Is this just a bit too much over the line? From a band (one hit wonder?) named Full Frontal Freedom (or is it Wrong Direction?):
Full Frontal Freedom, “What you hiding down below”
September 16, 2012
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2012 Campaigns, 2012 Elections, Campaigns, Elections, Humor | Tagged: 2012 Campaign, Humor, Mitt Romney, Politics, Tax Returns | 
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Posted by Ed Darrell
What do your clothes see in the washing machine?
September 15, 2012Do you ever wonder what your clothes would see, if they could see, from inside the washing machine?
Dario Viola provides a brief answer, courtesy his waterproof GoPro camera, on Vimeo:
Leave a Comment » | Humor, photography, Technology | Tagged: Dario Viola, GoPro Camera, Humor, photography, Technology | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Fox News, still geographically challenged (Arkansas? What’s that?)
September 15, 2012Bret Corum calls our attention to another Fox News remaking of the map of the world:
Misreporting the news is bad enough — but changing the map? Nations go to war over such things . . .
It appears that, in the Fox News view of the world, Missouri conquered Arkansas, and Alabama and Mississippi either swapped spouses and houses, or are in the middle of some geographic square dance, and the satellite caught them in the middle of a do-si-do into each other’s old territory.
Look on the bright side — so far they only screwed up 8% of the United States with their mapping errors. On the other hand, they named nine states, and made four errors — 55% correct. That’s probably not a passing score even under No Child Left Behind rules.
One gets the sinking feeling that such sloppiness with the facts infects everything Fox does, though.
I wonder what kinds of errors and screw-ups one could find, if one seriously paid attention to what Fox claims.
More:
- Why Fox News – yet again – needs a copy editor (apple.copydesk.org) (Charles Apple’s column on news design is always a good read — but this piece lists several, maybe a hundred, other instances of copy editor-less screw-ups on the news and other places. God bless copy editors, and let’s hope these errors were all caused by a lack of one.)
Tip of the old scrub brush to the ever-vigilant, accuracy stickler Bret Corum.
2 Comments | Humor, Journalism, News | Tagged: Alabama, Arkansas, Fox News, geography, Humor, Journalism, Mississippi, Missouri, News | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Bathtub reading for a Labor Day
September 1, 2012A week of school out of the way, perhaps. One convention down, one to gird up for. Last long weekend of a mosquito-plagued summer. Enough rain to quench the wildfire danger, perhaps, while washing away the town outside the levees.
Millard Fillmore bathed here: Fillmore helped build this house in East Aurora, NY, in 1825, moving in with his wife Abigail in 1826. They lived here until 1830. It is the only surviving residence of Fillmore, aside from the White House. Good image created and copyright held by Yoho2001 Toronto, ON. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Whatever the justification, a good stack of stuff for a good, long soak.
- The ultimate “I built this myself” source, perhaps? Perhaps you have a hinge this guy could use.
- No, Grandpa Simpson did not invent it. Eastwood is old enough to be Grandpa Simpson, but he makes much better movies.
- Larry Ferlazzo plopped this in the middle of a post with advice to aspiring authors on getting published:
- Everybody is Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub these days — or should be.
- Things change. The old sailing strategy, sticking close to the middle of the channel and away from the starboard rocks, is gone. Will anyone notice before we have a lot of wrecks on the rocks? A scheming captain may not tell the sailors everything, even if it’s on the charts and in the new sailing strategy. What’s the old sea-wise sailor to do?
- Who was the business consultant who said, of bringing in a “fireman” to fix company problems, “A fireman has two tools, an axe and a hose; call him in, you’re going to get one?” Did Mitt just warn us he plans to bring in a fireman? Did he warn us that he thinks he is that fireman?
- This is so good on so many different levels. No apologies to Orff necessary. Carlton Draught is an Australian beer. I wonder, when was it filmed, and where?
- Did Lou Pritchett write this? If not, he should study it. Would Pritchett regard it as ironic?
