"...I just read the Daily News and swear by every word."

The Christmas 2007 purchasing season is winding down rapidly, and the surest sign I've seen yet, aside from the calendar, is the size of the Sunday newspaper I have delivered to the house (or near the house, depending on the carrier's aim). For weeks, I feared I was going to have to ask one of those MLB players about HGH or steroids to just lift the newspaper and then worry about how I'd ask Senator Mitchell for the syringes to inject the drugs. And then, in all likelihood, I'd read about my escapade in the newspaper or Curt Schilling's comments about it on his blog. Oh the ignominy.....

This morning's paper was considerably lighter than it's been since Thanksgiving, and I, for one, am thankful for that. I guess many, like me, have gotten done all the holiday shipping we are going to do. I bought festive bags and colored tissue paper with stick-on bows to hold the presents so I can avoid the annual 'look! Another gift that Dad wrapped!' chorus of light-hearted derision. Grinches have feelings, too, y'know.
(I'm working on a new Christmas carol, to the tune of "Merry Christmas to You"...
'Guys in ski masks pushing shopping carts/
From all points West, North, South and East.
Folks stand in line for a very long time/
To see if they can spend the least.'
No one from Tin Pan Alley called to ask me about an option-imagine my surprise.
I did get a call from Crusader Rabbit asking about his buddy, rags. All I could tell him was that there's a little dreamer in all of us and, perhaps, even a little realist. I think he thought I said 'realtor' because now he's working on a zoning variance proposal. This time Busby Berkley is doing the PowerPoint slides. Come early for the best seats. No point in hiding; like The Big Guy, he knows who you are though his definition of naughty or nice is a bit obscure.)

I wish I had a large empty box to store some of the feelings of harmony and accommodation that are so prevalent this time of year for those times in the coming year when we could really use them and won't have them.
It will be a Presidential election year and from what I've read we are none too sure as to where we want to go and whom we wish to have get us there. It's amazing to look back to the days of the founding of the Republic and see all the people who were qualified to President and realize in less than 250 years we've moved from a free exchange of ideas and positions to a demolition derby and some variant of Lord (or Lady) of the Flies wherever whoever is last standing is the 'winner'.
"And no, you're not my enemy, I like things like they used to be and though you need some company, I'm standing by myself, go play with someone else. I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown."
-bill kenny