The Queen Of The World and I like watching the old TV shows ('50s, '60s, and '70s). One of these is The George Burns Show, the star of which really is Gracie Allen who would steal the show pretty much every time. Well, TQOTW discovered this gem from the last film appearance by Gracie, the 1944 film Two Girls And A Sailor. It had an all star cast but Gracie stole the show with this hilarious number.
Say goodnight, Gracie.
In keeping with The Queen Of The World's birthday, here's a composer from a part of the world I had never heard of. I grew up on classical music, and for guitar that meant Andres Segovia (with a tip of the old chapeau to Julian Bream). I had never heard of Eduardo Falu, Argentina's great guitarist. He's been dead these ten years or more but many of his songs are on Youtube. This is an entire concert he gave in Seville in 1978. He would be 101 years old today.
She says this is one of her favorites, from personal experience: Being a Mom to teenagers will make you understand how some animals eat their young.
Personally, I think that this is hilarious: Motherhood is a fairy tale in reverse. You start out in a beautiful gown and end up cleaning everyone's messes.
Happy Mother's Day to all Moms, and to everyone who has a Mom.
The Queen Of The World sent me this sad story:
The ship's remarkable speed earned it the coveted Blue Riband award from Great Britain upon its maiden voyage in 1952. Partially sponsored by the U.S. government during the Cold War era, it was designed as a potential rapid troop carrier if geopolitical tensions escalated, according to the website for the SS United States Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that has overseen the vessel since 2011.
Despite its high level of regard and rich history, the ship faces an uncertain future as it languishes at Pier 82 in south Philadelphia. Its retirement has been fraught with challenges, including the recent threat of eviction due to a lawsuit from Pier 82's landlord, Penn Warehousing, according to an NPR report on Monday, March 11.
The lawsuit alleges the SS United States Conservancy owes between $700,000 and $800,000 in back rent, Warren Jones, one of the conservancy's board members, told the radio station. He said the organization entered into the agreement more than a decade ago, and during the pandemic, the rent was unjustly doubled.
This story is of interest to TQOTW, since she actually was a passenger on that ship. Her dad was in the Air Force and posted to the UK in the early 1960s; they returned from PCS on this. It's sad to see what the ship has become from what it used to be. TQOTW watched this with me and remembered all sorts of things, like the signal flags at the swimming pool.
That was a different world, and people would rather spend 8 hours on a plane than 5 days on a ship, even one as grand as the United States.
Tuna writes in with yet another Dad Joke. The Queen Of The World rolled her eyes and pinched her nose at this one. High praise, indeed.
My wife was eating a store bought salad but I noticed that it was past the "sell by" date and so I took it away from her.
I guess you could say I had to Caesar salad.
Via The Queen Of The World we see this:
Illegal immigrants in the Big Apple will soon start receiving pre-paid debit cards that they must pledge to use only to buy food, according to New York City records and media reports.
The question is whether the traditional members of the Democratic Party's coalition will resent that illegal aliens get government largess that they think should go to them.
Michael left a comment to last night's post where I was off to sack Rome and TQOTW was a mermaid:
Show us your ugly mug but keep the mermaid for yourself?
Sigh, so uncivilized. LOL
Touche, Michael. So with her permission, here she is as the Queen of the World:
And here is the mermaid:
Man, this web site has made us waste a lot of time on a Sunday morning.
Oh, and how do we get to the bottom of who sacked Rome? Better get a 1930s Gumshoe:
Yeah, I did The Queen Of The World as the Queen of the World. And as a mermaid. It's awesome.
Highly recommended.
People like to (as The Queen Of The World likes to say) complicate a cornflake. Case in point: dimmer switches. I've been swapping dimmer switches for simple on/off ones for literally (mumble mumble) decades. It's dead simple.
Except now it's not. Most new light bulbs are LED type, because Congressional Lobbyists for General Electric wanted all of us to pay $5/bulb instead of 50 cents. Thanks ever so much, Congress. But the Twilight Lone experience doesn't end just at sticker shock. Consider the failure points:
That last one means that there are lights that I simply cannot dim, because I can't swap out an existing on/off switch for one of the new, high-falutin' (and expensive) LED dimmer switches because it simply won't fit.
Gee, thanks for jacking everything up, Congress. Nobody's life, liberty, property, or sanity are safe when you're in session. Jerks.
The Queen Of The World got me a Barnes & Noble gift card, so we went out to an actual bricks-and-mortar bookstore (do they really have those? As it turns out, yes they do).
It was a blast, and a bit of a blast from the past. The whole Borepatch clan would go out Christmas shopping Back In The Day, and we'd spend an inordinate amount of time in bookstores. TQOTW and I were in the bookstore for a couple of hours. I'd forgotten just how much better book shopping at a bookstore is, as opposed to online.
Sure, online lets you get that book you already know about instantly, no fus and no muss. But there's no good way to browse. Basically, online handles the known knowns, but in the store is unbeatable for unknown unknowns.
For example, I didn't know that I wanted this until I was browsing: Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams. (Williams was Glenn's wingman in the Korean War, flying combat sorties)
I also didn't know that I needed Barry Strauss' Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors From Augustus To Constantine. I had listened to Robin Pearson interview Prof. Strauss on The History Of Byzantium podcast (you can listen at the link; recommended), and lo and behold here was the book. Done and done.
Likewise with Tom Holland's new book Pax: War And Peace In Rome's Golden Age. Like with Strauss, I had heard Robin interview Tom Holland on the same podcast.
