Whatever you’re doing come hold this baby

Lonnie Lacy

http://lonnielacy.com/what-we-hold/

One of the best Christmas poems you’ll read.

“Honey,” she said,  
“whatever that is you’re doin’, 
you gotta put it down 
and come hold this baby.”

“What?”

“Put it down, 
and come  
hold  
this  
baby.”

In the beginning God

"The Milky Way, our home galaxy, comprises something in the range of 200–300 billion stars. It is nestled among the other 2 trillion or so galaxies estimated to populate the observable universe, postulated to have a radius of 13.8 billion light-years.

However, the figure ascribed to the quantity of terrestrial viruses, an estimated 10 to the 31st power, eclipses even those immense numbers. That means there are potentially 5–10 million times more viruses on Earth than stars thought to exist in the observable universe." https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/1/ac-2601_article

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. . . Genesis 1.

The death of Soleimani

According to the Wall Street Journal:

"After an Iranian-backed militia staged a violent protest and attempted to overrun the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq this week, President Donald Trump described the event as the “anti-Benghazi.” He wasn’t kidding

Last night the Pentagon announced:

At the direction of the President, the U.S. military has taken decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region. General Soleimani and his Quds Force were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more. He had orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the last several months – including the attack on December 27th – culminating in the death and wounding of additional American and Iraqi personnel. General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.

This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world."

Not to worry those of you Democrats accusing Trump of being Hitler, etc., and especially that crazy movie star who apologized on behalf of 52% of Americans (Hillary's supporters?) Jake Tapper in Sept. 2011 proudly proclaimed Obama the killer of 10 terrorists, including Osama bin Ladin.

Elizabeth Warren

I shopped on panic Saturday! December 21. More money was spent by Americans that day, $34.4 billion, than any day in America's history. And Elizabeth Warren is trying to make Americans fearful, that there's a terrible gap, that life's unfair so she needs to steal money from some and give it to others! The big four leading the way were Walmart, Amazon, Costco and Target. Is that where the top 1% shop? Nope. It's where we all shop. (I shopped at Macy's and Kohl's.) Why do Democrats preach doomsday? Because they don't believe in America. Not the people, not the Constitution, not the economy, and certainly not the president.

Year end summary of Trump’s record

Jobs are plentiful. The White House says seven million jobs have been created since Donald Trump’s election. Record numbers of Americans are employed, and wages are rising as employers compete for workers. The headline unemployment rate is at its lowest in 50 years, with minorities in particular enjoying the fruits of this labor.

The stock market has continued to break records, yielding benefits for the investment and retirement accounts of more than half of all Americans. The Dow Jones average rose 22% in 2019, while the S&P was up 29% and the NASDAQ climbed 35%. When Trump was elected, the market was pretty volatile, and New York Times economist Paul Krugman predicted, “If the question is when markets will recover, a first-pass answer is never.” Boy was he ever wrong.

Consumer optimism is reflected in year-end retail sales. Gary Bauer notes, “Retail sales surged 3.4% over last year, led by record online spending. The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a critical time for the economy. According to Reuters, sales during these few weeks can account for up to 40% of all annual sales for many retailers.”

Regulations reduced. Economic growth comes when government gets out of the way, contrary to the “stimulus” philosophy of the last administration. The White House says, “Since taking office, President Trump has rolled back nearly 8 regulations for every new one, saving American taxpayers more than $50 billion in the process — with bigger savings still to come.” That includes rolling back a lot of his predecessor’s environmental controls. The Daily Caller reports that Trump “nixed nearly 100 environmental regulations during his first three years in office.”

Not only has Trump cut red tape, he’s been slow to add new regulations. According to The Washington Times, “The Trump administration issued the fewest new regulations during 2019 than in any year since the government began keeping track more than four decades ago.” All three of the lowest regulation totals belong to President Trump.

Judicial appointments. Not all of Trump’s success has been economic. An astounding 20% of the federal judiciary is now composed of Trump appointments after the Republican-controlled Senate has confirmed 187 of his nominees. For the pace of that success, Republicans at least owe a wink and nod to former Democrat Senate Leader Harry Reid, who nuked the filibuster for judges in 2013. Judges were a big reason for millions of conservative votes in 2016, and Trump has delivered.

Defeating terrorists. After Barack Obama fomented the rise of the Islamic State, Trump has spent three years fighting back. It hasn’t been free of controversy, but it’s hard to argue with success like the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.

Other gains include military funding and rebuilding, immigration policy, and — we hope — trade.

https://patriotpost.us/articles/67646  Nate Jackson

Another useless United Nations challenge

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/harming-environment-war-crime/?

Very interesting piece which ends up blaming the U.S. for damage to environment during wars because the 3 writers don't know how to do research. Just search and click on the various civil wars in Africa, like Sudan. I care more about the people who are killed and maimed. I know that forests, cities and farms were destroyed in Sudan, and rivers polluted, but the 2nd civil war killed over 2 million people. And then when the Christians and Muslims separated into north and south, the Christians began another civil war (tribal) among themselves. And there are still German bombs buried in France from WWI and WWII waiting to explode. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/seventy-years-world-war-two-thousands-tons-unexploded-bombs-germany-180957680/  Not good for the environment or people who had nothing to do with the conflicts.

The intent of the article is not to make war damage a crime (already a crime depending on the victor), but to point fingers at your country, the United States. A lot of this article is word salad--"scientists," "armed conflict" "biodiversity" a 5th Geneva Convention called 2 decades ago, yada yada. And it's not even a real article, it's built on a letter.

Is there anything sillier than UN pronouncements? "International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict" so why do the writers advocate making it a war crime to damage the environment? Oh--to make war illegal. That should do it.

"Ultimately, if harming the environment was a war crime, then most acts of modern warfare would essentially be forbidden. After all, there’s no way to drop a bomb without harming the ground it falls on."

Bug Nazis! They are on the Left

I saw this comment on a Facebook group written by “Tom.”  I giggled at the term, Bug Nazi. Also I didn’t know there were insect identification groups on Facebook, although I should.  I’ve seen them for everything else. . .quilters, photographers, dog lovers, writers, exercise nuts, foodies, . . . really just about every hobby and interest.

“I just decided to leave an insect identification group because the leftist loons running it decided it was important to post an announcement how they were no longer going to tolerate climate change deniers, as if that has anything to do with identifying insects.

My response in a separate post? (They had shut off commenting for this one)

“Goodbye Bug Nazis! Nothing screams intolerance like the bantering of attention-seeking liberals. Insects and climate change are two separate things, but congrats on combining them on this page for some inexplicable reason. Your page, your rules.

In the meantime, since you value scientific evidence so much, please feel free to provide scientific evidence that anything we’ve done to combat climate change over the decades has been effective in reducing global greenhouse gases. You can’t because there is none. Just theories. Climate change is happening but there’s no proof...none...that we can stop it. I won’t be around to see your response, but maybe you can enlighten your members as to the evidence of how combatting climate change has been so successful so far and not just an utter waste of time and money. “

The pros and cons of the National Voter Registration Act, 1993

What happened to the Democrat party that used to believe in fair elections with only eligible voters? In 1993, with a Democratic Congress and President (Clinton) the National Voter Registration Act was passed. It requires "a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters" from voter rolls. In less than 20 years they've thrown that out the window and if local or state authorities attempt to clean up they are accused of racism or some other -ism.

What Democrats do love about the NVRA is it allows registering when getting a driver's license or registering to vote automatically when you register your car and then mailing in your ballot. So the result? Big push for illegals to get drivers licenses. In 2016 about 25% of votes cast were by mail--no voter ID with mailed ballots. And that is the end goal for the Left--no voter ID requirements at all, no voter residency requirements. Those who designed the NVRA probably had this in mind for the long run.

Actually, the big prize the Left lusts after is the abolition of the Electoral College, one of the smartest elements of the Constitution to keep us "united states" instead of New York and California states of America. If they succeed either with a constitutional amendment in which 40 plus states would agree to have no say in a federal election, or by casting their votes with other Democrat control states, most American voters would be disenfranchised and we wouldn't even need any rules for registration or voting.

Adoption of illegal immigrant children? No!

