Anyone else here remember the radio program that IPR used to carry on Saturday nights known as the Vinyl Cafe? I always think of The Vinyl Cafe Christmas stories this time of year because they are gentle, uproariously funny and stand the test of time.

If you are unfamiliar with the Vinyl Cafe, the stories revolve around regular guy Dave, his wife Morley and their children Sam and Stephanie. They are Canadians simply living an average life. The story teller is Stuart McLean who graced the airwaves for decades with his stories before his death in 2017. I hit on the Vinyl cafe memories trying to find a respite from Trump.

We will begin with “Dave Cooks The Turkey.” I have no idea of the chronological order of these tales, but this one seems to be refernced in later stories. So let’s leave the world for a while and travel in our minds to Canada(22 minutes):

What another week! But let’s have fun. Less politics and more Christmas and winter.

A) Ahead of what event scheduled for last Friday, the FIWH made a lie filled address to the nation Wednesday night interrupting regular broadcasting?

B) What former DOJ investigator testified behind closed doors last week on the January 6th coup?

C) In what country do people famously celebrate by eating chicken from KFC?

D) Virginia is replacing its capitol hall statue of Robert E. Lee with a statue of what little known young civil rights leader from the early 1950s?

E) Murders were the centerpiece of the week it seems. What Hollywood couple were slain in their own house by their own child?

F) One of my favorite Christmas songs,  “Silver Bells,” is sung by Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell in what 1951 movie?

G) Chris Whipple’s name was all over the media after Vanity Fair published his interview with whom?

H) What Iowa congressmember was reported to no longer live in her district?

I) It’s summer in Australia today. So is Christmas on December 25th down there also?

J) It was cold last week, but according to a quick Google search was the coldest Christmas in Des Moines recorded in 1989?

K) Dan Bongino quit? Wasn’t he the second in command at the – what federal agency?

L) Looks like the world has what new weapon of mass destruction to deal with according to our FIWH?

M) The Edison company created electric lights in 1882. What did Albert Sadacca do that caused Christmas lights to become part of the fabric of Christmas?

N) What word that describes a massive winter storm with blinding snow was coined by an Iowa newspaper in 1870?

O) Even robots are having a tough time. What maker of robotic vacuums filed for bankruptcy Sunday?

P) Speaking of tough times, the House once again adjourned without taking up the ACA subsidies. What group in Iowa will be especially hurt by this inaction?

Q) In the 1947 version of “The Miracle on 34th Street” the story revolves around a person who plays Santa Claus for what department store?

R) It is the first day of winter so the days will be getting shorter or longer?

S) Judge Hannah Dugan of Milwaukee County Circuit Court was found guilty or not guilty on federal charges of felony obstruction in a case from last April Thursday?

T) What ‘singing cowboy’ had 3 big Christmas hits between 1947 and 1950 with “Rudolph the red nosed reindeer”, “Here comes Santa Claus” and “Frosty the Snowman”?

Everybody wants Jack Smith to testify in public except Republicans. What does that tell you???? – Covie

Christmas Presents (21 minutes):

 

Answers:

A) The release of the Epstein. Files

B) Jack Smith

C) Japan

D) Barbara Rose Johns who led a civil rights inspired strike in her segregated high school in 1951. Her case was one of the 5 heard by SCOTUS under the Brown v. Board cases

E) Rob and Michelle Reiner

F) “The Lemon Drop Kid”

 

G) the FIWH’s Chief of staff Suzi Wiles

 

H) Marianette Miller-Meeks

 

I) Christmas is on Dec. 25 everywhere

 

J) -22 F

K) The FBI

L) fentanyl

M) His store started selling strings of Christmas lights to regular consumers for their houses

N) blizzard

O) Roomba

P) Farmers many of whom rely on the ACA for insurance

Q) Macy’s

R) longer!

S) Guilty

T) Gene Autry

Pamela Anderson’s Christmas party (23 minutes)