The Kraft Music Hall began its 15-year broadcast life under band leader Paul Whiteman and singer/actor Al Jolson, but it’s Bing Crosby for whom the show is best known. Crosby took over as program-host late in 1935, and it was during his decade-long reign on the show that Bing enjoyed the peak of his film, radio, and popular music fame.

Bing was born Harry Lillis Crosby in Tacoma, Washington in 1903. In the 1920’s he abandoned law school at Gonzaga University to become a singing-drummer on the vaudeville circuit! By 1925 he’d moved to Los Angeles and began performing in theaters and nightclubs with old college pal Al Rinker. Both friends would sing while Rinker played piano and Crosby accompanied on drums.

In 1927 Paul Whiteman saw them perform and immediately signed them up to tour with his band. Later Crosby left the orchestra to work with Gus Arnaheim back in Los Angeles. In 1931 Crosby signed a recording contract with CBS and the following year began his acting career with Paramount Pictures.

As a part of Crosby’s deal with CBS, he was given his own daily radio program, Fifteen Minutes with Bing Crosby, which showcased the crooner’s musical talents. From 1931-35 Bing worked several other variety programs on CBS, for sponsors such as Chesterfield cigarettes and Woodbury soap. By this time Crosby had become a major star and late in 1935 he decided to switch over to NBC and host The Kraft Music Hall .

The Music Hall’s hour-long format was a perfect match for Crosby’s warm and relaxed stage presence. The show featured a mixture of music, jokes, and casual conversation.

One of the regular cast members included Bob Burns, “the Arkansas Traveler,” teller of tall-tales, and player of a comical bass-instrument of his own invention that he called a “bazooka.” This glorified whisky jug of a bass consisted of two pieces of pipe that were slid one over the other in a trombone-like manner when played. The “bazooka” moniker would soon be adopted by our troops in the coming war, who affectionately referred to their anti-tank rocket guns by the same name as Burns’ crude pipe instrument.

Other Music Hall cast-members featured over the years included: bandleader Jimmy Dorsey, drummer Spike Jones, trombonist Jerry Colonna, vocalist Mary Martin, and pianist-comedian Victor Borge.

The Music Hall had a low-key distinctive sound that Crosby carefully cultivated. Oddly enough, he discouraged applause between performances, feeling this slowed the pace of the program. Numerous big-name musicians, artists, and entertainers became regular guests. It was said they appreciated Crosby’s charm and “gracious informality,” which Bing masterfully employed to make them feel as if they were stars of the show. The long list of illustrious guests included the likes of: Duke Ellington, Jack Teagarten, Lionel Barrymore, Humphery Bogart, Robert Benchley, Pat O’Brien, and Bob Hope.

Late in 1945 a disagreement arose between Crosby and NBC. Bing had heard of a new method of sound recording developed in Germany which used plastic-backed tape that could reproduce sounds of superior quality. Crosby immediately saw the advantages of using these tapes to pre-record his radio programs –producing four shows in a week and then taking the rest of the month off. The network and sponsors had long opposed pre-recorded programs, fearing the public’s reaction to a “canned” show. Crosby insisted on taping and in the end, walked out on Kraft and NBC. The Music Hall continued broadcasts until 1949, first under the leadership of Edward Horton and later by the show’s old host and singing star, Al Jolson.

In 1946 Crosby started “Philco Radio-Time” on ABC and made history with radio’s first taped program. The show had a very similar format to Kraft Music Hall and pulled respectable ratings in its three years on the air. By doing this Crosby demonstrated to everyone the high quality of audiotape recordings and the fact that the public could accept non-live broadcasts. These discoveries would soon have a tremendous influence on both the music industry and the infant medium of television. -CP

Take your bible and turn to the following Scripture -- John 1:39
Prayerfully read the verses two times, and then read the Advent Devotional that follows written by Dr. Thomas Q. Robbins, Pastor of the University Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. Then spend a few moments in prayer using the suggestions Thomas Q. offers. Be sure to wait a few moments in silence to let your Creator God speak to you.

Think About It
The response of Jesus to the disciples of John of “Come and See” is Jesus’ response to any and all who would approach Him. “Come and See.” Jesus can’t be known from a distance or from a sort of objective observation that tries to analyze the situation. Jesus must be approached and he has issued an ongoing invitation.

