The Thanksgiving holiday in the US has now ended; if you celebrated it with family, friends or in solo form, let us know how it went. (We live vicariously through the experiences of others.)

In terms of interesting news that occurred over the holidays, apparently Dubai World is in danger of defaulting on a $60 billion in loan repayments (hat-tip Jimdotz @ DailyKos):

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Just a year after the global downturn derailed Dubai's explosive growth, the city is now so swamped in debt that it's asking for a six-month reprieve on paying its bills — causing a drop on world markets Thursday and raising questions about Dubai's reputation as a magnet for international investment.

The fallout came swiftly and was felt globally after Wednesday's statement that Dubai's main development engine, Dubai World, would ask creditors for a "standstill" on paying back its $60 billion debt until at least May.

This, of course, is not something the financial sector would give thanks for, as it gives the term "Black Friday" a more ominous shade of meaning (hat-tip Moby for the analogy).

[Update: For more information and a useful update about why this isn't a reason to panic, go here.]

In other news,

• In Space (where no one can hear you scream1, 2), China readies a second lunar mission and may be ready for a manned mission by 2017, while NASA finds new evidence for life on Mars
• Sustainably speaking, living buildings could help clean up the atmosphere according to Dr Rachel Armstrong of UC Barkley in London
• For computer enthusiasts, DRAM prices have fallen -- now might be a good time to increase memory in your computers if they aren't already maxed out, and a Japanese firm has launched a new product -- a dual-screen notebook that weighs in at 1.84 Kg and has about 4.5 hrs o battery life
• On the home front, a man shot four relatives at a Florida holiday party and a manhunt is underway way, while on the foreign affairs front Iran has been censured by the UN's nuclear watchdog agency for being less than forthcoming with more information about their nuclear program.

That's it for now. What's eating you?

Happy Holidays! or Mele Kalikimaka ...

as they say here in the islands.  Whether your Santa wears slippahs or boots, I hope your sock is filled with all the good things.