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Many times, when I’m researching items on the Internet, I’ll look to shopping sites as one possible source of information.

You can glean a lot of information on a product this way, especially if the manufacturer’s site lacks enough. Radica’s Girl Tech Password Journal is one such item (my niece is interested in this item, hence the research).

So I googled “Radica Girl Tech Password Journal,” and I found the item at (naturally) shopping.com. Since their web site gave some information, and little more than Radica’s site, I decided to look at the online resellers of this product to see if they had yet more info for me.

Amazon.com has some information, but no more than shopping.com. I’m not sure if the lack of information has to do with the out-of-stock status of the item, but it might. At least there’s something there.

Spillsbury, however, takes a different tack: they act as if the item doesn’t even exist. “Keep Shopping” is all you see (translated: “Hint: go buy something else and don’t bother me”).

Ouch.

Now, how the hell am I going to learn more about this particular item? I have to go to yet another site, perhaps a forum, and read more about it. The problem is that online forums tend to be difficult reading since many of online forum users don’t have the best writing and spelling skills.

Unfortunately, I’m most likely to buy this at Wal*Mart online rather than from Spillsbury, even though I’m not their biggest fan (but, alas, Wal*Mart is out of stock on this item, too): at least they give me the information I seek — not a blank page.

Note to online retailers: you attract more bees with honey than vinegar; leave the information there, and don’t be so skimpy about bandwidth. If you’re that concerned about bandwidth, you could always go to a CSS-driven, tableless design that would save you about 40% of your current bandwidth — even with the full information, images and all, for out-of-stock product.

So my cousin in Arizona, a Michigan fan/alum (the poor soul), was baiting me about the upcoming NCAA National Championship game in Arizona January 8th. He made a point that Coach Tressel might ask/demand a raise for winning another National Championship.

Well, I discussed the issue as I saw it (I really don’t think so, based on recent public appearances by the Jimster), and then proceeded to tell my cousin that if he were to win 7 of the next 10 OSU/UM football games, he might get a substantial raise. I concluded with this gem:

See, at OSU, we don’t care about Big Ten titles or bowl games, for those are expected. We really only care about one thing: beating Michigan.

Man, when it’s good — it’s good.

Go Bucks! Beat Florida!

I love Christmas.

Seriously. I love Christmas.

Not for what it is, or (more appropriately) for what it has become, but for what it means. I’ll leave that interpretation to you, Dear Constant Reader, for that belongs best in your judgment.

What I hate about the season is the hype — and all of the early Christmas trimmings: the advertising, the sales, the commercialism — you know the drill.

So, tonight, my bride and I attended the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Q.

I had a blast.

Mind you, I haven’t been to a rock concert in over 20 years. My reaction? Well, they haven’t changed much in 20 years, have they? OK, the lighting is much better, the music is still loud, and the acoustics still don’t match a nice outing at Severance Hall. There’s less smoke, that’s for sure. And the lighters? Forget it: use your cell phones! Cool…

So be it.

OK, OK… my ears are still ringing, alright? Satisfied now? But I expected that.

Not being as familiar with the band’s music as my bride is, I found myself a little bored during the latter half of the first set: the music was unfamiliar, the story line was unclear, and I was distracted by some physical discomfort created by some leftovers for dinner. Sorry, but it’s true.

That, and a tasty GLBC Dortmunder Gold was working its charm on my bladder, if you know what I mean.

All that aside, I sat and listened intently. The musicians were totally competent (as you would expect), and the presentation (as far as the audience could tell) was flawless. I couldn’t help but pay attention, anyway, and I’m glad I did.

What I heard amazed me: each and every song (well, at least in the first half) had a message: the season, the day, the hour — all of it — is about the Man, the Person, and His big idea to bring peace to the planet, to bring people together regardless of race, color, creed, religion, politics — everything.

The intermission brought TSO’s lead singer out in an Indians jersey to address the crowd. He immediately stripped off the jersey to reveal a Cavaliers jersey, to many cheers. Then he removed the Cavs jersey to reveal not a Browns jersey, but a Buckeyes jersey, to the crowd’s — and my — roaring approval. After about three rounds of the obligatory “O-H! — I-O!“, he settled into his intermission talk and band introductions.

Of all the tunes that I know TSO for, I loved “Carol of the Bells” the best, along with “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24″ and “Wizards in Winter,” the tune made famous mostly because of that guy near Cincinnati that did his house to the tune… you remember, don’t you?

OK… whatever…

Anyway, they did the one tune that always gets to me, although they did it without the children. I like the Christmas Canon Rock better with the children, as for some reason it renders a more personal, more innocent flavor to what I consider probably the capital thought — and prayer — of the season:

This night
We pray
Our lives
Will show

This dream
He had
Each child
Still knows

We are
Waiting
We have
Not forgotten

On this night
On this night
On this night
On this very Christmas night

I think that says it all, don’t you?