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Christmas Eve Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Dec 24, 2014 at 07:28:32 PM EST
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Anyone cooking tonight? What's on your menu?

Sony has made "The Interview" available now to everyone by streaming. Let us know what you think if you watch it.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

< Todenhoefer and the German Fighter Interview | Merry Christmas from AQAP and Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri >

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    Christmas Eve Open Thread | 37 comments (37 topical)

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    Okay, I'll be the first to say... (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by unitron on Wed Dec 24, 2014 at 08:56:14 PM EST
    ...Merry Christmas (or a generic Happy Holidays if you prefer)to all my fellow TL'ers.

    May Santa treat you splendidly!

    Merry Christmas everyone (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Dec 24, 2014 at 09:00:51 PM EST
    If I eat anything else I'll burst, but there's more tomorrow.  Josh doesn't know it yet, and he doesn't read TL, but a new computer for his gaming is under the tree in pieces parts.  He and his dad will build it tomorrow.

    I'm pooped and Santa still needs to fill stockings.  I need an elf :)

    Merry Christmas, (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by MO Blue on Wed Dec 24, 2014 at 10:46:54 PM EST
    Happy Holidays - Good Wishes to all.

    Warm thoughts, laughter and good food shared with family and friends is always a reason to celebrate.

    At midnight... (5.00 / 5) (#4)
    by desertswine on Wed Dec 24, 2014 at 11:49:00 PM EST
    on Christmas Eve, it is said, the animals can speak.  Last Christmas Eve, my cats complained about their food.  It wasn't what I expected.
    A safe and merry Christmas to all.

    LOL (none / 0) (#30)
    by sj on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 08:13:28 PM EST


    Parent
    Merry Christmas, Jeralyn and all. (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 12:51:43 AM EST
    My mother and aunt arrived this afternoon from L.A., the weather's finally cleared up, and we're headed to Midnight Mass in three hours. Hope Santa is good to everyone tonight, and please enjoy the day.

    Aloha.

    Donald, I just read there's (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by fishcamp on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 05:40:16 AM EST
    a blizzard, yep snow, predicted for Muana Kea, and Muana Loa. Hope you don't get snowed in when you go over there.  Merry Christmas.

    Parent
    The blizzard has come and gone. (none / 0) (#17)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 02:33:13 PM EST
    And in its wake, hopefully, it's left us a magnificent sight to behold upon our arrival next week in Hilo, which is one of the few places on earth where you can see 14 of the 15 climate zones (save for the arctic) in one view plain.

    Merry Christmas, fishcamp.

    Parent

    Cooked: tomato/feta and shrimp (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by oculus on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 12:54:01 AM EST
    in the manner of the Greeks, carried out basamati rice/saffron/barberries, spinach salad w/strawberries/glazed pecans/chevre cheese, flourless chocolate cake/caramel sauce/ice cream.

    And in other news, the court denied defendant Polanski's motion to dismiss.

    Sounds heavenly (none / 0) (#15)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 12:25:16 PM EST


    Parent
    Your rice dish sounds very similar to (none / 0) (#16)
    by MO Blue on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 01:30:05 PM EST
     Zereshk Polow, an Iranian rice dish. It is my favorite rice dish.
    Tah Dig     (bottom of the pan) is a nice edible by product of the traditional way they prepare rice.

    The 5 BTW is for the update on Polanski's motion.

    Parent

    Exactly re the rice b (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by oculus on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:44:24 PM EST
    After I ordered 6 servings for $50+, I learned a local ME marker does, in fact, stock barberries. Next time!  

    Parent
    Somehow I linked to a more (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by MO Blue on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 06:07:58 PM EST
    Complicated recipe for Tah Dig than what I wanted. Here is the link for the simple version that I wanted.

    It lines the pot with sliced potatoes (red or sweet) that keeps the rice from sticking to pan and produces a  small potato/crunchy rice dish that you might like.

    Parent

    WTF are "barberries" - want to know! (none / 0) (#32)
    by ZtoA on Fri Dec 26, 2014 at 02:21:48 AM EST


    Parent
    Here are a couple of links (none / 0) (#35)
    by MO Blue on Fri Dec 26, 2014 at 09:42:48 AM EST
    Super ingredients-Barberries

    images

    Iranians sometimes add a little bit of sugar to the soak, and soak it longer to get a more sweet/sour taste.

    Parent

    Look past the Persian element. Barberry (none / 0) (#36)
    by Mr Natural on Sat Dec 27, 2014 at 08:46:36 AM EST
    bushes are all around your neighborhood. Very popular as hedges, something remembered from childhood when I'd try cutting through their wall of thorns.  No idea if they're exactly the same as the food ingredients or even if the hedge version is edible, but they are definitely thorny.

    Parent
    Hope everyone (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 08:26:19 AM EST
    was able to get as much Christmas food as I did.  I was invited to another today (4) but I gracefully declined and said I would show up for desert and coffee.
    They are Greek

    Merry and happy to all and all that.

    Interview (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 08:46:01 AM EST
    now available on Google play and YouTube movies

    Merry Christmas one and all (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 10:03:44 AM EST

    Pray for peace.  

    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 10:10:54 AM EST
    to everyone but especially to Jeralyn for her hard work in producing Talk Left and putting up with the bunch of us!

    I pray that all of you had a healthy, happy and prosperous 2014 and that your very own Santa brought you that most precious gift of all, inner Peace and Understanding.

    Merry Christmas, folks! (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by Politalkix on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 10:22:39 AM EST
    Wishing all of you a very merry Christmas and joy and happiness of the Holiday season.

