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Ron Morey gets into character for part of his routine during a comedy show put on by Steve Kennedy's Comics Ready to Entertain at the Combined Activities Center on Forward Operating Base Marez, Aug. 8. Photo by Christopher Kozloski, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. MOSUL — The Combined Activities Center on Forward Operating Base Marez turned into a comedy house when comedians brought the laughs to U.S. Soldiers here, Aug. 8. Scott Kennedy, founder of Scott Kennedy's Comics Ready to Entertain, brought Doug Warren, from the Bob and Tom comedy show, and Ron Morey, from the "Late, Late Show," with him...

President Barack Obama’s performance on “The Tonight Show” last week prompted various friends and colleagues to discuss the question of leadership. No one came up with a definition suitable for nailing to the wall or turning into a message to scroll across the computer screen. I suggested it may be one of those things we know when we don’t see it. Kinda the reverse of former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s description of hard-core pornography. He knew it when he saw it. And that’s the curious, if not tortured, parallel between lack of leadership and porn: with both, someone’s gonna...

British evolutionary theorist Alastair Clarke, recently published another groundbreaking explanation of the science behind humor. Clarke suggests all humor is universal and based on just eight patterns, which our brains process and recognize instantly as humorous. In a nutshell, Clarke believes humor occurs when our brains recognize surprise, and the reward is a good chuckle. Clarke theorizes, our abilities to recognize and process patterns helped us evolve from primitive man to the more advanced, problem-solving species we are today. Clarke’s eight patterns all are based on surprise recognition and range from simplistic to the more intuitive. Perhaps lowbrow humor evolves...

The George Bush presidency has been rich pickings for those in one line of work - comedy. But with Barack Obama's election win steeped in historical significance, is America's new leader beyond comic reproach? When I wrote for Spitting Image and a new politician came on the scene, the news crews would always turn up to see the puppet being made and maybe interview us about how we were going to portray him. "Er, well, this John Major bloke seems like he's really boring, so we might have him sitting next to Edwina Currie and maybe, totally failing to respond...

A British man who was so amused with BBC1’s "Have I Got News for You" that he fell off his couch in a fit of laughter was not so happy when it got him arrested and pepper sprayed. Christopher Cocker, 36, collapsed on the floor after laughing at a joke on TV, but his neighbor who heard the thud thought something bad had happened and called the police, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday. According to police, Cocker initially was cooperative but quickly became "aggressive" when asked his name and personal information. Cocker tried to shut his door on the...

In this animated Bullfrog video you can here the sound of a bullfrog and hear the frog sing, I’d Rather Have Jesus, gospel hymn. Revski

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2008 – If laughter is the best medicine, deployed troops are getting huge doses when they open care packages full of red clown noses. “The mission of The Red Nose Institute is to share the art of clowning, spread joy and laughter to our military, and perhaps boost their morale by the distribution of red foam noses,” said Cheryl Herrington, the institute’s president and a professional clown known as “Sweet Pea.” Clowning is a sideline for Herrington, who works as a psychiatric nurse and knows the value of a simple smile. She grew up as an...

Go ahead and tell your mother she was wrong. Your health is a laughing matter. http://www.healthmad.com/Alternative/Why-Your-Health-is-a-Laughing-Matter.55379

During another typically bizarre day for Heather Mills, the former model yesterday urged people to try drinking milk from rats and dogs to help save the planet. Media-shy Heather started off by storming out of a radio interview with London's LBC station. She then drove a gas-guzzling Mercedes 4x4 to Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park to speak about ecological matters - and kept the engine running for part of the morning. Once there she proceeded to launch into an extraordinary ecological rant and exhorted the assembled crowds to try drinking rat's milk instead of cow's milk in a bid to...

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2007 – Laughter and song can be indispensible weapons for wounded servicemembers undergoing painful convalescence, as hope and anguish battle for primacy. Last night, A-listers such as comedians Conan O’Brien and Robin Williams and musician Bruce Springsteen helped some move closer to recovery. Marine Sgt. James Bane, Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Hurst, comedian Robin Williams and Marine Lance Cpl. James Scott MacKenzie pose for photos Nov. 7, 2007, before "Stand Up for Heroes," a comedy and music event in New York City arranged by the Bob Woodruff Family Fund to raise money for servicemembers injured...

This was our fifth show since starting a year ago. I think one every three months is about right. I counted 50 heads in the middle of the show. Not bad for one where I had so many obstacles. Obstacles: 1. Thursday, I wiped out on my bike, injuring my leg, keeping me bed-ridden for two days. 2. Being bed-ridden means that my bike-ridden was in hiatus. I was not able to get to Walter Reed Friday nor Saturday to promote the show, getting soldiers excited. 3. Prayer is needed for Jimmy Meritt, http://www.myspace.com/jimmymeritt, and his wife, http://www.myspace.com/lesliecooley, and her...

