Here is the one-hundred-and-fortieth edition of Tom Nob’s Thursday Notes. TN2 serves as a brief summary of what good humor we have found during the past week plus some suggestions for the upcoming weekend.

New Films

Damsels in Distress

New Books

Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore

New Comedy

Jo Koy: Lights Out

JB Smoove: That’s How I Dooz It

And Finally

Last week we discussed the apparent lack of creativity and original, good ideas.   No sooner had we typed those words then we came across an article in the Thursday, March 29, edition of the Wall Street Journal.  Will Rogers, the great American humorist, would always say:  “All I know is what I read in the papers.”   And we too find that many of the humorous situations that we like to report on start as articles  from the papers, often from what would be considered unlikely sources, and then we add our own unique spin.  However, the article we referenced above, written by Sarah Nassauer, was so perfect that there was no way could paraphrase it or otherwise re-write it without destroying the droll brilliance that pervades virtually every sentence.   Again, we claim no copyright, authorship or ownership of this content.

‘Larry,’ Quaker of Oatmeal Fame, Gets a Makeover – WSJ

The rosy-cheeked, white-haired man smiling out at you from the Quaker Oatmeal box is getting a haircut, losing some weight and dropping about five years from his age.

Known among insiders as “Larry,” the venerable Quaker man on the logo is getting a makeover as part of a wider effort by owner PepsiCo Inc. to reinvigorate the brand globally. It hopes to keep the 134-year-old brand “fresh and innovative,” says Justin Lambeth, Quaker’s chief marketing officer.

Consumers associate the logo and brand with heritage, trust, and quality, says Patrick Rowell, director of strategy for Hornall Anderson, Quaker’s brand-design firm. And today, people associate oatmeal with “energy and healthy choices,” he says.

To signal these qualities in the logo without losing a sense of history, Hornall Anderson made small adjustments. (The firm won’t say how much it was paid for the revamp.)

Larry now shows his shoulders, making him seem stronger and more vibrant, says Michael Connors, Hornall Anderson’s vice president of design. Trimming his hair makes him look lighter and his neck longer. “It’s the same neck,” says Mr. Connors, but the haircut “makes him look thinner.”

Hornall Anderson also removed his double chin and smoothed the rolls and plumpness in his face and neck. “We took about five pounds off him,” says Mr. Connors.

Quaker didn’t want to make him look too young, so he still has crow’s feet and “a little sparkle in his eye,” says Mr. Connors

The color red is prominent in the new logo. Two blocks in slightly different tones form the backdrop. The shift in shades “adds a sense of movement,” says Mr. Connors.

The logo’s new shape, and a band of gold along the bottom chevron suggest “a seal of quality” on every box, says Mr. Rowell. They also added “Est 1877″ to reinforce a message of tradition, quality and trust.

Subtlety was a primary aim. The “goal is not to have anyone notice that he is different,” says Mr. Connors.”

Go to the WSJ web site and see the before-and-after images and you too will see that they succeeded completely in their mission to make changes that no will notice.    Now that’s mad, man.

And Finally…

This time we really mean it. Over the past few weeks we have suggested some themes of the past year that could define 2011. There is no doubt, however, that the most compelling legacy of 2011 will be that this was the year that the dictators got their just desserts. The rogues gallery of deposed despicables is of unprecedented length: Ben Ali of Tunisia, Mubarak of Egypt, Saleh of Yemen, Gaddafi of Libya, and Kim of North Korea. Others teeter on the brink; we’re looking at you Assad. While the actions (or lack thereof) of “leaders” in the Western world will certainly cause many to question the true value of democracy, there can be no doubt that it is far better to be governed by fools than to be ground underfoot. Our sincere hope for the new year is that this theme continues in force and that millions more will be able to choose their own destiny, no matter how dysfunctional it may be. With this in mind, we share with you a television ad that is not only topical but the funniest we saw this year. It features one individual in particular that we hope will be dispatched to the dustbin of ignominy as quickly as possible………

If there truly is a funny bone in the human body, clearly it is not the fibula.  We can say this with a high level of certainty because this is the one bone that Erik Stolhanske was born without and he is a funny fella.  For those of you who have enjoyed Erik in the Broken Lizard films (Super Troopers, Beerfest) or have been sentenced to perform P90X (which we thought was a radio station with bands like Van Halen and Korn in heavy rotation) you may not have noticed that he has done it all with a wooden leg.  And he wants to prove it to you in person.  Erik has just launched a nationwide speaking tour during which he will be bringing his humorous and motivating story to students and organizations in a town near you.  Be sure to check out his new web site (http://www.erikstolhanske.net) if you want him to speak to your group or find out where to see him live and in the flesh.  Just don’t tell him to break a leg…those things are expensive.

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Here is the seventy-fourth edition of Tom Nob’s Thursday Notes. TN2 serves as a brief summary of what good humor we have found during the past week plus some suggestions for the upcoming weekend.

It’s the week before Christmas and nothing is stirring in terms of new releases worth mentioning so let’s proceed straight to….

And Finally

Shopping for Christmas presents has got us thinking (always a scary proposition) about how the attitudes toward children have changed over the past 100 years.  Go back to the dawn of the 20th century and, in general, children were tolerated at best and often regarded as free labor either in the fields or in the factories.  While we are sure that children of that era looked forward to Christmas with eagerness, there existed a real and present peril that a misbehaving child could realistically end up with a lump of coal in their stocking, no presents, or even something worse.

