It’s “Free Form Friday” on the local “Classic Rock” station today (as it is every Friday). This means that, instead of the DJs playing the same old shit they play every day, people call in and request the same old shit the DJs play every day. “Um, can you play ‘Stairway to Heaven? I aint heard that since ‘Get the Led Out’ on Wednesday.” Personally, I’d like to call in and request ‘Working Class Hero’ (though that might be more appropriate as a Monday song), but since they play the sanitized “funky kicks” version of ‘Jet Airliner’ and the censored, “who the…are you?” version of ‘Who Are You,’ I think they might balk at “…keep you doped with religion and sex and TV, you think you’re so clever and classless and free, but you’re still fucking peasants as far as I can see.” After all, that’s not very Christmassy, is it?

Speaking of X-mas, last night the First Family lit the National Christmas Tree (that’s right, “Christmas Tree” – contrary to the bogus e-mails claiming that the Obamas would be calling them “holiday” trees) in an invitation-only event (more or less), kicking off the rather ironically named month-long “Pageant of Peace.” Well, the President is a Nobel Peace Prize winner, after all. The best thing about the National Christmas Tree is that it’s alive and well – nobody had to go out and murder a beautiful old tree. I’ve always found the whole Times Square tree thing grotesque. They make a big deal of hauling this poor dead tree in on a flatbed truck – like a deer strapped to the roof of a station wagon or something. They ought to go out and gut one of our State Senators, shove a light bulb up his ass, and use him as a tree topper.

But, whatever. Despite the lack of snow (we’ve now gone 283 days w/o getting an inch of snow, which is really quite amazing), I guess there’s no escaping the fact that the Christmas Season is upon us (whether we want it or not). I choose to more or less ignore it as much as I can. I quit with the cards last year (talk about a waste of trees), and I don’t really have anybody to shop for (kitchen appliances are my gift to the house this year), so there’s not much for me to do except wait for the Twilight Zone Marathon on New Year’s. I really can’t get away from it at work, though. Christ (so to speak), some of these people are awfully gung-ho with their collections for families and toys for tots and everything. Not that those aren’t good causes, of course, and I admire their dedication, but, well, I guess the part of me that gives a shit about Christmas probably died with my mother 10 years ago. Not that I’m a “bah humbug” kinda guy – I try not to step on anybody’s holiday buzz or anything. But my emotions are invested in more important stuff at this time of year – SU basketball (which, so far, is going pretty OK).

Speaking of important shit, the Today Show’s top story was the impending verdict in the Amanda Knox murder trial in Italy. This somehow managed to beat out Day 5 (or whatever it is) of the Tiger Woods saga, the tree-lighting ceremony, and the White House party crashers (funny how Republicans – after weeks of “watering the tree of liberty with the blood of tyrants” and adding fuel to the “Obama aint a legit President” fire are now suddenly concerned with the President’s safety, refusing to accept the fact that, no matter what else, it’s the Secret Service’s job to keep the crazy people away from the President – not the White House Social Secretary). They did, eventually, get around to mentioning the minor story of the attack this morning on a mosque in Pakistan that killed at least 40 people.

You have to give the Salahi’s credit for getting the attention they so coveted (and I don’t see why they should face any criminal charges – no matter how embarrassed anybody is over it; I mean, if I walk up to the White House and say, “I’m here for the party,” and they say, “oh, right this way,” well, good for me, I guess). You’d have to be living in a cave not to have heard their names at this point.

Speaking of living in a cave, that’s exactly what two brothers – Zsolt and Geza Peladi – have been doing. The boys had been down on their luck, living in a cave outside of Budapest, and selling junk on the street in order to feed themselves. Their fortunes have changed, though, as it turns out they are two of three long-lost relatives who will share a $7 billion (with a ‘b’) inheritance. The best part? Women. According to the 43-yr old Geza:

“If this all works out it will certainly make up for the life we have had until now — all we really had was each other — no women would look at us living in a cave. But with money, maybe we can find a partner and finally have a normal life.”

Oh, no worries there, Geza; I think you fellas are all set with the ladies now. Might I suggest a certain Swedish supermodel in Florida? I think she may soon be available. Two words of advice, though: get a pre-nup, and hide the 9-iron.

Well, I guess it’s that time again. Have a good one.