PSoTD

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.

Just another large electronics/stereo chain going out of business.

Barring any critical injuries to starting quarterbacks or running backs, it's going to be the Chicago Bears. Prediction of final record:

9-7 Chicago Bears
8-8 Green Bay Packers
8-8 Minnesota Vikings

I see the Vikings taking a one game lead this week by beating the Bears, but it's bad news for them after that, because after playing Detroit, they have Arizona, Atlanta and the New York Giants. If, in that final game, the Giants are NOT playing for home field advantage, then the Vikes might actually luck out and win this division, but the Giants have a rough 5 games left and I see a loss or two coming.

The winner of the division will be the winner of the 12/22 game of Green Bay at Chicago, and I'm betting on it being Chicago. On the other hand, I'm also expecting Carolina to beat Green Bay this weekend, and Carolina has been quite Jeckyl and Hyde lately, so if that doesn't happen, I'll have to recalibrate.

Willie and the Hand Jive

Fifty years old.

Is there any place where a blogger can find out the dollar value in taxes not collected for the U.S. Government for all the deductions listed in IRS Publication 529?

Interesting.

Here's a question for you: below are supposedly the greatest hits of fifty years ago, the year 1958. If you were driving along with the radio on, would you crank up any of these songs, and if so, which one(s)?

Paul Anka - You Are My Destiny - 02-58 - ABC Paramount
The Applejacks - Mexican Hat Rock - 11-58 - Cameo
Frankie Avalon - Dede Dinah - 02-58 - Chancellor
Frankie Avalon - Ginger Bread - 08-58 - Chancellor
Chuck Berry - Sweet Little Sixteen - 03-58 - Chess
Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode - 05-58 - Chess
Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace - 10-58 - Mercury
Billy & Lillie - La Dee Dah - 01-58 - Swan
Pat Boone - A Wonderful Time Up There/It's Too Soon To Know - 02-58 -Dot
Pat Boone - Sugar Moon/Cherie I Love You - 05-58 - Dot
Pat Boone - If Dreams Came True - 08-58 - Dot
Jerry Butler & The Impressions For Your Precious Love - 07-58 - Abner
Johnny Cash - Guess Things Happen That Way/Come In Stranger - 07-58 - Sun
The Champs - Tequila - 03-58 - Challenge
The Chantels - Maybe - 02-58 - End
The Chipmunks - The Chipmunk Song - 12-58 - Liberty
The Chordettes - Lollipop - 03-58 - Cadence
Jimmy Clanton - Just A Dream - 08-58 - Ace
The Coasters - Yakety Yak - 06-58 - Atco
Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues - 09-58 - Liberty
Cozy Cole - Topsy (Part II) - 10-58 - Love
Nat 'King' Cole - Looking Back/Do I Like It - 05-58 - Capitol
Perry Como - Catch A Falling Star/Magic Moments - 02-58 - RCA
Perry Como - Kewpie Doll - 05-58 - RCA
The Crescendos - Oh Julie - 02-58 - Nasco
The Crickets [with Buddy Holly] - Oh Boy! - 01-58 - Brunswick
Bobby Darin - Splish Splash - 07-58 - Atco
Bobby Darin - Queen Of The Hop - 11-58 - Atco
Bobby Day - Rock-In' Robin/Over And Over - 09-58 - Class
Doris Day - Everybody Loves A Lover - 08-58 - Columbia
The Diamonds - The Stroll - 01-58 - Mercury
Fats Domino - Whole Lotta Loving - 12-58 - Imperial
Duane Eddy - Rebel Rouser - 07-58 - Jamie
Tommy Edwards - It's All In The Game - 09-58 - MGM
Tommy Edwards - Love Is All We Need - 12-58 - MGM
The Elegants - Little Star - 08-58 - Apt
The Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream - 05-58 - Cadence
The Everly Brothers - Bird Dog - 08-58 - Cadence
The Everly Brothers - Devoted To You - 09-58 - Cadence
The Everly Brothers - Problems - 12-58 - Cadence
The Four Preps - 26 Miles - 03-58 - Capitol
The Four Preps - Big Man - 05-58 - Capitol
Connie Francis - Who's Sorry Now - 03-58 - MGM
Connie Francis - My Happiness - 12-58 - MGM
Bobby Freeman - Do You Want To Dance - 06-58 - Josie
Don Gibson - Oh Lonesome Me/I Can't Stop Loving You - 04-58 - RCA
