Happy New Year!

[Front-Ranger]

So many holidays coming up for Brokies to celebrate! There's Yule next week (including the Brokie Longerdays celebration) and Christmas the week after. Hanukkah came early this year. Then, the solar New Year the week after that, when we'll sing the Robbie Burns song again (see below). Lastly the Lunar New Year begins with the first New Moon on February 10. It will be the Year of the Dragon!

Happy New Year, Brokies!  I'm reposting my favorite version of Auld Lang Syne, by Daniel Cartier.  Filmed on Cape Cod!

[serious crayons]

At a building party last night, I told a neighbor about Longerdays. She proposed having a party on Friday, starting on the roof so we could see the sky -- fairly briefly, probably, because I think the fire pit is turned off for the season, although my phone says it will be in the 40s (thanks, global warming!). Then we'll go inside and have snacks and drinks. Excited to spread the tradition! Unsurprising that there are so many holidays this time of year associated with, or celebrated, with light.

[Jeff Wrangler]

What? No Saturnalia?

[serious crayons]

It's on a Monday this year. 

Christmas and, to a certain extent Easter and Halloween, are the only ancient holidays I observe. And ancient Roman culture is of less importance to me than the length and strength of sunlight. I like Longerdays because Chrissi and I made it up (or so I like to believe). Her latitude is even higher than mine. This winter has been easy so far -- most highs in the 40s, only a few dustings of snow -- but sadly there's no variability in daylight.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Yeah, but Saturnalia involves lots of sex. ...

I hope we at least get some weather cold enough for me to wear my biker jacket. I tried it once last winter and then realized how much I had missed it. 

But it's a heavy jacket, and the lining isn't removable, so these days for me it requires a certain amount of briskness in the weather.

[Front-Ranger]

Happy New Year, Brokies!  I'm reposting my favorite version of Auld Lang Syne, by Daniel Cartier.  Filmed on Cape Cod!

Here it is once again...Auld Lang Syne by Daniel Cartier. Paul's favorite version!

[serious crayons]

It's discordant seeing all the Happy New Year wishes -- on Facebook, via texts from family and friends, etc. -- containing upbeat, optimistic messages about the coming year.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but I can't see how 2024 could be anything but a terrible year. Either Trump will go to prison or not, and he'll get elected or not, and any of those eventualities comes with potentially horrifying consequences. The country will be best off if he doesn't get elected and does go to prison. But his base will go nuts. And although they wouldn't prevail against the U.S. military, they can do a lot of damage along the way.

And of course if he does get elected he'll be commander in chief of the military. The potential consequences are too dire to contemplate. Don't get me wrong -- I would never want any of the other Republican candidates to win, either (though I'd take Mitt Romney in a second). But they're bad in just the usual Republican way of opposing Obamacare or whatever, not the "guy who worships brutal dictators" way. I mean, it's not entirely far-fetched to imagine a dictator president using AI to find people who have criticized him online.

The 1860s could end up looking like halcyon days when at least the two sides were geographically separated. I know that sounds like kind of crazy talk, but that's how weird this time is.

So have a cautiously happy new year, everyone!

[Jeff Wrangler]

I agree with you about this new year of 2024.

And if Trump gets elected again, I have a feeling the country will have him for eight years, not just for four--and he'll probably make every effort to hang on past then.

[serious crayons]

I agree with you about this new year of 2024.

And if Trump gets elected again, I have a feeling the country will have him for eight years, not just for four--and he'll probably make every effort to hang on past then.

He may last longer, or he may fix it so even if he doesn't hold office, someone very much like him will hold office. Or maybe not -- all Trump cares about is Trump. But his associates probably have higher ambitions.

Now I see apparently the Supreme Court is going to take up the question of whether Trump can be on the ballot. Well, that's certainly a body of upstanding trustworthy people so I'm sure everything will be fine.

I actually read a rather convincing essay on Slate arguing that the 14th Amendment explicitly excludes the president. Can't remember the reason, but I came away at least partly swayed, and it wasn't by a Trump supporter.