Clarkson Diner
If you click for the larger view, you can see a Bell Telephone sign, a Schaefer Beer sign, the name Clarkson, and several blurry pedestrians.
Orange Crate Art
Today’s Saturday Stumper
“Email ancestor.”
A nice Englishman
I see a strong resemblance to Lord Plushbottom.
Lyonel Feininger, at last
Okay, finally: here are some samples of this painter’s work.
Flooding
Robert Moses, flooding NYC with cars.
S-O
I was today years old when I reailzed — not learned, just realized — that the name Esso comes from Standard Oil.
These guitars are those guitars
Chinese knockoffs. Quelle tromperie!
“Built on a lie”
“What Robert Moses built on was a lie.”
Leonardo, no
It’s far too busy: split screens, with art on one side, nature on the other; unidentified artworks, by any number of artists, split-screen or full-, appearing and disappearing rapidly; art historians speaking as music plays behind them, or over them. The presentation defies any contemplation of art.
Mystery actor
Who?
Domestic comedy
About proprioception.
A 2025 calendar, free
It’s artisanal!
More about Calkins
Two responses to Helen Lewis’s Atlantic article, “How Lucy Calkins Became the Face of America’s Reading Crisis.”
T SIDE and WEST SID
I chose these photographs for the signage and for the fellow who appears to be iceskating his way into the frame.
No TV news, then and now
it’s been ten days with no TV news, save for one episode of the NBC Nightly News, when the whale-cutter’s nomination drew me back. Did I learn anything more from that “half-hour” than I already knew from reading words? No.
Today’s Saturday Stumper
“DMV, somewhat controversially.”
Burton Fine (1930–2024)
Elaine’s father.
“Turning Off the News”
From The Borowitz Report, “Turning Off the News”: I’m not a neuroscientist like George Santos, but in my experience, turning off the news is good for your mental health. And you’ll have more time for things you actually enjoy. Read a novel. See a friend. Walk your dog. Which is what I’m going to do right now.
A pocket notebook sighting
From Kansas City Confidential: he’s Mr. Big, criminal mastermind, schemer of a surefire thing, and he can use that address book however he wants, see?
"Think good thoughts"
Mutts.
Spinning
From the news: “another head-turning personnel pick.” No. Make that “another head-spinning personnel pick.”
The (Lucy Calkins) empire strikes back
I see so much self-mystification and evasion of fact in Calkins’s response to her fall from favor.
On the 166
I thought this dream was about the passing of time: you can’t go home again, as everything has changed. Elaine thinks I’m already dreaming about deportations.
Domestic comedy
“Matt Gaetz is going to be the attorney general!” Reality trumps satire.
Mystery actor
Looks like Robin Williams. Isn’t.
“Give me the peaceful train”
Dialogue from The Palm Beach Story (1942), written and directed by Preston Sturges.
Old heads
Roy Haynes, Lou Donaldson, Marshall Allen.
Warren and Apple Intelligence
“Write smarter,” sez the ad. But is this revised e-mail an example of smart writing? I don’t think so.
Background Sounds bug zapped?
The release notes for macOS Sequoia 15.1 make no mention of it, but according to a Reddit user, the update fixes the Background Sounds bug. It sure sounds like it.
Hi and Lois watch
Hi says “Ug.”