12-20-14 Hodgepodge

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Each year, around this time, I take a week or so off from blogging, and that break begins today. Expect me back on the Monday or Tuesday after Christmas. In the meantime, merry Christmas!  

Weekend Reading

"After I worked up the nerve to hear what I was sure would be, 'No gifts!? Horror of horrors, it's Scrooge!', I was astounded by everyone’s reaction." -- Michael Hurd, in "When Holiday Gift-Giving Becomes a Burden" at The Delaware Wave

"Why do otherwise levelheaded people flock to psychics, mediums and the like?" -- Michael Hurd, in "Fascination With the Mystical" at The Delaware Coast Press

My Two Cents

Michael Hurd's piece on gift-giving reminds me to appreciate having a toe in two pools: My family decided long ago to get together for a couple of "Dirty Santa" exchanges (but get presents for any kids) each year, while my wife's family is more traditional. I get to enjoy a few gifts, and still escape quite a bit of stress at the same time.  

Series or Parallel?

Have you ever wondered something like this about Christmas lights?

... How can you have one light with a broken filament and still have the other lights on? In the physics world, we call this "the magic of Christmas". Ok, not really. ...
If so, Wired has the answer.

-- CAV

2 comments:

John Shepard said...

Merry Christmas, Gus, to you and yours! Look forward to more posts when you return.

Gus Van Horn said...

Merry Christmas to you, too, John!

Also, I look forward to perusing your searchable index of Leonard Peikoff's podcasts.