Billy Grammer - Gotta Travel On - 12-58 - Monument
Earl Grant - The End - 10-58 - Decca
Roy Hamilton - Don't Let Go - 02-58 - Epic
Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock - 01-58 - Decca
The Hollywood Flames - Buzz-Buzz-Buzz - 01-58 - Ebb
Jan & Arnie - Jennie Lee - 06-58 - Arwin
The Johnny Otis Show - Willie And The Hand Jive - 07-58 - Capitol
The Kalin Twins - When - 07-58 - Decca
The Kalin Twins - Forget Me Not - 11-58 - Decca
The Kingston Trio - Tom Dooley - 10-58 - Capitol
Peggy Lee - Fever - 08-58 - Capitol
Jerry Lee Lewis - Breathless - 03-58 - Sun
Little Anthony & The Imperials - Tears On My Pillow - 09-58 - End
Little Richard - Good Golly, Miss Molly - 03-58 - Specialty
Laurie London - He's Got The Whole World (In His Hands) - 04-58 - Capitol
Robin Luke - Susie Darlin' - 09-58 - Dot
Dean Martin - Return To Me - 05-58 - Capitol
Jimmy McCracklin - The Walk - 03-58 - Checker
The McGuire Sisters - Sugartime - 01-58 - Coral
Clyde McPhatter - A Lover's Question - 12-58 - Atlantic
Domenico Modugno - Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue (Volare) - 08-58 - Decca
The Monotones - Book Of Love - 04-58 - Argo
Ricky Nelson - Stood Up/Waitin' In School - 01-58 - Imperial
Ricky Nelson - Believe What You Say/My Bucket's Got A Hole In It - 04-58 - Imperial
Ricky Nelson - Poor Little Fool - 07-58 - Imperial
Ricky Nelson - Lonesome Town - 11-58 - Imperial
Ricky Nelson - I Got A Feeling - 11-58 - Imperial
The Olympics - Western Movies - 08-58 - Demon
Patti Page - Left Right Out Of Your Heart - 08-58 - Mercury
The Platters - Twilight Time - 04-58 - Mercury
The Platters - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - 12-58 - Mercury
The Poni-Tails - Born Too Late - 08-58 - ABC Paramount
The Playmates - Beep Beep - 11-58 - Roulette
Perez Prado - Patricia - 06-58 - RCA
Elvis Presley - Don't/I Beg Of You - 02-58 - RCA
Elvis Presley - Wear My Ring Around Your Neck - 04-58 - RCA
Elvis Presley - Hard Headed Woman - 07-58 - RCA
Elvis Presley - I Got Stung - 11-58 - RCA
Elvis Presley - One Night - 11-58 - RCA
Jody Reynolds - Endless Sleep - 06-58 - Demon
Jimmie Rodgers - Secretly - 05-58 - Roulette
Jimmie Rodgers - Are You Really Mine - 09-58 - Roulette
Jimmie Rodgers - Bimbombey - 12-58 - Roulette
The Royal Teens - Short Shorts - 02-58 - ABC Paramount
Jack Scott - My True Love/Leroy - 07-58 - Carlton
David Seville - Witch Doctor - 04-58 - Liberty
The Shields - You Cheated - 10-58 - Dot
The Silhouettes - Get A Job - 01-58 - Ember
Huey (Piano) Smith & The Clowns - Don't You Just Know It - 04-58 - Ace
The Teddy Bears - To Know Him Is To Love Him - 10-58 - Dore
Art & Dotty Todd - Chanson D'Amour (Song Of Love) - 05-58 - Era
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra - Tea For Two Cha Cha - 10-58 - Decca
Ed Townsend - For Your Love - 05-58 - Capitol
Conway Twitty - It's Only Make Believe - 10-58 - MGM
Billy Vaughn - Sail Along Silvery Moon/Raunchy - 01-58 - Dot
Jerry Wallace - How Time Flies - 10-58 - Challenge
Andy Williams - Are You Sincere - 04-58 - Cadence
Roger Williams - Near You - 09-58 - Kapp
Chuck Willis - What Am I Living For - 06-58 - Atlantic
Sheb Wooley - The Purple People Eater - 06-58 - MGM
John Zacherle - Dinner With Drac (Part 1) - 03-58 - Cameo

Duck Soup was a mixed result with our kids. They did really like the peanut vendor scenes, particularly the first one with the hat changes, and we ALL got a big belly laugh when Groucho had the pitcher stuck on his head, asked for help, and they drew his face on the vase. I think they liked it more than they understood, because between the comments that it was black and white and "why did he do that" there were some good laughs, particularly from our 8 year old. But I think the difference in technology and technique between the 1930s and now is a pretty big jump at their ages to bypass.

Oh, and they hated the songs.

Here's that scene with the pitcher.

