Once I have my grades turned in, we're off to Utah for ten days. Five of those days, solstice included, will be spent in the Capitol Reef [nps.gov] area. The entire time will be spent indulging in Czech beer.

Christmas itself will be in SLC. In the Czech tradition (that of my wife's family), it's the baby Jesus who brings presents, not Santa Claus/Father Christmas/etc. My attempts to merge this with the Santa tradition inevitably end in failure. I somehow envision the baby Jesus and Santa in an epic battle (could the two of them have some other kind of battle?) for who will get to bring presents to my kids.

So what are your Big Plans for this holiday season?

I thought beer was illegal in Utah.

envision the baby Jesus and Santa in an epic battle

Is that a South Park reference?

In Response to zamphir (#30643):

Yes, liquor laws are still quite draconian. They were updated slightly just before the 2002 Olympics, but not by much. One can buy 3.2 swill in supermarkets. Everything else can be purchased in state-owned liquor stores.

There is an urban legend to the following effect: take the annual amount of alcohol purchased in the state liquor stores. Subtract the estimated amount purchased by tourists. Assume that all members of the state's dominant religious group follow its basic health code regarding proscribed substances. It follows that the remaining residents of the state must be perpetually drunk.

If you're thinking "lucky them", you're probably right.

Is that a South Park reference?

No.

You didn't answer the original question, but I'll give you another chance: what, if anything, are your holiday plans?

In Response to mkinyon (#30644):

The same things I do every holidays...

Try to take over the world.

In Response to zamphir (#30646):

Well, good luck with that.

In Response to zamphir (#30646):

Try to take over the world.

See, that's just too much work. When I'm the undisputed and absolute ruler of the world (get your applications in now; I have open positions for "minion", "goon", and "lackey"), it won't be because of the inevitable fruition of all my carefully-laid plans.

It'll be because it just fell into my lap. Because I'm a lazy, lazy man.
 

In Response to gtyrrell (#30648):

I have open positions for "minion", "goon", and "lackey".
Because I'm a lazy, lazy man.

How about "amanuensis", Mr. Wolfe?

In Response to gtyrrell (#30648):

Also: you're not getting off any easier than Z. Answer the holiday question, lazy, lazy man.

In Response to mkinyon (#30650):

Answer the holiday question, lazy, lazy man.

See.

Now.

You've made it a game.

recovering from finals and etc. mostly etc. it seems that i have replaced 75% of my finals with final projects and that sucks.

you teaching anything that someone might want to take as a final semester filler who has had calc I&II, stat, prob, linear alg, and the necessary prerequisites?

In Response to zamphir (#30651):

Yes. And Tiny Tim will die if people don't play.

In Response to AsphaltBuffet (#30654):

Discrete Math.

If you take it, it would give new meaning to the phrase "grades will be posted".

BEACH

I once suffered through a traditional Czech Christmas. Tell me, are you feasting on the traditional unseasoned carp? And the traditional undernourished stringy goose? And the ultra-traditional week-old-bread (because everyone knows bread is bad for you if it's fresh)?

In Response to tynic (#30666):

BEACH

Awesome. Enjoy.

are you feasting on the traditional unseasoned carp?

No. My in-laws say that for their first three years in the U.S., they had no trouble getting good carp because there was a large Polish community in Princeton. When they moved to SLC and tried to find it (back in 1971), they were told repeatedly that carp was fit only for cat food. So they just gave it up.

Since you say the one you tried was unseasoned, I assume you had it breaded. The other common way of preparing it is fried in oil with lots of garlic. Either way, it is usually served with potato salad.

It wasn't until I saw the carp ponds of southern Bohemia [radio.cz] that I was convinced of the theoretical possibility that carp raised in clean water can be good.

Incidentally, some Czechs don't consider Christmas carp to be traditional because "obviously" any custom started in the 20th century cannot be called traditional.

the traditional undernourished stringy goose?

