Posts by Alex Miller

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George Santos: Lying to (Get Into) Congress

One standout in the 2023 GOP Congressional Freshman class is Representative-elect George Santos (R-NY), the first openly gay non-incumbent Republican elected to the House.  In November 2022 Santos managed to flip a redrawn district in metro New York from Blue to Red, adding to the slender House GOP majority.  But he did so under what seem to be increasingly false pretenses, with virtually no part of his life history and resume holding up to public inspection.

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Trump’s Noose Tightens

Well, he’s done it again – Trump continues to break records, right and left.  He’s now the first former US President to be referred for criminal charges.  On Monday, 19 December 2022, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol gave Americans an early Christmas gift, when it voted unanimously to send four criminal referrals for Donald J. Trump to the Justice Department, based on his actions that day and in the preceding months since the 2020 election.  The House doesn’t have the power to file charges on its own behalf, but can recommend legal action to the DOJ, known to be deep into its own investigation of the insurrection planned, prompted and encouraged by the disgraced 45th President.

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Holiday Flashbacks

Holiday Rush got your knickers in a twist? Kick back with a mug of hot cocoa or mulled cider and enjoy this collection of Yule-themed articles from the AAA archives: everything you always wanted to know about (asteroids) Santa, Rudolf, Carol and Yule, but were afraid to ask!

Explore the astrological origins of the Santa Claus myth (oops! that’ll earn me some coal!), with “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Asteroid!”

And if you thought you had the skinny on Rudolph, think again, with “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Rock Chunk”.

Can’t get that Christmas Carol out of your head? “Here We Come a-Carol-ing” may help you understand why some resonate more than others.

And don’t forget A Visit From Santy Claws: my yuletide classic for feline lovers everywhere!

AAA Wishes You All the Happiest of Holiday Seasons, and a wondrous, joyous 2023!

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A Simple Yule

[Above, a slender crescent moon hangs like an ornament in a striated, pre-dawn solstice sky.]

Well, I suppose “simple” is in the eye of the beholder.  But after the exhaustion that was Halloween for me this year (three weeks to put it up, two weeks to take it down), I felt I needed a rest.  Late November to early December is always “hell month” for me, with so much de-decorating, redecorating and seasonal switch-ups going on; it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a break with a streamlined Yule.

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Eighty Years of White Christmas

The most enduring of Christmas carols just might be Bing Crosby’s 1942 version of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”, celebrating its eightieth year this holiday season.  Even in this day of flash-in-the-pan one-hit-wonders, streaming and digital downloads, Crosby’s classic retains its lofty perch as the world’s best-selling single, with global sales exceeding fifty million.  But it’s not just Crosby – add in the sales figures of the hundreds of artists who have covered the tune, and total sales of “White Christmas” double to over 100 million!  Perhaps writer/composer Irving Berlin’s post-creation assessment of the tune for his secretary was correct:  “I want you to take down a song I wrote over the weekend.  Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote.”

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Home for the Holidays: Brittney Griner’s Harrowing Russian Adventure

WNBA star Brittney Griner’s unexpected release from Russian custody on December 8th, after almost ten months in detention for a drug trafficking violation, sent waves of relief through family, friends and fandom.  Griner had been arrested February 17, 2022 on smuggling charges after customs authorities found vaporizer cartridges containing less than a gram of hash oil in her luggage.  Griner had a prescription for medical marijuana use from the state of Arizona, but all forms of the drug are illegal in Russia.

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