Going to see Avatar with my son this afternoon, to see what all the fuss is about.  So maybe it'll be a blue Christmas (but not in the way Elvis means . . .).  Just some housekeeping details: if it seems that the comments on this blog are a mess, that's because I let anonymous types leave comments.  The result: 300 pages of spam comments (would that be "spamments"?) that I have to delete page by page.  I've had a really busy semester, am just getting out of the pile of grading that I've been plowing through, and am prepping to do a course in Wales, so I haven't had that much time to devote to getting it cleaned up.  I wised up, though.  No spam since I've insisted that you must register if you want to leave a comment.  But I've gotten some strange user-names that sound more like spam-bots than people.  I delete all such users.  If you are one of those, forgive me.  Try registering again and leave a comment under this blog that shows that you are a flesh and blood person who is not selling viagra or Nevada car insurance, and I'll let you stay registered.

Take care, and have a wonderful holiday season!

Peace on earth,

Ted