They now add things other than chocolates to the calendars

Today is the first Advent Sunday of this season. Advent means 'Coming' in Latin. It is a time to "get ready" for the celebration of Christmas. (The first candle represents HOPE, as all good altar boys know. I didn't just joke around at St. John's; once in a blue moon, I paid attention.)

Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas (those trying to figure out their Advent Calendars, you may open the first window, though the chocolate probably isn't very good.)


Today is the feast day of Saint Andrew, older brother of Saint Peter. In the Gospel of Matthew, it is said Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and saw Andrew and Simon Peter fishing and told them to join him and become 'fishers of men'. In many faiths, he is sometimes referred to as, 'first called', as he and his brother became the first apostles of Christ.



St. Andrew is the patron saint of fishermen and singers. He is also the patron saint to several countries and cities including: Scotland, Romania, Russia,, and Ukraine. (Which must be very confusing for him at the moment.)


November 30, 1934 -
W.C. Fields was very busy in 1934 - his fifth film of the year, It's a Gift, co-starring Baby LeRoy, premiered on this date.



The final scene, on Bissonette's "orange ranch", was filmed at the house and property W.C. Fields was living in at the time of the filming. For his entire life, Fields rented living quarters, adamantly refusing to buy a house or land.


November 30, 1956 –
CBS became the first network to broadcast from videotape on this date. It was a rebroadcast to the West Coast of the 15-minute Douglas Edwards and the News program.

The program was broadcast live to the eastern U.S. from New York. It was recorded on 2-inch tape with an Ampex Mark IV machine.


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



While it was not mentioned in the film for reasons of delicacy on prime time TV, Brian Piccolo had a metastasized version of testicular cancer ("testicle" was a censored word). He underwent multiple, extremely painful surgeries that, among other things, included a mastectomy, the removal of a chest wall, and a orchiectomy (removal of the testicle). The surgeon was later described as being too gung-ho because at the time and with the cancer at such an advanced state, there was nothing that could actually be done and the best thing should have been to focus on quality of life, as Brian's chances were virtually zero.


November 30, 1977 -
Bing Crosby's last Christmas special premiered on this date. The program was recorded in September, and Crosby died that October.



The show is remembered for Crosby's unusual duet with David Bowie, where they sing a modified version of Little Drummer Boy, with Bowie singing the new Peace On Earth lyrics composed by the show's writers. Even more strange is, when Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly in 2010, filmed a shot-for-shot remake, even sticking to the original dialogue.


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



Pink Floyd rarely released singles that were also on an album because they felt their songs were best appreciated in the context of an album, where the songs and the artwork came together to form a theme. Producer Bob Ezrin convinced them that Another Brick In The Wall part II could stand on its own and would not hurt album sales. When the band relented and released it as a single, it became their only #1 hit.


November 30, 1982 -
Michael Jackson’s second solo album, Thriller, produced by Quincy Jones, was released on this date.



Most homes had VCRs in 1983 and sales of videos were big business. Along with the Jane Fonda workout tapes, you could buy a VHS or Beta copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller, which included the full video and also The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, a behind the scenes documentary. This tape became the best selling music video at the time, and was later certified by Guinness World Records as the top selling music video of all time, moving nine million units. Part of its appeal was the price, a mere $24.95 at a time when movies on tape cost much more.


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 was not 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.


November 30, 1994 -
The Beatles' first album in 25 years, Live at the BBC, is released in Britain on this date.



BBC producer Peter Pilbeam meet an unknown group through their young manager Brian Epstein in February of 1962. He was impressed the group’s four-song audition and thus began a relationship that would span roughly three years, with the Beatles delivering 52 performances for the BBC between 1962 and 1965. Decades later, recordings from these shows would make up the compilation album Live at the BBC.


November 30, 2004 -
Ken Jennings' reign as Jeopardy! champion ended when he lost his 75th game to challenger Nancy Zerg, on this date. The clue: Most of this firm’s 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year. 



Nancy Zerg, who was in second place with $10,000, revealed her response: H&R Block.  Her $4,401 wager put her just a dollar ahead of Jennings. All eyes were now on the reigning champ.  His answer? ... FedEx. 


Murray probably said - Suffering when you're young is good for you.


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 almost 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 Peas In Our Time.


Otherwise, here are some other events that occurred on this date
November 30, 1858 -
The Mason Jar was invented and patented (U.S. patent #22,186) by Philadelphia tinsmith John Landis Mason.

I wonder if he knew his jar would be used as a cocktail glass.


November 30, 1886 -
George Westinghouse opens the first commercially successful alternating current power plant in the U.S. in Buffalo, New York to compete against Edison’s direct current ventures.



