Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food

Saturday, February 20, 2010

42 Funny Cartoons: Olympics, Obama, Obstructionists, Obesity and You - 20 Feb 2010

From Denny: The Olympics, both in sport TV and politics, loomed large in the minds of cartoonists this week. Sadly, the world did lose one accomplished Olympian, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili of Bakuriani, 21 years old, this week in a dangerous practice. The whole world mourns with his country.

The Vancouver Olympics have had a tough start this year with warmer weather than usual and the very reason for the venue to be held in Canada was because of the expected good snowfall. Instead, the stuff melted off while America got blasted with the extreme snow weather. Guess Washington, D. C. should have been the host of the Winter Olympics this crazy weather year. The big joke in America was to export snow to Canada for a hefty price - or for free if only they would do all the shoveling.

Tiger Woods read from a stilted lectern a half-hearted stilted apology ordered up by his publicists, agents and family horrified he was allowing half a billion dollars slip through his hands because of his bizarre sexual conduct. Frankly, it didn't go over well with most.

He just isn't at that point in his life where he realizes that being emotionally stingy just doesn't go over well with most people. He has another reputation as an extremely cheap tipper which red flags his attitude toward other people that they are not deserving of respect or consideration. His bad attitudes saturate all areas of his life and those same attitudes are not going to evolve or change over night.

The cartoonists are still churning out the Tiger Woods cartoons and just getting in gear on this current subject of The Big Apology. It will be next week before those appear en masse.

On a lighter note, the cartoonists compared politics and the political parties to an Olympic sport. I've always said my favorite sport was politics. Why? Because it has such passionate fans and there are high stakes for how it can affect our daily lives.

Political partisanship has taken a toll on the better politicians who are quitting the field. Voters and colleagues alike are fed up with the Republicans acting like Tiger Woods all rolled into one: cavalier with every one's lives, thinking only about themselves and the whole world is centered around their whining wants.

Toyota got off pretty light this week from the cartoonists. Guess they wore it out the past couple of weeks. At least the Toyota president finally agreed to quit being such a jerk and appear before American investigations into the safety of their products.

Prez Obama is up to his neck in the usual stinky messes, still shoveling hard to clean up everything in sight all over the land of America. Jobs creation is still slow but not completely in the tank, but sure not helping out all the millions looking for jobs.

What occurred to me some time ago is that the American worker needs to get off our co-dependency on big corporations as career jobs. It's best to work a while for them, get the business model, grow up a bit to be mentally tough and then it's time to leave the nest and go out and grow your own smaller business. If anything, what it looks like from the perspective of the Big Picture is that the Universe is saying, "OK, all you wimpy lazy baby birds, time to exit the nest and start flying on your own whether you want to or not!" And she dumped millions of people out of their comfortable jobs with easy regular money, respect and authority only to have to reestablish themselves all over again.

Also, Prez Obama has endured a lot of pig squealing from China about meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House. How childish can you get? They would look more like a super power if they grew up their attitude toward Tibet and the spiritual leader. Come to think of it, they could stand to grow up their attitude toward Taiwan as well. All it does is make them look like bullies stomping the little guys. Guess what; absolutely no one in the world respects that situation.

The cartoonists have had a field day with the First Lady's War on Childhood Obesity, a laudable goal. These cartoons really do reflect our national obsession with food, stress and lack of exercise. They are also funny!

Lastly, the snow was a big topic of conversation all across America and in the editorial cartoon sections of newspapers. It really is a metaphor for being buried deep in something difficult to deal with in our lives on so many levels...


Canada's Winter Olympics:

















The Usual Political Suspects:





Losing another quality guy to the warring camps who is just sick and tired of war, Senator Bayh:






































Prez Obama presses on in his Political Olympics:











Obama meeting with the Dalai Lama enraged the control freak Chinese:











The Tiger Woods Big Explanation Apparent Apology:








NASA and science still twisting in the wind financially. Gee, maybe if they quit wasting so much money and had used it wisely the past four decades maybe they would not be experiencing cutbacks:





The average guy who wonders how to shoot the rapids to survive:








First Lady Michele Obama Declares War on Childhood Obesity and gets mocked:














Toyota recall not on the front burner of the Cartoonist Roasting Toasting Club:








The best thing about too much snow this winter in America:





then again...




















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Friday, February 19, 2010

Springs New Ruffle Loose and Sophisticated: 4 Ways to Wear It

From Denny: The weather is starting to cooperate and turn a bit warmer, melting all that annoying snow here and there. Your mind turns to "maybe I can wear real clothes now instead of piling on the winter gear." The clothing trend this Spring is frilly! Not to worry, it isn't weird or too girly but all grown up and sophisticated is the fashion take designers took on ruffles this year.

Designers have been playing with fabric like your toddler does with toys and having great fun. The result of their creativity is the modern update for ruffles is that the ruffle is longer, looser, even twisted and turned, creating very relaxed and easy to wear styles. For the unexpected are those nonperfect puckers that come across as elegant. The beauty of this modern take on ruffles is their versatility so you can dress them up or down: to work or on the weekends with jeans.

4 Styles of Frilly this season

Fashion-forward frills

Normally, the traditional ruffle is so excessive in its flourish that it is not considered work appropriate. However, the new abstract take this season on the ruffle makes it wearable to the office. If you are in a conservative environment with menswear-inspired as the rule this year's ruffle can give you a bit of a feminine twist for your wardrobe.

This new take on ruffles are larger folds that lie flat but add depth and movement yet without feeling frilly. Asymmetrical layers like these ruffles help soften structured suits and skirts and carve out some curves in all the right places. Make sure to add a belt to tame that possible volume on cardigans and blouses.

Featured in the video: Ruffled wrap top, $49, Loehmann's; Tiered ruffle skirt, $89.90, Zara.com

Pretty and preppy

Sometimes, casual wear can look just too plain vanilla and uninspired. This season focus on smaller details and update some of your casual cotten and easy knits to give them some flair with visual interest. Those tiny elements of texture on a simple T-shirt or a menswear button-down shirt with a tuxedo-like ruffle trim can do the trick without resorting to accessories.

Even this season's accessories are getting into the act with ruffles, puckers and pleats! Remember to keep your total look in mind and moderate just how much you embrace any new trend. A few touches of a good thing often create more stylish impact than too much flourish. Leave the excess to when you come down to visit me in south Louisiana and we blow it out over at the New Orleans Mardi Gras! :)

Featured in the video: Cascading Rose T-shirt, $45; Jcrew.com, Slim fit white jeans, $59.90, Mango.com; Deux lux ruffle handbag, $68, Urbanoutfitters.com

Trendy tiers

Some of the harsher, edgy and sharply tailored looks like biker jackets, knee-length boots and studded handbags are getting ruffles this season. Even if you might normally wear a very sleek look, a few items from this season's offerings can give your wardrobe that fluid flowing benefit that only a soft item can provide.

These new long layers look easy and modern, pairing well with tough fabrics and sharp tailoring, making you more approachable. Who wants to scare off a possible great mate? :) The reverse is true of the sharply tailored looks: they help balance soft flowing lines, taming a billowy look. I'm a big fan of contrast to create balance in a wardrobe. It keeps things interesting and people asking, "Where did you get that?"

Featured in the video: AK Anne Klein Blouse, $29.99, TJMaxx.com; Faux leather blazer, $24.95, Hm.com

For children: Look 1 — Kiddo USA ruffle tank, $8, Tjmaxx.com; denim leggings, $18, Macys.com; Sneakers, $30, Zara.com; Look 2 — Scooter Brown T-shirt, $7, Tjmaxx.com; denim jacket, $37.50, sequin scarf, $10, Macys.com; ruffle skirt, $20, Zara.com; leggings, $9, Oldnavy.com; Skechers Twinkle Toes sneakers, $39.99, Jcpenney.com

Dressy and delicate

In the Fall season we embraced structured, architectural styles. Well, this Spring season we all need a breather, something more whimsical and a bit softer. Don't even allow your mind to go to the typed cast vision of ruffles: little girls in pink poufy party dresses. This season ruffles grew up: think more classic muted tones like blush, rose and palest blues. Sophisticated colors build a stage for those perfect subtle details to be a stand out.

Check out how layered ruffles from delicious fabrics like lace and chiffon weave this airy transparency. It's those raw edges that give these vintage-inpsired versions their modernity. Even a trench coat gets cascading edges or a wonderful wrap gifts drama to a very simple classic black dress for that special occasion.

