Bethlehem: Peace Came Upon a Midnight Square

A 20 foot high concrete wall keeps Bethlehem isolated as the full scope of Jesus's homeless beginnings in a manger and his death on a cross on the hill a few kilometers away, play out still in modern times with no end in sight. Glimpses of what could be present themselves rarely in the Middle East, but today, Bethlehem hosted thousands of pilgrims in the Spirit of Peace. Palestinians saw the poor, the prominent, the devout, the tourist, the Christian and the Muslim gather together to celebrate and honor the birth of Christ in Manger Square. The Israeli occupation has taken Bethlehem off of the list as a top tourism spot, but the city and its impoverished inhabitants soldier on, bleakly hoping and paying for economic salvation too in their own land.

Sansour also believes that visitors and pilgrims who do come show support but at the same time many are also in Bethlehem as part of "the fairy-tale story of Christmas".

Father Garret Edmonds, a Franciscan monk from California who works with pilgrim groups in Palestine and is spending his fifth Christmas in Bethlehem, said: "There are moments of hope but then everything returns to the status quo. It goes on and off like this all the time."

Father Edmonds also highlighted the increasing erosion of the Church and the increasing number of Christians choosing to emigrate from in Palestine.

"It's important to have a viable, living Church, but if things continue the way they are in 25 years there might not be a living church. Bethlehem could become one giant museum," he said.

The Grotto at the Church of the Nativity had long lines to pay homage to what is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. In the recent past, security concerns from the 2000 Palestinian uprising dampened enthusiasm for pilgrimages into Bethlehem devastating the local economy with rising unemployment and no other means of income. This year was a different scene with kids in bright red Santa hats under Palestinian led tight security and the usual Bethlehem nativity scene in Nazareth. The Catholic leader called for peace in the Middle East while the Pontiff made Christmas greetings in 60 languages. (AP Photo Kevin Frayer)




And a little child shall lead them... makes for the children's book, from Michal Hudak An Uproar in Bethlehem told from a Christian perspective of the night Jesus was born and the three Magi.

A Googling Queen

Regal takes on a whole new quality when Britain's Queen puts up her own Royal Channel on YouTube. The royal technology twist on modernity is not complete without dedicated stiff upper lip minions taking her dictation and pressing send on Her Highness's royal emails to blast out into the ether world. Mind bending is Queen Elizabeth II uses her own iPod and its fully loaded. Crown jewel priceless, is an image of the longest reigning monarch in world history with earbuds singing to the music, making Her seem almost like the rest of us. No doubt, a bevy of royal grandchildren hipped Her to a new tech life. Word has it, she has, insert gasp, a cell phone and a crackberry to summon Buckingham Palace staff, which leads to hilarious speculation about her choice of ringtones, what ringtone lets her ignore Prince Phillip's text messages and whether the queenly pocketbook now vibrates. (Reuters photos/BBC)

Her latest tryst with technology is believed to have emerged at her granddaughters' urging. According to the British newspaper The Observer, the queen was unfamiliar with the popular video-sharing Web site, until her granddaughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, sold her on the YouTube phenomenon.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said that "the queen always keeps abreast with new ways of communicating with people," pointing out that last year, her Christmas message was podcast as well as broadcast. This year the address will be simulcast live on TV and on the Web site. (AP phot0/Steve Parsons)

Fifty years ago today, marks the very first Christmas message from the Queen of the British Commonwealth on the old tube, the TV. It is up on YouTube now and she is already the most downloaded monarch in history. One can click and see previous garden parties and other state occasions plus A Life in the Day of Prince Charles - too bad we don't get to pick which day. QE II is a tad over eighty years old, never learned to type and knows all about facebook. God Bless her and every other senior who makes an attempt to learn! (Hi Mom, you're doing great!)

A spellbinding movie about Elizabeth II won an Oscar for Helen Mirren, the actress portraying her during one of her most stressful and painful times on the throne. The Queen gave a famed 1992 anus horriblus speech speaking about how bad the year was all around, culminating with the marital separation of Their Royal Highnesses' Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Now that Diana is gone, she is not yet on the Royal Channel which expects to add more archival material. Fergie's MIA too.

The Queen, a 2006 film, is a must have - must watch DVD yielding a layered performance that gives a fictionalized, yet accurate view of Her Majesty and the battle of wills with her British subjects over the People's Princess.

