At the Birth of Christ in Bethlehem, of Judea, the meridian of time, the event was heralded in many ways. Among them, signs in the heavens such as angelic hosts, and by a New Star.  Well, Something like it is happening again!

Even now those two planets are getting closer together, and remain close through Christmas. Best time to see it. About 45 minutes after sunset in the western sky on December 21st

 Use of a smartphone app (many of which are free), especially one that can pinpoint where You are on the surface of the earth, will help you where to look to see the Christmas star.

 If nothing else, such an amazingly rare phenomenon can help make this a great Christmas, and a great year. There is no one else alive today who can say they have seen this spectacular Christmas miracle with their own eyes. 

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

She was born way back in 1940. This adorable little black girl was born prematurely. She weighed in at 4 ½ pounds and was the 20th of 22 siblings. Born in the segregated south her future would not be predicted as stellar even if she did survive.

But, survive she did.

She grew from poverty and obscurity - to greatness. Described as gracious and soft-spoken, Skeeter blazed a trail in athletics and in society that cannot be forgotten. 

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

The satellite Santa Tracker we enjoy now was made possible as the result of a misprint in a newspaper in 1955.

 The once dominating American retailor Sears decided to publish a phone number, in a Christmas ad, for little children to call Santa. The kids could call, with their parents listening in, to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. A much more modern version of the whole writing a letter 2 months ahead so it could get to the North Pole in time.

 Well, as murphy law says, if anything can go wrong it will. And it did. Somehow the phone numbers published in the ad were not the number to call Santa. It was the wrong number. Instead of Santa, the kids had a chance to talk to the North American Aerospace Defense Command or NORAD.

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

The legend of the Stockings. And, by the way, if you find this one a little misogynistic it not my fault, you’ll have to take it up with the folks who perpetuated the story.

 Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a very poor man was left to himself providing for 3 daughters. Unfortunately, they lived in poverty and had no money for doweries for the girls, which was apparently a very important thing at the time. Could get them ‘married-off’ without a dowry.

 Generous old St. Nick was aware of this tough situation the poor and aging father of 3 daughters was in, and late one night provided a very generous solution.

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

Santa Clause – Saint Nick - Has morphed quite a bit over the centuries.

The fourth-century Christian bishop, Saint Nicholas, gave away his abundant inheritance to help the needy, and rescue women from servitude. OK -Generous maybe -but probably he was a pretty sober guy – not what you’d call jolly. 

His name, in Dutch, was Sinter Klaus, which later morphed into Santa Claus, and over time soften into the well-loved character we know in the US. 

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

Did you know Chewing tobacco and Christmas trees have something in common? Stay with me now - His name was Prince Albert, who married Queen Victoria – Well known and popular royal power couple in the 1840s.  A strong precursor to the Kardashian phenomenon, the name of Prince Albert was everywhere.

But, What did he have to do with the Christmas Tree? Listen and find out!

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

In the lyrics of the song Merry Xmas/War is over, John Lennon penned the words, “ And, so this is Christmas” – But, is it? Traditionally in our time, we celebrate it on December 25th of each year. The purpose of the celebration? To commemorate the Christ child born in a manger in Bethlehem, of Judea, in the meridian of time. An event now celebrated by Christens and non-Christians alike, as a time of family, gift-giving, generosity, and celebration.

 However, Christmas was not always on December 25th. In fact, it is believed by most scholars and historians that Christ was born in the spring of the year.

 SO….How did we end up celebrating Christmas in the dead of winter?

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

Got a great story about a real character who almost everyone has heard of. But, We’re going to explore his childhood and some of the other attitudes and behavior he exhibited later in life.

Al was born on March 14th, 1879. As a newborn, he was described as having a ‘swollen and mishappen head’ and a grossly overweight body.

When Al’s grandmother saw him the first time she was reported to have screamed, “Much too fat! Much too fat!”.

As a young child, he was famous for his temper tantrums. He would yell, and holler, and throw things. Lots of things – toys, books, or whatever he could get his hands on.

He was an unquantified genius whose vivid mind has impacted so many meaningful advances in technology. He loved and took time for kids, and was an accomplished musician.

But, he was at times, also quite a selfish and insensitive jerk.

Like most human beings he was a mix of good and bad, Brilliance and stupidity, Light and Dark.

Not that different from most humans.

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

I’ve got a really fun little story about a boy and his dog. You’ll find it a bit different than other ‘boy-and-his-dog’ stories. Because, this dog was supposed to be a hunting retriever, meant to swim out in the cold waters of a pond and retrieve ducks. But, at this task, he became pretty much useless  - Or at least that what a neighbor thought when he saw what the dog could do.

So many times, something new and seemingly miraculous has been introduced to the world, and many just haven’t got the eyes to understand what they see. When the neighbor saw the dog pointed had out a ‘perceived flaw’, without seeming to comprehend the miracle he had just seen with his own eyes. 

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube

Have you ever heard of the fabled lemming?

A Lemming is a small rodent, a bit like a small mouse but more of a vole, with a short tail. 

Every five to seven years, they are said to instinctively recognize they have overpopulated, and a large group of them will head off in a furry little heard, and commence to stampede headlong off a cliff and into the sea, committing mass suicide for the benefit of the colony. 

Lemmings are cute little mammals who seem to love life in a beautiful environment. They are not melancholy balls of fluff that sit around contemplating the existential questions, who get depressed and angry about their existence,  then get all wound up and stampede into the ocean.

That is a myth.

How the heck did we ever come to believe this?

10 second pre-roll promo for An Ounce Podcast on YouTube