The New Adventures Of Old Elaine

A few weekends ago, Zach and I watched the 1985 concert version of Follies. I'm not a big Sondheim fan, but I do like some of his songs, especially "Losing My Mind" and "I'm Still Here," both featured here. Most exciting was the good times we had watching Carol Burnett, Barbara Cook, and Dame Elaine Stritch vamping about. Well worth the trip to the NYPL to pick it up.

Anyway, one of the highlights was Stritchy telling this joke backstage. It's not even super-funny, but there's just something about Stritchy. That's coffee.

Life Is A Beach

This has been a long week. I sure am glad I have today off, & can spend it on the beach. God Bless, Summer Fridays.

The Transitive Property Of Friendship

I sure had fun visiting David way back in April. Vacations are great.

When you're visiting someone with a Doctorate In Monkey Brains & Drunken Mice, it's hard not to have a little math on your vacation.

On this trip, I was refreshed on the Transitive Property of Equality.

David lives in Charleston, near the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge. According to the Internet, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Americas. How long, you might ask?

According to the Transitive Property of Equality, it is about the same length as the wingspan of a bald eagle, according to this here exhibit at Dollywood.

Educational!

Cosmic Dancer

What a special day! 118 years ago today, Miss Charlotte Greenwood was born. Charlotte Greenwood is up there with Zach and Bacon as one of my favorite things. She was 6 feet tall and as bendy as a rope.

I think my favorite CG Moment, as I call them, is in one of Esther Williams' multi-million dollar aquamusicals, Dangerous When Wet, when she's dancing with William Demerest. I also like in Moon Over Miami when she's dancing with Jack Haley.

Here she is in The Gang's All Here, teaching a young whippersnapper how to dance. Really, every time I watch her I'm in smiles. Happy Birthday, Charlotte!

Easy to Wed, Not Watch

Dear Esther Williams, I have long been a fan of your product, multi-million dollar aqua-musicals. However recently I watched Easy To Wed, starring yourself, Van Johnson, & Lucille Ball. It's a remake of Libeled Lady, a brilliant comedy starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy, and my beloved Jean Harlow. Your version wasn't so good. You were barely in the water, your song was in Spanish, and I was saddened to discover that the great Lucille Ball paled in her role compared to Jean Harlow. Who knew? I did though like this one sequence with Lucille playing piano & Van Johnson trying to learn duck calls.





I suggest going back to the source material.



Sincerely, CRD

'allo, Guv'nor!

What a treat I had this weekend, with my first ever visit to Governor's Island! Governor's Island is a small island off the coast of Manhattan. I don't know much about the Flora or Fauna, but I know that the Ferry is Free, which is all that really matters.

I landed on the Island and quickly found a map. I identified my location on what I liked to call "the head" of the Island. The biking trail formed the vas deferens.

One fun thing to do on Governor's Island is play Cloverfield Monster. Here you can see me attempting to pop the head off the Statue Of Liberty.Later, I met a nice buoy and sat in its lap.

And finally, there was this interesting sign, which seemed to be explaining to me how Squirrels were created.

Cheerio, guv'nor!

French Lessons

One thing I didn't do in Canada was learn how to speak French. Canada was bought by France from the Eskimos in 1552 for 17 beads and the instructions for Making Fire. They eventually sold it to the Americans, but they kept one of the Provinces as an honorarium. In this Province, Ke-beck, they speak the tongue of brie cheese & chardonnay.

French is a hard language to learn on account of how silly it is, but Peter Lawford picks it up awfully quick from June Allyson here.

Madonna can hippity-hop with the Spanish Lessons all she wants, I'm sticking with the French. Good enough for Peter L., good enough for me.