To my American friends, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. (Canadian Thanksgiving is the same day as your Columbus Day.) May you all have peace and plenty and a respite from politics.

For Americans, this is the de-facto beginning of the Holiday Season as well; it continues tomorrow with Black Friday sales. For the rest of the world, the official start is Sunday, which will be the beginning of Advent, although Orthodox Christians started their pre-Christmas Nativity Fast on the 15th. And of course Christmas decorations went up before Hallowe'en. They seem to go up earlier and earlier every year, don't they? There oughta be a law! I don't mean to be Scrooge, but it's really getting ridiculous!