man with black hat: economics

Showing posts with label economics. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

The Partridge in a Pear Tree climbed 16 percent in 2024, to $370.18, this year’s biggest percentage jump in price. The bird costs the same, but the tree is rooting itself deeper in True Love’s wallet this year.

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

[NOTA BENE: The use of this song as a "secret catechism" for children, employed by Catholics persecuted in post-Reformation England, is a matter of some dispute, as pointed out in this article from Snopes.com. Leave it to them to bring the party down, especially when they're actually wrong some of the time.]

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Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For over forty years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. Closer to the present, we have this report from WITF-FM, public radio for central Pennsylvania.

In the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

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See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2024-2025" label.

(The illustrations for the PNC Christmas Price Index are from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my own damn money.)

Monday, December 25, 2023

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

Rents are rising again for the Partridge in 2023. The price of the bird stayed flat, but the tree it lives in grew by 13.9%, reflecting overall growth in housing costs (at $319.18).

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For forty years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from WXIX, the Fox affiliate in this writer's old stomping ground known as Cincinnati.

In the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

+ + +

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2023-2024" label.

(The illustrations for the PNC Christmas Price Index are from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

While the price of a partridge is unchanged, continued growth in the cost of its tree, due in part to higher fertilizer costs, means an overall price increase for the first gift in the 2022 index (at $280.18, or plus 25.8 percent).

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For thirty-nine years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from Canada's CTV "Your Morning" show -- which appears to measure the results in American dollars and not Canadian ... eh?

In the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

+ + +

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

(The illustrations for the PNC Christmas Price Index are from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

The price of the Partridge and Pear Tree has grown this year, entirely due to rising cost of this tree (at $222.68, or plus 6.0 percent).

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For thirty-eight years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from the Toronto-based CityNews (which hopefully measures American dollars and not Canadian). According to PNC: "Comparing 2019 data is a better gauge of the impacts of inflation, before the pandemic’s effects took hold of the global economy. We are trying to normalize the comparison by excluding a-once-in-a-century pandemic that had an outsized impact on last year’s data."

Be that as it may, in the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2021-2022" label.

(The illustrations for the PNC Christmas Price Index are from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Friday, December 25, 2020

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

While 2020 was anything but predictable, the Partridge sheltered in place, as the price for him and his Pear Tree remains unchanged from 2019 at $210.18.

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For thirty-seven years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from the FOX affiliate in Indianapolis. The effect of the pandemic on various service industries brought the cost way down from last year, by a whopping 58.5 percent (from $38,993), to a mere $16,168.14 this year, what with all the drummers drumming, pipers piping, lords leaping, and ladies dancing, being out of work.

Be that as it may, in the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2020-2021" label.

(The illustration for the PNC Christmas Price Index is from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and is used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

+ + +

The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, through the morning of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but around Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

+ + +

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For more than thirty years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage. For now, you can get the short version from the CNN. The cost of this year's CPI rose by a modest 0.2 percent to $38,993.59, just a wee bit higher than the previous year, but a 95 percent increase from the first Christmas Price Index in 1984.

And so, in the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

In previous years, we have provided a detailed look at the price of what somebody's true love give to them with each of the twelve days, also courtesy of PNC, and with a comparison of the previous year. But with plans to be on the other side of the planet during much of Christmastide, we invite our dear readers to check the PNC Christmas Price Index website for complete information.

All that being said (and all that which is said to follow), from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

(The illustration for the PNC Christmas Price Index is from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and is used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

This gift saw a slight uptick in price with a well-rooted Pear Tree that remained flat ($199.95) and a Partridge that barely stretched its wings (+.9% from $20.00 to $20.18). 2018 PRICE: $220.13 (+0.1%)

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, through the morning of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is December 25-26, ending with Twelfth Night on January 5-6.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but around Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not...

+ + +

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For more than thirty years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage. For now, you can get the short version from the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. The cost of this year's CPI rose by 1.2 percent to $39,094.93. And so, in the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Each day of our series will include a detailed look at the price of what somebody's true love gave to them, also courtesy of PNC, with a comparison to the previous year, at the beginning of our day's entry. In addition, a much cheaper and more creative alternative to buying these gifts can also be found at each day's entry on the PNC website, where you can learn how to fashion homemade ornaments based on each of the twelve days.

All that being said (and that which is said to follow), from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you a most blessed Christmastide, and a prosperous New Year.

Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

(Illustrations for the Twelve Days of Christmas are from the PNC Christmas Price Index website, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me $25.00 a month for earning interest off my money.)

Monday, December 25, 2017

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, through the morning of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmas is December 25-26, and the season ends with Twelfth Night on January 5-6.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but around Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not...

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For more than thirty years, PNC Bank, one of the largest banking institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

Following what was in all likelihood his retirement, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on. This year, rather than just one video giving the run-down, we are treated to a different one for each day on the website. But you can get the short version from a spokesman for PNC, thanks to the Fox affiliate in Cleveland. The cost of this year's CPI rose by a mere 0.6 percent to $34,558.65, due to the cost increases for the Pear Tree, the increased demand for Golden Rings and wage increases for the Lords-a-Leaping.

All that being said (and that which is said to follow), from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you a most blessed Christmastide, and a prosperous New Year.

Go forth and spread joy!

(Animated illustrations for the Twelve Days of Christmas are courtesy of the Christian Resource Institute, under the authorship of Dennis Bratcher, and which are used here without permission or shame.)

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Christ-Mass: Day 1 (Nativity)

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

Since 1984, the cumulative costs of the aforementioned items have been used as a tongue-in-cheek economic indicator. This custom began with and is maintained by PNC Bank. Two pricing charts are created, referred to as the "Christmas Price Index" and "The True Cost of Christmas." The former is an index of the current costs of one set of each of the gifts given by the True Love to the singer of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The latter is the cumulative cost of all the gifts with the repetitions listed in the song. The people mentioned in the song are hired, not purchased.

The project was the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. Each year this project gives us the lowdown on last year's CPI, including a brief history, the impact of the economy on this year's results, and how the PNC CPI can be used in the classroom. The original 1984 cost was $12,623.10. The total costs of all goods and services for the 2016 Christmas Price Index is $34,363.49, up 0.7 percent from $34,130.99 last year, compared to being up 0.6 percent from 2014 to 2015. PNC used to do a cool video every year, but they stopped a couple of years ago, so others had to pick up the slack for them. After all, why tax your attention span for more than an hour on a website when you can just watch something in less than one minute, then go on to watch football? Or something?

For those of you with longer attention spans, learn the details, including which items went up, down, or stayed the same in cost, by visiting pncchristmaspriceindex.com to see the whole dog-and-pony show for yourself, (or you can read this piece in Business Insider).

And on that promising note, don't you have anything better to do on a day like this? Your friends as well as your "friends" are waiting on Facebook and Pinterest.

Go forth and spread joy!

(Animated illustrations for the Twelve Days of Christmas are courtesy of the Christian Resource Institute, under the authorship of Dennis Bratcher, and which are used here without permission or shame.)

Friday, December 25, 2015

Christ-Mass: Day 1 (Nativity)

And on that promising note, don't you have anything better to do on a day like this? Your friends as well as your "friends" are waiting on Facebook and Pinterest.

Go forth and spread joy!

(Animated illustrations for the Twelve Days of Christmas are courtesy of the Christian Resource Institute, under the authorship of Dennis Bratcher, and which are used here without permission or shame.)

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Christ-Mass: Day 1 (Nativity)

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

Since 1984, the cumulative costs of the aforementioned items have been used as a tongue-in-cheek economic indicator. This custom began with and is maintained by PNC Bank. Two pricing charts are created, referred to as the "Christmas Price Index" and "The True Cost of Christmas." The former is an index of the current costs of one set of each of the gifts given by the True Love to the singer of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The latter is the cumulative cost of all the gifts with the repetitions listed in the song. The people mentioned in the song are hired, not purchased.

The project is the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. Each year he gives us the lowdown on last year's CPI, including a brief history, the impact of the economy on this year's results, and how the PNC CPI can be used in the classroom. The original 1984 cost was $12,623.10. The total costs of all goods and services for the 2014 Christmas Price Index is $27,673.21 (up 1.0 percent from $27,393.17 last year, compared to being up 7.7 percent from 2012 to 2013, so things are looking up, people).

Learn the details, including which items went up, down, or stayed the same in cost, by visiting pncchristmaspriceindex.com to see the whole dog-and-pony show for yourself, including a special fairy tale about each set of gifts (or you can read this piece in Business Insider).

And on that promising note, don't you have anything better to do on a day like this? Your friends as well as your "friends" are waiting on Facebook and Pinterest.

Go forth and spread joy!

(This year we introduce a unique set of animations to illustrate the Twelve Days of Christmas, courtesy of the Christian Resource Institute, under the authorship of Dennis Bratcher, and which are used here without permission or shame.)

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christ-Mass: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, through the morning of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmas is December 25-26, and the season ends with Twelfth Night on January 5-6. By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning.

Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who do not...

[NOTA BENE: The use of this song as a "secret catechism" for children, employed by Catholics persecuted in post-Reformation England, is a matter of some conjecture, as pointed out in this article from Snopes.com. But what do they know?]

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), the return of a venerable man with black hat tradition ... or is it?

Since 1984, the cumulative costs of the aforementioned items have been used as a tongue-in-cheek economic indicator. This custom began with and is maintained by PNC Bank. Two pricing charts are created, referred to as the "Christmas Price Index" and "The True Cost of Christmas." The former is an index of the current costs of one set of each of the gifts given by the True Love to the singer of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The latter is the cumulative cost of all the gifts with the repetitions listed in the song. The people mentioned in the song are hired, not purchased.

The project is the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. Each year he gives us the lowdown on last year's CPI, including a brief history, the impact of the economy on this year's results, and how the PNC CPI can be used in the classroom. The original 1984 cost was $12,623.10. The total costs of all goods and services for the 2013 Christmas Price Index is $27,393.17 (up 7.7 percent from $25,431.18 last year).

This year they've forsaken the usual video presentation in which they just tell us what we want to know, getting on the 3-D printing bandwagon as a means of keeping us in suspense. Earlier this month, they had a contest where you could go to the site, design and outfit your choice among one of the gifts, and submit it for consideration. Winners would get a 3-D printed copy of their creation. What you're supposed to do with it, who knows? But they couldn't just do the narrative as in previous years, as shown in the first video. No, they had to give us a little teaser, in the form of the second video.

Learn the details, including which items went up in cost, and which went down, by visiting pncchristmaspriceindex.com to see the dog-and-pony show for yourself, such as it is (or you can read this piece in The Washington Times).

And on that promising note, don't you have anything better to do on a day like this? Your friends as well as your "friends" are waiting on Facebook and Pinterest.

Go forth and spread joy!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christ-Mass: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of that first day, through the morning of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmas is December 25-26, and the season ends with Twelfth Night on January 5-6. By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at mwbh, the Christmas season is just beginning.

Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who do not...

[NOTA BENE: The use of this song was a "secret catechism" for children, employed by Catholics persecuted in post-Reformation England, is a matter of some conjecture, as pointed out in this article from Snopes.com.]

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), the return of a venerable mwbh tradition ...

Since 1984, the cumulative costs of the aforementioned items have been used as a tongue-in-cheek economic indicator. This custom began with and is maintained by PNC Bank. Two pricing charts are created, referred to as the "Christmas Price Index" and "The True Cost of Christmas." The former is an index of the current costs of one set of each of the gifts given by the True Love to the singer of the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The latter is the cumulative cost of all the gifts with the repetitions listed in the song. The people mentioned in the song are hired, not purchased.

Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management, is back once again to discuss this year's CPI, including a brief history, the impact of the economy on this year's results, and how the PNC CPI can be used in the classroom. The original 1984 cost was $12,623.10. The total costs of all goods and services for the 2012 Christmas Price Index is $25,431.18 (up 4.8 percent from $24,263.18 last year). Learn the details, including which items went up in cost, and which went down, by visiting www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com to see the full interactive media extravaganza.

And now, don't you have anything better to do on a day like this? Your friends as well as your "friends" are waiting on Facebook and Pinterest. Go forth and spread joy!