Ernie-A-Day

Happy Birthday, Boss

2010-09-24T10:29:00.010-04:00

It's Jim Henson's birthday, people!

Remarkably, it's also Steve Whitmire's birthday.

In honor of the births of Ernie's caretakers, I plan on watching this video

and preparing for the premiere of the 41st season of Sesame Street on September 27. Here's a little preview:

Hehe, Anderson Cucumber.

Thanks to Jim for giving me my best pal and Steve for keeping him strong.

Bert Mondays: Let's Do This One For Bert

2010-04-05T12:41:00.003-04:00

Hi friends. The Muppet Madness Tournament has reached the final round, and Ernie and Bert are vying for the championship against the frog, a dog, a bear, and a whatever. Normally, I want Ernie to win in everything, and, in his relationship with Bert, he usually does. Now, Ernie wins because of sheer nerve and incorrigibleness. It's not that he's always logically or justifiably right; he simply perseveres in his good cheer. Sometimes it almost makes you feel bad for Bert, who is equally admirable in his ability to stick to his principles, boring as they may be.

So I say this time, let's make this silly tournament victory happen for Bert. Ernie, of course, will reap the benefits, but when I cast my vote today and for the next few days, I do so in honor of the downtrodden, the long-suffering, the adorably pointy-headed Bert.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T16:46:00.004-04:00

In honor of the holiday being celebrated by many today, I give you an example of our current rival and his excessive adorableness. I only risk posting this video because Ernie is clearly more adorable in his tolerance of and appreciation for the Cookie Bunny.

Once again we see how the presence of a more Ernie-like character pushes Ernie into Bert territory. I might be inordinately focused on these changes in Ernie's character because I experience them so often in myself.

Don't forget to vote in the Muppet Madness Tournament and root for Butler tomorrow.

Sorry Sorry, but Do This One for the Team

2010-04-02T12:13:00.004-04:00

Hi all. I know it has been a long long time, but work, blah, real life, blah blah.

I have returned to make a plea for everyone to vote for Ernie and Bert in The Muppet Madness Tournament, presented by The MuppetCast and ToughPigs. The boys are in an elite eight showdown with their pal the Cookie Monster, and we need votes to get them into the Final Four.

As one clever person put it,

So let's do the right thing and go over to the Muppet Madness Tournament and vote for Ernie and Bert. (I also recommend voting for Fozzie to undercut an eventual Frog-Bernie matchup in the finals.

Bert Mondays: Solitary

2010-02-22T05:25:00.000-05:00

Yep Yep Yep Yep

2010-02-17T04:43:00.001-05:00

Uh huh.

Additionally, big ups for Ernie's PJs and Bert's robe.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Siena

2010-02-16T05:52:00.000-05:00

On one of Teeny Tiny's many days in Florence, he planned a day trip to Siena, just an hour away by train. Siena is famous for its horse race, Il Palio, and its stripey cathedral. Because the historic part of Siena is up a mountain, when Teeny Tiny arrived, he made sure to grab a bus ticket.

After a minor getting-on-the-wrong-bus mishap, Teeny Tiny made his way to a city gate and greeted the symbol of Siena, the she-wolf.

The Sienese like to insist that their town was founded by the son of Remus, so the suckling wolves is an important and persistent image. Another important image is the Palazzo Publico, the ruling building for the republic.

The walls of the interior of the People's Palace chronicle the history of the republic. One of Teeny Tiny's most important historical finds was that the Sienese believed in unicorns:

After a thorough exploration of the palace, Teeny Tiny spent a bit of time in the big piazza. He could hardly believe that they raced horses around the distorted oval. He then made his way through the steep and winding streets first to a market to buy goodies and then to the Duomo.

The square was as good a place as any to eat his lunch. He found a ledge in front of the old hospital and enjoyed the people milling about:

Siena's cathedral is the most Gothic and adorned of all of the Italian churches Teeny Tiny has seen. It is covered with statuary and striking from every angle.

Inside the cathedral is just as remarkable as outside. Much of the floor has been roped off to protect the marvelous bas-relief tombs and decorations.

The pulpit shows a Last Judgment carved by Nicola Pisano.

Teeny Tiny loved that the church was striped inside and out, but he wished the Sienese had gone with more colors, perhaps some red and blue.

Teeny Tiny next took an amazing tour of the newly excavated narthex under the Duomo, where he saw some old frescoes and the original structure of the church. He explored the Baptistry, housed underneath the church's choir. The baptismal font was sculpted by Donatello and Jacopa dell Quercia.

Teeny Tiny next went to the museum of the Opera del Duomo to check out some of the great works commissioned for the church. At the top of the museum, he discovered a little stairway.

On his way up, he noticed this warning:

After getting his hand for to hold as instructed, he completed the climb. It was a bit exhausting, but the view was worth it.

After chatting with a lovely British couple on holiday, he tried to get a better idea of what it must be like for the horses to race in Il Palio.

All in all, Teeny Tiny's day in Siena turned out to be a perfectly beautiful day. He finished with some tasty gelato, of course, and managed to grab the correct bus back to the train station.

Bert Mondays: Lost Cookies

2010-02-15T05:41:00.002-05:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks what with snowmageddon and work and all, so I've been away from the blog for a bit. Sorry about that. Real life is sometimes painfully difficult, but it must be attended. Actually the last couple of weeks has been a bit like this clip in which Bert loses some cookies. I know someone took the cookies, and I'm pretty sure I know who, but I might be totally wrong.

On the other hand, the past couple of weeks have made me feel a bit like Ernie too: wrongly accused, confused, and desperate to prove that I'm really a good buddy who wouldn't take my best friend's cookies. All in all, it's a bit emotional. The moral of the story, I guess, is that when there are some missing cookies, you had best look around for a cookie monster.

Homemade: Things We Like

2010-02-12T04:41:00.002-05:00

Here's another original song from Tinnawilson. I miss the finger puppets, but I really enjoy the idea of Ernie as a singer-songwriter. Can't you see him haunting the coffee shops around with neighborhood with his guitar, singing soulful songs about friendship and duckies?

Homemade: Hey Bert

2010-02-05T04:17:00.004-05:00

This homemade scene takes the idea of homemade very seriously. Not only did the artist recreate a bedroom scene with construction paper and finger puppets, but he also writes a new song for the two to sing. The song is no Joe Raposo classic, but it captures the Ernie-Bert feel pretty well. The Ernie voice is pretty close to spot-on, but Bert needs a little work. Even so, it's a lovely homage to our favorite best friends, and if I had any talent and/or time, I would be doing this kind of stuff all the time with hopes that someone important would see me and ask me to come live on Sesame Street.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Roller Derby

2010-02-02T04:26:00.006-05:00

After posting the last of the Florence pictures, Teeny Tiny has decided to take a break from his Italy trip and post about a trip a little closer to home. Recently Teeny Tiny took a little trip on the metro to the D.C. Armory.

He was there for the Roller Derby! He got himself prepared for the spectator sport action with the traditional materials.

Then, he was all set for the action provided by the D.C. Roller Girls.

Unfortunately it's hard to take still pictures of people rushing around a small oval on roller skates, but he tried.

In the first bout, the Cherry Blossom Bombshells whipped the overmatch team from Harrisonburg.

Then there was the halftime show: a bunch of eager kids who must have warped into the armory from 1973.

Go homeschool orphan circus!

After that, Teeny Tiny needed a little stiff refreshment.

The second bout of the match promised a bit more excitement between the D.C. Demoncats and Scare Force One.

Scare Force One and their unbelievable jammer Marion Barrycuda, however, dominated the Demoncats, so Teeny Tiny called off the jam and went to dinner.

Bert Mondays: Bert Needs a Friend

2010-02-01T04:55:00.001-05:00

This clip is almost too heartbreaking to watch. Despite having a lifelong best friend and life partner, Bert is kind of a lonely soul. He has odd interests and isn't quite as charming as his old buddy, Ernie. Like most of us, sometimes Bert just wants to be around someone who gets him.

Luckily for Bert, Ernie shows up in true Ernie fashion to save the day there at the end, but a little of the heartbreak remains. I guess our best friends aren't supposed to be our twins and love every single thing that we love, but we can understand Bert's desire here. Although we weirdos delight in being singular, we don't always relish being alone.

