Archive for the ‘Business Humor’ Category
Friday, July 11th, 2014
“Entrepreneur Barbie!” Are They Toying With Us?
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The new Barbie’s an “Entrepreneur.”
Mattel claims it’s intended to spur
Young girls to create
Their own bus’ness. But wait!
Why the form-fitting hot-pink couture?
I’m NOT making this up! “Entrepreneur Barbie,” from Mattel Canada, supposedly takes aim at the glass ceiling. Alas, it clearly misses:
It’s unclear by her garb what company she runs; instead of a power suit, she sports a form-fitting, hot pink sleeveless dress, and her briefcase looks more like a designer purse. The only hint that this doll means business are her tiny tablet and smartphone accessories.
Tags: Barbie Doll Humor, Business Humor, Children Limerick, Doll Humor, Entrepreneur Barbie, Feminism Humor, Mattel Canada, Toys Humor, Young Girls
Posted in Business Humor, Canada, Children Humor, Feminist Satire, Limericks, Workplace & Career Humor | 9 Comments »
Thursday, July 11th, 2013
Half-Baked Plan (Multi-Verse Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A baker would frequently groan
About needing a sizable loan
To build up a co
That would make her some dough,
In a quite disagreeable tone.
Her fam’ly kept warning her: “Groans
Simply aren’t conducive to loans.
You must demonstrate spine
And you never should whine.
Why not bribe all the lenders with scones?”
She brought some fresh scones to the bank.
They were primo — she had them to thank
For an influx of cash.
So she threw a big bash
And got baked — ended up in the tank.
Hung over, she signed a bad lease;
Her new landlord sure knew how to fleece.
And business was dicey,
The scones way too pricey–
Her sale price was ten bucks a piece.
So her scone bus’ness quickly went under,
Her finances torn quite asunder.
“My expenses have grown,”
She’d moan on the phone
To her funder, who groaned, “What a blunder!”
Tags: Bakery, Baking Humor, Baking Limerick, Bank Humor, Banking Humor, Behavior Humor, Business Loan Humor, Business Poem, Business Verse, Cash Flow Humor, Debt Humor, Finance Humor, Food Verse, Loans & Borrowing, Personality Verse, Scone Humor
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Business Humor, Food & Drink Humor, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor | 18 Comments »
Monday, June 11th, 2012
Today, June 11, is National Corn on the Cob Day.
Limerick Ode To National Corn On The Cob Day
By Madeleine Begun Kane
It’s Corn on the Cob Day today–
A fine dish for a summer buffet.
I’m guessing its gloss
Comes from firms that sell floss.
Do they secretly root for decay?
Tags: Corn On The Cob Day, Dental Floss, Dental Humor, Dentists, Flossing Humor, Food Humor, June Holidays, Odd Holidays, Teeth
Posted in Business Humor, Food & Drink Humor, Health & Medical Humor, Health Verse, Limericks, Odd Holidays | 3 Comments »
Sunday, June 10th, 2012
It’s Limerick-Off time, once again. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.
The best submission will be crowned Limerick Of The Week. (Here’s last week’s Limerick Of The Week Winner.)
How will your poems be judged? By meter, rhyme, cleverness, and humor. (If you’re feeling a bit fuzzy about limerick writing rules, here’s my How To Write A Limerick article.)
I’ll announce the Limerick of the Week Winner right before I post next week’s Limerick-Off. So that gives you a full week to submit your clever, polished verse.
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A man who was very astute…*
or
A gal who was very astute…*
*(Minor variations to my first lines are acceptable, but rhyme words may not be altered.)
Here’s my limerick:
Astute Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A man who was very astute
Was stunned to be given the boot.
He dealt with that blow
By building a co
That sells shoes, so his job loss was moot.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity on my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please email Madkane@MadKane.com Subject: MadKane’s Newsletter. Thanks!
Tags: Business Humor, Job Loss Humor, Limerick Contest, Money Verse, Poetry & Prompts, Shoes Limerick, Workplace & Career Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Business Humor, Contests, Fashion Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick Contest, Limerick Writing Contest, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Contest, Workplace & Career Humor | 79 Comments »
Saturday, May 19th, 2012
It’s Limerick-Off time, once again. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.
The best submission will be crowned Limerick Of The Week. (Here’s last week’s Limerick Of The Week Winner.)
How will your poems be judged? By meter, rhyme, cleverness, and humor. (If you’re feeling a bit fuzzy about limerick writing rules, here’s my How To Write A Limerick article.)
