44-06-23 Lodge Telescope

STARRING: ART VAN HARVEY, BERNARDINE FLYNN AND DAVID WHITEHOUSE

Vic has settled down with a new lodge catalog. He's exploring the probability of purchasing a telescope; after all, he's the Exalted Big Dipper of the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way.

Sade, however, is having none of it. Along with a set of astronomy books, Vic is planning on spending well over $30. When pleading doesn't work, she simply hijacks his catalog so that he can't buy stuff out of it.

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In the past, Sade has begged Vic not to buy lodge 'junk' - at times, almost crying. $35 was a lot of money in 1944 at the height of the war, so who can blame her?

Trivia:

+ Ida Morrison was mentioned. Her oldest daughter married a man from Peoria. He used to ride a unicycle to work!

+ Until told in this episode, Sade had no idea what a telescope was.

+ Mr. Chinbunny is an amateur astronomer and meteorologist, according to Russell.

+ The cheapest telescope the lodge catalog was $11 while the books cost considerably more ($23.80.) A cheap telescope these days would cost about $150. Here's an ad (on the right) for a 10x telescope (1944, Popular Mechanics) for just under a dollar!

+ Vic is all messed up in this episode. He is under the impression that Ursa Major is a planet (it's a

art by Dave Duckert

constellation); he also says there is a Northern Hemisphere constellation of a "lady washing her feet" - which is totally wrong as there is no such thing.

+ Sade calls lodge founder R.J. Konk, "T.L. Punk."

+ This episode fades out with Vic quoting Latin furiously at Sade.

+ Art Van Harvey blows his lines twice when mentioning the Drowsy Venus Chapter. The first time he says it, he actually says: "Lazy Venus Chapter of the Sacred Stars of the Milky Way." But the topper comes the second time when he says: "I am the Exalted Big Dipper of the Lazy Venus Chapter of the Safety Stars of the Milky Way!" {{{HEAR}}}

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