h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I wasn't angling for non-Catholic saints...we've got plenty to choose from here.

And I agree about the martyrdom business. In that regard, I think Bertolt Brecht got it right when he defended Galileo for refusing to be a martyr to his ideas.

Galileo more or less said: if I don't die for this idea, does it mean the earth DOESN'T go around the sun? I rest my case.

Now, I do kind of like saint Brecht. Because he took the piss out of everyone with a straight face, and they thought he was being serious. If there's a space in the calendar let's make the 6th of September Saint Bertold's Day. I also liked his idea of having massive blocks of ice in the theatre.

While we're at it, let's make the 7th of September Saint Beckett's day. Like saint Bertold, he took the piss out of everybody while keeping a straight face, but unlike him, he's got a sense of humour. He's one of the few playwrights I'd like to tickle.

Good choices both.

I know a funny story about Brecht. A professor told it to us. It seems HIS professor knew Brecht when he was in the US.

Allegedly, they were all at some academic soiree when the host went on a rant about the HUAC. They were accusing all these people of being Communists, he raged, and many of them were not guilty.

To which Brecht replied, straight-faced, 'The less guilty they are, the more they deserve it.'

As the story went, the host completely misunderstood that remark, and threw Brecht out of his house.

Brecht took the mickey out of the HUAC, too. Let me see if I can find it...

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Brecht_HUAC_hearing_(1947-10-30)_transcript

Listen to the transcript.

Damn, these premature anti-fascists.

I'm running behind! I'll have to do one for yesterday and one for today, now.

(I've decided weekends don't count and I get to declare my own new saints for weekends. It's a bit like the queen handing out knighthoods on her birthday. )

I'm not doing any of today's, either. It's a pity, because I did have a good one. Involving funny stories, interpretation, translation, staves, and .

I forgot about saints for quite a few days. I was busy with more important things.