Free Republic

Jingle Bells Austrailian style.

WHAT WOULD Santa drink? Listen, kids, contrary to the tales Mom and Dad told you, Father Christmas did not get that round belly and red nose from gulping down glasses of skim milk. Not to destroy your innocent visions of sugar plums and candy canes, but when it comes to treats on a long winter's night, if it's all the same to you, Santa Claus would rather have a beer. Sacrilege, you say? The very symbol of childhood innocence guzzling alcohol? What's next, Frosty the Snowman doing Jell-O shots? In fact, from the very beginning, Santa Claus was a man...

FORGET aspirins, hairs of dogs and hot baths, the only sure way of avoiding a hangover is not to drink in the first place, according to a new study. Researchers led by Max Pittler of the Peninsular Medical School at Exeter University, surfed the Internet and combed medical databases to study a range of hangover cures from the traditional to the novel. Their research roamed from the humble aspirin to fructose, artichokes and even prickly pears but found no silver bullet. However, they did hold out some hope for the potential of borage, a bright blue herb with star-shaped flowers...

How about a light diversion from all the heavy topics?

DEERFIELD TWP. — Sheriff's deputies asked the owner who lit up his house with 25,000 Christmas lights synched to music to turn off the display after a traffic accident Tuesday night. Deerfield Twp. resident Carson Williams agreed to shut down his holiday decorations indefinitely. Williams told a Cincinnati television station that sheriff's deputies could not reach the traffic accident because of the traffic lined up in his neighborhood. The display caught attention across the nation on network TV and on the Internet because the lights on the Williams house and filling their yard are synchronized by computer with music broadcast...

This thread is lovingly dedicated to the members, friends and supporters of the American Civil Liberties Union. My sincerest wish for you is that the universal peace and love exemplified by the birth of the Christ child will fill your hearts with joy at Christmas time and on everyday of the year.

<p>Embarrassed by Saturday night's national television interview, pro football Hall of Famer Joe Namath admitted on Tuesday that he had been drinking and apologized to ESPN reporter Suzy Kolber for saying he wanted to kiss her.</p> <p>"I was full of some Christmas cheer, certainly too much. It was a festive occasion," Namath said of the gathering of former New York Jets stars who were to be honored at the game at Giants Stadium against the New England Patriots. "I wasn't trying to be rude and crude. I feel awful about what happened, for my family and the Jets. I've been in better Christmas spirits, no pun intended."</p>