Author Archives: chrissythehyphenated

AMAZON PRIME: CLICK https://twitter.com/PrimeVideo/status/1747378314162184401 [2:13] to see the trailer for a new series that presents millennia old heresies in a shiny, animated package. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” ~Isaiah 5:20

• https://notthebee.com/article/amazon-prime-has-a-new-animated-series-about-heaven-and-hell-and-how-the-devil-is-actually-the-good-guy-yes-this-is-real

AXIOS: From the comments section –

This is even funnier than the Babylon Bee’s satire. Fantastic!

Axios makes the case that a second Trump term would bring one of the strongest economies we’ve ever seen as long as we don’t see another ONCE-IN-A-CENTURY pandemic.

Yeah I bet a lot of things puzzle you. How does the go-go juice make the car move? What’s that big bright circle in the sky? Why do the yummy paint chips make your tum-tum hurty?

Is this a joke? Is the Chinese communist party holding you hostage? Please blink twice if true.

Also, CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/nr3H3Mhk5LY to see just how desperate Lefties are to keep Trump out of the White House. It’s hysterical.

• https://notthebee.com/article/enjoy-the-ratio-on-this-story-from-one-of-our-favorite-objective-news-outlets-the-comment-section-is-
• https://twitter.com/axios/status/1747969792328208675

FRANCIS THE HETERODOX: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/699462932021683 to hear Jonathan Cahn talk about how the pontiff regards the Ten Commandments. Francis is not merely a heterodox; he is also a hypocrite. While supposedly assuring us that we can search our own consciences about how to follow the Ten Commandments, he said the exact opposite about not getting the COVID jab. He called that a sin and fired one of his bishops for supporting those of his flock who decided not to get the shot.

• Pope Francis warned against the excessive rigidity of the Ten Commandments and said, “God gives us the freedom to search our own conscience for commandments.” and “The Commandments are not a gift of God. The Beatitudes are because they are not a list of rules that stiffen us and make us rigid; they make us feel good.” @ https://the-american-catholic.com/2017/06/03/popewatch-ten-commandments/
• When asked whether he ‘disregards’ the Ten Commandments, Pope Francis said, “No. I observe them, but not as absolutes, because I know that what justifies me is Jesus Christ.” @ https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-on-the-ten-commandments-i-observe-them-but-not-as-absolutes/
• Pope Francis Monday said getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a “moral obligation” @ https://www.voanews.com/a/pope-francis-calls-covid-19-vaccination-moral-obligation-/6390278.html
• Bishop Torres fired @ https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2022/03/pope-removes-puerto-rican-bishop-from-office-after-he-refused-to-resign

LOANWORDS: The article linked below says that up to 80% of our English vocabulary is made up of “loanwords.” “What usually happens is that English speakers find a word in another language to describe something they don’t yet have a word for. So they ‘borrow’ that word. Forever.” Although this does make English difficult, it also makes it delightful. Some of my personal favorite loanwords are shadenfreude, ennui, and oy vey.

• https://www.dictionary.com/e/borrowed-words/

STUPID RICH PEOPLE: CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hI4lsnvAOO4 for a quick look at Gucci’s line of insanely expensive luggage.

• https://www.gucci.com/us/en/
• https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/celebrity-travel/celebrity-favorite-luggage
• https://www.tripadvisor.com/Articles-lX8vSsFSHNIw-Perfect_carry_on_flight_attendants.html
• https://www.dakine.com/collections/duffle-bags/products/eq-duffle-35l-bag-s20?variant=29226878042192

WEAPONIZING GOVERNMENT: Rep. Jim Jordan [R-OH-4] chairs the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. On January 17, 2024, he reported, “We now know the federal government flagged terms like ‘MAGA’ and ‘TRUMP,’ to financial institutions if Americans completed transactions using those terms. What was also flagged? If you bought a religious text, like a BIBLE, or shopped at Bass Pro Shop.” I also noticed Dick’s Sporting Goods on the list.

Why were these terms flagged? Allegedly, they point to “potential active shooters, who may include dangerous International Terrorists / Domestic Terrorists / Homegrown Violent Extremists (‘Lone Wolves’).”

• https://notthebee.com/article/feds-had-financial-institutions-flag-terms-like-maga-and-trump-for-j6-investigation-even-marked-the-purchase-of-bibles-and-shopping-at-bass-pro-shop-for-investigation
• https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1747718053365010737
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jordan
• https://judiciary.house.gov/subcommittees/committee-judiciary-118th-congress/select-subcommittee-weaponization-federal
• https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-01-17-jdj-to-bishoff-re-ti-request.pdf

GRAMMY NOTES: I was walking on a city sidewalk one day when I heard footsteps rapidly approaching me from behind. Guys might not understand that this kind of thing makes ladies very nervous. I was so relieved when a female (of course) voice called out, “You’re safe. I’m just late.” She breezed past a moment later as I hollered thanks.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SNbcO4m_WJ0. If my dog did this, I would definitely start splashing holy water and blessed salt around!

Argh!!!!!!!!! I got scammed AGAIN. I thought the last time that I had learned my lesson, but nooooooooooo. I have to go and blow $70, because I was just so excited about having (allegedly) found affordable winter boots that wouldn’t hurt my bunion. The website claims the boots are wide at the front and easy to get on and off. They came today; they are neither.

Too late, I did what I should’ve done in the first place, which is google for independent customer reviews. TrustPilot has a banner at the top of their Orthofit page saying, “We’ve detected a number of fake reviews for this company and we’ve removed them.” Almost all the reviews are one star and say my chances of getting a refund are slim to none.

And, gee, what a surprise, the return address is not a company name, but “meng zhao” at “735 S Figueroa St Los Angeles, CA 90017.” Meng Jiao (751-814) was a Chinese poet during the Tang Dynasty. The street address is a Target. So yeah … a totally fake company operating out of who knows where, pimping Chinese-made footwear to stupid gwailou.

I’m going to donate the boots to charity and hope somebody gets some good out of them.

I feel so stupid letting this happen again. KEEP IN MIND, on-line shoppers! Reputable stores do NOT have stopwatch counters putting pressure on you to ORDER IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES TO GET THIS SUPER DUPER AMAZING DISCOUNT!

A second red flag I missed was that the “Download our free e-book about better foot care” offer goes nowhere.

• https://www.trustpilot.com/review/orthofitstore.com
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gweilo
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meng_Jiao

2024: Iowa’s election laws allow eligible citizens to register to vote or switch parties at caucus sites before ballots are cast. True Blue Democrats (aka, lying liars) abused the system by becoming Republicans for a day to cast ballots for the only candidate they think they can beat – Nikki Haley.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/polls-observers-say-haley-got-boost-from-crossover-democrats-in-gops-iowa-caucus-5567409

CICADAS: [2:24] – This summer, two broods of Magicicada cicadas will emerge simultaneously, an event that last happened 200 years ago.

1. Brood XIII (Thirteen) has a 17-year cycle with three species living in Eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, Indiana, near Lake Michigan, and southern Wisconsin.
2. Brood XIX has a 13-year cycle with four species found in Alabama, north-west half of Arkansas, north-west Georgia, southeast Iowa, southern Illinois, south-west Indiana, western Kentucky, northern Louisiana, Maryland in St. Mary’s County, Missouri, Mississippi, central North Carolina, eastern Oklahoma, western South Carolina, Tennessee, eastern Virginia.

The most easily accessible place they come closest to overlapping is Springfield, Illinois.

• https://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/2024-cicada-forecast/
• https://www.masslive.com/news/2024/01/millions-of-cicadas-coming-out-summer-2024-will-the-bugs-be-in-mass.html

EVs: According to the latest Rasmussen survey, only 29% of American adults say it’s likely that their next automobile purchase will be an electric car. Last April this number was 40%.

• https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/social_issues/fewer_americans_expect_to_buy_electric_cars

IF I WERE THE DEVIL: [3:26] – In 1965, Mr. Harvey broadcast the prophetic “If I Were the Devil.” And speaking of the media serving Satan, CLICK https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1747460340466458790 [:16] to hear how NBC edited a Christian athlete’s answer.