Pictures of Matchstick Men

Escaping with a victory at Central Michigan didn't add much to Ball State's resume. However, there are a few chances that higher seeds may lose today.

As much as I'd like to see it, I don't see Ohio State falling today. Michigan stinks. Maybe they can make their season today with an upset, but I won't believe it until the final horn sounds and they're ahead.

On the other hand, I think Penn State is going down today, at the hands of Michigan State. I'm not sure this will help Ball State, and it may hurt them. Penn State may not fall below Ball State, and Michigan State might get a road win benefit that would boost them past BSU.

My secret hope is that Nevada plays the game of their season and beats Boise State. It could also help if Brigham Young plays their best road game of the season and beats Utah. Of course, BYU is ranked 16th and could jump up with an impressive road win, too.

When I was growing up, one thing we did not have was any kind of Thanksgiving Eve tradition, other than maybe Mom doing the dinner prep or Dad running out to keep the alcohol stocked.

The same has held true for myself as an adult. In college, Thanksgiving Eve was the evening I went to my parents for the weekend, to stock up on good food and party with my old high school friends for a while. But other than that short time, I can't think of anything I did routinely on that evening that seems anything close to a tradition.

So I guess I wonder what I've missed out on, when I read about the New York City Thanksgiving Eve Party Tradition, or the Thanksgiving Eve Pie Party tradition, or just going out for Chinese food every Thanksgiving Eve. Apparently there are a lot of routines for that evening for people.

So - what's your Thanksgiving Eve tradition?

Some bloggers are so easily impressed with themselves.

December 21, 2008. For the cause!

278,000

I'm pretty sure I disagree with this move.

Gov. Ed Rendell announced today that the state will direct $35 million of federal Housing and Urban Development money to Al Boscov and his family to help them purchase the bankrupt department store chain.

Rendell said the money will help Boscov secure the funds to complete the purchase in bankruptcy court.

Without the money, the department store chain may not be able to survive, he said. It has 39 stores and 9,000 employees in the mid-Atlantic region. Rendell said there are 25 stores and 5,000 employees in the state. Boscov's is based in Reading.

"It would be devastating in the state of Pennsylvania to lose Boscov's," he said.

The family also is receiving $6 million in federal funding from the cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Rendell said Boscov and other family members are putting in $53 million of their own equity.

Still, the family needs more funds to complete the deal. Rendell said the $35 million, in the form of a Section 108 HUD loan, is contingent on Boscov arranging the bridge financing to consummate the purchase.

I'm not trying to be heartless. Frankly, I think it would be wiser to provide $7000 in retraining loans or business start-up capital loans or additional unemployment assistance loans or some other targeted effort to help those 5000 employees of Boscov's, rather than to give loan the money to the Boscov family. I don't have anything against Boscov's, I just don't see why pouring government money into a retailer is good economic policy.

Just to repeat - they're a retailer. They don't make anything, they don't provide a unique and essential service that isn't replicated in the market. They really don't have a unique niche. Smaller and larger retailers have gone out of business, and will continue to go out of business. So why is Boscov's different for Pennsylvania's economy?

If we're going to spend $35 million, spend it on the employees, not the ownership.

Snow!!!

My wife and I are enjoying this quirky cop drama on NBC, we liked it last year also, but I have to say, I really don't get the attraction of Sarah Shahi's character towards her boss.

Still, just an entertaining show.

Those of us that live near Harrisburg know of a climate challenge that awaits for those who go downtown during the coldest days of the winter. It's that time of year we all think about it, since we've already had a taste of bitter winds and chilly temperatures, and there's plenty more of that, and more extreme versions of it, that await us over the next 4 months or so.

Harrisburg, being a state capitol and all, is full of larger buildings that house the state government, from the Capitol Building to various office buildings and parking lots. In addition, all the other organizations that huddle near state government - associations and lobbyists and public interest groups and law firms and the rest - need office space as well. So, Harrisburg, which didn't have that many tall office buildings when we moved here in 1991, has been building them to keep up with demand since that time.

Anyone that has walked in Harrisburg on a wet and blustery winter day knows what these buildings can do - accentuate the gusts of wind. Umbrellas take a beating here, like any other cityscape with similar weather and taller buildings.

But there's a greater risk to umbrellas - and anyone else - walking through Harrisburg on our coldest days. From the heights fall the weather-delivered terror, potentially fatal: frozen pigeons. Once we've had a few days with temperatures never tipping past 20, the risk is there. Pedestrians must keep an eye to the sky in case a gust blows a frozen bird off its ledge and tumbling to the sidewalks below. We are a friendly folk, however, and good samaritans will shout "look out" to those not looking, and all will duck as quickly as possible towards doorways or other protection. Pity the poor individual that slips on ice and can't avoid the falling block of pigeon-ice, a fate of pain or perhaps worse.