Featured in this video: Ruffle dress, $129, Zara.com; Silk ruffle trench, $228, Anntaylor.com

Check out how there are four different ways to wear this season's new take on frilly from style editor Bobbie Thomas who is also author of The Buzz column for In Touch Weekly. Explore with her new ways to embrace this textured trend!


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Check Out Funny Fat Tuesday Afterglow Photos and Quotes

*** Mardi Gras and New Orleans is a quick tutorial in the Four D's: Debauchery, Decadence, Denial and Diets!

*** This is an excerpt from the full post over at my blog called The Social Poets. Be sure to check out the many great videos of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and more hilarious photos and great quotes: Funny Fat Tuesday Afterglow - Cheeky Quote Day 17 Feb 2010

From Denny: New Orleans has a particular fondness for lampooning the politically incorrect taboo subjects of sexuality, religion and death. This year they went at it full tilt and certainly did not disappoint.

These tacky photos will definitely make you laugh out loud. If you suffer from sexual prudishness you probably don't read my blogs but just in case, look away. Actually, it's pretty tame - but tacky stuff, not good taste - which is what New Orleans Mardi Gras is all about.

Anyway, I was doing that "wondering thing" about how to follow up the big party blowout of Fat Tuesday the day after when the thrill is gone. Of course, the Christian Lenten season has officially begun, a time to think of dialing it back on the excess meter and tuning ourselves to more inner reflection.

What better bridge than to laugh at the Four D's to get folks over their embarrassments from Mardi Gras that even their grandchildren will never hear the tales? The Four D's are Debauchery, Decadence, Denial and Diets. Enjoy the funny quotes, laugh 'til you fall off your chair Mardi Gras photos and news videos about the festival!

To keep your game face on, remember there is hope for the perpetual party person because this is the progression:

Debauchery is what you climb out of to get up to the next level of Decadence. You know, it's called graduating college and leaving behind your partying ways. So, you enter the oh, so adult life of Decadence known as credit cards, mortgages, shiny new cars, deep in debt and a few children dotting the backyard suburban landscape.

Before you know it you are done with Decadence after a decade or so and step up into the new house of Denial. Denial is when you experience Empty Nest Syndrome, hoping those screaming kids you so wanted to leave a few years earlier decide to come home to roost and make the house interesting again. Denial is also about figuring you might one day actually get to afford to retire. In those hopes you begin the process of trimming down your debt as your employer trims down your salary.

Eventually, you wake up and figure out you have to leave it all behind and go on a Diet to purge yourself of so much happy excess in order to function in life. What do you do? You retire, picking out your favorite destination and then go on perpetual holiday in New Orleans to begin the partying life all over again. And that, my friends, is why they call it the fast track Life Cycle... Oh, where did all the time go? :)


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Debauchery Quotes

* May you - Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, dance like no-one is watching, screw like its being filmed, and drink like a true Irishman. - Anonymous

* To call war the soil of courage and virtue is like calling debauchery the soil of love. - George Santayana




Green makeup almost nude by Infrogmation @ flickr


* My problem lies in reconciling my gross habits with my net income. - Errol Flynn


Decadence Quotes


* Decadence Definition: America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. - Oscar Wilde

* Decadence is wonderful. - Jack L. Chalker




Mardi Gras feathers by Infrogmation @ flickr

* A decadent civilization compromises with its disease, cherishes the virus infecting it, loses its self-respect. - E. M. Cioran


Decadence Quotes



Unique grocery - I'll say! - photo by sfmission.com @ flickr


* I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it. - Garrison Keillor


Denial Quotes



Mardi Gras alien by Infrogmation @ flickr


* Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. - Mark Twain


Funny Diet Quotes




Gorilla and woman photo by sfmission.com @ flickr - Well, I'm on the gorilla diet of "eat all the bananas you want and it seems to be working for me... don't you think?"

* I've been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I've lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet. – Erma Bombeck




Some Serious Quotes about Denial to help us happily slide into the reflective mood of the new Lenten season:

* Evil, what is evil? There is only one evil, to deny life. – D. H. Lawrence


*** This is an excerpt from the full post over at my blog called The Social Poets. Be sure to check out the many great videos of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and more hilarious photos and great quotes: Funny Fat Tuesday Afterglow - Cheeky Quote Day 17 Feb 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe!












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