Archive for January, 2010
Saturday, January 30th, 2010
My humorist pal Rose Valenta recently created a Kindle version of her blog and inspired me to do the same. Why? Because many employers are getting strict about web access, blocking employees from reading their favorite blogs and sites — even while they’re on a break or at lunch.
But your boss can’t control what you read on your Kindle. And Amazon makes it easy for bloggers to create Kindle blog editions, allowing fans to bypass their bosses and keep up with their reading.
That brings me to my latest limerick:
Fighting Firewalls With Kindle Blogs
By Madeleine Begun Kane
You’re at work, but on break — want to read.
But your boss did a dastardly deed:
Your fav’rites are blocked.
Your net access is locked.
But he can’t stop a Kindle blog feed.
My News: I’ve created Kindle versions of both my blogs. So if you’d like to read this political satire blog on your Kindle device, you can subscribe right here. And if you’d like to read my other general humor blog on your Kindle reader you can subscribe right here.
Attention Fellow Bloggers: Want to know how to publish your own blog on Amazon Kindle? Amazon makes it pretty easy and has a helpful Kindle Blog FAQ here. You can also find some useful info over at Mashable and some Kindle badges and icons here.
Warning: Reading blogs on Kindle isn’t free, except for the 14-day free trial for each blog. Monthly Kindle blog subscription fees are controlled by Amazon and priced at either $0.99 per month or $1.99 per month. Moreover, only 30% of the revenue goes to the blogger.
And Now For The Sales Pitch: Each of my two blogs is priced at $0.99 per month.
So if you’re a Kindle owner, I hope you’ll give the Kindle versions of this political humor blog and/or my other general humor blog a try.
Tags: Amazon Satire, Blogger Verse, Computer Humor, Employers, Firewalls, Invasion of Privacy, Kindle Blog Publisher, Kindles, Net Access, Office Spies, Publishing How-To, Technology Tips
Posted in Blog Promotion, Blogging Advice, Blogosphere, Business Humor, Eavesdropping, General Humor, Hi Tech Humor, Kindle Politics, Non-Political Verse, Privacy Humor, Technology Humor | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Responding to his political crisis, President Obama is doing precisely the wrong thing. As Paul Krugman said,
A spending freeze? That’s the brilliant response of the Obama team to their first serious political setback?
It’s appalling on every level.
Something tells me that Obama’s State of the Union address is going to be jam-packed with pandering double talk.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Ode To Barack Hussein Hoover
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Prez Obama, once shaker and mover,
Is reduced to a pand’ring maneuver.
Dealt a setback, his plan
Is a spending freeze? Man!
We’ve elected a latter-day Hoover.
********
Congratulations to my good friend Don Davis of Satirical Political for taking top prize in this year’s HumorFeed contest and being named The Best Satire of the Year. Don won for his hilarious A Real War On Christmas: Outrage Grows Over Excessive Bonuses To Santa’s Elves. Congrats, again Don. Well deserved!
(Full disclosure: I was a member of the four judge panel. However, the contest submissions were anonymous, so there was no need to disqualify myself.)
Tags: Economy Satire, Herbert Hoover, Obama poem, Pandering, Paul Krugman, Political Setbacks, Recession, SOTU, Spending Freeze
Posted in Barack Obama, Economy Humor, Fiscal Policy, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Tax & Budget Humor, White House | 5 Comments »
Monday, January 25th, 2010
In the wake of the Massachusetts election debacle, I keep naively expecting Democrats to wake up and smell the need to stop acting like patsies.
Any minute now (I tell myself) Dems under Obama’s leadership will call a halt to the futile act of making nice with Republicans (and Blue Dogs) and will start pursuing a truly progressive agenda.
But, alas, Democrats seem to have learned exactly the wrong lesson from losing Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat to a Republican.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Obama and co are you nuts?
Or did someone abscond with your guts?
If you act like you’re weak
All your power will leak,
Hurling Dems out of town on their butts.
********
Some related posts from Think Progress, Common Dreams, Susie Madrak, and Steve Benen.
Tags: Blue Dogs, Democratic Leadership, Election Humor, Legislation Satire, Massachusetts, Progressive Agenda
Posted in Barack Obama, Campaign Humor, Congress Humor, Election Satire, Filibuster Humor, GOP Humor, Leadership Humor, Legislation Humor, Martha Coakley, Media Satire, Minority Rights Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Scott Brown, Senate Satire, Washington, White House | Comments Off on Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats
Monday, January 25th, 2010
There’s nothing funny about the U.S. Supreme Court’s activist ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Overruling long-held precedents, it gives corporations free rein to buy political influence, all in the name of “corporate personhood” and “free speech.”
Nor is there anything funny about the hypocrisy of self-described anti-judicial-activism Republicans who laud this calamitous decision.
And, alas, there’s nothing funny about this limerick:
Democracy’s Demise?
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Justice Roberts and co are unbound,
Driving precedents precious aground.
Yet Republicans cheer,
And the sobs that we hear
Are the sounds of democracy drowned.
********
Lance Mannion managed to extract some humor from this judicial travesty.
Tags: Campaign Finance Reform, Citizens United, Corporate Personhood, Democracy, First Amendment, Free Speech, Justice John Roberts, Legal Verse, U.S. Supreme Court
Posted in Campaign Humor, Constitution Humor, Constitutional Crisis, Democracy Humor, Election Satire, FEC Satire, Free Speech, Hypocrisy Humor, Judiciary Satire, Law Satire, Legal Limericks, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Supreme Court | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
I’ve been searching for a positive note in the Massachusetts election debacle and its effect on health care reform and Obama’s agenda. And I’ve finally found the one up side to Democrat Martha Coakley’s upset loss to Republican Scott Brown:
Joe “Vote 60” No Mo’ (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Joe Lieberman’s blue — in a pout.
Massachusetts has cost him some clout:
Mr. “Me-Me-My-Mine”
Now just “Vote 59.”
Dems are screwed with his vote or without.
Tags: Joe Lieberman, Martha Coakley, Massachusetts, Scott Brown
Posted in Barack Obama, Democrats Satire, Election Satire, Filibuster Humor, Health Satire, Joe Lieberman, Legislation Humor, Martha Coakley, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Scott Brown, Senate Satire | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
If you’d like a break from politics, my other (general humor) blog has a pair of limericks about the Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, NBC controversy and about Simon Cowell’s decision to leave American Idol.
Tags: American Idol, Conan O'Brien, Fox, Jay Leno, Media, NBC, Simon Cowell, Television
Posted in Celebrity Verse, Entertainment Humor, General Humor, Media Satire, Music Humor, Television (TV) Satire | Comments Off on Now Playing On My Other Blog
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Are prominent right-wingers acting as unpaid PR agents for al Qaeda, in their zeal to undermine Obama?
In a word — yes! After all, the purpose of terrorism is to scare people into overreaction. So when GOP attack dogs like Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, Michael Steele, Bill Kristol, Pete King, Pete Hoekstra, Jim DeMint and countless others characterize a failed terrorist attack as a success and try to terrify the public, they are unwittingly helping al Qaeda.
That leads me to my latest limerick:
Al-Qaeda Talking Points?
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Michael and Peter and Dick,
Your Obama vendetta is sick.
Cuz behavior like yours —
Turning flops into scores —
Creates fear, which makes terrorists tick.
Tags: Abdulmutallab, Al Qaeda, Bill Kristol, Dick Cheney Satire, GOP Attack Dogs, Jim DeMint, Liz Cheney, Michael Steele, Obama, Pete Hoekstra, Peter King, Terrorism
Posted in Barack Obama, Bill Kristol, Dick Cheney Satire, Election Satire, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, James DeMint, Liz Cheney, Michael Steele, National Security Humor, Pete Hoekstra, Peter King, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Terrorism, White House | 2 Comments »
Saturday, January 9th, 2010
It was silly enough when Bush-defender Dana Perino, while appearing on Sean Hannity’s TV show, claimed there were no domestic terror attacks under George W. Bush. Then there was Mary Matalin’s more subtle lie: Bush “inherited the most tragic attack on our own soil in our nation’s history.”
But the third time clearly makes it a Republican talking point. On Good Morning America, Rudy Giuliani spouted this falsehood to George Stephanopoulos: “We had no domestic attacks under Bush. We’ve had one under Obama.”
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Rudy “Noun and a Verb and a 9-11” Giuliani Loses His Mind
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Republicans looking to ream
Prez Obama have launched an odd meme.
The Bush-Cheney reign
Suffered no terror pain.
It seems Nine-One-One’s only a dream.
Tags: Dana Perino, George Stephanopoulos, Good Morning America, Mary Matalin, Republican Talking Points, Rudy Giuliani, Sean Hannity, Terrorism
Posted in Dana Perino, Fox News Humor, George Bush Satire, George Stephanopoulos, GOP Humor, National Security Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Publicity Hounds, Republicans Humor, Rudy Giuliani, Sean Hannity Limerick, Terrorism | Comments Off on Rudy “Noun and a Verb and a 9-11” Giuliani Loses His Mind
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
Up until now, I’ve avoided writing about Tiger Woods’ serial philandering. But Brit Hume’s outrageous comments leave me no choice. According to Hume, if Tiger Woods wants forgiveness, he must convert from Buddhism to Christianity:
Tiger Woods should turn his back on Buddhism and become a Christian to be forgiven for cheating on his wife, Hume told Fox News’ Chris Wallace Sunday.
“The extent to which he can recover seems to me depends on his faith,” said Hume. “He is said to be a Buddhist. I don’t think that faith offers the kind of redemption and forgiveness offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger is, Tiger turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.”
You can watch the charming video over at Crooks and Liars.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Telling Tiger To Convert Just Ain’t Kosher
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Tiger Woods’ rep has really been hurt.
Hume’s solution? The guy should convert:
Be a Buddhist no more —
Enter Christian faith’s door.
Get redemption for chasing each skirt.
Related Posts: Fuming About Hume; and Petraeus and Crocker Face Hume Humiliation
Tags: Brit Hume Humor, Buddhism, Christianity, Conversion, Fox News Sunday, Media Humor, Philanderers, Pundit Humor, Religion Humor, Religious Freedom, Scandals, Tiger Woods, Womanizers
Posted in Brit Hume, Chris Wallace, Family Values Humor, Fox News Humor, Media Satire, Non-Political Humor, Non-Political Verse, Religious Satire, Scandals Humor, Television (TV) Satire, Tiger Woods | 5 Comments »
Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats
Monday, January 25th, 2010In the wake of the Massachusetts election debacle, I keep naively expecting Democrats to wake up and smell the need to stop acting like patsies.
Any minute now (I tell myself) Dems under Obama’s leadership will call a halt to the futile act of making nice with Republicans (and Blue Dogs) and will start pursuing a truly progressive agenda.
But, alas, Democrats seem to have learned exactly the wrong lesson from losing Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat to a Republican.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Obama and co are you nuts?
Or did someone abscond with your guts?
If you act like you’re weak
All your power will leak,
Hurling Dems out of town on their butts.
********
Some related posts from Think Progress, Common Dreams, Susie Madrak, and Steve Benen.
Tags: Blue Dogs, Democratic Leadership, Election Humor, Legislation Satire, Massachusetts, Progressive Agenda
Posted in Barack Obama, Campaign Humor, Congress Humor, Election Satire, Filibuster Humor, GOP Humor, Leadership Humor, Legislation Humor, Martha Coakley, Media Satire, Minority Rights Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Scott Brown, Senate Satire, Washington, White House | Comments Off on Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats