Top 10 perks of the Obama presidency

Top 10 perks of the Obama presidency…

1. Canadians no longer minding being called Americans when traveling abroad…and no longer necessary to pretend you're Canadian while traveling abroad.
2. Smartest guy in room now IS the President.
3. Drug companies begin search for compound to relieve new health problem: people suffering from repeated, uncontrollable sighs of relief. 
4. Citizens find days passing by quickly in a giddy lightheaded state (“Obamaraderie”).
   
5. Reporter-safe puppy. (Or, Barney's bites no longer make the news.)
6. Whitehouse now Cheney-Free zone…except for his eighth cousin, Barack Obama.
7. Having a president whose first language is English and has made a campaign promise to pronounce the word nuclear, nuclear.
8. Color blind citizens not annoyed by claim “We're all color-blind now.”
9. Warring African nations declare a "ceasefire minute" to celebrate.
   
10. Excuse that lipstick on collar is from “Some teary-eyed Obama supporter in line at Grocery store” accepted at face value by spouse.
    

1. Best of Obama humor on the web
2. Late-night comics' jokes about Obama
3. Obama's funny jokes from the campaign
4. All funny moments from the ’08 election season
5. …and the transcript of Obama's comedy roast at the Al Smith dinner

More benefits:

1. Oval Office 24-hour live video feed being installed in Oprah's house.
2. George Bush relaxes for the first time in nearly eight years, knowing someone who can handle the tough stuff will be stepping in.
3. Political humor writers happily begin searching for new lines of work.
4. Haircuts to show off Alfred E. Neuman ears are suddenly popular.
5. Having a president who will stick with us through thick and thin, and really looks the thin part.
   
6. Having a thin president probably more motivational than even “Super-size me” was to dieting fat citizens.
7. Our first black president since the first season of '24'
8. Having another inexperienced Illinois senator raise expectations
9. First president with a deadly, fade-away jumper
10. If we get kidnapped in a Middle Eastern country we can say we know Hussein and they might not behead us

From Late Night, the original Top Ten…

• Signs Barack Obama is Overconfident
• Barack Obama Campaign Promises
• Ways To Mispronounce Barack Obama

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Contributors:

• Wearable Jewelry Art  
• Bob Wood
• QuantumGood: Do Good
• Ryan Durham 
• Syrlinus
•  Jay

Nine easy ways to get a friend or family member interested in classical music (or to get started yourself)

It's that time of year again, and wouldn't you like to give some great music to family and friends? Or just somehow find a way to get them interested in classical music? But alas, some of them claim NOT to be interested in classical music. Despair not! Here are five CDs (1-5) and four articles (6-9) of which at least one is sure to bridge the gap!

1. The Most Popular Classical TV Themes in the Universe (CD)

Ever wonder which television program or commercial made which piece of music popular? Did you know that the Disney Cruises commercial used Monty Python's Flying Circus Theme, which is Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals? Or that Looney Toons used the Flying Dutchman Overture? They might also be interested to read Are you already listening to classical music, but didn't know it?


2. The Most Uplifting Classics in the Universe (CD)

If you need a mood uplift, this is one you'll want to have on hand. Includes works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Holst, Bruckner, Beethoven, Bach, and Vivaldi.


3. Classical Heat

Get your heart pumping with the first CD, with works by Holst, Verdi, Barber, Stravinsky, and Orff.

But what if you're looking for more of a romantic, passionate sound? That's what you'll find on the second CD of this two-CD set.


4. Classics: Greatest Hits

If you're buying (or already own) the first three albums, you'll appreciate knowing that the Greatest Hits CD does not duplicate any of the music on albums 1-3 recommended above.

These are additional, important pieces from classical music's key periods: baroque, classical, romantic, and 20th century. Familiar works like the "Blue Danube Waltz" and Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" will capture the attention of any newcomer.

5. Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music

Tried everything without success? Try this. Includes fantastic recordings of Dvorak's 9th Symphony second movement and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, and makes an excellent addition to most collections.

Aaron Green, About.com's Classical Music Guide weeded through hundreds of CDs and recommended these five. Thanks, Aaron!

6. For people who want to learn, but don't know where to start. This is a crash course in the greatest composers and greatest music that can be followed in  a few minutes here and there from your computer. They may also like this guide to terminology and recommended books for those new to classical music.

7. For people who don't realize they are already listening to classical music.Everyone should check this out! Guaranteed to teach you fascinating things you didn't know. This collection of links and information covers how a lot of popular songs have been based on classical music, where many of the great classics appear in which movies, and which pieces of classical music have had the greatest impact on contemporary culture.

8. For people who really like certain instruments more than others, check out the Instruments of Classical Music Series: each CD is a classical music collection focusing on a single instrument: Harpsichord; Flute; Oboe; Trumpet; Horn; Violin; Cello; Piano; Organ; Guitar and Lute (okay, that last one is two instruments).

9. Still not working? Lighten up! Here's a collection of humorous quotes from Eugene Ormandy, the Yogi Berra of the Orchestra, such as:

• “Why do you always insist on playing while I'm trying to conduct?”
• “During the rests -- pray."
• “I never say what I mean but I always manage to say something similar.”

To keep abreast of news and interesting links on Classical Music, visit or subscribe to @Classical_Music on Twitter. Want an RSS feed of just Classical Music posts? Here you go!

Another Twitter “who’s who” becomes popular

Twitter Grader claims to measure the “relative power of a Twitter user.”

If you're trying to find people by topic, Twellow.com is a great place to start. (Results are sorted by whoever has the most followers first.) And TwinInfluence.com claims to measure the combined influence of twitterers and their followers, as does Twitterank.com. But if you're looking for more of a “Who's who,” TwitterGrader.com seems to be a good place to start.

One of the nice things on TwitterGrader.com is their suggestions of who to follow. Just enter your own twitter ID in to get graded, and a list of suggestions is automatically generated. Refresh the page for more suggestions.

Looking for gift ideas? Got gift ideas to share? Send them to @FunGiftIdeas on Twitter!

Okay, you'll to spend the 90 seconds it takes to get a Twitter account to do this if you don't have one already … 


This is a place to find and share interesting gift ideas. If you'd like to add the ideas to your feed reader, here's the gift ideas feed link.

The place to visit is twitter.com/FunGiftIdeas, or, if you have a Twitter account, you can just follow/send to @FunGiftIdeas.

Probably not every link will be accepted, and there will be a limit on how many new links will be shared each day so it doesn't get overwhelming. Here are the 15 most recent gift suggestions, and below that, a photo frame you can win:

Eugene Ormandy, the Yogi Berra of the Orchestra

From 1938 until 1980, Eugene Ormandy was musical director for the Philadelphia orchestra, famous for his inspired direction and style...and also for his humorous verbal attempts, such as: “I never say what I mean but I always manage to say something similar.”

The orchestra collected their favorites, and here are a few of mine:

• “During the rests -- pray."
• “Why do you always insist on playing while I'm trying to conduct?”
• “Mahler wrote it as the third movement of his Fourth Symphony. I mean the fourth movement of his First Symphony. We play it third. The trumpet solo will be played by our solo trumpet player.”
• “Let me explain what I do here. I don't want to confuse you any more than absolutely necessary.”
• “I don't mean to make you nervous, but unfortunately I have to”
• “Thank you for your cooperation and vice versa.”
• “If you don't have it in your part, leave it out, because there is enough missing already.”
• “It's difficult to remember when you haven't played it before.”
• “We can't hear the balance yet because the soloist is still on the airplane.”
• “Please follow me because I have to follow him and he isn't here.”
• “Percussion, a little louder." / "We don't have anything." / "That's right, play it louder.”
• “That's the way Stravinsky was. Bup, bup, bup, bup. The poor guy's dead now. Play it legato.”
• “The notes are right, but if I listened they would be wrong.”
• “Who is sitting in that empty chair?”
• “The next movement is still in the factory.”
• “Don't ever follow me, because I am difficult.”
• “It is not as difficult as I thought it was, but it is harder than it is.”
• “Start beforty-two.”
• “Start three bars before something.”
• “Start at B. Yes. No. Yes. No.”
• “Did you play? It sounded very good.”
• “It has no rhythm, but it will because it's so much faster.”
• “Tonight I'm going to listen with my ears.”
• “Long note? Yes. Make it seem short.”
• “It's all very well to have principles, but when it comes to money you have to be flexible.”

And although he also said, “Death is an awful thing. I don't believe in it myself.” Eugene Ormandy died in 1985, and we will miss him.

For a much longer collection of his quotes, see the Arizona State University's collection of Eugene Ormandy quotes.

To keep abreast of news and interesting links on Classical Music, visit or subscribe to @Classical_Music on Twitter.  Want an RSS feed of just Classical Music posts? Here you go!