Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!

In light of the economic climate, it can be a bit difficult to find things to smile about some days. Our depression-era forefathers lived in an even more grim black-and-white world, at least in the largely monochromatic press and in the cinema. There were many songs and movies that attempted to elevate the social mood of the time. A fairly literal example of that is the 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon, "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!"



Digressing a bit, the lead character in this cartoon, Foxy, is an early film example of IP (intellectual property) infringement. Looks a bit like Mickey, doesn't he? Right. It was "Lawsuit Time," even then.

But, it's 2009 and we have the Internet to channel all sorts of information, including about every form of humor, right to us. One of my favorite websites to get a quick laugh is VeryFunnyAds.com, run by Turner Broadcasting. Great television advertising is hard to come by and great commercials with humor even more rare. VeryFunnyAds.com brings together some of the funniest advertising from all over the world. Because commercials are short, it's a great site to get onto for a couple laughs, then get back to work ... bite-sized entertainment. This Fiat commercial from South Africa is one of my favorites. (the direct link to the site doesn't seem to be working, so try searching on "Fiat" in the VeryFunnyAds search box and click the link to the pic of the bicyclist.)

Note: You might find some of the ads a bit risqué, but keep in mind that standards, and humor, in other parts of the world sometimes go beyond generally accepted boundaries in this country. To my way of thinking, that makes them even funnier.

The ultimate reality tv (online)

Thought you had a tough job? Tired of your boss always hovering? Imagine being these guys...

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

http://twitter.com/NASA

NASA provided real time twittering and video feeds of the latest repair mission of the Hubble Telescope. One astronaut, John Grunsfeld, accidentally bumped an antenna causing a small amount of damage and a huge amount of tension for the viewers. NASA reports the antenna is still working, by the way.

RT Grunsfeld said, "Hubble isn’t just a satellite- it’s about humanity’s quest for knowledge."

This is why I love the Internet. Amazing.