Friday, November 7, 2008

We Still Don't Have A Winner!

A newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska has awarded a rogue electoral vote to Barack Obama, bringing his total to 365. Still to be decided is where Missouri's 11 electoral votes will land. McCain is reportedly in the lead there but it's not definite...so Obama's final total will be 365 or 376. This brings us back to our little contest to guess the number.

No one guessed 365 but as explained here, a lot of people — starting with Richard Bensam, guessed 364. We also had one person, Ellen Bischoff, guess 366. Richard's guess came in before Ellen's so if 365 is the final tally, I'll declare Richard the winner, Ellen the runner-up and the next ten folks who picked 364 as Honorable Mentions.

One and only one person guessed 376: Jim Ellwanger.

Before I forget, I want to again plug the website of Bob Claster, who was one of those who picked 364. Bob is a writer and historian of comedy, and also of other things. He once hosted a very fine radio show called Bob Claster's Funny Stuff on which he interviewed many of the giants in the mirth business and he's been nice enough to put a number of these broadcasts online for your pleasure and edification. Among those he interviewed were John Cleese, Stan Freberg, Douglas Adams, Peter Cook, Quentin Crisp and Tom Lehrer. If you go to his page, you'll find an interview with someone you think is or was a genius in the world of comedy...probably several someones.

• Posted at 3:02 PM · LINK

Recommended Reading

Margaret Talbot looks into the world of sex education and/or abstinence in the "evangelical" community. As one might imagine, it's kinda screwed up...and not working for most kids.

• Posted at 12:41 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

No professional, alas, ever hauled in cameras to record most of the great theatrical events of the previous century. Nowadays, most shows get taped at some point but there's no full, real video of 99% of what has appeared on the great stages of the world. We have to settle for the few snippets that exist here and there.

Here's a great snippet — Julie Andrews performing a number from the original My Fair Lady. This is not a video from an actual performance of the show but it's darned close. Ms. Andrews appeared in My Fair Lady from its opening in March of '56 'til August of '59 with a few extended vacations during that period. In early 1962, while she was still appearing in Camelot with Richard Burton and Robert Goulet, the three of them participated in a TV special, The Broadway of Lerner and Loewe. On it, she performed this number from My Fair Lady, which was still running at a theater a few blocks away. They borrowed the sets and costumes and, I'm told, the actor who was then playing Freddie (sorry I don't know his name) and recorded Julie doing the number exactly as she'd done it on stage a few years earlier. Great stuff.

You'll notice, by the way, this video is in color. I have The Broadway of Lerner and Loewe on DVD but in black-and-white. Anyone out there know where to get a color copy? It's a great special full of gems like this. I'll link you to another one tomorrow if I think of it.

• Posted at 12:28 AM · LINK