• https://notthebee.com/article/nbc-edited-out-houston-quarterback-cj-strouds-praise-of-jesus-when-the-posted-his-postgame-interview-on-social-media
• https://notthebee.com/article/nbc-edited-out-houston-quarterback-cj-strouds-praise-of-jesus-when-the-posted-his-postgame-interview-on-social-media

OHIO: CLICK https://twitter.com/ReviewsPossum/status/1747396341519552791 [1:50] to hear how legalizing concealed carry has affected gun crimes. (Cliff Notes: They went down.)

• https://notthebee.com/article/gun-crime-has-decreased-in-6-of-ohios-8-largest-cities-since-the-state-passed-constitutional-carry-passed

PETA: I can’t figure out if these people are deliberately ignorant or just too stupid to google. CLICK https://twitter.com/Poppy_yyyyyyyy/status/1746192500954456147 [:25] to see them lie about wool shearing. CLICK https://twitter.com/peta/status/1746577934570176653 (January 14) and https://twitter.com/peta/status/1745823018327142613 (January 12) to see them lie about cashmere goat shearing. There is more than enough genuine animal cruelty to protest without lying. Sheep and cashmere goats are valuable animals that are well cared for and often loved by their owners. For their health and comfort, they need to be sheared.

• https://notthebee.com/article/i-dont-think-peta-understands-how-farmers-get-the-wool-off-sheep-

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1477351639860263 to see an awesomely good dog!

2024: The Iowa caucus results = Trump 51%; DeSantis 21%; Haley 19%; Ramaswamy 7.7%. Next up will be New Hampshire on January 23. The latest polls show Trump 44%; Haley 28%; DeSantis 7%.

Meanwhile, Biden’s approval rating among all adults has dropped to 33%. In 2020, he won 57% among women; now, just 31% of women approve of his performance.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/6-takeaways-from-trumps-historic-win-in-iowa-5566555
• https://notthebee.com/article/biden-hits-15-year-low-approval-rating-for-presidents-and-has-a-whopping-58-disapproval-rating

EVs: [1:52] – It seems those darn batteries won’t charge when it’s below zero. Not the Bee says, “If you’ve got, say, little kids and you’re wondering if your battery will die and you’ll freeze to death in a ditch on the way to grandma’s house? Yeah, the gas-guzzling SUV is gonna get my vote.”

• https://notthebee.com/article/chicago-area-ev-charging-station-turns-into-car-graveyard-amid-frigid-temperatures-which-wont-allow-batteries-to-charge

ARIZONA: America has sunk into such depths of depravity. This happened on the day we all celebrated Rev. Martin Luther “content of their character” King, Jr.

IRAN: On January 12, 2024, FAUXTUS said, “I’ve already delivered the message to Iran. They know not to do anything.” CLICK https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1745915639724687454 [:25].

On January 15, 2024, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps lobbed ballistic missiles at our consulate in Erbil, Iraq, which they said is the “headquarters of spies” and “anti-Iranian terrorist gatherings in parts of the region.“

Apparently, they have bad aim since no US facilities were impacted. Four people were killed, and six were injured in the attack, but none of them were Americans.

• https://abcnews.go.com/International/explosions-reported-us-consulate-iraq-iran-claims-responsibility/story?id=106390671
• https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/america-iran-inching-closer-towards-31898200

MSNBC: In response to Trump’s win in Iowa, Joy Reid complained that the state is “overrepresented by white Christians” who are racists who want minorities to bow down to them.

