Let’s Welcome the New Year with Some Musical Cheer   In a comment on a blog my friend Paul suggested making today’s blog short.  

If you've got about 6 and a half minutes, I recommend watching this video from the American Museum of Natural History documenting human population through time.   If you don't, look at roughly the last 2 and half minutes. Start at 4:10 and watch the impact of modern technology and medicine on the growth of human population.   Click here to see it on YouTube   There are a lot of us now. I wonder if they want to join Gotham :)

Maybe, which is defined as Perhaps or Possibly, is not a word I like to hear in response to a proposal.  It puts off the eventual answer and frustrates me. In the words of The Chantels:

We’ve been summer visitors to Martha’s Vineyard for years and I have a subscription to the Vineyard Gazette (most-recently renewed as a birthday gift from Jeremy). Keeping up with happenings on the Vineyard is fun; however following the Island’s local news in mid-December is a bit of a challenge.

Why do we torcher the kids? Have you ever listened to the words of Santa Claus is Coming to Town? You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why.... (no crying?) He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! (creepy) He's making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice... (ummmm, opps)

  For over 13 years I have been writing a blog on Monday nights. You’ve all heard me talk about how my family runs away as I sit down to write for fear of being the topic when I am looking for one.

Television is getting very confusing. First there was basic television, channels two through thirteen. Then basic cable came along which added several more channels. After that we got premium cable which added about eight hundred more channels (although I still can’t find anything to watch on cable) as well as pay per view movies and events.  

A busy weekend ensues. It started when we gathered with some good friends; most traveling a good distance to join us nearby (to us) on Long Island for dinner than a show; Shelly posted about it on Facebook. Day two required us to cross two rivers (pass through two tunnels) to gather with Shelly’s family for a (pre-) Chanukah gathering hosted by our niece.