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The Calvin

On the Internet yesterday I came across a picture from the 1950s of west Dearborn, Michigan. In the background of the photo was the old Calvin theater. That was a fun place to watch movies. But it was more for the patrons than the matinee. I suspect that many Calvin theatergoers were regulars, but anyone could get into the act. Samples of what played out at the old movie house are abundant in my memory. Once an usher came into the main body of the theater and announced (remember this was well before cell phones) "Phone call for Michael Brady! Phone call for Michael Brady!" About one third of the audience rose and started towards the lobby. That poor usher. Another time he called out, "Phone call for Cloyce! Phone call for Cloyce!" From all over the place came many voices. "Cloyce! Phone!" "Better get the phone Cloyce!" "Yo! Cloyce! Phone!" "Cloyce! Yer interruptin' the movie!" In exasperation the usher finally responded, ...
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Mad Marty Party

A couple of plumbers came into the old barn yesterday to pick up a repair one of them had left. I knew that guy of course, but I hadn't met the second fella. The one picking up the repair turned to his buddy and said about me, "This is the man you want to bring your machines to fix. He's the mad scientist of drain snakes!" I think it was a compliment. I replied simply, "You got the mad part right anyway." Yet the thought of the mad scientist of drain snakes conjures (a mad scientist ought to conjure, right?) up old B movie cliches. A machine is secured to my workbench. One last wire is carefully and lovingly attached. A thunderstorm is rolling in, lightning flashes jumping outside the Shop windows. "Power! I must have power!" I scream maniacally. "Yes, Master!" a heretofore unseen hunchback cries from a darkened corner of the old barn. He begins turning a crank, lifting mad scientist Marty and his drain snake monster, a macabre and pathet...
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Out of the Zone

Me Grandpa Joe, he liked to travel. He liked to get out on the open road to see where it would take him. Me Grandma Cosgriff, not so much. A lot of that I'm sure had to do with Joe's driving. And the cheap hotels he'd stay in. And the quality of cars he'd drive. Ok, I suppose there were myriad and varied reasons why she would let him go off on his own. She was quite content to stay home when the wanderlust bug bit Joe. Joe would of course call home regularly to let her know where he was and that things were okay, even if it was only Joe okay. Early one morning, one very early morning, right around two AM in fact, the telephone rang at the Cosgriff household. Grandma struggled out of bed to answer it. "Hey, just calling to tell you I'm in California and I'm fine," Joe's gruff voice told her from the other end of the line. "Well, I'm glad you're okay, Joe, but you didn't need to call me at two o'clock in the morning to tell me th...
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A Punch in the Bowl

Several years back a good friend of mine, I'll call him Cloyce just to give him a name, was helping his wife with a weekend yard sale. All was going well until a woman began to study a punch bowl which was out for consideration. Mrs. Cloyce had put a ten dollar price tag on it. The prospective buyer held the bowl up this way and that and asked a question or two, but eventually decided against the purchase. "I don't know why she didn't buy it," Mrs. Cloyce opined. "Ten dollars is a fair price."  Cloyce responded, "Well, she wanted ten bucks more than she wanted the punch bowl, and you want ten bucks more than you want it. Seems to me you're both thinking the same way." If it had been full of punch I'm sure it would have been dumped on poor Cloyce. Some things are better left unsaid.
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Games People Play

If Biden is unable to head a party ticket, and he isn't and we all know the reason why, then by that same reasoning he should not be President. Yet he is, at least at this writing. Why? Simple. If Vice President Kamala Harris takes office before November the Democrats lose an important campaign slogan. We would not be electing the first female minority to the White House. It would already be done. The Democrats are gaming the system. It's as simple as that. They want to have and eat their cake. It's nothing new. They've hid frail and infirm Presidents before (Wilson and FDR, if you care to know) so I'm not shocked by that. And the Harris candidacy fits in with 'right side of history' rhetoric. It's how they roll. I for one will not be gamed. I hope you won't either. 
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Well, Maybe

Back in 1973 the country singer Charlie Rich had a hit single with 'The Most Beautiful Girl in the World'. At one point he laments, "Did you happen to see the most beautiful girl, who walked out on me?" I don't know how to answer that question. I mean, how many girls walked out on you, Charlie? If there was only one, then she's it. If there were two or three, I'd need to see them. If there were many, we have a lot of difficult analysis ahead of us. I just don't know what to say.
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First Things First

With a special price of $22 for the first year (normally $63) I bought a subscription to the mostly monthly (there are two double issues over 12 months) of First Things. The periodical offers articles about, well, first things, the first principles which are the start of reason.  It's good. It's very good. Of course I had known that, having read the occasional issue over the years. But having a new one each month (mostly); wow. Just wow. I have not been this intellectually stimulated since my first philosophy classes with dear old Dr. Grassi back at the University of Detroit forty years ago. It can be difficult at times, and I often must reread and reread again certain points to understand what the author of a given piece is saying. But when I get it, wow.  Aristotle said it best: the greatest happiness comes from contemplation of the greatest things. And the greatest things are encapsulated in First Things. I will gladly re-up at full price next year.
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