Rachel Maddow explained why they were not airing Trump’s victory speech live. “We and other news organizations have generally stopped giving an unfiltered live platform to remarks made by former President Donald Trump” because he says “untrue things” and his followers are fascists. CLICK https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1747256651135242566 [1:02]. Methinks she has a very twisted idea of what role a “news organization” is supposed to play in a constitutional republic.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/msnbcs-refusal-to-air-trumps-victory-speech-after-iowa-win-portends-trend-in-future-coverage-legal-scholar-5567114
• https://notthebee.com/article/msnbc-refuses-to-air-trumps-victory-speech-in-iowa-because-they-dont-want-to-be-caught-knowingly-broadcasting-untrue-things

GRAMMY NOTES: Back when I was a school bus driver, I paid extra every month to have a reserved parking space in the apartment’s covered carport area. It saved me having to scrape off the car on the mornings when I had to get up at zero dark thirty to go haul kids to school. One wintry night, I finally got home at 11 pm after a grueling 19 hour day doing multiple school runs, followed by an away game. Since I had to be up again at 6 am to do it all over again, I hope you can imagine (and forgive) my utter wrath at discovering that whoever had done the plowing and/or snow blowing in the parking area had FILLED my parking spot with snow! When I went to the super to complain, he tried to hand me a snow shovel. I’m only 5’4”, so was not much of a threat to the linebacker-built super. But I kinda think there may have been actual flames coming out my ears. It was not my finest “turn the other cheek” hour, but at least nobody every filled my parking space with snow again.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_JyRQAwWleA for a sweet moment with some great cops.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TE7YjiQZpZo, but only if you’re a movie buff.

2024: After coming in fourth in Iowa,Vivek Ramaswamy announced he’s dropping out of the presidential race. He told reporters he intended to campaign with President Trump in New Hampshire and said he believes neither Ms. Haley nor Mr. DeSantis has a path to winning the GOP nomination.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/vivek-ramaswamy-drops-out-of-presidential-race-endorses-trump-5566729

BOOTY-JUDGE: While the FAA’s new DIE (Diversity, Inclusion, Equity) focus includes hiring people with “severe intellectual” and “psychiatric” disabilities, Transpo Pete is busy saving us from funny highway signs. Never mind the fact that some states run contests to come up with these signs. And definitely ignore the fact that a study has shown that humorous messages actually improve traffic safety. Pete isn’t having any of it! On page 519 (of 1,161), the Department of Transportation’s “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highway – 11^th edition” clearly states: “Traffic control messages … should not be … humorous.”

• https://notthebee.com/article/the-faas-diversity-hiring-push-includes-a-goal-to-hire-more-people-with-intellectual-and-psychiatric-disabilities
• https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/11th_Edition/mutcd11thedition.pdf
• https://notthebee.com/article/its-the-department-of-transportations-favorite-time-of-the-year-for-holiday-themed-traffic-warnings-here-are-some-of-my-favorites
• https://azdot.gov/news/winners-adots-safety-message-contest-revealed
• https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4234867

FRANCIS the HETERODOX: Pope Francis said that although “it’s not dogma,” he likes to think hell is “empty.” Our Lord Jesus Christ and Our Lady of Fatima very clearly attest to the reality of hell, where the devil, his angels, and “many” souls have gone.

• https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/pope-francis-i-like-to-think-of-an-empty-hell/

GEORGIA: CLICK https://twitter.com/JesseBWatters/status/1744531747562258541 [1:12] to hear Jesse Waters report on accusations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hired her lover (who is still married) to be the prosecutor in the Donald Trump election case, despite the fact he’s never had any experience in this type of job.

CLICK https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1746656305324941708 [1:59] to hear her tell a church congregation that the people condemning her sinful, unethical, and possibly illegal behaviors are a bunch of misogynistic racists.

• https://notthebee.com/article/georgia-da-fani-willis-admits-to-adulterous-affair-with-trump-prosecutor-asks-for-forgiveness
• https://notthebee.com/article/trump-prosecutor-in-georgia-allegedly-gave-the-trump-case-and-the-financial-benefits-that-came-with-it-to-her-secret-lover

MISS AMERICA: 2^nd Lieutenant Madison Marsh (22) became the first ever active duty military member to win the Miss America crown. Ellie Breaux of Texas is first-runner-up, and she’ll step in for Lt. Marsh should her military responsibilities keep her from serving the entirety of her year-long term as Miss America.

Madison is a 2023 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in physics. After her mother’s passing from pancreatic cancer in 2018, she began the Whitney Marsh Foundation with her family. As President and Founder, she has been able to raise more than a quarter million dollars for research. Madison is currently a graduate intern with Harvard Medical School to utilize artificial intelligence to detect pancreatic cancer. She is now pursuing her Master’s in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School with her national Truman Scholarship.

