Duke of Earl

“As I walk through this world

Nothing can stop the Duke of Earl.”

   Gene Chandler

Gene Chandler, who recorded the 1961 smash hit “Duke of Earl” for Vee-Jay records, is still performing at age 75.  Born Eugene Dixon, he is a real trooper, taking the stage complete with cape, top hat, monocle, and cane.

Closer to home 98 year-old Miller realtor Bruce Ayers died earlier in the week, and the Post-Trib obit mentioned that he was a great ballroom dancer who taught a nurse how to cha-cha the day before he passed away.  A couple years ago he enrolled in Steve McShane’s Senior College class on Northwest Indiana history, and had some great stories when I talked about the postwar period.  His son Gene told me that he loved the class.

At Country Lounge IUN’s CURE director Ellen Szarleta and I discussed the on-line South Shore Journal that Chris Young is editing and that I am hoping to put out as a special Shavings issue that would include the out-of-print “Lake Michigan Tales” issue.  She was excited to hear about “Valor,” so I gave her a copy.  Scholar John Trafny, in the archives researching a pictorial history of Glen Park, saw it on display and purchased one.  John has published Arcadia book of Gary’s East Side, West Side, and Polish Community.

On this date in Philadelphia, “The City of Brotherly Love,” a public hanging took place.  Samuel Breck noted in his journal, “Vast numbers of well-dressed and delicate looking girls were hurrying to the scene, and those who would weep over a sick bed could stand in the scorching sun for hours to see a hearty men strangled.”

Nephew Beamer sent me a package inside a priority mail container along with money and instructions to send it to his friend back east with a fake return address on it.  That way the friend won’t know who sent it to him.  I followed his instructions and emailed him, “Mission accomplished.”  His letter thanked me for helping with “this little surprise” and reported on his toddler son having “mastered about a dozen animal sounds including pigs, cats, dogs, horses, bears, ducks, and we’ve even thrown in a zombie for good measure.”

Despite a dark sky and predictions of a storm we went to Highland for Dave’s musical variety show. Right before he was to sing “American Pie” the rain came the proceedings came to an abrupt end after 45 minutes.  We did see him in two numbers, however, including a rousing Beatles medley.  Driving home on 80/94, I was reminded of a recent Jerry Davich article about septuagenarians voluntarily ceasing to drive.  My night driving leaves something to be desired although I’m OK on routes familiar to me.

Home for charismatic Usain Bolt’s historic Olympic 200 meter race.  He’s the only athlete to take Gold two Olympics in a row in both the 100 and 200 sprints.  In fact, Jamaicans finished one, two, three in the 200.  Earlier I tuned in for the live telecast of the USA women’s team’s 2-1 victory over Japan.  Near the end I was rooting for Japan to tie it up, and they almost did.  

Phil watched the game at a restaurant with his family and when Miranda posted a photo on Facebook, his old coach Bob Laramie commented, “Yea America.”

On the J.J. Cale CD that Dave Elliott burned for me there’s a version of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “Mama Don’t Allow” that included the line “Mama Don’t Allow No refer smoking around here.”  I had Letterman on mute while listening to Cale until Tom Waits came on and performed “(Maybe Things Will Be Better in) Chicago” from his 2011 CD “Bad as Me.” 

In selecting a running mate Romney’s choice was between bland (Tim Pawlenty, Ron Portman) or bold (Mark Rubio, Paul Ryan). Since he is slipping in the polls, I thought he’d be smart to select Cuban-American Rubio.  The Florida Senator, who introduced legislation to exempt Olympic medalists from paying taxes on bonuses promised them, might have helped Republicans with Hispanic voters.  Instead Romney went with Wisconsin Congressman Ryan, a Tea Party favorite who has proposed drastic cuts on entitlement programs.  The contest will offer voters a real choice between unvarnished capitalism and a continuation of the welfare state.

I had high hopes for the new Will Ferrell movie “The Campaign,” where he plays a sleezy North Carolina Congressman facing a challenge from a nerdy rival played by Zach Galifianakis.  Turns out the funniest scenes I had already seen in the previews.  After about an hour a switched to “Hope Springs” and thoroughly enjoyed Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones a an old married couple being counseled by Steve Carell as Dr. Feld.  Jones is a revelation playing a crusty curmudgeon set in his ways until his wife threatens to tear his comfortable world apart.  Streep attempting to give him oral sex in a movie theater is worth the price of admission.