Monty Python & the Holy Hoopla

Welcome to the Dead Parrot Fan Club 6! We’re glad you could make it. Be sure and check out the other Dead Parrot Fan clubs on other networks. This group, as you may know, is dedicated to the Monty Python, possibly the best British comedy group since Beyond the Fringe in the late 50s-early 60s. My mind was totally warped by their antics in the early to mid 70s. We used to watch it on the public education channel, the same channel that showed Sesame Street. The picture for the group shows my favorite sketch, the picture of the British FreeMason. I looked all through the Monty Python images to find that picture. I hope you like it. Stephen was exposed to the Monty Python practically from their inception. It was October 1969 when Stephen was incarcerated in the Cook Country jail for his participation in the Days of Rage. The two most watched shows in the dayroom were Dark Shadows and Monty Python Flying Circus.
The prisoners took these two shows very seriously. One day a prisoner tried to change channel to a rerun of Ironsides with Raymond Burr. He was beaten down severely. After getting out of jail, Stephen continued to watch the Monty Python in Columbus, OH on the education channel 9, just as it is in the Bay Area.

Dylan Cook, our partner-in-crime, has put a poll on the original group’s site, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/deadparrotfanclub. Be sure and go there and vote for your favorite sketches by the Monty Python. I’ve already mentioned my favorite sketch being the British FreeMason. After that comes “Nudge nudge wink wink.” Then come the Spanish Inquisition sketches. Dylan’s favorites are the “Dead Parrot” sketch, “How to Annoy People,” and the “Argument” sketch. What is your favorite Monty Python film? Mine is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Stephen’s is too. Of course, I also like The Secret Policemen’s Other Ball. Another favorite is Jabberwocky. I loved the Jabberwock. He was so great.

Who is your favorite member of the Monty Python? Mine is Terry Jones. I’ve always been fond of the name Terry, and he’s Welsh, which is my favorite nationality after Scotsmen.. The other one I like is Terry Gilliam, and he’s from Boston; he’s the American. He’s a talented animator, that’s why I like him. Stephen’s favorite is Michael Palin. Terry Jones is another favorite of Stephen’s. I’m guessing that Dylan’s favorite was Graham Chapman because he was gay. That was Dylan’s second favorite. His favorite is John Cleese. Among the three of us that covers all six of them. Oh, and I also like Carol Cleveland, the one genuine woman who at times appeared on The Flying Circus.

One thing about the Monty Python was that it was a lot easier to “get” if you were high, especially on sacred herb. It was very interesting to note that the Monty Python and Cheech and Chong both thrived during the same time period, late 60s, to the early to mid 70s. This topic comes up now because Lords of the Revolution: Cheech & Chong is on. I read about Terry Jones and Michael Palin, and how the Monty Python came to be working together. They ran from 1966 until 1974. They were imported to the States somewhat after that, and their episodes ran on American TV on public and educational stations into the early 80s. From time to time some educational stations still run the episodes, even into the 21st century very late at night or very early in the morning, what I like to call o-god-o’clock in the morning.

The Monty Python was at the cutting edge as far as the legalization of marijuana and other hallucinogens was concerned. They were also at the cutting edge of the sexual revolution and gender bending were concerned. Of course, you must realize that transvestites are a commonly occurring theme in British music hall. This dates back to pantomime and Renaissance theatre. The Monty Python were almost obsessed with transvestitism. There was a consciousness of freedom with the Monty Python. Graham Chapman made no attempt to conceal his homosexuality. They poked fun at bigwigs in British politics. The main one who did this was Terry Gilliam, the animator, who is, strangely enough, an American. Stephen thinks that they would have been really good Pagan Sympathizers, or as we like to call them, Pague Symps. The Monty Python also poked fun at the Royal family. Stephen always considered the Monty Python to be working-class based. They had no love for the ruling class.

What are the guys with the knotted handkerchiefs on their heads called? Stephen thinks they’re working-class; I think they’re middle class. Who is correct? Please post and tell us. When the Secret starts to work for me, I intend to get the complete boxed set of the Monty Python Flying Circus in DVD. Then we’ll be able to answer all those burning questions that plague us about the Monty Python. They were also always talking about “buggering” this and buggering that. Were they speaking figuratively or literally? Of course, maybe in Graham Chapman’s case, it was literal buggery. He was gay, after all. Many of their bits go back to the British public schools, which are in reality private schools. What we here in the States call public schools they call “government schools”. A lot of what later developed into homosexuality started in the public schools.