In her free time, Madison enjoys flying planes, cooking pasta, and reading. She has also been a National Truman Scholar, a 2-time National Astronaut Scholar, an 8-time Dean’s List at USAFA, a 3-time Superintendent’s List – USAFA, a NASA Intern for gamma-ray burst research, a National Rhodes Finalist, a Certified Private Pilot, an Awarded Pilot as Official Air Force Career, and a Black Belt in Taekwondo.

• https://notthebee.com/article/for-the-first-time-ever-miss-america-is-an-active-duty-member-of-the-military

NICARAGUA: The Nicaraguan government has finally released the Bishops Rolando Álvarez and Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega along with 15 priests and two seminarians. Álvarez has been jailed for more than a year. All but one arrived in Rome over the weekend, with one opting to remain in Venezuela, and are currently in the Vatican’s care. In October, the Vatican took in another dozen priests the government had previously released.

• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/nicaragua-releases-bishop-alvarez-more-than-a-dozen-catholic-political-prisoners-to-vatican/

GRAMMY NOTES: One afternoon, during a play date with a mom of one, I decided one of my three needed a nap. When I came back, my gf said, “How is it that you can remove 25% of the children and reduce the noise level by 50%?“

GO WOKE. GO BROKE: Making classics like Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., WALL-E, The Incredibles, and the Toy Story movies, Pixar grew to employ 1,300 workers. It has since made enough woke bombs that at least 300 of those people will soon be getting pink slips.

• https://notthebee.com/article/pixar-is-planning-on-major-layoffs-this-year-up-to-20-of-employees-could-be-dismissed
• https://nypost.com/2022/06/25/lightyear-flop-audiences-are-weary-of-hollywood-wokeness/

HERO: [3:19] – Body cam footage from Vermont State Police Trooper diving into icy pond to save child.

• https://notthebee.com/article/bodycam-records-vermont-trooper

ISRAEL: On Saturday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the International Court of Justice at The Hague to shove their case where the sun don’t shine. The court has been holding hearings on South Africa’s allegations that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians. Netanyahu made it clear that Israel will pursue its war against Hamas until victory is assured. “No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil and not anyone else,” Netanyahu said in televised remarks Saturday evening, referring to Iran and its allied militias.

• https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/israel-hamas-war-news-01-13-2024/2024/01/14/id/1149493/

QUAKER RECALL: Due to possible salmonella contamination, the Quaker Oats Company is recalling a bunch of products in both Canada and the U.S. See a list of products and instructions for getting reimbursed @ https://contact.pepsico.com/quaker/article/voluntary-quaker-recall.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/quaker-cereals-and-granola-bars-recalled-due-to-possible-salmonella-contamination-5564244
• https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/quaker-oats-expands-recall-of-granola-bars-and-cereals-for-salmonella-risk-5564758
• https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/yogurt-bowls-made-with-quaker-granola-recalled-over-possible-salmonella-exposure-5565005

GRAMMY NOTES: That song played endlessly on my freshman dorm floor.

This post by exorcist Monsignor Rossetti needs to be read and shared:

Not long ago I received a barrage of texts from the demons in the midst of an intense case. In response, I texted back a holy picture and prayer to the Blessed Virgin and Saint Michael. I also texted back a command: “With each text, I command the demons to contemplate the beauty of our Lady while praising God with the angelic song: “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus.” I commanded the demons based upon the Church’s authority over demons given by Christ which is delegated to the Exorcist by the Bishop.

The demon texted back: “No one can tell me how to act or what to do. I decide everything; that’s been clear for years.” The demonic response is an echo of the original refusal of Satan and his minions to obey God: “Non serviam,” “I will not serve“. This is further echoed in today’s rejection of God’s will and asserting one’s own will often found, for example, in Wicca, Witchcraft, and Satanism.

