Here are my two Latkes

1. I'm making latkes (probably tomorrow). Because they are fried and yummy.

2. Jews behaving badly:

a). I read today that some Jews were having a conniption over Obama only having 500 of them to the White House Hannukah party (as opposed to Bush, who invited more). I'll tell you my conniption: there should be no White House Hannukah, or Christmas or Kwanzaa or Ramadan party. EVER. The family of the POTUS can celebrate Christmas as is their personal right. That's it. This is what Obama gets for not respecting separation of Church and State. And Jews, do chill out. The guy is a friend. In fact, a better friend than you think. Enough with the narishkeit.

b). David Brooks wrote a weirdo essay in the Times today about the historical background of Hanukkah. Turns out the Maccabees were a bunch of religious zealots fighting against assimilationist reformers. This information apparently was too much for the sensibilities of paranoid shtetl Jews on Facebook so that when people wanted to post it in Facebook, it was banned because they found the message abusive. You may or may not agree with Brooks, but it's not like he wrote Mein Kampf, so back off.

3. Happy Hannukah! Which is not the Jewish Christmas. In which gifts are not exchanged. In which the coins are made of chocolate. And there are yummy latkes. And jelly doughnuts.