The Cherry-Picking Genie

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The Faceless Accutron

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Are you ready? Because I want you to pay   attention," he starts. "This is the beginning of something..."

So began the last season
of  Mad Men


"The Accutron is not a time piece.
  It is a conversation piece." 
  




What I wore on my wrist in 1970 was identical to the image.

I cannot count the number of conversations the watch inspired 
nor can I count the number of ears anxious to hear it hum
instead of tick.

Before the cumbersome term–battery-operated watch–
entered the vernacular, there was the ACCUTRON.
 
At a party, a friend exclaimed "You're wearing a Bulova!"
My reply was "Nonsense. Bulova is a type of  caviar.
This is an Accutron!"

To my chagrin, everyone present laughed  hysterically.
I stopped wearing the watch.
Temporarily.

The watch was a second-generation gift. 
Someone gave it to my father and
my mother suggested I wear it 
to his funeral in March, 1971.
And so I did.

I also wore it to her funeral, six months later.

I next wore it where it inspired 
my greatest Accutron memories.

Hundreds of students in Harlem 
insisted on hearing the watch hum. 

As a substitute teacher without anything 
resembling lesson plans, I was very accommodating  
but not stupid enough to remove the Accutron from my wrist.

What I was wearing at the time was a chaos-control mechanism
and  Harlem in 1972 became my favorite conversation piece
when I would go home to Whitestone or visit relatives 
in the Bronx. ____________________________________________________________________________________

The Dawning Of A Single Quote

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It is for the crash the crowd watches 
the aircraft exhibition. 

It is for the fall they watch 
the daring young man 
on the flying trapeze. 

This is one’s public, the patient 
waiters for calamity.

Dawn Powell
The Happy Island



The next Dawn Powell page is here. 
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Shine On, Cable Moon

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Text-Free Re-posted Rose

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I Love, I Love I Love...Quoting Neil Sedaka

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I love, I love, I love
My calendar girl

I love, I love, I love
To look and watch
Her calendar
Of Cabbage Patch

Each and every day
Of the week

I love, I love, I love
My calendar girl

I love, I love, I love
To hear her think
Every day my ears
Must drink

Years ago
Let's say 28
I was nothing
But an ingrate

She was doing
Abrams fine
Not only books
Did she design

Now we're together
Like an aged wine

I love, I love, I love
My calendar girl

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Big Brother Was Always Watching You

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Wasn't  The NSA is listening
a 2013  headline story?



Or is old news
still shocking news?

YES & YES

Irving Wallace
David Wallechinsky
Amy Wallace

Significa

© 1983
 

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Footnote
The film poster features Edmund O'brien.
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