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Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year to everyone on our blog! We rang in 2023 at home in McLean, Virginia after returning from Chicago for Christmas.  New Year’s Eve is also my wedding anniversary. Twenty-five years ago,  Leslie and I eloped in Old Town Alexandria after dating eight years. (We used my high school ring to seal the deal). Once again, we will celebrate two anniversary dates. I count the anniversary as our 33rd while Leslie insists on counting this year as our 25th anniversary.  (She takes a purely contractarian approach to the calculation in going by the date on the marriage certificate). We toasted our anniversary and the New Year (as we did 25 years ago and every year since) with a bottle of Schramsburg Cremant.

Yesterday, Leslie and I returned for the first time to the little French restaurant that we went to after deciding to elope on New Year’s Eve. As we waited for our appointment, we went to Le Refuge in Alexandria. We went there yesterday and nothing had changed . . . except a couple who are now 25 years older with four kids.

On New Year’s Day,  we will follow tradition and make the Bowl of the Wife of Kit Carson Soup with wasabi Bloody Marys. My father, Jack Turley, first introduced the soup to our family in Chicago, which is a Mexican turkey soup. (He claimed that the spicy soup was the cure for any hangover).  I have a smoked turkey that will go into the soup today.

I will be giving the summary of our year on the blog later, but I wanted to wish everyone a safe and joyous New Year in 2023. It has been a record year with our rapidly expanding community. We have over doubled the size of our blog in the last year, including an over 300 percent increase for months like December. I cannot thank you enough for contributing to our daily dialogue on issues great and small in our society.

Happy New Year to everyone on our blog.

72 thoughts on “Happy New Year!!!”

  1. Congratulations on both your 25th and 33th anniversary. May there be many more to celebrate.

  2. Jonathan: As we begin the new year many of your loyal followers still think Elon Musk has a master plan to save Twitter. Apparently, you think so too. I’ve got news for all of you. California Property Trust, the owner of the building that houses the Twitter HQ, is suing Musk for failing to pay $131,250 in rent. Chump change for a billionaire, right? Why doesn’t he just buy the building? According to the NY Times (12/13/22) Musk has stopped paying rent on all Twitter global offices to save on costs. Musk also faces a lawsuit for failing to pay $197,725 for charter flights Musk took during his first week at Twitter. Musk is bringing over a lot of lawyers over from Tesla and SpaceX to help defend against all the litigation. Sounds a lot like Donald Trump doesn’t it?

    Wouldn’t we all like to stop paying our mortgages to save on money. We don’t have the luxury. When the bills come die we have to pay them. But Musk thinks he is a “genius” so the normal rules don’t apply to him. So he fires his Twitter building cleaning company and is forcing employees to bring their own toilet paper! Now that makes a lot of sense.

    So while Rome burns Musk is busy rejecting “woke” and lashing out at his critics. Now Jeff Bezos doesn’t seem to have the same problems. He could have bought Twitter himself. But, then again, why would he do such a dumb thing?

    1. My gut tell me he plans to move the HQ to Texas, like his other businesses.

    2. In the 90s to Mid 2000, as a former Operations Manager (Cushman & Wakefield) GM (Jones Lang LaSalle),
      working in the Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Financial District respectively.

      Commercial Real Estate Banking (REITs) finished, like the DOT.COM Bust. Asset Managers are throwing in the Towel.
      You can expect another quite Bailout of the Commercial Banking Sector starting 2023, Delinquency will be as common as a Starbucks Latte.

      California Property Trust is positioning itself with the suit, for the inevitable breaking of the Lease and move of Twitter HQ out of S.F., It’s just the Lease Cost to Musk, the whole thing will be written off on the Twitter side.