Homemade: Ernie and Cookie

2010-01-29T03:14:00.003-05:00

It's fun to see what other folks do with their love of Sesame Street and our favorite best friends, so I have decided to devote the next few Fridays to homemade Sesame Street. A quick perusal of YouTube shows that many people like to take scenes, songs, and characters to make their own little videos. Many of these videos (while funny) are not really appropriate for the tone of this blog, but there are several that are simply fun little homages to childhood.

Many of us have favorite songs from the Sesame Street records, but we have not been able to match them up with clips from the actual show. Here Joe gives us one of his illustrations as a backdrop for a favorite song. It's a simple but sweet visual way to capture a recording.

Happy Birthday, Ernie!!!

2010-01-28T05:57:00.005-05:00

Today is Ernie's birthday. I spent a bit of time thinking about what I might get Ernie for his birthday if I had the chance. I don't think a guy like Ernie needs much for several reasons: (1) he lives in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City and has very little room for stuff, (2) he's an active type who seems as if he would appreciate experiences more than material things, (3) he kind of looks like he has everything he needs--Rosie the bathtub, a good drum set, and his rubber duckie.

I suppose if I were to get Ernie a gift, I might go along the lines of duckie-themed items. Perhaps a nice birthday cake.

He might feel weird, however, devouring his naked self, so maybe just one with a duckie.

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Maybe he's looking for a duckie moo moo.

He might be interested in a river full of duckies.

Or the world's largest duckie.

On the other hand, and in keeping with the idea that he might prefer a birthday "experience," I say maybe we go for Ernie-Bert 2016, as the people at this website suggested.

Probably, however, the best birthday gift I could get for Ernie is the one he already has.

Therapy

2010-01-27T05:17:00.001-05:00

After a particularly frustrating couple of days in the real world, I am tempted to find a clip in which Bert gets so angry at Ernie that his head explodes. I feel like a Bert whose head could explode at any moment. I have realized, however, that I should not take out my frustration on Ernie, who is my favorite. Besides, Bert gets frustrated at Ernie because Ernie is exuberant and messy, not because he is incompetent and lazy.

With this enlightenment circling my nearly exploded head, I have instead chosen to embrace something that makes me feel good. This song is one of my favorites. It captures Ernie's most endearing qualities: his desire for adventure and his love of his own life and the people in it. It makes me happy, and happy is what I need.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Florence from Above

2010-01-26T09:34:00.000-05:00

Sadly, we're going to have to move on from the Florence pictures after this week, but I think it has become apparent that Teeny Tiny would live in Florence if he could. Before he left town, Teeny Tiny made sure to climb both Giotto's Campanile and the Duomo so that he could get one last look from above at his favorite Italian city. Halfway up the big tower, he found a big bell.

The Campanile provided great views.

Santa Croce.

It also offered a nice view of the big dome.

Next on the climbing agenda was the big dome itself.

During his climb to the lantern of the Duomo, Teeny Tiny checked the walls to see if he knew any of the names illicitly Sharpied on them in defiance of the multitude of signs.

He also made sure to get a good look at the interior of the cathedral before finishing the climb.

He was pleased by his proximity to the Last Judgment.

Cerberus gave him a bit of a fright.

Almost at the top, he sneaked a look out the window at the Campanile.

The long climb was worth it for the views of the Badia and Bargello.

The Palazzo Vecchio.

The Medici Palace.

San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel.

Before he left Florence, Teeny Tiny saw almost all the great pieces of art in the city, but he wasn't allowed to take pictures with all of them. Don't doubt that he went to San Marco, the Medici Chapel, 756 churches, and the Uffizi.

He also made sure to hit the Academy and see Michelangelo's Prigioni and David.

Of course, he had to recreate that experience with a stand-in.

Bert Mondays: He's Not Asheep Yet

2010-01-25T05:48:00.006-05:00

Bert really likes the idea of having the place to himself. With Ernie at the Count's for the night, Bert relishes the idea of a night of uninterrupted sleep. Unfortunately, the boogie woogie sheep have different plans. Poor Bert can't catch a break. The best thing about Bert, though, is that he quickly adapts to and embraces the educational interlude and doesn't even seem perturbed when Rancher Ernie makes a fantasy appearance.

I've always wondered if Bert were part sheep.

Sing Saturdays: Suzie Kabloozie

2010-01-23T05:24:00.000-05:00

Ah, the poor cat.

Sing Saturdays: The Museum Comes Alive

2010-01-16T05:21:00.000-05:00

Here's another interesting animated take on "Sing." It has a jazzy beat and embraces wacky musical tangents with gusto.

Prehistoric: The End

2010-01-15T05:20:00.001-05:00

Below is the final installment in the This Way to Sesame Street special. Ernie and Bert mention the Anything Muppets, Oscar, and all of the great things they haven't yet been able to introduce. They then wrap up the concepts for the show and invite all of us to enjoy the next forty years of fun, song, and learning. Here's hoping for forty more.

Miami Mice

2010-01-13T07:14:00.001-05:00

Infrequently Ernie gets a sketch outside of his apartment and outside of interaction with Bert or the other regular characters on the show. What follows is one of those rare times that Ernie appears in a classic Sesame Street spoof of something hot in the culture at the time. Upon viewing, a couple questions arise:

1. What is Ernie doing in Miami?

2. Why does Duckie need repair?

3. Why does the Latino mouse sometimes sound French?

4. Do you think there's been fowl play?

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: More Florence

2010-01-12T05:27:00.007-05:00

Although much of what is great about Florence lies on the south side of the Arno, Teeny Tiny made sure to cross the Ponte Vecchio so that he could enjoy the sights of the Oltrarno.

The Oltrarno offers more than amazing views of the more known part of the city, although the views are amazing.

A little more than a mile down the river past the Ponte Vecchio lies the Piazzale Michelangelo, a park set atop a hill that holds bronze copies of some of Michelangelo's most famous works. The park also stands halfway up the hill to San Miniato al Monte, home to a community of Olivetan monks who make tasty candies and honey.

Teeny Tiny wandered through the enormous cemetery that surrounds San Miniato. He learned a great deal about old Florentine families by reading the tombs, still carefully tended though hundreds of years old.

Another great thing about being in Florence in May is that it is rose season. The Piazzale Michelangelo is surrounded by two amazing gardens. One garden has all kinds of flowers and plants. The other is the rose garden, open only during May.

It too offers amazing views of the city.

The other main attractions on the other side of the river are the Boboli Gardens and the Pitti Palace. Teeny Tiny made reservations so that he could wander through the galleries and enjoy the great Renaissance and post-Renaissance art not in the Uffizi.

A few blocks past Santo Spirito, the main place of worship on the south side of the river, are a few other amazing churches. The old Carmelite church, Santa Maria del Carmine, is not often open for tourist gazing, but it also holds the Brancacci Chapel.

To get to the chapel, Teeny Tiny had to go through the cloister of the old monastery.

Most people visit the chapel for the stunningly restored frescoes of Massaccio and Fillipino Lippi. The church offers a film history of the frescoes, which might have been really enlightening. Teeny Tiny, who's already a bit of an art history buff and so familiar with their history, chose to pass on the film so that he could simply enjoy the chapel.

Bert Mondays: Give Bs a Chance

2010-01-11T05:56:00.001-05:00

Many times Ernie gets to be the star of some cool skit with some cool guest star. It might be his gregarious personality that allows him to meet and mesh with celebrities so easily, or it might be the fact that he is so loved, and people just want to hang out with him.

Bert doesn't get as many opportunities, so it's delightful when he does. We're lucky his name begins with a B, so we can enjoy his dancing with the Dixie Chicks. Bigs ups for the appearance of the bottle-cap collection as well. (Also, Baby Bear has a Weasley sweater!!)

Sing Saturdays: Sand Art

2010-01-09T05:19:00.000-05:00

This rendition does not make me weep, but it's pretty cool. Enjoy the clever sand animation.

Prehistoric: Guest Stars

2010-01-08T05:05:00.001-05:00

In this section of this way to Sesame Street, Ernie and Bert describe what will become one of the most delightful elements of Sesame Street for the next forty years: the guest stars.

From Jessica Alba and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company to Trisha Yearwood and Zap Mama, over 400 celebrities have visited the Street. Some of my favorites include Michelle Obama:

and REM:

A Visit From the Cookie Monster

2010-01-07T21:42:00.002-05:00

I think we all can relate with both Cookie and Ernie in this sketch. Cookies = happy. No cookies = sad. Is this why my pants don't fit?

