What Shall We Bake Today?

Food 1 Minute

Next up in the Christmas Cookie Series is Soft Molasses Cookies!

Ingredients

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together until combined. Set aside.

Beat the butter and both sugars together until creamy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and beat until combined. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be slightly sticky. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour and up to 2–3 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The cookies may not spread in the oven if the dough is that cold. Roll cookie dough into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar. Bake for 11–12 minutes or until edges appear set.

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

ENJOY!

    Unknown's avatar

    Published by pat frederick

    Published

    133 thoughts on “What Shall We Bake Today?”

    1. Morning All!
      dark and snowy outside again…sigh.
      I made these cookies for my mom and she LOVES them. I’ve made several batches for her to put in the freezer. they are soft and so flavorful!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning, Pat! Still dark here, too, but above freezing @ 39 and the wind has dropped for the moment. Supposed to be really windy for a couple of days – up to 50 MPH+ so I took my feeders down last night. No sign of Wheezer yet.

        Liked by 1 person

    4. TheseTruths

      TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

      Offline

      Wolf

      December 19, 2024 01:01

      MJTruthUltra:

      Absolute Gamechanger

      Panama wants to work with the Trump Administration to Permanently CLOSE the Darian Gap… and it will happen Quickly!

      This is huge! An estimated 500+ thousand illegals here from aliens cross the Darian Gap annually.

      Clip

      https://rumble.com/v60qgkh-panama-is-willing-to-come-to-the-table-to-close-down-the-darian-gap.html

      Full

      https://x.com/tuckercarlson/status/1869442509610623251?s=46

      https://twitter.com/MJTruthUltra/status/1869579769299517729

      4

      Reply

      Liked by 1 person

        1. leik

          December 19, 2024 12:46 am

          The bill is dead. Not because RINOs realized it was a terrible bill.

          It’s dead because they were fearful of facing primary challenges.

          These establishment swamp rats only care about one thing, self preservation.

          With your help, we will continue to expose them for who they are.

          — DOGE – Department of Government Efficiency Parody (@realdogeusa) December 18, 2024

          Liked by 1 person

    10. Hakeem Jeffries: “House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow.”

      https://x.com/RepJeffries/status/1869493488460669104

      Musk: “You seem to think the public is dumb. They are not.”

      https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1869515922186305843

      Musk: “The voice of the people was heard. This was a good day for America.”

      https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1869521075761234338

      Chad Pergram: “GOP KY Rep Barr on CR: The phone was ringing off the hook today. And you know why? Because they were reading the tweets, the X from musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, and they were telling me that they were, that they were listening to them.. this shows the influence that president, Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have in this process before they’re even in office. The American people elected Donald Trump, and the American people want us to pay attention to that election and that election results, and so we’ve got to work. This is an important lesson for the the new unified Republican majority, that we have to work.. I do think the path forward is a skinny CR where you just take the 100 pages that the Appropriations Committee produced and everything else falls out… I think that included the disaster..”

      https://x.com/ChadPergram/status/1869517151196913928

      https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/12/18/house-minority-leader-wails-about-gop-killing-continuing-resolution-elon-musk-floors-him-with-reality-n2183397

      Liked by 1 person

    11. EXCERPT: “We’ve written at length here about Bluesky, the social media platform that woke leftists and many of their pals in the media have fled to in recent months, with account creation accelerating rapid-fire in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s Election Day victory over Kamala Harris.

      The primary reason for them leaving Twitter/X is that in their view it is intolerable now due to owner Elon Musk’s support for and professional involvement with the President-Elect.

      Among the specific reasons they’ve given for fleeing to what they feel are safer spaces is that Musk is not as quick to throttle/ban supposedly offensive and threatening content (read: opinions our intellectual betters don’t like), something they say has only gotten worse since November 5th.

      One independent journalist who decided to try things out at Bluesky is Jesse Singal. In Singal’s case, he says he was looking for an alternative not because he was afraid of differing viewpoints but because he didn’t find Twitter/X fun or engaging anymore, and was not a big Elon Musk fan.

      Though he has continued to use Twitter/X, Singal, who has previously written about the harms of so-called “gender-affirming” treatments, ventured to Bluesky in early December, only to find that the platform was actually even worse than its critics made it out to be:

      As I soon found out, it is an exceptionally angry place. And in part because of a widespread culture of impunity when it comes to violent threats among some of its users, it comes across as a potentially dangerous one—in a way X, or Twitter, never did for me in my decade-plus of actively using that platform. Bluesky has either made a conscious decision to take a laissez-faire attitude toward serious threats of violence, or its moderators are incapable of guarding against them, or both.

      … I’ve become a symbol of bigotry and hatred to a group of activists and online trolls as well as advocacy orgs like GLAAD that push misinformation about the purported safety and efficacy of these treatments, and attempt to punish journalists like Abigail Shrier for covering the controversy at all.