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, at a CPAC infestation. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
- What is “American Exceptionalism” if not just a litmus test to see whether one is devout enough to take communion among the Teabagger Republicans? Bob Cornwall wonders whether it may be a trap. Chris Rodda thinks it’s rooted in misunderstanding of history. Marco Rubio uses it as an ultimate It’s-Not-My-Fault-He-Started-It whine. Rubio and his fellow travelers somehow never get around to explaining just who is supposed to keep that shining city on a hill, shiny, nor why anyone should care to, and that is the ultimate failing of those would use it as a litmus, or sword, or club. Who is to polish the alabaster today, is one of the key questions of government.
Wait. The tea is cold. Bother. Why don’t they make tea dispensers for the bath tub?
13 Comments | History, Humor, Politics | Tagged: Conventions, Grampa Simpson, History, Humor, Life, Millard Fillmore, Politics, Republicans | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Another guy, another chair, another view
August 31, 2012Big Oopsdate: Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub fell victim to a photo hoax. The image below was modified from the “Simpsons” episode; see story of hoax here.
#Eastwooding Give Clint Eastwood a break. The RNC asked him to speak about ObamaCare n he thought they said ObamaChair twitter.com/franky_frank97…— Franky Frank (@franky_frank97) August 31, 2012
Leave a Comment » | Humor, Politics | Tagged: @EmptyChair, Clint Eastwood, Humor, Politics | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Turns out this chair is occupied
August 31, 2012Turns out this chair is occupied.
Tip of the old scrub brush to Luke Adams and Twitter, and to Clint Eastwood.
Also, I’ll wager that photo should have got a credit line to one of the White House photographers, probably Pete Souza.
5 Comments | 2012 Campaigns, 2012 Elections, Barack Obama, Humor, Politics | Tagged: 2012 Campaign, @EmptyChair, Clint Eastwood, Empty Chair, Humor, Luke Adams, Politics, President Obama | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Already! Season two, “These Guys”
August 22, 2012Louie Ludwig is a genius. Does he write speeches for Texas candidates for the U.S. Senate, maybe? Paul Sadler, are you watching?
These Guys Season 2: The Lieutenant
So the new guy thinks he’s such a tough guy? When he can’t even stand up to these guys?Louie Ludwig is the creator of this ad and is solely responsible for its content.
Music: “The Man with No Point” from the album “Private Islands”
copyright 2008 Louie Ludwig/zzi music ISRC USWGE1100208Video/images: Louie Ludwig, Gage Skidmore, AP, Sage Ross, DB King, Russian Presidential Press and Information Office, Voice of America
More music and video at LouLost.com
Leave a Comment » | 2012 Campaigns, 2012 Elections, Humor, Politics | Tagged: Humor, Louie Ludwig, Paul Ryan, Paul Sadler, Politics | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
This one’s good: “Previously, on ‘These Guys'”
August 22, 2012You want these guys back? Whaddaya, crazy?
A bleeped, safe-for-work version of this ad is available at http://youtu.be/ZclbEjdowX4New! These Guys Season 2: http://youtu.be/AMvAw4U5MWc
George Bush and Richard Bruce Cheney in THESE GUYS
Starring Robert Joseph, Saddam Hussein, Joseph Wilson, Scooter Libby,Valerie Plame, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, Colin Powell, Abu Zabayda, Cofer Black, Robert Kagan, Dan Senor, Elliott Cohen, Paula Dobriansky, Condaleeza Rice
and, Introducing Mitt Romney as “The Nominee”
With a cast of billions. The biggest-budget disaster epic ever made!
_____________Louie Ludwig is the creator of this ad and is solely responsible for its content.
Music: “The Man with No Point”
From the album “Private Islands”
copyright 2008 Louie Ludwig/zzi music
ISRC USWGE1100208Video 2012 Louie Ludwig
Video ISRC USWGE129113
Somebody, somewhere, probably could put names to all the faces.
“Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.” Please, not again. As Louie Ludwig said, “This year, vote, as if a guy’s life depends on it.”
