Well today was warmer than yesterday (which isn't saying much) and was less windy (also not saying much), and I felt less barricaded in my office.  I even escaped for a rather slow, cold ride, blowing around the road wondering what the heck I was doing out there.  This afternoon Megan and I selected a beautiful tree, which was duly delivered and admired, and tonight I accomplished something crucial: our Christmas Cards are ready to go, signed, sealed, just not [yet] delivered.

BTW let me put in a plug for WinkFlash, the online site which printed our cards, it was really cool and really easy.  Just uploaded the pictures, used their AJAX photocropper which shows exactly what the cards would look like, and poof!  Only took about four days to get them, amazing.

Okay, let's see what-all's happening in the blogospherium:

It is now predicted that by 2010 cancer will supplant heart disease as the world's #1 killer.  So be it.  This probably has more to do with a reduction in heart disease than an increase in cancer... 

Idiot of the century: Cholera spreads in Zimbabwe, as Robert Mugabe denies the problem.  "The delusion of Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe, appears to know no end.  In a televised speech on Thursday December 11th he announced that a cholera epidemic, which continues to ravage Zimbabwe and to spread to neighbouring countries, is over, just as the World Health Organisation had reported that 783 people have so far died of the disease and that over 16,400 people have been infected.  As he spoke, officials in South Africa declared a disaster area in a part of the Limpopo region on the Zimbabwean border, as a result of desperate refugees spreading cholera."  It would be hard to choose anyone who has done more harm to more people than Robert Mugabe.  Not to mention he has destroyed Zimbabwe. 

Did Coldplay plagiarize Joe Satriani?  View this YouTube video and decide for yourself.  (The answer is YES.  Wow.) 

How excellent, Slashdot reports Nobel Prize Winning Physicist As Energy Secretary.  "Officials close to the Obama transition team say that Physics Nobel Laureate Steven Chu is the likely candidate for Energy Secretary."  Wow, someone who could actually comprehend the issues.  Nice. 

Wow, this is cool: L.A. critics wired for Wall-E.  "Disney/Pixar’s robot love story "Wall-E" was named best picture of the year by the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. on Tuesday, marking the first time in the org’s 33-year history that an animated film has taken the top prize."  Could it really win an Oscar?  It will be interesting to see... 

Here we have this year's contender for the "Wizards of Winter" house lighting award.  Wow, that's just about all I can say.  (You must click through to watch the video :)