In another thread, we heard the story of "Bunky", the perennial loser and butt of the jokes of a regular comedian at the Claridge Casino in Atlantic City. "Bunky" became so popular they named a watering-hole after him, the "Bunky Tavern", a costumed "Bunky" slunk through the building to amuse the guests, and a "Bunky Booth" dispensed "Bunky coupons", no doubt to encourage Bunky fans to emulate Bunky's losing ways. The comedian billed himself as the "Foolosopher".

If Bunky had a Foolosophy, what would it be? Let's give it a try:

This time its different.
One more can't hurt.
Don't buckle up, double down.
This is my chance to break-even.
Things can't get any worse.

Anyone care to add to Bunky's Fool-proof Foolosopy?

There was a radio comedian in Boston in the twenties whose peroration was:"You can't fool me, I'm too ignorant."

You can't fool me, I'm too ignorant
Yes, there is wisdom in that. And who said:
"Convince a fool against his will, he's of the same opinion still."

P.S. Have you ever heard the "greater fool" theory of momentum investing? The last one in is the "greatest fool" and the last one out is a genius.

The Enron "geniuses" are taking the 5th.

. Alexander Pope
said: "Men must be taught as if you taught them not - And things unknown proposed as things forgot."
Lord Chesterfield said: "Be wiser than other people if you can; but do not tell them so."

a man i know -- when confronted with logic, or facts that he did not like, would respond:
Don't try to confuse me with the facts, I have already made up my mind!

and that was the end of any discussion of the matter. sounds like a foolosophy to me.

"Many that are wits in jest are fools in earnest."
-- B. Franklin ?


"Sir, I admit your general rule,
that every poet is a fool.
Yet you yourself may serve to show it,
that every fool is not a poet."
-- A. Pope


k

a man i know -- when confronted with logic, or facts that he did not like, would respond:
Don't try to confuse me with the facts, I have already made up my mind!

Helen, I'd think every one of us has certain issues on which he or she takes that attitude. At least one can admire your friend's ironic self-deprecation in admitting it!

be wiser ... but do not tell them so
In the same vein: "Even a fool can be taken for a wise man until he opens his mouth."

And: "Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish." [If only "the elves" could speak!]

This is all I could locate on the web about Eddie lawrence so far that has enough information to paste over. I was hoping to find some of his old routines in print. Evidently there are also some MP3 recordings of his comedy routines from the '50s available if you wanna dig for them.

Site's titled: Notes from Me, but the url is endless (I've got it bookmarked if anyone wants it)

The tall, long-limbed male dancer is the late Will B. Able, who appeared for years in TV variety shows and kids' specials. And one of the burley-Q comics is played by the wonderful Eddie Lawrence. Eddie, with whom I had the joy of working once, is a multi-talented gent. He has written for and starred on Broadway...he has done cartoon voices and he paints (he inherited the studio of his dear pal, Zero Mostel). Beyond all that, he's best known for the comedy records on which he played his immortal character, The Old Philosopher. ("Is that what's botherin' you, Bunky?")

I found one! on Phrase Finder:

and the one with Bunky was by Eddie Lawrence entitled "The Old Philosopher".
: Lots of hits but no lyrics yet.

I guess you can tell its been a very very slooooow day today at work.

Here are the partial lyrics to one of the Philosopher songs. I saw that there were a series of Philosopher recordings.

Hello, there, my friend.
You say your old man dressed up as Santa Claus and can't get his belly
through the fireplace?
And you hang up a purple bulb on the tree and three thousand volts go
through ya?
And your brother made an animal cage out of your Erector set, and Grandma
can't get out?
And someone opened a window while you're sortin' stamps and all your triangles
are flying around the house?
And one of your gifts, a strange little shiny box, suddenly takes off and is
now circling the earth at twelve-hundred miles-an-hour?

Is that what's troublin' you, bunky?!?

WELL, PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN LOW AND TAKE A RUN FOR IT!! YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP...NEVER GIVE UP...NEVER GIVE UP.....

THAT SHIP!!!

Yes! Now I remember! That was his classic sign-off, "Never Give Up...", and he always performed these "lyrics" to background musical accompaniment that was forlorn, exagerratingly sad.

Bunky never gives up
U gotta luv him.