Author Archives: dcaligari

The name November comes from the Latin “novem” which is the Latin for the nine. In the early Roman calendar, it was the ninth month. According to the Gregorian calendar, November is the eleventh month of the year. Go figure. The Roman Senate elected to name the eleventh month for Tiberus Caesar and since AugustusContinue reading “Make every day a day of Thanksgiving!”

November 1, 1967 –Warner Brothers released one of Paul Newman’s signature films, Cool Hand Luke on this date. Originally, the scene where Luke plays Plastic Jesus as an ode to his mother was scheduled for the beginning of the shoot, but after Paul Newman insisted on learning the instrument, director Stuart Rosenberg delayed it aContinue reading “Cool Hand Luke premiered”

October 31, 1926 –Harry Houdini died in room 401 of Grace Hospital in Detroit on this date. The escape artist was killed by diffuse peritonitis, after having undergone an emergency appendectomy. Contrary to popular belief, the fatal appendicitis could not have been caused by a punch to the stomach. And so it goes

October 31, 1970 –Led Zeppelin started a four week run, on this date, at No.1 on the Billboard album chart with Led Zeppelin III, the bands second US chart topper. Although critics were typically confused over the change in musical style and gave the album a mixed response, Led Zeppelin III has since been acknowledgedContinue reading “Led Zeppelin III went to the top of the charts”

October 31, 1963 –The Beatles returned to London today in 1963 from a short tour of Sweden, their first outside England. They were greeted at Heathrow airport by photographers, journalists, and hundreds of screaming fans, adding to the growing evidence that Beatlemania was going to be around for more than a few weeks. Ed SullivanContinue reading “Beatlemania was here to stay”

Before you steal all of your kid sister’s Halloween candy, that Thanksgiving is in 24 days. Keep checking those store flyers for sales on turkey – apparently they are going to be very expensive this year. There are 48 days until Hanukkah and that Christmas is in 55 days! Demand Euphoria!

ACME Eagle Hand Soap’s brief history of All Hallow’s Eve: Ancient Romans celebrated a holiday called Feralia on February 21. At first it was a simple day off to recover from the holiday of February 20 (Salvia Divinorum), and to take care of last minute shopping before the holiday of February 22 (Salta Boca). ItContinue reading “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones”

October 31, 1945 –René Clair’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery And Then There Were None was released in the US on this date. In recent years it has come to light that much of Agatha Christie’s plot appears to have been inspired by a little-known 1930 play by Owen Davis titled The NinthContinue reading “And Then There Were None premiered”

ACME Eagle Hand Soap’s brief history of All Hallow’s Eve: Ancient Romans celebrated a holiday called Feralia on February 21. At first it was a simple day off to recover from the holiday of February 20 (Salvia Divinorum), and to take care of last minute shopping before the holiday of February 22 (Salta Boca). ItContinue reading “A mask tells us more than a face”

October 30, 1937 – A good early Looney Tunes Halloween treat, The Case of the Stuttering Pig, was released on this date. When the picture of Uncle Solomon is shown, it’s a drawing of Oliver Hardy as a pig.