Iraq: This One's for You!

When asked about the death penalty, former Illinois Attorney General, Jim Ryan, used to say: "I believe that there are those who have committed crimes so heinous that they have lost their right to life."

Citizens of Iraq, your voting was not in vain. You have a democratically elected government. Your justice system is working. Saddam Hussein is dead. Justice has been done.

Obituary/Biography from Times of London

Mahmood weighs in.



Live coverage (streaming TV) from Hajj.

Hold the Presses! Copy Editor has Enlisted!

Hold the presses! The Copy Editor has enlisted! Wilmette sends its heartiest congratulations to this bright, young blogger who has heard his country's call. Suprisingly enough, he has eschewed a commision in favor of enlistment. For the reasons why, see his post. It is not surprising that he chose the Army.

For quite some time, the Left has tried to convince us that the "brightest and the best" never go to the military. We know this is a lie; patriotic young people from many backgrounds go to the military. While there may be more patriots among the less advantaged, there are many service members with great prospects and promise who understand that serving their country is a both a priviledge and an honor. Even the son of Chicago's patriotic Mayor Daley signed up, and is currently with an Army combat unit which has been reported to have been deployed to Afghanistan.

Several months ago we linked the Copy Editor's blog, Editcopy, on the Wilmette Blogroll. We were looking for a link to some meat-and potatoes political coverage for our readers and this blog fit the bill better than any other blog I had seen. While my politics tend Conservative, I like a balanced approach when reading analysis. There are great blogs on both the left and the right, but far too few look at any issue with an open mind.

We will miss the Copy Editor, but we know that by and by he will be back. He's not sure about blogging once he goes on active duty. Please stop by his blog and wish him Good Luck and Godspeed.

We are lucky to have people of Copy Editor's calibre heed the call of duty; it is news that gives renewed hope that our great country will remain safe and free for a long time to come.

Five Golden Rings

Is there anything as golden as the five Olympic rings? On the fifth day of Christmas you might like to read the newly released reporting regulations effective January 1, 2007 for reporting "activities carried out by foreign journalists covering the [2008] Beijing Olympic Games and related matters in China during the Beijing Olympic Games and the preparatory period."

I don't think China likes Christmas much other than for the manufacturing business it generates, and they don't like reporters much, either. Come to think of it, they are really bad about Internet freedom, too. Kind of reminds us that on the fifth day of Christmas that there are a lot of people in China who have nothing to celebrate at all.

Five Golden Rings II

You will notice that those 5 golden rings look substantially different from the Olympic Rings. In fact, some people say that the five golden rings of the Twelve Days of Chrismas rings are really a ring neck ducks And, speaking of rings, I wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas songs, Personent Hodie, which is about ringing Christmas bells and Christmas. It is a really old song which I hope you will enjoy

Choir versions - Personent Hodie

Words and music - Personent Hodie

Fourth Day of Christmas

Fourth Day of Christmas:

Call of the loon

Call of the cardinal

Call of the red-winged blackbird

Call of the sparrow

In Memoriam: President Gerald R. Ford 1913 - 2006

The simple and unassuming life of the 38th President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford, typified the best attributes of citizens from the heartland of our nation, the Midwest. His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country. Messages of sympathy to his family may be sent through an online condolence book. Arrangements are pending.

Happy Third Day of Christmas

Do you celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas? At Wilmette we do. All those Christmas preparations mean that one day of celebration is simply not enough. Somehow it's impossible to start Christmas way back at Halloween, when the merchants think we should enter into a frenzy of shopping. Decorating the day after Thanksgiving? That's become popular in the past few years, but it interferes with enjoying Thanksgiving weekend. Isn't one holiday at a time enough?

I really liked this picture of the three French hens up above enjoying a domestic moment. The gift for the third day of Christmas from the famous song has resulted in no shortage of lovely illustrations over the years; this is first time I've seen this type of interpretation and I thought I'd like to share it with you.

