Happy New Year 2022 from the Space Alien

The Space Alien wishes all Loyal Readers a Happy and Healthy New Year!  

Once again the Space Alien invites you, wherever you are, to join in a toast of sparkling grape juice to welcome the New Year with joyous celebration!    

May the year 2022 be one of great and beneficent vision for our leaders and for each one of us as well!  

  

The Space Alien urges Loyal Readers to consider those whose holidays may not be as joyous and to support Chicago's Food Bank, the Greater Chicago Food Depository.   Learn more here:
http://www.chicagofoodbank.org.

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The Space Alien Celebrates Three Holidays

The Space Alien glanced at the calendar on the wall and had to take a deep breath to calm down!
Some exciting holidays that occur close to each other will be at the SAME TIME this year!

Christmas, based on the Gregorian solar calendar,  would fall on December 25th as always.  

In 2019, Hanukkah, based on the ancient  Jewish lunar calendar, would begin on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, or at sundown on the evening of December 22.  

And Kwanzaa would be celebrated on December 26.

The Space Alien always looks forward to these holidays that brighten the darkest days of winter.   And the prospect of their occurring so close together leaves the Space Alien dizzy with excitement. 

The beautiful lights of this season never fail to spark joy in the Space Alien who often admires them during flights over our nation's capital! 

So many wonderful memories of years past!




The The White House Christmas Tree would be in place, and the National Christmas tree as well!
But there was even more!  The Space Alien could not resist memories of earlier days in the White House.

 

The First Lady, with family and friends, would light the White House Menorah! 






And the First Family would celebrate Kwanzaa too! 

How busy the President and First Lady would be at this time of year with all these duties, thought the Space Alien.

The Space Alien loves the wonderful holiday customs, and especially the delicious food!

-- Fruitcakes loaded with sweet fruit and nuts, and  sometimes soaked in rum that makes the Space Alien just a bit silly, but not in a bad way!

-- Crispy potato pancakes fried in oil commemorating the miracle of the oil for the lamps of Hanukkah, loaded with sweet applesauce and rich sour cream and generously sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar!  

Chocolate Santas and tiny bags of chocolate coins!  





And for seven days of Kwanzaa the Space Alien celebrates family, community and culture with gifts and feasts! 

And for all of these wonderful holidays there will be thoughtful gifts for everyone! 

What a special time this is!
The Space Alien loves to play dreydl, 
spinning the little top to win a prize!

Even Santa joins in on the fun! 

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Best of all are the Miracles! 

There is nothing the Space Alien loves more than a good miracle, and this season is full of them!     

A very special birth in dangerous circumstances! 

 


A victory of a small group of people over a mighty ruler who would deny their religious freedom! 




 Loyal Readers will recall that the Space Alien (along with your Editor) sings each year in Chicago's great Do-It-Yourself-Messiah, lending assistance by moving swiftly from section to section to help faltering singers with their parts. 

https://spacealiengazette.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-space-alien-applies-for-holiday-job.html  

And of course the Space Alien always helps Santa bring gifts to boys and girls (of all ages)!
https://spacealiengazette.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-space-alien-helps-santa.html

On Christmas Eve, the Space Alien loves to join carolers on the streets of the city, wearing warm, colorful clothing, and going from door to door bringing holiday cheer. 

Soon the Space Alien will light the first Hanukkah candles to shine through windows to brighten dark streets, and then join friends to play dreydl and sing lively Hanukkah songs to celebrates the courage of the Maccabees and their heroic fight for religious liberty! 

https://spacealiengazette.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-space-alien-celebrates-hanukkah.html

https://spacealiengazette.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-space-alien-hanukkah-visitor.html

The Space Alien is delighted to know that when winter is the darkest, the lights of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa will brighten our homes and neighborhoods, while delicious food and lovely gifts, enjoyed together with beloved family and friends, bring joy to all.  "That's the best miracle of all!" exclaims the Space Alien!  

The Space Alien and the entire Editorial Staff of the Space Alien Gazette wish Loyal Readers much happiness and some truly special miracles during this holiday season and in the coming year!
  

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The Space Alien tries a Rebounder!

The Space Alien returned from an intergalactic mission with a backache! 

Carrying heavy luggage and sitting in an uncomfortable economy seat while traveling at velocities exceeding the speed of light in the superluminal rocket was hard on the Space Alien.  In fact, the Space Alien was aching all over!

Your editor thought exercise on a rebounder might relieve tight, aching joints and muscles and the Space Alien agreed to give it a go.  



Here is an exclusive photo taken with the Space Alien's special time lapse camera. 

