The shopping is done, only a few last things to wrap; some appetizers for tomorrow made and in the fridge.  Going to make the cheesecake tonight.  Dinner will be beef tenderloin, garlic/horseradish mashed potatoes, haricots vert (the skinny French beans), and carrots with pearl onions.  Cheesecake for dessert.

We had our 3 yr old grandson until around noon - he is beside himself with excitement!  Not only is he excited about Santa, but he is getting a little brother any day now - we're hoping it won't be tonight or tomorrow - but we are armed with Plans A through about D, just in case this little one decides to arrive in the next 24 hours.

And I am off work until Monday, January 4th!  So excited to have this time off - I know it will go fast, but I don't care.  Somewhere in here will be the latest grandson's arrival - can't wait!

82 degrees at Orlando airport. Would have appreciated this more when we used to fly to Tampa for Christmas from Detroit Metro!

The newspaper's staff were none too pleased with all the subterfuge surrounding Adelson's purchase, and have since apparently become quite angry at the low-brow treatment the well-liked and respected Hengel received at Schroeder's hands.

So the Review-Journal's staff pushed back hard on Schroeder, publishing a little exposé which strongly suggests that the new boss is perhaps guilty of the most serious ethical breach a journalist can commit -- plagiarism.

The disclosure is now resonating in Schroeder's home state of Connecticut, where the story with the phony byline -- a scurrilous hit piece on Clark County, NV Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez, who had incurred Sheldon Adelson's wrath by upbraiding him publicly in court and fining him $250,000 for withholding documents in a lawsuit -- was first and inexplicably published 2,500 miles east of Ls Vegas in the tiny New Britain Herald.

From what I can surmise, it looks as though Review-Journal editor Hengel had probably refused to publish the story on Judge Gonzalez, hence his summary removal, whereupon Schroeder had it published in his other smaller paper back east wth a phony byline. And now, the spotlight's uncomfortably shining on him.

Three cheers to the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who've likely jeopardized their own employment by taking a principled stand against a couple of deep-pocketed scumbags like Adelson and Schroeder. If you've gotta go down, do so while swinging.

Some highlights:

"In the year's biggest literary story, representatives of 88-year-old Harper Lee, denying allegations that they're seeking to cash in on the beloved author's literary fame, announce plans to publish what they claim is her recently discovered second book, Fifty Shades of a Mockingbird."

"In sports, the New England Patriots defeat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win a Super Bowl marked by surprises, including one play in which the Patriots -- undetected by game officials -- had a grenade launcher on the field, an infraction that Coach Belichick later blames on "wind shear.""

He was both a religious and political thinker and he had some disagreements with the parliament of his day.  As a result of the disagreements with parliament, and because the parliament of his day had a censored and licensing program in place, Milton wrote a little pamphlet we know as the Areopagitica.

The Areopagitica was not well received or acclaimed at the time . . . although the cause for which Milton argued gradually won the day about 50 years later after the Glorious Revolution of William III.

Since then, and because the US have the 1st amendment, the SCOTUS has quoted or cited the Areopagitica several times in its decisions.

So some lawyers may know it.

Here is one of the interesting clips from the Areopagitica:

Truth will win out

And now the time in special is, by privilege to write and speak what may help to the further discussing of matters in agitation. The temple of Janus with his two controversal faces might now unsignificantly be set open. And though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licensing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter? Her confuting is the best and surest suppressing.

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Brought up Trump with my GOP brother - he is suitably appalled and thinks Cruz will eventually be the nominee once real voting starts. He likes Fiorina. I had to change the subject before the harmony was disturbed too much.

LOSERS

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R)

It has been a miserable year for the former Florida governor, who was considered the GOP frontrunner when he launched his campaign in June.

Trump has tormented him relentlessly, labeling him a "low energy" candidate and a loser. Now Bush sits at single digits in the polls, with a comeback victory in New Hampshire perhaps his only hope.

While Bush has blamed Trump for his woes, recently calling him a "jerk," the problems in his campaign run far deeper.

Bush and his allies have spent around $26 million on TV campaign ads, to little discernible effect. The candidate lies a distant fifth in the RealClearPolitics national polling averages and is sixth in New Hampshire, a state he has guaranteed he will win.
 Link

1) Trump's outrageous claim that `thousands' of New Jersey Muslims celebrated the 9/11 attacks (Four Pinocchios)

2) Rand Paul's claim -- twice in one day -- that he has a biology degree
(We thought this was worthy of Three Pinocchios, but many readers thought we were being unfair.)

3. Hillary Clinton's claim that she tried to join the Marines (Two Pinocchios)

4. Marco Rubio's claim that no recent mass shootings would have been prevented by gun laws
   

(Geppetto Checkmark)

5. Carly Fiorina's `secretary to CEO' career trajectory. (Three Pinocchios)

6. `Hands up, don't shoot' did not happen in Ferguson (Four Pinocchios)

7.  Obama's claim that Keystone XL oil `bypasses the U.S.' earns Four Pinocchios

8. Here's why Marco Rubio's corporate card saga isn't really a scandal. (This did not rise to the level of a Geppetto Checkmark, but it was accurate enough that it did not warrant even a single Pinocchio.)

9. Donald Trump's false comments connecting Mexican immigrants and crime (4 Pinocchios)

10. For Planned Parenthood abortion stats, `3 percent' and '94 percent' are both misleading
    

(both received Three Pinocchios)