You have to love the L.A. Times sense of entitlement:

On Dec. 28, three days after the celebration of a man famous for helping the downtrodden, Republican scrooges and Democratic stooges in Congress will hand 800,000 Americans something far worse than a lump of coal: an end to unemployment benefits the Senate had earlier voted to extend.

Just when should unemployment 'benefits' end? Why is 39 weeks not enough? The L.A. Times wants to extend them indefinitely, rather than provide actual motivation to find a job.

I am reminded of something my mother did to me one winter. I was taking the spring semester off from college, and was hanging around the house in January. I worked for a landscaper, so I was on hiatus for the winter. At 7 AM, my mom busted down my bedroom door, ripped off the covers and kicked me in the ass. She told me to get the hell out and not come back until I had a job. I took the first job I was offered, and was back in bed by 7:45.