Let the battle begin: My war against "The Little Drummer Boy" is on!

Loyal readers know that, for reasons that aren't likely to become clear at the moment but are hinted at here, I commit myself every holiday season to make it from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve without hearing "The Little Drummer Boy."

The rules are as follows:

1. The challenge begins at 12:01 AM on the day after Thanksgiving – this year that's November 28th. It ends at 12:01 AM on December 24th.

2. If I hear even a tiny snatch of TLDB at any time during that period, if it's recognizable, the game's over until next year.

3. There are two exceptions to Rule #2. The first is that if someone deliberately plays TLDB just to make me lose, it doesn't count (this, I'm sorry to say, is known as the My Sister Jane Exception). The second exception is that this particular cover of TLDB doesn't end the game. I treasure it for its transcendental weirdness.

4. Since the date of Thanksgiving floats, scoring is based on how many days remain until Christmas, not how many days have passed since Thanksgiving. That's based on a 2013 ruling by the Commissioner.

So think good thoughts for me. But keep your pah-rum-pah-pum-pums to yourself until 12:02 AM on the 24th.