Author Archives: dcaligari

January 6, 1963 –See Jim try to swim to his dugout canoe through a lake of piranhas, while I watch safely from the studio, confirming the second pitcher of martinis is properly chilled. Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins began on NBC on this date.

January 5, 1980 –The Sugarhill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight, was the first hip-hop song to made it to the Top 40 on this date. The Fatback Band used an original beat on their song Kim Tim III, making Rapper’s Delight the first rap song to use a sample, which of course was done without permission becauseContinue reading “Rapper’s Delight”

January 5, 1961 –Mister Ed, the talking horse (with a daily diet was twenty pounds of hay, washed down with a gallon of sweet tea.,) debuted on CBS-TV on this date. The horse wouldn’t respond to any of his co-stars, just his trainer, Lester Hilton. This meant that Hilton had to be on the setContinue reading “Mister Ed premiered”

The final gift tally (365 gifts): you would have received 12 drummers drumming, 22 flutist, 30 members from the house of Lords, hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock, 36 Fan dancers, 40 angry dairy workers, on permanent coffee break, 42 Swans, trying to mate in your dining room (avert the children’s eyes) , 42Continue reading “It’s finally over – the 12th day of Christmas”

National Trivia Day is observed across the United States each year on January 4. Turkeys Were Once Worshipped Like Gods While the turkey is currently America’s favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, in 300 B.C., these big birds were heralded by the Mayan people as vessels of the gods and were honored as such, soContinue reading “A great passions is the collection of historical trivia”

January 4, 1941 – The animated short Elmer’s Pet Rabbit was released on this date: it marks the second ‘official‘ appearance of Bugs Bunny and the first to have his name on a title card. It was directed by the legendary Chuck Jones. (Note that Bugs hasn’t developed his characteristic buck teeth yet.)

Today’s gift count (286): you currently have 11 pipers piping, 20 hyperactive effete British gentlemen, knocking furniture over, 27 Pole dancers (draw the shades, the neighborhood kids are staring into your windows), 32 organized dairy workers striking for better working conditions, 35 Swans making a racket, befouling your second bathroom (I hope you have aContinue reading “The 11th day of Christmas”

January 4, 1643 – …There is no disputin’, we’re all indebted to Sir Isaac Newton … Sir Isaac Newton, English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian was born on this date (or on Christmas day 1642 Old Style.) And imagine, he still had time to invent Fig Newton Cookies. And so it goes

Today’s gift count (220): you currently have 10 Leaping Lords, (the ten lords represent the Ten Commandments,) 18 Rockettes, 24 young milkmaid, 28 Swans making a racket, 30 geese a’ laying, 30 golden rings, 28 calling birds, 24 French hens, 18 turtledoves and 10 partridges in their respective pear trees. Begin thinking about fleeing theContinue reading “The Tenth Day of Christmas”

January 3, 2000 –The last daily Peanuts strip ran on this date. The comic strip, which centered around the iconic Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, and their friends, had been running since 1950. Almost 20,000 strips were published in total, not to mention the musicals, movies, and television specials that featured the Peanuts gang.