November 24, 2025 • 37 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
The trending gifts and products for this holiday season in 2025, according to Google trends. New data from the National Retail Federation finds holiday sales will surpass $1 trillion for the first time this year.
Guest: Jennifer Jones - Google Tech Expert
The “Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour” is coming to TD Garden in Boston on Dec. 26 (2p and 7p)!
Guest: Lucius “Too Tall” Winston – Guard for the Harlem Globetrotters
A Polar vortex could bring a drop in temperatures right after Thanksgiving. Here’s what to know.
Guest: Ken Mahan – Meteorologist for the Boston Globe
Navigating Grief During the Holidays.
Guest: Rev. Peter Michael Preble - Pastor & Teacher at the Berkley Congregational Church in Berkely, Massachusetts, Hospice Chaplain at Norwell Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice eyes with Dan Ray. I'm going you easy
Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks very much, Cherry. Welcome in everybody to Thanksgiving week
here on Nightside. I will tell you in advance that
Bradley Jay will be in for me on Thursday and Friday.
I will be here Tomorrow night, tonight, Tomorrow night, and
Wednesday night, but I will take Thanksgiving in the day
after Thanksgiving as company holidays. So if you like to
(00:27):
talk to me, you have three nights Tonight, Tomorrow night,
and Wednesday. You can't talk to me until after nine
o'clock tonight, and after nine o'clock tonight, we're going to
talk about a piece you'll see in the Boston Globe tomorrow.
It's an update on that tragic accident that took the
life of little five year old Lynz Joseph in Hyde
(00:47):
Park back in April of this year. It was on
April twenty eighth, a Monday, when the bus in which
he was driving actually drove over him after he had
gotten off the bus and was attempting to go across
the street. We'll get to all of that. It's a
very sad story and it is to me the Globe
(01:08):
will i read the glob piece today and they'll do
a nice job in tomorrow morning's newspaper. But we're going
to talk about it tonight, and then we'll talk about
the cost of your Thanksgiving dinner, folks, believe it or not,
way do you hear the numbers? Uh, there's actually good
news nationally. We'll explain. We will explain, but we're going
(01:31):
to start off tonight to get a little bit past Thanksgiving,
and we're going to look at some new data from
the National Retail Federation which says that holiday sales this
year will surpass, not May, will surpass one trillion dollars
for the first time this year. With me is Jennifer Jones.
(01:52):
She is a tech expert. That's an astonishing figure. Jennifer,
one trillion dollars. Welcome to night Side. Nice to have
you with us.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
One trillion dollars with a T, not with a B.
That that's a thousand billion dollars.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You know, Matt is not my strong suit, but I
think that's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
You're right. Texte's spending. Oh please, we'll strike that. You're
on a strike that for the record, of course, you're
our experts go ahead, Jennifer.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Just having some fun for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
So no matter what the cost is, that it's going
to total too. You know, there are a lot of
families out there that budget stress is really taking the
joy out of the holiday season. And there's you know, inflation,
general cost of living rise, and sixty four percent of
shoppers are saying that they believe they're going to spend
significantly more time looking for dills this holiday season. So
(02:54):
that's why those of us here at Google are stepping
in to give shoppers apprehend with some new tools to use.
The AI tools. They're designed to help you save time
and money.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well, for the I've been around a long time, and
every Christmas season the pressure is on. I don't care
if when I was a teenager and it hits you
that you needed to get some presents for your siblings
and your parents and you had no money and you
had to figure that out. And then when you were dating,
(03:25):
you had to figure out what exactly what well would
it be this too much, this too little? Uh? And
then with your own kids you go crazy uh. And
so I mean, I think there's always this pressure because frankly,
you represent the National Retail Federation, You folks want to
(03:46):
move merchandise, and the way to move merchandise is to
convince us that hey, this is a this is a way.
And some people have claimed that Christmas has become too commercial.
I remember those those comments many years ago. So it is.
It is a pressure filled year, and particularly this year
with Thanksgiving being late, Christmas is always on the twenty fifth.
(04:10):
Is it really any different this year from from any Christmas,
from any holiday season?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
You know, I want to I want to just jump
in quickly, Dan, I am not with the Retail Federation.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
I'm with Google.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Correct mistake.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I'm happy to talk to you about the holiday one
hundred and our AI shopping tips today. Is that something
you want to chat about?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yes, absolutely, go right ahead. I'm just saying, is that
that I don't want to have everybody in a down
mood before the before the night has even begun, tell
us about some shopping tips. Okay, I I misread this.
This was my fault. You're a Google tech tech expert.
H And the data we're looking at is from the
National Retail Federation, So go right ahead.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
So, so the statistics I shared early or just you know,
based on a recent study that folks are really looking
to save money, so there are a lot of ways
that you can do that with Google products, and a
couple of them that are super simple. Are I'm not
sure how AI savvy you are. It sounds like you
might have a pretty good grasp on it, but for
any level of AI AI savviness, I always recommend that
(05:22):
you go straight to the Gemini app, which Gemini is
Google's AI assistant, and you can go from chatting with
your Gemini to browsing and Jim and I will actually
show you shoppable products links and listings and show you
their availability, how much they cost, and if you are
able to cut a little further with them, it can
(05:44):
brainstorm with how you should buy things right there in
the app.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
So you're not talking to a human being, You're talking
to an AI bought and they're going to help you
with some ideas for shopping if you give them maybe
the range that you want to spend and who you're
buying the product for. It sounds to me like you'd
have to give them some information and they then would
come back to you, yeah, some suggestions.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Okay, totally, Just like you would in any search situation,
you would have to type in a little bit what
you're looking for. But what's great about this is is
that you can get very specific on the types of
items that you want to buy. You can even get
so specific, and this is a great tip to save money,
(06:26):
is that you can find the best price and you
can actually set parameters around how much you want to spend,
and Google will actually send you a notification when that
specific item you're looking for hits that price and allow
you to buy it right there.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well, this is a huge advantage for young people who
are probably more savvy with all of this than I am. Yes,
it probably makes shopping easier once you know how to
use the system. How long has GEM and I been around?
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Oh gosh, you know, we've been working on AI products
for years. Most of the tech industry has Jim and I.
You know, I depend on which one you ask about.
Jim and I has launched several new iterations. We'd launched
when ready. We just released a new one last week,
so it's constantly improving on the model.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
When did you have the first AI on on Google?
Is this? How many years has Google been doing this?
Where someone like yourself who's a Google text expert can
explain to the audience as you did. What what tools
are available? Has this been going on for four or
five years or more?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Oh, we've been.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
We've been doing conversations with TV and radio for about
a year.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
No, no, no, on TV and radio are saying with consumers,
with customers with listeners. This this is, I guess a
fairly new option for my audience.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Oh ai search? Is that what you're referencing is AIU?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
No, I'm asking you. How long has Google been offering
either Gemini or whatever incarnation of that product that you
want to talk that we're talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'm just yeah, so yes, So that's been around about
about a year and a half. You know when we
started out as Yeah, we started out under a different name,
and then it's been rebranded probably last year round February.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So what was it before? Just so people will know
if they've used it before, what was its prior iteration?
Speaker 5 (08:48):
Sure, it was called Bard b ar d.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Like the guy that wrote plays on the Avon in
the Avon River in England many years ago, the Bart.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
William Shakespeare. Yeah, okay, Jennifer, appreciate the information. Very nice
to meet you and we hope you have a great
holiday season and happy shopping.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Alrighty bye bye bye bye.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
When we get back, we're we talk about something I
know probably a little bit more about it. That is
the Harlem Globetrotters on their one hundred year tour, and
they're going to be coming for two contests at the
Boston Garden on December twenty sixth, the day after Christmas.
