Day: December 25, 2024

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Whether you celebrate the holiday season or dread its arrival, one thing that’s almost guaranteed is the presence of children who need to be entertained. And, if you live somewhere cold, your options might feel a little limited.
If you’re looking for a Christmas movie for kids that you can put on without feeling the need to tear your hair out, then we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a list of great Christmas movies for kids that should help keep them entertained during one of the busiest times of the year.
Need more recommendations? We also have guides for the 10 best TV shows to watch on Christmas, the 10 best movies to watch on Christmas, the best Christmas movies on Netflix, the best Christmas movies on Disney+, the best Christmas movies on Hulu, the best Christmas movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best Christmas movies on Max, and the best Christmas movies on Hallmark Channel. 
Not explicitly a Christmas movie, but The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is certainly wintery and Christian. The film tells the story of four siblings who travel through a wardrobe into a world known as Narnia. That world has been frozen over with snow and is ruled by an evil queen known as the White Witch.
As the children ally themselves with Aslan, a magical lion, in order to stop her, they also have a run-in with Santa Claus and discover that their lives in Narnia might be exactly what they needed to find fulfillment at home.
This largely faithful adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy novel doesn’t try too hard to be another Harry Potter. Instead, it leans into its high fantasy origins, which has made this movie beloved by a generation accustomed to CGI-produced wonder. As the White Witch, Tilda Swinton steals the show, and Liam Neeson uses his deep, authoritative voice to bring life to the messianic Aslan.
You can watch The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on Hulu. 
This is maybe the most obvious entry on this list, but it really couldn’t be avoided. Elf became a Christmas classic basically the second it hit theaters, and with good reason. Will Ferrell, playing a human who was raised as an elf and goes to New York in search of his biological family, has never been funnier than he is here as hi is utterly committed to every single absurd thing the script asks of him.
James Caan is just as good as his curmudgeonly father, a man who slowly begins to remember what it feels like to actually be happy. Elf is funny, sweet, and touching, all in the exact right proportions. It’s no surprise it’s become a new holiday classic, and spawned a hit musical now running on Broadway.
You can watch Elf on Hulu. 
You may not think that a kid would have any patience for a movie that isn’t even in color, but hear me out. Old movies aren’t bad because they’re old, and black-and-white movies aren’t any worse than ones that have color. Miracle on 34th Street is a Christmas classic for a reason.
Its story of a Macy’s department store Santa Claus who claims that he is the real thing is a brilliant examination of the belief that fuels so many of the holiday’s oldest traditions. And, while it may be nearly 80 years old, the movie also has a radiant performance from a young Natalie Wood at its center to keep the kids hooked.
The 1994 remake is almost as good, with Jurassic Park‘s Richard Attenborough in the role of Santa and Mrs. Doubtfire‘s Mara Wilson as the little girl who believes in him. But nothing beats the original, and you can’t go wrong with the pure sweetness that the 1947 version delivers.
You can watch Miracle on 34th Street on Hulu.
A brilliant and utterly surprising animated movie from Netflix, Klaus tells the story of a postman who is sent to the North Pole, only to meet a toymaker there who seems to closely resemble Santa Claus.
Klaus works so well in part because it is stripped of much of the ceremony that typically surrounds Santa. Instead, the movie tells a rather humble origin story for Santa Claus, imagining him as a man who gets taken advantage of for his gifts, even as he works as hard as he can to make people happy. And it doesn’t hurt that Klaus is beautifully animated, which helped result in a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination.
You can watch Klaus on Netflix. 
Tim Allen’s movie career was not as big as it could have been, but The Santa Clause is an undeniable highlight that still holds up today. Telling the story of a divorced dad who inadvertently kills Santa and must then assume the job himself, the film is equal parts silly and sweet as he slowly comes to accept the role he’s been asked to play.
Allen has rarely been better, and while the sequels to this movie are a bit too wacky, this first installment is a rock-solid holiday movie that works whether your 4 or 40.
You can watch The Santa Clause on Disney+. 
We also have guides to the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Every year, moviegoers are guaranteed to see, at the very least, a handful of performances that blow them away and linger in their minds. Unlike some years, though, 2024 has featured an even wider array of memorable performances than usual. The typical end-of-the-year award contenders haven’t, in other words, been the only movies this year that have featured some of 2024’s best performances. It has, in fact, been a year full of stellar lead and supporting turns in genre movies both big and small.
