fun stuff « Dee Savoy

Archive for the 'fun stuff' Category

Apr

Next time, keep me occupied

Categories: fun stuff, the secret life of dee and wtf?

Killing time in Barnes and Noble today, I was looking through the self help aisles when I stumbled onto this title:
That’s right. Sex for DUMMIES, written by none other than world renown sexpert Dr. Ruth. I became afraid, very afraid. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m not sure I want to encourage dummies to have sex. I mean, there’s a reason people say stupid people shouldn’t breed. Think how much better off we’d be if George I and Barbara had been a little better at birth control.

Seriously though, the first time I heard Dr. Ruth speak it was while I was flipping channels on the radio. I thought I’d happened on a Gilda Radner Baba Wawa sketch. God, I miss Gilda Radner.

Actually, I like Dr Ruth. Despite the fact that I can’t decipher a word she says, she’s the only nationally known figure who’s shorter than I am. Now that’s saying something.

Mar

Erin Go Braindead

By writerds Leave a Comment

Categories: fun stuff and the secret life of dee

That’s the only excuse why I got only four out of ten right on this quiz. No, I’m not Irish–not even black Irish–but my first name is: Deirdre. Depending on where you look it up, it means the troubler, mother of sorrows, and a few other disturbing meanings (thanks, Ma).

Seriously, I’ve always loved my name. Google the name Deirdre and my website will come up sixth on the list.

Here’s the story of the name Deirdre that I grew up with as a kid:

The most beautiful woman in ancient Ireland, Deirdre was bethrothed to the High King Conchobhar Mac Nessa but she fell in love with his nephew Naoise. Deirdre and Naoise eloped to Scotland where they lived a blissful exile for many years. By offering forgiveness, Conchobhar tricked them into returning to Ulster where Naoise was slain by the jealous Conchobhar. Deirdre threw herself from Conchobhar’s chariot rather than live with the man who had caused Naoise’s death. It was said that her grave was near to Naoise’s and that a yew tree grew from each plot. The yew trees grew toward one another till their branches intertwined, joining the two lovers even after death.

Years later, when my sister was buying a house, her Irish real estate agent informed me that the true Deirdre was a nun who got herself beheaded for her trouble. If it’s all the same to everyone else, I’ll keep the version where I get to be the pretty, pretty princess, thank you.

To all those Irish lads and lassies, whether it’s for today or always. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Dec

Getting a little silly for the holidays

By writerds 2 Comments

Categories: fun stuff

To all my Democrat friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best
wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To all my Republican friends:
Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Now you know this has got to be a joke. I don’t have any Republican friends (killed them all after they voted for Bush a second time). Ba dum dum ting!

Oct

Character Assassination

By writerds 3 Comments

Categories: entertainment, fun stuff and wtf?

Dumbledore is gay and I’m annoyed as hell.

I have to admit I haven’t read one page of one Harry Potter book. I’ve bought ‘em all and my kids love them. I’ve seen some of the movies and even bought the damn DVDs. One year we went to a Harry Potter party with my kids dressed as Hermoine and Harry–complete with capes wand and a pair of busted glasses. Even Mama went in costume though I’d be hard pressed to tell you exactly what I was.

I tell you this so you know I don’t mind Pottermania, even though I don’t indulge. I think the kids are terrific characters who stand up for each other, what they believe in and their school. But I do mind at this late stage of the game finding out that one of the major characters is not what I thought he was.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Dumbledore being gay. It’s the timing that stinks. It seems like now that the last book is (ahem) coming out there needs to be some sort of controversy to sell the title. Midnight parties have become passe so now we need something else to give the final tome some juice.

That’s the conclusion I come to since, to my limited knowledge, Dumbledore’s sexual preference has never been alluded to before. Maybe I was imagining things, but while I was watching the first movie, I’d have sworn a hook-up between Richard Harris’s and Maggie Smith’s was probably in the offing. Maybe that’s my own preference speaking. As I have said, I’m no Potter expert. But if the Pottermaniacs had any clue before now of Dubledores sexuality, folks wouldn’t be shocked now to find out.

What bothers most is it smacks (in my mind) of an author manipulating her characters to suit her plot or other needs rather than being true to the character himself. Not fair.

For all you people keeping abreast of the books–am I right or wrong in my assessment? Is this just a plot device or is Rowling being true to her creation?

P.S. Here’s another great take from PW.

Oct

Ain’t Technology Grand?