Loyal Readers can clearly see what a good time the Space Alien is having!

The Space Alien's impressive lymphatic system was activated, and nourishing fluids moved through the Space Alien's athletic body.




When the Space Alien had finished a few hours of jumping Your Editor decided to try it herself!

At first Your Editor (who coincidentally had a backache too) felt like this:  

But after a few good jumps, she felt like this! 

"Why, we both feel lots better already!" exclaimed Your Editor.  "Agreed," said the Space Alien, "and I'm writing this up right now for the Health Column of the Space Alien Gazette!

And here, Loyal Reader, is a link with some great articles on rebounding for specific purposes, from the makers of the Space Alien's (and Your Editor's) favorite -- the Bellicon Rebounder!

https://www.bellicon.com/us_en/benefits/research

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The Space Alien Prepares for Thanksgiving 2019

Thanksgiving 2019 will be a busy one for the Space Alien.  So much to do, especially since Your Editor has not been performing customary tasks at her usual warp-speed efficiency.  

But never fear!  The Space Alien insists Your Editor will not lose her job at the Space Alien Gazette, as her help is still needed with spelling and punctuation.

The Space Alien is making a list of things to be thankful for, and urges Loyal Readers to do this too!  

Here's the the beginning of the Space Alien's list:

Your Editor is thankful that she will be with her family for Thanksgiving, and she and the Space Alien and the entire staff of the Space Alien Gazette wish all our Loyal Readers a peaceful and loving Thanksgiving.  

The Space Alien Addresses the Newspaper Ban

Hallowe'en was approaching and Your Editor asked the Space Alien about this year's costume.

"This Hallowe'en I'll be dressed as a United States Senate Page!" announced the Space Alien.  "In fact, I'm even working undercover right now disguised as a Senate Page in Washington, D.C.!"

"What?  Who appointed you, and why?" 

"Several Washington officials who preferred not to be named asked me to serve and I'll be on a special mission for them."

"What do you mean?"  

"Well, you know the President has banned government subscriptions to the New York Times and Washington Post."

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/10/donald-trump-times-post-subscriptions

"Yes," said Your Editor, "I read about that!"  

"So, with my easy access to federal buildings disguised as a Senate Page,  I'll be carrying the usual load of documents, but hidden among them will be copies of the New York Times and Washington Post.  And I'll also have flashlights for White House staffers who prefer to take no chances by reading their copies secretly in bathroom stalls!"   

"You will be very convincing!" agreed Your Editor, examining the Space Alien's disguise as a Senate Page.  

The Space Alien, cleverly disguised as a 
Senate Page, brings the New York Times & Washington Post to Federal buildings where subscriptions were recently banned.

"I thought so too," said The Space Alien. "And this will be a twofer because besides smuggling these major newspapers of record to places that may no longer receive subscriptions, I can wear the same costume and go dressed as a United States Senate Page to Hallowe'en Parties as well!"

"Very practical," agreed Your Editor.

And so, Loyal Reader, if you attend any Hallowe'en parties and encounter someone dressed as a United States Senate Page, that is likely to be the Space Alien!  Just ask, and perhaps there will be an extra copy of the New York Times or Washington Post for you as well!  

All of us here in the unbelievably busy offices of the Space Alien Gazette wish our Loyal Readers a Happy Hallowe'en!  

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Editor's Note:  Your Editor would like to remind Loyal Readers that when you read the Space Alien Gazette you may not even need the New York Times or Washington Post.

Editor's Note: A Loyal Reader asked about the real Senate Page who let the Space Alien wear her suit as a disguise.  We are happy to report that she was able to take the day off, put on a pretty flowered silk dress and join friends for lunch at American Café near the Capitol. 

The Space Alien Masters the Amsler Grid

Your Editor was upset because her vertical blinds were warped and not hanging straight.  "This is really a nuisance," she exclaimed.  "It will be expensive and inconvenient to get new ones."

The Space Alien took a look and said  "There's nothing wrong with those blinds!  You'd better see an eye doctor!"

That sounded ridiculous to Your Editor, but to put an end to the argument she went to see her eye doctor who immediately referred her to an excellent retina specialist,  Dr. Timothy Flood.

Dr. Flood handed her a card imprinted with a black and white grid with a dot in the center. This was an Amsler grid.  He asked her cover one eye and to focus the other eye on the dot in the center,  and asked her if the all lines on the grid were straight.    

"NO!" answered Your Editor.  "Some lines are crooked.  This is a defective drawing!  You should not be using it!" 

"The lines are perfectly straight," said Dr. Flood, "but you have a condition called Macular Degeneration that makes some of the lines appear distorted."