It would be a missed opportunity to look back on this year’s best performances without mentioning, for instance, Nell Tiger Free’s spell-binding work in The First Omen, David Jonsson’s scene-stealing turn in Alien: Romulus, and Lily Rose-Depp’s transformative physical performance in Nosferatu. The same goes for Daniel Craig’s stunning turn in Queer, Saoirse Ronan’s vulnerable, moving performance in The Outrun, Yura Borisov’s standout supporting work in Anora, and even Ryan Gosling and Glen Powell’s charismatic, old-school movie star turns in The Fall Guy, Twisters, and Hit Man.
The 2024 Best Picture Oscar race is starting to take shape, and even better, some of the movies contending this year are already available to stream. Peacock might not seem like the obvious place to catch a potential Oscar winner, but Conclave is one of the best movies of 2024, and it’s absolutely worth checking out.
The movie is set in the days after the death of the pope, and follows the bishops responsible for selecting a new leader for the Catholic church. As they battle over philosophies, they also uncover startling revelations about members of their group, and realize that not everyone has completely pure motivations. Here are three reasons you should check it out in December.
Action movies come in all shapes and sizes, from thrillers filled with car chases and authorities taking down bad guys to intense dramas involving criminals, gangs, heroes, and enthralling plots. The best action movies have a bit of everything and keep you intrigued all the way through.
The three action movies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in December include two throwbacks from the 1990s and one 2017 superhero movie you’ll want to watch back-to-back with the 2021 director’s cut to be able to compare, contrast, and discuss with friends and fellow fans.
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You know how buy Picoin? Phase 3 of the Pi Network has not been released, but the peak won over 14 million users in March 2021.
The Pi Network infrastructure is in the testing phase, but you can find out how to buy picoin and take advantage of the low price before the official launch.
Check everything out and enjoy reading!
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Picoin is the cryptocurrency of the Pi Network network, the platform is powered by Picoin, also known by the acronym PI. The intention is to make this crypto accessible to common people, for example, bitcoin is the best known cryptocurrency, but it is overrated. Therefore, altcoins or alternative currencies appear to attract the interest of new investors.
Picoin’s developers are Dr. Nicolas Kokkalis and Dr. Chengdiao Fan. Picoin’s network allows users to use their cell phone to perform transfers and mine.
However, there are 3 phases of the cryptocurrency:
In a way the Pi Network project involves the mobile app linked to the ads to fund the project. It also involves the volunteering of people who test Pi’s software. Through the software the user can mine the Pi, the nodes of this mining network do not use proof of work similar to conventional cryptocurrencies, they use the SCP protocol, the same algorithm as Stellar.
Thus, when the nodes mine Pi, they generate more security, as it takes a group of 1 to 3 known people to participate in the network, it is a safe circle to combat fraudulent transactions. This is information taken from official Picoin channels.
Buy Picoin It’s simple at Binomo brokerage, follow this step by step and buy PI securely.
1) Create your account by filling out the registration form, enter an email and password.

Choose the currency you want to trade, give preference to the real and click on “Start trading”.
2) Before buying Picoin, click on the initial of your name in the main menu. Binomo will ask you to verify your account and your mobile phone.

3) Confirm your mobile number and then confirm your email, this process is simple, it takes less than 2 minutes. Upon registration, Binomo will send you an email to confirm your account, so please provide the correct email address. Open your inbox and confirm!

4) Once the account is confirmed, click on deposit will open the page with all Binomo payment methods. Choose what you like the most!

The problem with shopping with your bank account is the fee! There are a variety of banks at Binomo, such as: Banco do Brasil, Bradesco, Santander and Itaú. For now there is none digital bank nor the Caixa Econômica Federal.
There are 18 payment methods for you to buy Picoin at Binomo, choose the one you like the most and make the payment.

6) After the money is dropped into your real account, access the “cryptocurrency assets panel”, then search for PI (Picoin name) and buy desired amount.Buy Picoin
After buying Picoin at Binomo, you need to put it in a reliable wallet, prefer wallets linked to your mobile device or desktop. External wallets are more secure as they don’t need internet to work, however, if you make transactions they will be made directly to the blockchain.
Pi Network recommends that you download the “Pi Network” app, it’s easy to create a wallet:
Picoin’s app is simple, however, you can only store the money and mine. Therefore, one of the alternatives for those who need to exchange IP for real or dollar is to leave it at Binomo.
