• “I had to explain the landlord in this situation was the Nazis”

    In a great effort to avoid lesson planning and essay writing, I have been catching up on some satirical news.  While viewing last night’s interview with Ricky Gervais on the Daily Show my fellow library people were not pleased with my laughter.  A neighboring library troll came to ask me to be quiet because my laughing was distracting.  Well troll, get back to your cave because this is hilarious.  My explanation fell on deaf ears but now to find out if Rickey Gervais is already married or considering divorce.

  • They go to airports, they do not go to jail

    It has been a really exciting two weeks for the Supreme Court between Healthcare and Strip Searches alone (Rehnquist gone wild!).  Last week on the Daily Show there was a great interview with a law professor who has argued before the Supreme Court named Tom Goldstein.  He argued the case on strip searches that the Court and gave  a hilarious and very articulate interview on the Daily Show last week so check that out. He writes/runs/manages a Supreme Court blog called the Scotusblog.  I finally got around to checking it out and it is both hilarious and educational! Quiet you naysayers and check this out… on the topic of “What if Chief Justice Fred Vinson had not died in 1953?”

    “There’s a pretty strong consensus that Chief Justice Fred Vinson was the worst Chief Justice of the twentieth century.  The conventional view goes something like this: Vinson was a bumbling, incompetent political hack, an intellectual lightweight with minimal understanding of complex legal issues, a card-playing crony of Harry Truman who continued to advise Truman even after taking his seat on the Court, a reactionary with horrific instincts in key civil liberties cases, and, worst of all, a major obstacle to unanimity in Brown v. Board of Education.  By this account, the best thing Vinson ever did was to die of a heart attack at precisely the right moment – in the middle of the Brown proceedings in 1953, thus allowing his successor, Chief Justice Earl Warren, to author a unanimous opinion invalidating racial segregation in public schools.”

    Throwing shots as the highest court in the land is always hilarious. Now to just work on my Antonin Scalia jokes.

    This only reminds me of an equally awesome article from a Newsweek edition that was designed as a travel back in time to 1965.  The article tries to persuade the reader that negative ads are not the slow rotting of American morals (what morals?) but instead push us to do what needs to be done. Check it out!

    To top it off who doesn’t love Citizens United jokes?

  • 1.  For years I have been searching for something to fill that LOTR gap and Ellen will need a new themed birthday gift.   I am naturally a year behind on everything and just finished season 1 of Game of Thrones.  It was so weird so naturally I loved it.  I am having second thoughts about pushing the nerd limit and reading the books.  I have a grace period, thank you  Milwaukee Public Library wait list, so maybe that will deter me or at least put off the purchase of Dungeons and Dragons.  Maybe a Game of Thrones apron

    2.  A friend recently turned me onto Fitz and the Tantrums.  It is neo-soul or at least that if what the internet tells me.  The pandora station for theme constantly comes up with artists I already like and ones I am so happy to find out about.  Here is one of my favorites.

    Fitz and the Tantrums

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    John Bull-Pom-Limey-Redcoat

    Following Brian’s video on Canada’s new political ambitions, I thought why not trace things back to the source of the Common Wealth; Britain.  In all of her imperial glory, the United Kingdom has produced a great deal of content for jokes however as I am sure Brian has figured out, the ole Iron Lady herself is a frequent butt of Marty’s jokes at dinner and it is rightfully so.

    As I am sure people have seen the trailer but a new film is released Friday titled The Iron Lady.  While the film does look awesome and I will be going to see it.  My sentiments toward Margaret Thatcher are similar to this. She is like an incredibly smarter version of Sarah Palin/Michele Bachman/next dim witted neocon Tea Party princess.   Actually that is insulting to Thatcher.

    The point, besides my rant on Margaret Thatcher being as kind to unions as Scott Walker has been in Wisconsin, is that while the sun has set on the British Empire there appears to be some type of shooting star of Anglo going on.

    Jon Stewart was recently thwarted by John Oliver on the inner workings of the American government.

    Downton Abbey and Sherlock both began their newest seasons.  Kelly and Carrie, I know you are just as addicted to the charms of Mr. Bates as I am.

    Finally, Kim by Rudyard Kipling a easy and entertaining yet insulting read.  Check out this review from a 1901 edition of The Atlantic.