A Lazy Boy DUI

It is hard sometimes to find any bits of humor in the news, however despite the tragedies involving people and Mother Nature, there are some funny things.  One of my favorites happened this past year when a guy who had motorized his Lazy Boy chair got a DUI as he was "driving" home.  He evidently modified his Lazy Boy (which obviously he didn't want to move from) by adding a lawn mower motor.  He would "drive" his chair to the local bar and pound down a few.  Don't know if he was speeding, or weaving or popping his leg rest up and down, but he caught the eye (probably for many reasons) of the local police and got the DUI.  I wonder if his Lazy Boy was impounded.

So, despite sad and tragic events there are some tidbits of humor that manage to find their way into the daily news and I am always on the lookout for them.  If you come across any of them, or have a funny story to share, let me know.

There is always a need to laugh....

My email is:  melodyj7@msn.com

Think About It....

• Everyone has a laughter mechanism (although it may appear to be broken and damaged in some people)
• There are thousands of languages; hundreds of thousands of dialects, but everyone understands the language of laughter (a few people may have forgotten how to "speak" or comprehend the language)
• Laughter is contagious (and there are people who need to catch it)

This information (modified in parts that are obvious) comes from "Experiential Laughter Therapy" as presented by Gulshan Sethi, MD of the University of Arizona @ the Integrative Mental Health Conference, March 2010

The News of the Day- -- SpaghettiOs !

Forget the NBA Finals, forget the Gulf Oil Spill, forget AZ's crazy immigration law, the big news today is about SpaghettiOs recall. What will this country do without SpaghettiOs with artificial bits of meat in them?

I am opposed to the dumping of SpaghettiOs as it seems such a waste.  Instead why doesn't Campbell run a contest to make SpaghettiO sculptures?  I mean, think about it...kids, adults, people with no life, could pick up a few cases of the bad stuff and create works of art that could be displayed in public parks, the homes of politicians or even at the Smithsonian.  Of course, to protect some demented adult or child from eating the sculptures they could be sprayed with oil from the Gulf (that would solve another problem), or polyurethane or vegetable oil--whatever.

SpaghettiOs are not really a food anyway so why not take them and create something that will bring smiles to  people who don't know any better.  It is time to take a bad thing and make it into something beautiful.  SpaghettiOs rock!

Jesus does have sense of humor

Today I read that the sculpture known as "Touchdown Jesus" was struck by lighting and burned to the ground.  Now, I know a lot of people feel that God is providing them a sign when they see the face of Jesus in a Peach Pit or Tortilla, so I am wondering what this means?

Touchdown Jesus in case you don't know was named that becuase the way his arms were raised were similiar to a referee signaling a touchdown.  This marvel of steel and foam was located in lovely Monroe, Ohio and had been in existence since 2004...kind of short life for Jesus since he lasted only 6 years.

By the way, some lucky people were nearby as Jesus melted and twisted into oblivion and they wisely picked up pieces and will either sell them on EBay or erect a shrine and hope that it starts to do something newsworthy so they can retire and move to Florida.

I personally believe that this was a sign from God that she is dissociating herself from football, at least in Ohio.  Amen

NEW INFORMATION:  Jesus is being rebuilt in Monroe, Ohio...this time, however his arms will be lower so as not to confuse his blessing with that of signaling a touchdown.  Just a regular 90 ft. Jesus statue...darn.

Politics and Humor

Politicians give us many opportunities to laugh, although that is usually not their intent.  George Bush was often funny because he just was a goof--he made one verbal mistake after another.  Some of things he said made you wince; others made you smile and yet others made you want to contribute to a fund to help him get a tutor or something. 

Today's contribution comes from George...a comment he made during a news conference (year unknown) with the prime minister of Japan:

    "It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship."

I miss that guy...is he doing stand-up somewhere?

Imagination and humor

I love the Muppets and think that Jim Henson was a genius in using his imagination to create characters that were endearing and funny.  I just saw the following clip with Rita Moreno and the muppet, Animal and laughed out loud. 

So, happy Friday...may you use your imagination to bring laughter to your life, and here's to Jim Henson:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yvHWyvexZA

Humor and Advertising

The Today Show had a clip showing the top commercials for 2009.  Even the PETA commercial (which has a message that isn't humorous) is done well and has a humorous bent to it.  Humor is a great seller of products because we love to laugh.  Check out the winners at:
 http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/37589628#37589628   (oh, there is an ad before they show the winners so be patient 'cause that ad isn't funny).

Don't Miss Opportunities to use your sense of humor

There are chances all the time to use your sense of humor and to lighten and brighten up your day, and hopefully the days of others.  For example, today I had to attend a meeting for all the staff where I work.  Normally our amazing office manager takes the minutes/notes and then writes them up and sends them out for all to see.  Well, today she couldn't do it because she had other responsibilities, so I did it.  Needless to say I made the minutes short, sweet and funny.  Of course, my supervisor had a few editorial changes, but he left in some of the best parts. 

How to make it funny...use acronyms specific to your organization or  comments that people in your organization or group would understand and appreciate (I wrote something about using post-it-notes to write our clinical notes and as it gives us the ability to destroy them by eating them if confidentiality could be compromised--certainly something that therapists/counselors at our office could relate to).  Also instead of boring words like "discussed" use words like chat, or blah, blah, blah for discussions that gone on and on.  Of course, timing and taste are everything when attempting to inject humor, and if you have doubts, let someone with a good sense of timing and taste read it over before you put it out to the masses.