    Merry Christmas and Happy (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by caseyOR on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 11:34:03 AM EST
    Holidays to everyone at TL.

    Family dinner is at my cousin's. We will feast on Christmas ham, potatoes, some sort of green bean casserole (yep, we have it at Xmas, too.) and many desserts.

    My contribution is, as always, a green salad with two different lettuces (butter and romaine), cucumber, red bell pepper, shredded carrots, walnuts and dried cranberries.

    Rod Sterling (5.00 / 3) (#18)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 03:18:10 PM EST
    EXPLAINS HOW CENSORSHIP LED TO THE CREATION OF `THE TWILIGHT ZONE'

    By 1959, Rod Serling had had it with the dumbing down of American television by what he saw as overly sensitive TV sponsors who forced writers to edit scripts with impunity during the boob tube's early years. Most sponsors wanted zero controversy and nothing to appear in a script that might incline viewers to think "improperly" about a particular brand of cake batter, or car or whatever else was being promoted on a given show. In the fiery discussion below, which aired (according to IMDB) on September 22, 1959, we find Serling on The Mike Wallace Interview talking about his early writing career and the heavy hand of corporate sponsorship that led to his creation of a soon-to-debut science fiction and fantasy television series called The Twilight Zone (the first episode would air a little over a week later on October 2, 1959). A passionate exchange about early TV's potential, thoughts about what Wallace calls "the battle of the writer to be his own man" and copious on-air smoking ensues.

    In the interview with Mike Wallace, Serling discusses being shut down by sponsors for trying to address the Emmett Till case, and receiving many complaints from a "lunatic fringe of letter writers" about an episode of Lassie wherein the iconic collie has puppies. Some wacko viewers felt that the episode promoted sexuality. The complaints lead the station to shy away from presenting the birth of puppies in the future according to Serling. He goes on to talk about the backlash caused by writers using the term "gas chamber" in a Playhouse 90 production of Judgment at Nuremberg (an early version of the 1961 film of the same name) by a sponsor who sold gas stoves. "This, I rebel against," Serling forcefully declares.

    The video is great

    A better video link (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 03:22:27 PM EST
    for some reason videos from that site do not play well

    Parent
    Rod Serling, that is (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Peter G on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:33:32 PM EST
    not Rod "Sterling"

    Parent
    Do I Get to blame the iPad? (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:57:30 PM EST


    Parent
    One evening... (none / 0) (#31)
    by unitron on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 08:43:51 PM EST
    ...in a room with Mike Wallace and Rod Serling would probably be enough to give the most healthy non-smoker lung cancer.

    Parent
    I started coughing (none / 0) (#34)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 26, 2014 at 07:41:26 AM EST
    just watching the video

    Parent
    Yes! this is great. (none / 0) (#33)
    by ZtoA on Fri Dec 26, 2014 at 02:28:42 AM EST
    I sent it to all my relatives (and talked about it to my young relatives and their love interests at dinner). I heard one of his lectures at Ithaca College in 1972 and he was great (at the time I thought he was great, I was 18 and he seemed short - I am from a very very tall family -- and had a pretty amazing voice and said some very provocative  and fascinating things that stayed with me). I visited his wiki page and had not known all that he had done. Also the interview was interesting visually -- times change, but the heart of times do not. But his heart was the most important thing to pay attention to. Thank you, once again, for another great link and info!!

    Parent
    Tom Tomorrow (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 03:47:35 PM EST
    2014 IN REVIEW

    And, Merry Xmas to "Obamacare." (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by NYShooter on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:16:54 PM EST
    "Enrollment for Obamacare jumps with 2 million new sign-ups."

    McClatchy DC, Dec. 23, 2014, Link

    WASHINGTON -- Enrollment in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is increasing rapidly, with more than 2 million people so far signing up for coverage for the first time, figures released Tuesday show.

    In addition to the new enrollments, which surpass last year's sign-up rate, several million more people have been re-enrolled in plans in the law's second year of expanding coverage.

    When do the death panels kick in? (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:24:19 PM EST


    Parent
    When the real Death Panels, (5.00 / 3) (#23)
    by NYShooter on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:32:05 PM EST
    The Republicans, take over in January.

    Parent
    They'll call,it resource management (5.00 / 2) (#27)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:49:12 PM EST
    or cost containment.  Emphasis on the latter.

    Parent
    Well played, Mr. President! (none / 0) (#13)
    by Politalkix on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 10:23:39 AM EST
    link

    HRC on various subjects (none / 0) (#26)
    by Politalkix on Thu Dec 25, 2014 at 04:47:15 PM EST
    link

    The following may be of interest to some who have been beating up the President since the Senate report on detainees was published. From the article...

    "Clinton said she is proud to have been part of an administration that ended extrajudicial transfers and abusive treatment of terrorism detainees. The practices were the subject of an exhaustive Senate report this month that concluded that the CIA had engaged in torture and that the methods were ineffective in gaining useful intelligence."

    I sure hope that these (none / 0) (#37)
    by MO Blue on Sat Dec 27, 2014 at 02:24:49 PM EST
    become an affordable option sometime in the next 5 or 10 years.

    Fully Functional Driverless Car

    People are promoting this idea for safety reasons but think of how much these cars would help older seniors maintain their independence. Older seniors often have to give up driving at night or even driving altogether. For me, the ability to drive is part of my remaining independent. The idea of having to rely on others to take me to do simple tasks like get groceries etc. is totally abhorrent to me.

    Christmas Eve Open Thread | 37 comments (37 topical)

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