PSYCHOLOGY BUSKING a la wordswords: WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE (SAY NO MORE SAY NO MORE): HYPNOSIS, HOCKEY, HOOPLA, AND HARRY

CHRIS (HYPNO-GIRL) AND SELF

”WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE, SAY NO MORE, SAY NO MORE” is a statement popularized by Eric Idle in his MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS days of the early 70’s. This idiom, wink wink nudge nudge, is often added to the end of a sentence to hint that the speaker is really referring to something else, something else that is sexual in nature. Wink wink nudge nudge is the verbal explication of gestures people make when they want to pass on something sly, instead of an actual winking of the eye or the actual nudge of an elbow.

I quite like wink wink nudge nudge because … I do find it particularly funny; though, please keep in mind I was a consumer of Monty Python television series!

I quite like wink wink nudge nudge, too, because NUDGE also refers to a psychological manipulation which is tolerable, along the lines of Love Bombing, Praise, Good Cop Bad Cop, and Carrot and Stick.

Love Bombing was the psychological tactic employed by the Moonies, followers of Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church of the United States. In its heyday during the 70’s, the Moonie method of recruiting emerging adults, literally luring newbies into their cult, was through smiles and smiles and more smiles.

Praise, as a psychological tactic (yes, a tactic), was especially important to B. F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning. In order to effect positive behaviors, for example as those ideally between parent and child, or coach and player, or teacher and student, Skinner academically declared that offering praise was the way to go to achieve any positive ends. (Whoda thunk it, huh?)

Good Cop Bad Cop is that stereotypical television police routine of joint questioning used in negotiation and interrogation … hmmm …

Carrot and Stick is in literal reference to a cart driver dangling a carrot in front of a mule, whilst holding stick near its rear end, to pull the cart. (I want you to note that the obvious ASS pun would have been most appropriate here, but being the disciplined writer that I am …) Metaphorically, Carrot and Stick is often referenced to the Christian tactic of Heaven or Hell, as a means of saving one’s soul from eternal fire and brimstone.

For my best example of the Nudge as a psychological manipulation, is the imprint of a fly in men’s urinals. Apparently men don’t pee straight, so in order not to have males peeing all over the wall and floor in the pub washroom, images of flies are imprinted smack in the middle of the urinals and … men being men (I suppose) … aim their spray to hit the fly.

Media manipulation through advertising, mind games for seduction, especially religious recruitment (as in my first and last example), and straight shooting into urinals, are all, part and parcel, parts of the psychological NUDGE.

Whenever I go busking, my buskspot begins with a nudge. Here is what it looks like:

SOMEONE ADDED THE CARROTS (A CHRISTIAN PERHAPS?)

I never start strumming without seed money in my guitar case. Out of ritual or superstition, I allows toss in two five dollar bills weighted down with four toonies and two loonies, twenty dollars in total. I have this notion that potential consumers do not like to feel like they want to be the first sucker to toss money into my case. I have this notion that potential consumers like to feel included in the mainstream, and specifically in my busking case (pun intended), people like to toss coins to causes that have been noted and appreciated by others. People love to follow suit, so to speak.

In my usual self-aggrandizement style of writing, my snappy title suggests that today I am going to scribble about HYPNOSIS, HOCKEY, HOOPLA, and HARRY. And, indeed, I am going to do just that with a Shaggy-dog essay filled with pointless wink wink nudge nudge tales of yesterweek, each of which having unexpected change (pun, again, intended).

HYPNOSIS

I am really hoping to up my game of Guitar Busking to that of Street Hypnosis. Guitar Busking is rather commonplace, and Street Hypnosis, in bigger cities, is rather commonplace and pedestrian in summer. But … Street Hypnosis having Guitar Busking as a prop … well … I think this combo to be a rather Promethean busking adventure … a much needed personal sea change.

I fancy myself as a bit of a shill, the perfect pitchman who represents the wander lusting wayfarer. Because I much prefer vis-à-vis over texting, busking has been the ideal Walter Mitty escape from my day-to-day realities, and because of my face-to-face preference, I am hoping to inch-meal my daydreams into my behaviors.

I would need to have a HYPNO-GIRL for a NUDGE. Pictured above in my header is my friend, CHRIS FRANK. A girl such as CHRIS would be the perfect hypno-nudge, a girl with a bright and extroverted nature, and never mind knock-out looks, would for sure be a crowd-getter. In my Walter Mitty moments, I am the wordy humorist and someone like Chris could very well be the gorgeous hypno-girl plant. (The above picture above, sadly, is the reality. Look at her ... the perfect nudge girl. Then look at me ... the addelpated, aged busker ... only one decade away from decrepitude.)

HOCKEY

Of course anyone who reads this blog knows one of my best friends is BRAD HORNUNG, NHL Scout, (GOOGLE him), and that my very best friend is COLBY WILLIAMS, CAPTAIN OF THE REGINA PATS (GOOGLE him, too). Hanging with Brad over the last twenty years I've watched close to a thousand WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE games and … have listened to the professional insights of Brad and his ilk. (Did you know that NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE scouts are always present at WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE games? Did you know that oftentimes I’ve met these professional hockey analysts and as a result … am oftentimes delusional into thinking that I actually know stuff about hockey?)

BRAD SURROUNDED BY EX-NHL'ERS

COLBY WILLIAMS, DRAFT PICK OF THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS is my VERY BEST FRIEND. When Colby is not in his skates at any given home game ( he was on the injury list for most of this season), he often stops by for a quick chat. Also … Colby gave to me … his very first set of PATS Skates … CCM CL’S (CRAZY LIGHTS) … worth $850 without tax. I mean, really, this is the behavior of best friends … not?

COLBY WITH THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS

THESE ARE SOME OF COLBY'S FANS -- BUT I'M HIS BEST FRIEND!

HOOPLA

My work partner, NATALIE AGECOUTAY-SWEET, sent me some great pictures of the FIRST NATIONS UNIVERSITY SPRING POW WOW.

WOW

TERRANCE LITTLETENT -- WORLD RENOWN HOOP DANCER

RICK STECIUK, SUPERINTENDENT OF REGINA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

HARRY

And, dear reader, if you follow my blog, you also know that I am a portrait street artist/busker. Summer is coming fast and I need to hone my pencil skills. My consumers know that my pencil never lies. But until I get my eyes and fingers in sync, my pencil will fib a bit. My first consumer for Spring portrait busking is my nephew, HARRY BARRETT (aka Hollywood Harry by me; Mister Vancouver by his mom and dad). HARRY is a future movie maker/editor/producer/actor. HARRY has the gift. Harry is a cinema savant.

Here is the making of Harry, as drawn by moi: