PSoTD

Nostalgia, I guess. I remember when this song, and Jeannie C. Riley, was huge.

But that's wrong.

Pennsylvania is the fourth-most visited state in the country, with an estimated 138 million visitors annually. Travelers to Pennsylvania spent approximately $27 billion in 2007, including nearly $20 billion by leisure visitors on transportation, food, rooms, shopping, entertainment and other items.

Now how do I get in on this 27 billion...

About how many Christmas cards will you send out this year?

I wonder how much lawyer business has been created with local government concerning the new Pennsylvania Right-To-Know Law. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just curious as to the economic impact. Seems like something that should be measurable.

Chris Matthews' sense of entitlement IS truly stunning, and would be horribly worthless for Pennsylvania's citizenry.

If you and your family had to be somewhere in the world on Christmas morning BESIDES where you or your family live, where would you prefer that be in the world?

Sure, maybe the video conferencing industry is going to explode as organizations are looking to cut travel costs, but the convention/business hotel industry is going to get a major asskicking the next few years...

Sara Bozich has a good list of local Harrisburg area bloggers.

And speaking of Capitol area bloggers and tweeters, there's a tweetup in Harrisburg on December 18th - anyone here going? I haven't been to one before, but thinking about going to one.

Based on the amount of spam I'm getting on Gmail, I'd say that the reduction of crapmail that happened a few weeks ago, when authorities cut off some of the heaviest servers sending it, is over with a vengeance.

If you were to erase from human memory and history just one tradition that comes from the Christmas holiday, which tradition would it be and why?

A few years ago we were in Colonial Williamsburg, and we saw a Great Wolf Lodge on our way to our motel. On the way back we stopped to look inside, it was a complete lure to our kids - an indoor water park set inside a hotel, with 3 or 4 story slides and lots of kids running around, having fun. Almost on the spot we told the kids that someday we would stay at one.

So last weekend we went up to the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun in the Poconos and stayed a night, and the kids had a blast. It WAS nice to get out of near freezing rain, put on a swimsuit and play in relatively warm water in an 84 degree air environment. We saw kids from toddlers to maybe 14-year-olds running around in the waterpark having a blast, but I think the place doesn't offer enough different rides to retain older teenagers - which, if you're like us and don't have older teenagers, is just fine.

It's not cheap, but you can take two days at the waterpark for every night you stay there, so you have to think of the cost in terms of both lodging and water time. Also, the GWL has several programs for the smaller kids, including crafts and story time and games. In the evening, we spent $25 to let our kids buy a wand and play a game called MagiQuest which was spread out throughout the hotel with interactive stations, and they played for four hours that night and a couple of hours the next afternoon after we hit the water slides again. It was ALMOST as big of a hit as the water slides, and there were kids running around all over the hotel, brothers and sisters in pajamas playing as teams, having lots of fun. Well worth the $25.

GWL has pricing deals that are better than the night we went, but because of school and sports our flexibility was limited and we were ready to end our kids' asking, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GREAT WOLF LODGE. We were a bit concerned that we would see it as not worth the money and effort, but we came away feeling like we had a fun and worthy weekend. Of course, now our kids are scheming to go with their friends again someday in the future...

It seems to me that in light of this news:

The U.S. credit-card industry may pull back well over $2 trillion of lines over the next 18 months due to risk aversion and regulatory changes, leading to sharp declines in consumer spending, prominent banking analyst Meredith Whitney said.

I've thought about this idea a bit the past few years, haven't really sold myself on it or decided it was terrible, but I do think it's worth some government study.

Sounds like a pretty interesting game if it happens:

There has been serious discussion between bowl representatives, school officials, conference commissioners and ESPN about pairing Ball State and Boise State in a bowl game—if the Cardinals win the MAC title to improve their record to 13-0.

The other night my wife and I caught a bit of the PBS showing of a 25 year old Everly Brothers concert, which reminded us how many hit songs they had that you still hear today. And we realized - of all the music icons of that time, it's maybe the biggest seller - the Everly Brothers - that we've not ever heard of any studio film biopic.

I like this month. I like this month's big holiday. I like it for the music and for the way people seem to feel so much better towards other people. I like it because there's a twinkle of excitement for young and old alike this month, that there's mystery, there's good and there's naughty and a recognition of both. I like the colors and the food and the shows.

So, why not, I'm going to try to come up with a CHRISTMAS QUESTION OF THE DAY for the rest of the days leading up to Christmas Day. And here's the first one:

What's your favorite thing, foodwise, associated with the holiday of Christmas?

I really wonder how bad squirrel damage to buildings will be this winter.

I wonder why Hampden Township changed Operation Ho Ho so much. They didn't get the word out very well to residents as to the new operation and schedule, and we missed it as the fire truck raced down the street.