In addition to the Picoin portfolio, download the Picoin Brainstorming app on it, we follow the development of the Pi Networking project.
There is a bullish outlook for Picoin, users who invest in PI know that the value can increase considerably after phase 3 of the project. However, there is no set date for this event.
More and more people are adopting Picoin, mining fees have reduced, so this has caught the attention of active cryptocurrency miners.
However, to mine the user must join the network with a reference code. It’s as if the Pi Network uses multi-level marketing to attract new users with the promise of earning cryptocurrencies (money).
To reduce mining costs you need 7 guests to “manufacture cryptocurrencies with 25% bonus”, this is a multilevel marketing tactic. We know that the mining process won’t get any easier if you invite more people to the network, it’s just a way to attract more users.
However, this format did not work very well in cryptocurrencies such as Binary Bit and Genbit. Picoin’s popularity remains low, the price is not expressive. The tactic of attracting new users to the app through invitations does not convey credibility in the Brazilian market, due to the negative experiences at Genbit.
In short, Pi Network needs to improve its marketing, develop authority and launch phase 3 to arouse mass interest from cryptocurrency lovers. This will bring the appreciation!
Follow only official Pi Network channels and trusted sites. Follow the Pi Network channels to find out about the launch of Phase 3. The official website is the minepi.com  in this environment you download the Pi Network software and app.
But beware, have only one Picoin account, otherwise you may lose one, the system is meritocratic, everyone has equal rights, so no user can make more than 1 Picoin account.
In the Pi Network app there is a chat in Spanish for you to answer your questions with the Pi community and learn more about the project. We don’t know how long you’ll earn Pi for free per day in the app, they don’t exist and how long you can mine, so enjoy while the project is in phase 2.
There are other apps to test on the official website, the idea is that users help developers improve the Pi Apps platform. As we said, there is no release date for phase 3, it can happen at any time when the Pi Network DEV thinks the project is ready.
The purpose of phase 2 is to improve mining processes and update the software. Pi Network is strict with Picoin mining, any fraud in creating accounts and in the mining process will have the account balance voided. So don’t try to circumvent the rules, read all the app documentation on the minepi.com website.
There are more than 5 million members helping the Pi Network community, only when the developers believe that the contributions in the Pi Network are ready and stable, phase 3 will happen.
Picoin has not finished its project yet, the currency has no liquidity in Brazil and is not listed in the main crypto balls, this influences the value of Picoin (Pi). Users cannot exchange Picoin for another crypto easily, only using the Binomo broker.
There is not much information about the project, only on official channels, so the best way to get to know the technology is to download the app, use the mining system and buy Picoin to bet on the high.
The creators’ intention is to increase the users’ experience in the first phases, and then launch the Picoin network to the world, that is, in phase 3 Picoin investors believe in the rise. After all, the project will be ready!
Binomo offers the option to purchase Picoin by credit card. The broker accepts traditional brands, such as: visa, conductor and mastercard.
Picoin is among the most promising coins, on the same list are: Cardano, Polygon, Binance Coin, Vechain and Ethereum.
To withdraw the user must download the Pi Network app and transfer the money from the broker to the wallet.
The price of 1 Picoin varies per day in US Dollars and Real. Picoin’s real exchange rate can be tracked on the cryptoeconomy portal every day.
 
On the Cryptoecnomy Portal you will find data on the crypto market, news and tools
Disclaimer: trading cryptocurrencies is risky. The Criptoeconomia Portal does not guarantee the accuracy of the data presented, nor is it responsible for any investment decision.
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Todd Seavey

Krypto, Rhino, RINOs, and CatTurd2.

Krypto, Rhino, RINOs, and CatTurd2.
I’m not religious, and for my parents this time of year is mainly an excuse for extra decorations, but that’s reason enough for Mom to put out the manger diorama she’s had since childhood. If I were inclined to make myself out to be some sort of Gaia-loving lefty nature-worshipper, which I’m not, I could get a lot of mileage out of reminiscences about the friendly gathering of animals in manger scenes bringing me more peace of mind than all the supernatural claims surrounding the humans depicted near them.
This, I suppose, is pretty much what the early Christians intended, or did unconsciously, when they lured in members of earlier pagan nature-cults with pastoral imagery and animal metaphors. Animals getting along across species boundaries has been a moving testament to the real universal (or at least widespread) potential for empathy, from the legendary lion (or wolf) and lamb of old to the surprising animal-pal partnerships attested to on YouTube in our own day—not to mention the grudging tolerance my parents’ Scottie and immense, 18-year-old Maine coon cat show each other. (I confess my parents’ ownership of Scotties was indirectly inspired by my late grandmother’s fondness for FDR’s famous dog Fala, but empathy must transcend political divisions.)
