We begin with a brief health update. My recovery continues at a snail’s pace. The long range prognosis is good, but I remain weak. I’m frustrated but undaunted, which is what Adrastos means. I have to live up to my own pen name. So it goes.
The weather in New Orleans is beautiful right now. It’s crisp, sunny and cool-ish; sometimes we have creeping summer weather in April. It doesn’t matter that much to me as I’m likely housebound for at least the next few weeks. I’d spend more time on the front porch but it’s pollen season. Achoo.
This week’s theme song selection was inspired by my humble brag about my good genes last week. Frank Zappa was inspired by Captain Kangaroo’s sidekick when he wrote this song for 1969’s Uncle Meat album. It’s a punny title as the teevee sidekick was Mr. Green Jeans, not Green Genes. Rumor has it that I like puns.
We have the OG Mr. Green Genes followed by the sequel, Son Of Mr. Green Genes, from the Hot Rats album for your listening pleasure. It’s the rare case where I prefer a sequel to the original.
Another genetic tune before our second act:
We begin our second act with a variation on the name game theme.
The Middle Name Game: A favorite social media game is “name your alternate name.” It’s sort of like Name That Tune without the music. I can’t play: My name was set in stone, there were no alternatives. I’m named for my grandfather Peter Elias Athas and my father was named for his grandfather Elias Peter Athas but went by Lou. Like most first generation immigrants, he was eager to assimilate as a young man, so Lou it was.
There’s a swell article at The Atlantic by Michael Weiss in which he ponders “the strange intimacy of middle names.”
I’m glad I have a middle name and don’t have to create one like Harry S. Truman. The S stood for nothing, but Truman thought a statesman should have at least a middle initial, so S it was. Oh well, what the hell.
Bibles For Sale: The Indicted Impeached Insult Comedian is hawking bibles. That inspired a hilarious piece in Slate by Courtney Thomas in which Trump is compared to Ryan O’Neill’s character in the Peter Bogdanovich classic Paper Moon. Does that make Ivanka, Tatum? Does that make Jared Kushner, John McEnroe? Discuss amongst yourselves.
The last word of our second act goes to Ella Fitzgerald:
We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.
Separated At Birth Casting Edition: Since I mentioned Harry S. Truman earlier, he’s this week’s subject:
I saw James Whitmore’s one man show live. It was excellent. Whitmore gave them hell and made them like it as the 33rd president was fond of saying.
The Best Of SCTV: Joe Flaherty died this week at the age of 82. He didn’t reach the level of fame of some of his castmates, but he was, in many ways, the heart and soul of SCTV as “station owner” Guy Caballero.
Josh Marshall posted a fond remembrance of SCTV and Flaherty at TPM this week. I’m not joshing you…
We have two clips for your amusement:
The Best Of Letterman: Our Joe Flaherty tribute continues with this 1991 appearance on Late Night.
Saturday GIF Horse: I mentioned SCTV alums who went on to great fame. Here’s Rick Moranis in Honey, I Shrunk The Kids:
Next, John Candy and Steve Martin in everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles:
Pondering the late John Candy gave me an earworm:
The Junk Drawer: This White Heat inspired political cartoon by The Guardian’s Martin Rowson captures the madness of Bibi Netanyahu:
Let’s close down this virtual juke box with some more music.
Saturday Closer: I still have Quincy Jones on my mind. In the early days of his musical career, Quincy worked with some of the great jazz-pop singers including Sinatra and Peggy Lee. This great 1961 Peggy Lee album is one of the lesser-known jewels in Quincy’s crown:
That’s all for this week. The last word goes to Joe Flaherty as Guy Caballero:
