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Volume 33, Issue 1:
The HEURISTIC! Squelch

The Magic School Bus and the Bancroft/Telegraph Bus Stop

Ms. Frizzle fluttered whimsically into her 3rd grade class and said to the students, “Today we’re taking a field trip to the most wonderful place!”

“But Ms. Frizzle, its 3 o’clock. School is over.” Michelle noted.

“We don’t need clocks where we’re going GAA Outer Space! You may remember our last journey through the cosmos. But as time goes on, new discoveries are made. We have to go back there because I left my anger medication on Uranus.”

The children giggled, but Ms. Frizzle’s empty glass of whiskey shattering against the wall abruptly silenced them. “Please children, that joke is very immature. Now everybody gather your cardboard space helmets and forge your parents’ hold-harmless signatures, because we’re taking the Magic School Bus back to Outer Space!”

The children scratched their heads and looked worriedly at each other, but without delay, Ms. Frizzle grabbed her broom and swept the cluster of children into the Magic School Bus. And the rockets of the Magic School Bus propelled Ms. Frizzle’s class through the sky, faster and faster toward the last frontier!

But the bus immediately stopped on College Avenue.

“Ms. Frizzle, what just happened?” asked Patty.

Ms. Frizzle looked rather stumped. “It appears as though some mystical twist of fate has diverted us toward the land of public transportation GAA beautiful downtown Berkeley!”

Ms. Frizzle proceded to educate the children to keep the vein in her forehead from exploding.

“But I wanna go to space and be a spaceman,” moaned Jimmy.

“Now children, this city can be very educational. For you see, Berkeley is a bustling metropolitan city inhabited by chaps who tire of dealing with the nagging one-way streets, severe parking shortages, and piggish parking enforcement. So public transpor-tation becomes a natural way of life for college students, those without cars, crazy poor people, and the bus driver’s homies. And we’ll be picking all of them up in just a moment!”

One painfully swift left turn later, Ms. Frizzle shouted to her 3rd grade class, “Next stop, Telegraph!” And the Magic School Bus opened its bright yellow doors to the blackened and melancholic introversion of the Berkeley fellows. Ms. Frizzle was so excited that her drymouth had temporarily subsided.

“I should warn you all about disturbing the students. They are the busiest people in the world, and so wrapped up in their studies that there’s not enough time to give attention to any lowly children. Study five minutes in this nook, read ten minutes in this cranny GAA that’s the daily routine of a Berkeley student!

Ms. Frizzle smiled gleefully at the scars on her wrists.

“Notice all the silent tension in the bus right now, children. The grown-ups frown bitterly upon the students, because their very presence is keeping the entire city alive. And while they will go on to be multiple times as successful, the locals will be left behind with the bus to get around town. Watching the animosity build as the students squeeze every drop of life out of this place is so exciting!”

But Ms. Frizzle was wrong, for a disheveled man with a trash bag soon broke the silence with lighthearted conversation.

“Hi there little boy. Do you taste like children?”

“MS. FRIZZLE!”

“Now Gregory, it’s impolite to not let the nice hobo gnaw on your knuckles.”

Gregory trembled as the man licked his lips. “Yes, Ms. Frizzle.”

And as the Magic School Bus drove on its merry way, one of the students took time out of his busy schedule to ask Ms. Frizzle a question: “Hey, what happened to the 51?”

“Ey sista, what the fuck we doin’ floating around in space?”

The driver only honked her horn in reply, “Goddang asteroid, get out the damn way!”

“Hey excuse me, I requested a stop.” a passenger called.

“Fine, get the hell off!” She opened the doors and the passenger was swiftly sucked out into space, where his head exploded in a wondrous burst.

“Next stop GAA Uranus. An’ quit yo’ fuckin’ giggling n’ shit!”

Miles Davis: Practical Joker

Miles Davis is more than a jazz musician: he is a cultural icon, known even to people who can’t tell bebop from fusion. His mellifluous style and rich spontaneous compositions became the hallmark of his style and attitude. Although he is known as the creator of Hard-bop and the perfecter of “cool”, it was not known until recently that he also had a weakness for practical jokes. Below are some scenes that did not appear in any of his many biographies, yet nonetheless reveal the jocund side of a very private man.