I missed a big annual Hanukkah gathering and a Christmas party due to a cold this year, but I got to see the cat and dog sit next to each other politely awaiting snacks, and that alone should keep me shored up emotionally for another season.
Contrast that warmth, lest you are so young or so cynical as to think instinctual responses are meaningless, with the deliberately unsettling overt occultism in Kim Kardashian’s new “Santa Baby” video (including an allusion to the tryst between furries glimpsed in a Kubrick scene, which is the bad kind of animal love). To clarify: I’m basically against religion, but Satanism is the worst one, not the best and hippest. Or perhaps in Hollywood nowadays they say wicca instead of Satanism, but we all get the idea.
Empathy being a good thing (and evil being bad), I can’t really object, even as a rather traditional superhero fan, to Sony this month transforming the Marvel character Kraven the Hunter from a ruthless big game hunter into both a friend to animals and a crusading hunter of bad men, little worse than a typical antihero. I can object to it being a mediocre movie, though, and the only silver lining here will be if its severe punishment at the box office finally inspires Sony to give up and let Disney handle all the Marvel characters.
If Sony instead tries to keep cranking out tepid films using second-tier Spider-Man characters—maybe the Jackal next, then the Beetle, Tarantula, who knows—it will be like making audiences endure years of protracted animal torture videos. Put the Sony superhero universe out of its misery. (No pardon for this Hunter! Come to think of it, maybe it’s not too late to try luring some far-right Republicans into the Kraven movie by emphasizing that it features a manly Russian defeating “the Rhino.”)
I’m only moderately more optimistic about next year’s James Gunn-directed reboot of Superman and the DC Universe, but I think we can agree that in the trailer, Superman’s dog Krypto steals the show, which helps.
I don’t mean to imply that animals are all sweetness and light, by the way. Not only do they kill for food, mates, and territory—and occasionally just for sport—but apparently orcas can be as callous as human fur-wearers (perhaps unsurprising, given our two species’ shared tendency to prey on seals) and sometimes, like humans, revive defunct 1980s fashion trends to look hip. Or at least, some killer whales have apparently recently revived the practice, briefly common among some members of their species four decades ago for reasons unknown, of wearing dead salmon on their heads like hats. They may just think it looks cool, one of the growing number of reminders our way of thinking is not so unlike other species’.
One member of our own species—or perhaps he’s supposed to be a cat, or perhaps a piece of feces—who tests the limits of empathy, though, is the X user by the handle CatTurd2, an utterly nuance-free, epithet-spouting Trump enthusiast with a bafflingly large following (and three ex-wives, reportedly). CatTurd2 is the sort of blind loyalist who calls any Republican who fails to go along with every single Trump plan a “RINO,” even when Trump (who wasn’t always a Republican himself, you may recall) is urging passage of a bloated, big-spending budget bill, as he was this month, along with the abandonment of legal limits on the gargantuan federal government debt.
At one point, CatTurd2 was denouncing those voting against the bill as “sellout losers” serving “big lobbyist” donors even as those in opposition included such fiscally-hardcore Members of Congress as Tim Burchett, Nance Mace, and Thomas Massie, all of whom are in fact more anti-socialist and anti-Big Government than Trump is. Who needs bots when there are people—or cats or pieces of feces or whatever—as mechanical and predictable as CatTurd2? If Trump, or perhaps in a few years Vance, sinks to denouncing capitalism as an economic philosophy for “total dummies,” the likes of CatTurd2 will cheer—and call anyone who still sticks up for markets a hated enemy and, well, a pussy. 
—Todd Seavey is the author of Libertarianism for Beginners and is on X at @ToddSeavey

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MicroStrategy, a global leader in bitcoin holdings, is proposing a massive increase in its shares to finance the purchase of more bitcoins. This initiative, aiming to raise $42 billion, reflects the company’s ambitious strategy to strengthen its position in BTC treasury management.
MicroStrategy, the largest bitcoin-holding company in the world, has recently proposed a massive increase in its shares to finance the purchase of more BTC. This proposal, submitted to shareholders, aims to increase the number of Class A common shares from 330 million to 10.33 billion and preferred shares from 5 million to 1.005 billion.