      The party is over in commercial real estate. Here’s what to expect in 2023.
      By Joy Wiltermuth for MarketWatch
      https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-party-is-over-in-commercial-real-estate-heres-what-to-expect-in-2023-11671711842

      🔥 F.Y.I.: Mr. McIntyre 🔥
      AS for “…So he fires his Twitter building cleaning company and is forcing employees to bring their own toilet paper! …”
      California Property Trust has a Property Management Firm or They contract out the Cleaning & Maintenance Crews per the Lease agreement.
      The Property Manager on site has these conditions under their control. Further being a Property Manager is no picnic Pal.
      On One side your getting screwed by the Leasing Brokers & Upper Management of the Firm and on the Other side your getting F-ed by the Tenants & Their Employees on a 24-7-365 basis. It’s a dead-end thankless job – ‘The Complain Department’ –
      Been There – Done That. My full appreciation for the Building Manager and the Crew @ Twitter HQ. Hang in There!

    3. “When the bills come” the Left forces others to pay them. See the student loan “bailout.”

  3. Happy New Year, America???

    The Men prominently depicted at the top of the Jonathan Turley Blog established the provision of “…the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…,” and fundamental law to:

    – Enforce borders, limit immigration and perpetuate the American nation.

    – Limit Congress severely to equitable TAXATION for ONLY debt, defense and “general Welfare,” not charity or assistance but facilitating infrastructure for general, all, or the whole, as roads, water, mail, electricity, telecom, sewer, internet, rubbish collection, and generally imperative commodities and services not readily provided by the private sector.

    – Limit Congress severely to REGULATION of ONLY the value of money, commerce among the States, and land and naval Forces.

    – Deny Congress any power to CLAIM OR EXERCISE DOMINION over private property, with the sole exception to “take” private property for public use.
    _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    The Sad Reality of the New Year to the Men prominently depicted at the top of the Jonathan Turley Blog:

    – Communists (liberals, progressives, socialists, democrats, RINOs, AINOs) in America have antithetically, illegally and unconstitutionally imposed their motto “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need,” and central planning, control of the means of production (i.e. regulation), redistribution of wealth, and social engineering.
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    “The Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” have been “fundamentally transformed” into the enslavement of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” and the Communist Manifesto.

    What the —- happened, America – what happened to American freedom and American national integrity?

    The Men at the top of this page are rolling over in their graves, praying that you “…keep it…,” that you drain the swamp, sweep out the mess and “keep” the republic they gave you.

    Happy New Year, Comrades???

  4. Jonathan: We all have our New Year traditions. Apparently, your traditions don’t include a movie. My wife and I don’t go out any more for New Years eve. We stay at home and watch my wife’s favorite “Singin in the Rain” with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. We are not the only ones. Elizabeth Warren and her husband Bruce watched “Casablanca” last night for the “zillionth time”. And believe it or not Donald Trump has a favorite movie–the 1950 classic “Sunset Blvd”, the saga of a silent screen legend plotting a comeback after her star has faded. Trump loves the movie so much he held screenings at the WH and at Camp David.

    The Washington Post has an article by Karen Heller (12/30/22) explaining why “Sunset Blvd” might appeal to the Trumpster. Like Norma Desmond, Trump fills his rooms with his own likeness and plans for his comeback. Former WH press secretary Stephanie Grisham says in her memoir that Trump watched “Sunset Blvd”–“enthralled”. Grisham relates: “I’m sure that Trump has no clue–like none–how similar to him she [Norma Desmond] she was”.

    Of course, Trump looks on his image as a way to scam his loyal followers. But his $99 NFTs, featuring Barbie-like iterations of Trump as a superhero, haven’t exactly been barnburners. The secondary market for the NFTs is fading quickly–dropping 98% from the peak sale day of over $3.5 million on 12/17. It seems Trump’s star, like Norma Desmond, has seen better days.

    Happy New Year everyone!

    1. Dear Mr. McIntyre: In the comments to this New Year’s post, Trump is mentioned ten times. All ten times by you. You’re a walking, talking rejoinder to the argument that Trump Derangement Syndrome is dead.

      1. oldmanfromkansas: Until Trump is behind bars or the 14th Amendment is invoked to prevent him from ever running for public office I will continue to point out that Trump and his followers are a continuing threat to our Democracy!

        1. Genius, we’re NOT a ‘democracy’….So, the ‘threat’ is non-extant……….Deeeeeeeeerp

        2. How sad that you hold such thoughts for your fellow Americans simply because their views are not aligned with yours; perhaps in 2023 you can work on growing your tolerance!

