Customer Reviews of Latawnya, the Naughty Horse

Doubtlessly, may of you have become aware of Latawnya, the Naughty Horse, Learns to Say "No" to Drugs — the children's book that features smoking, drinking, and overdosing horses. Since this story was uploaded on Something Awful, it seems one of the side effects are the reviews to be found about it on Amazon.com. It seems that many have been so touched by Latawnya's story that some abusers have finally given up drugs and some parents are now able to finally speak to their children about the dangers of narcotics.

It seems the imagery of horses is able help open peoples eyes to the dangers of drugs. Metaphors will do that to you. Take, for instance, this review.

As a responsible parent I often worry about my kids smoking drugs and drinking alcohol. I find it very difficult to discuss these topics frankly with my children, but this book has given me a way to approach them in a way kids can understand. By using the imagery of horses, Mrs. Gibson manages to evoke a fear of drugs that will hopefully make my children turn away from them without experimenting in any way shape or form. I can only hope Mrs. Gibson creates another book in which I can inform my children about the dangers of pre-marital sex.

Amazon.com: Reviews for Latawnya, the Naughty Horse, Learns to Say "No" to Drugs: Books: Sylvia S. Gibson

Echoing that sentiment, I believe a sequel highlighting the dangers of premarital sex. Author Sylvia Scott Gibson is an idea machine who, in addition to writing this superb book, is also an inventor. Indeed, she is not one to rest on her laurels.

I expect a sequel to come out sometime in 2008.

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Robert Goulet TV Pilot

That is not Will Ferrell. This really is Robert Goulet — as you've never seen him before! Here he plays — get this — an actor working in a police department. Will the incongruities never cease? I mean, the concept is utterly hilarious. Think about it. An actor... in a police station. That just never happens!

This pilot is rendered all the more funny due to Will Ferrell's portrayal of course. You almost expect Robert Goulet to start crooning some gangsta rap rhymes. Even so, it's Robert Goulet. He's got less body fat than a king cobra.

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Dancing Superman and Spiderwoman in a Bollywood Musical

Bollywood is so cool. For years, they have been churning out parodies of Western culture that are both cute and hilarious. And they always do it while singing and dancing.

I swear to God, more people besides Indians got to get into Bollywood movies. There is a goldmine of comedy there. And i don't mean this in a mocking way. Bollywood really does have awesome comedies.

And if the comedies don't do it for you, at least there is dancing and singing.

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Lick My Love Pump

The sign of brilliant comedy is a brief punchline. The setup here is one minute, and it is funny in pieces (especially that part about Mach). The punchline, though, it less than two seconds.

From one of the greatest mockumentaries ever made, this is brilliance incarnate.

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Fascists On Mars!

Looks like I'm breaking this to the English-speaking world: I am unable to find any subtitled versions and it seems only Italians know about this. Take solace, though. The comedy in Fascists On Mars is quite physical and the facial expressions communicate much of what is going on. This is, afterall, Il Duce and a bunch of his riff raff imposing their wills on Mars.

It is fitting that Italians were the ones who made this. After Mussolini was shot, they made sure to hang him upside down by his toes with meat hooks. So why not mock him even further in death? It sounds like a delightful proposition to my Jewish mother.

I believe there are five more episodes of Fascists On Mars. As was the case with the Soviet Winnie the Pooh, if anyone knows where I can find a subtitled version, let me know and I will replace this with a subtitled version. I believe, very strongly, that this comedy has universal appeal.

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More Awesome Songs Sung By Bill Cosby

As mentioned yesterday, Bill Cosby's second album Hooray for the Salvation Army Band! is an amusing collection of 60s pop music. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any MP3s. Today, I hope to rectify that situation. Here, for your listening pleasure, I have four songs from that particular album.

• Funky North Philadelphia
  
• Reach Out (I'll Be There)
  
• Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
  
• Ursalena

I also have all the songs together in one .RAR file.

My honest opinion is that Cos definitely has an ear for funk. Also, one can detect a definite jazz influence in the horn sections. While Sgt. Pepper and Reach Out are tongue-in-cheek, Funk North Philadelphia and Ursalena are very earnest articles. Truthfully, I think this was more a labour of love than an attempt to make it big in the music industry. Bill Cosby must have known he would have never been taken seriously so he simply decided to do whatever he wanted.

It's stuff like this that makes one realize why one likes Cosby in the first place.

