Random News and Notes 21 December

Today marks the 7th night of Hanukkah. Chag Urim Sameach. There are but 4 shopping days left before Christmas. I hope you all are done. If not, good luck and Godspeed.

Today is also the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. From today on, the days will start getting longer. The solstice marks the beginning of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

The US has seized another tanker filled with Venezuelan oil. The VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) of the sanctioned MT Bella 1 comes just a day after the US seized the MT Centuries and 11 days after the arrest of the sanctioned MT Skipper.

Like the Skipper, Bella 1 is a US sanctioned vessel and was part of the ‘Dark Fleet’ of tankers. The Dark Fleet tankers move oil from sanctioned countries.

This one is a bit – more than a bit – disgusting. The finance chair of the Virginia democrats just got arrested for kiddie porn. Randon “Randy” Alexander Sprinkle was charged with distribution of child porn in federal court. He once served as a leader in the Young Democrats of Virginia, and worked in 2025 as the campaign treasurer for Richmond City Council Vice President Katherine Jordan.

I do not recommend reading the complaint, it’s truly sickening stuff.

Anyway, he should say hi to Mr Chippy if you ask me.