The Gift of Life - Blood

Most folks who need blood don't know it. In the blink of an eyelash lives may be changed by a series of unfortunate events. A kindness from an unseen stranger may give a second chance. During the holidays, accidents compound a sense of loss. Being healthy and able to give the gift of blood is an enduring gift literally straight from the heart. The American Red Cross is making a desperate plea for help. So if you are free on December 26th, roll up a reindeer motif sweater sleeve and make the donation. There are pleas for help in New Jersey to West Virginia and Ohio, It is a need based on dwindling supply and high demand.

The Red Cross will hold its fourth annual Hero's Blood Drive on the day after Christmas, Dec. 26. It says the event is one of is most important blood drives of the year because donations are very low in the winter, especially around the holiday season.

"This is a very difficult time of the year for collections because blood drives get cancelled due to weather, a lot of people get sick with colds and the flu, and people are just busy with travel. But with more people traveling, there are more accidents and incidents, so those take a toll on our supply," said Ron Porter, an American Red Cross Donor Resources Field Representative.

Santa is giving blood in Michigan. To get a pint of blood, a Michigan donation center offers free movie tickets in exchange. See a great movie, like The Debaters, I am Legend, or The Golden Compass.

Giving blood now can help build the supply throughout the season, ensuring enough is on hand for patients in the weeks to come. Make a difference this holiday season and give blood. Call 1.800.GIVE.LIFE or visit givebloodgivelife.org to schedule a blood donation appointment.

"Donating blood is one gift that will be treasured for years to come," said Shelly Heiden, Interim CEO of the local Red Cross Blood Services Region. "Long after the wrapping paper is thrown away and the holiday decorations are taken down, your blood donation will be remembered and the recipient will always be grateful that you took the time to help give them another chance at life."

Having a rare Blood type and good health is another reason to give. For those who choose to go the extra step a chance to have your marrow typed to give to a suffering patient who will forever be grateful. Of all the gifts to give this season, the gift of Life, healthy blood, may be the best gift for a family you will never know. Do not forget your local Red Cross Blood Bank this Holiday Season. Donate.




While donating, a fantastic award winning read is the His Dark Materials trilogy from Phillip Pullman. The time will fly by as you read about Lyra and the challenges to survive by her wits. It is also available in hardback. The first installment is in theaters now starring Nicole Kidman, The Golden Compass.

Coral Reef Has Just 50 Years Left

Imagine planning the tropical dive trip of a lifetime, putting on your scuba gear or goggles, snorkel and awkward flippers, grabbing the underwater camera in hopes of catching something exotic swimming by. Then splash, as you dive in expecting to find gorgeous coral reefs, instead its a barren watery wasteland. That is the coming attraction horror of the coral reef nearest you in just fifty years according to almost twenty premier marine scientists. Humans are casting so much carbon dioxide, or CO2, into the atmosphere warming everything, destruction, especially the oceans is a foregone conclusion. Coral reefs are an ecological must-have to replenish oceans and make earth a livable planet. Its fundamental to ocean survival.

This is a scientific take on three phases of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. First frame is now, second one is after just one degree rise in ocean temperature and the third is Oceanic Armageddon if the water temp rises another degree. Coral reef destruction will take fifty years, tops and that includes the magnificent array of 27,000 square kilometers of reef in The Philippines. (photo courtesy CRTR)

The faster the carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere the bigger the increases the amount of acidification in the ocean. Acidification affects every marine animal and increases the amount of calcerous skeletons slowly taking over, like kudzu on land, making thriving areas marine ghost coasts no one will visit. The fish and other sea creatures choke as breathing becomes impossible. Coral diseases and bleaching are becoming more prevalent. Overfishing in certain areas is upsetting the balance needed to maintain the ecosystem. The health of the ocean can be gaged by the condition the coral reefs are in.

"It's vital that the public understands that the lack of sustainability in the world's carbon emissions is causing the rapid loss of coral reefs, the world's most biodiverse marine ecosystem," said Drew Harvell, Cornell professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and head of the Coral Disease Research Team, which is part of the international Coral Reef Targeted Research (CRTR) group that wrote the new study.

The rise of carbon dioxide emissions and the resultant climate warming from the burning of fossil fuels are making oceans warmer and more acidic, said co-author Harvell, which is triggering widespread coral disease and stifling coral growth toward "a tipping point for functional collapse."

Global Warming is an Earth emergency with catastrophic effects felt by people who were born in the last year may be the last generation to see the Earth in its present condition. Joshua, May your second birthday and your fiftieth be the Best with a world awash in thriving Oceans for you to visit in Peace. Most Happiest of First Years, Observant One.

Over in the Ocean: The Coral Reef is a widely acclaimed children's book introducing the beauty of the reefs with imaginative verses. Marianne Berks is the author with Jeanette Canyon providing the great illustrations.