Bluto Update

The kitten we adopted three weeks ago today, whom we named Bluto, has been a bright spot in our lives. He is incredibly good-natured, not in the least aggressive, & the one amazing trait he had when we met - he begins the purr the minute he's touched - has not disappeared. In addition, he's getting along very well with our old orange tomcat Boone. Like so:

The one weird thing is that he doesn't seem to know his name. I don't recall that being such an issue with other cats we've had. But it's only been three weeks - it may be that just because he's fit in so well - so effortlessly - that this one thing seems to be a problem. Or maybe he doesn't like the name?

The Adventures Of Mr. Greedy

(No, not this Mr. Greedy! Image from here.)

Oh wow I had the excellent good fortune to have on this week some great Portland improv artists who responded to ridiculous suggestions I made about a "beloved radio serial" called The Adventures Of Mr Greedy.  They were sprinkled throughout the show but I thought I'd make them available here so you don't have the listen to the whole thing if you don't wanna.  They are linked below.

Episode 9: Mr. Greedy Has A Garage Sale
Episode 15: Mr. Greedy Goes To The Pharmacy
Episode 22: Mr. Greedy Goes On A Blind Date
Episode 43: Mr. Greedy Takes A Cab
Episode 51: Mr. Greedy Waits In Line
Episode 74: Mr. Greedy Gets Ready For Bed

Much thanks to Jeanne, Kevin, & Nora!

Self Help Radio 013123: Greed

(The original Bruegel print is here.)

One thing you should know about Self Help Radio's show about greed is that I never sampled that speech Michael Douglas' character gives in Wall Street. I meant to, I just never got around to it.

What I spent my time doing is editing several episodes of "Mr. Greedy," performed by members of a local improv group called The Grandpas. I don't know if that's a one-off name or that they'll continue to perform under that moniker, but they improvised different moments in Mr. Greedy's life. These are sprinkled throughout the show. I quite enjoyed their work.

Hardly anyone listens to or knows anything about Self Help Radio but it's nice that no-one involved - it's not just me! - is at all that greedy. I appreciate that. It makes a show about greed, a nasty emotion if there ever was one, much more fun & palatable than it ought to be.

Anyway, if you're one of those folks who may listen - & it's a tiny number - you can do so at both the KBOO website & at the Self Help Radio website. For the Self Help Radio website, you'll need a username (SHR) & a password (selfhelp). You can download the show!

Most everything that happens is below.

Self Help Radio Greed Show
"Greed" The Palace Guard _The Palace Guard_
"Greed" The Safes _Sight Of All Light_
"Greed" Stealing Sheep _Not Real_

introduction & definitions

"Politics Of Greed & Gain" Billy Childish & The Black Hands _The Original Chatham Jack_
"Greed Machine" La Luz _Floating Features_
"Love Without Greed" Graham Parker & The Rumour _The Up Escalator_
"Mr Greed" Barry Adamson _Know Where To Run_
"Greed Kills More People Than Whiskey" Tom T. Hall _Ol' T's In Town_

interview with Bunny Cavendish, daughter of the greediest man in America

"I'm A Greedy Man (Parts 1)" James Brown _Star Time_
"Greedy For Your Love" Donny Gerrard _Donny Gerrard_
"Give It To The Needy, Not The Greedy" The Nights _The Nights_
"Greedy For Your Love" The Checkmates Ltd _We Got The Moves_
"Don't Be Greedy" Cristina _Cristina_

interview with ethicist Dr. Dick Bentley

"So Greedy" 999 _Concrete_
"Designer Greed" The Rosehips _The Rosehips_
"We're Selfish & Lazy & Greedy" Go-Kart Mozart _Instant Wigwam & Igloo Mixture_
"The Greedy Ugly People" Hefner _We Love The City_
"Greedy Girls" The Move _Rappers Delight_

interview with writer of "The Gospel Of Greed" George Merrill

"Greed Is Good" Papa Brittle _Obey Consume Marry Reproduce_
"That Greedy Beat" Coldcut _Beats + Pieces_
"Selfish Greedy Life" Pinch & Shackleton _Pinch & Shackleton_
"Greedy People" The Electric Hippies _The Electric Hippies_
"Youth & Greed" Wolfsheim _55578_

Gary confesses a deeply personal moment of greed Ned Dry interrupts

"Greedy Gal" Derrick Morgan _Moon Hop: Best Of The Early Years 1960-69_
"Greedy Man" The Cimarons _On De Rock Part 2_
"You Too Greedy" Frankie Paul _Tidal Wave_
"Greedy Dog" Israel Vibration _Strength Of My Life_
"Greedy Little Deggie" U-Roy _Rebel In Styylle_

an explanation of the two Lewis Black bits with the same title that follow

"Greed" Lewis Black _Rules Of Enragement_
"Greed" Lewis Black _Stark Raving Black_

conclusion & goodbye

"Sanamba (The Greedy Hyena)" Moussa Diallo _Chiwara_
"Greedhead Detector" Julian Cope _20 Mothers_
"Love & Greed" Magneta Lane _Gambling With God_
"Greedy Stars" The Room In The Wood _The Room In The Wood_

Whither Greed?

(image from here.)

Sometimes, after long talks, I take some time to think about what was talked about. A common themes in recent conversations has been about family, & how one stays connected, & whose responsibility it is to maintain the relationship, & is it truly worth it if it's one-sided. I'm sure people talk about this all the time in different contexts than family. In any event, one of these conversations was about someone who seemed to only be interested in staying in touch if it somehow benefitted them in terms of things - gifts for holidays, birthdays, for the children, etc. In any other situation, this person didn't seem interested - as if there were no reason save for material ones to be close to another.

In short, this person was described to me as "greedy." & being me, & always thinking about radio shows, I wondered, "Are there enough songs about greed to make a radio show?" The answer is yes - an easier answer to the question posed above about keeping such relationships alive.

You can hear all about greed tonight on Self Help Radio from midnight to 3am Portland time on 90.7fm in town & online at kboo.fm. & don't be greedy - there's plenty of radio for everyone.

Preface To Greed: Hardly Ever Been Greedy

(Here's a picture of Greedo, from here.)

It may be self-serving to say I've never been greedy. I even was going to title this post "never been greedy." Then I remembered: I was a kid once.

In fact, as hard as it is to believe, I was a kid for the better part of the first few years of my life. I was a kid in a poor family, a family in which we didn't always have a well-stocked cupboard. Food was consumed as soon as it came into the house. So I suspect I could be quite greedy then.

In that sense I guess there was competition for food, but I don't recall many fights about it, which is funny, because my little brother & I rarely needed anything to fight about - we just fought.

It seems to me now like jealousy played a greater role in my childhood than greed did, & I wondered what the relationship between jealousy & greed was, so I did the search engine thing, & found on this web page these meanings:

Envy: Desiring what someone else has.

Greed: Desire something by itself.

Jealousy: Fear of losing something already in possession, involving a third party.

Not the most elegant of definitions, but it seems true enough. I can't remember a time when I came home & my brother was greedily eating a pizza by himself & I was jealous about it. But I would've been greedy too! 

Now I'm almost a senior citizen - when does that start, anyway?  The internets says 62.  I'm seven years away!  Holy shit!  Where was I.

Now I'm intolerably aged, I don't feel I am greedy about much. So why do a show about greed? Is it about Greedo? You dumb Star Wars nerd, are you doing a show because of Greedo? No, no. I'll tell you why tomorrow.