Humor – Books and Coffee

May 8, 2020

Books: Department of Mind-Blowing Theories by Tom Gauld

Department of Mind-Blowing Theories
by Tom Gauld
published by Drawn + Quarterly
2020

This is a charming book of science cartoons, which had previously appeared in New Scientist magazine, collected here by the excellent comic/graphic novel publishers at Drawn + Quarterly. They are subtle, funny, brainy cartoons with really fantastic contraptions, many explosions, heartless thesis committees, and at least one appearance of Cthulhu.

This book is for you if: you wish the text message “LOL!” really stood for “Let’s Observe Lobsters!”

(Speaking of LOL, I did laugh out loud at the bear cave strip, and several others.)

I want all of the contraptions.

May 6, 2020

News/Humor: Yukon-style Social (Physical) Distancing

I adore Canada, and I especially adore the Government of the Yukon’s guidance to prevent COVID-19 infections, which conceptualizes the space you should keep between yourself and others from outside your household as measured in caribou, ravens, huskies, and sourdough bread loaves. (Mmmmmm: sourdough.)

This is a witty way of doing public health notices VERY, VERY well.

April 26, 2020

News/Humor: Do Not Ingest Poisons Touted by the President

Humor is what I’m using to get through this situation, because I’d prefer to laugh than to dwell on the lack of understanding across segments of my country of basic survival concepts.

Opinion | America, please don’t put bleach inside yourself like the president says
This should go without saying, but: Please, America, don’t inject or put disinfectant inside yourself like the president talked about. It is not good for you. Actually, it is bad. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant” is just a metaphorical saying. Also, do not put a “light” “inside” yourself until we can figure out what the president is trying to say.

I think my favorite of many good quotes is:

I know it seems counterintuitive, but given the choice to listen to a plastic bottle or the president of the United States, I beg you: Listen to the plastic bottle.

Alexandra Petri’s writing for WaPo is topical and very, very funny. (She does Twitter well, too!)

April 25, 2020February 15, 2021

The Onion: Deepwater Horizon Anniversary

BP Celebrates 10th Anniversary Of Deepwater Horizon By Dyeing Gulf Of Mexico Black

PORT FOURCHON, LA—On the very spot off the Louisiana coast where the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and left the company’s mark on the region forever, BP celebrated the 10th anniversary of its historic, 210-million-gallon oil spill Monday by dyeing the entire Gulf of Mexico black. “Ten year…