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December 25, 2025
Christmas Day 2025
The Nativity

Luke 2

2:1  And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2:2  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
2:3  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
2:4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
2:5  To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
2:6  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
2:7  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
2:8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
2:9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
2:10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
2:11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
2:12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
2:13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
2:15  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
2:16  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
2:17  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
2:18  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
2:20  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Holy Bible, King James Version
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December 24, 2025
Christmas Eve 2025
Christmas Eve 2025

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December 23, 2025
Invention of the Transistor announced in 1947
    field effect transistor
Back in the 1970s I was a circuit board builder. I could identify and solder most anything and did so frequently. Nowadays I am a keyboard jockey and write code. I can also troubleshoot electronics to the component level and do so on occasion.

Technological history marks the development of the transistor as a key component of modern electronic circuitry. The device was announced on December 23, 1947, by Bell Labs scientists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley.

I have personally felt for a long time now that there were likely a few gray aliens in the mix making the devices operate to specs.

Transistors are semiconductor devices used to control the flow of electric current and is fundamental to modern electronics. They act as either an electronic switch, turning current on or off, or as an amplifier, boosting a small electrical signal into a larger one.

This is achieved through a three terminal structure, typically comprising an emitter, a base, and a collector, where a small voltage or current applied to the base controls the flow of current between the emitter and collector.

A transistor can be used as a microscopic switch to control the power to a circuit. By applying a signal to the base, the switch can be turned ON to allow current to flow or OFF to stop it. A transistor can amplify a small input signal into a larger output signal. In audio systems a transistor can take a weak audio signal and amplify it to a level strong enough to power a speaker.

They are made of semiconductor material, most commonly silicon, and have three terminals: the emitter, base, and collector. Transistors are used in most all modern electronic devices, including computers, smartphones, radios, and hearing aids. They are the building blocks for integrated circuits, logic gates, and memory chips.

Tags: technology, beginnings, people, places, things
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December 22, 2025
Roman Emperor Diocletian was born in 242
Diocletian    
Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus Augustus was emperor of the Roman Empire rising from humble beginnings to the lofty position of one of the most influential rulers with transformation of the Roman Empire government and military.

He was born December 22, 242 at Salona and died December 3, 311 at age 68.

He joined the Roman army and climbed through the ranks becoming emperor elected by the soldiers in 284 CE after the deaths of Carus and his son Numerian during a Persian campaign.

He implemented a management efficiency mechanism called the Tetrarchy in 293 CE. It divided rule among four co-emperors, with Diocletian as the senior Augustus alongside Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius.

Diocletian implemented extensive reforms in an effort to promote stability in the empire. He reorganized provinces, expanded the bureaucracy, and reformed the tax system.

In 301 CE, he introduced the Edict on Maximum Prices to combat inflation but it's effectiveness was quite limited.

In 303 CE, Diocletian began the Great Persecution of Christians. He is often remembered as a cruel ruler for his severe handling of Christians during this period.

After a successful administration Diocletian voluntarily abdicated in 305 CE. He was the first Roman emperor to do so. He retired to his palace in Split and spent his retirement doing gardening. Diocletian declined requests to return to power after declaring retirement and died in 311 CE.

Tags: people, places, things, weapons, politics
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December 21, 2025
Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere 2025
Today is the Winter solstice.

On Sunday Dec 21, 2025 at 10:03 am we find the astronomical moment when Earth's tilt is farthest from the Sun. Winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year in a hemisphere.

Winter Solstice at Stonehenge

There are many cultural celebrations of this event throughout history such as traditions of burning Yule logs and various feasting. Symbolism runs rampant throughout observances of the event. Your shadow at local noon will be the longest it gets all year. The sun appears farthest south in the sky.

I hope you can take a moment to appreciate the cosmic significance of the solstice thoughout human history.

Winter in the forest

Tags: world, beginnings, places, weather
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December 20, 2025
South Carolina seceded from the US in 1860
     SC Secession 1860

Well, it seems that as rebels we South Carolinians are second to none. We were the first state to secede from the United States of America on December 20, 1860.

