THE HOLIDAY PARTY I DIDN'T ATTEND!

          SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2024

THE HOLIDAY PARTY I DIDN'T ATTEND!

    As we welcome December a host of
holiday memories begin to fill our minds.
Most are pleasant although, perhaps,
sentimental.
    That first visit with Santa. Maybe yours.
Maybe your kids or grandkids. That
Christmas wish list. Christmas shopping.
     I've got a host of them too. Today
though I thinking back to December of
1959 and a very important office Christmas
party!
     Before you get the wrong idea that
often gets associated with office parties
allow me to point out this was a party I
did not attend! And that's what made it
so special to me!
      I was an Errand Boy at my local
radio station, WAZL in Hazleton.
Most everyone at the station was invited
to attend the Christmas party. The DJ's
pre-recorded their shows that evening
so the music would go on.
      But somebody had to play those
tapes! And, once each half hour, somebody
had to go on-the-air with the station
identification! And that December evening
(the exact date escapes me) I was the guy
who got to do that! It was my first time on
the air!
       Between radio, and television, and 
my video blogs I'm going on about 65 years! 
       Kind of a Christmas memory that keeps
on giving! Hope you're heard or seen me
somewhere along the way and that all your
NEWS is good!
       

     
   

YES, I PAINTED HOUSES!

  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2024

       YES, I PAINTED HOUSES!

   Confession time! Yes. There was a time
I painted houses!
   Now before you get all shocked, or offer
me work, or tell my wife, I'm referring to
actually using a paint brush to apply fresh
paint to the inside walls of houses. Not the
mafia's definition. And only one house.
     Back in my High School days a classmate
friend offered me a chance to spend a couple
days in Wildwood painting a couple rooms
in an apartment building owned by his uncle.
     I've always loved the shore so I quickly
accepted the invitation even though my
knowledge in the field of  home repairs or
improvements was, and is, about the same as
my expertise in nuclear fission.
     I was given a brush, a can of paint ,and a
couple walls.  The task was actually pretty easy,
though time consuming,  I pretty much
killed it  There wasn't much to do wrong!
      The shore, however, turned out to be a
little disappointing as it was slightly off
season. The water was too cold and the
Boardwalk was pretty much closed.
        I came home and, as you know, got into
broadcasting. Painting houses just wasn't
for me. It still isn't so don't tell my wife!!!
        Hope all your NEWS is good!

SPEEDY DELIVERY!

 

   FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH., 2024
              SPEEDY DELIVERY!

      For years I have labored under the
illusion that Mr. McFeely, of "Mr. Rogers
Neighborhood," was a Postal worker. A
Mailman!
      I just learned that the man
known for his "Speedy Delivery line"
was, in fact, the primary employee
(probably the only employee) of the
"Speedy Delivery Service."
      I'm remembering that character
today as I think about Christmas
shopping.
     Look, I go back to the days when
you went shopping in your hometown
downtown. You saw what they had and
bought what you wanted then carried
it home.
      Rarely there was something not
offered locally that you found in a
catalog, probably Sears, that you had
to order by mail. Then you'd wait,
fingers crossed, hoping that order
would actually arrive in time for
Christmas.
      I needed a special battery for my
still camera last year. There was a time
I would have gone to Radio Shack to
find one. Since that chain has all but
disappeared I went to Best Buy. The
folks there didn't have what I needed.
But, like the Santa at Macy's who sent
customers to Gimbles, a friendly clerk
directed me to WalMart.
       That big box store didn't have my
battery either. But the clerk said I could
get it on line. Reluctantly I searched
the internet and found my battery and
a charger at an Electronics site that
promised "Speedy Delivery."
       I placed my order on a Friday
and was shocked to see my order show
up in a UPS truck on Tuesday! (I wonder
if Mr. McFeely was driving?)
       I still prefer buying locally whenever
I can but my experience has me a little
more confident in turning to the modern
version of the Sears catalog that's available
on my laptop if that's what it takes to get
what I need!
       Hope Santa's still on his Speedy
Delivery schedule and that all your NEWS
is good!  

