WIST Quotations

Rogers, Will -- Column (1933-01-16), “Daily Telegram: Mr. Rogers, Singing in the Rain, Sounds a Warning to Florida” [No. 2013]

Dave — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:01:16 +0000

California is happy today. It’s raining! It’s raining!
That might mean just another mud hole to some places, but brother, when you haven’t seen a drop of water that hasn’t come through a faucet in ten months, why rain looks like a miracle from the government. Give California two months of rain in the year, and nothing can stop us but a lack of adjectives.

Will Rogers (1879-1935) American humorist
Column (1933-01-16), “Daily Telegram: Mr. Rogers, Singing in the Rain, Sounds a Warning to Florida” [No. 2013]
(Source)

Rogers, Will -- Column (1932-09-25), “Weekly Article”

Dave — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:20:09 +0000

I love to stroll down in the old parts of Beverly Hills because I know of old places that have been built for four or five years.

Will Rogers (1879-1935) American humorist
Column (1932-09-25), “Weekly Article”
(Source)

Trillin, Calvin -- Travels with Alice, ch. 10 (1989)

Dave — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 00:29:52 +0000

On Venice Beach, Alice and the girls and I once saw a man blowing truly spectacular soap bubbles the size of watermelons — still the symbol for me of the tendency of people in Southern California to become awfully good at something that isn’t terribly important.

Calvin Trillin (b. 1935) American journalist, humorist, novelist
Travels with Alice, ch. 10 (1989)
(Source)

Jolson, Al -- “California, Here I Come” (1921) [with B. G. DeSylva]

Dave — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 22:43:50 +0000

California, here I come,
Right back where I started from.
Where bowers
Of flowers
Bloom in the sun;
Each mornin’
At dawnin’
Birdies sing and ev’rything.
A sun-kissed miss said, “Don’t be late.”
That’s why I can hardly wait.
Open up that Golden Gate,
California, here I come.

Al Jolson (1886-1950) Lithuanian-American singer, songwriger, comedian, actor [b. Asa Yoelson]
“California, Here I Come” (1921) [with B. G. DeSylva]

Written for the musical Bombo.