Hang tight; we're half way through the celebrations

The seventh day of the Lunar New Year is commonly referred to as “Ren Ri” (the day of human),

because according to the legend, Nu Wa ( a Goddess in Chinese mythology who is believed to create the world and human beings) created human beings on the seventh day.

Legend has it that Nüwa created mankind because she felt lonely. She molded humans from clay into different shapes and sizes. Hand making humans became tiring, so Nüwa helped human learn about marriage; so human could reproduce themselves.



Therefore, the seventh lunar day of the year becomes everyone's birthday.


February 7, 1940 -
Walt Disney's second feature-length movie, Pinocchio, premiered at the Center Theatre in Manhattan on this date.



The task of creating Jiminy Cricket was given to legendary Disney animator Ward Kimball, his first assignment as an animation director. He originally designed the character to look more like a real cricket, but Walt Disney found the result "too gross" and demanded he be made cute. Kimball ultimately removed all the insect-like features and turned Jiminy into a little green man with an oversized head, wearing a gentlemanly outfit the animator "borrowed" from the logo of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky.


February 7, 1974 -
The Love Unlimited Orchestra's Love's Theme and their album Under the Influence of Love Unlimited were certified gold, on this date.



This is one of the few instrumentals and purely orchestral tracks to reach #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was one of the most played instrumentals of the 1970s. The track earned Barry White, writer of the track and producer, a BMI award for selling over three million copies.


February 7, 1974 -
Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles opened on this date. Fart jokes gain a certain cache afterwards.



While filming, Burton Gilliam (Lyle, the henchman of Taggart (Slim Pickens)) was having a difficult time saying the word "nigger", especially to Cleavon Little, because he really liked him. Finally, after several takes, Little took Gilliam off to the side and told him it was okay because these weren't his words. Little jokingly added, "If I thought you would say those words to me in any other situation we'd go to fist city, but this is all fun. Don't worry about it."


February 7, 1979 -
The very expensive superbomb of 1979, Supertrain premiered on NBC-TV on this date. TV Guide ranked Supertrain number 28 on its "50 Worst TV Shows of All Time" list.



This was the most expensive American TV series ever produced at the time. The failure of this show, along with the US boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics (which NBC was supposed to cover), nearly bankrupted NBC.


February 7, 1987 -
Aretha Franklin and George Michael's single, I Knew You Were Waiting (for me) hits No. #1 on the Billbloard Charts on this date.



When John Landis was asked how he got Aretha Franklin to appear in his 1980 film The Blues Brothers, he replied: "I asked her." The point being that the Queen of Soul had fallen out of favor and was looking for work (many other music legends - Ray Charles, Tina Turner and Roy Orbison among them - were also at career nadirs). It took this duet with George Michael to return her to the top of the chart, where she had not been for 20 years (with Respect).


February 7, 1999 -
Blondie went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Maria, giving the group their sixth UK No.1 single, 20 years after their first No.1, Heart of Glass.



This was Blondie's comeback song - at the age of 54, lead singer Debbie Harry became the oldest female to make No.1 in the UK.


Word of the Day


Today in History:
February 7, 1812 -
Charles Dickens, English novelist, was born in Portsmouth, England on this date.



He was the quintessential Victorian author.


February 7, 1845 -
An 'intemperate' vandal, William Lloyd, entered the British Museum and smashed the irreplaceable Portland Vase into over 200 pieces on this date. The elaborate glass amphora was created when Augustus was Caesar and was about ten inches high (the vase, not the emperor.)



It took a lot of glue and months to repair.


On February 7, 1898, the trial of Emile Zola began in Paris. He lost, but then eventually he won. He accused someone of something. Somehow, the actor Paul Muni was involved. Or vice-versa. Long story.



It all began in the backwoods of Illinois... no, that was Lincoln. Never mind


February 7, 1908 -
Buster Crabbe, Olympic athlete, actor and swimming pool sales man, was born on this date.







Crabbe is the only actor who played Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers - the top three comic strip heroes of the 1930s.


February 7, 1962 -
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard, stand-up comedian, dramatic actor and executive transvestite, was born on this date.





Long time readers of this silliness may have realized that I am very partial to Mr Izzard, Executive Transvestite.


February 7, 1964 -
It was 58 years ago today, The Beatles arrived at JFK International Airport to begin their first tour of the United States. They helped bring about a social revolution whose effects can be felt to this day. They had nothing to declare but their genius.

The Beatles came from Britain, sometimes known as England, a little island in the North Atlantic from which many people have come to the United States over the years, some of them without guitars.



The British (or English), like so many other Europeans, have a long and storied history. Although it took the French to perfect the guillotine, the English (or British) made up for in zeal what they lacked in technological savvy, and next week is the anniversary of three British (or English) queens having their heads hewn from their shoulders.



On February 8, 1587, after nineteen years in prison, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded.



On February 12, 1554, Lady Jane Grey, Queen for nine days in 1553, was beheaded.

On February 13, 1542, Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's Vth wife, was beheaded.

If you can get to an English (or British) pub next week, order a beer with extra head and see if they get the joke. (Be prudent, however, as people will sometimes react in unexpected ways when asked for any kind of head at all.)


February 7, 1965 -
I don't get high, but sometimes I wish I did. That way, when I messed up in life I would have an excuse. But right now there's no rehab for stupidity.





Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III, comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer, director and not an executive transvestite was born on this date.


February 7, 1968 -
It became necessary to destroy the town to save it. -

This was a quote attributed by Peter Arnett (written on this date.) to an anonymous American major speaking about the town of Ben Tre, the main town in Ben Tre province, Vietnam, after the Americans had heavily bombarded it.


February 7, 1990 -
The Soviet Union's Communist Party agreed to let opposition political parties compete for control of the country, thereby giving up its monopoly on power.

They were forced to sell of most of their properties on Baltic Avenue to the Russian mob.


Before you go - I keep thinking about that sandbox and the toy airplane. Very strange.



And so it goes