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September 12, 1966 – NBC television premiered The Monkees, a sitcom about four guys in a rock band on this date. When the TV series was about to be renewed for a third season, The Monkees wanted to change it from a half-hour sitcom to an hour-long variety show where they would introduce new artists.Continue reading “People started saying that they were monkeying around”

September 12, 1978 – The show James L. Brooks and friends created after the Mary Tylet Moore series ended, Taxi, starring Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito, and Andy Kaufman premiered on this date. Andy Kaufman had invented the persona for his character in his comedy act prior toContinue reading “Taxi started looking for fares”

September 12, 1954 –What girl – Jeff’s trapped in a mine; fell into a well; considering early withdrawal of his principle from an IRA; worried about the the Haitians in Ohio … Lassie (or Jeff’s Collie – how many of you remember Jeff’s Collie) premiered on on CBS-TV on this date. Although it has beenContinue reading “I had a stress-free day. I locked Timmy in his room”

September 12, 490 B.C. –It looked like it was going to be a pretty bleak day for Western Civilization. The Greeks, who were not yet Ancient or Classical, were facing a massive invasion of Persians. Persia was not yet part of the Axis of Evil, but was pretty nasty just the same. They had moreContinue reading “History can turn on a dime”

On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers crashed two of the airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City, resulting in the collapse of both buildings soon afterward. A third airliner wasContinue reading “It started out a day just like any other day …”

September 11, 1967 –The Carol Burnett Show premiered on CBS-TV on this date. Vicki Lawrence wrote a fan letter to Carol Burnett while still in High School, Carol received the letter on the day that Vicki was going to be in a Miss Fireball contest, having a feeling about her. Carol found her dad’s number,Continue reading “The first time we had with Carol on her own show”

September 11, 1932 –MGM released the Edmund Goulding classic Grand Hotel, starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore and Joan Crawford, on this date. John Barrymore was so thrilled at the prospect of appearing in the film with Greta Garbo that he accepted a three picture deal with MGM.

September 11, 1971 –The Jackson 5 cartoon series, called The Jackson 5ive, premiered on ABC on this date. Each episode shows various adventures with animated versions of the group, along with Michael’s pet mice Ray and Charles, and his snake Rosie. The cartoon ran from 1971-1973.

September 11, 1982 –Frank Zappa’s song Valley Girl (featuring his daughter Moon Unit Zappa,) reaches its chart peak of #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, on this date. Frank Zappa released 62 albums in his lifetime (many more appeared after his death), but Valley Girl is his only song to crack the US Top 40.Continue reading “Like – totally entered the lexicon”

Hold fast the time! Guard it, watch over it, every hour, every minute! Unguarded, it will slip away. Hold every moment sacred. Give each one clarity and meaning, each one its true and due fulfillment. – Thomas Mann I have found the following poems helpful in absorbing the enormity of the events of this dayContinue reading “Shape without form, shade without colour”