      Bluesky appears to have attracted a particularly high number of these trolls, and even before I arrived on the platform, some of them were making sure I wouldn’t feel welcome there.

      Here are some of his receipts (via this thread):….”

      https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2024/12/18/incubator-for-death-threats-non-conforming-journalist-joins-bluesky-and-all-hell-breaks-loose-n2183392

      Liked by 1 person

    12. Guess who????

      EXCERPT: “When we talk about politics, there is what we’d like to see and then there’s what’s attainable. I’d love to have zero pollution of any kind, for example, because I love clean air and water. That’s not remotely going to happen because flatulence alone counts as pollution, apparently, and then you have the fact that some people just don’t care to follow the rules.

      That’s one of the issues with gun control. It’s not about what’s realistic or what’s feasible, but about fulfilling that part of activists’ desire to pretend what they’re pushing for is better than anything else.

      For all their many sins, most lawmakers seem to understand this.

      Democratic National Committee Vice Chairman candidate David Hogg, however, does not. He seems to believe that Congress could pass enough gun control laws so there are never any more school shootings ever.

      (VIDEO)

      Now, the number of “school shootings” cited by Dana Bash at the beginning of the clip is misleading. A lot of those “school shootings” are incidents that happened outside of school hours, often when there weren’t even students on campus at all.

      That said, Hogg’s comments are…wow.

      First, this is a guy who has based his entire career on school shootings. If I thought a law that merely inconvenienced me would actually make him go away, I’d sign on tomorrow. The problem is that there are no laws on the books that would make school shootings just vanis. Hell, there was one in Finland earlier this year. A year ago, 34 were killed in a nursery school in Thailand. Nine others were killed in a school shooting in Serbia last year. Another 22 were killed in a 2022 school shooting in Russia…..”

      https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2024/12/18/david-hogg-beclowns-himself-on-cnn-n1227189

      Liked by 1 person

    13. Guess I got my BF mini’s just in time!!!

      Just The News: “The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced that 7,000 workers at seven Amazon facilities went on strike  Thursday, less than a week before Christmas Day, alleging that the company disregarded a Dec. 15 deadline that the union had set for contract negotiations.

      The company said the strike won’t affect holiday operations  

      “Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. The Teamsters have said the union represents about 7,000 Amazon workers across the country, which represents less than 1% of the company’s workforce in the U.S.  According to CNN, the first location where workers began to strike was one in Queens, New York followed by Skokie, Illinois.

      A representative for Amazon said the Teamsters has been using illegal tactics to pressure employees to join its efforts and she rejected claims the Teamsters represent thousands of the company’s workers. The company said their operations won’t be impacted by the Teamsters’ strike.

      “For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public – claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers’. They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement.

      “The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union,” she added.

      O’Brien said Amazon executives had “every chance to show decency and respect for the people who make their obscene profits possible. Instead, they’ve pushed workers to the limit and now they’re paying the price. This strike is on them.”

      The strike comes one day after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos met with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago.”

      Liked by 1 person

      1. unions were a necessary thing way back when…but i think they have outlived their purpose.

        they have officers–paid officers–and anyone who is paid has the ability to grift off that position to the detriment of those they’re supposed to be helping.

        Liked by 1 person

    14. “Republicans Won. Mike Johnson Should Start Acting Like It”

      The Federalist, By: Brianna Lyman, December 18, 2024

      House Speaker Mike Johnson

      “On Nov. 5, Americans spoke loud and clear: They wanted an end to the bloated bureaucracy and a halt to the reckless, unchecked spending that’s drained the coffers of our republic. And what did they get? A Republican victory. Now it’s time for House Republicans to start acting like they won.

      Late Tuesday evening, congressional leaders released their 1,547-page monstrosity of a spending bill — a so-called “continuing resolution” that purports to fund the government through March of 2025. It’s business as usual in Washington despite the November mandate.

      Inside this so-called “continuing resolution” is a collection of waste, with tax dollars going toward absurd pet projects — as pointed out by my colleague Shawn Fleetwood — like money for “American music tourism,” “consumer safety standards for certain types of batteries,” a pay raise for Congress, and a one-year extension of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC).

      The GEC “funded the development of censorship tools” that silenced speech online — including that of The Federalist, as explained by The Federalist’s Margot Cleveland.

      Johnson contends that Republicans “CANNOT allow millions of Americans devastated by the historic hurricane season, or our struggling farmers, go without the help they desperately need.”

      Fair — but if that’s the case, why isn’t Johnson demanding a standalone bill for disaster relief? This is an easy layup for Johnson — make Democrats explain why they’d vote against a clean relief bill without all the pork attached. But instead of seizing the moment, Johnson is squandering it.

