Auspicious Advent
I partook of the Sacrament of Reconciliation this evening, the second time in exactly a fortnight. Father Tim was ordained in 2000 and one can tell that he strongly subscribes to the late Pope John Paul II's particularly Marian stripe of Catholicism - and that description should not be viewed as a criticism, for if I attributed my survival of an assassination attempt to Our Lady of Fátima, I'd most certainly have practiced an especially Marian form of Catholicism, too - because the penances he assigns are always heavy on the Hail Marys.

Eye of the Tiger
To combat the cold, Tiger has taken to sleeping not just near one of the living room heat registers, but with her head and front paws actually placed on the register. Odd, perhaps, but let us remember that the poor thing is, what, eleven or twelve inches tall at the shoulder? Heat rises, and she's down there with all the cold air.

Weep not for the kitty, however, lately she's shown a preference for her register over our laps, the little ingrate. I demand my feline lap furnace, by thunder!

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song of the Day
They Might Be Giants, "Santa's Beard" from Then: The Earlier Years, Disc Two (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary:

"Once a year my friend puts on a red suit
And hangs around with me and my wife,
Now I can't help but feeling jealous
Each time she climbs on his knee.

And she stands beneath the mistletoe screaming
For him to stand beneath the mistletoe screaming.
Now I can't help but feeling jealous
Each time she climbs on his knee.
Why must she climb on his knee?

I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard,
She kissed him once and whispered in his ear.
I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard.
I wish he would go,
He's breaking up my home!

She always had this twisted side to her,
But she'd never drag my name around town.
But lately she's been humming cheating songs
And I don't like that fat guy around.
No, I don't like that fat guy around.

I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard,
She kissed him once and whispered in his ear.
I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard,
I wish he would go,
He's breaking up my home!

I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard.
Thrilling (thrilling) Christmas (Christmas), trembling fear.
I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard,
I wish he would go,
He's breaking up my home!"