I am of the mind that it's always a good idea to appreciate why you have a day off (even if that day is in the middle of your many days off.)

Wikipedia: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wikipedia: Martin Luther King Day

Enlightening, even if whoever wrote it spent too much time on the conspiracy theories surrounding King's death.

I didn't realize that MLK Day was such a recent phenomenon -- it has only been observed since 1986, and was not officially observed in all 50 states until 1999.

Also, I didn't realize that U2's "Pride/ In the Name of Love" was a song dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr.

At least, it's not what it was when I was a kid. Back then, Christmas was a much bigger production with a much bigger build-up. I remember we used to listen to Christmas music for weeks; my sister and I would make a holiday town out of origami; and Christmas mass was a big deal. Nowadays, I get five gifts, not fifteen, and it doesn't matter so much anymore. Rather, I'm more grateful that I got to visit and socialize with both sides of my family. It's definitely worth tearing myself away from my Torts outline.

I think I'm going to make it, with maybe a few days to spare. But I hope I don't get burned out before the actual finals..

Some interesting weblogs I've read recently:

The Becker-Posner blog. Thoughtful commentary from Richard Posner, one of the most prolific legal scholars out there (he started the whole Law and Economics business), and some other dude. The current topic is Global Warning.

This site has compiled a list of blogs written by actual servicemen in Iraq who witnessed the mess hall suicide bombing in Mosul. It's a fascinating concept, soldiers reporting to the world first hand and real-time, although the site puts a disgustingly pro-Rumsfeld spin on things (how any writer in their right mind could do that, I don't know.)