Strange things Pennsylvania drops on New Years

Mushroom in Kennett Square
The “Mushroom Capital of the World” celebrates by dropping a 700 pound stainless steel mushroom. The event will have food and entertainment as well.
Button in Carlisle
A 50 pound aluminum-framed button, accented with LED lights will dropped at midnight. Visitors and residents are encouraged to design the button, and over 140 children entered the contest last year.
The First Night Carlisle celebration starts at 5 p.m. and includes musical performances, art exhibits and fireworks.

Wrench in Mechanicsburg
The tradition honors the borough’s founders who were mechanics who repaired and crafted wagons in the early 19th century.
The celebration starts at 9 p.m.
Hershey’s Kiss in Hershey
The “Sweetest Place on Earth” celebrates by dropping a Hershey’s Kiss at midnight.
The event starts at 9 p.m. and ends with fireworks.
Strawberry in Harrisburg
A giant, lit strawberry descends in the state Capital.
There is live entertainment, dancing, children’s events and fireworks during the event.

Red Rose in Lancaster
A symbol of the War of the Roses between Lancaster and York, the celebration takes place at Binns Park.
There are performances throughout the evening and fireworks to cap the night.

White Rose in York
The rose will descend in Continental Square. There is also a children’s celebration from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Bologna in Lebanon
A 16-foot Lebanon Bologna descends from the sky at midnight.
Marshmallow Peep in Bethlehem
A giant lit replica of the Marshallow Peep will drop at midnight. There will also be art and music in the evening.
Sled in Duncannon
A ten foot sled, modeled after the Lightning Guider sled manufactured at the Standard Sled Facorty from 1904 to 1990, is dropped.
The celebration starts at 10 p.m. and is concluded with a fireworks display.

Yuengling Beer Bottle in Pottsville
The home of the oldest brewery in American raises a Yuengling beer bottle to the top of a flagpole for their celebration.

Beaver in Beavertown
A life-size Bucky the beaver is hoisted to the top of a 75-foot ladder and slowly lowered to the ground.

Kettle in McClure
A cast iron kettle will be lowered at midnight in honor of the McClure Bean Soup Festival. There will also be food, dancing and kids activities.
Pickle in Dillsburg
A pickle will descend into a barrel and then fireworks will end the celebration.

Breeches in Lower Allen Township
Lower Allen Township will be “lowering the breeches” at midnight.
The celebration begins at 8 p.m. with food and music. There will also be a smaller pair of breeches for children to lower.

Anchor in Shippensburg
“Drop the Anchor” is held at the center of town. The celebration will start at 8 p.m. with carriage rides, entertainment and party favors.

Rockville Bridge in Marysville
A replica of the Rockville Bridge made by Cub Scout Pack 56 will be dropped.
Huckleberry in New Bloomfield
A huckleberry will be dropped from the Courthouse clock tower at midnight.
The celebration starts at 10 p.m. with food and entertainment.

Hard Hat in Newport
The hat, which is about three feet by six feet, is dropped from the top of Turnbaugh’s Place.
Pac-Man in Hanover
The TimeLine Arcade lowers an eight-foot, lit Pac-Man at the top of the building.
The celebration begins at 6 p.m.

Raising of the Cigar in Red Lion
A lion holding a cigar is raised in the town square, honoring the once booming cigar industry of the town.

Recycled Ball in Pittsburgh
The city of Pittsburgh drops a 1,000 pound, illuminated orb made of recycled materials at midnight. The ball symbolizes Pittsburgh’s efforts to be a “green” city, according to the Pa Department of Community and Economic Development.
The celebration starts at 6 p.m., with a parade at 8 p.m., performances throughout the evening and a fireworks show to cap the night.

Coal in Shamokin
A Styrofoam lump of coal will be dropped at midnight.
Lightbulb in Sunbury
From the top of the Edison Hotel a lit outline of a light-bulb is dropped at midnight. The hotel was wired by Thomas Edison in 1883 to demonstrate his invention.
Shoe in Akron
A large shoe is dropped at midnight.
Haydn’s Jug in East Petersburg
The celebration starts at 10 p.m.

After 34 years on the news station, WNEP, Tom Clark is leaving...

After 34 years on the news station, WNEP, Tom Clark is leaving ..

That means, minus a year of my life, I have relied in some part on Tom Clark to tell me if I would be missing school, or work, for about my entire life..

He has had some famous bombs.. like the mis-guided Blizzard of 93 and 96 prediction.. he has also been somewhat lampooned in local media for a few decades.

But he has been there.. strange hats and coats.. and giant umbrellas..

And just about anyone in Northeastern Pennsylvania who longed for days off of school during the winter time knew the exact time during each news hour that Tom Clark would do the weather.

Hope his retirement treats him well.

Debbie Reynolds' son says his mother and sister, actress Carrie Fisher, will have a joint funeral and will be buried together.

…and that brief sad headline is another reason 2016 may as well just end quickly..

A lot of people think 2016 was a real life horror movie,and that...

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z04M6NhkIKk?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=400&h=225]

A lot of people think 2016 was a real life horror movie,

and that is why this parody trailer called 2016 THE MOVIE is so intuitive.. Genius! Funny..

Good show.

Bye 16.

From WNEP-TV - In the final week of 2016, Newswatch 16 gathered for your enjoyment.

From WNEP-TV - In the final week of 2016, Newswatch 16 gathered for your enjoyment.:

From the local-sphere..

In the final week of 2016, Newswatch 16 gathered some of the best Talkback calls of the year.
Here is the final part of our Talkback Look Back.

I think my favorite comment on the Facebook post linked: 

Can I buy a box set of talkback 16 CDs to listen to on the road?

I would do the same thing, my friends.. the same thing.

Northeast PA at its……finest…?

Movies aren't dead after all! The actors are! Actors seek posthumous protections after big-screen resurrections

Movies aren't dead after all! The actors are! Actors seek posthumous protections after big-screen resurrections:

From Reuters:

Filmmakers are tapping advances in digital technology to resurrect characters after a performer dies, most notably in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” The film, in theaters now, features the return of Grand Moff Tarkin, originally played by a long-dead actor.

The trend has sent Hollywood actors in the here-and-now scrambling to exert control over how their characters and images are portrayed in the hereafter.

“Celebrities are increasingly involved in making plans to protect their intellectual property rights,” said Mark Roesler, an attorney and chairman of CMG Worldwide, an agency representing celebrity estates. “They understand that their legacy will continue beyond their lifetime.”

This is going to be the newest trend in movies.. Expect old stars to come back. Be kind.. rewind.. go back.. the past is coming to the future.

I will say this: Grand Moff Tarkin, live in living color on the big screen, was as creepy as could be. The digital enhancement was evident.. But somehow it was flawless. The final scene with Carrie Fisher–may God rest her beautiful soul–was equally clumsy as much as it was breathtaking to see.. 

We are in the beginning of a new age of digital amazement.. The most amazing part may be the fact that stars we loved during their prime will be suddenly in their prime again.

But … is it creepy/ Is it weird? 

I sort of think so.
However, it’s all eventual. 
In a few movies and TV shows it will be as normal as a robot taking your manufacturing job.

Welcome to the future.
Sit back and grab the popcorn. 

RIP

RIP

Debbie Reynolds, star and Carrie Fisher’s mother, joins...

Debbie Reynolds, star and Carrie Fisher’s mother, joins her in heaven.. dead after a stroke..

Sources say she wanted to join her daughter..

And she did tonight…

2016 continues to cut people down..

From Elite Strategies: Crafting an SEO Friendly 404 Page

From Elite Strategies:  Crafting an SEO Friendly 404 Page:

I always think humor goes a far way .. unless you’re a page that needs to maintain a serious tone. I liked this post, however.. People completely dismiss the importance of a 404 page..

