Pope Basher!

Okay I admit it, I'm only posting this so I have something to go along with the picture. If that doesn't warm your cockle-shells, then I'm not a cynic! The guy either has a great sense of humor or is completely oblivious to the world that he lets his handlers dress him up like a Barbie Doll.

After getting that off my chest...

The Pope, at least, does have some real pleasant thoughts for those frantic to fill their Xmas lists and checking it twice or whatever. The following does rise above mere doggerel:

"You should bring joy, not expensive gifts that cost time and money," the pope said Sunday during a homily at Santa Maria Consolatrice Church in Rome. "With a smile, an act of kindness, a little help, forgiveness, you can bring joy and that joy will come back to you." . . .

Go ahead, say it. You won't be the first to call me a Scrooge during this season of splurge and gorge. I smile, thinking of the solace of the grave and what may yet come.

And for those wondering about the Pope's new hat:

Pope's Santa-Style Hat the Talk of the Town, By Stacy Meichtry

VATICAN CITY -- A crimson cap, trimmed with snow-white fur and worn by a rosy-cheeked elderly man as he glides past thousands of onlookers days before Christmas, may come across as typical holiday kitsch in many parts of the world. Here in Rome, however, the accessory is an undeniable fashion statement. Pope Benedict XVI, whose taste for Gucci sunglasses and Prada footwear turned heads last summer, is again creating waves in fashion-conscious Italy after debuting the latest form of papal headgear during Wednesday general audience. Although the cap, known as a camauro, was a staple of medieval and Renaissance papal attire, few popes have dared to try it on in modern times.