Author Archives: dcaligari

Dionysiac (die-uh-NIS-ee-ak) (Latin Dionysiacus, from Greek Dionusiakos, from Dionusios), adjective Of or relating to Dionysus, the god of wine and of an orgiastic religion celebrating the power and fertility of nature. Of or relating to the Dionysia, ancient Greek festivals held seasonally, chiefly at Athens, in honor of Dionysus.Often dionysiac. Ecstatic or wild; Dionysian. KeepContinue reading “Only the red flame now lives there”

Today is believed to be the birthday of William Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in 1564. He was a playwright and poet and is considered the most influential — and perhaps the greatest — writer in the English language. His tragedies have been celebrated for centuries. For example, there’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, inContinue reading “Now we sit through Shakespeare in order to recognize the quotations.”

April 23, 1976 –Sire Records released The Ramones eponymous debut album, which arguably ushered in the punk rock era, on this date. The album took seven days to make and cost $6,400, while its iconic front cover – depicting the band standing against a brick wall – was taken by renowned punk photographer Roberta BayleyContinue reading “Hey ho, let’s go”

April 23, 1960The Looney Tunes short, Who Scent You?, directed by Chuck Jones and starring Pepé Le Pew, debuted on this date. The opening credits accurately depict the items ocean liner passengers generally brought on their journey. In addition to luggage, it was customary for the passenger’s friends to send them fruit baskets and flowersContinue reading “Who Scent You? premiered”

April 23, 1949 – The Looney Tunes short, Mouse Wreckers, directed by Chuck Jones and starring Claude Cat and Hubie and Bertie, debuted on this date. The only Hubie and Bertie cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Short Subject, Cartoons category. The Tom and Jerry cartoon The Little Orphan won theContinue reading “Mouse Wreckers premiered”

April 23, 1938 – The Merrie Melodies short, The Penguin Parade, directed by Tex Avery, debuted on this date. Throughout the short, a microphone with the letters “KFWB” is frequently shown. At the time of the cartoon’s release, KFWB was a radio station owned by Warner Bros.

April 23, 1947 –Carol Reed’s IRA drama Odd Man Out starring James Mason, Robert Newton, and Cyril Cusack opened in the US on this date. James Mason called this his best performance of his career, and his favorite Carol Reed film.

April 23, 1958 – Orson Welles’ noir thriller Touch of Evil, starring Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh, was released on this date. Orson Welles initially despised the title Touch of Evil, having had nothing to do with its conception. Over the years, however, he grew to like it, and eventually considered it the best titleContinue reading “What does it matter what you say about people?”

There’s a reason to be cheerful – Summer begins in 59 days!

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Happy Earth Day! Groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, rawContinue reading “All things are bound together … all things connect”