Their songs were extremely evocative. My favorite of their songs was “The Lumberjack Song.” But then, there’s also “Sit On my Face” and the “Spam Song.” The whole concept of “vaudeville occultism” probably had its origins because of the Monty Python. In case you don’t know, vaudeville occultism is where you burst into song at random moments. Much of their influence comes from British music hall, which is different from American Broadway shows. But with such shows as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” or “Rocky Horror” the line between American musicals and British music hall gets kind of blurred. Stephen thinks that the “Carry On” series is connected to the Monty Python. I think it’s just because British humor is pretty similar, no matter who does it. For example “Blackadder” with Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, and Brian
Blessed Blackadder, like the Monty Python Flying Circus, dealt with social issues by lampooning them the way that the Monty Python did.

What do you guys think of the sketch where Terry Jones is playing the piano while naked? Stephen says it’s hilarious.
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Just 30 readings would get Stephen out of this mess. Don’t stand by and figure that your neighbor or your friend will do it, so you don’t need to. We need your donation too. Every little bit helps. Don’t forget that you can donate to Stephen’s Paypal account. abbottsinn@gmail.com. Also call 1-800-ASK-KEEN and ask for Stephen6580. Or call 1-800-280-8496.Stephen 1580 Stephen now has $65 dollars in his account. He still doesn’t have money to pay his share of the rent, SMUD, or AT&T. .

A SMUD guy was here today threatening to shut off our power until Stephen paid $200.. Our HEAP request remains unanswered. It’s a post-dated check, so we need your help to make the check good. Please, please, PLEASE help make his check good. If we lose power we are literally DEAD, kaput, finished, deceased, bought the farm. How can I be more clear? This bill mounted up so high because our late unlamented ex-house-mate refused to pay his share of the house bills, and in fact threatened physical violence whenever Stephen approached him about them. So much for Christians’ claim that they worship the “Prince of Peace”.

One of the psychic reading services that Stephen works for has changed hands. Zodiac (Celebrity Psychics.com) has changed hands and names. It is now Psychic Power. They are recruiting new readers. Stephen gets $50 for anyone who signs up and $100 for someone who signs up and racks up 500 minutes.

Stephen’s done it. He’s gone over to Chase with me. It came to a head because an agent at Bunko de America told him that he had enough money to write $900 in checks to our landlady to pay off his back rent when he didn’t have the money. Now you should understand that Stephen is even more math challenged than I am. He was sick for 5 days with asthma symptoms and wasn’t able to call them to ascertain his balance, or he would have caught the error sooner. They charged him $900 in overdraft charges, and paid everything except for the Rhapsody charge, and his porn. Now I can understand why they wouldn’t have paid the porn one, but the Rhapsody? Why didn’t they pay that one? He just called Bunko de America, and they still won’t own up to any of their responsibility in this. SSI plays a role in this whole thing too because they toyed with him for two hours, letting him think that they were going to cut him an emergency check, then reneged on him. Now folks, this is two hours when he could have been doing readings, and getting his overdraft down. And they turned around and called the sheriff on him. So maybe now you understand why Stephen is so depressed and angry. I realize that you’re probably all out of compassion. I know I am. But the need is real, and the need is dire. He is no longer suicidal, but another setback could send him over the edge again. Of course I have a plan of action now if he turns suicidal again. I’ll call 911, and have him go in on a 5150. In this state, that’s the code for in danger of harming himself or others. This way he’ll get the help he needs.

Now I’m in need of readings too. I have to get refills for some of my meds, and don’t have the money for them, if I don’t get one of them, well, I’ll put it this way, it’s an antipsychotic. I don’t like to speculate on what will happen if I run out of those. Lately I’ve been wishing I were with Doc in the Summerland, or could go back to June 2nd 2008, before all this mess. My PayPal account is tezra.reitan@gmail.com. For a donation of $5, I’ll send you a copy of one of my books, and for $32, I’ll give you a reading by phone. 916-457-7476 is my number. I can’t give you a multi-media reading, because I don’t have my webcam and headset hooked up yet. For that, you’ll have to call Stephen at 916-455-2267.

Our friend Julie Maahs has a book out called the Serpent and the Stag. It can be found at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10619. I urge you strongly to buy a download, and tell your friends. She is publicizing it through viral marketing; what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising. She’s directing the book towards a Pagan audience. It’s a murder mystery with nice contorted twists and turns. When I read it, I saw it as though it were a movie and I was the lighting director/art director. If you review books, contact her at julie@your-taxes.com and she will send you the free coupon code so you can get a free download. She wants a copy of the review, so send her a copy. I sent her a copy and also posted it on Blogger.

