Author Archives: dcaligari

This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will arrive in New York City this morning. The 82-foot Norway Spruce from Queensbury, New York was cut down Thursday morning and loaded on a truck. The spruce made the 200-mile trip from the Leibowitz family home to Manhattan on the back of a flatbed truck. The official lightingContinue reading “I wouldn’t want to sweep up those pine needles”

Consider if you could really eat off of paper plates this year? Before you go – Before you go – The English department store chain, John Lewis and Partners released their annual holiday advert, (apparently this is one of the more highly anticipated commercials.) Once again, this year’s ad is a tear-jerker. I keep forgettingContinue reading “A question for you –”

November 12, 1945 –When you’re young, you don’t have any experience – you’re charged up, but you’re out of control. And if you’re old and you’re not charged up, then all you have is memories. But if you’re charged and stimulated by what’s going on around you, and you also have experience, you know whatContinue reading “Neil Young”

November 12, 2016 –Kate McKinnon sang Hallelujah in character as Hillary Clinton to open Saturday Night Live the Saturday after the 2016 presidential election. Still oddly powerful and moving.

November 12, 1992 The screamingly funny TV comedy Absolutely Fabulous, written by Jennifer Saunders, starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley premiered on the BBC on this date. The inspiration for casting Joanna Lumley as Patsy came from a sketch on The Full Wax. There, Ruby Wax interviewed Lumley, where the actress (who had previously beenContinue reading “Absolutely Fabulous premiered”

They’ve already celebrated Thanksgiving Before you go – Oops my mistake (or the British obsession with anthropomorphized food stuffs is far greater than I thought,) the Aldi ad I posted the other day was just a teaser. The actual Kevin the Carrot Christmas advert has dropped. In homage to the Macaulay Culkin classic Home Alone,Continue reading “Begin thinking about moving to Canada”

November 11, 1922 –We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. WWII veteran, noted author, and (possible alien) Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was born on this date.

November 11, 397 –St. Martin of Tours, another in the series of anorexic visionaries, patron saint of France, soldiers (he is known as the he man’s saint), reformed alcoholics and winemakers, died on this date. When the armistice fell on the Saint Martin’s Day, November 11, 1918, the French people saw it was a signContinue reading “Raise your glass to St. Martin”

November 11, 1978 –Donna Summer started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with her version of Jimmy Webb’s MacArthur Park, which was also a hit for actor Richard Harris in 1968, (made No.5 in the UK). (Sorry for the earworm.) Donna Summer recorded her disco version in 1978 with herContinue reading “A cover of MacArthur Park went to the top of the charts”

At 5:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918 French Army clerk Henri Deledicq finished typing the peace treaty that would end World War I. He had put the carbon paper in backwards. Ten minutes later, in a railroad car in France, military leaders signed copies of an armistice that were completely unreadable. World War I endedContinue reading “Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.”