Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

At midnight:

Eastern Time last night, 91-year-old WV Democratic Sen ROBERT BYRD became the longest-serving member of Congress in the history of the U-S. Byrd has now served 20,774 days --56 years, 10-and-a-half-months-- in Congress.
   He's been elected to the Senate nine times and has served under eleven different presidents. He turns 92 this coming Friday.
   Politico.com notes that in his 57 years on the Hill, Byrd's politics have shifted dramatically. "A man once despised by liberals for race-baiting and backing LYNDON JOHNSON's escalation of the Vietnam War endorsed an African-American for president in 2008 and argued eloquently against the Iraq war on the Senate floor." (Pacelli /Maiman)
   Editor's note: And the one guy who doesn't get a single mention? The congressional aide who spent all those years emptying the Senator's spitoon. (Maiman)

Santa update:

Santa Claus wants his swine flu vaccine.
   The guys who work the malls want to be listed as a priority group. They're advising members to use hand sanitizer and telling parents to keep sick kids at home.

Off the beaten path:

The country of Finland has their own version of SANTA CLAUS. Agence France-Presse says the Finnish Santa lives in a cabin on top of Korvatunturi Mountain. And, every year, the Finnish Santa makes an appearance on national television. This year, Saint Nick has already assured the children of the world that Christmas is in no danger of being cancelled due to the H1N1 virus.
He also promised that everyone in Santa's cabin was protected against Swine Flu --thanks to MRS CLAUS taking good care of Santa and the elves. Santa added, "Take care of yourself. But if you have caught swine flu, take it easy and follow the advice given by your father, mother and doctors." (Still)

Sucks to be you:

MICHAEL BOLTON is suffering from a serious broken heart. ContactMusic.com reports the sensitive singer gave a new interview wishing he was still with ex-girlfriend NICOLETTE SHERIDAN, but he also believes he'll never find that type of love again. The poor guy blabbed that the worst part is losing your best friend and closest confidante, but has no plans to start another relationship because he's on the road so often. (Lee)
Meanwhile, how about LADY GAGA and MICHAEL BOLTON...? An online rumor that the wacky pop princess and the sultan of schmaltz are an item made Michael laugh out loud. The singers did collaborate on Michael's latest album, "One World, One Love," but he told the UK's Closer magazine that their relationship is strictly professional. But, Michael said he found the rumor to be very funny, and ridiculous. (Marino)

Health and Medical Briefs:

The Alzheimer's Association has developed a GPS tracking system for people who might wander away and otherwise get lost.
   The program is called Comfort Zone. The afflicted individual carries the device and the family is able to go online and look up a map to get an idea of where the person is if they wander away.
   It's not free. There's a $45 activation fee and various service packages starting at $43 a month.
   FYI: More info at the Alzheimer's Association website or at or call 1-877-ALZ-4850 (1-877-259-4850). (Maiman)

Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places:

A woman in India was granted a divorce because her husband wouldn't allow her to watch soap operas.
   Agence France-Presse says the unnamed woman filed for divorce alleging "cruel treatment." The judge agreed after hearing evidence that the man had picked arguments with his wife for over 4-years because of her love for daytime dramas.
   Lawyers for the husband argued that his so-called "cruel treatment" was just part of the "normal wear and tear" of married life.
   In the end, the woman got her divorce and now she's free to watch as many soaps as she wants. (Still)