Tag Archives: Annemarie

The Lumberjack Song

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Back in the 1970’s on Sunday nights, my sister and I would watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus at 10:30 on Channel 13 on a small black & white TV in my parent’s bedroom.

My parents were watching something on the color TV in the living room so we had no other choice but to watch it in black & white. That was fine.

I remember before we started watching the show, asking Annemarie what Monty Python’s Flying Circus was, having seen it in the TV Guide listings. She didn’t have much of an idea but suggested we watch it.

So we started watching what would soon be a Sunday night ritual. I remember howling with laughter at Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Salad Days’. Who knew dismemberment and wide scale bloodletting would be so hilarious?

My parents probably thought we were insane with the peals of laughter. It was then I became a Python devotee. Not many people knew about Python then, and I’m sure it had a definite influence on my view of life.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail was when a lot of my friends caught up. Routines of yelling ‘Ni’ at each other. Mock battles between imaginary knights, killer rabbits were the rage for a time in the playground across the street from my house.

Annemarie & I did see Jabberwocky at the Bergen Mall movie theater but that went over our heads somewhat. Probably was an accurate depiction of life in the middle ages, but for the 2 of us, we just didn’t get it. It’s probably worth a look see again.

Never saw them live, but I did see the movies. I had the Live at City Center album, which was enjoyable, but nothing compared to the TV show.

Lately there is a series on the IFC about Monty Python. An authorized biography. I DVR’d it last night since I was in the midst of writing 1880 words. I looked forward to watching it when I was done writing and about an hour after, I watched it.

It seemed a bit odd, and I thought it was a surrealist gag. The sound was a few seconds behind the video and I hoped it would clear itself up. It didn’t. In fact there were some gaps in the program where the screen went dark.

Very disappointing.

I wound up reading while it was on since it was so annoying to try to watch it. It felt like a radio documentary while reading. I did eventually watch it at midnight and the IFC situation seemed to have cleared up.

I also posted on the IFC website but I don’t think anyone else had the same problem as I did. It was informative. Some footage of The Goon Show with Spike Mulligan and Peter Sellers as well as Beyond the Fringe with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller.

And I just placed both Jabberwocky and Beyond the Fringe in my Netflix queue. Once I view Gran Casino by Luis Bunuel I’ll be able to see Beyond the Fringe.

Had that one for a few weeks but haven’t found the time or frame of mind to sit down and watch the surrealist master.

Funnily enough, it’s because of Monty Python that I first heard of Luis Bunuel. Back in the day when I used to read Rolling Stine and take it seriously, there was an obituary of Luis Bunuel, written by Eric Idle in the pages.

Eric Idle basically said, or from what I can remember that if it wasn’t for Luis Bunuel, Monty Python probably wouldn’t have existed.

That was high praise indeed for me and soon after that I traveled to the Public Theater, when they used to show films and watched my first Bunuel film, El Bruto with Stan Bogdansky.

I think a documentary on Luis Bunuel is way over due and I’m sure the Pythons would agree.

A very happy birthday to my brother Frank!

More Volts

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OK. Yesterday I wasn’t in the best of moods and I did feel let down by some readers. Thanks to people like my sister in law Karen, my sister Annemarie and my pal Foot Foot Harpy I was brought down to Earth. And even Juan chimed in. And Debra W, Yoga instructor. And..and…

You see, part of me wants to know how many people read this blog and another part of me doesn’t want to know. The thing is when I know who is reading this, like family members, I generally tone it down.

Not wanting to offend them or getting them upset with my usual sacrilegious views, my anti religion stances. They know about my politics and generally take them with a grain of salt. But some of them do believe in a higher power and often go to church.

Bill too, but he’s immune to my attacks on religion. His father was an atheist and his mother was evangelical. Most of my friends feel like I do towards religion, and some of them don’t.

Luckily religion hardly ever enters the picture. I’ve had the religious schooling, 13 years of it. I was agnostic until 9/11 when I decided for myself that any god that would allow such heinous acts doesn’t deserve my worship or attention.

I’m sure if I were alive during World War 2 I would say the same after seeing the horrors of the holocaust.

So occasionally I try to tailor what I write so as to not offend.

And I did think what I wrote on October 7 was pretty funny and silly. A slight return to a form that I started a few years ago, also involving a parrot I think.

So despite my feeling down yesterday about the lack of feedback or comments, I think I’d rather not know. Still since this is my blog I have license to whine and bitch and complain if no one writes anything in return.

Write your own blog and I’ll comment early and often.

No one besides Annemarie and Harpy. I do wonder where that Dave McKenzie has gone. I hope he’s alright.

Last night I slept really well, partly because Bill took the initiative and fixed his sleep apnea mask and also because of the Xanax I had taken earlier in the day.

Also gave me a very pleasant hangover, causing me to say ‘Good morning’ to various strangers as I walked to get the paper.

Today being today meant that today was laundry day and laundry is what I did. But I also had to get a new clothes rack since one of the two that I had broke last week. I balked at the first store selling one for 17.00 and walked towards the other hardware store (which is the hardware store I prefer).

On the way I saw an old friend of mine, actually an old friend of Rita’s. I smiled and I was about to say hello to her she turned and hastened her pace. That was odd so I called Rita and asked ‘What was up with Karen Bunny?’

I thought maybe she was a reader of this here blog, but no, Rita just said that Karen Bunny is a crazy person. Generally nice but a bit crazy and maybe a touch homophobic. That was oddly reassuring, it had nothing to do with me or my blog nor anything that I might have said or done.

Had a good talk with Rita anyway, the usual larfs.

I did wake up this morning to the news that our President, Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. A nice accomplishment, more for changing the climate of the world stage after eight years of the bully boys and Condoleezza, to won where Obama has said we will shake your hand if you unclench your fist.

I’m proud of Obama and this country for trying to make this world a better place. I did spend a good portion of the day posting and rebutting comments on the Yahoo/AP news.

Anyway, do what you want. Comment if you’d like, or don’t.

It’s funny, a few years ago when ill and I were seeing Philip Beansprout for our couples counseling, both Philip and Bill were pushing me to try and make money from my blog. I didn’t see it being possible then and I don’t see it now.

The only sponsors I can imagine are pharmaceutical companies with an ad that could change day to day, perhaps saying, ‘If you feel the same way John Ozed feels in this entry, maybe it’s time you had a talk with your doctor regarding Zimdon.’

That might work.

I’d be rolling in the bucks.

And once again this was written on Bill’s Mac.

and happy birthday Dr. Winston O’Boogie!