The combination of incomprehensible international tragedy and shallow materialistic happiness this christmas is incredibly confusing for my own measurement of what is politically correct social interaction. So first off here are a couple links for a list of places to send money for the Tsunami relief effort.

CNN List
Washington Post List

Most relief efforts are asking that people send money instead of food and clothing since money will reach the areas in most need of help faster than bulky material goods.

As the only place I've ever been to in that area of the world I was a bit concerned for Bali. Only two years ago they had suffered from a tragedy that they are still recovering from. The site that was bombed in 2002 in the village of Kuta is still rubbles. I was relieved to find out that Bali was not affected by the Tsunami or the earthquake. But I was sad to find a travel forum for Bali were people are asking questions like this one:

Can anyone please advise as to the weather conditions in Bali at the moment? We're due to arrive in Sanur on Thursday, and are curious to know whether the tsunami elsewhere in SE Asia has had an impact on Bali's weather conditions... Many thanks.

But then I read this series of posts and my faith in the kindness of strangers was restored:

My former colleague and still-friend Dedi Ramlan has all his family in Aceh. He's currently the manager of the Elephant Safari Park in Taro. I can't contact him as he has no email and I can't get through phone communications. Please I'd just would like to express my sympathy to him and get some news from him and his family. Please if anyone goes to Taro to visit the park, ask for him (Dedi)and give him my worried thoughts. Here is my email address if he can send one to me : [email removed].
Thanks for your help
Sandie and Nyoman BUJANA
(in France)
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Hi Sandie and Nyoman. I will be in Bali on Jan. 11 and I will contact the Park and Dedi for you.

As for myself, I had a wonderful Christmas. My accoplishments include:

Seeing Antietam battlefield
Getting lost in the back roads of western Maryland
Taking Whites Ferry for the second time ever
Introducing an 18 month old to the wonders of Lord of the Rings the extended version
Drinking way too much red wine
Seeing Castaway and thinking it hilarious (after several glasses of wine)
Successfully navigating my Sister and and Brother-in-Law through DC (after my brother got us around Dupont Circle) and then to Iwo Jima Memorial
And helping to teach my father the time honored game of Asshole

Our family has successfully managed to create the fully adult Christmas morning stocking experience. Hungover from eggnog the night before, I woke up to a stocking with exactly three things in it.

A pair of shell earings
Two Pick Nines lottery scratch offs
One mini bottle of 12 year old GlenFiddich Scotch

Needless to say, I believe that Santa was good to me this year. As for the rest of my x-mas presents, I didn't do too bad in that area either. I guess i'm most excited about my new handheld cordless mouse and the full set of LOTR extended version DVDs.

Anyway, it's awefull to say it but I'm thankful that I have the luxury of being so materialistic in times such as these.