And I'm only going to talk with one of the
globetrotters himself, Lucia's Too Tall Winston. This is a great,
(09:38):
great opportunity to take kids, you know, six, seven, eight, ten, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, whatever.
It is a great bonding opportunity for parents and their kids,
for grandparents and their grandchildren. You have to love the
Harlem Globetrotters. We'll talk with Lucia's Too Tall Winston right
(09:58):
after this quick break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
It's Night Side with Dany Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Well, I'm excited to introduce to you I know a
lot more about the Harlem Globetrotters than I necessarily knew
about Google tech expertise with us. Is Lucius Too Tall Winston.
He's a guard for the Harlem Globetrotters. I think I
saw you in one of our Boston television stations this morning, Lucius,
(10:28):
and you were great. I wish it was video we
could show some of the tricks you were doing today.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Was that you this morning?
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Was that you?
Speaker 6 (10:35):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, excellent.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
So you guys are gonna be here in Boston on
the twenty six two shows one at two and one
at seven. It looks to me like the Globetrotters have expanded.
Now you have women Gold Trotters.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Yes, yes, yes, currently right now, I believe that we
have some new Rokie females that are joining. But currently
right now that I know, we have five, we have
a we have fanc we have Torch, we have Spice
and Sunshine on our team with the Globe Tars.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Well, I'll say you, I've seen the Globe Trotters when
my kids were young. We went it is an incredible show.
What's what's the you know this in the days of
sports betting. I don't know if they the Globe Trotters
are on fan duel or anything, but what normally is
the is the line. I know the Globetrotters have generally
(11:32):
got pretty good results with the Washington generals over the years.
Normally what's the spread uh over under the over the
Globe Trotter. Uh. Again, I just think it is fabulous entertainment.
(11:53):
You know, I know a little bit about the history.
I didn't have to check the history. My I'm old
enough to remember the legend of the Globe Globe Trotter's
was Abe Saperstein who founded the organization. Uh. And this
is the hundredth year that you've been in business. It's
it's like baseball players today, you know, Major League Baseball
(12:14):
players stand on the shoulders of guys like Babe Ruth
and Hank Aaron will come before. How much How does
it feel, Lucius when you pull that jersey on, knowing
that it's the same jersey that all of these great
Globe Trotters over the years have worn. It has to
be a thrill every night.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
It is just surreal just to hear from God, like
you said, like one of our coaches, Swee Lou Dunbar,
who's who had a chance to play with Curly, to
play with Metal Arc and just tell the stories of
everything that they had to do back doing those days,
playing before two different crowds. Uh. Not be able to
stay a certain neighborhood in a certain hotel, and then
(12:53):
not all that, just just still wanted to be a
part of the community and and and expire, change and
inspire and and break down different barriers. So every single
night I get a chance to put this red, white
and blue on, I feel like a superhero because I'm
somebody's Christmas present. I'm somebody's first time might be introduced
to the game of basketball. That might be the last
(13:14):
time they get a chance to see the Globe Charter.
But every single time I put it on, I want
to be special. I wanted to be magical, and I
want to be memories were repeating, So that way the
cycle just continues in the Harlem Glow Charter's last for
another one hundred years.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Well, I tell you, you said it better than I could.
But one of the things that is important to me
and that when I always taught my kids that sports,
whether it was pro football, certainly pro baseball with Jackie Robinson,
the National Hockey League, with the guy who played here
in Boston, who had a chance to meet Willie or Ree,
(13:49):
the Celtics with you know, Bill Russell and Sam Jones,
who is my playground instructor back when I was about
twelve years old. They broke down barriers, a lot of
the barriers that existed, the separation that existed between you know,
people on one side of the town on the other
(14:09):
side of the tracks, whatever however you want to call it.
Once you got out on the floor and you competed,
and I played baseball and hockey. But once you know,
of course you played in school all sorts of sports,
you realize that the other guy's the same as you.
They're just trying to win and you know, and they're
good guys, and if you fall down or your trip,
(14:29):
they'll help you up. It breaks down barriers. That's what
sports does. And the Globetrotters. You can't go to a
Globetrotter game. And I don't care whether you were down
south in the in the thirties or forties, or you were,
you know, back here in Massachusetts in the year, you know,
twenty twenty six. You look at them as basketball players
(14:51):
and with the skills that you guys have, you guys
are inspirational. And I mean that seriously for only from
a from a sports and an athlete point of view,
but literally from a sociological point of view.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Definitely, definitely, and that's how we want to be in
people eyes. I always tell people, if you want to
be a Globe Charter, you definitely got to have a
basketball skill. Definitely come from a basketball background. But not
only that. I think what has helped us last for
so long is, like you said, what we do in
the community. Like this time I've been here in Boston,
I've had a chance to be on different news stations,
(15:28):
but the one thing I enjoyed really today was going
to Boston Children Hospital and a chance to just work
with kids and put smiles on their faces and just
hearing all the questions that they had to ask me
today was pretty interesting. So and then just to hear
from some of the people at the hospital like thank
you so much for coming by. I haven't seen my
child smile. I haven't seen my child do this. And
that's what keeps me real humble as a basketball player,
(15:49):
because I remember when I was three, four, five, six,
seven years old, I didn't have a lot of people
come to my school. I'd have people come and just
encourage me a lot. But I have family, so but
not everybody has this. So now I feel like I'm
in this position the perfect opportunity to let kids know
they listen work for an opportunity, so that way when
the opportunity comes, but also to dream. If you shoot
(16:11):
for the moon and you miss it, I mean there's
billions of stars out there, You're bound to find your way,
You're bound to find your dreams come true. So anything
is possible in this world.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Well, the thing that's great about you, I did my
homework because you've been with the Globe Jars now for
almost ten years. You're a business administration major at Tuskegee University,
one of the great colleges of the South, and you
also hold a whole you personally, you personally hold a
bunch of bunch of records. You hold eight Guinness World records,
(16:47):
most figure out dribbles in one minute, most three point
shots made by a pair in one minute, most layups
in one minute, and most consecutive alley oops where somebody
throws the ball up and you slam it home in
one minute. You got a lot of athleticism. Uh, And
and you're not a guy who you've been blessed with athleticism,
(17:10):
but you know your normal sized guy and you do
things on the court you're five to ten, which you
know this. This is amazing what you do and what
the Globe Trotters do. And I'm so excited to know
you guys are back in Boston, and I just hope
anyone who's listening tonight, all they got to do is
(17:30):
go to Harlem Globetrotters dot com. You can look at
the roster. You can see a little bit about Too
Tall Winston, Lucius, Too Tall Winston and you guys will
sign autographs for kids and.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
It is an incredible experience, definitely.
Speaker 6 (17:49):
So during a game, we have a magic Paths fans
will have an opportunity to come before the game as
a pre game, so when you would have had to
come on the floor and me telling my teammates fired
to the gang started, so would be autographed, take pictures.
You can even show us some of your tricks and
have a chance to get stops up on the TD
Garden floor. Then the game starts. We got a regular
basketball game. First be fourth quarters and then doing the
(18:11):
fifth quarter, you get a chance to come back down
courtside and fire some more autographs. And also too, it's
a special promo cod that if you giving once you
buy those tickets. It's forty off. So if a great
Christmas gift.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
We'll be here.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
Today after Christmas two, so come on out and one
hundred years toy and we got new uniforms two as well,
designed by Jeff Hamilton. We got a red, white and
blue uniform. So you're gonna get to see which one
of those come out at TV Garden. So I'm excited.
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Well, Lucius, thanks for spending some time with us tonight.
You are a great ambassador for basketball and a great
ambassador for the Harlem Globe Trotters, and the Globe Trotters
have always been great ambassadors for the United States of America,
even in days that we're not as proud of maybe
as we have been in recent years. So thank you
(19:00):
for what you do. Thank you for being available to
us tonight, and God speed and have a fabulous time
in Boston.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
It's it's a great city. It's it's come a long way,
It's matured a lot in the last fifty or so years.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Definitely, definitely, thank you so much for having.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Let me ask you. Do you celebrate Christmas?
Speaker 6 (19:22):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
I want to wish you a merry Christmas because I'm
a Christmas guy, and I whatever someone celebrates, I like
to wish him that. So Merry Christmas to you and yours, Lucius.
Definitely all right, thanks, all right, we got the news
coming up. The Globe Trotters again here at the Garden
(19:43):
on the twenty sixth of December, a two o'clock show
and a seven o'clock show. It is a great, great
basketball exhibition, basketball game and basketball performance. And take it
from someone who's watched them on television as a kid
and has had a chance to see him up close
and personally. I hope you get a chance to bring kids,
(20:04):
your family, grandchildren. Just just go to Harlem Globetrotters dot
com and you will find all the information you need.
When we get back here on Nightside, we will continue
our nightside news update. I just had fun with that.
We're going to talk with Ken mahon and the Boston Globe.
He's a meteorologist about a pole of vortex that could
(20:26):
drop temperatures right after Thanksgiving. Wrinch is going to arrive early.
If you think it's been called so far, hold on
to your hats. We'll be right back with Ken.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Mahan night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Okay, so you thought it was a little chili last week, right, Yeah,
most of us did. Well, wait till the end of
this week. With us is Ken Mahon. He's the meteorologists
for the Boston Globe. He's been with us before, and
this is scary. Ken. Whenever they talk about the polar vortex,
I don't know who came up with that word, but
(21:03):
that is intimidating. It sounds nasty.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
How are you tonight, Hey, Dan, I'm doing well. Thank
you for having me on once again. And boy, yeah,
the polar vortex one of those meteorological trigger phrases that
will certainly raise eyebrows, especially when we're talking about it
in November.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah. Well, like out of the West coast, they talk
about a river of rain. That's literally great. My daughter
was on the West Coast for many years and they
have a river of rain coming into San Francisco. And
whoever makes up, first of all, what is a polar vortex?
And what do you think is going to happen? Oh,
what do you know is going to happen in the
(21:45):
not too distant future? Sure?
Speaker 5 (21:47):
Well, the polar vortex, simply put, is a band of
winds that circulate in the Northern Hemisphere. For our region,
of course, in the northern Hemisphere by the North Pole,
it stays there all year all year round, but strengthens
typically as we head into the winter months. So, simply put,
(22:09):
the polar vortex is a band of winds containing very
extreme cold weather, cold air high in the app there
air poles. What's going to happen is multiple forecast models,
what we're seeing on daily weather maps from the surface
all the way up into the stratosphere is that these
(22:31):
winds are going to weaken. And when you weaken those winds,
that unlocks blobs of cold air funneling down to the surface,
introversing towards the United States, and is likely to impact
New England right after the Thanksgiving holiday and into the
first week of December.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
So it's going to be cold. How cold? What what
will the temperatures be and what will it feel like?
Speaker 5 (22:57):
Great? So, what I've seen is that most of the
forecast models are suggesting the colts air reach into the
Midwest and Great Lakes, which is going to spare New
England Boston quite a bit. However, I still see temperatures
slipping between five to fifteen degrees below average, spilling into
(23:19):
the weekend and then and a few days into the
first week of December. As far as what that means
for the thermometer, you're talking highs into the only mid
thirties for coast to New England, maybe stalling into the
upper twenties. If you're talking about more mountainous regions Berkshire's
Green Mountains, white mountains, mountains, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
And is there going to be a windshiel factor? And
there was this one thing to say it's going to
be thirty. Everybody knows that's cold, particularly for late November,
But what's that those What are those thirties maybe on
the shore going to feel like? And what are those
twenties inland going to feel like?
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Dan, you raise a good point because while this polar
vortex sort of dissembles and sends pockets of cold air
to our region, we're also going to be dealing with
surface storms, so what we experience every day. So I
do see a couple of storms moving through the region
(24:23):
by this weekend, so shortly after Thanksgiving, and then another
system pushing in on Monday, December first, to start off
the first month of meteorological winter. What that means is
wind chills probably into the teams, all across the boards,
maybe the single digits. Some folks up north.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Wow, wow, boy, this is this is pretty early. You know.
One of the things that I look at. You're going
to think I'm a weirdo here, But one of the
things I look at every sidy in the newspaper is
the annual temperatures, the high temperatures, the cumulative temperature. And
I noticed that this year, unlike the last couple of years,
(25:05):
the temperatures are getting much closer to normal. So it
sounds to me if I'm reading them correctly. If I'm not,
you can tell me. It looks to me as if
the average temperature degrees over the course of this year,
it's pretty close to normal. And if we have some
really cold weather for a few days here in the
(25:27):
start of January, we might have an annualized temperature reading
both high and low pretty close to normal. If you
know the chart that I'm looking at, I'm sure you
do in the globe ones only on Sundays.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
That's right, I do, And you're right then you know
we are looking to see November wrap up below normal
in terms of temperatures in December, at least the first
half of December run below the normal temperature there, So
this could potentially be the first year where the annual
average temperature was normal. We've seen the last handful of
(26:06):
years where it was, you know, pretty pretty high above average,
ranging between and pulling up the data right here between
two and six degrees depending over the last five years
above average. So it would be nice to have a
little bit of a normal year, wouldn't it.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
It would it would again. You know, you can never
look at it just year to year. You've got to
look at it with a much you know, broader view
to find the sure where the pattern is taking us.
But yeah, it would be And I could do without
the cold weather next week, but that's okay if people
are traveling, they've been warned. Yeah, and Ken, I appreciate
(26:41):
real quick here, just since I got you, and I
may not get you for another, you know, a few weeks.
What is the projections? Was this cold weather? Does this
augur for a more a snowy winter. I know I'm
throwing that at you out of left field here, And
if you haven't done the research, and that's not a problem,
just tell me that, but just wondering. I remember a
(27:04):
really cold December Circon nineteen eighty one, eighty two. I
was a TV regow. Yeah, I remember being outside that
It seemed every night I was out in the cold,
and it was it was a matter of fact, I
think that was the year that that plane, the World
Airways plane slid off the runway at Logan And I
remember being out at the end of the air at
(27:26):
the end of the runway the next night, and I
was there was It wasn't tears coming down my eyes,
it was water coming down. I was so cold.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Oh yeah, yeah, But I'm just wanted can we read
anything into this this early arrival of the polar votex.
It's going to go back. I mean, obviously it's not
going to stay cold every day, But is there everything
in the tea leaves which would say, hey, that's a
good sign or a bad sign in terms of snow
coming throughout the window.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
Sure? Sure, I broke this down in an article last week.
So you're you're right, You're not going to see a
cold day every single day, but there's certainly going to
be more colder than average days, and Mormon than average
days to close up the year and to spill into
the first couple of months of twenty twenty six. What
I see is more snow, more snow, especially across the
(28:16):
interior west of I ninety five, more snow than what
we've seen over the last couple of years, and a
little bit more above average too, which we haven't seen
in a while. Even Boston the last couple of winters
have been very dismal in terms of snow totals. I
do see less than average snow, but more than what
we've seen over the last two years. So there is hope.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Trending, trending back to normalcy. Okay, that's good. I like that.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
We'll take it. I'll tell you anybody who likes skiing
is certainly happy. I'll tell you that much.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Oh yeah, And I have a lot of friends of mine,
including my brother and sister in law, who are avid skiers,
and they love it. I have no interest in skiing
ever since poor Jim one boy broke his leg pitching
when he was pitching for the Red Sox one winter.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Had a good idea.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Hey, Ken, I really appreciate it. You're the best. Thank
you so much.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
See you anytime. Dan, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Ken Mahon of the meteorologists for the Boston Globe. We
get back but to talk about an important subject, but
one that we need to take reflect on, and that
is navigating grief during the holidays. We've talked with Reverend
Peter Michael Prebble, pastor and teacher at the Berkeley Congregational
Church in Berkeley, Massachusetts. He's also a hospice chaplain at
(29:32):
Norwell Visiting Nurse Association, and we will at hospice and
we'll be back with Reverend Preble right after this quick
break on a Monday night edition of Nightside News Update.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w b
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Well, as we approached Christmas and the holiday season and
Honukkah and all of the other times during the year
when families gather, we sometimes don't realize that some families,
because the world doesn't stop, have to deal with some
form of grief, oftentimes the passing of a family member.
With us is Reverend Peter Michael Prebble, pastor, teacher at
(30:14):
the Berkeley Congregational Church in Berkeley, Massachusetts, hospice chaplain at
the Norwell Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice. Reverend Prebble, welcome,
How are you, sir?
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Thank you, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
For some reason, I think we have crossed paths at
some point, and for the life of me, I'm trying
to figure out when and where, and if you can remember,
that's great. If I'm misremembering something, that's okay too. But
at one point I thought I've interviewed you or whether
when I was a television reporter. I don't know how
long you've been around here, but if nothing jumps to mind,
(30:51):
then we'll assume this is our first meeting. How are
you this evening.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
I'm doing well. I've been around for a while and
I was on your show. Was trying to think of
when it was, but it has to have been more
than ten years ago. Now, well, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
I didn't misremember, you did not? You did not, so
tell us about this is the time of year, no
time of year. There's no time of year which is
you know, a good time to say so long to
a family member, or for that matter, to a family pet,
(31:25):
or to have someone diagnosed with a horrible medical diagnosis.
And certainly the holidays are no are no exception of that.
What can be done, you know, to to lessen the
pain when when you when you hear bad news. What
advice can you give my audience as to how they
(31:47):
can handle the situation? You as a as a member
of the cloth, I'm sure deal with this, and you're
probably pretty good at it because you have to deal
with it so often. But you know, for those of
us who are eight people, you know, someone passes and
it's awkward. It's awkward right that.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
You know, as you said, there's never a good time,
and I think it's more amplified during this time of
the year, during the holidays. You know, it's a stressful
time of the year to begin with, and let's add
grief in on top of that, so it just amplifies everything.
And then there's all the memories that come up, and
there's all of these things. So, you know, the I
think the best piece of advice I can give, of
(32:27):
the first piece of advice I can give, is you
have to let yourself feel what you need to feel.
It's okay to feel these feelings. It's okay to not
feel festive if you don't want to be festive this
time of year. Don't be festive this time of year.
Do what you can do, and don't expect any more
from yourself. Give yourself a break, give yourself some grace,
and you know, some reasons, some room for that grace
(32:51):
to work. And set boundaries. I think we're horrible at
setting boundaries in the normal course of events, but I
think at this time of the year, setting boundaries with
people and events is extremely important. And you know, you
might get an invitation to go somewhere and you really
don't feel like going, so don't go. Skip it, stay home,
leave early if you need to. You know, plan ahead
(33:11):
for something that's that might be a bad moment. Don't
go alone. Take somebody with you so they can be
there for you and help you. I think these are
just some practical tips that can get us through most anytime,
but especially during the holiday time.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
One of the things that I tell my friends when
a family member you know passes and dies, we we
sometimes we like to use those euphemism they pass. But
what I tell them is, look as bad as you're
feeling now, the worse you feel about their loss, their departure,
whatever word you want to use, that shows how close
(33:52):
your relationship was. With them and how close their relationship
was with you. I mean, we can scan the obituaries
and any day the globe and you can see, you know,
fifty people, none of whom you know. You look at
the pictures and you realize there's a story behind every person,
but you don't feel that sort of compassion that human
(34:13):
You feel human compassion, but there's no connecsion. But when
it's someone who you really know well for that matter,
someone who you really love within your family, it's okay
to be sad. It's it's okay to cry, It's it's
okay to feel horrible because that is in direct relationship
with how deep your love and friendship was with that person,
(34:35):
in my opinion, right.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
But on the flip side of that, I also want
to say that it's okay to feel joy if you
find something that does bring your joy during this time,
these these lighthearted moments, these moments when we laugh or
we find ourselves in a joyous time. It's not a
betrayal against the person that we lost. It's not a
betrayal on their memory. It's it's where I'm going to
(34:59):
use the term normal life. I'm making air quotes. We're
normalizing life. Your life changed at the moment you suffered
the loss, whatever that loss was, whether it's a loved
one or as you mentioned, a pet loss which is real,
or any loss that we might have. Your life changed
at that moment. It will never be the same again,
and so we get used to living in again. Here's
(35:22):
the catchphrase, right, the new normal. And so it's okay
if you have that moment of joy during this season,
don't feel like again that it's betraying the person that
you've lost.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
And I also think that in versu every one of
those cases, the people who have moved on again using
one of those euphemisms, they want you to be happy. Yeah,
they certainly you know wherever they are, and we hope
to God that there is somewhere after this. You hope
(35:53):
that they're happy where they are, but you know that
they love you back and that they would not want
you to be sad all the time. Feel your grief,
experience it, get it out of your system. If you will,
you'll never forget that person. The closer, the longer you'll remember,
the deeper the deep of the bond. But I think
(36:14):
I think I'm kind of saying the same thing you are, Reverend,
but you're probably saying it better than me because you've
got an experience with this.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Well. I you know, I think everything you've said is true.
I think it's just you need to give yourself time.
No one, no two people grieve the same way. Your
grief is a sign of your deep love for the
person or whatever it is that you experienced the loss with.
And it's okay to gently move through this time of
(36:43):
the year, through these seasons at your own pace. Don't
feel rushed, don't feel that you're not grieving the same
way as someone else. Like I said before, everybody grieves differently.
There's no two people that grieve the same and so
you need to give yourself that time, give yourself that grief,
the gentle pace and the gentle spirit you need to
get through these times. And you're not going through it alone.
(37:05):
There's other people here with you.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Reverend Peter Michael Prebble, thank you so much. I assume
folks can reach out to you at the Berkeley Congregational
Church in Berkeley, Massachusetts, down there on what we now
kind of call the South Coast.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Right, that's right, Yeah, they certainly can.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Thank you so much. Reverend Prebble, and I wish you
very merry Christmas.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
Thank you you too.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
All Right, we'll be back right after the nine o'clock news,
and we're going to talk about a really tragic story
and a story that is moving at much too slow
a pace as far as I'm concerned. Great Peace will
be in the Boston Globe tomorrow morning. We'll preview it
for you tonight, the tragic accident that so unnecessarily took
(37:49):
the life of five year old Lens Joseph in Hyde
Park last April
It's nice eyes with Dan Ray. I'm going you easy
Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks very much, Cherry. Welcome in everybody to Thanksgiving week
here on Nightside. I will tell you in advance that
Bradley Jay will be in for me on Thursday and Friday.
I will be here Tomorrow night, tonight, Tomorrow night, and
Wednesday night, but I will take Thanksgiving in the day
after Thanksgiving as company holidays. So if you like to
(00:27):
talk to me, you have three nights Tonight, Tomorrow night,
and Wednesday. You can't talk to me until after nine
o'clock tonight, and after nine o'clock tonight, we're going to
talk about a piece you'll see in the Boston Globe tomorrow.
It's an update on that tragic accident that took the
life of little five year old Lynz Joseph in Hyde
(00:47):
Park back in April of this year. It was on
April twenty eighth, a Monday, when the bus in which
he was driving actually drove over him after he had
gotten off the bus and was attempting to go across
the street. We'll get to all of that. It's a
very sad story and it is to me the Globe
(01:08):
will i read the glob piece today and they'll do
a nice job in tomorrow morning's newspaper. But we're going
to talk about it tonight, and then we'll talk about
the cost of your Thanksgiving dinner, folks, believe it or not,
way do you hear the numbers? Uh, there's actually good
news nationally. We'll explain. We will explain, but we're going
(01:31):
to start off tonight to get a little bit past Thanksgiving,
and we're going to look at some new data from
the National Retail Federation which says that holiday sales this
year will surpass, not May, will surpass one trillion dollars
for the first time this year. With me is Jennifer Jones.
(01:52):
She is a tech expert. That's an astonishing figure. Jennifer,
one trillion dollars. Welcome to night Side. Nice to have
you with us.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
One trillion dollars with a T, not with a B.
That that's a thousand billion dollars.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
You know, Matt is not my strong suit, but I
think that's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
You're right. Texte's spending. Oh please, we'll strike that. You're
on a strike that for the record, of course, you're
our experts go ahead, Jennifer.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Just having some fun for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
So no matter what the cost is, that it's going
to total too. You know, there are a lot of
families out there that budget stress is really taking the
joy out of the holiday season. And there's you know, inflation,
general cost of living rise, and sixty four percent of
shoppers are saying that they believe they're going to spend
significantly more time looking for dills this holiday season. So
(02:54):
that's why those of us here at Google are stepping
in to give shoppers apprehend with some new tools to use.
The AI tools. They're designed to help you save time
and money.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well, for the I've been around a long time, and
every Christmas season the pressure is on. I don't care
if when I was a teenager and it hits you
that you needed to get some presents for your siblings
and your parents and you had no money and you
had to figure that out. And then when you were dating,
(03:25):
you had to figure out what exactly what well would
it be this too much, this too little? Uh? And
then with your own kids you go crazy uh. And
so I mean, I think there's always this pressure because frankly,
you represent the National Retail Federation, You folks want to
(03:46):
move merchandise, and the way to move merchandise is to
convince us that hey, this is a this is a way.
And some people have claimed that Christmas has become too commercial.
I remember those those comments many years ago. So it is.
It is a pressure filled year, and particularly this year
with Thanksgiving being late, Christmas is always on the twenty fifth.
(04:10):
Is it really any different this year from from any Christmas,
from any holiday season?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
You know, I want to I want to just jump
in quickly, Dan, I am not with the Retail Federation.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
I'm with Google.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Correct mistake.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
I'm happy to talk to you about the holiday one
hundred and our AI shopping tips today. Is that something
you want to chat about?
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yes, absolutely, go right ahead. I'm just saying, is that
that I don't want to have everybody in a down
mood before the before the night has even begun, tell
us about some shopping tips. Okay, I I misread this.
This was my fault. You're a Google tech tech expert.
H And the data we're looking at is from the
National Retail Federation, So go right ahead.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
So, so the statistics I shared early or just you know,
based on a recent study that folks are really looking
to save money, so there are a lot of ways
that you can do that with Google products, and a
couple of them that are super simple. Are I'm not
sure how AI savvy you are. It sounds like you
might have a pretty good grasp on it, but for
any level of AI AI savviness, I always recommend that
(05:22):
you go straight to the Gemini app, which Gemini is
Google's AI assistant, and you can go from chatting with
your Gemini to browsing and Jim and I will actually
show you shoppable products links and listings and show you
their availability, how much they cost, and if you are
able to cut a little further with them, it can
(05:44):
brainstorm with how you should buy things right there in
the app.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
So you're not talking to a human being, You're talking
to an AI bought and they're going to help you
with some ideas for shopping if you give them maybe
the range that you want to spend and who you're
buying the product for. It sounds to me like you'd
have to give them some information and they then would
come back to you, yeah, some suggestions.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Okay, totally, Just like you would in any search situation,
you would have to type in a little bit what
you're looking for. But what's great about this is is
that you can get very specific on the types of
items that you want to buy. You can even get
so specific, and this is a great tip to save money,
(06:26):
is that you can find the best price and you
can actually set parameters around how much you want to spend,
and Google will actually send you a notification when that
specific item you're looking for hits that price and allow
you to buy it right there.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well, this is a huge advantage for young people who
are probably more savvy with all of this than I am. Yes,
it probably makes shopping easier once you know how to
use the system. How long has GEM and I been around?
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Oh gosh, you know, we've been working on AI products
for years. Most of the tech industry has Jim and I.
You know, I depend on which one you ask about.
Jim and I has launched several new iterations. We'd launched
when ready. We just released a new one last week,
so it's constantly improving on the model.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
When did you have the first AI on on Google?
Is this? How many years has Google been doing this?
Where someone like yourself who's a Google text expert can
explain to the audience as you did. What what tools
are available? Has this been going on for four or
five years or more?
Speaker 5 (07:44):
Oh, we've been.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
We've been doing conversations with TV and radio for about
a year.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
No, no, no, on TV and radio are saying with consumers,
with customers with listeners. This this is, I guess a
fairly new option for my audience.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Oh ai search? Is that what you're referencing is AIU?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
No, I'm asking you. How long has Google been offering
either Gemini or whatever incarnation of that product that you
want to talk that we're talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
I'm just yeah, so yes, So that's been around about
about a year and a half. You know when we
started out as Yeah, we started out under a different name,
and then it's been rebranded probably last year round February.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So what was it before? Just so people will know
if they've used it before, what was its prior iteration?
Speaker 5 (08:48):
Sure, it was called Bard b ar d.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Like the guy that wrote plays on the Avon in
the Avon River in England many years ago, the Bart.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
William Shakespeare. Yeah, okay, Jennifer, appreciate the information. Very nice
to meet you and we hope you have a great
holiday season and happy shopping.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Alrighty bye bye bye bye.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
When we get back, we're we talk about something I
know probably a little bit more about it. That is
the Harlem Globetrotters on their one hundred year tour, and
they're going to be coming for two contests at the
Boston Garden on December twenty sixth, the day after Christmas.
And I'm only going to talk with one of the
globetrotters himself, Lucia's Too Tall Winston. This is a great,
(09:38):
great opportunity to take kids, you know, six, seven, eight, ten, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, whatever.
It is a great bonding opportunity for parents and their kids,
for grandparents and their grandchildren. You have to love the
Harlem Globetrotters. We'll talk with Lucia's Too Tall Winston right
(09:58):
after this quick break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
It's Night Side with Dany Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Well, I'm excited to introduce to you I know a
lot more about the Harlem Globetrotters than I necessarily knew
about Google tech expertise with us. Is Lucius Too Tall Winston.
He's a guard for the Harlem Globetrotters. I think I
saw you in one of our Boston television stations this morning, Lucius,
(10:28):
and you were great. I wish it was video we
could show some of the tricks you were doing today.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Was that you this morning?
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Was that you?
Speaker 6 (10:35):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, excellent.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
So you guys are gonna be here in Boston on
the twenty six two shows one at two and one
at seven. It looks to me like the Globetrotters have expanded.
Now you have women Gold Trotters.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Yes, yes, yes, currently right now, I believe that we
have some new Rokie females that are joining. But currently
right now that I know, we have five, we have
a we have fanc we have Torch, we have Spice
and Sunshine on our team with the Globe Tars.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Well, I'll say you, I've seen the Globe Trotters when
my kids were young. We went it is an incredible show.
What's what's the you know this in the days of
sports betting. I don't know if they the Globe Trotters
are on fan duel or anything, but what normally is
the is the line. I know the Globetrotters have generally
(11:32):
got pretty good results with the Washington generals over the years.
Normally what's the spread uh over under the over the
Globe Trotter. Uh. Again, I just think it is fabulous entertainment.
(11:53):
You know, I know a little bit about the history.
I didn't have to check the history. My I'm old
enough to remember the legend of the Globe Globe Trotter's
was Abe Saperstein who founded the organization. Uh. And this
is the hundredth year that you've been in business. It's
it's like baseball players today, you know, Major League Baseball
(12:14):
players stand on the shoulders of guys like Babe Ruth
and Hank Aaron will come before. How much How does
it feel, Lucius when you pull that jersey on, knowing
that it's the same jersey that all of these great
Globe Trotters over the years have worn. It has to
be a thrill every night.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
It is just surreal just to hear from God, like
you said, like one of our coaches, Swee Lou Dunbar,
who's who had a chance to play with Curly, to
play with Metal Arc and just tell the stories of
everything that they had to do back doing those days,
playing before two different crowds. Uh. Not be able to
stay a certain neighborhood in a certain hotel, and then
(12:53):
not all that, just just still wanted to be a
part of the community and and and expire, change and
inspire and and break down different barriers. So every single
night I get a chance to put this red, white
and blue on, I feel like a superhero because I'm
somebody's Christmas present. I'm somebody's first time might be introduced
to the game of basketball. That might be the last
(13:14):
time they get a chance to see the Globe Charter.
But every single time I put it on, I want
to be special. I wanted to be magical, and I
want to be memories were repeating, So that way the
cycle just continues in the Harlem Glow Charter's last for
another one hundred years.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Well, I tell you, you said it better than I could.
But one of the things that is important to me
and that when I always taught my kids that sports,
whether it was pro football, certainly pro baseball with Jackie Robinson,
the National Hockey League, with the guy who played here
in Boston, who had a chance to meet Willie or Ree,
(13:49):
the Celtics with you know, Bill Russell and Sam Jones,
who is my playground instructor back when I was about
twelve years old. They broke down barriers, a lot of
the barriers that existed, the separation that existed between you know,
people on one side of the town on the other
(14:09):
side of the tracks, whatever however you want to call it.
Once you got out on the floor and you competed,
and I played baseball and hockey. But once you know,
of course you played in school all sorts of sports,
you realize that the other guy's the same as you.
They're just trying to win and you know, and they're
good guys, and if you fall down or your trip,
(14:29):
they'll help you up. It breaks down barriers. That's what
sports does. And the Globetrotters. You can't go to a
Globetrotter game. And I don't care whether you were down
south in the in the thirties or forties, or you were,
you know, back here in Massachusetts in the year, you know,
twenty twenty six. You look at them as basketball players
(14:51):
and with the skills that you guys have, you guys
are inspirational. And I mean that seriously for only from
a from a sports and an athlete point of view,
but literally from a sociological point of view.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Definitely, definitely, and that's how we want to be in
people eyes. I always tell people, if you want to
be a Globe Charter, you definitely got to have a
basketball skill. Definitely come from a basketball background. But not
only that. I think what has helped us last for
so long is, like you said, what we do in
the community. Like this time I've been here in Boston,
I've had a chance to be on different news stations,
(15:28):
but the one thing I enjoyed really today was going
to Boston Children Hospital and a chance to just work
with kids and put smiles on their faces and just
hearing all the questions that they had to ask me
today was pretty interesting. So and then just to hear
from some of the people at the hospital like thank
you so much for coming by. I haven't seen my
child smile. I haven't seen my child do this. And
that's what keeps me real humble as a basketball player,
(15:49):
because I remember when I was three, four, five, six,
seven years old, I didn't have a lot of people
come to my school. I'd have people come and just
encourage me a lot. But I have family, so but
not everybody has this. So now I feel like I'm
in this position the perfect opportunity to let kids know
they listen work for an opportunity, so that way when
the opportunity comes, but also to dream. If you shoot
(16:11):
for the moon and you miss it, I mean there's
billions of stars out there, You're bound to find your way,
You're bound to find your dreams come true. So anything
is possible in this world.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Well, the thing that's great about you, I did my
homework because you've been with the Globe Jars now for
almost ten years. You're a business administration major at Tuskegee University,
one of the great colleges of the South, and you
also hold a whole you personally, you personally hold a
bunch of bunch of records. You hold eight Guinness World records,
(16:47):
most figure out dribbles in one minute, most three point
shots made by a pair in one minute, most layups
in one minute, and most consecutive alley oops where somebody
throws the ball up and you slam it home in
one minute. You got a lot of athleticism. Uh, And
and you're not a guy who you've been blessed with athleticism,
(17:10):
but you know your normal sized guy and you do
things on the court you're five to ten, which you
know this. This is amazing what you do and what
the Globe Trotters do. And I'm so excited to know
you guys are back in Boston, and I just hope
anyone who's listening tonight, all they got to do is
(17:30):
go to Harlem Globetrotters dot com. You can look at
the roster. You can see a little bit about Too
Tall Winston, Lucius, Too Tall Winston and you guys will
sign autographs for kids and.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
It is an incredible experience, definitely.
Speaker 6 (17:49):
So during a game, we have a magic Paths fans
will have an opportunity to come before the game as
a pre game, so when you would have had to
come on the floor and me telling my teammates fired
to the gang started, so would be autographed, take pictures.
You can even show us some of your tricks and
have a chance to get stops up on the TD
Garden floor. Then the game starts. We got a regular
basketball game. First be fourth quarters and then doing the
(18:11):
fifth quarter, you get a chance to come back down
courtside and fire some more autographs. And also too, it's
a special promo cod that if you giving once you
buy those tickets. It's forty off. So if a great
Christmas gift.
Speaker 4 (18:23):
We'll be here.
Speaker 6 (18:24):
Today after Christmas two, so come on out and one
hundred years toy and we got new uniforms two as well,
designed by Jeff Hamilton. We got a red, white and
blue uniform. So you're gonna get to see which one
of those come out at TV Garden. So I'm excited.
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Well, Lucius, thanks for spending some time with us tonight.
You are a great ambassador for basketball and a great
ambassador for the Harlem Globe Trotters, and the Globe Trotters
have always been great ambassadors for the United States of America,
even in days that we're not as proud of maybe
as we have been in recent years. So thank you
(19:00):
for what you do. Thank you for being available to
us tonight, and God speed and have a fabulous time
in Boston.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
It's it's a great city. It's it's come a long way,
It's matured a lot in the last fifty or so years.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Definitely, definitely, thank you so much for having.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Let me ask you. Do you celebrate Christmas?
Speaker 6 (19:22):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
I want to wish you a merry Christmas because I'm
a Christmas guy, and I whatever someone celebrates, I like
to wish him that. So Merry Christmas to you and yours, Lucius.
Definitely all right, thanks, all right, we got the news
coming up. The Globe Trotters again here at the Garden
(19:43):
on the twenty sixth of December, a two o'clock show
and a seven o'clock show. It is a great, great
basketball exhibition, basketball game and basketball performance. And take it
from someone who's watched them on television as a kid
and has had a chance to see him up close
and personally. I hope you get a chance to bring kids,
(20:04):
your family, grandchildren. Just just go to Harlem Globetrotters dot
com and you will find all the information you need.
When we get back here on Nightside, we will continue
our nightside news update. I just had fun with that.
We're going to talk with Ken mahon and the Boston Globe.
He's a meteorologist about a pole of vortex that could
(20:26):
drop temperatures right after Thanksgiving. Wrinch is going to arrive early.
If you think it's been called so far, hold on
to your hats. We'll be right back with Ken.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
Mahan night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Okay, so you thought it was a little chili last week, right, Yeah,
most of us did. Well, wait till the end of
this week. With us is Ken Mahon. He's the meteorologists
for the Boston Globe. He's been with us before, and
this is scary. Ken. Whenever they talk about the polar vortex,
I don't know who came up with that word, but
(21:03):
that is intimidating. It sounds nasty.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
How are you tonight, Hey, Dan, I'm doing well. Thank
you for having me on once again. And boy, yeah,
the polar vortex one of those meteorological trigger phrases that
will certainly raise eyebrows, especially when we're talking about it
in November.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah. Well, like out of the West coast, they talk
about a river of rain. That's literally great. My daughter
was on the West Coast for many years and they
have a river of rain coming into San Francisco. And
whoever makes up, first of all, what is a polar vortex?
And what do you think is going to happen? Oh,
what do you know is going to happen in the
(21:45):
not too distant future? Sure?
Speaker 5 (21:47):
Well, the polar vortex, simply put, is a band of
winds that circulate in the Northern Hemisphere. For our region,
of course, in the northern Hemisphere by the North Pole,
it stays there all year all year round, but strengthens
typically as we head into the winter months. So, simply put,
(22:09):
the polar vortex is a band of winds containing very
extreme cold weather, cold air high in the app there
air poles. What's going to happen is multiple forecast models,
what we're seeing on daily weather maps from the surface
all the way up into the stratosphere is that these
(22:31):
winds are going to weaken. And when you weaken those winds,
that unlocks blobs of cold air funneling down to the surface,
introversing towards the United States, and is likely to impact
New England right after the Thanksgiving holiday and into the
first week of December.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
So it's going to be cold. How cold? What what
will the temperatures be and what will it feel like?
Speaker 5 (22:57):
Great? So, what I've seen is that most of the
forecast models are suggesting the colts air reach into the
Midwest and Great Lakes, which is going to spare New
England Boston quite a bit. However, I still see temperatures
slipping between five to fifteen degrees below average, spilling into
(23:19):
the weekend and then and a few days into the
first week of December. As far as what that means
for the thermometer, you're talking highs into the only mid
thirties for coast to New England, maybe stalling into the
upper twenties. If you're talking about more mountainous regions Berkshire's
Green Mountains, white mountains, mountains, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
And is there going to be a windshiel factor? And
there was this one thing to say it's going to
be thirty. Everybody knows that's cold, particularly for late November,
But what's that those What are those thirties maybe on
the shore going to feel like? And what are those
twenties inland going to feel like?
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Dan, you raise a good point because while this polar
vortex sort of dissembles and sends pockets of cold air
to our region, we're also going to be dealing with
surface storms, so what we experience every day. So I
do see a couple of storms moving through the region
(24:23):
by this weekend, so shortly after Thanksgiving, and then another
system pushing in on Monday, December first, to start off
the first month of meteorological winter. What that means is
wind chills probably into the teams, all across the boards,
maybe the single digits. Some folks up north.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Wow, wow, boy, this is this is pretty early. You know.
One of the things that I look at. You're going
to think I'm a weirdo here, But one of the
things I look at every sidy in the newspaper is
the annual temperatures, the high temperatures, the cumulative temperature. And
I noticed that this year, unlike the last couple of years,
(25:05):
the temperatures are getting much closer to normal. So it
sounds to me if I'm reading them correctly. If I'm not,
you can tell me. It looks to me as if
the average temperature degrees over the course of this year,
it's pretty close to normal. And if we have some
really cold weather for a few days here in the
(25:27):
start of January, we might have an annualized temperature reading
both high and low pretty close to normal. If you
know the chart that I'm looking at, I'm sure you
do in the globe ones only on Sundays.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
That's right, I do, And you're right then you know
we are looking to see November wrap up below normal
in terms of temperatures in December, at least the first
half of December run below the normal temperature there, So
this could potentially be the first year where the annual
average temperature was normal. We've seen the last handful of
(26:06):
years where it was, you know, pretty pretty high above average,
ranging between and pulling up the data right here between
two and six degrees depending over the last five years
above average. So it would be nice to have a
little bit of a normal year, wouldn't it.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
It would it would again. You know, you can never
look at it just year to year. You've got to
look at it with a much you know, broader view
to find the sure where the pattern is taking us.
But yeah, it would be And I could do without
the cold weather next week, but that's okay if people
are traveling, they've been warned. Yeah, and Ken, I appreciate
(26:41):
real quick here, just since I got you, and I
may not get you for another, you know, a few weeks.
What is the projections? Was this cold weather? Does this
augur for a more a snowy winter. I know I'm
throwing that at you out of left field here, And
if you haven't done the research, and that's not a problem,
just tell me that, but just wondering. I remember a
(27:04):
really cold December Circon nineteen eighty one, eighty two. I
was a TV regow. Yeah, I remember being outside that
It seemed every night I was out in the cold,
and it was it was a matter of fact, I
think that was the year that that plane, the World
Airways plane slid off the runway at Logan And I
remember being out at the end of the air at
(27:26):
the end of the runway the next night, and I
was there was It wasn't tears coming down my eyes,
it was water coming down. I was so cold.
Speaker 5 (27:34):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Oh yeah, yeah, But I'm just wanted can we read
anything into this this early arrival of the polar votex.
It's going to go back. I mean, obviously it's not
going to stay cold every day, But is there everything
in the tea leaves which would say, hey, that's a
good sign or a bad sign in terms of snow
coming throughout the window.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
Sure? Sure, I broke this down in an article last week.
So you're you're right, You're not going to see a
cold day every single day, but there's certainly going to
be more colder than average days, and Mormon than average
days to close up the year and to spill into
the first couple of months of twenty twenty six. What
I see is more snow, more snow, especially across the
(28:16):
interior west of I ninety five, more snow than what
we've seen over the last couple of years, and a
little bit more above average too, which we haven't seen
in a while. Even Boston the last couple of winters
have been very dismal in terms of snow totals. I
do see less than average snow, but more than what
we've seen over the last two years. So there is hope.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Trending, trending back to normalcy. Okay, that's good. I like that.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
We'll take it. I'll tell you anybody who likes skiing
is certainly happy. I'll tell you that much.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Oh yeah, And I have a lot of friends of mine,
including my brother and sister in law, who are avid skiers,
and they love it. I have no interest in skiing
ever since poor Jim one boy broke his leg pitching
when he was pitching for the Red Sox one winter.
