Leveraged Intelligence

Time Travel Revisited

Of course this would come in AFTER our piece on time travel.  The irony isn’t lost on me.  Then again, now that I’ve found it, maybe I can go back in time to the earlier piece and use this!

Just a Question

Did this blog just seemingly spontaneously heal itself?

This is becoming suspicious!

Laughing ‘til the Tears Roll Down

There is cerebral humor, the type that you really enjoy, the type you comment upon, the type that often makes a point and makes you think.  Then … there is humor that goes so immediately to something so primitive, so deeply seated, that all you can do is laugh ‘til the tears roll:

Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman – they were masters of this.  Enough said, for here is another of my favorites from their show.  Enjoy:

Gentle Humor: Frank and Ernest

One of the beauties of ripening like a fine wine – also known as aging – is the growing appreciation of gentle intelligence.  We have spoken a bit about religion and Christianity lately, but I think it is in the small everyday things that we find peace accomplished, not just in the sanctuary.

Gentle humor isn’t a bad place to start.  Some think that humor must be cutting to be intelligent.  They would miss the intelligence of a Johnny Carson.  And … they would miss the quiet gentle humor of a Thaves.

Humor

Good Humor: a cheerful and agreeable mood.

Humor: The quality that makes something laughable or amusing.

Above, you see Baby aka Dolly.  Baby was  Carly’s comforter, her companion, her reassurance.  A cold when she was six months of age cemented the relationship.  A little terry cloth doll that has meant EVERYTHING to this family.

Let me tell you a story.  We took a trip to Kansas to visit my parents one summer when Carly was little.  Baby was, of course with us.  After the visit, we were traveling to Disneyland, so the folks took the long trip (well over 2 hours) from Abilene to Kansas City so we could fly to LAX.  Part of the trip there is over the Kansas Turnpike, with toll booths at either end for no apparent reason other than it was originally set up as a speedway with a speed limit of about 80 mph as I recall and no one stopped collecting money when the speed limit became uniform and the Turnpike just became another part of the Interstate Highway.  Anyway, I digress.

At the airport, it was awhile until our flight, so we settled in.  Carly wanted to snuggle up with Baby – or Dolly, which she was also called – only to find that … gasp!!! … Dolly was nowhere to be found!  In a panic, we called with my cell phone to the Kansas Highway Patrol, since the folks had no cell phone back then.  But, try as they might (and, they did try!), they did not intercept the folks at a toll booth.

Now, we had to get on the flight.  Panic.  We had a small girl quite distraught.  We had a child in bad humor!!!  That means we were all in bad humor.  It was not looking good.  Life was NOT funny!

Well, the planes had just put in phones.  When we calculated the folks should be home, we called them and were able to get in touch.  Mom immediately prepped the ragamuffin and I don’t know if she put Dolly in the mail immediately, but that little rag doll made its way to Disneyland express mail!  You should have seen Carly when we unwrapped that little terry cloth being at the Disneyland Hotel!  Good humor restored BIG TIME.  Laughter!!  Life was once again fun and funny.

And, now we return to the topic.  Humor is centered in the child in us really.  Humor leads to good humor and vice versa on a two-way road.  It becomes more sophisticated, sure, over time, but to really get what is funny, it isn’t a matter of analysis.  Like Carol says, if you have to explain it, it ain’t funny.  It is that return to the immediate perception of the child within, that unfiltered response that has tears rolling down your cheeks.  THAT is the playful creativity engaged in by the Einsteins of the world.  Paradoxically, it is where you find humor that the serious work is done, where the plow digs deep.

And … it’s where daughters are happy.

PS In case you noticed, the face of Dolly looks a bit different from the first picture to the second.  Well, our dog chewed off the first face!  As Carol informed Carly, “It’s bad!”

So, Supermom kicked into gear and took a backup Pink Dolly and did one of the most amazing feats of surgery ever.  She did a face and head stuffing transplant!

I love that woman!

This piece is part of the continuing Blogger’s Consortium series with simultaneous posts on the topic being done by Anu, Ashok, gaelikaa, Ginger, Grannymar, Helen, Judy, Magpie 11, Maria and Ramana.  I can hardly wait to see what they have done with this topic!

Learning to Gurn

Grannymar, is this the gurning to which you refer?

Mona

When Carol and I were first married, we lived in an apartment complex fairly closely packed.  In warm weather, people kept windows open, especially at night.  Across the alley, there was a rather exuberant couple the female of the pairing being a somewhat expressive person.  For obvious reasons, we nicknamed her Mona!

Now, each day around the complex, we would see women we didn’t know – and invariably turn to one another and say, “Do you think THAT is Mona?”

Grannymar sent me a link that I think you’ll find hilarious along this line:

Must be Mona’s British Sister

Enjoy!

How Bad Is It?

The inimitable, indomitable, incorrigible and insistent bikehikebabe has sent me this list that could have been delivered by:

The economy is so bad that:

• I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
• I ordered a burger at McDonald’s and the kid behind the counter asked,  "Can you afford fries with that?"
• CEO’s are now playing miniature golf.
• If the bank returns your check marked  "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
• Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
• McDonald’s is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
• Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children’s names.
• A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .
• Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.
• Motel Six won’t leave the light on anymore.
• The Mafia is laying off judges.
• Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
• Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!!   The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!

And, finally…

I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc.,  I called the Suicide Lifeline. I got a call center in Pakistan, and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.

The Joys of Spam

This blog like every blog is receiving spam all the time.  I thought you might enjoy some of it.  And, I’m keeping you safe so that you do not have links and so that none of it can be traced back.  So, here goes with just some of the items that came in today:

First type of spam – porn offers (**** replacing EXPLICIT comments, ##### replacing address of these great photos!):

So I just got a text from my girl friend that she has been *******!!! So like any good boy friend I have selected to share every sexy photo I have of her to the net. I have downloaded the pics here: #####

Second type – I have an offer you CAN’T refuse:

recently I was surfing web and suddenly I came across website named ***** I learned how to start my own home business and i was able after all quit my job where i was employed 1 year, now I’m earning up to 5K USD month. I was able to earn such kind of money because I found some very cool internet home business opportunity. At site called ******

Third kind – I can turn your blog into a SUPERBLOG:

Hi Blogmaster,

Want To Automate Your Blog Postings?
Use My Secret Posting Tool Now!
Schedule your Postings a Year in Advance
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***********

Fourth kind – no, I really am a legitimate commenter and love what you do (this person was selling viagra):

I read a few topics. I respect your work and added blog to favorites.

Fifth kind – uh, could you repeat that?:

Очень полезный блог, автор всегда (почти) описывает актальные темы. Спасибо.

Sixth kind, some of my favorites – look what my translation dictionary came up with:

I be suffering with discovered a great vocalist her somebody is Susan Boyle and she won Britains Got Talent. She released new album with great unwed Free Horses. What you consider about her ? Here you can find more information and a not many energetic performances **** I believe you would like it a lot. Cheers!

or

What’s up one, I’m brand-new to the forum and just wanted to roughly hey. hi devotion get to recollect unusual pepole and allowance things with them

contain a contented year

Now, who says SPAM isn’t fun?

The Son of a Good Father’s Dilemma

Yesterday, as you know, was my father’s birthday and we had a great time on the phone discussing whatever came to our minds.  But, what I didn’t bring up to him is just how difficult it is to be the son of a fine man: