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Today is the start of the Second Week of Advent. The theme of this week is that it is the week of Peace. The old ladies, saying rosaries in the back of church (to whom I turn to in all matters of religious instruction) tell me that this week is supposed to remind us thatContinue reading “Just so you know”

As we discussed yesterday, the real St. Nick, a fourth-century bishop, came from Myra (now Demre, Turkey). So how did he end up in the frozen north. The famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast established Santa’s official residence as the North Pole in several illustrations in the 1800s, according to NPR. At the time, there hadContinue reading “Impress the kids”

December 6, 1964 – One of the first neurotic holiday Christmas specials, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, premiered on this date Hermey is the only elf without pointed ears. He’s also the only male elf with hair on top of his head as well as eyes that dilate.

December 6, 1940 – MGM released the 10th Marx Brothers film, Go West, on this date. In one scene Groucho asked an Indian, “Who swindled the Indians out of Manhattan for $24?” In 1957, Groucho would appear in The Story of Mankind playing Peter Minuit swindling the Indians out of Manhattan for $24.

December 6, 1994 –Bush released their debut album Sixteen Stone on this date, which takes off in America but is largely ignored in their native England. Around the time of the release of the album, Britpop acts like Oasis and Blur were huge in their homeland but struggling to break through in America. It wasContinue reading “Everything zen, everything zen”

December 6, 1986 –Ringo Starr became the first Beatle to use his name in an advertisement, for Sun Country wine cooler. He was reportedly paid “in the seven figures.”

Christmas is nearly upon us and it’s Krampusnacht this evening – The day before St. Nicholas Day, Krampusnacht is a night when Krampus, a goat-like monster with horns, claws, and a long tongue, the fearsome counterpart to St. Nicholas, punishes children who are not on the right side of Santa’s list. Since yesterday happen toContinue reading “Have you checked Santa’s list lately”

December 5, 1952 –The local New York City affiliate of CBS-TV, WCBS begin carrying The Abbott and Costello Show on this date. During filming, one camera was always kept on Lou Costello because he was constantly improvising. The funniest bits of business were then edited into the episode whether they had anything to do withContinue reading “Hey Abbott!!!”

December 5, 1974 – The last episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Party Political Broadcast, was shown on BBC on this date. The sketch about the doctor making his patient fill in a form while bleeding to death was co-written by Douglas Adams, creator of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

December 5, 1969 –Apple Records released the single Come and Get It” by the band Badfinger, in the UK, on this date. The track was written and produced by Paul McCartney for the dark comedy film The Magic Christian starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr Paul McCartney recorded the demo of this song prior toContinue reading “Would you walk away from a fool and his money”