Archive for July 2023

08/01/2023 “Summer Musings”   Leave a comment

An airplane flying from Houston to Chicago had a very close call. For a while it seemed they were doomed to crash to fiery destruction, but at the last minute the pilot got it under control and landed safely. Out of the plane came 200 midgets. An onlooker said, “I never saw so many midgets in my life.” Said another, “Those aren’t midgets. Those are Texans with the shit scared out of them.

In Hollywood, it is not enough for you to succeed; your friends must fail.

As per Yogi, “You can observe a great deal just by watching.”

Who doesn’t like stereotypes? A Texan had just had a baby son, and he was passing out enormous cigars. “Likeliest little varmint you ever saw,” he said proudly. “He weighs twenty-seven pounds.” Two weeks later, the friend met him and said, “How’s the kid?” “Fine,” said the Texan. “The little tyke weighs sixteen pounds.” The friend looked puzzled. “Why, when he was born you said he weighed twenty-seven pounds.” “I know.” said the Texan, “but we had him circumcised.”

There once was a young plumber from Leigh

Who was plumbing a girl by the sea.

Said the maid, “Cease your plumbing,

I think someone’s coming.”

Said the plumber, still plumbing, “It’s me!”

At the zoo, a curious woman said to one of those who tended the animals, “How do you tell a male hippopotamus from a female hippopotamus?” The keeper said, “We don’t really have to, ma’am. The hippopotamuses figure it out for themselves.”

There is a story that Mussolini was once stranded in a small town in Italy when his car broke down, To pass the time, he visited a local movie house. Came the newsreel, and, of course, his own face flashed on the screen.

Everyone in the movie house stood up, but Mussolini, feeling tired and feeling no compulsion to stand up in his own honor, remained seated. Whereupon the man next to him whispered, “I feel exactly as you do, but take my advice and stand up. It’s safer.”

THANKS ISAAC

07/29/2023 “Lest We Forget”   Leave a comment

I’m feeling a bit feisty today, so I’ll post this rather lengthy rant. I also understand that asking many of our so-called concerned citizens to read something longer than two paragraphs is asking a lot. There are somethings I can choose to forget but not forgive. There are other things that I will never forget or forgive. Unfortunately, the attention span of a great many Americans is quite short except when they’re inconvenienced by a TSA screening. The following test will remind our brilliant lawmakers and most casual citizens that there are things that should never be forgotten. Unfortunately, many casual citizens and politicians who see a wrong perpetrated against this country just shrug their shoulders, make a lame speech, wipe a tear from their eye, and then immediately return to the business of politics and feathering their own nest. Let’s have a quick memory test to determine who is actually paying attention these days.

USA History Exam

(For the chronically uninformed)

1. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:
a. Olga Korbitt
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwartzeneger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

2. In 1979, the U.S. embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

3. During the 1980’s a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4. In 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

5. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked, and a 70-year-old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

6. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a U.S. Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. Captain Kid
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by! :
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40


9. In 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary, to distract attention from Wild Bill’s women problems.
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

10. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted to a crash by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:
a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

11. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

12. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. Bonny and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

As the writer of the award-winning story Forrest Gump so aptly put it, “Stupid is as stupid does! But an even better quote comes from comedian Ron White:

YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID



07/27/2023 Want A Good Life?   2 comments

Everyone wants a good life. As I sat thinking about it recently, I felt a few commonsense rules were needed. I’ve been around a very long time and have collected ideas from many sources that assisted me in creating this list. I’m no genius but if you follow this list, I guarantee your life will improve dramatically.

*****

Talk slow, think fast.
Remember that great loves and great successes also hold great risks.
Call your mom.
Respect yourself, respect others and take responsibility for your actions.
When you’ve made a mistake, Correct it!

Eat plenty of whole rice.
Always give people more than they expect.
Be able to sing your favorite song.
Don’t believe anything you hear and half of what you see. When you say, “I love you”, mean it!

Pet your pets.
Spend some time alone.
Accept change but maintain your values.
At times, silence is the best answer.
Read more books!

Learn all the rules, and then break a few.
Trust everyone . . . but always lock your car.
Do not bring up the past.
Good fences sometimes make for good neighbors.
Don’t trust anyone who fails to close their eyes when they kiss you.

Only swear when absolutely necessary.
When you say, “I’m sorry”, say it with eye contact.
Believe in love at first sight.
Honor your body, treat it like a temple.
Fight fair.

ANY DISAGREEMENTS? DIAL 1-800-BITE-ME



Serenity   Leave a comment

A cool summer evening, a light breeze, a quiet deck, working on my painting, accompanied by my cat and a glass of Drambuie. Just heaven on earth.

Daily writing prompt
What are your future travel plans?

