End of the week again? This one was fleet of foot. Some weeks seem to stall on Tuesday, and then bang; they nitro burners kick in. Well, I’ve been busy working on various things and have nothing of consequence, so here’s a round-up of everything on my mind exactly right now.
These came in the mail. I have to scan them.
No, really, I do. And here’s the thing: I already have one, in degraded condition; it’s in the Institute of Official Cheer, which was where I put everything in the early days. Now that I have Miscellany (formerly the Ephemeratorium, or vice versa) and the Decades Project, there are many places to put things. I thought:
I’m going to have to combine them into a Miles Lab / Nervine collection. But since there’s also a growing Patent Medicine site (two up now, two more to come, perhaps they should all be grouped together. Early 20th Century Over-the-Counter Medicine Advertising Pamphlets.
Is there such a site anywhere else already? Googling . . . no, not really. Well, it’s up to me.
If it wasn't, someone wouldn't have sent them to me.
Got into an argument with Daughter over product placement in movies and TV, since it was something they were studying in the “Persuasion” section of Theory of Knowledge.” I said that there wasn’t any product placement in TV, because they all had fake brands. Movies, yes. She was annoyed that I had to pick a nit over the point, but there’s a larger point: TV exists in a slightly different alternate reality, as do movies, but they’re different alternate realities. You expect someone to drink a Coke in a movie, and you will now they’re drinking Coke because it’s framed in a certain way; you expect them to drink Copsi on TV, with the character’s hand half-covering the logo.
She also said they had a test on the Spanish Inquisition.
“Did you expect it?” I said.
(Pause.) "No."
“Of course not.”
“Why?”
“No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.”
(Pause) Is this a reference to something? I’M SORRY I DON’T GET ALL YOUR MASTERFUL POP CULTURE REFERENCES FROM THE DAWN OF TIME.
“It’s Monty Python.”
“Well you’ve never shown me Monty Python.”
“Yes I have! Many times.”
And I know I have, right down to the mysterious, fabled Fourth Season that no on ever knows about, which contains the reason I rarely say “so” to myself without saying “sew on the button.” It’s a thing I have said to myself since about 1977.
I thought it was from this sketch. But I was wrong.
Machine-wrapped with butter?
Machine-wrapped with butter.
That’s from the Rutland Television Weekend album by Eric Idle and Neil Innes - songs and skits taken from Rutland Weekend Television, Idle’s post-Python show, done for about 50 pounds per episode. It’s quite good.
But apparently "Sew on the button" is from another Python sketch. I was actually thinking about this.
I'm a bit worried, because even thought I heard Cleese' voice in my head when I said it, I thought it was from Idle's show. I'm getting slack. The other day I couldn't remember what country A-ha was from, and was only slightly relieved to realize it doesn't matter at all.
DID YOU SHOW HER THE SKETCH FOR GOD'S SAKE you ask, and yes, I did. She thought it was hilarious.
And now I can say "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition” and she'll know what I mean.
Box checked. Now we move on to the more esoteric references, like the names of Kemal Attuturk's pets.
Oh, comments challenge: name that skit.
On Twitter someone tweeted a picture of the most Minnesotan thing ever: a pan of cake with one tiny slice, not even a inch wide, left in the corner. Because it would be wrong to take the last piece. Someone might want it.
A while later I saw something on one of the Free Edible locations at the office:
It was licorice, and I like licorice. But it was the last piece, so I left it.
Went back for it an hour later, and get this: some jerk had taken the last piece.
This week's Pup Picture: it's a fine autumn day.
I have never had a dog that wants to get close when you nap and bury his snouth in the crook of your neck, or just put a paw on your arm.
I'm less enthused about this part than I thought I would be.
The brewpub is topped off and complete. In a way, I wish it wasn't there. It's a rarity: a new midblock building with windows on the alley.
The Obligatory Hotel is about halfway up. Do we need another hotel downtown? Apparently so. I think they've built or converted 10 in the last ten years.
Gildersleeve season 6. The show is mature, in a rut, but no one's completely bored with it . . . yet.
Here's music for one ep, concluding with an . . . editorial?
The mournfulness means someone in the house is having minor problems. Leroy, perhaps.
The theme takes us out of a commercial, and transitions into the story.
The theme at the end of the previous clip is brought back, with a dire tone.
See, Gildy goes to the school, raises hell about conditions, and gets his hat handed to him.
And then this happens.
AD: 1946. As if the school situation isn't bad enough . . .
Some strange ritual that assured the return of the tides, perhaps.
A compilation give-away, brought to you by the Quaker Muffets. (Which seemed to have been a Canadian thing.)
