Happy holidays!

Are you ready for the New Year's Masquerade Party? Better look up the word masquerade, just in case! A quick hint -- I hear that everybody's names are going to be jumbled up, to make it harder to guess who's who!

In other news, it's come to the Times' attention that some citizens are attempting to scam their fellow citizens using the lure of free Why-Passes. Shame on you!!! There is no secret trick that will get you a Why-Pass, only honest effort and real money. Read here for more info on Why-Passes and the clam scams.

Have you played the Dreidel Game yet? Do you know what a dreidel is? Chaim, the nice fellow with the beard who runs the dreidel, says some folks think they're rolling dice! No, no, no! The dreidel is a spinning top, just like the Spin Lab itself, and is traditionally made of clay. Have you heard the dreidel song before? You can go to http://www.geocities.com/ohtoad/LittleDreidel.html for the lyrics and a MIDI file.

Chaim also says to remind everybody to play nice, and to not go too crazy over it -- remember, it's just a game. Traditionally, you play with chocolate coins instead of real ones. Here in Whyville, naturally we play with clams. And just as you'd watch your calories with chocolate coins, be mindful of your hard-earned clams!

For more on the dreidel, go to http://www.holidays.net/chanukah/dreidel.html and http://www.his.com/~chabad/8days/dreidel.htm. (These sites are not in Whyville!)

We at the Times want to wish you a great holiday season and a fantastic new year! Things are looking up for everyone at Whyville, City Hall, and here at the paper -- we hope the same is true for all of you. Happy New Year!!!

Times Assistant Editor