Merry Christmas from Deepak Chopra

Here's to the Jelly of the Month club,
and scotch for medicinal purposes; a strict necessity during this period of relative tolerance or tolerance of relatives as it is.

Merry Christmas to Orac and all his minions. I'm going offline now to pack up the car for a short Xmas holiday. Enjoy your holiday respite.

Merry Holidays folks!

I know it is Christmas Eve because I am baking pizza for the neighborhood crows. It's a tradition. A happy holiday wish to my non-corvid friends, and a salute to Orac, a toast to your continued prolificacy in 2015 and beyond.

And better assisted by the Deepak Chopra wisdom generator. For those moments when Xmas crackers disappoint:

http://www.wisdomofchopra.com

Unfortunately, it appears that both AoA and TMR are posting their own takes on an old Christmas poem ( the latter is a repeat IIRC) : I'm not sure who is responsible for the former as all 3 editors are named in verse and no one admits his or her truly atrocious, abysmal contribution but my money is on Kim.

Personally, I am rather happy that Christmas is on its way...
to being over. I already have survived 3 parties and 3 weekend jaunts- only 2 dinners and some festivities to go.

I am not thrilled about the entire season to be frank and it has nothing with do with my atheism - I DO enjoy seeing and talking to people I like-
HOWEVER I live in the midst of rampant commercialism magnified beyond reason complete with traffic, aggravated people who snap at the least provocation, faux sentiment and money flowing obscenely and unremittingly.

As my late father would say: " At least it creates jobs". And it gets people out of the house during dreary weather I'll add.

At any rate, I wish Orac, his family and my fellow and sister minions better feelings than my own and I will voluntarily dispense with the formal Scrooge-ian remarks.

We have much to celebrate this year:
no new lawsuits by woo-meisters, less media coverage of anti-vax nonsense and lots of new crap to ridicule.

...and scotch for medicinal purposes; a strict necessity during this period of relative tolerance or tolerance of relatives as it is.

Especially if it's a good single malt...

Merry Christmas, Orac, shills and minions.

I know it is Christmas Eve because I am baking pizza for the neighborhood crows

Now there's a tradition you don't see often.

Stay warm, stay safe, and if you can, stay festive. Best holiday wishes to all.

Happy holidays to those who celebrate. And to those who don't, have a good last week of the year!

Especially if it’s a good single malt…

Psssht. Bourbon is where it's at - I'm looking forward to opening a bottle of Woodford Reserve this very evening. (This is the longest I've been back home in quite some time and my liver is taking a real beating...)

Happy holidays to all. It's a little late, but here's a stupid solstice song by an old friend. It's pretty great.

I know it is Christmas Eve because I am baking pizza for the neighborhood crows

That's the first time I've heard of in-laws referred to in those terms.

I'm a little late, but want to wish you all a happy Festivus. The Airing of Grievances has been ongoing all year. After dinner begin the Feats of Strength, which will continue until someone manages to pin Orac, unless someone has something better to do.

It's hard to pin a blinky box of lights -- perhaps we could just tip him over.

Probably easier to just turn him off.

While you could turn Orac off, all evidence is he still processes data in that mode.

Thus it wouldn't count as a pin?

If you can put him on his back for a 3 count, that's a pin. Whether he's on or off. For a box of blinky lights, no problem.

What if we upload a picture of the box of blinky lights to Pinterest? Is that kind of pin recognized?

Happy Christmas Orac and thank you - sincerely - for this blog. Not that long ago, I was a nervous and post-natally depressed new mother and as such, was perfect fodder for the fear and woo-mongers. It was a horrible and frightening time and I can dangerously close to making some bad decisions. People like you and the work that you do is vital. I'm proof that you (and other pro science writers) *do* sway the fence sitters.

Cheers too to all the contributors - every day is a schools day in the comments section :-) Oh and keep up the snark - they deserve it! Merry Christmas one and all.

