Friday, November 20, 2020

It's not the Tryptophan, it's the Calories

Other things to occupy your mind with other than COVID-19 - People consume up to 229 grams of fat during the Thanksgiving meal.



Get your eating pants before heading to Thanksgiving dinner (much like Joey.) 229 grams of fat is about three to four times the amount of fat one usually eats in a day. And the entire Thanksgiving dinner could total over 3,000 calories.


November 20, 1965
The Supremes song I Hear A Symphony hit No. #1 (their sixth No. #1 pop hit on Billboard Hot 100 chart,) on this date.



There isn't a full symphony orchestra playing on this song, but there is a prominent string section, arranged by Paul Riser, that implies it. Otherwise, the instrumentation is more typical, with a saxophone section and piano (played by Funk Brother Earl Van Dyke). The song evokes classical music in its structure though, building throughout to a kind of crescendo.


November 20, 1921 -
The Famous Players-Lasky Company put the film, The Sheik, starring Rudolph Valentino and Adolphe Menjou, and directed by George Melford into general release in the US on this date.



The film helped established Valentino as the top male movie star and sex symbol of the day.


November 20, 1973 -
The third Peanuts holiday special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, premiered on CBS-TV on this date.



Lucy has limited role in this special: she has her scene where she torments Charlie Brown by yanking away a football as the beleaguered hero attempts to kick it. But that opening scene is the only time we get to see Lucy.


November 20, 1976 -
Former-Beatle George Harrison appeared on Saturday Night Live on this date.



George Harrison seemed to have misunderstood Lorne Michaels offer of the $3,000 payment for his appearance; Michaels explained to George that the $3,000 was for all four of the Beatles - making the payment only $750 for him.


November 20, 1981 -
Milos 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. Despite his numerous infirmities, he stayed on-set during his fellow actors' close-ups to give them line readings.


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



Twentieth Century Fox invited a group of scientists to preview this movie, to test their reactions to the "science" used in it. None of the scientists were impressed with what they saw, although most conceded that the movie was enjoyable nonsense.


November 20, 1998 -
The wonderful Irish comedy, Waking Ned Devine, starring Ian Bannen, David Kelly, and Fionnula Flanagan, opened in the U.S. on this date.



All the cast and crew worked on reduced rates to help the film get made.

If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and seek it out.


November 20, 2007 -
The debut album from Amy Winehouse, Frank, (the title refers partly to Frank Sinatra, an early influence on Winehouse,) was finally released in the US eight months after her second album (Back to Black,) and three years after its British release. (This will be on the test.)



It received generally positive reviews from most music critics and earned Winehouse several accolades, including an Ivor Novello Award for the first single Stronger Than Me. Although critically acclaimed and massively influential in her native UK, it fails to set the American charts on fire, reaching its peak of #33 only after the singer's untimely death in 2011.


A stray thought at 5 pm today


Today in History :
November 20, 1913 -
The National Biscuit Co. sold its first Mallomars to a grocer in West Hoboken on this date.



Mallomars are only "in season" from September through March (it's to maintain tradition) and are manufactured in Toronto, but not sold anywhere in Canada, the home territory of Whippets.


November 20, 1917 -
T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was held prisoner, whipped, and repeatedly raped by Turkish Army officers on this date. He apparently thoroughly enjoyed the experience.



50 Shade of Grey, indeed.


November 20, 1923 -
American inventor Garrett Morgan was awarded Patent No. 1475074 for the stoplight that included a third option in addition to "stop" and "go."



His invention was a major step forward in traffic safety. Besides the traffic light, Morgan is best known for his work on gas masks.


November 20, 1947 -
Princess Elizabeth married a ne'er-do-well Greek distant cousin, Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, in a ceremony broadcast worldwide from Westminster Abbey on this date.



She was so happy that day that it seems to escape her attention that she related to everyone at the church, include the groom's mother.



45 years later, on this date, Liz and Phil (and all the Mountbatten-Windsors) were in the middle of their Annus Horribilis when Windsor Castle caught on fire, causing extensive damage.


It's the 45th anniversary of Generallismo Francisco Franco heroic fight to remain dead.



While he may still working at it today, he is not doing it in peace. He was recently disinterred from his elaborate mausoleum and reburied in a family plot.


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

It was eaten by Richard J. McDonald, one of the founders, who cooked burger No. 1 in San Bernardino, California, 36 years previously. That first burger and the 50 billionth are still lodged undigested in the colon of the corpse of 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. (Steve Ballmer, throw him under the bus - he's only the 11th richest person in the US.)

Hooray for Big Brother!!!


November 20, 1986 -
The one billionth Little Golden Book was printed on this date.

The title was The Poky Little Puppy.

Perhaps, unwisely, this was the next book printed.


And so it goes


Hopefully you've visited your favorite liquor store, before the next lockdown.


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