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Funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival crowned

<p>The funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival has been crowned, with the top ten hilarious quips also receiving honourable mentions. </p> <p>Thousands of performers flock to Scotland's capital each year to entertain and delight crowds at the Fringe in all areas of the arts, including live comedy. </p> <p>For the last 15 years, British entertainment channel U&amp;Dave, owned by British broadcaster UKTV, has handed out the "Funniest Joke of the Fringe Award" by popular vote. </p> <p>Despite coming up against fierce competition, comedian Mark Simmons won with his joke, "I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship but I bottled it."</p> <p>A panel that included leading UK comedy critics and comedians attended hundreds of shows across the festival and submitted their 10 top jokes, before a shortlist of gags were anonymised was presented to 2,000 members of the British public to vote on the one that evoked the most laughter.</p> <p>Upon winning the prestigious award, Simmons, who was at the Fringe celebrating his 10 year anniversary as a stand-up comedian, said, "I'm really chuffed to win U&amp;Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe. I needed some good news as I was just fired from my job marking exam papers, can't understand it, I always gave 110%."</p> <p>Check out the list of the top ten jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as voted by the public below. </p> <p>1. "I was going to sail around the globe in the world's smallest ship but I bottled it." Mark Simmons</p> <p>2. "I've been taking salsa lessons for months, but I just don't feel like I'm progressing. It's just one step forward… two steps back." Alec Snook</p> <p>3. "Ate horse at a restaurant once - wasn't great. Starter was all right but the mane was dreadful." Alex Kitson</p> <p>4. "I sailed through my driving test. That's why I failed it." Arthur Smith</p> <p>5. "I love the Olympics. My friend and I invented a new type of relay baton: well, he came up with the idea, I ran with it." Mark Simmons</p> <p>6. "My dad used to say to me 'Pints, gallons, liters' – which, I think, speaks volumes." Olaf Falafel</p> <p>7. "British etiquette is confusing. Why is it highbrow to look at boobs in an art gallery but lowbrow when I get them out in Spoons?" Chelsea Birkby</p> <p>8. "I wanted to know which came first the chicken or the egg so I bought a chicken and then I bought an egg and I think I've cracked it." Masai Graham</p> <p>9. "My partner told me that she'd never seen the film Gaslight. I told her that she definitely had." Zoë Coombs Marr</p> <p>10. "The conspiracy theory about the moon being made of cheese was started by the hallouminati." Olaf Falafel</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

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The funniest reactions to Perrottet’s baby announcement

<p dir="ltr">Newly-minted NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced on Sunday night that he and his wife Helen are expecting their seventh child, a girl, due next year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Posting to Facebook, Perrottet wrote, “Exciting family news.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our family photo wall is going to need another frame! Helen and I are thrilled to announce we have a little girl due next year.</p> <p dir="ltr">“With five sisters already, William is looking on the bright side - more bench depth on the family basketball team.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition to well wishes, many people saw the opportunity to rib the Premier about the number of children he and his wife have had.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Waiting for Josh Frydenberg to ask Dan Andrews why he only has 3 kids when Dom Perrottet is about to have 7</p> — Thor (@thunderson23) <a href="https://twitter.com/thunderson23/status/1449697699960279049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Some social media users pointed out how different the response might be if the Premier were a woman; anyone who remembers the commentary around Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s marital and parental status will understand that frustration.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">So, if Dominic Perrottet was a woman, we'd be questioning how he was going to run a state with a new bub...let alone having 7 young kids total...<br /><br />Amirite?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ManPinions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ManPinions</a></p> — No one, because nobody cares (@gabs247) <a href="https://twitter.com/gabs247/status/1449867186999201795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">One Facebook commenter wrote, “How is he going to balance a newborn and his job as Premier? Why didn’t he think this through before signing up? Wow, journalists should have asked him if he was planning on having a baby whilst in office, then no one would have chosen him as premier. Silly little boy, keep your legs closed.” while another said, “Trying to have it all, I see. Maybe he should take a break from his job to focus better on his family”.