Power
Outage Sent
by Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA

We
had an outage at my place this morning and my PC, laptop, TV, DVD, iPad
& my new surround sound music system were all shut down.
Then I discovered that my iPhone battery was flat and to top it off it
was raining outside, so I couldn't play golf.
I went into the kitchen to make coffee and then I remembered that this
also needs power, so I talked with my wife for a few hours.
She seems like a nice
person.
Mel
Brooks starts a foundation to save the word schmuck Sent
by Tom of Pasadena, CA (Edited for length
and strong language)
NEW YORK - Saying
he could no longer stand idly by while a vital part of American culture
is lost forever, activist and Broadway producer Mel Brooks has founded
a private nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the word "schmuck."
An
emotional Brooks stopped short of kvetching at a schmuck fundraiser Monday.
"Schmuck is
dying," a sober Brooks said during a 2,000-person rally held
in his hometown of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Monday. "For many of
us, saying 'schmuck' is a way of life. Yet when I walk down the street
and see people behaving in foolish, pathetic, or otherwise schmucky ways,
I hear only the words 'prick' and 'douche bag.' I just shake my head and
think, 'I don't want to live in a world like this.'"
The nonprofit, Schmucks
For Schmuck, has compiled schmuck-related data from the past 80 years
and conducted its own independent research on contemporary "schmuck"
usage. According to Brooks, the statistics are frightening: Utterances
of the word "schmuck" have declined every year since its peak
in 1951, and in 2006, the word was spoken a mere 28 times-17 of these
times by Brooks himself.
Perhaps more startling,
only 23 percent of men know what schmuck means, and only 1.2 percent of
these men are under the age of 78. If such trends continue, Brooks estimates
that by 2015, such lesser-used terms as "imbecile," "dummy,"
"schlub," and "contemptible ne'er-do-well" will all
surpass schmuck, which is projected to completely disappear by the year
2020 or whenever Brooks dies.
"The world
cannot afford to lose this valuable and versatile word," Brooks
told reporters during a charity auction in Manhattan's Upper West Side
Tuesday, where attendees bid for the chance to have a private lunch with
Brooks and repeatedly call him a schmuck. "You can be a poor schmuck,
a lazy schmuck, a dumb schmuck, or just a plain old schmuck. A group of
people can be collectively referred to as schmucks. You can call someone
a schmuck, and you can be called a schmuck. You can even call yourself
a schmuck." Plus, it's just so fun to say, Brooks added. "Schmuck."
Many of the foundation's
volunteers say they share Brooks' passion for the word "schmuck,"
as well as his outrage that it is slowly disappearing from everyday use.
They claim that if they do not act now, the trend could create a snowball
effect.
"Today it's schmuck, tomorrow it might be toochis," said
SFS volunteer Harry Steinbergmann, 82. "What's next, schlemiel?
Putz? Schlimazel?"
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Videos of the week: (click on the picture)
Jay
Leno Political Montage Contributed
by Don of Kelowna, B.C.
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I'm gonna miss Jay Leno. Last week was his final appearance hosting
the Tonight Show (reminds me why I don't like NBC). It gathered
15 million viewers so I'm happy he went out with a bang! Anyway,
here's a collection of his favorite videos.
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Valentine
Surprise Contributed
by Tom of Pasadena, CA
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You feelin' romantic this Valentine's Day? Men, can
you top this man's elaborate plan? Women, I betcha you'd love to
be in this woman's shoes.
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Weird
Valentine Cards from the Past Contributed
by Mike of New York
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This is a link to a collection of strange Valentine messages of
yesteryear. They had such a different approach to courtship then.
I suppose the women thought this was romantic, huh?
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Istanbul
and Not Constantinople with Fred Astaire Contributed
by Fernando of Makati, Philippines and Alex of Manila, Philippines
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I don't blame you if you don't understand the title. Just watch
the video. Someone remixed the video and audio of Fred Astaire and
friends. Pretty catchy music. They appear to be actually saying
that.
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Marlene
Dietrich Sings Contributed
by Fernando of Makati, Philippines and Alex of Manila, Philippines
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I didn't think Miss Dietrich could sing. This must have come from
someone's film archives. The message still resonates today.
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Snow
Plow Contributed
by Charlie of New York
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Here's an invention that will come in very handy for many of us
who are experiencing heavy duty winter storms.
Happy
Valentine's and try to keep warm.
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