In Memoriam: The South East Asian Earthquake and Tsunami

While we linger over our Christmas celebrations, we remember that it has been exactly two years since the Boxing Day Tsunami of December 26, 2004 killed over 250,000 people in Southeast Asia. In the affected areas, thousands are still living in temporary shelters and remain homeless. Progress in rebuilding is slow; official reports about waste and mismangement abound; and armed conflict in areas such as Sri Lanka and Somalia inhibits recovery even further. An educated populace, access to capital, and accountable political systems are lacking in much of the region

Do keep the people still suffering from the Tsunami's aftereffects in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season, there are a lot of them.

typical report

Wilmette Wishes You a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

My noel greeting to you: click here

Good Christian men, rejoice with heart and soul, and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say: News! News! Jesus Christ is born today;
Ox and ass before Him bow; and He is in the manger now.
Christ is born today! Christ is born today!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss: Joy! Joy! Jesus Christ was born for this!
He has opened the heavenly door, and man is blest forevermore.
Christ was born for this! Christ was born for this!

Good Christian men, rejoice, with heart and soul and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave: Peace! Peace! Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one and calls you all, to gain His everlasting hall.
Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!

* * *

"The birth of Christ helps us to be aware of what human life is worth, the value of every human life, from his first moment to his natural decline. In this world, where Jesus wanted to be the travelling companion for each of us, no one is an outsider. Jesus asks us all to extend a welcome to all."

Photo: The 2006 US Post Office Religious Christmas stamp.

The Miracle of Festivus

No sooner did I decide to announce that we would not be celebrating Festivus that my troubles began. The sink clogged before dinner, hopelessly, ending all thoughts of washing the dishes. Then a tooth cap fell off. An emergency trip to the grocery store for Liquid Plumber ended in failure and standing water filled up half the sink. I went to bed deep in the dumps.

Festivus dawned gloomy, but at Christmas there is always hope. A phone call and a quick trip to the substitute dentist assured me that I had broken my tooth in such a clever way that the cap could be glued on good enough to get me through Christmas. (I refuse to discuss those comments around the the house that, no problem, teeth could be Photoshopped in the Christmas pictures.) When I returned from the dentist, I opened the door and an old friend was one the phone.

"Happy Festivus!" I said, "I have my tooth for Christmas; half my problems are solved!" I then told her about my sink. She asked "Did you try a plunger?" "No," I said, "Can't do that, its a sink with a garbage disposer." "How could it be any different?" she asked. "Worth a try," I said.

A plunger was fetched. And we plunged: once, twice, three times. Suddenly, a great sucking noise was heard. Lo and behold, the sink was draining!" "You are a genius!" I shouted over the phone. "You have created the miracle of Festivus!"

Isn't it odd, a friend who I haven't talked to in years, calling out-of-the-blue, complete with a plan to fix my sink?

On my recent trip to the Christmas markets in Germany, I saw a number of interesting little nativity scenes which I found included, strangely, elephants, alpine hikers, German shepards, you name it, all off to visit the baby Jesus.

When I put up my little manger scene later today, I really, really want to commemorate the wonderful event of a phone call and a solution when most needed. So I ask, would it be really, really wrong to put near the wise men just a very small memorial in honor of a valued friend? Perhaps a memorial with a very high strength-to-weight ratio? Perhaps a very tiny Festivus Pole?

Happy Festivus from Wilmette

Happy Festivus!

Is all this good Christmas cheer just too much? Have a religion other than Christianity? After years of too much holiday stress are you done with Christmas? Well it's December 23, and time to celebrate Festivus. It's the holiday for the rest of us!

Clearly, we won't be celebrating Festivus here, having long ago learned to cope with screaming children in malls, worrying about perfect presents, and dressing up for parties where its a chore to stay sober enough to drive home by visiting Christmas markets far from Wilmette. But the idea of "Festivus, born on TV comedy favorite, Seinfeld, as "the holiday for the rest of us" makes us laugh out loud every time we think of it. It also serves as a gentle reminder that not all people celebrate Christmas, and among those who do, sometimes a little perspective is needed.

To celebrate, you may want to see all the important scenes from Seinfeld about Festivus (about 7 minutes worth) on Youtube video from by clicking here. Of course, if you are really interested, Wikipedia has comprehensive coverage here. Or you can just Google "Festivus", and find, oh, a couple of million results.

Holiday Blues Got You Down?

