Oh man, look at the colors

April 5, 1965 -
Lava Lamp Day is celebrated on this date. The first motion lamp was designed in 1963 by an engineer, Edward Craven Walker, who sold it under the name Astro Lamp. In 1965, two American entrepreneurs, Adolph Wertheimer and William M. Rubinstein, saw the lamp displayed at a German trade show and were in awe at its beauty. They bought the rights to manufacture the lamp in North America. The Astro Lamp was brought to the USA, renamed the LAVA® brand motion lamp and production took off in Chicago.



Some of the original participants have not stopped celebrating. Bonus info - Mr. Walker was an avid naturalist and shot several 'documentaries' (nudie flix) during the early 60s under the alias Michael Keatering. (Look 'em up yourself.)


April 5, 1902 -
Maurice Ravel's Pavane pour une Infante Défunte, (Pavane for a Dead Princess) premiered in Paris, France on this date.



You may now feel morally superior to the person in the next cubicle for knowing this.


April 5, 1964 -
The Searchers made their U.S. debut when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on this date.



They were the first British Invasion group to appear on the show after the Beatles.


April 5, 1975 –
Minnie Riperton (Maya Rudolph's mom) had her only No. #1 hit with Lovin’ You on this date.



Riperton worked with Stevie Wonder as a backup singer, and Stevie produced this track for her. Due to contractual obligations, Wonder's name could not appear on the credits, so he's listed as "Black Bull Productions" (Wonder's zodiac sign is Taurus, thus the bull).


April 5, 1987 -
The first prime time television series to air on Fox, Married... with Children, premiered on this date



During the show's heyday, Ed O'Neill would fulfill requests to make birthday and holiday telephone calls to fans, as Al Bundy--on the condition that he could call them collect (in character with Al's cheapskate nature).

Also premiering on Fox that evening was The Tracy Ullman Show.



Besides being the jumping off point for the cartoon series, The Simpsons, the show featured many musical numbers, choreographed by Emmy Award-winner Paula Abdul.


Word of the day


Today in History:
April 5, 348 BC -
According to some religious calculations, Noah's Ark grounded on Mt. Ararat in Turkey. The Bible only gives a general reference as to the landing place of the Ark.



So let's all thank our progenitor grandpappy for steering that ship on the right course.


April 5, 1242-
Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod defeated the Teutonic Knights at the Battle on the Icy More of Pskov (Battle of Lake Peipus) in Estonia on this date.



In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein made one of his most acclaimed films, Alexander Nevsky, based on Nevsky's victory over the Teutonic Knights.


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' relationship with John Smith and ignoring her marriage to John Rolfe. The story goes that Smith was captured by the Powhatans and was about to be clubbed to death when a young Pocahontas ran out and took him in her arms, saving his life (Daffy Duck and Porky Pig even get into this act) — but most historians think that Smith made up most of the story.



John Davis, in his 1806 historical novel, The First Settlers of Virginia, added a dramatic romance between Smith and Pocahontas, and that romance has been included in most of the Pocahontas stories since then, including Disney's animated movie that came out in 1995 and Terrence Malick's A New World in 2005.



But it was John Rolfe who married Pocahontas, after she had been abducted by the colonists. They had hoped they could use her as a bargaining chip with her father, the chief of the Powhatan tribe, to negotiate a peace treaty. The kidnapping didn't work out, but after John Rolfe fell in love with the girl, he got the chief's blessing, and the marriage led to a long period of peace between Jamestown and the Powhatan Indians.


April 5, 1794 -
Georges Jacques Danton, a leading figure in the early stages of the French Revolution and the first President of the Committee of Public Safety was hoisted on his own petard on this date.



Robespierre, once an ally, sends Danton to the guillotine for antirevolutionary activity. Danton's last words were addressed to his executioner. "Don't forget to show my head to the people. It's well worth seeing."


April 5, 1887 -
Anne Sullivan had been attempting to get Helen Keller to make the connection between objects and words for about a month before she had her breakthrough associating the word "water" with water running across her hand.



Helen progressed rapidly after that, and is said to have exhausted Sullivan by running around asking the names of everything she could reach.


April 5, 1900 -
Jean-Baptiste Victor Sipido, a 15 year old Belgian anarchist attempt to shoot Edward, Prince of Wales in his private train compartment, as the train leaves the Brussel-Noord railway station on this date.

