Just after the London terror attacks in July, I blogged about the BBC’s decision to go back and alter the language in the online versions of its early coverage — changing “terrorist atrocities” to “peacetime bomb attacks.” At the time, I joked, “C’mon BBC: It’s time to come right out and call them ‘martyrdom operations.’”

At the time, I felt the hyperbolic nature of the suggestion made it sort of funny. Surely even the BBC would never come right out and call a suicide terrorist a martyr. Right?

Then I clicked on the Corner and saw this AP caption:

Um Nidal, mother of three Palestinian martyrs delivering a speech at a celebration at the18th foundation anniversary of Palestinian militant group, Hamas, on Friday Dec.30, 2005, in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Hamas organized a celebration at Yarmouk refugee camp southern Damascus with participation of 2000 palestinians.(AP Photo / Bassem Tellawi)

Unbelievable. I guess I’m going to have to put more effort into the punchlines this year. The audacity of the mainstream press has exceeded my ability to exaggerate.