WHAT ABOUT THEM?

photo by Kristin

   Children are at the center of this season, the holy infant at its nexus and millions of dear ones in families. But there are places where the festive lights are dim or gone.

Photo by Meredith Kohut for the New York Times

      Children in Venezuela are dying because they can not get infant formula or food. In the scene above a mother mourns her three month old, who died for lack of food in a modern nation.

       Many of us will spend these days feasting, celebrating, enjoying home and family. Not everyone is so fortunate. I hope you will take a couple of minutes during the holidays to watch these very short videos. They will move and they will inspire you.

       This first short is heart warming. I call it Newborns in a Basket

       There is a beauty in the faces of children, a true gift this season. Listen to Liam Neesom as you watch. 

        Storms and fire have devastated the lives of US children this year. War and displacement is at historic levels and the greatest victims are the children. The baby who's birth Christians celebrate would later as a rabbi say one of the greatest offenses possible is to harm a child. Ignoring children in need does great harm.  The singer Pink takes up their case-What about Us?

       Children are indeed the center of this time, but that rabbi also reminded us about the downtrodden and heavy burdened.

Photo by Jae C. Hong, AP

          Share your joy. Even a word or a smile can be a gift.

          What about them? What about them all? Charles Dickens said it well when he had Tiny Tim close the Christmas Carol, "God bless us, everyone!"

          See you down the trail.

THE LETHAL ANCHORMAN

ABSURDITY REIGNS 

     OK, District of Columbia police are stating the law, maybe even doing their job well, but, hey!!!

      NBC News and Meet the Press anchor David Gregory being in a hot spot because he held an automatic weapon ammo clip on the air while Americans own and use such things is a snapshot of how absurdly silly this complex nation is becoming.

      School children die when a "legal" weapon is used against them, but hold a clip in a studio and be the object of an investigation?!  Should we laugh, or cry?

SCROOGE

      Frank Raiter played the best Scrooge I have seen.

      I struggled to remember his name last week, as I noted the great performance in Tom Haas's adaptation of the Christmas Carol at the IRT a couple of decades ago. 

      My thanks to those of you who suggested other names, and while I know some of them and they were indeed very worthy, Raiter played old Ebenezer better than any I've seen, on stage, film or television.

      Frank's name popped into mind over the weekend as I devoured any thing Christmas Carol on the air, DVR or On Demand. One more Christmas ghost, jarred loose.  I don't think Raiter's performance was captured on film or tape so like many other good stage performances, it lives on in memory only.

WHEN THE TIDE IS OUT

  See you down the trail.