It just doesn’t feel like the holiday season to me. Perhaps it’s because Thanksgiving was a week ago and we’ve barely started December yet! It may not feel like Christmas yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t deck the halls – after all…

…’Tis the season for foolish debate. In Iraq, is it “civil war”? Or just a bad case of “sectarian strife”. What a load of hog-wash. Look, it’s a freakin’ mess over there and getting worse, with no end in sight. Shouldn’t that be enough?

…’Tis the season for trading Manny rumors. Personally, I see nothing wrong with letting him play out the last two years of his contract with the Red Sox. By that time, Wily Mo will have matured and become more disciplined at the plate and can take over left field for the next several years.

…’Tis the season for stupidity. This whole Michael Richards thing is absurd. The fact that he’s now groveling at the feet of Jesse Jackson tells you everything – as Forrest Gump’s mother told her son, “stupid is as stupid does”.

…’Tis the season for foolishness. Seems the Rev. Jackson now wants the entertainment industry to “outlaw” the use of the “n” word. As if that were the only thing African-Americans in the USA have to worry about these days…

…’Tis the season for charities. Me, I love seeing and hearing the Salvation Army kettles outside supermarkets during the season. A wonderful charity by a fine organization. If you see them in your travels, please give generously. This year, I’ll also be giving to the “Jimmy Fund” at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institutite, who do such wonderful work for children with cancer, and sending a donation for a “Hero Pack” at Soldiers’ Angels.

…’Tis the season for loons. People shooting other people over PlayStation3s? Am I missing something here, or does this indicate we have a greater problem here than the supply of video games?

…’Tis the season for college football bowl games. You always hear people complain about the excessive number of bowl games – me, I don’t have a problem with it. What’s wrong with bringing two football teams and a little holiday season excitement to a city and allow people to party a little?

…’Tis the season for a college football national championship game. Mark my words, it’ll be USC in a romp over Ohio State.

…’Tis the season for holiday music. The Martini Kings’ “The Kings of Jing-a-Ling” is my fab pick for this year. It’s a superb martinis-and-mistletoe, groovy-cat collection of holiday favorites. Do yourself a favor and get it. Dig?