Mental Floss

2 Random Things I've Been Meaning To Show You

By Jason English

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Here are two not-at-all-timely topics I meant to cover months ago.

1. Senator John Warner's Son's Wedding Announcement (from January)

Earlier this year, Senator John Warner's son got married. The Times was there. And the author of the announcement sounds intent on breaking them up. Here are some of the highlights...

"Mr. Warner was surprised he had much in common with a schoolteacher." "Nevertheless, he wasn't interested in a second date with her. Then, one year later, tired of young, temperamental beauties, he called. Ms. Hamm wasn't miffed and agreed to see him. 'I feel strongly that you never want to close any doors,' she said. 'You never know.'" "Through it all he remained a die-hard and distinctive bachelor, sometimes picking dates up in his 1936 Packard or his 1966 Aston Martin. But he grew to dislike breaking hearts as much as he hated eating tofu. 'Johnny never wants to let anyone down,' said Jill Mullen, a friend." "He also became disillusioned, always questioning the motives of the women he dated. By the time he was in his early 40s, he had broken two engagements and pretty much given up hope. 'A lot of women in New York and L.A. are in it for the dollar, not for a healthy relationship,' he said wearily." "He, on the other hand, was unsure about Ms. Hamm, whose family founded the Hamm's Brewing Company, which was based in Minnesota. She was nothing like the wild supermodels and party girls he had been dating. Ms. Hamm has unflashy clothes, jewelry and ways and is the opposite of high-maintenance." "The bride, meanwhile, looked completely natural in her sleeveless gown and her hair pulled back as if for tennis."

2. David Bowie Introducing Ricky Gervais at the High Line Festival (from May)

When I saw Ricky Gervais perform at the Madison Square Garden Theater, David Bowie was on hand to introduce him. The result was memorable. The video is not great, but thanks to YouTube user Lopyj, you can listen along at home and pretend you just had really bad seats.

If you're not an Extras fan, here's the scene Bowie recreated...

As audience-participation exercises go, this ranks atop my admittedly short list, one spot above the Tomahawk Chop in 1991 (I was eleven) and four-hundred places higher than any "Who's Your Daddy, Battier?" chants in Cameron Indoor Stadium roughly ten years later.