35 responses to “America stands united, for just a moment.”

1. 

   pp

   12/08/2024

   America is schizo. They;re happy to see the insurance CEO gunned down (me too) but also happy that billionaires and fascists are taking over the government.

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      12/09/2024

      America is brainwashed with toxicity, from Fox to Tucker to Rogan. Can’t beat back the lies long as lying is legal and backed by big money, so there will be no recovery.

      Reply
2. 

   pp

   12/08/2024

   If Americans hate their health insurance so much they cross party lines cheering this how come there’s no political candidate/party that wants to capture that vote?

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      12/09/2024

      Because health care for all is a left-wing ideal, but the Democrats and Republicans are both right-wing parties.

      Reply
3. 

   Jamie

   12/08/2024

   Groucho looks cute without a mustache.
   Zeppo’s eyes are classic, yin sanpaku.

   That article about the sewer fertilizer poisoning the food chain with PFAS is terrifying. Sh*t Show EPA is exactly as it seems.

   Blocking Tik Tok can’t happen. A third of the nation would self-immolate. Could actually ef up the economy.

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      12/09/2024

      I picked the wrong Marx as Groucho, before reading who’s who. Without the mustache, is he still there?

      EPA is probably going to be dismantled, like anything else semi-decent about American government.

      TikTok is instantly repulsive to me, so my awareness of it is minimal. You don’t think they’ll kill it?

      Reply
      1. 

         Jamie

         12/10/2024

         Groucho is the cutest.

         Other three look like they’re up to somethin’.

         I never knew Groucho had 5 bros! Besides Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo, there’s a Gummo. And a first-born baby Mannie, who died very young.

         Reply
         1. 

            Doug Holland

            12/10/2024

            But Zeppo, Gummo, and especially Mannie weren’t funny at all.

            Reply
            1. 

               johnthebasket

               12/10/2024

               Well, Manfred died when he was a baby, so didn’t really have a chance to get funny. Gummo held various positions in show business, including being a talent agent, and he was quite successful. The idea with Zeppo was for him to be the straight man for the others. That lasted five movies, then he, too, went on to work in the business side of show business quite successfully. A movie actor can only be as funny as the script allows him to be, and the early Marx producers hired pretty good writers starting with the third movie. The first two were brought pretty much line for line from the Marx’s Broadway productions. The three “funny” brothers had months and months to polish those lines on Broadway, and they did that when they weren’t bailing Chico out of financial difficulty.

               It’s useful, perhaps, to know that the three oldest surviving brothers were pretty serious guys, like a lot of comics. There were lots of ways to stage a “successful” Broadway show and still lose money, and Groucho, Harpo, and Zeppo made damn sure the family MADE money on Broadway, and in their subsequent movies.

               Their first movie producer, Irving Thalberg, with whom the Marx family was very close, died after their fifth movie and the Marx boys never made a classic movie after that. Their budgets were reduced and the time to write the scripts was cut. MGM survived the Great Depression, but their movie product never recovered from its golden years in the 20s and early 30s.

               John

               Reply
               1. 

                  johnthebasket

                  12/10/2024

                  A little more on Groucho. He dropped out of school in grade school to appear on the stage to make money for the family. But he spent time at the libraries that existed at the time and never stopped reading. He wrote, co-wrote, or substantially contributed to, something like a dozen books. Some of them were funny and a few were serious, but they were all literate. I remember reading Memoirs of a Mangy Lover in my early 20s and knowing I was reading a serious author. He regularly corresponded with world leaders, philosophers, and inventors: his correspondence is partially captured in a couple of volumes of The Groucho Letters. He was a serious man, capable of discussing serious ideas.

                  But comedy had been his primary show business field, and in his 70s, he was still capable of bringing down the house. The Cavett shows display much of this gift.

                  John

                  Reply
               2. 

                  Doug Holland

                  12/11/2024

                  Groucho could be funny without a script. Can’t vouch for Chico and Harpo in that regard. Or Irving, for that matter.

                  I was wondering how the letters hold up, now that the context of world affairs and even show biz has changed. Amazon’s page for The Groucho Letters offers a “read sample” button, which generously lets me read the cover, the copyright, and a lengthy introduction by Arthur Sheekman, etc, but to read more I’d have to buy the book.

                  Reply
                  1. 

                     johnthebasket

                     12/11/2024

                     The Archive has it in toto. I forgot how funny it was.

                     jtb

                     Reply
                     1. 

                        johnthebasket

                        12/11/2024

                        Doug, you won’t get some of the jokes, but between the Great Depression and WWII there were shortages of everything. Other than that, you’re on your own.

