About perfect for Christmas I think. A very classy twist on the carol Rise Up Shepard and Follow.
Enjoy the music, enjoy the season no matter how you choose to celebrate it but most of all enjoy the day!
Merry Christmas!?
More Posts by Jace
[This post will stay live through Christmas Day]
jace, indeed a classy twist. also good waking up music for what looks to be a very busy day.
merry christmas eve to all…. take care on those icy crowded highways today
the guardian:
FBI investigates Russian-linked Cyprus bank accused of money laundering
Request for financial information may be connected to inquiries into possible conspiracy between Trump and Kremlin
The FBI has asked officials in Cyprus for financial information about a defunct bank that was used by wealthy Russians with political connections and has been accused by the US government of money laundering, two sources have told the Guardian.
The request for information about FBME Bank comes as Cyprus has emerged as a key area of interest for Robert Mueller, the US special counsel who is investigating a possible conspiracy between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Kremlin.
[….]
Bloomberg reported last week that FBME was the subject of two US investigations: one into the bank’s credit card unit, and another into alleged laundering of money from Russia. Bloomberg said the Russia-related investigation, which is being led by the US attorney’s office in New York, was connected to a flow of illegal Russian funds into the New York real estate market.
[….]
….FBME was facilitating money laundering, terrorist financing, transnational organised crime, fraud, sanctions evasion, weapons trading and political corruption.
A 2014 internal report by the Central Bank of Cyprus about FBME that was obtained by the Guardian found that FBME had banking relationships with several Russians who were considered to be politically sensitive clients and that about half of the bank’s clients were Russian nationals, including Vladimir Smirnov, who is close to Putin, and Aleksandr Shishkin, a member of Putin’s political party.
FBME was subjected in 2016 to what is known as a “fifth special measure”, a hard-hitting US regulatory tool that was established after the 9/11 attacks to address law enforcement concerns in the banking sector. The move prohibited the bank from doing business in the US or using US dollars, and barred US banks from opening or using any bank accounts on FBME’s behalf. In effect, it shut the bank down. FBME has challenged the decision but US courts have so far upheld the move.
It is not clear why Mueller and his team of investigators appear to be interested in FBME’s financial data. But it indicates that the special counsel is continuing to examine money flows from Cyprus.
[….]
Mueller’s team has separately issued a subpoena for information from Deutsche Bank. According to a person close to the bank, the subpoena was issued in the autumn. The German bank is Trump’s biggest lender.
Deutsche also worked as a correspondent bank for FBME. Internal emails seen by the Guardian show that executives from both banks were in contact in 2014 discussing accounts that were “on the radar” of US law enforcement
Happy Holidays to all from Craig and David.
and a Merry Christmas from Trail Mix Southern Command.
Jace
Even you can outdo yourself!!! Love the gospel sound and never heard of Cantus before. It must have been quite a night last September when they performed with Sweet Honey In the Rock. Talk about concerts, I’m sorry I missed. Anyway their Christmas album is now in the collection, and thank you for the lead. A recent radio broadcast:
To Craig, David, and all who wander the trail:
May you have all the joys of the season however you may celebrate. Let your griefs be set aside and beautiful memories take their place, and may the love of friends and family surround you.
Peace & Joy
here is the traditional Anglican Christmas service being broadcast live from King’s Chapel, Cambridge. It’s a brilliant place that should be on everybody’s bucket list:
https://www.wusf.usf.edu/music/classical_music#
Thank you, Jace, for you weekly gifts of music that warm all our hearts.
Flatus
One of my nephews had the good fortune of spending his junior year at Cambridge. He joined us for Christmas dinner at our quarters at RAF Lakenheath. That would probably have been 1980.
Merry Christmas everyone
On Friday I ordered an overhaul kit for my ancient Bose noise cancelling earphones that had suffered the ravages of battery overflow because of my neglect. The kit arrived this morning and was installed in the earphones shortly before I started posting. (I did the time consuming clean-up Q-tips and rubbing alcohol yesterday.) Total cost was just under $12 including Sunday delivery. Thanks Amazon and To Bose as well; they anticipated there would be fools such as I.