Alternating current power can be transmitted much further than direct current power by using transformers at the source for a higher voltage, which decreases the loss of energy.


November 30, 1900 -
Celebrated Irish author and noted card carrying 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 British did back then.


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, burnt 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, 1940 -
Comic actress Lucille Ball first met Cuban-born bandleader Desi Arnaz while filming the Rodgers and Hart stage hit Too Many Girls. At first, Arnaz was not fond of Lucy. When they met again later that day, the two connected immediately and eloped the same year.



They got married in Greenwich, Connecticut on this date. Lucy said "It wasn't love at first sight. It took a full five minutes."


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!

And so it goes

Sorry for the late post - internet outage

Today is Electronic Greetings Day. So sending your greetings are now just a click away.

The day celebrates the fact that you can send someone a card from one office bathroom stall to another.


November 29, 1940 -
W.C. Fields at his peak - The Bank Dick, premiered on this date.



Mahatma Kane Jeeves (the pseudonym used by W.C. Fields as screenwriter) is a play on words from stage plays of the era. "My hat, my cane, Jeeves!" And in fact, at the end of the film his butler does hand him his hat and his cane.


November 29, 1945 -
Remarkable for it frank portrayal of alcoholism (for it's day), The Lost Weekend, opened in Los Angeles on this date.



Billy Wilder claimed the liquor industry offered Paramount Pictures $5 million not to release the film; he also suggested that he would have accepted had they offered it to him personally.


November 29, 1950 -
Jean Cocteau's beautifully lyrical, Orphee, opened in the US on this date.



Orphee's obsession with deciphering hidden messages contained in random radio noise is a direct nod to the coded messages that the BBC concealed in their wartime transmissions for the French Resistance.


November 29, 1969 -
The Beatles' double A sided single Come Together/ Something, (their twenty-sixth release in the United States,) went to # 1 on the Billboard charts, on this date. Come Together / Something became the group's 18th US No. 1.





John Lennon was inspired by Timothy Leary's campaign for governor of California titled "Come together, join the party" against Ronald Reagan giving him the idea for the track. Something was the first Beatles song written by George Harrison to appear as an A-side.


November 29, 1975 -
Silver Convention's single Fly, Robin, Fly hits #1 on the Billboard Charts for the first of three weeks. The disco tune has very few lyrics because the German group can't speak English.



This was the first #1 US hit with a species of bird in the title. Rockin' Robin - both the Bobby Day original and Michael Jackson cover - stalled at #2. The next bird song to reach the top was When Doves Cry by Prince in 1984.


November 29, 1992 -
U2's first TV special, called U2's Zoo TV Outside Broadcast, aired on Fox-TV on this date.



The show contains footage from their concerts at Yankee Stadium in New York and the Houston Astrodome, earlier that year.


Don't forget to tune in to The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (Holiday Edition)


Today in History:
November 29, 1777 -
José Joaquín Moraga proved that he knew the way to San Jose on this date,



when he established, for Spain, el Pueblo de San Jose de Guadelupe, the first civil settlement in California.


November 29, 1864 -
The Sand Creek Massacre occurred, on this date, when Colorado volunteers led by Colonel John Chivington, in retaliation for an Indian attack on a party of immigrants near Denver, massacred at least 400 Cheyenne and Arapaho noncombatants (mostly children, women, physically- and mentally-challenged, and elders) inside Colorado Territory.



It also generated two Congressional investigations into the actions of Chivington and his men. The House Committee on the Conduct of the War concluded that Chivington had "deliberately planned and executed a foul and dastardly massacre which would have disgraced the varied and savage among those who were the victims of his cruelty."

The American Government has so much to be proud of with their dealings with the Native Americans.


November 29, 1924 -
Italian composer Giacomo Puccini died in Brussels before he could complete his opera Turandot. Franco Alfano finished it.



His death marked the end of a 300-year tradition of Italian opera.


November 29, 1929 -
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard E. Byrd (on a break from his experiments with frozen vegetables) radioed that he'd made the first airplane flight with pilot Floyd Bennett, over the South Pole: "My calculations indicate that we have reached vicinity of South Pole." (He was wrong. )



After briefly loitering around the Pole, Byrd and his crew headed back to their home base, Little America and more intense testing of frozen zucchini.


November 29, 1935 –
Once the cat is in the box, do you know if it really alive, or dead? (Don't tell the PETA people about this.)



Physicist Erwin Schrödinger published his famous thought experiment ‘Schrödinger’s cat’, a paradox that illustrates the problem of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics.


November 29, 1944 -
File this under: - Things they didn't tell you in school -
The first open heart surgery was performed at Johns Hopkins hospital, on this date.



