Christmas Eve Overnight Open Thread (12/24/19)

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 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

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:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

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.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

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.

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.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

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.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

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.

You can find out where Santa is tonight. Santa Claus tracker.

Or 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723)

How your Christmas tree got to you.

Flying under the radar, The Flying Santas.

After 90 Years, the ‘Flying Santa’ Is Still Dropping Gifts From a Plane
In New England, a long-standing tradition continues with pilots delivering gifts to lighthouses and lifesaving stations

Seamond Ponsart Roberts first learned about Flying Santa when she was 5 years old. In October 1945, her mother, Emma, told her the jolly old fellow would deliver a doll to her by airplane. For the next three months, every time an aircraft flew over the lighthouse they called home, the excited little girl would ask, “Is that him? Is that my Flying Santa?”

Her special delivery did arrive in December in the form of a package dropped from a plane by Edward Rowe Snow of Massachusetts, a veteran recently returned from World War II who would go on to author numerous books and articles about seafaring history and traditions. His classic Storms and Shipwrecks of New England was first published in 1943 and republished several times since then. Through his writing and weekly radio show, he cemented the legacy of Flying Santa, a 90-year-old holiday tradition that continues today.

Very cool.

Today's politicians could learn a lesson from the Christmas of 1914.

During World War I, in the winter of 1914, on the battlefields of Flanders, one of the most unusual events in all of human history took place. The Germans had been in a fierce battle with the British and French. Both sides were dug in, safe in muddy, man-made trenches six to eight feet deep that seemed to stretch forever.

All of a sudden, German troops began to put small Christmas trees, lit with candles, outside of their trenches. Then, they began to sing songs. Across the way, in the “no man’s land” between them, came songs from the British and French troops. Incredibly, many of the Germans, who had worked in England before the war, were able to speak good enough English to propose a “Christmas” truce.

The British and French troops, all along the miles of trenches, accepted. In a few places, allied troops fired at the Germans as they climbed out of their trenches. But the Germans were persistent and Christmas would be celebrated even under the threat of impending death.

The true meaning of Christmas. Imagine ABC producing anything like this in 2019?

We poke fun at McDonald's on occassion. This is one time your humble Cob won't.

COLUMBIA, Tennessee, December 5, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — A McDonald’s restaurant in Tennessee offers pleasantly surprised customers and passersby a larger-than-life nativity scene painted across a large bank of floor-to-ceiling windows.

In addition to depictions of the Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on the mural, large lettering declares, “His Name is Jesus” and “Believe.”

And that my dear Virginia is why you give gift cards.

I assumed this tip was old news, but I’ve seen a ton of tweets going around that make me feel like a number of holiday gift-givers still don’t know the big secret for giving video games and video game consoles. So, here we are again, fresh with a warm cup of holiday advice that might require you rewrap a present or two. Trust me, it’s worth it.

If you’re giving someone a gaming console, or even a video game—typically something on a disc or a tiny SD card that you insert into said console—you need to take some time today to unwrap it, fire it up, and install any and all updates it requests.

Assault by beating, sure it makes sense. Genius Award Winner.

A woman has admitted trying to open an aeroplane door mid-flight prompting two fighter jets to be scrambled.

Chloe Haines, 26, of High Wycombe, also scratched a crew member who tried to stop her opening the door on the Jet2 flight to Dalaman, Turkey, on 22 June.

Two RAF fighter jets rushed to escort the plane back to Stansted Airport, causing a sonic boom across Essex.

Haines, who admitted two charges, is due to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on 24 January.

She pleaded guilty on Monday to endangering the safety of a passenger plane and assault by beating.

'Troubled young person'
Haines' barrister Oliver Saxby told Chelmsford Crown Court there was "no question" Haines was drunk at the time.

Mr Saxby told the court: "On any analysis, she's a troubled young person with a number of serious issues.

Not all law enforcement or other safety officials are bad. Tonight's Feel Good Story of The Day.

First responders go out of their way every holiday season for some of our most vulnerable

The children of Shriners Hospital in Sacramento, California, were surprised at a light show provided to them by the police and firefighters of Sacramento this past Tuesday night.

I never knew this until now — but every December, one night a week, police officers and firefighters get together and provide these children with a time to smile and enjoy the many lights created by their cars and trucks.

Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by Christmas Decorations.

Notice: Posted with permission by the Ace Media Empire and AceCorp, LLC. Contrary to popular belief, the Misanthropic Humanitarian family sincerely wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas.

posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 10:00 PM

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