Here's my suggestion for a really great treat:

http://www.twitch.tv/pianoimproman

Try it... usually on 8 PM Eastern Standard time.

                            
                               *

"Laugh until Life Makes Sense"

                                      Graham Wilkinson
 

INTRODUCTION

 For easiest navigation of this blog,please
refer to the menu at the right.  Thank you.

Satire is defined as "humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society." Some of the songs, poems and stories posted on this blog are satires. Some are just for fun. All are meant to be humorous. Some of these postings have historical content and are based on historical facts. Some are comments on people and the human condition.

I believe that humor is a very good antidote against the stress which is  and has been part of life throughout history.  Humor comes in many forms: jokes, stories, songs and pictures including  and especially  cartoons.

 The political cartoon above illustrates humorous political/historical comment. This cartoon by Ilana is about the American presidential election of 1948.  It was assumed by practically everyone that the incumbent, Harry Truman would be defeated by Republican John Dewey.  The election results showed the opposite, and is considered one of the biggest upsets in American History.  The editor in chief was so sure that Dewey would win that , on election night before the final results were in, he published the newspaper with the headline (shown on the left side of the cartoon).  What to do?  His solution was a bright idea. (shown at the right side of the cartoon).


While it is true that some humorous offerings are hurtful to sensitive people, the songs on this blog are NOT meant that way at all. My purpose is to give people a good laugh, and to entertain. They are not meant to be taken seriously.

Thank you for visiting. 

Songs: music and lyrics by Susan Maskin

Arranged and performed by Bernie Katzman 

Stories and poems written by Susan Maskin

PLEASE REFER TO THE MENU AT THE RIGHT

THE INCOME TAX HOEDOWN 

 It's comin' up soon in the USA 

The time when we jolly folks have to pay,

 Our dear Uncle Sam,we can't say nay.. 

So get ready to send your $$$$$ away.

SATIRICAL HOEDOWNS

 A hoedown is another word used to describe Square Dancing. Square Dancing is a traditional folk dance in the United States. There are four couples that face each other

in a square and do steps, following instructions from a "caller."  Some of these steps are:

bow to your partner, bow to your neighbor

Swing your partner, swing your neighbor

Forward and back

Do sa Do, (pro: doe see doe)  Circle to the right...circle to the left,
Promanade right/left  Allemande left/right, Grand Right and left

 A typical song dating back to the early 19th century and used for square dancing is

called "Turkey in the Straw."

Here are some satirical  political songs done to Turkey in the Straw.

1. State of the Union Hoedown, Lowdown

 (written in 2009 satirizing poiltiics at the time--the beginning of the first Obama administration

 CLICK FOR THE SONG

2.  The Income Tax Hoedown--  

CLICK FOR THE SONG

FESTER LEGRIES, B.A., M.A.,  Ph.D, Ph.D, Ph.D, Ph.D, Ph.D

Fester Legries has a lot of degrees--
A Bachelors, a Masters and five Ph.Ds.

A learnedly genius, this scholarly man.
He thinks he knows more than one possibly can.

Oh how he's impressive, the facts that he knows.

The data increases, the volume just grows!

The problem, you'll find, with this Fester Legries..

His mind is quite vacant, despite his degrees.

Common sense is lacking, his mind's very small.
In wisdom, there's nothing....nothing at all!

In what's most important, it's ever so true.

Poor Fester is stupid, that's right! through and through.

THE  PLOTZ GOSSIPS 

 

Old Farmer Plotz has a farm with a pen—

With girl pigs and boy pigs, in all, there were ten.

These pigs would all gossip, about one another.

And that’s why they  couldn’t get on with each other.

And Old Farmer Plotz has some gossipy chickens,

Who’d babble’ bout others while eatin’ their pickens.

                                                                        ****

Now one of the girl pigs a lass named Caress,

Continually whispers to piggy pig Fress.

“My gosh, that ol’ pig Mr. Yarbelow Thud?

He eats and he burps while he wallows in mud.”

Then yaky pig Bozo told pig Slitherslog,

“That Old Porker Piggy eats slop like a hog.”

         ****      
                      

 Well back in the coop there was plenty of talkin,

The chickens would gossip while eatin’ and walkin’

And one of the chickens name Lala Lakelle

Decided to gossip ‘bout chick Bickybell.

“Disgusting how Bickybell gobbles her feed.

She makes twenty piles from small bits of seed.

And Mazie and Daisy and Hallaballu,

Would cackle’bout Chug Chug, the hen colored blue.

                 
****

No stop to the gossiping, morning till night,

Causing anger, hurt feelings and sometimes a fight.

No sensible thoughts ever entered their head,

Nonsensical  foolishness,  found there , instead.

                         
****

Then one day in  August, in great summer’s heat,

The gossipy pigs and the chicks got to meet.

It started at midnight, a wind blew so hard,

And   swirled  a   big mess in the Plotz farmer’s yard.

It took off the fence between pigpen and coop.

And blew it away in one big howling swoop.

The next day the farm lost its few bits of quiet.

The pigs mixed with chickens ,caused  chaos and riot.

With arguing, stomping, and mud-sling mushing,

And chattering and screaming and running and pushing.

The pigs and the chicks should have gotten along,

Adjust to a very new multi-mixed throng.

But pigs yelled at chickens, and sadly, what’s more,

The pigs screamed at pigs in a pig civil war.

In addition, the chickens, it’s really a shame,

They acted like pigs, just  EXACTLY THE SAME.

Yes, all the chicks did, I am sorry to say,

Was scramblin’, manhandlin’ each other away.

The chicks and the pigs made a horrible mess--

Could not get along, so much terrible stress!

‘Cause gossiping, ---that they were able to do,

Insulting and mocking, was all that they knew.

For how could they possibly help one another,

When all they could do was talk mean ‘bout each other.

                   
****

Then Old Farmer Plotz said to Pitsey, his wife,

“It’s the worst thing that’s happened  in all of my life.”

Then both he and PItsey, their son’s Lou and Ben,

Moved chicks to the coop and the pigs to the pen.

They built a new fence just to keep pigs apart,

From the chickens—the way they were kept at the start.

The fence thus became an unfortunate curse.

It was bad when there was one, without it much worse.

Did the pigs learn a lesson, and what of the chicks?

Did they learn not to practice  their usual tricks? 
  Did they change ‘round their habits, the ways of before?

Did they learn not to gossip or fight anymore?

The answer is “NO”, because day after day,

The pigs and the chicks lived their usual way.

 Of 

        gossipin', chattin' and chitterin' and ventin',

        and whisperin', bad mouthin' and awful resentin',

        and cacklin’, and yakin’ and screechin’ and blabbin’,

        and mumblin’, and grumblin’ and terrible babblin’.

The pigs and the chickens had learned nothing new,

But people can learn, change their foul point of view.

But if you 're a person who gossips real well,

Then in with the pigs and the chickens you'll dwell. 

Moral:The small-mindedness of gossiping  about and meanness towards others causes ill-will, hurt feelings and an inability to have peace and sanity.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS WONDERFUL BLOG TO ANYONE WHO KNOWS THAT ANIMALS HAVE WONDERFUL PERSONALITIES

http://www.oneoldgoat.blogspot.com/