A Democrat cousin (on my Dad’s side) has claimed that the Trump Administration is cruelly stealing the children of illegal immigrants and putting them up for adoption. Eventually, after I asked for details, he provided one link which originated with Associated Press, and then was massaged by another publication. I won't show you the link--there are so many inaccuracies I wouldn't want you to post it--some people only read the headlines and continue to pass the anti-Trump rumors.

The story was built around two children of illegal immigrants who were put in foster care--2014 and 2015. Guess who was president? Further details were from the 1980s. In both cases, the parents got their children back--the agencies that provide this service for the government make it clear to the foster parents they cannot adopt. In the one case in Michigan where a judge didn't wait for the parents to be found, the federal government was the agency that stepped in to return the child.

I'm not sure why a journalist would be so deceptive in developing the story, using stories from the Obama years, and mixing it with hysteria about Trump and then adding in the 1980s. It's manipulative. We can guess which political party she/he belongs to. American children are taken from their parents when they violate the law, but Democrats see this as different. This is a way to attack Trump.

But you have to read to the end to find out that the reunited family, back in their home country, still communicate with the foster family because they know they love their little girl too. Must have been some hell hole.

Hate speech and hate crimes

I for one have never liked the terms "hate speech" and "hate crime" (protected characteristics of race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability). Due to our First Amendment, hate speech laws don't fair well, but colleges are big on "speech codes" and requiring SJW special retraining camps for incoming students and faculty. The more race relations improve, the narrower academe defines the crime so it can add to its administration.

Unless a white man is a Jew or gay or transitioning to female, who is ever charged with a hate crime for attacking him? For race, it only seems to be certain races. If there are two different African immigrant groups in a Columbus high school, who charges them with hate crimes when they attack each other? Would a Columbus juvenile court judge know that one group was slaves of the other 300 years ago? I received a notice of a crime from OSU a few days ago and it made a point of not mentioning the offender's race. Something the whole culture seems obsessed with, yet can't be used to identify a criminal!

What do these laws/codes add to bad language and violent crime except a racial component to discuss on the evening news?  If black rappers can say the words, why can't a white radio host? If a black man robs or terrorizes a black family, why is that not a hate crime, if it is called a hate crime when a white or Hispanic criminal does it? Almost all crime victims (except Asians) are within same groups. Based on the 2018 Bureau of Justice survey, the offender was of the same race or ethnicity as the victim in 70% of violent incidents involving black victims, 62% of those involving white victims, 45% of those involving Hispanic victims, and 24% of those involving Asian victims. Lesbians against Lesbians. Gays against gays. No one commits a crime out of love (although some celebrity abortion advocates claim to).

Hate crime legislation took hold with the Civil Rights movement in the 60s, then a special law for violence against women but not men, then sex and peculiar identities were added. NY is considering adding more on top of what we already have just for anti-Semitism. Now all sorts of quasi legal threats are made if a religion disallows marriage of same sex because it violates the Bible and all of history, or if an employer doesn't recognize the feelings of men who believe they are women.

And yet Democrats, the Left and their print, internet and social media are allowed to call Conservatives and their president all manner of nasty names on the air ways, on TV and public debate--from racist to terrorist to Nazi. They can reinvent as "hate speech" the OK sign or even the words, Make America great. I do see hate, and it's from the Left manipulating our laws intended to protect people. But they shouldn't be the only ones protected by the First Amendment.

A good week-end with the family

Our niece and nephew, Joan and Dan, from Indianapolis drove over to spend time with Phil this week-end, and we also were the beneficiaries.  First we knew Phil was in good hands.  He and Joan are just 2 years apart, and spent many holidays together as children.  Dan and Joan are strong Christians and also people who work and play hard--I can think of no one I'd rather spend time with if I didn't feel social!

Second, we got to have dinner with them and our daughter and son-in-law, sort of a second Christmas as we still had all our decorations up and used the Christmas dinnerware. On Sunday we had someone to attend church with, and then out for brunch at Bob Evans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khkJkR-ipfw

We move forward; we don't move on 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trxw9wqKSHI

I am a survivor

Clarence Thomas and the racism of the Democrats

"At the time of his confirmation, the public was twice as likely to believe Justice Thomas over Anita Hill (55% to 27%), and 58% favored his confirmation. Today, only 30% of Americans believe that he should have been confirmed, and 38% say he should not have been."
https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/12/23/clarence-thomas-tells-his-story-in-a-new-documentary

I don't have a problem understanding what happened. The media and academe. They try to damage any black who leaves the plantation. They try to convince Americans that blacks who aren't Democrats are unfaithful to the "values" of America. What it really is, is the Democrat style of racism. And in all cultural venues, academe, entertainment, news media, tech giants that control social media--Democrats rule. You can hardly get hired if you don't toe their line.

