Man, what a busy day today. I had to get off my ass and actually do some live Christmas shopping, which means visiting malls and other establishments I don't particularly like spending time at. I was fairly successful obtaining items, so it wasn't all bad. But when you always end up behind "Clueless" and "Numbnuts" while traversing the landscape, I don't like it very much.

The hardest part was getting going. Because last night was the annual Alesci's Chrsitmas party. And that typically ends up with me being a pile in the morning. But for some reason I got a head start on piledom, as I felt I achieved that last night. And I had to blame the Jello shots, because Canada was unavailable. Del was handing them out, so I guess they were "Dello" shots. They had red ones and green ones. I took a shining to the green ones and later mixed in some reds. I believe it was 6-2 in favor of the greens. Only later in the evening was I told that the greens were tequila and the reds vodka. I am not particularly fond of tequila. This exercise reinforced that. Combined with bourbon and some of those vodka-soaked cherries, I was um, oh, what's the word? Inebriated.

Best line of the party: "Yeah, I finally got my girlfriend to leave me. You'd think by me drinkin' massive amounts of alcohol and smokin' lots of pot, it would have given her a hint."

Meal of Links

Polar bears are drowning because of warmer temperatures. Hasselhoff gets the call.

The top grossing tours of 2005. Of course, U2 is first with the Rolling Stones close.

Bush says he'll continue to eavesdrop, because he wants people to remain scared. And that means they'll accept anything. Just put the terrorist label on it, and it's all good.

Exercise Yard

Don't look now, but the Patriots are back. They have become the team you do not want to play in the playoffs.

Visitor

18 Across: Manager who won five straight World Series (12 letters) Answer: Casey Stengel