Scene 1: The Studio

Bill Evans: [setting up piano] Sorry I was late guys.

Miles: No problem, Bill. Say, why don’tcha play that tune you were playing for us the other night?

Evans: Huh? Oh, it really wasn’t that good.

Miles: Nah, it was good. [chuckling]

Evans: Really? You think it was good?

Miles: Oh yeah. [looks to other band members, who also chuckle] Yeah it was good.

Evans: [Begins to play first few bars of the “Tootsie Roll Song”. Miles slams the piano cover down on his fingers] Ohyeee!

Miles: [Everyone in the studio erupts into laughter] Ha! Cracker!

Scene 2: At the Bar

Cannonball Adderley: Has anyone seen Coltrane?

Miles: Yeah. I seen ’em. [giggles into sleeve]

Adderley: What’d you do?

Miles: Nothing. He’s out back. He’s got a little business to attend to, that’s all.

Adderley: Miles, if you’re playing one of your stupid jokes on me…

Miles: Oh calm down, Cannonball. [giggling] You’re going to love this.

Adderly: What? [Coltrane is heard screaming in the background] Shit! What’s going on back there?

Miles: [Downs martini] I switched his heroin with sugarwater! [starts laughing out loud and slapping his leg]

Scene 3: The Jazz Festival

Miles: Dizzy, have you tried out this new tar reed? The sound is so smooth.

Dizzy Gillespie: “Tar reed”? I ain’t never heard of it.

Miles: Oh, it’s the newest thing. Here, try this out. [gives trumpet to Dizzy]

Dizzy: [_Puts trumpet to his mouth and plays a section from _”Night in Tunisia”]

Miles: You like? Dizzy: [Tries to remove trumpet, which is now stuck to his lips. Begins to struggle]

Miles: [laughing] Hey, why don’t you play “Night with a trumpet stuck to my lips“! Ha!

Scene 4: Private Party

Miles: [Covering phone receiver] Hey, Herbie. [Waving] Herbie!

Herbie Hancock: Yeah? Miles: Hey, come here. I don’t know how to tell you this but — there’s been an accident. Your mom died.

Herbie: What? Miles: There was an accident on the inter-state and… I’m sorry man.

Herbie: [frantic] Where is she? Who was on the phone?

Miles: No, they just hung up. She’s at the Kaiser hospital. It’s on 25th and Main.

Herbie: [takes jacket] I’m coming momma! [runs out door]

Miles: Is he gone?

Ella Fitzgerald: Yes.

Miles: [bursts into guffaws of laughter] I can’t believe he fell for that!

Fitzgerald: What? Oh Miles, don’t tell me that was a joke.

Miles: [still laughing] Oh yeah! I can’t believe how gullible he is. Kaiser’s on 28th and Main. I hope he finds it before they bury his mom.

Charlie Parker: Oh Miles.

Waffle Iron Defeats Mark Thomas

In an industrial-strength waffle iron, a waffle cooks in three minutes, burns in five, and humiliates in ten. The beautiful metamorphosis from batter to delicious breakfast dish relies on a delicate balance mediated by the iron cocoon. The following is a warning; a message from the dark grid of the waffle maker: created by man, used by man, but not controlled by man. In the realm of waffles, the iron is king and we, the humble subjects of Awfulwaffulonia, are at its mercy.

Friday, 8:00 PM

Craving for the robust breakfast experience only a waffle can deliver overwhelms Mark Thomas. Fasting begins in preparation.

Saturday, 1:00 PM

Past the sacred hour of indulgence, a groggy Mark Thomas, disoriented from oversleeping, spends the remainder of the day waxing waffles.

Sunday, 11:00 AM

Mark enters line for waffle makers. Judging of maker etiquette ensues. Special attention is given to fucking idiots. Mark jokingly asks person in front of him if he’s sure he doesn’t want some French Toast or something.

-11:05 AM

Batter selection process begins.

-11:07.30 AM

Batter selected, batter disk poured. Mark: +1

-11:08 AM

Mark checks progress. Status: undone. Mark concludes that this must be a “slow” iron, proceeds to contemplate how much better slow irons are than fast ones.

-11:10 AM

Mark turns iron on. Iron: +1

-11:12 AM

Anxious to maintain prominent status in the Waffle community, Mark checks waffle prematurely, upper and lower hemicakes separated in the process. Mark grunts loudly, makes visible effort to display annoyance at such a rookie error. Ends up looking like he takes this sort of thing too seriously, which he doesn’t, really. He’s just careful about it. That’s all. Mark: -1

-11:13 AM

Mark threatens iron with talk of pancakes. Mark: +1

-11:15 AM

Cafeteria Ironmaster tells Mark to remove waffle. Frustrated onlookers grunt in primitive approval. Iron: +1

-11:16-11:20 AM

Mark peels paper-thin waffle shavings from Iron’s unforgiving grid. Victory: Iron

-11:30 AM

River of tears silently bathes conciliatory slice of French Toast, powdered sugar does little to sweeten bitter taste of defeat. Iron: +.5

Writer Drunk

This just into the newsroom: I am so wasted. Some friends and I landed at a topless bar and some chick picked up dollar bills with her ass. We beered lots of orders and shots. I got hammered. I mean like MC hammer on crack type hammered.

Actually, I am drunk right now, exactly at this instance of now. Shit, I must have drank like 9 beers, and like 2 shots, and spent like 15 pitchers and like 50 dollars. A wise investment, like Enron, I want 50 more shares. If only I were now sober I could sleep. But my bed hurts when I lay in sleep. I just need to water my drink, huh?

“Man I’m drunk,” I said in a press conference to myself. “How could a man get so drunk?” an important scientist wondered.

Beer and more beer, can I have some beer? Damn this shit. You suck so bad.

Oh wait man, I can’t hate on a homie. You’re the best. I’ve known you since 2 paragraphs ago. Let’s go to a titty bar sometime.

Researchers Seek Subjects for New Study on Sexuality

Researchers at the Pi Kappa Alpha Institute have put out an open call for test subjects to participate in a groundbreaking experiment on human sexuality. Citing a recent lack of “hot poonar”, the scientists have taken it upon themselves to find a cure for a disease they describe as having symptoms of blue testicles. The testicles are assumed to be infected.

Females, and only females, are welcomed to take part in this seminal study.

In phase one, 400 milliliters of alcohol is to be administered to the test subjects in the form of Midori Sours. The researchers will then pretend to record the reactions of the test subjects on official-looking clipboards, all the while thinking about something else entirely, possibly foosball. When forty-five minutes have passed, phase two will hopefully begin, according to study organizers. When asked what phase two consists of, researchers responded with a series of hand motions mimicking copulation and a chorus of cheers and high fives. “Oh yeeeee-ah!!” proclaimed one Timothy “Tim dog” Watkins. When asked about their credentials, the researchers responded by saying that “one of [them] is thinking about pre-med.”

Should no females report for the experiment, males will be accepted.

Childhood Jokes Rewritten as Editorial Commentary on American War Criminals

Two traveling salesmen and Henry Kissinger are walking down the road. It’s getting dark, so they stop at a farmhouse. They go up to the door and ask the farmer if they can stay the night. He says yes, but they have to sleep in the barn, and they aren’t allowed to touch his daughters, or undermine socialist governments in South America.

So they go to sleep, and during the night, the farmer’s three daughters sneak into the barn, and the travelers can’t resist, even Kissinger, though he also sneaks into the house and makes a long-distance call to a Chilean general in the middle of things. The farmer bursts in with a shotgun and catches them with the girls, and immediately marches them out to his field.

When they get out there, the farmer orders them to go out and pick ten of their favorite fruit. The two salesmen come back, carrying grapes and plums. The farmer tells them, “Now shove them up your ass.” The guys try, but they keep looking out at the field and cracking up, and the fruit falls out.

They get as many as nine, but are overcome with laughter.

The farmer looks at them and says, “Look, you’re free to go once you get all ten up there. You were so close. What is so god-damn funny?”

The first salesman says, “Kissinger’s picking watermelons!”

And the second says, “And ordering the assassination of Salvador Allende!”


Knock knock.

Who’s there?

The illegal secret bombing of Cambodia.

The illegal secret bombing of Cambodia who?

Knock knock.

Who’s there?

The illegal secret bombing of Cambodia.

The illegal secret bombing of Cambodia who?

Knock knock.

Who’s there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you glad Henry Kissinger never had to face charges for the illegal secret bombing of Cambodia?!?


A salesman knocked on the door of Little Johnny Kissinger’s house in December of 1975. Little Johnny answered the door.

“Johnny, is your father, Henry Kissinger, there?” he asked.

“He ain’t home. He be out with President Suharto, approving Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor, even though the military action be illegal and Indonesia be using U.S.-supplied military equipment.” Johnny replied.

“‘He be out’? ‘Indonesia be using’? Johnny, where’s your grammar?”

“She ain’t home either.”

Two Second Mystery

Investigators were briefly baffled by a mysterious suicide Thursday. A man had hung himself from a rafter in the ceiling– without any obvious stool to stand on and kick away. “We were kind of puzzled for, like, 30 seconds,” said Inspector Holohan, “then we noticed the pool of water underneath him and were like ‘Oh, hey, melting block of ice, like in Two-Minute Mysteries.”’ Two-Minute Mysteries was a popular book of short “missing clue” detective stories for children. However, according to the Inspector, some mysteries remain unresolved. “Was this guy a fan of Two-Minute Mysteries and wanted to re-enact it or something? Or did he really think standing on a big block of ice was a good way to end it? There’s plenty of stools in his house, so that wasn’t an issue.” The Inspector then turned the body around to check his answer.

Three Kings: Checked Out

Video store patron John Gretchen’s hopes of renting the late-90’s hit movie Three Kings were sadly crushed last Saturday night when he arrived at his nearest rental location only to find that the film was checked out. “I just suddenly remembered how cool of a movie it was,” said a disheartened Gretchen. “For some reason, I was really in the mood to see it.”

According to video rental authorities,Gretchen was hardly alone. Customers reportedly meandered into video stores across the nation on the evening of March 21 and began depleting the already sparse reserves of the movie. “We aren’t equipped to handle a rush of this magnitude,” said Blockbuster manager Rick Holloway. “Maybe for Harry Potter. Maybe.

Experts attribute the explosion of interest to the outbreak of war in the Middle East. “People want to learn more about the Middle East,” said wartime analyst Nancy Yin. “This movie is something that Americans can relate to. Sure, it may have little to do with the actual Gulf War, but people like gold thieves with good intentions.”

Also attributed to the outbreak of war in the Middle East were sticky kitchen floors and overcast days.

Responding to the event, average guy/director Jerry Bruckheimer announced “secret plans” for a sequel to the movie. “This is an important subject,” said Bruckheimer, “and, you know, I want to do my part in bringing it to the attention of the public.” Bruckheimer later commented that there would be a few “surprises” in store for Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the upcoming film, including a shirtless anti-gravity fistfight with Vin Diesel and a space shuttle chase through the streets of Baghdad.

The Moderate’s Hell or Heaven?

As a political moderate, I have it really tough. I have found that I am often torn between two sides of my personality: my conservative, semi-balding briefcase-toting self, and my unbathed, salad-eating, pot-smoking self. Often times, both sides seem to make really good points and I find myself left with no answers, bitter and confused. Yet through all the polarized debates my mind seems to struggle with, I always find a way to resolve the issue.

Affirmative Action

Conservative: Affirmative action is a racist institution that reinforces discrimination in our society today.
Liberal: Society is a racist institution!
Me: Your mother is a racist institution Biatch!


SARS

Conservative: I’ve been forced to cancel a business trip to China.
Liberal: I’ve been forced to cancel any joint passing till this clears up.
Me: Ok, fine. Jeezus, I’ll start washing my hands.


Rainforest Destruction

Liberal: We need to protect our rainforests! They protect the world’s biodiversity and are the earth’s lungs.
Conservative: We need to protect my Starbucks coffee from those pussy organic vegan environmentalists!
Me: I like rainforests! They have monkeys in them.


Legalizing Pot

No confusion on that shit.


The City of Berkeley

Liberal: This city is so pleasant. Pleasant to the millionth degree. So pleasant it would take the most pleasant city in the world and punch it in the teeth. It would so fuck up any other city so bad!
Conservative: Fuck this place is dirty. Where’s the mall? What’s a one way street? Why is that guy talking to himself? This place makes me sick.
Me: You know what I love? Stuffing my pockets with drugs, cash, and pizza/more drugs then sprinting through People’s Park. Catch me if you can mother bitches!


The Daily Californian

Conservative: Jesus, that magazine blows ass.
Liberal: Can’t argue with that.
Everyone On the Berkeley Campus: Count us in!
Me: Then we are all in agreement.


B.B. King

Conservative: He is the King of Rock
Liberal: No you dumb shit, he’s the King of Blues, Elvis is the King of Rock.
Me: Caesar was the king of salad dressings!


Drinks

Conservative: I’ll take a single malt scotch. Something from the highlands.
Liberal: FREE WEED!
Me: I’ll take a Hand Job, then Sex on the Beach. For a drink I’ll have wine.


The Perfect Date

Conservative: Well, a romantic dinner at the nicest restaurant in town, then a walk along the beach.
Liberal: Pot brownies and love-making, then Indian libido tea.
Me: August 17th! My perfect Birth Date!

Interview With Ronnie

Heuristic Squelch: Well, we at the Heuristic Squelch would first like to thank you for this grand opportunity to interview you, the 40th President of the United States. We understand you have been a little under the weather lately. However, we know many Americans keep you dear in their hearts and think of you daily. I hope that this interview will bring them all a bit closer to the greatest world leader of the 1980’s.

Ronald Reagan: [dropping Raggedy Ann doll] Mush mush!!! MUSH potato!

HS: Hmmm. So, let’s get started. You once said you “learned in Washington, that that’s the only place where sound travels faster than light.” [laughs] Well, that’s a pretty witty thing to say, and we’re impressed the former President of the United States is up to date with his laws of physics. Do you still feel politicians need to be extra critical about what they say? Or is the speed of light now a little faster than when you remember? If you catch my drift.

RR: Pretty boy in my room. It’s a pretty boy in my room. Come play pretty boy. [holds out carrot]

HS: Carrot. No thanks. Yeah, I guess I do have a striking physical presence and sense of style. That’s a kind observation, Mr. Reagan. Or should I call you Mr. President, or former Mr. President Reagan? I’ve never been good about talking to prior Presidents. The etiquette seems so strange. Anyways, please do stay focused upon the task at hand and answer my questions.

RR: [licking curtains]

HS: I’m sure you’re aware, or maybe you’re not, that the world is very much in disarray right now. We have looming threats across the globe. And it’s at times like these that we look to our national leaders. You played a crucial role in stabilizing gas prices and destabilizing the countries in the Middle East in the 80’s. How can we best do that today?

RR: Sssh! Talky talky make me sweepy.

HS: I’m starting to get the feeling that you’re not exactly following the purpose of today’s interview. We’re here to honor you [pointing] by reminiscing upon past glories. Masquerading as a little boy in an old man’s body isn’t exactly going to win you points in this country. [Nancy Reagan brings tray with mashed potatoes and gravy]

RR: Baafftime! Ya-ya-ya. [dumps gravy on own head]

HS: That’s pretty ridiculous. You’ve dumped the tray of food your poor wife prepared all over yourself. You’re drenched with gravy. How could I possibly proceed with this interview? Do you honestly expect me to dump gravy on my head? That is preposterous. I come from a breed of professional journalists. That is not our style, Mr. Reagan.

RR: Making new friends! [smiles, hugs Nancy, smears gravy off head on to her blouse]

HS: Well, you haven’t made any friends on this side of the table. I’m sorry to say this, but how my parents could have voted for you is beyond me. It’s no wonder you sent this nation to the brink of nuclear war and economic disaster. No offense Mrs. Reagan, but my patience has been tested thoroughly.

Nancy Reagan: He’s my sweetie. We’ll make it true the hard times. Always have. Daddy got an old boo-boo on the noggin. Stem cells are going to make it all better. Fix ol’ Ronnie up with a band-aid. That’s my boy. All mashed potatoes inside and out.

HS: Oooohhh … So he has some sort of medical condition that’s degraded his intellect and memory, confined him to his bed, and made him dependent upon others for nourishment and simple bodily hygiene. I should have guessed earlier by the firefighter PJs, blended bottles of food, and foam walls that something was wrong. Well, thanks for inviting us into your home. And Ronnie, thanks for your time. God knows it’s limited.