Iraqis Crowd Churches for Christmas Mass  —  BAGHDAD (AP) - Thousands of Iraqi Christians made their way to church through checkpoints and streets lined with blast walls, many drawing hope from a lull in violence to celebrate Christmas Mass in numbers unthinkable a year ago.

Edwards Gets Demerits for Tardiness on the Trail  —  MANCHESTER, Iowa — It seemed as if everybody in this northeast Iowa town had squeezed into the Cedar Lodge Steakhouse one night this month for a John Edwards event.  —  Everyone, that is, except Mr. Edwards.

Into the Valley of Death  —  A strategic passage wanted by the Taliban and al-Qaeda, Afghanistan's Korengal Valley is among the deadliest pieces of terrain in the world for U.S. forces.  One platoon is considered the tip of the American spear.  Its men spend their days in a surreal combination …

Bush gives purse, gets biking gear for Christmas  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - It's hard to imagine a tough guy from Texas shopping for a pocketbook, but President Bush gave his wife a new purse and a silver tray for Christmas, according to an aide to First Lady Laura Bush.

Disappointing Sales During Holiday Season  —  Spending during the Christmas season rose just 3.6 percent over last year, the weakest rate in at least four years, a report by a credit card company said.

A Quechua Christmas Carol  —  Good and Evil at the Center of the Earth:  —  A Quechua Christmas Carol  —  by Greg Palast  —  December 24th, 2007  —  [Quito] I don't know what the hell seized me.  In the middle of an hour-long interview with the President of Ecuador, I asked him about his father.

Rejoice!  America's Love for Troops Cannot be Blocked by the MSM  —  'Tis the season to be jolly and joyful, and one of my greatest personal joys this year has been corresponding with some of our soldiers on the front lines of America's defenses in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Why are Liberals so Afraid of Baby Jesus?  —  He was America's first born again president.  He was deacon of a Baptist church that — during his bid for presidency — he had to sever his membership with because they would not allow blacks to become members.  —  Shades of Huckabee.  —  Shades of Romney.

A Thought on the Sub-prime Debacle  —  Most of the NYT's recent coverage of the subprime mess focused on Greenspan and the Federal Reserve System.  —  However, it's clear that regulation was deficient along other fronts.  From the NYT: … I think that as we learn more and more about the run …

Oscar Peterson dies at 82  —  VIDEO: Canadian jazz legend remembered  —  Oscar Peterson during a ceremony honouring his achievements in June, 2004.  —  ASHANTE INFANTRY  —  POP & JAZZ CRITIC  —  WITH FILES FROM BRUCE DEMARA  —  If raindrops were made of crystal, they'd be akin to the sound of Oscar Peterson playing.

Immigrant Crackdown Falls Short  —  Despite Tough Rhetoric, Few Employers of Illegal Workers Face Criminal Charges  —  In its announced clampdown on companies that hire illegal workers, the federal government has arrested nearly four times as many people in the past year as it did two years ago …