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There are times, when I haven't been reminded of some humorous incident from my childhood or when it's not a particular holiday or it's not time to write about the next song in Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time," when I just sit down at the keyboard and start typing...and hope that something worthwhile spills out through my fingertips.

Any post under the tag "improvisation" is created that way.

Often, I end up writing a poem. Even if it's not funny, the fact that it rhymes will impress enough people to get a few clicks. At least that's the idea.

But now, here I am, four paragraphs deep into a piece of prose with no prior planning or an inkling of an idea of what to say...and my hope that something worthwhile spills out through my fingertips seems to be absolutely groundless.

Like a bottomless pit.

Like a bag of roasted coffee beans.

Like the accusation that I'm independently wealthy and more handsome than Brad Pitt.

That's right, I'm a funny guy...

...but looks aren't everything.

Stuph That Has No Reason Being in My Head, Vol. VII

 

The orange powder left on your hands after eating Cheetos is called "cheetle".

The two main male characters of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and Leonard, were named in honor of the actor who played Nick the Bartender in It's a Wonderful Life.

According to a producer I know, Miley Cyrus can't carry a tune...at all.

The stories that say Karen Carpenter was on a popcorn-only diet are unsubstantiated rumors.

James Taylor's first single, "Carolina in My Mind," was released on The Beatles' Apple Records.

♫♪ Dewey Dewey Bo-Bewey, Banana Fanna Fo-Fooey, Fee Fi Mo-Mooey...Dewey! ♪♫

Before he was Gilligan, Bob Denver co-starred as a beatnik on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

On Sesame Street, Caroll Spinney was both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

When extended, a frog's tongue is about a third as long as the frog  -  as if our own tongues reached our belly buttons!

Chihuahua's are the world's smallest breed of dog...even though they look like rats.

Cure for Insomnia: The 386th Greatest Song

 

Before going through Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, I had never heard of I Know You Got Soul, by Eric B and Rakim. And it never showed up on any Billboard charts, either.

So why is it on this list of greatest songs ever?

Must have a beautiful melody, right?

Wrong.

It's an old school rap: Rhythmic talking over a sterile beat and a few record scratches.

Well then, the lyric must be amazing, right?

Wrong.

Consider the world-changing opening foursome:

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you

Without a strong rhyme to step to

Think of how many weak shows you slept through

Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you

Yeah...well...I'm sorry, too. Sorry I hung around long enough to listen to the whole waste of megabits.

And I feel that from the bottom of the soul I got.

Almost the News XXXII

 

Real Headlines. Fake News.

Two Face Federal Charges in 900-pound Meth Bust
Man! What cup size would that be?

Wheelchair Games Draw Veterans from 41 States
"Look! In this one, I've got the drill sergeant actually smiling."

With Scores Still Missing, a Quest to 'Find Every Soul'
Fans of the Ghost Hunters television series will be glad to know the show will continue, even without background music.

GOP Wants Larger Field in Race for Governor
...otherwise, the runners will always be turning, with no straightaways at all.

Democrats Attack Trump's Tax Bill
Led by Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, the attack started by coming up the bill's right flank and then sweeping across its path with a barrage of amendments.

U.S. Stocks Back Off Slightly from Highs
"Health reasons" were given as the catalyst for smoking less dope.

Senators Press UHG After Latest Hack
"Once again," said Senator Imma Taylor, "the person we hired for the job failed. He left the UHG so wrinkled, we just had to do the job ourselves."

One Week From Today

 

One week from today
will be three days before you see this
and I will be four days into a trip.
A trip a-way out west
between Billings and Phoenix
(as if you all could even give a rip)

The day after you read this
some nuptials will be celebrated
by a couple unknown to you
She's a grandniece of Beloved
He's a fella, highly-rated
and I'm going for the barbecue

Two weeks from today
our journey will be ended
We'll pull into our drive once more
Perhaps I'll wish these
dates could be amended
More likely, I'll collapse down to the floor

All the Clouds Are Tired of Dancin': The 387th Greatest Song

 

So far, this series of posts on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time has included many a rewritten lyric, plenty of parodies, and several outright lies.

For Elton John's Tiny Dancer, the WorldWideWackfest has beaten me to it, most notably, with the replacement of "Hold me closer, tiny dancer" with "Hold me closer, Tony Danza."

But what about:

• Hold my clothes, Sir Tony Danza.
• Old mean Joseph, mighty Panzer
• Told my story. Might have pantsed her.
• Old meat closed her briny answer

But none of these can match trying to make sense out of the actual lyric:

Hold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today

Also known as:

Hang on tight, baby, and try to watch the road for me because I'm going to lie down and take a nap...even though YOU'RE the one who's actually been doing anything at all today.

Ah, Bernie Taupin, you're a master.

What If Spielberg Was in the Star Wars Universe?

 

When I saw this parody poster that injected Stephen Spielberg's original blockbuster Jaws into the entertainment behemoth known as Star Wars, and knowing that Mr. Spielberg and Star Wars creator George Lucas are personal friends, it set my mind to wandering and wondering: What if Spielberg made all his movies part of what took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Droid Duel  -  A business commuter is pursued and terrorized by a malevolent artoo unit.

Stormtroopers of the Lost Ark  -  Archaeologist Indiana Jones is tasked by the Rebel Alliance to help locate a legendary ancient power, the Ark of the Coruscant, before the Galactic Empire gets it.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial  -  Technically, this movie is already part of the Star Wars canon.

The Color Purple  -  A whole movie about Mace Windu's very special lightsaber

Empirassic Park  -  An industrialist invites some experts to visit his theme park of cloned tauntauns and banthas. After a power failure, the creatures run loose, putting everyone's lives in danger.

Saving Private Wicket-  Following the Battle for Endor, a group of rebel fighters go behind enemy lines to retrieve an ewok whose brothers have been killed in action.