This video which was a OH 10 New Media Center Report on December 13 of this year captures it all. Warmth, love, good cheer and fireworks. Merry Christmas. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy. I hope your town, whereever you are feels like this one and Santa comes down your chimney or through your front door.

Among the noteworthy events in Columbus's history was the birth of the first gorilla born in captivity. Colo, a lowland gorilla, was born at the Columbus Zoo to Millie and Baron Macombo of the French Cameroon fifty years ago Friday, on December 22nd, 1956. Millie and the Baron had been brought to the zoo by Columbus resident and gorilla hunter Bill Said.

The conception itself was something of a scandal. The zoo had separated the couple, fearing for Millie's safety when the Baron began to exhibit aggression. However, young zookeeper Warren Thomas, noting what he thought might be mating behavior, took it upon himself to secretly hook the two up at night a few times. Bingo.

Thomas was on duty when Colo was born. Noting that the baby didn't seem to be breathing well, he performed mouth-to-mouth to clear its breathing passage. Colo weighed less than four pounds at birth, and was only 15 inches long. Nonetheless, she thrived.

And how. She later gave birth to the first second-generation gorilla born in captivity, her daughter Emmy. Emmy in turn bore the first third-generation gorilla, Cora, making Colo the first grandmother gorilla in captivity. Her grandsons Mosuba and Macombo II were the first gorilla twins, and her great-granddaughter Timu was the first gorilla baby successfully conceived via artificial insemination.

Since Colo's birth, the zoo has enjoyed 29 other gorilla births. Over 1,000 gorillas have been born in captivity worldwide, eliminating the need to capture wild animals.

Colo is accepting visitors at the Columbus Zoo. No gift necessary, although I'm sure she would appreciate a few bucks donation to the cause.

Hey, everyone knows about the Wright brothers. What about some famous people who were born in Ohio, but found their fame elsewhere? You might not even know they were buckeyes.

You've heard of Zanesville, right? You've probably heard of Zane Grey, too. Ever made the connection? Zane Grey wasn't only born in Zanesville, his family started it. For a writer of westerns, he started pretty far east.

How many of you knew Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati? A lot of well known people came from there. Take Ted Turner, he was from Cincinnati, too.

It helps to have a sense of humor, especially when dealing with Ohio politics. Erma Bombeck, who was born in Dayton certainly did. So did my favorite on the list, the great humorist and cartoonist James Thurber. That's his picture at the top. He came from Columbus and told some good stories about the place. While we're on the subject of humor, Ambrose Bierce was from Meigs County. He could tell a funny tale or two when he wasn't in a darker mood.

Did you know Clarence Darrow was born at Kinsman, in Trumbull County. His law practice got started in northeast Ohio, before he moved west. Then there's Norman Vincent Peale, who preached the power of positive thinking.

Next we have someone whose face might not be familiar, but you'd probably know her voice. Nancy Cartwright, from Kettering provided the voice of Bart Simpson. Don't have a cow if you didn't know.

Finally, a woman was born in Licking County, or Athens County, the sources differ, back in 1838. She went on to lead an eventful life and was the first woman to be nominated for president. Her name? Victoria Claflin Woodhull.

It's odd. I can't believe how hard it was to cut this list down to only ten people. The only easy part was leaving out presidents,astronauts, and actors. They were covered in other posts. Ten? I could have listed a hundred and still had more. If you'd asked me years ago, back when I lived in Pennsylvania, about famous people from Ohio, I'd have thought of a few presidents, the Wright brothers,and Thurber. I had no idea how many famous people were born here. I do now, and I'll post on some of them from time to time.

I think when I was looking for an inflatable Santa image I came across a shop near Kings Island that looks like a destination store, and you only have until the end of the year to get there before it closes until April. The Kings Mill Christmas Shop has been featured in the Toledo Blade, The Cincinnati Enquirer and Michigan Living to name a few publications. From the photographs on their website, it looks like one of those totally sensory rich places that are fun to browse around. If you're looking for specialty Christmas items, I'd head here. It seems they have ornaments to fit any theme. The merchandise also includes 150 different kinds of Santas and snowmen. I don't know if they have any inflatable stuff though.

Finding this shop got me wondering about others.Here is another shop I came across. This one is in Hocking Hills, and it is also only open every day until the end of the year and won't open again during weekdays until the spring. The Christmas Treasures Gift Shop is in Logan, OH. Besides Christmas related stuff, this one has all kinds of goodies, some Ohio-themed and some not.

