[ExI] lighthearted banter for a long weekend on becoming jeeves. was RE: for fun - statistical improbabilities

[spike]

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of spike
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2016 10:50 AM
To: 'ExI chat list' <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Subject: Re: [ExI] for fun - statistical improbabilities

 

 

 

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of William Flynn Wallace
Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2016 9:59 AM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org <mailto:extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> >
Subject: [ExI] for fun - statistical improbabilities

 

>>… I said "What we need right now is a 95 yard touchdown pass."  It happened on the next play.  The whole end zone looked at me, and later in the game called to me to call for another one…

 

>…He’s GOD! they shouted in unison, as they fell before him in humble adoration.  Alternative: you have the FORCE BillW.  You are the droid we are looking for… spike

 

 

I retract my earlier comment BillW; you are the football Moses.  When the Israelis went out to fight the Amalekites (Palestinians) the uncircumcised savages were scoring repeatedly until Moses stood and held up his hands, at which time the Israelis scored.  Read it for yourself, Exodus Chapter 17:

 

10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

 

That whole British understated ‘discomfited…with the edge of the sword’ comment, heh, the bible translators 400 yrs ago had to know that was funny.  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Shakespeare wrote that (he is thought to have perhaps been an uncredited contributor to the King James version (a contention I find plausible (evidence supplied on request.)))

 

A kind offlist interlocutor complimented me on my newfound loquacious erudition, compelling me to offer an explanation.

 

>From a person’s favorite movies, books and TV, much can be ascertained about that personality.  The very best television I have ever seen is the Laurie and Fry version of PG Wodehouse’ Jeeves and Wooster, a British comedy made in 1990 thru 1993, a mere 23 episodes, priceless jewels all, the very best comedy I have ever seen on TV without exception.  My bride and I viewed them when they were being made and loved them.  We bought the series and have viewed them and enjoyed them repeatedly over the years.  It isn’t Monty Python slapstick style humor, but rather concepty social commentaryey parodyey humor.  

 

One must concentrate for a full 40 minutes to get it, but it is multi-level humor with a message, paradoxical jokes within jokes.  Brilliant stuff!  If you see what Laurie and Fry do with it, also notice the craftsmanship in the acting, the elaborate sets (clearly they spend skerjillions of dollars on these episodes, getting all those flawless 1930s cars, the costumes, those stately English castles and vast estates, all of it.)   They managed to stay very true to the message and humor of Wodehouse, Britain’s answer to our Mark Twain.  I can anticipate newcomers commenting that it is a show about nothing, but if you consider the message beneath the surface Drone’s Club silliness, you understand why England changed so much, why it works the way it does today, and perhaps even gain insight into why the Iranian Revolution happened (for they had a similarly structured society at that time to England only worse, and suffered similar consequences, only worse.) 

 

I think you can find the episodes on YouTube, or your local library probably has them.  If you haven’t viewed those, it is worth your 40 minutes to enjoy one or more.  Or all of them, if you are a Jeeves and Wooster virgin.

 

My bride and I are viewing that series for about the fifth time and rolling in laughter, and marveling anew at the impeccable craftsmanship in the creation of these episodes.  Watch for obvious mistakes, or poor acting anywhere: I haven’t found it, not a single stray modern car or passing aircraft in the background, not even the shadow of a microphone boom or poor sound quality.

 

Jeeves and Wooster veteran commentary welcome here.

 

Every time I view these masterpieces I have a renewed aspiration: to one day grow up to be Jeeves.  For now, I must content myself with the futile struggle to merely be like Jeeves while perhaps more resembling Wooster.  But my utmost ambition is to become Jeeves.

 

spike

 

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