Need a laugh? Some Excellent Political Satire on the US Oil Spill

Brilliant



- by Clarke & Dawe (more videos at this link)

John Clarke & Bryan Dawe are two of the funnier, sharpest, wittiest guys around.

The Games, my favorite mockumentary, which was written by John Clarke and stars both men, is now on DVD.

Enjoy,

Sia

Hat tip to US Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill News website for the link to this video

The Yes Men Fix The World: Comic Vigilante Justice

Oh, yes! Comic vigilante justice; I love it.

The Yes Men Fix the World (trailer)

You can read a review, here. This comes to us from Green Life: Ideas for Living Well and Doing Good, the excellent and uplifting Sierra Club blog.

The comedic documentary The Yes Men Fix the World opens with liberal-minded Bichlbaum posing as a spokesperson for Dow Chemical Co., announcing that the company will take full responsibility for the toxic pollution in Bhopal, India, and fully compensate the victims of the 1984 pesticide plant catastrophe. The bogus interview, aired live on BBC, reached 30 million viewers and caused Dow's stock to plummet by more than $2 billion in 23 minutes

...The Yes Men take on Halliburton, Exxon, and HUD, attending a string of business conferences to deliver outrageous presentations of increasing hilarity, Bichlbaum and Bonanno prove that wearing a suit has never been more radical.

It is now available on DVD.

We either laugh or we cry. Right now, I could use a laugh.

Enjoy,

Sia

Re: Your Brains OR A Moral For Our Times

Have you ever been in a meeting where the speaker sounds sane and you see some people in the room nodding in agreement, but you know, you know, he's lost all touch with reality and that what he's is actually saying is so far on the high end of rabid weasel crazy that you and your merry band are starting to eye the exits? Well, then, this should make your day.

Let no one say that fantasy isn't relevant to the times we live in.

Youtube video: Re: Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton performed in ZSL (Zombie Sign Language).

Enjoy,

Sia
Who has had a rough work week but who will be fine after some good sushi and a walk in the woods.

The Obama Death Panel Debate

Trust Jon Stewart and the staff at The Daily Show to hit the political nail on the head, again and again and again and be fiendishly funny doing it. Posted here you will find a clip titled The Obama Death Panel Debate which had me on the floor. The entire episode which focused on the increasing insanity of the health care "debate" in this country at town hall meetings, is well worth watching. Also, don't miss the interview with Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America (1)

Enjoy,

Sia

Endnotes:

Publisher Comments:

(1) In this groundbreaking epic biography, Douglas Brinkley draws on never-before-published materials to examine the life and achievements of our naturalist president. By setting aside more than 230 million acres of wild America for posterity between 1901 and 1909, Theodore Roosevelt made conservation a universal endeavor. This crusade for the American wilderness was perhaps the greatest U.S. presidential initiative between the Civil War and World War I. Roosevelt's most important legacies led to the creation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and passage of the Antiquities Act in 1906. His executive orders saved such treasures as Devils Tower, the Grand Canyon, and the Petrified Forest.

Tracing the role that nature played in Roosevelt's storied career, Brinkley brilliantly analyzes the influence that the works of John James Audubon and Charles Darwin had on the young man who would become our twenty-sixth president. With descriptive flair, the author illuminates Roosevelt's bird watching in the Adirondacks, wildlife obsession in Yellowstone, hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains, ranching in the Dakota Territory, hunting in the Big Horn Mountains, and outdoor romps through Idaho and Wyoming. He also profiles Roosevelt's incredible circle of naturalist friends, including the Catskills poet John Burroughs, Boone and Crockett Club cofounder George Bird Grinnell, forestry zealot Gifford Pinchot, buffalo breeder William Hornaday, Sierra Club founder John Muir, U.S. Biological Survey wizard C. Hart Merriam, Oregon Audubon Society founder William L. Finley, and pelican protector Paul Kroegel, among many others. He brings to life hilarious anecdotes of wild-pig hunting in Texas and badger saving in Kansas, wolf catching in Oklahoma and grouse flushing in Iowa. Even the story of the teddy bear gets its definitive treatment.

Destined to become a classic, this extraordinary and timeless biography offers a penetrating and colorful look at Roosevelt's naturalist achievements, a legacy now more important than ever. Raising a Paul Revere-like alarm about American wildlife in peril--including buffalo, manatees, antelope, egrets, and elk--Roosevelt saved entire species from probable extinction. As we face the problems of global warming, overpopulation, and sustainable land management, this imposing leader's stout resolution to protect our environment is an inspiration and a contemporary call to arms for us all.

The Long Woman of Wilmington

Well this has created quite a stir...

I laughed when I first saw the Long Woman of Wilmington. The world needs more grand sacred images of big, sexy curvy women, said I. Don't like the hair, though. Too cute. Try something shoulder length with bangs, something we can tie back. Seriously, have you been on that hill? The wind will knock you over....

Now...if the site was harmed in any way, that was, to my mind, another matter entirely.

I was less pleased to find that it was done for a silly TV Show as a joke and PR stunt. The ancient Sussex landmark was transformed by 80 women laying on the famous hill. Fascinating idea...What I don't like is the fact that this was done for a TV program and not for a good cause or to make a valid social or political point. Makes me think we missed a good chance here. If it had been the latter, I might have been there with them, after talking to the Druids, of course.

If I were to organize a women's protest, it would be near the site, not on it. The point is the image, yes?, not harming an ancient artifact.

Here is an example of a protest I very much admired: Hundreds strip naked on glacier.

But I digress...Here is the Druid's reply.

The Wild Hunt was following this story all along - here is their update:

Chalk figure controversy: It seems that the protests by British Pagans over what they felt were sacrilegious and damaging (temporary) alterations to prominent chalk figures has borne fruit.

“The Sussex Archaeological Society has apologised to protesters after they allowed a controversial stunt by ITV to give the Long Man of Wilmington a sex change. ITV and the archaeological society caused fury among Pagans and other protesters when they allowed fashion gurus Trinny and Susannah to add breasts and pigtails to the figure many believe is sacred. As part of the programme, Trinny and Susannah Undress, ITV asked woman dressed in white to lie on the figure to create the transformation. Chief Executive Office of the organisation, John Manley, said: ‘The Sussex Archaeological Society would like to apologise to representatives of the Pagan community, or any other individual or groups, who might have been offended by recent television filming on the Long Man of Wilmington.”

The Society has promised to consult with local Pagans before sanctioning any further actions involving the chalk figure. While pleased with this victory, some local Pagans also want to force ITV into not airing the prank footage at all.

“We are absolutely determined this footage should not be shown as we feel it will encourage anti-social behaviour on the site. We heard people say they were going up there directly after the filming as the activities seem to make people think it is ok an we are extremely concerned about this.”

One can be sure that thanks to these stalwart activists this will be the last time large numbers of women willing lay down near the Long Man of Wilmington.

What do you think?

Sia

Links

The Long Man of Wilmington

Related articles:

Anger at Long Man Sex Change

Bath him and bring him to my tent....

Today I would like to thank the lovely Kitchen Mage for making me laugh with her post titled Best Use of Flat Bread In A Musical Number.

Adult content, folks. Don't watch that video at work.

On another note: Watching congressional hearings can be deeply depressing for a lover of civil and enlightened discourse (which is why I needed some humor today) and always makes me think of Killer Pink Bunnies. Go figure.

Sia
Who wishes Americans would lighten up about sex and politics, and have a little more fun



Image found at Killer Pink Bunnies.

Andy Hallett: Thanks for all the songs

EW.com writes this about Andy:

Andy Hallet...best known for playing Angel's suave, friendly green demon Lorne with the ability to read people when they sang (most often at his violence-free karaoke club) -- passed away March 29 following a five-year battle with congestive heart disease. He was 33. Fans will remember his voice (watch the clips below), his impeccable comedic timing ("Is there a Gepetto in the house?"), and his gift for making you see past layers of prosthetics and makeup. ("They have no music there. It doesn't exist. Do you know what that's like? No lullabies, no love songs. All my life I thought I was crazy, that I had ghosts in my head or something... simply because I could hear music. Of course, I didn't know it was music. All I knew was that it was something... beautiful and... and painful and right. And I was the only one who could hear it. Then I wound up here and heard Aretha for the first time...")

Hearing Aretha for the first time will do that for a person.

Bye, Andy. Thanks for all the jokes and songs.

Sia

More information about Andy can be found here.

Youtube videos:

Lorne tribute - Green Psycho - posted at my blog

Numfar does the dance of joy
Note for fans: That's Joss Whedon playing Numfar.

Related Articles:

Zoe, Inara and Kaylee: We Miss You
Joss Whedon's Equality Now Speech

Joss Whedon: Honorary Pagan

WALL-E Meets Watchmen (Mashup)

It's spring, a time when a person's fancy turns to...

(I'm sorry, is this right? Really? I don't see how....)

It's spring, a time when a person's fancy turns to death and madness

Seriously, this can't be what I'm supposed to read. Yes, I know it's Wednesday. I know the weather is...but come on! The sun is shining somewhere. No, I know. Fine. Let's just get this over...

and in that spirit, I would like to offer a Mashup, where a bit of clever cutting and the dark soundtrack from Watchmen transform WALL-E from a shiny love story with an earthwise moral to a bleak, violent, unforgiving nightmare. Fun.

Bats Day at Disneyland:

Speaking of odd transformations....If that isn't dark enough for you, considering going to the unofficial Goth Day at Disneyland. Known as Bats Day, this gathering takes place this year from May 1 - 3rd at the park in Southern California. They even have special ears for that. Again with the fun. Although wearing all black and heavy makeup in 90 degree heat could prove to be a challenge.

Sia

Related Stories:

Gothic Bellydance Festival

Hitler: The DownFall Mashup at Youtube

Bats Day in the Fun Park (Wikipedia)

The World's Saddest People Visit the World's Happiest Place

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Give 1 million dollars each to workers over 50 (HUMOR)

Well. Here's an idea:

Give $1 million to workers over 50

Patriotic retirement: There are about 40 million people over 50 in the workforce. Pay them $1 million apiece severance pay with these stipulations:

1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings — unemployment fixed.

2) They buy new American cars. Forty million cars ordered — auto industry fixed.

3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage — housing crisis fixed.

- George H. Martin, Pacifica, CA (Opinion Section, San Jose Mercury News)

That's tax free, right? Thank you, Mr. Martin. Let's hope the President calls. (1)

Sia
Who stopped looking at her 401K a long time ago.

P.S. Can we make it $2 million? Because you've just made me spend a good deal of it, and my generation is going to live up into our 90's.

My thanks to gardengal for sending this to me.

(1) Humor Update 3/29 - Some folks didn't get the irony here, so I'm making it clear: See Cost of War.com and this story on the cost of the Financial Bailout to see what arrogance, stupidity and greed have cost us thus far.

Yet people still want the government to magically fix things, and they want our President to do that all at once, but they don't want to have to sacrifice themselves to make that happen.

As the rude (anonymous) person says in the comments below, do the math.

40 million people x 1 million = ?

Humor: The Hiter Downfall Mashup on YouTube

Have you heard about the Hitler Downfall Mash-ups?

The Führer, in the bunker with all his top brass, awaits news from the outside world. When it arrives, it is good. They’ve managed to get him online, with a good connection and a Yahoo! account. He now plans to visit YouTube...But two generals are quaking. “A YouTube search with your name,” explains the braver one, “brings up hundreds of videos about you. Anything from Xbox Live to waffles getting stolen.” Quivering with Parkinson’s, the leader of the Third Reich slowly removes his glasses and, keeping a rein on his emotions, mutters an order. “Anybody who has made a video about me, please. . . leave. . . this .. . room.” The place all but empties. Then he goes ballistic.

Too funny. Also, crude. These are not for the gently bred nor for those who can't bear to watch movies about this period or see that fiend on film. You've been warned.

My favorites are these:

Hitler Reacts To The Half Blood Prince Movie Delay

Hitler Was Not Dazzled By Breaking Dawn

It goes on. Hitler has Vista problems, gets banned from Warcraft and Wickipedia, reacts to the GOP downfall, and looses money in the real estate market. Such fun.

Times Online writes this about the movie Downfall and the mash-up trend:

In 2004, I flew to Berlin to interview Hitler. All right, not Hitler, but the closest anyone has come to impersonating him. The Swiss actor Bruno Ganz landed the lead role in the first German-language drama to place Hitler at the heart of the narrative. It was the ne plus ultra of commanding performances, which drew deep on Ganz’s phenomenal resources. I saw Downfall three times without tiring of its sheer relentless force. It has its detractors, of course. An Oxford historian of the second world war recently told me that the film promulgates a dangerous myth: that the German people were Hitler’s final victims. To less rarefied viewers, it’s simply a masterpiece. Yet however many times you could be mesmerised by the three hours’ traffic of its story, you couldn’t possibly have predicted, four years ago, that its most iconic scene would be turned into a four-minute sketch, destined to be recycled in an apparently limitless set of variations...

Want to see Hitler expatiating on the disastrous impact of Sarah Palin or the meltdown of the property market? Want to see him ordering a pizza or struggling with Windows Vista or responding to the news that Newcastle United is for sale? It’s all there on YouTube. The scene in Downfall in which Hitler goes doolally after learning of the encirclement of Berlin has spawned more than 150 parodies, and counting.

Enjoy,

Sia

Related Articles:

Because Bad Writing Never Goes Out of Style: Why I Dislike The Twlight Series

This American Life: Music

This one goes out to those among us who were in their high school band, orchestra or choral group. You know who you are....

Last Sunday, This American Life put on one of the best programs I've ever heard them give. Called Music, it featured three radio essays by authors David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell and Anne Lamott. Sarah's essay - where she tells us all the things she learned that had nothing to do with music - was my favorite.

Listen.....

Sia

Endnotes:

(1) A music critic who writes both comedy and history, Sarah is also the author of Assissination Vacation and The Wordy Shipmates. She is also well known as the voice of Violet Parr in the brilliant animated film, The Incredibles.

Here is video of Sarah on The Daily Show, talking about her new book on what she calls "those elitist Puritan Jesus Freaks". It's very funny - enjoy.

More Links:

Just cause - Elizabethan & Tudor Music

Image: from Strange Guitars

A Little Campaign Humor

Today I would like to share an interview with Dr. Cruelty, who is finding it hard to be a super villain in today's economy. I have also discovered a short picture list of election collectibles over at the BBC. I like "Bark for Obama".

My personal favorite political item is an Obama As Superman t-shirt, designed by Alex Ross and introduced at San Diego Comic Con last summer. (1). I, for one, am not prone to Superhero worship, but I would like to go back to living in a democracy and that won't happen if We, the people, don't vote.

I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge Katie Couric who not only did a great set of interviews with Sarah Palin (2) (perhaps saving said democracy in the process?). She had another great night after the debates, including the moment when she made Hillary Clinton laugh big time by asking "Why do you think that Sarah Palin has an action figure and you have a nut cracker?". (Let's not forget that voodo kit, either. See Villification of the Other: Fear of Women in Politics) (3)


My personal action figures are the Librarian the Jane Austin figure, and the Crazy Cat Lady. As for me, I want the Librarian Tattoos.

Looking for a nice Samhain gift? Try the black cat bookends from the LA Library store.

Sia

Endnotes:

(1) It may have inspired Senator Obama's references to being born on Krypton the other night at a recent charity event.

(2) Say what you like about Governor Palin (and I have said plenty) she did a good job on Saturday Night Live. Points to the show's writers, performers and staff for being honest, civil, funny, biting and witty, all at the same time. (That's the SNL I remember.) The Alaskan Rap was priceless.

Weekend Update

one two three

my name is sarah palin you all know me
vice president nominee of the gop
gonna need your vote in the next election
can i get a ‘what what’ from the senior section
mccain got experience, mccain got style
but don’t let him freak you out when he tries to smile
cause that smile be creepy
but when i be vp
all the leaders in the world gonna finally meet me

how’s it go eskimo
(eskimos)
tell me what you know eskimo
(eskimos)
how you feel eskimo
(ice cold)
tell me tell me what you feel eskimo
(super cold)

i’m jeremiah wright cause tonight i’m the preacha
i got a bookish look and you’re all hot for teacha
todd lookin fine on his snow machine
so hot boy gonna need a go between
in wasilla we just chill baby chilla
but when i see oil lets drill baby drill

my country tis a thee
from my porch i can see
russia and such

all the mavericks in the house put your hands up
all the mavericks in the house put your hands up
all the plumbers in the house pull your pants up
all the plumbers in the house pull your pants up

when i say ‘obama’ you say ‘ayers’
obama. (ayers) obama (ayers)
i built me a bridge - it ain’t goin’ nowhere.
(ohhh)

mccain, palin, gonna put the nail in the coffin
of the media elite
(she likes red meat)
shoot a mother-humpin moose, eight days of the week

[three gunshots]
now ya dead, now ya dead,
cause i’m an animal, and i’m bigger than you
holdin a shotgun walk in the pub
everybody party, we’re goin on a hunt
la la la la la la la la
[six gunshots]

yo i’m palin, i’m out!

(3) And let's not forget that it took a funny guy, Late Night talk show host David Letterman, to ask John McCain about G. Gordon Liddy....

P.S. In fairness I should point out that Hillary finally got her own action figure, as did Obama and McCain.

Hat tip to Imagine Gate toy store for the t-shirt image

Thanks to M in Minnesota for the link to the Dr. Cruelty interview.

Jon Stewart Doing Stand Up in 1996

Looking back, the things he says in this stand up routine from 1996 are funny, prescient and sad.

Happy 4th of July,

Sia

Cat Playing the Theremin or テルミンを演奏するネコ

Hook that thing up to a can opener and they can rule the world.

Sia

For those of you using a reader, here is the link to the youtube video - the ending is the best part. That look on the face of the other cat is priceless.

Ms. Pac Man: Feminist Hero

Ms Pac Man we salute you.

Peeps II Unveiled: Vote For Your Favorite

And now for some Saturday silliness:

Peeps II has been unveiled, and you can vote for your favorites among the 37 finalists.

If anyone is asking, my favorites are the Egyptian Peeps, The Peeps Camping, the Michelangelo Peeps and the Star Trek Peeps.

You can read about the first Peeps Show at the Washing Post and here are some of the entries from last year.

He knew he'd gone over-the-top when he spent $16 on Swarovski crystals for a woman made of marshmallows.

"After that I stopped looking at the receipts," says Johnston, a freelance graphic artist and photographer.

The money and time (two weeks) paid off. We were rendered speechless by the diorama's meticulous craftsmanship -- from Marilyn Monroe's sculpted hairdo (made of clay), to her curve-hugging pink papier-mache dress (her rump is made of a whole Peep), to the fine details of the tuxedoed Peepmen, each made of 61 pieces (their toes are coat hangers bent into L shapes, taped onto a dowel and coated 15 times with liquid spackling compound).

..."It's something I see and never think to buy or eat," Johnston says of Peeps, which he now realizes are "delicious." "It was just a total challenge."

Next year, I'd love to see some Pagan themes among the entries. Think what you could do with a Beltane theme.

Happy Spring,

Sia

Links:

Peep Research
for the science minded

All About Peeps at Wikipedia
Where you can read about Peep Jousting Games, Peep Viking funerals and other Peep Lore.


Photo of Peeps by NoNo Joe at Flickr