You Got the Wrong Thatcher, There

This is too funny:

A misconstrued text message announcing the passing of a beloved pet has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity in Canada. Transport Minister John Baird sent a message reading: “Thatcher has died”.

Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper was soon informed that 84-year-old former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had passed away.

But it was actually Mr Baird's beloved cat, named after his political heroine, who had died.

I'd feel worse for Baird, but if you're political heroine is Margaret Thatcher, it's hard to ratchet up the sympathy guage very far.

Rushkoff on Colbert

I don't have a TV at the moment, so I have to watch TV on my computer. As such, I watch it in bursts rather than in entire TV shows--I watch pieces of Maddow and clips from The Daily Show.

Douglas Rushkoff was on Stephen Colbert the other night, and it's a burst of TV worth watching.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Douglas Rushkoff
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Jeff Goldblum

Jon Stewart Schools Santelli

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

And He Said It With a Straight Face...

Last night, I turned on the local cable news channel (NY1), and caught their late-night sports program. The topic of discussion was (of course) the Yankees' elimination from the playoffs. I watched for about 10 minutes of pure pleasure while Yankees fans tried to explain why it wasn't fair that they weren't going to the playoffs and whose fault it was (suprisingly, Giambi got a decent amount of blame from the fans, while A-Rod did not). Pitching was also a culprit, according to the callers, and many callers and people who e-mailed cursed Brian Cashman for letting Johan Santana go to the Mets, who, upon last examination, were still in the playoff race.

In response to those condemning the failure to sign Santana, the host tried to talk his listeners off the ledge, but methinks his tact might have been a bit off. His logic as to why it was OK that the Yankees didn't get Santana? "He's great, but if the Yankees had signed him their team salary would have entered the ridiculous."

Let's see: the Yankees spent $209 million dollars to not go to the playoffs, with a payroll $71 million dollars more than the next team (Tigers), were paying 6 men in their mid- to late-30s more than $15 million each, but Johan Santana would have made their payroll "ridiculous." And he didn't even miss a beat while saying this.

I always enjoy watching the Yankees not win the World Series, but being in New York when they don't make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years has made the pleasure even greater.

Go Mets!

In the spirit of Anthony's post below:

From BUST.

My New Favorite Humor Blog

When Joe Mathelete went on hiatus (he's recently returned), I had to find a new source of blog-comedy (blomedy?), and Stuff White People Like has come through in spectacular fashion.

Satricial? Yep. True? More often than not (I am a white person, and I do indeed like things like recycling, standing still at concerts, and Arrested Development, although nothing on the list is universal, nor does it claim to be - I don't care about Japan, I don't go to ethnic restaurants only if I'm the only white person there, and I don't like any of these songs, though I know plenty of people who do). Overstated? Occasionally. Offensive? Probably (at least to some).

But it's very funny and often rather biting on many social and cultural items (on the Toyota Prius: "The Toyota Prius gets 45 miles per gallon. That’s right, you can drive 45 miles and burn only one gallon of gasoline. So somehow, through marketing or perception, the Prius lets people think that driving their car is GOOD for the environment. It’s a pretty sweet deal for white people. You can buy a car, continue to drive to work and Barak Obama rallies and feel like you are helping the environment! Some white people decide to pull the ultimate move. Prius, Apple Sticker on the back, iPod rocking, and Democratic Candidate bumper sticker. Unstoppable!" Good times.

The Onion Strikes Again

Happily, The Onion has been bringing back some of its archival stuff from the last several years for re-reading, and this week, they hit one of my favorites from 2005 - "CIA Realizes It's Been Using Black Highlighters All These Years". No doubt, my history-nerdiness (and the fact I've had to use some of those documents before) probably makes it even funnier. Satire about state-documents chronicling torture and murder - good times.