Okay — first, let’s get all of the horrible news out of the way:

Pennsylvania resident Heath Campbell is very angry at a supermarket bakery for refusing to put his son’s name on a birthday cake. Seems little Adolph Hitler Campbell will be so disappointed!

At least he won’t be alone: a recently released FBI report (PDF) reveals the American military contains
more neo-Nazis than ever. Once (if?) the Iraq War ends, they’ll be home and
looking for things to do with all that free time!

At least the Iraq war was worth it, right? And if not, Bush says, “So what?”

Meanwhile, shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist Muntader al-Zaidi is facing 15 years in prison. Too bad they weren’t stilettos!

From out of British Columbia comes the week’s most confusing headline: “Gay teenagers at higher risk of pregnancy.” That and the recent suicide study have me seriously wondering what’s going on out west.

And, worst of all, comes word that, due to the faltering economy, CTV is retiring “Canadian Idol” for a year. This is horrible news! Where else are we going to find the next Whatshisname?

But no matter how many strange or horrible things we face, Christmas is a time of hope, as drag legend RuPaul pulled double-duty to show us on her holiday card from the White House:

And another big gay hero celebrated the holiday in style as Melissa Etheridge joined the “View” ladies to sing a Christmas song and lay the smackdown on Elizabeth Hasselbeck:

And for all the Mormons vs. Gays talk on this site since last month’s Prop 8 debacle, I’m proud of “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz‘s decision to turn the other cheek and allow Mormon singing groups to keep using his songs. Too bad they’re not listening to the lyrics they’re singing.

But a lovely example of what can happen when gays and Mormons work together is the new Christmas charity single “Joseph, Better You Than Me,” from The Killers. Frontman Brandon Flowers (still the best name ever!) is a straight Mormon boy who loves his gay idols Elton John and Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant so much, he got them to duet on this odd-but-lovely song.

This collaboration is by no means the only Christmas song they’ve done. “Joseph” is actually the third one from the Killers this year: