Category Archives: Uncategorized

February 8, 1974 –The spin-off from the sitcom Maude, that wasn’t quite a spin-off, Good Times, premiered on CBS-TV on this date. Norman Lear hired artist Ernie Barnes to paint the pictures which J.J. used in the show. Barnes’ work displays elongated African-American subjects in everyday scenes. Eddie Murphy owns the original The Sugar ShackContinue reading “We all learned that awful catch phrase”

February 8, 1975 –Ohio Players’ single Fire went to No. # 1 on the Billboard Charts on this date. Prior to Fire, the group’s highest-charting Hot 100 entry was Funky Worm, an influential novelty number led by keyboardist/vocalist Junie Morrison that hit #15 in 1973. When the band left the Detroit-based Westbound label for aContinue reading “The way you walk and talk …”

February 7, 1970 –The Dutch group the Shocking Blue’ single Venus goes to the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Charts, on this date. Sixteen years later, a cover version by Bananarama goes to the top of the charts as well. The group’s guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen wrote this song. The group is from TheContinue reading “Venus topped the charts”

February 7, 1908 –Buster Crabbe, Olympic athlete, actor and swimming pool sales man, was born on this date. Crabbe is the only actor who played Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers – the top three comic strip heroes of the 1930s

February 7, 1964 –The Beatles arrived at JFK International Airport to begin their first tour of the United States. They helped bring about a social revolution whose effects can be felt to this day. They had nothing to declare but their genius. The Beatles came from Britain, sometimes known as England, a little island inContinue reading “It was 60 years ago today”

February 7, 1979 –The very expensive superbomb of 1979, Supertrain premiered on NBC-TV on this date. TV Guide ranked Supertrain number 28 on its “50 Worst TV Shows of All Time” list. This was the most expensive American TV series ever produced at the time. The failure of this show, along with the US boycottContinue reading “This one was really bad”

February 7, 1974 –Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles opened on this date. After seeing the film, chairman of Warner Bros. Ted Ashley did not know Brooks had final cut of the film, so he gave him various notes. Ashley wanted all instances of the N-word removed, he wanted to lose the farting scene as well asContinue reading “This film could not be made again.”

There are 300 days until Cyborg, I mean, Cyber Monday – Plan accordingly

February 6, 1945 –Today is Bob Marley Day in Jamaica and Ethiopia. Bob Marley, musician, singer-songwriter and Rastafarian was born on this date. How can your day not be a little brighter.

We are halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, which is the scientifically correct way of saying it’s the middle of winter, such as it is in the Northeast. I used to hope that by the second half of Winter, we could coast to the start of Spring. Given that the presidential campaign isContinue reading “Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.”