Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Another great find on the internet.

Here is a clip of an unfinished documentary about Las Vegas lounge acts from the late 60's through the early 70's.



Go on youtube and encourage the maker to finish it (I don't know him but this is just too good not to complete.)


November 18, 1959 -
The Biblical spectaculars to end all spectaculars, Ben-Hur, starring Charlton Heston, had its world premiere in New York, on this date.



Paul Newman was offered the role of Judah Ben-Hur but turned it down because he said he didn't have the legs to wear a tunic.


November 18, 1987 -
Bernardo Bertolucci's magnificent take on Pu Yi, The Last Emperor, premiered in NYC on this date.



This was the first feature film granted permission by the Chinese government to be filmed in the Forbidden City. John Lone has to make more movies.


November 18, 1992 -
The biopic of the influential Black Nationalist leader, Malcolm X, premiered on this date.



This was the first non-documentary production that was given permission to film in Mecca.


Senticous: adjective, prickly; thorny. Naughty Larry pricked himself on a senticous bush as he peeked through the neighbor's window.


Today in History
November 18, 1307 -
Local Child Services authorities in Uri, Switzerland report that a William Tell shoots apple off his son's head . Charges may be pending.




November 18, 1421 -
A seawall at the Zuiderzee dike breaks, in the Netherlands, flooding 72 villages and killing somewhere between 4,000 and 10,000 people.


Let the joke commence about the killer dikes.


November 18, 1477 -
William Caxton published the first book printed in England, on this date. The book was a translation of The Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers, by Frenchman Guillaume de Tignoville. The translation to English was performed by Anthony Wodville, Earl Rivers, who had devoted a considerable portion of his life to the study of philosophers' dictes.


Wodville first formulated the theory that the length of a philosopher's dicte was less important than its thrust. He has also been credited with originating the theory that a philosopher's dicte was commensurate with his shoe size. Neither theory is given much credence by contemporary philosophers, most of whom appear to be dicteless anyway.


November 18, 1686 -
King of France Louis XIV's anal fistula is operated on by surgeon Charles Francois Felix, with great success, in front of the horrified yet fascinated court. To prepare for the operation Felix practiced his surgery on anuses of the peasantry, with some fatalities at first but improving his technique in time for the royal bung.


You know what they say, "if at first you don't succeed..."


November 18, 1928 -
Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse (according to the Disney corporation and I wouldn't mess with them.)



Steamboat Willie, the first fully synchronized sound cartoon, directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, is released on this date (it's the third appearances of Mickey and Minnie Mouse).


November 18, 1970 -
Singer/polygamist Jerry Lee Lewis divorces his third wife Myra Gail, after 12 years of marriage. Not only was she jailbait when they got married (being 13 at the time), but Lewis was married to Jane Mitcham at the time.



It's so hard to keep details like the number of wives you have straight in your mind.


November 18, 1978 -
Congressman Leo Ryan is slain at the People's Temple compound in Guyana, after which over 900 members of the cult led by the Reverend Jim Jones drank cyanide laced Flavor Aid (a Kool Aid knockoff), including over 270 children. It was probably not a pretty sight.


Also, The Kraft Foods Company would like you guys to stop making those damn 'drink the Kool Aid' jokes



- it wasn't them. So go 'drink the damn Flavor Aid and drop dead'.


November 18, 1985 -
The comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, created by Bill Waterson, is first published.


(in my humble opinion, the world's greatest strip)


37 more shopping days until Christmas, 24 more shopping days until Hanukkah. Shop til you drop. Remember, if you don't, the terrorists who are going on trial in NYC have won.


And so it goes

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