It’s less than twenty-four hours away! It won’t be long until Santa squeezes his portly butt down chimneys all over the world in celebration of the birth of Jesus. And while many are deserving of nothing but lumps of coal this year, those of us who are imbued with the Spirit Of Christmas are willing to be charitable to the Grinches all around us.

Why? Because it is indeed a Merry Christmas. The government is shut down, and may it continue to be for as long as it takes until a wall is built. If that’s not enough of a gift to the American public, there’s more: Thousands of families received the best news they could have hoped for this Holiday Season…..their loved ones – who have been in harm’s way in the snake pit of the Middle East for many long years – are going to come home.

If you’re a warmonger, or a Neocon, or a member of the Military Industrial Complex, sure….you’re upset. You thought we were going to be enjoying war-without-end for another year. Too bad.  I’ll pity you once I get a decent reason for being there beyond this one:

Yeah, this is what we’ve been doing : protecting opium poppies!

Or this one:

What a guy he was! At least he’s warming by The Fire now.

So….eat, drink, and be merry! Count the many blessings you have and tell the ones you love how much they mean to you. And finally, from The Empire to all of you…..Merry Christmas!

” I was sittin’ by the fireside…taking a walk through the snow. Listening to a children’s choir…..singing songs about Jesus, and the blessed way that He came to us. Why can’t it remain, all through the year?” – Ray Charles, That Spirit Of Christmas