Apologies for not posting since last week, but finals are upon me and I am up to my neck in correcting. More detailed posts will follow this weekend.

Did you notice, however (he says, hinting that future posts will mention this) that several significant birthdays, all deserving extended comment, will pass by us December 16-18? Yesterday was the birthday of George Santayana and Ralph Adams Cram (two good New Englanders, God bless) and the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party (a protest by smugglers, ugh). Today is the birthday of John Greenleaf Whittier and Rev. Thomas Starr King (two more more good New Englanders, although Whittier's politics get up my nose). Tomorrow is the birthday of Saki, Father Isaac Hecker, and Franz Ferdinand. Quite a crew.

Lots of mighty good posts there! Culture, politics, religion. (Sigh) More correcting.