Bob Saget: Old English Folk Song (Not Dirty)

Bob Saget’s still around.  You might think differently of him after this.   

Friday Quotation: James Joyce’s Father

Apparently, when James Joyce’s father heard his son had married a woman named Nora Barnacle, he said:

“Barnacle? She’ll never leave him.”

Seattle’s New Mayor?

He’s been out of the loop for a while, but I hear he’s progressive.  Stay tuned.

Click here.

The Lighter Side

Finally!

Dear Mahmoud

As an American citizen, I’m flattered that both Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have invited me for a visit.  I simply don’t know who to choose.  Here’s some of my correspondence: 

Dear Mahmoud,

It’s been a while!   Thanks for your thoughts.  I should say that Hugo has invited me for a visit to Caracas.  Don’t be mad (though I do think he’s handling the oil thing a little better than you). 

   Listen, I know leadership is hard, you know, and people can go a little too far.  It happens.  They’re like animals sometimes!  You turn around and some poor, ignorant religious zealot has done something crazy!  I get that you can’t ask a leader to be too far ahead of his people.

This is also why I support your bid to become a nuclear power.  You’ve got the pole position in that part of the world, and you should just go with it.   You probably know more than you should, and being in charge is never like you thought it’d be.

Don’t have much time so let me just add the I’m-a-humble-man-of-the-people routine might not fly with the Columbia students…you might want to think about a tie.

The only reason I’m telling you this is because I think you’ve got a few converts there….

P.S.  Just wanted to let you know that Sean Penn did visit Caracas.  So, it’s official.  Gotta run.

Yours truly,

An American Citizen.

P.G. Wodehouse, Uncle Fred Flits By

If you have an hour or so, and you want to read one of the funnier short stories ever written, then read Uncle Fred Flits By, by P.G. Wodehouse.

I could not find it for free, but you can check out the first few pages at the above link.

Also, this recent piece discusses some of Wodehouse’s darker characters. 

Urinal In Your Home?

Joel Stein explores his options.  I’d say his writing is right on target: I actually laughed.

Can you imagine your wife or girlfriend staring at this?

Good luck.

No More Weekly World News!

    

    This is Bat Boy, in case you’re wondering.

    The Weekly World News was equal parts crazy, absurd and entertaining.  R.I.P.

Are you a quack?

All credit goes to a bloggingheads commentor mysteriously known as AemJeff.

Click here to find out.

Addition: Original link at Pharyngula.  A link to the site only.  Could not find the original post.  Apologies.

Already News: Stephen Pinker

This is already news, but it’s very interesting.  Try and introduce #6 at a backyard barbecue:

“Say, it’s a great day, isn’t it?  Did you get a hot dog?”

“It’s wonderful out. I did get a hot dog, thanks.”

“Do you think men have an innate tendency to rape?”

I suppose this is Pinker’s point.  To discuss deeply difficult moral questions that directly go against collective assumptions is taboo…nevertheless a duty we all have.  

 Perhaps.  Depends on where you are.