Old Fashioned Humor

How many of you have ever seen, or even heard of, the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show? It was on television back in the dark ages—the 1950s, I think. Since Den and I don't have cable TV, we are limited to programs we can get via an on-the-roof antenna, which means we are pretty well limited. We do have something called EyeTV loaded on both our computers through which we can record shows that we don't have time to watch. You'd think that with only a few channels, we would never find anything to record, but you'd be wrong. We have enough shows recorded to last us several weeks, even if we don't record anything else. I should clarify that we don't watch TV on the computer, but on the TV, just like everyone else. It's just that our channel selection is limited.

To get back on track: One of the stations we can pick up through our antenna is WJW, channel 8.2, called Antenna TV. And every night, late, this channel shows two back to back episodes of Burns and Allen. It is the funniest program on TV. And it doesn't use profanity, drugs, or sex to be funny. When I say funny, I mean, laugh out loud in your own living room, funny. Gracie Allen's timing is impeccable, as is her self-expression. She is never confused, but everyone else usually is.

I love this show! It is the last thing I watch before bed every night, and I usually get a good night's sleep. If you ever get a chance to watch Burns and Allen, take it. You won't regret it.

Books

Books.  Books are keeping me from having a real life.  Or maybe books are real life.  Either way, I like to read.  I mean, I really like to read.  I never, repeat, never, go anywhere without a book.  Oh, you may see me in a friend's house without a book in my hand, but you can bet it's out in the car.  Even if we go to get an ice cream cone, I take a book.  It is my security blanket.

Sometime I think my reading so much keeps me from thinking about things -- things such as the state of education in our country, ditto for health insurance, politics, the economy, religion, just about anything that is disturbing.  In other words, reading is my panacea; it keeps me sane.

What started me on this track was one of the funniest books I have ever read -- A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.  I just finished rereading it, and I very seldom read a book twice.  For thirty years, I have been telling anyone who asks what my favorite book is, about this one.  I decided I should read it again to see if I think it is still as good as it was way back when.  It is.  The story takes place in New Orleans sometime in the 1960s, but I couldn't help but notice how relevant some of the themes were for today.

The main character is Ignatius O'Reilly, a 30ish boy/man who still lives with his mother.  His jottings on everything are one day going to let the world see what a brilliant mind lives in his bloated body.  For now, though, he must get a job to help pay some debts, even though he is sure his mother could do something so that he would not have to lower himself to work.

That's as much as I'm going to say here about Ignatius.  He is a brilliant, ignorant, arrogant egotist, who discovers life in New Orleans.  The author, John Kennedy Toole, never wrote another book.  Soon after he finished this one, he committed suicide.