Leave a Comment » | Humor, Politics | Tagged: Humor, Iraq War, Louie Ludwig, Mitt Romney, Politics | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
First Amendment: Still engraved in stone
August 18, 2012In a discussion about teaching evolution in biology classes a few years ago, I had carefully explained how and why the First Amendment does not require creationism to be taught in biology classes, and in fact is the reason that creationism isn’t taught, in the Establishment Clause. My explanation irritated the tarnation out of a creationist woman who exclaimed, “Well, it’s not like the First Amendment is engraved in stone!”
Heh. Guess what I found at Southern Methodist University. There, outside the main door of the Umphrey Lee Center, which houses the Department of Economics and the Division of Journalism of the Meadows School for the Arts:
This is an encore post from April 2008.
More:
- Kentucky Lawmakers Shocked To Find Evolution In Biology Tests (science.slashdot.org)
- Missouri screws up (freethoughtblogs.com)
- Missouri’s Constitutional Creationism Amendment (sensuouscurmudgeon.wordpress.com)
- Florida to Strike the Establishment Clause from its Constitution? (breakingspells.net)
Leave a Comment » | First Amendment, History, Humor, Politics, U.S. Constitution | Tagged: Creationism, First Amendment, Freedom of the Press, History, Humor, Politics, SMU, U.S. Constitution | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Democratic snark at Romney turnabouts
August 7, 2012At least when the Democrats do a video snipe at a candidate, they put their name on it. Most of the clever stuff against Obama is, I suspect, manufactured by some group in the employ of the Republican National Committee, but anonymous, to protect the originators of the hoaxes and inaccuracies.
Maybe the Democrats are proud of this one. I also suspect there is no good answer to it that wouldn’t bend the truth: “Mitt vs. Mitt”
Generally, Republicans are better at producing this kind of snark. Generally, their stuff includes a lot of stuff that’s made up. Which claims in this video aren’t accurate? Any?
1 Comment | 2012 Campaigns, 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Humor, Politics | Tagged: 2012 Campaign, 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Humor, Mitt Romney, Politics | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Port Isaac, Cornwall: Depends on your point of view
August 5, 2012What you see in this photo may depend on where you sit, or stand.
Aerial photo of Port Isaac, Cornwall, from Facebook, August 2012; attributed to Wimp.com
It’s a photo of a town in Cornwall, England: Port Isaac. Lovely photo, showing the verdant hills around the town where grains grow in some abundance (the town’s name means “corn port,” suggesting a thriving grain trade a millennium ago), sheep or other animals graze, and showing the port from which fishermen sail to bring in bounty from the oceans. The picturesque little town is popular among writers and other artists. It’s historic and quaint streets make a popular backdrop for television and film production — the popular BBC series “Doc Martin” films there.
Since some internet “cool stuff” site (Wimp.com? I can’t find it there) picked up the photo, it’s become popular around the internet and on Facebook. Generally the identifiers for the town get stripped away as the ‘net is wont to do. So conjecture pops up in comments:
Roscarrock Hill, Port Isaac The first house on the right is Fern Cottage, made famous as the house of Doc Martin, in the TV series of the same name. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
- Secret town, cut off from the rest of civilization?
- Wasn’t that area once forested, and doesn’t the photo show the perils of deforestation for agricultural, or any other purposes? “Many moons ago before humanity it was beautifully covered with pristine forests full of life. It’s now a self-centred disaster brought by humanity…this pic is ugly !”
- Isn’t it idyllic, and who wouldn’t want to live there? “This looks like Cornwalls beautiful rocky edge of the world,I just love the area and holiday there most years,maybe one day i will have saved enough to retire there ,it is truly a stunningly wonderful place to be come rain or shine.”
- If only there were no people there! “our planet earth is still beautiful you just have to look at it from a distance.”
- See how the town is sprawling into the pastures? See the dangers of (small-town) urban sprawl?
- London is prettier.
- You should see Ireland/Wales/Norway!
Ugly or beautiful — opinions differ depending on what the poster thinks it is, and what the poster thinks s/he knows about the place.
Perhaps its really a shot of Rohrshach, Norway . . .