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Bill Cosby Sings the Beatles

Bill Cosby has given us so much: Fat Albert, Jell-O, and the greatest 80s sitcom ever. He also taught us the importance of a-bippin' and a-boppin'. I submit — and I do so with all my mortal authority — that the greatest gift Cos bestowed upon this planet is Hooray for the Salvation Army Band!

Here Mr. Cosby "sings" with all his might through 12 fantastic melodies of memorable 60s Rock and Roll. I don't know if he was serious. I don't care. With Cosby's deliverance, there's nothing quite like it. This is pure 100% vintage Cosby.

And I have you here two samples from this glorious album: Satisfaction and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. And while Satisfaction has the charm of being nowhere near the original song, my favourite is the latter. He's not quite singing here, but his voice goes well with trumpet flourish. I'm hooked.

Plus, how can you resist the album cover? It's got Cosby with a cigar, parted hair, and a tie with no shirt on. This is epic.

Via Frank's Vinyl Cafe

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Women Keep Your Virtue

My props to the actress in this sketch whose facial expressions really make this effective. This came from Harry Enfield's Television Programme, a hit 90s British sketch show that somehow escaped notice in North America. Perhaps it was too "British".

My favourite part of this particular sketch is where the woman begins to see men differently: as "dashing pilots and spunky chaps with hats at jaunty angles". Absolutely beautiful.

Funny enough, in a roundabout way, this also highlights everything I loathe about dating. When two people are "looking", there always comes a conflict of interest — where she is looking for something specific from the man, as is he. I know everyone talks about romance, but dating to me is a little too "business-like" for my tastes. It's like both people are constantly evaluating each other, and the evaluation almost never ends.

So we may laugh at this video and think to ourselves, "My, have things ever changed." But have they really? Too many women are looking to become complete. Too many men are looking for the next orgasm and don't bother to look at the long term consequences of that orgasm. Sometimes things work out and you get a marriage.

In the realm of sexual politics, the 1950s never really went away.

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My Pretty Filly

I discovered these girls yesterday when I did a search for "meat". Pretty much, there are a sketch comedy troupe with a taste for the bizarre. And they do a pretty bang up job too as you can see in the above clip.

It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks so. Meat (for that is their name) have been acclaimed by The Village Voice, Time Out Chicago, The Onion, amongst other alternative weeklies. The next time they are in Vancouver, I'm going to check them out.

Indeed, I'm very thankful I'm able to find a gang of women who thinks toy horses are as pretty as I do. I was beginning to think I was a pervert.

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Druggachusettes -- From Mr. Show

In my mind, Mr. Show is one of the most underrated sketch comedies ever produced and David Cross is one of the most underrated comedians living today. The above skit is proof. It's got everything: an absurd premise, potential to become overtly offensive, and just enough dose of reality to counter the fantasy.

Indeed, Drugachusettes would be a miserable children's show if actually produced. As I point out time and time again here, absurdity is by no means a guarantee that it isn't going to happen. If some misguided proponent for hallucinogens did decide to create a show for kids trying to raise awareness about the benefits thereof, I imagine it would look like this.

Herein lies the genius of Mr. Show. It may be silly, but not impossibly silly — and laughable if it came to pass. I miss that show.

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Man Banned from Touching Muscles

In one of the most bizarre criminal cases I've seen in quite some time, behold the sorry fate of Akinwale Arobieke, a 45-year-old man from Liverpool. The court has banned him from feeling people's muscles and asking them to exercise in public.

Merseyside Police applied to Liverpool Magistrates' Court for a Sexual Offences Prevention Order against Arobieke - despite the fact he has not been convicted of a sex crime...

Under the terms of the order Arobieke cannot touch, feel or measure muscles or ask people to do squat exercises in public. Neither can he approach or do paid or voluntary work with any young person under 18...

[H]e cannot loiter near educational establishments, gyms or sports clubs.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Merseyside | Man banned from touching muscles

I am not educated in legal affairs. However, it seems to me the judge got it all wrong in this case. It strikes me that if he has been convicted of 15 counts of harrassment in regards to "feeling people's muscles and asking them to exercise", he has an unhealthy fascination with muscles. Rather than simply punishing the fellow, he should be put under psychiatric evaluation. This isn't simple sexual deviation, and in fact, it is questionable whether there is sexual motivation at all.

Afterall, if he is treated as, let's say, an obsessive-compulsive, perhaps he won't ever harrass people again.