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December 24, 1955 –NORAD tracked Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition, thanks to a misprinted phone number in a Sear’s retail catalogue, on this date. For the first several years, it was run by the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. (Psst bunkies don’t worry – EvenContinue reading “NORAD is still on the job”

December 23, 1750 –Benjamin Franklin was severely shocked while electrocuting a turkey on this date. Franklin believed electrocuting the turkey would make it more tender. Lost in the annals of history is the crime the fowl committed. And yet I didn’t tell you about –December 23, 1690 –Royal British astronomer John Flamsteed made the firstContinue reading “Shocking, I say!”

Festivus for the rest of us As not to embarrass yourself tonight at your Festivus family gathering, here are the four tenets of the holiday: The Festivus Pole: During Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole is displayed. The pole was chosen apparently in opposition to the commercialization of highly decorated Christmas trees, because it is “veryContinue reading “Now 100% Tinsel Free!”

December 23, 1823 –The famous poem A Visit From St. Nicholas was first published on this date. It begins, Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house / Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse …. Fourteen years after its first publication, an editor attributed the poem to a wealthy professorContinue reading “Twas The Night Before Christmas”

December 23, 1964 –The Beach Boys made their first appearance on ABC-TV’s musical variety series Shindig!, on this date The performance was tape on December 14th. Besides Little Saint Nick, the band went on to perform Dance, Dance, Dance, Monster Mash, Papa Oom Mow Mow, Johnny B. Goode, and We Three Kings of Orient Are.Continue reading “The Beach Boys”

Bunkies, what would the holidays be with Pee Wee Herman’s Christmas Special (now filled with original commercial goodness!). Remember to scream ‘really loud‘ when the secret word ‘YEAR‘ is said: The lighting apparatus used in Miss Yvonne’s hair actually shorted and smoked during production and the crew had to intervene to remove the power packContinue reading “I got Dinah Shore on the other line.”

December 22 1958 –The song by Dave Seville and The Chipmunks, The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late), hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts and stayed there for four weeks, on this date. (Sorry about the ear worm.) The song, written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (a.k.a. David Seville) who varied the tapeContinue reading “The Chipmunk Song”

Through the mid-‘60s, Phil Spector was focused on singles, with his definition of an album being “two hits and ten pieces of junk.” He took a different approach, however, when he put together a Christmas album in 1963, where he put a great deal of effort into every track. So please join us at ACMEContinue reading “Our annual salute to prisoner 1073015 –”

Christmas is nearly upon us and we’ve barely mentioned Krampus this year – I’m just saying you have four days, you may want to change your ways before finding yourself on Krampus‘ hit list, you don’t want to go into that sack, (or maybe you do – what do I know.) Demand Euphoria!

December 21, 1898 –Radium, which existed since the world was young, was minding it own business when French local busybodies and known chemists Pierre and Marie Curie isolated radium; one of the first radioactive elements to be discovered. They won a joint Nobel prize for their work, and Marie Curie went on to win anotherContinue reading “Curiosity killed the cat … and the scientist”