||||||||| Catherwood re-enters the Waiting Room and explains "This is the main discussion room which is logged each night." ||||||||| Catherwood announces, "The time is 4:32 AM - I now declare Thursday's chat log for February 12, 2026 officially open!"... and then, he retires back to the vestibule... ||||||||| Catherwood ushers Tweeny inside, makes a note of the time (8:00 PM), then fades off into the distance going on about the waiting room or the sitting room or something. ||||||||| New notice: '** WE'RE GLAD YOU MADE IT!! ** The Firesign Chat & Show starts at 7pm Eastern/6pm Central/5pm Mountain/4pm Pacific Tonight: Tracks from Firesign Theatre’s release of early live performances BEFORE THEY CHANGED THE WATER https://firesigntheatre.bandcamp.com/album/before-they-changed-the-water-live-1969-1971 Listen to the 256k stream at: http://listen.ehhh.us:8000/rfd2 or the 16k stream at: http://listen.ehhh.us:8000/rfd1 This show is archived at www.kurtericson.net/firesign | Cat’s collage archive is at www.kurtericson.net/cat' ||||||||| Tweeny hurries out the back door as Mayor P'nisnose blasts through the front door holding a shotgun and shouting "Where's Tweeny?! It's 8:00 PM and my ballot boxes haven't been stuffed yet!" ||||||||| Catherwood strides in with a trumpet, plays a fanfare, and proclaims "Nine PM on Thursday, February 12, 2026 - I now declare alt.comedy.firesgn-thtre's chat officially open!" -- then he looks around at the empty room, looks at his watch, and mumbles "...am I early?" ||||||||| Catherwood leads Kestrel74 in through the front door at 8:00 PM, picks up his cues (only slightly scorched), and heads for the billiard room. Kestrel74: Are those my cues ? Kestrel74: This must be the quietist room in the house Kestrel74: The door knocker fell off & I can't tell anyone until 7:00 ||||||||| Gusts of wind blow in from outside and the thumpa-thumpa-thumpa of helicopter blades is heard as Happy Panditt's chopper lands on the lawn and Cease falls out at 8:00 PM. Cease: As these Kestril's cues? Cease: Are ||||||||| Gusts of wind blow in from outside and the thumpa-thumpa-thumpa of helicopter blades is heard as Happy Panditt's chopper lands on the lawn and Deputy Dang disembarks at 8:00 PM. Cease: Hi ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "A stiff idiot is the worst kind." Kestrel74: 7:00 and Oil's Well. ||||||||| Catherwood walks in wearing his pyjamas, yawns, and mumbles "It's midnight here in New York city"...then he falls over and starts snoring loudly.. Deputy Dang: Howdy, Cease! Howdy, Kestrel74! ||||||||| Catherwood tiptoes into the room, and announces "Announcing 'cease 2', also known as 'Nancy' -- the time is 8:00 PM" -- then he slowly retires back into the sitting room... cease 2: There are now 2 of me. ||||||||| With a theatrical clearing of his throat, Catherwood pipes up: "8:00 PM and late as usual, it's Mutt (no Jeff), just back from Funfun Town." Kestrel74: Aww Deputy Dang has no friends cease 2: End of the girl restauarant cease 2: The tween voice. he said he won ||||||||| Catherwood ushers Beet inside, makes a note of the time (8:00 PM), then fades off into the distance going on about the waiting room or the sitting room or something. cease 2: tonigt Beet: Howdy, Pardners! cease 2: Beet cease 2: Beet Kestrel74: Hi Beat.....Nik here Deputy Dang: Howdy, Beet! Howdy, Mutt! Howdy, cease 2! Mutt (no Jeff): Hiya Beet, Cease, Deputy Nd Kestrel74! cease 2: Mutt Beet: Hi, cease, Deputy, Mutt, Kestrel. Deputy Dang: I have often wondered what it was like before they changed the water. Kestrel74: It was a Paisley colo Kestrel74: R cease 2: Have you all seen Bruce Snyder's visualization of Dwarf? Mutt (no Jeff): I guess we are sans Tween again tonight :( cease 2: There's a shot of Adam 13 with Ralph and Ida cease 2: Yes, he's working. cease 2: Hopefully soon on my play Mutt (no Jeff): He’s an honest lad that Tween cease 2: Indeed Deputy Dang: I have not seen it. Where is it available to watch? cease 2: He posted it on Youtube.Look up Bruce Snyder. I follow him on Facebook. ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "A stiff idiot is the worst kind." cease 2: Ossman is there too, giving him suggestions Kestrel74: Have fun on the funway....yippie tie one on. Mutt (no Jeff): G’nite K74 cease 2: we do our best Deputy Dang: Bruce Snyder's Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers "This Side" 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vediXVqWoao Mutt (no Jeff): Thanks Beet ||||||||| Courtney tiptoes in around 8:00 PM, trying to avoid Catherwood because of last week's "unpleasant incident." cease 2: HI Courtney Mutt (no Jeff): Bud Cort RIP Mutt (no Jeff): Hey Courtney cease 2: I didn't know I was in this. Mutt (no Jeff): Cease: Ha! Deputy Dang: Bruce Snyder's Don't Crush That Dwarf, "This Side" part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wT0qv01Tz4 cease 2: They actually mentioned me in one of thier XM shows. Mutt (no Jeff): Oops, thanks Deputy. cease 2: I did some work with our mutual friend Paul Krassner and they referred to that. cease 2: Old Firesign fan, Courtney? Mutt (no Jeff): Very very cool cease Beet: In the interest of transparency, it was Deputy who gave you the link, Mutt. Mutt (no Jeff): You are now part of the canon! cease 2: I was one of the founders of Adbusters and interviewed Paul in LA for that. cease 2: We remianed in touch until the week before his death. Deputy Dang: The veil of transparency is too gauche to wear in public. ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "Open up, your door knocker fell off!" Mutt (no Jeff): Beet: Yeah, that’s why I wrote oops. Apologies to both of yinz. cease 2: Paul and his wfie Really liked Adbusters. cease 2: The Joe Camerl bit on Immortality was inspire4d by an Adbusters spoof ad.,called Joe Chemo cease 2: What brings you here, Courtney? Deputy Dang: Howdy, Courtney! Mutt (no Jeff): When I was in college back in the 80s the Joe Camel (JC) stuffwas everywhere on campus cease 2: U of Maryland? Beet: Welcome, Courtney. Mutt (no Jeff): Yessir. College Park. cease 2: I just noticed: Lots of pussy. cease 2: there is always sometihng new to notice in Firesign. Mutt (no Jeff): FST does Redd Foxx XD cease 2: My late friend Steve Bishop was a history prof there in the 70s cease 2: lol, mutt Mutt (no Jeff): I just missed him, then. Deputy Dang: Especially in the live and rare recordings. But occasionally also in the ___ (commercial?) works, even after listening many times. cease 2: one of the smartest people i've ever met. Mutt (no Jeff): True Deputy cease 2: that's why i asked tween to play this now. we don't know it nearly well enough. cease 2: but that's true with an immense amount of Firesign, and I'm as immersed of it as anyone outside of Taylor Mutt (no Jeff): Great choice cease 2: I saw them live in 69, at the ash grove. share a joinit with the phils. cease 2: good year for me. had a radio show in Ottawa. ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "I have proof I've been to ancient Greece, look at this grape!" Mutt (no Jeff): The Fighting Otta-wah! cease 2: this is only Slightly different from the album cease 2: in 69, Austin was this Big guy, Pete much smaller. At the end of their lives, Phil had shrunk and Pete had vastly expanded. Odd. cease 2: film here, not on the album. cease 2: i remember playing this album on my radio show. quite a response Mutt (no Jeff): I’ve known people like that. Big guys slim down and skinny guys fill out. cease 2: they have a whole mushroom play plaiyng with the word Yucatan. Mutt (no Jeff): El Yucateco hot sauce … mmmmm cease 2: the Ukrainian play I'm working on now is called Smetana, the only word of Ukrainian I know. My grandmother, who spoke only Ukrainian, demanded I put more smetana, sour cream, in my borscht because I was too skinny. cease 2: that was 1965. i weight the same now. cease 2: You speak any Ukrainian, Courtney? Mutt (no Jeff): If ye don’t eat your borscht you can’t have any firesign! How can you