Hello again, and sorry for the hiatus. I should be back in full once-weekly-post swing in a week or so.
My next post will likely be about historiography, insularity, and dinosaurs; I hope to follow it with reflections on attending the UNC-UT basketball game with my parents, hosting my in-laws for Christmas, and taking a New Year's trip to Galapagos.
While working through my last week of this semester, I've increasingly missed blogging. Instead of putting it off until I could write a longer piece with in-text citations and everything, I thought I'd take advantage of the urge to write and shoot for a shorter post. Several topics have come to mind-- the background of Christmas traditions, the Jesus v. Santa dialogues, the UN climate talks, and various, public moments of extraordinary bravery, but I don't have as much time to spend on them as I'd like.
So, I'll spend what little time I have on myself-- and you, hopefully-- by sharing some Christmas wishes:
1. (you knew this was coming) That at least one of my friends sponsors, fosters, or adopts a shelter pet. Read common misconceptions about shelter pets here, but know one thing: I am pro-adoption, not particularly anti-breeder.
2. That some trees are spared by people wrapping amazing gifts are in even more amazing gift-wrap scarves, like this (there are totally awesome, less expensive alternatives as well).
3. That Santa, whoever he may be, drops the keys to my #1 gift of all time down the chimney.
I've provided some scholarly links, some news articles, and a bit about dogs. It seems, then, that I've got no excuse for not returning to my schoolwork.
Until soon, friends.
PS: Today is the last feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe-- a tradition I hope my grade / middle school in Austin keeps up. Vive la virgen! (google for more info on a great story; NPR had a very cool interview with a Franciscan friar on the topic, as well)
