The Price Of Christmas

'Tis The Season To be Spend-Happy
GK sent in this notion.

PNC Advisors, which has charted the cost of the gifts laid out in the song for the last 21 years, put the price of the items this year at $18,348 in 2005, a 6.1 percent increase over last year.

Some presents will be difficult to get at any price this year. The threat of avian flu has restricted the international shipment of birds, thus preventing the purchase of three French hens from France, although there are domestic breeders of French hens which helped keep that gift's cost in line. But all the fowl mentioned in the song cost substantially more this year due to the increased delivery costs from higher energy prices.

Oil isn't the only commodity raising the gift buying prices this year. The "five golden rings" given on the fifth day now cost $325, up 27.5 percent due to rising gold prices.

Even the good news on pricing is a troubling sign for gift givers, as the salaries of most of the workers detailed in the song -- the maids-a-milking, lords-a-leaping, pipers piping and drummers drumming are the only gifts for which prices are holding steady. The maids-a-milking each got paid only the $5.15 minimum wage, making an hour of their time the cheapest gift on the list.

The only workers in the song to see increased pay is a modest 4 percent gain for the "nine ladies dancing," based upon information given to PNC by Philadanco, the Philadelphia Dance Company. They also were the best-paid service providers on the list, earning $508.46 each.

Ordering the gifts over the Internet will cost true love shoppers a premium, again due to the increased delivery costs this year. The overall Internet cost is estimated at $29,322.80, up 5.7 percent from 2004 and a premium of $10,973.93, or nearly 60 percent, from shopping in the more traditional manner.

For the gift giver who goes all out and gives the repeated gifts for each day as detailed in the verses of the song will pay $72,608 for all 364 items, up 9.5 percent from the $66,334 price tag in 2004. That's a much bigger increase than the 1.6 percent increase last year.

That's tough love, not true love. :)
In other personal news, an old school friend 'HD' who I've not seen in over 20 years got in touch with me through e-mail. It's the Christmas Spirit thing I guess. Very cool news of the day.

Speaking Of Spree Buying
The Yankees have signed Johnny Damon to be their CF for the next 4 years. It's a $52mill contract.

Damon fills a double void for the Yankees, giving them a speedy center fielder who can cover ground and a leadoff hitter to top a star-studded lineup that also includes Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi.

Bernie Williams' defense declined significantly over the past four seasons. And while Damon's arm is not much better, he does cover a lot of ground, which is important in Yankee Stadium.

Agent Scott Boras had been seeking a seven-year contract for Damon. The offer Damon accepted was essentially the same as the deal Matsui agreed to with the Yankees last month.

Are we supposed to take it as consolation that the Yanks didn't sign him to 7 years/84mil?
There really is no positive spin to be put on this signing.
After all the speculation about the clever moves they might have made including: trading Strutze and Henn/Proctor for Jason Michaels from the Phillies; or trading Pavano for Jeremy Reed from Seattle; or wait and see who gets non-tendered; ultimately, it's so stick-in-the-mud unimaginative it's depressing. They just threw money at the problem; after all the clever moves to fill in the bullpen holes, avoiding the temptation to trade for carcasses like Juan Pierre, the Yankees then go out and bust the bank for Johnny Damon. He probably was the best option remaining out there in the Free Agent market, but this is just depressing.

I just don't buy Damon's .350-ish OBP being worthy of being a lead-off hitter in comparison to Jeter's .380-ish OBP. I know who I'd rather give the Plate Appearances to. Seriously
I'd feel better if they hit him later down in the 7-9holes than earlier in the lineup.
- i.e. "Let Jeter lead off, damnit!"
*Ugh*