Is there something in the water? I just got the "they're conspiring against Christmas rant" from my mother, who neither listens to talk radio nor goes on the internet.

I was on the phone with her for about an hour and a half, at least a third of which I spent saying, "Well, we both need to be getting to bed" and "I'll talk with you later." First, I had to talk her through the Medicare ratings on the nursing homes they're looking at for my aunt. (She had a stroke on Friday.) That was depressing enough, because I ended up saying things like, "Try not to put her in the one that has three times the national average of patients with bedsores." That was okay, since research is pretty much my job, although she has a long history of calling me for advice and then doing the exact opposite. Then she started an a long rant about the whole holiday/Christmas thing, beginning by saying, "I got Christmas cards that say Christmas, not 'Happy Holidays.'" There's no national attack on Christmas, Mother! Where the hell is this coming from?

The anti-anti-christmas people still use snail mail junk mail.

Heh. The Daily Show was on topic tonight. I do so love it when Jon finds a jackhole to torment.

Colbert just identified the source of the war on christmas as the Coca Cola polar bears, having replaced Santa on the coke cans as part of a neferious plot to next take over for the mall Santas, with the result that we'll just hand over small children for the eating. Sounds about as reasonable as anything.

edit - wrong thread.

Well, I suppose, if you don't take into account the bear-penguin alliance demonstrated in those ads.

Oh, those penguins are not long for this world, you wait.

They are just snackalicious .

Tummy splodey.

I'd suggest skipping the penguins then. They're low-carb, but a little filling.