Parties
Our party was covered by Wired (and I'm quoted). Thanks to Leonard for finding that.
The EFF holiday party was today, and we went to see Lord of the Rings, which was great. Hooray for parties! Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of our partygoers.
I had a holiday party of my own last year, the invitations to which which mentioned a lot of holidays, and told when they would happen in 2000 -- in Unix time, not in the Gregorian calendar:
I know that some organizations use "holiday party" as a euphemism for "Christmas party" ("holiday vacations" rarely co-incide with Hanukkah, for example!). We can argue that they are being inconsiderate, or just showing a lack of imagination. For example, there are plenty of holidays this party could commemorate:
Party time = 977022000 Asara b'Tevet (start) Time = 978570000; error = 1548000 (17.9 days) Bill of Rights Day Time = 976867200; error = 154800 (1.7 days) Boxing Day Time = 977817600; error = 795600 (9.2 days) Charles Babbage's birthday Time = 977817600; error = 795600 (9.2 days) Christmas Time = 977731200; error = 709200 (8.2 days) Consualia Time = 976867200; error = 154800 (1.7 days) Eid al-Fitr (if moon sighted) Time = 977904000; error = 882000 (10.2 days) Feast of St. Nicholas Time = 976089600; error = 932400 (10.7 days) Feast of St. Stephen Time = 977817600; error = 795600 (9.2 days) Hanukkah (mean) Time = 977791800; error = 769800 (8.9 days) Hanukkah (start) Time = 977446200; error = 424200 (4.9 days) Humphrey Davy's birthday Time = 977040000; error = 18000 (0.2 days) Isaac Newton's birthday Time = 977731200; error = 709200 (8.2 days) John von Neumann's birthday Time = 977990400; error = 968400 (11.2 days) Kwanzaa Time = 977817600; error = 795600 (9.2 days) New Year's Day Time = 978336000; error = 1314000 (15.2 days) Opalia Time = 977212800; error = 190800 (2.2 days) Saturnalia (start) Time = 977040000; error = 18000 (0.2 days) Sighting of new moon (poss.) Time = 977878200; error = 856200 (9.9 days) Sol Invicta Time = 977731200; error = 709200 (8.2 days) Srinivasa Ramanujan's birthday Time = 977472000; error = 450000 (5.2 days) Third Sunday of Advent Time = 977040000; error = 18000 (0.2 days) Tycho Brahe's birthday Time = 976780800; error = 241200 (2.7 days) Winter Solstice Time = 977405820; error = 383820 (4.4 days) Wyoming Day Time = 976435200; error = 586800 (6.7 days)(I don't think there is going to be a major industry popping up in Asara b'Tevet greeting cards, though. Nor Wyoming Day, I'm afraid.)
The party is actually _on_ St. Adelaide's Day, and one invitee's birthday, but those weren't intentional. It's also Jane Austen's birthday, and Arthur C. Clarke's.