Down in the dumps? With such fun at the Christmas markets and Christmas soon coming, we are pretty jolly here at Wilmette. But don't feel bad if you've developed a case of the "Holiday Blues." It's a common phenomenon, and you can read some ways of coping with it by clicking here.

I stumbled upon the website of that old favorite Guideposts, which takes takes a spirititual approach to life through positive thinking and prayer, and I thought I would share it with you. There are a number of resources for all sorts of troubles, and you can even help others online. It's an impressive website with audio clips, inspirational stories, pdf files, and a large collection of ecards. Even if you are feeling great, you might want to add it to your favorites--by the time February rolls around you may be needing it!

Winter Solstice

Could it be any darker and more dreary outside? Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year. No surprise that Christmas is celebrated at this time; the Winter Solstice was of deep significance to the ancients in Western Europe where the days are even shorter and drearier than here in Wilmette.

Many of our Christmas customs are attributable to the ways of the ancients rather than the teachings of Christianity, and its no surprise that they are linked to fragrant plants and food, roaring fires, candles, and other ways to mask the gloom due to long dark nights and little sun. Mistletoe was particularly liked by the Druids, who were supressed in Gaul and Britain after the Roman Conquest, but who continued to dominate pre-Christian Ireland. Of course we don't know too much about the Druids because we lack any written record, but just look around you: are the trappings of Christmas something you read about in the Bible? Of course not.

The ancients also built, Newgrange, an Irish megalithic passage tomb, which has a small window in the rock where the sun enters only at the Winter Solstice. You might enjoy seeing a short National Geographic video by clicking here.

some people make a hobby speculating about the origins of Christmas tracitions which you can read out by clicking here or here. Caution, though, I not warranting their scholarship and found more than a few errors.

I Travel To the Chicago Christmas Market and Discover the Sad Truth

By Monday of this week I found myself in Christmas Market withdrawal, so I headed over to the Chicago Chriskindlmarket at Daley Plaza. I hadn't been there since Thanksgiving weekend, when it all seemed quite magical. No longer: after seeing all those Christmas markets in Germany I could only find fault. The bratwurst bun was too large, and the bratwurst was too small. It lacked in flavor. The price was too high, and I had to put on my mustard myself.

Not enough evergreens, lights, and absolutely no large bunches of mistletoe. Spoiled? I think so. I even passed on the chocholate fruit. What began as a voyage of discovery abroad ended up as voyage in self-discovery when I had to face the sad truth: I had become a Christmas market snob.

I went to the market with one of the people with whom we had travelled to Germany. She listened carefully to my complaints and sighed: "Well it just will have to do until next year."

Photo Credit: I didn't have camera, so I copied this photo from flickr. I really like it. It was taken by Baby Jenkins.

New Report Addresses Effects of US Subprime Lending

The Center for Responsible Lending reports that subprime lending will lead to 2.2 million US mortgage foreclosures in the near future. The newly released 58 page report can be found at the Center's website, which has more information on predatory lending practices.

Illinois used to effectively cap interest rates with usury laws, where charging interest above a certain percentage rate was illegal. The free marketeers, or loan sharks--I'm not sure of the truth--convinced the legislature to do away with the concept of usury this in the interest of extending credit to a larger pool of borrowers.

I've heard some bad stories about lousy loan products sold to people who should have known better, including some in Wilmette, but a slick salesmen can do real damage to an unsophisticated consumer .

Should borrowers be protected from their own enthusiasm? It's a tough call. If you have any insight, please leave a comment.

Welcome to TIME's Person of the Year

I have the distinct honor and high priviledge to welcome to this blog TIME Magazine's person of the year. That would be you, of course, the citizen of the Internet. Welcome, and enjoy your 15 minutes of fame!

You can read Time Magazine's article by clicking here.

Horrific Story on Stem Cells

Sometimes it seems that every celebrity has spoken out for stem cell research. They would have us believe that it is only stupidity and selfishness that keeps us from thoroughly investigating this new medical route. Not so fast! Those opposed to or questioning stem cell research generally do so from an ethical and/or religious perspective.

I'm not going into the details on this family-friendly blog, but the BBC has news from the Ukraine about the horrific way they may be getting some of those stem cells. It's a short little article. Please read it.

