- President Bush has issued his very first pardons, a whopping seven of ‘em. While the pardons are uncontroversial, that’s a very small amount of Christian charity to be doled out by our puportedly pious prez. But one should note that it is “Christian” charity; none of the pardonees appear to be of other faiths, and the list includes at least one minister and one born-again fellow. Merry Christmas!

- The CIA is stopping just short of torture in its interrogation of terrorist suspects. But if that doesn’t do the job, they are cheerfully handing said suspects off to countries that see “just short of torture” as a jumping-off point. These suspects aren’t necessarily accused of anything, nor have they been tried - they’re just “uncooperative.” Season’s Greetings!

- Ariel Sharon has promised to work for peace next year. So with only four days left before that particular New Year’s resolution kicks in, he’s decided to binge while he still can. Happy New Year!

- On a much less depressing note, my friend Eric Drysdale is featured in a New York Times article about ol’ fashioned 3D imaging today. If you get a print version of the paper, you’ll see a great picture of Eric and you may be able to make out a few familiar faces on the Viewmaster reel. What’s not mentioned in the article is that Eric (who writes for “TheDaily Show”) has a snazzy new website.

- Worldwide selfishness, violence, and stereoscopic photography aside, a very real Season’s Greetings to you from Fanatical Apathy. In four days I’ll be a married man, so expect a much more responsible, sober, and mature viewpoint in the coming year. [You can expect that particular resolution to last about as long as Ariel Sharon’s.]