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April 9, 1928 –… If, after hearing my songs, just one human being is inspired to say something nasty to a friend or, perhaps to strike a loved one, it will all have been worth the while. Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, and mathematician,was born on this date. (Lehrer entered Harvard at age 15, havingContinue reading “But you won’t learn a thing about love”

April 9, 1830 –It’s the birthday of Eadweard Muybridge, born in Kingston-on-the-Thames, England. He emigrated to California in the 1850s, where he took up photography and quickly became one of the first internationally known photographers. Between 1867 and 1872 he took more than 2000 photographs, many of them views of the Yosemite Valley. It wasContinue reading “Smile for the Camera”

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 & T; but hey, what do I know. International Gin and Tonic Day, forContinue reading “We’re gonna break out the hats and hooters”

April 8, 1973 – …Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink any more…. Pablo Ruiz Picasso, one of the most recognized figures in twentieth-century art, he is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the wide variety of styles embodied in his work and sleeping with almost anything that moved,Continue reading “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”

April 7, 1978 –The Police release Roxanne in the UK on this date. This was the first major-label release by The Police, who were struggling at the time. A year earlier, they released the single Fall Out on an independent label owned by Stewart Copeland’s brother (and the band’s manager), Miles. It was a flop,Continue reading “You don’t have to put on the red light”

April 7, 1805 –Beethoven conducted the premiere of his Eroica Symphony No. 3 in E flat major on this date. Beethoven uses the symphony to convey popular notions about heroism and revolution, which were prevalent throughout Europe at the time. He was full of enthusiasm and respect for the French Revolution’s ideals, and especially (atContinue reading “All of our idols have feet of clay”

April 6, 1971 –The Rolling Stones held a party in Cannes to unveil the launching of Rolling Stone Records on this date. The record label was created to promote the hits of The Rolling Stones. The famous Stones trademark, the lips logo, became widely used. Brown Sugar was the first hit by the Rolling StonesContinue reading “Sixes, sevens & nines”

It was on this day in 1614 that Pocahontas married John Rolfe (and not John Smith) in the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia. The story of Pocahontas has become an American legend; it’s been retold countless times, in history books, novels, poems, TV shows, and movies. Many versions distort the facts by focusing on Pocahontas‘Continue reading “Sorry but it wasn’t the Colors of the Wind”

Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia! 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 dayContinue reading “Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!”

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 haveContinue reading “Sabbatum Sanctum”