ARE THEY CELEBRATING THERE?

   THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2028

   ARE THEY CELEBRATING THERE?

   It's November 28th. It's Thanksgiving 

Day. But the holiday falls late in the month

this year consequently another unofficial

holiday sort of gets lost in the shuffle. You

see November 28th is also "Red Planet Day."

It was so designated in honor of Mariner 4,

the first spacecraft to fly by Mars in 1965!

Mars is know as the "Red Planet" because

of the rust-iron color of its soil. Of course

the question everyone always asks is

"Is their life on Mars?"  I can't answer that

but just in case there is I'd like to wish

everyone (or thing) there, and here, a

very Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you're

well, where ever you are, and that all

your NEWS is good! 

TURKEY DAYS OF OLD!

     WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2024

        TURKEY DAYS OF OLD!

   The Thanksgiving holiday is filled

with traditions, The turkey dinner. Shopping

on Black Friday, left overs, more shopping

on Cyber Monday, and holiday parades. But

there's one Thanksgiving tradition that is now

pretty much limited to our memories. It was

the annual High School Thanksgiving Day

Football game. Every town had its own

High School back in the day and usually

it played its game with its biggest rival

on Thanksgiving Day. In my case it was

Hazleton vs. West Hazleton. Those Turkey

Day games started to disappear as school

district mergers brought the traditional

opponents under the same roof at a new

High School. I was only on the field for

one of those Thanksgiving Day games.

Actually I was on the sideline for the

most part. I was a Manager for the Football

team. One of those guys who took water

to the players during time outs. And on more

than one occasion I was one of those guys

to carried an injured player off the field

on a stretcher. One "tradition" I truly

don't miss. Hope you've got some good

Thanksgiving holiday tradition memories and

that all your NEWS is good!  

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW!

   TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2024

    IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW

  Of all the unusual "holidays" I tell

you about this one may be the least

needed. November 26th is "Shopping

Reminder Day!" Some on line sites

list it as November 25th but the

majority use the 26th so I'll go with

that. We're already being bombarded

with Christmas ads on TV, radio,

newspaper, and social media since

Christmas is just one month away.

We're also facing "Black Friday,"

Cyber Monday, and Small Business

Shopping Day so I'm not sure who

decided a reminder was needed,

That said, there are a couple things

I wouldn't mind having as gifts

this year so I'll observe the day by

reminding my wife about those!

Hope you'll get all your shopping

done and that all your NEWS is

good. 

SO WHAT?

   MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2024

                  SO WHAT?

   When I tell you this is November 25th

it may not matter to you at all. And that's

OK because this is "Blase' Day!"  Blase'

is a French word that, generally, means

who cares?! Many of us are so impressed

with art or music or whatever that we

become overwhelmed! Well it's time

to relax and take a break. It's a day to

be unimpressed! Be blase!  Just take

the day and whatever comes with it

a grain of salt. Don't be impressed

with anything! (Except, maybe, my

BLOG!) Hope you're blase' and

that all your NEWS is good!

REMEMBERING A LOCAL HERO!

            SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2024

              REMEMBERING OUR HERO

          It happened this week in 1984. The

Joe Palooka comic strip was published for

the very last time. Palooka was created by

Wilkes-Barre native Ham Fisher. A monument

at the base of Mount Palooka stands just off

route 309 in Hanover Township. I was a member

of a 4 man committee who raised public funds

for the monument which replaced a bronze 

marker stolen around the time of the Agnes

Flood. Palooka's character was so popular

that when that character joined the army at

the start of World War II, thousands of men,

inspired by the comic strip, joined up too!

Palooka was credited by the President with

helping the war effort. In the final comic

strip Joe and his wife "retired" back to his

hometown of Wilkes-Barre, PA. Joe's out

there somewhere yet I suppose. Hope his,

and your NEWS is good!  

