Author Archives: dcaligari

Before you go – Since Thanksgiving is mostly about ritual and tradition, I’ll share with you my family’s traditional holiday dip. This is literally a blast from the 60’s but then again, so am I. My mother has often checked out my recipes on this site. Rather than congratulate me on preserving recipes for myContinue reading “The appetizer – an excuse for an extra meal.”

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”

Before you go – Alright, it’s time to face your fears – Thanksgiving is coming up and you’ve never made dinner before. OK bunkie, let’s walk through the whole thing. I promise you with a little help, it’s going to be OK. We’ll start with something easy and work our way up. Cranberry Sauce. Yes,Continue reading “Stock up on paper goods”

November 20, 1923 –American inventor Garrett Morgan was awarded Patent No. 1475074 for the stoplight that included a third option in addition to “stop” and “go.” His invention was a major step forward in traffic safety. Besides the traffic light, Morgan is best known for his work on gas masks. And so it goes

November 20, 1976 –Former-Beatle George Harrison appeared on Saturday Night Live on this date. George Harrison seemed to have misunderstood Lorne Michaels offer of the $3,000 payment for his appearance; Michaels explained to George that the $3,000 was for all four of the Beatles – making the payment only $750 for him.

Before you go – And yet another supermarket commercial, Asda, encouraging their customers to Make the Holidays Spectacular – I do have a question: are they going to replace everyone’s flooring after they flood their homes and apartments to create this Ice Show? Demand Euphoria!

November 19, 1969 –Please feel free to use this piece of information at your Thanksgiving dinner should you run out of conversation: Apollo 12 astronauts, Mission commander Charles “Pete” Conrad and Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean, landed at the Oceanus Procellarum (“Ocean of Storms”) and become the third and fourth humans to walk onContinue reading “They went because …”

Seven score and 18 years ago today (November 19, 1863) – President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on this date, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg. He gave it at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. TheContinue reading “He was not the featured speaker”

November 19, 1959 –The first episode of Rocky and His Friends aired on this date. The first episode, Part One of the Jet Fuel Formula story arc, was recorded in February 1958. However, subsequent episodes were not recorded until February 1959, using a different soundtrack stock. This led to some notable changes in the performancesContinue reading “Rocky and His Friends”

November 18, 1928 – Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse (even though this is his third appearance in a cartoon.) I never argue with a corporation that has Darth Vader as a board member. Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, was released on this date.