A Martini, of course

Today is National Name Your Poison Day. As described on many websites, "... National Name Your Poison Day is observed each year on June 8. Over the years, bartenders have been known to use the phrase, “name your poison,” when asking patrons what they would like to drink. This observation celebrates that phrase and is a day to commemorates making a choice or a decision."



As per usual, mine is Bombay Sapphire - Gin so good, you wished you were embalmed in it. Drink enough and you will be. I hope you enjoyed our little field trip to the Laverstoke Mill.


June 8, 1946 -
The very funny Looney Tunes cartoon, Kitty Kornered, was released on this date.



It have a number of firsts going for it:
1.) It's the first appearance of Sylvester the Cat (as this point unnamed) in a Warner Bros. cartoon.
2.) It's the first pairing of Porky and Sylvester.


June 8, 1950 -
The Asphalt Jungle, the superb film noir directed by John Huston, was released on this date.



During the production, Walter Huston came to Hollywood for his son John Huston's 44th birthday party. Two days later, with John at his side, the legendary actor of stage and screen died of heart failure at age 66.


June 8, 1963 -
The Crystals' Da Doo Ron Ron peaked at No.3 on the US singles chart. Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich wrote this song.



Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich wrote this song. The refrain of "da doo ron ron" came from nonsense syllables they stuck in as filler, but it was exactly what Phil Spector was looking for, since he didn't want a cerebral lyric getting in the way of his massive production and the tidy boy-meets-girl story line.


June 8, 1968 -
The Rolling Stones released Jumpin' Jack Flash on this date.



This was intended for Beggar's Banquet, but they left it off the album and released it as a single because The Stones were very pleased with the results. One year later on this date, founding member Brian Jones quit (some say 'pushed out') The Rolling Stones.



He died a month later, at age 27.


June 8, 1974 -
Dolly Parton's single I Will Always Love You went to No.1 on the US country charts on this date.



Elvis Presley let it be known that he wanted to cover the song. Parton was interested until Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song Elvis recorded. Parton refused.



I Will Always Love You later became a worldwide No.1 hit for Whitney Houston in 1992 when featured in The Bodyguard.


June 8, 1983 -
John Landis' mega-hit comedy Trading Places, starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Jamie Lee Curtis premiered in the US on this date.



In 2010, as part of the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act, which was to regulate financial markets, a rule was included which barred anyone from using secret inside information to corner markets, similar to what the Duke brothers tried to do in the movie. Since the movie inspired this rule, it has since become known as the Eddie Murphy Rule.


June 8, 1984 -
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!



Ivan Reitman's comedy - horror film, Ghostbusters, premiered on this date.



According to an interview with Mix Magazine Online, Ray Parker Jr. tried to create a song for the movie for 2 days. At 4:30 am, he saw a commercial for a drain company that reminded him of a scene from the film. That commercial helped him coin the popular line "Who you gonna call?"


June 8, 1985 –
The Tears for Fears song Everybody Wants to Rule the World became the group's highest-charting single when it reached No. #1 on the Billboard Charts on this date.



Everybody Wants To Rule The World is a line from the 1980 Clash song Charlie Don't Surf. Did Tears for Fears lift it? Joe Strummer of The Clash thought so. He recounted a story to Musician magazine about confronting Roland Orzabal in a restaurant, informing Orzabal that "you owe me a fiver." Strummer said that Roland reached in his pocket and produced a five pound note, ostensibly as compensation for poaching the line for his hit title.



And amazingly, they appeared on The Late Show recently performing the song again nearly 40 years later.


June 8, 1996 -
The Fugees' reworking of Killing Me Softly, featuring lead vocals by Lauryn Hill, goes to #1 in the UK, on this date, where it becomes the top-selling single of 1996.



The Fugees wanted to change the lyrics and make it a song about poverty and drug abuse in the inner city with the title Killing Him Softly, but the songwriting team of Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel refused.


Another posting from The ACME Employment Agency


Today in History:
June 8, 632 -
According to tradition, the prophet Mohammed died on this date. He was the founder of Islam, and his death was the first in a long chain of events that ultimately resulted in the Treaty of Tordesillas. Whether he is at this very moment reclining on a soft couch somewhere in Paradise, being serviced by a high-bosomed virgin with dark eyes or consuming a handful of raisins is debatable.

And if you think I'm going to post a picture of the Prophet, you've got another thing coming.


June 8, 1810 -
Robert Schumann, the great composer during the Romantic period, was born on this date. Schumann was able to create a large amount of work while battling the twin demons of bi-polar disease and dementia brought on by mercury poisoning related to the treatment of syphilis, contracted in his teens.



For the last two years of his life, after an attempted suicide, Robert Schumann was confined to a mental institution at his own request.

You may now impress your friends with this info.


June 8 1869 -
Ives W. McGaffey of Chicago patented his sweeping machine (patent # 91,145,) the first suction vacuum cleaner, on this date.

This suggests that Chicago was famous for sucking long before the emergence of the Cubs.


June 8, 1906 -
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt signed the American Antiquities Act, first proposed in 1882. It was used to set aside American resources by executive order.



Roosevelt had urged the passage of the Antiquities Act to allow the president to designate areas of scientific, historic or archeological significance as national monuments without the approval of Congress.


June 8, 1928 -
On May 31, 1928, Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Harry Lyon and James Warner left Oakland California in a Fokker VIIb-3m, called the Southern Cross, to attempt the first flight across the Pacific.



Flying via Hawaii and Fiji, they reach Brisbane, Australia 7,389 miles away, nine days later, on this date.


June 8, 1933 -
Certain key structural areas of the late, great Joan Alexandra Molinsky, comic and actress, were born on this date.



Unfortunately, some of her 'newer' parts have outlived her.


Nancy Sinatra was born on this date - it would be impolite to say how old she is.



Her boots must be made for endurance walking


June 8, 1982 -
President Ronald Reagan became the first US chief executive to address the two houses of British Parliament on this day.



His assistants became slightly concerned about the President's faculties when Reagan mentioned to them, that he believed that scene went well but he could be more convincing in the next take. He also mentioned to them that he'd be having dinner with Hedy Lamarr at the Trocadero.



And so it goes.