Maybe next year.

So many choices, it could be Kyle Orton's interception extravaganza, or the fact that Devin Hester can't seem to keep his feet under himself anymore, or that the receivers couldn't get ready to catch the catchable balls that Orton passed.

Or it could be that horribly crappy Bears defense, unable to stop the run even with most of their players at the line.

Or it could be Lovey Smith's "look of the lost" during much of the game when the cameras panned to him.

So many choices. I'll go with the toothless defense, I guess.

Just spent our first weekend ever in the Poconos this weekend. Very nice place, but does it always rain this much?

It really is a scientific mystery.

To find out, Simmons and Arlington naturalists began calling around. A naturalist in Maryland found no acorns on an Audubon nature walk there. Ditto for Fairfax, Falls Church, Charles County, even as far away as Pennsylvania. There are no acorns falling from the majestic oaks in Arlington National Cemetery.

"Once I started paying attention, I couldn't find any acorns anywhere. Not from white oaks, red oaks or black oaks, and this was supposed to be their big year," said Greg Zell, a naturalist at Long Branch Nature Center in Arlington. "We're talking zero. Not a single acorn. It's really bizarre."

Zell began to do some research. He found Internet discussion groups, including one on Topix called "No acorns this year," reporting the same thing from as far away as the Midwest up through New England and Nova Scotia. "We live in Glenwood Landing, N.Y., and don't have any acorns this year. Really weird," wrote one. "None in Kansas either! Curiouser and curiouser."

Gonna be a VERY TOUGH winter for squirrels.

Did you crank any of this on your tinny new phonograph back in 1968?

