I thought I had a surefire winner with this one... So certain was I of capturing ultimate caption-writing glory, I kept checking the New Yorker website with the childlike alacrity of Ralphie from a Christmas Story waiting for his Red Rider secret decoder pin package to arrive. Sadly, I was worse than Ralphie: I was more like the Ellen Burstyn character from Requiem for a Dream thinking she was finally going to be ON TEE VEE! (And with a caption like this, why wouldn't I be excited?)
"Can you believe it, Ron? After all these years ... senior pard'ner!"
Get it? The juxtaposition of Old West attire with a business setting is brilliantly captured by the phrase senior pard'ner! Am I right or am I right? What more could Remnick and co. want? I guess this:
"What makes you think I wouldn't be up for sushi?"
Well I have news for you, Mr. Neal Svalstad of El Cajon, CA. Despite the fact that you look like a pretty cool guy as far as Google's concerned -- what with balancing a legal career with your rock n roll band and all -- I'm here to tell you that the best man did not win this contest. It should have been me! Me, I tell you. The Fake Angeleno.
Alas, true genius is seldom recognized in its own generation.