      As Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube posted on X, “It makes no sense to pass another liberal CR now.”

      https://x.com/RepGregSteube/status/1869033586566865044

      “Why are we working with Democrats to maintain Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer’s spending levels for three more months? We should advance a conservative bill that reflects our priorities and delivers real results for the American people.”

      The fact is, the American people voted for a federal government that puts their priorities first — a government that promised to eliminate waste. That promise is embodied in the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE will be headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. But as The Federalist’s Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway said recently on Fox News, Congress is the single greatest obstacle standing in the way of fulfilling that mandate.

      At this point, it’s clear: Speaker Johnson needs a spine. Perhaps there’s enough money in the CR for him to get one.”

      Liked by 1 person

        1. It’s all waaaay too convoluted – voting on bills that change past bills that also changed even older bills – you have to follow the entire trail back 30 years in order to really understand what is happening! FAR too complicated!

          Liked by 1 person

    16. “A statement from President Donald J. Trump and Vice President-Elect JD Vance:

      The most foolish and inept thing ever done by Congressional Republicans was allowing our country to hit the debt ceiling in 2025. It was a mistake and is now something that must be addressed.

      Meanwhile, Congress is considering a spending bill that would give sweetheart provisions for government censors and for Liz Cheney. The bill would make it easier to hide the records of the corrupt January 6 committee—which accomplished nothing for the American people and hid security failures that happened that day. This bill would also give Congress a pay increase while many Americans are struggling this Christmas.

      Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.

      Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country.

      Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief.

      THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!”

      https://x.com/jdvance/status/1869495076604227726

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I do not understand this “debt ceiling” thing but pretty much anything to do with finance baffles me…..clearly this applies to a borrowing (i.e., debt) limit but I still don’t understand….borrowing from whom? Ourselves? Future generations? This makes no sense!!! No, don’t try to explain it – it is truly beyond my comprehension. Many have tried and I just don’t get it!

        Liked by 1 person

    17. Feds quietly ban liability for vax makers through Trump’s full term as FDA exposes RSV trial harm

      The federal government is protecting the manufacturers of COVID-19 and flu vaccines from product liability for another five years, on the cusp of a new administration likely to aggressively look for vaccine injuries and release its hidden books that Just the News went to court to obtain.

      Didn’t hear about it? That’s because the Department of Health and Human Services does not appear to have told the public outside a Dec. 11 Federal Register notice, primarily read by regulated entities, and a generic page buried deep within HHS’s website.

      Outgoing agency Secretary Xavier Becerra’s amendment to the declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for “COVID-19 Medical Countermeasures,” enacted 19 months after President Joe Biden formally ended the COVID public health emergency, gives a perfunctory explanation for the liability shield’s continuing necessity.

      “I have determined there is a credible risk that COVID-19 may in the future constitute such an emergency,” says the 27-page notice written in Becerra’s voice, dated Dec. 6, much of it rehashing previous amendments and requirements for “covered persons.”

      “Congress delegated to me the authority to strike the appropriate federal-state balance with respect to Covered Countermeasures through PREP Act Declarations,” he also says.

      “The 12th Amendment generally extends the protections clarified in the 11th Amendment” from May 2023, which ended some liability provisions and was set to expire Dec. 31, “through 2029,” reads the PREP Act questions and answers page. — Just the News

      Liked by 1 person

    18. Trump Effect: Canada Bends The Knee, Puts $1.3 Billion Into Border Security After Tariff Threat

      While Canada’s government continues to implode, America’s apologetic neighbors have committed to spend $1.3 billion (US$913 million) over six years to beef up their border security, after President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports for allowing migrants and fentanyl to flow into America.

      The funds will go towards Public Safety Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Communications Security Establishment, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” according to a statement.

      While not much is known about how the funds will be spent, around $81 million will go towards various border security measures before the end of March, before that amount triples annually by 2027, according to Global News.

      The government provided no specifics of the plan today but has previously promised to expand the number of people, helicopters and drones assigned to monitor the border.

      Over 23,000 migrants were apprehended by US Border Patrol in the 12-month period ending in October, more than double the previous year. — ZeroHedge

      Liked by 1 person

    19. Ya’ gotta admit – this kind of behavior is NOT going to improve the relationship between insurance companies and consumers!!! It’s times like this when I really wish I was rich – I’d send them a check! Trump would!

      “BOUNTIFUL, Utah (KUTV) – A Utah family is battling an insurance company because it won’t pay for a child’s prosthetic arm. Nine-year-old Remy Bateman has outgrown her current prosthetic, but Select Health has twice denied her from getting an updated appendage. Born missing her hand below the elbow, Remy has used prosthetics that she has now outgrown. “It’s really small and this strap makes my arm really tired,” Remy remarked.

      But a recent trip to Colorado sparked new hope. Video from that trip shows Remy using a bionic arm, making her normally limited left side completely functional. “This is 100% needed,” Jami Bateman, Remy’s mother, said.

      After so much encouragement, Remy’s mother says they were informed by insurance that the Hero Arm would not be covered, calling the prosthetic “not medically necessary.”

      “They’ve approved three prosthetics before in her lifetime, so I can’t figure out why they refuse to deny this one,” Jami Bateman added.

      In a letter from insurance, the company doubled down on its decision to withhold coverage, despite documentation the family says proves it’s a medical necessity. “We’ve appealed it once,” Jami Bateman said. “This is the second denial letter that we have gotten.”

      Select Health would not respond, citing privacy laws, when asked why they are denying coverage if doctors say the prosthetic is medically necessary

      “We have seen what she can do being over in Colorado for three days. She wore the prosthetic for a trial. She was able to do 110% times things that she was able to do here at home,” Jami Bateman said.

      The Batemans would have to cover the costs themselves if insurance does not. “We would have to pay out-of-pocket and I believe is $24,000, and that is a lot of money,” Jami Bateman said.

      The Batemans hope their actions will also raise awareness for others who are dealing with similar situations.”

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I’m sure they would if they were aware of it. But, then, you can find stories like this in every single small-to-huge town across the country, including me to a lesser extent.

          Liked by 1 person

    20. “Bet Bob wishes he’d sold!”

      “This tank was stolen from the nearby Kearny Mesa National Guard Armory on May 17th, 1995, the army vet inside drove it around crashing into stuff for 23 minutes until he high centered it on a freeway K rail center divider in the photo on the left. He was then stuck.”

      Liked by 1 person

    22. ClivusMultrum
      December 19, 2024 9:51 am

      All of the Lawfare cases brought by the Regime against Trump are unfounded contortions of the law, but notice how they fed the most preposterous ones to big city / blue state prosecutors of color, knowingly setting them up for failure and using them as political cannon fodder.

      That’s how democrats roll.

      This is who democrats are.

      🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: HUGE Georgia Court of Appeals rules Fani Willis and her office are disqualified in criminal case against Trump & others. 1/ pic.twitter.com/8jf1ixpuDc

      — Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) December 19, 2024

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Judge-shopping as usual! I don’t understand why some judges are elected; if they’re bad, then they need to be impeached or voted out. Shouldn’t be that way, IMO. There needs to be a straight-forward mechanism to remove bad judges. Oh, wait….NOTHING is straight-forward in government!!!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Problem is, they did NOT throw out the indictment, which should happen! If they are disqualified, it should make the entire case moot, IMO!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. well i don’t eat them all…not at once…lol

          i freeze a bunch of stuff–like this cake. we’ll have a slice for dessert tonight…then I will slice and freeze the rest.

          when we want something chocolate–it’s already made and in the freezer and in portions so we don’t overdo it.

          this will last for months. then I’ll bake another one.

          i will be baking more cookies soon though. i went through almost all that i made–and i made a lot! I took some to the family get together and gave the kids each a tin of their favorite and my mom to put in her freezer and then i gave a lot to my friend who’s stove top cracked. (She always gives cookies to the vets at the flea market every year –so i did that for her this year.)

          we have a few of each left in the freezer but that’s it. When i bake more I will definitely send some to you!!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Oh, my – don’t worry about me, my dear! It just seems like you’re always baking something! TBH, reminds me of Mom – she’s always got something going, too!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. it’s my joy.

              in high school –and maybe i told this already–the Key Club had an annual dinner for the top 2 graduating students every year and their parents. (We got a nice engraved dictionary with our names on them as well–still have mine.)

              Anyway, the guy who was second in the class was going on to Wharton for finance–smart as a whip, but he never cared about language arts or English for that matter which is why I ended up first. His father asked me what my dream was and i said I would love to start a bakery one day.

              He said when you’re ready, come to me, I’ll finance it. I said you don’t even know me. He said it’s a dream I can understand–his (his son’s) dream? I don’t get.

              Liked by 1 person

                2. Bingo! I’ve thought long and hard about whether I wished my life had been different and came to the conclusion that I wouldn’t be who I am now and who knows what kind of person I’d be?

                  Liked by 1 person

    24. “At least 17 military bases adjacent to Chinese-owned farmland across the US have experienced a rash of drone sightings in recent weeks. Mysterious drones have been reported near military bases in Hawaii and by installations in Utah, California, Maine and Florida — among other facilities scattered throughout the country.

      There are at least 19 military bases that lie in close proximity to farmland bought up by Chinese-owned companies — a situation that has worried China analysts, who feared the Communist country would use the land to spy on US military operations.

