Blog Heap o'Links for December 2018

…"What did you guys talk about — what did he say?" I asked.

"I think it was more that he was proud," Barkley said. "Because I’ve got a daughter, too. I’m just really, really proud of her, because I think she’s a good person. And your dad was so proud of you and your brother.

"Listen: As an adult — and you’re too young to understand this now — all you want is your kids to be happy. That’s what you work for. To give your kids everything in life."

The more Charles Barkley and I talked, I realized just how close he and my dad were. Barkley knew so much about me and my life — even though this was the first time he and I had ever talked.…

…Did you know that all Intel modern CPU chips have one of hell of a backdoor built into them all?

It's called the Intel Management Engine.…

And AMD has something similar.…

…11-year-old girl in Texas… Roxli Doss… diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma… [inoperable brain tumor]… Her parents, Gena and Scott, prayed for a miracle and they got it.

Her mom said: “It’s kind of our family thing that God healed Roxli.”

The girl’s medical team are equally in a state of disbelief.…

…Sometimes we may feel desperate in difficult situations because we can find no solutions. We may feel too small to face the great problems of life. At times like these, whether we are young in faith or leaders in the church, we can put our trust in God.

David knew that the king’s armor would not give him victory. It is not by strength, intelligence, wealth, or influence that we will succeed. Victory lies only in the Lord who is with us at all times.

The nearly complete skeleton of a female hominid known as ‘ Little Foot’ discovered in a South African cave more than 20 years ago was finally freed from her stone casing, and researchers have announced that she is “3.67-million-year-old” and belonged to a species of her own.…

This is the official Trumpenfreude List of people who made the mistake of starting a feud with President Donald John Trump. Each wound up worse for the ordeal. Check back from time to time. The list continues to grow, which proves many human beings are idiots.…

Some 3,700 years ago, a meteor or comet exploded over the Middle East, wiping out human life across a swath of land called Middle Ghor, north of the Dead Sea, say archaeologists who have found evidence of the cosmic airburst.

The airburst "in an instant, devastated approximately 500 km2 [about 200 square miles] immediately north of the Dead Sea, not only wiping out 100 percent of the [cities] and towns, but also stripping agricultural soils from once-fertile fields and covering the eastern Middle Ghor with a super-heated brine of Dead Sea anhydride salts pushed over the landscape by the event's frontal shock waves…"

…“I just got out of the Marines—I’m taking a break before I get married and start college in Mew Mexico. I earned a break.”

How long were you in the Marines, kid?

“Four years, sir. I did four years.”

Kid. [he honestly laughed as he shook his head] Kid, I served all six years of World War II and I wasn’t even 18 and already stationed in Hawaii when they hit the Harbor and I reckon I never came home and took a break.

Go to my truck, grab that other belt—make sure you’ve got a pencil and measuring tape. Bring a hammer, too—you earned a break, huh?

I may never know why I complied—it wasn’t a question or an invitation—he told me to grab a tool belt and I did.…

…An elementary school principal in Nebraska was placed on leave after telling teachers to avoid decorating their classrooms with Christmas-themed ornaments so as not to offend those who don’t celebrate the holiday.… candy canes… were prohibited because Sinclair deemed them to have religious significance. “Historically, the shape is a ‘J’ for Jesus. The red is for the blood of Christ, and the white is a symbol of his resurrection,” she reportedly wrote…. “I feel uncomfortable that I have to get this specific, but for everyone’s comfort, I will…”

Saw the what I would say is the end of an era last night with my lovely bride.

Went to see Petula Clark. Petula is 86 and still has a pretty good voice. Little rough in the beginning but got stronger as she progressed. She did an almost ninety minute set.

Petula could just as easily sat there and told stories about people she'd met and worked with over the years of her life and done some singing as sort of an afterthought. She is a very engaging performer.

Anyway Miss Clark has quite the singing, stage and film resume and I believe she represents the last of a bygone era.

In fact, she closed with a song that gave me the impression she knows this is her last tour and that she went on tour to say good bye.

…Pearl Harbor Day and the weekend is here. More on that at the end but let's commence with the headlines.…

Finally, as mentioned above, today is the 77th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. My wife's late father was on board the USS Nevada and though he passed away years ago, we have recordings of him talking about that day. G-d bless the memory of 2,403 soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen and civilians killed that day. Lest we ever forget…

Meanwhile, in California, growers are switching away from fruits and vegetables and planting almond trees because the price of almonds is so high.

Bearing Nuts. According to the "Sunset National Garden Book," you must have two almond trees in order to get fruit, and the trees take a minimum of three years to produce fruit. DavisWiki says that almond trees offer their best nut production in years six to 10 but can produce nuts for up to 50 years.

You plant olive trees for your great grandkids
It takes about five years for an olive tree to produce fruit, according to Texas A&M University. The lifespan of the tree is extraordinary, with many living -- and producing fruit -- for more than 500 years.

…On this date in 1912 the famous Nefertiti Bust was discovered by a German archaeologist. It has become one of the most famous art objects of ancient Egypt. …

…Good morning kids. Thursday and let's start off with the usual maddening meshugas that the Democrat-Leftist propagandists will ignore, spin or embargo.…

…Of note, after utterly destroying the life, reputation and finances of Michael Flynn for absolutely no cause or reason, Robert Mueller has recommended he serve no jail time for being so cooperative in his own virtual beheading, all for the purposes of perpetuating a smear campaign against this President and to help cover up the actual high crimes and treason of the previous and his underlings.…

…On this date in 1933 the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. Thus enabling the sale and consumption of alcohol in the US. Prohibition was a massive failure. And note that ratification was not done via approval from the State legislatures. It is the only amendment that was ratified by direct election by the State's citizens.…

…Tuesday is here and lots of things breaking across several categories so let me mix things up a bit and not lead off with the big domestic story which of course continues to be the immigration/border crisis.…

…On this date in 1960 the musical Camelot began at the Majestic Theater on Broadway. It ran under various productions all the way to 2008.

…The start of a new week and the first full day of Hannukkah. May the spirit of the Maccabees and faith in the Lord keep you strong. And then have a latke and play some dreidel. Lots to cover so here we go…

…However, as good as your skillet can be for making all these favorites, it’s not a tool suited for all foods.

Find out what dishes you should avoid making in your cast iron.… Smelly foods… Eggs and other sticky things… Delicate fish… Acidic foods…

…On this date in 1823 in a State of the Union message, President James Monroe proclaimed American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warned European powers not to interfere in the Americas. This became known as The Monroe Doctrine.

Happy Caturday — dashing through the snow edition

Mr. Bush died of SPECIFIC MEDICAL CAUSE OF DEATH, said/according to xxx…"