 80 percent of the world's chemical weapons have been removed and 90 percent of production capacity destroyed. “No national interest can credibly outweigh either the security or economic benefits of adhering to the global chemical ban,” he said. His appeal was reinforced by Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman, Thorbjørn Jagland, who criticized the US and Russia for not having met the April 2012 deadline for the destruction of their declared weapons. The two countries account for the majority of the 20 percent of the world's weapons not yet destroyed. “It is of course not acceptable that two leading powers, themselves so eager to see others destroying their stores as quickly as possible, have not yet themselves managed to do the same,” Mr. Jagland said.

Live Nativity Scene -- Berrien County, Michigan -- Third Saturday of December 2013

from Pioneer Memorial Church (SDA) -- Berrien Springs, MI online announcements (Dec. 2013): Christmas Nativity Saturday, December 21, 6:00 -8;00 P.M. — Eau Claire SDA Church (6562 Naomi Road). Come to a Live Nativity. There will be live animals to pet, Wise Men, Shepherds, and music! Warm up inside with refreshments. This event is free and open to all.

10 best films -- American Film Institute honors these 2013 feature titles -- many end of year limited release

posted at WSBT (CBS Affiliate - South Bend, IN TV station website): The AFI Movies of the Year: "12 Years A Slave" "American Hustle" "Captain Phillips" "Fruitvale Station" "Gravity" "Her" "Inside Llewyn Davis" "Nebraska" "Saving Mr. Banks" "The Wolf of Wall Street" MOVIES OF THE YEAR 12 YEARS A SLAVE AMERICAN HUSTLE CAPTAIN PHILLIPS FRUITVALE STATION GRAVITY HER INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS NEBRASKA SAVING MR. BANKS THE WOLF OF WALL STREET www.afi.com/

Handel's MESSIAH Song-A-Long (Sunday Dec. 8, 2013, 6 p.m. - Free

Public is invited -- Advertisement on NPR.ORG -- WVMP - FM: Dec. 8 – Messiah Sing-along Soloists who have performed at Carnegie Hall and with orchestras including The Israel Philharmonic (Julie Reed and others) will be performing at the Annual Handel’s Messiah Sing-along on Sunday, December 8, 2013 at 6 p.m. Host is First Presbyterian Church, 333 W. Colfax (Downtown), South Bend, IN. Attendance is free, the public is invited, and free child care will be provided. http://fpcsouthbend.org

Protection of Universal Human Rights -- December 10 anniverary (United Nations)

from UN dot-org -- Events: 2013 Theme: 20 Years Working for Your Rights "As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, let us intensify our efforts to fulfill our collective responsibility to promote and protect the rights and dignity of all people everywhere." UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. In 2013, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights marks 20 years since its establishment. The United Nations General Assembly created the mandate of High Commissioner for the promotion and protection of all human rights in December 1993. The General Assembly was acting on a recommendation from delegates to the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna earlier the same year. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference, marked the beginning of a renewed effort in the protection and promotion of human rights and is regarded as one of the most significant human rights documents of the past quarter century.

Nelson Mandela -- death reported by world media (5 p.m. Thursday Dec. 5, 2013)

The former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate died in his Hospital room -- respiratory complications -- He was a much beloved apostle of nonviolence and forgiveness -- he worked for national reconciliation in his native South Africa. MORE to be posted as far as Tributes and Obituary

My online question; WASH. POST's Hank Stuever offers an ANSWER (1 p.m. online Dec. 5, 2013)

from Live. Washingtonpost. com -- 12:01 - 1 p.m. Eastern Time Discussion with 32 postings: Q: Were producers signalling that the CBS Drama (Tuesday 10 p.m. slot) will conclude this season? Thanks for having the Chat this week -- As a Nielsen TV log keeper, I was surprised that one of my favorite shows (PERSON OF INTEREST) had a serious turn (SPOILER ALERT) with the shooting death of its major female character (portrayed by Taraji Henson) -- Detective Carter. Will the show's creator and producers move on to different projects next fall? Very, very curious. – December 05, 2013 10:31 AM A.Hank Stuever : Taraji Henson has said in interviews that she only ever wanted to be on the show for a couple of seasons at most, and the producers knew this all along and had built in her character's demise. I don't think that means new work for anybody else involved with the show. It goes on without her. – December 05, 2013 12:10 PM http://live.washingtonpost.com/tv-chat-131205.html

Revelation: Scriptures, Traditions, and Authoritative teaching (Thursday Dec. 5 panel) - Rooney Center, Notre Dame, IN

from Conference on Catholicism and Mormonism (topics and lectures over two days) -- Revelation: Scriptures, Traditions, and Authoritative Teachings Philip Barlow, Utah State University Thomas Wayment, Brigham Young University Taylor Petrey, Kalamazoo College Peter Huff, Centenary College of Louisiana Friday December 6, 2013 3:15 to 5:00 p.m. Theologies of Encounter, Unity, and Diversity Patrick Mason, Claremont Graduate University Jeremiah John, Southern Virginia University Timothy Matovina, Notre Dame Stephen Webb, formerly of Wabash College Catholics and Mormons: A New Dialogue University of Notre Dame, McKenna Hall, December 5–6, 2013 Catholics and Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are increasingly finding themselves joining together in social, political, and relief efforts. As these two groups begin to work together more closely and more directly, it is important that their efforts are underlined by a relationship of trust and mutual understanding. This conference is an initial attempt to discuss some of the key issues that unite Catholics and Mormons as well as exploring some of the challenging issues that have divided Catholics and Mormons during the past two centuries. The Conference is open to the public and there is no registration or fees. Sponsor is the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy https://rooneycenter.nd.edu/news-and-events/2013-mormon-catholic-conference/

Bilingual Mass to celebrate "Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe" (Dec. 12, 5:15 p.m.)

from Campus Minidstry about - events (http://campusministry.nd.edu/) Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Time: Thu Dec 12, 2013, 5:15 P.M. - 6:15 P.M. Location: Basilica of the Sacred Heart. ___ This special bilingual Mass will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All are invited to join in prayer and song with the Notre Dame Folk Choir, Coro Primavera de Nuestra Senora, Mariachi ND, and Ballet Folklorico. Fr. Joe Corpora, C.S.C., will preside and preach.

Celebrate Giving Tuesday (after "Cyber Monday") -- Dec. 3, 2013

Follow to Community at #givingTuesday -- www.givingtuesday.org/ Posted 1:11 p.m. Eastern Time Zone

Today is INTERNATIONAL Day of the Disabled Person

as noted in Religion & Ethics Newsweekly home website (http://www.pbs.org/religionandethics/WNET/calendar) December 3 International Day of Disabled Persons Raises awareness about persons with disabilities in order to improve their lives and provide them with equal opportunity.