A surgical fix for a fetal heart defect, tetralogy of Fallot or blue baby syndrome, was first performed at Johns Hopkins by surgeon Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, a black assistant who actually perfected the procedure. Thomas'contribution to the lifesaving surgery remained largely unacknowledged, outside of the medical profession.


November 29, 1951 -
The United States set off the first underground nuclear explosion named "Uncle" at Frenchman Flats in Nevada on this date.



It was a great success, except for the giant spiders, ants, grasshoppers and other insects left in the aftermath.


November 29, 1961 -
The US sent the chimpanzee Enos into space, aboard the Mercury Atlas 5 capsule from Cape Canaveral on this date.



Enos returns to earth safely but died less than a year later before he could sign with the William Morris Agency.


November 29, 1972 -
Pong, the first commercially successful video game, was released on this date by Nolan Bushnell (who was also the co-founder of the video game company, Atari.)



Pong is similar to digital tennis or ping-pong, and its great success was a big part of the early beginnings of the video game industry.


November 29, 1986 -
I do not think Cary Grant was a homosexual or bisexual. He just got carried away at those orgies - US congressman Bob Dornan, spoken on the House floor (I love that quote.)



82 year old Archibald Leach, better known as Cary Grant, suffered a major stroke in his hotel room prior to performing in his one man show An Evening With Cary Grant at the Adler Theater in Davenport, Iowa, on this date. He died later that night at St. Luke's Hospital.


November 29, 2001 -
The Beatles will exist without us.



The "quiet" Beatle, George Harrison was silenced by cancer on this date.


November 29, 2004 -
Godzilla received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on this date.



In honor of the event, the Toho star was allowed to run rampant through Little Tokyo that afternoon.


And on a personal note:
Oh yeah, millions of years ago (or at least more than half a century ago) the earth cooled and formed a hard crust, huge dinosaurs ruled the land and John was there to see it all. Happy Birthday John.

About a decade later, vast plains with wildflowers sprung up and Mary skipped along them all.

Happy Birthday Mary, our guest programmer for the day.

And so it goes

It's probably going to be on sale for the next few days

I'm sure the way to be happy is to live well beyond your means!. - Ruth Gordon

As most of you know, the Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year in the US.



I'm not quite sure you're going to get the best deals in the world today,



so why not sleep in (after you finish reading the blog of course.)

While you are still digesting last nights meal, you may have to start getting ready for Friendsgiving -



(whether or not you ask them if they've had their booster shots is between you and them.)


It's National French Toast Day



Eating your French Toast (Pan Perdu) as you are served it, is always the best bet.

Enjoy


November 28, 1951 -
The British film Scrooge (aka A Christmas Carol,) starring Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley, Mervyn Johns, Jack Warner, and Patrick Macnee, premiered in NYC on this date. (One of our favorite versions.)



Changes to the screenplay from the Charles Dickens book were made, mostly in the Christmas Past sequence. Among these changes are: reversing the birth order of Scrooge and his sister, so as to add that Scrooge's mother died giving birth to him; creating a character named "Mr. Jorkin" and flashbacks of several incidents in Scrooge's past (his sister's death, meeting Jacob Marley, taking over Fezziwig's warehouse, and Marley's death) which do not appear in the book.


November 28, 1969 -
The Rolling Stones released their eighth British album Let It Bleed on this date.



It is the follow-up to 1968's Beggars Banquet and the last album by the band to feature Brian Jones as well as the first to feature Mick Taylor.


November 28, 1974 -
John Lennon makes his last-ever concert appearance when he joins Elton John on stage at Madison Square Garden, reciprocating for Elton's appearance on Whatever Gets You Thru The Night and making good on a bet he lost: Elton wagered that Whatever Gets You Thru The Night would hit #1 in the US, and when it did, Lennon owed the appearance.



The pair perform that song and also do The Beatles' I Saw Her Standing There and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds that evening.


November 28, 1978 -
Atlantic Records released the album Briefcase Full of Blues, the debut album by The Blues Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi) on this date.



The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 and went double platinum. It is among the highest-selling blues albums of all time.


November 28, 1981 -
The short-lived series (only 12 episodes were shot), Open All Night, starring George Dzundza, Susan Tyrrell, Sam Whipple, Bubba Smith, Jay Tarses, and Bever-Leigh Banfield premiered on ABC-TV on this date.



The US TV version of the show was somewhat based on the hugely successful British sitcom, Open All Hours which ran for four seasons on the BBC. The American series was cancelled after 10 episodes.


November 28, 1984 -
Prince releases the song, I Would Die 4 U, on this date



On the Purple Rain tour, this was a showcase song for Sheila E., who served as Prince's opening act and also joined him on stage. Her live percussion on I Would Die 4 U compensated for the beats that couldn't be generated outside of the studio, due to Prince's use of a drum machine to create the rhythm on this track.


November 28, 1985 -
Ahmad Rashad proposed to Phylicia Ayers-Allen on live TV during NBC's halftime coverage of the Detroit Lions-New York Jets football game, on this date.



Ayers-Allen, was in New York for NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, was rushed to network's New York studio and looked at Rashad over a video monitor and simply said, "Yes." On December 14, 1985, at the Church of the Master in Harlem, Ahmad married Phylicia. The marriage ended in divorce in 2001.


November 28, 1987 -
Coming out of the surprise hit film Dirty Dancing, the Jennifer Warnes' duet with Bill Medley (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, went to No.1 on the US singles chart on this date.



Most pop songs don't start with the chorus, but this song had to fit some specific criteria for the movie: it had to start slow, finish fast, and have a mambo beat.


November 28, 2012 -
Peter Jackson's first of the Hobbit film series, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, starring Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen, premiered in Wellington, New Zealand on this date.



The production team returned to the same shooting location for Hobbiton as they used in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The land is part of a farm, which the owners allowed to be transformed into the Hobbiton set by The Lord of the Rings production crew in the late 1990s. After filming wrapped on the first trilogy, the farm's owners turned the land into a Tolkien tourism spot, offering guided tours of the Hobbiton set. With the crew from The Hobbit trilogy making improvements and additions to the aging Hobbiton set, the farm owners were happy to temporarily close down their tourism business, so filming could take place there again.


Another unimportant moment in history


It's terrible to be away from home, especially during the holidays.


History Today -
November 28, 1895 -
The first American automobile race, The Chicago Times-Herald race, took place over the 54 miles from Chicago's Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois. Frank Duryea's Motorized Wagon won in approximately 10 hours. (The average speed was 7 mph. )



Sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald, the race was held in Chicago, attracted 80 entries but only had six starters: four cars and two motorcycles. The race created considerable publicity for the motocycle, which had been introduced in the United States only two years earlier.


November 28, 1922 -
The first use of skywriting for advertising happened when Captain Cyril Turner of the Royal Air Force flew over New York City, spelling out, “Hello USA. Call Vanderbilt 7200,” on this date

Within just a few hours, 47,000 people had done just that. And of course operators were standing by at Vanderbilt 7200 to take their orders although no one had any idea what was being sold.


(Sorry boys and girls but it's not all a pleasant day OTD) -
November 28, 1942 -
A fire at the overcrowded and sleazy Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, killed 491 people on this date. Flammable artificial palm trees aided the spread of the fire.



The numerous dead were crushed, burnt, and asphyxiated, all within minutes.

There's a lesson here boys and girl - sleazy nightclubs kill!!!


November 28, 1943 -
Randall Stuart Newman, singer/songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist was born on this date.







Newman has been nominated for twenty Academy Awards, winning twice. He has also won three Emmys, five Grammy Awards, and the Governor's Award from the Recording Academy. (Even though it is his birthday, he didn't murder anyone (as far as we know) then eat their liver with a fine chianti. He probably shouldn't be listed here today.)


November 28, 1953 -
Frank Olson, government scientist, has a particularly bad dream and jumped to his death from the Statler Hotel in New York City on this date.



It was later revealed in 1975 that Olson had been administered LSD by Dr. Sidney Gottlieb in a CIA experiment.

That really must have been one bad trip.


November 28, 1962 -
I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.



Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, comedian, television host, political satirist and formerly, America's most trusted newscaster, was born on this date.


November 28, 1966 -
One of most famous parties of the 20th century, Truman Capote’s Black & White Ball was held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on this date.



The masquerade ball was held in honor of The Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham and cost Capote a total of $16,000. The Black and White Ball was credited with starting an immediate upsurge in masquerade and costume parties.


November 28, 1981 -
A drunken Natalie Wood toppled off her yacht near Catalina Island and drowned. Her husband Robert Wagner and melodramatic friend Christopher Walken, were on board and unaware of her predicament, apparently having some sort of argument in the cabin -



possibly about whether or not a drunken Natalie Wood could float (you know that's still an awful joke.)


November 28, 1994 -
Jeffrey Dahmer was beaten to death with a broomstick by inmate Christopher Scarver while cleaning the prison bathroom.

(Bunkies, here's a tip from your old pal - don't go poking around for photos about Jeffrey Dahmer, there are some sick pixs out there. I'm going to disinfect my eye balls.)

