10 Comments
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Liza Blue's avatar

Do you have to pay for the cluster box? In my summer community mail has to come to a mailbox that I have to rent which seems like a ripoff compared to neighbors who live across an arbitrary line who get their mail home delivered.

Bill Southern's avatar

Liza, I agree, you're getting hosed - we have not paid rent for these boxes. I don't know if the cluster boxes are installed at the behest of the Post Office, or the neighborhood developers - my natural inclination is to blame the evil HOA's, because, well, they're just plain evil.

Cindy Eastman's avatar

Speaking from experience, the world with all it's never-leave-your-home conveniences is a homebody's utopia. I kind of love it. Except for the post office...our local service has suffered, but it does still come to my door. Actually, through a brass slot right into my kitchen!

(Newman was a nice touch :)

Bill Southern's avatar

A slot into your kitchen? Man, I’m jealous, Cindy. And, as we learned from Home Alone, that slot can be used to do battle with ne’re-do-wells.

Paul Jackson's avatar

I hate to quibble, Bill, but in Miracle on 34th Street, the judge, the Hon. Harry X. Harper, explicitly tells Fred Gailey, counsel for the defendant, to place the exhibits on his desk. Gailey hesitates, but Harper directs him again: "Put them here, on my desk." Gailey is only following the instructions of the Court.

Here's a fun fact I only realized on my recent 8,000th viewing of that movie. The postal worker who decides to pass all the "dead letters" for Santa to Kris Kringle at the courthouse is played by a young Jack Albertson, who is famous (to me) for playing Grandpa Joe in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Bill Southern's avatar

Paul, you’re too young to remember Jack Albertson as “The Man” in the 1970’s sitcom “Chico and the Man,” opposite Freddie Prinze.

Paul Jackson's avatar

Guilty. I've heard of the show but never knew Grandpa Joe was the titular "Man."

Henny Hiemenz's avatar

“When you control the mail, you control…the information!”

Bill Southern's avatar

That’s right, Newman!

Henny Hiemenz's avatar

Hellloooo Newman.

I mean Bill.