Greetings one and all and welcome to the first edition of Laura's Links for 2025!

I'm filing this column on the last night of Chanukah and was planning to wish a Happy New Year to all our readers and members of The Mark Steyn Club all over the world. Alas, it was really not a happy New Year's Day in New Orleans, Las Vegas or Montenegro. The details are still unfolding (or being covered up, depending on what your perspective is). Mark covered the events substantially in yesterday's live Clubland Q&A, so do have a listen if you missed it live.

Is it too early to jump to conclusions? Is it too early to say that this is what "globalizing the intifadah" means? Perhaps, but likely not. I feel like I don't have anything new to add to the discussion at the moment. That's mostly because like Mark, I've been writing about jihad and the clash of civilizations for at least twenty or so years and it's hard to watch events unfold when you have tried your best to sound the warning bell to no avail. At this time my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. As someone who has been affected directly by murderous Islamic terrorism I both empathize and sympathize thoroughly and am filled with rage and sorrow. I'll leave it at that for now.

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There's a whole pile of links for you to go through down below, but sometimes I spot something that I feel needs to be right up front, or something where someone has said something better (or faster) than I ever could. Daniel Greenfield's essay on Chanukah is one such piece. I was also profoundly touched by this very simple reel on Instagram, encouraging people to be bold, speak to strangers and in doing so, possibly make a new friend. On the darker side of the news, this is possibly one of the most monstrous stories about Canada's socialized medical system that, I have seen in a while. (Or at least, since COVID.) Everyone laughed at Sarah Palin when she called our system "death panels" but who is laughing now? Nobody. This piece at Spiked Online talks about the woman who was burned to death on the NYC subway by an illegal migrant. The fact that the perpetrator of this murder was an illegal is outrageous, but what I find equally chilling is how people simply filmed an innocent human burning to death. Woe unto us. Where is the humanity in any of this? It's hard not to despair when seeing such things. We have to take action against evil, and pray to G-d for strength in facing human evil and try to rekindle an appreciation of the holiness of human life, the sanctity of life and for the rule of law. We must demand it from the feckless leaders who have led us down this path.

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Lastly, I have occasion nowadays to visit a loved one in the long-term care home in which he has been placed. It's a long and sordid story and something I can't discuss publicly at this time. Toward the end of one particular visit recently, another visitor to the facility sat down at the piano in the foyer and started tickling the ivories. They were all songs I knew and loved. So we moved a little closer and I sang my little heart out in an impromptu mini-concert. There weren't that many people around but while in the zone, I caught a glimpse of another resident with an attendant caregiver smiling from ear to ear and clapping. And then as one of the songs drew to a close, I exchanged a knowing glance with the piano player, thanked him and then carried on with the end of my visit.

I haven't sang in public in many years, so I find it quite odd that it took being at a place I don't like to be at, under circumstances that I wouldn't wish on anyone's loved one, to brew up a moment of abandon and a spark of joy. G-d sure does have a good sense of humour and really knows how to lay out and script a good scene. The rest, assuredly, is always up to us.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you in the comments.

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North America:

Congress must expose "the senility coup". Agreed.

As per Neil Oliver: this is happening because your leaders want it to be happening. Very simple. Sympathy for the devil.

Things fall apart. The centre cannot hold.

Lists of Jews, where have I heard that before?

Canada will certainly do better in general under Poilievre, but I am still not optimistic about the future here.

Welcome to Trudeau's Canada.

Jimmy Carter RIP

This has got to stop. This is absolutely outrageous. This is another exit "FU America" from the wicked puppets operating Joe Biden and Biden himself.

"They set fire to $2.5 billion."

"What I saw at the Daniel Penny trial."

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Jews and Israel:

"The light grows."

Beep beep boom: the full story of the pager plot.

Caroline Glick: The War of Resurrection

"My Father Founded Hamas! I Have Seen Everything!" - Mosab Hassan Yousef & the Apostate Prophet.

Shameful.

Hmm. Where did all the Jews go?

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Jewish Wisdom:

"As the result of this one, seemingly minor good deed, Joseph became the viceroy of Egypt, and was able to save the civilized world from famine. We see here, once again, the unimaginably far-reaching results that can come from one small good deed."

"The effects of misdeeds last only until we repair their damage through repentance. The effects of our good deeds, in contrast, last forever."

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The Great Walkbackening, Reckoning and Accounting:

The spies who hate us.

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Down Under:

Everything seems just fine Down Under. I was told that the great replacement was just a crazy conspiracy theory?!? !

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Today In Satan:

The leading cause of death around the world. Pity the babies.

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Human Grace:

Alone no more.

"On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, a story for Dispatch Faith about the best gift—and biggest surprise—I've ever unwrapped."

"Sometimes, we would see them and they looked like they were still in pain; we took a moment to love them because they could be our daughters; because we are all the age of mothers... We understood that we were in a place of incredible holiness."

"When Mrs. Barnard's grandmother, armed with her incredible knitting talents, transformed those colorful patterns into something spectacular."

Behold: The Daddy Daughter Hair Factory

When Secret Santa comes a calling.

"A year ago we met this woman, Sue, at a restaurant and we felt like soulmates. We agreed to meet up again one year later for dinner at the same place, but we never exchanged phone numbers or personal information to contact each other. I didn't even know her last name."

The heart knows.

"I was forced to give up my son for adoption. Then, a miracle happened."

It's open thread time! Log into SteynOnline and let Laura know what you think of these stories or other happenings from week that was. Commenting privileges are among the many perks of membership in The Mark Steyn Club. While going off topic is permitted on Laura's Links, do stick to the other rules as you engage: no URLs, no profanity, and no ad hominem attacks.