Legends and Wishes for a Blessed Christmas

The Legend of the Snowflake

Long ago, a gleaming star led the way
To a child born in a manger.
Today it is believed that snowflakes
Are little pieces of that special star
That leads us to the light of the world,
Jesus
The Nativity Scene
Legend has it that Saint Francis of Assisi constructed the first nativity scene. His depiction included live animals. Francis knew that all the earth can be "holy land."
Robin's Red Breast
Legend has it that a little brown bird shared Bethlehem's stable. One night as the holy family lay sleeping, she noticed their fire was going out. So she flew down and fanned the fire with her wings throughout the night. In the morning, she was rewarded with a red breast as a symbol of her love for the newborn king.
la Bafana and Babouska
As Legend has it on Jan. 6, presents are delivered by a kind ugly witch called Befana riding a broomstick as she searches for Baby Jesus. The three kings asked her to follow them, but she was to busy cleaning house to leave. She missed the Star, lost her way and has been flying around ever since, leaving presents for good children and coal for the bad ones. In Poland a similar legend is told as the gifts are brought to the children by Babouska.
Spider
Legend has it that a poor woman had no decorations for her Christmas tree. She went to bed wondering how she would explain the unadorned tree to her children on Christmas Day. Angels prompted the house spiders to cover the tree with webs and on Christmas morning the branches covered with spider webs turned to silver by the rising sun.
The Legend of the Christmas Candle
The legend of the Christmas Candle foretells good luck, good health, and happiness during the year if burned on Christmas Day. Once lighted, it must be allowed to burn until it flickers out. Today people hold to the tradition of placing a Christmas candle in each front window of their houses as a welcoming symbol of friendship.
The Donkey
Legend has it the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday followed Him to Calvary. Appalled by the sight of Jesus on the cross, the donkey turned away but could not leave. It is said that the shadow of the cross fell upon the donkey’s shoulders and back. A cross marking found on many donkeys today remains a testimony of the love and devotion of a humble, little donkey.
The Rooster
Legend has it, the rooster has only crowed once at midnight to announce the birth of the Baby Jesus. For this reason, Spanish and Latin American countries call their midnight mass on Christmas Eve, the Mass of the Rooster, or Misa Del Gallo.
The Christmas Cat
Legend has it a small tabby cat crawls out from beneath a pile of straw in the stable. Mary says "I'm sorry Cat, I think no creature in this barn is going to get rest tonight." So it curls up and began purring, softly at first, then steadily louder and soon the barn was filled with the cat’s calming purr. Mary , was so pleased she reached down and gently traced her first initial, the letter M, on the cat's forehead, in thanks. So today all Tabbies are marked with the letter “M” as a symbol of Mary’s love.
The Legend of the Christmas Rose The Christmas or Snow Winter rose blooms at Christmas in winter in the mountains of Central Europe. Legend has it a little shepherdess named Madelon tending her sheep saw the wise men and shepherds bringing gifts for the Maji. Having nothing to give, she began to cry. An Angel brushed away the snow and showed her a white flower tipped in pink - the Christmas Rose. To this day, parts of central and northern Europe break off a cherry tree branch at the beginning of Advent and keep it in water so flowers burst into bloom at Christmas time.

Haven’t we all experienced that conversation “lull” at the office Christmas Party or the family get-together. Well, don’t panic, just dazzle them and feel free to quote some of this useless trivia. Then duck cause what’s flying towards you probably won’t be Santa and the reindeer.

Did you know: Santa’s sled would weigh 333,333 tons loaded with one toy for every child on earth?
Did you know: it would require 214,206 reindeer and Rudolph to pull a 333,333 ton sleigh?
Did you know: that if Santa ate every snack left for him both the weight of the sled and number of reindeers would double?

DO NOT Add a sign to the back of his sleigh - WIDE LOAD DO NOT FOLLOW
Remember he has an automatic coal dispenser at the ready.

So Merry Christmas to all OGR's listeners around the world including those in:

North Pole, Alaska
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus, Georgia
Rudolph, Wisconsin
Noel,Missouri
Merryville, Louisiana
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, West Virginia
Bethlehem, Georgia
Jolly, Texas

Thanksgiving

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.


THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.


TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

To you, and your family, wishes for a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

Winnie

November 11

This is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from Carol, a special person and OGR listener. I thought it a great tribute for November 11, Veterans’ Day and a small way to honor family, friends and all who sacrificed and served in the military.

It's the Soldier, not the reporter 
Who has given us the freedom of the press.

 
It's the Soldier, not the poet, 
Who has given us the freedom of speech.

 
It's the Soldier, not the politicians 
That ensures our right to Life,  Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..

 
It's the Soldier who salutes the flag, 
Who serves beneath the flag, 
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.


Pray for our men and women Who have served and are currently serving our country 
And pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom....

THESE COLORS DON'T RUN
 


 AMEN!

"War of the Worlds" and Crypt Tunes

TUNE IN OGR ON
Saturday, October 30th for a special airing of the 72nd anniversary of the 1938 broadcast adaptation of H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” by Orson Welles. The original broadcasted over Mercury Theatre on the Air, a CBS radio network, scared audiences all over the country with vision of aliens landing in New Jersey.

DJ Jitar will rebroadcast the complete original airplay, uninterrupted, on Our Generation Radio on October 30, 2010 starting at 6 PM Eastern Time.

Be sure to tune in and get everyone ready for Halloween.

Sit back and enjoy a small glimpse of radio's hay-day, just as our Moms and Dads did, when words played a triple role that of sight,sound and imagination.

Orson Welles, 1937
The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast, a series of simulated "news bulletins", led listeners to believe an actual alien invasion by Martians was happening.

What made it more realistic was Mercury Theatre running it without commerical interruption. Sensationalist accounts in the press occurred about a supposed panic in response to the broadcast but the precise extent of listener response has been debated. Widespread outrage followed the broadcast. It was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but the episode secured Orson Welles' fame.






Halloween always a time for scary songs, but not the overplayed "Monster Mash", "Werewolves of London", or "Witchy Woman". Try downloading one or two of these classics for a haunting change of pace.



"Rumble", Link Wray & His Ray Men, 1958, used unheard of musical techniques for distortion and feedback. The song is "the only instrumental single banned from the radio airwaves as it had a rough sound and said it sounded like a street fight.
And once a long standing theme song from two of my fav local TV shows Son of Svengoolie and Screaming Yellow Theatre.




"I Put a Spell on You", Screamin Jay Hawkins, 1956. His most successful recording, was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.









“Bad Moon Rising" , Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by John Fogerty. No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September 1969.
The song has been recorded by at least 20 different artists, in styles that range from acoustic folk to reggae to psychedelic rock to zydeco.





“Tubular Bells” , Mike Oldfield, 1973, not a single word is spoken in an all hell breaking loose theme from THE EXCORIST.












"Gloomy Sunday", closely associated with Billie Holiday, who scored a hit in 1941. Unsubstantiated urban legends tell that it inspired hundreds of suicides, and was dubbed the "Hungarian suicide song" in the United States.








From ghoulies and ghosties, Long-leggety beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us.

WINNIE-BOO wishes you a devilishly-delightful Holloween!

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

The “Queen of Disco” after years of touring the U.S. and Europe now embarks on a new second act: teaching.

Gloria Gaynor, singer, actress and author is back in school studying psychology and hopes to one day open a Los Angeles healing and recreational center. Her goal to teach teens and parents life skills. “I want to teach them how to survive.”

And who better - her famous chart-topping, disco song, “I Will Survive”, is still played in nightclubs and radio. Its rated 97 on Billboard’s “Greatest Songs of All Times” with over 14 million copies sold and earned her a Grammy Award.

Gloria’s life long passion for song roots back to her early childhood where she was one of six children growing up in a tiny Newark, NJ flat.
Listening to the radio with dreams of becoming a singer as great as Nat King Cole or Sarah Vaughn.
Honing her skill, she joined school choirs and glee clubs. After high school, singing with house bands in local bars and clubs.'
Soon thereafter, on the road and auditions.
Columbia Record label signed her and she recorded her 1975 first disco hit, “Never Can Say Goodbye”.
The National Association of Discotheque Disc Jockeys crowned her disco queen in 1976.

Two years later Gloria took a serious spill on stage that left her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Emergency surgery, months in a half body brace, and while still in recovery, Gloria records “I Will Survive”.
She is not surprised by the song’s staying power all these years - it just magnifies her own personal belief with its timeless lyrics.

As many OGR’ers know, like Gloria, we can not only fulfill our childhood dreams but then go on to reinvent ourselves too.

Ciao for Now!! Winnie

IDES OF MARCH

Did those 4 unassuming young boys in a Berwyn, IL (just outside of Chicago) Shopping Center lot ever think that after nearly 46 years, they would still be together?

Originally introduced as the Shon Dels they quickly became known as The Ides of March.
The winning combination: start with four high school boys, a blue collar suburb, a basement band , a great mix of music and talent. Their only goal, just impress the girls.

Now, the proof. Forty-six years later, the Ides of March “hit the street permanently“.

Berwyn renamed Home Street.
Jim Peterik recalls: “ I used to walk down that very street to school. I never thought in a million years that it would one day be named “The Ides of March Way”.


Plus all of the original members are still active in the band. Jim Peterik, Mike Borch, Bob Bergland, Larry Millas and four others added over the years (Chuck Soumar, John Larson, Scott May and Dave Stahlberg) equal the talent behind some great, and very recognizable hits: “L.A. Goodbye”, “Vehicle” and “You Wouldn’t Listen”.

Peterik took his talent one step further and co-wrote another memorable hit for Sylvester Stallone and the film “Rocky III”, “Eye of the Tiger”, while he was in the band Survivor, which he co-founded.

One thing for sure, good music as well as good bands stand the test of time and are always on air at Our Generation Radio. As they say, Don’t touch that dial!

Ciao for Now, Winnie!!

George Weiss

Famous for co-writing numerous songs including “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, “What A Wonderful World”, and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. ….George David Weiss, 89, has died.

Radio, TV and even Broadway were his media and audiences loved his music, including these recorded by famous singers.....
"Lullaby of Birdland" Ella Fitzgerald
" Surrender” Perry Como
“Oh! What It Seemed to Be”,Frank Sinatra
“Confess” Patti Page
“Wheel of Fortune” Kay Starr
“That Sunday, That Summer” Nat King Cole

Perhaps the most legendary story revolves around “Cant Help Falling In Love” written for Elvis’ movie “Blue Hawaii” when new songs were being sought for the film.

Weiss recalled how it happened. Presley’s publishers “Passed out scripts to the 15-20 songwriters and said ‘If you get into the picture, good, if you don’t to damn bad’.

When they heard “Can’t Help Falling in Love” there was a 20 second silence and then one of them said, slowly, “That’s nice, but we want another ‘Hound Dog’. Just proves that even the experts can be wrong.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” was such a huge hit for Elvis that it became the trademark closing song for many of his stage performances. I can attest to that. I was privileged to see one of his last live performances a few weeks before he died. He truly captured the heart of every female in the audience.

Weiss is also credited with the 1961 song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and The Tokens took it to No. 1.

Odd that a song based on a 1939 South African song “Mbude” (Zulu for lion)would resurrect years later. Weiss began thinking about it and came up with the notion that the lion was sleeping and nobody had to worry, so he incorporated that chant into the song and changed some melodies. Proof that all things old are new again.

Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” was a team effort with Bob Thiele, and recorded in 1967. Later featured in the 1987 Robin Williams movie “Good Morning Vietnam”. A song and movie that both attained classic status and took another turn perhaps as the unofficial theme song for saving the planet.

Here’s to George whose love for music made this a “wonderful world” for this and future generations of OGR-ers.

A Safe and Happy Labor Day to all.
Winnie!!!