The 1910 Fruitgum Co. - 1 2 3 Red Light - 09-68 - Buddah
The 1910 Fruitgum Co. - Simon Says - 02-68 - Buddah
Herb Alpert - This Guy's In Love With You - 06-68 - A & M
Amboy Dukes - Journey To The Center Of The Mind - 08-68 - Mainstream
The Association - Everything That Touches You - 03-68 - Warner
The Beatles - Hey Jude - 09-68 - Apple
The Beatles - Lady Madonna - 04-68 - Capitol
The Beatles - Revolution - 09-68 - Capitol
The Bee Gees - I've Gotta Get A Message To You - 09-68 - Atco
Archie Bell & The Drells - I Can't Stop Dancing - 08-68 - Atlantic
Archie Bell & The Drells - Tighten Up - 04-68 - Atlantic
Big Brother & The Holding Company - Piece Of My Heart - 10-68 - Columbia
Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues - 04-68 - Philips
The Box Tops - Cry Like A Baby - 04-68 - Mala
Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart - I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight - 02-68
James Brown - I Got The Feelin' - 04-68 - King
James Brown - Say It Loud-I'm Black And I'm Proud - 10-68 - King
The Buckinghams - Susan - 01-68 - Columbia
Eric Burdon & The Animals - Monterey - 01-68 - MGM
Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman - 11-68 - Capitol
Clarence Carter - Slip Away - 09-68 - Atlantic
The Chamber Brothers - Time Has Come Today - 09-68 - Columbia
The Classics IV - Spooky - 01-68 - Imperial
The Classics IV - Stormy - 11-68 - Imperial
Judy Collins - Both Sides Now - 12-68 - Elektra
Arthur Conley - Funky Street - 05-68 - Atco
The Cowsills - Indian Lake - 07-68 - MGM
The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire - 09-68 - Track
Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love - 08-68 - Atco
Cream - White Room - 11-68 - Atco
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Suzie Q. (Pt. 1) - 10-68 - Fantasy
Deep Purple - Hush - 09-68 - Tetragammaton
The Delfonics - La-La Means I Love You - 03-68 - Philly Groove
The Dells - Stay In My Corner - 08-68 - Cadet
Derek - Cinnamon - 12-68 - Bang
Georgie Fame - The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde - 03-68 - Epic
The Fifth Dimension - Stoned Soul Picnic - 07-68 - Soul City
The Fifth Dimension - Sweet Blindness - 11-68 - Soul City
The Fireballs - Bottle Of Wine - 02-68 - Atco
Dion - Abraham, Martin And John - 11-68 - Laurie
Donovan - Hurdy Gurdy Man - 07-68 - Epic
The Doors - Hello, I Love You - 07-68 - Elektra
José Feliciano - Light My Fire - 08-68 - RCA
The First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - 03-68 - Reprise
Eddie Floyd - Bring It On Home To Me - 12-68 - Stax
The Foundations - Baby Now That I Found You - 02-68 - Uni
Aretha Franklin - Chain Of Fools - 01-68 - Atlantic
Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer - 09-68 - Atlantic
Aretha Franklin - See Saw - 12-68 - Atlantic
Aretha Franklin - (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone - 03-68 - Atlantic
Aretha Franklin - Think - 06-68 - Atlantic
Aretha Franklin - The House That Jack Built - 09-68 - Atlantic
Friend And Lover - Reach Out Of The Darkness - 06-68 - Verve
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - 12-68 - Tamla
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - 05-68 - Tamla
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - If I Could Build My Whole World Around You - 01-68 - Tamla
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - You're All I Need To Get By - 08-68 - Tamla
Gene & Debbe - Playboy - 04-68 - TRX
Bobby Goldsboro - Honey - 04-68 - UA
The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions - 10-68 - Dunhill
Richard Harris - MacArthur Park - 06-68 - Dunhill
Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days - 10-68 - Apple
The Human Beinz - Nobody But Me - 01-68 - Capitol
The Impressions - We're A Winner - 02-68 - ABC
The Intruders - Cowboys To Girls - 04-68 - Gamble
The Irish Rovers - The Unicorn - 05-68 - 05-68
Tommy James & The Shondells - Mony Mony - 05-68 - Roulette
Gladys Knight & The Pips - The End Of Our Road - 03-68 - Soul
The Lemon Pipers - Green Tambourine - 01-68 - Buddah
The Lettermen - Goin' Out Of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You - 02-68 - Capitol
Shorty Long - Here Comes The Judge - 06-68 - Soul
Mama Cass - Dream A Little Dream Of Me - 08-68 - Dunhill
Manfred Mann - Mighty Quinn - 03-68 - Mercury
Martha & The Vandellas - Honey Chile - 01-68 - Gordy
Hugh Masekela - Grazing In The Grass - 07-68 - Uni
Paul Mauriat - Love Is Blue - 02-68 - Philips
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Scarborough Fair - 12-68 - A & M
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - The Fool On The Hill - 09-68 - A & M
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - The Look Of Love - 06-68 - A & M
The Monkees - Valleri - 03-68 - Colgems
Hugo Montenegro & His Orchestra - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - 05-68 - RCA
Johnny Nash - Hold Me Tight - 11-68 - Jad
Cliff Nobles & Co. - The Horse - 06-68 - Phil L.A. of Soul
The Ohio Express - Chewy Chewy - 11-68 - Buddah
The Ohio Express - Yummy Yummy Yummy - 06-68 - Buddah
The O'Kaysions - Girl Watcher - 09-68 -ABC
People - I Love You - 06-68 - Capitol
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - Lady Willpower - 07-68 - Columbia
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap - Over You - 10-68 - Columbia
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap [aka Union Gap Feat. Garry Puckett] - Young Girl - 03-68 -Columbia
The Rascals - A Beautiful Morning - 05-68 - Atlantic
The Rascals - People Got To Be Free - 08-68 - Atlantic
Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay - 02-68 - Volt
Jeannie C. Riley - Harper Valley P.T.A. - 09-68 - Plantation
Johnny Rivers - Summer Rain - 01-68 - Imperial
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - If You Want - 04-68
The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash - 06-68 - London
Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations - I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - 12-68 - Motown
Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love Child - 11-68 - Motown
Merrilee Rush - Angel Of The Morning - 06-68 - Bell
Sam & Dave - I Thank You - 03-68 - Stax
Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson - 05-68 - Columbia
Simon & Garfunkel - Scarborough Fair/Canticle - 04-68 - Columbia
Percy Sledge - Take Time To Know Her - 05-68 - Atlantic
Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To The Music - 03-68
The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park - 02-68 - Imediate
O.C. Smith - Little Green Apples - 10-68 - Columbia
Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstick Man - 08-68 - Cadet Concept
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild - 08-68 - Dunhill
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride - 11-68 - Dunhill
The Stone Poneys - Different Drum - 01-68 - Capitol
Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love - 11-68 - Stax
The Temptations - Cloud Nine - 12-68 - Gordy
The Temptations - I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) - 05-68 - Gordy
The Temptations - I Wish It Would Rain - 01-68 - Gordy
The Troggs - Love Is All Around - 05-68 - Fontana
The Turtles - Elenore - 10-68 - White Whale
Vanilla Fudge - (You Keep Me) Hangin' On - 08-68 - Atco
Bobby Vinton - I Love How You Love Me - 12-68 - Epic
The Vogues - My Special Angel - 10-68 - Reprise
The Vogues - Turn Around Look At Me - 07-68 - Reprise
Dionne Warwick - Do You Know The Way To San José - 05-68 - Scepter
Dionne Warwick - (Theme From) Valley Of The Dolls - 02-68 - Scepter
Mason Williams - Classical Gas - 07-68 - Warner
Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life - 11-68 - Tamla
Stevie Wonder - Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day - 05-68 -Tamla

OH YEAH! We're going on vacation there in 2009, this will be a great tale for the kids all week.

