D Day: June 6, 1944
In Dover, on their way to Normandie.
Ali
Winner, and still Heavyweight Champion of the World. .
Photo: Neil Leifer
Herr's Factory Tour!
I took the Herr's Potato Chip factory tour today, in the little Pennsylvania town of Nottingham. There was no sign of the Sheriff, although I did see what looked to be a forest (I'm not very good at identifying natural things). Neither was there any sign of men in tights. Or women in tights, for that matter.
There were plenty of free samples though, and I believe a new record was set for sales in the adjacent factory store. I asked several questions of our tour guide (an affable and enthusiastic young man named Fisher), one of which was whether Herr's makes private label chips for any retailers. They do indeed, and one of the retailers is Boston's own Market Basket chain of grocery stores. Fisher assured me that the private label chips are the same ones we saw being produced on the production lines in the factory.
it was a wonderful tour. I'm eating Heinz Ketchup Chips as I write this, and my fingers are getting red, so I had better stop now.
Penn Station
Waiting in the overheated monstrosity that is New York Pennsylvania Station for my train back to Boston yesterday, I was remembering the beautiful station that used to exist in this space, before it was torn down in the early 1960s in the name of "progress".
And then I realized that I could be standing in the same space as my mother and father stood, sharing a kiss before he went away to war. And never came back. My mother and his parents were there the day his body came back. To Penn Station.
American Gothic
These are Grant Wood's original models for his painting "American Gothic". So very uplifting.
Hires To You!
I can remember a time when people made Hires Root Beer at home. Hires is still a Philadelphia tradition that goes very nicely with a cheesesteak.
It's About Knowing All The Lines
With me, it's The Godfather trilogy and the Firesign Theatre comedy routines. With the rest of the family, it's Monty Python, and the 1980 edition of Flash Gordon. Whenever we watch or listen, we can deliver the lines before the actors do. And everyday events get captioned with quotes from one or another of them. I hope that everyone has something like that in their lives. I know Mark Wahlberg and Ted do.
Hand Jive
Why do so many people make hand signs in group photographs these days? I've never gotten the memo explaining what they all mean. Thank you for listening. Now get off my lawn...
The Romance Of Air Travel
Just kidding.
I wonder if there will be a "'Murica Lite"
Hey, 'Murica: This Bud's For You!
"Budweiser announced the campaign, officially named “America Is in Your Hands,” last week and will use it from May 23 until after November’s presidential election. If the brand was hoping to start a conversation with its plan, it accomplished that and then some.
A gesture that felt patriotic to some felt, in the midst of a polarizing election cycle, like pandering to others. Not a few people noted that Budweiser’s corporate parent is the Belgian-Brazilian beverage conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev." (New York Times)
That's Life
I don't usually pay much attention to celebrities (unless they're running for President), but damn if Mia Farrow's son doesn't look more like Frank Sinatra than Woody Allen.
Shack Of Sit Furniture Showroom
I cannot believe that this domain name is still available.
The NFL Research Center For Player Safety: Preventing Concussions
The league is conducting extensive testing of helmets prior to the start of the 2016-17 season.
