Thursday, July 31, 2008

Weekly News Roundup

Here are a bunch of posts I started based on things I read throughout the week that never got finished. The beauty is that if I group them together, it’s long enough (that’s what she said) to make a post. And if I give it a name like ‘weekly news roundup,’ it almost sounds important…


I Testify (In Shorts That Are Deemed To Be Too Short For The Social Good)!
I saw a news headline on Friday that caught my attention. Apparently humanity’s friend Richard Simmons testified before congress defending Physical Ed in schools. I still cannot verify whether or not he was in his trademarked workout outfit. Although if he was, you can let your school children know right now that Congress has officially decided to pull PE out of schools across the nation. I wonder how congress got him to sit still at the testification table. Did he provide his answers by yelling and singing and clapping? I bet the shock of seeing Richard Simmons in a suit would be comparable to seeing Pamela Anderson wearing a bra.

What Did You Say Your Name Was?
Imagine being 9 years old and having the name ‘Talulah Does The Hula From Hawaii.’ Seriously. Talulah is pretty cool and is probably how she was referred to, but does that mean her middle name is Does The Hula From Hawaii? When she gets in trouble, do her parents yell at her using the entire first and middle names? I bet she hates those days when there is s substitute in her classroom that doesn’t know her and reads her entire name off the role sheet. I’m sure she yells ‘HERE’ as soon as the sub calls out Talulah in the hopes of stopping her from saying the rest of it. Not only is the name too long, it’s entirely too unnecessarily descriptive. One can only imagine what her parents were doing when they decided to begin rhyming on their daughter’s birth certificate.

Fortunately, a judge in New Zealand is changing her name because no child should have a name that could be the title of a Chubby Checker song or Dr. Seuss book (Talulah Does The Hula From Hawaii.’ It Could be Maui or Kauai, but she always is very cry-y. It’s not the Mambo on a bongo or the twist with her wrist or the stroll on a pole…). Granted, I am being a hypocrite here because I named one of my daughters after a racetrack. But don’t worry; it’s not Daytona because that sounded too much like an adulty stage name, if you catch my drift…

Jumping The Shark
The next bit of news deserves some biting commentary. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest had a scary encounter recently and had to blab talk about it on his radio show. It seems he was bitten by a shark. Oh the humanity! He lived to tell about it though, perhaps because Ryan was wearing a sea vest? Get it Seacrest, sea vest? Hey, I just jumped the shark and didn’t have to get my pseudo-pompadour or leather jacket wet to do so! That’s all I really had to share about this story. Basically, the only reason I included it was to be able to make my Ryan Sea Vest joke.

Things You Never Expected To See But Did
Except for the fact that I had to tell almost everyone I know about these next two items, I really wouldn’t consider them to be news. I was out jogging the other day (ok, it wasn’t jogging, just really brisk walking, but that doesn’t sound as athletic) when I could have sworn I heard ‘Silent Night’ playing. At first I just chalked it up to the usual dizziness, shortness of breath and general confusion that happens when I tend to exercise. But then I thought I heard ‘O Christmas Tree.’ Since two makes a pattern (I’ll give you an example: I had twin children, therefore, I have a pattern of children), I figured this was really happening and not just a reaction to my lack of oxygen. Christmas songs outside in the middle of July? How is this happening, I thought. And more importantly, why didn’t I know about it? I wasn’t sure if it was someone’s music box or those outside decorations people put up during the holidays that play music, but the noise was definitely getting louder. And then I saw it. It was coming from an ICE CREAM TRUCK. I couldn’t get over it. An ice cream truck playing Christmas music in the middle of the summer! The part that really got me was the song selection. Are ‘Silent Night’ and ‘O Christmas Tree’ really the first holiday songs that come to mind when outfitting an ice cream truck? It struck me as blogwothy, and I’m not just saying that because everyone else I told responded with ‘so?’

And then there was what I saw while driving home from work the other night. I have to pass a funeral home every night, so I’m accustomed to seeing mourners dressed in dark clothing outside either waiting for the funeral service to start or just leaving the service. The other night was quite different though. The first thing that caught my attention were the yellow and blue balloons tied to the hearse and the doors of the mortuary. Obviously my first thought was that a clown had died. This thought changed slightly though when I saw the Mariachi band outside singing and playing their instruments. Ok, I figured, maybe it was a clown of Hispanic heritage. And then I saw the people drinking from small plastic cups with cocktail napkins in their hands. This really threw me. Maybe, just maybe it was a Hispanic clown who had very good taste and an appreciation for the finer things. You know, the finer things that require cocktail napkins. I realized that was stretching it. Then I figured out that it was probably something like an open house. I’d never thought of shopping around for funeral homes before, but now I can tell my family that I want my final arrangements handled by the place that had the cool balloons and really good cookies. Knowing that will happen is sure to make me rest in peace, unless of course I decide upon cremation. Then I’ll rest in lots of pieces…


Have a great weekend everybody and remember to send me the questions that keep you up at night so I can make something up research it for you and answer them for Q&A Monday.

17 comments:

cmk said...

A Mariachi band at my funeral--WOW! And I thought my kids would boycott my funeral if I went through with making my wishes known legally: I want an open casket and my VERY old, wrinkled body, would be totally naked. Except for the nipple rings which would be done post death. The tattoo of the Red Wings logo--also done post death--on my left breast isn't an absolute. Now if I add a Mariachi band, my funeral would warrant the local TV station doing a story on it! Hot damn, what an idea! :)

Eva said...

Why do I have a desire to see Ghostbusters right now?

Anonymous said...

First of all, I almost hd to stop reading at the Sea Vest thing.

Secondly, there was a nice symetry with starting and ending the post with clown items. (Two clowns - that's a pattern, right?)

Maybe the undertaker was having a birthday party? They must celebrate life once in a while. Seems like they'd take it indoors, though.

Patti said...

That funeral home party had me laughing out loud. Doesn't it make you wish you had your camera with you? I hate when that happens.

The story about the ice cream truck song selections was pretty funny as well.

Great post to start a Friday
with!


Q&A Monday question: Would 'I hate when that happens' qualify as a TWSS statement?

I don't think you responded to my July 20 Q for the July 21 Q & A. I will double check that though when I get a chance.

Erika said...

Richard Simmons did wear a suit, here is a You Tube clip to prove it. He still looks weird though. I think I have gotten used to the shorts but the hair - for the love of the good Lord in heaven, the hair!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3g6s7NTnDE&feature=related

C said...

For some reason the SNL Killer Christmas Trees sketch is now stuck in my head. ^_^

Foofa said...

The worse name I ever heard was magilla Gorilla Godzilla Pimp. I think parent was deemed unfit.

Expat No. 3699 said...

Sea vest, good one. Speaking of Ryan Seacrest...

Who will win the next American Idol?

Also, what would be your ideal ice cream truck song?

Toodles~

Just telling it like it is said...

sea crest wearing a vest...tehhee..
although I never heard that he got bit by a shark...and last week was shark week on discovery...

Anonymous said...

I cant get over the Ice Cream truck with Christmas music in July. That is news worthy.

and I am totally making my funeral arrangements just like that Hispanic clown with a taste for the finer things in life.

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I bet Richard Simmons bought his suit in the little boys' department.

You named your daughter Hialeah? Belmont? Santa Anita? Churchill Downs? Pimlico? Saratoga? Calder? Or did you mean auto racing tracks like Sebring?

Anonymous said...

free dating service [url=http://loveepicentre.com/]speed dating for rich men[/url] asian woman dating white man http://loveepicentre.com/ example best online dating profile

Anonymous said...

treating ear infections [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/xplode--stamina--energy-and-sex-enhancer-.htm]xplode stamina energy and sex enhancer[/url] adha medicine for children under six years old http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/topamax.htm health insurance companies ohio http://usadrugstoretoday.com/categories/mujeres-mejoramiento.htm
side effects from taking calcium [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/categories/weight-loss.htm]weight loss[/url] panorama internal medicine [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/procalisx.htm]spelt flour for diabetes[/url]

Anonymous said...

ayurveda metabolic syndrome [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/vitamin-a-and-d.htm]vitamin a and d[/url] finding drug interactions http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/acomplia.htm the great depression video http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/zelnorm.htm
health food in america [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/cialis.htm]cialis[/url] heart alt keyboard shortcut no numlock [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/categories/general-de-salud.htm]waxing faq erection[/url]

Anonymous said...

penis shaped cake pan [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/carafate.htm]carafate[/url] the tea room washington county pennsylvania http://usadrugstoretoday.com/tos.htm las vegas nevada laser teeth whitening http://usadrugstoretoday.com/categories/general-de-salud.htm
survey results on buying medicine [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/terms.htm]drugstore terms[/url] medical advice on line [url=http://usadrugstoretoday.com/products/prinivil.htm]jason phipps health texas[/url]

Anonymous said...

fit yummy yummy -
flattenyourabs -
flatten your abs -
forex trading machine -
forex trading made ez -
get your exgirlfriend back -
google snatch -
governmentregistry -
government registry -
grow taller 4 idiots -
guy gets girl -
hcg recipes -
homemadeenergy -
home made energy -
how to break 80 -
hyper vre -
instant domain cash -
i software tv -
jamo rama acoustic -
linden method -
lose the back pain -
magni work -
maternityacupressure -
maternity acupressure -
musclegainingsecrets -
muscle gaining secrets -
negative calorie diet -
one minute cure -
one week marketing -
only 4 gamers -
paid surveys online -
panic away -
pc on point -
pc tv 4 me -

Anonymous said...

earth 4 energy -
easy tech videos -
eatstopeat -
eat stop eat -
error killer -
error smart -
evidence eraser -
evidence smart -
fatburningfurnace -
fat burning furnace -
fatloss4idiots -
fat loss 4 idiots -
fitnessmodelprogram -
fitness model program -
fit yummy yummy -
flattenyourabs -
flatten your abs -
flat to fab -
forex derivative -
gas 4 free -
get better grades -
golf swing guru -
governmentregistry -
government registry -
heartburn no more -
homemadeenergy -
home made energy -
hyper vre -
i software tv -
legit online jobs -
linden method -
london forex rush -
master word smith -
maternityacupressure -