Author Archives: dcaligari

August 15, 1969 –The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair began on this date, on Max Yasger’s farm in upstate New York. The greatest gathering of marketing and advertising professionals in American history, the festival featured the musical artists behind some of today’s hottest commercial jingles. Demand Euphoria!

August 15, 1979 – The very long delayed epic, Apocalypse Now, premiered in NYC on this date. (Order some Banh xeo and a couple of bottles of Tiger Beer, and watch the Redux version, in honor of the anniversary.) It took Francis Ford Coppola nearly three years to edit the footage. While working on hisContinue reading “Apocalypse Now premiered”

August 15, 1977 –The Big Ear radio telescope, operated at Ohio State University by the SETI project, receives a strong seventy-two second narrowband radio signal from deep space (6EQUJ5.) The event is named the “Wow! signal” for the notation made by Jerry Ehman, a volunteer on the project. The signal appears to have come toContinue reading “Sometimes it’s just one and done”

Today is the Feast of Assumption of Mary. Kids it’s a Holy Day of Obligation. (While the day only became a Holy Day of Obligation recently – on November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of faith – in fact, the Feast of the Assumption is oneContinue reading “It’s also known as the Dormition of the Mother of God”

August 15, 1948 –CBS-TV inaugurated the first nightly news broadcast with anchorman Douglas Edwards. Mr. Edwards held the job for 14 years and was succeeded by Walter Cronkite.

August 14, 1900 –122 years ago today the western powers quelled the Boxer Rebellion in China. In the clearing stood the Boxers, fighters by their trade, and they carried the reminders of every glove that laid them down or cut them til they cried out, in their anger and their pain, they were leaving, theyContinue reading “Where the ragged people go”

August 13, 1899 –When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, ‘It’s in the script.’ If he says, ‘But what’s my motivation?, ‘ I say, ‘Your salary.’. Arguably, the most famous film director in the 20th Century, Alfred Hitchcock was born on this date. Hitchcock, known as the masterContinue reading “Alfred Hitchcock”

August 13, 1961 –The city of Berlin split itself right down the middle on this date. The Cold War was running pretty hot back then. The Russians were just nasty. They were so evil they convinced East Germany to shut West Germany out. East Germany locked the Brandenburg gate and threw away the key. Then,Continue reading “Karma does appear to bite one in the ass.”

August 13, 1967 –One of the defining movies of the 1960s, Bonnie and Clyde, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, had its US premiere on this date. A screening for Jack L. Warner went very badly for Warren Beatty and Arthur Penn, Warner got up three times to pee. Warner initially dumped the film intoContinue reading “Bonnie and Clyde premiered”

 In what other city would a harmless madman who supposed himself emperor of the two Americas have been so fostered and encouraged? Where else would even the people of the streets have respected the poor soul’s illusion? Where else would bankers and merchants have received his visits, cashed his cheques, and submitted to his smallContinue reading “Long live the emperor!”