EPSTEIN: On January 4, 2024, second batch of filings showing the unredacted names of people connected to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released. More documents are scheduled to be released.

• https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1742739004314005882
• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/2nd-batch-of-documents-related-to-jeffrey-epstein-unsealed-5558675
• https://www.theepochtimes.com/entertainment/michael-jackson-named-in-new-jeffrey-epstein-court-documents-5558539

FLORIDA: Last year, Gov. DeSantis signed a new law requiring unions to apply for re-certification if their membership falls below 60% of those they allege to represent. United Teachers of (Miami-) Dade (UTD) has failed to meet this threshold which means it will no longer be allowed to directly withdraw dues from public employee paychecks.

UTD’s most recent financial statement lists its annual revenues at $11,435,087, all of which comes from dues paid by teachers out of their salaries. The stated mandate for this organization is to use its only income stream – teachers’ dues – for “Maintaining Labor Relations, Promoting the Welfare of Children. Strengthening the Educational Institutions.”

Starting salaries for beginning teachers in Miami-Dade County are $52,470 with a bachelor’s degree, $56,058 with a master’s degree, and $60,868 with a doctorate. Meanwhile, the current annual combined salaries of UTD only five full-time staff – a president, a vice president, two directors (finance and advocacy), and a secretary – is about $704,000. These five overpaid slugs siphoned 46% of Miami-Dade’s teachers’ dues to finance the political shenanigans of Far Left Democrat enablers like the AFL-CIO, the National Education Association, and Randi Weingarten.

Since UTD handles a budget of $11 million and has only one secretary, I think it’s fair to say she qualifies as someone who should be a “highest-paid type of secretary.” According to Zippia, which claims to be a “career expert”, the average salary for someone like is is $107,366. UTD’s secretary’s salary is $140,622.

• https://flvoicenews.com/failure-to-meet-membership-requirements-leaves-large-miami-teachers-union-in-limbo/
• https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/256/BillText/er/PDF
• https://www.teachercatalina.com/miami-dade-county-florida-teacher-salaries/
• https://nonprofitlight.com/fl/miami/united-teachers-of-dade
• https://www.zippia.com/advice/highest-paying-secretary-jobs/

IOWA: At about 7:37 a.m. local time on January 4, 2024, a 17-year-old senior opened fire at Perry High School. Before turning the gun on himself, he killed a six-grader and wounded five others (four students, one administrator). Because of the early hour, there were few students in the building; school was canceled and law enforcement officers searched the building, finding an IED (improvised explosive device) which they rendered safe.

Hours before the shooting, the shooter posted a photo of himself, in the school bathroom, with the caption, “Now we wait.” The photo showed a blue duffel bag on the floor of the stall. The duffel likely held the shooter’s weapons – a pump-action shotgun and a handgun – both of which are illegal for a 17-year-old to obtain in Iowa.

N.b., I have long had a policy of not naming the perpetrators of violence unless their names become so famous (e.g., George Floyd) that it would be tedious in the extreme to avoid using them.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/shooting-reported-at-high-school-in-iowa-police-5558267
• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12927213/Suspected-Iowa-school-shooter-Butler.html
• https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1742970126440210543?s=20

ISLAM: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/205783955883302 for a quick and simple explanation for why Islamic extremists vote for Democrats.

TRANS: CLICK https://twitter.com/itsNTBmedia/status/1742955791701721510 [:52] to see a young woman’s epic response to all rainbow bullies.

• https://notthebee.com/article/this-girl-is-going-viral-for-her-epic-response-to-the-rainbow-bullies-

GRAMMY NOTES: “It’s a Wonderful Life” is near and dear to our family. The author of the original short story used to drive through our little village and regularly saw the building shown above. He liked the name so much, he used it for his protagonist. When our high school drama club did a production of the play, our very own Army Princess played Mary Bailey. :)<3

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/346130257800480 for something you need to see at least once in your life.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qkZDGwgLvlU for something else you need to see.

On New Year’s Day, I embarked on a big declutter project which I am carefully NOT calling a “resolution” lest I jinx it. Dearest spent the first day of 2024 taking everything off the shelves I had decided to start with, pulling them out from the wall, vacuuming and washing everything, then putting them back. It’s like having a brand new canvas to paint on. And such a relief to get rid of all the dust!

My first big goal was to catch up on organizing my scrapbook-y memorabilia. I have been scrapbooking since I was a kid. In 2009, I switched from making actual books (3-ring, zip-up binders, plastic page protectors) to just dumping a year’s worth of stuff into a 3” deep, white, cardboard box. I have covered some these with fabric, which makes them prettier and a lot stronger. This has been good for heavy stuff, like my impressive collection of sewing thread. But it takes time and uses a lot of fabric. So for scrapbooking, I have just been writing the year on each box with a Sharpie. It’s informative, but not pretty. Plus, I have a whole box of old and gloopy acrylic craft paint. So all week, I’ve been organizing and prettying up the 2010 to 2023 memory boxes. Yesterday, I finished! And, yay me, this pile meets all four of my SMS goals!

I still have LOTS to do, but I’m so chuffed, I just had to share. Today, I plan to tackle the two boxes full of “Misc Scrapbook” stuff that accumulated during the years when my binders and boxes were all out of order and in hard to reach places. Periodically, new things would come in, usually when someone else was decluttering and passed on photos they had found of our kids. Most often, the pics have had no dates on them. I just couldn’t deal with all the heavy lifting and dusty mess, especially when I wasn’t even sure what year I needed. Hence, two boxes a Giant SMS No No … anything labeled “Miscellaneous.” Today, I am determined to empty and repurpose those two boxes. Okay, let’s be realistic. I’ll start today and then I’ll continue for however long after I need to figure out what years those photos belong to …

ASPIRIN: On November 23, 2023, a study entitled “Aspirin and cancer treatment: systematic reviews and meta-analyses of evidence: for and against” was published in BJC. In it, researchers report that their meta-analyses of 118 observational studies showed consistent reductions of about 20% in mortality among cancer patients who used aspirin. Furthermore, there is evidence that aspirin may help prevent cancers from metastasizing.

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-023-02506-5#article-info

DEPRESSION: On December 14, 2023, a study entitled “Metabolic features of treatment-refractory major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation” was published in Translational Psychiatry. Researchers’ blood analyses of 99 people with treatment-resistant MDD and 94 healthy controls showed the depressives were deficient in CoQ10, lutein, carnitine, and folate (vitamin B9).

Consumer Lab’s Top Picks (quality, bio-availability, price) are shown in the graphic above. N.b., there was no Top Pick for the recommended version of carnitine; the brands listed all passed Consumer Lab’s quality tests. A B complex is recommended for folate because all the B vitamins are important; Nature Made’s product has a good amount of each while not exceeding Upper Tolerable Limits of any.

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-023-02696-9
• https://www.consumerlab.com/ – I have a subscription to Consumer Lab, which gives me access to a huge data base of their own lab analyses of and published scientific studies about health care products. Their particular emphasis is vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements, but they also test and report on things like water filters.

LIFE HACK: It’s an open book exam.

MICHAEL COHEN: The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan has rejected Michael Cohen’s appeal, ruling that his claims were without merit. Cohen filed his civil action against President Trump in December 2021, alleging retaliatory imprisonment for his public comments and tell-all book criticizing the former president. The former president’s lawyer sought damages for alleged “extreme physical and emotional harm” and free speech violations after he was ordered back to prison after completing a three-year sentence for crimes including campaign finance violations, lying to Congress, and tax evasion.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/court-tosses-michael-cohens-bid-to-revive-trump-lawsuit-claiming-retaliatory-imprisonment-5556855

VAXXX: On October 27, 2023, a study entitled “DNA fragments detected in monovalent and bivalent Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna modRNA COVID-19 vaccines from Ontario, Canada: Exploratory dose response relationship with serious adverse events” was published in OSFPreprints. In it, Canadian researchers report having found “billions to hundreds of billions” of DNA molecules per dose. These far exceed guidelines set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

There is serious concern that the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) used to deliver the mRNA into human cells will simultaneously deliver DNA. Integration of rogue DNA has terrifying potential for not only harming organs and causing cancer, but also becoming integrated into gametes (sperm/eggs) and passed on to offspring of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine recipients.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/florida-surgeon-general-warns-against-using-mrna-covid-vaccines-over-possible-cancer-risk-5557761
• https://osf.io/preprints/osf/mjc97

GRAMMY NOTES: Oh for crying out loud! I was in graduate school when the first personal computers hit the market. I wanted one so badly, but it would be many years before our income and their prices got within sight of each other. When it became painfully obvious that Dearest Architect had to switch to CAD, we had to take out a substantial bank loan to pay for his first work station. Anybody else remember when computers advanced in power and dropped in price so quickly that they would practically be obsolete by the time yours arrived? I sure do. By the time we paid off that loan, his work station was so outdated, we might as well have used it for a door stop.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vSix2ThZ4V4 to see how Ghostbusters hatched the eggs.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2fXvWLTQJLo for bad (i.e., raunchy) Christmas designs.

It looks like God has weighed in on Pope Francis having given priests permission to bless homosexual couples!

Multiple journalism outlets have now confirmed internet rumors that on December 17, 2023, lightning struck the statue of St. Peter at Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolas, destroying the statue’s right (blessing) hand and obliterated the key it had been holding.

Read on to learn the significance of this event. Warning: Goosebumps await!

On December 17, 1936, the man we now know as Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and named Jorge Mario Bergoglio. On December 13, 1969, he was ordained a priest in the Jesuit order. From 1973 to 1979, he served as the Provincial Superior for the Society of Jesus (aka, Jesuits). In 1992, he became the Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires. And, in 1998, he became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. As the map shows, Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás is located northwest of Buenos Aires, just outside the borders of Archbishop Bergoglio’s former see. (“See” comes from the Latin word sedes, which means “seat” or “chair.”)

In 2001, Pope John Paul II made Archbishop Bergoglio a member of the College of Cardinals, the high ranking group of Catholic prelates whose main job is to elect new popes. After Pope Benedict XVI retired, the college elected Archbishop Bergoglio to replace him. He chose the name Francis and moved to the Vatican.

On December 17, 2023, Pope Francis celebrated his 87^th birthday. On December 18, 2023, the Vatican’s office for doctrine published a document entitled “Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings.” In it, the pontiff put his rubber stamp on priests blessing same sex couples. The meme above and many of the statements below highlight the duplicitous nature of the document, which attempts to find a distinction between blessing a homosexual couple while somehow not blessing their sinful sexual relationship.

As you can clearly see, the date of the lightning strike and the very specific and highly unlikely damage it did to St. Peter’s blessing hand and key are of tremendous significance. The location of the statue is significant as well. Between 1983 and 1990, Gladys Quiroga de Motta of San Nicolas claimed to receive 68 messages from Jesus and more than 1,800 from His Holy Mother. The uneducated Argentinian wife and mother was born in 1937, not long after Jorge Bergoglio himself.

In 1983, Gladys’ confessor showed her a forgotten Mary statue that had been hidden away in the bell tower of the cathedral church of San Nicolas due to a broken piece. Gladys confirmed it to depict exactly how Our Lady appeared to her. The statue had been brought from Rome to San Nicolas for the cathedral church’s consecration, having been blessed for that purpose by Pope St. Leo XIII.

Pope Leo XIII is, of course, the pontiff who famously received a vision on October 13, 1884, exactly 33 years to the day prior to the great Miracle of the Sun in Fatima. The pontiff had finished celebrating Mass in his private Vatican Chapel when, attended by a few Cardinals and members of the Vatican staff, he suddenly stopped at the foot of the altar and stood for about 10 minutes, as if in a trance, his face ashen white.

In the vision, Pope Leo XIII said he heard two voices, one a harsh and guttural voice, the other a kind and gentle one. The guttural voice said, “I can destroy your Church.“

The gentle voice replied, “You can? Then go ahead and do so.”

The guttural voice said, “To do so, I need more time and more power.“

The gentle voice asked, “How much time? How much power?”

The guttural voice said, “Seventy-five to 100 years, and a greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service.“

The gentle voice replied, “You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will.”

When Pope Leo XIII came back to himself, he immediately went to his office and composed the famous Prayer to St. Michael, with instructions it be said after all Low Masses everywhere. This instruction was carried out faithfully until the post-Vatican II church abandoned it. I think it’s noteworthy that exorcists report that exorcisms, which draw their power from the prayers of the entire church, became much less potent at that time.

In 2016, during the pontificate of Pope Francis, the bishop of San Nicolas declared that Gladys Quiroga de Motta’s visions and messages were “supernatural in character” and “worthy of belief.”

Such claims are studied carefully by the local bishop, who has the authority to condemn or approve them. Approval means the bishop has found no contradictions in the messages with the teachings of the Catholic Church found in scripture, tradition, or morals. It also means that the seer is of stable mind and honest character and that the apparitions exhibit no signs of demonic influence. Before reaching such a weighty conclusion, the local bishop will call on priests, theologians, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

At Our Lady’s request, a new sanctuary was built that could accommodate the thousands of pilgrims who flock to the site where miracles, conversions, and healings occur. The apparitions’ many messages have been published. They are similar to those Our Lady has given at Fatima and elsewhere. Their overarching themes are:

• That mankind is falling away into sin and corruption, and is “hanging by a thread.”
• That the majority of mankind is in spiritual darkness of atheism, especially in large cities.
• That Mary is giving such frequent messages due to the darkness of the times into which we are heading.
• That these are Advent times, Jesus’ Second Coming is quickly approaching.
• A plea to prayer and conversion of heart.
• The role of Mary in salvation history as the Ark of the Covenant and the “woman clothed with the sun” in the book of Revelation.
• An admonition to pray the rosary faithfully and be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Opposition to “Fiducia Supplicans”

Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia, Charles J. Chaput, says “Fiducia Supplicans” “is not of God.”

The superiors of the American Province of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception have prohibited all ordained members of their religious congregation from blessing couples in irregular unions and same-sex couples, saying that “doing so would condone the relationships.”

Msgr. Charles Pope, pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church in Washington, D.C., sent a letter to his parishioners stating he will not offer blessings of same-sex couples because it would “lead to confusion and scandal among the faithful regarding the Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality.”

Archbishop Emeritus Héctor Aguer of the Diocese of La Plata, Argentina, says, “Fiducia supplicans should not be obeyed.” Like Pope Francis, Archbishop Aguer was born in Buenos Aires.

Bishop Njiru of the Diocese of Wote, Kenya, has prohibited all clergy in his diocese from blessing same-sex couples, while also urging Catholics to reject in “totality” the Vatican’s recent document approving such blessings.

Reiterating the Church’s constant teaching prohibiting and condemning homosexual acts, the bishops of Cameroon formally banned all blessing of same-sex couples.

The Archbishop of Nairobi published a public letter prohibiting all clergy residing and ministering in the Archdiocese of Nairobi from blessing irregular relationships, unions, or same sex couples.

Proving the “confusion and scandal” statements above

The German bishops are busy preparing a handout for “blessing ceremonies” to give to priests, ignoring the Vatican’s stipulation to the contrary. Birgit Mock, vice president of the Central Committee of German Catholics, is enthused that “a practice that we have had in Germany for many years” has now been “greatly strengthened.” She hopes it will eventually lead to a change in the church’s doctrine on sexual morality.

CINO and presidential wannabe, Chris Christie, cited Fiducia Supplicans in his support for same sex marriage. “Pope Francis is now allowing ‘blessings’ of same-sex couples. … I think I’ve been convinced.”

• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/lightning-st-peter-statute-pope-francis/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/tags/tag/fiducia-supplicans/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_the_Rosary_of_San_Nicol%C3%A1s
• https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/our-lady-rosary-san-nicolas-5830
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Buenos_Aires
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_San_Nicol%C3%A1s_de_los_Arroyos
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Nicol%C3%A1s_de_los_Arroyos
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-marian-fathers-of-the-immaculate-conception-prohibit-any-blessing-of-same-sex-couples/
• https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231218_fiducia-supplicans_en.html
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cameroon-bishops-formally-forbid-all-blessings-of-homosexual-couples/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archbishop-of-nairobi-prohibits-blessings-of-same-sex-couples/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/msgr-pope-informs-dc-parishioners-he-will-not-bless-couples-in-same-sex-or-irregular-unions/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/chris-christie-endorses-homosexual-marriage-cites-pope-francis-same-sex-blessings-document/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/kenyan-bishop-prohibits-blessings-of-same-sex-couples/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/german-church-plans-formal-ceremonies-for-blessing-same-sex-couples/
• https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/bishop-aguer-francis-document-fiducia-supplicans-must-not-be-obeyed/
• https://www.divinemysteries.info/our-lady-of-the-rosary-san-nicolas-argentina/
• https://maryoftherosaryofsannicolas.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Leo_XIII
• https://www.michaeljournal.org/articles/roman-catholic-church/item/the-vision-of-pope-leo-xiii

BORDER: Democrat mayors from sanctuary cities have demanded $5 billion in federal taxpayer dollars to help them cope with the dramatic influx of illegal immigrants. After NYC Mayor Adams barred buses from delivering illegals to NYC bus terminals, southern states sending illegals to his proud sanctuary city dropped them off at various train stations in New Jersey instead.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/buses-unload-illegal-immigrant-at-new-jersey-train-station-exploiting-loophole-5556321
• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/mayors-from-sanctuary-cities-demand-5-billion-in-taxpayer-funds-to-help-with-illegal-immigration-crisis-5521871

HARVARD: A few weeks ago, Harvard President Prof. Claudine Gay was credibly accused of plagiarism. Now, she is resigning.

• https://www.igor-chudov.com/p/plagiarist-harvard-president-resigns

MODERNA: During nine inspection tours of a Moderna manufacturing facility, DHHS investigators found multiple safety and sanitation failures, including equipment that was not being cleaned properly, air handling equipment that was not being maintained or monitored properly, and thousands of expired materials stored in the warehouse. The full report is posted at the document cloud link below. The plant manufactures a component of the COVID vaxxxine.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/fda-identified-problems-at-moderna-plant-making-substance-for-covid-vaccine-document-5555884
• https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24250227-fda-form-483-for-moderna-plant

VAXXX: On December 21, 2023, a study entitled “Adverse Events Following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in Adolescents” was pre-print published for peer review at medRxiv (link below). In it, Norwegian researchers reported on their examination of adverse reactions in the health records for 496,432 adolescents (12-19 yo) who had gotten the ‘rona jabs. They found that these kids suffered higher rates of anaphylaxis, lymphadenopathy, myocarditis, pericarditis, and acute appendicitis than unjabbed kids. The researchers admit that SARS-CoV-2 infection is milder in adolescents, but warned that some kids might get a bad case. This study did not list a source of funding, but several of the authors have done other work for Novo Nordisk and AstraZeneca.

• https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/covid-19-vaccines-linked-to-increased-risk-of-swollen-lymph-nodes-in-children-study-5555737
• https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.13.23299926v1.full.pdf

GRAMMY NOTES: This one is true for me, but oddly enough, not for my kids who were born with food allergies. We followed a 4-Day Rotary Diversified Diet. Breakfasts were (Day 1) cashew butter on rice cakes; (Day 2) almond butter on Wasa rye crackers; (Day 3) puffed millet in orange juice; (Day 4) whole wheat toast with butter.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/e_BZJZlf2GU for some “It’s a Wonderful Life!” trivia.

A study entitled “Efficacy and Safety of an mRNA-Based RSV PreF Vaccine in Older Adults” was published in NEJM on December 14, 2023. It reported on the results of clinical trials for a new mRNA vaccine being developed by Moderna to (allegedly) prevent the RSV virus from causing colds in adults. The study was funded by Moderna.

Half of the 35,541 participants (60 yo and older) received a shot of the vaccine while the other half received a shot of saline. The study was concluded when at least 50% of the anticipated cases of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease had occurred (379 days after the shots were administered).

Moderna proudly proclaimed that vaccine efficacy was 83.7% against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease with at least two signs or symptoms (i.e., a mild cold) and 82.4% against the disease with at least three signs or symptoms (i.e., a more severe cold).

Igor Chudov notes that “signs or symptoms” did not even include hospitalization, never mind ICU care or death. So they’re talking about preventing cold symptoms such as cough, fever over 100°F, and sputum production. That’s the benefit.

So what are the risks? The study claimed “a single dose of the mRNA-1345 vaccine resulted in no evident safety concerns and led to a lower incidence of RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease and of RSV-associated acute respiratory disease than placebo among adults 60 years of age or older.”

That’s right, folks! Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! As noted above, “acute respiratory disease” means “bad cold”, not “potentially lethal respiratory infection.” In fact, the only mention I saw of any hospital contact by trial participants who got RSV were those who were x-rayed because the researchers were unable to “full assess other clinical parameters.”

Furthermore, “no evident safety concerns” does not mean “no adverse events.” In fact, there were a whole lot of adverse events, just none that the people who plan to profit from selling the vaccine found worthy of notice! The vaccinees who suffered through the misery of adverse events may not agree: 267 endured from fevers that lasted from one to 27 days. One could hope they were not among the 17 vaccinees who came down with a case of RSV that also involved a fever. 

If I got the numbers right, we have about a 1.8% chance of catching RSV. So what if you (a) take good care of yourself in general and (b) take better care of yourself when you get sick? I googled “natural immunity to RSV” and found that it is lasting for most, but not all people. I also found that scientists apparently have no idea why some people don’t hang on to their immunity.

The one study I looked at tested participants only for “site-specific competitive antibodies, as well as IgA, IgG, and IgM RSV-binding antibodies,” not for nutritional factors that are known to be critical in preventing viruses from getting hold. E.g., zinc and Vitamins C and D. Let me grab my tinfoil hat and posit that, if they did that, they might find out we don’t actually need another expensive, highly profitable vaccine.

• “mRNA RSV Vaccine: 81 Adverse Reactions per Each Prevented Case of RSV (a cold)” @ https://www.igor-chudov.com/p/mrna-rsv-vaccine-81-adverse-reactions
• “Efficacy and Safety of an mRNA-Based RSV PreF Vaccine in Older Adults” @ https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307079
• “A prospective surveillance study on the kinetics of the humoral immune response to the respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein in adults in Houston, Texas” @ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264410X21000724?via%3Dihub
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351611

On December 27, I wrote a few paragraphs in Bits & Bytes about Christopher Rufo’s theory that “Cluster B psychological traits have begun to shape the patterns and structures of our culture.” Wikipedia explains they “are characterized by dramatic, impulsive, self-destructive, emotional behavior and sometimes incomprehensible interactions with others.”

Cluster B Personality Disorders

Antisocial personality disorder: A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, lack of empathy and remorse, callousness, bloated self-image, manipulative and impulsive behavior.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf-AkXfRllQ [11:42] to see an unnamed woman show off an impressive array of antisocial personality traits during her traffic stop and subsequent arrest.

Borderline personality disorder: A pervasive pattern of abrupt emotional outbursts, fear of abandonment, unhealthy attachment, altered empathy, instability in relationships, self-image, identity, behavior and affect, often leading to self-harm and impulsivity.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfS_lfutEQ0 [7:47] to see body cam footage of Sierra Hibbert’s wild attempt to evade arrest, while her child was in the car.

Histrionic personality disorder: A pervasive pattern of attention-seeking behavior, including excessive emotions, an impressionistic style of speech, inappropriate seduction, exhibitionism, and egocentrism.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCKI8JYN2Og [4:57] for footage of Jeremy Dewitte, convicted sex offender and serial police impersonator who is also facing nearly a dozen charges of insurance fraud.

Narcissistic personality disorder: A pervasive pattern of superior grandiosity, haughtiness, need for admiration, deceiving others, and a lack of empathy.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8icJ-6AzsE [1:38] to hear how Officer Breanna Straus earned herself a well-deserved, one shift, suspension without pay.

DISCLAIMER: I disavow any suggestion that I am diagnosing any particular person. I’m not an armchair psychologist, just a person who has been observing human behavior for many years and noticing how dramatically it has changed in recent years.

SHORTS: CLICK for smile-inducing traffic stop videos to cleanse your emotional palate.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/u0JHGCEiJD0.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XtMvJw4-ARQ.

• https://polination.blog/2023/12/27/bits-bytes-1652/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_disorder#Cluster_B_(emotional_or_erratic_disorders)
• https://nypost.com/2022/07/19/georgia-woman-captured-ramming-suv-into-cops-i-didnt-do-anything/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Dewitte
• https://www.wftv.com/news/local/jeremy-dewitte-central-floridas-fake-cop-facing-slew-insurance-fraud-charges/6EQTBTCY3NB37EPCNTUM3ZIJHI/

2024: Maine’s Democrat Secretary of State Shenna Bellows decided all on her lonesome that Trump can’t be on Maine’s primary ballot; Republican lawmakers in Maine have threatened to bring impeachment proceedings against her and the Trump campaign has challenged the decision in court. Both of Maine’s U.S. Senators – Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Independent Sen. Angus King – say the decision should be overturned.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized calling these efforts “a political distraction.” Constitutional scholar Alan Dershowitz says they are a “serious frontal attack on democracy.” Presidential wannabe Chris Christie whined that they are turning Trump into a martyr. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) reminded states that the U.S. House of Representatives holds ultimate authority over certifying electors.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Anfm6dnoisY to see the real reason behind the efforts to block Trump from state primary ballots.

• https://www.newsmax.com/politics/maine-trump-presidential-ballot-election-insurrection/2023/12/28/id/1147546/
• https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/maine-trump-republicans/2023/12/29/id/1147614/
• https://www.newsmax.com/politics/susan-collins-maine-senator-donald-trump/2023/12/29/id/1147637/
• https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/newsomeopposes-barring-trump/2023/12/23/id/1147024/
• https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/alan-dershowitz-donald-trump-2024/2023/12/29/id/1147655/
• https://www.newsmax.com/politics/chris-christie-donald-trump-2024-election/2023/12/29/id/1147646/
• https://www.newsmax.com/politics/thomas-massie-gop-house/2023/12/29/id/1147642/

BLASPHEMY: A priest in Italy, having decided his flock needed to see a “more inclusive” Holy Family, removed Joseph and replaced him with a female draped in “pride” colors. The birth of Our Lord was a historical event, not a fairy tale that we can rewrite as we choose.

• https://www.dailywire.com/news/blasphemous-church-slammed-for-same-sex-nativity-scene

FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS: Cardinal Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, Uruguay, who has generally been regarded as a friend and ally of Pope Francis, announced he does not and will not bless homosexual couples. “If people come to ask me for my blessing, I always give it. … (but) it is a completely different thing to bless a homosexual couple.”

The Melkite Catholic Church in the United States has declared that priests may not bless couples in irregular situations unless they receive written permission from the bishop. Although the Melkite CC is in full communion with Rome, they have a separate liturgical rite and diocesan structure.

• https://catholicvote.org/uruguayan-cardinal-vatican-document-on-blessings-says-yes-and-no-at-the-same-time/
• https://catholicvote.org/us-melkite-bishop-priestscould-face-penalties-for-blessing-same-sex-couples-ithout-approval/

FLU JABS: A study entitled “Reduced effectiveness of repeat influenza vaccination: distinguishing among within-season waning, recent clinical infection, and subclinical infection” confirms something that has been known since the early 1970s. Namely, that people who get a flu shot every year are more likely to catch flu.

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10071822/
• https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/repeat-influenza-vaccination-linked-to-higher-risk-of-infection-cdc-preprint-5555230

LIFE LESSONS: CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zsBf0IOPzMM. This happened to me once at a four-way stop. I was driving a 66-passenger school bus, fully loaded with elementary school children. I had the right of way, having arrived at the corner first. In fact, I had begun my turn when the car blew past the stop line by several feet, leaving me no room to complete my turn. Nobody was behind him, but when I waved at him to back up, he started honking his horn and cussing at me. I inched forward until he finally backed up, but not before giving my kiddos a beautiful display of how NOT to behave on a public roadway. When I got back to the bus garage, I asked my boss what he would have done. He said, “I would have waved hello and smiled sweetly, then turned around and chatted with the kids until he moved.” I never expected to learn valuable life lessons from driving a school bus, but I did. That was one of them.

NICARAGUA: The aggressively anti-Catholic Marxist dictator Daniel Ortega has arrested Bishop Isidro del Carmen Mora Ortega. His whereabouts are unknown.

• https://www.theblaze.com/news/nicaragua-arrests-another-bishop-as-marxist-regime-ramps-up-its-brutal-persecution-of-catholics
• https://omgbulletin.com/world/435511.html

NIGERIA: Between December 23 and 26, Muslim terrorists murdered at least 150 Nigerians in Christian villages and homes.

• https://catholicvote.org/muslim-terrorists-kill-150-christians-leading-up-to-christmas/

OH CANADA: In March 2019, “Morgane” Oger led an initiative to get Vancouver’s City Council to revoke its annual grant of $34,000 to Vancouver Rape Relief, the oldest women’s shelter in Canada, until it started allowing trans men to live there. For several months following the removal of funding, the shelter experienced multiple incidents of vandalism, including a deceased rat attached to the front door and graffiti saying “Kill TERFS, trans power.” At that time, Oger suggested that while the vandalism was unacceptable, the shelter may have contributed to such actions through its own behavior.

• https://thepostmillennial.com/trudeau-government-gives-medal-to-trans-activist-who-got-vancouver-rape-shelter-defunded-for-refusing-to-house-biological-men

GRAMMY NOTES: I am over the moon about my Christmas haul this year! In addition to getting a nice stockpile of good quality watercolor paper, I also scored two beautiful additions to my Madonna and Child collection.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/1557040674833178 and watch her feet!

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ycFEInfHiHc and maybe grab a tissue. ❤

CALIFORNICATION: Starting on January 1, California stores with more than 500 employees will be fined $500 if they don’t include a gender-neutral toy section for kids 12 years old and under. Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Research Council — a conservative public policy nonprofit group — says the law violates the First Amendment by “dictating the signage in stores, about what words can be used to advertise products.”

• https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-fine-stores-dont-have-gender-neutral-kids-toy-section-2024

CRAZY COO-COO LAND: Harvard’s Arab Alumni Association has published an appeal for donations to help pro-Hamas students who “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” Apparently, they are being bullied.

• https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/hamas-defending-harvard-students-beg-for-donations-for-mental-health/ss-AA1ilBR9

DEMOCRATS: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans are still moving from deep blue states to deep red states. In 2023, New York State lost the most residents (101,984) followed by California (75,423). Texas added the most residents (473,453), followed by Florida (365,205).

• https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/population-trends-return-to-pre-pandemic-norms.html

MIDDLE EAST: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/247116964767703 and https://www.facebook.com/reel/6568574023253927 for some quick reality checks. Not that you, my oh-so-sensible readers, need them! 🙂

ODD ONE OUT: This paper was in a 6 year old’s homework packet. Her mom posted it to a mom’s Facebook board and, within a day, had received 4,000 responses from different moms. Each one had their own explanation for what the right answer was, but there wasn’t any one that stood out. The teacher later admitted she hadn’t done a great job of formulating the question.

I thought it was fun to think of as many reasons as I could why each word could be the odd one out. “Friend” is the only one that describes a living being; it is also the only one that isn’t spelled phonetically. “Desk” is the only piece of furniture. “Toothbrush” is the longest word, the only word with only one meaning, the only word with two syllables, and the only object related to hygiene. “Egg” is the shortest word and the only food.

The teacher’s choice was “silver” because it is the only color. Apparently, their lesson that day had been about objects. But “silver” also has the most meanings listed in the dictionary – 19 vs. 1, 3, and 5 for the others. These ended up making “silver” the odd one by virtue of having the most reasons why it was the odd one. It is the only one that is an element on the periodic table; is used for currency, jewelry, and food service; is rewarded to athletes who come in second; symbolizes a 25^th anniversary.

UPDATE: Mama Buzz says, “Also, toothbrush is the only compound word ;)”

GRAMMY NOTES: CLICK https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A-IDCmbUh3AaSX2F8fboMjtml3cHXDrP/view [4:39] to see a movie I made years ago called “Gecko Fantasies.” It stars Mama’s Leopard Gecko, Jasper.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/y1U4VwzhXB8 for a R*CKST*R Christmas carol.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/onB61fwAEDU for “Bad Designs: Christmas edition.”