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The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

The University of Miami is investigating the possible effects of the coronavirus vaccine on male fertility. Lead researchers Dr. Ranjith Ramasamy, a reproductive urologist with U Health, initiated an earlier study which found the virus was present in the testicles for up to six months following infection. That spurred his team to question the virus’ effect on sperm and reproduction. His team is now looking at the potential impact of the vaccine as well. “We’re evaluating the sperm parameters and quality before the vaccine and after the vaccine. From the biology of the COVID vaccine we believe it shouldn’t affect...

During my round up of post-election news on December 21, 2020, I noted a new filing regarding Pennsylvania: First, the Trump campaign has filed a Petition for A Writ of Certiorari, and related Motion for expedited consideration, with the U.S.Supreme Court. The Petition asks SCOTUS to overturn Pennsylvania Supreme Court decisions regarding election procedure. The case can’t change the outcome of the election, because even without PA, Biden still would have sufficient electoral college votes to win. It’s hard to say what SCOTUS will do because many of the procedural problems of prior suits are absent, but it’s also coming...

Mitch has threatened Senators with political repercussions for standing with our President to expose voter fraud. We need to show them what the repercussions are for spineless cowardice in the face of treason! Sample letter: Dear Senator/Congressman blank I am writing in response to Mitch McDonnell's threat of political consequences for supporting our President in his quest for honesty and transparency in the 2020 election. I am here to tell you the real consequences of NOT supporting our President. The record turnout at the election past was not in support of Mitch or Carl Rove! It was because we the...

BREAKING: Federal Appeals Court Tosses Trump Election Case https://t.co/1C9fYKuJDH— The Election Wizard (@Wizard_Predicts) December 25, 2020 Read Court Ruling CHICAGO — A federal appeals court ruled against President Donald Trump in his lawsuit against the Wisconsin Elections Commission today. On Christmas Eve, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling that dismissed Trump’s challenge in Wisconsin. “We agree that Wisconsin lawfully appointed its electors in the manner directed by its Legislature and add that the President’s claim also fails because of the unreasonable delay that accompanied the challenges the President now wishes to advance against...

President Donald Trump has urged Congress to increase the amount of the direct relief payments to Americans to $2,000 by cutting out the unrelated pork in the coronavirus rescue package and government spending bill. Breitbart News has calculated how much that increase would cost and what could be cut from the 5,593-page omnibus bill to offset it. The House and Senate passed the combined $900 billion coronavirus relief package and $1.4 trillion government spending bill on Monday night, but the massive 5,593-page omnibus bill immediately drew criticism for sending billions of dollars of aid to foreign countries while only allotting...

Just when we thought there was cause for hope in the Covid-19 vaccines, we’ve hit a wall. Christmas is off and we might all be locked down for months longer. In reality, the vaccines, even once proved to be safe and efficacious, had little chance of impacting the virus this winter. Production, distribution and application to all of those in need in such a short timeframe was never feasible. However, an increasing drift towards some sort of normality by the spring appeared possible. The UK government’s decision to introduce tier four lockdown restrictions across London and much of the south...

BREAKING: Flights out of Nashville airport have been halted due to telecommunications issues associated with explosion downtown. Police say an RV exploded outside a building housing AT&T network equipment. 911 systems up to 180 miles away were knocked out

Beloved fellow FReepers, first of all I would like to wish all a very Merry Christmas. I pray that all are having a joyous time of fellowship, thanksgiving, and celebration as we spend time with family and friends, and also to lift up the Might Name of Jesus Christ, Who came incarnate as a baby and grew up among mankind. And, in doing so, without sin, experienced all that mankind dealt with in this fallen world so that He could present Himself as that Perfect, spotless Ultimate Sacrifice to end the grip of sin and to again allow those who...

It’s surprising, but experts agree: The tens of thousands of people being vaccinated against the coronavirus right now may still be able to carry and transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others, despite being well-protected against the symptoms of COVID-19 themselves. That means they must still wear masks and practice social distancing to protect those around them. “We still have yet to learn how much infectivity is impacted by vaccination, thereby producing protection for those I am in contact with, not just for myself, when I receive a vaccine,” says Dr. Janet Baseman, a public health expert at the University of...

Published 173 years ago this month, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was an instant bestseller, followed by countless print, stage and screen productions. Victorians called it “a new gospel,” and reading or watching it became a sacred ritual for many, without which the Christmas season cannot materialize. But A Christmas Carol’s seemingly timeless transcendence hides the fact that it was very much the product of a particular moment in history, its author meaning to weigh in on specific issues of the day. . . . What he wrote was that employers are responsible for the well-being of their employees. Their...

A potent storm system is targeting the Eastern Seaboard with an array of high-impact and potentially hazardous weather, bringing the worst of the clashing seasons just in time for Christmas. Strong winds, flooding rains and even severe weather are likely, with the risk of a few tornadoes adding to the unwelcome assortment. "We’ll file this one under “things you probably didn’t want from Santa.” Cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and the nation’s capital are all in line for a wild ride, while cities farther south like Raleigh could be eyeing a tornado threat.The meteorological mess accompanies a...

Haven’t seen this speech anywhere. Was PM’ed to me last night. Trump lays out “The Steal” from start to finish. Must see!

Congress shall be in session on the sixth day of January succeeding every meeting of the electors.The Senate and House of Representatives shall meet in the Hall of the House of Representatives at the hour of 1 o’clock in the afternoon on that day, and the President of the Senate shall be their presiding officer. Two tellers shall be previously appointed on the part of the Senate and two on the part of the House of Representatives, to whom shall be handed, as they are opened by the President of the Senate, all the certificates and papers purporting to be...

Adam Schiff was taken from LAX to the Los Angeles FBI building, and has not exited since going in a little after 10:00 AM, this morning my FBI source is telling me

NASHVILLE (AP) — An explosion linked to a vehicle rocked downtown Nashville on Christmas morning, sending shattered glass and debris over a wide area and rocking nearby buildings. The Metro Nashville Police Department said via Twitter that the explosion occurred at 6:30 a.m. Friday and that state and federal authorities were on the scene, as were emergency crews including the fire department.

Can citizens of a social welfare state fully discharge their charitable obligations simply by paying their taxes?” This was the question posed by the late Robert Payton, who helped found the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and with whom a colleague and I often co-taught a course called Ethical and Religious Perspectives on Philanthropy. His question echoes a theme in one of the most philanthropically influential texts in the English language, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a staple of every Christmas season.

As snow piles up in yards and parks across the United States this winter, many children will be hitting their neighborhood hills to sled on their days away from school. Common injuries centered around the time-honored winter activity, however, have led some cities in the Midwest to put the brakes on sledding.

@thehill President Trump spends #Christmas day golfing with Sen. Lindsey Graham. Video...

Was the day before Covid Christmas and all through the house, no one was going in or out. There was no blazing yule log, in the fireplace for the cat or dog. No need to bake cookies for Santa this night, Because dining in was outlawed outright. No cookies, fudge with nuts, or pumpkin pies; No company was allowed due to the governmental restrictions and lies. But alas what did we see…. A star in the sky this Christmas Eve A star to remind us of a star back when, A star to remind us of our needs now and...