Dahmer's brain was to be preserved in formaldehyde at the request of Mom, but a court ordered its destruction in late 1995.

There's yet another lesson here boys and girls, dirty prison bathrooms kill!!!

Before you go: We're going to take a short break from our usual look into the cupboard to facilitate the holiday spectacular. But don't worry we'll be back peeking into the cupboard soon enough.



And so it goes

It's not too much food.

Each year, the president of the U.S. pardons a turkey and spares it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner.



The first turkey pardon ceremony started with President Truman in 1947, (however, the Truman Library and Museum disputes the notion that he was the first to do so or even if he pardoned the bird.) In December 1948, Truman accepted two turkeys and remarked that they would "come in handy" for Christmas dinner. President Trumppracticed his skills when he pardoned two turkeys Gobble and Waddle, on Tuesday. (I wonder whom else he will be pardoning in the near future.)


Remember, it's about 20 minutes per pound for a frozen turkey and 15 minute for a fresh one.



Ah, the feast of Thanksgiving—a glorious indulgence in food, family, and tradition. As you gather around the table, just imagine the mountain of delicious dishes in front of you. The spread you described sounds like a calorie-loaded banquet that perfectly captures the essence of this American holiday: excess in all its buttery, sugary glory. Let's break it down a bit, though, as you opine on this festive overindulgence:

* Turkey – You’ve got a solid chunk of protein here, but it comes with the skin, which brings in extra fat. And 2 turkey legs? That’s more than most people eat in a week! But hey, it’s Thanksgiving.

* Mashed Potatoes and Gravy – Oh, mashed potatoes, made with butter and whole milk? That’s comfort in a bowl, but it’s also a hidden calorie bomb, especially when topped with rich gravy.

* Cornbread Stuffing – This classic adds a nice bit of starch, but also plenty of butter and oil to give it that mouthwatering texture.

* Canned Cranberry Sauce – A nod to nostalgia and sweetness, though not exactly the health-conscious option on this menu.

* Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow – This is probably the sweetest, most decadent dish on the table. Sweet potatoes are healthy, but once you add sugar, butter, and marshmallows, well, it's like dessert before dessert.

* Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts – Okay, a tiny nod to health here! Brussels sprouts are packed with vitamins, and walnuts offer a little healthy fat. But let’s be honest—those walnuts are likely swimming in butter or oil.

* Green Bean Casserole – This side dish brings a mix of green beans and crispy fried onions, drenched in cream of mushroom soup. It's comfort food with a creamy, crunchy twist.

* Crescent Rolls – Who doesn’t love a soft, buttery crescent roll? But they're basically the epitome of empty carbs, designed to fill you up and keep you munching.

* Pie, glorious pie – Pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream, pecan pie with whipped cream, and a slice of apple pie. Dessert overload, for sure. But the combination of sugar, butter, and crust makes for a truly indulgent end to the meal.

Now, here's the thing: You could theoretically consume over 5,100 calories on Thanksgiving day, depending on how much you dig in. But, like you said, “all that too shall pass.” The food coma kicks in, and those calories are forgotten as you settle down to nap, watch football, or argue over the best pie.

Is this much food necessary? Definitely not! But it's part of the tradition, and it's what makes the day feel extra special. Plus, that 1.3-pound weight gain is a small price to pay for a day of food, family, and fun. And who’s counting when there’s pecan pie involved?

So, pass the mashed potatoes (with extra gravy), and enjoy the moment because, well, all that too shall pass. (And now you know why people in the plumbing industry refer to tomorrow as Brown Friday.)


November 27 is the Feast of St. Josaphat, a Middle Age prince who renounced his wealth to do charitable work.

Well, St. Josephat, turns out to be a Christianized version of a legend about Buddha (yeah Siddhartha Gautama.)



As the years slip by more swiftly, I can remember some things clearly, others only dimly; As an old friend from elementary school can testify, I don't remember them telling us about this back at St. John's.

Oh, that wacky Catholic Church!


November 27, 1920 -
United Artists released the silent film The Mark of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks on this date. The film will go on to be extremely influential in the world of comics.



In the Golden Age of Comic Books, this was the film to which Thomas and Martha Wayne took their young son Bruce on the night that they were murdered in front of him in Gotham City in 1920, the experience which led him to become Batman.


November 27, 1948 -
You see what some ducks will do for money!



Another (less familiar) Daffy and Porky pairing, Riff Raffy Daffy, premiered on this date.


November 27, 1967 -
The Beatles released Magical Mystery Tour album the US on this date.



Unfortunately, Charles Manson used to refer to life as A Magical Mystery Tour after hearing the title song. He later warped other Beatles songs (Helter Skelter, Piggies, Blackbird) to explain a race war named Helter Skelter. He used to say that the Beatles were telling it like it is.


