The power of JOKES and Rhianon MDFF sneak preview
If there's anything that makes me really suspicious of the times we live in, it's the ever-growing list of things about with people will say "Don't even JOKE about that!"
It's a true slippery slope. It's not like constantly making zombie moves at a friend who got really freaked out by the George Romero movies. That's just mean.
What I'm talking about is above and beyond being sensitive or kind about a friend's quirks.
This is a list of things that "should not be joked about" that somebody somewhere keeps and somebody always feels like it's their sworn duty to enforce. Don't they realise that once on this list, things tend to stay, and that sooner or later nothing will be left that's allowed to be funny anymore?
That's why I am so grateful for the existence of Ren & Stimpy and South Park. They're on the front lines of the War Against The War Against Humor, taking back the world one tasteless insensitive, irreverent, stinky, juvenile joke at a time, doing it for all of us who cry at the steady extinction rate of things that are silly and joyous.
Anyway, I made a joke the other day, about the potential usefulness of extra buckets if we wind up with a surplus of them at MD Faerie Fest. We could drum on them around the bonfire I said. We could then use them to carry water to put out the fire that our excellent drumming caused to magickally grow out of proportion.
I was rebuked. Sorely rebuked that in this current drought that I should NOT even joke about exciting the Fire Spirits or the Fire Faeries lest this joke surely invoke a disaster that could ruin our event.
And my first thought was "Aw, come ON." It's not that I don't believe in the power of invoking. It's still really freaky to me how fire has responded to things I've done that had nothing directly to do with the fire on a physical level. I believe.
But to be afraid of JOKES? How sad is that?
And it's not like I don't believe in accidental invocations either. Been there. Done that. It wasn't so much fun. But to corrupt that lesson into a FEAR of Jokes?
Nope, that ain't gonna happen. Not on my watch.
My first repsonse to this on the list was kinda grumpy.
But then I figured out what NEEDS TO BE DONE.
If jokes are THAT powerful, instead of fearing that power, we should embrace it.
And good readers, that is what I intend to do, and what's more, I'm willing to make myself a human guinea pig to prove that Jokes As Invocation is a power that should not be feared.
Here's what you can do:
Tell jokes about ME. Lots of them. Post them, make websites, go on Letterman (or even Jerry Springer). The ONLY thing I ask is that the punchline of the jokes be:
"...and then Maug was paid 1 Million Dollars!"
Let's see how powerful "Jokes as Invocation" really is, shall we?
I will gladly split my million dollars 50/50 with whomever tells the funniest joke, once it comes true.
So there we (Rhianon) were last night at practice, and Rene wanting to conserve her voice since it's still kind of hurting from being sick, opted not to waste practice time with a low pressure look at some new potential material.
She has, probably as long a wish list of "songs she'd like to sing" as mine.
One of them, she trotted out last night that looks like it'll be ready in time for the Maryland Faerie Fest is none other than Meg Davis'
"Captain Jack and The Mermaid".
Since I started getting into fantasy oriented music, this has been near the top of my own list of songs that I've wanted to do, but wanted to save for doing in a band. Ta-da! Even Wild Oats was a ways away from tackling this song (mostly 'cause none of us had a copy)
And Meg Davis has long been among a pretty short list of artists that the "Filk Community" has embraced in a big way that I also could really get into. We all know I'm not hugely into filk, and I'm not sure that Ms Davis' label as a filker is entirely accurate. BUT there's NO argument in my mind over the outstanding quality she brought to the field and how high she raises the bar. I am SO happy that I'll be able to share this music and a mutual love of it, with a community in which I'm sometimes a bit of a black sheep in. (more like a goat among sheep, actually)
It's coming together real nice and even tho there are plenty of people who cover the song, few of them are around here. This is going to be a BIG song for us.
So if you're coming to MDFF on Saturday for Clam Chowder, consider coming back on Sunday if only to hear Rhianon do this song. You won't be disappointed.
Woo hoo!!!
It's a true slippery slope. It's not like constantly making zombie moves at a friend who got really freaked out by the George Romero movies. That's just mean.
What I'm talking about is above and beyond being sensitive or kind about a friend's quirks.
This is a list of things that "should not be joked about" that somebody somewhere keeps and somebody always feels like it's their sworn duty to enforce. Don't they realise that once on this list, things tend to stay, and that sooner or later nothing will be left that's allowed to be funny anymore?
That's why I am so grateful for the existence of Ren & Stimpy and South Park. They're on the front lines of the War Against The War Against Humor, taking back the world one tasteless insensitive, irreverent, stinky, juvenile joke at a time, doing it for all of us who cry at the steady extinction rate of things that are silly and joyous.
Anyway, I made a joke the other day, about the potential usefulness of extra buckets if we wind up with a surplus of them at MD Faerie Fest. We could drum on them around the bonfire I said. We could then use them to carry water to put out the fire that our excellent drumming caused to magickally grow out of proportion.
I was rebuked. Sorely rebuked that in this current drought that I should NOT even joke about exciting the Fire Spirits or the Fire Faeries lest this joke surely invoke a disaster that could ruin our event.
And my first thought was "Aw, come ON." It's not that I don't believe in the power of invoking. It's still really freaky to me how fire has responded to things I've done that had nothing directly to do with the fire on a physical level. I believe.
But to be afraid of JOKES? How sad is that?
And it's not like I don't believe in accidental invocations either. Been there. Done that. It wasn't so much fun. But to corrupt that lesson into a FEAR of Jokes?
Nope, that ain't gonna happen. Not on my watch.
My first repsonse to this on the list was kinda grumpy.
But then I figured out what NEEDS TO BE DONE.
If jokes are THAT powerful, instead of fearing that power, we should embrace it.
And good readers, that is what I intend to do, and what's more, I'm willing to make myself a human guinea pig to prove that Jokes As Invocation is a power that should not be feared.
Here's what you can do:
Tell jokes about ME. Lots of them. Post them, make websites, go on Letterman (or even Jerry Springer). The ONLY thing I ask is that the punchline of the jokes be:
"...and then Maug was paid 1 Million Dollars!"
Let's see how powerful "Jokes as Invocation" really is, shall we?
I will gladly split my million dollars 50/50 with whomever tells the funniest joke, once it comes true.
So there we (Rhianon) were last night at practice, and Rene wanting to conserve her voice since it's still kind of hurting from being sick, opted not to waste practice time with a low pressure look at some new potential material.
She has, probably as long a wish list of "songs she'd like to sing" as mine.
One of them, she trotted out last night that looks like it'll be ready in time for the Maryland Faerie Fest is none other than Meg Davis'
"Captain Jack and The Mermaid".
Since I started getting into fantasy oriented music, this has been near the top of my own list of songs that I've wanted to do, but wanted to save for doing in a band. Ta-da! Even Wild Oats was a ways away from tackling this song (mostly 'cause none of us had a copy)
And Meg Davis has long been among a pretty short list of artists that the "Filk Community" has embraced in a big way that I also could really get into. We all know I'm not hugely into filk, and I'm not sure that Ms Davis' label as a filker is entirely accurate. BUT there's NO argument in my mind over the outstanding quality she brought to the field and how high she raises the bar. I am SO happy that I'll be able to share this music and a mutual love of it, with a community in which I'm sometimes a bit of a black sheep in. (more like a goat among sheep, actually)
It's coming together real nice and even tho there are plenty of people who cover the song, few of them are around here. This is going to be a BIG song for us.
So if you're coming to MDFF on Saturday for Clam Chowder, consider coming back on Sunday if only to hear Rhianon do this song. You won't be disappointed.
Woo hoo!!!
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Oh, and I was wondering if you were using fender washers on the bucket end of your carriage bolts.
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But yes, I *am* using washers under those nuts.