Halloween was last Saturday, but this Saturday I still have new Halloween photos to show off. These photos are of Dan and Annie. Annie went as Lady Gaga, the pop-star, and Dan went as some sort of Muppet. Speaking of Muppets and by reference Sesame Street, both were in the news this week. On a positive note, Sesame Street celebrated its fortieth anniversary. On the other hand a certain Muppet, Oscar the Grouch, generated some controversy. Last week, in a re-broadcast of a previously aired episode, Oscar started his own news network, GNN (Grouchy News Network). As part of the skit, an irate viewer calls in to berate Oscar because his news is not grouchy enough, “I am changing the channel. From now on I am watching ‘Pox’ News. Now there is a trashy news show.” You should remember that Oscar lives in a trashcan. PBS felt it had to issue an apology for the skit to Fox. There has been no word yet from CNN. Maybe they have a sense of humor?
I got my flu shot this week. It was just the regular seasonal flu shot and not the new H1N1 variety. I plan on getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. Apparently, some people are afraid to get vaccinated. Some express fears about the safety of the vaccine. Some are afraid of the needle. Anyway, I’m protected now and they are not. Years ago, when I was just a little boy, our family went on vacation to southeastern and south Asia. In order to be able to go I needed to be vaccinated for all sorts of horrible tropical diseases. Back then each vaccination was a separate shot. There must have been between twenty and thirty of them. Now a day, you can get all the immunizations that you need in just one shot. Being a child, I didn’t want to have anything to do with them. It took a lot of convincing to get me to submit to the series of injections.
There is a silver lining to this year’s Yankee World Series victory. Since 1936, whenever the Yankees have won the World Series, by the end of the following year, the stock market has risen on average ten percent. Conversely, whenever the Yankees lose the World Series the stock market has fallen on average thirteen percent. Almost as proof, after Wednesday night’s Yankee victory, the Dow rose over two hundred points on Thursday. I hope that the Yankees help us turn the economic corner.
I forgot to mention earlier, that I biked fifteen miles on Wednesday. I rode in the Park before work. This weekend’s weather looks great for bicycling. It is time to get Anne back on the bike. It was announced on the radio that a month from today, Monday, December 7th, the second half of the New I-64 will be opened. Hurrah! The two year ordeal is almost over. On Sunday, December 6th the second half of the New I-64 will be opened for bicycling. Anne and I plan on being there.