Thursday, February 27, 2020

The Solution to The Daily News

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I am still sick with what my doctor diagnoses as antibiotic-resistant pneumonia. There's been another mass shooting. We're all going to die from the impending coronavirus epidemic, unless asteroid 2002 PZ39 swings back around to put us all our of our misery. 

   


The Democratic Race is about to turn into a reenactment of the Sharks and Jets Rumble, this past month was the warmest January in 141 years, the Dow Jones is getting ready to miniaturize your 401(k) account and Clive Cussler has died. 

You know what you need? Yeah, that's right. Funny videos.

Do you like French New wave films? Do you think they could be improved with an ennui-laden cat in the lead role?  You're in luck. This is the second of seven videos about Henri.




All dogs have a purpose, but Ryker's is emphatically NOT to be a service dog. Don't worry, he became the personal pet of one of the trainers after flunking out of basic training.




This is about robots? And is maybe an ad? It's hard to describe, but I laughed hysterically when I saw it, and then made the Smithie come see it as well. 



Another cat video - I try for variety, but there are just so many funny ones on YouTube. This is short and, shall we say, striking.



I know what you're thinking, but this video from 2016 is not really a political statement. In a message to all of us who might have primaries coming up, then Vice-President Biden reminds us we should have a plan for everything - including going to the movies and mopping.



If you, like me, are a classical music fan, you will appreciate comedian/musician Rob Paravonian's take on the ubiquitous Pachelbel's Canon in D.



And finally, no funny video compilation here at JRW is complete without... the Axolotl Song! For those of you who wonder about the longstanding association of well-known mystery authors with neotenic salamanders, the whole origin story can be found here.


65 comments:

  1. Okay, now I am laughing so hard that I’ve forgotten all about those ominous threats hanging over us . . . and laughing is good! Thanks, Julia . . . .

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  2. I hope you feel better soon, Julia! And...I must say, I am in the dark about "the longstanding association of well-known mystery authors with neotenic salamanders."

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    1. I'm in the dark with you, Edith.

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    2. You have to follow instructions and click on Julia's link ladies! All will be revealed...

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    3. I watched the video. Still in the dark!

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    4. Yes, click on the link, ladies!

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  3. So sorry to hear you’re still sick, but thank you for the morning laughter.

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  4. Get well soon, Julia. And thank you for these videos! I've been a friend of Henri for years, but the others were new to me. I think I may now hate Pachelbel too! :-D

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    1. Annette, the pop group Maroon 5 has a song out called "Memories," and as soon as I heard it I said, "Wait...that's Pachelbel's Canon!" And it is. If you hear it on the radio, you can hum the canon along beneath the lyrics.

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  5. Shalom Reds and fans. Hope you will feel better soon, Julia.

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  6. Just last night, in the midst of a snowstorm, while my coworker and I were struck with our own melancholy over an unfettered moron for president, I treated us to two episodes of Randy Rainbow on youtube--the classic A Very Stable Genius and Desperate Cheeto. Laughs galore! I sure hope you can beat the tar out of that pneumonia, Julia! And let me say, as a science geek, the Axolotl song never gets old. But my new favorite is Henri and his bad case of ennui. Although Ryker is a close second! I'm passing that one on to a friend who loves and trains GS's.

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    1. Flora, the training facility has a few other Ryker videos out there. Let's say, he never loses his "giving 1000% spirit."

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  7. So sorry you are still sick Julia. Did you have the pneumonia vaccine ?
    You definitely put a big smile on my face with those videos. Especially the one with the dog, with Rob and the salamander.
    Take good care of yourself

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    1. Thanks, Danielle. No, I didn't have the vaccination - I thought I was too young. Which, of course, is why I didn't have the flu vaccination ten years ago when I caught it and was also sick for a month...

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  8. Oh Julia... pulling for you to feel better soon ... these videos are absolutely hilarious 😂 will share the ketchup one with my son in law who’s a robotics engineer - a great way to fill time... laughing

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    1. I nearly choked on the ketchup one, Hallie. Glad you liked it.

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  9. Thank you, Julia, for my morning laugh. I needed it.

    But I am very worried about you and this flipping pneumonia thing. Wondering if it isn't time to bring out the big guns, IV antibiotics? As in the hospital? Accompanied by close monitoring? How is Victoria? Could she manage any of this at home? Yes, you can get IV antibiotics at home, and depending on your insurance, might be less expensive than in the hospital. This is why visiting nurses were invented.

