Friday, August 17, 2007

Friday, August 17 - Sunday, August 26, 2007

The stars rain down on Sunday...

"Starry, starry night"...If you like watching shooting stars you're in for a real treat on Sunday night. The annual Perseid meteor shower will be peaking late Sunday into early Monday. That's when you'll see more stars than a Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon can produce. How many stars, you ask? Astronomers estimate as many as 60 meteors (or shooting stars to you and I) per hour...

"Ground control to Major Tom"...This year's show comes with a bonus - Mars will be visible as a bright red dot in the northeastern sky. Although last year's show was a dud because of the moon's glare, no worries this year. "Say, it's only a paper moon"...With a new moon Sunday night, the skies will be dark and perfect for more shooting stars than Dick Cheney could hit with a shotgun. "Stars shining bright above you"...Unlike other shooting star sightings (say that fast 10 times in a row) that required a telescope or binoculars, no need this time. You'll be able to see the stars with your naked eye. This year you won't have to sing "where are you little star?"...

Enjoy the show and since I live in New York can someone tell me how it was???

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1790] Musical capitals: The capital city of these United States moves from New York City to Philadelphia...
  2. 1877] Notch #1: F.P. Cahill becomes famous. He's 'Billy the Kid's' first victim and here is a video profile of the notorious bandit: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nBB-Qtuiegw&mode=related&search= ...
  3. 1896] Thar's gold in them thar hills: The Klondike gold rush is set off by George Carmack who discovers gold in Rabbit Creek, Alaska...
  4. 1903] What a prize: Joseph Pulitzer donates a million dollars to Columbia University. This starts the Pulitzer Prize awards...
  5. 1920] "Happy Trails": 29-year old Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians is beaned by Yankees fastballer Carl Mays on the 16th and succumbs to the beaning on the 17th. It's the first and final time a baseball player is killed in a game...1973] 34-year old Paul Williams of the Temptations dies from a self-inflicted gun shot wound...1987] Nazi murderer Rudolph Hess suffocates himself in prison at the age of 93. No love lost there...
  6. 1969] Curtains: The Woodstock Music and Art Fair (the official name) ends after 3 days of music, mayhem, mud and luvvvv, man...
  7. 1969] 'Cane catastrophe: Hurricane Camille slams into the Gulf Coast killing 248...
  8. 1969] Tee it up: The Jets and Giants play their 1st pre-season game with the J-E-T-S winning...
  9. 1988] A presidential admission: President Bill Clinton finally admits to an improper relationship (but not sex, right?) with ("That woman") (Miss) Monica Lewinsky...
  10. 1992] Daddy Dearest: Woody Allen admits to being romantically involved with 17-year old Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, Allen's longtime companion. They are now married. Woody and Soon-Yi, not Woody and Mia...

Music Memories:

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Jorge Posada (36), Donnie Wahlberg (38), Sean Penn (47), Belinda Carlisle (49), Robert DeNiro (64) and Maureen O'Hara (87)...

Timeline Countdown: 17 days until Labor Day and 20 days until the NFL opener...

Saturday-Sunday, August 18-19, 2007...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1937] FM CP: The 1st FM construction permit is issued in Boston. W1XOJ in Paxton goes on the air 2 years later. That station is now WSRS in Paxton (MA) (8/18)...
  2. 1960] Convicted: A tribunal in Moscow convicts American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers of espionage. Gary will serve his time and eventually be released (8/19)..
  3. 1961] That wall is not for handball: Construction of the Berlin Wall separating the western and eastern sectors of Berlin is completed (8/18)...
  4. 1967] All news all the time: WCBS in New York goes all-news as they decide to compete with WINS. Both stations are now owned by CBS Radio (8/18)...
  5. 1967] Brutal beaning: Red Sox star outfielder Tony Conigliaro is beaned by the Angels' Jack Hamilton at Fenway Park. A promising future is cut short although Tony C. will recover from the beaning but never be the same player again (8/18)...
  6. 1973] Wedding Bells: Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson say "I do". The marriage ends in 1980 (8/19)...1993] Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin unite and what exactly were they thinking??? (8/19)...1993] Mattel and Fisher Price walk down the aisle (8/19)...
  7. 1977] "Happy Trails": The legendary Groucho Marx dies of pneumonia at 86. Groucho always said he wanted to be buried above Marilyn Monroe (8/19)...
  8. 1981] Curtains: The final episode of "Charlie's Angels" airs after 5 years as a series (8/19)...1992] One of the greatest players to wear Celtics green, Larry Bird announces his retirement after 13 years and here's the video (8/18): http://youtube.com/watch?v=0BsHdQ4VuD4 ...1993] "Cheers", one of the most popular sit-coms of all-time ends its 11-year run (8/19)...
  9. 1996] Tapped out: A record 6,654 (or 13,308 feet if my math is correct) tap their brains out at Macy's "Tap-o-mania" in front of Macy's on 34th Street. They set a new world's record. They should be damn proud of it too (8/18)...
  10. 2004] A private matter: Google goes public, opening at $85 and closing at $100 with 22 million shares sold (8/19)...