Speaker 4 (29:05):
Had a good idea.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
Hey, Ken, I really appreciate it. You're the best. Thank
you so much.
Speaker 5 (29:09):
See you anytime. Dan, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Ken Mahon of the meteorologists for the Boston Globe. We
get back but to talk about an important subject, but
one that we need to take reflect on, and that
is navigating grief during the holidays. We've talked with Reverend
Peter Michael Prebble, pastor and teacher at the Berkeley Congregational
Church in Berkeley, Massachusetts. He's also a hospice chaplain at
(29:32):
Norwell Visiting Nurse Association, and we will at hospice and
we'll be back with Reverend Preble right after this quick
break on a Monday night edition of Nightside News Update.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w b
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Well, as we approached Christmas and the holiday season and
Honukkah and all of the other times during the year
when families gather, we sometimes don't realize that some families,
because the world doesn't stop, have to deal with some
form of grief, oftentimes the passing of a family member.
With us is Reverend Peter Michael Prebble, pastor, teacher at
(30:14):
the Berkeley Congregational Church in Berkeley, Massachusetts, hospice chaplain at
the Norwell Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice. Reverend Prebble, welcome,
How are you, sir?
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Thank you, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
For some reason, I think we have crossed paths at
some point, and for the life of me, I'm trying
to figure out when and where, and if you can remember,
that's great. If I'm misremembering something, that's okay too. But
at one point I thought I've interviewed you or whether
when I was a television reporter. I don't know how
long you've been around here, but if nothing jumps to mind,
(30:51):
then we'll assume this is our first meeting. How are
you this evening.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
I'm doing well. I've been around for a while and
I was on your show. Was trying to think of
when it was, but it has to have been more
than ten years ago. Now, well, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
I didn't misremember, you did not? You did not, so
tell us about this is the time of year, no
time of year. There's no time of year which is
you know, a good time to say so long to
a family member, or for that matter, to a family pet,
(31:25):
or to have someone diagnosed with a horrible medical diagnosis.
And certainly the holidays are no are no exception of that.
What can be done, you know, to to lessen the
pain when when you when you hear bad news. What
advice can you give my audience as to how they
(31:47):
can handle the situation? You as a as a member
of the cloth, I'm sure deal with this, and you're
probably pretty good at it because you have to deal
with it so often. But you know, for those of
us who are eight people, you know, someone passes and
it's awkward. It's awkward right that.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
You know, as you said, there's never a good time,
and I think it's more amplified during this time of
the year, during the holidays. You know, it's a stressful
time of the year to begin with, and let's add
grief in on top of that, so it just amplifies everything.
And then there's all the memories that come up, and
there's all of these things. So, you know, the I
think the best piece of advice I can give, of
(32:27):
the first piece of advice I can give, is you
have to let yourself feel what you need to feel.
It's okay to feel these feelings. It's okay to not
feel festive if you don't want to be festive this
time of year. Don't be festive this time of year.
Do what you can do, and don't expect any more
from yourself. Give yourself a break, give yourself some grace,
and you know, some reasons, some room for that grace
(32:51):
to work. And set boundaries. I think we're horrible at
setting boundaries in the normal course of events, but I
think at this time of the year, setting boundaries with
people and events is extremely important. And you know, you
might get an invitation to go somewhere and you really
don't feel like going, so don't go. Skip it, stay home,
leave early if you need to. You know, plan ahead
(33:11):
for something that's that might be a bad moment. Don't
go alone. Take somebody with you so they can be
there for you and help you. I think these are
just some practical tips that can get us through most anytime,
but especially during the holiday time.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
One of the things that I tell my friends when
a family member you know passes and dies, we we
sometimes we like to use those euphemism they pass. But
what I tell them is, look as bad as you're
feeling now, the worse you feel about their loss, their departure,
whatever word you want to use, that shows how close
(33:52):
your relationship was. With them and how close their relationship
was with you. I mean, we can scan the obituaries
and any day the globe and you can see, you know,
fifty people, none of whom you know. You look at
the pictures and you realize there's a story behind every person,
but you don't feel that sort of compassion that human
(34:13):
You feel human compassion, but there's no connecsion. But when
it's someone who you really know well for that matter,
someone who you really love within your family, it's okay
to be sad. It's it's okay to cry, It's it's
okay to feel horrible because that is in direct relationship
with how deep your love and friendship was with that person,
(34:35):
in my opinion, right.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
But on the flip side of that, I also want
to say that it's okay to feel joy if you
find something that does bring your joy during this time,
these these lighthearted moments, these moments when we laugh or
we find ourselves in a joyous time. It's not a
betrayal against the person that we lost. It's not a
betrayal on their memory. It's it's where I'm going to
(34:59):
use the term normal life. I'm making air quotes. We're
normalizing life. Your life changed at the moment you suffered
the loss, whatever that loss was, whether it's a loved
one or as you mentioned, a pet loss which is real,
or any loss that we might have. Your life changed
at that moment. It will never be the same again,
and so we get used to living in again. Here's
(35:22):
the catchphrase, right, the new normal. And so it's okay
if you have that moment of joy during this season,
don't feel like again that it's betraying the person that
you've lost.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
And I also think that in versu every one of
those cases, the people who have moved on again using
one of those euphemisms, they want you to be happy. Yeah,
they certainly you know wherever they are, and we hope
to God that there is somewhere after this. You hope
(35:53):
that they're happy where they are, but you know that
they love you back and that they would not want
you to be sad all the time. Feel your grief,
experience it, get it out of your system. If you will,
you'll never forget that person. The closer, the longer you'll remember,
the deeper the deep of the bond. But I think
(36:14):
I think I'm kind of saying the same thing you are, Reverend,
but you're probably saying it better than me because you've
got an experience with this.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Well. I you know, I think everything you've said is true.
I think it's just you need to give yourself time.
No one, no two people grieve the same way. Your
grief is a sign of your deep love for the
person or whatever it is that you experienced the loss with.
And it's okay to gently move through this time of
(36:43):
the year, through these seasons at your own pace. Don't
feel rushed, don't feel that you're not grieving the same
way as someone else. Like I said before, everybody grieves differently.
There's no two people that grieve the same and so
you need to give yourself that time, give yourself that grief,
the gentle pace and the gentle spirit you need to
get through these times. And you're not going through it alone.
(37:05):
There's other people here with you.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Reverend Peter Michael Prebble, thank you so much. I assume
folks can reach out to you at the Berkeley Congregational
Church in Berkeley, Massachusetts, down there on what we now
kind of call the South Coast.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Right, that's right, Yeah, they certainly can.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Thank you so much. Reverend Prebble, and I wish you
very merry Christmas.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
Thank you you too.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
All Right, we'll be back right after the nine o'clock news,
and we're going to talk about a really tragic story
and a story that is moving at much too slow
a pace as far as I'm concerned. Great Peace will
be in the Boston Globe tomorrow morning. We'll preview it
for you tonight, the tragic accident that so unnecessarily took
(37:49):
the life of five year old Lens Joseph in Hyde
Park last April
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