This initiative is part of MicroStrategy’s “21/21” plan, an ambitious three-year program aimed at raising $42 billion, to be evenly distributed between equity capital and debt instruments. This plan supports the company’s strategy to acquire more bitcoin, thereby consolidating its position as a leader in bitcoin treasury management.
In addition to the share increase, MicroStrategy has also proposed a new stock incentive plan, which would automatically grant stock rewards to new directors. This proposal reflects a new step in the evolution of the company as a bitcoin treasury firm and its ambitious goals for the future.
Despite these announcements, the share price of MicroStrategy (MSTR) fell by 8.78% at the close of Monday, reaching $332.23, and has lost 17.6% over the past month. Nevertheless, MicroStrategy’s shares have seen impressive growth of 450% over the past year.
Additionally, Michael Saylor announced that the company has recently acquired an additional 5,262 bitcoins for about $561 million, bringing its total holdings to 444,262 BTC, currently valued at over $41.6 billion.
In summary, the proposed increase in MicroStrategy’s shares driven by Michael Saylor marks a significant step in its bitcoin acquisition strategy, reflecting its continued confidence in the long-term potential of this cryptocurrency.
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Le monde évolue et l’adaptation est la meilleure arme pour survivre dans cet univers ondoyant. Community manager crypto à la base, je m’intéresse à tout ce qui touche de près ou de loin à la blockchain et ses dérivés. Dans l’optique de partager mon expérience et de faire connaître un domaine qui me passionne, rien de mieux que de rédiger des articles informatifs et décontractés à la fois.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
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Every Fashion Editor I Know Is in Love With Zara’s Sister Brand  Who What Wear
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since 2001
Bird flu has swooped into 108 countries across five continents, according to the UN health agency. 
Outbreaks of the virus, officially known as H5N1, are a yearly occurrence. But this year, it has infected not only hundreds of millions of poultry but also some 900 herds of dairy cows in at least 16 US states. It’s also affected several species of wild animals that ate infected birds.
Aside from the resulting threat to food security, the most worrying aspect is that approximately 60 cases of human avian flu have been reported in the United States among people who had direct contact with infected birds. 
While human cases were not unheard of in previous years, they were quite rare.
This is leading to worries that H5N1 could cause the next pandemic — especially because the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that kicked off the Covid-19 pandemic also is believed to have jumped from animals to humans.
We asked an Israeli expert whether there’s real reason for concern.
The current avian influenza spread “is alarming, but we do not believe it will be next pandemic,” says Prof. Cyrille Cohen, dean of Bar-Ilan University’s Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and head of its immunotherapy lab.
“We know that the strain is able to infect mammalians including humans, and throughout this year we’ve seen about 60 cases in nine states. It’s alarming that we just saw a severe human case in Louisiana, because usually it just causes fever and conjunctivitis. This severe case may point toward a change in the behavior of the virus,” Cohen continues.
“But it’s not like Covid, because there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of avian influenza. It’s only when you are in contact with infected animals that you may get sick,” Cohen explains.
Indeed, UN health officials have found “no evidence so far that the H5N1 viruses have adapted to spread between people.”
“That being said,” Cohen cautions, “we need to be on the lookout for possible changes in the behavior of the virus — like a person coinfected with a human strain of flu and avian flu may develop a variant that could propagate in the population. But that’s a bit farfetched.”
He also emphasizes that bird flu is very different than Covid. 
“In Covid, a lot of patients were asymptomatic so they could spread the virus quite freely. With avian flu, you feel sick and will stay home and infect fewer people,” he says. 
And so, Cohen assures us, “We are not talking about a pandemic.” 
In Israel, there’s another reason for optimism: This season’s bird flu is nowhere near as serious as the outbreak in 2022 during peak bird migration season.
At that time, tens of thousands of migratory common cranes arrived from Europe and western Asia already infected with the flu. More than 5,000 crane carcasses were collected at Agamon Hula Lake Nature Park in the Upper Galilee. 
The virus then spread to egg and turkey farms, prompting the Israel Ministry of Agriculture’s Veterinary Service to declare a state of emergency. Half a million laying hens and 90,000 turkeys were destroyed to stop the spread.
Fortunately, that situation is not repeating itself.
“There are very few cases this year,” says Prof. Israel Rozenboim, vice dean for research and development at Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agriculture and a specialist in avian physiology, reproduction and management.
