News of the Week: Jaywalking, Voyager 1, and Do You Feel the Christmas Creep?

You Can Now Jaywalk in New York City

I know what you’re thinking: Hey, you could always jaywalk in New York City!

Now you can do it legally.

I’m Pretty Sure This Is the Plot of Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Well, this is interesting. The Voyager I spacecraft – currently 15 billion miles away from Earth – just restarted a radio transmitter it hasn’t used since 1981.

Remember Earlier This Year When Researchers Thought They Had Found Amelia Earhart’s Plane?

Never mind.

This Guy Just Wanted a Sign

One last election story, if that’s okay.

Uploaded to YouTube by WMUR-TV

Christmas Creep

No, I don’t mean the weird neighbor dressed like Santa who stares in your window as your family decorates your Christmas tree; it’s the feeling that Christmas is coming earlier and earlier every year.

Stores now have Black Friday sales two months earlier than usual, Hallmark Channel runs Christmas movies in October, and SiriusXM has a Christmas channel that runs year-round. Why do people insist on ruining the Christmas season?

I don’t mind the holiday season starting on November 1, the music and the planning and celebrating, just not before that. But if you’re one of those people who puts up a tree in early November, I’d make sure it’s artificial.

These Are a Few of Oprah’s Favorite Things

Sure, Oprah has already released her annual list of things to buy for Christmas, but at least she didn’t do it in September.

This year’s list includes items that normal humans can afford, like a faux fur scarf for $19, a fancy cookie gift set for $49, and vintage bookshelf board games for $40. But you can also spend $500 on a ballet musical jewelry box and $1800 on this espresso/cold brew/cold milk frother.

Before you spend that much money you better make sure you really like your cold milk frothy.

RIP Quincy Jones, Alan Rachins, Murray McCory, Jonathan Haze, James Ledbetter, Dub Jones, and Joey Jay

Quincy Jones was a legendary producer, composer, and musician. Over a 70-year career, he produced such artists as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, and Lesley Gore; played trumpet for Elvis Presley when Presley appeared on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey’s Stage Show; produced “We Are the World“; wrote the theme songs for such TV shows as Ironside and Sanford and Son (and composed music for dozens of other shows and films); produced The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Mad TV, and many awards shows and videos; and also produced The Color Purple (and cast Oprah Winfrey). He won 28 Grammys and an honorary Oscar. He died Sunday at the age of 91.

Alan Rachins starred on L.A. Law and Dharma & Greg and appeared on many other TV shows and in many stage productions and films. He died Saturday at the age of 82.

Murray McCory co-founded JanSport and invented the school backpack. He died last month at the age of 80.

Jonathan Haze starred as Seymour in the original Little Shop of Horrors and appeared in films like It Conquered the World, Not of This Earth, and The Terror. He died Saturday at the age of 95.

James Ledbetter was a veteran media and business writer. He died last week at the age of 60.

Dub Jones was one of only four NFL players to score six touchdowns in one game. He died Saturday at the age of 99.

Joey Jay was the first Little League player to play in the big leagues. He died in September at the age of 89.

This Week in History

Charles Van Doren Admits Cheating (November 2, 1959)

Here’s the Post’s Ben Railton on the lessons we can learn from the quiz show scandals.

Will Rogers Born (November 4, 1879)

The American humorist and actor coined the phrase “I never met a man I didn’t like.” He died in a plane crash in 1935 along with Wiley Post.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Here Come the Champions! (November 2, 1935)

And they want bread!

National Bread Pudding Day

It’s next Wednesday.

I haven’t had bread pudding in years. Have I ever had it? It’s a classic dessert, and just this weekend I heard the host of a local restaurant show say it’s his favorite dessert of all-time, so maybe I should try it again for the first time.

Here’s a recipe for The Best Bread Pudding from The Country Cook, and here’s a recipe for Chocolate Bread Pudding from a 1913 issue of the Post’s sister publication, The Country Gentleman.

All Recipes shows you how to make British Bread Pudding, which they say is more like a spiced cake than a bread pudding, and Food & Wine has recipes for a Caramel-Croissant Bread Pudding and an Apple Bread Pudding.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

Veterans Day (November 11)

Here’s a gallery of Post covers that salute our veterans.

Sadie Hawkins Day (November 13)

No girl ever asked me to a school dance.