The past four nights we had quite an experience. It all started when I went across the street to ask our neighbor what “swagatom” meant. It means welcome in either Hindi or Sanskrit. Our neighbor explained that it was the celebration of Sri Rama Navidam, the birthday of Lord Rama. Lord Rama was the 7th avatar or incarnation of Vishnu the Preserver, one of the great trinity of Hindu gods. Kumar our neighbor invited us to the celebration that night. I was there at 7. It started at 7:30. The priest was trying with some difficulty to get the camcorder to point at his place. I told him, “Sometimes the gods foul up our electronic devices because They want us to record the rituals in our hearts not on tape or hard disk.” He smiled, and went back to trying to adjust the vidcam. I got into the spirit of it, and even joined into some of the hymns. Then I did puja, which consisted of swinging the bowl in a circular motion over the altar, which made me gasp with its beauty. Stephen came in at the beginning of the feasting. But he came in time for the ritual the other three nights. We stayed for the singing, and were introduced to an interesting drink called kava. That stuff can get to be addicting, if you don’t watch it. Its effect is sort like an herbal version of XTC. It gives you a good genial feeling about the people you’re with. It numbed my lips and tongue. It doesn’t taste very good; Tuesday night I thought it was going to make me barf. I hate when that happens. It would’ve made a mess of the temple, as well as insulted the good food I had just consumed. Once I consume food, I like to keep it down. Bulimia is not my thing at all.

Stephen’s recollections are similar but different. We exchanged phone numbers with the people and became friends. I got the feeling Stephen kind of bored them. But he didn’t pick up on the social cues I picked up on. They had two organ-like instruments called harmoniums. They also had small cymbals tied to short rods wound with brightly colored yarn, red predominating. They also had open crescent- shaped tambourines and drums. They had an interesting way of singing. It was neither a major nor a minor scale. Even though we couldn’t understand what they were saying because it was in Sanskrit and Hindi, and we knew maybe 5 words. We knew “Namaste” and the names of the deities, that were called upon. We had to keep a sense of suspended disbelief because of the language thing, but could tell the different sections of the ritual, and they were similar to what we do as Pagans. After all, why not? We’re Indo-Europeans. The main difference is that their people went east to India, and ours went west, to Europe Like us, they travel on their stomachs in that they fast all day and then feast after the ritual. We both loved the food. The first night they had curry and this wonderful red stuff, garbanzo and spinach balls, and this flat bread that Stephen absolutely fell in love with. When we parted company on Tuesday night, I had a take-out box full of chow mein, and he had his full of the round flat bread thingies. Stephen’s thought when he did the thing with the bowl with the fire was how much it reminded him of Druid rituals in that it “gave adulation to the Powers.” Feelings of peace and serenity went through Stephen as he sat watching the rituals. He also had the feeling that he belonged there, with those people. He really appreciated the singing and the kava ritual. Yes, it is a ritual, the way the dipping bowl stirred around, mixing the ground root powder into the water, and how you had to drink it in one go.

We’re sorry that we haven’t been around much, but March has been a really bad month for both of us. There’s been a lot of stress around here. The putties have been expressing it by either barfing or eliminating everywhere except where they should. Stephen has been getting his sick migraines. I just learned today that I have both pneumonia and elevated blood pressure, in spite of the blood pressure med I’ve been taking the past year and a half. I had been complaining about a sore throat, cough, and sneezing for at least three days. I nabbed the bottle of Echinacea/Goldenseal from the bathroom. I’m sure I got this illness because my immune system was down. At least I can function through it better than when I got it 32 years ago, when I would come home from work, eat something, and plop into bed until the next morning. Then, during that attack of pneumonia, I had body aches and a fever. My skin hurt. But in this bout I’m not as sick. It’s just that Dr. Jones wasn’t happy with the amount of air my lungs were taking in. She asked me if I were wheezing. Not this time around. At least I didn’t notice any.

We still don’t have a house-mate, but because I re-ran that ad in the SN&R this morning, I expect some nibbles soon. The very people we want to attract as a house-mate are scared to live here because of the neighborhood. Well, I’ll tell you about neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is at risk now because gangs have wheels and money. No neighborhood is safe anymore. I’m a woman, and I feel safe on this street. One of you must know someone in Sacramento who needs a congenial cheap place to live. We have an 11,000 volume Pagan/magickal library, a long slender backyard, a fire circle, and a cauldron. We have satellite TV too and a workshop where you can pursue your craft or artificer dreams.

You will hear more about these experiences in future posts. .