Music Memories:

  • 1962] Released on this date: "If I Had A Hammer" - Peter, Paul & Mary (8/18)...1973] "China Grove" - Doobie Brothers (8/18) Here's the video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=z9TzmgK91bg ...
  • 1979] #1 on this date: "My Sharona" - The Knack (it stays at #1 for over a month) (8/19)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

(8/18) Jeremy Shockey (27), Dennis Leary (50), Patrick Swayze (55), LaBelle's Nona Hendryx (62) and Sarah Dash (64), Martin Mull (64), Matt Snell (66), Frankie Avalon (67), Robert Redford (70), Roman Polanski (74) and Rosalynn Carter (80)...(8/19) Matthew Perry (38), Lee Ann Womack (41) I hope she dances: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xIAWY4LLsEw , Kyra Sedgwick (42), John Stamos (44), Ron Darling (47), Adam Arkin (51), Mary Matalin (54), Tipper Gore (59), Bill Clinton (61), Billy J. Kramer (64), Fred Thompson (65), Jill St. John (67), Johnny Nash (67), Ginger Baker (68)...[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...

Monday-Sunday, August 20-26, 2007...

10 Timeline Memories for the Week of Monday, August 20, 2007:


  1. 1906] Nipper sighting: The Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden (NJ) begins to manufacture the Victrola. The hand-cranked machine with horn cabinet sold for $200, a bloody fortune in 1906 (8/22)...
  2. 1959] Book it Dano: Hawaii becomes the 50th state as President Dwight D. Eisenhower issues the order for the 50-star U.S. flag (8/21)...
  3. 1966] You say hello, they say goodbye: The Beatles play their final appearance in New York at Shea Stadium before a less-than sellout crowd of 44,600 (8/23)...
  4. 1966] With no limes available, Juan puts the bat in the coconut: Giants pitcher Juan Marichal hits Dodgers catcher John Roseboro in the head with a bat during an on-field fight. Jose Offerman takes notes (8/22)...
  5. 1981] Guilty as charged: Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years-to-life for the murder of John Lennon (8/24)...
  6. 1985] Oh Doctor: The Mets' Dwight "Doc" Gooden at 20 becomes the youngest pitcher to win 20 games. Gooden finishes the season at 24-4 (8/25)...
  7. 1986] A preppie murder in the park: Jennifer Levin is found strangled in Central Park. 'Preppie Killer' Robert Chambers (now out) eventually confesses but uses a 'rough sex' defense. He served 15 years and was released at age 36 in August of 2005. Chambers was sentenced to 100 days in jail for heroin and cocaine possession about a year ago (8/26)...
  8. 1989] A self-defense claim: Record executive Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty are shot to death by their sons Lyle and Erik, who claim self-defense after being abused. The 1st trial ends in hung juries but eventually the brothers are convicted and are still serving their terms (8/20)...
  9. 1989] Banned from baseball: Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti bans Pete Rose permanently for betting on sports, including baseball as manager of the Reds (Tim Donaghy takes notes)(8/24)...
  10. 1992] 'Scud Stud' is a dud: NBC fires 'Scud Stud' Arthur Kent after he refuses an assignment to Croatia, this after becoming a star for his Gulf War coverage. Arthur Kent is now seen as often as Jimmy Hoffa (8/21)...

Music Memories:


"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (8/20) Joan Allen (51), Al Roker (53), Robert Plant (59), Jim Pankow (60), Connie Chung (61), Graig Nettles (63), Isaac Hayes (65) and George Mitchell (74)...(8/21) Amy Fisher (33), Kim Cattrall (51), Harry Smith (56), Patty McCormack (62), Jackie DeShannon (63), Kenny Rogers (69) and Melvin Van Peebles (75)...(8/22) Tori Amos (44), Cindy Williams (60), Steve Kroft (62), Bill Parcells (66), Valerie Harper (67), Carl Yastrzemski (68), General Norman Schwarzkopf (73) and Ray Bradbury (87)...(8/23) Kobe Bryant (29), Rick Springfield (58), Shelly Long (58), Ron Blomberg (59), Barbara Eden (73), Mark Russell (75) and Vera Miles (77)...(8/24) Dave Chappelle (34), Marlee Matlin (42), Craig Kilborn (45), Cal Ripken Jr. (47), Chi-Lite Marshall Thompson (65), Mason Williams (69) and Kenny (R2-D2) Baker (73)...(8/25) Claudia Schiffer (37), Billy Ray Cyrus (46), Elvis Costello (53), Gene Simmons (58), Walter (O'Jays) Williams (64), Tom Skerritt (74), Regis Philbin (76), Sean Connery (77), Monty Hall (86) and Van Johnson (90)...(8/26) Macaulay Culkin (27), Bob Cowsill (58), Lee Trevino (59), Valerie Simpson (59), Geraldine Ferraro (72), Tommy Heinsohn (73) and Ben Bradlee (86)...


Timeline Countdown for Sunday, August 26th: 8 days until Labor Day and 11 days for the NFL opener...