Jolly Monday … {Yawn}

Posted on September 16, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good morning … {yawn} friends … come in and make yourselves {yawn} comfy. What? On no, don’t mind me, I’m just really … oh, what’s that word … sleepy! Yes, that’s it, I’m really sleepy. Oh, it’s a long story, that involves a broken washing machine, broken central air-conditioning, cats, vacuuming the floor at 7:00 a.m., a frog, rotten bananas, a razor, and … well, it’s really quite boring. Anyway … I did manage to ship … er, whip up a few treats for you, and I found a few things for us to start this week of on a happy foot.

Sadly, young Benjamin will not be joining us today, for he has entered the world of academia … yes, that’s right, he started kindergarten two weeks ago. I think I’ll still put his juice box and donut out, though, just in case. And now … let the fun begin!

Benjamin’s Juice Box!

Larry’s bacon

An absurd potty tale …

In the UK, an unnamed, 66-year-old man has been arrested for … stealing a toilet. But, this wasn’t just any ol’ toilet …The toilet, titled America, is a work of art by the 58-year-old Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It had been installed for an exhibition at England’s Blenheim Palace earlier this week. The estimated value of the toilet is $1.25 million!

Now, since this is a Jolly Monday post, and not one of my snarky snippets, I shall refrain from the snarky comment in my head about the name of the toilet and the fact that it is … well, a toilet! Let your imaginations go to work on that one.

The toilet was actually plumbed and functional, and in fact tourists could sign on for a 3-minute … um … well … to use it in the manner toilets are intended to be used for 3 minutes. So, when the thieves stole it, they ripped up the plumbing, causing substantial damage and flooding. The man in police custody is believed to have accomplices, and the police are still searching for them. But, the toilet was in the man’s possession, and has been returned to Blenheim Palace which, incidentally, is the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

Another interesting tidbit about the toilet is that back in 2017, the artist Cattelan offered to lend the toilet to none other than Donald Trump, to grace the loo at the White House … well, one of the 35 bathrooms in the White House, anyway. Yes, I said 35 … aren’t you glad you don’t have latrine duty there???

I must confess that as I work on this post, I am struggling with ‘funny’, at least struggling to find stories that I find funny. So, for this Jolly Monday, I believe the rest will be done in a few cartoons and memes … I hope you don’t mind … I seem to be a bit off my game today.

Yeah, yeah … a bit risque, but I couldn’t stop laughing!

And just a few pictures I found to be funny …

WTF???????? How the … ????

This one … this is the sign I need for my front door!!!

You all remember Dueling Banjos, right? Composed by Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith in 1954, it has been used in the Andy Griffith Show, and came into its own in the 1972 film Deliverance, which also led to a successful lawsuit by the song’s composer, as it was used in the film without Smith’s permission. But all that is neither here nor there. You all know how much I love Kermit the Frog, right? Well, I came across this clip with Kermit and comedian Steve Martin doing Dueling Banjos … priceless!

And last, but not least, let’s have a chuckle watching these tiny baby critters …

That’s it, I’m afraid, for Jolly Monday! I’m so glad you stopped by, and I hope you remember to share your gorgeous smiles with someone this week. Have a safe and happy week, my dear friends! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

The Week’s News In ‘Toons … 🙄

Posted on September 15, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Global Issues, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary, Trump's Staff Picks

Sometimes, the news is best conveyed in pictures. Actually, for those who support Trump, a picture is likely the only way they will get it.

On Friday, a federal appeals court resurrected the first lawsuit President Donald Trump faced over claims that his business dealings violated the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, which bars federal officials receiving payments from foreign governments. It’s funny that Trump claims he isn’t benefiting from the presidency, that it is in fact costing him money, but there are a multitude of examples of him, his family, and his business enjoying financial gain that he would not have otherwise had. For instance, Mike Pence, and military crews staying at his place over in Scotland. His entire family traveling with him, on our tax dollar. Foreign dignitaries staying at Trump hotels. And of course, his unworkable plan to host next year’s G7 at one of his Florida resorts (ain’t gonna happen) …

Of course, the big news of the week was the firing … or resignation … of National Security Advisor, John Bolton. Trump says he fired him, Bolton says he resigned … either way, he is out and nobody’s quite sure who Trump will choose for his fourth NSA.

Those last two lead me to the other big “news” of the last couple of weeks, that which has come to be known as ‘Sharpiegate’. Y’know … for someone who doesn’t like to be mocked or made fun of, he sure does do some really, really stupid, mock-worthy things! He invites it …

Just so you know that we in the U.S. aren’t the only ones having fun with the cringe-worthy news, our friends over in the UK have their share of troubles lately with Boris Johnson and Brexit. I don’t usually say too much about Brexit, because I have friends on both sides of the issue, and really, it’s not my place to weigh in. But, Boris Johnson, whom I have often referred to as Trump’s brother, is another matter … he is mock-worthy no matter what side of the Brexit issue you come down on …

And then, there was Trump’s threat to ban e-cigarettes. I weighed in on that yesterday, so I needn’t say more, but the issue for many of us is that he is obsessed with banning vaping, saying it is killing our people (six have died), while he steadfastly refuses to even consider sensible gun legislation, when on average 100 people die each day of gun-related incidents. There is a disconnect here, and I think it’s in his brain!

Well, folks, I think that’s about as much humour as we can take this morning, don’t you? I’m feeling rather ill, myself. Have a great rest of the weekend! One for the road …

Sunday Afternoon … Humour???

Posted on September 8, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Humour, Political commentary, Social commentary

It’s Sunday afternoon, a lazy sort of time when we all try not to think about getting back to the grind tomorrow. Today is also National Grandparent’s Day, and my girls are taking me to the local ice cream stand this afternoon to celebrate! Sunday is typically a slow news day, for the subject of most news here in the U.S. is on the golf course cheating in order to turn those 25 strokes on a par 4 hole to 3, rather than sitting in the Oval Office tweeting ignorance and vitriol. So, what better time than to see what the cartoonists have been up to in the past week, yes?

Naturally, the whole incident with Trump using a Sharpie pen to re-draw Hurricane Dorian’s projected path to include Alabama was the subject of much mirth and mockery …

There are still fools in this world, most of them in the United States, I do believe, who would deny that the effects of the industrial revolution and our current lifestyle have led to a phenomenon we now call ‘climate change’ and that we are within years of destroying our own atmosphere. As if that weren’t bad enough, the Amazon rainforest that provides 20% of the earth’s oxygen is still burning and far too little is being done to put the fires out. Sigh.

So True!

2019 has been the year for mass shootings in the U.S. The NRA, though reportedly having its own troubles, is still adding to ours by insisting that more guns is a good thing and … well, what’s a few thousand lives, eh? Trump, McConnell, and the rest of the republicans who are in the pockets of the gun manufacturers and lobbyists continue to make excuses for their inaction. And meanwhile, the people of this nation continue to die at an exponentially higher rate than any other nation on earth.

And finally, a few random ‘toons I stumbled across …

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday afternoon, friends!

Just For Fun …

Posted on September 4, 2019 by jilldennison under cartoons, Environmental Issues, Humour, Political commentary

I’m working on a couple of pieces, hope to have another later this evening, but a while ago I took a break to check my email, and found that Ellen had sent me a couple of short videos to give me a laugh or two. Well, it actually DID give me a laugh … more than a couple, in fact, and I thought … “Y’know … I’ve been too serious lately … maybe my friends would like a laugh, too!” And so, I went in search of some ‘toons to go with the videos.

There are many adjectives that apply to Donald Trump, but the two I find myself using most frequently are “stupid” and “ignorant” — both are terms I would prefer not to have to use, especially in regards to the person whose decisions affect all of our lives! However, over the course of the past week, he has exceeded even his own level of stupidity when it comes to Hurricane Dorian, and hurricanes in general, and it seems the cartoonists and the late night talk show hosts all decided to have a bit of fun. If they can have fun with it, so can we, right? Yeah, I know, there are more relevant issues I should be addressing, but I just needed a laugh, and from the looks on your faces, so do you! I’ll get back to the serious stuff in a minute …

Take a look at Stephen Colbert … he’s always funny, but this one will have you laughing … I promise!

And not to be outdone, Seth Meyers touches on a number of topics and literally had me choking on my coffee …

Now that we’ve had our afternoon chuckle … back to work!

A Visit To The Other Side …

Posted on September 3, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

I stumbled, quite by accident, onto a very conservative website, Townhall, last night. As soon as I saw some of the OpEd titles, I knew I was not in Kansas anymore, and was aiming to make a hasty getaway before I was spotted in enemy territory. But then … I thought … why not take a look at what they are saying? I’ve long said that in order to meet somewhere in the middle, we must first listen to each other, right? Here is a sampling of the titles of some of the OpEd pieces on this site …

Trump Pushes Back Against Anti-Christian Bullies and Bigots – Todd Starnes
Trump Supporters Have ALL The Moral High Ground. Don’t Cede One Inch Of It To The Left – Scott Morefield
American Workers Looking Forward to Five More Labor Days With Trump – Bob Paduchik
The New York Times’ Revisionist History on the Start and Story of America Is Absurd and Dangerous – Richard Land
President Trump—Not Democrats—Is Really Helping Low-income Americans – Michael Busler
Mainstream Media Hijack Hurricane Dorian for Climate-Change Alarm – Vijay Jayaraj
Democrats Put Their Faith in the Faithless – Robert Knight

I actually read a few of these articles this morning, thankful that I hadn’t yet eaten, so there was no danger of a return visit, and then I went to take a shower, for I felt somehow dirty. These are semi-legitimate journalists, by the way, not the Tucker Carlson variety of ranters, although I did notice Ann Coulter’s name on their list of contributors. According to Media Bias/Fact Check, their factual reporting gets a mixed review, as they are known to “publish misleading reports and omit reporting of information”. Anyway … in case you care what the other side thinks … I shall share just a few relevant snippets.

From the Scott Morefield piece …

Especially given a leftist-controlled mainstream press all-too-willing to portray the president as a monster and his policies as monstrous, you may be forgiven for thinking all of those things. But the reality, however, is actually the exact opposite of what they would have you believe. In fact, it is Trump’s supporters who truly have every inch of the moral high ground. In fact, it is Trump’s policies that are the very definition of objective principles, morals, and values, even if his presentation at times gives his haters ammunition by seeming to belie that fact.
Every time these jackals politicize mass shootings to call for more gun control, remember that they really don’t care about any of the lives such legislation would save, especially considering they know full well the legislation they espouse wouldn’t actually save any lives. In their unquenchable thirst for control, leftists would happily take away the right to defend oneself against rogue criminals or rogue governments. They cry alligator tears at the deaths of gun victims while ignoring those who successfully defend themselves with guns or the unarmed who die from a senseless home invasion.
Those who refuse to support President Trump based on optics alone are completely missing the big picture. Whether you consider some of his tweets and comments “presidential” or not, the policies Trump espouses and helps to implement through executive orders, signed legislation, and appointing judges result in by far the greatest good for the greatest number of people, full stop.

From Bob Paduchik’s …

The Democratic Party’s presidential candidates not only want to repeal the tax cuts that saved taxpayers an average of $1,400 last year and restore the regulatory overreach that crippled American businesses during the Obama era, they’re also urging surrender in the seminal trade negotiations that are still underway between the Trump administration and the Chinese.
The Democrats have plenty of other nasty surprises in store for working Americans, too. Their outrageous “Medicare for all” proposal, for instance, would eliminate the private health insurance plans that workers earned at the bargaining table.

And, according to Robert Knight …

Democrats can’t seem to figure out whether they want to use the government to drive Christianity underground or just replace the biblical version with fake Christianity. These aren’t mutually exclusive goals; either one brings America closer to a secular, socialist state whose unofficial religion is atheism.
Democratic presidential contenders like former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, California Sen. Kamala Harris and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg invoke Christianity to shill for taxpayer-funded, unrestricted abortion and the family values of Sodom, plus confiscation of wealth and redistribution. Note to the media: Why aren’t Democrats – and Republicans – being asked what they think of Drag Queen Story Hour? Anyone?

Well, I think you get the gist, right? The thing that disturbs me is that both sides are so far apart on all issues from foreign policy to humanitarian issues to immigration to religion that I see no room for any middle ground. The middle ground seems to have become a barren desert where nothing can exist. I mean, how do you debate with someone who calls gun-control advocates “jackals”, and says, “Trump’s policies that are the very definition of objective principles, morals, and values …”? Where do you even begin?

The name-calling is taking place on both sides, I engage in it myself on a fairly routine basis, but it is detrimental to any meaningful meeting of the minds. How do you engage in any sort of discourse with people who turn a completely blind eye to the single most important issue of the day: climate change? When they applaud Trump’s de-regulation by executive order rather than will of the people or congressional mandate, they are essentially begging to hasten the destruction of life as we know it. How do you speak to that?

Well, the exercise wasn’t entirely futile, for it got my adrenaline stirring and gave me some food for thought. How ‘bout I end this with a few cartoons from “the other side” …

I didn’t really find any of them to be that funny, did you? Thought for the day: How can we shrink this great divide that is destroying the country? How can two sets of ideologies that seem so far apart with nothing in common, unite?

