Mack the Knife Topped the Billboard Charts

August 30, 1959 –Bobby Darin’s jazzy interpretation of Mack The Knife began its 26-week stay on the pop-singles charts. The original German version of this song is called Theme from The Threepenny Opera, or Moritat, which is the German word for Murder Ballad. The lyrics have been translated in various ways on different versions, butContinue reading “Mack the Knife Topped the Billboard Charts”

Guion S. Bluford Jr. heads to Space

August 30, 1983 –The first black astronaut, Guion S. Bluford Jr., a US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, flew on the third mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Bluford had entered the US Astronaut program in 1979; this was his first mission. This was also the first mission to launch and land at night. And soContinue reading “Guion S. Bluford Jr. heads to Space”

The Late Show with David Letterman premiered

August 30, 1993 –Moving himself and his gang of cohorts from NBC-TV, The Late Show with David Letterman premiered on CBS-TV, on this date. NBC claimed “intellectual property rights” on many of Letterman’s famous running gags and characters from his original show. As a result, the character of Larry Bud Melman was retired (though theContinue reading “The Late Show with David Letterman premiered”

USSR first nuclear test

August 29, 1949 –The Soviet Union joined the nuclear club on this date when they detonated a nuclear weapon, code-named First Lightning (Pervaya Molniya) at a test site in Kazakhstan. American experts were shocked and dismayed because they had thought the Soviets were still years away from having a workable bomb. The resultant fear helpedContinue reading “USSR first nuclear test”

Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all

If memory serves me, I believe we met back in September of 1974. It’s been a long crazy trip since then. Life hasn’t always pretty. It hasn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, onContinue reading “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all”