                        Sincerely,

                        Waldorf T. Flywheel

                        Reply
                     2. 

                        Doug Holland

                        12/11/2024

                        Internet Archive wants me to log in. They’ve never asked for a login to watch movies, but I’ve never read a book there.

                        Have you ever read a book online? I know it’s all the rage, but I never have… I will add it to my wishlist for a paper copy.

                        Waldorf? I want a salad!

                        Reply
                     3. 

                        johnthebasket

                        12/11/2024

                        Yeah, the Archive wants a login, but I’ve never paid them a penny and I use them quite often, both in reading books and listening to recorded books. They’ll accept donations, but have never requested payment. There are some books that the library doesn’t carry, and the Archive is a little more convenient.

                        John

                        Reply
            2. 

               Jamie

               12/10/2024

               Poor lil’ Mannie, though. He might have made it, if they’d named him Manferdo.

               Reply
      2. 

         Jamie

         12/10/2024

         Tik Tok:
         Trump Inc. reversed course on banning, a while ago.
         Too much of a big, shiny thing for him to dismiss.

         Reply
         1. 

            Jamie

            12/10/2024

            EPA, PFAS:
            “SEMI-decent agency”.

            I’ve worked on a couple Environmental Impact Statements for transportation projects.

            Sometimes regulations can be “negotiated” with tricky, political loopholes.

            That’s why PFAS chemicals have been poisoning the planet. since 1938.

            Trump tapped Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA.

            “Lee will ensure fair and swift de-regulatory decisions”.

            You’re right. about the dismantling.

            Reply
         2. 

            Doug Holland

            12/10/2024

            Trump is oten at odds with himself. If someone shows him a TikTok post that makes fun of him, there goes TikTok.

            Is EPA-guy especially awful? I’ve stopped paying attention to who Trump’s nominating. They’re all not merely unqualified, they’re anti-qualified — qualified only for immediate disqualification. Almost all seem to be billionaires, and pretty sure I read that every last one of them is on record denying climate change.

            Not a drip-drop of optimism anywhere on the horizon, but let’s at least enjoy it before we’re all boiled.

            Reply
4. 

   granville

   12/09/2024

   One of the most shocking discoveries is when I learned that the Gestapo were not some kind of super evil super cop, bred by Nazis in a lab to be sadistic monsters that transgressed all laws and human decency. Most of them were… cops. They were cops before the takeover, in the Weimer Republic, and when the Nazis took over they had no problem adopting their new duties and perks of the job, like slamming the heads of 7 year olds repeatedly into metal desks. There’s very little record of the lovers of law & order protesting or resigning when they got their new job description. That’s who cops are. That’s why you see them beat who you see them beat, I think.

   (It gets worse when you discover that the Gestapo were pretty lightly staffed to begin with, and relied upon citizens denouncing their neighbors for most of their leads, but we’ll save that depressing revelation for another day!)

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      12/09/2024

      Just when I think I’m about as cynical as can be, you enlighten me with further cynicism. Guess I’d always assumed the Gestapo was the ‘elite’ organization, grads from some awful training camp or something, but yeah, what’s to be ‘trained’? It’s not like the cruelty and killing involved a delicate touch or thorough understanding of anything beyond cruelty.

      As for the eyes and ears of civilian accomplices, we are going to see that soon as Trump orders the first roundups. It’s going to be the ugliest thing I’ve seen on American soil, and I’ve seen plenty.

      Reply
5. 

   beratnabear

   12/09/2024

   at the heart of every little spiteful joke and quip about the assassination of Brian Thompson is the seed of recognition of the class war against us all. i want you to nourish that seed.

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      12/10/2024

      I don’t know how much nourishment is in me, sorry. I’ve done more than my share of marching for change that never came, and considered myself retired from activism long before I retired from work.

      Reply
6. 

   Leon Sphinx

   12/09/2024

   I live in SORROW at this Father and Husband being MURDERED! WHY couldn’t they just Murder a Bunch of Children Instead! Or a POOR Father and Husband instead! Then I WOULDNT have cared!

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      12/10/2024

      You speak truer Republican than any Republican.