We must see and experience Him in the most intimate of ways. To really know or prove whether or not Christianity is true or false, it must be lived wholeheartedly as Jesus says to us, “Come and See.” This phase, "Come and See" means so much to me I have used it as a name for our broadcast and teaching ministry. Jesus says to you, “Come and See” how loving, merciful, forgiving, directive, and comforting he is.

Prayer:
You shared human life with us and human suffering and human death. In vulnerability you made an overture toward us in Jesus Christ in the hope that we would respond in love and trust. Make that true in my heart, oh Crucified One, and in Thy Name help me to offer my vulnerability to others so they, too, might be enfolded in your love forever.

Are you really approachable, Lord? Are you asking me to get closer to You and experience You not only through my senses but also through my very soul? I know what your answer is and it seems almost too good to be true. Your answer is always, “Come and See!”

Dr. Thomas Q. Robbins, Senior Pastor
University Park Methodist, Dallas, Texas.

We were reminding ourselves that the use of a “winter tree” had long been a pagan practice and part of the observance of the sacred “Winter Solstice.” At some point, Christianity adopted the tradition. I really wasn’t sure how that happened but I remembered that Martin Luther was connected with starting the tradition of putting candles on Christmas trees which were by that time a regular part of home decoration in Germany.

I was embarrassed that I really didn’t have a clear idea of how the use of a Christmas tree had come into common practice for the celebration of Christ’s birth, so I went to William J. Fedder’s book, There Really is a Santa Claus, “The History of St. Nicholas and the Christmas Holiday.” It’s an outstanding collection of the traditions and observances of Christmas throught the centuries. I found this passage that answered some of my questions:

“In the year 200 AD, the early church Father, Tertullian wrote:

“You are the light of the world, a tree ever green, if you have renounced the heathen temple.”

In the 400’s AD, St Boniface was sent by Pope Gregory II as a missionary to heathen Germany. One of the first things he did was to confront the Chieftain Gundhar, who was about to offer little Prince Asulf as a bloody sacrifice to Thor, their pagan God who supposedly lived in the huge oak tree at Geismar.

St. Boniface boldly took an axe and after many swings at the mighty “blood oak” tree, an enormous wind arrived and blew the tree over! The heathen throng was in total awe. Then pointing to an evergreen tree that was next to where the mighty oak had stood, St. Boniface stated:

This is the word, and this is the counsel. Not a drop of blood shall fall tonight for this is the birth night of St. Christ, Son of the t All-Father and Savior of the world. This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be a “home tree” tonight. It is the wood of peace for you houses are built of fir. It is the sign of endless life for it’s branches are ever green. See how the tree points toward Heaven? Let this little tree be called the tree of the Christ Child; gather about it, not in the wild woods but in your warm homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood but loving gifts and lights of kindness.

Da Cajun 12 Day ah Christmas.

Day 1
Dear Emile, Thanks for da bird in the Pear tree. I fixed It las night with dirty rice an it was delicious. I doan tink the Peartree would grow in de swamp, so I swapped it for a Satsuma.

Day 2
Dear Emile, Your letter said you sent 2 turtle dove, but all I got was 2 scrawny pigeon. Anyway, I mixed them with andouille and made some gumbo out of dem.

Day 3
Dear Emile, Why doan you sen me some crawfish? I'm tired of eating dem darned bird. I gave two of those prissy French chicken to Mrs.Fontenot over at Grand Chenier, and fed the tird one to my dog, Phideaux. Mrs.Fontenot needed some sparring partners for her fighting rooster.

Day 4
Dear Emile, Mon Dieux! I tole you no more of dem bird. Doz four, what you call "calling bird" wuz so noisy you could hear dem all da'way to Lafayette. I used they necks for my crab traps, and fed the rest of dem to da gators.

Day 5
Dear Emile, You finally sent something useful. I liked dem golden rings, me. I hocked dem at da' pawn shop in Sulphur and got enough money to fix the shaft on my shrimp boat, and to buy a round for daboys at the Raisin' Cane Lounge. Merci Beaucoupees!

