REMEMBER THEM

If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and one backward glance when you are leaving, for the places they can no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not always have. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own.

And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind.

Written January 1, 1970 by Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
Dak To, South Vietnam

Recited by Tom Selleck upon receiving the 2009 TV Land Hero's Award for Magnum, P.I. An OGR gentle hero in his own rite and an accomplished actor who once again pulled unexpected audience emotion, uncontrollable tears and unbounded patriotism.

Though he insisted he is not worthy of that same category as there are others more deserving, he was proud that the Smithsonian recognized Magnum, P.I. as the first series to portray the Vietnam Vet in a positive light. " Now in today's world our vets are treated with respect and we know it wasn't always that way."

His real life crusade is the "Wall that Heals", part of the Vietnam War Memorial, a 45-foot aluminum trailer that travels across the country to people who may not have the opportunity to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

Actor Tom Selleck, left, attends an event unveiling a traveling exhibit called "The Wall That Heals", part of the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Museum, in Washington, Thursday, March 26, 2009. At right is U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Nick Adams, 21. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).

This Memorial Day take a quiet time to reflect on our friends and family who served, returned or proudly remember as the "gentle heroes you left behind".

Rock Geriatrics

A Number or State of Mind?

Dion DiMucci enjoyed a string of early ‘50s/’60’s hits. “A Teenager in Love” (with the Belmonts), and “Runaround Sue” or “The Wanderer”, and still is recording and playing over 30 shows a year and says he’s happier than ever.
“What are you kidding?” says Dion who turns 70 in July. “You have more experience. My voice is much better, I play better. You enjoy it more. You’re more in the moment. Free abandon in the moment, that’s what it’s all about. That’s rock’n’roll.”



Rocks biggest names are older and if you look at the ones who demand the highest prices its groups and singers that date back to the ‘60’s and 70’s. Six of last year’s top 10 grossing tours were headlined by 50 and older acts. Madonna, the Eagles, Springsteen and the E Street Band, Neil Diamond, the Police and Tina Turner.

Many famous names are testing the age limits of rock and the concert circuits.

The likes of Elton John, 62, pairing with Billy Joel, 60.

Neil Young, 63, releasing a jagged rock album or Bob Dylan, 68, and the recent No. 1 hit album, “Together Through Life”, tours with Willie Nelson, 76.

Or....

Pete Townshend, 63, who wrote the lyric “I hope I die before I get old”, is still touring,

Mick Jagger, who turns 66 in July, “I’d rather be dead than singing ‘Satisfaction’ when I’m 45" has coveted an extra 20 years and several world tours,

Mike Love, 68, still sings “Be True to your School” at The Beach Boys' endless concert tours,

Paul McCartney, 67 in June, recently performed a 2-1/2 hour set at the Coachella festival and released “Electric Arguments” CD,

Bruce Springsteen, 60 in Sept., recently played to a sold out crowd in Chicago, proves they still have what it takes to please the OGR-ers.






One noted exception, Robert Plant, 60, shot down a Led Zeppelin reunion for fear fans would be disappointed and “the comparisons to something that was basically fired by youth and a different kind of exuberance…it’s very hard to go back and meet that head on and do it justice.”


OGR-er's recognize Elton John’s voice is deeper than it was in his 70’s heyday, and Aretha Franklin’s thinner, raspier voice may be attributed to smoking and weight.
But Tony Bennett’s classic voice is richer, and Nancy Wilson’ still sound true to hers in the ‘60’s.

That’s Rock-n-Roll…
Eric Clapton, 64
Tina Turner, 69









Billy Joel, 60









So Winnie says, stay tuned to OGR for more trips down memory lane. Music for the '50s, 60's and 70's, that's ages, not years. Ciao for now!!!

The Quotables

Special thanks to OGR's DJ Glee, my "roving reporter", for supplying these hilarious quotes. Laughter is the best medicine for any generation.

Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, 'Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.'
- Lillian Carter (mother of Jimmy Carter)
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I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: - 'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'
- Eleanor Roosevelt
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Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement.
- Mark Twain
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
- Mark Twain

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The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.
- George Burns
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Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
- Victor Borge
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By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
- Socrates
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I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
- Groucho Marx

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My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
- Jimmy Durante
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I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
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Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
- Alex Levine
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My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
- Rodney Dangerfield
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Money can't buy you happiness ... But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
- Spike Milligan
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Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP .
- Joe Namath
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I don't feel old.. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
- Bob Hope
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I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it
- W. C. Fields
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We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
- Will Rogers
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Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
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Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty .. But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.
- Phyllis Diller
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By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.
- Billy Crystal
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And the cardiologist's diet: - If it tastes good spit it out.

"See you on the radio." Ciao for now!!





Winnie

A's, B's, CD's & ......

Vinyl records or “singles“ marked the ‘50‘s.
Record labels randomly picked which song was pressed on the A-side and B-side then encouraged radio stations to play the “A’s” to boost charts and sales.

Not till 1968 did the total production of albums bypass 45’s and double-sided hits were almost gone by the ’70’s.

As album sales soared, the B-side became the non-album, non-radio-friendly, instrumental versions or simply inferior recordings.
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A’s and B’s vanished once cassette sales boomed in the '80's. (Later the CD's (compact disc) would steel the market.)

Cassette singles tried recording one "A" song on each side of the cassette, duplicating the 45’s A/B‘s. One flaw, the fast forward button and the song of your choice.
Enter CD’s and the A/B side took on new meaning; Its "B-side" was the "bonus" tracks or "coupling" tracks on a CD single.

Sometimes the B-side won out because of listeners, air time and DJ choice.

Gloria Gaynor‘s "I Will Survive was originally the B-side of "Substitute".

Doobie Brother‘s "Black Water" was originally the B-side of "Another Park, Another Sunday".
Rod Stewart’s "Maggie May “ was originally the B-side of "Reason To Believe"),
and
The Champs‘ "Tequila" was originally the B-side of "Train to Nowhere".

Even more rare when both side of the single Queen's "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You" became hits. Released as a double A-side in 1977 and then "Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race" in 1978.

The Beatles one-two punch --- the double “A’s” in 1965 with two hits on one single, " Day Tripper"/We Can Work It Out,"
"Yellow Submarine" ,"Eleanor Rigby", "Strawberry Fields Forever" ,"Penny Lane", and "Come Together" , "Something" and
The Beatles' Rarities , a collection of B-Sides, non-album EP tracks and foreign-released recordings. The album was originally included in a 1978 boxed set of studio Beatles albums. Then released as a stand-alone album the following year.


Prince's three disc set The Hits/The B-Sides of which one of the three discs was devoted entirely to B-sides (released 1993)


Elvis Presley's 1956 "Don't Be Cruel" on the same single with "Hound Dog"; the side B, was done in retrospect because both sides became chart hits independently of one another.



Occasionally double-A-sided singles target different audiences. In the late ‘70’s, Dolly Parton released several double A-sided singles, the A-side to pop radio, and the B side to country, including "Two Doors Down"/"It's All Wrong but It's All Right" and "Baby I'm Burning"/"I Really Got the Feeling".


But if you are a true OGR-er, your collection includes these and more and maybe a few 8-Tracks and 78's.

Ciao for Now! "see ya on the radio."

BIRTHDAY

In honor of OGR's DJ Glee's birthday, I thought I would look at some of the world-wide customs and traditions. So Mr. DJ, Happy Birthday, and let us know your celebration choice(s).

Thousands of years ago birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits as opposed to the good spirits were able to harm you as this day changed a person's life. The only way to keep the bad spirits at bay was to have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present giving would keep them at bay.

And noisemakers were used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.

The custom of lighting candles originated with people believing that the gods lived in the sky and by lighting candles and torches they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods so they could be answered. When you blow out the candles and make a wish this is another way of sending a signal and a message.

Birthday Cakes
One theory originated with the Greeks, who baked round cakes representing the full moon for their moon goddess, Artemis; placed candles on the cake to make it glow, like the moon.

The Germans are also credited with the first cakes and candles. They used a sweet, layered cake and they put a large candle in the center of the cake to represent "the light of life." Some people believe the smoke from extinguished candles carries their birthday wishes up to heaven.

How the World Celebrates:
Argentinians pull on the earlobes of the birthday boy or girl for each year of their birthday.

If you live in Bulgaria and have a historical or Biblical name, you get a second, much bigger celebration on your name day in addition to a celebration on your birthday.

In China everyone celebrates their birthday on New Year even if it is not the official date of their birthday. They turn another year older on this day.
They believe that the baby is born one year old.

In Denmark a flag is flown outside a window to designate that someone who lives in this house is having a birthday.

In England there are cakes known as Fortune Telling Cakes which are made for the birthday.
Certain symbolic objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared.
If your piece of cake has a coin in it, then you will be rich.

In some parts of Europe they have a birthday tree planted when the new child is born. This was done as they believed that if the tree grew to be healthy and strong, the child would also.

In Germany the children are never given homework or chores on their birthday. This celebration of a birthday started hundreds of years ago in Germany and has spread throughout the world.
On a child's birthday the house is decorated, the dining table or kitchen has a special wooden birthday wreath placed in it. The wreath contains small holes for candles and a holder in the denter for the lifecandle. This a taller candle and is beautifully decorated. This candle is lit each year of a child's birthday until they reach the age of twelve.

Hindu children only celebrate their birthdays once they have reached the age 16 years. Until then, however, they do not go to school on their birthdays. Instead, a birthday is observed with a religious ceremony where a priest blesses the child. On a Hindu child's first birthday, his or her head is shaved while being held by a special fire. Removal of the hair cleanses the child of any evil in past lives, symbolizing a renewal of the soul.

In Hong Kong communities, special noodles are served for lunch in honor of the birthday child. The noodles are extra-long to symbolize a long life.

In Ireland the birthday child is lifted upside down and "bumped" on the floor for good luck.
The number of bumps given is the age of the child plus one for extra good luck.

Being given the key to the house is still considered an important sign of coming of age in Wales. This takes place when someone turns the age of twenty-one. The young man who was given the key to the house is said to be given permission to come and go as he pleases and to stay out as late as he liked.

In Norway most birthday parties consist of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and dishes of red gelatin covered with vanilla sauce. The house is decorated in long, thin colored streamers and candy decorating the table.
At the birthday parties guests may go fishing, but not for fish. They play a game known as Fishing for Ice Cream, where everyone pulls up a frozen treat attached to a piece of string.

Ciao for now! "See ya on the radio."