FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2024
Arrival of the solstice: Tonight is a special night, NPR reports:
Saturday is the winter solstice. Make the most of the shortest day of the year
Saturday is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. It's not only the shortest day of the year, but the official arrival of astronomical winter.
"At 4:20 a.m. EST, the solstice marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere," NASA says on its website.
That means from now until the end of June, each day will get a little bit longer...
The report continues from there. But what exactly makes this the solstice? The leading authority explains:
Winter solstice
The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, and when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky.
And so on from there.
"The winter solstice is the day with the longest night of the year." Was this the night Frost had in mind in one of his most famous poems?
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
In fairness, this may not be the darkest evening, but it's said to be the longest. We've been thinking about that line a lot in these recent short, gloomy days.
Metaphorically, we've been experiencing a great deal of darkness within our flailing nation's political affairs. The madness is visible all around us. But by law, it can't be discussed.
By way of contrast:
Here comes the sun, the Beatles once claimed. Any version of that song is good for the soul, but we especially like this rendition, by George and that other Paul.
Fellow citizens, Here comes the sun! At least as a matter of theory, that starts to happen, if slowly, tomorrow.
In the alternate realm of lived events, it may be a long, unstable four years, a lengthy period driven along by the whims of a largely under-discussed collection of broken toys.
Frost's horse was between the woods and a lake. For us, it's a rock and a hard place!
Somerby says the darkness of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, serves as a powerful metaphor for the current political situation in the United States, a time that feels heavy, divisive, and uncertain. He seems to think just as the solstice represents a moment when darkness is at its peak, it also marks a turning point. The Earth, in its timeless rhythm, begins its slow but steady tilt back toward the light, offering the promise of longer days and renewed vitality.
ReplyDeleteIn the same way, the challenges of the political landscape—whether they manifest as polarization, mistrust, or a sense of stagnation, need not be permanent. The solstice teaches us that even in the deepest darkness, change is inevitable. It reminds us that collective effort, empathy, and resilience can gradually guide us toward brighter days. Like the dawn following the solstice, hope can rise when individuals and communities come together with shared purpose and vision, embracing the light of understanding, justice, and progress.
Somerby's metaphor urges us to hold on to patience and optimism, recognizing that while the path forward may be slow and challenging, it is not without direction. Just as the seasons change, so too can the tides of history, driven by the enduring human spirit and the possibility of renewal.
Somerby is an asshole.
Once again Somerby promotes and celebrates the work of white men. We all know why.
DeleteHe's a sexist pig.
DeleteI heard he flies his Nazi flag upside down.
DeleteLittle darlins’, it’s alright…except for MR.TRUMP’S WAR!!!
DeleteI was told he wears a Hitler mustache as a soul patch, so it must be true!
DeleteAgain, it was Somerby who kept worrying about “Trump’s war.”
DeleteAnonymouse 7:44pm, duh.
DeletePresident Biden brought on the Winter solstice. Once Trump is in office, there will be more sunlight. :)
DeleteYou are joking but in reality you are describing yourself, Dickhead. If the sun rose in the east, you praised trump last time.
DeleteMusk did a great thing if he was responsible for taking funding for the Global Engagement Center out of the bill..
DeleteSomerby is a testament to self hate and remarkable weakness of the mankind.
ReplyDeleteTakes one to know one.
DeleteRussian trolls have trouble with English. No one says “the mankind”.
DeleteSorry to hear about your problems with English, 9:47 PM. Maybe you shouldn't work for Mr. Soros then?
DeleteSomerby also quotes My Antonia by Wlla Cather. Unfortunately, that’s a favorite on the alt right among admirers of Nordic women.
ReplyDeleteIt may emphasize the potential consequences of failing to recognize the signs of defeat.
DeleteYou obviously haven’t read it.
DeleteI don't read women authors. It's just that Somerby has been citing literary passages that emphasize the consequences of failing to recognize the signs of defeat to draw attention to his belief the Democratic Party needs to recognize their own flaws that led to a second loss to Donald Trump and transformation into an unpopular, hollowed-out institution that prioritizes fundraising and cultural warfare over serving their grassroots bases and building mass coalitions.
DeleteIt doesn't matter.
DeleteJust look at all the bots. Clearly, the Democrat party is no more. It has ceased to be. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. It's an ex-party.
It's not looking good for them but they are not dead yet. They may want to confront their own shortcomings if they want to avoid total collapse. I find the gullibility of their rank and file surprising.
Delete(Their control and use of major propaganda systems remains strong and still effective. )
DeleteThe Democrat Party may lose on purpose. Why else would they keep running peculiar, unlikeable women?
DeleteDemocrats will have to decide whether they are a political party that is serious about winning power—or are just an employment agency for very old and rich insiders.
DeleteA propaganda system only works when its products have some resemblance to reality.
DeleteOtherwise, it's just a laughing stock. You know, like the "sharp as a tack" thing. Or "let's go Brandon".
Yes - it has faltered and is eating itself. Yet, the same propaganda system had some of the most successful propaganda efforts in world history like "Trump is Putin's puppet" or "Fine people on both sides". The do have a very large gullible, receptive audience and a very institutionally entrenched machinery with many victories under its belt.
DeleteAs the reality gets further and further away from what they proclaim their ideals are, propaganda becomes less and less productive. Eventually, what they constructed will collapse.
DeleteHopefully they won't start a Big War, trying to stay in power. But it does seem likely.
8:53 Yes, I agree. It is collapsing in front of our eyes. But I wouldn't spike the ball on the 5-yard line. We are dealing with very powerful, very focused and determined power centers.
DeleteA Neo-Nazi, a white supremacist, and one of the "fine people" on the Right who attended the "Unite the Right" march in Charlottesville, walk into a bar. The bartender says "Why is it that no one can tell you people apart?"
Delete"The public is not allowed to see where power lies, how it shapes policy, and for what ends. Rather, people are allowed to hate and fear one another."
ReplyDelete- Ted Nugent
"Wang dang sweet poontang
DeleteThat Nadine, what a teenage queen
She lookin' so clean, especially down in between"
- also Ted Nugent
Kevin Drum gives some interesting perspective. How long will it take for orange traitor to fuck things up again? What is the over/under # of months?
ReplyDeleteAdjusted for inflation, disposable personal income increased at an annual rate of 1.3% in November:
After accounting for inflation, disposable personal income is up 10% since the start of the pandemic.
https://jabberwocking.com/personal-income-rose-1-3-in-november/#comments
It’s hard not to speculate on how the failures of Biden’s presidency were shaped by his aging.
Delete"After accounting for inflation, disposable personal income is up 10% since the start of the pandemic."
DeleteHa-ha. Yes, inside you pants, Soros-bot.
Typical Republican politicians, panting over a photo of Hunter Biden's penis.
Delete