Rube
Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.
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I had to do a quick search to remind myself who Rube Goldberg was. I discovered that we share a birthdate–July 4. Only he was born in 1883. I’m not quite that old.
He was brilliant, a gifted and creative genius. Engineer, inventor, cartoonist, he carved a name for himself in the history of zany inventions. None of that explains why someone who is rather doltish and naive is sometimes referred to as a Rube, so back to Google I went.
Aha. It derives from the name Reuben, and denotes a country bumpkin. No connection to Rube Goldberg. And, I think, a rather unkind derivative of a perfectly good name. Reuben must have been a popular name amongst country folks for a while there.
And then, of course, I was reminded of this old song:
Just Writing! 
Getting educated here. I’ve only heard a bit about Rube Goldberg in the last year, though I’ve seen those cartoons now and then.
Heard this song on my phone–first time ever. I thought of “Reuben James.”
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