      Reply
7. 

   johnthebasket

   12/11/2024

   I can’t find a place to comment. Doug, you’re the guy who turned me onto the Internet Archive. They were tied up in litigation for a couple of months (The big money boys were after them) but they’re back in business. I’ve read several Hammett short stories out there and am reading a Groucho book now. I think I just used my email signin (I think they also accept library cards). It’s pretty easy to read a book online: you need to get your screen at the right angle so you don’t screw up your neck, but it took me about a minute to do that. I’ve watched videos and movies and read books and poems out there — no charge for any of it. I also use it to listen to audio books while I’m trying to fall asleep. It’s particularly useful if you’re not sure you want to waste time on a library book: just read a few chapters on the Archive and you can narrow the field. OK. Nuf said. . . . John

   Reply
8. 

   Doug Holland

   12/12/2024

   For John, continued from above:

   Internet Archive is terrific, and probably doomed in its current incarnation. I use it mostly for movies and snapshots of old websites. I guess you have to log in to ‘check out’ books, but I only check out real books. Maybe I’ll use them as you suggest, for pre-checking out books before checking them out from the library.

   The library must think I’m Evelyn Wood. I check out books six at a time, and bring back five the next day.

   Reply
   1. 

      johnthebasket

      12/12/2024

      You’re NOT Evelyn Wood? Shit, I’ve been woodwinked.

      As for Reading Dynamics, a franchise operation owned consecutively by a dozen companies in the second half of the 20th century, it’s still not clear whether the system is world changing or bunk. Famously, President Kennedy required the White House senior staff to take the course. Kennedy was a self-taught speed reader, with significant comprehension. However, as it turns out, it’s likely that speed reading is a gift of either birth or early education (or both) and can’t really be “taught” as Evelyn Wood tried to do. People apparently can be taught to digest some kinds of material more quickly without significant loss of comprehension, but it seems to depend on the people and the type of material they’re reading. I could go on for pages, but then you’d have to pay somebody a couple thousand dollars to read this shit, and if you’re not naturally gifted you might as well give me the cash and I’ll summarize it for you.

      John

      Reply
      1. 

         Doug Holland

         12/13/2024

         I never did the Wood, but wanted to. I was kinda skeptical, but knew people who’d done it so I wasn’t sure.

         Not at all the same thing, but I got sorta dragged to an intro-to-EST session once, and that squeegied me out worse than Scientology/

         Reply
         1. 

            johnthebasket

            12/13/2024

            Yeah, my ex (wherever she be) got roped into one of the cult groups briefly (fortunately). She kept asking me to attend one of their recruiting programs until I finally agreed. It was at some slightly remote hotel/motel. All day Saturday and most of the day on Sunday. When I came home bleary-eyed Sunday night she breathlessly asked me what I thought. I think I said, “I’m sorry babe, it’s bunk.” Bunk is a slightly old-timey name for bullshit, but you knew that. She hung on for a month, then walked away from the charlatan and on to another get rich quick scheme.. I walked. She filed. She got the Plymouth, I got the tailpipe. I think I got the better of the deal.

            John

            Reply
            1. 

               Doug Holland

               12/14/2024

               Was the bunk the dealbreaker, or were there other bunks?

               The bunk would be a dealbreaker for me.

               Reply
9. 

   johnthebasket

   12/14/2024

   Generally these cults are moneymakers for the leader or leaders. Sometimes they involve murder like Charlie Manson, but mostly it’s about money. If you have your own ideas you don’t have to rent someone else’s. If anyone tells you they’ve found “the answer”, they haven’t. You already know that. I hope my first wife, wherever she is, knows it by now.

   jtb

   Reply
   1. 

      Doug Holland

      12/14/2024

      I’ve found that there’s no answer.

      You and the first wife don’t keep in touch? Thank you, man — that’s the ideal divorce. Too many divorced couples remain ‘friends’, which boggles my easily-bogglable mind.

      Reply
10. 

    johnthebasket

    12/14/2024

    I suspect that there’s no right answer; it depends on the people and the circumstances. I’d be willing to meet her for lunch once a year, but she wouldn’t. I don’t even know what state she’s in or what state she’s in. I suppose the Web could find her, but I respect her wishes of total disengagement. I just don’t have enough time left to hate anybody, although I’m making a special exception for Trump.

    Just a note: I had a vasectomy at 26 after making a decision to not have children. But if there are kids involved, a divorced couple has to have some channel of communications. If it’s lunch, bone appetite (just showing off my French riffs there).

    John

    Reply
    1. 

       Doug Holland

       12/15/2024

       > I just don’t have enough time left to hate anybody, although I’m making a special exception for Trump.

       That’s levelheaded thinking. I’d question the soul of anyone who doesn’t hate Trump, but everything else — life is too short. I don’t even hate Dean, except while he’s talking at me, and while I’m writing about him.

       Reply

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