Login HereLove these guys...your morning laugh with the "Back Dorm Boys" lip synching "Don't Lie" from the Black Eyed Peas...the nostril flaring cracks me up.
Yesterday evening, Mr. ReddHedd decided to torture me by forcing me to vicariously watch Rudy Giuliani giving a stump speech at a public meeting at Drake University in Iowa. I was trying to read something nonpolitical to clear my brain, and he was flipping channels and landed on Rudy on the HDTV Channel. He called it "part of the educational process," but let's just say there will be no homemade cinnamon rolls at our house this morning.
During his opening speech, Guiliani said one of the funniest things that I have heard in a long time: "If you don't elect me, we could end up to the left of France." (Or something close to that, because our damned Tivo wouldn't allow me to back it up and get an exact quote. And getting an exact quote is difficult when you almost fall out of your chair laughing.)
Ooooooooh....scare me. Left of France. Slap my ass and pass me the freedom fries, Rudy, because it must be no cliche left behind week and I missed the memo. Frankly, we haven't had enough half-assed, cliched leadership in this country the last few years, so sign me up for four more years of "my President says whatever comes to mind without thinking about it first." Oh yeah, baby, doesn't that sound like just what we need in the US of A?
While we were snickering, Mr. ReddHedd said: "Now, I can tell you this, because I'm an educated man. If we are to the left of France, we are in the Atlantic Ocean. You can look at the map."
Beyond this point, there be dragons.
(And yes, the snarky Mr. ReddHedd take on the "left of France" idiocy did get him back in my good graces enough for the cinnamon rolls. Plus, I figured why punish myself, too? Mmmmmm...pecan rolls...)
I don't know about you guys, but the general idiocy of political discourse and media "commentary" thereon has gotten on my last nerve this week. This morning, what I really need more than anything is a good laugh. And so, on your behalf and mine, I've looked up a giggle or two on YouTube. And found some good old-fashioned snark to share.
-- Same guys singing "As Long As You Love Me." (YouTube) No idea what it is about them, but they crack me up. Especially the guy in the background working on his computer. mweee heeee
-- Did someone say laughter? (YouTube)
-- TBogg? He funny.
-- This cracked me up, too, although the humor is a little potty. (I feel so punaise.)
-- I thought the first part of this was kind of funny (YouTube), in that you could watch it with your grandpa in the room and he'd get a laugh, too, sort of way. And the rest is just a really well executed idea that more campaigns ought to be doing to encourage caucusing in Iowa. More participation is a good thing in my book.
-- And finally, why I love Kung Fu Monkey:
You know what I felt, as a "young writer" when the "union albatross" was slipped around my neck? I remember, indeed, my first horrified thought. "Wow, a living wage!", followed immediately by "Now I can get my loved ones better health insurance." Years later, as a successful writer, that albatross was the only thing keeping much more powerful, connected humans from taking some of my .3% DVD residual above and beyond what they were already making.
Listen, I get it. You love free markets. So do I. I just know that they weren't designed by Jesus. They're not perfect, and sometimes you need a union not out of any high moral stance, but just to maintain fair business practices.
To paraphrase a previous post -- I live with the tiger, I love it, but I respect its teeth and instincts. Stop asking why I don't just pet the kitty.
We should all be supporting the WGA -- because fair is fair. But something about that whole "look you moronic nincompoops" smackdown attitude here just made me snicker out loud. Good on ya!
What made you laugh this week? Anything? Do share...and pull up a chair...
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Up early today, Christie?
ZED_
Almost Zed. and perhaps a chance for impeachment.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/17/15511/461
money quote after I register my almost Zed.
Good morning Christy!
I’ll tell you what’s making me laugh, the idea of meeting the famous punaise in person today :)
And a cast of thousands! Well, a cast of characters anyway.
re Bluestate@3:
I talked to Curt Gayette today and he thought we have a chance to move the impeachment ball forward….Email and call John Conyers office early and often and ask him to proceed with the bipartisan support of Kucinich’s impeach Dick Cheney resolution! Phone: (313) 961-5670 Phone: (202) 225-5126
Bernie Sanders and Russ Feingold have been saying on the radio that they haven’t been hearing from the public on Kucinich’s proposal so they don’t think we want Shooter impeached…If they get calls all week we may get some movement on this…
From Crooks and Liars.