  7. Happy New Year to all! Congratulations on making it through another year of Groundhog Day. 😂 Seriously, enjoy today with those you love. We all deserve it.

    1. Happy New Year everyone!

      James,

      Yes, We all deserve it & I’m sure Jesus is going to give it to us good n hard, like or not. LOL;)

  8. Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary! Maybe this will be the year you announce your candidacy for President 2024!

    1. Very convenient and easy to remember. Happy New Year and Happy Anniversary! .. Mrs. Turley must be a smart cookie.

      I’m thinking about recommending Prof Turley for Attorney General short list 2024. We will need someone who understands the difference between common torts and ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’.

      *Snowden for President 2024 ‘I Used To Work For The Government’

  9. An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. __W. Vaughan

    I think the optimist has to wait until 2024 to celebrate.

    Happy New Year.

      1. You too, Cindy. Your comment and those of others tell us how quickly some people made a quick decision on marriage, remaining married for decades. “Blink,” Malcomb Gladwell’s book, seems to have a good point.

        It took me about an hour to decide who my wife would be. We are approaching year 56. I told my brother that day who I was marrying. Though separated by a thousand miles for several years, I never cared about another woman.

        This situation is common in my family. My brother met his wife and that evening sent a letter home to our mother telling her he met the girl he would marry. My father was the same. He met my mother for the first time and arranged to see her later that day. Walking away, a friend asked who the “broad” was. My father replied, ‘watch your mouth, she is my wife.’

        However, we all waited a significant time.
        My future sister-in-law worried about the female time clock and called my mother to find out if my brother was serious. My mother knew he was serious. I wonder what she said.

        There were no divorces. I wonder why three males in the same family made such quick decisions. Is that more characteristic in males?

        1. S. Meyer…I enjoyed your comment! I think most men either really want to get married, or they really don’t…….that’s just my assessment.
          I agree about divorce….No one in my family (parents, siblings, offspring) divorced. For one thing, it was considered a sign of weakness. I’m grateful that was instilled in us. None of our marriages were/are perfect, but all of them were/are positive and productive, producing exceptional children, imo 🙂

          1. Cindy, I was a long away from wanting to get married when I met my wife. That was the last thing on my mind because I had a long trek from then until I was doing what was intended. I ended up getting married many years early than I had planned, so it was the attraction, not a desire to be married. Such an immediate attachment is something I will never understand.

            1. Allan……a mystery, indeed!
              I think “mating” is natural; marriage is not. Mating is emotional while marriage is cerebral. But you had the confidence in yourself, apparently, that the emotional attraction would work…….and 56 years later, it has…..Congratulations to both of you, btw!

  11. I believe that gun prevalence itself must be counted a public danger,

    This is fun, I can play

    Met 12/31/79, 1st date Valentines Day 1980, engaged Halloween 1980 Married 12/20/1980. As they say, they rest is history. As I sit amidst 4 grandchildren, and their parents, enjoying each other.

  12. Whether the New Year will be Happy is yet to be determined but celebrating the 25th/33rd Anniversary is indeed a joyous event. Thank you for all you do. My wife and I just celebrated our 56th/59th Anniversary and we can attest that you will appreciate every one of those years as you gain more perspective.

    P.S.: Our grandson is applying to several law schools, including GW (my own alma mater), and I am pushing him to attend there if accepted mainly so that he can be in your class and give me a report.

  13. Happy New Year, Professor. Your column and the comments are the truly best reading I get every day. Lively discussion. Only question is why did it take 8 years to make up your mind. We met on 7/1/75 and by 10/30/75 we had decided to marry. Married on 12/30/1975. Would have been on 12/31/1975 but the University of Houston chapel was closed. Having no money we needed a free place to have the ceremony and my fiancé was a UH student. Now 47 years + 2 days and we’re still here.

  14. Professor…..Happy 25th Anniversary! Honestlawyer and I just celebrated our 50th on Dec. 23.

    All the Best for y’all, your family, and all who blog here in this, the new year.

