vacation notice

We are going to Florida with friends of nearly 15 years (at least by my calculations!), and then to San Francisco for a few days.

Will be back and eager to write sometime around the turn of the new year!

in defense of Christmas

I hate to post someone else's post--but this caught my eye and I had to share. By Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic:

Via Instapundit comes the news that Amazon has now banned the term "Christmas" from one of its advertising campaigns. It is now, on Amazon, "12 Days of Holiday," rather than "12 Days of Christmas."

Well, this Jew objects. I mean, for Christ's sake, it's Christmas. Can't we call a thing by its name? Hannukah is a minor holiday of a minority religion. New Year's Day is merely a day on the calendar. It's a holiday season because it's Christmas. I love Christmas. I don't celebrate it, but I love it; I love the season, the lights, the chestnuts, the message of peace. I love the way our most Jewish city, New York, looks on Christmas. "Holiday" isn't a holiday. It's a way of avoiding offense. But who, exactly, is offended? This is what I don't understand. I'm perfectly happy living in a country that is populated mainly by Christians, particularly Christians who show nothing but acceptance for their fellow citizens who happen to follow other religions. So it doesn't sit well with me that Christians now feel constrained to offer the anodyne "Happy Holidays" rather than a greeting that touches directly on the reason for our seasonal merriment.

So, my Christian sisters and brothers, feel absolutely free to greet me with "Merry Christmas," and I'll greet you right back. You can say "Happy Hannukah" as well, or "Happy Kwanzaa." Say, in other words, what you feel. The important thing is to not be afraid.

See his blog on The Atlantic Merry Christmas

Revelations

Because PBP stood in line for hours, we'll get to see Alvin Ailey's Revelations tonight. "A taste of heaven", she describes it. As PBP is not one to drop compliments indisciminately, we're very excited about the performance.

"Ailey's danced in many cultures where tradition mandates that audiences barely clap, but at the end of 'Revelations' they're up and screaming..." ~Ronni Favors, Ailey's rehearsal director and former company dancer

If you have five minutes and want your own glimpse: Revelations

just in time

I have long since come to believe that people never mean half of what they say, and that it is best to disregard their talk and judge only their actions.
~ Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness