"P.S. I Love You" (Mad Men moment #4)

I far prefer Frank Sinatra's version of the Gordon Jenkins (notes)/Johnny Mercer (words) classic, as recorded for his relatively obscure (but great) Close to You album. But Bobby Vinton did a really heart-felt, plaintive take on it.

"A Short History of America"

I just re-watched the documentary Crumb about artist Robert Crumb for the first time in about seventeen years. It has this great segment depicting his brilliant "A Short History of America" panels:

Real sugar in Sweetwater

I was going to make a diabetes joke, but opted for a milder post title...

Abilene, Abilene - prettiest town I've ever seen

Today's history lesson, chitlins, is about Abilene, Texas. Now, first I must admit that every single time I saw the word Abilene, whether it was on a city limits sign or anywhere else, I was compelled forced to loudly belt out George Hamilton IV's 1963 single "Abilene" with a desperate, whimpering cry in my voice. After having been there, I could see why someone would write a song about Abilene, Abilene....

"There's a Small Hotel"

from the "There's a Small Hotel" sequence of Pal Joey

Queen Victoria

John J. Welder Home carriage stone and gate post

Mad Men moment #3

In the fifth episode of the third season of Mad Men, "The Fog," Betty Draper gives birth to the Draper's third child. She is also dealing with the death of her father, which occurred in the previous episode. While in the hospital, Betty has a drug-induced delivery room hallucination, in which, among other things, she converses with her deceased parent.