Disorder Makes Me Bertlike

2010-01-06T16:21:00.001-05:00

I've been a bit frustrated lately. You see, like Ernie and Bert, I live in an apartment of very few square feet. Unlike our heroes, however, I have a ton of crap. (I don't consider it to be actually "crap," except when I get in a mood like this one.) All of my stuff fits in my apartment, but only in a particularly ordered fashion. When things become disordered, I grow claustrophobic and anxious. I want nothing more than to put things back in order so that I feel like I live in a peacefully clean environment.

The current frustration arises from the fact that I have not at time recently to put things in order. I get moments here and there for relaxation and dvr-tending, but it has been a couple of months since I have had the hours to dedicate to ordering my abode. Something must change soon, or I may start to take Ernie's approach. Where are the cookies and ice cream?

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Eating in Florence

2010-01-05T04:37:00.011-05:00

One thing Teeny Tiny really likes about Florence is eating. I suppose that statement is kind of obvious: one thing everyone really likes about Italy in general is eating. Teeny Tiny, however, particularly likes eating in Florence because his favorite places and things to eat just keep getting better and better.

For lunchtime in Rome, he liked to grab a slice of potato pizza by the gram and walk around while eating, just to keep up the pace. In Florence, however, he preferred his lunches more peacefully seated, but cheap. Luckily, he had no problem stopping in a supermarket just outside the piazza in front of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel for some snacks.

He ate his strawberries and cheese, apples and bananas, with some pineapple juice on the steps of the Medici's church before stepping inside to explore. He also discovered these fabulous olive oil and rosemary cracker-chips and had to be stopped from shipping some cases back home.

Dinner in Florence usually meant finding some family-run Trattoria off of a side street and doing his best to avoid the touristy places. The Yellow Bar, next to the N4U Guest House, seemed a bit suspect at first, but Teeny Tiny took a chance and discovered a place that seemed to cater to students more than tourists, with great pizza and homemade pasta.

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Teeny Tiny's favorite restaurant in Florence, to which he went twice on this trip, is the Trattoria Nella.

Nella is located on the Via della Terme, just one block past the new market toward the river.

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It used to be run by the most forgetful man in Italy. Sergio Fattorini never had a problem getting delicious food served to his customers in a speedy manner, but leaving after the fabulous meal was another story. You asked for the conto, and the forgetful man nodded and rushed about to do some stuff, promptly forgetting your request. After you caught his eye a few more times, he remembered to go get the check; he then stuffed it in his pocket and tended to the other customers in the small dining room. Eventually, he stuck his hand in his pocket, remembered you, and took care of your payment with apologetic grace. It never mattered, because three-hour dinners in Florence are common, and his food was just so darn good.

Sadly, the forgetful man no longer runs Nella, but his twin sons have continued the tradition of making the dining experience interesting. Let's just say that sometimes Italian twins have ridiculous arguments right in the dining room during the busiest dining times. Seated at the table clearly reserved for regulars, friends, and relatives, Teeny Tiny got a great insight into the psychology of the place as he watched the brothers put together bread baskets, prepare the panna cotta for service, and ladle tomatoes, garlic, and basil onto crispy slices of bread.

One night, Teeny Tiny tried the special panzanella, a traditional tomato and bread salad. Another time he went with the delicious gnocchi del pomodoro.

Nothing tops off a Florentine dinner like a long walk around the city, followed by tasty tasty gelato. Luckily, Florence is full of great gelaterias, including Teeny Tiny's favorite on Via del Corso, the Festival del Gelato.

People tend to get snooty about gelaterias, preferring the kind that sells the homemade gelato to the ones supplied by the mass-market type of gelato-makers. They have good reason to do so, because homemade (or gelateria-made) gelato is the happiest thing one can ever eat after dinner, but the other kind isn't so bad either. Teeny Tiny was pretty sure that the Festival made its own gelato, but in the end it did not matter, because the gelateria serves about 8700 flavors in around 600 sizes.

Nothing made him happier than ordering a tasty combination and then sitting on the steps of the Duomo to enjoy it with a healthy dose of people-watching.

Bert Mondays: Social Activism for the New Year

2010-01-04T04:43:00.001-05:00

In the spirit of everyone's annual pledge to be a better person and the new DC plastic-bag tax, today's post presents Bert at his socially responsible best. We all know that it is wrong to litter because littering is dirty and annoying and gross, but Bert reminds us to consider what throwing your trash anywhere but in the trash can does to the small citizens of our world.

I only wish I could show this video to everyone I see who casually drops something to ground and does not pick it up. Sadly, I would never be able to do anything else in my day, but if it would make a difference, I would do it.

Does Anyone Live in Atlanta?

2010-01-03T05:17:00.002-05:00

Steve Whitmire, the man who has been behind Ernie since the great Jim Henson died, will be presenting a lecture and a class on the methodology of puppetry in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 9, 10, 16, and 17: Steve Whitmire: Perspectives: "The Sentient Puppet." This event will take place at Atlanta's Center for Puppetry Arts. If you go and take the class, you can learn the awesome puppetry techniques that have allowed Whitmire to step into the shoes of the greatest ever.

Lists are Fun

2010-01-02T21:19:00.003-05:00

And just to show how remarkably consistent I am, here's the list for 2008:

Not Exactly Ernie

2010-01-02T21:14:00.005-05:00

I know this is not Ernie-related (except for Street Gang), but I like this feature on Goodreads so much that I needed to put it somewhere. Here's what I read this year. I think it's a nice mix of grown-up, kids, and graphic books, but I'm sad that I could not have read more. Stupid job.

Sing Saturdays: Nathan Lane

2010-01-02T05:05:00.001-05:00

Nathan Lane should sing with the Oinker Sisters all the time.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Sleeping in Florence

2009-12-29T05:35:00.014-05:00

Teeny Tiny has been to Florence a few times, and each time, he stayed somewhere different. On this trip, he made sure to stop by all of the old hotels to see if they had changed over time. Hotel Casci, run by the Lombardi family, had undergone some renovation but was still the same wonderful place as it was fourteen years ago. Halfway down Via Cavour between the Duomo and San Marco, the Casci was Teeny Tiny's home for nearly a month. He liked to imagine his Medici neighbors as still roaming the palace next door. During this trip, there was some construction being done on the facade, but he sort of got a picture:

He once stayed in the Albergo Universo, just off the piazza of Santa Maria Novella. At that time, the hotel may not have had any stars, and he had to share a bathroom, but he remembers it as clean and with a friendly staff. It too has undergone some renovations (apparently art deco is a thing now) in the last decade. The entrance remained unchanged, however:

The other place Teeny Tiny stayed in Florence all those years ago was still there too, but he refused to take a picture. Hotel Zanzari, as he renamed it, only holds terrifying memories of nights dominated by thousands of mosquito attacks. He will not describe the place further, except to say that the walls were streaked with blood.

Luckily, Teeny Tiny's fortunes have changed since his undergraduate days, and he was able to book a higher class of hotel for this most recent trip. Actually, the N4U Guest House was a bit cheaper than the renovated Casci, and it offers great deals if you book in advance.

Occupying a floor of a renovated 14th-century palace on Via del Proconsolo just a block from the Duomo, the N4U is run by the wonderfully tiny and charming Lorenzo. Lorenzo let Teeny Tiny use his computer to print some pre-ordered tickets to the local museums. He brought strawberries to the room in the evening and loved to tell stories of the history of the old palace. Each room at N4U is done in a theme color and is in no way teeny tiny.

The silver room (or London Grey) was a corner room with two great windows that provided both a cross breeze and the nighttime music of Florence (and only one mosquito).

The neighbors seemed homey and friendly. Unlike many Italian hotels within Teeny Tiny's budget, the silver room in N4U had a great modern bathroom.

The shower was a delight.

Even Ernie Little found the place to be supremely relaxing.

Teeny Tiny had a lovely Italian breakfast every day in his room before he headed out into the city. He even got to practice his Italian with the woman who brought him his yogurt and breads. The N4U Guest House was so charming that no matter how many times Teeny Tiny wins the lottery, he will take advantage of its great deals and character until he buys his own flat in Florence.

Bert Mondays: Bert's Brother Bart

2009-12-28T05:36:00.001-05:00

Last week we met Bert's nephew Brad; today his brother Bart comes to visit. I'm not sure if Bart is Brad's father or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if he were the result of a union between Bert's mom and Fozzie Bear. Although Brad has the same cucumbery nose and bushy bush of black hair as Bert, he's a bit more, well, gregarious.

Sing Saturdays: Gloria Estefan

2009-12-26T06:19:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T05:59:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays all around, and from Ernie and Bert:

More fun for the Snowpocalypse

2009-12-24T05:06:00.002-05:00

With the snow still blanketing the East Coast, it's fun to revisit the classic snowman scene. I enjoy this clip especially now because I missed out on the weekend snow fun. The neighborhood had an Twitter-driven snowball fight, and folks built countless snow people all over the city. I, however, was stuck inside, doing my grown-up job. Instead of indulging my inner child with actual snow play, I have had to settle for doing it vicariously through Ernie and Bert.

It's actually good enough for me. In fact, I must admit that I would probably pull an Ernie in that situation--if only because Bert looks so adorable in his ski jacket.

It's Cold Outside

2009-12-23T05:20:00.000-05:00

I have found, in all of these years of life experience, that there are generally two ways to approach every situation: the Ernie way and the Bert way. I will let you characterize those particular ways yourself, but there can be no doubt that when faced with a couple of feet of snow and cold, wintry weather, you can either take the Ernie approach or the Bert approach.

Ernie: "Do you have your hockey puck, Bert?"
Bert: "Will you be careful with that sled in the living room, Ernie?"

Both methods, I'm sure, involve hot cocoa at some point.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Florence, Finally

2009-12-22T04:25:00.003-05:00

After too short a time, Teeny Tiny had to leave Assisi.

Luckily, his next stop was Florence, his favorite non-peaceful-retreat city in Italy.

With some clever planning and a great sense of recall, he made sure to navigate past the Duomo on his way to his hotel.

He also made sure to hit nearly every possible sight in the city, including Santa Maria Novella:

Santa Croce:

The Palazzo Vecchio:

San Lorenzo:

The new market:

The Baptistry of Saint John:

Of course, he couldn't see everything in Florence in one day. Luckily, he had six days to enjoy the city, so there is plenty more to come.

Bert Mondays

2009-12-21T04:42:00.005-05:00

This Monday introduces us to Bert's Nephew Brad.

Brad is pretty much a wee ginger version of Bert.

He's not fully verbal yet, but he has Bert's penchant

for stunned reactions.He also is apparently not a

fan of sharks. The level of adorable in this clip is

almost too high to bear.

Sing Saturdays: 2000

2009-12-19T05:50:00.000-05:00

Here's the montage that started Sing Saturdays. Pay attention to all the great folks singing, and make sure you catch Ernie with Liam Neeson.

Oh no! Rest in Peace, Olivia

2009-12-18T15:34:00.005-05:00

Sad news today from Sesame Street. Alaina Reed, who played Olivia, Gordon's younger sister, from 1976 to 1988, has died. After leaving the Street, she starred in 227 and made a ton of other television appearances. Olivia was an important presence on the show during my growing up, and, as you can see, she was important to Ernie as well.

I hope she fills endless albums with her thunderstorm pictures.

In addition to my favorite, enjoy these other memories.

With George Benson:

At Birdland:

An Ernie-adjacent scene:

Be at peace, old friend.

Prehistoric

2009-12-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here's another clip from "This Way to Sesame Street," where Ernie and Bert introduce the Street and some of the people who live there.

Make Your Own Muppet!!

2009-12-16T05:32:00.003-05:00

One of the most indulgent but greatest things an Ernie-lover can do is to make your own muppet. Yes, seriously, you can make your own muppet. You can either make one at the workshop in FAO Schwartz's flagship 5th Avenue shop in New York or order one online. With all kinds of options for heads, eyes, hair, noses, and clothes, you can be as creative as you are clever. The Muppet Newsflash has recently announced that you have even more choices. You cannot, however, make a muppet who looks like Ernie or Bert. Nonetheless, it's loads of fun.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Assisi Day Two

2009-12-15T05:24:00.007-05:00

If you go to Assisi on a strictly tourist basis, you might think that there is no reason to stay there for more than one night. Teeny Tiny asserts that your assumption is flawed. Not only are there plenty of amazing things to keep you occupied for days, but the quiet pace of Assisi is also a perfect respite after running around Rome or Florence or any of the other big cities that impel speed and urgency.

If you are lucky (or a good planner), you might end up in town in the days leading up to the great May festival, Il Calendimaggio. During this three-day festival at the beginning of May, the Assisans celebrate their Holy Week and the life of Saint Francis. They transform the town into the place it was in the 14th century, covering all signs of modernity and adorning every winding street with pieces of the past.

When Teeny Tiny arrived, he wandered through the narrow hilly streets to get to his hotel. Around every corner was an Assisan, arms loaded with boughs cut from the trees that blanket the slopes of Monte Subasio. Anyone not covered in leaves was carting about yards of silk or medieval-looking weapons.

It turned out that the entire town gets involved to reenact the 14th-century battle between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, as represented by the Fiumi and Nepis families, respectively. Briefly, the Guelphs supported the Papacy, while the Ghibellines supported the Emperor, and their feuding engulfed most of central and northern Italy throughout the Middle Ages.

The three-day festival is a joyous series of dances, rituals, and other ceremonies in which the town welcomes Spring and celebrates it history and community. The town, as it did in the 14th century, divides itself between the Parte de Sotto (lower) and the Parte de Sopra (upper), and it appears that each person in town is assigned a role, from the most disaffected teenager to the grumpiest patriarch. The winning neighborhood captures Il Palio, the town banner, and bragging rights for the year.

Because Teeny Tiny's travel agent wasn't completely on the ball, he happened to be in Assisi the two days before Il Calendimaggio. His hotel, off of the piazza in front of San Rufino, was in the center of the Parte de Sopra. Teeny Tiny was lucky enough to be hanging out in the square in the evenings when the neighbors, all clad in their blue Sopra jackets and sweatshirts, each with the name of the role across the back, came together to practice their medieval horn playing and drumming. Others practiced their swordplay and crossbow work or fancy dances. After practice, the Sopras met the red-clad Sottos in the main piazza for some friendly ribbing and loud drinking.

Teeny Tiny had to leave before he saw the townsfolk engage in the ritual dancing, parades, and games. He didn't get to see the march up to the Rocca Maggiore with torches and banners. He didn't eat medieval food or play medieval songs, but his time among the folks before the pageantry gave him a sense of the town that he could not have gotten simply as an observer of its festival.

Bert Mondays: Bert in German

2009-12-14T05:51:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I was looking for the Elmo's World clip in which Elmo makes a home video of Bert right after Bert washes his hair, and Bert complains because he hasn't had a chance to put any of that hair gunk in his hair yet, but I was not able to locate it in the whole wide interwebs. Until I become skilled enough to pull that clip from the television myself, I guess you all can imagine the clip. While I was looking for that clip, I came across this great old scene of Bert's telling his pigeon jokes. In German.

Frankly, Bert sounds a little more Bertish in German. I'm transfixed by his guttural consonants and the quintessential Bert laugh.

For translation purposes only:

Sing Saturdays: 1993

2009-12-12T05:14:00.003-05:00

Ladysmith Black Mambazo makes Big Bird happy.

Prehistoric: Numbers

2009-12-11T10:19:00.004-05:00

What follows is the next Ernie and Bert interlude from "This Way to Sesame Street." After having been treated to some quick animations about letters, including one with Carol Burnett, Bert plans to introduce a learning sketch about milk and cows. Ernie, true to his developing character, will not let Bert continue unless they move on to numbers. Ernie's persistence prevails, setting up a dynamic between the two that will become very familiar in the years to come, and the pre-Sesame audience gets a sneak peak at how their children will learn about numbers and counting.

Things to note:

1. This sketch was filmed well before Bert learned about "hair gook" (check out the blog next Monday).

2. Seven pumpkin pies: That's Jim Henson's voice, but the baker himself is stuntman Alex Stevens. The "mother" of Sesame Street, Joan Ganz Cooney, never liked the baker pratfall, but Henson kept the character anyway.

3. We see here that Ernie has already demonstrated his fickleness for favorite numbers, claiming seven as his favorite here but admitting that it had been both two and three in the past. Later, he will name as his favorite 8,243,721.

4. Some days I wish Ernie would pull out the old purple and orange shirt and wear it just for old times sake.

Classic Comedy: Fixing the Window

2009-12-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

Two things:

A. This classic comedy sketch seems so much like my job at this point that I'm afraid I will come into the office one morning to find it flooded with rainwater. The situation is analogous to what happens when you are counting apples. For example, say it's a random Tuesday, and you are plugging away at whatever routine task you generally do. Suddenly an emergency arises. Of course, when the emergency hits, you are sitting there with the window open, and you don't have the time or the expertise or the stamina to take care of the problem. Some Bert comes in to yell at you to take care of the problem, but there's actually nothing you can do in time to fix it, so it just keeps raining into your damned office. When you finally get it together to be able to handle the emergency, the sun comes out: no more emergency, no need for all the brilliant solutions you just stayed up all night to develop, and no authorization to implement those solutions to prevent a future emergency. Why should you fix the window now?

B. The trope used in this sketch reminds me that Ernie and Bert invoke some of the greatest comedy duos in pop culture history. Although this scenario is more "Arkansas Traveler" than Abbott and Costello, for some reason it reminds me of the Smothers Brothers. Bert certainly fills the role of of the sensible and long-suffering Dickie Smothers, who can't understand why Ernie's Tommy Smothers won't act reasonably. The best thing about Tommy Smothers is that he was only playing dumb; he operated on logic at its purest, which always caused Dickie great anxiety. Dickie gets the joke, of course, but he loves being the Bert and acting all older-brothery. The secret is is that as long-suffering as Bert may be, he is still game to teach a pigeon how to play checkers.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Assisi

2009-12-08T05:36:00.006-05:00

Of all the places Teeny Tiny has traveled, Assisi is the place that imbues him with the greatest senses of peace and wonder. Nestled halfway up Monte Subasio in the Umbria region, Assisi is best known as the home of Saint Francis, and his follower Saint Clare.

Teeny Tiny thinks of it as the place most likely to make him feel at home.

Here was the view from his temporary home during his time there.

What makes Assisi so amazing is that it is a place of pilgrimage. Thousands and thousands of people come through Assisi each month on their own personal spiritual journeys. Those journeys make the pilgrims a special kind of tourist, full of grace and politeness and quiet awe. The natives have become, consequently, the most welcoming people in Italy. They invite you into their spaces and make you feel less like an interloper than you usually feel when you invade a place with your camera, giant backpack, and broken Italian.

Even the scarier citizens are friendly.

In fact, Teeny Tiny covets a place in this community so much that he has found the perfect house on a foothill across a tiny valley, just in case he wins the lottery.

Bert Mondays: Fantasy

2009-12-07T05:47:00.002-05:00

As I might have expressed recently, it has been one of those weeks. It has been such a week that I can't even comprehend that tomorrow is Monday. What happened to Saturday and Sunday? When do they happen again? Where's my apartment?

It's during a week like this that it's important to dream great things when you get a chance to sleep. Nothing is worse than closing your eyes after spending all day staring at the computer screen and dreaming about citation formats. Okay, maybe one thing is worse: not sleeping at all because the arguments won't leave your head.

Weeks like these need Sesame wisdom. In today's clip, Ernie gives Bert some advice when he can't sleep, and lovely things happen.

Special Feature

2009-12-06T03:40:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I know that this video has been making its way through the interwebs, and everyone in the universe has seen it (I hope more than once). I also know that Ernie is not in the video; heck, even Kermie is only briefly involved. Nonetheless, it deserves a space on this blog for multiple reasons:

1. Beaker.
2. The clever use of Animal to avoid the section about killing a man.
3. The monster who eats the rats.
4. The glorious return of the Electric Mayhem.
5. The super high production values.
6. Pepe, the King Prawn (why hasn't anyone made a plush of him?).
7. Miss Piggy's closing notes.

Enjoy.

Sing Saturdays: 1980

2009-12-05T06:05:00.000-05:00

One thing that's great about Sesame Street is that it has always been accessible. From early on, we learn that signing is an important and beautiful language and can be used to convey our favorite song. Here are Linda and Olivia.

Prehistoric

2009-12-04T04:39:00.015-05:00

On November 8, 1969, a Saturday, at 5:00 pm, NBC stations showed a special entitled, "This Way to Sesame Street." The purpose of the show was to introduce the television audience to the new educational program that was to debut as a daily series two day later on the 10th. Naturally, the pair chosen to introduce Sesame Street to the masses was our own favorite duo, Ernie and Bert. Forty years later, it appears that they did their job very well.

Please note Bert's playful attitude that is hidden much deeper beneath the surface in later years. Also interesting is the approach they take in explaining the program. The pedagogical approach shines through the humor and reveals the hands of the educational and media experts behind the show's creation.

"Way to go, there, Xerox."

For you literary and historical types inspired by this clip to learn more about what it took to develop Sesame Street and put it on the air, I recommend going straight to here to purchase this book:

Welcome Home

2009-12-03T04:54:00.002-05:00

Several years ago, I discovered that I had one undeniable duty in my life: every time I entered a retail establishment and saw an Ernie languishing on a shelf there, I had to rescue him from his lonely life as a mere commodity. When I came to the age where I could choose my own purchases and had a modest amount of my own spending money, there were more Ernies on the shelves than there are today, but they still were pretty rare. Each Wal-Mart and Target Ernie often sat alone among sixteen Elmos and the odd Furbie. He was subjected to the fleeting admiration of thousands of shoppers. Maybe one in thirty picked him up and gave him hope that he might get a home that day, but more often he was put back on the shelf to wait out the lonely nights until I walked down his aisle.

Mild poverty and reason limited my rescue efforts somewhat; I could only save one Ernie of every kind. As the years went by, the selection of Ernies dwindled, and now it is a rare thing to find one on the shelf of any store. Luckily (and dangerously), we now have the interwebs, which allow for a more comprehensive Amnesty-International-for-Ernies-type program. Frankly, the great internet Ernie search has been a little taxing on my 700 square-foot apartment, but it has not ended.

Once rescued, each Ernie gets his second name to distinguish him from his fellows and to give him a sense of individuality in the sea of orange that is his new home. And so I introduce you to the newest member of the family: Ernie Friday.

Frustration

2009-12-02T01:08:00.002-05:00

Would it be cheating for this post simply to refer you to last week's post about Counting Apples? Seriously, that's what my 20-hour day has been: counting bushels of apples for no one nearly as fuzzy or googly as Cookie Monster. Usually the prospect of spending all day in my pajamas is something I relish, but the relish apparently sours when it has been impossible to step away from the computer long enough to put on regular clothes, let alone shower and execute my commute. Right now, I believe I have drowned in apples.

But I don't want to cheat, so I share with you a classic tale of frustration and irony, in honor of my yesterday:

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Last Day in Rome

2009-12-01T00:08:00.008-05:00

Teeny Tiny spent three days in Rome, which was not nearly enough time, but until he buys his teeny tiny flat in Florence, he can only spend limited amounts of time in each of the amazing Italian cities he likes to visit. This post will be full of pictures from throughout the three days to chronicle the sights he saw that weren't limited to the Vatican and the ancient and classical ruins. From multitudes of Etruscan heads to more churches than you can count, he crammed in as much art and culture as he could.

He spent his nights in a lovely little hotel right off of the Piazza del Popolo, just down from the Spanish Steps and Villa Borghese. Hotel Okapi was tiny, with a lot of spirally stairs, but it was perfect for resting and putting the little guy in the mood to explore the wonders of Rome.

He was happy to share stories with his buddy Ernie Little after long days as a tourist.

The very first Roman sight to explore was one of the oldest: the Pantheon, where Raphael Santo lies and where the ancient and modern stand in stark juxtaposition. The evening we were there to explore the ancient temple to the Pagan gods, we had to wait for mass to end and the German oompah band to finish performing.

We then stopped into Santa Maria sopra Minerva, another church built on top of something ancient. Inside, under the brilliant blue vault, Michelangelo's Jesus of the Cross stands prudishly covered with a loincloth. Outside is Bernini's elephant and obelisk, the Pulcino della Minerva.

Teeny Tiny also pushed his way through the throngs to make his wish by tossing a teeny tiny coin into the Trevi Fountain.

He visited Lord Byron and stood proudly before the ruthless Florentine Dominican Savonarola in the beautiful grounds around the Villa Borghese.

He even paused to play a game or two.