The last few years the frozen pigeons have caused a bit of a fashion statement in Harrisburg - the shield. I, myself, now bring one when I have to go downtown, rather than an umbrella, on those coldest surly days.

It's heavy but far better protection than an umbrella. If you come to Harrisburg in January, you might want to stop by Hank's in Strawberry Square, you can get a newspaper and a shield at a reasonable price.

I'm not sure how useful it is, but searchCrystal provides interesting results for image searches.

I agree, there should be a sports team in the Pittsburgh area called the Zombies, and George Romero ought to help out on any campaign to get it going.

I wonder what kind of an increase Ball State has seen in the sale of their clothing swag.

Apparently, it's North Dakota, sorta:

North Dakota voters Nov. 4 gave Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader his second highest percentage of votes in the nation, 1.3 percent.

Are there any leagues in Central Pennsylvania for adults? I'm not sure this trend has reached here.

I Twitter. And it's amazing stuff, if, when I write amazing, you immediately think of ordinary.

This song is just too "hook-y" to ignore.

If Obama wants the more progressive, more liberal, and less hawkish Democrats to coalesce more effectively to refocus the Democratic Party, there couldn't have been a better spark for that effort than to allow Joe Lieberman to keep his Senate chair. I kinda wonder if that's exactly why it happened.

There's no there there.

It sure seems to me that the price of food has gone up considerably over the past year, more than just the few bucks reflected in this Thanksgiving dinner article:

Turkey. Mashed Potatoes. Stuffing.

They're the foods we all look forward to when November rolls around.

So, how much do they cost?

A survey released by the American Farm Bureau shows prices on the rise.

A thanksgiving dinner for ten people with all the trimmings now costs about $44.61. The cost is only a few bucks more than last year, but in this economy, shoppers say every bit counts.

I think this cost increase assessment is more representative to what we see.

Over the next several days, shoppers will be flocking to the grocery stores, stocking their shelves with essentials for their Thanksgiving meal. According to the Arkansas Farm Bureau, this year it will cost you more to make that meal.

Major Stephanie Greenham with the Salvation Army is planning to fill around 500 food boxes for the less fortunate this Thanksgiving and Christmas. She says it will cost considerably more to fill those boxes this year.

Greenham says its costing her food buyer more just to purchase day-to-day meals the Salvation Army serves.

"He says he's seeing a 30 percent increase across the board. For the rolls of hamburger meat, milk, and eggs and all of the things that we have to have," said Greenham.

Well, a scanner that works. I do have an HP scanner, but haven't used it in two computer upgrades, for two reasons:

The connecting serial cable didn't have a port of the right pin/size on the upgrades; and

I rarely need to use a scanner in the first place.

But, occasion came this week that maybe I could use a scanner, and I looked to find a converter so that I could plug this bad boy cable into a USB port.

HA HA HA.

Went to 4 stores, nobody had the proper plug converter. "It's rare", "I can't find one in our computer", and the very comforting "it might be easier to buy a new scanner or a printer with a scanner" were a common theme.

I have found a workaround for my lack-of-scanner situation this week and am not going to worry about this cable any more. I wish I had thought of it before driving to to all these stores, but I mindlessly thought this converter would be easy.

And we do want to get a new printer at some point, one with wireless linkup so we can print from the laptop as well, so when that time comes, I'll look for one that also has a scanner. Forget that old HP scanner.

There's a list of retail stores going out of business with a general bit of advice that seems to be going viral: don't give gift cards for Christmas this year.

How "rotisserie league" got its name:

1979 - On a flight to Austin, Texas, Daniel Okrent sketches out the first draft of rules for what would become Rotisserie League Baseball. Had the friends he was seeing not ignored these rules, the Rotisserie League would have been called Pit League, after the Austin barbecue joint where Okrent first unveiled them. Two weeks later in New York, he pitches the idea to a more receptive group with whom Okrent lunched monthly at La Rotisserie Francaise.

If you have kids, this photo of a man grieving over his child killed in Iraq is going to hurt. Same if you don't have kids.

There's so much idiocy on so many levels going on in Iraq, blood idiocy. Blood idiocy. Flesh idiocy. Life idiocy. We convert this idiocy into statistics in an effort to measure the results, casualties and dead and dollars and time. It takes a photo to bring home the idiocy. It takes a photo to bring home the criminality of this war ON EVERYONE'S PART THAT CONTINUES IT. This is that photo.

