Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We began this day with the Turley Turkey Bowl with our tradition of a rousing football game with our neighbors and family. It is always the McLean Bears versus the McLean Redskins. The score this year was a 7-7 tie with some spirited and creative play. The Turley Turkey bowl is a tradition that has been held for over 50 years and I remain the longest serving Bears coach in football history. We then follow with my favorite meal of the year with roughly a large assemblage. This year we have family from gathered for a two turkey dinner.
I am doing my usual two turkey with one already smoking on the grill and the other will be cooked in the kitchen. It is always fun to see the difference in the two birds. The smoked turkey looks like I dragged it behind my car while the kitchen turkey looks picture perfect. However, it is the smoked turkey that does first and fast.
It was a great day for the Turkey Bowl in the 40s but very windy. We followed with a huge table of pot luck items from donuts to meatballs to cinnamon rolls. Now we are watching that other Bears team in Detroit.
Go Bears!
Happy Black Friday from the woke journalism scolds over at the WSJ, of all places. They made you switch from plastic to paper, and now they’re coming for your Christmas trees. Or so I thought, until I decided to stop denying the undisputed scientific facts and become part of the solution.
From the WSJ: “How Many Christmas Trees Do We Chop Down Each Year? Americans cut down 15,094,678 Christmas trees in 2017, according to the most recent year of data from the U.S. Agriculture Department. Growing all those trees requires about 19.7 square miles of land. That much ground would cover about 50% of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., or 86% of Manhattan. On average, trees are grown on about 6 feet by 6 feet of space, or about 1,200 trees per acre, according to a report by Michigan State University. Christmas tree farms take up 461 square miles in total in the U.S., according to the USDA. That far exceeds the annual cut-tree acreage because it takes multiple years to grow a Christmas tree.” WSJ 11/29/19
In a helpful graphic reminiscent of the old “View of the World from the 9th Avenue ” magazine cover, the article has an illustration showing how the trees would cover Manhattan and NYC. Somehow the world still seems to end at the New Jersey border. I’ll take it as a positive suggestion to depopulate the City and replace it with urban forests using Detroit as a model. Now there’s a platform that Michael Bloomberg can run on, in fact he’s been working on it for years. It’s something to dream about on the Uber ride over to the Village for brunch, anyway.
I’m trying to convince the fam to do our part and forego a live tree this year. I saw online where they have these new shiny aluminum trees. They come with a rotating light (LED, of course) that sits at the bottom of the tree. It illuminates the tree in all the colors of the rainbow. The fam is afraid of change, but I called it the holiday diversity tree. That should end any possibility of debate.
But back to trees. A friend once claimed that those new environmentally friendly paper bags you get at the grocery are made from trees. Fortunately, I don’t blindly accept what others read on the internet, so I decided to look into it and make up my own mind. Snopes carefully researched the issue and concluded that this claim was the “mostly false” and the product of a Russian disinformation campaign funded by the Koch brothers and propagated by Facebook. Snopes concluded as a matter of scientific certainty that the trees that they do use to make paper bags are actually the bad kind that cover most of the evil red places like rural Alabama and Michigan. My friend wouldn’t accept the truth and got all argumentative, so ze is now my former friend.
But seriously, we really could use some help here. One the plus side, we finally reused all those bad plastic bags forced on us by the capitalist grocers, so we freed up some space under kitchen sink. The problem we’re trying to solve for is that the glorious new paper bags have filled our cardboard recycling hutch and overflowed into the space we need for our new holiday diversity tree. We were thinking of carting them off to the dump in our red VW microbus, but it’s closed for Thanksgiving and hardly seems like a sustainable solution in any case.
Any thoughts?
Soon, when you travel to the one-party communist state of Mexifornia, you will need to bring all of your own bathroom soaps, shampoos etc. Comrade General Secretary “Goofy Gavin” Newsom has abrogated the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and private property rights. Private hotel owners must follow the commands of the “dictatorship of the proletariat.”
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“Gov. Newsom Signs Law Banning Hotels From Using Tiny Plastic Bottles”
“Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday he had signed a law banning hotels from giving guests plastic bottles filled with shampoo, conditioner or soap.”
– KTLA
Happy Thanksgiving from the Orange Man Bad team over at the AP news desk!
TRUMP SIGNS BILL BACKING HONG KONG PROTESTERS, ANGERING CHINA
China reacted furiously Thursday to President Donald Trump’s signing two bills aimed at supporting human rights in Hong Kong, summoning the U.S. ambassador to protest and warning the move would undermine cooperation with Washington.
Trump’s approval of the bills was not unexpected. Neither was the reaction from Beijing, given China’s adamant rejections of any commentary on what it considers an internal issue
Nevertheless, the clash comes at a sensitive time and could upset already thorny trade negotiations between the two nations.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad that the move constituted “serious interference in China’s internal affairs and a serious violation of international law,” a foreign ministry statement said.
Le called it a “nakedly hegemonic act.” He urged the U.S. not to implement the bills to prevent greater damage to U.S.-China relations, the ministry said.
Trump’s reckless actions are even worse than we thought. More education, this time from CNBC:
China threatened to retaliate after President Donald Trump signed two bills into law in support of Hong Kong protesters.
“China firmly opposes Hong Kong Act. We have made stern representations & strong protests to U.S.,” Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a briefing Friday. “It is a stark hegemonic practice & a severe interference in Hong Kong affairs, which are China’s internal affairs. China will take strong counter-measures.”
