Category Archives: Uncategorized

Today is the Feast day of St. Sebastian, patron saint of soldiers, plague-stricken, archers, Christian martyrs, athletes, (and homosexual icon – the saint is always depicted as a strapping youth, nude, save a haphazardly placed loin cloth, bound to the post, muscles, straining. Pierced by several arrows, still smiling – but we shan’t discuss thatContinue reading “We should not grudge our toil”

Today is National Disc Jockey Day is celebrated in remembrance of the death of Albert James “Alan” Freed, (AKA Moondog,) the man who coined the term “Rock ‘n’ Roll”. The first DJ, or Disc Jockey, was sixteen-year-old student Ray Newby, who played the first records over the airwaves at Herrold College of Engineering and WirelessContinue reading “Tonight the DJ saved my life”

January 20, 1993 – Although Tom Waits was notoriously against selling himself in commercials, he did let his principles slip slightly and provided voiceover work for dog food company Butchers Blend in 1981. After the commercial began to win awards and become recognized Waits regretted the decision; when asked about it years later he saidContinue reading “Tom Waits’ 1993 lawsuit”

Jimmy Naismith was born in Ramsay township in Ontario, Canada in 1861. He grew up and eventually went to McGill University in Montreal. He became their Athletic Director and in 1891 he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, to take a post at the YMCA Training School. It was there that he was confronted with the problemContinue reading “Happy Birthday Basketball”

January 20, 2006 –Once upon a time, Kenny Ortega mega-hit teen musical, High School Musical starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale premiered on the Disney Channel, on this date. (This was my daughters favorite movie for a time – when they were very young children.) Zac Efron’s singing voice was that of DrewContinue reading “High School Musical premiered”

January 19, 1952 – In the first match-up between Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny, Operation: Rabbit, directed by Chuck Jones, premiered on this date. This was the second cartoon to feature Wile E. Coyote (following 1949’s Fast and Furry-ous), and the first in which he is identified by his full name. It is alsoContinue reading “Operation: Rabbit”

January 19, 1949 –I believe that my music is just about feelings, and the style is just a side effect. Robert Palmer, blue-eyed soul singer, was born on this date.

January 19, 2006 –NASA launched the New Horizons space probe aboard an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral on this date. It’s mission was to perform the first fly by of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons, Charon, Nix, and Hydra. It left Earth at an Earth-relative velocity of about 36,373 mi/h (10.10 mi/s), makingContinue reading “Flying round the universe”

January 19, 1955 –Michael Anthony began doling out the life changing checks from John Beresford Tipton when The Millionaire premiered on CBS-TV on this date. (The million dollar check would now be worth about $10 million dollars.) The mysterious philanthropist John Beresford Tipton was named for Tipton, Missouri, the birthplace of producer Don Fedderson’s wife,Continue reading “The Millionaire premiered”

On this day in 1825, the US patent (#X004009) for food storage in cans to “preserve animal substances in tin” was issued to Ezra Daggett and his nephew Thomas Kensett of New York City. I wonder if they knew that the tin can had been patented in 1810 by Peter Durand. Oh, Never mind. AsContinue reading “Think I’ll kick it down the street”