For a mega Christmas shop experience, head towards 'Tis the Season Christmas Shoppe near Berlin, OH. This one is open all year around and is considered the biggest one in the state. There are 200 decorated trees, for starters. I can't imagine it's possible to walk into the store and then leave without buying something. The website has a video as well to get you in that shopping mood beforehand.

The shortest day of the year, winter solstice, has been a part of human ritual for as long as recorded time, for obvious reasons. For many, it was a line of demarcation toward the time when food would begin to grow again after winter.

Among the 'pagan' religions that still celebrate the solstice is Wicca, a surprisingly popular and widespread faith in Ohio. The Celtic tradition seems to strongly inform our local Wicca community.
While the strains of Wicca are many and widely varied, I thought the explanation of the Pagan Student Association at OSU did a good job of pointing out commonalities.

Wicca places moral behavior at the core of their beliefs: "An ye harm none, do as ye will." The existence of an afterlife is frequently held, as is the concept of karma. Pantheism and the concept of the goddess are also prominent.

The natural world plays a strong role as well. Many wiccans include the four elements, earth, air, fire and water, in their rituals. They celebrate naturally occurring events, as well. In addition to winter solstice, the other solstice and both equinoxes are usually celebrated.

The Ohio Wicca communities hold a number of celebrations and gatherings this week. A list of them can be found here. This video introduces some of the concepts nicely.

We wish you a stupendous solstice!

Remember when Festivus was just this incredibly little-known thing that was on Seinfeld? God, remember when Seinfeld was a little-known thing? We can kiss those days good-bye, since Festivus (along with that silly Kwanzakkuhmas thing) has become quite the standard holiday non-celebration celebration.

Festivus has three key components:

1. Feats of strength
2. Airing of grievances (usually about whomeever you're with)
3. A metal pole in the corner, with absolutely nothing on it, and not set up in any sort of stand

Even I have become part of it, which just makes me so sad! My company has bought into it completely, and we are going on a Festivus lunch to Hunan East in Richmond Heights - how exactly Chinese restaurants tie in with Festivus is beyond me, but since it is the most "authentic" Chinese restaurant on the East side, we let our China office call them with our order, which makes them feel just so close to us. And then Sidekick Girl and I are going to go to our favorite bar (Sea Level Lounge), which is having a big Festivus celebration on Saturday night. Sea Level is actually going to have the airing of grievances and feats of strength, as well as live bands.

The Toledo Zoo is ringing in the season with a display of Christmas lights and a population explosion.

For the zoo that started way back in 1900 with one woodchuck, 2006 has been a banner year. The aviary started the ball rolling earlier in the year with several births. Then, in November, the birth of not one, but three polar bear cubs was announced. The zoo's dedication to captive breeding of endangered wildlife seems to be paying off.

Of course the zoo's most famous baby, as well as Toledo's favorite animal, is Louie the elephant. Louie was born at the zoo on April 30, 2003. Louie is doing well and he recently received a rare honor. He had a book written about him. Marian Goldner, known to Toledo as "Grandma Marian", has published "Louie the Miracle Elephant". The book tells the story of Louie's arrival and first days. Copies are available at the zoo and online. One thing, though. All the advertising I've seen mentions that it "may not be suitable for younger children" since it presents "realistic depictions of the reproductive process". It's good to be forewarned.

Christmas at the Toledo Zoo wouldn't be complete without the annual display of lights. You can see more than a million light bulbs arranged in every way imaginable. There are two hundred images of animals outlined in lights. Louie and the polar bears may not have their name in lights, but their portraits are presented. The "dancing lights", near Cheetah Valley are particularly impressive. Santa will be on hand, too. He can be found at his "Ginormous Toyland" in the Museum of Science. The show will last through New Year's Eve. For details visit the website.

Last December there was a Kwanzaa Celebration at the Columbus Zoo. A friend of mine was a dancer whose group was part of the performance offering enticed me to go. Since this was a perfect outing opportunity, I took my kids. Although I knew about Kwanzaa, I hadn't had much personal experience with it.After going I found out that Kwanzaa is one of those holiday traditions that fits perfectly in this time of year when we're supposed to be vowing to live better and be better. Plus, it was a great time. I checked out the zoo website to see if there was a repeat of this, but there's not--at least I couldn't find it. There is another opportunity in Columbus I found.

The King Avenue Arts Complex has an all day event that is part of the Winter Arts Academy: Taste of the Soul. While the Taste of the Soul is from the 20th to the 29th of December, December 27 is a day event open to everyone as part of a citywide celebration. Scroll down the events list on the King Avenue website to find it.

Each day of Kwanzaa has a different principle that is emphasized. On the 27th, the focus is on the value of self-determination which in Swahili is "Kujichagulia." You can read more about Kwanzaa on the official Kwanzaa website. In case you're wondering though, Kwanzaa was created by Ron Karenga and first celebrated in 1966. Its purpose is to tie in traditional African values and principals with American culture, particularly African American, although ideally, this is a tradition that can be celebrated by anyone. The idea is not to dump other religious traditions at this time of year, but to offer ideas that can be blended in. Kwanzaa is not an either or. It's a both. This is a great way to also learn more about traditional African culture and traditions and see how well they fit into the values Americans hold dear.

When I contacted Applied Imagination to find out about getting a picture of the train display at Krohn Conservatory, I found out there was a train closer to my own backyard. Paul Busse's creation in the downtown Columbus Huntington Bank building on the corner of High and Broad Street across from the Statehouse is spectacular. The receptionist has the most awesome display right at her back, and it's the only one of its kind in town.

Busse is the creator of the Krohn Conservatory train as well. While there are similarities to the two displays, the one in Cincinnati gives a nod to the buildings there, while the Huntington Bank version is a Bavarian town on the Tauber River. Seven trains wind along the tracks that also include a waterfall, an 8-ft. castle and miniature people, snow and evergreens. Here's an interesting piece of information I just read on the sheet you can pick up at the display; the cathedral represents the Frauenkirche which is the Church of Our Lady in Dresden. The church was destroyed during WWII, but has been recently reconstructed. Huntington Bank helped with fundraising the reconstruction funds.

The only time you can see this exhibit is during the regular banking hours between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. After Dec. 31 it will be taken down until next year. You can also register to win a train set. For more about Paul Busse and his train displays, here is an article from Kentucky Living Magazine.

I did blog about the Christmas light display in Pickerington a few weeks ago, but after my up close and personal experience this past Saturday night after my friend and I took our two sons to see it, I wanted to emphasize again-Go! (And if any of you read my blog about ice-skating at the Statehouse, yes, this is the same day with the same friend and the same two boys. And yes, the house stayed a mess in the spirit of continuing with holiday cheer.)

In my past blog, I mentioned that last year there were four houses that had synchronized lights and the aim this year was to get almost the whole street involved. Happily, they did and the street can't be missed. First, of all, you'll see the lights as you head into the subdivision. The string of cars crawling along waiting to get onto the street and back out is a good clue as well. My friend parked the car so we could walk. The slight problem with this was that we couldn't listen to the radio station that plays the Christmas music you're supposed to listen to while you see the lights. I did see one family who was also walking. They were pulling a wagon with a radio tuned in. Smart!

We felt bad that we didn't have any canned goods to donate when we got to one of the original houses. When you go, you'll see a huge wooden box for donations. The elves passing out candy canes to passerbys who were also collecting the donations said that they empty the box a couple times a day and one of their garages is filled with canned goods for a Pickerington food bank. When we were hanging out waiting for Santa to come back outside, someone donated two cases of green beans. I think they were green beans. They were canned goods at any rate. Most everyone who passed handed the elves money. We hung out for awhile since the elves were friendly and the night was downright balmy. I think folks passing by thought we were involved somehow since, from time to time, we got a thank-you.

Evidently, this street is big news. It was on the CBS Sunday Morning show, I think. The elf informant told me it was going to be on between 9 and 10 AM. It's also been written up in the New York Times. One thing that really warmed my heart was the house that had a large inflatable menorah out front and blinking blue and white lights. It struck me that if we all had synchronized blinking lights all over the world we'd probably cheer-up. This light display is run by a computer. I wonder if world peace through synchronized lights is something Bill and Melinda Gates might consider?

The street is Hail Ridge Drive. I did see an inflatable Santa like the one in this picture. The deer and Santa move. Here's the link to the New York Times article. The Pickerington street is the last one mentioned and there's a picture of some of the houses and the mastermind.

I know that I don't really like shopping in the first place (unless it's a bookstore or craft fair), but malls during the holiday season are just not my cup of tea. Check out the Westfield Southpark mall in Strongsville, Ohio! That's just one line, people.

Toledo residents have the opportunity to see the city lighted up for Christmas from a different angle this year. The mayor's office is available.

During "Holiday View From 22", the office of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner will be open to the public and welcoming all who visit. The office, on the twenty-second floor of Government Center, has a spectacular view all the way from Maumee Bay to the annual display of lights at the Toledo Zoo.

Toledo's First Lady Amy Finkbeiner, who thought of the idea during a visit to the White House, will host the event. If you can get away from your holiday preparations, drop in at the mayor's office from 6 to 8 PM, Monday, December 18 through Thursday, December 21. You won't even be asked for a contribution, it's on the house.

I recently ran across a new shopping web search site, headquartered in Columbus, Mytriggers.com. Like its many competitors such as Shopping.com, Yahoo! Shopping, and mysimon, Mytriggers will delve into on-line merchants to compare the sales price of the items you request. For example, I searched for a hardback copy of fellow Blog-O writer Tobias' novel Crystal Rain and found it on Amazon for $4.24, used. (Not that I'd buy anything but a pristine version of that classic, Toby!)

The difference that Mytrigger touts is that it collects its money from the vendors when and if you buy the product. Most sites make their nut by selling ads and the right to appear front and center when you request a price. This results in some less-than-best deals for you.

Another service I made use of the other day when shopping for a new TV (32" High-def LCD; eat your hearts out!) was Frucall.com. I found the TV I was shopping for at the new Costco in Columbus. While I stood at the display, I called Frucall's 800#, input the universal price code number from the box, and Frucall responded with the best prices for the product available on-line. I confirmed that Costco had it for $20 less, even before adding shipping costs. Very cool.

A couple more gift suggestions you might consider for those on your list-

Longtime Columbus favorites the Columbus Jazz Orchestra has cut their first CD in 10 years, The Colors of Jazz.

As mentioned in the previous post, Robert McCloskey's children's book Lentil is the official Ohio children's book. McCloskey's, a Caldecott winner for his Maine books, was born in Ohio.

Finally, remember that our official state fossil is the trilobite. Why not give a trilobite ring, or tie tack, or necklace? It's easier than wearing a bullfrog (the official state amphibian).

Saturday I had a list of things to do. I was firm with resolve that I would do them. That was until my neighbor and friend suggested ice-skating down at the rink outside the Statehouse with our two sons. Let's see, clean house or ice-skate? Rough choice. It didn't take long for me to dig out my ice skates in the basement and end up at the ice-rink lacing up my son's rentals. This was three hours of sheer joy. (Unless you count the interlude where he pulled his gloves off saying he was too hot, and then a few seconds later insisting that he needed them back on.)

When you skate at the Statehouse, it helps if you think a little small. It's not a big rink, but it's adequate. Noticing the way the capitol building is reflected in the windows of the building across from it is part of the pleasure. I pretended I was in a Bing Crosby movie for awhile, particularly when songs like Silver Bells wafted out into the warm air. It's an amazing thing to think that you can do outdoor skating when it's almost 60 degrees. This skating was about the most pleasurable thing I've done this month. From watching my son learn to skate, to honing up on my skating backwards skills, this was a 10.

By the way, if you go, there are lockers there to lock up purses and such if you feel the need, and the adjoining tent is heated. There is hot chocolate, coffee and hot cider to buy as well. Honestly, this is stellar entertainment. You have until January 1 to enjoy. This skating rink is thanks to The Chiller Ice Rinks. Around Ohio there are other outdoor rinks. If you have one, I'd go.

For the hours of the skating rink and other things to do around the Statehouse, check out this Experience Columbus press release. The rink is open longer when school is out. Oh, the photo is on the Statehouse website and was taken last year. Hint: Look at the snow.

If you're looking for something other than the tried and true, something that is a creative twist and will leave you thinking that you've seen something fresh and new, try "Black Nativity." This is a Langston Hughes piece that is a retelling of the birth of Christ, but with a contemporary theme and set to Black Church gospel music. The dancers are from the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre and the Cleveland School of the Arts.

The Karamu House Performing Arts Theatre where this is being performed has a series of plays in the 2006-2007 season under the theme of "Speaking the Gospel!: In Black and White.

The Karamu House, originally "The Playhouse Settlement" has been around since 1915 after it was started by Oberlin graduates, Russell and Rowena Woodham-Jelliffe to promote a place of "common ground" where people of all races could come together. The arts proved to be the best venue. Today it offers workshops, classes, and performances which continue with the original mission. New workshops in dance, the visual arts and theatre for all ages start in January.