On the bridge of Bernini's angels, a Frenchwoman recognized him: "Ernie!"

At the Piazza Navona, he enjoyed the Fountain of the Four Rivers.

Before he left Rome, he made a point to stop by the hotel he stayed at more years ago than he cares to admit.

Bert Mondays: Bert's Wild Side

2009-11-30T14:10:00.005-05:00

One thing that's lovely about Bert is his passion for things regular folks might consider to be odd. Bert loves pigeons and paperclips and bottlecaps. He also relishes a day sitting in his chair reading boring stories. His favorite meal is oatmeal, adorned, I'm sure, with neither brown sugar or raisins. In short, he is compelled by the plainest of the plain.

This quintessential Bert beigeness is confounded a bit by his fascination with the letter W. The letter W is neither plain nor boring. As one of the pointier letters, like its cousin M, W is not easy to make, and it is often difficult to say. It also beings wonderful non-boring words like walrus, wizard, Walla Walla, and, well, wonderful. In fact, the very nature of the W, with its reckless upside-down-Mness, invokes images of wild abandon. Indeed, you should note that other members of the National Association of W Lovers include the wacky Harvey Kneeslapper and Ernie himself, by no means wallflowers.

You might argue that Bert's love of the letter W is thus out of character for our normally staid and sensible saddle-shoe wearer. I submit, however, that Bert's devotion to W hints at a deeper part of Bert: that driven-to-the-edge Bert who finally loses control after endless minutes of Ernie's pestering and gives in completely to the wacky plan of the moment with even more enthusiasm than Ernie. Yes, Bert has a wild side.

Sing Saturdays: 1971

2009-11-28T05:53:00.003-05:00

I was watching Sesame the other day (shocking), and on came a montage of some awesome folks singing the quintessential Sesame Street song, "Sing." Inspired, I decided to devote the next few Saturdays to various incarnations of the song, sung by various Sesame denizens and guests. Sorry if you end up crying.

Traveling Today

2009-11-27T11:21:00.001-05:00

Today is for post-Thanksgiving travel, so a quick one about a chicken salad sandwich.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T11:05:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Nothing makes me appreciate Thanksgiving more than being with my family after a ridiculously long drive through the rain and muck. And nothing makes me appreciate my family more that the fact that they understand me and appreciate my, um, more childlike qualities. Thanksgiving started off great for me with a surprise from my sister.

She found this hat in her closet. It was mine when I was a wee one. Thankfully, it still fits, so you know I can't wait until it gets cold enough to need to wear warm hats this winter. The best part about her finding it and returning it to be was the fact that no one blinked an eye when I wore it the rest of the night.

Also, the hat prompted my aunt to ask my little tiny cousin cousin to give me a special Christmas present.

I love these people. And vegetarian stuffing. Happy Tofurkey Day!

We're Always Counting Apples

2009-11-25T07:39:00.001-05:00

Anyone who has ever had a boss or a client is well aware of the experience that I am henceforth naming, "Counting Apples." You might find yourself engaged in counting apples when you get an assignment. Although that assignment might have been given with no perceivable scope or due date, as a good drone, you follow up, asking for more details about what your boss wants. You ask when she needs to see a draft and when she would like the final version completed. If you are persistent, you might get a date; you might even learn that she wants a memorandum.

Then the counting apples begins in earnest. The next day, your boss tells you that the client needs the memo that night and not next week, as she told you after you forced her to give you a due date. When you work yourself to death to turn out something less than stellar but finished, she tells you that instead of a memo, the client wants a chart. Well, obviously, you cannot convert it to a chart by the new due date, but you shouldn't worry because your boss will soon tell you that they don't need it until Friday. You breathe and then begin converting your memo into a chart. On Thursday, boss says that it instead should be a detailed outline with three charts explaining the outline, but you can work on it over the weekend. So there goes your weekend, but by Monday morning, you have a beautifully detailed outline complete with three color-coded charts. When you hand it to your boss, she tells you, with no apparent sense of irony, that the client changed his mind and no longer wants anything. Counting apples.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Rome

2009-11-24T05:22:00.006-05:00

Sometimes, I get ahead of myself. I get all worked up about something and pull some stuff together, and before I know it, I have mixed up everything, and created a disaster of all of my carefully prepared plans. Today's post is an example of that phenomenon. You will see, when you read below, that I was supposed to publish this post last Tuesday. Instead, I forgot to do so and published pictures from the Vatican. It's not a terribly big catastrophe, but I'm forcing myself not to edit the contents of this missive to be consistent with the actual timeline. The risks to the space-time continuum aside, I wrote some things below that I wanted to share, so why should I make things all accurate and consistent by pretending that I didn't mix up the posting dates. I leave it to you to pretend that you read this thing last Tuesday, and that today you are enjoying pictures of the pope's house.

Teeny Tiny--and a good portion of my family--have expressed irritation that I have yet to share my pictures from my recent (ahem) trip to Italy. "It takes time to organize," I protest feebly in response, but I don't think they are assuaged by that excuse any longer. Luckily, Teeny Tiny has decided to take control of the situation and devote Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays to his take on our Italian journey.

Last week's shot of Teeny Tiny in the Colosseum revealed that our trip began in Rome. Rome is a city of layers, and each layer is filled with unbelievable art and story. Teeny Tiny's favorite part of Rome was the place where those layers are revealed all at once, like one of those cutaway elevation maps: the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Right next to the Colosseum are these archeological labyrinths where you can see Etruscan ruins under ancient Roman temples under classical Roman architecture under the remains of the medieval church.

Teeny Tiny loved this part of Rome because no one was looking. He was able to climb all through the old stone and marble without risking getting yelled at by museum officials or Swiss Guard. He did it for archeological purposes only; just don't tell anyone.

Bert Mondays: The Emotional Turmoil of Paperclips

2009-11-23T05:50:00.001-05:00

Another one of Bert's obsessions is his love of paperclips. Mondays, the days I feel most like Bert, are often full of paperclips. What better way to organize all your boring papers than with some nice paperclips? Some days I wonder what Bert would do if he encountered binder clips. Can you imagine what emotions he could explore with Jon Jon then?

Special Guest Star

2009-11-20T08:58:00.000-05:00

In the early days, Cookie Monster and Ernie used to hang out a great deal. Cookie Monster often came over to the apartment to eat cookies. Or pillows. Or whatever might be around. The Ernie-Cookie relationship made Ernie a much more rounded character than the fun-loving, annoying guy we first encountered. Ernie was often a mentor to Cookie; he taught him many things about non-monster society and tried to guide him in social mores as best he could. Indeed, Ernie acted as a sort of Bert to Cookie Monster, and with Cookie's playing the role of Ernie to Ernie's Bert, I think Ernie gained a little more perspective on and compassion for his old buddy. It must have been wonderful for Frank Oz to pester Jim Henson the way Henson got to pester him in almost all of their scenes together.

Sadly, Ernie and Cookie don't have much screen time together anymore. I understand why that must be so: when Henson died (sob), the Ernie-Cookie relationship was probably sacrificed to make Oz's transition to occasional muppeteer seem less drastic and to preserve as much Ernie-Bert interaction as possible. I'm sure there were also some pedagogical and marketing reasons, but I wish those had been ignored.

In honor of the good old days, I devote this day to Ernie's old pal, Cookie. Please be amazed by the monster's anticipation of future phenomena.

Fishing

2009-11-19T17:15:00.000-05:00

During my first year in college, one of my friends got very sick, hospital sick. I have a great many memories of her fight with meningitis, but the strongest image I recall is the below video. My friend was in intensive care for several days and so could not have someone sit with her in the room (until her mother arrived from Texas). We were allowed occasional, brief visits, however, and we were a bit too freaked out to leave the hospital, so we camped in the ICU waiting room, which was just down the hall from the unit.

It was a standard hospital waiting room: vinyl chairs, old musty couches, a coffee table, a hospital television mounted near the ceiling, worried people, fake plants. I recall sitting on the floor of that waiting room, sandwiched between the coffee table and couch, with my Latin homework spread before me and Sesame Street on the television. By fortuitous chance, the Sesame repeat gods must have known that I needed cheering because the Ernie and Bert segment that day was the following:

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!

Bertus Interruptus

2009-11-18T05:39:00.002-05:00

One of the classic Ernie-Bert tropes is what I am from now going to call, "Bertus Interruptus." Usually these scenes begin very pleasantly, with Bert settling in to read a book or count his paperclips. Chaos soon ensues when Ernie arrives, full of the vigorous desire to play a game or sing a song. Bert is never initially interested; he would much rather spend his afternoon in peaceful contemplation. Ernie never has much time for the contemplative life, however, so he goads Bert. He starts the game. And he pushes. And pushes. And pushes. Finally, Bert caves. Let's face it: Ernie's enthusiasm is too much to resist. Pushed to the limits of his patience, but full of love for his best friend and not completely unwilling to give in to silliness, Bert embraces the game wholeheartedly. Then, just as Bert is fully exploring his wild side, Ernie's done.

Bertus Interruptus.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Vatican City

2009-11-17T05:48:00.001-05:00

Last Tuesday, Teeny Tiny shared with us some of his favorite pictures of classical and ancient Rome. This Tuesday, he wanted to share day two of his time in Rome: Vatican City. The Vatican is of course full of glorious treasures, from the ancient to the modern, but the Swiss Guard make it difficult to capture the more interactive photographs that Teeny Tiny prefers.

Consequently, he got no photographs of himself climbing on a Bernini (and he sensibly stopped his traveling companions from climbing on any other pieces of artwork).

He had a marvelous time exploring the nearly endless art-filled passages of the museums. He saw Egyptian and Greek sculpture, including the marvelous Laocoon.

He contemplated Raphael's School of Athens and paused with the masses to wonder at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's Last Judgment.

He kept running into people in the Gallery of Maps. It took much persuasion to get him to leave the gallery of the gods because the sculptures were the least teeny tiny things he had ever seen.

When we left the museums, he took a moment to mail some postcards.

Teeny Tiny's next stop was St. Peter's Basilica, again, not so teeny tiny. He climbed to the top to take in the vistas of the seven hills.

He needed a break or two, but he proudly made it, and his stature helped him maneuver amongst the multitudes of people who decided to pack themselves around the lantern at the same time.

Inside the cathedral, he marveled at the Pieta, a bunch of dead popes, and the remarkable movement of fabric captured in marble.

Teeny Tiny ended his day in Vatican City as all days in Roe should end: he found himself a spot in the square to sit and watch the people. A small boy chased a pigeon, and the smallest of Ernies thought about his old buddy Bert. It was a good day.

Bert Mondays: What Makes a Monday Exciting?

2009-11-16T05:44:00.001-05:00

Excitement on a Monday is generally hard to imagine. I suppose a court date could make Monday exciting, but a court date means working all weekend, thus making Monday not even a Monday, but a sort of evil Wednesday in an extra-long week. On a regular Monday, I find it hard to muster excitement even for the most interesting task. The Ernie in me would love a circus or a birthday party, but, as my most Bert-like friend would say, "this is a place of business." In a place of business, you only get birthday parties on Fridays, and circuses are rarer, I suppose, than cats who don't wake you up by sitting on your head and begging for food.

Bert's sense of what makes a day exciting is very well suited to Mondays and very appropriate for a place of business. The only thing more apt is his love for paperclips, which we will discuss some Monday in the future.

Sunday Football

2009-11-15T19:22:00.008-05:00

As I prepare to watch the Colts wallop the Patriots tonight, I reflect on the U.S. pastime of devoting fall weekends to American football. With all of the lovely things available for us to do on our days off, we find it difficult to resist the urge to grab a pile of snacks, sink into the couch cushions, and while away countless hours watching young men pummel each other over possession of an oblong leather ball. Given the choice, I am sure most football fans would rather be at the games in person, but when attendance isn't an option, high definition is the next best thing.

Today was a different kind of football day. It was an unusually beautiful for November. After a week of nonstop, hurricane-inspired rain, this Sunday was sunny and in the low 70s. On a surprise beautiful day like this in college, the whole campus spent the day outside, and you couldn't walk across the quad without dodging three or four frisbees. In grown-up world, unexpected spring days aren't much different. As I walked across town to claim some delicious falafel, I saw runners, folks playing tennis, kids on the basketball court, skateboarders, bikers, soccer games, and many people tossing around a football and pulling together pick-up games. Every bar I walked past on 18th Street had football games blaring but very few patrons watching those games. Today is one of those days that makes Ernie pester Bert with extra vigor.

I love the fact that Ernie cannot comprehend why Bert won't go outside to play football with him. It's so unfathomable to him that he concludes that Bert must have the Hungarian measles. That's what today felt like: if you didn't spend at least some time outside, there is no doubt in my mind that you were suffering from some horrible plague. I hope you get better soon.

Origins

2009-11-14T14:44:00.008-05:00

Last summer, the greatest museum exhibit in the history of museum exhibits stopped at its home base at the Smithsonian International gallery: Jim Henson's Fantastic World. The exhibit showcased the journey of Henson's limitless imagination, from his days discovering puppetry at the University of Maryland, through his snarky and wonderful early work in commercials, to the heights of his genius with Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and his magically bizarre Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. The exhibit was full of sketches, early videos, notebooks, muppets, costumes, and all things that build an engaging history of a genius.

Sometimes, even in this great city of free museums and brilliant traveling exhibits, I end up missing something I really want to see. Work, life, and the complacency that can set in when you live in such an easy museum place tend to combine to make four months go by as quickly as a weekend. But nothing in the world could have prevented me from visiting the Jim Henson exhibit. And nothing--not even the multitudes of people with strollers in the tightly packed exhibit space--prevented me from absorbing every little bit of Henson wisdom offered by the exhibit.

All the shoving and noise and small children running into my knees were worth it when I got to the early concept sketches of Ernie and Bert and the stories that went along with Henson's and Frank Oz's creation of the characters. And then, in a display case in the middle of the final exhibit space, were Ernie and Bert. The Ernie and Bert. My Ernie and Bert. Well, okay, they weren't mine (and they weren't going to be mine, despite the museum heist my colleagues and I planned but wisely chose not to enact). In fact, the exhibit made me realize just how much they belonged to everyone: I was not the only one with tears in my eyes upon discovery of the glass case, and I'm sure I was not the only one planning a great muppet caper.

Sadly, the exhibit left my town, but it may be in yours. It still travels to Seattle, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Fresno, and Chicago in the next two years. Don't miss it.

I've Got a Song

2009-11-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

Some things need no introduction.

Meddling

2009-11-12T11:00:00.001-05:00

I'm a fan of meddling. I don't mean emotional meddling or meddling in people's actual affairs. I am mostly in favor of meddling in people's homes or offices when they are away. Again, I should clarify: the meddling I mention does not involve thievery or destruction or even invasion of privacy. It is always Ernie-approved-type meddling. Such meddling might involve monkey lamps or giant stuffed hearts--anything that lets the absent inhabitant know that I have been thinking about him or her and that I appreciate the trust placed in me to water the plants or feed the cat.

The test of a good meddling varies. Sometimes you want it to be a slowly revealed surprise, like when your friend looks in her seldom-opened drawer two or three weeks later to discover the ridiculous stuffed blowfish you left in there. Other good meddlings involve volume: a tiny plastic monkey in every egg cup, hiding in every pillowcase, and hanging from every light fixture. Also excellent is the discover-immediately-upon-arriving meddling that causes loud and spontaneous laughter.

The accompanying picture is an example of the last type. I had no hand in this event, but it was truly so Ernietastic, I had to commemorate it. When the owner of this office returns from his much-needed vacation, I hope to hear his guffaws two floors away.

Breakfast for Dinner

2009-11-11T00:05:00.001-05:00

Despite all appearances to the contrary, I very much enjoy life as an adult. One thing I like about being grown up is having the ability to eat whatever I want whenever I want to eat it. Of course, it is sensible and mature to eat healthy, well-balanced meals at appropriate mealtimes. I strive to adhere to those mores of consumption, but sometimes I cannot avoid having breakfast for dinner.

I was not the best eater as a child. My mother's excellent culinary skills aside, I was simply not moved by beef stew, pot roast, and the countless other protein and vitamin-filled staples of my Midwestern diet. I became skilled at hiding most of my meal in my napkin or sneaking it into the dog's bowl or just dumping it in the trash when no one was looking. My parents, however, were determined not to let me starve myself: I was not allowed to leave the table until I finished my dinner, but generally I was not interested in consuming the food on my plate. So nearly every night turned into a battle of wills. I refused to eat; they refused to let me leave the kitchen. Then came bedtime, and someone had to surrender.