Courtesy of Chris Sampson on Twitter:
Twas the night before Christmas, when through the White House Not a Kushner was resting, not even his spouse; The documents were hung by the shredder with care, In fears that Bob Mueller soon would be there
The staffers were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of subpoenas danced in their heads; And Melania in her babushka, and Trump in his cap, Flew to Mar-a-Lago for a long winter’s nap
When on the TV there remained such a matter, There was Brennan, Podesta and man named Jim Clapper. With bribes fresh in hand, they flew like the flash, The greedy corporations did suck up the cash.
The Congress rejoiced the records will show Feigned promises of riches to the peasants below, When, what to amazement FoxNews should appear, Took aim at Bob Mueller, with permission to smear,
For the rest of this creation:
It’s one of our traditions to see a movie on the Eve, if there’s one out there we think we might like. We already know that we like The Last Jedi, so we’re off to see it again. Later we’ll make our traditional holiday tuna casserole with a desert of pumpkin pie, while we kick back and binge on A Christmas Story.
May your Eve and Day be filled with all of the people and traditions that bring you love and joy!
Merry Christmas!
jace… Special thanks to you for the wonderful tunes!
We saw The Darkest Hour Friday night. I think I’ve seen all the Churchill movies and Gary Oldman definitely one of the best.
Gary Oldman is likely to win an Oscar for Darkest Hour. Chief competition: Timothee Chalamet for Call Me By Your Name.
So far favorite films seen this year: Logan, The Greatest Showman, Mudbound, and The Shape of Water.
Happy Holidays – to all religions and non-religions and for my ancestors who probably worshiped rocks.
In my old age I decided to become a little more adventurous in trying new recipes, so tonight I picked up a bottle of Finlandia vodka (might as well support my crazy Finn cousins) to try out a vodka “martini”. As much as Finlandia is the best vodka for vodka drinking, I was very disappointed in the vodka “martini”. A Martini is made with gin and some seasoned wine, usually dry vermouth. Using vodka instead of gin results in a very blah drink. My Martini recipe is time tested and usually does not need much variation. One half measure dry vermouth, two measures gin. Stir with ice until chilled, stirring longer cuts the sharpness, strain in to a cocktail glass. Serve with an olive, either on the side or in the drink. Use the same recipe except use a cocktail onion for a Gibson. Trivia question: what cocktail did Cary Grant character order in North by Northwest? A Gibson.
Looks like SFB is scared and losing it. Best guess today is that he will resign at the end of January after his “physical” results show he has several mental and brain disorders.
BB
I’m with you on the gin
and I have some reading suggestions ….Marcia Mueller and Louise Penny. Mueller has a series of books about a female SF PI. Louise Penny is also a mystery writer with a series – her main character is a village called Three Pines in Canada and the characters who live there – chief among them an executive of the Surete in Quebec now semi-retired beautifully written
I can’t decide what to have — a bloody mary and some smoked salmon, some nog and turkey or coca cola and grilled cheese sandwich
KGC – thank you for the reading suggestions. I am cooking rice and trying to decide on what goes with it. Leftover kimchi stew (kimchichigae). Or possibly a Japanese BBQ eel.
Either sounds good – why choose? Of course that attitude could explain why I agree with you about stress eating and SFB
As usual, we have way too much food.
Snowing in Tacoma and I may need to dance off the dinner:
Well, sorry to have been AWOL – traveling 3 of the past 4 days left no time for comments. Loved the Festivus wishes yesterday – December 23 coinciding with my birthday and all. Just had a delicious cioppino meal. It was terrific – beat hell out of the buccala Mrs P’s mom usually makes this time of year. Now listening to Gregg Allman’s Southern Blood album – also wonderful. His cover of Willin’ is right up there with Li’l Feat and Linda Ronstat’s covers of it. His My Only True Friend is just heartbreaking. Might not be holiday Music, but it is worth listening to at any time.