Amazingly, although Sipido fires two shoots through the window (and Edward was not a thin man,) he missed everyone inside and was quickly wrestled to the ground. Shockingly, Sipido was acquitted at his trial due to his age.


This appears to be a particularly unfortunate date for celebrities:
April 5, 1923 -
George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert (Lord Carnarvon), died in Egypt from an infected mosquito bite on this date. He financed the excavation of the Egyptian New Kingdom Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings.



But remember, there was no mummy's curse.


April 5, 1964 -
Douglas MacArthur was wrong when he said, "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."



The controversial five-star general left his dried husk in his penthouse suite at the Waldorf-Astoria on this date.


April 5, 1976 -
As it must to all men, death came to the frail, syphilitic, obsessive-compulsive bisexual playboy Howard Robard Hughes.



I guess if I had that much money, I'd 'sleep' with anything I could.


April 5, 1994 -
The lead singer and songwriter of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, committed suicide with a shotgun blast to the head, prompting an unprecedented 24 hour MTV Cobain-athon.



Smells like brain splattered against the wall.


April 5, 1997 -
... The only thing that can save the world is the reclaiming of the awareness of the world. That’s what poetry does....



Allen Ginsberg, Beat poet giant died on this date.

April 5, 2008 -
Actor and former NRA president Charlton Heston died at 84 on this date.



They were finally able to pry that rifle from his cold rigor mortis stricken hands



And so it goes.

Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!

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 day of blood on Black Friday and culminated after three days in a day of rejoicing over the resurrection. Tammuz, beloved of Ishtar, was killed by a wild pig. As Tammuz was killed by a pig, a pig must be slaughtered and eaten on that Sunday.



His blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree, and the stump grew into a full new tree overnight. This made the evergreen tree sacred by the blood of Tammuz.



There is a forty day period of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz. During this time, no meat is to be eaten. Worshipers were to make the sign of "T" in front of their hearts in honor of Tammuz. They were to make and eat sacred cakes with the marking of a "T" on the top.



Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, the celebration begins. That is Ishtar's Sunday and is commemorated with rabbits and eggs which are sacred to her.

Now that Lent is completely over, resume all of your previous bad habits with barely any new-found spiritual insights.



Hopefully you'll find all those Easter eggs or you'll be sorry. Year old hard boiled eggs left behind grandma's couch really, really stink - enough said.


By the way, It's World Rat Day



Let's all move on.


April 4, 1914 -
The first episode of the silent film serial The Perils of Pauline premieres in New York. The cliffhanger serials shown in weekly installments feature Pearl White, a perpetual damsel in distress, as the title character.



The term "cliffhanger" originated with the series, owing to a number of episodes filmed on or around the New Jersey Palisades.


April 4, 1931 -
United Artists released the first version of the Hecht and MacArthur newspaper comedy, The Front Page, on this date.



The journalists are all based on actual reporters who were Chicago colleagues of authors Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, with most working alongside them at the courthouse. The real names were only slightly changed: Hildy Johnson was based on the real-life reporter Hildebrand Johnson, Walter Burns was based on the editor Walter Howey, and Mac McCue was based on reporter Buddy McHugh.


April 4, 1941 -
A charming but little remembered Sam Wood directed comedy The Devil and Miss Jones, starring Jean Arthur, Robert Cummings, and Charles Coburn premiered on this date.



Careful inspection of the interior set of Merrick's mansion reveals it to be the Xanadu set of the recently shot RKO picture Citizen Kane. The fireplace behind the Merrick's desk with its unique herring-bone brick pattern is the tip-off.


April 4, 1951 -
Another technicolor masterpiece from the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger - the film version of The Tales of Hoffmann starring, Robert Rounseville, Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann and Léonide Massine, opened in NYC on this date.



A 4K digital restoration has been made by Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation. This includes some scenes that were missing from recent prints and an unseen section introducing the actors and singers.


April 4, 1953 -
While not quite in the same league as Plan 9 from Outer Space, and shot in just four days, the Ed Wood Jr. 'classic', Glen or Glenda, premiered on this date (or maybe it didn't, but does it really matter.)



Bela Lugosi was broke and an addict at the time so readily took on a role in the film for which he allegedly was paid $5000. In reality, this figure was probably closer to $1000.


April 4, 1964 -
The Beatles set an all-time record on the Top 100 chart of Billboard magazine this day, holding an unprecedented twelve positions on Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on this date.



The Beatles accounted for 60 percent of the entire singles record business during the first three months of 1964. Those singles by The Beatles this day were:

"Can't Buy Me Love"
"Twist and Shout"
"She Loves You"
"I Want to Hold Your Hand"
"Please Please Me"
"I Saw Her Standing There"
"You Can't Do That"
"All My Loving"
"Roll Over Beethoven"
"From Me To You"
"Do You Want To Know A Secret"
"Thank You Girl"

Not too shabby


April 4, 1971 -
CBS aired the final episode of Hogan’s Heroes, Rockets Or Romance, on this date.



CBS chairman Fred Silverman had the show canceled, even though it was still popular in the Nielsen ratings, as part of what came to be known as The Rural Purge when he canceled all shows he felt only appealed to older audiences or to audiences that lived in rural areas. Advertisers preferred younger and more urban audiences as they were more likely to buy their products.


A book for the kids' Easter baskets


Today in History:
April 4, 1561 -
Over Nuremberg, Germany, a battle in the sky transpires between black and blood-red balls, disks, and crosses on this date.

It is never made clear who prevailed in this UFO incident.


April 4, 1721 –
Sir Robert Walpole enters office as the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom under King George I on this date.



Robert Walpole came into office on the tail end of the South Sea Bubble collapse and was credited with leading the country out of financial disaster, cementing the importance of the Prime Minister position in British government.


April 4, 1841 -

William Henry Harrison was an American military leader, politician, and the ninth President of the United States. He took the oath of office on March 4, 1841, an extremely cold and windy day. People told him, "Think what your mother would say - Take a coat, it's cold." Nevertheless, he faced the weather without his overcoat and delivered the longest inaugural address in American history. At 8,445 words, it took nearly two hours to read. He then rode through the streets in the inaugural parade, and later caught a cold, which then developed into pneumonia and pleurisy. People still told him, "Think what your mother would say - Have a liedown. Have some nice chicken soup."



He sought to rest in the White House, but could not find a quiet room, as he was deluged with people seeking his favor in the hope that he would appoint them to the numerous offices the president then had at his disposal. In addition, his position and new arrival in Washington obligated Harrison to keep an extremely busy social schedule, making any rest time scarce.



His doctors tried everything to cure him, applying opium enemas, castor oil, Virginia snakeweed, and even actual snakes (don't ask what they did with the snakes.) But the treatments only made Harrison worse and he went into delirium. He died a month later, at 12:30 a.m., on April 4, 1841, of right lower lobe pneumonia, jaundice, and overwhelming septicemia, becoming the first American president to die in office. His last words were "Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more." Harrison served the shortest term of any American president: only 30 days, 11 hours and 30 minutes.



A curious fact, Harrison's name backward is No Sirrah. When Harrison took office in 1841 at the age of 68, he was the oldest man to become President; a record that stood for 180 years, until Uncle Joe became President in 2021 at the age of 78.

Remember, as I've stated before, your mother is always right.


April 4, 1883 -
American inventor and founder of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Peter Cooper died on this date.

Among his many accomplishments, he obtained the first American patent for the manufacture of gelatin. His patent was sold to the makers of Jell-O.


April 4, 1933 -
USS Akron (ZRS-4) the accident-prone helium-filled rigid airship of the United States Navy was lost in a weather-related accident off the New Jersey coast, killing 73 of the 76 crew and passengers on board on this date.



The Akron's loss spelled the beginning of the end for the rigid airship in the US Navy, especially since one of its leading proponents, Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, was killed with 72 other men.


April 4, 1949 -
The (NATO) North Atlantic Treaty Organization pact was signed by the US, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Canada on this date.



It provided for mutual defense against aggression and for close military cooperation.


April 4, 1958 -
Lana Turner's 14 year old daughter Cheryl Crane, apparently stabs her mother's abusive mobster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato (it has always been alleged that Lana was the actual killer and that Cheryl, who faced minimal judicial punishment under the circumstances, took the rap for her). A coroner's jury finds she committed justifiable homicide.



Allegedly, while filming the movie, Another Time, Another Place, Lana Turner was rumored to have been having an affair with her costar, actor Sean Connery. Stompanato stormed onto the set, and during a verbal altercation with Connery, Stompanato waved a gun in Connery's face. Connery reacted by taking the gun away from him, physically beating Stompanato and sending him off the film set. After Stompanato's death, there were rumors that organized crime mobsters believed Connery had helped bring on the eventual demise of Stompanato, and Connery is alleged to have laid low for a time. There is no evidence that Connery and Turner were having an affair; this sort of behavior was apparently normal for Stompanato.


April 4, 1968 -
53 years ago today, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a rifleman (possibly James Earl Ray) while standing on the second-story balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He had come to Tennessee to support a strike by the city's sanitation workers.



The night before he died, he gave a speech at the Memphis Temple Church in which he said, "I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land."


April 4, 1973 -
The World Trade Center in New York was officially dedicated on this date.



In order to create the 16-acre World Trade Center site, five streets were closed off and 164 buildings were demolished. Construction required the excavation of more than 1.2 million cubic yards of earth, which was used to create 23.5 acres of land along the Hudson River, now part of Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. During peak construction periods, 3,500 people worked at the site. A total of 10,000 people worked on the towers; 60 died during its construction.


April 4, 1983 -
NASA launches the Space Shuttle Challenger on its maiden voyage into space from the Kennedy Space Center on this date.



The shuttle is named for the British Naval research vessel HMS Challenger, which sailed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the 1870s.


April 4th, 1984 -
To the past, or to the future. To an age when thought is free. From the Age of Big Brother, from the Age of the Thought Police, from a dead man... greetings.

Winston Smith began his secret diary on this date.



And so it goes.

Sabbatum Sanctum

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 done something extra.)


April 3, 1942 -
Another Technicolor fantasy from the Korda brothers, The Jungle Book, starring Sabu, premiered in NYC on this date.



Although this movie was set in India, the production was actually shot in California, USA.


April 3, 1953 -
TV Guide was published for the first time on this date.

The cover was a photo of Lucille Ball's infant son Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV.

April 3,1956 -
Elvis Presley performed on The Milton Berle Show. The show was broadcast live from the aircraft carrier USS Hancock.



Elvis played the songs Heartbreak Hotel, Money, Honey, and Blue Suede Shoes. I would not suggest that you place you hand upon the screen - the power you feel emanating from the TV is probably coming from Uncle Miltie's pants and you don't know where that's been.


April 3, 1971 –
The Temptations had their third of four No. #1 Billboard charting hits with Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) on this date.



This was the last single for the Temptations with Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams in the group. Eddie started a solo career and in 1973 scored his biggest hit with Keep On Truckin'. Williams remained on salary as an advisor, but was plagued with personal problems - he was separated from his wife, owed back taxes and was being treated for alcoholism. He committed suicide in 1973 at age 34.


April 3, 1977 -
Lion's Gate Films released Robert Altman's fever dream movie, 3 Women, starring Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Janice Rule in NYC on this date.



Director Robert Altman based the film's title, locations, and cast members on a series of dreams he had. Even Altman admitted that he wasn't sure what the ending would be, although he did have a loose theory about it.


April 3, 1982 -
I Love Rock 'n' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts topped the charts on this date. The song was number 1 on the Billboard charts for two months after 23 major record labels refused to give her a deal.



The video was directed by Arnold Levine, who also did many of the Loverboy and Bruce Springsteen clips. Jett wore a red leather outfit to the shoot, which took place at New York club called Private's with an assortment of fans that showed up that day forming the crowd. When Jett and Levine looked at the edit, the colors were a mess, with way too much red and mauve in the shots because of poor fashion choices. This was not the rock and roll video they imagined, but when Jett saw the black-and-white work copy, she loved it. Without the color, the clip looked gritty and retro, which is what they were going for.

Don't forget to tune in to The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour Today


Today in History:
April 3, 1860 -
The Pony Express made its first run on this date. The Pony Express became the quickest and most reliable mail delivery method in the newly developed American West, and covered land from Missouri to California in under ten days.



Though the Pony Express only lasted for about a year, it deeply impacted the development of the West. The Pony Express would be put out of business just eighteen months later with the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph line in October 1861.


Things were not looking good for the Outlaw Jesse James. With his gang depleted by arrests, deaths, and defections, Jesse thought he had only two men left whom he could trust: brothers Bob and Charley Ford. Frank James had decided to retire and attempt to settle down. Joe Walsh had not yet been born. Little did he, Jesse, know that Bob Ford had been conducting secret negotiations with Thomas T. Crittenden, the Missouri governor, to bring in Jesse James.

On April 3, 1882, as James prepared for another robbery, and as all good bank robbers did, he decided to go some little housekeeping. It was a rare moment: He had his guns off, having removed them earlier when the unusual heat forced him to remove his coat; as he moved in and out of the house, he feared the pistols would attract attention from the several passers-by. Seizing the opportunity, the Fords drew their revolvers. Bob was the fastest, firing a shot into the back of Jesse's head, cooling him off and killing him instantly.



The assassination proved a national sensation. The Fords made no attempt to hide their role; as crowds pressed into the little house in St. Joseph to see the dead bandit, they surrendered to the authorities, pleaded guilty, were sentenced to hang, and were promptly pardoned by the governor. Indeed, the governor's quick pardon suggested that he was well aware that the brothers intended to kill, rather than capture, Jesse James. (The Ford brothers, like many who knew James, never believed it was practical to try to capture such a dangerous man.) The implication that the chief executive of Missouri conspired to kill a private citizen startled the public and helped create a new legend in James.



The Fords received a portion of the reward (some of it also went to law enforcement officials active in the plan) and fled Missouri, which now fully embraced the outlaw who had long divided public opinion in the state. Zerelda, Jesse’s mother, appeared at the coroner’s inquest, deeply anguished, and loudly denounced Dick Liddil, a former gang member who was cooperating with state authorities. Charley Ford committed suicide in May 1884. Bob Ford was killed by a shotgun blast to the throat in his tent saloon in Creede, Colorado, on June 8, 1892. His killer, Edward Capehart O'Kelley, was sentenced to life in prison. Because of health problems, his sentence was commuted, and O'Kelley was released on October 3, 1902.


Insufferable Bastards are not to be confused with Evil Bastards. Insufferable Bastards correct your pronunciation, order mesclun salad, and belittle your appreciation of hamburgers; Evil Bastards kill millions of people and launch world wars.



Ironically, this week marks the anniversary of one of this century’s Evilest Bastards coming to power: Joe Stalin became Secretary General of the Communist Party on April 3, 1922.


April 3, 1924 -
The brilliant actor and total loon Marlon Brando was born on this date.



It's almost hard to remember that Brando was one of the more beautiful and talented actor (and owner of one of the most voracious sexual appetites) of his generation. (Since this is a somewhat respectable blog, I will merely say that it has been reported that Mr. Brando would have carnal relations with anything with a pulse.)



Interesting fact: according to Brando, the great love of his life was Wally Cox (his childhood friend.)



Brando was quoted as saying: "If Wally had been a woman, I would have married him and we would have lived happily ever after." After TV's Mr. Peepers and the voice of Underdog died, Brando kept his ashes in his bedroom for 30 years and conversed with them nightly. Eventually, the ashes (Wally's) were eventually scattered with his (Marlon's) own.


April 3, 1924 -
The really frightening thing about middle age is the knowledge that you'll grow out of it.

Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, singer and actress, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on this date. She turns to singing when a car accident wrecks her dreams of becoming a professional dancer.



I bet you never thought about Marlon Brando and Doris Day in the same universe.


On April 3, 1930, Ras Tafari was proclaimed Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (his coronation occurred on November 3, 1930.)

This ultimately resulted in Bob Marley.




April 3, 1936 -
The state of New Jersey extended one final courtesy to Bruno Hauptmann and offered him the hot seat for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby on this date.



(as previously discussed, a crime he probably did not commit.)


April 3, 1942 -
Mr. Las Vegas, Carson Wayne Newton, was born on this date.



Mr. Newton, your love of plastic surgery has affected your thinking, especially about your love of Mr. Trump. But we like you anyway.


April 3, 1958 -
One of the Baldwin brothers, I think the not-so-husky but very hairy one (only in comparison with his brothers), Alexander Rae Baldwin III was born on this date.



Alec has three younger brothers, all actors and two younger sisters, who are not brothers or actors. It's been rumored that there was another Baldwin brother, Gummo, who was eaten by his siblings during some childhood shopping accident at a Long Island A & P, but that have never been proven.


April 3, 1966 -
Soviet Union's Luna 10 became the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon on this date.



No amount of Preparation H helped President Johnson's hemorrhoidal flare up on this date.


April 3, 1968 -
... It really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountain top, and I don't mind....



Less than 24 hours before he was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "mountaintop" speech to a rally of striking sanitation workers.



And so it goes.