It is said that our succession was primarily due to fears regarding the future of slavery and the election of Abraham Lincoln.

Now then. I have never owned a slave. I have never desired to be called 'massa' and I am staunchly against any notion of reparations being paid to people just because some of those entered the country in servitude.

It was the Dutch slave traders who brought the african slaves here. I think reparations should be sought from The Netherlands. You could have a whole new "Red Letter Day".

The economic and social systems and social systems requiring slavery should have been dismantled and new avenues pursued.

All we have now is a bunch of entitled blacks who think they need special rules and accommodations for everything because too many individuals in the population are too stupid to compete in the mainstream efforts. The victory of Lincoln in the 1860 election was perceived as a threat to the institution of slavery and Southern autonomy. I say "so be it".

On December 20, 1860, a convention in South Carolina adopted an Ordinance of Secession, which declared that the state was withdrawing from the United States.

This ordinance was followed by the Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union, issued on December 24, 1860.

The declaration outlined the state's grievances, emphasizing "increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the Institution of Slavery" and citing the failure of Northern states to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act.

So we ended up with a lot of mulatto children of slave owners who were grossly mistreated as subhumans and the aforementioned entitlement seeking ancestors of the other slaves.

The likelihood of reparations remains quite remote because too many ancestors of those who weren't even in the United States during slavery are seeking them.
 

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December 19, 2025
Kim Peek, Megasavant passed in 2009
Kim Peek    
I was saddened to read of the passing of Kim Peek back in 2009.

Laurence Kim Peek was born on November 11, 1951 and passed December 19, 2009. He was an American savant and as such was known to an exceptional memory and recall despite having significant impairment in other areas of social functioning. This "megasavant" posessed exceptional intelligence despite concurrent developmental disability related to congenital brain abnormalities.

He was the inspiration for the character Raymond Babbitt in the 1988 movie Rain Man.

He was previously diagnosed as autistic but was ultimately believed to have FG syndrome, a rare X-linked genetic disorder whereby the person has a range of symptons such as developmental delay, diminished tonus which refers to low muscle tone, intellectual disability, chronic constipation, and excretory abnormalities.

It is primarily observed in male individuals and is associated with characteristic craniofacial features such as a prominent forehead and hypertelorism which refers to eye sockets which are widely spaced.

He was a cosmopolitan individual who grew to be at home in the public eye and was readily capable of displaying his prodigious memory and knowledge of that contained in the innumeral books he had read.

He resided with and was accompanied by his devoted father, Fran who tended to his every need during his lifetime in Murray, Utah.

They are interred together at Holladay Memorial Park in Holladay, Utah.

Rest in peace.

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December 18, 2025
Only 7 more days til Christmas
Only 7 days til Christmas !

 

Christmas Tree

 

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December 18, 2025
National Roast Suckling Pig Day 2025
     Roast Suckling Pig
 

I'm rather ashamed to say that I have both eaten Roast Suckling Pig and found it quite tasty.

The trepidations I feel concern the consuming of infant food animals as well as the appearance of the dish before, while, and after it is cooked.

Now then, we are observing National Roast Suckling Pig Day. It pays homage to the tender and flavorful albeit cruel appearing culinary item indigenous to the south sea islands and such.

National Roast Suckling Pig day promotes itself as a day to indulge in the savory delight of roast suckling pig. It makes note of the culinary artistry involved in preparing this dish as well as the exquisite flavors it imparts to those consuming palates.

National Roast Suckling Pig Day happens each December 18th annually. It’s an opportunity for chefs and food enthusiasts to showcase their skills in preparing and roasting this delicacy.

We who were raised near farms and took a personal interest in the animals — or may have considered owning a pet pig as a companion animal may be less enthusiastic regarding the day.
 

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December 17, 2025
Only 8 more days til Christmas
Only 8 days til Christmas !

 

Christmas Tree

 

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December 16, 2025
Boston Tea Party Day 2025
Boston Teaparty Reenactment    
December 16 is Boston Tea Party Day. It commemorates the 1773 protest where American colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to protest unfair taxation.

