March totals

April 30th

Bugs Bunny makes his debut - 1938. I'm writing to some of the actors who voiced him afer the legendary Mel Blanc died.

Jeff Bergman

Joe Alaskey

April 29th

I saw the movie "American Dreamz" today.

Paul Weitz

Dennis Quaid

Willem Dafoe

Marcia Gay Harden

Hugh Grant

Mandy Moore

April 28th

I saw the film "Scary Movie 3" today.

David Zucker

Craig Bierko

Anna Farris

April 27th

My favorite radio show, "Opie and Anthony" returned to the public airwaves today (free radio) after being on XM Satellite radio for 2 years. They continue to be on XM, but will have an even greater audience now. I'm writing to congratulate them.

Anthony Cumia

Jim Norton

Hugh Panero

April 26th

I finished the book "Designated Hebrew" today

Ron Blomberg

April 25th

DNA discovered - 1953

Dr. James Watson

April 24th

The first IBM-PC is introduced - 1981

Sam Palmisano - IBM CEO

April 23rd

"Saturday Night Live" aired an entire episode tonight consisting of "Saturday TV Funhouse" cartoons. I'm writing to their very clever writer and creator.

Robert Smigel

April 18th - 21st

April 21st

Al Capone's "lost" vault opened live on TV - 1986

Geraldo Rivera

April 20th

City of Rome founded - 753 BC

Rome Mayor Mayor Walter Veltroni

April 19th

Patriots Day in Boston

Jim Koch - Sam Adams CEO

April 18th

Shirley Temple makes her onscreen debut - 1934

Shirley Temple Black

April 22nd

Earth Day. I'm writing to a man who is going around the world preaching the message of taking care of our environment.

Al Gore

April 17th

Ill fated Apollo 13 space capsule returns to Earth safely - 1970

Jim Lovell

Fred Haise

April 16th

Easter Sunday has always been a fun day in my family. It marks the start of Spring, and is second only to Christmas as an important day in the Christian calendar. While I'm not a faithful churchgoer, I do commemorate the traditions, both secular and holy. One of the biggest symbols of the day are the eggs. Some interpretations view eggs as the perfect vessel to tell the story of reberth and eternity. Others see it as a cute way to celebrate. I have many fond memories of decorating eggs on Saturday night, and then searching for them on Easter Sunday. (The bunny always hid them while he was delivering the baskets full of candy.) This year my three year old was really into the whole egg thing and it brought back feelings from when I colored eggs at my grandmother's house in the 1970's. Two of the big companies that made egg dye back then are still around. Paas, which was started over 100 years ago in my home state of NJ, and Dudley's eggs, which started in 1979. I'm sending a note to the CEO's of both companies to thank them for the memories.

Christopher J. Munyan

James R. Schneider

April 15th

My wife and I took our sons to the local Six Flags amusement park (Great Adventure - Jackson, NJ) today. I've visited there many times in my life, and it's always suffered in comparison to Disney parks. This visit was different. It seems like Six Flags is making a concerted effort to remodel themselves in the Disney image (which is a good thing. In the past, it always felt like visiting Great Adventure was like going to a permanent carnival, with no themes or stories attached to the rides.) The main reason for this change in direction is the presence of the new CEO of Six Flags, Mark Shapiro. I'm going to let him know how my family enjoyed our visit and that we'll be back.


Mark Shapiro

April 14th

Today is Good Friday, one of the most solemn days on the Christian calendar. This is the day that Christ died. My memories of this day, growing up as a Catholic altar boy, are of the usually gaudy church being stripped bare, and of pilgrims marching through the streets of Jersey City reenacting the final gruesome hours of Jesus Christ. (This was long before Mel Gibson's film version.) On this holiest of days, which reminds me of my Catholic roots, I'm going to write to the man who is the current leader of the Catholic Church, and the man who took over from Pope John Paul II, one of the most cahrismatic figures to ever walk the Earth, after his death last year.

Pope Benedict XVI

April 13th

I saw the movie "Thank You For Smoking" today.

Jason Reitman

Aaron Eckhart

JK Simmons

Sam Elliott

Maria Bello

David Koechner

April 12th

First space shuttle launch - 1981

John Young

Robert Crippen

Sally Ride

Ellen Ochoa

April 11th

Opening Day for the Yankees. I'm writing to some of my favorite people in baseball.

Ron Guidry

Johnny Damon

Larry Bowa

Bob Wickman

John Sterling

April 10th

Beatles break up - 1970

Sir Paul McCartney

Ringo Starr

Another non-reply reply

Jean Stapleton

Reference date: January 11th


Well, it happened again! Just like the reply I got from Joe Gibbs, I got a reply from Edith Bunker herself, Jean Stapleton. In my letter, I asked questions about the making of "All In the Family" and about life as an actor. Her response was an autographed photo "To Chris." No advice, no words of wisom, just the photo. Not that I'm unappreciative, it's just that I expected more. Oh well, at least she acknowledged my letter.

A Grammy winner writes back

Jimmy Sturr

Reference date: February 8th


On the evening of the Grammy Awards, I chose to write to a few winners. One of them was Polka legend Jimmy Sturr, who has pretty much cornered the Grammy market in his field. Imagine my surprise when I got a very nice letter back from him, with a list of his upcoming concert dates, and an invitation to speak to him after the show. I'm now a proud member of the Jimmy Sturr Polka fan club.

Here is his letter:

Dear Chris,

Thanks so much for the nice letter, I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoy our band and recordings.

The only thing that I can add is whatever your goal is, keep focused to accomplish this. You're young enough that if something doesn't work out, you still have time to do something else.

After I graduated College I went to work for my
dad in a bank, thinking I was going to be a banker all my life. However, I always had in my mind that I wanted to be a full-Time Bandleader. After 12 years I went to my dad and told him what I wanted. He gave me his blessings, I never looked back. I always wanted to be the best, I don't know if I’ll ever reach that plateau, but I'm going to keep trying.

I know you will make it someday, just don't give up.
By the way, I'm also a member of SAG. I've done quite a few commercials for TV so I had to become a member.

If you ever come to see us in person, please make sure you come up and introduce yourself. The best of luck.

Yours Truly,

Jimmy Sturr



I sent him a thank you card the next day

April 9th

Apartheid abolished in South Africa - 1994

Bishop Desmond Tutu

April 8th

TV Guide debuts - 1953

Ian Birch

April 7th

1974 - Babe Ruth's home run record (714) is broken

Hank Aaron

April 5th

The inflight movie on my way home from L.A. was "Cheaper by the Dozen 2"

Steve Martin

Bonnie Hunt

Eugene Levy

April 6th

An HBO documentary called "Rosie's Family Cruise" debuted tonight.

Rosie O'Donnell

April 4th

I listened to a documentary about two of the greatest screenwriters in Hollywood history.

Lowell Ganz

Babaloo Mandel

April 3rd

I flew to L.A. on Continental Airlines today. It was a great flight, so I'm writing to the CEO.


Larry Kellner

April 2nd

Wrestlemania debuts - 1983

Vince McMahon

Hulk Hogan

Rowdy Roddy Piper

Bob Backlund

Mick Foley

Rock Riddle

Cindy Lauper

Mr. T.

Captain Lou Albano

April 1st

April Fools day. I'm writing to some of my favorite comedians

Weird Al Yankovic

Bob Newhart

Penn Jillette