Ever wonder why we have the ability to laugh and why jokes are funny? Maybe because they touch our experience or mirror what we notice and care about in life. The tragic - which seems such a burden most of the time - somehow becomes fodder for the funnybone.
I'll be the first to say that I can't stand most of the crap that supposed "dear friends" forward to my inbox on almost a daily basis. You know the stuff - the kind that comes layered 8 deep in eml files? And every one of them has a subject line that reads: "Re: FW: FW: FW: FW: FW: this is hilarious." And the sender is such a "dear friend" that he or she doesn't even bother to get rid of all those email addresses of previous recipients you've never heard of before zapping it off once again to clog servers near and far. And the thing is, hardly any of this stuff is ever funny. Yeah, those kinds of emails...
I got what I thought was another one of those today from a fellow kossack who almost never forwards stuff that is crap, and the damned thing was
actually funny. Given the recent flame wars and emotions on Dkos, it seems we could maybe all use a laugh. So what the hell, here it is, notwithstanding that it has probably popped into the inbox of every email account on the planet by now.
George Bush goes to an elementary school to talk to the kids to get a little PR. After his talk he offers question time. One little boy puts up his hand and George asks him his name.
"Stanley," says the little boy.
"And what is your question, Stanley?"
"I have four questions:
First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN?
Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes?
Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?
Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when half of all Americans don't have health insurance?"
Just then, the bell rings for recess. George Bush informs the kids that they will continue after recess.
When they resume George says, "OK, where were we? Oh, that's right, question time. Who has a question?"
Another little boy puts up his hand. George points to him and asks his name.
"Steve," he responds.
"And what is your question, Steve?"
"Actually, I have six questions:
First, why did the USA invade Iraq without the support of the UN?
Second, why are you President when Al Gore got more votes?
Third, whatever happened to Osama Bin Laden?
Fourth, why are we so worried about gay marriage when half of all Americans don't have health insurance?
Fifth, why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early?
And sixth, what the hell happened to Stanley?"