I hate getting up early

Wow.
Even on Christmas, getting up before 11 is not where I want to be. I really wish that the parents and I could work out an arrangement wherein I get to wake up at like 2 in the afternoon and that would be okay. It'd be like a second wave of presents: you'd be enjoying the first set, then suddenly "WHAT'S THIS? Klaus is coming with MORE PRESENTS? I don't know if I can handle this!" But I give sweet gifts, so you could.

Side note: it is hard to wrap a bowl in such a way that it does not look like a bowl.

Other side note: My brothers gift from me took too long to arrive in the mail, and sadly, the folks at Apple won't let you just buy an iPhone box. I love giving the gift of false hope.

who flung shoe?

yeah, yeah... somebody flung a pair of shoes at President Bush. Ever the culturally aware, CNN, Bloomberg and all the other news outlets are thoughtful to point out that 'flinging shoes is considered an insult in Middle Eastern cultures.'
Really now. is there any place where throwing a shoe with that level of fury is considered a blessing? If some guy starts flinging size tens at me like they're ninja stars, I don't care if they're meant to carry 1500 years of cultural significance: I'm ducking.
Fortunately, Bush's experience in dodging things (like the draft) came in handy.