So, the first Christmas themed ads started airing earlier this week - radio is soon to follow with their incessant wall-to-wall X-mas music. It always bothered me that the marketers start their holiday push before My Birthday (Dec 1). I know with the temperatures dropping into the upper 20s tonight, but could they, at least, hold off until after Thanksgiving.

Speaking of holding off, the latest issue of The Silent Worker (bi-monthly newsletter from St John's UCC in Shamokin), reported that they have post-poned the hugely successful Chinese auction (originally scheduled for this Sunday) until, at least, the 17th of March - ouch. Church secretary, Cheryl Sherman cites the committee's need for "better advertising" and "longer collection periods" for items. (Judging by many of the items donated to last year's inaugaral event, they may need it if they want to "improve the quality" of their collection.)

In other news: The New Times has a piece about the dangers of being a pedestrian in Miami. I don't need to read it - I had to cross "Useless-1" every single day to get to class, go to the grocery store or do any of the miscellaneous errands I needed to run on a near daily basis.