I was still a Democrat in the 1990s, and I was shocked to hear a colleague at the university say that the only reason Bush nominated Thomas was because he was black! I thought I'd never heard such a racist comment. It took me a few years, but I eventually figured out the subtle racism of the Democrats--my party! I was a slow learner. I eventually left the party because of abortion, but then learned what was under my nose all the time.

Final day of radiation

Phil's final day of radiation was yesterday. It was a shock for me to see this photo. I'd never been to the Zangmeister Center where he had the procedure.  Seizures on October 1, 2019, were the first warning something was wrong. We had just that Saturday gone to our old neighborhood for lunch. So how could he be sick three days later? Glioblastoma stage 4. Surgery a week later, followed by radiation and chemo with 13 bottles of pills lined up and all his notes to ask his doctors and write down their instructions. His family, his many friends (I'm not sure I even know that many people), his church family and his co-workers all rallied ready to help, but mostly he just plowed ahead alone, fiercely independent and brave.

Philip Vincent Bruce--

friend, lover, name of one of the first apostles;

conqueror, popular name among first Christians and saints;

Scottish surname from Normans in France, made famous by the King, Robert the Bruce, brave and independent.

So the name is a perfect fit--we just didn't know that as we sat up late at night 51 years ago trying to pick a name.

Where’s the special laws to protect white men?

Women today get the majority of college degrees in America. It doesn’t matter what kind — associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral — women beat men in all the categories. And that article was 5 years ago. It's even more unbalanced today. For over a decade in many cities and age groups, they far out-earn their male counterparts. Yet the media and academe continue to ignore the fact that the gender gap favors women, not men, and it's growing. I retired almost 20 years ago, and during searches for higher level jobs, if male and female candidates were pretty much equal, you could bet the job would go to the woman, because of her biology, not her expertise. Men are being sent to the back of the bus, or thrown under it. But in pathology--mental illness, drug use, alcoholism, accidents, etc. men vastly outnumber women. Women outlive men. Meanwhile men are ridiculed on TV and in movies where young boys are getting their cultural cues. Males are demanding to be called females--maybe they think the jobs and awards will open up?

Where are the special studies and think tanks to help men? Where are the special laws to protect men?

And where are the special programs and laws to help white people? And that includes Europeans, Egyptians, Indians (Asia) and other fair skinned populations who have immigrated to the "new world"--the United States (70% white) Canada (90% white), Mexico (60% white) Puerto Rico (76% white) and central and Latin America? In the U.S. if a person has a Spanish (European) surname for some reason he/she gets a special ethnic category that a German or English surname doesn't.

Whites are a minority in the world population, yet the Leftist/Marxist/Communists in the U.S. ignore all our laws about hate speech and hate crime where whites are targeted. The Leftists can call whites any nasty word they want and they don't lose their jobs! Chick fil A or Salvation Army or Hallmark movies or Catholic nuns and high school students, no matter, white people are maligned, blamed for sins of long dead ancestors or others' ancestors, or ridiculed, called racist and stupid, yet no one stops them. No one sends out the social justice warrior army to go after their attackers. In fact, they enlist glamorous white celebrities to snarl at and ridicule white people who have less income than they do. What's going on? Are pale people that much stronger, moral and braver than other groups that they should put up with this?

Grandma and Santa Claus, a story (anonymous)

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all us kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, dropped the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.That store clerk was one of Santa's helpers,too!

May you always have LOVE to share,

HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...

And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

(sent to my by Robin Hall)

Punctilio, today’s new word

Usually, the M-W Word of the day is familiar to me, so I don’t spend a lot of time on it, but this one I don’t recall using or even seeing. Punctilious, yes, and according to the explanation, they come from the same Latin root, pungere.

