A POLITICIAN'S PAYDAY

IF I WERE SANTA, here's the message I'd be sending to the fiscal cliffhangers in Congress:

BEAT ME, DADDY, TO THE BAR

   "ALGER SHERMAN (Dad, at the piano) AND HIS RAG-TIME TIGERS," circa 1967, along with Bob Muzzey, Mac McGowan and Dick Lessard. At 15, (way underage for the bars) I used to sit in on the drums in Mac's absence. They'd put a big hat on me, told me to just hunker down and play. I did. We did. What a time it was. "It's okay ... I'm with the band...."

   Glory days.

JESUS VS. THE COOKIE MONSTER

   SOMEONE'S LEFT A BOX of Christmas cookies on my stoop. Well, I'm assuming.

   They could be Kwanzaa Krispies or Hanukkah Crunchies or Immaculate Confections or Pagan Pastries or Boxing Day Biscuits or just plain December Delights. Whatever they are, whoever you are, and whatever your persuasion ... thank you, kindly.

PABLO PICASSO ON ICE

FIRST FREEZE at Bretzfelder Pond in Bethlehem, NH.  Not Photoshopped; this is strictly Ma Nature's own Cubism.

I think Picasso went ice skating here.

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY

YEP, THAT'S REALLY MY DISTANT COUSIN, Admiral Forrest Percival Sherman, standing behind a seated Admiral Nimitz at the Japanese surrender. Today, the guided missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman is named after him.

Suppose the Navy would let me take her out for a party cruise? You're all invited. It's Veteran's Day, after all. Happy Holiday, everyone.

FOR JUDY

YES!!!

Somewhere in the cosmic soup, our sweet Judy is smiling today (here she is shaking hands with the POTUS in 2007).

We won, baby!  So did Kuster, and Shea-Porter, and Hassan, and Duckworth, and Warren!

Rest easy, now.

VOTE!