I’ll announce the Limerick of the Week Winner right before I post next week’s Limerick-Off. So that gives you a full week to submit your clever, polished verse.
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A woman who tried to persuade…*
or
A fellow who tried to persuade…*
*(Minor variations to my first lines are acceptable, but rhyme words may not be altered.)
Here’s my limerick:
Unpersuasive Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A woman who tried to persuade
A banker to come to her aid
Got no help with a loan—
Not so much as a bone.
No bucks for her horse bus’ness. Nayed!
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity on my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please email Madkane@MadKane.com Subject: MadKane’s Newsletter. Thanks!
Tags: Bank Humor, Banking Limerick, Business Loan Humor, Horse Humor, Limerick Contest, Loans & Borrowing, Money & Finance Humor, Persuasion Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Writing Prompts
Posted in Animal & Pet Humor, Business Humor, Contests, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick Contest, Limerick Writing Contest, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Contest | 112 Comments »
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
The Encyclopaedia Britannica is the latest victim of the Digital Age:
Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. announced Tuesday it will stop publishing print editions of its signature product for the first time in its 244-year history. In an acknowledgment of the shifting media landscape and the increasing reliance on digital references, the company said its current encyclopedia – the 32-volume, 129-pound 2010 edition – will be unavailable once the existing stock runs out. (If you’re interested, it’s yours for $1,395 and there are only 4,000 sets left.) The digital version of the encyclopedia, however, will live on.
This news saddened me. And it also reminded me about the obsolete, hand-me-down encyclopedia I grew up with in the Fifties and Sixties:
Limerick Ode To The Encyclopedia
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Britannicas, World Books and more
Were common in households of yore.
But not in my home—
Just a hand-me-down tome
With entries, I swear, like “World War.”
Tags: Books Humor, Business Poem, Computers Verse, Digital Age, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopedias Humor, Internet Humor, Library Poetry, Media Limerick, Print Media Humor, Reference Books, Technology Humor, Web Humor
Posted in Books, Business Humor, Computer Humor, Internet Humor, Limericks, Media Humor, Technology Humor | 6 Comments »
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
As I mention from time to time, I love the mental challenge of writing acrostic limericks. So on the first of each month, I eagerly visit Acrostic Only for its latest batch of prompts.
Taking Stock Of Acrostic Limericks
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Seems investments are dropping like flies,
Trouncing prices and deals that looked wise.
On Wall Street our shares
Crash and fall down the stairs —
Killed retirement plans on the rise.
Tags: Acrostic Only, Acrostic Poems, Aging Limerick, Business Poem, Financial Poetry, Investment Humor, Money Poems, Money Verse, Retirement Humor, Stock Market Limerick, Wall Street Woes
Posted in Acrostic Limericks, Aging Humor & Verse, Business Humor, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor | 8 Comments »
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
Telecommuting Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A fellow who telecommuted
Had a short trip to work — undisputed.
His bed and PC
Were as close as can be.
Yet his tardiness got the guy booted.
Tags: Business Verse, Commuters, Computer Verse, Lateness Humor, PC Humor, Technology Humor, Telecommuting, Workplace & Career Humor
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Business Humor, Commuting Verse, Computer Humor, House & Home Humor, Limericks, Technology Humor, Workplace & Career Humor | 13 Comments »
Friday, August 5th, 2011
Limerick Ode To A Plunging Stock Market
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The stock market’s falling apart,
And it takes neither science nor art
To see that we’re screwed.
Wall Street matches our mood.
Yes, we’re losing both money and heart.
Tags: Business Poetry, Finance Humor, Financial Verse, Money & Finance Humor, Money Poems, Stock Market, Stock Market Limerick, Wall Street Woes
Posted in Business Humor, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor | 9 Comments »
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Limerick Ode To Google+
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Would-be early adopters are pining.
For Google-Plus entry they’re whining.
Invitees get to brag:
“I got in, while you lag.”
A great come-on of Google’s designing.
(You can find me on GooglePlus here. And you always find my Google+ link on my right sidebar a bit below my photo.)
Tags: Computer Verse, Early adopters, Google, GooglePlus, Social Marketing, Social Media Poetry, Technology Humor
Posted in Business Humor, Communication Humor, Computer Humor, Google, Internet Humor, Social Media Humor, Technology Humor | 8 Comments »
Thursday, March 24th, 2011
Man In Flight
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A fellow with bus’ness in Rome
Ended up on a plane ride to Nome.
The mix-up occurred
When someone misheard
Him moaning, “I want to go home!”
(Written for Jingle Poetry’s Trips, Travel and Vacation prompt.)
Tags: Air Flight, Airlines, Airplane Trips, Business Travel Humor, Confusion, Flying Humor, Mix-ups, Travel, Travel Humor
Posted in Business Humor, Limericks, Travel Humor, Workplace & Career Humor | 14 Comments »
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Limerick Ode To Print Newspapers
By Madeleine Begun Kane
It appears that print papers are dying,
Cuz few are subscribing or buying.
Print magazines too
Keep saying adieu.
Who’s happy? The trees — they’re highflying.
(Written for Theme Thursday’s paper prompt and Miss Rumphius Effect’s tree prompt.)
UPDATE: May 16th is “Love A Tree Day.”
Tags: Business Humor, Dying Industries, May Holidays, Media Limerick, Money Verse, Odd Holidays, Print Magazines, Print Media Humor, Print Newspapers, Trees
Posted in Business Humor, Communication Humor, Limericks, Media Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Odd Holidays, Outdoors Humor | 16 Comments »
Sunday, March 13th, 2011
Once again, it’s Limerick-Off time. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.
But I’m trying something a bit different this time: One of your limericks will be anointed Limerick Of The Week. How will your poems be judged? By meter, rhyme, and cleverness. (If you’re feeling a bit fuzzy about limerick writing rules, here are two excellent resources: OEDILF on Writing A Limerick and Speedy Snail’s Limerick Rhythm and Meter.)
I’ll announce the Limerick of the Week in next week’s Limerick-Off post. And that gives you a full week to submit your clever, polished verse.
So I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A fellow was very upset…
or
A woman was very upset…
Here’s mine:
Upset Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A fellow was very upset.
He was fretting and filled with regret.
He’d followed a tip
To invest in a ship,
Then discovered the tip was all wet.
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity in my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please send me an email requesting the alerts. You’ll find my email address on the upper right sidebar, in the “Author” section just below my Limerick-Offs button. Thanks!
Tags: Investment Humor, Limerick Of The Week, Money Verse, Poetry & Prompts, Prize Winning Limericks, Ships, Writing Prompts
Posted in Business Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Poetry & Prompts | 45 Comments »
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
I’ve just discovered a new search engine that, believe it or not, does stuff that Google can’t do. It’s the newly launched Greplin, and you can read all about its young founder Daniel Gross here.
So what’s the big deal about Greplin? It indexes and lets you search stuff that’s stored up in the “cloud.” Things like your Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, G-mail, Google Docs, LinkedIn posts, business applications I’m unfamiliar with, etc.
Let’s take its Facebook interface, for instance. Just put a key word or phrase into its search box and up pops a list of your posts (and your friends’ posts) using that word or phrase. I’m finding it so handy, I even wrote this haiku:
Forecast Not Cloudy
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Greplin’s great engine
is searching what Google can’t,
and I’m on cloud nine.
Tags: Cloud Computing, Computer Software, Daniel Gross, Facebook, Gmail, Google, Greplin, Internet Humor, Linked-In, Search Engines, Technology Review, Twitter, Web Humor
Posted in Business Humor, Computer Humor, Facebook Humor, Haiku & Senryu, Internet Humor, Search Engine Tools, Social Media Humor, Technology Humor, Twitter Humor | 3 Comments »
Monday, February 7th, 2011
Ode To AOL’s Huffington Post Acquisition
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The Huffington Post has been bought.
In AOL’s lair it’s been caught.
Will its death there be quick,
Or will some readers stick?
And will payment for scribes remain naught?
Here’s the New York Times on the acquisition and Huffington’s announcement.
Tags: AOL, Business Verse, Huffington Post, Internet Humor, Media Limerick, Money & Finance Humor, Money Poems, Publishing Humor, Writers
Posted in Business Humor, Limericks, Media Humor, Money & Finance Humor, Writing & Publishing Humor | 2 Comments »
Monday, January 24th, 2011
Big Tent Poetry’s latest prompt asks us to dig up a photo portrait taken by someone else and write from the photographer’s point of view. Here’s the limerick I came up with:
Dogged Photographer
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Oh why won’t that doggie sit still?
My photo career’s gone downhill.
I should have said “no”
To that dog owner’s dough.
No more pet shots — I’ve been through the mill.
Tags: Animal Verse, Canine Humor, Dog Verse, Pet Limericks, Photography Humor, Poetry Prompt
Posted in Animal & Pet Humor, Business Humor, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Workplace & Career Humor | 18 Comments »
Monday, December 27th, 2010
As I’ve mentioned previously, my pal Patrick McGuire runs a weekly Unfinished Limerick Contest. The latest finished oddly, as explained in this … uh … press release. And I’m proud to say I garnered an Honorable Mention, despite having broken just about all of the contest’s rules. How did I pull off this feat? You’ll just have to read Patrick’s blog.
Here’s my entry:
Limerick Ode To Greed
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Tis the season to make lots of cash
For business, for God. Got a stash?
Yes, ain’t it ironic
That greed is so chronic?
We worship the gods of mall trash.
Tags: Business Verse, Greed Humor, Holiday Shoppers, Limerick Contest, Malls, Money Poems, Patrick McGuire, Religion Humor, Shopping Humor
Posted in Business Humor, Holiday Humor, Limerick Writing Contest, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Shopping Humor | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
One of my most important duties is to keep you abreast of important holidays like National Vodka Day, National Punctuation Day, International Limerick Day, National Grammar Day, and the subject of today’s limerick: National Boss Day.
That’s right — our poor beleaguered bosses get their own holiday on October 16th:
National Boss Day — Who Needs It? (Limerick)
For a reason I don’t comprehend
Bosses get their own day — what a trend.
A national day
When our bosses hold sway?
How silly! Such nonsense must end.
(You can find more of my employment humor here.)
Tags: Boss Humor, National Boss Day, October Holidays, Odd Holidays, Work Humor
Posted in Business Humor, Celebrations Poetry, Holiday Humor, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Odd Holidays, Workplace & Career Humor | 6 Comments »
Monday, October 4th, 2010
Movie audiences sure seem to love Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network, even if Facebook’s main founder Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t.
Hubby Mark and I saw it Saturday night and we certainly enjoyed it. And that brings me to my limerick review of this delightful film about Facebook’s founding and the lawsuits it inspired:
The Social Network (Limerick Review)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Social Network’s a wonderful flick —
Snappy dialogue — listen, it’s quick.
Depositions are used
Rather well — I’m amused.
As for Oscars this year, it’s my pick.
Tags: Aaron Sorkin, Computer Verse, Entertainment Limerick, Facebook Limerick, Films, Flick Limerick, Legal Limerick, Mark Zuckerberg, Movie Reviews, Movies, Oscars, Social Network Review, Technology Verse
Posted in Business Humor, Computer Humor, Entertainment Humor, Facebook Humor, Legal & Lawyer Humor, Limericks, Movie & Play Humor, Public Figures, Technology Humor | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 20th, 2010
Once again, it’s Limerick-Off time. I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A man who owned only one suit…
Here’s mine. (It’s a six-verse limerick, but a standard one-verse limerick is fine, of course.)
Suitable Verse
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A man who owned only one suit
Could afford many more with his loot.
But he hated to wear’em
And just could not bear’em,
Which led to a workplace dispute.
The co that he worked for was sold.
“The new owner likes suits,” he was told.
“That’s too bad,” he replied.
“I just can not abide
Dressing up and I won’t be controlled.”
“Read my memo — now suits are a must,”
He was warned. “You must look upper crust.”
He replied, “Won’t comply!”
“Then I bid you goodbye,”
Said the buyer, with scorn and disgust.
“But wait, there’s a suit that I like,”
He responded. “I won’t take a hike.
It’s a suit of this sort:
I shall take you to court.
Watch your legal bills mount up and spike.”
The new owner refused to back down.
He assumed that the guy was a clown
Who never would sue.
That assumption, he’d rue.
He soon learned that this “clown” owned the town.
Yes, he worked just for fun — that’s the hitch.
He missed working — it gave him an itch.
So he did file that suit
And won even more loot.
Then he bought out the co. Ain’t that rich?
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity in my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
And if you’d like to receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please send me an email requesting Limerick-Off first line alerts. You’ll find my email address on the upper right sidebar, right above my photo. Thanks!
Tags: Bosses, Career Poem, Clothing Poem, Law Humor, Lawsuit Humor, Litigation Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Wealth, Workplace & Career Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Business Humor, Fashion Humor, Legal & Lawyer Humor, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Money & Finance Humor, Physical Appearance, Poetry & Prompts, Workplace & Career Humor | 25 Comments »
