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Archive | January, 2008

Carnival of Satire (#93)

By on January 31, 2008 in Carnival of Satire

The Carnival of Satire (#93) -- with picture of Alice in WonderlandIt’s that time of the political calendar. Here in Canada we’re still waiting to see when the next election will be, but in the meanwhile, there is the US Presidential Primaries to enjoy. Depending on your viewpoint (and what kind of cake you’ve been eating), the process will make you feel either very big or very small:

DWSUWF gets us the mood for whimsical fantasy (like you’re not always in the mood for it) in: The Hero and the Queen of Darkness – A Fairy Tale for Our Time. Warning: the accompanying image is kind of graphic and disturbing.

Fiar shows us the rabbit hole (no that’s not some kind of nasty euphemism) with this Exclusive Interview with John Edwards.

David Mills takes us through the rabbit hole in this tale of the Return of the… EXCEPTIONAL 4!.

At the Borowitz Report, more Mad-hatted political news as a Gay Tiger Attacks Huckabee.

Ken G. introduces us to the Queen of Hearts when he forwarded us this email: FW: FW: FW: HILARY DIANE RODHAM CLINTON.

Escaping Wonderland, The Dopple Gang takes us on a sci-fi-tropic ride of satire in: Your Entry-Level Job Skills Are the Only Thing That Can Save the Universe.

Living Off Dividends has discovered this Hilarious Indian Telemarketeer Spoof Video.

It’s shocking. Rambo refuses to answer Rickey’s questions. Rickey should be grateful the Mumbler didn’t answer with his fist.

Aaron R is questioning if the polar bear is really Endangered?, particularly in relation to their available food supply.

chris has another video for us: Red Bull – Last Will.

Avant News presents: President Bush Remains Mute Throughout 2008 State of the Union Address.

“Professor” Reginald Isley presents What Would You Do For a Klondike Bar? (a double-speak analysis).

Sammy Benoit presents UN Human Rights Council’s List of APPROVED Gaza Solutions.

And to take us out on a final note of the surreal, this hilarious parody of the Tom Cruise Scientology Video (located here, if you haven’t already subjected yourself to its warped genius), is Jerry O’Connell:

And that’s it for the Wonderland edition! If you have some satire to share, please consider submitting next time. Thanks to these fine folks for helping us with webby-stuff: the Blog Carnival for their form; and the listings at the Ubercarnival, and at the Blog Carnival too. A special thanks to humor-blogs.com for throwing regular mad tea parties.

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Me Doctor

By on January 30, 2008 in Parody & Satire, Toulouse Le Grandfig

Dr. Ganglia Intrusion Finger - Ontario GP

Dr. Ganglia Intrusion Finger did not inspire confidence.

He had an impeccable bedside manner and a truly impressive CV. He’d graduated first in his class, and then gone on to study experimental neurosurgery at John Hopkins before ultimately deciding that he “wanted to practice ‘real medicine’ and not be a simple ‘meat mechanic’.”

Of course, Dr. Finger was being somewhat disingenuous when he said so; his nurse practitioner and general manager always took some care with new patents to explain about his failed attempt to do a right hemispherectomy on himself to “take the edge off.”

Sure. The hat was distracting. Not to mention odoriferous. And yes, the lit match was a worry, but his practice was in Ontario, so most of his patients were just happy to have any family doctor at all.

Photo Credit: Bolandrotor. Also not qualified to practice medicine. Do you have a family doctor, ’cause I’ve heard Dr. Finger is still accepting patients.

Professor Quippy: How would you like your robot apocalypse — in replicators or gray goo?

By on January 29, 2008 in Odd Science

Professor QuippyResearchers at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh are trying to kill us all!

Seriously, they are excited about a project they’re working on, the goal of which is to create “swarms of microscopic robots capable of morphing into virtually any form by clinging together.”

Seth Goldstein, who leads the research project says the goal is a distant one.

Seth, Seth, Seth, have you never read any science fiction? This little science project can only end one of three ways:

  1. you won’t be successful
  2. the tiny robots will start replicating themselves mindlessly, eating all living matter on Earth and covering it with gray goo similar to the kind found in Cloris Leachman’s strainer baskets
  3. the tiny robots will become self-aware, impersonate the human form, and proceed to run amok, destroying human civilization in an orgy of dispassionate, logical carnage (probably by turning their arms into broadswords and engaging in a grand human decranialization project).

According to the New Scientist:

Ultimately, Goldstein believes his claytronic robots may one day achieve this [higher intelligence], and much more: “I’ll be done when we produce something that can pass a Turing test face-to-face,” he says. “You won’t know if you’re shaking hands with me or a claytronics copy of me.”

Personally, I’m pulling for #1. No offense Seth.

Mark’s short story, Hounding Manny, (originally published in Oceans of the Mind, Fall 2002) is a touching childhood romp about the moon, bullying and gray goo. More romping (both gooey and childish) may be found at here.

Regrets

By on January 28, 2008 in But is it art?, Toulouse Le Grandfig

Regrets about her make-over

In retrospect, Judy wished that she’d said “no” when her mentally challenged beautician asked her if it was okay to “try something a little different this time.”

On the positive side, she was slated to appear on America’s Most Extreme and Humiliating Makeover the next week, so she wouldn’t have to live with the new look for long.

Good thing. Getting her the makeup right was a bitch and she was running out of willow twigs.

She also regretted her daily web reading. Photo credit: Joseph Roberson.

Why we write — screenwriters’ blog

By on January 26, 2008 in But is it art?, General Skwib

PenIf you haven’t had a chance to check out the blog, and you’re interested in writers, you really should. It’s a series of essays by TV and movie writers (striking to get a better deal from the producers) about why they became writers.

I liked this essay by Eileen Heisler, Writer/Producer of “Murphy Brown”. I particularly liked the story about people laughing out loud during a read-through, because I’ve had that experience too, and there are few feelings as good as a laugh earned.

(And if I recall correctly, Andy Poole fell out of his chair.)

You’ll find the why we write blog here, and a bunch of other writers that make me fall out of my chair here.