At Least You Don't Have 26 Parties to Host

Slate's John Dickerson has an amusing piece today reminding us that while sometimes "it's good to the king," the Christmas season may not be the most fun time to be the president. Sure, the season is fun, but when the president has to host 26 Christmas parties in less than a month for friends and enemies alike...you almost feel for the guy...almost.

For you numbers people:
"The 9,500 guests will consume roughly the same menu of ham, turkey, lamb, cheeses, and gnocchi from an enormous candlelit table in the State Dining Room. The first lady's office reports that when the last guest collects his coat, 30,000 Christmas cookies, 10,000 petit fours, 1,100 truffles, and 2,100 pounds of sweet potatoes will have disappeared."

Marathon of Mirth [Slate]