News of the Week: Novelty Snow, Ruby Slippers, and the Pros and Cons of the Golden At-Bat

Just a Dusting

I learned a new phrase this week: “novelty snow.”

One of the local TV meteorologists used it last weekend. It means a light dusting of snow. Snow that might coat your stairs or your lawn but doesn’t really affect the main roads and certainly doesn’t need to be shoveled.

I like it. I think everyone, even people who say they hate winter, likes novelty snow. Because it covers the world with white temporarily without hurting their drive to Dunkin’ in the morning. It’s the type of snow that we’d love to see on Christmas morning. When you’re “dreaming of a white Christmas” this is probably the type of snow you’re dreaming of.

We’ve had three days of rain and wind so any novelty snow that was around last weekend is now gone.

I don’t know what the opposite would be. Serious snow? I guess we don’t need a new phrase to describe regular snowstorms or bad snowstorms. We have plenty of words already.

The Rebirth of Notre-Dame Cathedral

The rebuilding of the Paris landmark was recently completed after the devastating fire in 2019. CBS Sunday Morning went behind the scenes.

Uploaded to YouTube by CBS Sunday Morning

This is “Wicked” Awesome

One of the four pairs of ruby red slippers made for Judy Garland for The Wizard of Oz just fetched $28 million at auction, the most for any kind of entertainment memorabilia in history.

The hat worn by Margaret Hamilton in the movie was also sold, for $2.9 million.

Baseball’s Newest Bad Idea: The Golden At-Bat

I don’t watch baseball anymore. I was obsessed with baseball as a kid and even a little when I was an adult (the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series is a great memory), but I drifted away from it and I don’t know any of the players and I’m sick of them trying to “improve” the game. Because “improve” usually translates to “make the game shorter.” Some of those initiatives have actually worked – the average length of a ballgame has dropped to the shortest time in 40 years – but I don’t think baseball games should be shorter. It’s not hockey. There’s no clock. Baseball is made for warm, slow summer evenings when you’re sitting in front of the TV with the fan next to you and a beer in your hand.

So now comes the Golden At-Bat, which I will capitalize because it seems like it should be the type of thing you capitalize. Here’s how it would work: A team will be allowed to put up any batter they want anytime they want, even if that batter isn’t due up. So let’s say it’s the bottom of the ninth and the Mets are down by a run but they have a runner on second. So they put up Juan Soto, even though he isn’t due up.

Of course, there are problems. What if Soto was due up in his regular spot in the lineup after he makes his Golden At-Bat appearance? Does he bat again? What if he hits a double? Do they put in a pinch runner so Soto can bat again or does Soto come out of the game?

The final rules haven’t been figured out yet – it’s really just an idea right now – but both teams would probably have one chance to do that per game (maybe more if it goes to extra innings, like tennis players get an extra challenge if it goes to a tiebreaker?). Or maybe it would be from the seventh inning on?

If they do try this, they should do it where it won’t hurt the sport right away. Maybe the All-Star game or a minor league game, to test it out. Or maybe not change anything at all.

Christmas Gift of the Week

Do you have family members, friends, or coworkers? Do you hate them? Then fake lottery tickets might be the perfect gift!

Just get ready for them to either punch you and/or have a stroke.

RIP The Amazing Kreskin, Nikki Giovanni, Michael Cole, Rocky Colavito, Thom Christopher, Peter Teeley, and Mark Withers

The Amazing Kreskin – real name George Kresge Jr. – was a popular mentalist and entertainer. He hosted his own TV show, appeared on hundreds of other talk shows, wrote 20 books, and even had a board game. He died Tuesday at the age of 89.

Uploaded to YouTube by Letterman

Nikki Giovanni was an acclaimed poet and activist. She died Monday at the age of 81.

Michael Cole was best known for his role as Pete on The Mod Squad. He died Tuesday at the age of 84.

Rocky Colavito was a popular player for the Cleveland Indians. He hit four home runs in one game and appeared on the cover of Time in 1959. He was later part of a controversial trade that led to “The Curse of Rocky Colavito,” as the team floundered. He died Tuesday at the age of 91.

Thom Christopher was best known for his roles as Hawk on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Carlo Hesser on One Life to Live. He also appeared in many other TV shows and on Broadway. He died last week at the age of 84.

Peter Teeley coined the term “voodoo economics.” He died last month at the age of 84.

Mark Withers not only appeared in dozens of TV shows over the years, he also did dozens of commercials. He died last month at the age of 77.

This Week in History

Pearl Harbor Attacked (December 7, 1941)

Only 16 Pearl Harbor survivors remain, and two of them went back to Hawaii last weekend to honor those who died.

James Thurber Born (December 8, 1894)

The humorist wrote a story for the Post in 1941, “You Could Look It Up,” that actually changed a baseball rule.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: “Toy Store Window” by M. Coburn Whitmore (December 9, 1950)

These kids are peeking behind the curtain, hoping for something other than fake lottery tickets.

Monday Is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

Okay, not everything should be covered in chocolate. Brussels sprouts, hardcover books, and the family dog come to mind. But if something would actually taste better covered in chocolate, why not?

Buns in My Oven has a recipe for Chocolate Covered Pretzel Pudding Cookies, while Julie’s Eats and Treats has Chocolate Covered Potato Chips. You can make these easy Chocolate Covered Strawberries from Tastes Better From Scratch or the Classic Chocolate Yule Log from Serious Eats.

If you put a little powdered sugar on top of the yule log you can call it novelty snow.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

Bill of Rights Day (December 15)

Here’s the text of the twelve articles, along with a scan of the original document.

Go Caroling Day (December 20)

More people should do this.