    You are close to making me get out of this chair you know.

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    1. Ann, I'll drive you to Julia's. Just might take me a while to get to you.

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    2. Flora, I don't think anyone is driving anywhere until this snow stops! But it's the thought that counts.

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    3. Ann, right now my doctor has ordered a chest x-ray and switched me up to levofloxacin. I'm hoping that will do the trick. And I know I should rest more, but it's hard when there's just a certain level of stuff that has to get done (mostly for my community college classes.)

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  10. According to one study, cracking up at these videos is akin to an equal amount of exercise, so we have all had a mini workout already, thanks to you, Julia! Our former Cincinnati Symphony bassist neighbor will enjoy the Pachelbel video, I think. They have nothing but scorn for that ubiquitous piece.

    Remember Norman Cousins, the journalist, author, and professor? He famously claimed to have cured himself of a fatal disease by immersing himself in funny movies, etc. You can read this article from 1987 to find out more. I distinctly recall reading and hearing about this on talk shows, like Dick Cavett, maybe. It was pretty revolutionary at the time.

    Julia, I hope tickling your funny bone helps to put you in the pink again, too! Thanks for the helpless laughter this morning.

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    1. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-07-me-934-story.html

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    2. Karen, I believe it. And Victoria told me the relief of cancelling plans (when I bagged going to church for Ash Wednesday services, for instance) is equal to taking Xanax... and I believe that, too!

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  11. Julia, you have made my day! I love the videos, especially Henri. Mon Dieu! Although he would disapprove of the exclamation mark. I had never heard of Axolots and somehow missed the 2012 post of worst temp jobs.
    I watch Randy Rainbow and a lot of the Cooking Channel and HGTV to get me through. And of course your books.
    Rhys, I loved Bay of Angels. Thank you all for your efforts. They are helping me survive.

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    1. thank you for reading--we all love hearing that our books help readers get through dark times...

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    2. I’m so glad you enjoyed Above the Bay of Angels !

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    3. Thank you, Atlanta -sometimes laughter, friends and good books are all that keep us from going over the edge.

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  12. The axolotl song! Yes! Last night we had a friend over for Greek shrimp, toasted the new moon, and ignored the address from DC.

    Julia, continued healing thoughts for you.

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    1. Thanks, Margaret. Yes, once you hear it, the Axolotl Song will forever ring in your ears.

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  13. Clive Cussler is dead??? No!!!!

    Poor Ryker. So enthusiastic. So...not what is needed in a service dog.

    And I'll have Pachelbel stuck in my head all day now.

    Thanks for the videos. Feel better, Julia. Oh, and if it helps, The Hubby had to go to a briefing on the Coronavirus. Bottom line: It sounds way worse in the media than it actually is. We've survived worse pandemics.

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    1. Good to know, Liz. Although I'm pretty blase about it health-wise - I figure it can't be worse than being sick for a whole month with the flu and pneumonia.

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    2. I should have said, "In the United States..." when talking about the Corona virus. But the report he talked about said the even the numbers from China could be skewed because they are only counting people who sought medical attention. If someone caught it, stayed home, and recovered, those people aren't counted. So it's very difficult to know what the actual infection/mortality rate is.

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  14. OMG, I needed that. Thanks, Julia! I'm just sorry to hear that you are still sick. Wrap yourself in Hygge and get well soon.

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  15. I saw the first one. Snort. I’ll get to the rest later. I need them! Staying in a B& B with paper thin walls. Bleah.

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    1. Uh, oh, Pat, you don't want to disturb the other guests with loud snort-laughs!

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  16. Cat - and assorted others - video therapy - just what I needed! Thank you, JULIA! I am so very sorry that you’re so ill. FWIW, I’ve found that hamsters eating tiny food is also an oddly satisfying mood booster!

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  17. Julia, sending you healing vibes, along with Mike Pence’s thoughts and prayers. And thank you for a daily chuckle. Loved the service dog!

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    1. I did, too, Rhys. SO enthusiastic, and SO bad at everything. Reminds me of some teen boys I've known.

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  18. Julia, sending you healing vibes. Thank you for these funny videos. We need them these days.

    Diana

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  19. Julia, you started my day off with a smile. I've watched a few of Henri's tragic videos, and somehow enjoy watching the kitty suffer so, but Ryker is new. Sweet boy! He needs to go into some other kind of training, like maybe police work, where he can take down those thieves and grifters in wheelchairs and on walkers. The ketchup robots are just hilarious. And Pachelbel? Well, I don't mind it but I'm just the stage manager. I don't have to play it.

    I hope you find a way to feel better soon. Like several above, I laugh at Randy Rainbow and also, because I am from a southern region, Trey Crowder. If all else fails, I geek out on old Graham Norton shows. Find the fun where you can, and know that you are loved.

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  20. Fabulous fabulous fabulous! Thank you thank you! I am supposed to be writing , but I am watching these right now. You are perfect! Feel better, darling one.

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  21. I have read that we have to laugh every day! I don't remember how many times but the more the better. It's a very sad day if by the end of it I haven't laughed at all. That's when I'll watch some Mitch Hedberg.
    Thank you for making us all laugh today, Julia, and why don't you try laughing yourself well? Yes, I do realize you have already tried and tried that but I couldn't resist.

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    1. Judi, I have a whole bunch I didn't use bookmarked to go back and see when I need another dose.

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  22. I am surrounded by morons! I can’t stop laughing…

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    1. You have to watch the rest of them, Hank. They're all great.

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  23. Oh my goodness: I'm sending healing vibes to you, Julia, and to the Maine Millennial, too. As for those morning chuckles - thank you! I'm avoiding reality and the news by finally watching Grey's Anatomy (on Netflix); the 15 seasons should see me through several elections and meteors, no?

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    1. The Maine Millennial and I have been working our way through Parks and Rec (never saw it when it was being broadcast. There area lot of shows to get us through the yuch.

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  24. Great videos. I saw a short video yesterday about a cat's reaction to a toaster on Facebook yesterday, let's put it this way, that cat had a great vertical jump. I agree with Ann, if oral antibiotics isn't knocking that bug maybe IV is the way to go. Depending on your insurance, home IV would keep you away from other nasty bugs. Take care.

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    1. I agree about home IV therapy. My mom had it once--a big WIN-WIN for everyone. She got the treatment she needed with no hospital stay; we had the relief of watching a very competent and compassionate nurse attend to our mom at home.

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    2. I think my doctor wants to see how this next round of oral antibiotics goes before moving on to the big guns, Deana. I do feel piqued, because I spent my entire adult life avoiding antibiotics whenever possible so as not to develop immunities.

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  25. Julia, you have made my day (and made me have a coughing fit due to the deadly LWF virus - laughing with flu) with these videos! They have made my confinement more tolerable. Thanks!

    I agree with Ann's suggestion that you might consider IV antibiotics either at hospital or with home infusion. You've been too sick for way too long! I've only been down for a week now, and I'm ready for this to go away! Prayers for swift and certain healing...and that Ann doesn't have to get out of her chair! ;)

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    1. Thanks, Mary. And I hope you're feeling better soon as well!

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  26. Julia, if you run out of kitty videos, I highly recommend the Cake Wrecks website. Jen and John not only present incredibly disastrous feats of cake making, but their commentary is clever and side-splittingly funny.

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  27. Awwwww. Ryker is my new spirit animal. And that ketchup robot could be a Red Green invention.

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  28. Hahaha! Thanks for all the laughs, Julia! Although I may have the axolotl song stuck in my head (the salamander part) all day, it was worth it. And, reading about Lucy's job taking care of them will make any housecleaning I have to do today much easier to bear.

    Julia, I'm so sorry that you've had such a time of it with being sick and it staying with you for so long. But, you sound like you have your upbeat attitude going for you, and that means a lot. Watching Parks and Recreation with Victoria must be a nice distraction. It reminds me that I didn't watch it when it was on either and would like to do so. Hope March is the start of wellness for you.

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  29. Julia, I totally fell off the chair watching Ryker topple wheel chairs and walkers. Does that make me insensitive?

    I think I'll just drink some salamander goo and then I won't have to worry about how the Dems are self-destructing.

    Yeah, Flora Church, we skipped his majesty's address on the coronavirus, too. Putting Pense in charge of anything scientific makes me think Julia's right, they should just send that meteor back here. Snopes confirms that the prez did fire the entire Pandemic Response Team in 2018, to save money. How's that looking now?

    Anyway, Julia, than you for the laughs and once again I send you best wishes for a thorough recovery from the crud.

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