Daily Commentary – Friday, December 4, 2015 – It’s December and Christmas is Right Around the Corner!

• It’s interesting to see the young kids, as young as 2nd grade talking and texting on their expensive cell phones. Back in my day I’d be happy to get Hot Wheels or a GI Joe action figure for Christmas!

Daily Commentary – Friday, December 4, 2015 Download

Away in a Manger … Newborn Baby Discovered in New York Church’s Baby Jesus Nativity Scene

AWAY IN A MANGER, NO CRIB FOR A BED … CHRISTMAS SEASON MIRACLE … NEW BORN BABY FOUND IN NATIVITY SCENE …

A new born baby was discovered at the Holy Child of Jesus Church in New York in the Nativity scene in the manger. The baby still had the umbilical cord attached and was thought to be only a few hours old. The child was rushed to Jamaica Hospital for treatment, but was said to be healthy and in stable condition. The unknown mother obviously did not follow New York’s “safe haven” law when she abandoned the baby in the manger, but on the bright side, she did not abort it and now one of God’s children has a chance to be adopted and live the rest of its life.

New York has a so-called safe haven law that says a newborn can be dropped off anonymously at a church, hospital, police or fire station without fear of prosecution. But the law, known as the Abandoned Infant Protection Act, requires that the child be left with someone or for authorities to be called immediately.

Police said that didn’t happen in this case, which led investigators to begin searching for the person who dropped the child at the church.

Portland Press Herald:

The custodian on duty at the Holy Child of Jesus Church in New York this week beheld a scene straight out of Scripture. Hearing the sound of a baby’s cry, he found a newborn wrapped in towels lying inside, of all places, the wooden manger of the church’s nativity scene.

The infant, who weighed about 5 pounds, still had his umbilical cord attached. As emergency crews arrived to take him to the Jamaica Hospital in Queens, his eyes remained closed, his slight arms outstretched towards the sky.

“For unto us a child is born,” Rev. Christopher Ryan Heanue announced on the parish’s Facebook page. “Let us pray for this child, for his parents and for whomever will receive him into their home.”

The identity of the baby’s mother is still unknown, though police told the New York Times that a video shows a woman arriving with the baby and departing without him. She likely entered the church between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, the period in which the custodian left the empty chapel for lunch.

Doctors said the baby had been born just four to five hours before he was found, and police told the Associated Press that he is in good health.

UPDATE I: Mother Who Left Baby in NYC Nativity Manger Won’t Be Charged.

A mother who left her newborn baby in a Christmas manger inside a New York City church will not be prosecuted, authorities said Wednesday.

“After a full review of all the facts and circumstances surrounding the discovery of a newborn infant this past Monday in a creche inside of Holy Child Jesus Church in the Richmond Hill section of Queens County – including locating and interviewing the mother – my office has determined that no criminal prosecution of the child’s mother is warranted,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Starbucks Red Holiday Cup Brews Up a War on Christmas Controversy

WHAT A SHOCK … A LIB BUSINESS LIKE STARBUCKS MINIMIZING CHRISTMAS.

Starbucks Holiday cups have some folks seeing RED. It would appear that Starbucks has decided to take the Christmas out of their holiday cups this year. Instead of a secular Christmas theme on their cups like ornaments or snowflakes, they have decided to go with just red. Maybe they are looking to save money as they can use the same cups for Valentine’s Day. Enough of the excuses from Starbucks about how they are inclusive and serve customers from all walks of live and religions because that never stopped them in the past to having some sort of Christmas holiday decoration on their cups. Was it just this year that they decided to only serve those folks?

The Evolution of the Starbucks cup … Is anyone else noticing a change?

2015

2013

2012

2010

The sight of red cups being handed out at Starbucks usually signifies the “most wonderful time of the year” is underway, but this year’s holiday season at Starbucks is already being marred by a red cup controversy.

While red cups of Starbucks past have featured holiday symbols like reindeer and ornaments, this year’s cup is plain.

When the cup was unveiled earlier this month, the coffee chain described it as having a, “two-toned ombré design, with a bright poppy color on top that shades into a darker cranberry below.”

“Starbucks has become a place of sanctuary during the holidays,” Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of design and content, said in a news release announcing the cup. “We’re embracing the simplicity and the quietness of it. It’s a more open way to usher in the holiday.”

Ever since the 2015 cup was released in U.S. and Canada stores Nov. 1, Starbucks customers have taken to the Internet to say they do not like the cup’s “purity of design,” as Fields called it.

So if you have a problem with this you can do two things. One, do as former pastor Joshua Feuerstein did when he ordered his coffee and told the baristas that his name was “Merry Christmas” and thus making Starbucks write Merry Christmas on their cup. Or you could just not go to Starbucks and save yourself $5 for a coffee.

Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, NY Ditches Santa’s Workshop for a Glacier

WHERE IS BUDDY FROM ELF WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

The war on Christmas has started early this year, just as early as stores rid themselves of Halloween displays. The Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, NY has ditched its traditional holiday village and put Ol’ Saint Nick inside a winter-themed “glacier” instead. And why did they do this? To avoid offending people, of course. Do these morons realize they are offending people by sanitizing Christmas? The mall charges anywhere from $24.99 to $59.99 for pictures with Santa who is sitting in front of an all-white background. Wait, isn’t that racist? Why is it black or inclusive of all colors? (sarcasm intended) There is no Christmas tree, no presents, no elves, no nothing!!! So now the secular commercialization of Christmas with Santa Claus is offensive. When will the absurdity end? Frankly, people should just do their Christmas shopping elsewhere is this mall is so offended by Christmas. Why is Santa even dressed in a red coat and hat? Just have the children take a picture next to some dude names Stan wearing khaki’s and a sweater.

Honestly, people need to boycott and not shop at places like this to show them the stupidity of their ways. In is simply ridiculous that less than 1% of people complaining that something is offensive would ruin in for so many children.

I guess people find the movie Elf offensive too

A Long Island mall swapped Santa’s sleigh for something resembling a spaceship and nixed the Christmas tree because it didn’t want to “offend” anyone, irate shoppers told The Post.

The Roosevelt Field Mall ditched its traditional holiday village and put Ol’ Saint Nick inside a winter-themed “glacier” instead. But some say the white and blue display looks more like something out of “Star Trek” than “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

“Santa comes along with a decorated tree; he doesn’t come with a spaceship,” Maria Lovdahl fumed.

The Williston Park mother of two was shopping Thursday night when she spotted the apparently futuristic Santa photo kiosk.

“Me and my husband looked at each other and said, ‘What is that?’?” Lovdahl recalled. “They said it was because people were offended by the traditional Christmas display, that they had gotten comments in prior years.”

After a lifetime of shopping at Roosevelt Field and bringing her kids there, Lovdahl said, “I won’t be shopping there this year.”

Betty Borrero, 32, heard so much about the new display she came to see it for herself.

“I bring my child, I want to see the big tree in the background. This is blank,” she said, noting she’ll take her kid to Macy’s for this year’s holiday pictures.

In an update from Legal Insurrection, it appears that the Mall has somewhat relented on their stupid premise and they have put back the Christmas trees. Although, I can pretty much guarantee they call them festival trees.

84 Year Old Bill Hogencamp of Phenix, AL Credits Stray Dog ‘Mahjong’ with Curing Him of Incurable Cancer at Christmas

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE … MAN’S BEST FRIEND CREDITED WITH CURING CANCER,

84 year old  Bill Hogencamp of Phenix, Alabama was diagnosed with incurable cancer of the gall bladder, liver, colon and the lining of his abdomen last May. His doctors told him that he would never see Christmas, December 25,  2014. Mr. Hogencamp had accepted his fate as be believed he had led a full life. However, Bill Hogencamp and his wife, Kathy, made the decision to still try and fight the cancer as well. In October he had surgery to remove three large tumors. Following the surgery is when the miracle began. After the surgery, his wife went to pick up her husband from a rehabilitation center, she noticed a dog dangerously wandering down the road. the dog walked past several cars, before it came up to hers and put his paws up on her door. She opened up the door and took in the stray pup. Initially they were not going to keep the dog; however, after not being able to locate its owner, they became attached to the little  Maltese. They named him Mahjong. The dog fell in love with Bill Hogencamp and rarely left his side. The two became inseparable.  Hogencamp underwent chemotherapy. Just before the holiday he received some miraculous news,  Tests showed that Hogencamp was now cancer free.

Pic – ABC News via Mark Hogencamp

“I hadn’t had a dog in twenty years and I had no desire to have a dog,” he said. “I kept saying we need to find his owner.”

Despite an extensive search and nearly a dozen false leads, the Hogencamp’s were never able to track down the dog’s owner. They learned from a vet they visited during their search that he was a Maltese, probably around 6 years old, fixed but not chipped.

Besides, the dog very quickly won Hogencamp over. They soon became inseparable.

Whenever Hogencamp sat down, the dog — who they named Mahjong after Kathy’s favorite card game — would jump in his lap. Whenever Hogencamp napped, Mahjong would curl up next to him. When Hogencamp returned home after being out, Mahjong would hop onto his hind legs and dance with joy.

As he and his wife settled into life with a dog, Hogencamp underwent chemotherapy. Just before the holiday he received some miraculous news: Tests showed that he was now cancer free.

MIRACLE OR HAPPENSTANCE, YOU MAKE THE CALL, BUT DON’T FORGET THAT DOG IS GOD SPELLED BACKWARDS.

Hogencamp’s doctors were at a loss for words to explain his miraculous medical turn of events of now being cancer free. However, the Hogencamp’s believe that little Mahjong has played a huge part in Bill  Hogencamp’s remarkable and miraculous recovery.

The doctors are at a loss to explain this amazing turn of events, Hogencamp’s wife said. But she said the family believes that Mahjong has played a huge part in her husband’s recovery.

“The dog seemed to know right away that Bill was sick and it was his job to take care of him — and Bill knew it was his job to take care of the dog,” she said.

Hogencamp agreed. He said their relationship gave both him and the dog a sense of purpose. Although he knows he owes much of his cure to great medical care and a lot of luck, he said that he is convinced the little white dog was sent to him to help him get better.