This Date in History - November 4

 

We fondly remember on her birthday one Doris Roberts from one of my favorite shows "Everybody Loves Raymond."   She holds the distinction of being the woman I saw in the audience most for movies playing all over Los Angeles.

1429:  JOAN OF ARC LIBERATES SAINT-PIERRE-LE-MOUTIER.

Who is he?   Or where is that?   

1501:  CATHERINE OF ARAGON, LATER HENRY VIII'S FIRST WIFE, MEETS ARTHUR TUDOR.  THEY WOULD LATER MARRY.

Hence, the House of?

 1677:  THE FUTURE MARY II OF ENGLAND MARRIES PRINCE WILLIAM OF ORANGE.   THEY WOULD LATER REIGN AS WILLIAM AND MARY.

Hence the college.

1783:  WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART'S SYMPHONY NO. 36 IS PERFORMED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUSTRIA.

Also the same number as the Mets' Jerry Koosman.  Just sayin'.

1791:  THE WESTERN CONFEDERACY OF AMERICAN INDIANS WINS A MAJOR VICTORY OVER THE US IN THE BATTLE OF THE WABASH.

Whoop whoop.

1847:  SIR JAMES YOUNG SIMPSON, A BRITISH PHYSICIAN, DISCOVERS THE ANAESTHETIC POWERS OF CHLOROFORM.

Okay, take a deep breathe.   100, 99, 98...

1864:  AMERICAN CIVIL WAR - CONFEDERATE TROOPS BOMBARD A UNION SUPPLY BASE AND DESTROY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MATERIAL.

Back when they could fly their flag.

1879:  ACTOR WILL ROGERS IS BORN.

I never met a baby I didn't like.

1913:  ACTOR GIG YOUNG IS BORN.

Weird first name.   Maybe that's why he killed himself in 1978.

1916:  JOURNALIST WALTER CRONKITE IS BORN.

That's the way it is.

1918:  WORLD WAR I - AUSTRIA-HUNGARY SURRENDERS TO ITALY.

Who knew those two countries were hyphenated?

1918:  ACTOR ART CARNEY IS BORN.

Hello, ball.

1921:  THE ITALIAN UNKNOWN SOLDIER IS BURIED IN ROME.

Who izza dis?

1922:  IN EGYPT, THE ENTRANCE TO KING TUT'S TOMB IS FOUND.

That had to be a dusty mess by now.

1925:  ACTRESS DORIS ROBERTS IS BORN.

Here's a fact for you.   All the clothes she wore out in public are the same ones she wore on television as Marie Barone.

1937:  ACTRESS LORETTA SWIT IS BORN.

Hot Lips!

1942:  WORLD WAR II - DISOBEYING A DIRECT ORDER BY ADOLF HITLER, GENERAL ERWIN ROMMEL LEADS HIS FORCES ON A RETREAT.

Yeah, that's not going to end well.

1952:  THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY.

I feel so much better knowing that.

1955:  BASEBALL PITCHER CY YOUNG DIES.

His ultimate award.

1960:  IN TANZANIA, DR. JANE GOODALL OBSERVES CHIMPANZEES CREATING TOOLS.

Monkey see, monkey do.

1961:  ACTOR RALPH MACCHIO IS BORN.

Wax on, wax off.

1970:  GENIE, A 123-YEAR-OLD FERAL CHILD IS FOUND, HAVING BEEN LOCKED IN HER BEDROOM FOR MOST OF HER LIFE.

That's some time out.

1973:  THE NETHERLANDS EXPERIENCES THE FIRST CAR-FREE SUNDAY CAUSED BY THE 1973 OIL CRISIS.

If only we could do this in LA.

1979:  IRAN HOSTAGE CRISIS - A MOB OF IRANIAN STUDENTS OVERRUN THE US EMBASSY IN TEHRAN AND TAKE 90 HOSTAGES, 53 OF THEM AMERICANS.

Hi, I'm Ted Koppel and this is Nightline.

1982:  ACTRESS DOMINIQUE DUNNE IS KILLED.

By her boyfriend.   She was the daughter of the famous writer who covered the OJ Simpson trial.

1995:  ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN IS ASSASSINATED.

In Israel, three shots were fired...

2005:  ACTRESS SHEREE NORTH DIES.

Speaking of big breasts.   Oh, we weren't?

2008:  BARACK OBAMA IS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

The most polarizing election ever until...well...you know.  Fifty years from now, when historians look at this moment with the proper perspective, he will be viewed as a failed President.  If America stills even exists.

2010:  BASEBALL MANAGER SPARKY ANDERSON DIES.

Sparky fizzles out.

2011:  JOURNALIST ANDY ROONEY DIES.

And you know what else bothers me?

2014:  ACTOR RICHARD SCHAAL DIES.

Former husband of Valerie Harper.  Now both in TV heaven.

2014:  CHEMIST S. DONALD STOOKEY DIES.

He invented Corning Ware.  What a genius.

Dinner last night:  Sandwich.

A Friend to All

 

There goes Netflix again.   They are fast becoming the streaming service most likely to feature a documentary on a recently dead celebrity.  On the heels of Netflix' films about Martin Mull and Norm MacDonald comes this three-hour look at legendary "Friend" Matthew Perry.

Now I have to say I was a bit skeptical when I saw the trailer about this movie.  Apparently, from what I could see, none of the on-screen talking heads was one of the famous five Friends.  I wondered just how good this could be without their insights.

Well, as it turns out, that was a smart move.   Indeed, being an actor in one of the biggest TV hits of all time is the last thing that should be stressed here.   It's all about Matthew Perry and that's the way it should be.   You spend most of your time in this documentary with his sisters and his best friends...the people who were with him every step of his torturous life.

We all know very well the problems of this troubled man.  Ironically, he started going downhill when he started taking pain killers after he had an accident on a jet ski.  Yes, it's all painful to watch but you also begin to admire him as the story goes on.   Sure, he was a mess but he also worked diligently to help others in the same boat.  He helped others when he barely could help himself.

As it turns out, it was the drug Ketamine that gave him hope but even that became an enemy.  Meanwhile, Ketamine also involved him with a bunch of Mexican drug lords who essentially killed him.  In reality, his end didn't have to be.

You will be drawn into this story like no other.   It is definitely worth your time and attention.

LEN'S RATING:  Four stars.

Dinner last night:  Leftover Korean chicken.

Monday Morning Video Laugh - November 2, 2026

Let's use this month of Mondays to salute the multi-cam sitcom.   Here are some classic scenes shot in front of a live studio audience.  And we start with Felix and Oscar.

Dinner last night:  Spaghetti and meatballs.

The Sunday Memory Drawer - Election Day Musing

 

Hard to believe but I did.   In my adult years, I couldn't be bothered as I believe that all our elections now are ridiculous displays of non-civility and pandering.  Yet, when I was much younger, I had an opportunity to see somebody looking for the big job in the White House and I grabbed it.

This all comes to mind when Netflix ran a four-hour documentary about Robert F. Kennedy's campaign for President in 1968.  Naturally, I gobble up any information on those years when you still had respect for politicians in this nation.   These days, they show up on late night comedy shows.   Back in the day, there was an aura about them.  Regardless of the party affiliation, they all presented a serious demeanor that is not seen with today's current conga line of civic leaders.

So, the Netflix documentary brought me back to Kennedy's campaign and the day it arrived in my hometown of Mount Vernon, New York.  This was a big deal for us.   I remember the news of his stop on the City Hall steps was published in the town newspaper, The Daily Argus, about a week in advance. He'd be there at around 330PM.   As a result, our school teachers told us that, if any of us wanted to attend, we could leave school early.

Okay, that was good enough for me.   I'd go see Donald Duck's Presidential campaign if I could get out of class before 3PM.

Of course, I had to clear my participation with the homestead.   In those days, both my father and mother were working at night.   So, the one I needed to apprise of my afternoon's activities?