</p> <p dir="ltr">While some saw the opportunity for political humour and ran with it…</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Atleast in 19 years time he’ll be able to use his children for all the branch stacking 😂</p> — Patrick Malone (@pattymalone2000) <a href="https://twitter.com/pattymalone2000/status/1449668654128267271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Dominic Perrottet has announced his wife is pregnant with their seventh child. <br /><br />He is a Liberal but his wife has always been in Labour.<br />🤔🤔🤔🥴🥴🥴🥴</p> — Barry Mulligan (@BazzaCC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BazzaCC/status/1449867488104050689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">...others seized their chance to be a bit more crude.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">He doesn’t put the Dom in condom</p> — BEERBOY-182 🍹 (@beerboy182) <a href="https://twitter.com/beerboy182/status/1449679608668852225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Perrottet and his wife already have six children - five girls and one boy. When asked earlier this month how he would juggle being Premier with family responsibilities, he acknowledged it would be demanding, and that finding a balance was a struggle for every working parent. He added, “Ultimately, what I might lose in time, I gain in perspective”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Dominic Perrottet/Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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13 of the funniest obituaries that really exist

<p><strong>Tickled to death</strong><br />Gosh, people really do just stop in their tracks to be quietly amazed and entertained by the people they love, and then file that image away to later craft into funny obituaries and eulogies capable of bringing down the house. Some of these are so pithy they should be written in stone (and some of them were – to make the funniest tombstones that actually exist).</p> <p><strong>“It pains me to admit it, but apparently I have passed away.”</strong><br />“Everyone told me it would happen one day, but that’s simply not something I wanted to hear, much less experience,” Emily DeBrayda Phillips goes on to explain. Emily DeBrayda Phillips’ obituary is hilariously self-written and self-aware about her existence and end: “If you want to, you can look for me in the evening sunset or with the earliest spring daffodils or among the flitting and fluttering butterflies. You know I’ll be there in one form or another. Of course, that will probably be comfort to some while antagonising others, but you know me…it’s what I do.” She concludes with simple instructions: “If you don’t believe it, just ask me. Oh wait, I’m afraid it’s too late for questions. Sorry.”</p> <p><strong>“Her last words were ‘tell them that check is in the mail.’”</strong><br />Jean Larroux III and Hayden Hoffman decided to honour their mother, notable Waffle House patron (and library fine-avoider) Antonia “Toni” Larroux, with an obituary that reads like a standup set. “We started to write a normal [obituary],” Larroux III told HuffPost, before realising “mum would be so ashamed.” Some of its greatest hits include, “She conquered polio as a child, contributing to the nickname ‘polio legs,’ given by her ex-husband. It should not be difficult to imagine the reasons for their divorce 35+ years ago,” and, “She considered Aaron Burrell a distant grandson (not distant enough).” However, the siblings rounded out the seemingly blithe memorial with a rather moving annotation: “On a last but serious note, the woman who loved her life and taught her children to ‘laugh at the days to come’ is now safely in the arms of Jesus and dancing at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Anyone wearing black will not be admitted to the memorial. She is not dead. She is alive.” Who is cutting onions in here?</p> <p><strong>“Bill Brown finally stopped bugging everybody.”</strong><br />Rabblerouser Bill Brown’s obituary details his lifelong commitment to mischief, all the way up until he roused his last rabble in October 2013. Notable rabble: “Right to the end, he would do things like racing to beat other oldsters to empty chairs,” and meeting his wife, Ruth, while “trying to scare neighbour kids by acting like a barking dog when he threw open the front door, only to find himself barking at the Avon lady.”</p> <p><strong>“Your father is a very sick man.” “You have no idea.”