Author Archives: dcaligari

January 6, 1973 –The animated lesson series Schoolhouse Rock premiered on ABC with the Multiplication Rock series. You have to love a children’s cartoon that celebrates threesomes.

Some have suggested that many of the answers to ACME quizzes are both arbitrary and capricious – these are not: What were the gifts of the Magi (what were the names of the Magi?) Bonus question: There was a fourth gift – what was it and who was it from?

The final gift tally (365 gifts): you would have received 12 drummers drumming, 22 flutist, 30 members from the house of Lords, hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock, 36 Fan dancers, 40 angry dairy workers, on permanent coffee break, 42 Swans, trying to mate in your dining room (avert the children’s eyes) , 42Continue reading “We’re assuming you taken out a restraining order against your true love”

January 5, 1980 –The Sugarhill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight, was the first hip-hop song to made it to the Top 40 on this date. This was the first rap song to enter the US Hot 100. Rap music had been around for about seven years, but it was usually heard at block parties and discos whereContinue reading “Rapper’s Delight broke the top 40”

January 5, 1973 –Produced by Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos, Bruce Springsteen’s debut album, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., was released on this date, but sold just 25,000 copies in its first year. After eight years playing in bars where audiences usually didn’t listen to or couldn’t hear the words, Springsteen used his first albumContinue reading “Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. went on sale”

January 5, 1961 – Mister Ed, the talking horse (with a daily diet was twenty pounds of hay, washed down with a gallon of sweet tea.,) debuted on CBS-TV on this date. This was one of the few television series to start in syndication, then be picked up by a major network.

January 4, 1975 –Elton John cover of the Lennon – McCartney song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds reached the No. #1 spot on the Billboard Charts on this date. The “Lucy” who inspired this song was Lucy O’Donnell (later Lucy Vodden), who was a classmate of John Lennon’s son Julian when he was enrolledContinue reading “Elton topped the charts with Lucy”

January 4, 1941 – The animated short Elmer’s Pet Rabbit was released on this date: it marks the second ‘official‘ appearance of Bugs Bunny and the first to have his name on a title card. It was directed by the legendary Chuck Jones. (Note that Bugs hasn’t developed his characteristic buck teeth yet.)

Today is National Trivia Day. It is observed across the United States each year on January 4. We observe trivia day, everyday here. A shrimp’s heart is in its head – along with other vital organs such as their stomach and ventral nerve cord. If that wasn’t interesting enough (well to me anyway,) due toContinue reading “How I fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way”

For those of you interested – Today’s gift count (286): you currently have 11 pipers piping, 20 hyperactive effete British gentlemen, knocking furniture over, 27 Pole dancers (draw the shades, the neighborhood kids are staring into your windows), 32 organized dairy workers striking for better working conditions, 35 Swans making a racket, befouling your secondContinue reading “Geez, Now you have the Musicians Union involved”