Decked Out for Christmas in Dresden

Elephants are very important in India, as they are associated with Ganesh, a representation of God to Hindus. Hindus are often quick to note their tolerence for other religions, and now I believe it. These two fine elephants, all decked out for Christmas, were seen at the entrance to an Indian restaurant when I walked to the Dresden Christmas Market. Since I thought it was all quite festive and ecumenical, I snapped a shot. Now I am left wondering. Do you think an elephant would like gingerbread as much as those sheep did?

Wilmette Weekend: December 15, 2006

If you're like me you don't have your tree up or your lights out, although I did buy a wreath today. If you think Christmas starts at Christmas rather than Thanksgiving, this weekend spend some time decorating!

If you're done decorating, go to the Christmas market in downtown Chicago. I know you will have fun!

Happy Hannnukah! Tonight it's the First Candle

Happy Hannukah! I just found out yesterday that it starts tonight.

I admit I don't understand why only Christians put out lights at this time of year--seeing that Hannukah is the Festival of Lights. Nevertheless, as a child I loved the story how God made the lamp oil last for eight nights. If you want to know more about Hanukkah, try this Icerocket blog search.

Desperate Cotton Farmers Featured by Tribune

Remember Andolan, one of the blogs I featured on Blog Day? I am pleased to report that Kim Barker, foreign correspondent at the Chicago Tribune reported on the sad plight of India's cotton farmers. As is the way of Andolan, the story was copied on the Andolan Blog the other day. While I know nothing about the politics of the situation, this is an exceedingly sad story that deserves your attention and maybe a blog post. Raising awareness is always a beginning.

Hey! Now We Have Three Wilmette Bloggers!

Guess what? We now have three Wilmette, Illinois bloggers! The latest addition to the fold is Eric Minoff, who has a blog called Cars at Large. The blog is highly specialized: it features posts on really old, expensive cars that most people could only dream of owning. It features some mighty fine pictures, too. Go take a look--and if you're working at G0ldman Sachs you might just find your Christmas present there!

Welcom Eric! If the Wilmette blogosphere continues to grow pretty soon we can be having monthly blogger meetups!

Obama: Too Soon

The word is out: Barack Obama has made his first TV commercial for President. This is disappointing: Two years in the Senate and he thinks he's ready for President? Dangerous, and a new high in unbridled political ambition. It's "to hell with the people from Illinois," who thought that he might spend some time for seasoning and learning in the Senate.

Somehow, I'm still naive enough to believe that some people run to serve, rather than self-serve.

Vultures Over South Dakota

Shame on the mainstream media! I would be happy to see a Republican majority in the Senate--it would provide some checks and balances seeing that the mood of the country is likely to elect a Democrat as President in two years. But enthusiastic chatter about replacing of North Dakota's Senator Johnson before he has even had surgery--all the vogue on last nights news--is really, really tacky. I am surprised that the MSM would stoop that low.

Would it have been that difficult to say that "it is premature to discuss his replacement?" I'm sure that the Senator has friends and family to whom this could be enormously upsetting. Senator Johnson was duly elected by the people of his state. I don't see how anything good comes of this save a bump in the ratings. They could have at least held off until tonight, I would think. Our political process has a method to deal with problems such as these, but discussing them so soon?

The picture above, by John James Audubon is a California vulture. While future leader Pelosi, from California, was nice enough not to address the issue, I think she could have provided a bit more leadership.

Update: While Sen. Johnson remains very ill, the news looks quite promising. The Republican governor who would decide a replacement in the event of a resignation has remained mum, expressing his concern for Sen. Johnson's health. Good for him! Read the story.

Dresden and Freedom of Speech

When the silver and tin deposits in the Erzegebirge Mountains in eastern Germany declined, miners turned to wood carving to support their families. While German Christmas markets now feature plenty of wooden items from China, there is still a large German cottage industry manufacturing nutcrakers and other Christmas decorations.

The giant painted wooden candle holder, pictured above, stands guard at the Christmas market in Dresden, a beautiful city with amazing architecture. I felt a little uncomfortable here, remembering from history the allied firebombing in World War II, a strategic necessity but devastating from an artistic viewpoint. The city has bounced back, however, as it also did in 1491 following a great fire, in 1760 following bombardment by Prussia, and an uprising in 1849. Plenty of money appears to be pouring into town, judging from an enormous number of building projects.

