I did a bit more digging into the pile of tapes that had that near-complete classic playoff game and found the following reel - most of this game had been erased by a recording of the broadcast of John Kennedy's funeral (and I assure you, I've run across at least a dozen recordings of that, in my collection), but when it was over and the machine was shut off, the end of a game from almost exactly two months earlier was there, between Pittsburgh and the St. Louis Cardinals, and here is that broadcast recording:
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And while we're on the subject of "entertainment options that sometimes have the word 'Bowl' attached to them", here is a neat tape I found containing two complete episodes and one partial one (minus commercials) of the show "College Bowl". The reference to the "Bay of Pigs" incident having happened exactly three years earlier nicely dates the first of these shows to April of 1964, and the remaining two shows are clearly the next two in sequence.
I sincerely doubt you would find a team of college kids today that could answer as many of these specific questions, as are answered correctly here. If nothing else, it certainly plays up the change in focus of a typical college education between then and now.
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Now let me ask you something. Are you, like so many of us are, concerned about the future of the Sherman Schools? That's the sort of thing that keeps me up at night. Here's a man whose doing something about it - he's presenting his thoughts on the needs and future expectations of the Sherman Schools. Thank goodness.
Actually, I was pleased to hear that this wasn't some sort of reactionary screed, but that this guy actually sounds pretty progressive.
I will also note that, for whatever reason, he taped some segments at full volume and other segments at an extremely low level. I have attempted to bring the softer segments up in volume to something close to the average of the louder segments, but there is a lot of white noise or hiss in there, as a result.
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I find a LOT of tapes with religious services (almost always Christian services) on them - typically, if they are full services, they are either of the Catholic/Episcopal/Lutheran structure (all very similar in content) or of the Baptist and/or Fundamentalist structure. Usually, the only thing that varies, and which might be interesting (to me at least, and with the exception of special services such as baptisms) are the sermons.
The tape below (after a bit of harmonizing) captures parts of three speeches. I'm not sure I'd call them all sermons. The first one is a sort of homily made up of a parable. And I will say it's one of the least convincing parables I can imagine, as the "punchline" is a major letdown - I thought to myself "THAT's what you were leading up to? Really?" The rest is more typical sermonizing.
This tape is dated April 10, 1971 and the sticker on it also indicates it was recorded in Hinsdale, IL (see below). But I'm fairly certain that there are at least three separate services excerpted here.
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On the other side of this tape is a unique documenting of a three-way phone call, complete with the operator assistance at the start. Presumably at least one of the participants is from the family that included the preacher heard above, but whoever this is, they were making a call that involved the Chicago suburbs, the Phoenix area and perhaps some third location.
I found this tape delightful. The conversations are interesting (I wonder what was being shipped to Arizona, and why it had to be picked up so far from Phoenix), and the best part, the kids - most likely cousins - talking with each other.
The tape ends with a brief bit of religious singing. This is probably my favorite tape in today's offerings.
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And now it's time for an Acetate of the Month.
Nearly five years ago, I posted "The Porter Heaps Collection", of a bunch of 1940's and 1950's radio shows that the former organist at my church had given me upon his retirement. One of those - probably my favorite, was "Man on the Farm". And in my collection, I was lucky enough to acquire an acetate version of a 1952 episode of "Man on the Farm", half of the show on one side of the disc and half on the other.
If I'd been around, and old enough, to enjoy radio in the early 1950's, I suspect I'd have been a big fan of "Man on the Farm".
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Very Short Reels will return next time around.
Happy May, everyone.

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