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A Couple of Funnies

If you enjoy life then you like to laugh at the absurd. I got a couple for you today from the past week.

Item 1

Finish this line:

“Guess what? I’ve got a fever. And the only prescription is… “

If you shouted “More cowbell!” then you too remember the sketch on Saturday Night Live 5 years ago.

“More cowbell” is the punch line to a “Saturday Night Live” skit that originally aired five years ago this month (April). The guest host was Christopher Walken, and one of the skits spoofed VH1’s “Behind the Music” by imagining what happened when the 1970s band Blue Oyster Cult went into the studio to cut “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” its best-known song.

Walken plays producer Bruce Dickinson, a preening rock “legend” who turns hacks into hit-makers. Will Ferrell, who wrote the sketch, plays pseudo-Cult member Gene Frenkle, whose sole talent consists of beating on a cowbell with enough force to stun a bull elephant. Real-life BOC members are portrayed by SNL’s Jimmy Fallon, Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz, and Chris Kattan, none of whom can keep a straight face as Ferrell maniacally pounds away while prancing around with his belly hanging out of his shirt.

It’s Walken, though, who steals the show by uttering the phrase that’s achieved cult-worship status. “I gotta have more cowbell!” he pleads when annoyed bandmates complain that enough is enough. In a bit of lunacy that would do “This Is Spinal Tap” proud, a crazed Walken exclaims, “Guess what? I’ve got a fever. And the only prescription is more cowbell.”

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2005/04/30/more_cowbell_yes_please_weve_got_a_fever/

I saw the sketch 5 years ago and several times since then and it cracks me up everytime.

Will Ferrell has been the best SNL cast member since Eddie Murphy in the 1980’s. I believe he is the only one to have a 2 volume DVD set in the “Best of SNL” collection.

Christopher Walken as host is always a hoot because he seems so mental in real life that seeing him do comedy is really funny. The other Walken bits I love is where he is a smarmy lech trying to seduce a woman and we see the sketch from the POV of the woman (a cameraman with a dress glove on). The other is when his character can see into the future of anyone he touches and the future has nothing to do with the person.

Item 2

Fun with the Queen

This week Queen Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh are on a state visit of Saskatchewan and Alberta (Canada), as part of the celebration marking the centennial of these provinces’ entry into Confederation.

They have the itinerary for May 18th posted on a website about the visit and while browsing it – one of the items cracked me up:

11:35

The Duke of Edinburgh arrives at the site and acknowledges War Memorial Fund Raising Committee and assembled veterans.

The Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by Mr. Jones, proceeds to the site of the sod-turning.

The Duke of Edinburgh turns the sod.

The Duke of Edinburgh unveils a plaque, commemorating the sod-turning on the occasion of the 2005 visit of Her Majesty and His Royal Highness.

En route, The Duke of Edinburgh views the adjacent World War I Memorial.

The Duke of Edinburgh views the sign depicting the future Saskatchewan War Memorial.

Brigadier-General Walker, Mr. Lyons, Mr. Harasen, and Mr. Jones say goodbye to His Royal Highness.

http://www.pch.gc.ca/visiteroyale2005/detail_mai_may18_e.cfm
—————-

The line about the Duke turning the sod was funny then the line refering to the plaque about the sod turning had me on the floor peeing my pants…..

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How did Bush win Ohio in 2004?

On May 15th, 2005, the Columbus Dispatch published a detailed analysis of the vote that day based on information from the Secretary of State’s office.

It shows that while Kerry won the major cities, except Cincinnati, Bush and the GOP crushed Kerry in the rural areas. They did it by a massive get-to-the-polls push in the 3 days before the election. The GOP targeted likely Bush voters using marketing data.

The other points found that led to the Bush victory in November: it was the first presidential election since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, the country was at “war”, Bush had a unique relationship with religious conservatives, and state Issue 1 was on the Ohio ballot (banning Gay marriage).

I put together a couple of the articles and the graphs on a mini-site for those interested in reading more:

https://dougberger.net/ohio2004/index.html
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The Cucumber Incident: Revisited

Back in July, 2004, I posted some thoughts on the documentary called The Cucumber Incident.

The film told the story surrounding an incident that made national headlines in 1997. Three women had attacked, stripped, and forced a cucumber in the butt of a convicted child molester. They then drove the man back to his home town of McComb, Ohio and dumped him outside a pizza shop. The women were arrested and served time in jail as well as being labeled sex offenders.

The twist was the man was the husband of one of the women and the other two were the wife’s relatives. The guy had served time in prison for molesting his daughter and had been suspected of doing it again.

Someone posted my article in full on the Indymedia network of websites and comments flooded in to my article.

Most of the comments took me to task because I refused to applaud the women’s revenge. I was also taken to task for not being outraged at the husband’s acts and one person commented that it was no surprise as I was man. Several comments mentioned that if one was a victim of abuse then one would understand.

I reject all of those comments.

Revenge is not justice even if it is for a heinous act. The child was examined by the proper authorities and there was not enough evidence to arrest Randy, the husband.

The fact remains that Jewel chose to allow Randy back into house after he got out of prison. If she had kicked him to the curb then it is less likely another incident would have happened. Even after the alleged incident Jewel had the choice to leave him or kick him out of the house.

I do not look on child abuse of any kind lightly but it still doesn’t trump the fact that revenge is not justice.

My gender has nothing to do with my views on the woman’s acts. Revenge is not justice. I would feel the same way if it were 3 men attacking a female molester.

Although I have not been personally been abused, there was an incident in my family several years ago that still has a negative impact on me and the family.

Originally posted on the blog “Hancock County Politics Unfiltered”

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New Music Recommendation

I have a secret.

I am a HUGE fan of swinging full blown 60’s style pop music. Think Burt Bacharach or Dozier/Holland/Dozier from Motown. The music is lush with the standard pop sound layered with strings and horns. You had artists like LuLu, Dionne Warwick, Petula Clark, The Supremes etc…

You really don’t find that much new music in that vain so when I do find those rare albums I am in heaven (if I believed in one). My favorites include Basia and Swing Out Sister but they haven’t had a new album in years.

This past week I found one. And the artist who put out a full album of great tunes will surprise you.

“Free Me” is the album and the artist is Emma Bunton from the UK. In case your cultural history is too short, she is the former “Baby Spice” from the all girl Spice Girls group.

I was browsing the music videos on iTunes and saw a video for the song “Free Me”. The album was released in the states in January.

Free Me just blew me away. I downloaded the album and I would have spent twice what I paid. I also loved “Maybe” and “I’ll be there”. I also chuckled at the campy “Crickets Sing for Anamaria” which comes across in the style of “Girl from Ipanema”

Here is a clip from a review at AllMusic Guide:

Taking a cue from the stylish update on swinging ’60s London that Saint Etienne pioneered in the ’90s, Free Me is a breezy, effervescent set of light pop. Hints of Bacharach and bossa nova are scattered throughout the album, strings sweep songs into their choruses, beats are strong but take a backseat to melody. This music is stylish without being flashy, thanks in large part to the charmingly tuneful, sturdy songs (all but one bearing a writing credit from Emma). While Bunton may still have a small, sweet voice, she’s developed a stronger presence on record, giving this album not just a face, but a fetching persona that’s hard to resist. Unlike the Spice Girls albums, or most other dance-oriented pop albums, this is not a singles-and-filler record — it’s a collection of strong, effervescent tunes that are immediately winning and get better with repeated listens. If Bunton weren’t a former Spice Girl, Free Me would still be a terrific album, but given her past and how she was pretty much considered a has-been, the strength of this record is all the more remarkable.

http://tinyurl.com/a76g9

Oh, and she is not bad to look at either…..

http://www.emmabuntonofficial.com/
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Brief thoughts on the passing of Pope John Paul II

Couldn’t avoid the death watch the past few days. CNN had wall to wall coverage since Friday.

I just shook my head as millions of Catholics prayed for the Pope’s recovery then of course it was changed to praying for the Pope as he makes his way to Jesus.

John Paul II was an interesting person. Very active and he traveled a lot.

I didn’t and still don’t agree with his religion but respect him more than some of the political leaders during his 26 year reign.

Read some interesting comments about him. One was that he despised totalitarianism (having lived through the Nazi occupation of Poland and the Soviet domination) and he called it false religion yet he made his own decisions that are seen just as dictatorial. He wanted to improve the status of women but dictated that no women could be priests and came out against abortion for example.

Then there is the continued road blocks the Vatican has put up when trying to work on the issue of population control.

His Papacy set back US Catholicism 30 years and aligned it with the evangelical Christians.

Saw a quote in an AP article this evening that pretty much explains why someone like me could never be a member of any church:

“The church cannot be an association of freethinkers.”

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