CHRISTMAS TRIVIA

[happy daze john in oz]

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had beenthe story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at thetime to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was thecharacter? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finishedthe book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't endthere.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print,_ Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus intheir stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, theCEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

[Tony Morcom]

[Captain Kong]

That brought a tear to this old man`s eyes , John.
What a happy ending.
`The wheel always turns`
Cheers
Brian.,

[Jim Brady]

Here we are at 9.15 and I am going up to bed on Christmas Eve.When we were at sea we were so miserable when we were on the high seas for what we thought were missing out on,now you are missing out on nothing.I've had a good 10 pints today but if the atmosphere is not there it could just be any other day in the week.My house years ago would be buzzing until about 3AM and now I just want to get to bed and forget about Christmas.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi Jim,I have only had Ten Pints in the Last Ten Years,One a Year,still happy never have a Hangover in that time, never lost a friend,keep Smile-ing.Ken.

[Captain Kong]

Good Night Jim,

[robpage]

Thinking of you up there in the Islamic Republic of Boltonistan , If you get invited into the neighbours over Christmas , do they play pass the parcel-Bomb .

[Frederick Lacey]

Hi Jim, 10 pints, how do you get any sleep, if I had had 10 Pints I would be saying many happy returns to the bathroom (heads) every 5 minutes all night.

Fred

[Captain Kong]

Me too,
Two is my ultimate limit now.
Brian

[j.sabourn]

You drank too much when you were younger Brian and now paying for it. Whereas Jim hardly drank and was a late starter and is trying to catch up. 10 pints is not a lot, after 5 I usually prefer to go on the shorts, otherwise the same problem all night....bathroom. Cheers John Sabourn