Posted: July 2nd, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
My guess is that the only ones of you guys reading this that remember Bob & Ray are as long in the tooth as myself. Then again, a lot of you that old might not recall the deadpan humor of this duo from way past back in the day.
They were popular so long ago, you probably don’t even recall Bob’s son, Chris Elliott, who has had a blissfully under the radar comedy career commencing back in, what, the 80s. But this isn’t about him. It’s about his dad, Bob, and Bob’s professional partner, Ray.
They were, allow me to repeat myself, deadpan. Hilariously so. At least much of America thought so in the 50s and 60s and into the 70s. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: June 25th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
Should you find yourself vacationing in north-central Germany along the Weser River in the town of Hamlin, you will probably be directed by Tourist Information to visit some of the town’s historical homes, one of which goes by the name, Rattenfangerhaus.
In the Queen’s English: Ratchatcher’s House.
The reference is of course to the infamous Pied Piper. According to lore, it was on June 26, 1284 that he led more than a hundred of the town’s kiddos off into the countryside never to be seen again. This was purportedly his revenge for the town’s failure to duly compensate him for ridding the burg of its serious rodent problem. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: June 18th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
There have been some boffo, headline-inducing musical marriages through the decades.
Movie star Betty Grable and trumpeter Harry James. Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. Greg Allman and Cher. Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. Etc, etc.
But few resonated and kept on giving like the one that occurred, probably without undue fanfare and surely no tweeting, on June 18, 1915 in Ol’ Virginny. On that day, the parents of Sara Dougherty were pleased as punch to invite you to a reception honoring the betrothal of their daughter, Miss Sara Dougherty to one, A.P. Carter.
There are no confirmed reports of a chopped liver swan as centerpiece of the buffet table. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: June 11th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | 1 Comment »
We all have different ideas about what patriotism means.
If you’re the current governor of Florida, it means culling the voter roles of anybody with an odd name or swarthy complexion, who doesn’t happen to be registered to the correct party, i.e. that of the Governor.
I like to think that picking up litter during my walks and jogs through the ‘hood is a patriotic act, a sign of good citizenship.
You have your own ideas, I’m sure. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: June 4th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
One would have thought that Vincent Furnier would now be but a vague rock & roll memory swirling in the smoke rings of our mind.
But no, the fellow we know as Alice Cooper, like his soul mate Keith Richard, is as hearty as the cockroaches that have been around for centuries. And centuries before that, no matter what they might have done to try to eradicate themselves. Anyway, AC may be coming to your town this summer. He’s coming to mine in just a few weeks.
I trust he’ll be bringing his everpresent boa constrictor co-star with him. The snake is part of the rocker’s shtick. Be warned this will not be the original reptile present when you first loved — or loathed — Alice Cooper back in the day. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 28th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
Let us consider he who was Guglielmo II Malo — William the Bad of Sicily — who, alas, hadn’t the kind heart of his offspring, who became known as William the Good.
Actually son was known as Guglielmo II Buono. After all, it was 12th century Italy and they didn’t speak much English there at the time.
Dark Ages and all that, you know?
But, it was the nasty father, who, on May 28, 1156, crushed Byzantine — Or is that Byzantinian? — invaders at Brindisi. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 21st, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
We’re now about a month past our annual spring forward into Daylight Savings Time. Which time clock gestalt therapy is our way of circumventing nature and having more daylight time in the evening during the warmer months. As if you didn’t know that already.
What you might not have known is that the very first debate broadcast on the radio occurred on May 23, 1922. It was broadcast live Washington, D.C..
The topic: Daylight Savings Time. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 14th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
Once upon a time I did enjoy the occasional boxing match. After all, Muhammed Ali and I share a hometown. And my father was rarely missed the Friday Night Fights, which showed up on our 13” black and white TV thanks to Gillette Blue Blades.
But I’ve move away from such mano a mano sports. Never have taken to MMA.
That said, two of my “sports” faves are The Great Gardenia and Lou Thesz, whom I saw wrestle at Columbia Gym while still in my youth. And I always loved Rowdy Roddy Piper, who brought some true intelligence to the braggadocio which surrounds “professional” wrestling. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: May 7th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
Perhaps at least some of you have been wondering about the origin of our tribute to mama, a little thing we refer to annually as Mother’s Day?
It started in Almost Heaven West Virginia, or so it seems.
On May 7, 1914, several member of Congress proposed a national holiday for the second Sunday of May to honor mom. It passed without a single nay vote. Imagine our surprise.
The first service specifically honoring mothers apparently took place in Philly in 1908 on the anniversary of the death of Ann Jarvis. Seems that it was in Grafton, West Virginia that a young Ann Jarvis heard her mom, Ann, wish for a day honoring all mothers. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 30th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
In case you haven’t noticed, there seems to be a serious distrust of government these days. And, frankly, it comes from those of both the liberal and conservative political persuasions.
It’s always been around to a greater or lesser degree, but was seriously cranked to 11 in the U.S. of A. during the Watergate Scandal of Tricky Dick Nixon. Respect for the goings on in D.C. has never been the same.
Bill Clinton’s sexual peccadilloes didn’t help. (Which is to provide to you my readership, an even handed slap at both Donkey and Elephant administrations.)
Anyway, it was a day of purging for Nixon on April 30, 1973. He “accepted the resignations” of H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, Richard Kleindeinst and John Dean. The president himself hung on for another 15 months. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 23rd, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
There is Montezuma’s Revenge, about which I shall provide no further details, and Montezuma II, the ninth Aztec emperor, around whom today’s first tidbit revolves.
Seems he and Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez, who had sailed across the sea in part to bring Christianity to the heathens of the New World, didn’t get along. Nonetheless, it is reported that on April 24, 1519, M Deux sent envoys to attend the first Easter Mass in what was to become known as Central America.
At first blush, such a move would seem to be counter-intuitive. MII was a believer in the god Huitzlopochtli. While I’m not fully versed in all the whys and wherefores of Catholicism, I’m fairly certain that Huitzlopochtli was and still is not an integral part of the liturgy. Thus I’m fairly certain with my hypothesis that MII’s “rapprochement” came about because he was being held captive by Cortez’s forces at the time. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: April 16th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
It sure seems there were far too many Roman Emperors to keep track of them all. Besides, they all kinda had the same name. Or so it seems to me.
Anyway, of all those ancient emperors, Marcus Salvius Otho is not one of the better known. Maybe he shouldn’t have changed that name to Marcus Otho Caesar Augustus, which really confused his identity.
He’s known as Otho. And he was emperor for only four months, hardly long enough to get Shakespeare to write a play about him. And he didn’t really marry well. His bride Poppaea Sabina became Nero’s mistress. Read the rest of this entry »
My guess is that the only ones of you guys reading this that remember Bob & Ray are as long in the tooth as myself. Then again, a lot of you that old might not recall the deadpan humor of this duo from way past back in the day.
