Christmas is always the time for timeless music in new forms for me...I was very lucky to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band last night (2ndRow!) doing a New Orleans Jazz style christmas show. I cant find any of it online, heck I cant find any of it anywhere yet, but it was masterful and a lot of fun...
It was the first time I remember seeing people dancing and having a rollicking good time to christmas music. I havent smiled that much in a while..
Christmas is always the time for timeless music in new forms for me...I was very lucky to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band last night (2ndRow!) doing a New Orleans Jazz style christmas show. I cant find any of it online, heck I cant find any of it anywhere yet, but it was masterful and a lot of fun...
It was the first time I remember seeing people dancing and having a rollicking good time to christmas music. I havent smiled that much in a while..
The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger "I see you're busy, I'll just go." "Not without something hot in your belly." George said.
He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty, "Stew ... made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."
Just at that moment he heard the " ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken."
George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead. "You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.
"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."
George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ........" George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.
George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered that the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.
"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.
As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."
George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.
"Something for pain," George thought. All he had were the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."
The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.
He went back i n to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."
George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."
George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked. "None for me," said the officer. "Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.
The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the off icer.
"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."
The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."
He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter away. "
George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week ."
George handed the gun to the cop. Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."
He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."
The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry, officer."
"Shut up and drink your coffee." the cop said.
George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.
"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.
Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."
George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?," the wounded cop continued. "Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."
The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"
Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything ."
"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."
George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."
The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to yo u."
"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."
George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."
The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.
"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said, "Now git home to your family."
The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."
"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."
George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"
"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"
"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."
The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George.
You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry.
The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.
The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists.
The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself.
That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."
George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.
"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be wit h Martha again."
The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."
George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.
"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."
George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord."
Author Unknown
When Satan comes knocking at your door just simply say
Police and Social Services Investigate Carpenter from Nazareth;
Under-age delusionalmother arrested, charged with criminal neglect.
Dateline Bethlehem, Judea
In the early morning hours of December 25. authorities were notified by an alarmed citizen. He discovered a young family, who lives in a barn.
Upon arrival, the investigators of the social services division, who were supported by local police, found a newborn baby-boy, who after having been delivered by his 14-year mother, lying in container for cattle feed.
Also arrested were three foreign nationals who identified themselves as "wise men from a near-eastern country". The Secretary of the Interior as well as customs and immigration authorities are currently trying to establish the exact whereabouts of said three man, who apparently are in the country illegally, and may be charged with terrorism.
A police spokesperson informed the press that these men do not have any identification papers with them. However, they were in possession of gold, as well as other illegal substances. They resisted arrest and claimed that God had asked them to return to their home and to refuse to make statements to the police as well as to avoid any contact with government agencies. The chemicals that have been found along with the illegals have been send to a police forensic lab for further examination.
The whereabouts of the newborn have thus far not been released. A fast investigation and conclusion of this case appears to have been forgone. After inquiries from the press, an employee of the social services agency stated that "the father is of middle age and the mother is definitely not an adult. We are checking with the authorities in Nazareth, what relationship these two have with each other."
Maria meanwhile is at Bethlehem County hospital for further medical and psychological exams. She has to expect to be prosecuted for criminal negligence of an infant. Her mental state will be further examined as she claims not only that she was still a virgin, but also that the infant was God's son. In the meantime, she is being medicated with the most powerful anti-psychotic drugs Big Pharma can provide.
An official bulletin from the head of the department of psychiatry states that, "it is not my position to tell these people, what they should believe. However, if they believe, as this in this case, lead to the endangerment of a newborn, we have to consider these parents as delusional and dangerous.
Finally, the following information was revealed: the shepherds on location continue to maintain that a large man wearing pajamas and two wings had asked them to find a stable and let the newborn live after he was born. A spokesperson of the drug enforcement agency stated, "This is probably the most stupid and ridiculous excuse of a full-fledged junkie that I have ever heard in my life."
All you Greasespot old timers have seen this but its probably the first time our new guys have seen it. Start listening and then... one by one... click on each of the reindeer.
I've noticed in the mall that the music programs in some of the stores are different. Christmas songs I never heard before with modern arrangements. Not too shabby.
I did hear one instance of politically correct influence. I was in a grocery store and that song 'Santa Claus is coming to town' came on. The actual lyrics include...he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake...well, in THIS version they sang...he KNOWS when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake...so I guess somebody thought it was questionable singing about some old man seeing kids sleeping. Hmm.
I've noticed in the mall that the music programs in some of the stores are different. Christmas songs I never heard before with modern arrangements. Not too shabby.
I did hear one instance of politically correct influence. I was in a grocery store and that song 'Santa Claus is coming to town' came on. The actual lyrics include...he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake...well, in THIS version they sang...he KNOWS when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake...so I guess somebody thought it was questionable singing about some old man seeing kids sleeping. Hmm.
Oh, it was a huge controversy back in 2002! You mean to tell me you didn't hear about it? It was all over the news for a couple of weeks in late November that year. You couldn't go anywhere and not hear someone griping about the lyrics to that song. I believe it was the Parents' Music Resource Center (PMRC), headed by Tipper Gore, who asked for them to be changed to the version that you heard. Of course, some radio stations are very rebellious and play the old "pedophile" version that we all grew up with just to boost their ratings and even Howard Stern has featured the song on his show, claiming that it applies to adults, midgets, and women with eleven fingers who charge money for hand jobs. Kudos to your local stations for playing the cleaned up version.
I never heard of that pedophile thing. but that song always was weird to me anyway.
Santa always sounded more like a Parole Officer ready to lock you up (.he knows if youve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake..) than some Jolly Old Man.
He's also making a list of things Ive done throughout the year?
No, I never heard about that. I usually screen out Christmas music, especially after it's been playing all over for a month or more, but I just happened to notice this. I used to think TWI was anal about lyrics back in the 70s. It seems they have spilled over...NO word in culture, perhaps.
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waysider
RATS!!
Everyones asleep and I can't find my headphones!!
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Twinky
I'll vote for that in the shops.
So much better than "White Christmas" (gag me)
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pawtucket
Great song. I got to see them perform live last December. (Thanks to LindaZ for turning me on to them)
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Belle
I love, Love, LOVE Trans Siberian Orchestra!!!!
Them and Mannheim Steamroller are two of my faves!!!
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Belle
LOVE THIS!!
Acapella
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mstar1
Christmas is always the time for timeless music in new forms for me...I was very lucky to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band last night (2ndRow!) doing a New Orleans Jazz style christmas show. I cant find any of it online, heck I cant find any of it anywhere yet, but it was masterful and a lot of fun...
It was the first time I remember seeing people dancing and having a rollicking good time to christmas music. I havent smiled that much in a while..
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Oakspear
That's one of my favorite TSO songs. It's on The Lost Christmas Eve IIRC
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dmiller
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!! :)
(Click the *decorated* Banjo). ;)
David
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dmiller
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Kit Sober
and here's a Christmas story
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Sudo
sudo
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Sudo
A Christmas card I received at the office that I thought was beautiful
sudo
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Sudo
Its time for the musical reindeer I love to post!
All you Greasespot old timers have seen this but its probably the first time our new guys have seen it. Start listening and then... one by one... click on each of the reindeer.
sudo
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likeaneagle
A very beautiful card indeed Sudo-
Merry Christmas to all!
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ChasUFarley
Happy Christmas & New Year
from Krista (aka Chas) & Family
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johniam
I've noticed in the mall that the music programs in some of the stores are different. Christmas songs I never heard before with modern arrangements. Not too shabby.
I did hear one instance of politically correct influence. I was in a grocery store and that song 'Santa Claus is coming to town' came on. The actual lyrics include...he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake...well, in THIS version they sang...he KNOWS when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake...so I guess somebody thought it was questionable singing about some old man seeing kids sleeping. Hmm.
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ChasUFarley
Oh, it was a huge controversy back in 2002! You mean to tell me you didn't hear about it? It was all over the news for a couple of weeks in late November that year. You couldn't go anywhere and not hear someone griping about the lyrics to that song. I believe it was the Parents' Music Resource Center (PMRC), headed by Tipper Gore, who asked for them to be changed to the version that you heard. Of course, some radio stations are very rebellious and play the old "pedophile" version that we all grew up with just to boost their ratings and even Howard Stern has featured the song on his show, claiming that it applies to adults, midgets, and women with eleven fingers who charge money for hand jobs. Kudos to your local stations for playing the cleaned up version.
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mstar1
I never heard of that pedophile thing. but that song always was weird to me anyway.
Santa always sounded more like a Parole Officer ready to lock you up (.he knows if youve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake..) than some Jolly Old Man.
He's also making a list of things Ive done throughout the year?
What? Im on a List? A freakin list?
What do we have some old weird stalker here?
Get me away from this guy
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johniam
No, I never heard about that. I usually screen out Christmas music, especially after it's been playing all over for a month or more, but I just happened to notice this. I used to think TWI was anal about lyrics back in the 70s. It seems they have spilled over...NO word in culture, perhaps.
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socks
Merry Christmas! :)
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Eyesopen
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from our house to yours.
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Sudo
Likeaneagle,
Thank you.. did you click on each reindeer?? Its a treat.
sudo (waiting for his sleepy head family to get up for Christmas!)
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bowtwi
Christmas in Wisconsin
When it's Christmas in Wisconsin
And the gentle breezes blow,
About seventy miles an hour
And its fifty-two below,
You can tell you're in Wisconsin
'Cause the snow's up to your butt.
You take a breath of Christmas air
And your nostrils both freeze shut.
The weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I'll hang around,
I could never leave Wisconsin
My feet are frozen to the ground!
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