Pop Culture

History of October 10: 42 Day

By billpetro / October 10, 2026 /

Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF OCTOBER 10: 42 DAY October 10 is called 42 Day because it deals with the question of great, extraordinary, pronounced, substantial, momentous, whopping, cosmic importance to all of us:   Question: What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything? Answer: 42  

History of James Bond: Dr. No – 64 Years Ago

By billpetro / October 5, 2026 /

Reading Time: 25 minutesHISTORY OF JAMES BOND: DR. NO – 64 YEARS AGO our years ago, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the premiere of the first James Bond film, Dr. No” (1962), I wrote the following article on the history of the Bond film franchise. I discuss each film in the series, including its iconic…

History of Coffee: International Coffee Day

By billpetro / September 30, 2026 /

Reading Time: 10 minutes  HISTORY OF COFFEE: INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY esterday, September 29, was National Coffee Day in the US and 16 other countries. But tomorrow, October 1, is International Coffee Day, also known as National Coffee Day in 12 countries. Whether percolated, filtered, steeped in a French press, poured over, or made with high-pressure steam in an…

History of September 21: Earth, Wind & Fire

By billpetro / September 20, 2026 /

Reading Time: 3 minutesHistory of September 21: Earth, Wind & Fire When the band Earth, Wind & Fire released the feel-good song “September” in 1978, it broke into the Top 10 and has been one of their biggest commercial successes. However, the single was initially released on November 18, 1978, and was one of three new songs included on…

History of Oktoberfest: Why Does it Start in September?

By billpetro / September 18, 2026 /

Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF OKTOBERFEST Podcast   hy does the famous German beer festival start in September if it’s called Oktoberfest? Officially, the beer festival begins on the third Saturday in September and lasts for sixteen to eighteen days, running through early October. This year, Oktoberfest runs from September 19 to October 4.   What is the backstory of…

History of Star Trek: 60 Years Ago, Now, and the Future

By billpetro / September 8, 2026 /

Reading Time: 16 minutesHISTORY OF STAR TREK Podcast   tar Trek premiered on NBC TV on September 8, 1966… 60 years ago. It is my favorite television show; I was glued to the TV for the first episode and every one after that. It had a significant influence on my choice of a career in technology. The show…

History of Woodstock: Almost 60 Years Ago

By billpetro / August 15, 2026 /

Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF WOODSTOCK August 15 marks the anniversary of the “3 Days of Peace & Music” held in 1969 at Max Yasgur‘s 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the village of Woodstock. This outdoor music event, despite thunderstorms, gave voice to the counterculture youth generation of its time. A documentary film followed…

History of Infinity Day: Why is it on August 8?

By billpetro / August 8, 2026 /

Reading Time: 2 minutesHISTORY OF INFINITY DAY: AUGUST 8 Infinity Day, also known as Universal & International Infinity Day, is a commemoration held on the 8th day of the 8th month of each year to celebrate and promote Philosophy and Philosophizing for the ordinary person.

Movie Review: The Odyssey (no plot spoilers)

By billpetro / July 29, 2026 /

Reading Time: 4 minutesMOVIE REVIEW: THE ODYSSEY (NO PLOT SPOILERS) walked out of the theater after seeing The Odyssey with these thoughts and feelings: “Spectacular, awesome, massive, intense, harrowing, violent, merciful, evocative, fearful, seductive, humbling, restrained, overwhelming, noble, epic… an immersive experience, not just a movie.” I found the film noble, uplifting, and immensely satisfying. For those who…

History of the 1st Moon Landing – Apollo 11: 57 Years Ago

By billpetro / July 20, 2026 /

Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF THE 1ST MOON LANDING: APOLLO 11 ifty-seven years ago today, at 4:17 Eastern Time, July 20, 1969, the American lunar module touched down on the Moon, and about seven hours later, at 10:56:15 pm EDT, the first human stepped out of the Apollo 11 lunar module onto the Moon. With the immortal words…

History of French Fries: Are They Really French?

By billpetro / July 13, 2026 /

Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF FRENCH FRIES: NATIONAL FRENCH FRY DAY uly 13th is National French Fry Day. While no one knows who began this celebration, placing it on July 13 is significant in that the important French holiday is the next day, July 14, Bastille Day.   Did they originate in France, why are they called that,…

Interview on – That Shakespeare Life: Midsummer and St. John the Baptist Day

By billpetro / June 24, 2026 /

Reading Time: < 1 minuteINTERVIEW ON THAT SHAKESPEARE LIFE: MIDSUMMER AND ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST DAY Cassidy Cash interviewed me for her popular podcast, That Shakespeare Life, to discuss the history and traditions of Midsummer and St. John the Baptist Day, and what it would have been like to celebrate these two simultaneous holidays in Elizabethan England.   We…