On the walk to the Christmas market, I passed an old Communist standing astride his bicycle with a a huge red flag with hammer and sickle waving beside him. He was talking to a couple extremely enthusiastically, with a fervor that only a true believer can muster.

On the walk back to the train, a young street preacher was loudly proclaiming the importance of Jesus, and some people with him were passing out nice little calendars for children with pictures of animals and Bible verses on them.

With Advil, some rest, and a pretty delicious potato pancake for lunch, walking was again becoming a fairly pleasant experience. I felt quite happy to see citizens, silenced for so many years by the Iron Curtain, enjoying their freedom of speech.

Because I saw so little of Dresden, I made a goal to one day return.

Did Gretel Suffer From Bulimia?

Sometimes travel broadens by making you rethink cherished views. When we saw this fairy-tale scene with Hansel and Gretel and the wicked witch at the Erfurt Christmas market, we began to wonder. Was Gretel bulimic? In retrospect, probably not, as that malady is uncommon in poor children. Luckily, we soon happened upon a few sheep from the zoo. They were crazy for gingerbread, and their antics in trying to get some from us took our mind off our worries.

Nativity Scenes and Failed Bloggers

Nativity scenes are a staple of German Christmas markets. The carved scene, above, is from Fulda.

While our thoughts are turning to Bethlehem this Christmas. failed blogger and political stunt man, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is having an Advent conference which includes "leaders" the likes of former Klu Klux Klan head, David Duke. The topic? The destruction of Israel. Christian charity prevents me from saying more, but do see the CNN story clicking here. I'm sorry I can't find a link to the video which I saw earlier featuring Tony Blair and Angela Merkel comdemning this conference. It was excellent.

I Miss the Opportunity to see the Interior of Naumburg Cathedral

Most Christmas markets in Germany are located right outside the town Cathedral, which makes it convenient to both sightsee and shop in just a couple of hours. In many towns it's a quick walk from the train. Not so in Naumburg, where the magnificent Naumburg Cathedral was begun in the 13th century. I lost the vote to take a taxi and then walk back, but everyone lost the opportunity to see the interior, thanks to early winter closing hours.

The walk was pretty grim, past derelict Gothic housing and ugly East German housing blocks, up a steep hill with plenty of missing cobblestones. With knees and hip still complaining from the climb up the Cologne cathedral tower, it was not such a good afternoon.

Cologne Cathedral:

Memo to self: Don't climb nearly 600 stairs on a winding stone staircase on day two of vacation. I climbed to the top of Cologne Cathedral where I snapped this shot which includes the Rhine River. The view was good, but for several days the Advil was better.

The Cologne Cathedral has a great website, including a live cam. Much of the site is in English. You can even listen to the bells. Since the "Koelner Dom" has the shrine to the Three Kings, its a perfect place to visit during Advent. There is also a very nice Christmas Market outside the Cathedral. The little red roofs that you see in the picture on the website are the stalls where you can buy little gifts and something to eat and drink.

While I was in Cologne I went to an Evensong service at the Cathedral. There is a sound to music in a Cathedral that is quite amazing.

Defending Your Candy Cane Rights

Yesterday I was glad I don't live in Seattle, home of the Christmas tree that went missing. I shudder to think this could happen here. After all, Wilmette is worried about a park named for a long dead nun, so worried that they need legal advice? Please.

In the wake of the Seattle mess, I am comforted to learn about an organization that has "an army of lawyers" ready to go to court to defend the right to do things such as, saying "Merry Christmas," or having your child give a candy cane at school.

The people are the "Alliance Defense Fund," who have an annual Christmas Project:

"ADF wants all Americans to know the Truth—that they have the freedom to celebrate Christmas publicly, joyfully, and without fear—for generations to come! We are launching our annual national Christmas Project™ to spread the message, “Merry Christmas. It’s okay to say it.” Will you join with us?"

Like most people in this area, I have plenty of non-Christian friends. I mean, I even got an email offer for a web site discount, special for Diwali. Let's face it: Christmas blends the best traditions of Europe's pagan past with the best of Christianity. That's a pretty dynamite combination. So, if you haven't decorated already, make sure you get some mistletoe and holly this weekend. Oh, and do take a few minutes to explain to the little ones why we bring all that greenery into the house to celebrate Christmas!

