Tuesday Open Thread ~ Last of the April Foolery
In an age where the comedians tell the truth and the news readers are a joke, serious political discourse is molting like a cuckoo bird.
Good day folks. Once again the topic of timely, serious consideration of weighty topics did not make it past the executive review board. The 'nature of reality' briefly held the top slot, until it went into committee. The decision to bag that idea was based on too many opposing perspectives. 'Well it's so obvious!' was one school of thought. 'It is too malleable' was another. Then the 'It changes too quickly' group argued with the 'It's too depressing' bunch.
So, why not expand the concept of 'All Fools Day' all the way to the end of April? Asked the Joker to the thieves. The true 'nature of reality' is not a joke. It is the make-believe comedy we are being entertained with which is funny. Heard some comedian was elected president of Ukraine. Now those people have the right idea. Hire a professional to deliver one-liners. It's fun and nicely covers all those almost-truths we are fed. Laugh it off.
Lenny Bruce 1925 - 1966
"You know there's no crooked politicians. There's never a lie because there is never any truth."
"Freedom of speech is a two way street, man. You have the right to say whatever you want and the Boss has a right to tell the police to arrest you."
"It's the suppression of the word that gives it the power, the violence, the viciousness."
"There's a lot of money in wars, except in the war on poverty. Can't make any bread helping the poor."
One challenge today is to separate the serious issues from the made-up funnies. Read The Onion sometime to see how few skins are between parody and 'official claims'. The Jokers are showing their hands. Since there are only 6 major outlets, it pretty much follows their routine is consistently fake. Distortion, partial portioning and distraction are some of the msm joke themes. Un-funny. Not laughable. And yet, the joke is on them. Just waiting for the punch line.
"A homicidal artist and an agent of chaos, the Clown Prince of Crime is the embodiment of everything Batman fights against, and everything he fears."
Quote by author, sort of.
Jack Nicolson as 'The Joker' in Batman.
Lenny Bruce, posthumously pardoned for the crime of obscenity. NYS.
Steve Miller Band from The Joker album circa 1973.
Cartoon image Batman: The Animated Series The Joker.
Add your thoughts, funny and otherwise!
Comments
Somehow, our “Democracy Kitchen” wasn’t living up to its promise
Source: Daily Dose of DIY
For years, on the fridge has been a magnet:
Good morning QMS. Reality is a crutch, I used to say, before
I was finally beaten into submission. A construct, yeah, yeah, I know that, but seriously, that means I, the builder, am to blame in some limited sense and that is tough to bear.
I have, in my time, voted for comedians. I worked to get Dick Gregory on the ballot (Peace and Freedom) and voted for him, waaaay back in the day. Then there was Pat Paulsen, but I can't remember which time around.
"Nobody for President" - yeah, I remember those too. I mean, what can one say? We need to take politics back to '67 and re-start, hitting the next hippie-punching jagoff with the general strike of the ages, but never gonna happen.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Parallel Universe
Somehow, everything/everyone I vote for loses. Best guess, there is another construct next door populated with progressive people and policies, but I ain't in it!
Cheers EL
Hmmm...
I'm sure that is a thought provoking argument, but I'm not sure I understand it?
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Seems pretty straight forward to me
We swallow bitter pills. Start out with high ideals. Get beaten down along the way. If your goals are high, your constructed expectations have further to fall.
Have you seen my cooked bear recipe yet?
Ah, I understand now
Haven't seen your bear recipe yet...
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Guten Morgen!
The Carnegie Hall Concert. Albert Goldman described it (Lenny's performance) as follows:
This was the moment that an obscure yet rapidly rising young comedian named Lenny Bruce chose to give one of the greatest performances of his career. ... The performance contained in this album is that of a child of the jazz age. Lenny worshiped the gods of Spontaneity, Candor and Free Association. He fancied himself an oral jazzman. His ideal was to walk out there like Charlie Parker, take that mike in his hand like a horn and blow, blow, blow everything that came into his head just as it came into his head with nothing censored, nothing translated, nothing mediated, until he was pure mind, pure head sending out brainwaves like radio waves into the heads of every man and woman seated in that vast hall. Sending, sending, sending, he would finally reach a point of clairvoyance where he was no longer a performer but rather a medium transmitting messages that just came to him from out there—from recall, fantasy, prophecy.
A point at which, like the practitioners of automatic writing, his tongue would outrun his mind and he would be saying things he didn't plan to say, things that surprised, delighted him, cracked him up—as if he were a spectator at his own performance!
Saint Lenny - somebody was talking about their preferred
pundit one day and I said "we didn't have pundits, we had Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl and Dick Gregory, you know, truth tellers."
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Lenny was before my time ...
But this description recalls the way Robin Williams performed. I was always amazed, overwhelmed, and overjoyed.
Mark Hamill was always my favorite joker
Really tough day for me today, hope it doesn't go south. Have a X-Ray, hopefully final clearance on my arm, psychologist, dentist for fillings, trip home, taking the kids to the dentist, and to add all of that, I'm coming down with a cold.
Overall, gonna be interesting. I leave in an hour and a Half and will be incommunicado almost all day.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvLlWh-guck]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Ye gads
Good luck my friend.
