News of the Week: Spring Things, The Great Gatsby at 100, and Do You Dare Try the Sandwich from Dragnet?

Ah, Spring

Am I a terrible person?

Before you answer, let me jump in and say, I don’t think so!

Then why do I dislike warm weather so much? What kind of person doesn’t like warm weather?

Actually, I don’t hate spring. It’s not hot and humid like August; it’s actually a lot like early fall. But the thing I don’t like about it is it’s a preview of what to come. It’s the opening act for summer, and I don’t like summer.

But this isn’t about the summer months. It’s about April. How am I supposed to dress this month? One day it’s 70 degrees and sunny, the next day it’s 40 degrees and rainy. Some days start out at 40 degrees, and then later in the day it’s 70 and you’re stuck wearing your long coat.

Sometimes I’ll be in my house and it will be chilly enough for me to turn up the heat a little, but I can go outside without a jacket. Can Al Roker explain that one to me?

Should I buy tea this week, or is the warm weather going to stick around?

Then there are the days when you don’t know what to wear at all. I went to the grocery store around 4 p.m. last week and I honestly didn’t know what to wear. It wasn’t that cold out, but it wasn’t warm enough not to wear something. Could I get by with wearing a long-sleeve flannel shirt over a t-shirt, or would it be okay to put a jacket over that t-shirt?

I actually went outside and stood on the top of the steps, trying to figure out what the exact weather conditions were. I stood in the sun, put my hand out to see if it was raining, factored in the wind. The only thing I didn’t do was wet my finger and put it in the air, which I’ve never actually seen anyone do before but I’ve sometimes seen it in cartoons.

If you’re keeping score at home, it was just warm enough, so I went with the flannel shirt over a t-shirt.

So, to repeat, I don’t hate spring. I wish the spring weather would last until September.

Microcheating

If you’re really wondering whether or not microcheating is actually cheating, just ask your partner.

The Driving Range

This clip from Antiques Roadshow isn’t really new – it’s from 2015 – but as the old ads for NBC reruns used to say, if you haven’t seen it, it’s new to you!

It’s an appraisal for the John Falter painting used for the July 26, 1952, issue of the Post, along with a letter from the artist. Its title is “The Driving Range” and it’s worth … well, watch the video and find out.

Headline of the Week

“1 in 50 Men Believe They Can Outrun a Champion Racehorse, New Survey Reveals”

RIP Jay North, Johnny Tillotson, Clem Burke, Joe DePugh, Robert McGinnis, Hy Eisman, and John Peck

Jay North played the title character on the popular sitcom Dennis the Menace. He later starred in the TV series Maya. He died Sunday at the age of 73.

Johnny Tillotson sang the 1960 hit song “Poetry in Motion.” He died last week at the age of 86.

Uploaded to YouTube by Johnny Tillotson

Clem Burke played drums on all of Blondie’s albums, including on such songs as “Heart of Glass,” “One Way or Another,” “Dreaming,” “Call Me,” and “The Tide Is High.” He died Sunday at the age of 70.

Joe DePugh was the Little League teammate of Bruce Springsteen who became immortalized in the song “Glory Days.” He died last week at the age of 75.

Robert McGinnis created the posters for such James Bond films as Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, and Live and Let Die, as well as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Odd Couple, The Pink Panther, and The Incredibles. He died last month at the age of 99.

Hy Eisman was a cartoonist who worked on many comic strips and comic books over his long career, including The Katzenjammer Kids, Bringing Up Father, Mutt and Jeff, Popeye, Blondie, Joe Panther, and Kerry Drake. He died last month at the age of 98.

John Peck was an influential underground cartoonist and artist. He wrote a book about the history of comics, was a TV and music critic, organized record conventions, and even designed the logo for the J. Geils Band and posters for bands. He died last month at the age of 82.

This Week in History

End of the Civil War (April 9, 1865)

The war officially ended when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, .

The Great Gatsby Published (April 10, 1925)

Here’s A.O. Scott of the New York Times on how F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel took over pop culture.

Before (and after) the publication of the book that helped define the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald wrote for the Post.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Listerine (April 7, 1956)

You might need this after you try …

The Bill Gannon Sandwich

I know I’m highlighting sandwiches for the second week in a row, but this one is special. Dragnet’s Officer Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan) was known for the food he ate, which often confused and worried his partner Joe Friday (Jack Webb, the subject of a three-part interview in the Post starting with the September 5, 1959, issue). Barry Enderwick of the terrific Sandwiches of History decided to try it, at the suggestion of many of his fans.

Please note that the sandwich includes corned beef, Swiss cheese, lettuce, Russian dressing, cole slaw, kosher pickles, tomatoes, mayo, peanut butter, horseradish, and hot mustard.

Uploaded to YouTube by Sandwiches of History

If you make this, let us know in the comments below.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

National Scrabble Day (April 13)

The word game was invented by Alfred Mosher Butts in 1931, and he originally called it Lexiko and then Crisscross Words. It didn’t become Scrabble until 1948.

Taxes Due (Dates Vary)

For many states it’s April 15, but your state might have other deadlines. Here’s a state-by-state list.