Random Notes
The biggest winner in the World Cup? Ranch dressing.
Fires in Canada have turned the sky and streets of my town all orangey and bright. I feel like I’m in a sepia photo.
I learned something about myself recently. I am never going to remember how to spell “cappuccino.”
I want to start a campaign to have Lipton put Sir Thomas back on their boxes of tea.
Yes, we have the original Carrie from 1976, and the 2002 remake, and another remake from 2013, but apparently we need a TV series version too.
I found the only good use for Alexa. When it’s hot and humid and I don’t feel like getting out of my chair to turn up the speed of my fan, I just say “Alexa, turn up the tower fan to 12.” It’s like having a robot maid.
I often watch old episodes of games shows (hey, we all need a hobby) and a recent episode of Concentration from the 1970s had Armor All as one of the products. Did you know that their slogan at the time was “Make Your World a Little Less Rotten”?
I hope Hasbro’s new “adult” Play-Doh you can create flowers with smells like flowers and not, well, Play-Doh.
I don’t know what the goal of Sandboxels is, but I love it.
We’re losing about a minute of sunlight every day or two now. Isn’t it great?
Daylight Saving Time Might Be Here to Stay
I think early sunsets are great but apparently people in Washington, D.C. don’t. The House just passed a bill, called The Sunshine Protection Act, to make Daylight Saving Time permanent time. Now it goes to the Senate.
I’m not against stopping the practice of turning our clocks forward an hour in the spring and back an hour in the fall, but can’t we make the permanent time be Standard Time? It’s the best option for everyone when it comes to health and driving and everything else. Why do some people think that anything that involves more sunshine is better and needs to be “protected?”
We tried permanent Daylight Saving Time in the ’70’s and people hated it.
10,000 Books
I have a lot of books, but not as many as this guy.
He has so many books (10,000) that they’re just piled up everywhere in his NYC studio. The landlord isn’t thrilled, calling them a fire hazard. The book-lover took the landlord to court.
Look, I love books too. I buy them and read them and collect them, and most of them are in big Rubbermaid containers because I don’t have the shelf space. But it’s not like the landlord is wrong in saying the place is too messy and the books are a fire hazard. I mean, replace “books” with something else the guy might collect and you might not be so easy on him. I think we give him a pass because they’re books. But I’m glad everything worked out for him. (Just don’t tell him the age of reading is over!)
And Now, Your Retro Forecast
Sure, you watch the weather every day on the local news, and maybe you even go to The Weather Channel once in a while. But what if you want to see the forecast presented to you like it was the 1990s? Well, weather.com has you covered!
Headline of the Week
“I Bought the $3,000 Fitness Suit That Electrocutes You. I’m Sending It Back.”
RIP Lindsey Graham, Sam Neill, Randolph Mantooth, Pat Oliphant, Joanna Pettet, Antoinette Bower, Scott Bryce, Wally Funk, Paul Wheatbread, and Garry Watson
Lindsey Graham was a senator from South Carolina since 2003 and before that was a member of the House of Representatives. He died Saturday at the age of 71.
Sam Neill appeared in such films as Jurassic Park, My Brilliant Career, Dead Calm, The Piano, Event Horizon, The Hunt for Red October, The Horse Whisperer, and The Final Conflict, as well as the TV shows The Sullivans, Reilly: Ace of Spies, The Tudors, Crusoe, and Alcatraz. He died Monday at the age of 78.
Randolph Mantooth starred on the hit ’70s TV show Emergency! He died last week at the age of 80.
Pat Oliphant was a Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist. He died Monday at the age of 90.
Joanna Pettet appeared in such films as The Group, Casino Royale (the original 1967 version), and The Night of the Generals, as well as TV shows like Knot’s Landing, Night Gallery, The Doctors, and Dr. Kildare. She died last week at the age of 83.
Antoinette Bower appeared on such shows as Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, and Neon Rider, as well as the films Prom Night and The Evil That Men Do. She died in April at the age of 93.
Scott Bryce played Craig Montgomery on As the World Turns. He also had regular roles on Popular, Murphy Brown, and The Facts of Life. He died Sunday at the age of 68.
Wally Funk couldn’t become a NASA astronaut in the 1960s, but she did become the oldest person to go into space when she was part of the New Shepard crew in 2021. She died last week at the age of 87.
Paul Wheatbread was the drummer for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, known for such songs as “Young Girl,” “Over You,” “Lady Willpower,” and “Woman, Woman.” He died last week at the age of 80.
Garry Watson was the last surviving member of the Watson family, who acted in classic films. He died recently at the age of 97.
This Week in History
E.B. White Born (July 11, 1899)
I would rank White as one of the great writers of the 20th century. Most people know him from Charlotte’s Web and The Elements of Style writing guide, but his essays and short New Yorker pieces are where he really excels.
William Howard Taft Becomes Supreme Court Justice (July 11, 1921)
Taft is still the only person to be both president and chief justice of the United States.
This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Stokely-Van Camp (July 17, 1954)
Now I have this sudden urge to buy some beans and add pickles to them.
July Is National Baked Beans Month
And I did find this recipe for Sandy’s Baked Beans from Saveur that includes dill pickle juice and one for Yankee Baked Beans from B&M that has sweet relish.
How Sweet Eats has a recipe for Saucy, Smoky Baked Beans, and Allrecipes has a classic Beans-n-Franks. The Kitchn has One-Pot Cowboy Beans with Beef and Bacon, Sandra Valvassori has Cheesy Baked Beans with Tomatoes, or (back to Allrecipes) you could make the Tropical Island Baked Beans, which includes crushed pineapple and smoked sausage.
I bet Ranch dressing would be good in baked beans too.
Next Week’s Holidays and Events
World Cup Final (July 19)
It will be Spain vs. Argentina and take place at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey. Fox has the match starting at 3 p.m. ET.
Spoonerism Day (July 22)
A spoonerism is “a transposition of usually initial sounds of two or more words.” In other words, if you’re the type of person who messes up words and phrases, this is the day for you. It’s named after William Archibald Spooner, who would sometimes say things like “a blushing crow” when he meant to say “a crushing blow.”
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