Humor Archive

June 30, 2008

David Ker's Parody Carnival

David Ker suggested a parody Biblical Studies meme and Iyov tagged me by reference. While this may have started as an exercise for the Biblical Studies community, it works very well for the larger Blogosphere as well. Since many bibliobloggers...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 11:07 AM | Read more on Humor |
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June 18, 2008

The German Language and Involuntary Swearing

I've mentioned before that my ability to read German is limited by frequent outbursts of involuntary swearing. I'm sure that a native speaker or anyone who truly knows the language does not have this problem; but I do. Just last...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 11:02 AM | Read more on Humor |
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May 30, 2008

The Dirt on Geologists, Anthropologists and Archaeologists

By way of Afarensis, I just read a hilarious tale from the Johannesburg paper, The Star. Chris Rowan posted it at Highly Allochthonous. While a story is of a supposed attempt to produce a "Survivor" like TV show about geologists,...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 7:34 PM | Read more on Humor |
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May 12, 2008

A Well-rounded Individual

with a perfect balance Tragedy, Romance, and Comedy in my life? Hmmm! But then my life is one of those "Problem Plays" Hmmm! Problem Plays (You scored 38% = Tragic, 56% = Comic, 38% = Romantic, 39% = Historic) You...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:22 AM | Read more on Humor |
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April 1, 2008

Not In My Family, Not This Time

For a while, Shirley thought this individual was one of my relatives. Hans Jacob Holtzapfel, born about 1662 in Franfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany; died June 17, 1684 in Michelfeld near Sinnsheim, Germany. Executed: beheaded and burnt at the stake...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 7:46 PM | Read more on Humor |
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March 25, 2008

A Fine Disassemblage

Have you ever wondered how a pottery assemblage comes to be? Well, Martin Rundkvist' cat has created an abnormally interesting one. Check it out at Aardvarchaeology. Notice that one must use the most recent sherds for dating purposes. I'm looking...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 7:52 PM | TrackBack (0) | Abnormal Archive Link |

March 20, 2008

Chris Heard Is Using Strong Language

“Charlatan,” “twaddle” he exclaims while decrying an upcoming movie from the same folks who brought us The Secret. Chris' degradation into such talk reminded me of another film that I once saw. In 1973, a fellow Gezerite and I were...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 9:37 AM | Read more on Humor |
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January 25, 2008

This May Light Up Your Life

PZ Myers thinks he has found some "Inappropriate iconography." Drop by Pharyngula and see what you think. I would have posted this sooner but I couldn't stop laughing. I also spent some time trying to see where one could buy...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 2:22 PM | Read more on Humor |
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January 5, 2008

My Predictions for 2008

Apparently, God has made a prediction for 2008 but his prophet won't tell what it is. Well now that the year is a few days old and I have had a change to get a feel for it, to align...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:12 PM | Read more on Humor |
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December 31, 2007

How Did I Do On My 2007 Predictions?

In January, 2007, I made ten predictions for the coming twelve months. Unless something quite unexpected happens in the next couple of hours, I think I'm safe in saying that I did very well: 92.5% correct. Some may question my...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 7:26 PM | Read more on Humor |
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December 15, 2007

Rated R for Metaphysics

Here is how Manohla Dargis of the New York Times described the rating of Coppola's new movie "Youth without Youth." "Youth Without Youth” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Gun violence, sexual congress, female nudity,...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 9:52 AM | Read more on Humor |
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December 10, 2007

A New Home for My Research

This morning I received an unsolicited email from Wiley-Blackwell with the following title, "A new home for your research." I was so excited. Someone was asking me to publish something, anything, in his or her journal. But then I read...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:06 AM | Read more on Humor |
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October 9, 2007

Depleting the Language

Alun Salt has a hilarious post on things you might get sued for writing. It seems that the 2011 plus 1 Organizing Committee of some famous international games thinks it owns a UK copyright on the year after 2011 and...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 8:04 PM | Read more on Humor |
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September 19, 2007

It Makes No More Sense in Pirate Talk

Arrrr! Today be international talk like a pirate day. So I decided I'd try t' find t' Akkadian word or phrase for pirate. T' best I could come up with be šarrâqu that means "thief." So I decided t' just...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:32 PM | Read more on Humor |
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August 29, 2007

Getting Ready

While working with the roustabouts to prepare the vacant lot for Biblical Studies Carnival XXI, I found this at a site aptly called Carnival and Circus Jokes. I thought it might help you get in the spirit. A carnival truck...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 7:03 PM | Read more on Humor |
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July 15, 2007

On Learning Greek

John Habbins and Iyov are having a conversation that I'm tempted to get into but likely won't, at least for now. As part of a much larger point Iyov makes this observation, . . . attempting to learn two languages...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:26 AM | Read more on Humor |
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July 6, 2007

Not in My Family

I think I've mentioned that Shirley is trying to fine at least one honorable person in either one of our backgrounds. So far she has traced part of her family line back to the 16th century and part of mine...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 1:40 PM | Read more on Humor |
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June 29, 2007

One of My Worshippers Sent Me an Ecard!