An Empire upon Love

Today is Good Friday,

(also know as, Great Friday, Holy Friday or Long Friday.)





The old ladies you usually pester with questions of a religious nature are busy today: they are doing the Stations of the Cross. Since you probably have not been to church since at least Christmas and more likely than not, have completely forgotten your entire religious training

(ACME will extend a Papal Dispensation to all non-Christians on this test) -

Here are the Stations of the Cross:

First Station: Jesus is condemned to death

Second Station: Jesus carries His cross

Third Station: Jesus falls the first time

Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother

Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross



Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time

Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Ninth Station: Jesus falls a third time



10th Station: Jesus clothes are taken away

11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross



12th Station: Jesus dies on the cross



13th Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross



14th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb


(A slight change in tone)
According to the Nation Peanut Board, Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches are good for the planet.



It takes fewer than five gallons of fresh water to produce one ounce of peanuts, and peanuts add beneficial nutrients to the soil.

Today is Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Legend has it that American soldiers in World War II mixed their rations of peanut butter and jelly to make a new treat. When they returned sales of peanut butter and jelly soared. Everyone was soon making PBJ sandwiches.



Enjoy every sandwich kids.


On this day, April 2, 1902, Tally's Electric Theatre was established in downtown Los Angeles as the first theater built only for motion pictures.

Moving pictures had been seen in France and other parts of the U.S., but the Electric Theatre was the only theatre dedicated to showing moving pictures exclusively.


April 2, 1942 -
One of the (in)famous 'censored' Looney Tunes, Any Bonds Today?, was released on this date.



This movie stands as a testament to the rapid rise in popularity of Bugs Bunny. Only a year and a half earlier, Bugs had been introduced to the public in A Wild Hare and already the Treasury Department had commissioned a special Bugs film to sell war bonds.


April 2, 1948 -
I Taw a Putty Tat, another classic Sylvester and Tweety cartoon, premiered on this date.



Look for the first appearance of Hector the Bulldog.


April 2, 1966 -
The film based on Sister Luc-Gabrielle, a Belgian nun who had a #1 US hit with the French language song Dominique, The Singing Nun, starring Debbie Reynolds, opens in theaters.



Unfortunately, the lovable nun was a one-hit wonder whose life did not continue happily after her brief blush of chart success. After leaving the church for a full-time music career, she ran into heavy financial problems and eventually took her own life.


April 2, 1968 -
Stanley Kubrick's influential science-fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey, premiered in Washington D.C. on this date.



Stanley Kubrick calculated that it would take one person 13 years to hand draw and paint all the mattes needed to insert the assorted spacecraft into the starry backgrounds. Kubrick hired 12 other people, and did the job in one year.



Pink Floyd was at one point approached to perform music for the film. However they turned it down due to other commitments. Yet they retain a connection with the film: much like The Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of the Moon, it is said that Pink Floyd's song Echoes from the album Meddle can be perfectly synchronized with the Jupiter & Beyond the Infinite section of the film.

You figure out how much dope you have to smoke in order to make that work out.


April 2, 1971 -
The last episode of the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, which aired on ABC-TV, was shown on this date.



The series premiered on June 27, 1966 and ran for 1,225 episodes.


April 2, 1978 -
The popular series Dallas premiered on CBS-TV as a five week mini-series, on this date.



Most of the cast wore their own clothes during the pilot episode and subsequent installments of the first season instead of clothing from the studio wardrobe department.


April 2, 2006 -
Gnarls Barkley's Crazy makes history by becoming the UK's first-ever #1 single to top the chart solely on download sales.



Gnarls Barkley is producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and vocalist Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway). Danger Mouse produced The Gorillaz album Demon Days; Cee-Lo was in Goodie Mob. The name "Gnarls Barkley" is a play on "Charles Barkley," who is a Hall Of Fame basketball player and an outspoken commentator. The moniker came up in a conversation between Danger Mouse and some of his friends when they were throwing out weird ideas for band names.


Another unimportant moment in history


Today in History -
Back in the eighth century, countries had not yet been formally invented. That part of western Europe known today as France was simply called Frankland. This helped distinguish it from neighboring areas, such as Georgeland to the north and Hansland to the east. The Franks had allowed themselves to be ruled for several generations by the Merovingians. The Franks hoped that the Merovingians would someday make them a country, preferably France.

Unfortunately the Merovingians had names like Merowig, Dagobert and Childeric, and were therefore unlikely to produce a serious nation, such as France, but more likely Luxembourg or Liechtenstein.

