Good riddance to MDA Labor Day telethon

Tribune News Service ^ | 9/5/15 | Mike Ervin

[Paleo Pete]

OOOOhhh...how can you be in two places at once,

when you’re not anywhere at aaaallll...pum pum pum...

I wonder how many people know where the name Rocky Rococo came from...I’ve listened to that album hundreds of times...

Anyway, Jerry had his heart in the right place, but his using the victim idea to make people feel sorry for those with MD and collect money always irritated me.

In its early days it was one of the few charities that wasn’t totally corrupt and paying more of its money to the executive board of directors than to the people they claimed to help. I don’t know about later on, but the link in post #15 is a brief example of what most charities eventually become. Their CEO was paid over $200,000 more than their average donation to hospitals and research.

This was brought out in the 70’s, most of the biggest charities at that time were spending up to 80% of the money they collected on executive salaries. So 20% actually went to the starving kids in South America or whatever.

At that time, I think MDA was still doing pretty well, and Jerry did a lot to help.

I have an uncle who had polio when he was 2. Had to be put in an iron lung at one time. More than a dozen surgeries, he would set off a metal detector if he went through nude. Right leg 1½” shorter than his left, it gave him trouble for many years. He finally had it amputated below the knee about 1995, he swears he’s been better off since.

He refuses to get a handicapped license plate or sticker, I can call him cripple joking around but don’t even think about saying it seriously or behind his back. He uses a prosthetic now and you can’t tell it until he puts on short pants, no limp. I did remodeling and trim carpenter work with him for 10 years, roofing, climbing ladders, you name it.

Before he had the leg amputated I’ve seen him refuse to park as close as possible and walk 50 yards across the parking lot to the store when I had to half carry him on my shoulder because he hurt so bad to walk at all. With an artificial leg he still refuses to get a handicapped sticker. I tried to get him to get one years ago just to use when he couldn’t walk.

“No, as long as I can still walk at all, people who actually need it can have the handicapped parking places.” It pisses him off to no end when he sees someone without a sticker park there. Me too. And he refuses to use that option. He refuses to be called cripple, doesn’t like being called disabled.

That’s why I never liked to see Jerry making people with MD out to be victims. That’s why I hate it when I go to stores and see women who weigh 300lbs riding around in electric carts, their only handicap is usually too fat and lazy to walk. People who walk with a pronounced limp when they use a prosthetic. I’ve only known one person who limped for a good reason. When they wrapped the nerves in his leg they did a sloppy job, it hurt him badly to walk at all. (they bundle the nerves under the skin rather than cut them off, that’s why people have phantom pains and itches, all the nerves are still there.) They bundled his off to one side, they rub against the boot of the prosthetic, it’s very painful.

I know I’ll catch some blowback for some of what I’m saying, but I’ve seen way too many people milking society for sympathy instead of fighting their way through the pain and limitations like my uncle did to be able to function normally and do things that would surprise a lot of people. How many people do you know with that kind of disability that will work as a carpenter at all? Much less climb ladders, replace roofs...I’ve had to make him get on the ground and let me do the roof because his shoes did nothing but slide on the tin, he was going to go off the edge if he stayed up there. And I had to literally tell him to get down. Argue even...how many people have you seen with an artificial leg who would get on a roof at all?

And Jerry promoted the victim mentality. I didn’t like that. Otherwise, what he did was great but I thought he should have promoted it differently.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Now that’s funny.

[RckyRaCoCo]

I agree with your assessment of many of these charitable organizations, money starts to pour in, temptation takes over(just like government).

Great story about your Uncle, different breed for sure...thanks.

Liberalism feeds off victimization and vice versa. All part of the hollywood/academia meme to dumb down a culture as a means for some power hungry leeches(whoever they may be)to control it.

Firesign Theater albums, one of those things you listen to over and over...and find something new each time.

BTW, RIP Phil Austin, Peter Bergman.

[Paleo Pete]

“Firesign Theater albums, one of those things you listen to over and over...and find something new each time.

BTW, RIP Phil Austin, Peter Bergman”

I have 5 or 6 of their albums. I’ve listened to “How Can You Be in Two Places at Once” more times than I can count.

He’s ready for [ring] action...he’s [ring] ready for anything...[ring] he’s...

Nick Danger, Third Eye”...

I can sit here and recite lines all day, I love that album. And Porgie Tyrebiter...

Honey...They’re in everyone’s eggs...

Don’t crush That Dwarf, Hand me the Pliers.
I think We’re all Bozos on this Bus
Dear Friends
Waiting For the Electrician or Someone Like Him
Everything You Know is Wrong

All excellent albums, I wasn’t crazy about Dear Friends, but good still. Don’t Crush That Dwarf was hilarious. That one and How Can You Be in Two Places were my favorites.

At Drucker and 4th he turns left, at 4th and Drucker he turns right, walks into a brown sandstone building...[bonk] Ohh...my nose...

I know, let’s stand him on his head! [oh oh ohhhh...CLUNK]

He’s no fun he fell right over...

Strange I Can still remember a lot of that stuff, I haven’t listened to any of those in 30 years or so.

I first saw Procter and Bergman on Johnny Carson ( I think) before I knew Firesign Theater existed, or maybe before they did. Hilarious stuff, just the two of them doing crazy stand up. I remember they did one of two guys riding in a car that had people practically falling out of their chairs.

Nick Danger Third Eye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwG5c9IsgbA&spfreload=10

I loved the way they used the pizza order in this one from the other end of the phone in “Don’t Crush That Dwarf” later on...

[RckyRaCoCo]

When I lived in SoCal KPFK would take requests on Saturday night(?), remember calling to ask they play some Firesign Theater...it's been too many years, can't remember if they did or not.

Never did convince my friend(who introduced me to Firesign)that one didn't have to be drunk or high to appreciate their humor(heh).

Every now and then I see threads here on FreeRepublc that beg a Firesign Theater reference...but I figure most folks won't know what the hell I'm talking about...

NANCY: I...I feel faint...the whole world is spinning.

NICK: Why that's lucky for us, Nancy, if it were flat, all the Chinese would fall off.

[dfwgator]

Bill Hicks was from the Deep South like me....Mississippi and Alabama

And the guy Dennis Leary got most of his material from.

[PapaBear3625]

About twenty years ago I attended a very elementary sign language class. Can't remember much about it, and there was no local school that taught the full language. The class didn't teach much beyond the rudiments, so I didn't pursue my interest.

Sign-language requires that everybody who wants to communicate with the deaf learn sign language.

Getting the deaf person a voice-to-text smart-phone app (several are currently available) eliminates the problem.

Those "sign language interpreters" that politicians use annoy the hell out of me. Just put a large display above the speaker and do captioning. It also helps with old people (like me) whose hearing is starting to fade.

[Paleo Pete]

In the 70’s I spent many a night with a few friends...couple of bowls of red columbian and 2 or 3 firesign theater albums...that or Pink Floyd...usually it was Two Places at Once and Don’t Crush that Dwarf. I picked up several a few years later, those are still my favorites though. Checking out a few youtube clips earlier really brought back memories, and I still remember most every line.

There were also some interesting items here and there. Several references to the Beatles White Album, especially in Nick Danger, the pizza order in Nick Danger was repeated from the other end of the phone cal in Don’t Crush that Dwarf, pure genius, we noticed others but I can’t remember them without doing some close listening again.

Firesign Theater left me with a twisted sense of humor, I’ve seen lots of people look at me strange when one of their one liners seems appropriate, very rarely does anyone actually know where it came from. When they do it’s always hilarious laughter.