"'Sometimes funny has a sexual character.' Sometimes Nearly always, according to Sigmund Freud."- June 29, 2008 "The whole point of humor, Freud thought, is to get around our inhibitions."Jim Holt author "Stop Me If You've Heard This: A History and Philosophy of Jokes" reacts to the story of Judge Alex Kozinski, his personal (but on-line) porn, and his wife's defense of it ("Alex is not into porn he is into funny and sometimes funny has a sexual character.")The very ability to enjoy such humor means that you must be investing a good deal of energy in keeping your animal side in check. You are at...http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/sometimes-funny-has-sexual-character.html "'My name is such a vanilla, white-girl American name,' said Ashley Holmes of Indianapolis..."- June 29, 2008 "... who changed her name online 'to show how little meaning "Hussein" really has.'"She's one of those young Obama supporters who've adopted "Hussein" as their middle name.I assume they see themselves as good-hearted and idealistic, but:1. How did you become estranged from your own name, to regard it as opposed to yourself as vanilla, white, female, and American, and to think of that combination in a negative way2. Why do you think the name "Hussein" has little meaning and that people who...http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-name-is-such-vanilla-white-girl.html "My loony bun is fine, Benny Lava."- June 29, 2008 Via Andrew Sullivan, the ultimate in misheard lyrics:Amusingly misheard lyrics can be called mondegreens, as explained here by Gavin Edwards:Misheard lyrics come with many alternate names, only some of which form compound nouns when joined with the word "boneheaded." Some of the names that have been used: Music Ear Disturbance, disclexia, chronic lyricosis, and Litellas (after Gilda Radner's befuddled Saturday Night Live character). The technical term prized by aficionados is mondegreen. If...http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-loony-bun-is-fine-benny-lava.html Joe Raciti sings "All Hail the Great Blue Whale" and the instruments are all made of cardboard.- June 29, 2008 More Joe Raciti music videos here.I love music played on things that are not musical instruments and on toy instruments and instruments made out of nonstandard materials. Here's an old post about that. blog advertising blog advertisinghttp://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/joe-raciti-sings-all-hail-great-blue.html "As a Buddhist, how do you reconcile your pacifism with the roles your daughter Uma has played in films like Quentin Tarantinos bloody 'Kill Bill- June 29, 2008 A question for Robert Thurman. Answer:Quentin is kind of obsessed, hes a wild guy. But he is very brilliant. We trust that his motive is to show people the foolishness of violence rather than to glorify it. I hope thats true.Think it isThurman is a professor of Buddhist studies and is ordained as a Tibetan monk (though he is American). I love this answer to the question what does he think about when meditating:Usually, some form of trying to excavate any kind of negative thing cycling in the...http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/as-buddhist-how-do-you-reconcile-your.html "Should Sir Robert Walpole have come to Parliament as a Fop in a Bag, instead of his habitual full-bottom'd Wig..."- June 29, 2008 "... 'twould have sent the Town into a Tizzy, more than his being seen kissing Mrs. Skerritt in the Theatre."Sir Archy, our ghost commenter, dead these last 250 years and more, has made an appearance on this post. blog advertising blog advertisinghttp://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/should-sir-robert-walpole-have-come-to.html "Do you know what a female peacock is"- June 29, 2008 Are you watching the HBO marathon of all the old George Carlin comedy specialsADDED: "Have you noticed that mice have no shoulders at all" blog advertising blog advertisinghttp://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/do-you-know-what-female-peacock-is.html "Oppo Research in the Tradition of Einstein."- June 28, 2008 Byron York finds a WaPo article "unintentionally amusing."And disturbing:But the article has a pretty clear subtext, and it is that the exchange of such information on the Internet should be controlled.ADDED: The phrase "a scholar with two Ph.D.s" impresses some folks more than others. blog advertising blog advertisinghttp://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/oppo-research-in-tradition-of-einstein.html "Bill said Obama would have to quote kiss my ass close quote, if he wants his support."- June 28, 2008 Bill Clinton is still pretty upset about things. (Via Memeorandum.)The former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence....One source said that the former president has kept his distance because he still does not believe Mr Obama can win the election....It has long been known that Mr Clinton is angry at the way his own reputation was tarnished during...http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/bill-said-obama-would-have-to-quote.html Harmony.- June 28, 2008 blog advertising blog advertisinghttp://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/harmony.html |