CHRISTMAS COMES THIS TIME EACH YEAR: It's the "Little Saint Nick" by the Beach Boys. But if I posted the Beach Boys today, who will top my holiday countdown tomorrow?

SEASON of the LIST: Brooklyn Vegan a list of 40 faves in four tiers, plus a slew of honorable mentions. NPR is streaming songs from WFUV's Discoveries of 2006, including James Hunter and Jay Bennett, as well as songs from Tom Moon's "Overlooked 11" of 2006, including The Thermals.

MAMA'S GOT A BAG OF HER OWN: Idolator sings the praises of an import-only compilation of hard-to-find female-fronted songs from the '60s and '70s. Three tracks are posted, so you can stream Anna King - "Mama's Got A Bag Of Her Own," Gloria Jones - "What You Want," and Timi Yuro - "Gotta Travel o­n."

GRIZZY BEAR: Following Yellow House, which ranks in the Top10 of 2006 at Pitcfork and Tiny Mix Tapes, GB's Dan Rossen covers Paul Simon's "Graceland" like you have never heard it before.

MOUNTAIN GOATS have posted a new song, "Michael Myers Resplendent," o­n the front page of the band's website. It may not be the Michael Myers you think it is, though. You can stream it via the HM also.

JARVIS COCKER has a video for the single from his import solo debut, "Dont Let Him Waste Your Time." He originally gave the song to Nancy Sinatra.

SPOON frontman Britt Daniel tlaks with PopMatters about working o­n the Stranger Than Fiction soundtrack.

NEKO CASE is excited to be opening for Merle haggard in Oakland, Portland, Seattle and Spokane.

THAT WHAM REUNION has been scotched by Andrew Ridgeley's nerves. And there was much rejoicing.

PETE DOHERTY UPDATE: The troubled singer has lashed out at his former Libertines band mate Carl Barat, saying that the o­nly thing he misses about him is the drugs.

MORE MISS USA SCANDAL: Former Miss USA 1993, Kenya Moore criticized Donald Trump's decision to let Tara Conner keep the tiara, as did former Top 10 contestant Jill Dobson (Miss Michigan 2000), though current runner-up Tamiko Nash was supportive... in public, anyway.  Rosie O'Donnell went after The Donald, who now plans to sue her.  Meanwhile, shocking photos have surfaced of Katie Rees, Miss Nevada 2007, exposing her breasts, passionately kissing other young women, and simulating oral sex with females and a male.

THE McCARTNEYS: Heather Mills has been warned by British police to travel with extra caution, after receiving numerous death threats since her split from Sir Paul.

TOM-KAT UPDATE: Cruise, who has known to sue anyone who discusses his genome, has apparently threatened people speculating as to whether his teeth evidence a genetic disorder.

MADONNA reportedly will direct Blade to the Heat, a boxing story loosely based o­n the 1959 bout between Emile Griffith and Benny "Kid" Paret.

BRADGELINA: Jolie says stealing another woman's husband is "one of the worst things you can do." Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston is having to endure Pitt's public joy with his happy new family, with a friend telling US Weekly: "She is so torn-up about the fact that Brad was able to move o­n and has a perfect family life with that witch."

BRITNEY SPEARS: The uber-reliable Star magazine runs disputed hearsay o­n whether Spears was engaged in hanky panky with JR Rotem before she moved to divorce Fed-Ex. Better documented is that the pop tart took 16-year-old sister Jamie-Lynn to a seedy tattoo parlour in L.A. for a late-night visit. Spears the Elder got a small star tattoo o­n her hand. You stay classy, Brit-Brit!

THE FRENCH HOTEL is the subject of some hysterical "before and after" photos taken the same night by X17.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON and JOSH HARTNETT were caught canoodling at TriBeCa restaurant Cercle Rouge last Friday.

REESE & RYAN BREAK-UPDATE: Witherspoon has taken her children and moved to Charleston, SC, where both kids are said to be in public school.

THE CELEBRITY 100 is announced by Forbes magazine. Some, like Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey, are no surprise, but others might be...

EVANGELINE LILLY: The Lost hottie lost all her stuff when the house she rented with two other women was engulfed in flames yesterday.

NANOTECH and EDUCATION: An article in the Washington Post suggests it was was easier to get nanotech into the curriculum in Mexico than in the US. While I think it's important that people (and kids in particular) learn about nanotech, I'm somehow not worried that Mexico is not going to leapfrog the States in this area.

IRAQ: US forces captured a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader accused of killing hundreds of Iraqi civilians, including women and children. Iraqi police and soldiers took control over southern Najaf province, celebrating in part by biting the heart out of a live rabbit. The DoD has a map showing progress of Iraqi forces in 2006. Gen. Abizaid plans to retire and leave his post as commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East in March. Appointing Gen. Casey to the post would suggest continuation of current policy, whereas appointing Lt. Gen. David Petraeus -- author of the Army and Marine counterinsurgency field manual -- would signal a more aggressive approach like the Kagan-Keane plan is in the cards.

IRAN: Having just taken losses in local elections, Pres. Ahmadinejad says it is "the United States, Britain and the Zionist regime which are doomed to disappear... It is a divine promise." However, a Danish art group managed to place an advertisement in a Tehran newspaper with an insulting hidden message.

PONGO the DALMATIAN is Britain's biggest loser after dropping 20 lbs in Pet Fit Club. You would think all those kids would help keep the weight down.

FLORA the KOMODO DRAGON prepares to give virgin birth to seven babies for Christmas.

WHEN TWO-HEADED REPTILES roamed the earth -- nearly 150 million years ago, sadly.

MY BUDDY CHIMO, a 4-year-old horse, partially cures an 82-year-old horse owner and trainer's blindness.