The US Navy captured a 140-foot monster in Lake Michigan on September 16 and a secret Pentagon photograph proves it!

The picture clearly shows a pair of Navy divers cautiously approaching the beast just minutes after it was immobilized in a gigantic steel net.

And while it is not yet known what the Navy plans to do with the monster, sources say that every effort will be made to keep it alive while researchers try to figure out what it is, how it got into Lake Michigan and if there are more like it.

"I don’t want to sound like a gawking tourist but the Loch Ness monster is nothing, and I do mean nothing, compared to this, "declared marine biologist Richard Clarke, who cited Pentagon sources and documents when he blew the lid off the capture of the beast at a news conference in Washington, DC.

"The Navy spent six months trying to capture this thing," he continued, "and the big question now is what the hell did they catch? The monster looks like a dinosaur but there are several important distinctions.

"For one thing, dinosaurs were exceedingly stupid but this lake monster apparently has an intelligence rivaling that of a dog or a horse. It also has lungs and gills, which enable it to breathe in or out of water at will.

"One of the more intriguing aspects of this case is why nobody has reported seeing the monster before, he added. "Then again, people may have seen it but were too embarrassed or afraid to talk."

We're going to call him Michie.

We were visiting some good friends in our neighborhood, and the husband said "Christmas this year is going to be a bit more modest here," referring to the number and scope of gifts for everyone, including the kids.

We agreed, and very likely it's a sentiment being felt in millions of homes this year. And it isn't about fear about the economy, or a kneejerk reaction to the stock market, or at least just that, but it seems to me to be an "awakening from slumber" moment for many of us.

For years we were pulled in deeper by the undercurrent of Christmas capitalism, pushed by the desire for greater and more expensive electronics and sports equipment and other items because everyone else was going in a bit deeper as well. Our kids deserve this, because their friends have this, and because their friends have this, our kids want this, and Christmas was there to satisfy the want.

And it wasn't just the kids, but us as well, wanting more than we needed simply because we felt the pull and didn't feel any desire to resist. There was almost a sense that we deserved it.

Funny thing about an economic crisis, though, is it makes you think about the reasoning of what you're doing as you consider the results as well.

I wonder if that reasoning is going to make a big change in the future of Christmas in families around the country. If families have a more modestly priced Christmas, and this Christmas is seen as just as enjoyable and rewarding for families as previous Christmases, then what is the value of spending that additional $500 or $1000 or $2000 dollars on gifts? Especially when compared to things that could be done with that money for the family in the future?

We'll see what happens this year, but hefty-price Christmas may be about to get the same kind of review from the American family that the SUV has received the past few years - and a similar buying decision for the future.

Human stampedes always are.

New York's Daily News published the grim details this morning of a worked at a Wal-Mart store on Long Island who was stampeded by the crowd rushing in just before dawn. Also, a trampled woman miscarried.

From the paper's Web site:

"Before police shut down the store, eager shoppers streamed past emergency crews as they worked furiously to save the store clerk's life. 'They were working on him, but you could see he was dead, said Halcyon Alexander, 29. 'People were still coming through.'

Only a few stopped. 'They're savages,' said shopper Kimberly Cribbs, 27. 'It's sad. It's terrible.'"

This sounds pretty damn tasty:

Nah, it's my uvula. It's from my exclaiming "NOOOOOOO" reaction to news stories about Black Friday.

Retailers and the American consumer have banded together to make today an embarrassing stop on the calendar. I will do what I can to teach our kids that getting up early on the day after Thanksgiving to go Christmas shopping for deals is not a "tradition" that is worthy of them.

Is gonna be pretty slow for bloggin'. Enjoy your day, and your dinner.

Well, it's something to consider for anyone hooked on playing BeTheCoachBasketball.com.

"Light Up Night" searches going through the roof in Pennsylvania!

I'm just going through old software services that I've bookmarked but never used, and am clearing the decks. From time to time I'll post a query about them. So here is today's: Has anyone used Discuss This, the discussion email list service?

And I like it!

There's a phone scam going on, we've received two recorded calls in the past two days from different number claiming to be Susquehanna Valley Federal Credit Union telling us that a block has been put on our credit card because of a charge they believe was from an fraudulent source. Then they ask you to give your credit card number to check your account. It's all automated, and sounds pretty business-like, and it's a complete scam. It is NOT the credit union. If you call Susquehanna Valley Federal Credit Union, they are well aware of the scam and warn callers immediately NOT TO GIVE THE CREDIT CARD NUMBER. Of course, that was easy for us since we do not even have a credit card or any other account with their credit union.