      All of those facilities apart from Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota and Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis in Texas had reports of drones either attempting to fly over their bases or nearby.

      All this begs the question of why is there no quid-pro-quo here. How much farm land can Americans own in China itself? Absofuckinlutely zero. Nada. None. The Chicoms won’t allow it. So why are they allowed here?“

      Liked by 1 person

    25. EXCERPT: “The bald eagle has been a symbol of the United States for centuries, with its iconography plastered across currency, documents, flags, stamps, government buildings, military uniforms and more. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s America’s national bird. But the fine print doesn’t officially say so — at least not yet.

      On Monday, the House of Representatives passed a bill amending the U.S. Code to officially designate the bald eagle (aka Haliaeetus leucocephalus) as the country’s national bird. The Senate already passed the bill, with bipartisan support, in July. Now it just needs President Biden’s signature to become the law of the land.

      “Today, we rightfully recognize the bald eagle as our official national bird — bestowing an honor that is long overdue,” said Rep. Brad Finstad, the Minnesota Republican who introduced the House version of the bill earlier this year.

      So why did the recognition take so long, and how did it finally become a reality? Americans have one dogged eagle enthusiast to thank.

      How bald eagles became America’s unofficial bird

      The presidential seal, like the logos of many federal institutions, stars a bald eagle.
      The presidential seal, like the logos of many federal institutions, stars a bald eagle.

      Eagles have been used as a symbol of strength since ancient Rome, so it’s not surprising that they soared into American iconography too. After the U.S.’ founding in 1776, three different committees tried unsuccessfully to come up with an official seal that would satisfy Congress.

      Eventually, Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress, combined elements from all three proposals into what is now known as the Great Seal, featuring an eagle front and center, clasping an olive branch and arrows in its talons.

      The original proposal depicted a small, white eagle. Thomson recommended it be replaced with a bald eagle, a species native to North America….”

      https://www.kcsm.org/npr-news/2024-12-18/the-bald-eagle-isnt-actually-americas-national-bird-but-thats-poised-to-change

      Liked by 1 person

    28. TX AG Paxton on Fox: they stopped the auction of border wall materials! The auctioneer has promised to hold off until after Trump is inaugurated and TX will get first crack at buying it! WINNING!!!

      Liked by 1 person

    29. “On Tuesday, Nasa announced that its astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with Russia’s cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will return to Earth following the arrival of Crew-10 next year. Originally scheduled for a February launch, the space agency has pushed back the Crew-10 mission’s launch date to no earlier than late March of 2025.

      According to Nasa, the change gives Nasa and SpaceX teams “time to complete processing on a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission”. The new spacecraft is now set to arrive at Nasa’s processing facility in Florida in early January. Doesn’t say much for Boeing’s space program, does it?”

      Liked by 1 person

    33. Well, the wind has arrived – I had to pile more stuff inside the back garage door to keep it from blowing open! SIL did a piss-poor job of installing it so the latch doesn’t close properly. Still, bright sunshine and temp is at 46 – can’t complain!

      Liked by 1 person

    34. Still no word from Piper – since she has to get her Dad to bring her over, he’s probably dragging it out intentionally. I’m betting she doesn’t get here this week-end but we’ll see. Of course I thought of picking her up but if he says no, that could get me in a heap of legal trouble. I wouldn’t put that past him in the least!!!

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Especially when SHE wants to visit! I’m certainly not putting the slightest bit of pressure on her. All the contacts have been instigated by her.

          Liked by 1 person

    35. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

      @RepMTG

      Democrats are all meeting together in their conference right now all giving their input so they can stick together. Good on them. Republicans are not and we have been told nothing. Only some Republican members are going in and out of Speaker Johnson’s office. Do you see the difference? Johnson doesn’t understand the mandate. The American people fired the Democrats, so what they want is irrelevant, and Democrats really need to take that into account. Democrats need to stop blaming Elon Musk and take a hard look in the mirror and realize their pork in the bill outraged the American people. Johnson needs to stop the same failed pattern making dirty swamp deals behind closed doors and keeping everyone in the dark. Republicans need to be working together to deliver the mandate. That requires big changes in behavior. And I’m not seeing that this morning after the big smackdown from yesterday.

      Liked by 1 person

    36. sync

      December 19, 2024 1:21 pm

      Rand Paul

      🧵 1/2 ⬇️

      Yesterday the Senate voted to blow a hole in the Social Security Trust fund, expanding benefits by $200 billion without any corresponding reduction in spending thus speeding up the bankruptcy of Social Security.

      — Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 19, 2024

      Liked by 1 person

    37. Avatar

      Donald J. Trump

      @realDonaldTrump

      If Republicans try to pass a clean Continuing Resolution without all of the Democrat “bells and whistles” that will be so destructive to our Country, all it will do, after January 20th, is bring the mess of the Debt Limit into the Trump Administration, rather than allowing it to take place in the Biden Administration. Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried. Everything should be done, and fully negotiated, prior to my taking Office on January 20th, 2025.

      Like

    38. “Marostica: The City of Chess”

      “Marostica is a small town located in the province of Vicenza in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. It is known as the “City of Chess” for its elaborate, spectacular live chess game played by hundreds of people dressed in medieval costumes: ladies, knights on horseback, chess figures, dancers, jugglers, musicians and comedians.

      “The show is a reenactment of a story written in 1923 by Mirko Vucetich and Francesco Pozza, set in the year 1454. Taddeo Parisio, who was the lord of Marostica, had a beautiful daughter named Lionora. She had won the affection of two knights in Taddeo’s service who were also both family friends, Rinaldo D’Angarano and Vieri da Vallonara. Their rivalry for her love was so intense that they challenged each other to a duel.

      Lord Parisio did not want to lose either of his knights (or to cause too much drama among the families) , so he came up with a different idea: a game of chess would determine who would have his daughter’s hand in marriage. The winner of the match would marry Lionora, while the loser would still become part of the family by marrying the lord’s sister, Oldrada. 

      This was no ordinary chess game. It was turned into a major event for the town to enjoy. From the official event website:

      The match should have taken place on the square in front of the Lower Castle on a feast-day with armed living person carrying the noble ensigns of Whites and Blacks, in the presence of the Lord, his noble daughter, the Lords of Angarano and Vallonara, the noble court and the entire population.
 He also decided the challenge had be honored by a performance of armed men, foot soldiers and knights, with fireworks, dances and sounds.
So the armed men entered the field: archers and halberdiers, foot-soldiers and knights, then the Lord and his noble court with an anxious Lionora, who is secretly in love with one of the two rivals, her faithful nurse, noblemen and their ladies, the herald, the master of arms, falconers, pageboys, maidens, standard holders, musicians, farmers; the Whites and the Blacks with their kings and queens, rooks and knights, bishops and pawns. Then fireworks and music according to the Lord’s orders.
 This event is repeated today just like the first time, in a framework of sumptuous customs, multi-color banners, martial parades, exquisite elegance.

      While the story is legend, the spectacle of chess matches with living pieces has a long history in Marostica. The matches were halted due to the first World War, and after that Marostica was a relatively poor town. Many inhabitants had gone overseas (a large portion to Brazil) to find work. The wealth of the town began to grow after the second World War and by the 1950’s there was interest in bringing the live event back. They succeeded in 1954, and every two years since then the town has staged the living chess match, with plenty of pomp and circumstance.

      Marostica chess

      The game begins once the sun sets and archers in the towers of the castle shoot flaming arrows down to the edges of the chess board, bringing the chessboard to life in a burst of flames. Other than the main event, there are parades, period dances, music, and fireworks, recreating the Renaissance.

      The event takes place in the main plaza, Piazza Castello, which is named for the castle in the square that is the backdrop for the match. The plaza is also popularly known as Piazza degli Scacchi, meaning Chess Plaza.

      The legend does not give the moves of the game (and I have not been able to track down who the original winner was), so in the reenactment they play out real games from the past that have at least 16 moves are are about 20 minutes long.

      The event was canceled in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was supposed be held in an odd year for the first time in September of 2021 but was again canceled because of the pandemic. Finally, from September 9-11, 2022 the live event resumed.”

      Liked by 1 person

    39. Just The News: “House Republicans have reached a spending deal, lawmakers said Thursday. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., posted on Thursday that Republican members of Congress had reached a deal on a government spending bill.

      The House of Representatives is negotiating a budget deal to prevent a government shutdown on Friday. The original plan, a continuing resolution/omnibus bill, fell through on Wednesday as Republicans raised concerns about pork-filled spending.

      “Deal has been reached. GOP will get it done. Go team,” Luna posted on X. She later added, “The President was instrumental in brokering the deal. The art of the deal,” referring to President-elect Donald Trump. “There is an agreement,” Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., also said, according to Politico.

      The exact terms of the agreement remain unclear as of press time.”

      Liked by 1 person

    40. Elon is correct! They do keep working! Problem is, we then find out that the country’s business can continue successfully with FAR few people!!! TPTB do NOT want us to recognize that!

      Liked by 1 person

    43. Red State: “On Thursday, in the aftermath of the school shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, we learned that this case may have a California angle. A San Diego-area man, one Alexander Paffendorf, has been detained in Carlsbad as part of the service of a gun violence emergency protective order.

      A California man was detained by the FBI and ordered to have his guns temporarily seized after he allegedly communicated with the 15-year-old shooter who killed two people at her Wisconsin school, documents show.