Here is a bit of Visual Humor.  It is a site where there are many interesting and some humorous signs--some intentional and some are just plain "what were you thinking?"  Enjoy:  http://seehere.blogspot.com/2006/08/strange-and-funny-signs.html

Tribute to the Golden Girls

Our sense of humor is often drawn to a particular type of humor...Verbal, Physical or Visual.
Verbal humor is often connected to current issues of the day, although some are timeless.  The Golden Girls show was mostly based on verbal humor and with the passing of Rue McClanahan, it is wonderful time to remember just how well all the women on The Golden Girls worked their magic.

 So here's to verbal humor and laughter as Friday slips into the weekend:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqAJIvbnkZg&feature=related

Horoscope for June

If you have a birthday in June, well good for you.  You are either a Gemini or Gemi or a Cancer or crab.  Tf you are having a birthday in June you will be overjoyed to know that your moon is rising in your house...so put the breakables away.  Also it is possible that your 4th house is considering moving.  Such is the way of the stars.

Right now if you are considering a job change, there are opportunties on your horizon.  Looks like some of the hottest jobs are:  Clown, Cow Bell Ringer, and trying out for the new hit show, Dancing with the Losers (it is really kind of pathetic but it's a job).

Also there are stars jumping all through your sign this month so it is a great time to think about getting some kind of animal.  Looks like a goat or small rodent or a Unicorn would be your best bet.  Animals, you know can be great companions and sometimes can be your best friend, especially if you don't have a best friend.

June birthday folks, this is a month to celebrate the development of the toothpick.   Yes, some guy in the stone age ate a lot of meat (origin unknown) and then spent 5 months making a small tree limb tiny enough to pick his teeth.  What a guy and what an invention.

Happy Juners!

Humor and Animals

Yesterday a four year old and a 1 1/2 year old were at my house and I watched them play and LAUGH.    They ran and jumped and were delighted by the most mundane and everyday things.  Played hide and seek and had a great time.

They are a reminder that there is joy and laughter in many places if you are open to the experience.

Animals do the same thing.  Animals bring us joy and laughter and so today in an effort to promote NFAL I present this YouTube video which is circulating and shows that dogs truly are very patient with humans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaAVZ2yXDBo

Church Bulletins and Humor

Most churches don't mean to make their weekly bulletins funny, but often they are. Not sure who proofreads them, but whoever does either has a great sense of humor or poor proofing skills.  Here are couple of them for your reading and laughing pleasure:

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What is Hell?"  Come early and listen to our choir practice.


The Lutheran men's group will meet at 6pm.  Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.

Humor and relationships

I don't know what is happening in the Universe but lately there have been a rash of relationship break-ups--not just Sandra Bullock and Jesse James, but people I know and love. Can there be laughter among the sadness and tears associated with dissolving relationships? Well I received something today from a friend that is all about relationships and funny.

Check it out:   http://mingle2.com/dating/phases

Quote of the Hour

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.
Michael Pritchard

Laughter Count is UP!

I did a presentation yesterday on NFAL and my laughter count went way up! I even had several participants say they wanted to count the number of times they laugh each day. So far my best day (yesterday) was about 20. I am getting into shape.

Laughter, according to Dr. Sethi of the U of A does the following:

It dissolves distressing emotions, if only momentarily

It relaxes, recharges and energizes

It shifts perspectives--enabling you to see things from another viewpoint making things less threatening
Check this out for the laugh of the day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wp3m1vg06Q

Quote of the Moment

“I sometimes lie awake at night trying to think of something funny that Richard Nixon said”

-Lyn Nofziger –Nixon Aide

The challenge of laughing

Didn't write for a few days, but have been keeping track of my laughing...averaging 4 or 5 times a day!  I make others laugh and I smile a lot but I had no idea I laughed so rarely. 

I thought more about and what/who influenced my sense of humor.  My parents laughed at Bob Hope and Lucille Ball and liked "clean humor".  Of course, they were good Midwest folks and didn't like profanity and jokes that were directly sexual.  Indirect stuff was okay.

Until I started doing this blog (while working on a presentation about humor for my work) I never really thought about how I got a sense of humor or how my humor was influenced by my environment.

Today I want to share an Ellen moment to support your laughter:  http://www.youtube.com/user/theellendegeneressho?blend=1&ob=4#p/u/65/tPIOzyHRyeU


More later...

Quote of the Day

I also read that we are not born with a sense of humor--we develop one.  That's why I want to share a quote every day that reflects my sense of humor.

"I've been in the Bible every day since I've been the president." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008

Now that guy made me laugh...he also made me want to relocate to another country. 

NFAL - Nurturing Fun And Laughter

I read that children laugh 300 to 400 times a day and that adults laugh about 12 to 15 times a day!  Is that right? I am going to start keeping track of my own daily laughter and see just how often I do laugh every day. 

I will let you know how it goes...so far I have laughed 4 times today and I feel there is more coming.  I may even set laughter goals every day, but right now I am going to count my laughs everyday for a week to get a baseline just to see how I am doing.

Wish me luck...it's not always fun out there.