The “freedom” the demons assert they have found in rejecting God’s will for their own is an illusion. In the famous 16th century case of the exorcism of Nicola Aubry, the Bishop of Leon was personally leading the exorcism. The chief demon in the case was Beelzebul (or Beelzebub). At one point, the Bishop commanded the lower-ranking demons to come forward and to speak. Beelzebul snapped back that these lower demons will NOT speak. He said, “I tell you they shall not speak in my presence. They are my servants, my slaves; I am their master. Did you ever see a slave speak in the presence of his lord?“

This has been our experience: hell is an evil empire with the more powerful demons brutally lording it over the lower demons and at times even beating them up. Demons hate humans even more than their fellow demons. And what demons do to damned souls in hell ought not be repeated.

Many today reject the Christian notion of serving and obeying God for the “freedom” of doing their own will. In reality, they are only subjugating themselves to the most cruel and merciless of masters, Satan, who was the first to reject the Divine will.

On the contrary, in obeying God, we are truly set free. “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1).

• https://www.catholicexorcism.org/post/exorcist-diary-274-slaves-of-hell
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_the_Damned
• https://www.peterpaulrubens.org/Fall-Of-The-Rebel-Angels.html

Similarly, sanctimoniously sneering at those of us who go does not mean you’re “spiritual.”

CANADA: Sean Gravells (39) has been arrested and charged with touching a person under 16 for sexual purposes, sexual interference of a person under 16, possession of child pornography, and importing or distributing child pornography. After his arrest, the North Peace Pride Society (NPPS) of British Columbia removed him as president, a role he has filled since 2018.

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fort-st-john-man-charged-with-child-sex-crimes-1.7076997

DEI: The University of Michigan has become “a DEI ideological complex with a university attached.” So says an an analysis conducted by The College Fix that revealed there are at least 241 paid employees focused on DEI. Their salaries and benefits add up to $30.68 million, an amount that would cover in-state tuition and fees for 1,781 undergraduate students.

• https://www.thecollegefix.com/umich-now-has-more-than-500-jobs-dedicated-to-dei-payroll-costs-exceed-30-million/

END TIMES: The Book of Revelation tells us that a highly lethal, global pandemic is coming. Two items in today’s news suggest it is coming sooner rather than later.

1. Scientists in China report being surprised at how lethal a “pangolin coronavirus” they’re working with is. It killed 100% of the humanized mice they infected with it.
2. A recent worldwide study found 309 laboratory-acquired infections (LAIs) and 16 accidental pathogen escape from laboratory settings (APELS) occurred between 2000 and 2021.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/chinese-scientists-reveal-experiments-with-virus-100-percent-fatal-to-mice-5560854
• https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.03.574008v1.full.pdf
• https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/tip-of-the-iceberg-study-finds-309-lab-infections-and-16-lab-pathogen-escape-incidents-in-21-years-5564243
• https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(23)00319-1/fulltext

EPA: Government auditors discovered that a major federal agency did not disclose 99.9% of the tax dollars ($7 billion) it awarded to contractors.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/epa-did-not-report-7-billion-in-2022-total-spending-as-law-requires-watchdog-5563508

FAUXTUS: CLICK https://rumble.com/v46lfh0-you-just-have-to-see-the-biden-parody-video-trump-just-shared….html [:30] to see Biden parody Trump just shared on Truth Social.

• https://twitchy.com/dougp/2024/01/12/trump-shared-this-ad-for-white-house-senior-living-starring-biden-and-lol-n2391695

MILITARY: On Thursday, an international coalition of American, British, Australian, Canadian, Dutch, and Bahraini troops carried out air strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The strikes specifically targeted Houthi missile, radar, and UAV capabilities to disrupt and degrade their ability to threaten global trade and freedom of navigation in the shipping thoroughfare.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/us-uk-launch-strikes-against-iran-backed-houthis-in-yemen-5563794

WISCONSIN: On Jan. 8, a Racine County Circuit Court judge ruled that the use of a mobile van to facilitate absentee voting violates state election laws by favoring Democrats.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/wisconsin-judge-rules-use-of-mobile-vans-in-absentee-voting-violates-state-election-law-5562951

Pope Francis has a special affection for Judas, who he likes to believe repented and was saved from Hell by Jesus. This idea is so dear to him that he keeps the painting above on the credenza behind his desk beside the photo below. The one purports to show Jesus ministering to Judas when He descended to the dead, while the other allegedly shows Jesus as the Good Shepherd rescuing Judas, the “lost sheep” on his shoulders.

