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Today is National Gin and Tonic Day Once again I will remind you gentle readers that I am not a spokesperson for Bombay Sapphire (yet), I find it is a waste to use it, given it’s delicate botanicals in a G and T; but hey, what do I know. International Gin and Tonic Day, forContinue reading “Again, not celebrated every day in my house”

Happy Easter everybody! We’ve spoken about Ishtar before: there is an ancient story about Tammuz (also known as Attis, Osiris, Dionysus, Adonis, Orpheus or Jesus – you’ll get the idea) who was born of a virgin, died, was reborn. He was the lover of Ishtar The festival associated with Tammuz began as a day ofContinue reading “Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia!”

April 8, 1977 –CBS Records released the the debut studio eponymous named album by The Clash, on this date. The group was signed by a CBS-affiliated record company for 100,000 British pounds, an unprecedented sum for a group who had little noteworthy performance history. Many of the punk establishment criticized the group for selling out,Continue reading “The Clash went on sale”

April 8, 2000 –In a Saturday Night Live skit where Blue Öyster Cult is recording (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, Christopher Walken demands more cowbell from Will Ferrell, who complies. A catch phrase is born

April 8, 1968 – The TV special Petula airs on NBC on this date. Most people would not remember this special except at one point in the show, host Petula Clark grabs hold of Harry Belafonte’s arm while they are singing a duet. As bizarre as this may seem, the show marked the first timeContinue reading “Petula Clark TV special”

Today is Holy Saturday; it’s also known as the Great Sabbath, Black Saturday, or Easter Eve. (You kids today are soft; we used to have to fast the entire day today.) Today is the last day of Lent – you have one more day of having to give up something (or one could have doneContinue reading “The Great Virgil”

April 6, 1979 – With Richard Benjamin as the guest host, Rickie Lee Jones is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, on this date. She performs her hits Chuck E.’s In Love and Coolsville. The episode is notable not only for Rickie Lee Jones performance but it is the first appearance of Rodney DangerfieldContinue reading “Rickie Lee Jones on SNL”

April 7, 1970 –John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy won the Oscar for Best Picture on this date. It remains the only X-rated film to win an Academy Award. The film was rated “X” (no one under 17 admitted) upon its original release in 1969, but the unrestricted use of that rating by pornographic filmmakers caused theContinue reading “Midnight Cowboy received an Academy Award”

April 7, 1978 –The Police release Roxanne in the UK on this date. BBC Radio 1 refuses to play it, which tanks the song, but when the band tours America a year later it catches on in that country, becoming their first hit.

Today is Good Friday, (also know as, Great Friday, Holy Friday or Long Friday.) On Good Friday, parishioners (the old ladies who populate church in the middle of most days) follow the officiant and observe the Stations of the Cross.