Good News Comes From the Oddest Places

Indiana Jones Movie Upsets Communists.

Here's the money line: Moscow Communist lawmaker Andrei Andreyev said Saturday "it is very disturbing if talented directors want to provoke a new Cold War."

For making a silly adventure movie where the "Red" in question is a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett who works for Stalin in the 50's?

Huh. Can't imagine why Communists get a bad rap.

ADDED: Am I seriously the only one who find this hilarious? Communists. Upset. Indiana Jones. Come on, people!

I still haven't finished watching "Idol Gives Back."

But from what I've seen so far, this is my favorite moment. Dad Friday appreciated it also. We're probably the only two people in the country who caught it. Unless bro was watching. I'm going to assume he wasn't.

Better Late than Never

I don't want a single reader of girlfriday (insert self effacing remark about "all three of you") to miss this. I'm sure most of you have seen it and laughed your ever-loving butt off (and maybe cried a little) but just in case, as a courtesy to you who may have missed it (DAD), take a look.

"Rob Riggle goes undercover to report on Berkeley, CA's reaction to a new Marine recruiting station."



Read the comments on The Daily Show's website if you had any doubt about which direction Stewart's viewers swing.

Do we laugh enough on this blog?

I don't know. But I do know that if I post things that I think are funny, but no one else finds amusing, then it doesn't really fulfill the purpose of making our readers laugh. I'll try anyway.

Don't know why I'm so obsessed with this site, but I am. More from xkcd.com

Remember When Liberals Were the Tolerant Ones?

I have been laughing out loud and I'm going to keep laughing every time I recall the stupidity of what I'm about to relate.

I'm becoming a liberal.

But that's not what's funny.

New theory. The ratio of flaming left-wingers to conservatives on social networking sites is 10:1. I'm not saying right-wingers aren't on the Internet; I'm saying they don't spend (read: waste) as much of their time on like Digg.*

But I've been going there mostly just to Digg articles, but once or twice I've commented on another post. (I can feel my heart starting to bleed.)

That was the case when I saw someone's Digg for Jon Stewart’s Farewell to Mitt Romney: “F*c# Y%u. Watch it if you want to see what Jon Stewart really thinks. Oh, you already knew? Hmmm, he usually sticks to humor and avoids partisanship. How odd.

I think I pretty much summed it up when I commented, "Remember when Jon Stewart was funny? Now he's just a hack."

I SO offended 47 people who dugg this article, I got -47 diggs for my comment.

One of them, nogChoco, even went so far as to say, "Remember when your comment was still on +1 ?" And THAT was so well-received by readers that 16 people dugg HIS comment (to my comment, which was a comment).

As the kids say, ROFL.

PS: Digg this post.

*Note to the old fogies: If you don't know what Digg is or don't care, you may not understand this post. I'll call you on your green rotary phone later and explain.

The Lab. In the Drink. With the Chevy.

This fly-under-the-radar story is funny from start to finish. My sister links to it here.

girlfriday:decorations for the criminally insane

Halloween is an excuse for adults to act like children. It is an occasion to be foolish and other and it doesn't do most people any harm. I no longer fear it as a day of the devil, though it's probably exploited in this way here and there.

Undoubtedly the least sinister but most distasteful use of the day is the application of gore in decoration (I use the term loosely).

Jack O' Lanterns, leering and magical, are pleasant, almost nostalgic in nature.

Stuffed bedsheets dangling in nooses from giant oaks, skeletons in varying stages of torture and death, poorly constructed tombstones dotting front yards--are tasteless.

Christmas was the exclusive exterior home-decorating holiday when I was growing up. Never content with anything less than extreme, Americans have taken to displaying every piece of commercialized junk that the nearest dollar store will produce. Halloween dominates.


The unfortunate trend has found its way into the office. Doors are draped in glowing bulbs painted to resemble eyeballs.

Witches are hanging from doorknobs.

Our neighbors even attempted to attach a giant, stuffed, motion-sensitive tarantula to their office door, but gave it up when the blasted spider wouldn't shut up.

Is this beauty? If not, why are we applying it to our walls and homes? For fun. As a diversion.

Yes. But when did fun dissolve into mere tackiness?

Boise, a Mining Town?

Boise has attracted its fair share of national press, and some of it leaves us more than a little amused at the outdated assumptions about the city and its vibe.

Read this otherwise excellent travel article about Boise to understand what I'm talking about.

The New York Times writer calls Boise a city "once ruled by the bait-and-bullet crowd" and a "mining and farming town at heart."

It's been a long time since Boise was ruled by the so-called bait and bullet crowd, (though we are still proud of our appreciation of and access to the outdoors), and even longer since it was a mining town.

In fact, when exactly was it a mining town? During the Gold Rush of the 1860's?

True, the City is still bounded by farm or ranch land on every side--though both are disappearing in a sea of starter homes; we know we're a short drive from "the country." But calling it a "mining and farming town at heart" betrays a lack of knowledge about the region.

The writer also refers to Boise's "rejuvenated downtown and a budding arts community."

Downtown Boise has been resurrected, but for a long time. And the arts community is far from budding; thriving would be a more fitting choice.

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival, which was highlighted in the July 21 edition of the Wall Street Journal, just turned 30.

The Boise Art Museum has occupied its space on Julia Davis Drive and Capitol Boulevard for almost two decades. Its founding association is much, much older. The Morrison Center for the Performing Arts is 22 years old.

Even "newer" arts organizations are staking their claim and consistently offering powerful and meaningful performances. The New Heritage Theatre Company is an 8 year-old local professional theatre with a resident repertory company and a theatrical training conservatory(yes, you read that correctly) that boasts Sir Anthony Hopkins as its honorary patron.

Boise Contemporary Theater, about the same age, is producing unforgettable contemporary works at its permanent location on Fulton Street.

The list goes on.

We're thrilled the Times writer was here to discover for himself what a rare jewel of a city Boise, Idaho is--and have some fun while he was at it.

But he is advised to double-check his cliches.