Day 6
Dear Emile, Couchon! Back to da birds, you dumb coon turkey! My poor egg-sucking Phideaux is scared to death ah dem six goose. He try to eat they eggs and they pecked the heck out ah his snout. Dem goose are so good at eating cockroach around da' house, though. I may stuff one ah dem goose with erster dressing to serve him on Christmas Day.

Day 7
Dear Emile, I'm gonna wring your fool neck next time I see you. Ole Boudreaux, da mailman, is ready to kill you, too. The crap from all dem bird is stinkin up his mail boat. He afraid someone will slip on dat stuff and gonna sue him. I let dem seven swan loose to swim on da bayou and some stupid duck hunter from Mississippi done blasted dem out da water. Talk to you tomorrow.

Day 8
Dear Emile, Poor ole Boudreaux had to make 3 trips on his mail boat to deliver dem 8 maids-a-milking & der cows. One of dem cows got spooked by da alligators and almost tipped over da boat. I doan like dem shiftless maids, me. I told dem to get to work gutting fish and sweeping my shack--but dey say it wasn't in their contract. They probably tink they too good to skin all dem nutria I caught las night.

Day 9
Dear Emile, What you trying to do? Boudreaux had to borrow da Cameron Ferry to carry these jumping twits you call lords-a-leaping across da bayou. As soon as dey got here dey wanted a tea break and crumpets. I doan know what dat means but I says, "Well la di da. You get Chicory coffee or nuthin." Mon Dieux, Emile, what I'm gonna feed all these bozos? They too snooty for fried nutria, and da cow ate up all my turnip green.

Day 10
Dear Emile, You got to be out of you mind. If da mailman don't kill you, I will. Today he deliver 10 floozies from Bourbon Street. Dey said they be ladies dancing" but they doan act like ladies in front of dem Limey sailing boys. Dey almost left after one of them got bit by a water moccasin over by my out-house. I had to butcher 2 cows to feed toute le monde (everybody) and get toilet paper rolls. The Sears catalog wasn't good enough for dem hoity toity lords. Talk at you tomorrow.

Day 11
Dear Emile, Where Y'at? Cherio and pip pip. Your 11 Pipers Piping arrived today from the House of Blues, second lining as dey got off da boat. We fixed stuffed goose and beef jumbalaya, finished da whiskey,and we're having a fais-do-do. Da' new mailman drank a bottle of Jack Daniel, and he's having a good old time dancing with the floozies. Da' old mailman done jump off the Moss Bluff Bridge yesterday, screaming you name. If you happen to get a mysterious-looking, ticking package in da mail, don't open it.

Day 12
Dear Emile, Me I'm sorry to tell you--but I am not your true love anymore. After the fais-do-do, I spent da night with Jacque, the headpiper. We decide to open a restaurant and gentlemen's club on the bayou. The floozies--pardon me--ladies dancing can make a lotta money, and the lords can be the waiters and valet park da boats. Since da' maids have no more cows to milk, I trained dem to set my crab traps, watch my trotlines, and run my shrimping business. We'll probably gross a million dollars next year!

Ah yes, ‘tis the season for yet another holiday tradition! Just like good ole Saint Nick himself it’s time for that long-lived and oft-maligned gastronomic wonder, the noble fruitcake, to rise from it’s darkened celestial cupboard and set out on its holiday “gift given” rounds, spreading joy and good cheer the wide world over.

And to serve as a yuletide warning for all the headstrong and precocious children of the planet to behave themselves, ere the firm hands of justice should force them in punishment to actually eat a piece!

As far back as the gilded Christmas age of Charles Dickens’ England, the fruitcake has suffered the “slings and arrows of outrageous” culinary reviews. It was Dickens himself who once referred to it as “a geological homemade cake,” but it was under Johnny Carson’s watch on the Tonight Show that fruitcakedom witnessed its public relations low-point with a series “vicious and slanderous” chucklers, the best of which was… “There’s only one fruitcake in the entire U.S. and it’s passed around year after year, from family to family!”

Not laughing? Well I suppose we lack Ed McMahon’s “Ho-Ho’ing” shotgun-backup for the full “Carson effect.”

There are a few among fruitcake’s myriad fans (and those who just pretend to be for “image’s sake”) that trace its beginnings back to Egyptian times when cakes of dried fruit (in a tasteful dusting of natron) were prepared for the Pharaoh to take with him into the afterlife.