More:
- Forget The Coach Bag, I’m Going To Port Isaac! (ireneebird.wordpress.com)
- Cornwall Still First Choice for Holidays, Says Cornish Traditional Cottages (prweb.com)
- Treat yourself to a holiday in Cornwall (ukcredit.com)
- Company Reduces Brochure Run as Bookings Continue to Rise (prweb.com)
Rohrshach? Do you see the face? (It’s actually Cornwall (Photo credit: joeflintham))
3 Comments | Geography - Physical, Geography - Political, History, Humor, photography, psychology, Travel | Tagged: Cornwall, England, geography, History, Humor, photography, Port Isaac, psychology, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Coffee truck
August 4, 2012Some days I need industrial quantities of industrial strength coffee. I was happy and excited to catch up to this truck in Illinois earlier this summer.
Alas, the truck carries gasoline, with just an advertisement for coffee . . . Pilot Truck Stops coffee truck, photo by Ed Darrell
You know the result: The “1203” hazardous cargo number means it’s gasoline, not coffee. What a cruel trick!
Update, April 2017: A website called Fedora now has this photo as an available wallpaper. I hope it gets picked up, and I hope they pay royalties.
2 Comments | Coffee, Humor, Travel | Tagged: Coffee, Humor, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Notebook – an animation look at reality in a digital age
August 4, 2012I’m up for a brilliant little idea not carried on too long.
Stumbled into this film from four years ago. The producer/director/creator explains it:
Noteboek (English title: Notebook) consists of 4 short experimental films where I try to confuse the reality.
In these films, illusions and expectations are challenged.Noteboek is a short film and part of my graduation project.
[Music: The White Stripes-Seven Nation Army.]
And where is Evelien Lohbeck today?
If you want to see more work please visit:
evelienlohbeck.com
The guy’s woman’s got a wicked sense of the surreal, and a good sense of humor.
Tip of the old scrub brush to Le Web . . . et le reste.
More:
- Short Films In The Spotlight: International Short Films find Digital… (prweb.com)
- /Film Video Blog: Disney’s Hand-Drawn/CG Animated Short Film ‘Paperman’ (slashfilm.com)
- Short Films In The Spotlight: International Short Films find Digital Distribution via the new Go Social Film iPad Magazine. (virtual-strategy.com)
- 10 Videos You Could Use to Inspire Writing. (antsict.wordpress.com)
- Film shorts – the Vimeo Winner 2012 (timgarrattnottingham.co.uk)
- Riveting Surrealism + Socio-Political Commentary | Short Film ‘I, Pet Goat II’ (thinksoul25.com)
- Errol Morris’s Short Film On Sports-Themed Funerals Is Morbidly Cool [Video] (deadspin.com)
- Short film: Sight (desertunderground.net)
3 Comments | animation, Humor, Technology, Video and film | Tagged: animation, Evelien Lohbeck, Filmmaking, Humor, Noteboek, Short film, Technology, Video and film | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Six fundamental forces (Dave Barry via Mark Sackler)
July 19, 2012Needed some comic thought today. Fortunately, Mark Sackler blogs:
“Magnetism is one of the six fundamental forces in nature, the other five being gravity, duct tape, whining, remote control and the force that pulls dogs towards the groins of strangers.”–Dave Barry
Down boy!
I can certainly agree with the first three. I think there is also an absolute force which draws my daughter towards her mother’s credit cards, and everything else is relative.
Well, maybe I don’t agree with the .gif. Our bigger dog has a nose that is just groin height on most people, though, and he acts as if he considers himself duty-bound. But isn’t Sackler right on with the Dave Barry quote?
1 Comment | Humor | Tagged: Dave Barry, Humor, Mark Sackler | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Switched on tree
July 17, 2012Found this on the campus of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Son James assures me it’s an art installation.
What happens if someone flips the switch?
Clever, or troubling?
Related articles
- Yarn Bombed Trees in Seattle My Great Outdoors (apartmenttherapy.com)
- Colossal Baobab Tree Made From Recycled Fabric Takes Root in Central London (inhabitat.com)
- Art installation places pianos downtown for public to play (fox13now.com)
Leave a Comment » | Art, Humor | Tagged: Art, Humor, Lawrence University | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