      The gun violence emergency protective order was served to Alexander Paffendorf, 20, in Carlsbad in San Diego County on Tuesday, according to the order, which was obtained by NBC San Diego.

      The narrative of the order says the California man had communicated with Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who police say opened fire Monday at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, which she attended,

      The details of that communication have not been released. But the gun violence emergency order does have some details:

      The FBI detained him “after he was discovered plotting a mass shooting with the Madison Wisconsin shooter,” a Carlsbad police officer wrote in the gun order.

      Paffendorf “admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building,” the Carlsbad officer wrote.

      The FBI saw messages between him and Rupnow, the order says. It does not go into further detail about the communication or the alleged plans.

      While agents entered Mr. Paffendorf’s residence and reports indicate that guns were reported and searched for, it is unclear at this point what kinds of guns, if any, were found or confiscated. From the admittedly scanty information that is as yet available, it’s unclear whether Paffendorf has taken any action that might justify criminal charges; simply communicating with someone who later turned out to be a mass shooter isn’t illegal in and of itself. Paffendorf may have said he would arm himself with explosives and a gun, but it’s unclear whether he took any steps.

      There is no mention of any explosives being found in the premises where the gun violence emergency protective order was carried out.

      The FBI has declined to comment on this new case, and as of this writing, there are no indications of any charges being filed against Paffendorf. 

      It’s not clear whether there are any criminal charges in the matter. None of the agencies mentioned criminal charges, and a spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

      As part of the investigation into the Abundant Life Christian School shooting, police are looking into the social media accounts belonging to the shooter, Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow. This is presumably where the connection to Alexander Paffendorf was developed, although this is not explicitly stated in the account. As of this writing, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has reportedly completed a trace of the guns used but has not released any information.

      This is a developing story. We will bring you updates as events warrant.”

      Liked by 1 person

    44. EXCERPT: “I can’t tell if Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is trolling, or being deadly serious. One thing is for sure… his suggestion of who should be Speaker of the House is going to send the left into fits of rage. 

      Paul posted a very interesting suggestion to X on Thursday, indicating that perhaps Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk would be a fantastic replacement for Mike Johnson: 

      The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress . . .   

      Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it .  . . nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds)

      He’s not wrong. This is going to cause a massive reaction from the “uniparty.” Again, I wasn’t sure if he was joking, but Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene seems to be taking the suggestion very seriously and posted that she’d be supportive to the idea to her own X account: 

      I’d be open to supporting @elonmusk for Speaker of the House.  

      DOGE can only truly be accomplished by reigning in Congress to enact real government efficiency.  

      The establishment needs to be shattered just like it was yesterday. 

      This could be the way.

      She even followed this up with a poll asking X users to weigh in on whether they support the idea. As of this writing, the people overwhelmingly do, with 83 percent in the affirmative to 17 percent saying no. 

      https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1869798175089013239

      https://redstate.com/brandon_morse/2024/12/19/rand-paul-stirs-the-pot-with-his-suggestion-of-who-should-actually-be-speaker-of-the-house-n2183416

      Liked by 1 person

    45. “What should you do? Accept it as a sweet gesture and stop being a weirdo. Or: consider that the woman praying for her neighbors has it more figured out than the person whining to the paper.”

      https://x.com/JDVance/status/1869433087287013503

      EXCERPT: “….Amen to that! The only thing I’d add is that if the woman praying for the neighbor makes them that uncomfortable, perhaps they should cut ties with the elderly lady altogether. And if they don’t, it suggests that maybe deep down the person is appreciative of the kindness even though they’re reluctant to admit it.

      Just my .02.”

      https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2024/12/19/jd-vance-is-all-of-us-in-responding-to-weirdo-upset-over-elderly-neighbor-praying-for-them-n2183407

      Liked by 1 person

    47. Red State: “If there’s anyone who seems to have a real talent for questioning Biden nominees or Democratic witnesses on issues, it’s Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA). He has a real gift for exposing the problems or contradictions in what they are saying, generally in a funny way.

      The Senate Budget Committee held a hearing on Wednesday about the “climate-driven insurance crisis.” Sen. Kennedy grilled Dr. Benjamin Keys, Professor of Real Estate and Finance at Wharton who was a witness for the Democrats. It did not go well. Kennedy asked him about an essay he wrote for The NY Times, the title of which was “Climate Change Should Make You Rethink Home Ownership.” Kennedy asked him if he owned a home.

      https://twitter.com/SenJohnKennedy/status/1869473547543839051

      Keys said he did and confessed it was in a flood zone. “Have you sold it?” Kennedy cheekily asked. Keys said, no, “I live in my home.” I’m not sure he got what Kennedy was doing pointing out he still lived in his home. “Well, you’re telling everyone else to sell theirs,” Kennedy observed. 

      But he wasn’t done yet. Kennedy asked him if he was a climate or political extremist. Keys denied it. Kennedy asked him about a tweet in July 2024 that Kennedy said Keys made which said Democrats biggest problem was they “don’t know how to talk to low information morons.” Keys said he didn’t believe those were his words. He said he didn’t believe he had tweeted those words. He said he might have retweeted or liked someone else’s tweet. 

      That got Kennedy going. 

      “Do you often like the tweets you don’t agree with?” Kennedy asked. “Those were not my words,” Keys insisted. “You can’t make this cat walk backwards,” Kennedy finally declared. Oof, now that’s an instant classic in the Kennedy catalog of wit. People on X just loved it.

      Earlier in the week, Kennedy had skewered NCAA President Charlie Baker on the issue of trans athletes. 

      First, he got Baker to admit such athletes who compete against women in sports have an advantage after Baker said it was “debatable.” Then in a heated exchange, Kennedy asked Baker, “Why don’t you go onto Amazon and buy a spine online and take a stand?” when Baker insinuated that the NCAA didn’t have any choice in how they could respond on the issue because the courts supposedly haven’t been clear on the issue. 

      He also recently took down Hollywood types for their insults of Trump supporters in an epic Thanksgiving message and urged Trump supporters to “stay deplorable.” 

      Kennedy cuts through the palaver and gets down to the nitty gritty again in pointing out the difference between what witnesses say and what they do. He’s not shy about holding their feet to the fire and exposing hypocrisy, and it’s a great thing to see.” 

      Liked by 1 person

    48. “Tom Homan gets emotional during his new Tucker Carlson interview

      “Over half a million children trafficked into this country”

      “I’ve talked to little girls as young as 9, they were r*ped multiple times by members of the cartel. Grown men, crawled upon this little girl, took everything innocent and pure from her. Her life would never be the same. Look in her eyes, there wasn’t life in her eyes. It’s just little girl’s devastated for life, and this happens every day.”

      Every single person should listen to this clip from start to finish. Everyone needs to understand that this is really happening and it’s happening EVERY DAY.”

      https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/1869550172650295409

      Liked by 1 person

    50. T. Turtle

      December 19, 2024 3:28 pm

      The Pelosi’s got quite the windfall from Covid relief funds meant for small businesses. Hmmm maybe that’s why she pushed that $5.5 Trillion so hard. Paul Pelosi “earned over 65% on his stock trades last year”. These people need to be investigated. It is time to set an example and prosecute these criminals. Pelosi and Shumer have done more to hurt this country than any president in modern history. Jmo.

      “Records Reveal Nancy and Paul Pelosi Cashed in on Federal Covid Bailouts”

      Excerpts:

      By RealClearInvestigations:

      A RealClearInvestigations analysis found that Pelosi’s profits spiked from a variety of holdings that won significant government rescue funds – which amounted to $28 million, a total more than previously known. For their family’s stake in the Auberge du Soleil, the Pelosis received more income in 2021, when bailout funds channeled to the resort, than any other time over the last 10 years.

      Yet Pelosi’s personal stake in the unprecedented taxpayer gusher has never been fully explored. Pelosi, during her previous stint as leader of the House of Representatives, shepherded all federal COVID stimulus measures, which totaled about $5.5 trillion – one of the largest domestic spending efforts in U.S. history outside of wartime. “These Republicans seem to have an endless tolerance for other people’s sadness,” said Pelosi at a press conference in December 2020, admonishing her opposition for delays in passing additional pandemic spending programs. The programs were touted as disaster measures designed to save the economy and help needy businesses and families.

      After the initial outcry over lawmakers reaping financial awards from the bailout programs they had authorized, Congress tightened the eligibility standards. These rules included a prohibition on PPP loans extended to companies in which lawmakers or their spouses owned a “controlling interest,” which the Small Business Administration has defined as an ownership stake of at least 20%.

      The taxpayer assistance to the Pelosi-backed resorts and restaurants may have come at the expense of other struggling businesses. In total, the Auberge du Soleil and Piatti won over $14.2 million in Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, money that was shepherded through Congress by Pelosi and authorized by President Biden’s signature American Rescue Plan legislation. Most applicants were not as fortunate. Less than a third of the eateries, pubs and diners that sought funding from the program were approved, and the fund was quickly depleted after it opened.

      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/records-reveal-nancy-paul-pelosi-cashed-federal-covid/

      T. Turtle

      T. Turtle

      December 19, 2024 3:30 pm

      Reply to  T. Turtle

      BREAKING: Records reveal millionaires Nancy and Paul Pelosi cashed in on federal COVID bailouts

      BREAKING: Records reveal millionaires Nancy and Paul Pelosi cashed in on federal COVID bailoutshttps://t.co/oRsAl6JGUV

      — Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) December 19, 2024

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