Ironically, the very song that triggered my blue Christmas reflexes as described in last night’s post (I heard it on Sirius-XM’s Christmas Traditions channel, where 99.6% of the artists featured are dead and most of them are dearly missed) became relevant this morning, as we Northern Virginians woke up to a snow-covered landscape and big, fluffy flakes falling. (Climate change, you know!) The song was written in 1949 by Carl Sigman (lyrics) and Peter DeRose (music), and Bing Crosby—of course!—introduced it. Bing’s recording was a hit, but over time it is Dino’s version that has become iconic, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s a frivolous song about enjoying snow, and Martin’s inimitable slurry, cheery rendition is perfect for the mood. Another Christmas song in the canon is all Dean’s: he aced “Let it Snow!” as well.
So many of the modern seasonal songs have truly terrible lyrics (and some traditional carols too), but “Marshmallow World” has a lyric for the bridge I regard as excellent, and also ethically inspiring:
Oh, the world is your snowball, see how it grows
That’s how it goes whenever it snows
The world is your snowball just for a song
Get up and roll it along!
Today let the open forum be your snowball, and see how it grows…
Ethics Alarms 
Phil Mickelson points out how other countries deal with illegal immigration.
https://www.threads.com/@bryan_behar/post/DR3_sbTkV_q
Apparently, the “No One is Illegal on Stolen Land” defense does not work in other places either.
Caning. Good old Singapore. A leftover from the British Empire! We need to be more like those enlightened Brits, right Lefty?
Just a holiday thought, Jack; IMO, there exist some parallels between IAWL and George Bailey and you and Ethics Alarms.
Speaking only for myself (The Five are on their own): My existence is unequivocally richer, infinitely more well-informed, I’m far more likely to admit errors in judgement, and quantifiably more cognizant of, and willing to acknowledge, my (arguably) few biases than had I not stumbled onto EA 13 or so years ago.
Heck, after checking our brokerage accounts and my personal email, it’s my first stop, one of many throughout the day; it’s been that way for a long time. If that don’t go in the Plus Column, I don’t know what does!
PWS
It’s funny that you mentioned that. George does what he does and eschews personal benefit for doing the right thing to uphold what his values tell him is the way a life should be lived, and then keeps bitching about the results of that conscious decision. I do a lot of bitching for the same reasons, because, like George, I somehow feel that there should be some reward…but if there is, its just moral luck. I know that intellectually, but emotionally its hard to take. My main compliant with the movie is that it sends the message that there is a reward, but if you are doing the right thing for a reward, you’re missing the point.
I’m guessing I check EA before checking either of those two.
“I’m guessing I check EA before checking either of those two.”
No surprise there; you have more decimal points in the former and fewer anxiously demanding in the latter…
PWS
Here’s something I find annoying:
Rep. Ilhan Omar Responds To Trump: His Obsession With Me Is Unhealthy, “I Hope He Gets The Help He Needs” | Video | RealClearPolitics
Women in politics seem to have brought to politics a toxic little tendency. They attack their opponents by saying they are emotionally unstable and “need help” almost as a matter of course. I’d say HRH HRC has been primarily responsible for this unwelcome development. Just stop with the emotional baloney, girls. It’s equivalent to calling your opponents mean. It’s pathetic and it makes you seem juvenile.
This is a pitch, but it’s also a serious discussion topic. How much does it speak to you? Your feedback is greatly appreciated, as it helps get a picture of what people want help with and how well the message connects. Here it goes:
Are you tired of those moments where someone says something utterly divorced from reality, and you have to choose whether to bite your tongue and let it go or spend half an hour trying and failing to make them see sense? Do differences in political perspective strain your relationships with family, friends, or neighbors? Are you frustrated because people don’t understand what’s important and won’t listen about the mistakes they’re making?
That used to be my whole life. When I tried to show someone the issues with their line of thinking, it was like running into a brick wall. It was an insurmountable gap in our points of view.
That changed when I started listening for what mattered most: Why did I care about what the other person believed, and why did they care? What was each of us afraid of? Understanding the basic values in play made it easy to get other people to listen and take my concerns seriously. In the short term, it lets us get along with mutual trust and respect. In the long term, it sets the stage for finding solutions that we can support together.
I’m a political independent, with friends among conservatives and progressives. When I raise the issues discussed on Ethics Alarms with my progressive friends, they understand where I’m coming from and acknowledge why the conservative concerns are important. Our friendship doesn’t end–it becomes stronger.
The secret is a simple method that works with any topic. In five minutes, you can build a rapport that leads to actionable common ground.
If you want people to listen to you and take your concerns seriously instead of walking away, don’t wait for things to get better! Contact me at the bottom of https://www.visionaryvocabularies.com/ and we can walk through your concerns and how to ensure other people take them to heart.
How does that sound?
I’m eagerly awaiting any shredding of HBO’s Death by Lightning if you are so inclined.
Yeah, I read the book and am dreading what they do to the adaptation, but I guess…I’ll have to watch it…
Currently at 4 episodes and still adding more.
Just finished 2 and I’m not 100% informed on the era or the personalities but what little I do know made the show agitating
Woke white women have been melting down over Pantone revealing its annual Color of the Year is a shade of white — with some raging the choice is tone-deaf and is proof the “whitewashing of America has gone too far.”
The company announced last week that its color choice for 2026 was “Cloud Dancer” — a bland off-white shade that Pantone insisted served as a symbol of calm in a hectic society.
But scores of white women immediately kicked off on social media as they accused the company of race-baiting and trying to stir up controversy similar to Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle “genes” campaign.
https://nypost.com/2025/12/08/us-news/woke-white-women-melt-down-over-pantones-racist-color-of-the-year/
They sure get outsized attention.
I wonder why.