FRIDAY FUNNIES

 JENN McKINLAY: Hi, it's me with the Friday funnies again. I've curated my latest belly laughs from social media and life because dang it 2024 has been off to a rocky start for some of us, so let's take a beat and have a laugh.

So, this video is mine. I posted it to my Instagram story this week and it was wildly popular so I'll share with you with the back story: 

I walk my dogs every day on different paths through the neighborhood to keep it interesting--for everyone involved. Well, on this one particular street, this pooch feels compelled to greet us when we walk by. These block fences are six feet tall and no, there is no trampoline. 

The first time it scared the snot out of me, but now I greet him/her (IDK) by singing Adele's lyrics, "Hello...it's me." I laugh every time this dog pops up even though I expect it now. 

Here is a new discovery for me. This Instagrammer is hiiiiilarious. She anthropomorphs everything from fonts to human inventions and she is sooooo clever. I have rewatched some of these short videos several times just to appreciate all the nuances. Seriously, if you're on Insta, check out Elle Cordova. Here's a link to one of my faves since I can't just post it as I'm respecting copyright: Inventions Hanging Out

And then, of course, there are the good old reliable memes. Here are a few of my recent punny faves!

Happy Friday (we made it!), everyone. What are some things you've seen lately that made you laugh? Drop a link in the comments to share!

TGIFriday...Videos

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Who's up for a little escape from reality? You? You. Yes, I see you, waving in the back. Sadly, we at Jungle Red Writers haven't quite gotten the budget to a place where we can afford to fly everybody to Finland (happiest country on Earth 2018) to tool around Helsinki eating kalakukko and sipping cloudberry lakka. To be truthful, our blog budget doesn't stretch to sending one person to Finland, Minnesota for a Fishwich and St. Paulie. But we can all get away for a couple minutes, thanks to our friends at YouTube.

First, in honor of our graduations and weddings theme this week, some wedding bloopers:


...and some amusing graduation words of wisdom.


Ah, 2015. It seemed so long ago. June is the month for Pride Parades...



...and for honoring fathers.


Oh, my God, it's like I'm peeling onions in here after that last one.

I nee to look at some funny Shih Tzu videos as a chaser. I have a Shih Tzu, and they realy do have a weirdly deep voice for a tiny dog. 

Also, evidently most other Shih Tzu owners have wall-to-wall carpeting. In my experience, this is a mistake.  

Not into dogs? How about the totally true science of how cats land on all four legs?


No explanation of why they immediately start grooming themselves afterwards, as if to say, "I meant to do that."  

Getting away to nature is always refreshing. I'm definitely a water person, and can think of nothing better than swimming with penguins...


...but I'm sure some of you would prefer soaring over mountains on eagle's wings. Literally, in the case of this GoPro.


Are you ready for that trip to Finland now?


Kiitos kaikilli! And have a great Friday!

Escape the Election with Corgis, Kids and Concertos

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Yesterday I had to drive Youngest up to the University of Maine at Orono for a day-long theater conference. (She came back having learned how to fold and hang black-out curtains and how to help an actor quick-change in under 35 seconds.)

It's a good two and a half hours each way, and I was listening to public radio most of the time... until I just couldn't take it anymore. No offense to Maine Public Broadcasting, but if I heard ONE more story about politics, I was going to drive myself into the Atlantic. So I switched over to the classical music station. I was delighted to find that after listening to Mozart's bassoon concerto, I was relaxed and contemplative, instead of anxious and annoyed.

Clearly, the scariest thing about this upcoming Halloween is that there will be eight more days of campaigning to get through before the longest election season in all of recorded history is over. With that in mind, I offer the following to soothe and comfort us in the days to come. Go ahead and bookmark this page; you may need to return to it many times before November 8th.



The aforementioned Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major. Lively, yet relaxing, and it doesn't make me think of any European country in particular so I don't have to start thinking about Brexit and immigration and refugees.



Corgi Cooper approaches the water the way we should all approach life - with a bit of caution and a lot of derring-do.



The Carol Burnett Show's "Double Calamity." Are Steve Lawrence and Harvey Korman still alive? Don't tell me - I don't want to know.



This tape has given my family a new catch phrase: "Don't turn your back on him, Joel!"



A troupe of adorable girls performing Mark Keali'I Ho'Omalu's He Mele No Lilo (the opening song from Lilo and Stitch.) Even the flintiest heart will get gooey.

And finally: the greatest video ever to appear on Jungle Reds, after Lucy revealed she had once worked at a lab hand-feeding axolotls: the one, the only Axolotl Song!



Dear readers, what do you recommend to escape from the news?