I can only wonder what kind of guilty conscience has led the pontiff to embrace an idea that contradicts 2,000 years of consistent church teaching that Judas Iscariot is in Hell. In addition, we have the personal testimony of modern-day exorcists who report that Judas shows up at exorcisms to help the demons!

In Exorcist Diary #234, Msgr. Stephen Rossetti writes about just one of these encounters. “In a very difficult exorcism some time ago, we were faced with hundreds of demons. We went through layers and layers of demonic cohorts, each captained by a different leader. At each point, I demanded to know that cohort leader’s name, which helped in casting them out. When each leader left, his entire cohort left with him. At one point, demanding the name, I was surprised to hear the response, ‘Judas!’ I further inquired, ‘Are you a demon using his name or the real human who betrayed Jesus?’ In a shout filled with shame, he answered that he was truly the man.”

As evidence for his bizarre theology, Pope Francis points not to Scripture, not to the Magisterium, nor to any Church Father, Doctor of the Church, or approved apparition. Nope. He points to a Medieval carving atop a column in the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene in Vézelay, Burgundy, France. But even here, he has nothing but his own perhaps guilt-ridden fancy to justify the identification. For starters, note in the cropped image above that the figure he would like to claim is Jesus has short hair and is clean shaven.

As you can see in the images above, the earliest Christian illustrations of Jesus’ “99 sheep” parable do show the good shepherd as an adolescent. However, later on, when the Good Shepherd had become not merely an illustration of a parable, but a type for Jesus Himself, He is depicted with long hair and a beard. The statue below is from the same (Romanesque) period as the Vézelay capital.

It is unlikely in the extreme that sculptor of the Vézelay capital intended his carving to suggest the opposite of what the church had always taught – i.e., that Judas is in Hell. This is especially apparent when we compare the capital figure with the Romanesque Good Shepherd statue. Jesus the Good Shepherd is standing upright, cradling the sheep on His shoulders; the sheep is relaxed and appears to be smiling. By contrast, the guy hauling Judas is bent over and looks very grim. He appears to be burdened by his task, suggesting he is simply an unfortunate soul who got stuck with hauling the body away for burial.

I did quite a lot of research into the Vézelay basilica, particularly the capital carvings. The original church and capital carvings were constructed in the Romanesque style between 1120 and 1150. The thick walls, round arches, sturdy pillars, barrel vaults, and decorative carvings are all typical of the period.

As far as I can discern, the capital the pontiff likes so much is one of the dozens that decorate the tops of the columns that separate the nave from the two side aisles. The red squares are piers; the blue rectangle is an arch.

There appear to be three capitals per arcade. (An arcade is a succession of contiguous arches, with each arch supported by a colonnade of columns or piers.) In the photo above, you can kind of see how each arch is supported by two columns, atop of which are carved capitals. Between the arches there is a vertical element that, on the nave side, is relative undecorated. However, on the aisle side, there appears to be a third capital carving.

This fits with the photos I found at the University of Pittsburgh site linked below, which show at least some of these capitals in sets of three. Unfortunately, I did not find any photos or information about the capital depicting the death of Judas. I wish I had, because I believe these capitals likely relate to one another thematically, so it would have been instructive to see what else was near that one.

• https://aleteia.org/2017/11/24/pope-what-would-have-happened-if-judas-had-met-our-lady-on-his-way-to-kill-himself/
• https://www.catholicexorcism.org/post/exorcist-diary-234-was-judas-possessed
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9zelay_Abbey
• https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/search_collection/pitt:collection.138
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_art
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecture

2024: I dunno if anyone cares (I don’t), but I should probably mention that Chris Christie has dropped out of the race. Not the Bee suggested it was possibly because he had learned there’s no buffet at the Iowa caucuses. ::snork::

Flashback: In 2017, the corpulent, then-Governor of New Jersey closed down all the state’s beaches because of a government shutdown. On July 2, when reporters asked if he had gotten to enjoy the beautiful summer day, he said, “I didn’t get any sun today.”

