// Twas the Day of the Superbowl in the Pittsburgh City//

A friend of mine wrote this in honor of today…

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»»Twas the Day of the Superbowl in the Pittsburgh City««<

Twas the day of the superbowl, and all throughout the city, 
Fans were preparing dishes that tasted oh so pretty…
The beer was chillin in the cooler with care
In hopes the superbowl start time was soon near

The children were nestled in their black and gold
While visions of school delays danced in their minds so bold
And Mamma in her shirt, made one last trip to the store
Cause Papa wanted seven sixpacks, not four!


When out in the store arose such a chatter
Beer cans and wine bottles made a clatter
Fans talked Seven rings, and the volume lifted
They knew the Black and Gold was certainly gifted.

In front of the cashier, fans stood waiting their turn
Hoping that the kilbalsea at home would not burn
When, what to their wondering eyes should appear
But more carts, filled with cases of beer

With the ring of the register and beep of the ATM,
Momma was soon on the road again
Driving more rapid then the Jets AFC loss
She was on a mission, and shouted, “This is for the Black and gold cause!”

“Now Ben! Now Troy! Now Aaron, and Tomlin
On, Hines! On James! On Clay, and Timmons.
To the top of the scoreboard! To the top of the game!
Now dash away! To the Superbowl! And bring home fame!”


As homes glowed black and gold
More people gathered inside out of the cold
Arriving to the neighbors party they flew
Ready to settle into an evening of good plays and good food


And then in a twinkling, they heard on the FM station
‘The Steeler Polka:’ the theme song for the Superbowl Nation.
Children jumped in the middle of the room, spinning around
And families danced to the welcoming sound.


Momma, draped in her Steeler coat, made one last stop at the store
For the Superbowl party, she needed more,
A bundle of groceries she had flung on her back
She looked like a Pittsburgher, with ethnic foods in her pack.

Dad’s eyes, oh how they twinkled, painted like footballs!
His cheeks were gold, just like everyone at the malls.
His big mouth was drawn up to look like heaven,
And his beard was painted with the stairway to seven.


The stump of a Rooney cigar held tight in his teeth
He cracked open a beer, getting ready for the heat
His face was round and red with anticipation
As this was a holiday in the Steeler nation

Dad was chubby and plump, quite happy with the day
And the kids they laughed when they saw he was so gay
With a wink of his eye, and twist of his gold hat
It gave them insight, Dad was a Pittsburgher n’at. 

Mom spoke not a word, but went straight to work
Serving food, chilling cocktails, and giving the saucepan a jerk.
Simply put, outsiders, they don’t understand,
This is a way of life for Pittsburgh fans.

Now the stores were closed, and roads empty, 
Everyone was settled into a Superbowl party.
They were sure they heard Rooney exclaim, as he sat in his box with delight,
“Happy Super Bowl my beloved city, and to yinz a victorious good-night.” 

~Amy Philips

// Flashback…//

This press release was sent to me today and brought back quite a few memories…

Thanks, Eric

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NEWS RELEASE

WMBS RADIO 590 – Your Local Station Announces Exciting New Music Format!

(For Immediate Release, Uniontown, PA January 21, 2003 )  Frank Sintatra, Doris Day and Barry Manilow and many more of your favorites are returning to WMBS 590 AM starting Monday, January 27, 2003.  WMBS is announcing a change of music format to the much loved and requested style, “Music of Your Life”.  

According to Ron Dawson, WMBS Station Manager, “We are returning to music that WMBS was known for in the area.  The change is coming is response to listeners requests as well as a need to fill a void in music styles in the area.  Dawson added, “We listened to the audience’s comments and decided now was the best time for the change.”      

In December, a new program was added to Saturday night to “test the waters”.  Dawson said,  “long time local air personality Bill Alexander came back to the station with his program called American Classic Standards, the program was a hit from the start and made us sure that the change was both wanted and needed.” 

            Dawson emphasized that “the only thing changing at WMBS is the music format, your friends, the staff that you’ve known for years, will still be here doing the jobs that they do best”.  The staff of WMBS consists of:

Tim Schwer , Mornings, 6 am to 11 am

Peter Marshall, MOYL, 11 am to 12pm

Jim Morgan , News, 12pm to 1pm

Bob Foltz, Let’s Talk , 1pm to 3pm

Chuck Southcott,  MOYL, 3pm to 7pm

Gary Owens, MOYL, 7pm to 10pm

Johnny Magnus, MOYL,   10pm to 2am

Ken Young , MOYL, 2am to 6 am

Local sports will remain an important part of WMBS’s programming, with your local favorites, Brian Mroziak and Arnie Amber.  The weekend schedule will see some minor changes with Oldies Unlimited, and Radio Active Gold moving to Sunday Afternoon.  Saturday Afternoon will now be home to Wink Martindale and Chuck Southcott. 

Tune in to WMBS, YOUR LOCAL STATION for the MUSIC OF YOUR LIFE starting next Monday, January 27^th, 2002.  You listened then…Listen to us NOW!

// Hello….Is Anybody Listening?//

NEW Podcast by yours truly: http://BillAlexander.net

// Holiday Old Time Radio Shows//

Here are a few links to some of the radio programs that I requested you to listen to: (to save these programs - right click and save target as.)

A Christmas Carol (1953)

It’s A Wonderful Life (1947)

A Christmas Sing with Bing (CBS) - December 24, 1961

Phlico Radio Time - Starring Bing Crosby - 12/25/1946

Rocky Fortune - Starring Frank Sinatra - 12/22/1953

 Duffy’s Tavern - Is there a Santa Claus - 12/21/1945

Jack Benny Show - An Old Fashion Christmas - 12/20/1936

Enjoy some great classic from days gone by.