Still others cite the first fruitcakes occurring in Roman times, when a sumptuous mélange of raisins, pine nuts, and pomegranate were set in a barley mash and baked to produce a dense, durable food stuff that could easily travel on long campaigns with the conquering legions.

During the Middle Ages in Europe honey became an essential ingredient of the cakes, as a flavoring and a preservative. With the advent of cheap sugar, brought by the colonial trade of the 1600’s, fruitcake’s shelf-life steadily increased as the nuts and fruity bits were soaked in greater and greater concentrations of sugar.

By the 1700’s these cakes were used in various religious festivals, harvest celebrations, and weddings. In rural communities the harvest was marked by the baking of special cakes, which were stored until the following year to bring luck to the new year’s crop. Along a similar vein, in some parts of England the upper layer of wedding cakes (the bride’s cake) is still made of fruitcake, which the newly wed couple keeps for the coming year(s).

No one seems to be certain why fruitcakes became associated with Christmas time, but one imaginative story involves a late 1700’s English custom of handing out slices of cake to impoverished women who traveled door to door at Christmas, singing carols. Another possibility involves another English law from the 1700’s, which restricts the use of plum cake (i.e. fruitcake) to Christmas, Easter, weddings, christenings and funerals. In any case most fruitcakes are eaten (or I should say, “sold”) at holiday time.

Here in America, the modern Christmas fruitcake comes in two basic varieties, typically formed into a dense ring-shaped loaf, often topped in pecans. One variety is the “light fruitcake;” this uses sugar or corn syrup and a mixture of walnuts, almonds, pecans, golden raisins, pineapple, lemon rind, apricot, and cherry, bound in a sweet heavy dough.

"Dark fruitcakes" employ brown sugar or molasses as the main sweetener, and often use additional fruits such as dark raisins, prunes, and dates. Both varieties are often available with bourbon, brandy, or some other eau de vie as an added flavoring.

Despite all the jokes and their bad image, fruitcakes can be big business. The two largest fruitcake companies hail from the rural South, where traditionally fruit and nutmeats were available at bargain prices. The top-selling fruitcake company is the Claxton Bakery out of Claxton, Georgia -- you've seen it with it's two inch square loaf that is about eight inches long and chucked full of Georgia pecans. The rival to Claxton is the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas. The Claxton Bakery does not readily disclose exactly how many of their unusual brick shaped “beauties” are foisted upon humanity each year, but in one article they mention that a single government commissary once placed an order for 65,000 cakes. Oddly enough, a surprisingly large portion of all fruitcakes produced go to Japan!

For those brave few souls who feel inspired to actually do some fruitcake nibbling this holiday season, I can offer but a scant few tips. Sadly –perhaps I mean “happily”- my experience has been limited to only a few mass-produced examples of the fruitcake baker’s art. I suppose I should also warn you that my opinion is further handicapped by a hatred of maraschino cherries!

Most of the fruitcakes I’ve eaten have struck me as quite dry and bland, but find that the Claxton fruitcakes (while still bland compared to fruit breads like German stollen, Italian panetone, and French kougelhof) …the Claxton cakes have a wet dense texture that I find a bit more palatable than other options I’ve sampled -including the fruit-flavored CLIF and Powerbars that mountainbikers and "outdoorsy types" so often rave about. I've never had a Collin Street fruitcake, but know those who swear by them. (Or was it "at them?") I hear that the dark variety of fruitcake has a bolder flavor and that all of them are much improved if they’ve been baked with a little bourbon or some other liqueur.

Fruitcakes also improve with time; a good three months are required for the flavors from the fruits to fully blend and meld into the sweet doughy binder. Carefully stored, a fruitcake can last for years! The first thing to "go" on them will be the nuts.

Though I’ve never tried them, I hear that Trappist monks can make some pretty good fruitcakes! Two “orders” renowned for their bourbon laced cakes are the Abbey of Gethsemane near Louisville, Kentucky (www.monks.org) and the Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, Virginia. (www.monasteryfruitcake.org).

For those curious to have a look at the operations of the top-producing Claxton Bakery their web address is www.claxtonfruitcake.com. And in the interest of granting equal billing for our "Texas friends" the Collin Street Bakery's site is www.collinstreetbakery.com.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who can't read anything at all.