Xmas Cards Reflect Country's Somber Mood

What, did you expect her to like it?

(NEWSER) - Is someone a little put out that she didn’t get a holiday card from the first family? Sarah Palin was recently on Fox News criticizing the Obama family’s pic , noting that the card—which features Bo Obama in front of a White House fireplace—focuses on the dog instead of “family, faith, and freedom,” which she finds “odd.” She was also peeved that the card includes no mention of Christmas or even a Christmas tree, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»

Fantasy gifts for 2011 unveiled in 'Christmas Book'

(NEWSER) - It’s that time of year again: time for Neiman Marcus to say, “Recession? What recession?” and urge you to purchase a $250,000 mahogany speedboat for your beloved this Christmas. Yes, the Christmas Book was unveiled yesterday. To really get into the holiday spirit, read on for the highlights, via AP :

• $1 million: A cool mil will get you a fountain, apparently with water that dances to music, installed in your home.
• $420,000: Private jet tour of European flower shows.

... but there's a way to save them

(NEWSER) - As Francine Kiefer sat down to write her annual Christmas letter this year, it struck her that friends and family already knew all the stuff she was putting down on paper—courtesy of Facebook. Looks like the days of this annual rite might be numbered, she laments in the Christian Science Monitor , yet another form of good-old-fashioned written communication to go "poof" in the digital age. More»

Six signs that the holiday season has gotten too impatient

(NEWSER) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... even though we're not yet past Thanksgiving. The Week pores through local papers to find six tales of Christmas coming too early this year:

• It's never too early for eggnog lattes: In Seattle , at least one Starbucks started selling seasonal drinks right after Halloween.
• It could, however, be too early for Christmas trees: In South Dakota , trees were already being sold this week—will they even make it all the way to Christmas?

Naperville, Illinois, hoping to squeeze everyone into a photo

(NEWSER) - The town of Naperville, Ill., has some pretty grand plans for this year's holiday card: It wants every single resident—that's 145,000 people—to appear on it. The town's mayor has invited the Chicago suburb's residents to pose for a photo next Friday at a time very convenient for the town's employed denizens: 2pm. Chicago Breaking News reports that the plan is to have the masses form a message with their bodies, a photo of which will be taken from a rooftop. More»