Remember, it’s the sea creature, not the submarine we’re celebrating

The celebrations of Cephalopod Awareness Days keep rolling along – Today we celebrate Nautilus Night, highlighting all the lesser-known extant cephalopods – Hopefully the fact that you’ve probably never seen a living nautilus isn’t preventing you from celebrating the holiday.

I bet there’s a lot of little kids out there that know this

October 9, 1984 –The popular children’s show Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends begins its run on BBC-TV, featuring a narrator by the name of Ringo Starr on this date. Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Toby, Annie, Clarabel, Henrietta, Bertie, and The Fat Controller (known in the American dubs as “Sir Topham Hatt“) areContinue reading “I bet there’s a lot of little kids out there that know this”

Back when just moaning was dirty

October 9, 1969 –BBC’s Top Of The Pops refused to play the No. #1 hit in the country, Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus, on this date. Gainsbourg, a French poet/actor/musician, originally recorded the risqué number in 1967 with Parisian actress Brigitte Bardot, who was both his musical partner and lover. When Bardot asked him toContinue reading “Back when just moaning was dirty”

Sometimes, you need to trust your gut

October 9, 1934 —While the Boomtown Rats don’t like Mondays, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia didn’t like Tuesdays. (Alexander is one of the rare European royals not related to Queen Victoria in any measurable way.) Because three members of his family had died on a Tuesday, Alexander refused to undertake any public functions on thatContinue reading “Sometimes, you need to trust your gut”

Let’s all celebrate in an Octopus’ garden

Given your newsfeed is jam packed with other, more heady news, it is understandable that some may not remember that since 2007, ACME has been proud to recognize that every year from the 8th to the 12th of October, International Cephalopod Awareness Days come around to teach the world about Cephalopods! Today is Octopus Day,Continue reading “Let’s all celebrate in an Octopus’ garden”

When Laurel was paired up with Hardy

October 8, 1927 –The Hal Roach studio released The Second Hundred Years short, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy – the first Laurel and Hardy film with them appearing as a team on this date. When Stan’s hair began to grow back after being shaved for this short, it grew straight up and unruly. HeContinue reading “When Laurel was paired up with Hardy”

Hearts of the West premiered

October 8, 1975 –While a critical success, the comedy film, Hearts of the West, directed by Howard Ziff, and starring Jeff Bridges, Andy Griffith, Blythe Danner, Donald Pleasence, and Alan Arkin, which opened on this date, was a financial disaster. It has since become a cult classic. The film was a remake of the 1932Continue reading “Hearts of the West premiered”

It was a very hot time in the old town that night

October 8, 1871 –Mrs O’Leary’s cow started The Great Chicago Fire that destroyed more than 17,000 buildings, killed more than 300 people and left 90,000 homeless, on this date. Bad cow. Catherine O’Leary seemed the perfect scapegoat: she was a woman, immigrant, and Catholic – a combination which did not fare well in the politicalContinue reading “It was a very hot time in the old town that night”