have any firesign if you don’t eat your borscht?! cease 2: Eggs Ackly ||||||||| It's 12:30 AM, and that means it's time to play BEAT THE REAPER! And here's how our contestants did: ||||||||| Courtney - dead from Globner's disease ||||||||| Better luck next time! And now, back to our chatroom, which is already in progress... Mutt (no Jeff): Globner’s strikes again cease 2: we get people here often who just pass through, not reeally sure what this is ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "I think we're all Bozos on this bus." Mutt (no Jeff): Pretty much life, no? cease 2: lol cease 2: phil sure loves speaking russian Mutt (no Jeff): But I’m an old stoner so what the duck do I know Mutt (no Jeff): I admire his accent cease 2: i wouldn't know a good accent from a bad accent. Mutt (no Jeff): It’s a gas to sign this jazzy document Mutt (no Jeff): Accent grave over the e cease 2: Vince Guaraldi for me, please. Mutt (no Jeff): He was so good cease 2: did you hear my play CAST? cease 2: About his writing Cast your fate to the wind. Mutt (no Jeff): I do not believe so cease 2:https://s3.amazonaws.com/rfd-firesign/cat/CastComplete.mp3 Mutt (no Jeff): I have two lps by him so not real knowledgeable overall cease 2: this is gorgeous cease 2: i would suggest that Vince is the most listened to of any jass mucian in history. cease 2: Every mall, etc plays his Peanuts music every Christmas season. Mutt (no Jeff): You may be right. cease 2: they had a Lot of cease 2: Fun inventing TV stuff cease 2: i was a student at USC in 68. Studied radio production. Very good University. Mutt (no Jeff): Peanuts xmas was in, what, 64? So made 62-63? cease 2: Ossman lived near there as a youngen and that's where George Tirebiter comes from cease 2: 65 Mutt (no Jeff): In 68 I was in first grade with Sister Margaret XD cease 2: Cast was 62. Hearing it inspired the Peanuts animation guy to reach out to Vince for the Peanut music Mutt (no Jeff): Had no idea about that.interesting ||||||||| It's 12:45 AM, and that means it's time to play BEAT THE REAPER! And here's how our contestants did: ||||||||| Kestrel74 - dead from The Plague ||||||||| Better luck next time! And now, back to our chatroom, which is already in progress... Mutt (no Jeff): Plague has caught up to Globner on the back stretch Deputy Dang: I added Vince Guaraldi to my Spotify playlist. Mutt (no Jeff): Think you will enjoy it DD Deputy Dang: Spotify is listing the Peanuts songs first. I already know and like, those, just for growing up with them. cease 2: jazz musicians. minot synchronicity cease 2: minor Mutt (no Jeff): Me too. Really never gets old. Mutt (no Jeff): Minot … I’ve been there. ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "Let me hear it for me!" cease 2: i think the last episdoe was fillmed at my hightshcool, which was a motel in those days cease 2: latger, an episode of the X Files was filmed at my daughter's high school here in North Van cease 2: i just noticed that parallel Deputy Dang: Minot, North Dakota has been called the coldest city in the US. Mutt (no Jeff): Was when I visited a buddy in the USAF who was stationed there inthe 90s cease 2: go a few miles north to my native Saskatchewan if minot is not cold enough for you Deputy Dang: I visited it for a few days, with my wife, a few decades ago. I had depression then, and it wasn't a good time for either of us. It wasn't super cold. But I was, on the inside. cease 2: there's an actor, Harry Minot, whom we heard on my ossman collage last week. a friend of Doc Tech Mutt (no Jeff): I was there about72 hours in December. It was pretty cold and much darker earlier than I expected cease 2: have yhou been to alot of dark places? Deputy Dang: Yes, but the medication helped. cease 2: when i flew into Santa Fe after 10 in 24, it was surprisingly dark. apparently the whole town shuts down then Mutt (no Jeff): I like the dark … Mutt (no Jeff): DD: LOL! cease 2: have you seen the blackeness of La Tour? My fave painting is Joseph the