I'm not bitching or complaining for a change.

Something nice happened to me today. A first.

I left an envelope in the mailbox for our mail carrier--I don't even know his name. And I received a Thank You note! The first thank you I've ever received from a mailman.

He had written a few personal words on the pre-printed card: To the _____ family:
Have a great 2006. May God bless you and yours. Good luck in your new house.

As I say, nice.

A great kerfuffle is being made over the whole Merry Christmas thing. I'm Jewish, and so are my kids. But not very observant. As a kid, I had qualms about singing carols in school, especially when they mentioned Jesus. But I love to sing and I like christmas carols, so I sang with the rest of the class.

We have Christian friends and relations, so we celebrate Christmas and Chanukah. I think the whole thing about the concerted attack on Christmas is a crock. Who cares? It's one fo those things that maybe Michael Newdow cares about, but he's a schmuck.

I get Christmas cards and Chanukah cards. I enjoy getting them all. I send both. I like the hustle and bustle surrounding Christmas. The decorations. The excitement. I especially love New York at Christmastime.

Anyone can say Merry Christmas or Happy Chanukah or Happy Holidays to me. I appreciate whatever they say, because they mean it kindly. If they said "F*** you or "dirty Jew"! I would resent it. But people are trying to be nice, and isn't that nice?