Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Dec 2, 2011

Small-town politics:

As the city of Detroit continues to teeter toward financial ruin, the latest idea to save Motown is a lottery. A state legislator from Detroit is meeting next week with Michigan Lottery officials to talk about a lottery whose proceeds would be specifically targeted for the Motor City.
The biggest possible catch? If Detroit becomes the sole beneficiary of a special lottery, the state could yank the millions of dollars it already sends the city's school system from current lottery games. (Pacelli)

Feedback loop:

An article on a local paper's website asks: "What is your least favorite holiday song? The one that makes you cringe when you hear it the hundredth time." Some answers:
--"Jingle Bell Rock"
--"Grandma Got Run Over..."
--"Christmas Day"
--"Dominick the Donkey"
--"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"
--"'Christmas Shoes' because it's so depressing"

What Your Favorite Christmas Movie Says About You:

1. "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." You're a bohemian to the core, appreciate things that break convention, have a silly streak and truly believe that you can heal any poor soul born with a heart two sizes too small.
2. "It's a Wonderful Life." You're a softy that's sentimental and adores anything nostalgic.
3. "Love Actually." You have a thing for British accents and probably think anything that comes out of HUGH GRANT or COLIN FIRTH's mouth is charming.
4. "Elf." You're a kid at heart and truly believe that magic is everywhere --if you know how to spot it.
5. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." You're probably clumsy, disaster-prone and might hail from a dysfunctional family.
6. "White Christmas." You're a sucker for caroling, snow globes and probably dream of actually roasting chestnuts on an open fire.
(Source: Yahoo.com --Lee)

Collegiate Capers:

The sex abuse scandal at Penn State hasn't slowed down undergraduate applications.
Student applications are up from this time last year --up four percent across the system's 20 campuses statewide, and up two percent at the system's University Park flagship in State College, PA.
Of the nearly 28-thousand applicants, the schools admissions director tells the NY Times that her office has received some 50 phone calls since the sex scandal broke, but only eight students have since withdrawn their applications. (Maiman)

Reality Round-Up:

"Celebrity Wife Swap" sounds like something NEAL SCHOEN from JOURNEY and MICHAELE SALAHI are doing. But you'd be wrong!
It's a new reality show, based on the "Wife Swap" concept that's been on in previous seasons. So you get the concept: two celebrity couples will switch their wives for two weeks, with cameras filming how the "new" spouses do in their "new" families. For the first week, the women must live by the rules of their host family, but during the second week the visiting wives take control.
Here's the list of celebrity swappers:
--GARY BUSEY and evangelical pastor TED HAGGARD
--"Growing Pains" star TRACEY GOLD and WILSON PHILLIPS' singer CARNIE WILSON
--FLAVOR FLAV and TWISTED SISTER frontman DEE SNIDER
--Pro wrestler MICK FOLEY and ANTONIO SABATO Jr.
--NIECY NASH and "Family Ties" actress TINA YOTHERS.

Grace notes from Vinny Marino:

Speaking of which, JOURNEY guitarist NEAL SCHON is feeling the wrath of a Playboy Playmate, scorned. E! Online says August 1986 centerfold AVA FABIAN is suing Neal because he dumped her and started seeing ex-Real Housewife and White House party crasher MICHAELE SALAHI. Ava claims she and Neal were engaged and got married in Paris in July. Ava says while she was with Neal, they accumulated joint property and she wants her share. She also claims Neal promised to take care of her financially if they ever broke up. (Marino)

Food trends:

More than three-quarters (78 percent) of U-S families now purchase some organic foods, according to a consumer survey conducted by the Organic Trade Association. (Kaye)