Jason Kottke’s done a wonderful job of rounding up some of history’s best Olympic moments on YouTube. However, I think he missed a select few that truly deserve to be seen and appreciated.
Humor
Things that make me laugh, or that I think will make others laugh.
This is Journalism?
I’ll freely admit that, while geeky, I’m not one who will stand in line for hours for an item I can get faster and easier if I wait a few days. I’m less concerned with “firsties” than with my own convenience.
That said — I love the fact that the customer in this video actually calls the reporter on his idiotic “reporting.” I wish more people would do this — perhaps we’d actually get a bit more news in the news, instead of mindless fluff.
Probably not. But perhaps.
Sentenced to two life terms in bed?
Another addition to the list of reasons why I’m going to hell, or, things I really shouldn’t find funny, but do. It’s not the following story that’s funny — to the contrary, it’s rather horrendous — but NetNewsWire’s ‘show corrections’ feature inadvertently had me snickering as my brain ignored the strikeouts and mashed together bits of the two versions of the story summary.
The bit that really kept getting me was that the man “has been sentenced to two life terms in bed, dead from apparent gunshot wounds.”
There’s something seriously wrong with me.
Bonehead
After class this morning, I wandered across the street to the bus stop. I was a little annoyed at myself for leaving my bus pass at home, but since I had a few ones, it didn’t matter too much. I got on the 75 and picked up a transfer, rode to the Northgate Transit Center, waited there for about ten minutes, and then took the 41 to our apartment. As I waited for the bus to roll to a stop, I peeked out the windows and scanned our parking lot for the car to see if Prairie was back from her morning jaunt with Hope. The car wasn’t in the lot…
…oh, wait. Crap.
I drove to school this morning.
Prairie hasn’t been able to stop giggling for the past half hour.
On the bright side, I didn’t have to catch the bus back to school, as Prairie was able to call Hope and have her drive us up to the school to rescue the car. Which I’d forgotten. Left behind.
I am such a dork.
Trifecta
Point one: A news story about a Darwin Award contender. Point two: great headline. Point three: horrid choice of ad banner (probably automatically generated).
Hey, it made me laugh.
Deficit Attention Disorder
From the Christian Science Monitor, a funny editorial advertising Restraint®, a cure for Deficit Attention Disorder (DAD)!
Have you ever wondered how the federal government can bail out banks and mortgage-holders, cut your taxes, try to protect Social Security, expand your Medicare benefits, and send you a stimulus check – all at the same time? These may be symptoms of an embarrassing condition afflicting political parties, banks, and households across America: Deficit Attention Disorder (DAD).
Unchecked, normal individuals (as well as politicians and bank CEOs) afflicted by DAD start to believe in money that doesn’t exist. This silent assassin of fiscal sanity overheats your credit card, sells you a make-believe mortgage, makes your pension go “poof,” and drops a whopping entitlement tab on your kids.
Fortunately, there’s a new way to get DAD under control – without any of the cosmetic remedies prescribed by spin doctors. By combining an ancient Zen secret with a cure-all from your grandmother, our researchers are proud to introduce: Restraint®.
Anchorage Wormhole?
Google Maps Streetview seems to have discovered a wormhole while driving down Muldoon Road in Anchorage, Alaska (my hometown). Somehow, in all the years of driving up and down this road, I’d never noticed the sudden jump into a residential parking lot and then back onto the road itself. I’m obviously not paying enough attention!
Heterosexual Questionnaire
There are multiple versions of this floating around on the ‘net, and I’ve run across the concept before, but I saw this particular version for the first time this week in my Women’s Studies class, where it got a lot of laughs and some good discussions going.
- What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
- When and how did you decide that you were a heterosexual?
- Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?
- Is it possible your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?
- If you’ve never slept with a person of the same sex, is it possible that all you need is a good gay or lesbian lover?
- To whom have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies? How did they react?
- Why do you heterosexuals feel compelled to seduce others into your lifestyle?
- Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Why can’t you just be what you are and keep quiet about it?
- Would you want your children to be heterosexual knowing the problems they’d face?
- A disproportionate majority of child molesters are heterosexual. Do you consider it safe to expose your children to heterosexual teachers?
- With all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?
- Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex?
- Considering the menace of overpopulation, how could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual like you?
- Could you trust a heterosexual therapist to be objective? Don’t you fear (s)he might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his/her own leanings?
- How can you become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive, exclusive heterosexuality, and fail to develop your natural, healthy homosexual potential?
- There seem to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that might enable you to change if you really want to. Have you considered trying aversion therapy?
Silliness: Medical Notes
An e-mail from Mom. Normally I don’t pass these kinds of things on (via e-mail or the web), especially when they’re already posted on Snopes (this one is listed as ‘Undetermined’), but this one had both Prairie and I in stitches (no pun intended) as we read through it. Lots of good arguments for the importance of clarity in writing in here!
A selection of choice writings taken from medical (and nursing!) notes!
- By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped and he was feeling better.
- Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
- On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.
- She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
- The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1983.
- I will be happy to go into her GI system, she seems ready and anxious.
- Patient was released to outpatient department without dressing.
- I have suggested that he loosen his pants before standing, and then, when he stands with the help of his wife, they should fall to the floor.
- The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
- Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
- The patient will need disposition, and therefore we will get Dr. Ward to dispose of him.
- Healthy-appearing, decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
- The patient refused an autopsy.
- The patient has no past history of suicides.
- The patient expired on the floor uneventfully.
- Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital.
- Patient was becoming more demented with urinary frequency.
- The patient’s past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
- She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early December.
- The patient experienced sudden onset of severe shortness of breath with a picture of acute pulmonary edema at home while having sex which gradually deteriorated in the emergency room.
- The patient left the hospital feeling much better except for her original complaints.
- The patient is disabled with a wife from Portsmouth
- Uterus remains in place resting comfortably (after prolapse repair)
- Diagnosis: Claus-trophobia
- Comes to ED complaining of vaginal breathing.
- Patient arrived by avalanche
- Odor of alcohol on breast
- Patient stable all morning, in asystole
- Road Traffic Accident, back seat driver
- The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
- The baby was delivered, the cord clamped and cut, and handed to the pediatrician, who breathed and cried immediately.
- Exam of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
- The skin was moist and dry.
- Rectal exam revealed a normal size thyroid.
- The patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
- She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life until 1989 when she got a divorce.
- Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.
- The patient was in his usual state of good health until his airplane ran out of gas and crashed.
- I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
- The patient was prepped and raped in the usual manner.
- Examination reveals a well-developed male laying in bed with his family in no distress.
- Patient was alert and unresponsive.
- When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room.
- The patient lives at home with his mother, father, and pet turtle, who is presently enrolled in day care three times a week.
- Bleeding started in the rectal area and continued all the way to Los Angeles.
- Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
- She is numb from her toes down.
- Exam of genitalia was completely negative except for the right foot.
- While in the emergency room, she was examined, x-rated and sent home.
- The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead.
- The patient suffers from occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.
- Coming from Detroit, this man has no children.