Working directly beneath the kings of the Merovingian line, however, was a family that had been increasing its power and influence in the Frankish court for several generations. These were the descendants of Arnulf, and they were much more serious than the flaky Merovingians.

The Arnulfians were all named either Pepin or Charles, and they all served as Mayors of the Palace. It wasn't much of a title, but it let them siphon power from the Merovingians until the kings had no power left at all.

The last Merovingian king was Childeric III. When he realized he was finally powerless, that the office of the palace mayor had usurped all the power of the monarchy, he became upset and refused to trim his whiskers.

He was shaved, and sent off to live in a monastery.

The first Arnulfian king was Pepin the Short, son of Charles "the Hammer" Martel, son of Pepin the Easily Confused. Pepin the Short had two sons, Charles and Carloman. The boys were too young to have acquired official nicknames, but were almost certainly referred to affectionately as Chuckie and Carlo, possibly in that order.

King Pepin got the Pope's approval to be king, and immediately afterward began exterminating Saracens. This was a favorite recreation of European royalty at the time. History is ambiguous about these so-called Saracens, who afflicted southern and eastern Europe during this period. They may have been an aggressive species of deer, fierce carnivorous birds, or even swarms of disease-carrying rodents. Some historians call them "Mussel-men"--presumably half-mussel, half-man: such a monster is too terrible to imagine, especially if you like seafood. We know only that it was necessary to kill them, and that Pepin did this admirably.

Finally he died.

Chuckie and Carlo divided the Frankland between them until Carlo died, at which point Chuckie became king of everything.

It seemed inappropriate to call him Chuckie from that point forward, and so he came to be known as Big Chuck. As he got older, he became Charles the Great, and eventually, of course, he turned out to be Charlemagne.



He conquered a lot of territory, killed a lot of Saracens, and is often credited with the invention of France, or at least something that closely resembled it.

He was born on April 2. I forgot to mention that.


April 2, 1513 -
Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of Florida on this day looking for the fabled "Fountain of Youth," (Fountains of Wayne hadn't formed as a group yet, so tickets would not have been on sale.)



The Captain exclaimed that he had discovered a new land and claimed it for Spain. This annoyed the native population almost immediately and Leon and his explorers made a hasty retreat to Cuba, though the territory remained officially the property of Spain until the 1800s.


April 2, 1917 -
The world must be made safe for democracy

104 years ago today, President Woodrow Wilson, delivered a speech before a joint session of Congress and recommended that a state of war be declared between the United States and the imperial German government.



Congress granted the request four days later, and the US entered World War I. Luckily, Mr. Wilson hadn't had his debilitating stroke yet - Mrs. Wilson was still working on throwing her voice.


April 2, 1992 -
The head of the Gambino crime family, John Gotti (known as the "Teflon Don" for his ability to avoid conviction,) was finally convicted on 13 counts that included murder and racketeering on this date.



Gotti was found guilty on all counts, and served out the rest of his life in jail.

Remember kids - The wages of sin is death.



And so it goes.

April is a promise that May is bound to keep.

When you woke up this morning, one of your first thoughts probably was, Thank Goodness Volkswagen really didn't change it's name. No you probably realized that it's April (again.)

It is a cruel month - usually mixing memory with tax payments (hopefully you've heard that you may file your taxes May 17, this year.) April was the second month in an early Roman calendar, but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month. The Romans called the month Aprilis. It may come from a word meaning 'to open', or it may come from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love or it may come from the word meaning 'month that used to be second but now is fourth'.




Small animals that hibernate are usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward or they settle down to have their families. Small Jewish people usually fly northwards from Miami to spend the holidays with their mishpocha. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.



In some parts of the world, it's planting time. In other parts, it's the harvest season. And yet in other places, it's the sanity that follows March Madness. Professional baseball begins in April. Then the amateur athletes begin to go outside in the warm weather. Spring cleaning starts and people start mowing their yards again.



Unlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.



The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.



However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.



This harassment evolved, over time, into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day thus developed into an international fun fest, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.

In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body. It is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced to this observance.

Mexico's counterpart of April Fool's Day is actually observed on December 28. Originally, the day was a sad remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod. It eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.

Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!" In Scotland, it usually ends with sodomy.



Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.




Happy April Fools everybody


April is National Poetry Month

April is also International Twit Award Month.



