J.P Morgan, when asked what the stock market will do, replied, "It Will Fluctuate."

Boy, I'll tell you, for those of you who watch the market, the past few days have been a hell of a ride! I was listening to the news and after the close on Monday, the amount of points the market fell just kept rising and rising. Last I heard was somewhere around 770. Then it rose 400 odd points, and now, well, who knows? Everyone has a different opinion of what is going on, who is to blame, and how this whole mess should be fixed. The fact is, people, that we are going through something that is a history making event right now. Whether or not the bail out would have worked if it had passed, or if it will pass when they vote on it again is something none of us know. I think most of us are looking at the next few days with trepidation, wondering just how much this is going to affect the general public. My opinion? Go after all the CEO's who could potentially be coming out of this with a golden parachute, let them plummet to the ground like a stone, and let the rest of us benefit from what they would have gotten. (Not that I have anything against CEO's...I have a problem when I see people close to me losing their jobs while I'm reading articles in the Journal about packages that some of these CEO's are getting...NOT COOL!. Share the love, is all I'm saying!) The media is making it sound like we're about to go through some kind of nuclear holocaust, and that the stock market crash is almost the end of the world...and all that will be left will be cockroaches and door to door salesmen. If it's really going to be like that, just let me hunker down with my honey and four furbabies (one of which has really bad breath...someone email me a reminder to pick up kitty breath mints!), some good wine, coffee and chocolate, crank up some Ella, and come what may...I'll be just ducky!

And while I'm in the process of hunkering down, I'll make a point of catching up on my reading. Did you know this is Banned Books Week? Every year, librarians celebrate the freedoms provided to us by the Constitution, including the freedom of speech and the freedom of information. And every year, there are new books that are challenged, pulled from shelves, BURNED, in some cases. Books are a form of expression, just like art and music. NO ONE has the right to say that someone can't express themselves in literary form, and NO ONE has the right to keep someone from reading something that they wish to read (except for parents with their kids...I wish MORE parents would get involved with what their kids read!). Click here to view some of the literary classics that were almost lost to us by censorship.

And since many of us are living closer to the vest these days, what better time to take advantage of the Cheap Dates I list here?

Unfortunately, I've got the serious time crunch going on this week, so I'm just going to post some things now, and I hope you'll check back Saturday after I add more updates...and I'd like to also say one last time--I DO NOT LOOK LIKE SARAH PALIN! (OK, I feel better now!)

Rock me gently...

Some good grooves coming up this week and I'm going to list them quick and dirty for you:

Live in the Lobby features Last Charge of the Light Horse and The Corduroy Sky this Thursday. $10 gets you in the door. By the way, I WORK THE DOOR AND THERE IS NO GUEST LIST! So please, don't even try...

Huntington Folk Music Society presents Little Toby Walker at their 1st Saturday Concert...he'll also be hosting a guitar workshop!

Don't forget this hot ticket--Eilen Jewel and Phil Minissale this weekend at University Cafe!

The ghost with the most...

It's that time of year...when Miss Chris gets her scare on! Grab the arm of your favorite honey and rock the world of that witchy woman or man by taking them to one of my favorite haunts...pun definitely intended! See below for my pics from Sleepy Hollow Cemetery!

Mills Pond House of Horrors...print the ad linked to this post to get $1 off your admission!

Darkside Haunted House in Wading River is one of Miss Chris' faves! I remember the first year they opened. A couple of us were the last ones they let in for the night...they proceeded to chase us out to my car saying, "We want beer...we'll let you live if you bring us beer..." How can you not love people who have so much fun doing this? At $18 per person it is just over guidelines, but click on the link above to find out how to save on admission.

Miss Chris' all time LI fave requires a bit of a drive and a wait on a heck of a line, but it's worth it! The Bayville Haunted Fire House just kicks some scary butt! Last year it was $13 per person to get in, but soooooo worth it! I have been going for ten years (at least!) and made the mistake one time of bringing my dad after having heart surgery (OOOOPS!). The little ones dressed up in scary costumes and the people who chase you around on line make the hour wait go quickly.

Now, this one TOTALLY blows the guidelines out of the water! But as a gal who has travelled the East Coast looking for the best of the best, well, little comes close to this! Make reservations at some fleabag motel if you must, but take the drive to Ulster County and go to the Headless Horseman Haunted Hayride! MAKE RESERVATIONS or you won't get in. This fright fest takes THREE HOURS to get through and with more entertainment than you could shake a bone at, this is the be all end all of haunted houses (villages? It's that big!) to visit!

More to come...check back...IF YOU DARE!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charie Brown!

Pumpkin picking is also one of my favorite things to do. How can you not love pumpkins? They're round, funny looking orange squashes that lend themselves to some good eatin', decorating, and a great time when you search for the perfect one. (Miss Chris was once at her financial limit with all the little squashes I snapped up when I found the perfect pumpkin. Knowing I couldn't afford it, I wedged it under my hoodie and pretended I was pregnant. I still don't know if the guy believed me, or felt sorry for me being about sixteen and "knocked up". I don't do things like that anymore, but the search for the perfect pumpkin continues to this day.) Here's a link to some places to go that are fun for the whole family.

Ghosts and shipwrecks...

Many of you know that I have a fascination with shipwrecks. They are an important part of our Long Island history. The Cold Spring Harbor Gallery has an exhibit called Claimed by the Sea--Long Island Shipwrecks. Learn about our maritime past with features about Hell's Gate (been through there on a 23' center console on a bad day and kissed the ground when I got back! One rough patch, I must say!) and the Louis V. Place--one of my favorite topics of research. Eleven men, a stormy night, and sailors frozen to death in the riggings, all buried right here in Patchogue. Email me if you'd like to know more about the wreck or the story of Whistling Sam (a local ghost). I could go on for hours about it...See below for some pics from Lakeview Cemetery and the graves of the shipwreck victims.

Men in leiderhosen!

Oktoberfest is not only a time to celebrate the harvest. The first Oktoberfest was actually a wedding celebration. Now, you already may be married, on a date or flying solo, but Oktoberfests are a lot of fun! Black Forest Brew Haus and Rowdy Hall, the Snapper Inn and Pumpernickels in Northport are all celebrating. Prosit, skaal, proust, nazdarovie! See below for some of my pics from Oktoberfest at Bear Mountain.

I'll be back in a few days with lots more, so keep checking back! Know of an event that should be posted here? Let me know by emailing me at cheap.date.long.island@gmail.com!