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Category Archives: humor
College Admissions Scandal Explained
Operation Varsity Blues explained — and mocked.
JP makes some good points on the college system.
We also know that there’s a fair amount of plagiarism and cheating in school.
Uneasy Money
I just finished the audio book Uneasy Money by P.G. Wodehouse, whom I discovered just last year. The audio book’s packaging stated that Jonathon Cecil narrated the story, which was why I got that particular set of CDs. Actually, that was a mistake and someone else, not as talented narrated. How odd.
The story itself is entertaining. The hero, William (Bill) FitzWilliam Delamere Chalmers, Lord Dawlish, wants to marry but his fiancée won’t consider living on his measly allowance. So Bill decides to seek a fortune in the US, where he believes money is easily plucked from trees by the bushel. Just before he’s about depart, he learns that a man he happened to meet and happened to coach on how to straighten out his golf swing, has left him 5,000,000 £! Feeling guilty, that the tycoon gave his fortune to him, Bill decides to seek out the man’s niece and nephew who’ve gotten a pittance. They’re both living outside New York.
In the meantime, Bill’s fiancée comes to America when her newly rich friend sends her a ticket to visit her. On board, the fiancée meets a millionaire and agrees to marry him.
New romances, mix ups and misunderstandings ensue all described with Wodehouse’s delicious, witty language.
While the story is entertaining, it’s not on par with the Jeeves stories. Nonetheless, I enjoyed Uneasy Money.
Quotes:
“At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies.”
“The ideal girl . . . would be kind. That was because she would also be extremely intelligent, and, being extremely intelligent, would have need of kindness to enable her to bear with a not very intelligent man like himself.”
Victoria, Season 3, Episodes 2 & 3
Episode 2: London Bridge is Falling Down
Starting right when the first episode ended, the second episode begins with Victoria in labor and the barbarians, a.k.a. Chartists are storming the palace gates. With Bertie and Vicky peering through the doorway, Victoria gives birth to Louise. Albert gets the guards to protect the palace and then scolds the former French king, duke and the blonde noble from last season. He hates gambling.
The Chartists decide to take their petition to the palace, but one of the rebels, puts up a fuss. Abigail is a bit perplexed and smitten with him.
The Duke of Wellington comes to the castle to inform the Queen that hundreds of thousands of Chartists are coming to the castle. The Duke, Lord Palmerston and PM advise stopping them with soldiers. The Queen doesn’t want to go to that extent.
Francatelli convinces Miss Skerrett to elope after he’s bought a small hotel. While she’s in love, her work means a lot to her. I don’t think she’ll be able to quit. Francetelli even kids her on that account.
Louis-Phillipe gets in trouble for scaring Bertie and Vicky by telling them about how royals can violently lose their heads. Albert asks him to leave.
Albert’s “cottage” Osborne House
Someone finds a load of guns (500!) in the office space for the Chartists. The PM and Lord Palmerston take this as proof of their danger. They come close to convincing Victoria to send the army out to deal with them. However, Victoria realizes that the Chartists are too poor to acquire all that weaponry. She gets word out to Duke Wellington in the nick of time. The crisis is averted and the spy was caught. Still Albert gets his way and the family and nobles are off to the Isle of Wright to his “cottage.”
Episode 3: Et in Arcadia
All are frolicking at Osborne House, but soon the Prime Minister and Lord Palmerston, who brought the troublemaking King of Hungary to London in the Queen’s absence, are summoned to the Isle of Wright.
Francatelli quits, which causes a stir. His wife “Miss” Skerrett still hesitates about announcing that she’s married and leaving.
Throughout the episode, Albert hectors Victoria for wanting to return to London and for craving her subjects’ love. On top of that, they clash over how Albert handles Bertie and his resistance to books and tutoring. Albert sees Osborne house as a paradise and it’s quite annoying that his family doesn’t love it there. Victoria and Albert’s conflict escalates to an argument at dinner with the full court watching when the Queen throws a glass of water in Albert’s face.
Victoria’s feeling overwhelmed by her marital strife and political problems back in London when Skerrett finally announces that she’s leaving and that she’s gotten married. Victoria feels betrayed and is hurt that Skerrett did all this behind her back.
My Take
Both episodes speed along and in addition to the main plot have storylines with the Duchess who’s married to an ogre, who’s sent her young son to boarding school against her will and the men she’s flirting with. Victoria’s sister Feo continues to plot and manipulate.
I was surprised that Miss Skerrett did tell the Queen she was leaving because she got married. I thought she wouldn’t be able to and I stand corrected. I still don’t see how Skerrett will be happy not working at the palace.
We’ve got plenty of comic relief with Victoria’s attempt at swimming and a mix up with the bedrooms between Foe and the Duchess.
The sibling rivalry between the adorable Vicky and Bertie is realistic as is Victoria and Albert’s marriage problems. Sure most people aren’t married to royalty, but V & A’s arguments and reactions are authentic and engaging. Again, Victoria offers compelling drama.
Moms & Christmas
A historical survey of motherhood across the decades.
Gigot
Serendipity brought me Gigot
Gleason wrote the story of Gigot, a pet project of his. Gene Kelly directed it and someone else wrote the screenplay. Gigot is a mute janitor in France. He’s the butt of everyone’s jokes and pranks. His landlady cheats him. Yet kind-hearted Gigot lives according to his own generous principles. He never gives up on goodness, though no one treats him well.
Late one night Gigot runs across a prostitute and her young daughter trembling in the rain and he gives them shelter in his basement apartment. Soon Gigot and the girl bond and his life mission becomes keeping Nicole, the girl, in good spirits. The scene where Gigot follows Nicole inside a church and she asks him what this building is was beautiful. Gleason astonished me with his acting. He showed so much heart and intelligence behind the veil of his character’s disability.
The prostitute is just as jaded and conniving as many of the villagers. She argues and berates Gigot, until the scales fall from her eyes, for a time.
The film is moving, but if you can’t take some sentimentality you won’t like it. If you want to see Jackie Gleason’s depth as an actor or just enjoy a movie with a lot of heart, before sarcasm became en vogue, try Gigot.
If Ads were Honest about Pop
Or soda, whatever it’s called in your region, here’s how it should be advertised.
