Since it's Christmas...

Christmas is less than two weeks away, and I have nothing to post about it. Neither news article nor dinosaur comic has inspired me to write, and none of my own Christmas-related thoughts is insightful enough to share. But I love Christmastime too much to let it pass without a mention. As I said last year, I'm convinced that--despite the garish, over-hawked kitsch flowing freely over the festivities--Christmas brings out the best in people. So, lest the season go unheeded, let me share two small items:

1. Christmas music might be my favorite part of the season, and I've spent the last week or so fine-tuning the ultimate Pandora Christmas station. The very worst Christmas music is ostentatious and diva-driven; the very best is still, solemn, and beautiful. In an effort to sift out the chaff, I've seeded the station with a choice blend of 'classical' and contemporary music. I dare you to judge my choices. This year's newfound gem is the warm, hearthy choral work of Vaughan Williams. Although an agnostic, he was devoted to spreading Christmas cheer, writing a fantasia on Christmas carols alongside a ballet score for Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Listen and enjoy, I entreat you.

2. My wife and I can't stomach the idea of Christmas at 75 degrees. So, instead of staying in Texas, we've arranged to be here on Christmas eve. A prediction: best Christmas ever.