I'll add to the thanks to Orac and to all commenters, here, even the annoying ones, who often get my brain primed for more useful work. Personally I try to ignore the festivities as best I can, but I wish all those who do celebrate a wonderful time.

And a happy Boxing Day to everyone!

I was utterly shocked when I first realized that my USAnian friends did not get Boxing Day off. You have my pity.

For both of you don't know this inside out -- Tim Minchi's great song "White Wine in the Sun":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q

Pizza for crows? "My" crows, before they left for the winter, had to make do with Costco Vulture Chow. I'll be darned if I'll bake 'em pizza. I have, however, been wondering how I might attract the raven the flies by every morning. I rather fancy having a raven about for the winter, though I would be a bit annoyed if it turned out to be like my humming magpies and went after my special goop that is supposed to be for the woodpeckers and nuthatches.
Happy Hogswatch.

Krebiozen, I am amazed by your patience with APV. Since my son is with his father and I am not well enough for decorating, etc., our festivities have been very minimal and ended tonight.

Thank you for how much you explain things.

Happy holidays to everyone and may you all have peaceful, prosperous new years.

This blog is one of my very favorites and thank you to all for your skeptical wit and wisdom.

Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night!

A happy Chrismuhanukwanzaa to one and all at Respectful Insolence!

May Orac and all the SBM-proficient commenters enjoy the holiday of whatever denomination they choose! Many thanks for another year of reason over superstition! :D

Many of Chopra's dicta can appear, at first and to the gullible, as profound statements regarding - well, everything. But they invariably turn out to be platitudinous drivel. Examples include:

"Self-awareness is not just relaxation and not just meditation. It must combine relaxation with activity and dynamism. Technology can aid that."

and

"Karma, when properly understood, is just the mechanics through which consciousness manifests."

and

"Spirituality is meant to take us beyond our tribal identity into a domain of awareness that is more universal."

For more Chopradrivel see

The link didn't appear. Let's try again:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/deepak_chopra.html

Happy day that means nothing whatsoever!
.............

Some presents/presence?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FX8rAEAtUU (cheerfully funny)

http://youtu.be/sF19pIjgYRI?t=6s (gratingly funny)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C50bKOslmjc (stately - gamelan orchestration)

............

Reply to Dr. Chopra:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbTULjLtKP4

...........
Pizza! Yes! But the corvids may want some desert, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lg8w_CTlV0

...........
And I have to post this in a thread with a corvid reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liYnvIBLMBQ

The corvid story is at the end. But it's a summary of the whole film (45 min.). Some of the most breathtaking footage of human activity ever filmed. Click the CC button to get the English subs. This should be viewed as cinematically as possible; full screen, frame dominating your image field, no distractions, darkened room preferably.

Notes: Herzog is playing a 'character', a representative of the hungry-corvid audience, an aspect of himself, yes, but amplified for effect. Herzog (not Steiner) wrote the poem at the end. The music at the end is about as simple as music gets, and beautiful beyond words. If the final image doesn't move you, you might want to see a doctor and make sure you're OK. I tear up every time i see it.

...after watching that video, I need to refortify myself with some rum in my eggnog.

Or just the rum.

Oooo!
If we compile many results from the site linked by BD and then get quotes from that which was linked by tgobbi and mix them all up in a pot, we can do a Turing test with observer minions to determine whether Chopra is a machine or not.

…after watching that video, I need to refortify myself with some rum in my eggnog.

Hey, at least it wasn't Mike Adams's Twelve Days of Racist Stereotyping.

@Narad

Had it been Mikey, I'd have skipped the rum and hit up the Everclear.

Youse guys aren't quite right... Pro'lly think the 'reason for the season' is axial tilt. Tim Minchen? Harrumph; He sounds like an athiest.

Well; Merry winter solstice deflorination festival, for what it's worth.

To the others; Merry Christmas... remember to say "Am I being detained??"

peace.

To all,

Raise a glass to celebrate the birthday of the world's greatest scientist - Sir Isaac Newton.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.