Flash forward 100 years and children have been placed on pedestals.  It seems highly unlikely that the children of today truly believe that Santa Claus has a naughty list because no child knows of anyone who has been denied the bounty of Christmas morning for behaving badly.  Indeed, it often seems that the most disobedient take in the greatest haul of presents.  What happened?

An entire dissertation by a graduate student could be written (and probably has been multiple times – we were too lazy to fact-check) but the answer can be condensed down to one word:  Disney.  While he was probably just the right person at the right time, what Walt Disney “accomplished” was to convert the useful, cautionary tales of the Grimm Brothers (common theme – ‘you’d better watch out or else’) into technicolor tales of cute woodland creatures, quirky small men, handsome princes, toe-tapping tunes, and happy endings.  It is virtually impossible to understate the impact.  Instead of being scared straight, the tots of today are led to believe (especially the girls) that they not just deserving, but even entitled, to a fairy tale life.

Which brings us to the lovable oaf who is considered responsible for the loot of Christmas morn:  Santa Claus.  Good ol’ Kris Kringle has gone through many manifestations over the centuries in many countries but all roads lead to Saint Nicholas, a 3rd-century Greek who served as a bishop in modern-day Turkey.  Long before there were elves and reindeer with red noses living at the North Pole, Saint Nicholas was revered for helping a poor Christian man who had three daughters for whom he could not afford a proper dowry which meant that they would remain unmarried and probably would have to become prostitutes.  Hearing of the poor man’s plight, Nicholas went to his house under the cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening into the man’s house.  Hence, today’s stocking hung with care.

Another legend tells of a malicious butcher who lured three little children into his house, where he slaughtered and butchered them, placing their remains in a pickle barrel to cure, planning to sell them off as ham.   Nicholas saw through the butcher’s horrific crime and resurrected the three boys from the barrel by his prayers.  Thus, the tradition of the pickle ornament.

Where are going with this?  Well, it got us wondering where we go next with the Christmas story (at least the part of it that has nothing to do with its namesake, Christ).  The continued path toward the saccharine sweet or a reversion to the cautionary (i.e., a climate changed Satan Claws)?  Put on your creative thinking caps and let us know what you think the story of Christmas will be circa 2110.  In the mean time, happy holidays, you spoiled brats.

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Here is the fifty-eighth edition of Tom Nob’s Thursday Notes. TN2 serves as a brief summary of what good humor we have found during the past week plus some suggestions for the upcoming weekend.

This week’s highlighted items have a common “U.N.” theme.

New Films

Two films this week have their U.S. release.  The first is Nanny McPhee Returns (also known as Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang in its native England).  Emma Thompson and crew return in what has been described as charming caper that is suitable for most kids and not too tedious for adults.  The second film is Soul Kitchen, a funky dark comedy from Germany that is getting good reviews.

New TV Show

The ‘kids’ are back!  Not the New Kids on the Block but the Kids in the Hall.  The wacky Canadian troupe finally gets the U.S. release of their mini-series, The Kids in the Hall:  Death Comes to Town.

And Finally

In keeping with the U.N. theme, we came across the following earlier this week.  Our compliments to College Humor for finding at least one way to make Facebook entertaining.

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Here is the forty-seventh edition of Tom Nob’s Thursday Notes. TN2 serves as a brief summary of what good humor we have found during the past week plus some suggestions for the upcoming weekend.

New Films

The list of films that have been derived from skits on Saturday Night Live is very long and highly erratic.  This weekend we get the latest installment, MacGruber, and by early accounts not only does it not suck but may actually be quite funny.  If that does not float your boat then you have another strong alternative in Solitary Man, a dramatic comedy starring Michael Douglas.

New TV Show

Check it Out!  With Dr. Steve Brule

New Audio

Mike Phirman:  The Very Last Songs I Will Ever Record (Part I) – preview the album

Reggie Watts:  Why S*** So Crazy? – preview the album

And Finally

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost twenty years since the last great SNL-derived film, Wayne’s World.   Here are some classic scenes from that film.

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Here is the twenty-sixth edition of Tom Nob’s Thursday Notes. TN2 serves as a brief summary of what good humor we have found during the past week plus some suggestions for the upcoming weekend.

New Films

After the Thanksgiving lull, we have a couple of decent options in the theaters this weekend.  The first, and probably best, is Up In The Air by the director (Jason Reitman) of Juno and starring George Clooney.  The second is Everybody’s Fine with an all-star cast led by Robert De Niro.

New TV Season

Scrubs – season 9, watch full episodes

New Audio

Doug Stanhope:  From Across The Street – listen to the entire album

Tom Wilson:  Bigger Than You – listen to the entire album

And Finally…

During this holiday season we would like to share with you some classic clips from the days of yore. Today’s offering comes from The Mr. Bill Show.

If the song Teen Angst had been composed today, then most likely Cracker would be singing the following lyrics:

Cause, what the world needs now
is another humor blog
like I need a hole in my head.

And with that, yet another humor blog is born.

At Tom Nob we are continuously engaged in the hunting, gathering and organizing of the best available humor for your entertainment. The purpose of this blog is to highlight what we have found and, when appropriate, add some timely commentary and/or prompt a discussion. We encourage you to join in the conversation.

You can rest assured that there will be an ample supply of gobblygook but we’ll do our best to not be too boring. And hopefully we’ll all escape without a hole in the the head.