By writerds Leave a Comment

Categories: fun stuff

Most of the time it is, but sometimes I could take a bat to every electronic device in my house. Anyway, for your perusal an item I picked up from one of the lists to which I belong:

Murphy’s Laws of Computing

1. When computing, whatever happens, behave
as though you meant it to happen.

2. When you get to the point where you really
understand your computer, it’s probably obsolete.

3. The first place to look for information is in the
section of the manual where you least expect to find it.

4. When the going gets tough, upgrade.

5. For every action, there is an equal and opposite
malfunction.

6. To err is human . . . to blame your computer for your
mistakes is even more human, it is downright natural.

7. He who laughs last probably made a back-up.

8. If at first you do not succeed, blame your computer.

9. A complex system that does not work is invariably
found to have evolved from a simpler system that
worked perfectly.

10. The number one cause of computer problems is
computer solutions.

Oct

That’s What It’s All About

By writerds Leave a Comment

Categories: entertainment, fun stuff and wtf?

I received this notification on one of the lists to which I belong.

Larry LaPrise, the man that wrote “The Hokie Pokey” died peacefully at the age of 93. The most traumatic part for his family was getting him into the coffin. They put his left leg in. And then the trouble started.

As an elementary school educator and a former star Hokie-Pokeyer I offer profound thanks to Mr. LaPrise for fun-filled moments.

So for your visual consideration, I offer the traditional dance:

All I can say is some things are better off un-messed around with.

Oct

You’ll Never Get to Heaven if You . . . Don’t do the Electric Slide right

By writerds Leave a Comment

Categories: entertainment, fun stuff and wtf?

Huh? You say. Well according to Ric Silver, the man pictured here, not only did he invent the Electric Slide (or The Electric, as he calls it), but you are doing it wrong. Silver claims his Slide features 22 steps rather than the ubiquitous 18 step dance you are doing. Furthermore, only those folks fortunate enough to know how to boogie on down the right way will be allowed to shuffle past the Pearly Gates.

How all this was discovered was the last black man in America to learn to ‘Slide went on line to get video instruction. You can read the rest of his story–and some of the (ahem) wisdom Silver wishes to impart on his fellow man. To see the dance like you are “apposed” to be doin’ it, visit Silver’s website.

Of all the ways folks have tried to save my soul, I suppose this is one of the most innocuous ones. But being a Bronx girl, I’d rather groove to the Marcia Griffith video, just as the great Goddess in her wisdom intended.

Here’s one final test: if you look sillier than the people in this video when you dance, please, please, sit down.

Sep

EMMY, baby

By writerds Leave a Comment

Categories: entertainment and fun stuff

I don’t usually watch the Emmy awards. I don’t watch enough TV to make it exciting. When they call the names of the presenters, half the time I don’t even know who they are. She’s who on what show? But as I was tooling around the channels I heard something about Queen Latifa doing a tribute to Roots.

Has it really been thirty years since that series aired??? Damn I’m old. I remember being glued to the set every night the show was on. Not only did Roots tell the story of one family, stolen from Africa to be reared in America, it spawned a national genealogy craze. You weren’t somebody until you knew what somebodies you came from. In many ways, it lead to the ubiquitous misnomer of African American to anybody who is black, rather than as an identifier for folks who don’t know what country they came from (Africa’s a continent, y’all).

When I saw Latifa onstage, I thought that would be it to the tribute, but I was pleased to see the host of actors–John Amos and Levar Burton alias the two Kunta Kintes; Chicken George alias Ben Vereen; Lou Gossett as Fiddler and the ladies of the ensemble Leslie Uggams (Kizzy) and Cicely Tyson (Binta–whose birthgiving scene nearly put me off having kids). I have to hand it to Ed Asner, old thing that he is. I remember reading around the time that Roots came out that when he heard the book was being brought to television he knew he wanted to have a part in the series–even if he ended up playing a bad guy–due to the story’s historic importance. I was glad to see him standing with the other actors. Makes me wonder where some of the other living cast members were–all except O.J. (handcuffs, anyone?).

My suggestion: Get this treasure out of mothballs and rebroadcast it, even if it only reaches the audience of you neighborhood black-owned cable channel. Maybe if some of these children today had a better idea of what their ancestors fought and died for they wouldn’t be so quick to act like they had no sense whatsoever.

Ah, well–onto some other Emmy high(or low)lights:

What the hell with that set??? If I were the people who had to watch the back of the show all night I’d be pissed. Somebody needs a whoopin’ for that bit of brilliance.

Yes, yes, yes to Lewis Black. Do you think the networks will listen and stop putting ads down at the bottom of programs or messing up the credits at the end of shows? Who knows, but I’m glad somebody said it.