Sounds like you are going to need it!
Morning q...
and all!
Lenny bruce Carnegie Hall concert - part one
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1edm2x5gx9Q]
Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook
Thanks Magi
@magiamma
You have a good one, fer sure.
Just a friendly reminder
From https://caucus99percent.com/users/smiley7
The simple theme of this endeavor is "What does c99 mean to you?"
Please private message me, smiley7, by Midday this coming Tuesday (today) with a paragraph or two sharing your feelings about our special community. Also, please include artwork, music, poetry, humor or anything you desire and your responses will become the body of our organic fund raising appeal.
The need is critical. The campaign will concentrate on the importance of recurring monthly gifts.
That is some strict executive review board!
Down with censorship, sez I!
On the bright side, if T.S. Eliot got it right, we're finishing up the worst time of year and it's all coasting downhill from here until March 2020!
https://www.bartleby.com/201/1.html (full text and then some)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSI5AejsFbU]
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqvhMeZ2PlY]
Alternatively....
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcj4G45F9pw]
Not sure Mr. TS Elliot
Was thinking along our times? Doesn't matter. He spoke well for his.
Thanks Mr. Henry
Just a reminder: Stock up today on anything
that you really need for tomorrow because May 1 is a holy day of obligation on which you should not buy a single thing.
https://caucus99percent.com/content/may-1-holy-day-obligation-90-buy-not...
Umm, you got me there
Holy obligation for what exactly? I can kinda get the 'no pork cooked in milk' thing. But, if you can't buy anything on the first of May, WTF is that? You owe no obligation because you can't pay cash? I don't get a lot of that dogma stuff. But I wasn't raised to believe in it either. So there is that.
Cheers!
Clicking on the link would have cleared it up
within seconds. May 1 is "Holy Day" for workers and unions, with "holy day" being a bit of writer's license. Nothing whatever to do with religion, unless fairness to the working classes is your religion. (It just may be mine. I'll have to think about that a bit.)
Just a reminder: Stock up today on anything
that you really need for tomorrow because May 1 is a holy day of obligation on which you should not buy a single thing.
https://caucus99percent.com/content/may-1-holy-day-obligation-90-buy-not...
one day they might wake up..nah
https://twitter.com/aaronjmate/status/1122551982332481537
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Coup unfolding now in Venezuela?
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/world/article/Venezuela-s-Guaido-in-video...
Compensated Spokes Model for Big Poor.
Moon of Alabama has
A rundown on the “coup”.
Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation
Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook
good morning folks....
Jimmy Dore is another good example of your theme today.
Here he is talking with Obummer...(4 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5tfp-piMC4]
Pretty funny routine.
Laughing is good for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXdBWaqfFxo (5 min)
Trade day was hopping this morning. I didn't buy a thing....the avocados were small and dark (over ripe) today. Lots of plants there, but I've already got most of the garden planted. Interesting how when there is so much there you can't find anything. Did run into several buddies and caught up on the locals.
Hope you all have a good day!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Beverly Hills
How fucking appropriate.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Lenny Bruce
The writers of "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" have used the character of Lenny Bruce to great effect, bringing his story to new generations. Few under the age of 30 years old know he was repeatedly arrested for violating "obscenity" laws. None of my young co-workers even knew these laws existed a mere 50 years ago.
Comedians who went against the establishment during the 1950's and 1960's were punished in a variety of ways. The story of the Smothers Brothers is one example of what happens when you critique the American War machine. The intended effect? Today there are no comedians critiquing the American war machine on broadcast TV. An effective way on the part of the establishment of silencing the artist's voice, wouldn't you say?
Democracy? Please, don't make me laugh.
Thanks QMS for bringing up a most relevant subject of how the "jokers" of today keep the narrative within the lines.
P.S. I pm'd you with my submission for tomorrow's fundraiser.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Another Myth to break
Let us count the ways to make a profit or keep a profit by "helping" the poor.
1. Obtain a contract to build subsidized HUD housing.
2. Rent to person with a HUD voucher.
3. Be an employee of a local, state or federal government agency providing services for the poor.
4. Provide medical services and products to the poor. Who collects the money: hospitals, Pharmacies, Clinics, Home Health, nursing homes and the list goes on and on and on.
5. Provide food to the poor. It is not out of deep feelings of charity Jeff Bezos (Amazon) has pilot programs to accept food stamps.
6. Donate to a non-profit serving the poor and reduce your taxes.
7. Provide the space, food, entertainment and decorations for a charity event for the poor.
8. Be an employee or subcontractor for a non-governmental agency providing services to the poor.
9. How many more ways can we add to the list to show the profit in poverty?
A poor person may not have much discretionary money to spend, but all the services provided create an opportunity for profit. Our society effectively keeps the control of purchasing power away from poor individuals.
2020 Budget for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - $44.1 billion
2018 Medicaid federal budget 403 billion
2018 Federal food programs 96 billion
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Well put
The war on poverty is just another obfuscation to make money for those waging the war. Like the war on drugs. And the war on the homeless. And the wars being waged every day on our 'freeways'.
It's an effing racket.
'There's gold in them hills'