Grandma.

Now this would not be a slam dunk as my grandmother had disdain for all things political since the last President she liked was in office.   That would be Dwight Eisenhower.   Everybody else since earned major thumbs down.  And that especially included the Kennedy family.

"Those crazy Catholics."

I reasoned that this might be the only time I would ever see a Presidential candidate reasonably up close and personal.

"Be careful in case somebody shoots him."

At that point, I had no clue how prophetic my grandmother's words would be.

On the day of the campaign stop, I made my way downtown instead of coming home from school.   Those times were much safer.   Little kids were never in danger and could fearlessly walk around their hometown cocoon with abandon.

Of course, I didn't count on the throngs of people down there.  Apparently, people in this town did read the Daily Argus.  I remember being surprised that none of my school chums were there.   Or my pals from the neighborhood.  Indeed, everybody there was much taller than me.  I couldn't see a thing.   

Somewhere in front of me, I heard the unmistakable New England accent of a Kennedy.   The crowd was wildly ecstatic.   But, with my lack of proximity, Robert Kennedy could have been in Ohio for all I knew.   

What I could see did take my breath away.   I could easily stare up at the roofs of City Hall and some of the adjacent buildings.   Up there were things I had never seen before.   

Men with rifles.   Guarding the candidate.   

I don't think I had ever seen somebody with a rifle before.  At least, somebody who wasn't doing battle with the Cartwrights on "Bonanza."   

It was that image that lasted with me.   Not the words of Kennedy or the warm reception he got from the crowd.   Nope, as I walked home, I was consumed by the men with the rifles.

Is this the country we live in?

About six months later, we would get our answer.

Dinner last night:  Korean chicken from Chin Chin.

Classic Musical Comedy Production Number of the Month - October 2026

 Woo hoo.  A five Saturday month allows us to take in a classic musical number.  And as we also wind up a month of baseball...those damn Yankees!

Dinner last night:  Sandwich.

All Dressed Up for Halloween

 Trick and little Treat.

Thank God for the orchid. Meanwhile, it looks like she has a little more chest hair than he does.

The perfect Halloween costume for that little piece of shit down the block.

When I look for Halloween costumes, I always check the Old Testament first.

The consequences of sex with Kobe Bryant.

What a novel career. Wedding and funeral planning at the same place. One stop shopping.

What happens when your Easter Bunny visits Three Mile Island...

In about five seconds, Dad's backpack is going to feel a lot lighter.

Dinner last night:  Sandwich.

How Did I Miss This?

 

Like a bolt of lightning, this hit me suddenly and powerfully.   A good friend of mine called.   Knowing how strongly I felt about the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal that cost the Dodgers their World Series, he telephoned to ask if I had seen this documentary on PBS's Frontline.

It was news to me.   The really surprising part of that is the film is already 3 years old.  Where was I?   Did this get zero press?

The story is there and all true.   We've all known about the trash can banging and sign stealing, etc..   But we never heard it to the detail that it's brought to life in this film by baseball journalist Ben Reiter.

Indeed, a lot of the film is thanks to some young baseball geek who got a job with the Houston Astros when they became "data-driven."   You want to see a whistle blower in action?   Listen to what this guy reveals.   It's old news, but still very old news.   I was angry all over again, especially in the way that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred doled out the punishment for this crime.

This documentary reminded me once again that scumbag Carlos Beltran, then with the Astros, masterminded the whole caper.  Did he get what was due him?  Hell, fucking no.   He just got inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Mets Hall of Fame.  Talk about hypocracy.

Personally, I salute Ben Reiter for keeping the story out there, even if it somehow got buried on PBS.

It all brought to mind the very first time the Astros visited Dodger Stadium after 2017.   No matter what men's room you entered, all the urinals had something on the bottom.   A baseball card of a Houston Astro.

Did it make me feel good pissing on Jose Altuve?   You bet it did.

LEN'S RATING:  4 Stars.

Dinner last night:   Hamburger.