The place was now called the “Norman Knight Travel Center.” I asked the station attendant who Norman Knight was. He replied that he was a trucker who had used the place as a rest stop many times during his career. Nice tribute.

In the old days, including my career in criminal defense, when a person informed the police about (i.e., ratted on) another, it was said that the informant had “dropped a dime” on the other one. No one calls a cop on a pay phone with a dime any more. So today, what is the informant doing?

The erectile dysfunction TV ads often refer the listener to a publication, most often, it seems, to a golf magazine for further information. Does this indicate something about golfers?

It was the night before the twenty-fifth reunion. A group had assembled at a bar that was a hangout in the years after the high school graduation. Marty went up to the bar. Marty had been a middling student. Marty had been a middling athlete. But Marty had moved high up the executive chain in a local corporation and was a semi-bigwig in the small community. Marty ordered a beer. The bartender turned to get the ordered bottle. Marty put $10 down. But then after the briefest of moments, as the bartender turned to uncap the bottle, Marty looked around to see if anyone was watching, but did not see me. He put his hand over the bill, palmed it, and put it in his pocket. Then somewhat conspicuously he went to his wallet and laid down a $100 bill on the middle of the bar.

What do you do? This might be the one. You are strongly attracted. Great voice. Can cook. Similar views about the number of children and how they should be raised. Political views are not divergent. Solid job, but insists on time away from work. Sex more than good. Everything seems to mesh. Yes, this might be the one. Then you learn that this perfect-seeming mate believes that the best music made ever comes from Mannheim Steamroller. What do you do?

When the reviewer raves that the movie was “minimalist,” does that always mean it has no special effects, some quiet, interesting bits, separated by long stretches of boring stuff?

I read Habakkuk today. I found some beautiful poetry. I should read that Bible book more.

Fooling around as a teenager in cow country, I went to the fence and looked at the herd. I let out “Moo.” Some Jerseys ambled over. This interesting (to me), but useless ability, to call cows lasted for decades, but it no longer exists. Perhaps the timbre in my voice changed or perhaps as a transplanted city slicker, I lost my ability. I moo, but now the cows don’t even look up. Have you lost any interesting, but useless, abilities?

Why do people say and write “off of?” He got “off of” the highway at Elm Street. Sally got “off of” the couch. “Off” without the “of” is enough.

The person denounced someone as a “stupid idiot.” (I admit this person was a professional wrestler, but I have heard this characterization from many people.) Stupid idiot as compared to smart idiot? The average IQ idiot?

The blonde server told us she was from Siberia. She elaborated. From western Siberia, from Siberia near Kazakhstan.  She said, “From the nice part of Siberia.” Who knew?

He seems to eschew learning through traditional sources. Could it be that our President is a member of the Abecedarians, a supposedly lost 16^th-century sect that had a disdain for all human knowledge and maintained that the righteous should not learn to read?