~Bill

// Trying Out Streaming Audio Again//

Once again I am trying out streaming audio, except this time I am using a software program from Destiny Media Technology called Pirate Radio.  The only flaw with this program is that you will need to download the Destiny Media player to hear this (and it only works on a PC system).  Once you download this player click on this link http://72.95.243.116:8000/radiodestiny.rdl to listen to Just Between Friends Radio (this is just a test run).  Later on this week I will be trying out Shoutcast Radio on more time.

Here is the Shoutcast Link http://72.95.243.116:8000/listen.pls 

If you have any questions please email me.

// Just Between Friends Radio Network//

Hi Everyone,

Some of you have asked me to clarify what I posted on Facebook over the weekend:

Bill Alexander Thinking about creating a Podcasting network for Southwestern PA. The name of the network would be “JustBetweenFriendsRadioNetwork”. If you are interested in having your podcasts listed and featured on the network please let me know at justbetweenfriendsradio@gmail.com.

22 hours ago  · Comment · Like

Let me explain what I want to do… I want a group of local podcaster in the region to create a network dealing with the local area( Southwestern PA).  Most podcasts do not focus on a local community or region.  Since most of use has lost our “HomeTown” radio stations I want to create a group of podcasts that will focus on local issues and events.  This will not replace radio, but it will give the communities in the area a voice. If you or anyone you know would like to do this please let me know. (FYI -  I am reworking my program to focus on local stuff (local to me).)  

If you are already posting a podcast on a regular basis please let me know and we will make it part of the network.  So you know up front, I don’t care what issues or events you are covering just as long as they are local. The LOCAL point of view is what I care about most.

If you have any questions, please email me at JustBetweenFriendsRadio@gmail.com

// Letter to the Editor…//

This post was written by a friend of mine in response to a letter to the editor in the “Local” Uniontown PA, Newspaper.

The president of the United States is not a secret Muslim
September 19, 2010

By: Daron Christopher

I was heartened that a fellow reader wrote in to point out the stupidity of David Gardener’s insistence that President Obama is a Muslim. This is a lie that has been thoroughly discredited.

Since when do we as Christians greet someone’s repeatedly stated faith in Jesus Christ as a lie? Especially when it’s the president of the United States?

However, I do think it is important to also note the stupidity of the assertion that there would necessarily be something wrong with the president being a Muslim.

Was Mr. Gardener as concerned about the prospect of Joe Lieberman being our first Jewish vice president? Or Mitt Romney becoming our first Mormon president?

Since when does our country give a religious litmus test to elected officials? Colin Powell was most eloquent during his endorsement of Obama’s candidacy for president: “Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?”

Mr. Gardener should be made aware that there is no proposed “mosque at Ground Zero”, but rather a Muslim cultural center two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center attacks. This is a center that is explicitly intended to encourage understanding between Muslims and those of other faiths, something that I find most appropriate to be in easy walking distance of the 9/11 site.

This is one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the world, complete with adult book stores and liquor shops - as well as a mosque already in operation four blocks from the site of the attack. Why are these businesses not under attack if this entire neighborhood is now considered hallowed ground? Not to mention the fact that Muslims regularly hold prayer services within the Pentagon itself.

Private property rights and freedom of worship in one of the most densely populated and diverse neighborhoods on earth should trump the fear-mongering and demagoguery that has been stirred up by opponents of this project, suspiciously close to the midterm elections, I might add. Since when should the federal government be involved in the business of telling folks what they can and cannot build?

Mr. Gardener’s ruminations on the “vast majority” of Muslims being violent is so frustrating to anyone who has actually met a Muslim, something I recommend he consider trying sometime, judging from his letter.

There are over a billion of them on the planet - the second largest faith in the world.

Does he honestly believe that the “vast majority” are terrorists?

It is interesting to me that most opponents of the Park 51 project are also strong supporters of our “war on terror.”

Do they realize that our objectives in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past decade have been about fostering cooperation with Muslim leaders? This goal is of course made exceedingly more difficult with news emerging like the nutty Florida pastor endorsing public burnings of the Koran.

Are we really incapable of distinguishing between an ordinary person and an extremist? Would he also discredit the vast number of Christians because of the many acts of murder and terror that have been carried out over the centuries because of a twisted view of Christianity? Remember those who justified slavery or killing abortion doctors on their reading of the Bible.

This level of ignorance is dangerous. The lesson that we should draw from 9/11 is not “Islam is bad.” It should be to recognize that we must never become so fanatical about our beliefs that we will demonize and hate those who are different from us. Nine years later, we obviously still have a lot of work to do.

I’d invite those who think they have a thorough understanding of Islam (from often dubious sources) to consider the wide array of Muslim countries beyond the Middle East, in Africa, Asia, and Europe such as Senegal, a Muslim nation in West Africa that I traveled through as a Peace Corps volunteer, where people were exceedingly kind and generally spend their time working, worrying about their families, and making it through the day just like anyone else in the world.

In Senegal’s capital, Dakar, the hustling and bustling looks exactly like any day in downtown Pittsburgh - except for the fact that a few times a day, all traffic and business stops while everyone in the street stops to pray.

I saw a country and culture that worked to make time for God and spirituality, the same goal of so many who vilify Islam, a religion worth learning more about before judging it.

Daron Christopher is a resident of McClellandtown.