Scientific Facts on Santa: Fun for You and the Kids

New! Updated for 2010!

Last year Scandinavian airlines put together a clever website with cute little movies well worth seeing, with a new movie for each day before Christmas. All of them provided a number of facts about Santa. Unfortunately, these little animations are no longer available. However, there are a number of other websites which address the scientific facts about Santa. If you want to know all about how Santa takes his journey with an explanation from physics, just click here. If you want an extremely detailed explanation, provided by Larry Silverberg, a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, click here.

Of course, Santa likes to keep up with the times, so he has a blog. Just click here to see what he has been up to!

With these aids, you'll be able to explain the scientific facts surrounding Santa's jouney, and how he performs his seemingly miraculous feat of present giving, faster than you can say Donder and Blitzen!

If all this science is a bit much, just click here for Clement Moore's The Night before Christmas.

I Travel to Germany to Avoid Macy's

The mall at Christmas can be a miserable experience, but how can you catch the Christmas Spirit at the office or at home? Well, you really can't, so I took a few days off and went to see German Christmas markets. That can be a quaint and cholesterol-laden experience, but it also turned out to be a great way to avoid zero degree weather, a big snow, and a local crime wave.

All of this Christmas Market activity takes place outdoors, so it's a good way to get a little fresh air. If you have been to the Christmas Market at Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago you get the concept.

Most of the German countryside looks a lot like Wisconsin, and much of the industrial areas look a lot like Chicago, so other than the language you could feel pretty much at home. They have great high-speed trains there, and that's a major attraction. You can zoom around the countryside at top speed--try doing that on Amtrak! I figure that if we could bring in a high-speed to Wilmette we could get downtown in 10 minutes or so. I would like that.

The picture above is the Christmas Market in Erfurt, which I took from the steps of the Erfurt Cathedral. This is the first time I went to what used to be old East Germany. After all those years of Communism, there is far less interest in the religious aspect of Christmas. They place more emphasis on fairy-tale scenes rather than the manger scenes favored in old West Germany--sort of like Macy's Christmas windows this year. When I saw the Macy's Chirstmas windows downtown, I was wondering what-on-earth Mary Poppins has to do with Christmas, but I guess that's a sort of like a fairly tale. Right. Ah, travel, it's so broadening.

Do you remember when a trip to Marshall Field's downtown at Christmas was a real destination? I do, and frankly it had German Christmas Markets beat. Well, progress demands change, and I'm coping fairly well.

Where is My Blog?

Take a few days off from blogging, and suddenly my blog's gone missing. I'm hoping a brief post will bring it back to life. Here's to trying!

Update: Ho! It worked! I'm back on line! Thanks for your patience, guys! And thanks for the emails from those who wondered where I went!

Think I have taken care of the spam. Please remember that Wilmette does not promote medications or items which don't reflect family values., If you ever find a comment deleted, you can pretty well figure that it's because it is spam. I would rather remove a few comments than require readers to try to copy exactly some random letters. I can barely do that copying myself, and I doubt if I am alone.

I am always grateful for the first rate comments we get from other bloggers and they deserve better than to be lost in a sea of advertising. After all, this isn't television.

Like that picture? I am not blogging from my usual location, and it was the best I could find on this computer!

This Christmas, Just Say "No" to Macy's

I was downtown a couple of weeks ago and actually felt real physical pain and a wave of nausea to see those Macy's signs at the Marshall Field's State Street store. I was thinking, that due to the Wilmette boycott of Macy's, I wouldn't buy anything, but at least I could go over to the store formerly known as Marshall Field's and take a look around. But I couldn't bring myself to do it and continued down the street.

Proud Chicagoans! Continue your Macy's boycott! You know it is the right thing to do. Chicago shops at Marshall Field's, not Macy's. Macy's is New York. This is Chicago. Just say NO to Macy's.

The problem is not who owns the store, the problem is what the store is named. Shop elsewhere!

I heard a radio story on how sales at Macy's are suffering. Maybe sooner-or-later Macy's will get the point and restore the Marshall Field name.