Well, it’s that time of the year again: time for authors to write the obligatory essay, “Let’s Recover the True Meaning of Christmas.” These essays share at least three things in common: (1) they allow the authors to meet a deadline; (2) they generate letters of appreciation; (2) nobody actually changes his behavior because of them. Every author knows that the most famous Christmas essay is the “Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus” essay. But nobody remembers exactly what it said — something about the spirit of giving, probably — nobody remembers who wrote it, but everyone remembers … Continue reading Magnificent Wastefulness