Posts tagged humor

Welcome to Twitter, @prezbillyjeff

Stephen Colbert interviews Bill Clinton and helps him send out his first tweet.

Google Nose, For When You Absolutely Must Have that Shaggy Dog Smell Yes, the Internet’s April Fool’s jokes can be monotonous and played out. They can also be endlessly clever.  So, Google Nose,  the Google Aromabase with 15M+ scentibytes of searchable smells.

Google Nose, For When You Absolutely Must Have that Shaggy Dog Smell

Yes, the Internet’s April Fool’s jokes can be monotonous and played out. They can also be endlessly clever. 

So, Google Nose,  the Google Aromabase with 15M+ scentibytes of searchable smells.

A Writer's Advice to Writers

Via Mark Straub at the Pessimist:

Writers, as a rule, aren’t usually held up as examples of anything good. We’re more… cautionary tales. You can live for a thousand years, and I guarantee you will never hear a disappointed mother tell her surgeon son, “Why can’t you be more like your brother, the writer?”…

…You might not get a lot of respect as a writer, but the crippling self-doubt and soul-crushing poverty make it all worth it. And though it might be too late for you to change careers, you can still learn some valuable lessons from those of us in the industry.

Here are the seven quick tips Mark gives the aspiring writer.

  1. Ignore deadlines.
  2. Take criticism badly.
  3. Burn bridges.
  4. Hate yourself.
  5. Trust no one (especially not yourself).
  6. Sabotage all of your personal relationships.
  7. Drink heavily.

Read through for Mark’s explanations of each.

H/T: Roger Johnson.

Local News is Hard to Do

Especially when it comes to swimming cats.

H/T: Mashable.

Unemployed Reporter Porter Via CT.com Jon Campbell, who briefly made Hartford a more interesting place with his presence and reporting for the Advocate, has entered the homebrew game with his signature Unemployed Reporter Porter (pictured). “Porter style beers were first popularized in the nineteenth century by merchant sailors and manual dock laborers,” the label reads. “Unemployed Reporter is crafted in the same tradition, honoring a profession likewise doomed to decline and irrelevance.” For this new class of “expendables,” the label goes on, “we’ve included chocolate and roasted barley malts that are as dark and bitter as the future of American journalism, and a high alcohol content designed to numb the pain of a slow, inexorable march toward obsolescence. While Unemployed Reporter is especially delicious as a breakfast beer, it’s still smooth enough to be enjoyed all day, every day. And let’s be honest: what else do you have going on?” FJP: Give it up for Jon. Brewing up the best out of a difficult situation. Here he is on Twitter. Image: Brewing it dark and bitter. Select to embiggen.

Unemployed Reporter Porter

Via CT.com

Jon Campbell, who briefly made Hartford a more interesting place with his presence and reporting for the Advocate, has entered the homebrew game with his signature Unemployed Reporter Porter (pictured).

“Porter style beers were first popularized in the nineteenth century by merchant sailors and manual dock laborers,” the label reads. “Unemployed Reporter is crafted in the same tradition, honoring a profession likewise doomed to decline and irrelevance.”

For this new class of “expendables,” the label goes on, “we’ve included chocolate and roasted barley malts that are as dark and bitter as the future of American journalism, and a high alcohol content designed to numb the pain of a slow, inexorable march toward obsolescence. While Unemployed Reporter is especially delicious as a breakfast beer, it’s still smooth enough to be enjoyed all day, every day. And let’s be honest: what else do you have going on?”

FJP: Give it up for Jon. Brewing up the best out of a difficult situation. Here he is on Twitter.

Image: Brewing it dark and bitter. Select to embiggen.

John Oliver Investigates Investigative Journalism

Using Social Media to Cover For Lack of Original Thought

A recent Onion Talk for all you social media editors/consultants/experts out there.

Yes, There is a Fiscal Cliff Coloring Book I have three nephews and a niece. Somehow I can already sense the disappointment if this is what I get them for Christmas. Via The New Republic: When national affairs gets this confusing, the Really Big Coloring Book company is there to help folks draw their own conclusions. “We’ve heard from a lot of people from around the United States about this particular subject and how they want to explain it to their children,” says founder Wayne Bell. The St. Louis-based company made headlines two years ago when it published a Tea Party-themed coloring book. At the time, Mr. Bell told me that he and the company had gotten numerous threats. Never mind that the company also has flattering coloring books about the two main political parties, “The True Faces of Evil - Terror,” an Obama-themed spread, a “Hip Hop Gangsta Rap Coloring Book” and much, much more. You can download the six-page coloring book here (PDF), and view TNR’s coloring book savvy here. — Michael Image: Page 4, Fiscal Cliff Coloring Book, as colored by The New Republic.

Yes, There is a Fiscal Cliff Coloring Book

I have three nephews and a niece. Somehow I can already sense the disappointment if this is what I get them for Christmas.

Via The New Republic:

When national affairs gets this confusing, the Really Big Coloring Book company is there to help folks draw their own conclusions. “We’ve heard from a lot of people from around the United States about this particular subject and how they want to explain it to their children,” says founder Wayne Bell. The St. Louis-based company made headlines two years ago when it published a Tea Party-themed coloring book. At the time, Mr. Bell told me that he and the company had gotten numerous threats. Never mind that the company also has flattering coloring books about the two main political parties, “The True Faces of Evil - Terror,” an Obama-themed spread, a “Hip Hop Gangsta Rap Coloring Book” and much, much more.

You can download the six-page coloring book here (PDF), and view TNR’s coloring book savvy here. — Michael

Image: Page 4, Fiscal Cliff Coloring Book, as colored by The New Republic.

Pyongyang, November 29 (KCNA) — Archaeologists of the History Institute of the DPRK Academy of Social Sciences have recently reconfirmed a lair of the unicorn rode by King Tongmyong, founder of the Koguryo Kingdom (B.C. 277-A.D. 668).

The lair is located 200 meters from the Yongmyong Temple in Moran Hill in Pyongyang City. A rectangular rock carved with words “Unicorn Lair” stands in front of the lair. The carved words are believed to date back to the period of Koryo Kingdom (918-1392).

North Korean News Agency, Lair of King Tongmyong’s Unicorn Reconfirmed in DPRK.

FJP: Unicorns!

H/T: Atlantic Wire

Field Guide to Facial Hair in Tech Via Wired: In Silicon Valley, the beard is everything — unless you’re a woman or you’re Mark Zuckerberg and you can’t grow one. For everyone else, a beard is essential to Silicon Valley success. But not just any beard. You must carefully grow your facial hair to suit your particular role in the tech ecosystem. Read through to view the rest.

Field Guide to Facial Hair in Tech

Via Wired:

In Silicon Valley, the beard is everything — unless you’re a woman or you’re Mark Zuckerberg and you can’t grow one. For everyone else, a beard is essential to Silicon Valley success. But not just any beard. You must carefully grow your facial hair to suit your particular role in the tech ecosystem.

Read through to view the rest.

The Intern, Part 2: Is it Hot in Here

Competition to become the Lady Business intern heats up as Erik claims he’s the “biggest feminist” he knows and Ashley is prepared to go the extra mile.

Learn more about Lady Business here and join them on Facebook, YouTube and/or Tumblr.

Initial Reactions from #PoynterEthics We’re hoping Jihii will write a thought provoking analysis of what she heard, saw and talked about at today’s Poynter symposium on journalism ethics in the digital age. Meantime, she wrote a note to us this afternoon. We added some starstruck purples and pinks and blueish hues to it because yes, she is this excited about this stuff.

Initial Reactions from #PoynterEthics

We’re hoping Jihii will write a thought provoking analysis of what she heard, saw and talked about at today’s Poynter symposium on journalism ethics in the digital age.

Meantime, she wrote a note to us this afternoon.

We added some starstruck purples and pinks and blueish hues to it because yes, she is this excited about this stuff.

Lady Business: Newscast, October 2012

Earlier this month we mentioned that we partnered on a satirical news show called Lady Business. And here, to get your pregame on for tonight’s debate, is the first newscast.

Lady Business follows the exploits Rebecca Whitehurst and Jenny Grace. The shows will alternate between newscasts like this and behind the scenes episodes as they try to build their news empire.

For updates, follow Rebecca and Jenny on Tumblr, Facebook or YouTube.

Runtime: ~13:30

The Meme vs. The Campaign Ad So on Tuesday, governor Romney made a gaffe, which turned into a meme, which now lives on the internet in various ways, shapes and forms. At the time, the folks at American Bridge, the Democratic political action committee, were thinking on their feet. They very quickly purchased the domain bindersfullofwomen.com, and turned the spontaneous reaction into an institutional campaign resource. The Atlantic: While the BindersFullofWomen Tumblr, not to mention the Twitter feeds @RomneysBinder and @Romneys_Binder, are alive and well, the dot.com version of the meme has gone pretty much fully official. The newly claimed website now features a Tumblr-powered collection of Democrat-friendly policy papers: Romney’s policies toward young women, Romney’s policies toward working women, Romney’s policies toward senior women. The site is now slick and unapologetically political and unapologetically lacking in the of-the-Internet sensibility that the defines a meme in its more organic state. The cheekiness and sloppiness of the BindersFullofWomen Tumblr has been transformed, here, into yet another outlet for the publication of political literature. The cheeky has been claimed by the savvy. FJP: That American Bridge thought to capitalize on the event certainly does reflect an evolution of sorts. That the site has much of a following isn’t very likely. Just look at the difference in # of notes on the binders full of women Tumblr, run by @HeyVeronica, and and the binders full of women Website, also powered by Tumblr but owned and run by American Bridge. It’s an interesting juxtaposition. Bonus: The DNC has taken advantage of the web to prank Romney as well. Not unlike negative TV campaign ads. Afterthought: It’s a little bit difficult not be disheartened by all of the above. Interesting as it is to watch communication evolve, it seems that we’re merely updating our tools of humor and terror. —Jihii Image: Via bindersfullofwomen.tumblr.com

The Meme vs. The Campaign Ad

So on Tuesday, governor Romney made a gaffe, which turned into a meme, which now lives on the internet in various ways, shapes and forms.

At the time, the folks at American Bridge, the Democratic political action committee, were thinking on their feet. They very quickly purchased the domain bindersfullofwomen.com, and turned the spontaneous reaction into an institutional campaign resource.

The Atlantic:

While the BindersFullofWomen Tumblr, not to mention the Twitter feeds @RomneysBinder and @Romneys_Binder, are alive and well, the dot.com version of the meme has gone pretty much fully official. The newly claimed website now features a Tumblr-powered collection of Democrat-friendly policy papers: Romney’s policies toward young women, Romney’s policies toward working women, Romney’s policies toward senior women. The site is now slick and unapologetically political and unapologetically lacking in the of-the-Internet sensibility that the defines a meme in its more organic state. The cheekiness and sloppiness of the BindersFullofWomen Tumblr has been transformed, here, into yet another outlet for the publication of political literature. The cheeky has been claimed by the savvy.

FJP: That American Bridge thought to capitalize on the event certainly does reflect an evolution of sorts. That the site has much of a following isn’t very likely. Just look at the difference in # of notes on the binders full of women Tumblr, run by @HeyVeronica, and and the binders full of women Website, also powered by Tumblr but owned and run by American Bridge. It’s an interesting juxtaposition.

Bonus: The DNC has taken advantage of the web to prank Romney as well. Not unlike negative TV campaign ads.

Afterthought: It’s a little bit difficult not be disheartened by all of the above. Interesting as it is to watch communication evolve, it seems that we’re merely updating our tools of humor and terror. —Jihii

Image: Via bindersfullofwomen.tumblr.com