This is an abandoned funeral time in the rural south taken by...

This is an abandoned funeral time in the rural south taken by photographer extraordinaire Seph Lawless..

Give his social media accounts a look-see.. amazing work is offered up regularly..

Over two dozen earthquakes hit near Lake Tahoe within four hours

Over two dozen earthquakes hit near Lake Tahoe within four hours:

Over two dozen quakes have been reported to hit the California-Nevada frontier Wednesday morning, with tremors being felt as far as Sacramento, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump Tower in New York City was evacuated after a suspicious, unattended package was discovered in the lobby. However, once police arrived on the scene, it was determined the bag, described as a yellow backpack, was filled with children's toys.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump Tower in New York City was evacuated after a suspicious, unattended package was discovered in the lobby. However, once police arrived on the scene, it was determined the bag, described as a yellow backpack, was filled with children's toys.

My predictions for 2017!

Let my prognostication be recorded for the year. Wish me luck. And the world.

 x x x 

I went back to my predictions for both 2015 and 2016..

From the 15 set, something interesting was written

The campaign for the White House 2016 will become very annoying. Straw polls, debates.. early PR disasters. Jeb Bush . Hillary Clinton .. we will be dreading 2016. Maybe though a dark horse will emerge and, even more importantly, perhaps third party candidates will start becoming more acceptable to Americans

And from the 2016 set:

Donald Trump will be the nominee for Republicans. He will choose Marco Rubio. Hillary will be for the Dems.. her choice as a running mate: Charlie Crist

I was right about 15.. a dark horse emerged. And I was right that Trump would be the nominee……but the VP choices were WAY off..  After all, Trump had bigger hands than little Marco and Crist ..well…would have been a better choice for Hill than Kaine.

How else did I do with my 2016 predictions?
Some below with commentary after.

1. Donald Trump will be the nominee for Republicans. He will choose Marco Rubio. Hillary will be for the Dems.. her choice as a running mate: Charlie Crist. Already addressed that one.


2. Terrorism will be the top story by the end of 2016. As will the fear it generates. It is. The latest truck attack in Germany solidified that.. The listing of churches that could be attacked in Christmas in America equally spread fear.


3. There will be a medical development with cancer that will give hope to millions who are afflicted. While not receiving much reporting, this is interesting..


4. There will be a bigger emphasis on open-source artificial intelligence. It will be ‘power to the people,’ with the dawn of the drones. Get ready. They are coming.  Nothing at all incorrect about this prediction. 


5. GMO-free food will gain in popularity. But there will be increasingly and creative ways to mask GMO from consumers. It’s the year you’ll be deceived even more by fancy packages. Be smart and buy after research.  Very very true.. This is happening more and more by the year. I think it will continue as well–for the better of all society. At least those who research ..


6. There will be less tech addiction in 2016. People have had enough. Phone free Sundays may turn into phone free weeks. People may give up on Facebook, except for the emergency chats.. I think I was overall wrong on this. But I think by the end of the year I ended up being slightly right. After all, we get TIRED and SICK of constant election news. It turned us from being on Facebook.. we took some time off. 


7. Health–real health–will be en vogue in 2016. Not fad diets or fraud get thin quick schemes. But real long term health. This is the beginning of a new age of fitting in jeans and having a healthy heart. ….not ready to claim victory on this, Though we are finding better sources of food we are certainly not showing a loss of weight. The jury is still out on this.


8. The Olympics will not be without incident. Massive rains–flooding rains actually–may hit just in time in Brazil.  Not sure how I got this one on the head, but my long term weather guidance in December 2015 just must have been accurate. The RIO Olympics were soggy.


9. The economy that will matter in 2016: India. China will matter a lot less. …I guess this was mostly wrong?


10. It will be hot. All year.. some of the hottest weather on the planet earth in centuries is on the way.  YES! It was .. bigly. Expect more in 2017.

And now with all of that behind us, let’s focus on the year to come.

My top ten predictions for 2017..

1. Donald Trump is going to have a much more difficult time than expected. At least initially.  He will be besieged by protests and also by people within his own party. By the middle of the year, he will realize that by going directly to people above party leaders can motivate the electorate to accept some if his policies. I expect rallies by the end of the year to be a normal course of White House business.


2. The stock market will hit 20,000 and stay within that range. By August we will be speculating when the market will hit 25,000.


3. Vladimir Putin will either visit the United States or Donald Trump will visit Russia. Either way a more united front will emerge.


4. The weather in 2017 will be hot. As hot as 2016.. there may be slick spots of winter that emerge from time to time sporadically throughout the world, but the majority of the months to come will feature hotter than normal temperatures.


5. The British Royal family will have to decide how to move forward after a tragic scenario.. there may be a new queen before 2018.


6. Stephen Colbert may be facing cancellation in 2017. There is going to be a dramatic realignment of late night TV. People are tired of an obsessive amount of politics during the daytime hours. The nighttime should be sacred for comedy. People may turn on political version of such by rebelling against the Colbert program on CBS.


7. BREXIT. Trump. I think France and Germany will have upheaval in 2017. The world is shaking like a post-earthquake atmosphere from the changes in 2016. Transitions something are sloppy. And we have somehow transitioned into something very different than we were in 16..


8. Major hacking will reveal something in 2017. Either from Wikileaks, or a source not yet to be named. Secrets will become revealed in 2017 to make us question what type of reality we live in.


9. Though everyone seems to predict it, Donald Trump will be aggressive in NOT declaring war or bombing other nations. (This is a prediction, but also a prayer)


10. Virtual reality! All the rage in 2016! …..but just wait. I predict the opposite for 2017.

Carrie Fisher dead in LA

Carrie Fisher dead in LA

RELAX.IT’S OVER.

RELAX.

IT’S OVER.

Another RIP HITS… George Michael dead .. MORE.

Another RIP HITS… George Michael dead ..

MORE.

We believe

We believe

Carrie Fisher heart attack drama

DEVELOPING STORY..

Actress Carrie Fisher suffered a medical emergency aboard a flight Friday afternoon and her condition remains unclear.

Her brother, Todd Fisher, told the AP that she was “out of emergency” and stabilized at a Los Angeles hospital Friday afternoon. He said he could not discuss any other details about what happened.

But both the

 LA Times 

and TMZ say Fisher is still in critical condition. A local ABC affiliate 

reports

 she is still “on a ventilator.”..

X X X

DRAMATIC AUDIO HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM THE PLANE..

Actress Anna Akana was on board the flight when Fisher went into medical distress and she described the upsetting scene in a series of tweets.

She said Fisher stopped breathing and was helped by a doctor and nurse who happened to be on board.

A United Airlines spokesperson said: “Medical personnel met United flight 935 from London to Los Angeles upon arrival today after the crew reported that a passenger was unresponsive.

"Our thoughts are with our customer at this time and any requests for additional information should be directed to local authorities.”

Akana, 27, wrote: “Don’t know how else to process this but Carrie Fisher stopped breathing on the flight home. Hope she’s gonna be OK.

"So many thanks to the United flight crew who jumped into action, and the awesome doctor and nurse passengers who helped.”

Akana wrote that Fisher wasn’t breathing “for 10 minutes or so” and CPR was administered until the plane landed.

X X X

The DRUDGE REPORT tonight is showcasing an image of Fisher from the newest ROGUE ONE film–the CGI version that appears at the end of the film..

DEVELOPING..

Zsa Zsa Gabor dead at 99

A woman famous for being famous.. She has now left this earthly domain at 99..!

A really rough year for celebrity deaths continues .. the steady drumbeat doesn’t appear ready to end despite the end of the year coming ..

Found some early artwork.. circa 1996ish.

Found some early artwork.. circa 1996ish.