When I was a boy, my grandparents on both sides of the family would come to our house for Christmas dinner. When the old folks met, their greeting was:"Christmas gift!" They didn't exchange presents. It was just a traditional Christmas greeting. There are lots of good Christmas gifts on the net. Here are a few:

I don't mean to humiliate the Cliopatriarchal Cosmopolites, but try the University of Washington's Interactive Silk Road Map Exercises. Do not humiliate me by comparing my score with Manan Ahmed's score on this one! Thanks to Natalie Bennett at the Dictionary of Received Ideas.

At Early Modern Notes, Sharon Howard offers"rich bloggy goodness" in her surveys of net links on the British East India Company (scroll down), 17th Century Trouble-makers, and Winter Festivals. [Poor dear. In her absence and despite her generosity, a faithless relative of the Cliopatriarch of Wales has put the"family secrets" at auction. I'm just saying ... well, apart from the foot fetishism, how much can there be?]

Over at Mode for Caleb, Caleb McDaniel offers his thoughts on Frederick Douglass. This is really excellent blogging, so do yourself a favor and read: The Lives of Douglass: Part I and Part II.

Cliopatria's contributing editor, Michael Kazin, reads the riot act to the Democratic Party's leadership in"Life of the Party" at MotherJones.com.

Addressing the administration, John Lewis Gaddis has some recommendations on"Grand Strategy in the Second Term" in Foreign Affairs.

American Amnesia's Kirk Johnson has added an interview with the University of Chicago's John Mearsheimer to his fine series of interviews. Mearsheimer is the author of The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. Incidentally, Johnson leaves the United States early in the new year for Baghdad. Our thoughts and prayers go with him and the people of Iraq.

Two notes from Moby Lives: 1) We are in the midst of the 400th anniversary of the publication of The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha. The world's first best-selling novel was first published on 20 December 1604 and sold to the public on 15 January 1605. Big celebrations are planned around the world.
2) It's a little late for your Christmas shopping, but if you think that you should buy the way you vote, check out BuyBlue.org, which tracks corporate donations to American political parties. Hint: if George Bush wasn't your choice for president, you may decide to shun Amazon.com in favor of Barnes&Noble or Borders.