Goose is more common for the Christmas day noon meal than the Christmas eve meal. Sadly, you're describing the same problem as with carp: it's hard to find good goose. Like duck prepared Czech style, goose can be wonderful (if a bit fatty), but you need a lot of luck when you go out to buy one.

the ultra-traditional week-old-bread

That sounds idiosyncratic, not traditional. Most Czechs I know are pretty obsessive about getting to the bakery every couple of days or so. Stale chleb is usually only used for cooking. Maybe you just don't care for central European style bread, which tends to be much heavier than its counterparts further to the west. It is indeed an acquired taste. I acquired it when I first tried it.

Anyway, I don't know what's on the menu for this year. It will likely be fish, but probably not at all traditional. My father will be driving over from CA, and will likely bring many bottles of goodness from Napa/Sonoma. So by the time dinner is served, my tastes might not be too discriminating.

In Response to mkinyon (#30670):

Oops. I should clarify, in the face of this rather marvelous but condescending lecture. My comments were not directed at all Czech cuisine, although I see how it could appear that way, but rather were a humorous commentary based around a personal bad experience. I was staying with some friends one Christmas in Czech who simply couldn't cook. On one memorable occasion, they served up raw chicken for dinner. And the carp was boiled, unbreaded and tasted like mud.

Maybe you just don't care for central European style bread, which tends to be much heavier than its counterparts further to the west

I don't live further to the west. And I like heavy European bread. I'm not mistaken, or unfamiliar with eastern european food (although the 'ultra-traditional' comment was sarcasm) - the people I was staying with would buy bread and put it in a cupboard for a week before anyone was allowed to eat it. This should in no way be taken as a comment on Czech culture, I was just staying with total nutballs.

In Response to tynic (#30671):

Oh, no, I assumed it was just one of those singular events, I didn't mean to seem condescending. Sorry 'bout that. Sometimes it's hard to turn professor-mode off. I was actually just trying to explain to everyone else what we were talking about. I should have realized it looked like I was lecturing you.

And yes, I know where you live. (An ominous statement, no?) I was referring to bread originating from western Europe, not Nic originating from western Europe.

Now Czech Christmas cookies are much better when they have sat in a container for a couple of months. I suggest taking notes, there will be a quiz. As you can see from this diagram on the chalkboard....

In Response to mkinyon (#30675):

An ominous statement, no?

I doubt that.

In Response to mkinyon (#30650):

Answer the holiday question, lazy, lazy man.

Very well, probably spending my time obsessively playing Civ 4, and (if I've been very good and Santa likes me) reverentially making my way through The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Plus baking, lots and lots of baking.

And astonishingly little thinking on loops, quasigroups, or algebras of any kind.
 

Visiting the parents in San Diego, where I'll probably be swimming on Christmas Day if these Santa Annas keep up.

In Response to gtyrrell (#30680):

astonishingly little thinking on loops, quasigroups, or algebras

Astonishing indeed. Not that I plan to devote too many brain cells to them either.

In Response to Dynedain (#30682):

Wow. I'm envious of both you and Nic. The very long range forecast for that area looks promising. Of course, that's about as accurate as a newspaper horoscope.

I will be spending many hours in the car on Friday night to make the trek back to my Mother's in NY. I'm assuming that I will have to do some shoveling when I get there to park my car, as it seems to be tradition to have a blizzard every holliday I drive home.

I will be spending the long weekend with my sister and her clod of a husband who eats all of the food, so I get no tasty leftovers (wich is a damn feat, as my mom cooks enough for an army). Not that I'm bitter or anything.

I have been looking at a ring for my lady friend though, so I may end up being engaged around that timeframe.

Actually, I'm hoping to be between jobs over the holidays.

If it works out, then I can hopefully spend some quality time with snow.

Or at least, that's what I'm dreaming of.

In Response to zamphir (#30690):

I'm hoping to be between jobs over the holidays.

Do you have the next one lined up already, or will you be searching?

quality time with snow.

For me, that means cross-country.

In Response to mkinyon (#30692):

Do you have the next one lined up already, or will you be searching?

I'm in process of having the next one lined up.

I wouldn't be "between jobs" if I didn't have another one lined up. I'd merely be unemployed.

For me, that means cross-country.

For me, it usually means no shoes.

In Response to mkinyon (#30692):

For me, that means cross-country.

is there any other kind worth speaking of?