I am indebted to Gregory DiPippo over at Novus Motus Liturgicus for clearing up a few points of irritation I have had with the whole notion of the Octave of Christmas. It has become fashionable to say that it only acquired the name of circumcision later and that traditionally it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This would seem to vindicate at least in part NOChurch practice.
In a surprise move, Donald Trump 2-3 days ago announced that the U.S. was pulling out of Syria, completely out of the blue.
It is difficult to know whether this is Donald Trump realising that the U.S. attempt to use Islamists in Syria to oust Bashar A-Assad has failed, or whether it is part of a grander scheme. The American and European establishments are against the move, predictably so.
In the article "US Violence Abroad Begets Violence at Home" on Ron Paul Institute, in response to the shootings in Las Vegas, Jacob G. Hornberger lays out the theory that American violence abroad begets American violence at home. This comes in 2 forms, either in terms of retaliatory terrorist attacks or in terms of violence carried out by Americans who have become desentisised to the taking of human lives.