Mark Knows It All

OK, it is the time of the year to get a little OCD about my SAD. For you sane people, that means being Obsessive Compulsive about my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Last year I first addressed the issue that December 21 isn’t the be all and end all for those of us with this particular affliction. We looked at such issues as sun rotation and tilt of the earth. Now it is time for just facts. I have saved on my favorite places the US Naval Observatory website for determining the rising and setting of the sun for Youngstown, Ohio, so I can track the progress. Now, there are two things one has to be concerned about. First, the rising of the sun. This year, the sun continues to rise later and later until December 31 where it stabilizes at 7:48 AM. It continues to rise at 7:48 AM until January 10, where it begins to rise a minute earlier every few days. It will be February before the sun rises as early as it is rising as of today, November 26. HOWEVER, even as we speak, we are close to the botto...

I don't think this would be allowed to be read in our schools today. I hope that you enjoy it. The George Washington 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation: Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor -- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may the...

When was the last time you experienced hard times? I don’t mean life’s daily challenges. We all have days when we wonder how we are going to make ends meet. How are we going to pay for the new furnace? How are we going to pay for our retirement, or our kids college education, or for the car repair? When was the last time you actually had to make a sacrifice? I don’t mean the annual church “every member canvass” where we are told to sacrifice for God, or giving up a new television so we can take a vacation, or writing a check to the local food bank, or buying a less powerful computer. I believe that there isn’t one of you reading this that can really remember true hard times and sacrifice. Because in the United States, we haven’t had any for a long, long time. If you CAN remember times of true hardship and true sacrifice, you are at least 70 years old, and then it's a stretch. Throughout our history, America has faced times of severe hardship that helped build the character of the n...

This winter's movie viewing list covers the gambit from mob movies to baseball to opera. Not all of the following are masterpieces of film making, but they are all on my favorite list for entertaining movie watching. Get out your HDTV, your Blue Ray player, and non-chemical popcorn, and have fun. White Christmas (1954) - I can hear the groans from here. Ohh Nooo!!!!. But on a snowy December night cuddling with your honey, it don’t get much better than this. Start with a great Irving Berlin score. Add Rosemary Clooney when she still had a figure, and Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye yukking it up. Put in a dash of nostalgia for when and where you first saw it plus years of Christmas memories, and you have the feel good movie of all time. C’mon now…everybody sing: “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas….” I can’t hear yoooouuu. Risky Business (1983) – Makes you want to quit your job and be a pimp. Who knew how weird Tom Cruise would turn out to be when we first saw him making big bucks with...

Do you ever feel like everybody is out of step but you, but then think they all can’t be wrong, so it must be you? For your consideration, I give to you the Trans-Siberian Orchestra which opened its Christmas Tour right here in Youngstown, Ohio, at the Chevy Center. For four performances, the TSO packed them in, selling out all performances. Given a capacity of 6100 seats, that means 24,400 people saw the TSO this past weekend, including yours truly. For those of you who aren’t familiar with them, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra was formed in 1996 by some extremely talented musicians whose roots were in heavy metal rock and roll. Their goal was to broaden the appeal of heavy metal rock music to a larger audience by adding elements of classical, R&B, and pop music. They expanded the core of the band by including several keyboard guys, numerous guitarists and bass players, and vocalists, including a large contingent of back up singers. In addition, at each venue, they supplement the gro...