D——! - would have got the zero if it weren’t for my broken leg!
Good morning. Some unintentional humor
(if you can stomach it):
WaPo services the Judith.
No mention of Louis, for some strange reason.
Hey BlueState! Got your fighting spirit back?
Rudie is a mean SOB. He’s from a mafia family.
The mob may run the country from inside the white house if he wins.
Bush gave the corporations the key and next Rudie will give it to the mob. Lovely.
In the continuing story of unpacking boxes in my house I came across a gift given to me by a church administrator when she came back from a vacation. A tea towel with this printed on it:
“The problem with political jokes is that they get elected”
Did that make me laugh? No. But at least I didn’t cry.
good morning Christy, et al.
Morning, Redd!
Rudy at Drake, you say? . . .
Part one
Part two
Part three
Part four
I couldn’t bring myself to watch it, as (a) I am at my parents home, using their dialup, and (b) the coffee is still brewing, and I can’t bear the thought of clicking on the links without it.
SanderO @ 9
implications for cuba.
The Thugs are all a joke; the problem is that they are all very dangerous.
Meeting Marcie Wheeler and others from Next Hurrah in person in the BlueState by the Bay to hear her on the news and then for a meet up.
Direction on how to join on both late nites.
Also Old Coasties’ one-person effort to stop the petition fraud thing at her Targets meets up via FDL (ok, I was the matchmaker) with others and becomes our rep in a real citizens action.
idem on info down below on late-late
Good Morning Christy!
cinnamon rolls, I can just smell them
mmMmMmmm
Hello all,
Check this out for a good laugh. It had my office rolling yesterday.
He’s not an electrical engineer, he’s a pen ninja.
RevDeb @ 10
in the checkout line at a very nice Italian bakery last week I saw tea towels on sale decorated with little ducks etc… I thought of my mother’s ‘doilies.’ ‘Ah, handcrafted in Napoli’ I thought.
nope. machine crafted-churned-choked out in china.
RevDeb @ 10
Sounds like the perfect towel to keep next to the computer, ready to mop up the spills.
Mr. ReddHedd’s “Left of France” comment might have caused one here, had my coffee been ready.
egregious @ 8
Thanks for remembering that the BlueStater was Blue.
see BlueState@14 to see why.
Whee going to see ET !! (not the movie)
Also an empathy high for Alaskans, see E***D Teller on late-late.
Oh yes, OT, but happy-making. a student of mine who has returned from Pakistan says that her lawyer friends and such are our of jail and were not mistreated there. Some are under house arrest, however.
As for Bhutto, she warns…well that would ruin my high, so fogeddabout it.
we have an aboriginal radio station here on the fm dial. funded by govt. sources in large part i’d imagine.
heard a news item which had me shaking my head in disbelief.
native business people looking into the possibility of factories in china to produce native ‘arts and craft’ gift items.
now I’m imagining a ‘dreamcatcher’ giving off sulphurous fumes….
Good Morning everyone, a cherry pie in the oven and fresh coffee brewing is filling my house with delightful aromas.
BlueStateRedHead @ 14
left you two replies.
Millineryman @ 21
that’s as good as cinnamon buns!
I’d rather be left of France then right of Atillia the Hun.
Gotta clean up the house a bit before going to the weekly peace vigil and then home to bake challah for tomorrow’s church service. Lots to do!
Have a good one everyone. And those going to the thing in Boston, say hi to everyone for me. Wish I was there (just for the day since I like where I moved to) to see you all.
the ol’ time song ‘I’m My Own Grandpa’ sung by a choir:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjApuNTeKpQ
not quite the ‘mountain’ flavour of the original but pretty amusing…
selise @ 22
Got it.
RevDeb @ 25
we’ll miss you!
Millineryman @ 21
We’ll be right over.
Don Henley gave CNN an interview, about the new and final Eagles album coming out:
I’d say the Eagles have had enough. Mmmmm . . . just imagining a Dixie Chicks/Eagles concert brings a smile to my face.
There’s more to the interview, so click through and enjoy.
A singularly uninformative article in NYT on Chavez, IMO. I don’t really know, except in vaugue terms, what’s actually going on, i.e. specifically what his policies are and how that will influence the economy. They standard story is that they appease the masses with oil revenues while deteriorating the structure of the economy. I’d like to know more but don’t get it from NYT. What else is new. Anyone with a more analytical source?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11.....ez.html?hp
egregious @ 29
The more the merrier!
If you want a moment of faith, check out this story the AP has put up this weekend:
http://www.pantagraph.com/arti.....158499.txt
The Flying Spaghetti Monster is going mainstream!
I hate French bashing. I put it into the same category as immigrant bashing, although the results of immigrant bashing can be that actual immigrants get bashed. It’s just more racism. And Bush had it out there as a matter of POLICY when he went bashing Kerry. What a bunch of scumbags.
George Simian @ 34
90% of French bashing is jealousy.
eCAHNomics @ 31
without being an expert myself I’d imagine a lot of the criticism of Chavez ‘deteriorating the structure of the economy’ is pure ‘concern troll’ commentary.
I’m not sure what the guys long term prospect is (Mugabe or Mandala?) but he’s probably restructuring the ecomomy outside the control of NAFTA as much as possible. Which of course is purely unacceptable from a corporatist point of view.
eCAHNomics @ 35
Some folks seem to think that we joined WWI and WWII to help the French, and they are ingrates. Of course, in both cases we were a little late in joining, if that had been our purpose.
Good Morning, Firedoglakers!
Something we can all look forward to:
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/morford/
“Bush Death Watch: Countdown!
It’s official: Less than one year until history slaps Dubya to the curb. Can you feel the tingle?”
[Mod: “Bush Death Watch” is the title of the article, we trust, not any desire to see harm done?]
MWS@36
Nice contrast: Mugabe or Mandala.
But someone out there is informed. It IS possible to really know what is going on. You just can’t figure it out from U.S. MSM.
soory to go OT
but this is why POPPY does not stop Chimpy
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/.....-earmarks/
pma @ 37
Do those same idiots forget about France and their help in that little ol thing called the American Revolution?
XKCD makes me laugh every week
But the 5 part epic story of the two greatest hackers in history:
Mrs Roberts and her daughter Elain is priceless
Warning: This is unabashed geek stuff
Hint: Mousover the cartoon for extra interesting information
America has more experts on France than anywhere else in the world.
And amazingly enough they neither speak or read French and neither have they visited France.
It’s truly a ‘marvel.’
pma @ 37
At the end of WW2, we loved France.
Linda @ 38
Soooooooooooooooo much can happen in a year..i for one will not rest till he is gone
France is a wonderful country. What’s not to like about it? Great cuisine, amazing wine, castles, architecture, gorgeous sassy stylish women, cheese, bread, pastry, amazing rivers, seaside towns, cool music, literature, unions, trains that are modern, the Louvre, haute couture, CDG airport, airbus… They are doing just fine without the USA and that pisses off the ignorant Bushwhackos.
The one thing I don’t get about the French is their sense of color. I’d go with the Italians on that.
pma@37
But then there’s the U.S. Revolution. Without the French, we’d still be a colony of the British Empire. (Well, probably not, but that’s another story.)
I find all that stuff so useless as to how to evaluate the here & now. Yes, history is an important ingredient, but not the sole determinant of understanding present & future.
BTW, have you considered that the short version of U.S. foreign policy is that our friends become out enemies & vice versa?
eCAHNomics @ 35
Remember Romney’s leaked playbook this Summer?
Boston Globe. It was all anti-French. Guess he was thinking at the time that Kerry would be running.
Now, imagine that had happened and at a town meeting pres. debate someone asked a question of the two fluent French speakers.
Yowza.