BB I must admit that I’m a vodka martini fan – but dirty, and no vermouth – just juice from the olives – and at least 3 olives. To each his own I guess.
I’m with the manager who instructed his sales people that if they did a martini lunch to please use gin. Let the customers know you are drunk not stupid.
Jamie, LOL. I have to admit having been both more often than I like to acknowledge. Never have been able to develop a taste for gin.
Ms Jamie, that was a wonderful video. You dance beautifully.
I used to love tequila martinis, heavy on the pimiento-stuffed olives. I haven’t had one in 30 years. I wonder if they still taste like they used to.
Merry Christmas to all !
Deck the halls with barrels of humbug.
Tonight I am drinking my son’s mulled wine and watching the antidote to Trump … namely decidedly buzzed and loads of musicals:
Second viewing of Greatest Showman. Come home to Scrooge and La La Land with Paint You Wagon on the horizon … It may be fantasy but it is a hell of a lot better than the crap in the White House
If Senor Solar and Mr Tony were here, I might mix up a festive batch of tequinis for all the trail hands.
4 gallons of pimiento-stuffed California Queen olives, any brand – chilled. 25 gallons of S***a Extra* – chilled. One teaspoon of N***y P***t dry vermouth* – chilled. Stirred, not shaken. Use that old spruce canoe paddle. Yup, that should do it, if we only take one 8 oz glass apiece.
*If I don’t get paid, I won’t play the product placement game.
Well – for many people today is a very holy day. For all, no matter beliefs of otherwise, love and peace.
I wonder what SFB will do today to sully and smear us and the good people of the world?
Psssst! Hey Honey, stop what you’re doing and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!
A greeting from the DC Eagles: Mr. P and First Lady
BB
The SFB is making a speech at the UN. I wonder if anyone will walk out on him?
Is saying Merry Christmas a nod to #45 and using Happy Holidays a sign of resistance? Thought about this as I heard the President’s Christmas message.
Interesting story on NPR this morning concerning the fire that devastated parts of Sonoma County not long ago: many of the underground water pipes were plastic, which melted.
Do we have the vision as a society to rebuild (including Puerto Rico) by going green & bold? Our forebears did their best; now time for us to step up. Unfortunately Big $ interests carry the most weight. But David did take down Goliath …
A request if anyone knows of real, honest to goodness Bayberry candles. So many are nothing more than green wax. Any ideas?
SJ, You migjht look at these:
https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Candle-Large-Holiday-Bayberry/dp/B000W3V8ME/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
Many thanks for the comments on the music for yesterday.
Wishing all you trail mixers a beautiful and blessed Christmas Day!
It is a white Christmas here-something of a rarity ,so I’m told. So much the better.
Enjoy, Enjoy!
Craig,
Nice to seeSouthern command looking so festive. Well done!
I don’t drink martinis… but it’s interesting reading about them. Went to a nieces Xmas Eve party last night. She had her mother and mil open a gift together. It was a Xmas ornament that said Baby arriving in July… her first.
I joined the 21st century this morning. Santa brought an iPhone. Now I just have to learn to use it!
Have a great day everyone!
jace, and to you too and all trail mixers every where
Thanks, Flatus.
jace, hope you enjoy the white Christmas ❄❄❄
We had quite the icy mix storm Friday. Much easier to drive on snow than skid on ice. ?
What was big in my store this year? High end Bourbon. Pappy Van Winkle was like gold. And yes, we do carry Elijah Craig ✔
from wiki: “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem “Christmas Bells” by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow……
Longfellow first wrote the poem on Christmas Day in 1863. “Christmas Bells” was first published in February 1865, in Our Young Folks, a juvenile magazine published by Ticknor and Fields. References to the Civil War are prevalent in some of the verses that are not commonly sung.
The following are the original words of Longfellow’s poem:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
Eggnog sales (especially Evan Williams) were boffo this year.
Sold out of Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin. Grey Goose a big hit. Patron sold well; still remembering the sample I was given of the $300 bottle extra special Patron last month. Must say artisan distillers are amazing in what they do, because I don’t care for tequila but that one was a thing of beauty. True skill.
My E&J VSOP is just fine for me. $120 a case after discounts. A small amount in a crystal snifter gets rid of the chill that sometimes befalls me. I’ll take a gin martini (beefeater) on the rocks with a whisper of vermouth and a twist of lime. The best luncheon drink for me was Scotch on the rocks. I don’t especially like that whisky so periodically I would ask the server for another ice cube. Going through a business meeting sober has its advantages.
SJ, my grandfather (whose last name was Craig) always insisted Elijah was our ancestor and a traveling preacher who invented the charred barrel mellowing process because his storage barn burned and he was too cheap to get rid of the whiskey, then discovered it actually tasted better. As much as I would like to believe that, my research found it mostly unprovable.
We are having a chilly day, 68 degrees now but back to low 80s tomorrow. Our usual modest gifts. David is enjoying the Rolling Stone founder’s new book, full of celebrity gossip and scandals. He gave me a book on the psychology of animals, one of my favorite topics. Toby is going crazy with her grab bag of chew toys.
But the big hit is the Alexa we gave to Dad (half price right now, just $25.) He is fascinated and having a wonderful time asking her to play his favorite Big Band Music.
Toby’s Christmas haul.
Yeah Toby!
I like to use Bourbon in any recipe that calls for whiskey/whisky. Not the real expensive stuff; moderately priced is OK. Also where rum is called for in any recipe I like Myer’s Dark. The brown sugar taste comes through.
Most “brew your own” vanilla extract calls for vodka. I use cognac & Madagascar vanilla beans. Really good & fragrant; only need to use half as much in recipe as the flavors are so developed. Vanilla likes cognac & vice versa. Have passed this tip on to customers & so far no negative feedback (thank goodness.)
Ha, every time I pass by the Elijah Craig I think of our noble host 😉
Merry Christmas all.
The winter crud that has been going around settled in our house a few days ago so the Christmas dinner we had planned is on hold. I did a curried lentil soup yesterday and a pot of brown beans today. Choose which you want it really doesn’t matter they all are tasteless around here.
Drink of preference, lemon and honey, hot water with the sterilizing solution of choice, right now Jim Beam.
Jack
After a nice nap this morning I decided to do the American thing and go shopping. To the closest H Mart, which forty miles away. Service Dog and I made it there in good time, even though traffic was moderate on I-97 and MD100. I find it fascinating to be the only Caucasian person in the Asian stores. In a way it is fun. People are so nice there too. The reason for shopping was it was time to make more kimchi, and the local grocery stores are not up to the quantity of Napa cabbage, dikon, Asian Chives, gochugaru and assorted other ingredients. I like to stare and dream of the seafood dishes which can be made. I have to be careful due to a small freezer compartment not to buy everything I see.
While waiting for the salt to work on the cabbage I am sitting back with a nice mid-price champagne.
Please remember all those in the military and public service in combat zones and around the world in places you do not want to go on this day.
SJ, ??.
I used to make “Kaluha”. Vodka, sugar, instant coffee and a couple vanilla beans. Let it”age” for a couple months to infuse it with the vanilla. I swear to my tongue it was as good as the real thing, at less than 1/3 the price. Put it in Grolsch bottles and gave it to friends at the holidays.
And if saying Happy holidays pisses SF off, well then HAPPY HOLIDAYS ???
a different view
Jack
I love that song. P. S. I Love You was an excellent movie.
Jack
May your diseased body return to normal rapidly
jack – Hope u & the Mrs. feel better.
Making kale & quinoa instead of the dreaded black-eyed peas & greens for the New Year.
If the magic, prairie dog doesn’t do the trick, I recommend extra vitamin D & oregano oil.
Our Christmas Turkey just out of the oven, crispy and moist.
craig, not to one-up you and your turkey, but to proudly boast of the delicious tradition on Christmas… goose again… and again until I was more stuffed than it had been