Holiday travel is something, isn’t it? A scene from Penn Station. (Repost because Cinemagram screwed it up the first time)
This dad, a massive University of Alabama fan, got a great gift from his kids … a hat modeled after legendary Crimson Tide coach Bear Bryant’s. But it was what was under the hat — a ticket to the BCS championship game between the Tide and Notre Dame — that truly was worth a huge freakout. Reaction? Priceless. (ht Hypervocal)
A White House official said on Tuesday that the president could depart as early as Wednesday.
Meanwhile, both chambers of Congress will come back from their holiday hiatus on Thursday and return to work. While there are growing signs that some members of both parties are prepared to accept a deal that raises taxes on people at the highest income levels, there is considerable distance between Republicans and Democrats and no guarantee that an agreement could pass.
Someone, somewhere, is probably gritting their teeth at the thought that the president took a vacation at all. To which we say, telecommuting.
As millions and millions of children open presents under festively decorated trees in their living rooms this morning, I think we can finally declare this year’s War on Christmas at an end.
Of course, in an enormous mansion somewhere in this great country, Bill O’Reilly is sitting on a pile of money and already preparing for next year’s War on Christmas. It’ll begin just after Halloween, when the first lights go up on people’s houses and trees. And it’ll end, as every year, when the Christmas holiday is celebrated without a hitch.
Every year, Fox News goes wild with the notion that Christians somehow can’t celebrate their holiday as they choose and, every year, a sizeable group of Christians crowd into shopping malls to sit on Santa’s lap while listening to Christmas carols that are playing on a month-long loop; they buy Christmas presents to unwrap under their Christmas trees on a federal holiday that just so happens to coincide with Christmas … all the while lamenting that someone has wished them “Happy Holidays.”
So, remember what John and Yoko told you:
War (on Christmas) is Over … if you want it.
Wish we could get Bill O’Reilly and Lennon in a room together. That meeting would be a hoot.
It’s been a rough couple of days in the news, to say the least, and sometimes we all just need something to smile at. Here’s a little holiday cheer, courtesy of Samuel L. Jackson and Anne Hathaway. Enjoy! (Warning: This is absolutely NSFW) source
This is great. Houston Texan Andre Johnson’s receipts for $19K he spent on Xmas gifts for kids in Child Protective Services.
That is the best receipt ever.
Jon Stewart on the “War on Christmas”: “If you think that Christmas isn’t celebrated in this country, walk a mile in Hanukkah’s shoes.”
» It’s an estimate based off of Amazon’s evasiveness. They said that customers “purchased well over 1 million Kindle devices per week” in the month of December. Sales of Kindle e-books were up 175% from last year’s period between Black Friday and Christmas; so while Amazon may not give us clear numbers, the company seems to be doing well in the fields it created.
an honest-to-goodness christmas miracle. Nobody thought Sam Schmid, a business major at Arizona State University, was going to recover from a traumatic car crash in October; his family was ready to take him off life support. His doctor ran just one more brain scan and advised them to wait a week before making any decisions. That same day, Schmid became responsive and even opened his eyes. He was allowed one day to be at home with his family for Christmas. With intense therapy, he hopes to be back at school next year. “There is no better gift,” his mother said. source
» A family, aged 18-60, killed: Investigators worked overnight through Monday morning to figure out what happened Sunday, as a home in Grapevine, Texas, turned into a deadly scene. “Seven people in one setting in Grapevine, that’s never happened before. Ever,” said Grapevine Police Lt. Todd Dearing, who noted victims were related, but some may not have lived in the apartment. Many of the buildings are vacant around the apartment, and the only word of the shooting was a 911 call from a line with no answer on the other end.
But seriously … I am not kidding.
I’m not watching all of...
Yahoo wants to buy Hulu now too. They’re going on an “I...
I’m moving back to New York in a few days. Unlike past...
OMG. I got so...
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
» Christmas masses targeted: Nigerian terror sect Boko Haram (a strict Muslim group) has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which hit five targets, three of which appeared to be Christian churches holding Christmas services. “I just ran out. Now I don’t even know where my children or my wife are,” said Timothy Onyekwere, who was at one of the churches. “I don’t know how many were killed but there were many dead.”
Newt and I have talked three or four times today and he stated that this is not catastrophic - we will continue to learn and grow. Remember that it was only a few months ago that pundits and the press declared us dead after the paid consultants left. They declared that the decision not to compete in the Ames Straw Poll would mean that Iowans would ignore us. Some will again state that this is fatal.
Newt and I agreed that the analogy is December 1941: We have experienced an unexpected set-back, but we will re-group and re-focus with increased determination, commitment and positive action. Throughout the next months there will be ups and downs; there will be successes and failures; there will be easy victories and difficult days - but in the end we will stand victorious.
To help achieve that outcome we each need to spend the next 24 hours enjoying our families and friends as much as possible. Enjoy their company. Be grateful for them. Gather strength from them. The promise of a better future for our family and friends is the reason we are committed to rebuilding the America we love.
What did you guys get for Christmas today? We got this. (via Cheat Sheet, TPM)
Currently watching: ”Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” It’s a yearly tradition for us — a tradition that’s hitting year seven today. Happy holidays, folks.
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