Who knew Kanye West had a sense of humor. The goofy grin was kinda cute, though the botch of the lyrics was oh, so, obvious. But dude, I don’t care how much money you have, how many albums you sell (even if you did put that rat-toothed, backward-hat-wearing-muthahumhum Fitty in his place), wearing sneakers to the Emmy Awards when you are not in the process of performing your ship-high-in-transit is declasse. Pass that on to Russell Simmons, will ya.

I love the Sopranos as much as the next girl, but come on. Didn’t you people watch anything else last year?

I love Tony Bennett. I love Christina Aguilera. Why can’t I love both of them together? The two of them together was almost as bad as Britney by herself.

But that’s another whole can of worms. What did you think of the telecast? Which shows one that you thought would (wouldn’t). Don’t be shy now.

Aug

The answer to life’s most challenging question

By writerds 5 Comments

Categories: entertainment, fun stuff and wtf?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

____________________________________________________

DR. PHIL:

The problem we have here is that this chicken won’t
realize that he must first deal with the problem
on “THIS” side of the road before it goes after the
problem on the “OTHER SIDE” of the road. What we
need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting
by not taking on his “CURRENT” problems before
adding “NEW” problems.

_____ ______ _________________________________________

OPRAH:

Well I understand that the chicken is having
problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so
bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his
mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m
going to give this chicken a car so that he can just
drive across the road and not live his life like the
rest of the chickens.

____________________________________________________

GEORGE W BUSH:

We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the
road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our
side of the road, or not. The chicken is either
against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

____________________________________________________

COLIN POWELL:

Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see
the satellite image of the chicken crossing the
road…

____________________________________________________

ANDERSONCOOPER – CNN:

We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we
have not yet been allowed to have access to the other
side of the road.

____________________________________________________

JOHN KERRY:

Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I
am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross,
and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am
not for it now, and will remain against it.

___________________________________________________

NANCY GRACE :

That chicken crossed the road because he’s GUILTY!
You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

____________________________________________________

PAT BUCHANAN:

To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

____________________________________________________

MARTHA STEWART:

No one called me to warn me which way that chicken
was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer’s
Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a
certain level. No little bird gave me any insider
information.

____________________________________________________

DR SEUSS:

Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with
a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why
it crossed I’ve not been told.

_____________________ ______ _________________________

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:

To die in the rain. Alone.

____________________________________________________

JERRY FALWELL:

Because the chicken was gay! Can’t you people see the
plain side.” That’s why they call it the “other
side.” Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if
you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say
we boycott all chickens until we sort out this
abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with
seemingly harmless phrases like “the other side.”
That chicken should not be crossing the road. It’s
as plain and as simple as that.

____________________________________________________

GRANDPA:

In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the
road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road,
and that was good enough.

____________________________________________________

BARBARA WALTERS:

Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be
listening to the chicken tell, for the first time,
the heart warming story of how it experienced a
serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish
its life long dream of crossing the road.

____________________________________________________

JOHN LENNON:

Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads
together, in peace.

____________________________________________________

ARISTOTLE:

It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

____________________________________________________

BILL GATES:

I have just released eChicken2007, which will not
only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your
important documents, and balance your check book.
Internet Explorer is a integral part of eChicken.
This new platform is much more stable and will never
cra…#@&&^( C .. … reboot.

____________________________________________________

ALBERT EINSTEIN:

Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the
road move beneath the chicken?

____________________________________________________

BILL CLINTON:

I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is
your definition of chicken?

____________________________________________________

AL GORE:

I invented the chicken!

____________________________________________________

COLONEL SANDERS:

Did I miss one?

____________________________________________________

DICK CHENEY:

Where’s my gun?

_____________________________________________

AL SHARPTON:

Why are all the chickens white? We need some black
chickens.

But here’s another one for you . . .

Why did the frog cross the road?

(scroll down some more)

He was stapled to the chicken. Ba dum dum ting (high hat strike)

Hope you’re able to look at the lighter side of life today and enjoy!

Jul

I could have told you that . . .

By writerds 2 Comments

Categories: entertainment, fun stuff and wtf?

What Color is your soul painted?

My Results:

Red

Your soul is painted the color red, which embodies the characteristics of love, strength, physical energy, sex, passion, courage, protection, excitement, speed, leadership, power, danger, and respect. Red is the color of the element Fire, and is associated with blood, life and death, birth, volcanoes, and intense emotions.

Find your own color here.


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  --Debra Ross,
     Romance in Color

A skewed sense of humor has kept me sane through 10+ years of teaching and almost as many writing. I invite you to come in and look around. Leave a comment if you like. My goal is to leave you with a smile on your face and a few new thoughts to mull over. If you like the blog, please tell your friends. If not, tell your enemies.