The Epiphany is celebrated on January 6, but there were two reenactments of a sort in late January, 2025 when Hamas released some of its female hostages. In a “ceremony” Hamas handed each a gift bag. Each bag contained a certificate of release, a necklace, and photos of the hostages when they were in captivity. * A gift bag! Did the leaders of Hamas take their cue from Hollywood?
Now, That’s What I call a Gift Bag!
Almost reminds one of those lavish parties at the Grammys, the Oscars, and the Golden Globes in Hollywood when the entertainment elite receive bags called “Everyone Wins Bags.” Here’s a list of gifts in those bags for the glitterati:
The 2024 nominee gift bonanza features the full line of Miage ultra-luxury transformative skincare products, an all-inclusive luxurious Swiss getaway from Chalet Zermatt Peak, a seven-day holistic wellness retreat from the Golden Door, a three-night stay in a breathtaking private villa from Saint-Barth Paradise, THOR Kitchen luxury kitchen appliances and 10,000 donated meals from v-dog in support of PETA's Global Compassion Fund. Lucky nominees will also receive1MD Nutrition's LiverMD supplement, Adonis Arcana men's grooming and skincare, ultra-premium Antigua Cruz Añejo Cristalino Tequila, AURO WELLNESS Glutaryl topical glutathione, BAGCEIT portable purse seat, BlendQuik Personal Portable Blender, Blush Silks beauty pillowcases, Bored Rebel graphic undershirts, C60 Power Sugar Free Tart Cherry Gummies, a private show with mentalist to the stars Dr. Carl Christman, cate brown sustainable upcycled designer pillows, Potenza RF microneedling by Cynosure, DANUCERA award-winning Cerabalm and D22 Tonic, dooplikit full-color 3D selfie figurine, EATABLE premium gourmet popcorn, ELBOQUE sustainable artisan handbags and backpacks, élevé adaptogen-infused sparkling water, EpicLight Beauty Radiant Duo blush + lip balm, Fetcha Chocolates handmade luxury vegan chocolate, Gin Bothy award-winning small-batch Scottish gin, Goodal Vitamin C serum + eye gel patch, Helight red light sleep therapy device, HEYDUDE comfortable + versatile footwear, Hotsy Totsy Haus Deafinitely Divine Glow Kit, INSTYTUTUM result-driven skincare, Isopure Collagen Peptides drink mix, Jambys "performance inactivewear" gift set, Karma Nuts bite-sized gluten-free Cashew Cookies, Sound Bath with Kate Schofield & The Earth's Hum Tuning Fork, Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Spray, Maison Construction complimentary home project management, Meet the Playground Kids children's book of kindness and empathy, Memorable Movie Performances by J.B. Gould, Overnight Travel Bags stylish travel duffle, poppi reimagined soda, Posh Pretzels handcrafted chocolate covered pretzels, Rose Box NYC luxury long lasting roses, Rubik's Cube 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition, Safe ̶ a memoir by Mark Daley, the Sagar Luxury Sugar Experience, Sattaché luxury shoe bag, Schwank Grills Portable Infrared Grill, Serucell restorative Recovery Serum, Shinery Radiance Wash and Brush Duo, Smack Pet Food raw dehydrated super food for cats, Glow by Dr. Stacie Stephenson, There's Something in the Water from STEM4Real, Wallis Annenberg GenSpace gratitude postcards fostering intergenerational connectedness, Wesper's in-home Clinical Sleep Consultation, mouth-watering black licorice from Windy City Sweets and "You Talkin' to Me?" from Workman Publishing/Hachette Book Group.
I’m a bit underwhelmed by Hamas’s gifts—especially the dime-store necklace. I think they should have included some gifts that the Hollywood people get, such as an all-inclusive luxurious Swiss getaway from Chalet Zermatt Peak, a seven-day holistic wellness retreat from the Golden Door, and a three-night stay in a breathtaking private villa from Saint-Barth Paradise. But no, Hamas couldn’t even think to give gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This gift-giving was not like that of the Magi. It was some pitiful attempt at propaganda. And, who knows? It will probably work on those college protestors and others who openly supported Hamas. “See, they’re nice people who are oppressed by Israel.”
Where’s Al Sharpton when you need him to negotiate for equity? The hostages endured imprisonment—and sometimes rape and torture—for more than 400 days. In Al’s and other liberals’ world, everything should be even, right? Upgrade the gift bags, Hamas.
Epiphany’s Other Meaning
In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce’s character Stephen Daedalus undergoes a series of epiphanies, that is, revelations that come to the brain as “gifts” of awareness. Other authors have used the same theme of reaching a mental discovery as an epiphany. And you have probably also had your share of epiphanies, those moments when insight suddenly appears at your door like the Magi bearing gifts.
Will the Hamas supporters ever receive the gift of realization? Probably not. Many rational people have tried to give them the gift of understanding that there is no equivocation between defending oneself from unprovoked attacks and attacking the innocent without provocation. There is no equity of outcome, also.
A Lesson for All of Us
Unlike the Biblical epiphany in which the Magi gave tangible gifts to the baby, all mental epiphanies come from within and appear to be sourceless, very much like remembering someone’s name after not seeing the person for years. You meet on the street, exchange pleasantries without saying the name, walk away, and then the brain seeming like an independent entity pops that name into your consciousness. “John! That was John! Shoot! Why didn’t I think of that at the time?” So wisdom and understanding seem at times to pop into our heads. Insight and inspiration work that way. They are gifts from nowhere—and everywhere. They are also like the Cosmic Background Radiation in having no point source but emanating from our entire universe.
Will Hamas’s supporters and anti-semites receive the gift? Maybe the best way to ensure that is to put them on that stage getting that bag after 400 days of captivity. Maybe that background experience will radiate their brains with understanding. “Oh! I see what you mean.”
*https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/hamas-handed-gift-bags-to-3-released-hostages-israeli-authorities-seize-materials-here-s-what-was-inside/ar-AA1xwTLX?ocid=BingNewsSerp
Now, That’s What I call a Gift Bag!
Almost reminds one of those lavish parties at the Grammys, the Oscars, and the Golden Globes in Hollywood when the entertainment elite receive bags called “Everyone Wins Bags.” Here’s a list of gifts in those bags for the glitterati:
The 2024 nominee gift bonanza features the full line of Miage ultra-luxury transformative skincare products, an all-inclusive luxurious Swiss getaway from Chalet Zermatt Peak, a seven-day holistic wellness retreat from the Golden Door, a three-night stay in a breathtaking private villa from Saint-Barth Paradise, THOR Kitchen luxury kitchen appliances and 10,000 donated meals from v-dog in support of PETA's Global Compassion Fund. Lucky nominees will also receive1MD Nutrition's LiverMD supplement, Adonis Arcana men's grooming and skincare, ultra-premium Antigua Cruz Añejo Cristalino Tequila, AURO WELLNESS Glutaryl topical glutathione, BAGCEIT portable purse seat, BlendQuik Personal Portable Blender, Blush Silks beauty pillowcases, Bored Rebel graphic undershirts, C60 Power Sugar Free Tart Cherry Gummies, a private show with mentalist to the stars Dr. Carl Christman, cate brown sustainable upcycled designer pillows, Potenza RF microneedling by Cynosure, DANUCERA award-winning Cerabalm and D22 Tonic, dooplikit full-color 3D selfie figurine, EATABLE premium gourmet popcorn, ELBOQUE sustainable artisan handbags and backpacks, élevé adaptogen-infused sparkling water, EpicLight Beauty Radiant Duo blush + lip balm, Fetcha Chocolates handmade luxury vegan chocolate, Gin Bothy award-winning small-batch Scottish gin, Goodal Vitamin C serum + eye gel patch, Helight red light sleep therapy device, HEYDUDE comfortable + versatile footwear, Hotsy Totsy Haus Deafinitely Divine Glow Kit, INSTYTUTUM result-driven skincare, Isopure Collagen Peptides drink mix, Jambys "performance inactivewear" gift set, Karma Nuts bite-sized gluten-free Cashew Cookies, Sound Bath with Kate Schofield & The Earth's Hum Tuning Fork, Kenra Platinum Blow-Dry Spray, Maison Construction complimentary home project management, Meet the Playground Kids children's book of kindness and empathy, Memorable Movie Performances by J.B. Gould, Overnight Travel Bags stylish travel duffle, poppi reimagined soda, Posh Pretzels handcrafted chocolate covered pretzels, Rose Box NYC luxury long lasting roses, Rubik's Cube 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition, Safe ̶ a memoir by Mark Daley, the Sagar Luxury Sugar Experience, Sattaché luxury shoe bag, Schwank Grills Portable Infrared Grill, Serucell restorative Recovery Serum, Shinery Radiance Wash and Brush Duo, Smack Pet Food raw dehydrated super food for cats, Glow by Dr. Stacie Stephenson, There's Something in the Water from STEM4Real, Wallis Annenberg GenSpace gratitude postcards fostering intergenerational connectedness, Wesper's in-home Clinical Sleep Consultation, mouth-watering black licorice from Windy City Sweets and "You Talkin' to Me?" from Workman Publishing/Hachette Book Group.
I’m a bit underwhelmed by Hamas’s gifts—especially the dime-store necklace. I think they should have included some gifts that the Hollywood people get, such as an all-inclusive luxurious Swiss getaway from Chalet Zermatt Peak, a seven-day holistic wellness retreat from the Golden Door, and a three-night stay in a breathtaking private villa from Saint-Barth Paradise. But no, Hamas couldn’t even think to give gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This gift-giving was not like that of the Magi. It was some pitiful attempt at propaganda. And, who knows? It will probably work on those college protestors and others who openly supported Hamas. “See, they’re nice people who are oppressed by Israel.”
Where’s Al Sharpton when you need him to negotiate for equity? The hostages endured imprisonment—and sometimes rape and torture—for more than 400 days. In Al’s and other liberals’ world, everything should be even, right? Upgrade the gift bags, Hamas.
Epiphany’s Other Meaning
In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce’s character Stephen Daedalus undergoes a series of epiphanies, that is, revelations that come to the brain as “gifts” of awareness. Other authors have used the same theme of reaching a mental discovery as an epiphany. And you have probably also had your share of epiphanies, those moments when insight suddenly appears at your door like the Magi bearing gifts.
Will the Hamas supporters ever receive the gift of realization? Probably not. Many rational people have tried to give them the gift of understanding that there is no equivocation between defending oneself from unprovoked attacks and attacking the innocent without provocation. There is no equity of outcome, also.
A Lesson for All of Us
Unlike the Biblical epiphany in which the Magi gave tangible gifts to the baby, all mental epiphanies come from within and appear to be sourceless, very much like remembering someone’s name after not seeing the person for years. You meet on the street, exchange pleasantries without saying the name, walk away, and then the brain seeming like an independent entity pops that name into your consciousness. “John! That was John! Shoot! Why didn’t I think of that at the time?” So wisdom and understanding seem at times to pop into our heads. Insight and inspiration work that way. They are gifts from nowhere—and everywhere. They are also like the Cosmic Background Radiation in having no point source but emanating from our entire universe.
Will Hamas’s supporters and anti-semites receive the gift? Maybe the best way to ensure that is to put them on that stage getting that bag after 400 days of captivity. Maybe that background experience will radiate their brains with understanding. “Oh! I see what you mean.”
*https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/hamas-handed-gift-bags-to-3-released-hostages-israeli-authorities-seize-materials-here-s-what-was-inside/ar-AA1xwTLX?ocid=BingNewsSerp
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