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Weak VIII

20 February 2022

No. 6,107 (cartoon)

I just taught you a lesson.

I don’t know what I’m doing.

Then you learned it well.

21 February 2022

Yesterday’s Anniversaries

Ansel Adams would have celebrated his hundred and twentieth birthday yesterday except for the eternal gotcha: he’s dead. In remembrance, I’m reproducing a magazine advertisement for “telephone girl” c. 1958.

Yesterday was also the twentieth anniversary of publishing my first cartoon; it marked Ansel’s centenary. I’m pleased to report that I’m still alive and well and have no telephone girls in my closet.

And no more room to talk about John Glenn taking snapshots during his Friendship 7 orbits sixty years ago yesterday with the Ansco Autoset camera he bought in a drugstore.

22 February 2022

22:22 on 2.22.22

This is strange: nine hours ago it was 22:22 on 22.2.22 in Berlin, and now it’s 22:22 on 2.22.22 here in Sans Frisco. Two two two two two two two two two silly two write about.

23 February 2022

Affection to Youse All

Joey has an autographed copy of Weegee’s 1953 book, Naked City. The book’s handwritten dedication appears underneath his stamp, “Credit Photo by Weegee the Famous.”

“To You, The People of New York,” followed by Weegee’s inscription, “+ especially to Glenn Starr with LOVE for humanity + affection to youse all, Weegee, Aug 31 1945”

What an insight! I always though the phrase was all youse, but it should be “youse all.” I know this because Weegee the Famous said so.

24 February 2022

News I Can Use

It’s not often that I run across an article that I want to send to everyone I know, so I was especially chuffed when I saw this headline: A teen ate leftover rice and noodles. Hours later, doctors amputated his legs and fingers.

I will make sure anyone I visit gets a copy of the macabre story, so when I leave I’ll take half of the food in their refrigerator with me at their insistence of ridding their home of toxins.

People almost never get very sick from leftovers; that’s why the almost unheard of loss of limbs made the news. I never get sick because I follow sensible precautions. I’ll reprint my guide to safe refrigerator grazing as a public service.

Is it safe?

One: Is it moving?

Two: Is it covered in blue and/or green fur?

Three: Does a quick whiff result in projectile vomiting and/or diarrhea?

Four: Are maggots or other parasites crawling in and out of it?

If the answer to all four questions was “no,” bone appetite!

25 February 2022

Original Celebration Held Near This Spot

I saw a two cars, a couple of posts, and a tree up against a building wall at the edge a gas station parking lot at the intersection of Webster Street and Lincoln Avenue in Alameda. I found it visually appealing, but who needs another nice photograph of two cars, a couple of posts, and a tree up against a building wall at the edge a gas station parking lot?

I was about to keep walking when I noticed a brass historical marker on the corner.

On September 6, 1869 First Transcontinental Railroad Train linking two great oceans, and consisting of twelve cars and three locomotives passed here on way to a wharf terminal west of here, a location now covered by lagoon for take-off Trans-Pacific planes and within confines of present U.S. Naval Air Station. Original celebration held near this spot.

What a wonderful gift to find a photograph and its title in the same place! The photograph alone isn’t remarkable by itself, but I quite like it after titling it Original Celebration Held Near This Spot.

Coming next weak: more of the same.

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©2022 David Glenn Rinehart