Later, photos emerged of him lounging in the sun at empty Island Beach State Park. When asked about his alleged lack of sun, his spokesman told reporters that, “He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on.”

When asked to apologize for his beach time that nobody else in New Jersey had been permitted to enjoy, he said no. “I think I’ve proven over the last eight years, if I have a choice to make between my family and political optics, then I’m going to pick my family.”

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpvNk6UPUJk to see a compilation of the political cartoons that followed.

• https://notthebee.com/article/chris-christie-suspends-presidential-campaign
• https://nypost.com/2017/07/02/christie-caught-lounging-on-closed-beach-during-budget-standoff/

ECONOMICS: CLICK https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1744876943382905066 [1:30] to hear a Gen Zer complain (rightfully) about the crappy economy. However, I would like to point out to her that (a) working 40 hours/week is not “working your tail off” and (b) par for the course for young people who are new to the work force. I graduated from college in 1976 and had my first full-time job by the end of summer. I earned minimum wage, shared a one bedroom apartment with another woman, and needed a second, part-time job to pay off school loans. I worked 7 days/wk. Of course, there was a Democrat in the White House then too, so there’s that.

• https://notthebee.com/article/this-walmart-workers-epic-rant-is-proof-that-gen-z-is-starting-to-get-it

FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS: Cardinal José Cobo of Madrid has moved to quash opposition to Fiducia Supplicans, warning his priests that “we are going to fully apply the Pope’s doctrine” on same-sex blessings.

Metropolitan Hilarion of Budapest, a Russian Orthodox bishop, who has called Fiducia Supplicans both “dangerous” and “misleading” also says it has virtually eliminated any hope for a reunion between Catholic and Orthodox.

• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/spanish-cardinal-vows-to-fully-apply-fiducia-supplicans-cracks-down-on-priestly-opposition/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/russian-orthodox-fiducia-supplicans/

HUNTER’S STUNT: As the House Oversight Committee was debating whether to hold #1 son in contempt for ignoring their subpoenas, Hunter made a grandstanding surprise appearance that apparently had more to do with distracting the media from the contempt issue than anything else.

As soon as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene got the floor, the cowardly little weasel ran out of the room. CLICK https://rumble.com/v468cj3-youre-afraid-of-my-words-hunter-biden-storms-out-in-response-to-mtg.html [:21].

Meanwhile, at the nearby Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Pramila Jayapal [R-WA-7] attempted to deflect debate about Hunter’s contempt of Congress by claiming that it was way more important for them to talk about how Donald Trump had “incited an erection.”

Rep. Byron Donalds [R-FL] noted, “Donald Trump Jr. showed up for five congressional subpoenas. There was never this circus.”

• https://nypost.com/2024/01/10/news/hunter-biden-shows-up-to-house-contempt-hearing-after-defying-subpoena/
• https://dailycaller.com/2024/01/10/dem-rep-pramila-jayapal-trump-incited-erection-dan-bishop/

IOWA: Republicans in Iowa will be the first to cast their votes in support of a presidential candidate in the 2024 election when they attend public gatherings on Monday, January 15, known as caucuses. Trump, who won 39 out of 40 delegates in 2020, has a yuge lead, which is giving leftie jerknalists the sadz. I saw a lot of, “But Iowa often has surprises!!“

• https://www.reuters.com/world/us/iowa-caucus-2024-how-does-it-work-why-is-it-important-2023-12-19/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Iowa_Republican_presidential_caucuses

GRAMMY NOTES: After enjoying a day in #4 Happy Land over my pretty boxes, I am now mired somewhere between #2 and #3 as I pick through all the memorabilia I tossed into boxes labeled “Miscellaneous: Scrapbook” and “Miscellaneous: Genealogy.”

I am hoping to make “Heartwarming Graphic” a regular feature here, right before my final “LOL Graphic.” ❤