Surly's Soap Box

The other night there was a program on the History Channel called, 'The History of the Joke'. In the program, Lewis Black interviewed Dr Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, who spent the last few years researching humor and what people find funny. This is, according to years of investigation, the world's funniest joke:

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"

I think the joke is funnier when you actually try to tell it to someone.

...that there are some people I know, people who I might have counted as friends, who have been using content found on this site to mock me, make fun of me, and generally do the "I'll make myself feel better about myself by tearing down somebody else because I'm so desperate to be somebody because my pathetic little life sucks and I want to feel superior..." thing.

If you think my Christianity is funny or a waste of time, or my inner reflections worthy of derision, then maybe you should take some time to look at your own life. At least I'm out there doing something, trying new things, growing as a person, contributing to society while you, perhaps, have given up. And Hey! I'm having fun. Kind of sucks right now being out of work and such, but over all life is good.

It actually makes me sad knowing that I can't really share the good stuff, the deep stuff, the real stuff with you because you'll just use it to stab me in the back. In fact, I'm beginning to believe that the only reason you talk to me is to get more ammo.

Before you lash out in anger, before you pick up the phone or leave that nasty comment, take a week to think about this: Is that how you want a friend to treat you?

Think about it.

Let the McCain coronation begin.

I watched McCain's speech to the Conservative-Something-Something conference this afternoon, and I think he did pretty well. He has a lot of fences to mend in the Republican Party, and I doubt he can pull it off. So, cue the third party that's guaranteed to to skim the ultra conservatives off the top and ensure an O'Bama victory in November.

Remember John Anderson who helped Carter get elected? How about Ross Perot? Who will the next spoiler be? Bloomberg? Huckabee?

Combine that with everyone's tiredness of the current government and an earnest desire for change (on both sides of the aisle) and we'll have a Democrat in the White House for sure.

Looks like the Presidential election is going to come down to a pitched battle between a Couple of Irish men: O'Bama and McCain.

McCain is Irish, hailing from the Ulster region. He's not Scottish as he had mistakenly claimed in his book, but his family has Scottish ties. Read the link for more info.

I can't place O'Bama though. Must be Black Irish.