We are still a stupid species. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can work to become a little wiser. This photo is a shock reminder of how stupid we can be, all of us, our species, when we fail to remember how stupid we are.

Sometimes emotion is the wisdom, and logic is the haze. Look at this photo, not in anger at any one person but in sadness at what we ignorantly accept ourselves in being. Look at what we're all doing in our battle of idiocies, and cry.

When the power came back on after 8:30 last night, one of my "me and the kids" plans had been scuttled. We have rented "Duck Soup" by the Marx Brothers on NetFlix, and I'm planning on dropping it on them some night, and we'll sit together and watch it. Last night would have been perfect, except, well, you know, no power.

Hopefully sometime this week we can have our "old-time movie night" and watch this, and see how it goes.

So, the power's off for the third hour of the eleven hours it will be off on Saturday, and I decide to take the kids to Circuit City. Not to buy, I tell them, just to look. I received a gift card last year for Circuit City for Christmas from my mother-in-law, which was great but I haven't used it. Some news show the other day was briefly covering the financial problems that Circuit City are suffering now, and the words "if you have a gift card at Circuit City, run, don't walk, to use it" from an analyst are still echoing in my head.

We enter the door and it's pretty clear that customers are outnumbered by the red shirted employees. Not only that, but it appears that Circuit City is trying to save money by primarily hiring oily-faced 16 year old boys. They are everywhere. Their training seems to consist of remembering the first directive: Ask if the customer needs help. It doesn't matter if the customer intentionally is avoiding eye contact, or walking away, or talking to his kids. No, check if they need help with something.

Lost in the checking is the caveat - ask once. Since we were "looking" we ended up wandering the entire store in about 20 minutes, which was about all of the red shirts I could take. It's bad enough that every red shirt is going to ask at least once. But during that time, I was asked by one particular clerk 4 times, in different places, whether I needed any help. I don't think this kid was trying to pester us, I just don't think he was taking the time to remember who he asked, and apparently I am nondescript. Perhaps I should have worn my Jason hockey mask. I bet he would have remembered me then.

I understand that Circuit City is having hard times, but the heavy handed approach they're using with their teen brigades is pretty uncomfortable and doesn't feel like a recipe for recovery. I did get some ideas of what to spend the gift card on - but I don't feel like rewarding Circuit City with unspent money. Spend the card and get out will be my focus. They should try to avoid that sentiment with a sales approach that is more comfortable to the customer.

I'm really kinda enjoying the Piknik editing capabilities on my crummier Flickr pics. Sometimes it makes quite an improvement...

and sometimes not.

Ball State won their game on Tuesday, but it sure seems like slim pickings for them to move up any this week in the NCAA rankings. I guess Illinois has a shot of beating Ohio State, who is ranked 10th and might drop below Ball State if the loss was strong enough.

Any other loss by a "Top 13" team would be a pretty big upset. If I were to spot one that might happen, I guess it would be that Utah gets sloppy playing in San Diego on a Saturday night.

I'm looking to buy one of those portable basketball goals for the kids, preferably one that comes on wheels and has a very secure grounding system to keep it from tipping. Unfortunately, our driveway is on a slope, but I was thinking I could put this in the backyard. It would be only for shooting, I wouldn't put a playing surface down for games, but I wouldn't sweat the dead grass, either.

I have no intention of buying a new one, as they cost considerably more than I want to pay AND I've seen too many of these for sale in garage sales and from time to time on Craigslist to commit a lot of money to it. Anyone have any experience with portable basketball goals? Any suggestions on what to look for or to avoid?

Very, very smart. And useful.

"On Monday, President-elect Barack Obama and Senator John McCain will meet in Chicago at transition headquarters," Obama Transition spox Stephanie Cutter just announced. "It's well known that they share an important belief that Americans want and deserve a more effective and efficient government, and will discuss ways to work together to make that a reality."

I noticed a few days ago that my catch-all email address, which is generally where almost all of my spam goes but requires checking every few days because some legitimate form e-mail, such as invoices, sometimes get routed there, was down considerably in volume. I was concerned, because my experience has been that this usually happens when a spamfilter has been adjusted, and adjusted poorly by an ISP to be way too aggressive and screening out too wide of a range of email.

I feel better today, because I don't seem to be missing anything legitimate - it's just that apparently a VERY MAJOR SPAMMER has been disconnected, at least for now. It has cut my spam volume from about 1500 messages a day to around 800.

THANK YOU.

QUIT CALLING US ABOUT FIOS!!!!!!! WE SAID NO!!!!!

but armpit sex? Not gettin' that.

Is there anything Google won't track?

PSoTD really isn't such a blog. If they had an awards category for "Most Clearly Fading Blogger" then I might be able to clear some award mantle space...

Okay, I'll try not to be that gullible again.

I've saying this for years, he's going to run in the Democratic primary for the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate seat in 2010.

I think he's too much damaged goods, though. Even though Pennsylvania doesn't have a lot of names for a statewide race, I think a lot of people - a lot of Democrats - just don't think that Chris Matthews is of the quality to represent this state. Too shrill, too bombastic, doesn't listen to guests so why would he listen to voters?

And I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of them, but here's one I really like: Astradyne by Ultravox.

Some mining companies think that their employees should have safety belts when taking the bus to the mine. Good idea for miners, but not a good idea for school students?

I am in the midst of planning our family's vacation for 2009. Every odd year, my two brothers' and their families and our family get together for a big family vacation somewhere. It's a lot of fun, and we go to different places, but because we're scattered all over the country, it's rarely anything "local" for anyone. We like to rent a big house for a week so we can be together, and then do what we're going to do for the week.

It's a strange time in vacation rentals, I suspect. When I look at the web sites for larger house rentals, I see a lot of vacancy still at this point, which in the past I don't remember seeing as much. This makes sense as people are planning less "big" vacations until the economy's path becomes more clear. On the other hand, I don't see the prices for these rentals being lowered to reflect the change in market conditions. I suspect that's a "when" action as oppose to an "if" action on the part of the rental landlords.

I'm going to have to use up this gift card sometime this week, I think.

Chowhound has some thoughts on it.

I admit, until a few days ago I had never looked at the BCS bowl stipulations for selections, but since Ball State is on the outskirts of such a game, I took a look. There are some pretty ridiculous rules protecting conferences and leagues regarding automatic berths, but this, by far, is the most ridiculous:

4. Notre Dame will have an automatic berth if it is in the top eight of the final BCS Standings.

It's not ridiculous that a team in the top eight gets an automatic berth. It IS ridiculous that a school specifically be listed. Why not Navy, or Western Kentucky? Why not just any independent?

If there were a time where Notre Dame, Army and Navy were in the top eight of the final BCS Standings, only Notre Dame would be guaranteed to go to a BCS bowl game. That's just not right.

Yeah, we played Scrabble last night. We have a VERY old version of the game, from my parents.

He put together some seriously great cookbooks. I like to cook, I like good tasting food, but I don't want to spend more than an hour making it. Thankfully this guy put together recipes that fit into my attention span.

I think he's playing an interesting politics with Lieberman. At least, I hope so...

Lieberman can still help Dems, Reid says

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Sunday he's still trying to keep Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman within the Democratic caucus despite anger over Lieberman's support of Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Regardless of the headline, this praise from Reid is quite damning of Lieberman. If you go on the premise that the caucus wants to vote him out, particularly with his dance with the Republicans, then what Reid is saying publicly is likely to isolate Lieberman even further. Such praise as

"Joe Lieberman votes with me a lot more than a lot of my senators."

and

"Joe Lieberman is one of the most progressive people ever to come from the state of Connecticut."

makes it a lot less appetizing for the Republicans to throw in their lot with Lieberman. The truth will be told with the caucus vote, but this sure looks like compliments designed to smell like dog crap to the Republican Caucus to me. With the goal of leaving Lieberman with no real options but to take whatever meager subcommittee chairmanship the Democrats might offer him, and a warning to shut up or suffer further consequences.

If you've played, you've seen them all...

Why is he still coaching the Texans? Man, that was a horribly called game against the Ravens.

So where will they be in the NCAA Football national rankings today? I'm guessing they slip by TCU and LSU and just maybe OK State, either 13th or 14th. Georgia should drop under them instead of LSU, but probably won't.

BTW, here's the record of the Mid-American Conference (which Ball State belongs) against other conferences in 2008:

Big Ten 4-8
Big East 2-4
Big Twelve 0-3
Conference USA 1-0
Western Athletic 1-1
Mountain West 1-1
SEC 0-3
ACC 0-1
Pac 10 0-1

And that is what is really hurting Ball State's chances of getting to a BCS game.

The Seeker, The Who

I did not know that people can schedule their tweet messages.

Real life, on the map.

Orrs Bridge Road, Camp Hill.

A little Chuck Todd from last Tuesday...

