Author Archives: dcaligari

February 11, 1987 –Morrissey’s favorite Smiths’ song went to No.1 in the UK indie charts with Shoplifters Of The World Unite, on this date. The title alludes to the communist slogan “workers of the world, unite!” Morrissey has explained the meaning of the song as follows: “It’s more or less spiritual shoplifting, cultural shoplifting, takingContinue reading “I love when I hear the muzak version in the supermarket”

We should wish George Washington, a very happy birthday, but they’ve moved his birthday a couple of times – George was originally born on February 11, 1731, back went England was using the Julian calendar. No papist nonsense for them. In 1752, however, Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar which moved Washington’sContinue reading “Talk about a moveable feast”

Today is the second day of the Lunar New Year. Some believe the second day is also the birthday of all dogs and remember them with special treats. The God of Wealth presides over a vast bureaucracy with many minor deities under his authority. A majestic figure robed in exquisite silks often he is picturedContinue reading “The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.”

Believe it or not, some of you may actually be watching the Super Bowl later today. According to the Hass Avocado Board, almost 60 million pounds of avocados were shipped into the U.S. last week. Out of this amount of avocados, 93 percent were sourced from Mexico, 3.6 percent originated from California, 2.7 percent cameContinue reading “90 million American toilets will be flushed during the Halftime Show”

February 11, 1963 –Julia Child whetted America’s appetite for better cooking when The French Chef first aired on WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, on this date. The show was done live to videotape from start to finish, leaving little room for mistakes. The resulting occasional accidents became a popular trademark of Child’s on air presence, usedContinue reading “The French Chef premiered”

February 11, 1960 –Jack Paar, temperament host of the Tonight Show, walks off in a huff, his TV show when he is not allowed to tell a very lame joke about W.C.’s on this date. Yes Jack, there is a better way to make a living than this, nowadays, you would be allowed to haveContinue reading “The very definition of a ‘fit of pique’”

February 10, 1964 –Bob Dylan released his third studio album The Times They Are a-Changin, on this date. The album is seen as a protest album featuring songs about issues such as racism, poverty, and social change. The title track was one of Dylan’s most famous capturing the spirit of social and political upheaval thatContinue reading “We found out that we needed to start swimming”

February 10, 1840 –Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, (whose first language was German, was taught English and French, and became virtually trilingual, though her mastery of the conjugation of the past-participles irregular verbs in English remained incomplete which was luckily not on the English Monarchy exam), married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-GothaContinue reading “The fate of Europe made in one day”

Happy Chinese New Years Day – The Lunar New Year starts today, and it’s the Year of the Dragon, but which one? In Chinese astrology, each year is associated with a Chinese zodiac animal sign and one the Five Elements: Gold (Metal), Water, Wood, Fire, or Earth. Both the sign and element of your birthContinue reading “Gong Xi Fa Cai, Hong Bao Na Lai”

February 10, 1940 – Puss Gets the Boot, the cartoon short is released by MGM on this date. Yeah, yeah, I know that the cat is called Jasper in this cartoon. But dammit, it’s Tom, none the less.