You, Loyal Reader, may read more about this here: 
https://www.macular.org/amsler-chart

Then Dr. Flood examined the Space Alien's eyes.  The Space Alien easily passed the Amsler test and Dr. Flood remarked that this opportunity to examine the Space Alien's eyes was one of the high points of his professional career.  

Your Editor, however, now regularly receives shots in her right eye to treat Macular Degeneration.  She notes that while the Amsler grid she is asked to look at is still defective, it is not getting worse!  

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Note:  The Space Alien would like to remind Loyal Readers that they could try the Amsler Grid test above, covering one eye and focusing the other on the dot in the center.  If any lines appear wavy, it would be a good idea to consult an eye doctor.

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The Space Alien Welcomes 5780

Your Editor found the Space Alien surrounded by newspapers from all over the world.

"What are you doing?" she cried.  "Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown September 29 this year.  That's this Sunday evening!   I thought you would be baking a honey cake or practicing your shofar, as you always do at this time of year!"

The Space Alien looked up sadly.

"I know, but I'm so worried about something else!"

"What is that?" asked Your Editor.

"You know that Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Creation of the World, a wonderful world, with so much beauty and life-giving support!"

"Of course," answered Your Editor.  "And you have reminded us of this before!"  

And here, Loyal Reader, if you have mislaid it, is an example:  

http://spacealiengazette.blogspot.com/2016/09/a-new-year-for-space-alien.html

The Space Alien continued:

"Now I'm reading that because of Man's thoughtlessness, we may be destroying our life-giving world!"

"What do you mean?" cried Your Editor.

"Well, you know I've been concerned about Climate Change for a long time!"

"I know!  You nearly left Earth for good because of that, but you decided to stay and fight it."

https://spacealiengazette.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-space-alien-considers-move.html

"Well, it's much more serious than I thought even then!" said the Space Alien.  "And I'm not alone in this!  On September 20, young people (and many of their elders as well) marched in cities all over the U.S. and all over the world to call attention to the devastation resulting from this man-made disaster.  I did all I could to support them."  

https://news.yahoo.com/skip-school-strike-students-across-114236428.html


Your Editor shook her head.  "You know that some people think that Climate Change is just a hoax!" she said.

"Sad but true," answered the Space Alien. "But overwhelmingly, responsible climate scientists understand that this is a very real threat and some believe that we may even have passed a point of no return." 

The Space Alien scurried to a nearby computer and quickly found more information about Climate Change in hopes that Loyal Readers would do so as well.  

Since many Loyal Readers may spend time in thoughtful reflection over the next ten days, here are some more sources that might be of particular interest:  

1. Climate Change; a Jewish Issue:  
https://www.jpost.com/Jerusalem-Report/Climate-change-is-a-Jewish-issue-597230

2. Published for a different occasion but equally applicable here:   https://orjewishlife.com/SHOULD-AVERTING-A-CLIMATE-CATASTROPHE-BE-A-JEWISH-PRIORITY-ON-TISHA-BAV/

3. How could we invest our resources?  One example:
https://www.jta.org/2018/04/17/united-states/brooklyn-synagogue-pulls-money-chase-bank-promote-climate-change-will-others-follow-suit

4. Concern in Israel today:
https://www.jta.org/2017/06/02/united-states/israels-government-is-right-wing-but-its-taking-climate-change-seriously

5. Innovation in Israel:
 https://www.israel21c.org/tel-aviv-museum-explores-creative-answers-to-climate-change/

"What a meaningful list!" exclaimed Your Editor. "You truly did a mitzvah compiling it!"

"I tried my best," answered the Space Alien.
"And, this year, in addition to reflecting, as I always do, on how I can be a better, kinder, more helpful Space Alien, I will also consider how I can do my part to keep this wondrous creation, our planet Earth, safe and livable!"

The Space Alien, Your Editor, and the Entire Editorial and Production Staff of the Space Alien Gazette wish You and Your Dear Ones a Good, Sweet and Healthy Year!

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The Space Alien Bids Farewell to Summer

As summer draws to a close the Space Alien enjoys sailing on Long Island Sound where crowds of spectators gather on the shore to watch yacht races where the Space Alien excels as skipper at the helm of a specially designed schooner.       

The Space Alien also loves to frolic in the waves!   When open water seems too tame, the Space Alien scurries to Chicago's Art Institute for more exciting adventures in the surf!

But there is nothing more refreshing than a relaxing sunset swim off Chicago's fashionable Oak Street Beach!

The Space Alien hopes Loyal Readers -- whether boating or swimming -- have enjoyed many delightful days on the water this summer!  

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