Saturday, November 20, 2010

If you've got 10 minutes,

I've found something you should watch -



Not great but pretty damn good. OK, back to your Saturday chores (I'm out right now procuring enough alcohol to get through my family Thanksgiving dinner.)


November 20, 1965 -
Michael Louis Diamond, better known as Mike D, member of the Beastie Boys, was born on this date.



Once again, we are all getting old.


November 20, 1981 -
Miles Foreman's epic take on E.L. Doctorow novel, Ragtime, premiered on this date.



James Cagney had been advised by his doctors and caregivers that making a film at this point in his life was very important for his health. The actor never flew, so he and his wife took an ocean liner to London, where his scenes were filmed. It is a tribute to his professionalism that despite his numerous infirmities, he generously stayed on set during his fellow actors' closeups to give them line readings.


November 20, 1983 -
An estimated 100 million people watched the controversial ABC-TV movie The Day After, which depicted the outbreak of nuclear holocaust in the United States .



The premiere of this TV movie was a major media event. No sponsors bought commercial time after the point in the movie where the nuclear war occurs, so the last half of the show was aired straight through, without commercials.


Here's an abbreviated Today in History -
November 20, 1917 -
T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was held prisoner, whipped, and repeatedly raped by Turkish Army officers. He apparently thoroughly enjoyed the experience.



When the whip comes down, indeed.


It's the 35th anniversary of Generallismo Francisco Franco brave and courageous fight to remain dead.



He is still working at it today.


November 20, 1984 -
McDonald's made its 50 billionth hamburger at 12:10 P.M. in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, in New York City.

It was eaten by Richard J. McDonald, one of the founders, who cooked burger No. 1 in San Bernardino, Calif., 36 years previously. That first burger and the 50 billionth are still lodged undigested in the colon of the deceased Mr. McDonald.


November 20, 1985 -
Windows 1.0, a 16-bit graphical operating environment was released on this date. It was Microsoft's first attempt to implement a multi-tasking graphical user interface-based operating environment on the PC platform. Windows 1.0 was the very first version of Windows launched.

If you think I'm going to make fun of Bill Gates, you're mistaken.

Hooray for Big Brother!!!


35 more shopping days until Christmas, 11 more shopping days until Hanukkah. (Black Friday is just 6 days away.)



And so it goes

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