November 27, 1970 -
George Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles, All Things Must Pass, a three album set, was released on this date. The album includes the hit singles My Sweet Lord, What Is Life, Isn’t It a Pity, and All Things Must Pass.



Harrison was joined by Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and others, and featured Harrison’s signature slide guitar sound and his deeply spiritual themes, The chart-topping music was certified six times platinum and became the most successful album ever released by an ex-Beatle.


November 27, 1979 -
For those so inclined, you could start spending time in the boys locker room of Carver High School when The White Shadow premiered on this date.



Ken Howard was nicknamed "The White Shadow" while he played for Manhasset High School 's basketball team. He was the only white starter on his team. Howard based his performance on his high school basketball coach, Fritz Mueller. Carver's team colors, orange and blue, were based on the the colors of Howard's school.


November 27, 1980 -
The sitcom Bosom Buddies, staring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari premiered on ABC-TV on this date.


(Yes, I know, this is not the original theme song - the production company lost the rights to the song.)

The producers pitched the series to ABC as a relatively straightforward buddy comedy in the spirit of Billy Wilder's comedy films. When they used the film Some Like It Hot as an example, the network agreed to the series, but only if the main characters were disguised as women. Although the producers had to change the series quickly, they were able to produce it with little network creative interference.


November 27, 2013 –
The Walt Disney's film, Frozen, the highest-grossing animated film of all time, starring Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, went into general release in the US on this date.



In a magazine interview, Idina Menzel told the story about her young son boasting to his classmates that his mom sings the songs in Frozen. To this, another child replied, "So does everyone else's."


Today's ACME Saftey Film

God help us all - Welcome to the start of our 18th Annual Holiday Spectacular.


Today in History:
November 27, 1835 -
On this date, a crowd gathered outside Newgate Prison in London to witness a macabre, notorious and historic event – the hanging of the last two men in England to be executed for the ‘abominable crime of buggery’ - sodomy.

Londoners James Pratt, also known as John Pratt, and John Smith were arrested in August 1835 after being observed having sex in the room of another man, William Bonill. Pratt and Smith were hanged in front of Newgate Prison.


November 27, 1852 -
Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron, was bled to death to cure her uterine cancer on this date. (In a strange coincidence, her father was also bled to death to cure a fever.)



She is often thought of as the world's first computer programmer, due to her interest in mathematics and her work on Charles Babbage's analytical engine.


Alfred Nobel signed his last will, which established the Nobel Prize on this date in 1895. (Yes, this is the second reference to Alfred in the same week.)

Mr Nobel is interesting because his fortune was founded in large part on the commercial success of something he invented in 1866: dynamite. Dynamite proved so lucrative for Mr Nobel that he was able to spend most of the rest of his life blowing things up in the interests of world peace. World peace was not achieved in his lifetime, however, and he therefore endowed a foundation with millions of dollars to give prizes to the men and women of future generations who helped bring the world closer to peace by blowing things up.



Sadly, in recent years the foundation appears to have forgotten its roots and has begun awarding prizes to men and women whose work for peace has resulted in things blowing up.



I encourage you all to write the Nobel Committee to take immediate corrective action, lest they continue to mislead people into thinking that Peace can be achieved by anything other than the blowing up of Evil Bastards.


November 27, 1910 -
Although the Pennsylvania Station had already begun service for the Long Island Rail Road several months earlier (September 8th); it was on this date that trains from the Pennsylvania Railroad entered Manhattan for the first time by way of tunnels under the Hudson River.



The famed station was demolished in 1963, which sparked the creation of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, which has preserved thousands of historic buildings in New York City and across the country.


November 27, 1924 -
Macy's sponsored its first Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (called Macy's Christmas Parade) in New York City on this date. The three-hour parade is held annually and is the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade along with Detroit's "America's Thanksgiving Parade," which began on the same day.



Three floats (pulled by horses), four bands and zoo animals from the Central Park Zoo - camels, donkeys, elephants and goats - starred in the parade (balloons didn't show up until 1927.)

Santa Claus was last in the lineup, a tradition that continues to this day.

(Yes, yes, I know the parade in Philadelphia is older.)


November 27, 1934 -
Notorious US murderer and bank robber Baby Face Nelson was killed in a gun battle with the FBI on this date. Known as the Battle of Barrington, the shootout occurred in Barrington, Illinois. Two FBI officers also were killed.



During his criminal career, Nelson, whose real name was Lester Joseph Gillis, killed more FBI agents than any other US citizen in history.