Not every night turned into a mealtime stand-off. Every so often, as the sun set during the grey Indiana winter, Mom pulled the electric skillet out of the cabinet, and we knew we were having pancakes. Pancakes for dinner! Are there any more welcome words that one can hear?

A rare and celebrated treat during childhood, breakfast for dinner is a staple of my adult life. Sometimes I pull out the griddle for pancakes or french toast. Sometimes I scramble some eggs or make an omelet. On other evenings, I'll make biscuits with veggie sausage or fake bacon. Last night I had Golden Grahams. Occasionally, me even have a soft-boiled cookie, with a glass of cookie juice on the side.

Happy 40th, Sesame Street!!

2009-11-10T08:11:00.002-05:00

Also, this.

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays

2009-11-10T00:02:00.000-05:00

In my house, there may or may not be a number of Ernies of all shapes and sizes and genres. It is important to distinguish among them, for despite emanating from the one, the Ur Ernie, they all have distinct personalities. The smallest among them is aptly named Ernie Teeny Tiny (thanks, Dave). Teeny Tiny is a bit of a patriarch among the Ernies and a sort of a Renaissance chap. His first job was driving an ice cream truck. After his partner, Bert Teeny Tiny, left for places unknown, he branched out and decided to broaden his mind and experiences. He's written two Senior Theses, a Master's Thesis, and a good portion of a Dissertation, on varying subjects in American literature, history, and religion. More recently, he's become an excellent legal researcher. I don't think, however, that he likes being a lawyer because he recently "misplaced" his glasses and can no longer contribute to the more scholarly pursuits of the household.

For all of his interests and talents, Teeny Tiny is most happy as a traveler, a discoverer of new places. In honor of his passion, I have given him the blog on Tuesdays so that he can share his experiences. Up first is his trip to Italy.

Mondays

2009-11-09T00:10:00.000-05:00

Mondays are difficult. No one will deny that. I also think that no one will deny that in the Ernie-Bert relationship, one of the duo is more suited to Mondays than the other. In light of this obvious fact, I henceforth dedicate Mondays to Bert, more reserved but no less loved.

He's groovin' now.

Bert Is It

2009-11-07T16:45:00.004-05:00

October was a fat month. You all know what that means: the shirts fit a little tighter; the pants are a smidge shorter; everything is just a little extra chubby. There are a couple of ways to confront a fat month. You can cut back a little bit and skip the french fries once in awhile. You might just give in and dig a little deeper into the bowl full of Halloween candy meant for all of the children who are sure to show up at your door in that secured downtown apartment building. The best way to deal with a fat month--and we all know it--is to get back into the gym.

Getting back into the gym, however, is not easy. Work gets really busy; all the best bands are playing in town; the DVR is so dangerously full that you fear Comcast will come and confiscate it before you catch up on The Real World Road Rules Challenge The Ruins. For all of the great reasons you have to go work out, there are fifty-seven things that have to be done instead. And, quite frankly, it's just easier to go to sleep.

It is this dilemma that leads me to the conclusion that we all need an Ernie in our lives. Although it might seem more fulfilling to read boring stories and organize our bottle caps, we each should have someone to convince us to get up and play tag.

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letter L

2009-11-06T19:47:00.006-05:00

My niece, Lydia, is nearing the age of six. She's a full-fledged kindergartner, apparently with custody of the class stuffed frog for the weekend. I fear that she's approaching that period in her life where she's "too old" for Sesame Street.

"What period?" you ask in earnest shock. Alas, it is true: for a time, all kids leave Sesame behind. It even happened to me (well, for middle school, maybe). Little ones grow, and soon they are too cool to watch the kid's shows. They're always stretching to that next grade, reaching for the older-kids section in the library, rushing to the time when they can make their own decisions about what is cool and interesting. The stoop at 123 Sesame Street no longer holds their attention, and if it does, they can't let anyone know.

The one thing that puts me at ease about the journey away from Sesame that all kids take is that it is a circular path we tread. We all come back eventually, and like reading that novel fifteen years later, we come back with wisdom and a greater appreciation for what we thought we had left behind.

Lydia is lucky, I think. She has a younger brother. She has a lunatic aunt with what amounts to an Ernie shrine. And she has one of those big little-kid hearts that grows and grows when she makes that brother or aunt smile. Because of these things, I suspect that her Sesame-free years will be brief and somewhat forestalled. I hope they are, at least, because my office needs more Ernie and Bert-inspired artwork.

Special Announcement

2009-11-06T08:57:00.004-05:00

You are very interested in learning things from the internets today. The best way to learn is googling. Seriously, go search. http://www.google.com

UPDATE: The special google day is over, but I captured it.

The Duck

2009-11-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

Here in the early days of the blog, I think that we need to address the duck. We all know about the duck. We see the duck everywhere. We may even own variations on the duck. It must be said, however, that there is only one who has his hands on the real duck. And the real duck is unique: he squeaks, he has a squat round body, and he jauntily looks at you from the side with his turned duckie head. All other rubber ducks face forward. Some may squeak, and some may have squat bodies, but nowhere can you find a rubber duck like Ernie's rubber duckie.

Ernie loves his rubber duckie. He takes rubber duckie everywhere. He speaks to his duckie and takes Duckie's advice. Duckie even directed Ernie and Liam Neeson once in a dramatic reading of the alphabet. Duckie is the never-failing friend. He's there when Bert's not around, and he never gets frustrated when Ernie wakes him in the middle of the night. Bert might be Ernie's life partner, but Duckie completes Ernie.

Day One

2009-11-04T23:38:00.000-05:00

Inspired by my clever friends and the other creative ones on the intertubes, I have adopted the idea of sharing something special once a day. Because I am not artistic and so cannot give you artsy photos or funny songs, and because I don't have the time to think thoughts every day, I have decided to share the one thing that daily makes me happy: Ernie. Ernie has been my best friend since I have been of the age for best friends, and, beneath all of that fun, he can be a pretty wise dude. And so I give you Ernie--for the first time.

Ernie-A-Day

Happy Birthday, Boss

Bert Mondays: Let's Do This One For Bert

Happy Easter

Sorry Sorry, but Do This One for the Team

Bert Mondays: Solitary

Yep Yep Yep Yep

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Siena

Bert Mondays: Lost Cookies

Homemade: Things We Like

Homemade: Hey Bert

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Roller Derby

Bert Mondays: Bert Needs a Friend

Homemade: Ernie and Cookie

Happy Birthday, Ernie!!!

Therapy

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Florence from Above

Bert Mondays: He's Not Asheep Yet

Sing Saturdays: Suzie Kabloozie

Sing Saturdays: The Museum Comes Alive

Prehistoric: The End

Miami Mice

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: More Florence

Bert Mondays: Give Bs a Chance

Sing Saturdays: Sand Art

Prehistoric: Guest Stars

A Visit From the Cookie Monster

Disorder Makes Me Bertlike

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Eating in Florence

Bert Mondays: Social Activism for the New Year

Does Anyone Live in Atlanta?

Lists are Fun

What I Read in 2008

Not Exactly Ernie

What I Read in 2009

Sing Saturdays: Nathan Lane

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Sleeping in Florence

Bert Mondays: Bert's Brother Bart

Sing Saturdays: Gloria Estefan

Merry Christmas

More fun for the Snowpocalypse

It's Cold Outside

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Florence, Finally

Bert Mondays

Sing Saturdays: 2000

Oh no! Rest in Peace, Olivia

Prehistoric

Make Your Own Muppet!!

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Assisi Day Two

Bert Mondays: Bert in German

Sing Saturdays: 1993

Prehistoric: Numbers

Classic Comedy: Fixing the Window

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Assisi

Bert Mondays: Fantasy

Special Feature

Sing Saturdays: 1980

Prehistoric

Welcome Home

Frustration

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Last Day in Rome

Bert Mondays: Bert's Wild Side

Sing Saturdays: 1971

Traveling Today

Happy Thanksgiving

We're Always Counting Apples

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Rome

Bert Mondays: The Emotional Turmoil of Paperclips

Special Guest Star

Fishing

Bertus Interruptus

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays: Vatican City

Bert Mondays: What Makes a Monday Exciting?

Sunday Football

Origins

I've Got a Song

Meddling

Breakfast for Dinner

Happy 40th, Sesame Street!!

Teeny Tiny's Travel Tuesdays