“So, here it is December 1st and as promised, Door 1 of the Advent Blog. As you can see this door is a festive holiday red, sporting a red ribbon. Pull the door open and we find a small chocolate in the shape of Africa, wrapped in foil hope, in honor of World AIDS Day 2005. Right now, over 350,000 people are alive because Americans asked our nation to do more to fight AIDS. Still every day in Africa, HIV/AIDS kills 6,600 people, 8,800 people are infected with the HIV virus and at least 1,400 newborn babies are infected during childbirth. We must do more. So think globally as you start your Christmas shopping, the gang at Ropadope can help. Go to http://store.ropeadope.com and click either the Keep a Child Alive or Become a Drug Dealer buttons. Both will provide you information and cool gifts for you friends with a conscience (or those without one). Or go directly to www.keepachildalive.org or www.one.org to learn more. For those of you who think this is just Africa’s problem, remember who’s birthday you are celebrating this year or the Karmic implications of whatever your chosen religion.

Now, for the first gift of Christmas, today NBC announced that they are shelving the extremely expensive and equally unfunny FRIENDS spin-off JOEY. It may just turn out to be a good year after all.

And finally, what would the an Advent Blog from the Hyena Kitchen be without a musical nod to help you make it through the next 24 shopping days – check out Austin’s very own Asylum Street Spankers’ CHRISTMAS SPANKING (on Bloodshot Records). Com on, we’re talking $13 on Amazon. Trust me. Ho Ho Ho.