Jolly’s Monday Morn …

Posted on August 26, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Good Monday Morning, Folks! How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun, like a trip to the beach, a hike in the forest, or a wild ‘n crazy party? No? Me either. Jolly and I stayed in most of the weekend, ventured out for a bit yesterday, but nothing out of the ordinary. I find that as I get older, the ordinary, the routine, is just fine by me. I made a few treats for you this morning … and I have to tell you all that this is a special, happy/sad Monday, for our youngest friend, Benjamin, will be starting Kindergarten this week, and he won’t be around as much for Jolly Monday, but will be learning how things work, how to find the square root of 1,080, who defeated Napoleon and all sorts of stuff. Remember, it is he and others his age that are our future! Anyway, enough with the nostalgia … go grab a treat and see what Jolly and I have put together to start this week off on the right foot!

Benjamin’s Star Donuts

Benjamin’s Juice Box!

Gwammie … din’tya forget sumptin’? ‘Member? My puppie?

You tell them, Jolly … it’s your puppy and your news. 🙄

Okay … thanks to you fwiends who made names for my puppy, but I decided to name ‘im … {drumroll} … Pweshus Pup!!!! An’ we’ll call ‘im PeePee for short, cause he does peepee a lot!

One thing about having one’s head stuck in the deep, dark world of politics for more than half of every day is that it leaves you with a bit of an odd sense of what’s funny. My daughter has nixed my ideas for Jolly Monday more than a few times, like the time I was going to write about a lady who had died … I can’t remember exactly how, but at the time I found it humorous … not that she had died, but the manner in which she had done so. Chris nay-ed that one. Anyway, my sense of humour is sometimes off, but today I came across a children’s book title that literally made me laugh standing in the middle of Barnes & Noble …So, I thought … there must be hundreds of humorous kids’ book titles out there, and I Googled “funny kids book titles”. Sigh. The world is a scary place these days. Some were quite humorous, but … in a very perverse sort of way … nothing I would put on this blog.

I always have fun when I come across oddly funny signs, so here are a few to provide you with a Monday morning chuckle …

What a bargain!

Isn’t this too cool?

Y’know, I have to wonder where people come up with some of the absurd things they do to get their name in the Guinness World Book of Records. This latest one is kind of cool to look at, but it still falls into the category of … WHY???

A United Arab Emirates grocery store chain broke a Guinness World Record by using 883 bottles of ketchup to create an 11-foot-tall tower. Carrefour, which collaborated with Heinz to create the ketchup tower, was awarded the Guinness World Record for the tallest packaged food display after 52 volunteers spent more than 48 hours constructing the tower. The tower was constructed from bottles of “Edchup,” Heinz bottles designed by pop star and ketchup fan Ed Sheeran. Smaller versions of the ketchup tower were assembled at Carrefour locations in the Mall of the Emirates, City Center Ajman and Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi.

Some people have too much time on their hands, methinks.

I found a few funny ‘toons over at Phil’s Phun that I thought you might like …

Okay, folks, that is all the funny that Jolly and I ha … wha … what’s that??? Oh! The funny animal video? You say you’re not leaving until I give you a funny animal video, eh? Well … let me see … JOLLY??? Where’s the funny animal video???

I jest finished makin’ it … here it is!

Okay, folks … NOW that is really all I’ve got for today. Jolly and I have left a basket of smiles at the door … please take a few on your way out to share with people whose smiles seem to be upside down this week. Things are tough these days, and I think we could all use an extra smile, don’t you? Keep safe and have a wonderful week, my friends! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa and Jolly!

‘Toons To Jump-Start The Weekend!

Posted on August 23, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Humour, Political commentary

Whew … what a week, eh? Take heart, my friends, for it’s Friday and hopefully we’ll have a two-day break from any major screw-ups by you-know-who. I think he usually spends the weekends golfing and pigging out at one of his golf resorts … on our dime, of course. What better way to head into the weekend than with a few ‘toons, mostly at ol’ what’s-his-name’s expense?

Of course the biggest news item of the week was Trump’s idea that he could just pick up the phone, contact Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and purchase Greenland. Never mind that Congress had not authorized such a purchase, never mind that Greenland is an autonomous nation … he had a wild hair and acted, foolishly, on it. Well, at least the cartoon artists had some fun with it.

The saddest, most maddening news was that Trump has decided to strip the Endangered Species Act, placing profit ahead of life, ahead of the earth. All living things are part of earth’s ecosystem and when we lose one species, it disturbs the balance. Sadly, the only ‘balance’ that Trump and his cronies are concerned about is the one in their investment portfolio.

Economists have been warning for a while now that there are signs of a pending slowdown … or worse. Still, da man in da Oval lives in his own little world, listens to nobody, and says he trusts his ‘gut’ more than all the experts. Sure is enough of his gut, isn’t there. Anyway … for two weeks now, certain indicators of a potential recession have caused some market fluctuations. Trump has an economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, who doesn’t even have a degree in economics … he, apparently, listens to Trump’s ‘gut’, too. Trump has been bouncing off walls … first he’s going to cut payroll taxes, then he’s not. He’s demanding that the Federal Reserve lower interest rates even more (really bad move, folks), and when Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicated that a huge cut was unlikely, Trump called him “the enemy”, said he didn’t know whether our real enemy was China or Powell. And as if that weren’t enough, so far he has blamed both the democrats and the media for trying to crash his economy just to make him look bad. As if he needed help with that …

As we all knew he would, he reversed course on backing any new gun legislation, such as expanded background checks or red flag laws … {yawn} … it was only a matter of time. We the People are far less important than his buddies over at the NRA …

I particularly liked this one …

And lastly, I just couldn’t resist a poke at the ginormous ego that is part and parcel of Donald Trump. He was giving a press conference, when suddenly he stopped, looked up at the sky, and declared, “I am the chosen one”. Please, somebody, shut this man up!!! First, I have to ask … the chosen WHAT??? And chosen by whom? Vladimir Putin?

Have a great weekend, my friends!

Kicking Off The Weekend With … ‘Toons!

Posted on August 16, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, cartoons, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Humour, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry

Wolf-Friday Hey friends! It’s Friday and time for the weekend. I don’t know about all of you, but I have found this to be an exhausting week. It seems we barely recover from one Trumpian abomination before we are hit with the next one. When does it end, we ask? It ends when we throw the buffoon out of the White House, but meanwhile we have to find a way to alleviate the pain, and today I propose we do it with a bit of humour. Needless to say, the political cartoonists have been working overtime this week …

Mass shootings have taken much of the spotlight in recent weeks, after the ones in El Paso and Dayton two weeks ago. The NRA and republicans (kind of hard to tell them apart these days) took up their usual mantle, claiming that guns aren’t the problem … almost anything else is, such as mental health and their new “devil”, video games …

guns guns-3 guns-4 COLOR guns-6 guns-7

When Ken Cuccinelli announced a re-write of the Emma Lazarus poem on the base of the Statue of Liberty, and claimed that the welcome of the tired, poor huddled masses meant only Europeans with plenty of money, the cartoonists fingers were itching. My fingers were itching, too, but mine were itching to wrap themselves around Mr. Cuccinelli’s neck, for I have no talent with a pencil!

liberty liberty-2 Bruce Plante Cartoon: Trump and the Statue of Liberty liberty-4

Trump continues his infernal trade war, though he did walk it back a step last week when retailers panicked at the thought of Chinese tariffs on certain goods right before they start buying up junk for the holidays. Meanwhile, though, the tariffs are hurting the U.S. as much as any, especially the farmers.

Bruce Plante Cartoon: Trump's trade war trade-war-2 trade-war-3

Mitch McConnell is always good for a joke or two. Funny thing, that he relaxed certain sanctions against Russia, and then Russia invested money into a factory in ol’ Mitchie’s home state of Kentucky. Add to that his refusal to even allow the Senate to consider legislation to put in place election security measures, and you can see how he came by the nickname of “Moscow Mitch”. I hear he isn’t too fond of the moniker … but, if the shoe fits …

Moscow-Mitch Moscow-Mitch-2

This week, the Idiot-in-Chief announced new rules that would weaken the Endangered Species Act (as well as the Clean Water Act), in the interest of the logging and fossil fuel industries.

Endangered Species Act animals-2

And lastly, just because I find this one fitting …

Trump-deflecting

Have a great weekend, my friends!

Jolly Funday Monday

Posted on August 5, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Humour, Politic-Free Mondays

Huh? What are you guys doing here … you’re a day early … it’s not Monday yet! It is? Whoa … I’ve lost a day … I thought it was still Sunday … where did Sunday go? Okay, well … give me just a minute … luckily, I did some baking last night, so let me see what I can rustle up …

{Pssst … Jolly! Run down to Krispy Kreme and get Benjamin’s sprinkled donuts for me … and be quick!}

Okay, well, while I throw a few things together here, tell me all about your weekend! Mine? One word describes it well: H-O-T. I cannot believe it’s August already, though! The kids here will be going back to school in just 10 days … much as I love seeing all the kids here in da hood out having fun, I’m frankly ready to see them climb back on that big yellow bus, ‘cause they’ve been picking my flowers, and throwing their trash on my patio, and … they just need to get back to school.

Okay, I think we’ve got a few snacks and some fresh coffee now, so grab a bite and let’s find something to start the week off with a smile, okay?

Benjamin’s juice boxes — but he’ll share if you ask nicely!

Not in MY freezer …

Remember last week … or was it the week before … when we had ice cream for Jolly Monday … or was it Saturday Surprise? Anyway … remember when I featured ice cream? Well, here’s one ice cream you’ll never find in my freezer! It’s made by Oscar Meyer … yeah, the people who make bologna and hot dogs … and it’s called an Ice Dog Sandwich. The sandwich, which features cookies as “buns,” contains bits of candied hot dog meat and spicy mustard ice cream. The company said its Wienermobile will drive around Manhattan during the week of Aug. 12 to distribute free samples of the unusual dessert.

Oh, and the ‘spicy mustard ice cream’ is a creation of famed mustard-maker French’s, and will be available at select locations during the summer. To celebrate National Mustard Day last Saturday, the “French’s Mustard Ice Cream Truck” rolled around various hot spots in New York City. Oh, and French’s also has plans for a ‘pretzel cookie’ to serve with the mustard ice cream.

One word: blech 🤢

There’s a snake in my bed!

My father-in-law once told me a story. He said that long ago, back when he and my mother-in-law were young and newly married, they lived in a little house in the mountains of Virginia. He said that one night he had a dream that a snake had slithered across his body, then went into an open dresser drawer on the other side of the bedroom. The next morning, he said, they got up and when he looked in that open dresser drawer, there was in fact a snake coiled in the drawer. Now, I loved both of my in-laws dearly, but Quinter could spin a yarn, so I was never quite sure if I believed him, though he swore it to be the truth.

Last week, Melinda Major of Nashville, Tennessee, was staying overnight at the Hampton Inn Walnut Grove in Memphis, Tennessee, and when she woke on Friday morning, she said she first felt something on her arm and opened her eyes to discover a green snake slithering across her body. She flipped the snake off of her, jumped out of bed and called the hotel’s front desk. Now, I’m not sure … I suppose it would be a bit off-putting to wake up to a snake crawling around on you, but … a little green snake is very unlikely to be of a harmful breed, likely just a little garden snake … seems to me she might have over-reacted a bit. Still, the hotel gave her the night’s stay for free, so I guess she was happy … and they didn’t kill the snake, but led him back out into a grassy area, so the snake is likely happy.

Now that’s a mouthful!!!

I first came across this story on UPI (United Press International), and I thought it to be questionable. I ran it by daughter Chris, my frequent Jolly Monday editor, and in her professional opinion, she agreed that it seemed a bit far-fetched, so I tabled the story. But then, it kept popping back up in other places, reputable news outlets such as NPR, CBS News, etc. So, I share this ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ story.

A 7-year-old boy in India had a very swollen and achy jaw. In fact, his jaw had begun swelling when he was 3 years old, but his parents felt he was too young to visit a dentist at that time. Four years later, they finally took him to the Saveetha Dental College and Hospital in Chennai, India, where surgeons were amazed at what they found.

The boy’s condition, known as compound odontoma, is not unheard of. It involves a “bag-like mass” in the mouth that contains teeth … extra teeth. But what did amaze surgeons was the number of teeth they extracted from the mass … 562!!! It took the surgeons five hours to remove all the teeth from the mass. Each tooth, which varied in size from 1 mm to 15 mm, displayed a crown covered by enamel and with a rootlike structure.Nobody has mentioned a Guinness World Record yet, but it is said to be “the first ever case to be documented worldwide, where so many minute teeth were found in a single individual.”

I dropped in over at Phil’s Phun and found a few funny pics ‘n toons …

And of course I must finish with a cute animal video … today’s choice is Polar Bears!!!

And ‘specially for our friend Hugh …

Alright, folks, that wraps up another Jolly Monday. I hope you all have a wonderful week, and friends … remember it’s hard times these days … share a smile with someone who’s having a hard time right now. They will feel just a bit happier, and so will you. Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa & Jolly!

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Category Archives: cartoons