Today's Joke

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:38 pm

Good one Keith, and of course thanks to Ed.
Just wondered why Ed doesn't add these gems himself though?

Marian

anna · Post by **anna** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:01 am

WONDERFUL!!!!

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:01 pm

Ours is a collaborative arrangement, Marian.
Ed emails the basic text to me and I bring my
editorial shammy to bear on it, thus we are enabled
to present a polished version for the reading
pleasure of the forum. Ed provides the material,
I merely add some lustre to it.
Changing the subject, the new poet laureate
is Carol Ann Duffy. The first woman to occupy the poetry
hot seat.
On The One Show last night Sandy Toksvig presented
an item on the subject. She said that whoever was
appointed, she hoped they would be witty, relevant
and articulate. She went on to say, 'We need an articulated
laure ...' At which point her voice trailed off.

Keith

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Fri May 01, 2009 3:18 pm

Thank you for your explanation Keith, I now understand your literary partnership with Ed.

I saw the article with Sandy Toksvig last night on The One Show, but didn't know who had been appointed Poet Laureate, so thankyou for that information too. Interesting to see how a woman gets on in the role.

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Fri May 01, 2009 8:54 pm

Thanks for the correct spelling of Sandy's name, Marian.
I knew I would get it wrong. Carol Ann Duffy is an excellent
poet, and comprehensible. Modern stuff is much too academic
and obscure, which explains why verse has suffered a loss
of popularity. I think the new laureate will be a success,
however I don't envy her having to write to order; that
can be a writing nightmare.
Keith

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Fri May 01, 2009 9:11 pm

I hadn't even noticed your spelling of Sandy's name Keith, so I wasn't correcting you in any way.

I wonder, do you know if when the Poet Laureate has to write to order, is he/she given the subject matter?

Marian

usafret · Post by **usafret** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:10 pm

HI MARIAN --SOME OF THE JOKES THAT I SEND KEITH ARE RATHER RISQUE, AND OF COURSE HE KNOW THE BRITISH SEMSE OF HUMOR BETTER THAN I

BEST
ED

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Sat May 02, 2009 12:07 am

I think that Sandi Toksvig is one of the funniest ladies ever.

I loved watching her on "Whose line is it any way" with Josie Lawrence.

And I vaguely remember her doing a doc umentary , sailing round the coast of England--with someone else, but I forget who.

And I think she did a programme about Denmark at one time.

And of course "Call my Bluff"--she was a natural. Very witty and clever.

Marian · Post by **Marian** » Sat May 02, 2009 7:54 am

Hi Ed,
I'm sure you can be assured that your jokes wouldn't offend anyone here, but it is nice that Keith screens them for you.
We are a pretty tough skinned bunch you know!

Anyway, keep 'em coming!

Always a pleasure to see you on the forum.

I agree Marian, Sandi Toksvig is a very entertaining and talented lady.

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Sat May 02, 2009 9:36 am

Hi Marian
The poet laureateship (the poisoned chalice I call it)
is, to fall victim to another cliche, a double-edge sword.
She will have been assured that she will not be required
to mark a big royal occasion with a verse. However,
royal eyebrows would be raised in the absence of a poem
in the event of Prince Charles becoming king, for example.
Her raison d'etre, though, will be to promote poetry in
general. I shall post extracts from her work on the poetry thread.
Keith

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Sun May 03, 2009 11:32 am

'BETTER THAN I'

Hats off to our Ed,
a grammarian on the quiet,
for my spirits rose when I read
that Ed got the pronoun right;
I fess up to a double take
because 'better than me' is penned
as the customary mistake.
Well done Ed, my forum friend,
I do not mean to patronise,
but your stature now I contend
has grown even higher in my eyes.

Keith

PS On a technical note, the use of 'i'
or 'me' is dependent on whether it is
a subject or object pronoun in a sentence.

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Sun May 03, 2009 11:55 am

It is sometimes tricky to know if "I" or "me" is correct, but I always follow it in my mind with a verb, and then it becomes clear---

as in "Better than I " [am]
or "Better than I " [do]

and then it is obvious that "Better than me" is wrong !

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Sun May 03, 2009 6:17 pm

Excellent, Marian(a).

Your 'better than I'
spry explanation
is better than my
dry information.

Keith

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Sun May 03, 2009 8:49 pm

Thank you for that , Keith.

You may not think it now, but English Language was one of my favourite lessons at school--I loved the parsing and the analysing--although now I cannot even remember what they were !

keithgood838 · Post by **keithgood838** » Mon May 04, 2009 12:42 pm

BEWAILING BLOODYMINDEDNESS

A journalist on a visit to the Wailing Wall
in Jerusalem notices an old man praying.
He respectfully waits till the worshipper
has concluded his entreaties and interviews him.
The old man explains that he has been praying
there for 60 years.
'What do you pray for?'
'I pray for love, peace and unity
between Jews, Muslims and Christians.'
'And how does it feel?'
'Like talking to a bloody brick wall!'

Keith