Saturday, November 30, 2013

Let hear it for the little guys

You're probably exhausted from the various Black Friday Armageddons you waded through yesterday.  Hopefully you've a little money left to support Small Business Saturday - the day set aside to celebrate the engines of the US economy. 

In 2010, Small Business Saturday generated over $5.5 billions dollars in sales for local 'Mom and Pop' stores.


November 30, 1971 -
The TV movie that makes 'real men' weep unabashedly, Brian's Song debuted on ABC-TV on this date.



In real life, James Caan (who had been a football player in high school) was a much better athlete than Billy Dee Williams; but in the movie Williams' character, Gale Sayers, was supposed to surpass Cann's character, Brian Piccolo, in playing ability. So when they were racing on film, Caan was forced to slow down considerably so that Williams could beat him.


November 30, 1979 -
Pink Floyd
released its album The Wall on this date.



The album ultimately became one of the best-selling records of all time and synonymous with the term "concept album.".


November 30, 1990 -
Rob Reiner's
adaptation of Stephen King's thriller, Misery, premiered on this date.



Jack Nicholson was offered the role of Paul Sheldon but passed because he wasn't sure he wanted to do another movie based on one of Stephen King's novels after what he had experienced with Stanley Kubrick on The Shining.


Today's Holiday special - Remembering Godiva makes Kosher Chocolate.


The focus of Today in History on this date should be used as a guide to help you realize the blessings you should find in life:

On November 30, 1935, the German government proclaimed a failure to accept the tenets of Nazism as grounds for divorce.



Be grateful you never married a Nazi.


Jonathan Swift was born on November 30, 1667,



and Mark Twain was born exactly 170 years later, in 1835.



Be grateful that not everyone is taking everything so goddamn seriously.


Winston Churchill (one of my favorite American who became British Prime Minister) was also born on November 30, in 1874, in a coat closet of his family home (really).



Be grateful that not everyone was so grateful for Peace In Our Time.


Otherwise, here are some other events that occurred on this date

November 30, 1900 -
Celebrated Irish author and noted sodomite Oscar Wilde, died in Paris of meningitis on this date. Wilde had been charged three times with indecency, specifically "the seduction and corruption of young men." Evidence admitted against him included testimony about fecal stains on his sheets.



Be thankful that we obviously have better cleaning detergents than the French did in 1900.


November 30, 1929 -
Dick Clark
, the American Bandstander, was born on this date.



Be thankful the few of us are faced with bargaining with Satan for our careers.


November 30, 1936 -
The Crystal Palace, originally built by Sir Joseph Paxton in London's Hyde Park for the 1851 Great Exhibition, burns to the ground on this date.



It was said that over 75,000 people came to watch the blaze, among them Winston Churchill, who said, "This is the end of an age". The glow was visible across eight counties.

Be thankful that you weren't down wind from this one.


November 30, 1954 -
At 1 pm, an 8.5 pound stone meteorite fell from the sky and struck Ann Elizabeth Hodges from Sylacauga, Alabama.  She was the first reported person in modern times to be struck by an object from outer space.

The housewife was seriously bruised but survived, although the meteorite destroyed her radio.

Oh the humanity!


Before you go - a video of the exploding stomach of a dead sperm whale (please, if you have a sensitive disposition, do not watch this.)



Now that you've seen it, you can not unsee it, so move along (your moment of zen.)



And so it goes


There are 25 days until Christmas.

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