Month: January 2020

The Naked Guy at the Organ

/ justdrivewillyou / 8 Comments

When I was a teenager, I discovered Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a British television comedy series. My local public TV station, I later learned, was the first in America to broadcast the show. It came on Sunday night, after my bedtime.

I would sneak into the living room, turn the TV on at a low volume, and watch comedy like I’d never seen before. It was stream-of-consciousness comedy, one sketch flowing right into the next, with occasional interludes from animator Terry Gilliam.

And it was hilarious, I thought. Unabashedly silly nonsense, and I loved it. The writing was sharp and brilliant, and so were the performances by the Pythons: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Gilliam, Eric Idle, Michael Palin…

…and Terry Jones, who passed away yesterday at age 77, due to complications from a rare form of dementia.

Terry brought many funny characters to life: the waitress reading a menu which included Spam in every single item, the naked man sitting at an organ in the unlikeliest of places (a boxing ring, a battlefield, etc.), the Spanish Inquisitor torturing with “the Soft Pillows!”, the dangerously obese Mr. Creosote in the movie “Monty Python’s Meaning of Life”, and the mother of Brian in the movie “Life of Brian”, who famously chides Brian’s followers who have mistaken him for someone else, “He’s not the Messiah! He’s a very naughty boy!”

R.I.P., Terry. Long live Spam Monty Python Spam!

Choose Yes!

/ justdrivewillyou / 2 Comments

Reading or watching the news these days can be a downright demoralizing experience. Nearly every story is a bad one: war, mass murder, political malfeasance, racism, et al.

It’s partly our fault. Bad news makes ratings go up, and in the business of news, higher ratings are the goal. We like our news bad, for whatever reason.

But if you ever get tired of that, if you ever get to wondering if there’s any good news out there, my answer is Yes!

As in Yes! Magazine, a nonprofit, independent publication committed to, as they call it, “solutions journalism.” Here is an explanation from their website of just what that entails:

“Our explanatory journalism analyzes societal problems in terms of their root causes and explores opportunities for systemic, structural change. Our stories uncover environmental, economic, and social justice intersections. Our solutions reporting spotlights the ideas and initiatives of people building a better world. Our commentaries address dominant economic, political, and social structures and consider alternative ways of thinking that can produce a more equitable and Earth-friendly world.”

In other words, instead of just telling you what’s wrong in the world, Yes! Magazine wants to have the conversation about making it right. I think there’s a place for that.

I’ve read some thought provoking and inspirational stories here, and it’s a good reminder that all the news ain’t bad.

Just go to https://yesmagazine.org sometime and have a look for yourself.

You’re welcome.

Whatever Happened to Peace?

/ justdrivewillyou / 4 Comments

Maybe that’s a ridiculously naive question, but I still think it’s worth asking.

I just don’t know if anyone in Washington bothers asking it anymore. It’s as though the word has become quaint.

An entire generation of Americans has grown up in wartime. Peace, to them, is an abstract concept; maybe even a myth. That’s sad to think about.

Oh, well, I guess the defense contractors are happy, ‘cause their stocks went way up this week because of the events in Iran.

 

I guess it’s because peace requires maturity and toughness. I mean, think about it: anyone can fire missiles and beat their chest and talk macho. You want to prove how tough you are, have the guts to sit across from your enemy and work out a peace agreement.

I think women could do it if they were in charge. I think they are more acutely aware of the effects of war on children, and that would greatly influence their strategy in these situations.

Just sayin’.

Peace, not domination, not destruction, should be the objective in foreign relations.

You think Iran isn’t interested in peace? I’m willing to bet a large portion of the population actually is. We just never hear from them.

Just like they probably never hear from us. That’s got to change.

I don’t know how, exactly, but it’s time for those of us who cherish peace to take a stand for it.

Our opportunity, I think, is perilously close to ending.