Author Archives: dcaligari

Before you go – T K Maxx, (apparently our British cousins can save even more money by not using the J) has a warm holiday commercial about a nervous young boy at his local Christmas pageant. So the take away is, if you want to give a rocking performance at the school show – playContinue reading “Confirm your tablecloth and linens are clean”

November 17, 1970 –The Lunokhod 1 moonrover was released by the Soviet Union’s orbiting Luna 17 spacecraft. It succeeded in landing on the Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains), on this date. Lunokhod was the first roving remote-controlled robot to land on another celestial body. And so it goes.

November 17, 1903 –Vladimir Ilyich Lenin’s stubbornness split his Russian Social Democratic Labor Party into two factions: the slim majority who sided with him, and the vast minority who opposed him, on this date. The Russian terms for majority and minority are Bolshevik and Menshevik, respectively, and so these factions took their names. Later theContinue reading “Another Episode of Oh That Wacky Russia Revolution”

November 17, 1978 – The two-hour Star Wars Holiday Special aired for the first and only time on CBS on this date. (I must strongly warn readers not to attempt to watch the entire special in one seating – stronger men have been driven to drink and drugs for less.) George Lucas famously tried (andContinue reading “Star Wars Holiday Special”

November 17, 1933 –…Well, that covers a lot of ground. Say, you cover a lot of ground yourself. You better beat it – I hear they’re going to tear you down and put up an office building where you’re standing. You can leave in a taxi. If you can’t get a taxi, you can leaveContinue reading “Duck Soup”

Staying safe this holiday season. Tip no. 384: Zombies love farms and open land so avoid that old abandoned barn

Many sites have noted that today is Have a Party with Your Bear Day but can’t quite figure out the source: (No it’s not this reason.) In 1902 while on a hunting trip with Mississippi Gov. Andrew H. Longino, President Teddy Roosevelt was offered the opportunity to shoot a bear tied to a tree. SeeingContinue reading “Now the truth can be told”

November 16, 1969 –BJ Thomas released his hit, Hooked on a Feeling on this date. Please don’t click on this version unless you want the Ooga Chuka ear worm for rest of the week.

November 16, 1973 –David Bowie appeared in his first TV special, 1980 Floor Show, broadcast on NBC’s Midnight Special, on this date. The show was a spectacular stage production that was filmed over three days, mostly at The Marquee Club, in Soho, London. It would be Bowie’s last performance as the Ziggy Stardust persona withContinue reading “1980 Floor Show”

Before you go – I don’t understand the relationship between the British and their supermarkets. Apparently the most highly anticipated events are the dropping of their holiday commercials. The first one I want to share is for the chain Sainsbury – This is a very messy family but maybe that’s what they were going for.Continue reading “Start making room in the frig”