Holiday Haitus

Here's one reason why television writers have it easier than bloggers... OK, two reasons. One, they actually get paid. And two, when the holidays come around and they don't feel like coming up with anything terribly witty, they just throw together a clip show.

I suppose I could have culled my past posts and relinked them for a Shtetl Shtick segment, but that's generally what I reserve for new year's and birthday retrospectives. Besides, with all the blogger carnivals I'm trying to worm my way into, it just seems repetitive.

Instead of giving you the best (or worst) of my own writing, I've decided to highlight a few holiday-themed stories that I've deemed truly fabulous.

First - you can always count on the folks at NPR to take a different angle on the holiday story. Today's All Things Considered featured a piece on the Major League Dreidel throw down, where else? The Lower East Side.

Also from NPR is this story about pimping Christmas and Fresh Air's Terry Gross interviews Erran Baron Cohen (Sacha's brother) about his new CD of reworked Hanukkah tunes featuring Y-Love rapping in Yiddish and a version of the Dreidel Song that Gogol Bordello would have approved.

Next, what's a New Year's celebration without a little bubbly? Thanks to the New York Times you can sip in style without breaking the bank with a selection of sparkling wines under $20.

Since Kwanzaa doesn't start until December 26, the media and blog outlets still are chewing on the fat of latkes and sufganiyot and probably won't get around to this oft-maligned holiday until after the Christmas insanity. If someone has a great Kwanzaa post - please share!

Finally, in a case of Big Brother working for the Big Guy, the Austin American Statesman ran this Associated Press piece about local police departments and community groups planting GPS devices and hidden cameras on public holiday displays to protect from theft and vandalism. Imagine the Baby Jesus at your local nativity scene or the shamash candle in the Chabad-sponsored menorah having a hidden camera implanted inside? Sorta makes me think of Stephen King's It.

So there you have it, a holiday round-up of a different sort. Not sure if I will take a full holiday hiatus this year. Depends on my weekend plans and what sort of hilarity comes my way. Until next time - have a great Chrismakwanzakah (and a merry New Year)!