humor

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It's Official: Germans Least Funny in the World

But Americans aren't so amusing, either

(Newser) - Maybe something’s just lost in translation: A poll of 30,000 people in 15 countries found Germany to be the world’s most unfunny country. But we’re not so amusing either: Russia and Turkey came in as the second and third least-funny, while Britain and the US rounded...

To Get Workers Working, Try Sarcasm

 To Get Workers 
 Working, Try 
 Sarcasm 
study says
Jun 5, 2011 10:56 AM CDT

To Get Workers Working, Try Sarcasm

It helps them solve creative problems, study suggests

(Newser) - Hiring a new manager? Give Jerry Seinfeld a call. Sarcasm prompts employees to speed through tasks that require creative problem-solving, Israeli research suggests. Simple fury at your staff can also get them working quickly, but it’s only effective for more straightforward tasks. “The incongruent information inherent in sarcasm...

'Balders' Demand Trump's Hair Certificate

Vanity Fair issues the Donald a challenge

(Newser) - The president’s done his part; now it’s Donald Trump’s turn to show us some proof—of the authenticity of his hair. “Balders,” Vanity Fair explains in a challenge to the real estate mogul, are “a small but increasingly vocal group of conspiracy theorists” who’...

Diary Advice from Monty Python Diarist Michael Palin
 How Not to Write a Diary 
Michael Palin
Mar 22, 2011 1:38 PM CDT

How Not to Write a Diary

Michael Palin: If you're not interesting, don't pretend to be

(Newser) - Keeping a diary is well worth your while—but there are some “do’s and don’ts” to keep in mind, writes Monty Python’s Michael Palin in Vanity Fair . The big one is, “don’t try and make your life interesting when it isn’t,” notes...

'Runt Month' February Gets No Respect
 'Runt Month' 
 February Gets 
 No Respect 

OPINION
Feb 28, 2011 12:43 PM CST

'Runt Month' February Gets No Respect

Philip Hill offers a way to fix the problem: change the calendar

(Newser) - February has consistently gotten the short shrift among calendar months: It was among the last months to be invented, in 700 BC, its mere 28 days sandwiched between months named for powerful gods—while it "commemorates a pagan fertility and purification festival celebrated by flogging women with animal skins,...

Tina Fey: Sarah Palin Might Be My Fault

And get ready for a rifle range at the Kennedy Center, she hoots

(Newser) - Always-funny Tina Fey quipped yesterday that the Sarah Palin phenomenon might be her fault because John McCain was gazing at a photo of Fey before he picked the then-Alaska gov to be his running mate. But seriously, folks, she thanked Palin for the opportunity to skewer her near look-alike and...

BP Demands Changes to Prank Twitter Feed

They want it made clear that it's a fake

(Newser) - BP has asked Twitter to straighten out @BPGlobalPR , the hilariously snarky satirical feed specializing in messages like, “Doing our best to turn oil into oilinade. So far, the stuff tastes TERRIBLE.” BP has asked Twitter to force the feed to comply with the site’s impersonation policy, it...

URLs Gone Hilariously Wrong
 URLs Gone Hilariously Wrong 
www.penisland.net
May 31, 2010 1:15 PM CDT

URLs Gone Hilariously Wrong

The funniest web addresses

(Newser) - Choosing a web address can be a perilous task—especially if your company is named Pen Island. Before choosing a URL, think carefully about where other people might mentally insert spaces in a multiple-word name written without any, the Daily Telegraph reports. Here's a sampling of the funniest double entendres...

Fake BP Twitter Feed More Popular Than Real One

And a lot funnier

(Newser) - In the last few days, @BPGlobalPR has become something of a Twitter phenomenon, wracking up 44,000 followers, but BP's PR guys aren't too happy about it. Because, as will become instantly apparent to anyone who reads it, @BPGlobalPR isn't actually the oil giant's Twitter handle. It's a gag account,...

America's 40% Overpriced
 America's 40% Overpriced 
OPINION
May 12, 2010 1:56 PM CDT

America's 40% Overpriced

Take in some discount movies, you'll understand

(Newser) - Joe Queenan has figured out the real problem with the US economy: It's overpriced. Queenan came to this revelation after he and his buddies made a habit of going to see movies on Tuesday nights, when they only cost $6 instead of $10.25. At that price, even bombs like...

Jones Puts Foot in Mouth With Jewish Joke

National security adviser draws fire from conservatives

(Newser) - Jim Jones gave a major speech at a top Middle East think tank last week, but the information he imparted has been drowned out by the kerfluffle over the joke he opened his remarks with—in which a Jewish merchant fleeces a thirsty Taliban fighter. It's tame stuff, and the...

The Square: Harshly Funny Film Noir

Middle-aged man meets femme fatale, disaster ensues

(Newser) - In this Aussie noir thriller, a married middle-aged man (David Roberts) and his younger lover (Claire van der Boom) seize the chance to escape with a bundle of cash. The finely wrought fallout involves an arsonist, a shark attack, and depravity and greed to spare. Most critics agree: it's sinfully...

Senator Franken Is Finally Being Funny Again

He now seems more comfortable cracking jokes

(Newser) - Senate colleagues expecting humor from funnyman and freshman lawmaker Al Franken have gotten just the opposite, though insiders say the Minnesota senator is getting into the groove and loosening up a bit. Since taking office last year, Franken has snapped at administration officials , Joe Lieberman , and Republican legislators. Now, he’...

Most Annoying People You Meet on Planes
 Most Annoying People 
 You Meet on Planes 
TRAVEL
Jan 31, 2010 10:07 AM CST

Most Annoying People You Meet on Planes

From the smug first-class traveler to loud babies

(Newser) - There are lots of reasons to dislike getting on an airplane; herewith, Guyism points out the most annoying types of people you’ll run into as you fly the friendly skies:
  • The first-class flier: Sorry, Jeff Wysaski writes to “this smug assembly of businessmen, trust fund kids and trophy
...

Your Won't Keep Those Resolutions: Try These Instead

Don't quit smoking, start e-smoking, and other easy outs

(Newser) - Gawker knows you can’t keep those virtuous New Year’s resolutions, so it’s come up with some substitutions. They won’t make you “a better person,” but are at least achievable. Herewith, from Brian Boylan:
  • Lose weight: That's too hard; "we live in a
...

Santa's a Terrible Role Model for Kids

He's obese, doesn't wear a helmet, and could be spreading swine flu

(Newser) - There really is a Santa Claus—and he's a public health menace, warns a light-hearted new study in a British medical journal. It identifies a "very high Santa awareness" among children and determines that he's a reckless role model with his frequent cookie snacks, occasional cigars, and refusal to...

How to Be Oh-So-Sensitive to Jews at Christmas
How to Be Oh-So-Sensitive
to Jews at Christmas
HO HO HA!
Dec 14, 2009 4:37 PM CST

How to Be Oh-So-Sensitive to Jews at Christmas

If you watch White Christmas , be considerate: also watch Munich

(Newser) - "Just because anyone with half a brain celebrates Christmas," Paul Rudnick writes in that bastion of traditional Christianity, the New Yorker , that's no reason to alienate your yarmulke-wearing friends. Some tips:
  • Calling Jesus "Our Savior" might seem gauche. Just call him "the Jew that got away.
...

How Steve Jobs Avoids Tiger's Predicament
How Steve Jobs Avoids Tiger's Predicament
ER, FAKE STEVE JOBS
Dec 2, 2009 11:00 PM CST

How Steve Jobs Avoids Tiger's Predicament

'I just can't stand other people,' Apple chief might say

(Newser) - We’ve all got an opinion on the Tiger Woods saga, but now comes one that really matters: Steve Jobs’. Or, actually, the blogger known as Fake Steve Jobs , who fills us in on why the Apple chief would never be in such a mess: “The reason I’ve...

Why We Love Fat TV
 Why We Love Fat TV 
pop culture
Sep 27, 2009 2:25 PM CDT

Why We Love Fat TV

Zaftig reality stars make us feel better about our bulging waistlines: Dumenco

(Newser) - America's obsession with "fattertainment" has become a form of catharsis for an obese nation, Simon Dumenco writes for GQ. Shows like The Biggest Loser and Dance Your Ass Off were at least ostensibly about getting their contestants in shape. But on More to Love, “the participants aren't...

Franken Gets Funny Again
 Franken Gets 
 Funny Again 



Sep 14, 2009 8:30 AM CDT

Franken Gets Funny Again

Senator has crowd chuckling at Iowa fundraiser

(Newser) - As a latecomer to the Senate this year, Al Franken’s been playing it straight—but he loosened up enough to venture a few jokes at an Iowa fundraiser yesterday, CNN reports. Discussing Sen. Tom Harkin’s new post as head of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee,...

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