Author Archives: dcaligari

We here at ACME love to remind people that today is Evacuation Day. They’re celebrating it in Tunisia. It turns out that Evacuation Day recognizes the important contributions made to the world of science by Tunisian proctologists, (it actually commemorates the 1963 withdrawal of the last French troops from the naval port of Bizerte.) TheContinue reading “Follow along, I promise, it will make sense”

October 15, 1893 –The New York Times declared Coney Island “Sodom-by-the-Sea” for the thrilling rides that let men and women clutch each other. The Elephantine Colossus, a 200-foot-tall elephant-shaped hotel had a howdah on its back, topped with a gilded crescent was built on Surf Avenue, in 1885. It housed a concert hall and eventsContinue reading “Seeing the Elephant”

It’s the Feast Day of one of my favorite saints – Saint Teresa of Avila (I’ve mentioned her at least twice this year.) She is also known as the Roving Nun (but should not be confused with the Wandering Nun, the Meandering Nun, or the Hopelessly Disoriented Nun). In case you still don’t know whoContinue reading “Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.”

October 15, 1988 –UB40’s cover of Neil Diamond’s Red Red Wine reached the top of the Billboard Charts on this date. UB40 recorded this as a cover of the Tony Tribe 1969 reggae version, which reached #46 in the UK charts. The band did not realize until after it topped the charts that Neil DiamondContinue reading “Red Red Wine went to No. 1”

October 15, 1959 –The TV show The Untouchables with Robert Stack as Eliot Ness, premiered on ABC-TV on this date. According to testimony from Aladena Fratianno, (Jimmy the Weasel), a Mafia boss-turned-FBI informant, the Chicago family of the Mafia ordered the assassination of producer Desi Arnaz, because they didn’t like (a) the fact that theContinue reading “The Untouchables premiered”

October 15, 1951 –A former starlet convinced the alcoholic, womanizing head of a television network to run the TV version of her somewhat successful radio program. I Love Lucy, the television situation comedy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, also featuring Vivian Vance and William Frawley, went on to run on CBS for 181 episodesContinue reading “I Love Lucy premiered”

October 14, 1912 –Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, campaigning for a return to office, was shot in Milwaukee by a saloon keeper named John Schrank on this date. What saves Teddy was the bullet lodged in Roosevelt’s chest only after hitting both his steel eyeglass case and a copy of his speech he was carryingContinue reading “Teddy Roosevelt – one of America’s First Superheroes.”

October 14, 1066 –As bad as King Harold’s day yesterday; today was worse, much worse. The King and his army were locked in a massive battle and faced Duke William, William the Conqueror, and his mounted knights near the town of Hastings. Taillefer, William of Normandy’s minstrel, asked for the honour of charging the SaxonContinue reading “The Battle of Hastings”

October 14, 1994 –Quentin Tarantino’s brilliant crime drama, Pulp Fiction, starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman, opened in the US on this date. The word “fuck” is used two hundred sixty-five times.

October 14, 1972 –The TV-series Kung Fu, starring David Carridine, debuted on ABC-TV on this date. According to Bruce Lee’s widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, Lee originated the concept, and was intended to star in the series, but David Carradine was cast because the network felt the American audience was not ready for an Asian actorContinue reading “Kung Fu premiered”