Investing December 22, 2006

A Little Holiday Greenspeak

December 22, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - He's no longer the Federal Reserve Chairman, but Alan Greenspan had a storied ability to keep us all guessing at what he actually meant by crafting creative combinations of words and phrases.
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But have you ever wondered what might have happened had Mr. Greenspan turned his attentions to the realm of holiday songs?  

See if you can guess the traditional song titles hidden behind this “Greenspeak:’

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1. The lad is   a diminutive percussionist.

2. Present me naught but dual incisors for this festive Yuletide.

3. The smog-free bewitching hour has arrived.

4. (Rational) Exuberation to this orb.

5. Two hundred eighty-eight Yuletide hours.

6. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure, which stimulates my auditory sense organs?

7.   The exiguous hamlet south of the holy city.

8.   Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.

9.   A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels, which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.

10. As the guardian of little woolly animals protected their charges in the shadows of the earth.

1. Little Drummer Boy

2. All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth.

3. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.

4. Joy to the World.

5. The 12 Days of Christmas.

6. Do You Hear What I Hear? 

7. O Little Town of Bethlehem

8. Hark, The Herald Angels Sing.

9. Carol of the Bells.

10. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night

Reader Responses December 21, 2006

SURVEY SAYS: What's Your Favorite Holiday Movie?

December 21, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Once again, it was nip and tuck throughout the day - but this year's new winner actually led the whole day (albeit by slim margins).
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One reader said “This is a losing cause, I know, because “It’s a Wonderful Life” will always win, but there is no finer one than “Holiday Inn”.  Well, they were at least wrong on the former, as A Christmas Story finally snapped out of its “perennial” second place finish among NewsDash readers (the past two years, anyway) to lead our holiday Oscars with 22.5% of the vote.  

This year’s number 2 was last year’s number 1 – It’s a Wonderful Life , garnering 19% of the vote, while this year’s number 3 – was also last year’s number 3, N ational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (11.24%).  

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The status quo also prevailed with numbers 4 – Miracle on 34 th Street (the 1947 version) garnered about 7% of the vote.  

We had a tie for fifth place between White Christmas (5 th the past two years), A ChristmasCarol (the Alistair Sim version which took 6 th place last year), Holiday Inn (tied for 7 th last year), and a new entrant – Love, Actually (2003, with Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, etc.).   Each of these got about 5% of the vote.

The next block was a tie for ninth, and included How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon version) and The Bells of St. Mary’s (which didn’t make last year’s list); each with about 3%.   Meanwhile the Muppet’s Christmas Carol (which also didn’t make last year’s list), and Elf (which barely made last year’s list) – each got about 2% of this year’s tally.

Other movies cited included The Ref, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the Jim Carray version), Three Godfathers (with John Wayne), Scrooged (with Bill Murray), Jingle All the Way (with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad), Die Hard (with Bruce Willis – yes, this takes place at Christmas time), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (we said holiday movies, not Christmas movies), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Santa Claus, and a Charlie Brown Christmas (including the reader who noted, “Charlie Brown for sure. And it’s not because I have pantaphobia:>”

.

It was a hard choice for many readers:

“Over the years, my favorite holiday movie has changed.   When I was young, it certainly was Rudolph.   I remember hating to watch The Little Drummer Boy because a bad man kicked the little drummer boy’s lamb.   And if anyone’s seen Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, you know you’re in for a tear-jerker!   It was pretty sad when Frosty melted, too.   Oh, but wait, this was about my favorite – it is certainly A Christmas Story.   I just love the general feeling of homey Christmassy-ness I get from this movie.   There aren’t any sad parts, and I’ve seen it so many times I can start watching at any point and enjoy the rest.”

“Why did you have to ask the question?!   I have thought and thought about it (all while I was suppose to be working) and I still don’t have a definitive answer.   Being a bit of a couch potato during the winter has given me the opportunity to watch all sorts of “Holiday” movies, most of which I watch every year at least once.   I guess the best answer that I can give is that right now I am in the mood for either “The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus” or “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”… or maybe something else.   I don’t know.   Making decisions has never been one of my strengths.”

There were sentimental choices by some:

“Home movies taken the last Christmas my parents were alive and the whole family was together.”

Work wasn’t far from the mind of some:

“The Muppet Christmas Carol – I particularly like how the overworked accountants were protrayed by rats in the movie – I think that is how most people feel about accountants in general – Also, the music is a lot of fun and it is enjoyable for the whole family.”

“As you are well aware, in the benefits/pension/payroll world the holiday season is crunch time. So there’s not a whole lot of “feeling” the season. Therefore, my favorite holiday movie is the dream I have during the first good night’s sleep after the crunch is over.”

“Definitely it’s how the grinch stole Christmas.   It doesn’t matter if there are no bonuses after a long hard year of work.   It doesn’t matter If we have to work until 5 the Friday before and on Saturday too – 12/23.   It doesn’t matter if we have to work on 12/30 and 12/31 to count inventory (can’t they do it in February?).   He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!”

But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said, “Let me just say “It’s a Wonderful Life” that allows you to enjoy a “White Christmas” while vacationing at your favorite “Holiday Inn” before viewing a “Miracle of 34th Street”.   (Original, non-colorized, versions on the first and last please.)

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

If you want to compare with last year’s survey:   http://www.plansponsor.com/pi_type10/?RECORD_ID=31894

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