I was going to write about something else this morning...but then realized I much-preferred instead to post this final segment from this week's Saturday Night Live. It was their "sketch" saying goodbye to President Obama. I figured they'd do something -- but I didn't figure this. Very surprising, very smart, very low-key, and a spot-on choice. And they even were able to fit in a good "button" at the end.
This starts with Cecily Strong, and then joined by Sasheer Zamata. If you didn't see it, here it is for the first time. And even if you did watch previously, it works again.
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This week's contestant is Lessa Virnya from Syracuse, NY. The composer style came down to two people in my mind...and to my surprise and pleasure, I guessed it correctly. As for the hidden song, it too seemed to be between two songs, as far as I could make things out, and though both the contestant and host Fred Child couldn't get it...huzzah, I was right, again.
Yesterday, in late January, it was 59 degrees. Yes, really. Usually it's in the upper-20s. It could easily be 10 degrees -- or less, in late January. With a Wind Chill Factor of 15-below zero. But here we are at 59. Even the elves taking care of he homestead back in Los Angeles were suitably impressed. And little impresses these other than extra cheese dip left in the refrigerator. But there it was, 59 degrees. Thank goodness the White House has removed Climate Change from its homepage and it's only a hoax created by the Chinese... I picked the right day to go to the Chicago Botanic Gardens (which is not actually in Chicago, but in Glencoe, about a mile from where I grew up). Whatever you think botanic gardens are, put it out of your head -- this is the Disneyland of Botanic Gardens with different "lands" -- The Rose Garden, the English Walled Garden, the Prairie Garden, Evening Island, Spider Island, the Waterfall Garden, Japanese Garden Island and more, like the Miniature Train Land and restaurants, stores, tram rides and carillon with nightly concerts. But it's not only magnificently laid out and deeply-informative, but it also has research centers, learning centers, working vegetable and fruit gardens, esplanades, greenhouses, soaring fountains, outdoor theaters and...yes, more. It's not remotely as glorious in the winter as when in full bloom the rest of the year, but it's still a joy to wander through. And afterwards, another treat. One of my favorite restaurants, Charlie Beinlich's in bordering Northbrook. Beinlich's is a little place that gives truth to cliches. It began life over 60 years ago as a truckstop, though has far-outlived that, but is living truth to the line about looking for the place with the most trucks because it will have great food. It's also a cliche in its Midwestern roots -- the walls are pine, and covered with mounted fish and beer signs. But they aren't props. Beinlich's takes its fishing seriously. They always close for a month in August with a "Gone fishing" sign. And they take all their comfort seriously -- they close two days a week, Sunday and Monday, so everyone can have a couple days off. It's always full, lunch or dinner, and if you don't come early in the evening, you'll have to wait in a line snaking out the door, jammed in the tiny foyer (at least you hope you get in the foyer during the winter, because the alternative in the winter is standing outside). Even if you come early for lunch, it's already crowded. The menu board in the corner is very small (there are no menus to hand out) -- basically burgers, roast beef, grilled cheese, ham and cheese, barbecued beef, chicken wrap (a somewhat-recent concession to the times) and shrimp cocktail. Their chili is one of my favorite anywhere, rich and flavorful. And the french fries taste like miniature baked potatoes, coming to the table piping hot. But it's their freshly-ground, thick burgers on poppy seed buns -- grilled or fresh onions optional -- that are the standouts here. (Most people get the "deluxe" which comes with the fries and delicious cole slaw. And it's still, after all these years, cash only. It hasn't hurt business. That's all there is to it. Basic at heart, with a TV always set to to ESPN and sports, but full of texture and a long history in the area. A very simple throwback in an area that's very upper-scale. Across the busy Skokie Boulevard from a big, high-end outdoor shopping center with a Trader Joe's, Nordstrom's Rack, Steinway Piano Center, Sak's Off 5th, Starbucks and many others. And surrounded by a Cadillac, Bentley, and Rolls Royce dealership, a jewelry store, a few Italian restaurants, and, in fairness, some "everyday" places. This wonderful, charming, oasis of another time that doesn't feel remotely dated, thanks to its high standards, high quality and brusque friendliness. Brusque because they're really busy, but they never rush anyone. You just eat and enjoy yourself with the greatest pleasure. We have a slightly bit different posting of the NPR news-comedy game show, Wait, Wait...Don'd Tell Me! The show is hosted by its creator Peter Sagal, but he's off this this week. Instead, they have a guest host for the hour. The fellow's name is Tom Hanks. Yes, that Tom Hanks. So, instead of just posting the "Not My Job" segment, we have the full show. And it may not shock you to know that he's wonderful. Charming, witty, quick, and with an enthusiasm that's as if he was doing a sketch of SNL.
We still do have the "Not My Job" segment, of course. And the guest contestant is Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles. So, here's the full hour. Hanks, you're welcome. In honor of today's Women's March (or rather, Marches), here's the Smothers Brothers with the song, "Marching to Pretoria." Yes, I know the connection is thin, but it popped into mind, and I've always liked their version. They included the song on their first album, but this is a live performance from 1963 on the TV show, Hootenanny, in front of a crowd at Rutgers University. And hey, as long as we're on the theme and you're marching along, here's the famous "Colonel Bogey March" scene from the movie, The Bridge On the River Kwai -- which the Brothers talk about in their performance. (Don't adjust your volume control, it's quiet at the beginning.) Oh, heck, while we're at it, let's throw in a bonus. It'll be a long march, after all. In their comic bantering above, the Smothers Brothers talk about Mitch Miller and the sing-a-long gang having a hit record with "The Colonel Bogey March" at the time of the movie -- which is true. No words, just whistling (and a very slight bit of humming). So, for the record (literally...), here it is. In answer to the question -- no, I did not watch the Inauguration, nor the Address. I didn't have the stomach for it. And besides, I wasn't up for listening to a speech that I presumed would be 90% lies. And the remaining 10% was not only likely to be repugnant, but I'd heard it before. And my assumption too was that rather than address about America and the direction of the country, it would mostly be about the speaker. And anything important, I could pick up on the news. Instead, I went out for much of the day. It not only was very relaxing, but delicious, as well, since I got my fave, the classic Apple Pancake at Walker Bros. The Original Pancake House. I've had the news on since getting back, and hearing "President Trump" is just pathetic and horrific. In an alternative universe it would be a bizarre, laughable joke. Instead, I thought this would be the proper time to play perhaps the most beatific, soothing piece of music I know. Johann Sebastian Bach's glorious, "Sheep May Safely Graze." |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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