November 27, 1978 -
City Supervisor Dan White entered San Francisco City Hall through an open basement window (avoiding metal detectors), walked into the office of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and shot him dead. Then White went on to kill Supervisor Harvey Milk on this date.



Apparently, Mr. White consumed too many Twinkies. (Given there has been no noticeable increases in incidents of Twinkie induced rages, the Hostess Company may have changed the formula since their resuscitation.)

And so it goes

Should you need some conversational tips for tomorrow

Jingle Bells was originally written for Thanksgiving.



James Lord Pierpont published the song in 1857 as One Horse Open Sleigh, and it was first performed for a Thanksgiving service at his family member's church.


November 26, 1922 -
The Toll of the Sea, starring Anna Mae Wong, the second two-strip Technicolor feature (it was the first one able to be projected through a normal movie projector and consequently the first to be given a wide release) was released on this date.



The film was believed to have been lost in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Vault fire in 1967. It was found and restored in 1985 from the original camera negative.


November 26, 1934 -
John M. Stahl's adaptation of Fannie Hurst's novel, Imitation of Life, starring Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Rochelle Hudson, Louise Beavers, and Fredi Washington, premiered on this date.



At the time of its initial release in 1934, this film was considered ground-breaking in its depiction of race relations and its implied endorsement of racial tolerance. But by today's standards, it seems quite patronizing toward the African-American characters of Deliliah and her daughter Peola.


November 26, 1938 -
Michael Curtiz's crime drama, Angels with Dirty Faces, starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and The Dead End Kids, premiered on this date.



The Dead End Kids terrorized the set during shooting. They threw other actors off with their ad-libbing, and once cornered co-star Humphrey Bogart and stole his trousers. They didn't figure on James Cagney's street-bred toughness, however. The first time Leo Gorcey pulled an ad-lib on Cagney, the star stiff-armed the young actor right above the nose. From then on the gang behaved.


November 26, 1942 -
One of the classic films of the 40s - Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, premiered at the Hollywood Theatre in New York City, on this date.



When this film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Jack L. Warner was first on stage to accept the award, beating the film's actual producer, Hal B. Wallis, who was incensed at this slight and never forgave Warner. Wallis, at the time regarded as the "wunderkind" at the studio, left Warner Bros. shortly afterwards.


November 26, 1945 -
David Lean 's adaptation of Noël Coward's one-act play Still Life, Brief Encounter, starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard went into general release in the UK on this date.



After the success of this movie, David Lean was accosted by an angry man in a train station, who told him how much he hated the movie. "Do you realize, Sir, that if Celia Johnson could contemplate being unfaithful to her husband, my wife could contemplate being unfaithful to me?" he stammered.


November 26, 1952 -
In Thrilling Color!

The first modern 3-D movie Bwana Devil, viewed with special glasses, premiered in Hollywood .



Arch Oboler traveled to Africa in 1948 to make audio recordings of native peoples. While in Africa, Oboler met William D. Snyder, a 16mm cameraman with his own industrial filmmaking company in Fargo, North Dakota. During their travels throughout Africa, Mr. Snyder shot the African footage that appears in Bwana Devil.


November 26, 1953 -
MGM released the first musical in 3-D, Kiss Me Kate on this date.



Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore neglected to rehearse their Brush Up Your Shakespeare number more than once or twice because they thought it was silly. When it came time to shoot it they made numerous fumbles and mistakes which the director thought was on purpose. He later complimented them on making it look like something a couple of thugs would perform. They never told him the truth.


November 26, 1956 –
The seemingly ageless gameshow, The Price Is Right, hosted by Bill Cullen and announced by Don Pardo, first aired on CBS TV, on this date.


(those smarty pants out there, may know that this is actual the second episode of the series - the first episode is lost in the ephemera of time.)

The Price Is Right one of only a few game show franchises to have aired in some form on all three of the major television networks.


November 27, 1977 -
Rankin/Bass' animated version of The Hobbit, voiced by actors Orson Bean, Richard Boone, Hans Conried, John Huston, Otto Preminger, Cyril Ritchard, and Brother Theodore, premiered on NBC TV on this date.



In the book, Bilbo is knocked unconscious by a falling rock during the Battle of Five Armies immediately after seeing the eagles arrive to help. In the movie, perhaps due to an anti-war bias at the time of filming, Bilbo states that he "simply doesn't understand war" and then hides behind a stone, using the ring to become invisible and watching the entire battle. When asked about his whereabouts Bilbo lies and says that he had "a bump to the head" and was "out for hours".


November 26, 1977 -
The Southern Television (an ITV broadcasting license holder for the South and South-East of England,) broadcast interruption, also known as the Vrillon Incident, was a hijacking of the British television broadcast on this date.



