When You’re Out of Schlitz, You’re Out of Beer
I’m not the biggest beer drinker in the world, but when I do buy beer, I have to admit that Schlitz is probably the last beer I think of.
Okay, that’s not really fair. I have nothing at all against Schlitz beer. It’s the gateway beer (along with Budweiser) for a lot of people when they first starting drinking beer. I loved the commercials. I remember my family drinking it in the ’70s. Maybe it’s just that I stopped thinking about Schlitz when I moved on to Sam Adams and Blue Moon.
(The last beer I would buy is Guinness, which is too strong and thick and almost chewy for my liking.)
But I think people who regularly drink beer have their favorites, and the people who make Schlitz have discovered that theirs isn’t one of them. After 177 years, Schlitz has ceased production. Officially it’s on “hiatus,” which means “maybe we’ll be it back for nostalgia purposes at some point but probably not.”
Indiana Wants Me, But I Can’t Go Back There
What’s the best place to live in America? Well, I think I gave the answer away above but I haven’t told you which particular cities are the best according to U.S. News & World Report. You can click on that link to find the top two places to live (and the other 248).
Coming in third is Flower Mound, Texas. Other places that made it into the top ten include Ankeny, Iowa and Hoover, Alabama.
Massachusetts, where I live, usually has cities near the top on lists like this, but the highest-ranked city is Newton, at 116. That can’t be right.
Indiana Wants Me (Uploaded to YouTube by R. Dean Taylor – Topic)
I Typo, Therefore I Am
This is what artificial intelligence has driven us to. Because people are so worried that others will think what they’ve written was actually written by AI — whatever you do, don’t use an em dash! — they are purposely inserting typos into their text. Apparently, mistakes, even if they’re on purpose, are how we prove ourselves human now. (Too bad most resumes are read by machines and will probably disqualify you because of those typos.)
Wood I due something like that? Of kourse knot.
World War II Veteran with No Family Honored by Strangers
My favorite story of the week:
Uploaded to YouTube by CBS Boston
RIP Kyle Busch, Sonny Rollins, Grizz Chapman, Rob Base, Robert Daley, Sam Sianis, Peter Helm, and Ike Willis
Kyle Busch was a champion NASCAR driver. He won a record 234 races. He died last week at the age of 41.
Sonny Rollins was a legendary and influential jazz saxophonist. He died Sunday at the age of 95.
Grizz Chapman played Grizz, Tracy Jordan’s bodyguard, on 30 Rock. He died last week at the age of 52.
Rob Base was the rapper known, with DJ E-Z Rock, for the song “It Takes Two.” He died last week at the age of 59.
Robert Daley was the author of several acclaimed books, including Prince of the City and Year of the Dragon. He died Tuesday at the age of 96.
Sam Sianis owned Chicago’s Billy Goat Tavern, the inspiration for Saturday Night Live’s classic “Cheezborger Cheezborger” sketch. He died earlier this month at the age of 91.
Peter Helm appeared in the films The Andromeda Strain and Inside Daisy Clover and on many TV shows in the 1960s. He died last week at the age of 84.
Ike Willis was a singer and guitarist for Frank Zappa. He died earlier this month at the age of 70.
This Week in History
“Hands Across America” (May 25, 1986)
It was a great idea — forming a human chain from coast to coast to show unity — but there simply weren’t enough people in certain parts of the country to complete the chain. And it didn’t raise as much money for charity as organizers had hoped.
This might be a good time to try it again, though.
Patrick Henry Born (May 29, 1736)
People know that he said “Give me liberty or give me death!” But do you know why he said it?
This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Del Monte (May 26, 1923)
If you look on the left, you’ll see a can of olives, which I point out because …
Monday Is National Olive Day
Olives: a food I like that I never eat for some reason.
Here’s a recipe (scroll down) from Curtis Stone for a Tuna Salad Picnic Sandwich, which has kalamata olives. Iowa Girl Eats has Herb and Garlic Marinated Olives, The Kitchn has Easy Green Olive Pasta, and The Pioneer Woman has a recipe for Chicken with Olives. How about some Beer Battered Fried Olives from Spoon Fork Bacon? You can use Schlitz.
For dessert, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try this Orange and Black (Olive) Chocolate Cake from Food52.
Next Week’s Holidays and Events
Turkey Lovers Month Begins (June 1)
Shouldn’t Turkey Lovers Month be celebrated in November?
Repeat Day (June 3)
Shouldn’t Turkey Lovers Month be celebrated in November?
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Comments
Ages ago, there was a bar in downtown Wichita, KS that had the Schlitz logo on their sign outside. They were right next to a little laundromat. The bar hasn’t been there for decades but the laundromat and the Schlitz sign still are! (At least, I think the sign is still there; a hailstorm may have gotten it a few years ago.) And Schlitz got a shout-out in an early “Doonesbury” cartoon (reprinted in “The Doonesbury Chronicles.”) where B.D. and Phred find a cache of the stuff in Vier Nam of all places!
Schlitz had some beautiful print ads at mid-century with both art and photography. Lots of things are going away. ‘Hiatus’ is was probably chosen as a way to soften the blow of cancellation. It does give the company the option of bringing it back, briefly, as a gimmick (with very inflated prices), at a later time.
Not knocking beer, but it’s never been my thing; alcohol otherwise either for that matter. I have enough relatives that had the ‘drink gene’ I saw get sloshed and was grateful I didn’t. The taste, scent, effects, no thank you. It’s not healthy, but to each their own.
The ‘Indiana Wants Me’ song is pretty neat; has a 1972-era sound I still love. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles too, but seeing their name there, a surprise. In state rankings, mine has to be at or near the very bottom.
AI just has to interfere with everything, doesn’t it. I occasionally use ’em in writing instead of them because it suits the situation. Same with ain’t (sometimes out loud) for dramatic shock effect in making a point when angry. What’s next, contractions otherwise? I love 18th and 19th speak, but there’s a limit. Samantha Stevens really loved doin’ things the mortal way, but even she needed her shortcuts. (Maybe she can twitch my comments to appear like they used to).
WBZ news did a very beautiful tribute to the 98 year old World War II veteran who had no family otherwise, but the biggest family of all when it mattered. Monday is Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday, by the way.
I remember an illuminated Schlitz sign featuring a man sporting a crew-cut haircut that was at the entrance of a bar & grill in Chattanooga that was there for years well into the 2000s. I never visited the joint but I always hear it served good food. Their beer & malt liquor commercials are embedded in my memory.
“Indiana Wants Me” was (I think) the only top ten Motown hit for a white Canadian artist and if I’m not mistaken was R. Dean Taylor’s one hit wonder. It is still a great song which I perform on occasion and by request. The younger generation seems to really dig this tune.
However, there are none of those cities listed where I would want to live. Too many people residing in each. Give me a small rural town with a population of 100 or less near no major metropolitan area. I like my rural living.
Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms and Spin Doctors decided to tour together. They also decided that they should cut a song together. So they chose Indiana Wants Me. An odd choice. However, it came out really well. You should give it a listen.