These days one might want to be to the left of france - to the right is Mussolini
need a laugh, this always gets me gigling
Parade Ground from Stripes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEm6B1AXEso
Millineryman @ 41
Well, they liked to say we got help in our infant democracy from the French and we’re doing the same for the Iraq infant democracy. They don’t mentioned that Louis XVI helped, not because he supported democracy, but to do in the British. As a result, he had to raise taxes to pay for it, got overthrown by democratic ideas and beheaded. It worked for us, but not so much for him.
The latest round of French bashing started when Cheney and Rumsfeld went around Europe insulting them and calling the “Old Europe”. This is the M.O. of Bush and Co: alienate the population of a Democratic country and make it impossible for their elected leaders to aide US interests. And then get all pissy when it happens.
Then go on TV and tell everybody that it didn’t really happen that way.
Mabel’s Wig Shack @ 36
not part of nafta… but, i think, he’s leading efforts to create an alternative to the imf for region’s countries… funded, i think, by oil $$. considering how we’ve used the imf to control south american countries and i can see how that would be perceived to be a threat (to our hegemony - not to us)
that’s the limit of my ability to contribute. will look forward to whatever eCAHNomics uncovers.
eCAHNomics @ 47
History is to a society what memory is to an individual. Accordingly, its essential to understand where we are, but is just as susceptible to rationalization, denial, forgetfullness, etc.
…gotta go run some errands if i’m to make it to the meet up later. have great day with lots of laughs, pups.
You should go see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. It’s a great movie, but it also makes you think that it would never happen in the American health care system where every stitch of humanity has been systematically stripped.
Good Morning everyone. T-, the pen ninja was, indeed, very funny.
Bush Stuffs Spending Bills With Earmarks For Dad’s Foundation, Wife’s Librarian Program
On Monday, President Bush explained his veto of the recent Labor-HHS bill, claiming the “majority” in Congress had abandoned his “clear goals for the Congress to reform the earmarking process” and was “acting like a teenager with a new credit card.”
In reality, Bush “stuffs his budget with billions for pet projects.” According to Senate Democrats, Bush placed 580 earmarks worth $15.6 billion in a recent military and veterans appropriations request, along with “billions” in the energy and water spending bill:
Some presidential earmarks have obvious roots, such as $24 million for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The president earmarked a billion dollars for the Reading First program, which was criticized by government auditors for steering contracts to favored companies. He also sought $8.9 million for the Points of Light foundation, a pet project started by his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
Congress slashed $676 million from Bush’s request for Reading First and eliminated the Points of Light funding. Bush retaliated by vetoing the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill.
Headline in Guardian America:
Could they be reading FDL?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/.....80,00.html
Some presidential earmarks have obvious roots, such as $24 million for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.
one paragraph per visit please. and dont forget to visit the recruiting station in the ‘biography’ section.
Ma Cherie Christy!
Voulez-vous communard avec moi? :o)
My best laugh of the week — there weren’t many — was this from Glenn Greenwald.
wigwam @ 62
too much eh?
next up:
Barry Bonds speaks to the Little League players on the subject of ‘drugs bad! Beef up with hiking and swimming.’
and
Paula Abdul speaks on the subject of ‘Music is not a competition.Feed your soul. Free your soul.’
eCAHNomics @ 58
They’re crazy if they don’t. ;-)
Very often, when I’m watching Olbermann, I’m convinced that he and his writers had paid a visit to the Lake in the past 24hrs.
We all know that all the projects Bush pushes are never what they seem. I’m thinking right now of the ‘Help America Vote Act’ which was actually ‘Force the States to Buy Hackable Voting Machines From Bush Cronies So They Can Steal Elections and Then Kickback Some of the Profits to the Republican Party Act’.
So I wonder…who’s making money from the ‘No Child Left Behind’ disaster? Is it just to cutoff funds to poor schools and destroy our public education system or is someone raking it in? Of course, I’m thinking of Neil but other than some state money, I don’t see anything there. But you know the program was never designed to help students learn, so I’m wondering what the real motive is.
selise @ 55
Me too, same reason. Again. BayState latewakers.
a meet up after Marcie’s talk at BC. info on late and late late nite. search my name.
See some a ya later. the rest, have a great day.
wigwam @ 64
I’m starting to think a lot of the Democratic callers to CSPAN are reading FDL.
And most of the Republican callers are good for laugh
Well since commanding the leaves in my yard to move themselves to the curb did not work, it looks like I have a chore to take care of.
Have a good day folks, and to everyone going to meet ups, have fun!
solai @ 65
A large part of the motivation is to privatize, which is code for religious schools.
wigwam @ 62
It seems to that the Democratic presidential candidates need to be asked what they think about the unitary executive theory and what they would do to tear it, root, trunk, and branch, from any consideration in the future government of the U.S..
Millineryman @ 68
have fun MM, I’m lucky, the wind has blown them all out of my back yard!
solai @ 65
Big scam..testing companies, text books, etc….WaPo is big winner with its Kaplan(?) subsidiary..~$300 million IIRC
pma @ 70
Quick drive by– I’m a bit busy this morning– I posted a ‘Kos diary this morning on Pete Seeger: The Long View: How Can I Keep From Singing
What Do Retired People Do All Day?
Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day the wife and I went into town and went into a shop. We were there only about 5 minutes. When we came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket. We went up to him and I said, “Come on man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?” He ignored us and continued writing the ticket. I called him a dumb jerk. He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires. So Mary called him a dunder head. He finished writin a third ticket. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote.
Personally, we didn’t care. We came into town by bus. We try to have a little fun each day now that we’re retired. It’s important at our age.
pma @ 73
First order of business: repeal the Bush administration.
For MA firepup meetup with Marcy and BlueStateRedHead and selise and I don’t know who else
here’s BlueStateRedHead’s info from late nite
ironranger @ 75
ha. even better if the car belonged to rush limbaugh.
I laughed at this all week. To quote Olberman: “A dumb supermodel, who would have guessed?”
This is so two months ago, but I recently ran across this Taser Incident video meets Monty Python: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNLQY3bQyaM
solai @ 79
in olden times, that one might not have reached her reproductive years
string tied around the diaper.
good. lord.
in olden times, that one might not have reached her reproductive years
i wanted to play a tune on the bull’s horn
Mabel’s Wig Shack @ 78
LOL. Reminds me of the Peter Sellers thing about, “Does your dog bite?”
If you watched Bill Moyers last night, did you catch the end segment with the terrific tool to end the increasing pile of catalogs spilling out of your mailbox? I started calling the companies to get off their mailing lists & in one week I called at least 25. Meanwhile, the catalogs seem to be multiplying like rabbits, with almost 10 entirely new unrequested catalogs showing up in less than 2 weeks.
The new website is catalogchoice.org & I immediately signed up. Thank goodness someone came up with a terrific way to end the catalog tyranny.
mr. adamson really appreciated all the care the nurses provided for him; changing his bed, bringing him medicine and water, opening his curtains.
he used crayola markers and a great big piece of paper to draw a bouquet of flowers with ‘thank you’ coloured in beautifully.
he left it at the nurses station with a bowl of almonds.
the next morning one of the nurses woke him up with an appreciative smile.
‘we really enjoyed your card mr adamson. it really brightened our mood. it’s so nice to be appreciated.’
‘that’s great,’ he replied. ‘and did you like the almonds too?’
‘they were delicious’ the nurse answered.
‘oh, I’m glad, that’s good’ mr. adamson said. ‘you should have tasted them when they were covered in chocolate.’
Okay, since we’re telling jokes.
Monk joins monestery requiring vow of silence, allowing only three words every ten years:
After first ten years:
Abbot: What do you have to say?
Monk: Food not good.
After second ten years:
Abbot: What do you have to say now?
Monk: Bed too hard.
After third ten years:
Abbot: Well, what do you have to say now?
Monk: I quit.
Abbot: It doesn’t surprise me, you’ve been bitching since you got here.
The Heidi Klum story reminded me of my friend when she was a new mother. Her pediatrician told her the baby was old enough to switch from formula to milk. But, he advised, start with 2% milk. For the next week, she prepared formula and then did the mathematical calculations to determine how much in an 8oz bottle would be 98% formula and 2% whole milk.
Since she’s a very intelligent woman, it took a long time to live that down.
ironranger at 75, LOL, even if it was so wrong.
After third ten years:
Abbot: Well, what do you have to say now?
Monk: I quit.
Abbot: It doesn’t surprise me, you’ve been bitching since you got here.
ha!
and now off to work !
“Does your dog bite?” was one of the best comedic bits ever!
Christi, this is a wonderful post & much needed. And I haven’t even started reading all the contributions. It’s amazing reality based people still have the ability to laugh. This should probably be a regular post, good therapy. With tempers flaring from frustration, everyone needs a release.
Molly Ivins would heartily agree. I love her story of her friends planning how to protest a klan group marching in town. They came up with mooning the group in unison as they passed by them.
So glad for the forum and to join in why do we do it. I heard a snippet of Rush yesterday; no Air America. For just a couple of his insane views: he was lamenting the anger of the Democrats, no ideas, just anger, said one of the angriest men on the planet? Paranoid projection anyone? Then the nauseating opinion about Sen Clinton: the question we should ask is why we the country should decide to be loyal, true, devoted, etc to her when her husband can’t be loyal to her. Is there a nonsequitur here?
How has this man stayed on the radio for years? He is cruel, delusional, maybe, sociopathic. Then his fans call in and say they listen everyday. Urggggg. Thanks for letting me vent.
solai @ 88
just quickly on the way out the door:
leaving early one morning a giant racoon poking around on the sidewalk
partner says ‘look at that racoon.’
‘probably looking for a baby’ i say
partner says ‘what!!???thats’ the dumbest thing i’ve ever heard.’
driving up street it hits me.
partner thinks I meant a ‘human’ baby.
when i meant a lost little racoon
Re: Singularly uninformative article on Venezuela in this morning NYT that I brought up at the end of the last thread.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11.....ez.html?hp
I’ve been muddling around the Venezuela blogs since then. Most of the English blog on this subject are wingnuts. But I came across one that seems a little more open minded:
http://www.borev.net/
And another that seems to cover more countries in Latin America:
http://lanr.blogspot.com/
Both, however, are snippets that assume more background than I have. But perhaps if I follow them for awhile, I’ll pick up the necessary background.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Once again the holidays are upon us. And one more time Lahoma and I will be helping to serve Thanksgiving dinners at the Salvation Army here in southwestern Oklahoma.
It’s not too late to call your favorite organization and offer to volunteer.
And Christmas is just around the corner. There are many children who won’t get anything for Christmas. Won’t you please pick out a needy family from your neighborhood and buy and wrap some presentos for the kids in that family, and leave them on their front porch. Your’s may just be the only things those kids get from Santa. And for those who are unable to do so, but wish they could, it’s the thought that counts.
eCAHNomics @ 35
No, it actually harks back to George Wallace’s pointyheaded intellectuals.
The Republicans use these techniques, along with racist code words, to hold the “Reagan Democrats.” The intention is to convey the idea that they are not one of us–not regular folk who stay here in this country like you should.
This is critical because of the what’s the matter with Kansas effect. The Republicans have not served the interests of the Reagan Democats economically (minimum wage increases help them, for example) or in other policies (their kids are the ones in Iraq right now), so they have to use identity gimmicks to keep them in line.
France also serves as a way of accusing Democrats of being feminine–and, in general, of saying leftists are pussies.
They, and the traditional media, have been beating Edwards over the head with both these tactics–he’s rich and he’s a girly, not one of us. I’ve felt, all along, that the Republicans most fear an Edwards nomination. This election is almost certainly lost, but another effective Southern president could spell serious difficulties for them as they increasingly become a regional party.
solai @ 88
A story I heard decades ago from a dr. who claimed it was true. Mother had small child with diabetes and was taught to inject insulin by practicing with a grapefruit and was sent home. But the child continued to deteriorate. On a subsequent visit, the mother protested that she had been very careful to inject the grapefruit every morning, as she was instructed.