Author Archives: dcaligari

You probably don’t like them (maybe you do, what do I know.) You probably had a bad experience in elementary school (not with vegetables – just in school.) Well, you have to eat vegetables sometimes and Thanksgiving is as good about a time as any. We’re going to deal with two unsung vegetables – today,Continue reading “Beets (You will love ’em)”

November 21, 1976 –Ok everybody, “…Gonna fly now, flying high now…” Rocky, premiered in NYC on this date. During his audition, Carl Weathers was sparring with Sylvester Stallone and accidentally punched him on the chin. Stallone told Weathers to calm down, as it was only an audition, and Weathers said that if he was allowedContinue reading “Rocky premiered”

November 21, 1981 –The Queen/David Bowie collaboration Under Pressure went to No. #1 on the charts in the UK, on this date. Brian May recalled to Mojo magazine October 2008. “It was hard, because you had four very precocious boys and David, who was precocious enough for all of us. David took over the songContinue reading “Under Pressure topped the charts”

November 21, 1980 –After several years delay and hopelessly over budget, MCA Records released seventh studio album by Steely Dan, Gaucho, on this date. MCA tried to recoup the cost of producing Gaucho by selling the album at $9.98 retail, rather than the average rate of $8.98 retail. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker couldn’t helpContinue reading “Gaucho was released”

November 21, 1964 –The upper deck of The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opened to traffic on this date (at the time it was the world’s longest suspension bridge). And it still takes forever to get to Jersey through Staten Island.

November 21, 1980 –In what was one of the most-watched TV cliffhangers in television history, 350 million viewers worldwide tuned into the television series Dallas to find out who had shot J.R. Ewing at the end of the show’s previous season. As it turned out, he was shot by his wife’s sister, who also wasContinue reading “Who shot JR finally revealed”

November 21, 1992 –Adam Sandler sang The Thanksgiving Song on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, on this date. Sandler, still two years away from introducing his huge holiday hit The Chanukah Song, celebrated Thanksgiving with a comical ode to the holiday.

November 20, 1973 – The third Peanuts holiday special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, premiered on CBS-TV on this date. Lucy has limited role in this special: she has her scene where she torments Charlie Brown by yanking away a football as the beleaguered hero attempts to kick it. But that opening scene is the onlyContinue reading “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving premiered”

November 20, 1976 –Former-Beatle George Harrison appeared on Saturday Night Live on this date. This is the episode where the host, Paul Simon, appears in a turkey outfit, during the opening monologue. George Harrison seemed to have misunderstood Lorne Michaels offer of the $3,000 payment for his appearance; Michaels explained to George that the $3,000Continue reading “George Harrison appears on SNL”

November 20, 1999 –John Carpenter became the first world-wide winner of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, on this date. The $1 million question was, “Which of these U.S. Presidents appeared on the television series ‘Laugh-In’?”, with the choices being A) Lyndon Johnson, B) Richard Nixon, C) Jimmy Carter, and D) Gerald Ford. He knewContinue reading “The first millionaire on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire”