The Art of

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The Art of

Tom Lehrer performs Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, 1998

Lehrer, and similar subversive forces, were an early part of the undermining of society and the collapse of patriotism, family and morality in the 1960s.

On his NewsFromMe blog, Mark Evanier posts Tom Lehrer, performing Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, from 1998!

LehrerMurdering pigeons. Randy (but prepared!) scouts. Your friendly neighborhood dope peddler. All in good, winking satirical fun? Hardly! Lehrer, and similar subversive forces like the Three Stooges, Charles Addams, Don Martin, and Allan Sherman (now that you mention him), were an early part of the undermining of society and the collapse of patriotism, family and morality in the 1960s. There's no other explanation for my older brother's macabre frog torture chamber amusement park!

Naturally, I passed along the important cultural touchstone of Tom Lehrer songs when my kids (now all grown) were young and impressionable, but until now, I realize, they had never had the privilege of seeing him perform. Truly deserving of a non-Valley Girl "Awesome!" One of my longest- and most deeply-held beliefs is that in this mortal coil one (at least this one) can never have enough of Tom Lehrer. (No doubt helped to encourage those of us who so believe that he didn't overexpose himself. Great to see Daniel (Harry Potter) Radcliffe on The Graham Norton Show enthusing about Lehrer before a cappella'ing "The Elements," but it was so strange to see everybody else's crickets reaction at the mention of Master Lehrer.) Such a treat to see him perform again, as impressive as ever (or my memory betrays me, increasingly a possibility), undiminished in wit, keyboard skill, masterful vocal control, and that get away with murder boyish charm! Which, at nearly sixty I can appreciate somehow the same as and yet qualitatively more than when I was twelve, watching TW3.

Not that one could tell, but Lehrer has always been a major inspiration for my own sometimes-humorous lyrical efforts (e.g. Risk) as well as my attempts to make nice sounds instead of noises result from my hammerings at the piano.

Re-reading the above, I thought to check Wikipedia re the American version of TW3... The cast..! I had no idea! Do vids of TW3 survive? They are occasionally requested on the Internests but I've never seen any posts. That Wikipedia link led me to the Tom Lehrer page, where the Rhino releases (OH?!?) are mentioned and so... I should ask more from the Googlyweb, the one force in the universe more knowledgeable than (if not as reliable as) Mark E. ;)

But! Busy (and chronically disorganized) lives mean sometimes we think of things like that and don't get a round tuit, even with all the convenience of googleynet. Which is why your passing along this link is such a welcome service. Mark, thanks a million -- thanks those astronomical numbers only governments can pile up!

Addendum: Searching Mark's site turned up a young Tom Lehrer, poisoning pigeons.




The Art of

Mind Fuel

The series that didn't quite make it.

MIND FUEL
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Window betwen worlds
[*] Elseweb:
Popeye first appeared in Thimble Theater (Wikipedia)
Zot! online comic strip
The original Zot! comics likely inspired the window idea



The Art of

Butterfly in the Studio

Nobody could figure where it came from.

1.
          F
There's a butterfly
       C
in the studio
       Em        D
Bright yellow
       F
How he got inside
  C
  nobody knows
         Em
But he's looking
          D
  for the sun
         Em
But he's looking
  D       C
  for the sun
2.
    Em     (C  Em)
The man on the drums
         D    C   D
Tries to move his arms
   Em          (C  Em)
As fast as the flutter
       D
Of the wings of the
  C
  butterfly
3.
C           Em
The lead guitarist, she's
  D
  working on the words
    C                  Em
She wants to make them work
           D
  with the melody
4.
        C
And the clarinet
Bb         C        D
Practicing during a break
Eb        D
Gives the butterfly
Eb   D
   a tune to ride
Eb  D        C      Am
In- side the studio
5.
   F                 C
At last the flash of yellow
           Em      D
   settles down
F            C
Settles on a volume knob
   Em             D
   holding up the show
         Em
Until he flutters
   D    C
   on
6.
    C                   Em
And sometime during the song
D
No one notices when
    C              Em
The butterfly disappears
   D     C     Em
Is never seen again



The Art of

Reality Manipulated

News photos doctored to reveal new and hidden meanings.

Rumsfeld explains American Policy
Rumsfeld catscradle
At last! We are in the age when anybody can create bogus pictures just like the tabloid papers! Here are pictures ripped from today's headlines, or sometimes torn gently, or sometimes carefully scissored…. The copyright on the originals belongs to AP, Reuters, and so on.
Clicking icons on each page takes you on the tour. Here's the itinerary:

The incredible shrinking Slobbo (four views)
Slobbo Realface
Smallface Slobbo
Smallerface Slobbo
Smallestface Slobbo

Dubya manipulated (four views)
Dubya Pinchface
Dubya Udall
Dubya Gingrich
Dubya Widemouth

Algore ryffs (three views)
Algore Longfaced
Algore Fisheyed
Algore Walleyed

Osama been manipuladened (three views)
Cheap Hotel Osama
Clunker Dealer Osama
Diablo Osama

Other realities manipulated
Falwell pinheaded
Saddam with a sword
Devil clearly visible in Palestinian baby bomber photo
Four big shots
View and taste??




The Art of

Illuminated

Is looking within a pointillist activity?

Illuminated




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