This was a key event leading to the American Revolution and it is remembered annually with reenactments and commemorative events.

On December 16, 1773 memebers of a group called the Sons of Liberty, disguised themselves as Native Americans and boarded three ships in Boston Harbor. They destroyed 342 chests of tea by tearing them open and dumping them into the harbor. This was a protest of the Tea Act and "taxation without representation" from the British Parliament.

The already tense situation was met with the punitive Intolerable Acts and the colonists became united against England sparking the American Revolution.

Tags: people, places, things, politics, beginnings
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December 15, 2025
Death of Sitting Bull in 1890
    Sitting Bull
Today in 1890 Lakota Chief Sitting Bull was killed by tribal police who were sent to take him into custody for his involvement in the Ghost Dance Movement.

The Ghost Dance was a late 19th-century Native American spiritual movement. It began with Paiute prophet Wovoka and offered hope for cultural renewal and driving out white settlers through sacred dances and rituals.

It envisioned a new earth with buffalo and ancestors returning.

US officials saw it as a militant threat. It ended tragically at the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, where US troops fired on unarmed Ghost Dancers. This is pretty unseemly given the fact that The Republic missed no opportunity to walk all over the native Americans otherwise.

The tribal police encountered his supporters which turned into a violent gun fight at his cabin at Standing Rock Reservation.

As usual the US Authorities believed they owned the lands because though they were actually intrusive interlopers fearing rebellion. They ordered his arrest. A gunfight ensued. During the gunfight Sitting Bull was struck in the chest by a bullet and died as the result. He was 59 years old.

Sitting Bull was killed, along with several others, including his son, Kangis Siha (Crow Foot).

Sitting Bull has two official burial sites. He has his original grave at Fort Yates, North Dakota. There is a second site where his remains were moved by his family to Mobridge, South Dakota which is near his birth place. Singularly, the US Government was the absolute worst thing to ever happen to the Native Americans who actually owned the lands that were confiscated.

Tags: people, places, things, endings
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December 14, 2025
Vlad the Impaler was born in 1431
Vlad the Impaler    
Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler was a Romanian hero making him the model for Dracula the vampire according to many accounts.

My youth found me enthralled by monsters and such and Dracula was one of those so — once I found out a little about him — Vlad naturally became an interest of mine over the years.

He was the second son of Vlad Draculis and is remembered as a brutal proponent of independence from the Turks — ruthless with all including enemies and his countrymen alike who did not live their lives according to his strict standards of morality.

His signature punishment was "impaling" where a sharpened wooden pole was used to suspend the victim above the ground typically causing death and great suffering prior to that moment.

He was called 'Dracula' because his father, Vlad II was a member of the Order of the Dragon which was a chivalric order created to defend Christendom against the Ottoman Turks whereby he became known as "Dracul" (or Dragon).

Dracula meant "son of Dracul" in medieval Romanian hence the name through out history. Modern Romanian maintains that the word for "devil" is "drac" and this became part and parcel of that association with the fictional vampire of literature.

It took me a long time to finally differentiate between the actual man from history and the fictional character from Bram Stoker's novel.

Tags: people, places, things, endings
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December 13, 2025
Nothing Worthwhile Happening 12/13/2025
    Dick Van Dyke blows
It's peckerhead Dick Van Dyke the insufferable woke asshole's birthday.

When I was a child I enjoyed his acting. I used to watch him and Mary Tyler Moore on the Dick Van Dyke Show.

Later he loosed his stupid politics on the world like the would-be influencer his dumb ass would like to be.

Richard Wayne Van Dyke has a history as an award-winning American actor, comedian, and entertainer. He has worked across film, stage, radio, and live theater.

Now he's just a political curmudgeon trying to force his backward opinions on anyone and everyone.

He was born born December 13, 1925.

He's turning 100 years old and as far as I am concerned he's outlived his value as a human being. I hope he dies soon.

Boo !

See Also:

Dick Van Dyke became a libtard
I remember Billy De Wolfe
Mary Tyler Moore's Posthumous Birthday
Rose Marie RIP
Mary Tyler Moore RIP

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