*** When red states turn blue: The two red states that have lifted Obama over 270 in NBC’s current electoral map are Colorado and Virginia. What do they have in common? They happen to be the two lone states Bush carried in 2004 that rank in the Top 10 in education (bachelor’s degrees or higher) and in fewest senior citizens (i.e., they’re the youngest states). Virginia also was the sole state that Bush carried four years ago that ranks in the Top 10 in median household income. Demographically then, these two states were poised to be pick-up opportunities for the Democrats. And if Obama wins them tonight, the GOP’s challenge in future presidential elections will be to find a way to win them back -- or reach 270 without them. Republicans don't have any more states they can afford to slip into the tossup/battleground column. The Democratic base in the Electoral College is getting awfully large (CA, NY, IL, NJ, New England, the Agricultural Midwest). If CO, VA, PA and MI are added in, what does that leave the GOP? And then in four or eight years, Texas will begin slipping into competitive territory. Who says Democrats ought to be in favor of scrapping the Electoral College? This may become a Republican movement.

Texas is pretty much the straw of the Republican camel's back. State and Congressional seats in Texas currently being served by Republicans ought to be a top priority for targeting in 2010, with expectations of greater inroads in 2012.

Cool, an English to Morse Code translator.

Gotta like a guy who can apologize.

President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan on Friday to apologize for a remark about seances he made during his first news conference earlier in the day.

President-elect Barack Obama's spokeswoman says he apologized to Nancy Reagan for "offhanded remark."

When a reporter asked Obama if he had spoken with any ex-presidents since his election on Tuesday, he responded that he had spoken to all former presidents "that are living."

"I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances," he said.

Nancy Reagan, wife of 40th President Ronald Reagan, was derided in 1988 when his former chief of staff Donald Regan revealed in a book that the first lady had consulted an astrologer to determine the president's schedule.

Obama apologized to Reagan "for the careless and offhanded remark," Obama transition team spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said. Video Watch Obama make the seance remark »

"The president-elect expressed his admiration and affection for Mrs. Reagan that so many Americans share and they had a warm conversation," Cutter said.

Don't wait until he jumps. Boot Lieberman already, Senator Reid, keeping him in a chairmanship will just pay poisonous dividends throughout the next session.

Not sure what it's all about, but it's kinda purty...

As a man whose name begins with the letter W, I've been disappointed with how it has been hijacked for political purposes by one of, if not the most, unpopular President in American History. Even today, if I drive around for very long in our relatively conservative geographic area, I'll see a car with one of those stupid "W" oval stickers plastered on their rear window or bumper, as if it were a vacation destination for the politically imbecilic.

Well, now that we're entering hopefully a smarter political era, it's time to rehabilitate the letter "W". First of all - the scrubbing should begin in how we refer to the 43rd American President. It can be Bush II, or George W. Bush, or whatever, but he doesn't get a letter. He hasn't earned it, and the letter "W" doesn't deserve such a connotation. And anyone that refers to him as "W" is denigrating a whole family of words and names and destinations and sounds.

I'm not sure if those who still drive cars with the "W" stickers are smart enough to figure out how stupid they look, and I'm not recommending that people take it in their own hands to remove the stickers. What I am suggesting is that advertisers do their part to try to play up happier, more successful, more intelligent uses of words that begin with W, and promote the letter. It could be winter, or Wisconsin, or wine, or Wachtovia... okay, not Wachtovia... but you get the point. They could play up the "new era of W" angle. Whatever it is - we need a national media campaign to rehabilitate the letter. It is the one letter of the alphabet that has suffered as much as America the past eight years, and it's time to help.

With Love

CNN.

It's a commercial stew here. Big ole' Campbell Brown head, regular ads, use CNN's mobile service, etc. They use lots and lots and lots and lots of water and corn starch on this site.

Not much meat, though. Try to find projected vote totals for third party candidates at any level. They've turned their "Election Results" section into a glorified coloring book story tale.

Yeeearrggghhh.

Last night's light rain knocked down almost all the rest of the maple leaves in our front yard.

Seriously, there has to be a way to tie in this Facebook group to GoogleMaps so that everyone can know how close of proximity they are to the biggest political imbeciles in the nation.

Well, not really, but just thought I'd share the idea.

Photo by Keith Kelly

Apparently I am allergic to cephalexin...

At least it wasn't serious except for the itching.

From Upper Saucon Township, Pennsylvania:

NATURAL AREAS REFERENDUM QUESTION APPROVED BY VOTERS

Unofficial election results show that the Natural Areas Referendum was approved by a vote of 3,446 in favor and 3,440 against.

Note: These results are unofficial until certified by the Lehigh County Board of Electors.

John Cole shares it too.

I'd like to see some news from the Obama transition team about a scheduled meeting to be held in just the next few weeks with Senator McCain. I'd like it be more than a polite formality as well - I'd like Obama to announce that he's going to work closely with Senator McCain to put together a plan to cut back pork barrel spending. I'd also like an effort to come up with a generally agreed-upon definition of what pork barrel spending is for the nation.

So what will they say to this news?

Has to be FiveThirtyEight.com. I'm not sure if it was perfect timing or luck, but bloggers and the media needed this site to put each individual poll's value into perspective on both a state and national level in a way that was accessible by most. This site did that.

And now that we're finally through this election, I hope that most bloggers can see the true crackpot nature of blog posts such as this and this, and realize that reading and participating in such forums is the equivalent of wanking to stick figure art, obsessed to an end and grabbing at any scrawlings available. Clearly I'm not a fan of PajamasMedia, but even they aren't this irrational.

And I think that blogs that blogroll No Quarter or HillBuzz deserve to have their rationality for such questioned.

But now, in the spirit of reconciliation and progress, I am not going to carry my disgust for those two sites and the illogical writers that support it. Instead, as we move forward, I think the best course of action is to recognize the sad nature involved in both sites, and ignore it.

Congratulations, Barack, Joe, and America. Now the real work begins for us all.

It's not very good as far as results are concerned.

I've voted for one winner (Clinton, 1996) in 7 Presidential elections. My vote might be the seal of doom for a candidate. Especially if you consider that the only seal of doom greater than my vote is a Bob Dole national candidacy (0 for 2). Clinton won because Dole trumped me.

Or maybe Bob Dole was stopped by the write-in vote for Fig Bar Man...

When will the Sacramento Kings win their first game? Maybe when Minnesota comes to town in a few days?

less affluent

This site attracts a less affluent audience.

Some reading on Election Day:

Funny. We have the red ring of death for the XBox we bought last Christmas, and I contacted Microsoft and they're going to fix it, and they send out a box to use as packaging to send it in. No Microsoft or XBox markings on the box, just a plain, white box.

I go into the local UPS Store, and the lady behind the counter asks, "That an XBox?"

Yes, I said - how did she know?

"Oh, we get them all the time," she answered. Turns out ours was the third one being sent back today.

And I thought - it sure would be interesting if some UPS Store employee somewhere shared that kind of information in their blog.

So what does John McCain do after he loses on Tuesday?

I have a suggestion for Obama - offer McCain the administration's point person on finding "pork" and waste in government spending.

Gotta give credit where credit is due: SNL and Ben Affleck just nailed Olbermann in a sketch yesterday. Classic.

I think the Republicans are getting ready for a good cry.

Wow, the town of my birth has a real sex controversy on its hands.

I'm also curious if this headline will increase my traffic from Muncie.

For me, personally, the most discouraging blog on the Internet, from the quality of the main posts to the brain power of those who leave comments, has to be this one. It's almost impossible to read through the density of anger and hate that permeates it.

I guess I don't get it. What is the appeal that this guy have his own show? We were watching a couple of times this week, and perhaps it's just rare honesty on televsion, but he seems to like to say that he "doesn't know who to believe." Balance in reporting is great, but I prefer it doesn't come from a sense of confusion or inability to discern.

If it weren't for David Gergen I wouldn't watch CNN's political coverage at all...

Ha ha ha, not so funny.

Try using the FinAid Calculator for College Costs and use their average one year public school cost of $17336, and figure out the difference between the costs of matriculating in four years, and the costs of matriculating in 14 years. For those of us with second graders, it's pretty depressing.

I wish we had one in the area. I love their spaghetti with mizithra cheese.

Ugh, what a waste of time that was. I loaded IE8 Beta on my computer yesterday, and then later yesterday I couldn't open my McAfee screen to check the status of updates. I tried to deleting and reinstalling McAfee, it didn't help. Finally, I ran across this nugget on a Tech Support Forum:

I am currently using Mcafee ver. 10.0.21 and have not been able to see anything in the Security Center window. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling but got the same problem.

...

Further down on the page, I find this:

I had the exact problem you did. After reading your thread as well as many others, I remembered I had installed Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2. I was also experiencing computer slowdown, slow booting and non recognition of external hard drive at boot up. I removed through the Control Panel IE 7.0 Beta 2, which went smoothly and was replaced by IE 6.0. As a result I now have all those problems solved and can read the Mcafee Security Window. Short Answer- remove IE 7.0 Beta 2.

Now the versions of everything is different, but I figured, if Microsoft caused the problem in an earlier IE Beta version, why not again? So, I delete the IE Beta version, rebooted, and wala... McAfee shows up again.

What a waste of time.