“Compared to what’s going on in the US, where it’s a big catastrophe because it’s going to dairy cows, in Israel we haven’t yet seen a lot of cases in live birds — just here and there,” Rozenboim tells ISRAEL21c.
He says that while many countries are starting to vaccinate all poultry against avian influenza – including nearby Egypt, where the virus remains endemic — Israel is not vaccinating poultry flocks but rather destroying flocks in which birds test positive for the virus. 
“The virus is not eliminated after you vaccinate,” he points out. “The thinking here is that by eradicating flocks, you eliminate the virus.”
Rozenboim also sees a possible connection between Israel’s year-long war with Hezbollah and the low incidence of bird flu in northern poultry farms, which were severely affected by the outbreak in 2022. 
“Two years ago, the problem was in Agamon Hula, a small lake where the wild cranes arrived contaminated and were being fed. They stayed put and infected all the flocks around the Hula,” he says.
“Today, because of the war, people have not gone to the Hula to feed the animals.”
And then he mentions that it’s a huge relief not to have to worry about bird flu in Israel at this time.
“Right now, we have other concerns,” he says wryly, understating the obvious.

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Tis’ the season for joy, making holiday cookies in the comfort of your cozy kitchen, the smell of pine needles and sipping piping hot cocoa. But for many folks who are estranged from loved ones, including me, it’s also the season for something a little less merry: grief.
My mother and I were estranged for eleven years. I say were because she is no longer earthside, but somewhere out in the ether, depending on who you ask. Of course, with that loss comes its own kind of bereavement. But before she died in 2019 after a methamphetamine overdose, our estrangement felt something like an eternal sadness, one that can’t be taped over and wrapped with a bow — especially around the holiday season.
The months that mark the end of the year, a supposed-to-be-happy shift into a new year are, perhaps, the hardest months when you’re estranged from a loved one, a friend or for many people, their entire family. For me, that was certainly the case. My mother, the person we all are connected to deeply in ways we can’t always understand, wasn’t around. She always loved Christmas time, but Halloween was her favorite, and as our eleven-year estrangement went on, I found myself a little melancholy as the spooky season approached. It went well into December, too.
We missed out on the wrapping of presents together, the jaunt to go look at the holiday lights or even watch silly movies about elves and St. Nick and those Hallmark movies she loved. And with every missed holiday together, it marked something we could never get back. Time. Memories. Joy. Sorrow. Love. This came and went every year.
Amid our estrangement, around year three, I decided to find ways to cope with the sadness. I didn’t want to stay stuck in this loop. After all, I wanted to enjoy the holidays, too. We all deserve that. So I set out to do what I knew would help me: I got a therapist booked out, every year, to talk to before the holiday season kicked in. Even if I didn’t keep the sessions throughout the months, I found that having someone (a trained professional) to make a plan with — like what to do when I feel depression coming on or what I could do to help myself if I got angry messages from my mother — was a way to protect myself.
I always knew that, around the holidays, each of our feelings would be exacerbated. I’d feel the call to continue to protect myself, and she, a struggling addict, would feel the call to reach out to me and reconnect. I’d feel sad to not be able to hug her, and she’d, presumably, feel sad she couldn’t hug me, too.

I used to imagine her sitting in her home that I’d never seen or been invited to before, and I’d wonder if she thought about me, or what we’d do if we were together. Over the years, I found that, instead of pushing these thoughts and feelings away, embracing them actually made things easier. We should feel all of our things, and even if they’re hard, that is the reality of many folks who are estranged.
Making the decision to get professional help, and let myself notice and acknowledge how I felt, gave me permission to live in the duality: I could have complicated emotions and still live my joyful life. Of course, it also helped to confide in trusted friends, indulge in my Granny’s Christmas cookies, head to the three-story mall with my little sister to shop for gifts and give myself restful days when I needed them.
Now, even after my mother has passed on, I think the process of grieving her while she was still alive, was somehow, more difficult than grieving her death. That’s the thing about estrangement, it forces us to grieve a person who is still living, but who, in some ways, feels dead. Around the holidays, this always leaves me still with a sadness, that I suppose will always be there. But I can continue on.
A few years before my mother’s passing, I got a card in the mail a week after Christmas. It was postmarked on December 24th. The address was one of a drug addiction treatment center, where she had checked herself in on Christmas Eve, a time when the holidays must have helped her reevaluate her life. The note simply read, “Merry Christmas, I love you.” For the first time, I wholly knew, she felt the hardness of the holidays, too.
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The Animal Celebrities Who Surprised, Soothed and Screamed at Us in 2024  The New York Times
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As the Christmas bull run approaches, crypto enthusiasts are eyeing the top five altcoins set to deliver significant gains. Leading the pack is Lightchain AI (LCAI), a revolutionary token poised to redefine blockchain and AI integration.
Currently priced at just $0.003 in its presale, LCAI offers incredible potential with its innovative Proof of Intelligence (PoI) consensus and Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM).
These technologies are driving unprecedented interest in LCAI as the token gears up for explosive growth. Joining LCAI are four other promising altcoins, each primed to capitalize on the festive market momentum.
Here are the top five altcoins that crypto enthusiasts should keep an eye on this Christmas:
Lightchain AI is an innovative blockchain platform that combines artificial intelligence (AI) with blockchain technology to enhance scalability, privacy, and efficiency.
At the heart of its design is the decentralized governance model, which empowers the community to make decisions, ensuring a more equitable and transparent ecosystem. Additionally, Lightchain AI leverages a high-performance blockchain infrastructure to execute complex AI tasks in real time, offering solutions to industries like healthcare, logistics, and finance.
Currently in its presale phase, Lightchain AI is offering tokens at just $0.003, providing early investors with an opportunity for substantial returns as the project progresses. By merging AI with blockchain, Lightchain AI aims to transform decentralized applications and governance, creating a smarter, more secure, and fairer digital ecosystem.
Despite recent price volatility, Cardano continues to make significant strides in blockchain technology. The network has experienced its fastest growth rate since June 2023, with a notable increase in new addresses, indicating rising adoption.
Additionally, Cardano’s Hydra protocol recently processed $2 billion in transactions within just four hours, surpassing Visa’s transaction volume during that period.
Solana is renowned for its high-speed transactions and low fees, attracting significant attention in the crypto space. The recent integration of Chainlink’s data streams aims to enhance Solana’s ecosystem by providing real-time, low-latency data, potentially boosting its appeal to developers and investors.
Chainlink remains a leading oracle provider, offering secure and reliable data feeds essential for smart contracts. Its integration with Solana’s platform is expected to enhance the development of high-frequency decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, further solidifying Chainlink’s position in the expanding DeFi landscape.
Polkadot’s interoperable blockchain platform facilitates seamless communication between different networks, emphasizing scalability and flexibility. Analysts are optimistic about Polkadot’s growth, with predictions suggesting that DOT could reach $11.57 by 2025, reflecting its increasing adoption and potential in the crypto market.
While the four other altcoins on this list offer promising potential, Lightchain AI stands out as a top contender for explosive growth during the Christmas bull run. With its unique blend of blockchain and AI technology, LCAI has caught the attention of investors and industry experts alike.
Lightchain AI (LCAI) is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence with blockchain technology, aiming to revolutionize decentralized applications and governance.
LCAI’s total supply is capped at 10 billion, with 40% allocated to presale, 28.5% for staking rewards, 15% for liquidity, 5% for marketing, 6.5% for the treasury, and 5% for the team, ensuring a balanced, sustainable ecosystem.
Lightchain AI’s roadmap includes key phases like prototype development in November 2024, testnet rollout in January 2025, mainnet launch in March 2025, ecosystem growth in May, global adoption by June, and continuous improvement through iterative evolution.
This comprehensive roadmap underscores Lightchain AI’s commitment to innovation, scalability, and real-world application.
By aligning its tokenomics with a strategic roadmap, Lightchain AI is poised to lead the convergence of AI and blockchain technologies, offering a sustainable and scalable ecosystem for decentralized intelligence.
The Christmas bull run is here, and it’s the perfect time to explore the incredible potential of altcoins! Among the many promising projects, Lightchain AI is stealing the spotlight with its powerful combination of AI and blockchain technology. With a strategic roadmap and irresistible tokenomics, this project is primed for success.
Don’t sit on the sidelines—this is your chance to be part of something revolutionary. Lightchain AI is paving the way to becoming a leader in the AI+blockchain space. Secure your spot now in their presale phase at just $0.003 per token. Opportunities like this don’t last—get in before it’s too late!
https://lightchain.ai
https://lightchain.ai/lightchain-whitepaper.pdf
https://x.com/LightchainAI
https://t.me/LightchainProtocol
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Bitcoin coils between key trend lines as $98K boosts ‘Kimchi premium’  Cointelegraph
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