Please opine upon this as you think about Ted Cruz's decision to vacation in Cancun.


Today is also the non-denominational the Feast of St. Stupid's day.

here is the history of St. Stupid, directly from the font of all knowledge - Wikipedia:

... According to legend, St. Stupid was the son of a codpiece. It is also told that he had not one mother, but thousands. Wherever a country lass was deceived by a traveling player, wherever a child of questionable parentage was born, St. Stupid was there. He was a clever child who played the fool from an early age. He did not speak until he was in puberty, although he was able from the time he was two. He delighted in confounding and confusing his fellow beings. He did rock imitations. He slept with the chickens and crowed with the roosters. He traveled over most of the known world and much of the unknown world, creating mischief wherever he went. At times he attracted others and together they put on dumb shows where they confounded and swindled their audiences....



The annual parade celebrating the venerable saint, held in San Francisco, has been cancelled again this year.


Today is Maundy Thursday. It's sometimes called Holy Thursday,

also known as Sheer Thursday (as in to purge yourself of sin), Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries. Remember to wash your feet or the feet of someone else, if you are so inclined.

Among the other things going on remember: don't go to a dinner party with 12 other people -



This evening begins the Easter Triduum, (aka Holy Triduum, Paschal Triduum, or The Three Days,) the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Holy Thursday and ends with Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.


April 1, 1930 -
Josef von Sternberg's Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel), starring unknown German actress, Marlene Dietrich, premiered in Berlin on this date.



Marlene Dietrich's screen test for this film survives. In it, she upbraids an unidentified piano player for his bad playing and sings two songs, the first of which is "You're the Cream In My Coffee."


April 1, 1978 -
Tonight was the last time you could play the original version of the game, 'Hi Bob' because the final episode of The Bob Newhart Show aired on this date.



In the episode, the actor Bill Quinn, who plays Dr. Wyler, was Bob Newhart's father-in-law in real life.


April 1, 2007 -
Showing her very acute sense of irony, Alanis Morissette transforms the Black Eyed Peas' song My Humps into a mournful piano ballad for an April Fools' Day prank.



The accompanying music video debuts on YouTube on this date and became a viral sensation, garnering millions of views.


Meet the Staff


Today in History:
April 1, 78 -
Roman scientist Gaius Brutus Caellus produced the first alkaline battery on this date. No practical use could be discovered for his invention, as it would be nineteen full centuries before the advent of cordless vibrator, it became a mere academic curiosity.

It was gradually forgotten until Alessandro Volta used writings about Caellus's novelty to invent the first "wet cell" battery in 1800.


April 1, 1865 –
Ordered to hold Five Forks, Confederate General George Pickett instead fought the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," and lost almost 3,000 troops on this date.



Oops


April 1, 1895 -
Alberta Hunter, blues singer, songwriter and nurse, was born on this date.



After the death of her mother in 1954, Ms. Hunter retired from the music industry and 'reinvented' herself', becoming a nurse working until the late 70s (my grand-aunt worked with her at the time.)



Coming out of her second retirement, Ms. Hunter accepted a 'two-week' engagement in a downtown NYC nightclub, The Cookery, that lasted almost six years (until shortly before her death.)


April 1, 1960 -
The world's first experimental weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched on this date.



TIROS-I was operational for only 78 days, but proved extremely successful, providing the first accurate weather forecasts based on data gathered from space.


April 1, 1970 -
President Richard Nixon signs legislation officially banning cigarette ads on television and radio.



This act required cigarette manufacturers to place warning labels on their products that stated “Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health.”


On April 1, 1976, Max Ernst died. On April 2, he was born. This sort of contradictory behavior was typical of Ernst, one of the founders of the Dada movement.



The Dada movement’s central philosophy was haddock, and its importance has been pocketbook.


April 1, 1984 -
Legendary Motown singer Marvin Gaye, who had recently moved back in with his parents, physically battered his own father.



Minutes later Dad returns with a gun, shooting Marvin twice in the chest and killing him instantly (sorry but there's no funny jokes to make about this.)


April 1, 2004 -
Google launches Gmail, a free webmail and POP3 email service, as an invitation-only beta. The launch is initially met with wide-spread skepticism due to Google’s long-standing tradition of April Fool’s jokes.



Gmail differs from other services in that it ran as smoothly as any desktop application, largely thanks to the use of Ajax in its interface.



And so it goes.