Merry Christmas... BE TRUE TO YOUR HEART and CONVICTIONS...

Reorienting ourselves...
Imagine...
After the commercialized glitter of the 25th... I with my Ukrainian and Armenian friends will celebrate Christmas on the 6th and 7th of January...
I always love this second chance... It is more spiritual and very reverent... 
I attend a concert... Ukrainian...Armenian... spiritual liturgy elevates my spirits and  listening to Gregorian Chants brings in PEACE to my heart... 
After the concert we follow the tradition... and drink lots and lots of vodka... we sing together... and dance...

We drink and sing and dance the night away...

Dancing the negativity away is a good way to lift the spirit... and usher in PEACE...
After all,

Pain is just weakness leaving our body...

That is, the discomfort of exertion means you're building 
muscle and discipline... The physical pain lifts the spirit and 
the vodka makes it that much easier...

Cheers... 

and,

Merry Christmas... more spiritual this time...

to 

ALL...

PEACE be with you...
***

Be true to your convictions... 

He is a famous designer in his country... But,

Government thugs attacked him in Istanbul airport... and when the police arrived... they arrested him for disturbing the peace... They took him to jail... where thousands of journalist are imprisoned... 

Their charge: Opposing the regime...

Barbaros Sansal is an outspoken critic of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party... A government which has thrown aside the constitution and jailed thousands of journalists and critics of the regime... The critics oppose the Islimization of the country... They want separation of religion and state... and respect of minorities and their freedoms... On New Year's Eve, he posted a video on his Twitter account angrily denouncing those out celebrating "while there is so much filth, vileness and poverty" in the country. He also spoke of "scores of journalists" jailed in Turkey as well as abused children, corruption and bribery.

***

Be true to your convictions... 

Rebecca Ferguson says she'll sing at Trump inauguration under one condition...

British pop singer Rebecca Ferguson says she has been invited to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration, but her response may not be the RSVP the President-elect's team were expecting. The former UK     X-Factor runner-up said she would only accept the invitation on the condition that she could perform "Strange Fruit" -- a song protesting racism in 1930s America, made famous by Billie Holiday.

                                                 ***

"Strange Fruit"

Southern trees bear a strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze                                    

Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South

The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth

Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh

Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck

For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck

For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop

                                                                           Here is a strange and bitter crop