On Dervishes & Magic


[via]
I’ve got a friend who grew up in Pakistan. Decades ago I asked him about the Dervishes, and he was convinced that they were mystical. They could think chickens dead and make ants march in figure eights. He said he saw it with his own eyes.

Yep, there are ways to fool the eyes and the mind, all right. Squeeze enough ants to produce a liquid trail marker, they’ll march and write your name in cursive. Poison a chicken, yep, it’ll die. It’s called magic. The snake charmer knows that a cobra will follow your eyes. It’s a potentially deadly game, but the dervishes are in it for the money as tourist attractions, and they’re poor as dirt.

I don’t blame the dervishes a bit; they’re no different than palm readers or street magicians. If they entertain folks who are willing to toss some coin into the bucket, then they provide a service, in the entertainment business.

All it takes is knowledge and practice. I can beat you at Rock-Paper-Scissors. I can flip a quarter and make it turn up heads (or tails) every time, and I know how to make it land on the edge, too. I can get you to choose the wrong card in a 3-Card Monte game, and make you pick the Ace of Spades from a fresh deck you just opened and shuffled yourself.

And I love to bend spoons.

[crossposted here.]

Saturday Matinee – Pup Puppet, Eleven Roses 3D, The Skatalites, The Mighty Diamonds and The Supersuckers

Guaranteed to make you smile. [Found here.]

Go find your 3D red/blue glasses for this one (or turn off the 3D and watch the 2D version).

Roots reggae with The Mighty Diamonds, live at Channel 1 in Kingston, Jamaica. Nice harmonies.

The Skatalites‘ classic “Simmer Down,” has great audio but a so-so video. So what, I like it.

And we’ll wrap up this babozo with The Supersuckers‘ “Born With A Tail.” (Some NSFK language.)

Have a great weekend, folks, and be back here tomorrow for more fun stuffage.


The .Gif Friday Post No.196 – Digital Bubble Rings, Mudman Attack & Acid Party

[Found here,  here and here.]

Smells Like Henson

And Jim Henson’s hand smells like Ernie.

[Found here, via here.]

“It’s Raining! Quick! Get Under Her HooHah!”

[Found here.]

Wall Street Protest Duct Tape Fail

[via Weasel Zippers]

Everywhere is freaks and hairies, dykes and fairies. Tell me where is sanity? Tax the rich, feed the poor, ’til there aren’t no rich no more. I’d love to change the world, but I don’t know what to do.  – Alvin Lee

Yep, they’re changing the world all right, one failed beat at a time. Truth is, the guy’s got no rhythm – he’s a beat off – and if that were a real Benjamin in his pocket he’d be chasing after the dork who lifted it. Capitalism!

[Related post here.]

Fish Cage

Fish remain stuck in a fence as flood waters caused by Hurricane Ike recede, in West Orange, Texas, Sept. 15, 2008. (Eric Gay, AP)

[Found here.]

Wall Street Anti-Capitalism Protester FAIL

How much capitalism can an anti-capitalist use in one photo? Capitalism sucks!! Umm, except Facebook. And Diet Snapple. Toshiba laptops. Trendy bikes. Bottled water…

[via]

[Update: This breaks it down. h/t LC Aggie Sith]

Saturday Matinee – The Charts, The Pyramids, The Belmonts, The Mills Brothers & Zappa

To all readers of Tacky Raccoons who have Utoobage accounts:
Please capture and repost these. They’ve been blocked and vaporized before, but they should be available to everyone, if only because they’re so entirely awesome.


“Dance Girl” by The Charts, who earn the award for Best Non-Rock-Band-Name in the business. (Not to be confused with “Dance Girl,” a song recorded by Norman Fox & The Rob Roys, which is an entirely different awesome song.)

The Pyramids’  1958 hit “Hot Dog Dooly Wah” is a favorite around here.

Dion DiMucci trashed a slut and everyone heard.

The Mills Brothers‘ “Till Then” is a classic.

Zappa’s Black Napkins.

And with that, I’m outta here. Have a great weekend, folks.

The .Gif Friday Post No.195 – Industrial Evolution

[All three .gifs from here.]