WARNING: The email I describe below is a delivery vehicle for a malicious worm. If you get an email like it, do not take any of the links and delete the email from you computer. I just got an email...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 4:14 PM | Read more on Humor |
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April 1, 2007

A New Inscription from Ugarit

I learned that archaeologists have just found a new inscription near Ugarit that reads as follows: bhlm abrhm yšn The above text was engraved in the standard Ugaritic cuneiform alphabet on a stone near the remains of a posthole that...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 9:52 AM | Read more on Humor |
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February 5, 2007

A Teacher's Work is Never Done

Today is carpet installation day, or so it is supposed to be, therefore I thought I'd continue my reflections on swearing. The subject, swearing that is, reminds me of an abnormal situation at the company for which I still work...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 1:28 PM | Read more on Humor |
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January 3, 2007

What Is Really Going to Happen in 2007 and What Is Not

It seems that Pat Robertson is back in the predicting business. Every year at this time a cadre of soothsayers, spiritualists, clairvoyants and other frauds think it their obligation to enlighten us with their predictions for the coming year. Many...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 7:19 PM | Read more on Humor |
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December 16, 2006

And Now For Something Completely Stupid

Ever wonder what I looked like as an Elf? Well, here's your chance; take this link. I think I prefer afarensis as an Elf. And of course, you can also make a fool Elf of yourself if you like....

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Posted by Duane Smith at 1:54 PM | Read more on Humor |
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September 13, 2006

On the Fine Art of Unavailability

As some of you may know I work very part time for a small company and something came my way last week that reminded me of two occasions in my more active professional life that now amuse me. Many years...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 9:14 AM | Read more on Humor |
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September 7, 2006

Every Day in Everyway, I'm Getting Better and Better

My nerd quiz results, Nuts, afarensis beat me by 2 percentage points. The last time I took this quiz I got 88%, "High Nerd."...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 6:51 PM | Read more on Humor |
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July 18, 2006

I Support the Presidents Right to Use the S Word

Except, of course, during involuntarily swearing resulting from hitting my thumb with a hammer or the like, I don't use many obscenities in my daily discourse. Sure, a voluntary obscenity every day or two can spice up one's life. But...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 8:50 AM | Read more on Humor |
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May 28, 2006

Just for Fun

If you need a little laughter in your life take a look at "A Note on Iconography of “Yarmukian” Neolithic Figurines" recently published in The Journal of Unproductive and Non-reproducible Knowledge Vol. .43/13. Thanks to Jim West for bringing this...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 11:47 AM | Read more on Humor |
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May 17, 2006

Why I Seldom Make Predictions

In the light of the fact that Patrick Fitzgerald has not as yet called a news conference for today or otherwise made an announcement, I have asked Shirley to prepare this guy for my evening meal. She tells me that...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 8:27 AM | Read more on Humor |
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May 6, 2006

My Mona Lisa

I have the real Mona Lisa hanging on the wall in my living room. It is the very one that Leonardo da Vinci painted in oil on wood likely between 1503 and 1505 and is also called La Gioconda. The...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 9:36 AM | Read more on Humor |
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April 1, 2006

King David's Seal and Hebrew as the Ancestor of all Languages

Tyler Williams at Codex has an interesting piece that you might want to read and enjoy. It was posted at 12:01 am today. I just hope Tyler doesn't suffer from Mark Twain's literary problem. My own luck has been curious...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 3:01 PM | Read more on Humor |
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April 1 Reading List

Eisenbrauns is offering the following set of books as part of a one-day special for April 1. First Compendious Near Eastern Grammar Everything You Ever Wanted to Know Edited by A.P. Ril Winged Bull Press,2006 12000 pages in 12 volumes...

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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:33 AM | Read more on Humor |
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Titles Only From Here On

March 30, 2006

Angels in the Gaps

February 14, 2006

The Cat is On the Roof

January 22, 2006

Solving the World's Problems One at a Time - Freeway Traffic

January 12, 2006

New Arboreal Species Shows Intelligent Design

January 3, 2006

Nerdier Than Thou

November 17, 2005

New Government Mental Health Program for Seniors

November 10, 2005

The Punchline From Dover

October 30, 2005

I'm A Monkey

August 13, 2005

LA County Circumcised for State Fair

July 27, 2005

Get Your Viking Name While They Last

May 25, 2005

Make Sure You and Your Dogs and Cats Understand the Laws in California

May 18, 2005

I'm Luke Skywalker

April 30, 2005

Amazing - I'm a Little Bit Republican

April 13, 2005

A Short Lexicon of the Neo-con Language

April 1, 2005

April 1, A Dangerous Day to Post

March 20, 2005

Just Follow Your Nose

February 19, 2005

A Book in Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush

February 16, 2005

Gas Too High?