An unidentified voice claiming to be Vrillon, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, interrupted the ITN news broadcast on Southern Television for six minutes, starting at 5:12 pm. The broadcast was seen by millions of viewers in southern England.


November 26, 1978 -
The TV movie, A Question of Love, starring Gena Rowlands, Jane Alexander, Clu Gulager, Ned Beatty, and Bonnie Bedelia, premiered on ABC TV on this date. The film is noteworthy as it is the first lesbian themed TV movie.



Based on the true story of mother Mary Jo Risher's fight to retain custody of her children.


November 26, 1988 –
Russian cosmonauts took the Pink Floyd cassette version of Delicate Sound Of Thunder and play it in orbit, making Pink Floyd the first rock band to be played in space.



David Gilmour and Nick Mason both attend the launch of the spacecraft. The cosmonauts had requested the album to listen to as they completed their mission of docking with the orbiting Mir space station. Delicate Sound Of Thunder was also the only Pink Floyd album to receive an official release in the Soviet Union. “To say that we are thrilled at the thought of being the first rock band to be played in space is something of an understatement,” said Gilmour.


Why bother checking out the internet when you have us here at ACME to help you out with dinner prep for tomorrow


Another episode of ACME's Little KNown Animal Facts.


Today in History:
November 26, 1346 -
Charles IV of Luxembourg was elected Holy Roman Emperor in Germany, on this date. I'm sure you've already guessed that Charles having been born in Wenceslaus in 1316, was neither holy nor Roman nor was there an empire for him to the head of.

Prague became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire during the reign of Charles IV.

But as always - what the hell do you care. This is ancient history, European history, at that.


November 26, 1789 -
The first national Thanksgiving Day was observed in the United States in 1789, when recommended by President George Washington and approved by Congress on this date, but we spoke all about this the other day.



The holiday wouldn't become an annual event until 1863 and wouldn't be signed into law until 1941 when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it an official, national holiday.


November 26, 1865 -



Oxford Don and nude child photographer, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, sends the manuscript for the psychedelic novel Alice in Wonderland to his 12 year old special friend Alice Liddell as an early Christmas present.



For some reason her parents did not notify the authorities.


November 26, 1922 -
Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.



Good Grief, it's Charles M. Schulz's birthday.


November 26, 1948 -
The first instant Polaroid cameras went on sale to the public at Jordan Marsha, a Boston department store for $89.75 ($900 in today’s money) on this date.



All 57 had sold by the end of the day. Its inventor, Edwin Land was inspired to come up with the camera by his daughter, Jennifer, who asked why she had to wait so long to see her vacation photos.


November 26, 1965 -
After cleaning a church in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where they had Thanksgiving dinner the day before, Arlo Guthrie and a friend clean up the place, but toss the trash down a hill when they can't find an open dump. They are arrested, fined $25 each, and forced to pick up the garbage.



When they return to the church, Guthrie writes Alice's Restaurant Massacree about the incident, embellishing some details. The director of the film, Arthur Penn, who owns a home in Stockbridge where the story takes place, realized it was for the most part based on events that had actually taken place. Therefore, what appears to be a continuity problem is in fact a correct representation of the facts. The movie portrays the actual photos used as evidence at the trial. The real life "blind judge" in Guthrie's song, Judge James Hannon, was played by James Hannon, himself in the film. Sheriff William Obanhein demanded that he play the role himself. His reason: "If anyone is going to make a fool out of me, it might as well be me!"


November 26, 1976 -
Anarchy in the UK, (as a single) by the Sex Pistols is released.



This was the Sex Pistols' first single, and it caused quite a stir in England with its lyrics advocating violence against the government. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols was not released until a year later, partly because of distribution concerns: after hearing Anarchy In The UK, some organizations refused to ship the album.


Before your go - Here's one last British holiday advert for this season, (except if there's a conclusion of the whole Kevin the carrot ad.) Starbucks has created a holiday campaign that shows the other life of things drawn on your red coffee cup.



Ah, the course of true love never did run smooth. But I guess according to this advert, Starbuck helps?

 
Once more thing - Absolutely eat dessert first. The thing that you want to do the most, do that. if you do nothing else this Thanksgiving, don't forget to bring at least some dessert


I nearly forgot - More alcohol is consumed today, the day before Thanksgiving, than on New Year's Eve or St. Patrick's Day.

(Actual surveillance photograph of ACME staff)

Why, (you may ask?) Many college students return home and reunite with their high school buddies. And the crippling anxiety of being surrounded by family drives some to drink.

Don't forget:

coming soon to a channel near you



And so it goes