Posted July 26, 2023 by Every Useless Thing in Bitch & Complain

Tagged with ,

07/25/2023 “NATIONAL PARKS”   Leave a comment

It seems that the great majority of people in this country love to visit our national parks. I’ve never been one to spend much time in them, but I do understand the interest. As I did my research, I stumbled upon some other interesting facts not so much about the parks but about the interesting people who visit them. We humans are an interesting lot but at times just totally and completely stupid. That statement is due primarily to the following list. It is actual questions asked of Rangers and Visitors Bureau employees who work in the parks. The questions are so silly and humorous there’s no need to post the answers. Read them and have a laugh or two.

Can you show me where the yeti lives?

How much does Mount McKinley weigh?

Did people build this, or did Indians?

Why did they build the ruins so close to the road?

How much of the cave is underground?

How do you turn Old Faithful on?

We had no trouble finding the park entrances, but where are the exits?

What is the best time of year to watch deer turn into elk?

Where can we find Amish hookers? We want to buy a quilt.

What is the official language of Alaska?

HAPPY VACATIONING

07/22/2023 CRIMINAL JUSTICE??   Leave a comment

I’ve had the pleasure and misfortune to have spent nearly twenty years working in and with the criminal justice organizations in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maine. I always thought the system had its flaws, how could it not? Your days are filled with an endless supply of criminals and an endless supply of criminal attorneys. Yikes!! I always laughed when I heard some of the older police and judges say Criminal Justice was the ultimate oxymoron. I’ve since discovered they weren’t kidding. The information in today’s post was taken from the annals of numerous courts and are true. You may find them hard to believe but they are. There are a million stories in the naked city and most of them are directly related to the Criminal Justice system. When in doubt plead total ignorance.

🏛️🏛️🏛️

Attorney: What did the tissue samples taken from the victim’s vagina show?

Witness: There were traces of semen.

Attorney: Male semen?

🏛️🏛️🏛️

Attorney: Did you ever sleep with him in New York?

Witness: I refuse to answer that question.

Attorney: Did you ever sleep with him in Chicago?

Witness: I refuse to answer that question.

Attorney: Did you ever sleep with him in Miami?

Witness: No.

🏛️🏛️🏛️

Attorney: What is your date of birth?

Witness: July fifteenth.

Attorney: What year?

Witness: Every year.

🏛️🏛️🏛️

Attorney: So, the date of your baby’s conception was August 8th?

Witness: Yes.

Attorney: And what were you doing at that time?

🏛️🏛️🏛️

THE ULTIMATE REALITY SHOW

07/20/2023 “Malaprops”   3 comments

Malaprop

The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar sounding one, often with unintentionally

amusing effect, as in, for example, “dance a flamingo” (instead of flamenco).

Today’s posting will be a shout out to all of those educators that spend so much of their time attempting to teach our younger generations anything. It’s a difficult job on the good days and it’s even worse on the bad days. I thought I’d list a selection of what are called malaprops taken from actual test papers and essays from some grade schoolers, high schoolers, and selected college examinations. These are things of beauty.

  • Women like to do things in circles, where they sew, talk, and do their meddling.
  • “Don’t” is a contraption.
  • Italics are what Italians write in.
  • The government of Athens was Democratic because the people took the law into their own hands.
  • Antarctica is like the regular Arctic, but ritzier.

  • He worked in the government as a civil serpent.
  • You purify water by filtering it and then forcing it through an aviator.
  • The doctor felt the man’s purse and said there was no hope.
  • The government of England is a limited mockery.
  • The first book of the Bible is a book of Guinness’s.

“IT IS BEYOND MY APPREHENSION.”

07/18/2023 “ISAAC SPEAKS”   1 comment

Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992)

He was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. A prolific writer, he wrote or edited more than 500 books. He also wrote an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Best known for his hard science fiction, Asimov also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great deal of non-fiction.

*****

I’ve been a fan of Isaac Asimov, for as long as I can remember. I’ve tried to read everything of his that I could find and have never regretted it. He’s one of the most prolific writers who’ve ever lived and is well-versed in virtually any topic someone would like to talk about. Over the years I’ve also discovered that he was one of the funniest writers as well and has written books of limericks and stories that were outrageously funny. I recently acquired a book of his from 1992 (the year of his death) titled Azimov Laughs Again. It’s a volume of funny stories from his life as well as some of his favorite jokes and limericks. Here are a couple jokes to help get your day started.

  • Mr. Ginsberg, age 83, went to the doctor for a complete examination head to toe. About halfway through, the doctor was called to the telephone. He said, “Mr. Ginsberg, this will not take more than a few minutes. Here’s a jar. While I am gone, go to the bathroom and place a semen sample in it for examination. Then we’ll continue. “A few minutes later, the doctor indeed returned, and there stood Mr. Ginsberg with the jar- totally empty. “Doctor,” said Mr. Ginsberg. “I did my best. I tried with my right hand, and I tried with my left hand. I even tried with both hands, but nothing happened. The doctor said soothingly, “Now, Mr. Ginsberg, don’t feel embarrassed. At the age of 83, it is quite common to be impotent.” Whereupon Ginsberg said, with towering indignation, “What do you mean, impotent? I couldn’t open the jar.”

  • Old Mr. Anderson and his equally aged wife were filing for divorce. The judge, eyeing them with astonishment, said, “How old are you, Mr. Anderson?” “Ninety-three”, Your Honor. “And your wife?” “Ninety-one”, Your Honor.” “And how long have you been married?” “Sixty-six years.” “Then why do you want to get a divorce now?” “Well, you know how it is, Your Honor.” We were waiting for the children to die.”

He has an interesting sense of humor and I freaking love it. Here’s a small add-on which is one of his favorite limericks.

There was a young couple from Florida

Whose passion grew steadily torrider.

They were planning to sin

In a room in an inn.

Who can wait? So, they screwed in the corridor.

HAVING A HAPPY RAINY TUESDAY

07/15/2023 “Limerick Alert”   1 comment

💥💥💥💥TWISTED LIMERICK ALERT💥💥💥💥

I think it’s likely that some of you may have gotten the wrong idea with the title I used for this post. Twisted in this context does not mean heavily sexual or bawdy. These limericks are written specifically for children, and they are a cross between limericks & tongue twisters. As a kid I loved tongue twisters and at a very early age whilst sitting through a number of sessions to correct a minor lisp I had, tongue twisters were one of the exercises that we were permitted to do to help us get control of our speech patterns. I know it sounds stupid, but it was even more stupid when you’re the one who was required to do it. Enjoy!

😊😊😊

She saw a seesaw at sea,

A shawl she was wearing, was she,

The sea shrank her shawl,

Till it shrank her shawl small,

To the seesaw she saw she said “Gee!”

😁😁😁

Louise is pleased by cheesy chicken squeezed with cheesy cheese,

Squeezy peasy chicken cheesy served to please Louise,

“To other chicken, phooey!

Even Chinese chicken suey,

More squeezy greasy peasy cheesy chicken, if you please!”

😋😋😋

Hannah from Havana grew bananas in Savanna,

A bonanza of bananas that had grown in her bandanna,

How can bananas from Havana,

Grow in your bandanna, Hannah,

Into such a bonanza of banana nirvana?

😆😆😆

Six silly Swiss sisters from Spain,

Sue, Sis, Sophie, Shirl, Sheila, and Jane,

Said Shirl’s sister Sue,

“I’ll serve Sophie some stew,

And Sis, Sheila, Shirl, and Jane some chow mein!”

⌚⌚⌚

IF TWO WITCHES WERE WATCHING TWO WATCHES,

WHICH WITCH WOULD WATCH WHICH WATCH?

07/13/2023 “FIRSTS”   1 comment

I’m not entirely sure why being “first” is so important to so many of us. Everyone wants to be “first” not just in sporting events, but damn near everything. I was the “first” kid in my family to go to college, and it gave my parents something they used to impress their friends. I was also the “first” in the family to drop out of college and join the Army. I sure didn’t get any kudos for that move. Today I decided to research some “firsts” not just from the United States but worldwide. This is also the “first” time I’ve written about “firsts” on this blog. Let me be the “first” to congratulate myself for that.

  • Barbra Streisand’s first performance was as a chocolate chip cookie.
  • The first song Bruce Springsteen ever learned to play on the guitar was The Rolling Stones, “It’s All Over Now.”
  • The first ready to eat breakfast cereal was Shredded Wheat in 1893 (it beat Kellogg’s Corn Flakes by just five years).
  • The first scientifically planned slimming diet was devised in 1862 by Dr. Harvey, an ear specialist, for an overweight undertaker. At that time dieting was initially something that only men did, and women didn’t start to do it until they stopped wearing figure-altering corsets.
  • The first dry cleaning was done in 1849 by a Monsieur Jolly-Bellin of France, who discovered the process by mistake when he upset a lamp over a newly laundered tablecloth and found that the part that was covered with alcohol from the lamp was cleaner than the rest.

  • Peter Sellers was the first male to ever be featured on the cover of Playboy.
  • Cuba Gooding Jr’s first job was as a dancer for Lionel Richie at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
  • The world’s first traffic island was installed – at his own expense – by Colonel Pierrepoint outside his London club. It’s also ironic that he was later killed crossing over to it.
  • Courtney Cox was the first person on U.S. TV ever to use the word period in an ad for Tampax.
  • Gustav Mahler composed his first piece of music at the age of four, Sergei Prokofiev composed his first piece of music at age five, and Wolfgang Mozart was just eight when he composed his first symphony.

MAKE A LIST OF YOUR TEN “FIRSTS”