Sardines and others
The New York Times gives a tip of the hat to Rainbow Tomatoes Garden’s offerings of tinned fish — sardines and others.
Orange Crate Art
Johnson Smith and Zippy
Today’s Zippy goes down a rabbit hole filled with x-ray specs and rubber chewing-gum. And comical motto rings. They’re all part of the Johnson Smith story.
Today’s Saturday Stumper
“Standards bound to be followed.”
More Jeopardy jeopardy
Now that the fairly despicable Mike Richards is out as a Jeopardy host, Mayim Bialik’s anti-science is coming in for more attention
Grammar in the movies
From Some Came Running (dir. Vincente Minnelli, 1958): “Haven’t you noticed I’ve been talking lately much better?” “Hmm? Yes, much.” “I got one of them, them grammar books from the library. I got it from that teacher who — whom. Whom is the objective.”
Terre Haute, no limit
From Some Came Running (dir. Vincente Minnelli, 1958). Accomplished gambler Bama Dillert (Dean Martin) proposes a road trip: “You know, the boys in Terre Haute, they don't set no limit. We could do ourselves a little good.”
A chapter-saving device
From Northanger Abbey, one of many meta moments.
The Histories in LA
The Histories (Old Black Joe), a collaboration between David Hartt and Van Dyke Parks.
Dying in the Name of Vaccine Freedom
A short film from The New York Times about American attitudes toward vaccination for COVID-19.
A terrible translation of Musil
“Intimate Ties is one of those regrettable publications that hurts the reputations of everyone connected with it: Musil’s own, the translator’s, and even the luckless publisher, Archipelago..”
Charlie Watts (1941–2021)
End of an era.
An EXchange name sighting
FLanders? FLeetwood? Only the operator knows for sure.
New Yorker humor — and I’m out
I’ve been wavering about whether to let our subscription to The New Yorker lapse. I think this comedy bit has decided it for me.
Twelve movies
Some Came Running and others.
Nancy’s case
Of grade soda. I hope it’s NuGrape.
Hi and Lois watch
It must be a cartooning joke: four fingers on the characters, so five strings on the guitar.
Today’s Saturday Stumper
“Ellington partner on a ’63 album.”
Flares
The dad in Family Circus appears to wear flares.
John Ashbery and Julia Child
Daniel Kane found an exchange of letters between John Ashbery and Julia Child. Fantastic.
Free PDF to speed up a Mac
From MacPaw, maker of CleanMyMac X.
Idiom of the day: clever clogs
“Edmund Elephant is a clever clogs.”
Mistaken identification
Robert Burton starred in The Anatomy of Melancholy. Richard Burton starred in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Orange mushroom art
Elaine thinks they’re jack-o’-lantern mushrooms. If so, they’re poisonous. And they’re reputed to glow in the dark.
Positive identification
“You know who he is, don’t you?”
Ron DeSantis, whoops
Heaven forbid the thought of preventive measures, which could make early treatment for COVID-19 unnecessary.
Alan Alda’s seven questions
Seven questions and a guest’s answers close out each episode of Alan Alda’s podcast Clear + Vivid. As with the questions in the New York Times feature “By the Book,” I’ve decided to answer them myself.
Speedy Delivery, the next generation
David Newell’s (Mr. McFeely) son in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Patrick McDonnell’s paintings
Patrick McDonnell, creator of the comic strip Mutts, has a show of his paintings. It looks to me as if he’s been paying attention to Joe Brainard. And perhaps John Ashbery.
Dr. Biden’s handwriting
It’s excellent.
Criminal handwriting
“Man’s handwriting was so bad Eastbourne bank staff didn’t know he was trying to rob them.”