Carpenter cease 2: lol, dd Mutt (no Jeff): That made me do a Charlie Callas and spew my drink cease 2:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftopic%2FSt-Joseph-the-Carpenter&ved=0CBUQjRxqFwoTCIDLoI2h1ZIDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAH&opi=89978449 cease 2: that's too long. just look up Joseph the Carpenter by de la tour. you'll see the image cease 2: i saw it when i first went to the Louvre with my wife and daughter in 1980. cease 2: Been to Paris twice since then, but both times that part of the Louvre was closed. Bummre cease 2: as soon as i saw it, i was flashed back to my grandfather's era, when it was just candles. he was born in 1855. Mutt (no Jeff): He was a light guy like vermeer. Lovely ||||||||| Catherwood enters the room, strikes a gong, and bellows "THE TIME IN NEW YORK IS 1 O'CLOCK", then silently exits. cease 2: i think it rarely possible to define why one likes a piece of art, but in this case, i really felt transported back in time Mutt (no Jeff): I took a number of art history courses in college because I didn’t know anything about art. I have been well repaid for my efforts. cease 2: in grassman tyson's facebook post today, he referred to a teen in france who can travel in time. Mutt (no Jeff): Dogs flew spaceships cease 2: i grew up in a house full of art in la inthe 50s-60s. my parents had many artist freinds cease 2: neal grass tyson? cease 2: with their minds Mutt (no Jeff): My parents hosted music parties where everyone played. But “art” art? Not much. Beet: Somebody said that the function of the artist is to make the viewer (or listener) to see things in a differenet way. cease 2: only to 10, mudhead cease 2: true, beet. but reality does that to the aware All The Time Deputy Dang: I took some informal art classes (pencil, and acrylic paint). I think I need to take a more formal one, just to force myself to work outside the classroom. cease 2: i considerf myself an audio artist and that's because i go to sleep and wake up with ideas for audio productions Beet: Reality is the Supreme Artist. cease 2: i have spend A Lot of Time over the years in art mussuems Mutt (no Jeff): My wife ia/was related to the sculptor and painter George Segal. He gave me a private tour of his studio once. I actually could talk with him about art because of what I hade been exposed to in college. cease 2: thihnkiing of going to istambul to see its art/architecture this fall cease 2: also, revel in its food. cease 2: it is supposed to be a city in love with cats. i look forward to that. Deputy Dang: it falls every year in istanbul Mutt (no Jeff): Lol Deputy Dang: A former co-worker with a minor in art (or art history, I'm not sure which) recommends the Time-Life series for patients who chew gum. https://www.amazon.com/time-life-library-art-complete/dp/b000rlp1c4 Beet: Well,folks, time to go. This was fun. Nice to see everyone. Y'all have a good weekend. G'Nite. Deputy Dang: Goodnight, Beet! I hope to see you next week! cease 2: by beet Mutt (no Jeff): Be well Beet! Deputy Dang: I wonder what it would have been like to attend a FS performance and experience everyone around you laughing and applauding at things that aren't immediately impressive. cease 2: never done it, dang? cease 2: when i saw then in 69, it was like that Mutt (no Jeff): The audience mood plays a big part in all that cease 2: this our job, eh? Mutt (no Jeff): Yep cease 2: i write a tiny number of plays, but i've watched or listened to many Mutt (no Jeff): The subconscious gets a lot of this stuff before the conscious do cease 2: a radio artist is someone who requires an audience, not so with other arts cease 2: painters dont need an audience and dont' paint in need of one, usually Mutt (no Jeff): I think stage performers need their immediate audience, too Mutt (no Jeff): But stage and radio are different beasts ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "Won't spurt like the hosers!" cease 2: doestn have a bottom. reminds me of the borges story about the coin that only had one side cease 2: stage most of all cease 2: i began on the stage in 59 Mutt (no Jeff): But both are initially immediate art forms Deputy Dang: I'm not too young to have seen them, but I didn't know they were more than albums for a long time. And then, as they say... life got in the way. cease 2: bummer cease 2: iwas in japan for most of the 70s-80s so was unaware of firesign producttions in those years Mutt (no Jeff): Not to worry DD. The albums and recorded shows shall see thee through cease 2: this chat show has a vast amount of firesign stuff if you scroll the arhcives Mutt (no Jeff): They have left us an enormous amount of material cease 2: Immense cease 2: and proc and oss still produce cease 2: methedrine. ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "What is reality?" Mutt (no Jeff): Truly, maybe someday they will be rediscovered and revered even more cease 2: inshallah cease 2: if you can't laugh at it, it's got you under its control Deputy Dang: I'm texting with the friend who told me about the Time-Life art series. I told her I don't know that I'd read through them to be worth buying the set. It's kind of that way with the FST archives. I know there's gold in them thar hills, but I'm a lazy fuck who will never be rich. cease 2: i asked phil about this line in our interview for the stage show cease 2: his answer was very Interesting. Mutt (no Jeff): At your own pace and your own time DD cease 2: dang, there is more online and in the archives that you can delve into if you live forever Mutt (no Jeff): And what is rich? And who cares? Enjoy cease 2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxaWBG3GonM Mutt (no Jeff): Good one cease cease 2: vegas has been very important to me the last 15 years. my play Vegas/Egypty is set there. Deputy Dang: Wow--a quick glance at that opening shot, and I can't immediately distinguish Phil from Dave. cease 2: rich is being able to do what you want and avoiding starvation Mutt (no Jeff): Been there twice. Not my cup of java but it works for many. cease 2: do you know a lot of gun owners? in my many years in the states, i never met them Deputy Dang: Cease, have you seen Penn and Teller? That's another group I haven't seen, but wish for. Mutt (no Jeff): I don’t think so but I really don’t know cease 2: listen to my play, mutt. https://seemreal.com/seemreal-selections.html Deputy Dang: My ex-wife and my quasi-girlfriend both own handguns and have a "concealed carry" license. cease 2: i was in nyc in 2010 recording a kind of addition of berman's rfo podcast and went to a lot of the city's best restaurant. cease 2: my friends told me to go to vegas. i told them gambling is alien to me, but they said the food there is best in the world. it was Deputy Dang: I know a former marine who owns at least an AK47. cease 2: i have a freind in orange county who has a lot of guns. just not my thing. cease 2: have you ever fired a gun? Mutt (no Jeff): I passed through both times on way to Zion and Bryce parks, so can’t really say that I experienced the city. But it was enough. Deputy Dang: I fired a BB/pellet gun when I was around 12. I haven't fired a real firearm of any kind. Mutt (no Jeff): I have at a local gun range and in the wilds of Wyoming. Both times as an invited guest. Not my thing. cease 2: we were in his room rolling jays with this big gun on the table next to the dope and his big cat prowlig through. i asked if he were afraid of the cat knocking over the gun and he said no. Mutt (no Jeff): That’s a little scary cease 2: my big cat knocked over and broke my copier and good camera. he died. i miss him more than the appliances Mutt (no Jeff): That’s terrible. Poor little guy. Deputy Dang: I hung out at the gun range when my wife (now ex) was doing her exercises. I was mildly interested in shooting clay pigeons, but not enough to sign up. cease 2: things are getting better, bergman says here in 1970. wonderful observation cease 2: one of my favourite