Author Archives: dcaligari

September 13, 1848 –A 13-pound tamping iron is blown through the head of railroad construction foreman Phineas P. Gage, entering beneath the left cheekbone and exiting the top of his head. The metal bar landed 30 yards away, taking with it much of his left frontal lobe. Gage never loses consciousness, even while the doctorsContinue reading “A real pain in the head”

September 13, 1986 –CBS allowed a strange, pale man, in an ill-fitting suit to come into their viewers homes (to scream really loud) when Pee-Wee’s Playhouse premiered on this date. Throughout the entire series run, the closing credits have never credited Paul Reubens as Peewee Herman, but instead would display the other cast & guestContinue reading “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse”

Alas, summer sun can’t last forever. The days will grow cooler and shorter, and our skin will once again pale. – Sarah MacLean Summer vacation is over, just as quickly as it began. Sorry kids in NYC, it’s back to school. Heavy Sigh. Alright, pull up your shorts and get going on with your day.Continue reading “It’s ‘See you in September’ time”

Broccoli is a “man-made” food. Broccoli only came about after years and years of selective breeding between wild cabbage plants that started around the 6th century BC. In fact, the word “broccoli” comes from the Italian for “the flowering crest of a cabbage”.

September 12, 1959 –That’s why we call it Bonanza…Bonanza…Bonanza… Bonanza, the first US television series to be broadcast in color, premiered on NBC-TV on this date. Most viewers have only heard the famous theme song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans played as an instrumental. The theme song actually had lyrics and there is footageContinue reading “Stick with me, I’ll get to the point”

September 12, 1878 –The magnificent phallic symbol was erected on the bank of the Thames on this date. It doesn’t really have anything to do with Cleopatra. The obelisk has a twin in New York’s Central Park, also named Cleopatra’s Needle. It has nothing to do with Cleopatra, either. There’s one in Paris. It’s notContinue reading “You probably never noticed”

September 12, 490 B.C. –It looked like it was going to be a pretty bleak day for Western Civilization. The Greeks, who were not yet Ancient or Classical, were facing a massive invasion of Persians. Persia was not yet part of the Axis of Evil, but was pretty nasty just the same. They had moreContinue reading “There’s a reason you shouldn’t run”

A pen is certainly an excellent instrument to fix a man’s attention and to inflame his ambition. John Adams (1797 – 1801) started smoking when he was 8 years old.

Hold fast the time! Guard it, watch over it, every hour, every minute! Unguarded, it will slip away. Hold every moment sacred. Give each one clarity and meaning, each one its true and due fulfillment. – Thomas Mann Over the past 20 years, I have found the following poems helpful in absorbing the enormity ofContinue reading “It started out a beautiful Tuesday morning…”

Believe it or not, Mike the Headless Chicken (April 1945 – March 1947) was a Wyandotte rooster (cockerel) that lived for 18 months after its head had been cut off. Thought by many to be a hoax, the bird was taken by its owner to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City to establishContinue reading “The original chicken without a head”