humor

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The Empire Farts Back

Now, look. I'm not normally a guy who would post a fart video on an esteemed website. But guess what, that's what's going down. And the reason I'm doing so is that there is a moment in the following fart video that seems to define a new category of fart video, in the same way that a famous speech seems to redefine the notion of a speech -- raising the discourse and rhetoric of an entire nation. That is what this fart video does. And that singular moment starts around 1:15 into The Empire Farts Back,... READ ON

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Portlandia Begins Tonight

Tonight, welcome to my world: Portlandia. I've lived in the real-life analogue of Portlandia for eleven years, and it's a place of dreams -- dreams of sleeping late, of opening a yarn store, of becoming a freegan, of getting rid of your car and becoming a bike commuter who only wears natural fibers while working quarter-time at a gluten-free bagel shop. It's a city where young people have come to get away from being in a city. As Fred Armisen (now famously) says in the first episode of Portlandia,... READ ON

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Humpty Dumpty in the Style of Edgar Allan Poe

So I missed Poe's birthday by one day, but this is worth it: a version of "Humpty Dumpty" written by Dylan Curry in the style of Edgar Allan Poe. The poem: Once upon a wall of stone Sat Humpty Dumpy all alone Shrouded in a web of gloom His fate as near as tomorrow's tomb For earth called him As he teetered and fell And the ground took him And mangled his shell All the angels in heaven And Demons below Were soaked in yolk As they fought for his soul Now my own days grow shorter The... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Amy Sedaris's Crafts for Poor People

Amy Sedaris, star of Strangers With Candy and surprisingly successful craft maven, has her own YouTube channel! In her videos, Sedaris teaches us how to make some spectacular crafts -- like the classic "hot dogs on a rake," "pom pons" (sic?), and who could forget the "donut bird feeder?" This is spectacular and ridiculous and wonderful. I've included most of the videos currently posted on her channel (they're all promo for her new crafting book), but I suggest you subscribe for more gems. Dusty... READ ON

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LBJ Needs Pants

Today I bring you a remarkable historical document -- complete with animation to make it even more bizarre. In 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson needed some pants. So he called up the folks at Haggar (who had previously made him some excellent pants) and ordered more. What's remarkable about this is not just that this call was recorded (as we now know, this was common practice at the time) -- it's that LBJ was a real straight shooter when it came to ordering pants. You wanna know how the president... READ ON

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Michael Caine Impersonates Michael Caine

Okay, the snake is now eating its tail. Back in November, we were treated to No, THIS is How Michael Caine Speaks -- a series of Michael Caine impersonations, along with more in the comments. Now, Caine offers an impersonation of himself. As one YouTube commenter said, "Michael Caine has the worst Michael Caine voice ever." At some point we will have to establish an international governing body responsible for defining what Michael Caine sounds like. And I think Michael Caine should have nothing... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Portlandia

Tonight: sketch comedy by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein about Portland, Oregon. As a longtime Portland resident, I can tell you that these videos are made with love and respect for the inherent contradictions of Portland's youth culture. Portland isn't so much a place as it is a state of mind -- a sort of blissed-out, shaggy-haired, "Wow, is is still raining?" kind of thing, that's equal parts ridiculous and wonderful. This is a place where a bumper sticker reading "Keep Portland Weird" is found... READ ON

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Ze Frank's Greatest Hits

In July 2010, Ze Frank presented this brilliantly goofy TED Talk, explaining various web projects he's taken on, including the infamous Earth Sandwich (in which people on opposite ends of the globe placed bread on the ground), Young Me Now Me (re-staging childhood photos as adults), Ray (the "I'm about to whip somebody's ass" song), and many, many more. It's basically a Ze Frank's Greatest Hits collection. It's not all jokes, but...well, it's mostly jokes. Check it out in the embedded video below, or... READ ON

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What a Glorious Space to Dwell

Here's a catchy, simple song to brighten your Tuesday morning. Songwriter Jonathan Mann has ben doing a song-a-day project called Songatron for quite a while now; song #659 is called "What A Glorious Space To Dwell (Fun Facts Song)." He explains it like so: I stumbled on to a really wonderful thread on Reddit.com about the most mind blowing facts people could think of. I collected a bunch of them and made this song! Here's a sample of the song's lyrics: "Hydrogen is a light, odorless gas,... READ ON

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Amenities Available at the Original "Big Rock Candy Mountain"

The song "Big Rock Candy Mountain" describes a hobo's paradise, featuring all the things a good hobo needs -- from lakes of whiskey to cigarette trees and lax law enforcement. I have compiled a list of the amenities available at the original Big Rock Candy Mountain below. Please contact our booking department for details regarding lodging; bindles are optional but strongly encouraged. Featuring: 1. Crystal fountain 2. Land suitable for agriculture or recreation 3. Currency grows from bushes... READ ON