Definition:
1. a minute detail of conduct in a ceremony or in observance of a code;
2. careful observance of forms (as in social conduct)

“We'll get straight to the point: there are a number of English words that come from Latin pungere, meaning "to prick" or "to sting." Punctilio is one of these words. It traces back to pungere by way of Italian puntiglio (meaning "small point," "point of honor," or "scruple"), Spanish puntillo (the diminutive of punto, meaning "point"), and Latin punctum (also meaning "point"). The adjective punctilious, meaning "marked by or concerned about precise accordance with the details of codes or conventions," is a close relative of punctilio. Do you have any guesses for other pungere derivatives? Punctuate, puncture, compunction, punctual, and pungent are some of the more common ones.”

Racism is on TV

There’s a black radio talker named James Harris from Arizona https://jamestharris.com/the-conservative-circus-with-james-t-harris/.  He’s subbing this week for Glen Beck.  This morning to lead into his topic on bigotry and racism he told a story about his father, who had come north from Mississippi during the second black migration to Milwaukee for a good job.  There he met other men from his state and they became friends and spent time together gardening and fishing, sharing all the bounty. A little kid saw 3 of the men arrive at their favorite fishing hole and said, Oh look three N-word.  Two of the guys wanted to thrash him, but Harris’ father stopped them, and reminded them he only knowns what he’s been taught—it’s not his fault. That was the 1960s and Harris says he’s never experienced the kind of racism his dad did—except on TV.  CNN, NBC, MSNBC.  By that I don’t think he meant they were using racist language or cheating blacks out of journalist jobs.  He meant he’s personally unaware of racism until the media promotes “systemic racism,” or “white supremacy” in their stories.  He also reminded the audience that when Trump was a Democrat he was never called a racist—in fact, black celebrities sought him out. When Trump beat the Democrat candidate, the media personalities began complaining about a “white lash” in that melt down we all remember on TV that election night when impeachment went in full gear. 

Something to remember—we don’t have a racist society but we do have racist TV news.

Teen Vogue

What sort of propaganda digital fish wrapper is Teen Vogue? Just google any topic on race or income, throw in the term "Teen Vogue" and you'll find the most ridiculous anti-American, anti-White, condescending toward blacks drivel you can imagine in woke rich white kid reading material. "Confront other white people," "Lecture your parents about. . . " "SAT is mired in racism," "Racism and patriotism go together," "Patriotic anthems are racist," and "How beauty brands profit off racism." Oh please. I'm surprised the editors aren't calling blacks darkies and colored. Who owns this racialist propaganda mill that's preparing teeny-boppers for college?

So I looked it up. The print edition died with December 2017 and Hillary Clinton was on the cover! Now there's a shocker. It's published by Conde Nast, but is now only on-line. Advance Publications owned by the Newhouse family owns Conde Nast, which used to be known for its classy publications but is now just one more media SJW.

Oh yes, it will also tell your teen how to get an abortion.

You are being manipulated about gender dysphoria and transitions

Don't believe the misinterpretation of the data. Compared with the general population, the researchers explain that gender dysphoric individuals after "treatment" have extremely high levels of mental health problems: six times the rate of visits for mood or anxiety disorders; more than three times the rate of prescriptions for depression or anxiety; and more than six times the rate of hospitalization after a suicide attempt. This is not how normal medical research is done--so what is the agenda? Yet when normal, rational people object to men on women's athletic teams or being forced to change pronouns, we're called haters and phobic.

https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/study-shows-gender-affirming-treatments-dont-help-transgender-mental-health/

https://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-crazies-in-our-culture.html

https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2019/11/58371/

Christmas greetings

"In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge lit the first National Christmas Tree. Later that night, African American community centers held an outdoor worship service on these grounds.  And during that service, the Washington Monument was illuminated with a beautiful cross, a powerful reminder of the meaning of Christmas... And at Christmas, we remember this eternal truth: Every person is a beloved child of God.  As one grateful nation, we praise the joy of family, the blessings of freedom, and the miracle of Christmas. On behalf of Melania and our entire family, Merry Christmas and God bless you all. Thank you very much. Merry Christmas, everybody.  Thank you." - President Donald Trump, 2019 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony