December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas.

I hope you have a happy Christmas, if you're celebrating Christmas. Is anyone here not celebrating Christmas today? If so, is it because you never celebrate Christmas or is this year different for some reason? Are you experiencing Christmas woes? For Christmas solace, congregate here.

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42 comments:

Ron said...

No family, friends all out of town...not much to celebrate, so I try to avoid it.

rhhardin said...

How do you place 1's and 0's in a (say) 8x8 array so that each 1 is diagonally adjacent to some 0?

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1
1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1
1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

That's the most 1's (48) you can squeeze into an 8x8.

Or how many 1's adjacent horizontally or vertically to some 0 can you squeeze into a 7x7 array?

1 0 1 1 1 0 1
1 1 1 0 1 1 1
0 1 1 1 1 1 0
1 1 0 1 0 1 1
0 1 1 1 1 1 0
1 1 1 0 1 1 1
1 0 1 1 1 0 1

answer 37.

Not much to do with Christmas, but it's done on Christmas and enjoyable.

Guys are like that.

What do you do while the laptop is working this out for you? Pics from not a half hour ago...

pic1
pic2
pic3

Go out and play with the dog.

rhhardin said...

Christmas flash : new pics
Roosters warming in found solarium
Rooster in the straw

I put down venturing out to the absence of traffic.

Edgehopper said...

I'm Jewish and my family's in another state, so I'll be celebrating in the traditional way--a movie and Chinese food. Now,, I need to decide between "The Great Debaters" and "Sweeney Todd". Or I could just see both.

Dave said...

I'm with Edgehopper.

Except I live in Manhattan...and so all the stores are open! And they're empty!

Such a cool holiday you guys have! I can wander around almost like I am Will Smith in I Am Legend! I don't have to fight any crowds! Wow, I love this holiday!

Mark Daniels said...

Meery Christmas and happy holidays to you, Ann, and to all your regular readers.

Blessings,
Mark Daniels

Peter V. Bella said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Randy said...

Merry Christmas everyone.

Paddy O said...

Merry Christmas Ann! And Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks for this great place to hang out, think, and chat on subjects wide and deep.

Cheers!

Unknown said...

Merry Christmas to Ann and all the commenters here.

* < : - ) >

(That's Santa Claus, by the way)

Simon said...

Merry Christmas, everyone. :)

boldface said...

For those of us who aren't Christian, Christmas is a terrific day off: sleep late, laze around the house, exercise the remote finger. Maybe we'll catch a movie a bit later. One year we went skiing. There were no crowds.

We should have more holidays like this.

Susan said...

rhhardin: This
one
's for you.

Melinda said...

I'm half-Jewish, so: Half the day running errands in those wonderfully empty stores like Dave F, the other half having dinner with family.

George M. Spencer said...

Glory to God in the highest,

and on the Earth

peace, goodwill to all.

Luke 2:14

jeff said...

I will hit the family house for dinner and to watch the kids open their presents and maybe catch a movie. I will spend a nano-second wondering what sort of small brained jackass would think Christmas day is a good time to comment in a place he has been asked repeatedly to stop, not to mention his strange sexual fantasy. Odd.

Ann Althouse said...

(I deleted the comment jeff is referring to.)

Joan said...

The kids are all playing with their new stuff, I've polished off my first mimosa, and the turkey is in the oven, making the house smell delicious.

I did nearly burn the bacon this morning, but even that was OK; it turns out 2 out of 3 children like their bacon extra, extra crispy.

Merry Christmas everyone! And for those who don't celebrate Christmas, may you have a delightful day enjoying the fact that most everyone else is busy doing Christmas-y stuff.

Revenant said...

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Trooper York said...

Merry Christmas everybody! We went to midnight mass last night with most of the neighborhood. I just finished making the meatballs and they are stewing in the sauce with the sausages and the gravey round.
Salads prepared. Antipasto prepared. Wine chilling. Pastry in the fridge. Waiting for the family. Listening to WFAN. God bless all everyone!

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas! I have a pumpkin pie and an apple/cranberry pie in the oven. I'll be bringing them both to my sister's house later today for Christmas dinner. The kids were thrilled with what Santa left for them. The seven-year-old boy,"Oh.My.God. It's the Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End game for the computer! Yay!" I do not know how he turned into a valley girl, I just do not know.

AmPowerBlog said...

Merry Christmas to you, Ann! Thank you for all of your blogging in 2007.

Here's to a wonderful holiday season, and all the best for a great '08!

Happy Holidays to all of the visiting, commenting Althousians as well!

American Power

Gedaliya said...

Merry Christmas to all!

I'm Jewish, so there will be no celebrations today, unless you count my gratitude and joy at being back in the United States for the foreseeable future. I've made my last trip to India for a while, and I hope I never return.

knox said...

Ah, reading all these made me happy.

Merry Christmas to all who hang out here and thank you especially to Althouse! Your blog is the gift that keeps on giving.

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Victor said...

Lounging and getting ready to go to the airport. It's always great to get out of the country during the holidays.

David said...

Christmas becomes a time of ghosts as I age. The ghosts are as welcome at my table as the living, and sometimes just as demanding. Tiring, but I would not have it any other way.

blake said...

Tidings of comfort and joy to all.

Jennifer said...

Merry Christmas all!!

john said...

Trooper,

Can we* come to your house next Christmas? I'll get you a present. I won't ask for one.

Best wishes to all in Althousianland.

*wife, 2 kids, dog, cat, lizard. me. I'll leave the pets at home.

Stylin said...

Merry Christmas,
We do the opening of gifts on Christmas eve as the stepkids will be with their mom on Christmas day and i have offered to dogsit for a friend today so I' m here celebrating Christmas with 4 dogs !!!

Trooper York said...

John, you and your wife, the dog and the lizard are definately invited. But sorry, no cats or kids. Have a happy! (Meatballs came out great by the way)

Ann Althouse said...

Meatballs... sounds great.

And thanks for the poem yesterday.

Trooper York said...

No problemo. Merry Christmas prof, and by the way the weather was great in Brooklyn.

vnjagvet said...

And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night".

Peter Hoh said...

Merry Christmas to all. And to all a Good Night.

This is a night for a good, sound sleep. I was up too late last night, as is my habit on Christmas Eve.

This afternoon I cooked up a very nice butternut squash chicken soup with roasted carrots and cauliflower. Also made a beef barley soup. And chicken noodle straight out of a Campbell's can for the kids.

We had a nice family gathering late this afternoon into the evening. Snow straight out of central casting fell, covering everything with a fresh 4 inches. And the kids got to watch the DVDs they got for Christmas.

Now it's time for bed.

reader_iam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
reader_iam said...

"The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
..."

John Stodder said...

Merry Christmas, Ann and friends. Peace be with you.

Kev said...

Merry belated Christmas to all! (Limited computer usage at Mom and Dad's, so I missed it on the "day of.")

Fr Martin Fox said...

Melinda:

This may be too late, but...

do you mind if I ask, what it means to you to say, "I'm half-Jewish"?

That just puzzles me; I can't imagine you mean you half-believe Judaism and half-believe Christianity? I guess you mean, you have two different religious milieus (sp?) you come from, and you keep a foot in each?

But rather than guess or infer, I thought I'd just ask, if you don't mind?

To the extent you celebrate Christmas...merry Christmas!

Melinda said...

Father Martin Fox said:

I guess you mean, you have two different religious milieus (sp?) you come from, and you keep a foot in each?

Yep. That's what I meant. My mother is Jewish, my father a Catholic of Irish and Italian descent, and I keep a foot in each milleiu...Enough to see your comment and say, "Yikes! I just got busted by a priest!"