ANOTHER DAY IN NOVEMBER!

     FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd, 2024

      ANOTHER DAY IN NOVEMBER!      

   Thanksgiving is just a few days off now.

 But today I'm remembering another day

in November. It was November 22, 1963.

I was driving when I first heard

reports that shots had been fired as the

resident's motorcade drove through Dallas,

Texas. I rushed back to the radio station

where I was working, WNAK to cover

the story. We had no radio network, just

an Associated Press Teletype machine

that printed the latest news as it was

received. I ran an extra long microphone

cord into the closet where we kept the

AP machine and read every word as it

was printed! Of course the climax of

those reports can with confirmation

that President John F. Kennedy had

sustained fatal wounds and had been

pronounced dead.  We didn't know. as

a nation, if we'd get over this tragic

event. We did. Eventually. Just as we

get over all of the tragedies we face.

Still, November 22nd will always be a

day to remember. Hope you're well and

that all your NEWS, unlike the news of 

that November 22nd, is good!

SAY WHAT!?

   THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2024

                     SAY WHAT!?

    It's November 21sr friends! It's "World

Hello Day!"  The observance was begun

in 1973 in response to a conflict between

Egypt and Israel, Since then World Hello

Day has been observed in 180 countries!

It is a day when people are encouraged

to think about world peace! The simple

act of saying "Hello" serves as a reminder

that communications is better than force

to settle conflicts! And, by the way, "Hi"

or "Hey there" will work just as well!

Give it a try on this World Hello Day!"

Hope you will and that all your NEWS

is good!

 

HARD (FACTS ABOUT) CIDER!

    MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2024

    HARD (FACTS ABOUT) CIDER!

     November 18th is "National Apple

Cider Day!" Apple Cider has been around

for a long, long time. The Celts in Britain

made it from crab apples as early as

3,000BC! Acidic Cider apples came with

the Norman invasion on England in 1066.

When a climate change produced colder

than usual seasons in Western Europe

between the 14th and 19th centuries grapes

didn't do very well but apples did. So cider

became the favorite beverage. These days

cider shows up everywhere around

October and we usually buy a few

quarts. Lately my wife has discovered

that apple cider poured over a venison

(or any other kind of) roast makes for

a delicious meal. There's another

thing that lures us to cider. That's

when they use it to make apple cider

donuts! Hope you'll enjoy some

cider this season and that all your

NEWS is good.

FRIENDS!

     SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17th, 2024

                     FRIENDS!

  This is one of those unusual "holidays" I

won't be observing. This is "Facebook Unfriend

Day." It was either created or at least promoted

by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and was

started ten years ago. Kimmel suggested that

having too many friends on Facebook keeps

you away rom your actual friends. I don't

agree. The average Facebook user has about

130 friends. I have 4,900. I probably actually

know about 30 of them. But most of them know

me from my many years in the media. We're

suppose to social distance from friends right

now so this seems to be a very safe way to do

that. So I'll keep you if you'll keep me! Hope

you're well and that all your NEWS is good!

A QUICK STOP!

 

  SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH.,2024          

               A QUICK STOP!

     OK. Here it is in a nutshell gang. This is
National Fast Food Day!
      The pace of live in America is fast and
during the 1950's the food industry began
to address that pace by developing Fast
Food Restaurants.
      Ironically many of the outlets that
lead the way vanished nearly as fast as
they arrived. Remember Carrols or
Stop and Go? When those chains were
around you could pick up a burger,
fries, and a soft drink, give the clerk a
dollar and get change! Hamburgers at
the original McDonalds were 15 cents!
For 3 cents more you could add a slice
of cheese!
       Of course McDonalds, Burger
King and a host of other fast food
places are around these days so you
should have no trouble celebrating
the day. But you will need a little
more than 15 cents!
       Hope you still get some change
and that all your NEWS is good!

     
    

DON'T WASTE IT!

    FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2024

             DON'T WASTE IT!

     November 15th is "America Recycles

Day." The average American throws out

4.9 pounds of trash every single day. Much

of that "trash" includes products that could,

and should be recycled. Cardboard for

instance. Cardboard can be recycled 7 or

more times. And how about paper? Recycling

one ton of paper saves 17 trees and 380

gallons of oil! Aluminum cans are the

most recycled objects. Recycling one ton

of aluminum cans saves 21 barrels of oil.

Recycling one ton of plastic would save

685 barrels of oil! So there are plenty

of things you can recycle. Paper, glass

bottles, plastics, and aluminum cans.

And this "America Recycles Day" is

the day to get on board and join the

effort! Oh. One reminder. Before

tossing any cans or bottles make sure

they're empty. I'm working on getting

a wine bottle ready right now! Hope

you're recycling and that all your

NEWS is good!  

BUILDING YOUR OWN WALL!

    THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2024

      BUILDING YOUR OWN WALL!

   It's November 14th everybody. And today

is "Block It Out Day!" It's a day set aside

to remind everyone of the dangers of

on line hatred, trolls, and bullying! We've 

seen so much of that especially in the

wake of the recent election! Why dule

it out with some texter who disagrees

with you? Why bother to argue? Simply

Block the offender and get on with

your life! Build your own "wall" and

ignore those who want to engage in a

battle of wit but are generally

unarmed! Clear some space! Block

your offenders. But, please, don't

block the BLOG! Hope you're

\well and that all your NEWS is

good! 

THE RACE IS ON!

 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2024

              THE RACE IS ON!
    Single men. On your mark, Get set!
RUN!!!!!!!!!
     It is November 13th, also know in
some parts as "Sadie Hawkins Day!"
     According to holidayinsights.com
This holiday originated in a cartoon.
     It all began in Al Capp's "Lil Abner
Cartoon in the 1930's. In the cartoon series,
the mayor of Dogpatch was desperate to
marry off his ugly daughter. So he created
Sadie Hawkin's Day.
     On this day, a race is held and all the
single men were given a short head start.
Then, all the single women, including the
mayor's daughter, chased the boys. If a girl
catches her man, he had to marry her.
     Sadie Hawkins races and related events
were a bid deal for many years. But they
generally died out when the comic strip
was discontinued.
     There are still some events today,
usually on college campuses.
      And there's still a town in Ireland
where matchmakers get together one
day each year to get try to get couples
together! Of course in that case it's the
men chasing the women!
     After the harvests in September,
young farmers from all over Ireland would
shuffle into Lisdoonvarna to find themselves
a potential wife, with the help of the
matchmakers.
     Sadie Hawkins Day is still specifically
for the women!
     So, if you're male and single, this
is a good day to keep looking over your
shoulder!
      You may want to walk a little faster.
Or, maybe, just stop!
      That Depends on what, or who, you
 see!
      Hope you meet your Sadie, and that all
your NEWS is good!

YOU;VE GOT TO KNOW HOW TO FOLD THEM!

 

          MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH, 2024

YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW HOW TO FOLD THEM!

  Everybody knows, or should know, it's Veteran's Day.
   And everybody is, or should be, remembering our
veterans, past and present!
   But November 11th marks another "holiday" as well
and there's a pretty good chance you never knew it!
   Today is "Origami Day!"
   Now, as we all know, Origami is the Art of folding
objects out of paper without cutting, pasting, or decorating
it. You knew that.....didn't you? 
   Hey....I had to look it up!
   In a sense Origami Day shares the same origin as
Veterans Day!
   November 11 is also World Peace Memorial Day
and the symbol of World Peace is a Crane, fashioned
out of folded paper!
    I've done a bit of paper folding myself over the
years. Primarily back in my "school days"
    I never made any cranes.
    My expertise was Paper Airplanes.
    Usually, we judged success more by distance
of flight rather than artistic design.
    Some students tended to favor "spit balls." I'm
not sure any of them  fit the artistic qualifications
for origami.
    I must also tell you that Origami art isn't limited
to traditional sheets of white paper.
    I found an entire web site with step by step instructions
on how to create an elephant, a butterfly, a ring, a tee shirt,
a heart, a bow tie, or a pixie shoe by folding a dollar bill!
   I checked my wallet. I've only got enough for a ring and
a pixie shoe!
   I think I'll just keep them as they are. Flat and a little
crinkled
   But the rest of you, with talent, ought to think about
celebrating a bit today by taking a piece of paper, or
a dollar bill, and folding it into the form of a crane to
mark World Peace Day!
    I hope you've got the dollar to do it and that all your
NEWS is good!

  
   


  

WE ALL FOUND A WAY TO GET THERE!

        SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2024

WE ALL FOUND A WAY TO GET THERE!

    So many memorable characters! So much

good music! So much shared knowledge! All

coming out of one television show! And today

we celebrate "Sesame Street Day!" That classic

series first aired on November 10th of 19691

    We were introduced to stars like Big Bird,

The Count, and Cookie Monster to name just

a few. We learned classic music like "Rubber

Ducky" and "C is for Cookie." The show

even hit the Guinness Book of World Records

capturing over 100 Emmy Awards! Financial

problems forced the series off of PBS and

onto HBO a few years back. But you don't

have to look too far to find re-runs of

Sesame Street still helping kids to learn

and adults to laugh. I'm just wondering

if Big Bird gets residuals?  Hope he does

and that all your NEWS is good!

CLEANUP TIME!!!

     SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2024

                CLEANUP TIME!!!

  Regular followers of this blog know how fond

I am of telling you about unusual "holidays" that

are observed every single day of the year. Today,

however, I'd like to suggest a new one. One that

I've come up with. I'd like to establish "Take

Down Your Signs Day." It would be held twice

each year on the day following elections. We have

put up with political commercials on radio and

TV for at least the past two  months. Last night

at least one ran an hour after the poles closed!

They, hopefully, will be over for the time being.

But the political signs that litter our roadsides seem 

to linger long after the elections have ended. Some

people are still displaying signs for a Presidential

candidate and his running mate who, last I heard,

pretty much hate each other these days!  I had heard

there was a regulation requiring the cleanup of

political signs but I either heard wrong or, if it

does exist, it's not being enforced.  It's now time

to take them down/ I'd be OK with giving the

candidates two weeks so they could post "Thank 

you banners" over the existing signs for a week.

After that I'd prefer to see more positive sights

like brush, or grass, or even weeds ! Hope the

signs are all down soon and that all your NEWS

is good. I'm David DeCosmo and I have approved

this blog!

TWISTERS!

  FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024

                TWISTERS!

   Today's BLOG has nothing to do

with tornados. November 8th is

"International Tongue Twisters

Day!" You remember those old

tongue twisters. Like, Fuzzy

Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy

had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't

fuzzy  was he?  Tongue twisters

have been around forever. And

they are not just used by kids

for fun. They are used by actors

and public speakers. Politicians

often practice them! (They love

anything with a twist!) Tongue

twisters help all of them improve

their speaking presentations.

So celebrate! Pull out some of

your old favorites. She sells

seashells down by the sea

shore. Which witch is which?

How much wood would a

woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck

could chuck wood? Or make up

something new on your own.

Hope you're well and that all

your nifty NEWS is nice tonight!  

CHEF BOY OUR GUY!

   THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2024

          CHEF BOY OUR GUY!

  It's November 7th friends. The first

Thursday in November which is 

observed as "National Men Make

Dinner Day!"  It's a day for guys

who are generally lost in the 

kitchen to take on the challenge

of preparing the meal. It's an

opportunity to look for your

own recipes (I'm told some are

often improved with the use of

some beer or wine!)  I was all

set to observe the day by

preparing a delicious menu but,

alas, I checked the pantry and

there was no Span available!

Maybe next year. Enjoy the

day! Hope your dinner and all

your NEWS is good!

STORY TIME!

 Wednesday, November 6, 2024

               Story Time!

    A few BLOGS back I told you about

a book I had written. My wife did one

too. Through a website called "Storyworth"

my daughter and a granddaughter asked

my wife and I questions about our lives

and we responded with written stories.

I bring it up because November is

"Family Story Month." People will

be gathering for Thanksgiving and very

often at the meal or afterwards the

family will be telling stories from years

gone by. These stories are worth 

remembering and retelling to generations

yet to come. Whenever possible they

should be written down or recorded.

Maybe their are traditions unique to your

family that are worth remembering too.

Again, they should mainly be shared

with family. Otherwise you might

find yourself sharing embarrassing

moments like the time I started my

small motorcycle inside our kitchen

and put it in gear. The rear wheel,

spinning at 40 miles per hour, did

quite a burn job on one section of

linoleum! I often wonder in the

current residents in my old home

ever wonder how that deep dark

mark got in the floor! Hopefully

they'll never read my book! Hope

you'll share, and record your

family stories! Hope you've got

some great memories and that

all your NEWS is good!    

evele 

PREMIUM PROPERTY?

     MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4th, 2024

                 PREMIUM PROPERTY?.

      I was enjoying my bowl of Cheerios the

other day when I suddenly started to wonder

what happened to my land? You see back in the

50's my favorite radio serial was "Challenge Of

The Yukon." It was about a Canadian Mountie

Sgt. Preston and his dog King. The sponsor

Quaker Oats, decided to capitalize on the show's

popularity by offering land in the Yukon to people

who bought their product. The company bought

just over 19 acres of land near Dawson City, Canada

and divided the property into 21 million one inch

square "lots." Deeds to a square inch were included

in each box of Quaker Oats. Since it was my favorite

program I undoubtedly got at least one, Probably more!

Now I'm wondering what happened to my land! Maybe

there's gold there! I thought about going to check it

but decided against it. Here's the thing. I began to wonder

 if I might owe property tax!!!! Remember,  I got that

land 50 or 60 years ago! I decided to stay home and 

stick with my Cheerios! Hope you're  enjoying your

breakfast cereals and that all your NEWS is good!

TWO PAIR AND A PICKLE?

    SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2024

        TWO PAIR AND A PICKLE?

   Today is John Montagu's Birthday! The

name might not mean anything to you

immediately. After all he was born way

back in 1718. But John was very well

know during his lifetime! And he was

primarily know as a gambler! A very

serious gambler! So much so that he

didn't want to leave the gambling table

once he was seated. During one very

serious game he was faced with the

choice of leaving for lunch or going

hungry while he remained and played.

But John had an idea of his own. He 

asked someone to bring him a loaf of

bread and some meat. He sliced to pieces

of the bread and put the meat in between

the two slices. Hence was born what was to

become a very popular menu item. Created

by John Montagu, an Englishman who held

the title "The 4th Earl of Sandwich!" For

whom the sandwich was named! Hope you

enjoy one from time to time and that all

your NEWS is good!

  

CHEERS!

     SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2024

                       CHEERS!

           November 2nd is a very big day\

in the history of football! But its git nothing to

do with an impressive score or the forward

pass. It was on this day in 1898 that Johnny

Campbell led an organized team of Cheerleaders

to cheer on the University of Minnesota! There

were, of course, cheers before that time, but never

an organized cheerleading squad. And, by the way,

Campbell's team was all male! If you've ever

noticed today's cheerleaders at the NFL games

you'll know things have change a bit! I'm OK

with that!!! Hope your team is winning and that

all your NEWS is good!