Author Archives: dcaligari

Today is Malaria Awareness Day. Malaria Awareness Day was designated on this date by President George W. Bush in 2007, to remind people that Malaria kills 3,000 children a day. He asked the world to join the fight to wipe out malaria on the African continent. So I encourage all Americans to begin heavily drinkingContinue reading “More people die from malaria than any specific cancer.”

April 25, 1978 – We all got to hang out on the strip with Dan Tanna, when the pilot of Vega$, starring Robert Urich, premiered on ABC TV on this date. Robert Urich was 31 when the series premiered, but since he looked a decade younger than he was, they wanted to make the characterContinue reading “Vega$ premiered”

April 25, 1992 – The final episodes of Who’s the Boss?, aired on this date on ABC-TV. The original ending for the series, as proposed by the writers, was for Angela and Tony to get married. ABC executives, however, balked at this ending and were supported by Tony Danza, who was against having Tony andContinue reading “The finale of Who’s the Boss?”

April 24, 1974 –David Bowie released his iconic album, Diamond Dogs, on this date. This song introduces us to Bowie’s post-Ziggy Stardust persona, Halloween Jack: “The Halloween Jack is a real cool cat and he lives on top of Manhattan Chase.” It has also been suggested this song was influenced by Dhalgren, a science fictionContinue reading “Diamond Dogs went on sale”

April 24, 2000 –In support of their first studio album after twenty years, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen appeared on an episode of The VH-1 series Storytellers, and spend an hour on the show, playing their songs, take requests from the audience, and in their typically cryptic fashion divulge some of the concepts behind theirContinue reading “VH1 Storytellers – Steely Dan”

April 24, 1976 –With rumors of a Beatles reunion swirling, Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels goes on camera to offer the guys $3,000 (union scale) to reunite on the show, on this date. Paul and Linda McCartney were spending the evening with John Lennon at his New York Dakota apartment and watched SaturdayContinue reading “The Beatles ‘almost’ reunited”

April 23, 1968 – Students at Columbia University in New York City begin a week long occupation of several campus buildings protesting the Universities affiliation with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a weapons research think-tank affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Students had been demonstrating earlier in March but the Columbia Administration hadContinue reading “Classes were definitely cancelled on Morningside Heights”

April 23, 1971 –The Rolling Stones, released their 9th British (and 11th American) studio album, Sticky Fingers on their brand new label, Rolling Stones Records, on this date. The album cover was designed by Andy Warhol. It was a close-up photo of a man wearing tight jeans, and contained a real zipper. (It was rumoredContinue reading “The Stone really liked the month of April”

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 “The Ramones first album went on sale”

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 title outContinue reading “Touch of Evil premiered”