I had wanted Max Miller's new cookbook, Tasting History. We've seen Miller's videos here before (for example, Trader Vic's original Mai Tai). Miller recreates recipes from the past, going all the way back to ancient Babylon (!). I think the first of his videos I posted was about feeding the Roman Army. He is entertaining and the recipes looked really interesting and now that there is a cookbook of the recipes I thought I'd get it. We'll see if TQOTW lets me make any of these in her kitchen.
All in all, podcasters were well represented at the bookstore. Both of Mike Duncan's books were there. Already had both, but was happy to see that he's currently in stock.
So it was a great afternoon with The Queen Of The World (who also scored some history books - she's not just a pretty face, she's also wicked smart). Bricks and mortar bookstores for the win.
The Queen Of The World is having a cataract removed. Unfortunately, then she'll have a clear view of me.
Getting old is not for sissies.
The Queen Of The World and I have taken another lap around the sun. She's my brown-eyed girl.
This is from his last album (#30!) which came out 3 years ago. It (the album) debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, making this his twelfth top 10 album. The Queen Of The World loves the simple gratitude and humility that he expresses in the lyrics; I like that as well as how he uses steel drums in what would be his last of his trademark Caribbean-themed fun songs.
Who Gets To Live Like This (Songwriters: Jimmy Buffett, Mac McAnally, Lukas Nelson):
There are waves outside my window
There are airplanes in the sky
There are ships on the horizon
And a beach always nearby
Fish tacos on the table, no surfer can resist
How did I get this lucky?
Tell me who gets to live like this?I left my inhibitions
Receding with the tide
Talking with the turtles
Lying side by side
Seeking wiser counsel on a girl I can't resist
Pass the seaweed salad
Tell me who gets to live like this?Singin' for money, playin' for fun
How did I wind up in this band on the run?
Wake it up, make it up, shake it up, take it up
There's more ways than one
Jack of all trades, master of noneWith fortune or without it
For paydays or for free
More latitudes than attitudes
More everyone and less meJust knowing what is possible
Is the ring you don't want to miss
I'm happy to inform you
That we get to live like this
That we all get to live this
Live like this
Get to live like thisGet to live like this
Get to live like this
Get to live like this
Get to live like this
This isn't philosophy. This isn't Deep Thinking. But somehow I think that Marcus Aurelius looks down from Heaven and smiles. While tapping his toes.
The Queen Of The World says that while Margaritaville put Buffet on the map, this 1974 follow-on sealed the deal. Buffett got sued by the guy who wrote this, replacing this song with a different one, The Lawyer And The Asshole.
The Queen Of The World was a real Parrot Head. She has given me a list of some of Buffett's less well known songs that she thinks are significant. I'll be posting one of these a day for the next few days.
First up is Pascagoula Run because that's where he was born.
Pascagoula Run (Songwriters: Jimmy Buffett, Ray R Oliver)
Billy rolled in to my drive-in
Red convertable sixty-five
Headed home to Mississippi, he'd been around the world
That black sheep uncle of mine
His ship had come in, he was looking to sin
Feeling his old song
When he rolled thru the car with a real hard drive, he said:
"Here's where ya come along!"
It's time to see the world
It's time to kiss a girl
It's time to cross the wild meridian
Grab your bag and take a chance
Time to learn a Cajun dance
Kids you're gonna see the morning sun
On the Pascagoula run
Were on the Pascagoula runFriday night at the Stateline bar
Where the waterfront people dwell
I better watch my step if the floor caves in
I'll go right straight to hell
Hey There were pinball machines and cajun queens
Men with knives and scars
Well we rolled 'cross the floor to the real hard core
And said, "Here's where it gets bizarre"Chorus:
It's time to see the world
It's time to kiss a girl
It's time to cross the wild meridian
Grab your bag and take a chance
Time to learn a Cajun dance
Kids you're gonna see the morning sun
On the Pascagoula run
Were on Pascagoula runWell lets runWhat do the ladies say, what do the ladies say
What do the ladies say, what do the ladies say
What do the ladies say, what do the ladies say
What do the ladies say, what do the ladies sayBring that young man over here
We're going to buy that boy a beer
And that ain't all were gunna do
Bring your crazy uncle tooIt's time to see the world
It's time to kiss a girl
It's time to cross the wild meridian
Grab your bag and take a chance
Time to learn a Cajun dance
Kids you're gonna see the morning sun
On the Pascagoula run
Were on the Pascagoula run
Have fun on the Pascagoula run
Take a ride on the Pascagoula run
The Queen Of The World found this on Facebook. Posted without comment.
The Queen Of The World heard this on the radio and liked it. It's not Country-Pop or Bro-Country of the other nonsense that mostly fills the airwaves. It's more like something that The Band would have played. I like it.
Wolfgang had a favorite tree that he loved to lie underneath. We would go out at the end of the day and sit (we even called it "Sit Time" and he knew those words and what they meant - he'd get all wiggly when he heard them).
Here's a close up picture.
The text reads:
Wolfgang
2012-2023
If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.
It's been around 100 days now and his absence still hangs heavy. We're both still sad. He's a dog that will take a lot of getting over.
Hugh Capet becomes king of France, founding a dynasty that will rule that kingdom for over 800 years, ending with Louis XVI.
William the Bastard becomes William, Duke of Normandy. 31 years later he would become William the Conqueror.
George Washington takes command of the Continental Army.
Oh, and The Queen Of The World was born. I think that was the most important item on the list. Happy Birthday, Darlin'.