      1. Says the honestwifealways

        😇

        We did our annual midnight traditions at home after joining friends at a new establishment

        FWIW:

        Most Latin American countries celebrate the same NYE midnight traditions as given to them by mother country, Spain. They are as follows, all to be done in the first minute:

        1. drink 12 sips of champagne (Veuve Clicquot in our case)
        2. eat 12 grapes
        3. use a broom to sweep out the door any omens that reside from the previous year
        4. throw a bucket of water out the door to ward off evil spirits
        5. march around the property with empty suitcases to invite new travels
        6. wear a red garment for new or to deepen romance

        We did them all and have the pics to prove it

        Happy New Year to all, and thanks to Professor Turley for allowing us to play in his sandbox.

        The LORD said to Moses:
        “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
        This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
        Say to them:
        The LORD bless you and keep you!
        The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
        The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!
        So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

        – Book of Numbers

        https://bible.usccb.org/bible/numbers/6?22

        1. Estovir……Moses’ words have been set, beautifully, to music…….and even though I’ve sung them, never knew they came from Moses. Thank you!

        2. Estovir– OT– I have borne a grudge against Cuban-Americans since high school when I noticed that all the girls seemed far more attracted to them than me. Seriously, in West Palm Beach, we had several, children of parents who had escaped Castro. I became close friends with one, a boy who sang like an angel, and whose life was snuffed out when the helicopter he was piloting was shot down in Vietnam. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I was standing on the edge of a rice paddy in the Philippines when a telegram was delivered telling me of his death. Those of us who knew him, mourn his death to this day. Whenever I read your always excellent comments, I am reminded of my friend. Thank you.

          1. Well that got my eyes misty. Thank you for your kind words.

            The Peter Pan Cuban story is an untold story by the American press, for reasons we all know. I have known many Pedro Pan children, now adults, who experienced such gripping, scary, against-all-odds story that it shames my otherwise blissful childhood. Perhaps you can write a book about your friend and therein Operation Peter Pan story. It seems to me you did extremely well in catching a wonderful bride. You both are an inspiration

            NB: I have always believed that Dominicans are the most beautiful people

            https://www.pedropan.org/

            THE HISTORY OF OPERATION PEDRO PAN
            Pedro Pan was a program created by the Catholic Welfare Bureau (Catholic Charities) of Miami in December 1960 at the parents’ request in Cuba to provide an opportunity for them to send their children to Miami to avoid Marxist-Leninist indoctrination. After the break-in diplomatic relations on January 3, 1961, the Catholic Welfare Bureau was authorized by the U.S. Department of State to notify parents in Cuba that visa requirements had been waived for their children. This enabled the children to travel by commercial flights to Miami.

          2. Given the recent history and apparent trajectory of the United States, I share the following which also details the Peter Pan Operation. It is impossible for me to watch the first few minutes and not reflect on how the US is following the same exact path as Cuba, e.g. Twitter Files, FBI raids, news media as an extension of the Feds, lack of due process, etc. Americans have called Cubans living in America paranoid for years. We tried to warn them

            1. Estovir…Many many thanks for the video. What an amazing, sobering history……an incredibly serious story of caution! Americans must come to their senses!

      2. Cindy: We may not agree on much else but thx for posting Doughie MacLean’s version of Auld Lang Syne. Being of Scottish descent it brought tears to my eyes.

  16. Happy New Year and Happy 25th/33rd Anniversary! We will celebrate our 33rd this year as well. Congratulations on a banner year for Res Ipsa! Many blessings to all in the new year!

  19. Can’t celebrate a good marriage enough. Thanks for a year of meaty entries, photos of beauty encountered on hikes, good humored reports on Luna’s antics. (Has she made friends with Madison yet?) We so need all of this–the truth, the humor, the persistence, the civility when encountering the oppositions. Happy New Year!

  20. ✨ 🔔 We all wish You & Your Child Bride a Happy New Year and Congratulations on your 25th Silver Anniversary ! 🔔 🤍 👫 ✨

    1. I was born during World War II and, over the decades, have experienced several Holiday traditions. This year, I stayed home & opted to watch an old movie: “Broadway Danny Rose.” It’s heavy on nostalgia and centered around a screwball comedy. And I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for this Blog – it’s one of the few bright spots in a sea of online negativity. Wishing everyone here a Happy New Year!

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