Cpl. James Dyke of Troop A, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division hands out toys to the many children who live at this house in Kahn Bani Sa'ad, Iraq, Aug. 29. Passing out toys and keeping good public relations with the people of the city builds trust between Soldiers and citizens, and helps Soldiers in gathering information on insurgent activity in the area. Photo by Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. KHAN BANI SA’AD — The Iraqi children were full of smiles as they competed for the attention...

FALAHAT, Iraq, July 9, 2007 — The sounds of laughing girls and boys could be heard as soldiers from Troop D, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment brought the children here for a day of fun, through painting, as well as other activities, July 7, 2007. "I feel really good about it, because you can actually see the results. Before it didn’t feel like anything was happening and there was no proof that anything would ever change." Spc. Matthew Dixon The soldiers handed out paint brushes and paint and watched as the children painted pictures and their names on concrete...

Don't know, but I might have laughed at this more than any other one thing in the last year. Don't tap out early on it... It's worth the watch. Laughter Here

Tour Brings Laughter to the Troops Comedians get look at life in Iraq as they show support for soldiers. By Sgt. KaRonda Fleming 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) LSA ANACONDA, Iraq, Feb. 15, 2007 -- Servicemembers and civilians laughed hysterically during the United Services Organization and the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation center's "Laugh It Up With Comedians" tour, held in the Sustainer Theater here, Feb. 11. Actor and comedian David Allen Grier, joined by fellow comedians Kevin Avery and Kristopher Tinkle each performed 30 minutes of stand-up comedy. Many of their jokes illustrated everyday situations like dating, college, and marriage....

You can't read this and stay in a bad mood! 1. How Do You Catch a Unique rabbit?Unique Up On it. 2. How Do You Catch a Tame rabbit?Tame way. 3. How Do Crazy People Go Through The forest?They Take The Psycho path. 4. How Do You Get Holy water?You Boil The Hell Out Of it. 5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete wall?Dam! 6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too long? Polaroid's. 7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?A stick. 8.. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't yours?Nacho...

When I showed this to my wife last night, she said this would NEVER happen in China. Chinese politicians just would never allow themselves to be made the subject of laughter. But, don't we all need to be able to laugh at ourselves sometimes? I find this striking difference between our two cultures and the leaders of our two countries. It begs the question - what is worse or better than one President Bush? Here are 2 President Bushes. What do you think about being able to laugh at yourself and more importantly, your leaders having a sense of humor?...

What is the purpose of Humor or Laughter ? It is very difficult to define humour or how it functions. First of all you need wit (cognitive experience) for good humour, then amusement/irony (emotional experience) and laughter (physiological experience). Laughter is often linked to humor, however, you will find that nervousness, tickling etc. does not have much to do with humor. The opposite holds also true where you have an instance of Humor without laughter. This may be because of social context or just the mood the “receiver” can be in. An example of such an instance can be when...

My Dragon Fly and Me If I could be a Dragon Fly and wing my way through the sky I would never be shy just me and my Dragon Fly! By moonlight we ride the wind chase the comets tail for fun by day we would hide from the sun our fragile wings would come undone On darkest nights we would use fireflies as our guide we would dip and we would glide through the heavens open wide and scatter diamonds in the night sky my Dragon Fly and me... And we would wing past our lovers silent in...

Just hours after the Associated Press (AP) ‘shocked‘ New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin yesterday by showing him video of a FEMA briefing during Hurricane Katrina in which government officials speculate about the impact of the expected Category 5 storm, the AP has shown the mayor a second “alarming and disgusting” video. The first video shows President George Bush, Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff and then-FEMA Director Michael Brown, among others, dealing with how to respond to the developing disaster, and what to make of inconsistent reports from New Orleans about the condition of the Lake Pontchatrain levees. The second video,...

COMMENTARY One Million Turn Out to See Rolling Stones Bash Bush in Rio By Political Satirist Chris Davis Feb 20, 2006 Rio de Janeiro—The Rolling Stones, a geriatric rock group, left a million fans satisfied and spent on Copacabana Beach after Saturday's free performance to bash President George W. Bush while playing some rock 'n roll. Boats, including a huge ocean liner, crowded the shoreline, and helicopters and blimps circled overhead during the show that shut down the Copacabana Beach district.  Large monitors flashed the peace symbol while others flashed, "War is not my voice.  Don't invade the world, Bush!"...

Thank you, O Lord, for the gifts of laughter and joy. Thank you for your Spirit which rains down upon us and anoints us with the oil of your holiness. Sorrows come and sorrows go but your joy endures forever. Mere happiness gained from earthly things is fleeting and disappears like the morning dew in the hot sun of the desert. It is not dependable and it is not to be trusted. But surely God will give us joy in this life according to his promises, and that joy will last throughout eternity.Lord, when your Spirit brings us laughter, it is true laughter indeed. It is a side-splitting...

"Who's Your Daddy?" Based on the performance by Toby Keith"Where's Osama?" Parody by Sarcastic Paranoid Have you noticed that Zawahiri does all the talking for al-Qaeda these days and Osama hasn't said anything since 2004? Logically, given these two facts as premises, what is the most valid and highly probable conclusion we can draw? Oh, there you are, you whore Zawahiri,On al-Jazeera spewing lies.You celebrate with Moore and Sheehan when a soldier dies. Yeah, you've lost your mind, look like crap, now you're squirming in our trapAnd al-Qaeda's in a bind,What happened to that dork Osama? Was he cramping your...

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary October 25, 2005 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE DINNER Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium Washington, D.C. 6:55 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for coming. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. Mehlman didn't get the dress code. (Laughter.) And neither did I. (Laughter.) Thanks for having me. I'm proud to be here on the 30th birthday of the Eagles. For three decades, Eagles have given great parties, but more importantly, they've supported our party. And I'm grateful. I want to thank you for all your help...

Terror: As Indonesians clean up after another terror strike, there's plenty of hand-wringing about why it doesn't stop. For terrorists, though, there's little mystery: Indonesia's courts are making terrorism cheap. Saturday's bombings at three crowded tourist restaurants on Bali were the fourth major strike against Indonesia in as many years. With 22 dead and 101 injured, there's no doubt this was an effort to drive out visitors. Tourism amounts to a quarter of Indonesia's hard-currency earnings. Scaring tourists away is an act of economic warfare. But Indonesia's legal system doesn't seem to take terrorism seriously as a national threat. Through...

My Dragon Fly and Me If I could be a Dragon Fly and wing my way through the sky I would never be shy just me and my Dragon Fly! By moonlight we ride the wind chase the comets tail for fun by day we would hide from the sun our fragile wings would come undone On darkest nights we would use fireflies as our guide we would dip and we would glide through the heavens open wide and scatter diamonds in the night sky my Dragon Fly and me... And we would wing past our lovers silent in...

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces today! Good morning TROOPS! A certain bird person went missing for a few days. Here are some clues to her where abouts. 1) I hold the seat of power in my land. 2) The President of the United States has residence here. 3) It's not a State, but a District. 4) I saw the Viet Nam Wall and other monuments. 5) Poets gather there for Conventions! 6) Where was the Convention...

Warning - If you can read this whole story without laughing out loud, then you need to develop a sense of humor. Note: Please take time to read this slowly. If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is even better. For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is. They actually have a chili cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the San Antonio city park. The notes are from an inexperienced chili taster named...

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces. House hunting with Darkwing104Poor Darkwing104, He Ain't Got No HomeSoooo...today we help Darkwing find a home! ~Frogman Henry~I ain't Got No Home~ ~Leon Redbone ~Crazy Cajun Cake Walk Band~ Here's one he said he looked at. And another he has looked at. Mrs. Darkwing didn't care for this one. A little fixer upper may be nice. Oooo great potential here Darkwing! Located on a Freeway. High and dry, self contained unit! Think Mrs.Darkwing will like this style? ~Leon Redbone~Alabama Jubilee~ Beachfront property,...

My Dragon Fly and Me If I could be a Dragon Fly and wing my way through the sky I would never be shy just me and my Dragon Fly! By moonlight we ride the wind chase the comets tail for fun by day we would hide from the sun our fragile wings would come undone On darkest nights we would use fireflies as our guide we would dip and we would glide through the heavens open wide and scatter diamonds in the night sky my Dragon Fly and me... And we would wing past our lovers silent in...

Dieters looking for another edge might want to consider exercising their sense of humour - scientists have found that a good laugh is a calorie burner not to be ignored. It may not be as good for reducing the waistline as going to the gym or resisting that ice-cream sundae, but American researchers have found that 10-15 minutes of genuine giggling can burn off the number of calories found in a medium square of chocolate. The findings on the weight-loss possibilities of the uniquely human experience of laughter were presented at the close of the annual European Congress on Obesity...

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces. Good morning, evening TROOPS!Themeless Thursday ReturnsSome silliness, some tunes, some jokes some laughter. Our purpose, of course, is to support you, OUR TROOPS! ~Click on funny boy ~Herb Alpert~Bittersweet Samba Today is just a fun day. We need to kick back and have some good, long, loud, belly laughs. If you have a funny joke or graphic, please feel free to share with the Canteen Crew and our Troops. TROOPS Thank You for your service to our nation. ~Click on Old Sarge!...

For asthmatics, laughter is no laughing matter Fri May 27, 2005 1:08 PM ET By Alison McCook NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than half of people with asthma have symptoms that are triggered by laughter, according to new study findings presented this week. Laughter is "one more trigger in a long list of triggers" for asthma, study author Dr. Stuart Garay of the New York University Medical Center in New York told Reuters Health. However, among people with symptoms brought on by laughter, nearly half said they could laugh attack-free when their asthma was under better control. To Garay,...

My Dragon Fly and Me If I could be a Dragon Fly and wing my way through the sky I would never be shy just me and my Dragon Fly! By moonlight we ride the wind chase the comets tail for fun by day we would hide from the sun our fragile wings would come undone On darkest nights we would use fireflies as our guide we would dip and we would glide through the heavens open wide and scatter diamonds in the night sky my Dragon Fly and me... And we would wing past our lovers silent in...

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - A daily dose of laughter may be good for the heart because, like exercise, it makes blood vessels work more efficiently, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. Depression, on the other hand, can raise the risk of dying from heart failure, a separate study found. The two studies, presented at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Florida, show how psychological factors can affect a person's health. "We don't recommend that you laugh and not exercise, but we do recommend that you try to laugh on a regular basis. Thirty minutes of exercise...

Members of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) Black Caucus have become seemingly desensitized to racial slurs. The Caucus did not even blink when the extreme Left’s new champion, Howard Dean, made prejudiced statements right before their very eyes. From Dean’s comments, it seems he believes that a Black person’s place is to be cleaning toilets at a hotel in which whites stay. According to the Washington Times, On Feb. 11, the day before he was elected party chief, Mr. Dean asked, at a meeting of the DNC Black Caucus, "You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people...

PATONG, Thailand (AFP) - A second surge of tsunami terror is hitting southern Thailand, but this time it is a wave of foreign ghosts terrifying locals in what health experts described as an outpouring of delayed mass trauma. AFP Photo AP Photo Slideshow: Asian Tsunami Disaster Tales of ghost sightings in the six worst hit southern provinces have become endemic, with many locals saying they are too terrified to venture near the beach or into the ocean. Spooked volunteer body searchers on the resort areas of Phi Phi island and Khao Lak are reported to have looked for tourists heard...

...Now, another yoga hybrid -- "laughter yoga" -- is gaining enthusiasts in the U.S. Mixing the breathing techniques of traditional yoga with mild stretching and fake laughing exercises, laughter yoga is meant to precipitate real giggles. Proponents say it can help reduce stress and produce other health benefits, such as alleviating asthma. Research surrounding laughter and health is in its infancy, but there are suggestions that laughter appears to boost components of the immune system, increase pain tolerance and reduce detrimental stress hormones, which may help lessen the risk of heart attacks. Instructors say laughter yoga provides all of those...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

Cantwell's jobless bill fails by 1 vote This story was published Wednesday, May 12th, 2004 By Les Blumenthal Herald Washington, D.C., bureau WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Tuesday rejected by a single vote Sen. Maria Cantwell's amendment to provide extended federal unemployment benefits to 47,000 Washington workers and more than 1 million others nationwide. The vote came as the chamber moved toward passage of a $170 billion corporate tax bill that would benefit Boeing, Microsoft and other U.S. exporters and help defuse a mounting trade dispute with the European Union. Cantwell, D-Wash., sought to attach her amendment to the tax...

Brain Rewards Us for Laughing: Study Fri December 26, 2003 02:53 PM ET By Merritt McKinney NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - They say laughter is the best medicine, and a new study may help explain how laughter makes us feel good. Researchers report that humor seems to activate brain networks that are involved in rewards.Humor is no laughing matter, according to Dr. Allan L. Reiss of Stanford University in California, who led the research."Humor has significant ramifications for our psychological and physical health," he told Reuters Health. Our sense of humor, he said, "often dictates if, how and with whom...

Where's that online photo album of all those pics showing Klinton laughing it up at various funerals the last few years?

Cost of Laughing Rises 2.9 Percent in Last Year March 22, 2002 8:12 am EST By Ellen Freilich NEW YORK (Reuters) - The price of chuckles, giggles, guffaws and outright hilarity rose 2.9 percent over the last 12 months, according to the tongue-in-cheek Cost of Laughing Index for 2002. Malcolm Kushner, the attorney turned humor consultant who developed the Index, found the rise in the cost of laughter during a recession perplexing. Was scarcity a factor? Did the demand for laughs outstrip supply in a time of war? Though not included in the index, Andersen, the accounting firm that...