Author Archives: dcaligari

December 8, 1980 – John Lennon was shot by a lunatic, Mark David Chapman, outside Lennon’s apartment in New York City mere hours after receiving the Beatle’s autograph. Chapman was carrying around his dog eared copy of Catcher in the Rye. For those of you who remember the book, I leave it to you toContinue reading “It’s always a sad anniversary”

December 7, 1979 –Kurtis Blow’s Christmas Rappin‘ by becomes the first rap song released on this date, by a major label – Mercury Records. It sold about 400,000 copies and provides the template for his next single, The Breaks, which becomes the first rap Gold record.

December 7, 1960 – MGM released the science fiction film Village of the Damned, directed by Wolf Rilla and starring George Sanders on this date Originally begun in 1957 as an American picture, writer Stirling Silliphant said he wrote it with Ronald Colman in mind, but at the time producer Milo O. Frank Jr. wasContinue reading “Look out for those damn towheaded kids”

December 7, 1969 –Another Rankin/Bass production, Frosty the Snowman, premiered on CBS-TV on this date. June Foray was the original voice of Karen during the special’s first few airings in the early 1970s. However, an unknown actress replaced Foray’s voice for subsequent broadcasts. Foray was also the voice of Cindy Lou Who on How theContinue reading “Just what was in that top hat?”

December 7, 1949 – It’s Tom Waits’ birthday today. Underground – Singapore – Lie To Me – Alice – And the Acme Corp. is always happy to sponsor that Christmas Classic, Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis (One of our loyal bunkies pointed out that there is no Euclid Ave in Minneapolis, but weContinue reading “Thomas Alan Waits”

Today is the start of the Second Week of Advent. The theme of this week is that it is the week of Peace. The old ladies, saying rosaries in the back of church (to whom I turn to in all matters of religious instruction) tell me that this week is supposed to remind us thatContinue reading “Just so you know”

As we discussed yesterday, the real St. Nick, a fourth-century bishop, came from Myra (now Demre, Turkey). So how did he end up in the frozen north. The famous political cartoonist Thomas Nast established Santa’s official residence as the North Pole in several illustrations in the 1800s, according to NPR. At the time, there hadContinue reading “Impress the kids”

December 6, 1964 – One of the first neurotic holiday Christmas specials, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, premiered on this date Hermey is the only elf without pointed ears. He’s also the only male elf with hair on top of his head as well as eyes that dilate.

December 6, 1940 – MGM released the 10th Marx Brothers film, Go West, on this date. In one scene Groucho asked an Indian, “Who swindled the Indians out of Manhattan for $24?” In 1957, Groucho would appear in The Story of Mankind playing Peter Minuit swindling the Indians out of Manhattan for $24.

December 6, 1994 –Bush released their debut album Sixteen Stone on this date, which takes off in America but is largely ignored in their native England. Around the time of the release of the album, Britpop acts like Oasis and Blur were huge in their homeland but struggling to break through in America. It wasContinue reading “Everything zen, everything zen”