writers, rebecca solnit, had a great post yesterday about that. Mutt (no Jeff): DD: I get it completely. Bith times I did it I was a member of a wedding party and felt like I couldn’t say no. Did not enjoy any of it. ||||||||| Catherwood enters with llanw close behind, grumbles something about disrupting his 8:00 PM tree-stunting plans, and rushes off to the sitting room. llanw: glld evenkng Deputy Dang: You've mentioned Rebecca Solnit before. I'm sure I looked/listened/watch something of hers after your mention, but don't recall it now. Deputy Dang: Howdy, llanwydd! Mutt (no Jeff): The Welshman! cease 2:https://www.meditationsinanemergency.com/auspicious-omens-and-excellent-insubordination/ cease 2: Hey llan cease 2: i did 2 collages based on her work. llanw: sorry agour rhe spellinng cease 2: she is one writer i'd love to meet Deputy Dang: spelling is overrated cease 2: so is sperring Mutt (no Jeff): Lol
Deputy Dang says spellinng is overated cease 2: mutts in the back cease 2: so are all the cardinals cease 2: i bsarely know who he was, but lenny bruce has a riff about cardinal spelling Deputy Dang: I recognize Lenny Bruce's importance to progress, but I don't find his work humorous. cease 2: llan, i'm doing a lot of production on Smetana now. redordeing sound effects in the absence of doc cease 2: no one can tell anyone else what they would find funny cease 2: i sent tween some stuff and if he can pruuce it, Smetana is on its way Deputy Dang: I'm pretty sure it changes with age, also. I've looked on YouTube for comedians I thought funny when I was young. I know it's not as funny the second time, but I think my perspective has changed, also. cease 2: ture, dang cease 2: true cease 2: hope to have new colage about maria bamford next week cease 2: i think we're all bamfords on this bus Deputy Dang: I look forward to it. I recognize her name, and _think_ I remember her. I'm on the bamford bus. Deputy Dang: Good night all! ||||||||| Catherwood enters the room, strikes a gong, and bellows "THE TIME IN NEW YORK IS 2 O'CLOCK", then silently exits. cease 2: hard at work on other plays too so i'l try and get it done by next week. ||||||||| It's 2:00 AM, and that means it's time to play BEAT THE REAPER! And here's how our contestants did: ||||||||| llanw - dead from the common cold ||||||||| Better luck next time! And now, back to our chatroom, which is already in progress... Mutt (no Jeff): Thanks Tween and Cease and everyone. ||||||||| Catherwood interjects: "You first bag will be your last." ||||||||| Catherwood says "8:00 PM, time for SOMEONE to leave!", grabs Deputy Dang by the collar and gives 'em the old bum's rush out the door cease 2: ofrf we go. ||||||||| "Hey Mutt (no Jeff)!" ... Mutt (no Jeff) turns, and sees Bradshaw approching with the handcuffs, and is dragged away, screaming "it's only 8:00 PM, I don't have to go yet!"... ||||||||| At 8:00 PM, cease 2 vanishes mysteriously -- just as Nino the Mind Boggler predicted! ||||||||| It's 2:15 AM, and that means it's time to play BEAT THE REAPER! And here's how our contestants did: ||||||||| Cease - dead from dengue fever ||||||||| Better luck next time! And now, back to our chatroom, which is already in progress... ||||||||| Catherwood enters the room, strikes a gong, and bellows "THE TIME IN NEW YORK IS 3 O'CLOCK", then silently exits. ||||||||| Catherwood enters the room, strikes a gong, and bellows "THE TIME IN NEW YORK IS 4 O'CLOCK", then silently exits. ||||||||| It's 4:00 AM, and that means it's time to play BEAT THE REAPER! And here's how our contestants did: ||||||||| Beet - dead from the common cold ||||||||| Better luck next time! And now, back to our chatroom, which is already in progress... ||||||||| Catherwood enters, and announces to all and sundry "It's 4:31 AM, time to change the log file and clean out unused rooms; please exit the chat room for a minute or two. Thank you for your patience."
The Evening's Participants:
Beet
cease 2
Cease
Deputy Dang
Kestrel74
llanw
Mutt (no Jeff)