Geng did not specify what those counter-measures would be, however.
Trump signed a bill into law on Wednesday that requires the State Department to certify annually that Hong Kong has sufficient autonomy to retain special U.S. trading consideration, which helps Hong Kong’s economy.
The second measure signed by Trump bars the sale of tear gas and rubber bullets to the Hong Kong police.
Turkey Day is now just about over. We had a great dinner and our guests were happy. Tomorrow I do not wish to go shopping. But there is all of this BS black Friday yak going around on the media. Let’s take a day off.
Coach to coach: bench the guys in the Redskins, William and Mary, and Dolphins jerseys — for obvious reasons.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody.
Nice!
Professor Turley…….From experience, I know it’s impossible not to have a wonderful Thanksgiving in Fairfax County. Thank you for posting.
Happy Artificial Thanksgiving to all of the foreign invader hyphenates engaged in “cultural appropriation” while fraudulently celebrating an exclusively American holiday.
Will Xi Jinping and his communist comrades allow foreign “ingredients” which “tends to a discordant intermixture” to invade China with impunity and bizarrely and inexplicably celebrate national holidays such as the Qingming Festival? Will Iran, Russia or Mexico?
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“The influx of foreigners must, therefore, tend to produce a heterogeneous compound; to change and corrupt the national spirit; to complicate and confound public opinion; to introduce foreign propensities. In the composition of society, the harmony of the ingredients is all-important, and whatever tends to a discordant intermixture must have an injurious tendency.”
– Alexander Hamilton
Highlights from President Trump’s surprise Thanksgiving trip to Afghanistan, as reported in an AP new article:
“Traveling with a small clutch of aides, including his acting chief of staff, press secretary and national security adviser, but not the first lady, Trump appeared in good spirits as he was escorted around the base by heavily armed soldiers, as the smell of burning fuel and garbage wafted through the chilly air.”
“The trip comes after Trump abruptly broke off peace talks with the Taliban in September, canceling a secret meeting with Taliban and Afghan leaders at the Camp David presidential retreat after a particularly deadly spate of violence, capped by a bombing in Kabul that killed 12 people, including an American soldier.”
Is it any wonder the media runs neck and neck with Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff in trustworthiness polls?
Here is the story of the real first Thanksgiving……
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
George Washington
“…to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer…”
“Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.”
– George Washington
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“United States Congress, “An act to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization,” March 26, 1790”
“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any Alien being a free white person, who shall have resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for the term of two years, may be admitted to become a citizen thereof…”
– American Founders, 1790
Happy Thanksgiving for “original intent” semper fidelis in perpetuum.
“…to the People of the United States…”
“…any alien being a free white person,…”
“…to ourselves and our Posterity.”
“…amendments desired, of such a nature as will not injure the constitution,…”
Nay, being thankful is a religious disposition. It dates to the Old and New Testaments, which is where ours originated.
Traditions matter
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http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/112819-thanksgiving.cfm
November 28 2019 – Thanksgiving Day
Lectionary: 943-947
Reading 1
SIRACH 50:22-24
And now, bless the God of all,
who has done wondrous things on earth;
Who fosters people’s growth from their mother’s womb,
and fashions them according to his will!
May he grant you joy of heart
and may peace abide among you;
May his goodness toward us endure in Israel
to deliver us in our days.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
R. (see 1) I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Generation after generation praises your works
and proclaims your might.
They speak of the splendor of your glorious majesty
and tell of your wondrous works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
They discourse of the power of your terrible deeds
and declare your greatness.
They publish the fame of your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your justice.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, Lord.
Reading 2
1 COR 1:3-9
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Alleluia 1 THES 5:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In all circumstances, give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten persons with leprosy met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
I am grateful for a light of reason in a foggy and recondite legal and political world full of gaslighting and shucking and jiving. From reading professor turley’ s blog, it is clear that the object is the pursuit of understanding, not the pursuit of a subjective fixed ” truth”. Also the balancing of a versatile legal mind with an outdoor loving spirit is nice to see as a role model for us who might not seek balance. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wonderful tradition, JT. Happy Thanksgiving!!
The mother depicted in Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want” must really work out to be able to hoist that turkey over the table without showing any stress. The guy peeking out from the lower right corner is suitably impressed.
The men depicted in Howard Chandler Christy’s “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States” at the top of this very page are the American Founders codifying their “original intent” in perpetuity, “…amendments desired, of such a nature as will not injure the constitution,…” notwithstanding.
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“And if there are amendments desired, of such a nature as will not injure the constitution, and they can be ingrafted so as to give satisfaction to the doubting part of our fellow citizens; the friends of the federal government will evince that spirit of deference and concession for which they have hitherto been distinguished.”
– James Madison, Proposed Amendments to the Constitution, June 8, 1789
Happy Thanksgiving!🦃
Of all days…a crown popped off and now I’m for the dentist tomorrow. But today no more than mashed and gravy today. Still i’m thankful I have teeth 27 left may be 26 after tomorrow. And the fun part was I popped the crown off using one of those sling shot shaped teeth cleaning gadgets. Go figure
We just bought one of those. And we’ve gotten two new crowns in our house in the last 16 months.
A sincere Happy Thanksgiving.
Michael, that’s how it seems to start, we start falling apart a little bit at time & then all at once, 🙂
Aging is inevitable. Not so for atrophying
See you at the gym