Al’s Christmas Tea: Hugs for the Holidays and Hopes for a White Christmas
Welcome back in for Al’s Christmas Tea, our chance to sample some of the news of the season.
Who Might Have a White Christmas?
With six days to go until Christmas, it’s fair to start wondering who is going to have a white one. (That’s defined as having at least an inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day.) Unfortunately, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service, most of the nation won’t be seeing the white stuff.
As one would expect, the best chances are in the higher elevations out west, like the Rocky Mountains. Also looking good are North Dakota, areas across northern Minnesota, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula around the Great Lakes. Sections of northern New England are also likely to get snow, with the possibility of precipitation throughout New York and much of Pennsylvania.
But fear not. We’ve seen enough Hallmark Christmas movies to know you can never totally discount snow. What’s our first rule of Christmas movies? “Kissing makes it snow.”
School Apologizes After Excluding Kids with Special Needs from Christmas Program
We’ve put on enough Christmas shows to know you’re bound to forget something. One detail will get missed. Perhaps it’s that crucial extension cord you left on the table at home. Perhaps it’s not pounding into the cast members’ heads hard enough that they have to make sure their props are in the right place.
[A huge thank you to 10-year-old J.R. who recognized that one of the adults’ crucial costume props was on the opposite side of the stage from where it needed to be about 30 seconds before it was needed. We should also thank eight-year-old J.R. and 11-year-old J.R. for helping prompt adults who blanked on their lines in other shows. PRO CHRISTMAS SHOW TIP: Make sure you have a J.R. in your cast.)
However, Parkview Elementary School in Bedford, Indiana forgot something huge. They did not include students with special needs in this year’s little Christmas program.
The school issued an apology on Facebook.
Excluding students has no place in our school. Our priority is to create a safe, supportive environment where every student can thrive. Students have not been excluded from participation in holiday programs prior to this year, nor will students ever be excluded in the future.
We sincerely apologize to our Parkview students and families for any hurt feelings, sadness, and frustration brought about by this situation.
Curiously, the apology does not mention that the excluded kids had special needs, which is a bit of a copout. The school also described the snub as an “oversight,” but according to local WBIW, parents of the impacted kids aren’t buying it. Mackenzie Beasley wondered how the school could “forget” kids who are “1,000% dependent on you while they are there.”
Arms for Christmas
Three children in the United Kingdom are able to hug their loved ones this Christmas, thanks to new bionic arms. The kids received the high-tech “Hero Arms” thanks to the charitable efforts of Sarah Lockley, whose own daughter Tilly needed prosthetics years ago after losing both hands to meningitis.
Lockley raises money each year through her Big Hero 3 charity to randomly select three kids to receive the Hero Arms, described by the Open Biotics Foundation as “the world’s most affordable advanced multi-grip prosthetic arm.”
This year’s recipients are Zoey Hampton-Pigeon, Finley Jarvis, and Colette Baker.
Colette (also known as Ettie) screamed when she got the news, according to her mom, Alyse.
“For Ettie, she’s excited about being able to do things like handstands, ride her bike without an adaption, and tying her shoes,” she said. “As parents, we are excited about these things too, but also all the other ways the Hero Arms will change Ettie’s life.”
Hugs for Christmas
According to a poll commissioned by Klick Health, 74% of Americans and Canadians say they won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish to see over the holidays. Klick decided to do something about it, at least for its employees.
As seen in the below video “Holiday Hugs,” the company used AI technology to create these longed-for hugs — and also arranged for some real-life surprises.
I’m not crying. You’re crying.
On the Stream Menu…
New Stream contributor Jason Mattera (son of our Saturday contributor, Joseph Mattera!) returns with “Who’s Really Behind the Failures of the U.S. Health System?”
We also have an interesting video from Jonathan Cahn called “The Mystery of the Semites.”
Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.