</strong><br />There is no better legacy than a laugh – and Joe Heller and his daughters all know it. When Heller was born, his daughters note, “God thankfully broke the mould.” The daughters go on to profile the lifelong jester: “His mother was not immune to his pranks as he named his first dog ‘Fart’ so she would have to scream his name to come home. … The family encourages you to don the most inappropriate t-shirt that you are comfortable being seen in public with, as Joe often did.”</p> <p><strong>“Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Mary Anne chose to pass into the eternal love of God.”</strong><br />A regular Jane like me or you, Ms Mary Anne Alfriend Noland passed just six months before the 2016 election, to which her obituary references an extreme aversion. She was born, raised, and now rests in Virginia, USA – a swing state.</p> <p><strong>“Jesus had a backache only the world’s greatest chiropractor could fix.”</strong><br />Well, it appears Jesus had what could only be described as an unholy kink in his back, and Dr Mark Flanagan was there to make a house call. Not only was Dr Flanagan described as the “world’s greatest chiropractor,” but he also had “more dolphin paraphernalia than a gift shop at one of those places with actual dolphins.”</p> <p><strong>“Take magazines you’ve already read to your doctor’s office. Do not tear off the mailing label, ‘Because if someone wants to contact me, that would be nice.’”</strong><br />This is less the funniest obituary you’ll ever read and more the sweetest obituary you’ll ever read. Mary “Pink” Mullaney’s obituary is chock-full of advice from both the most lovable and loving soul to grace God’s green Earth, apparently: “If a possum takes up residence in your shed, grab a barbecue brush to coax him out. If he doesn’t leave, brush him for 20 minutes and let him stay. Go to church with a chicken sandwich in your purse. Give the chicken sandwich to a homeless friend after mass. Go to a nursing home and kiss everyone. Put picky-eating children at the bottom of the laundry shoot, tell them they are hungry lions in a cage, and feed them veggies through the slats.”</p> <p><strong>“First Church of God, which she attended for 60 years in spite of praise music and A/V presentations.”</strong><br />Betty Jo Passmore passed away in 2014, and her obituary recounts her love of her family, mystery novels, and dark chocolate – and her absolute ire for praise music and A/V presentations. That Ms Passmore used her final stamp on this earthly world to drag out a lifelong beef just a little longer is hilarious and iconic.</p> <p><strong>“Who the h*** taught her to fly?”</strong><br />Lois Ann Harry’s obituary exposes her as a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Originally from Idaho Falls – or is she?—Harry’s last confirmed sighting reports her departure from the Homestead wearing dark glasses and an ushanka. “Authorities are baffled by the disappearance of the 88-year-old woman, how she gained access to the aircraft, and who the h*** taught her how to fly,” the obituary reads. Even more baffling are her children’s contradictory assertions of her life: some swear she’s a pastry chef and freelance food critic, a professional gambler and race car driver, a square dancer, a botanist who ran a chain of recreational marijuana dispensaries in Washington state, and more. Ever a woman of mystery, she “loved her life, family, and friends but would prefer that you not follow her to Bermuda.”</p> <p><strong>“She wants her gold teeth back from the dentist that yanked them – those were HERS to keep.”</strong><br />This is exactly the kind of witticism you would expect in the obituary of someone who also requested “Another One Bites the Dust” be played at her funeral. Even more charming, Karen Short was affectionally referred to as “Hot Dog Lady” by the students who frequented her hot dog stand. Give Hot Dog Lady her gold teeth back! But overall, it’s actually a very moving, very touching obituary.</p> <p><strong>“She loved [her family] more than anything else in the world…except cold Budweiser, room temperature Budweiser, mopeds, fall foliage, the OJ chase and the OJ trial.”</strong><br />Jan Lois Lynch of Massachusetts was a woman of eclectic interests and sublime taste. Her aforementioned life’s loves sound like all the ingredients of an ideal Thursday afternoon. Plus, Ms Lynch’s sons note, “Dangling her feet over a 5,000-foot cliff at the edge of the Grand Canyon so she could ‘see what it felt like to feel the fear,’ taught us all the really good things in life are beyond the ‘Do Not Enter’ signs.” This is a woman after my own heart.</p> <p><strong>“Doug died”</strong><br />Douglas Legler of Fargo, North Dakota passed away in June 2015, but not before penning his own obituary, a testament to the adage “brevity is the soul of wit.”</p> <p><strong>“‘Triple Gemini!’ she shrieked. ‘How do you cope?’”</strong><br />When longtime Rolling Stone editor Harriet Fier passed in 2018, an obituary in the Washington Post chronicled her colourful and interesting life. It even included a brief anecdote about her unique Woodstock experience: “I spent the whole next morning picking up garbage because I felt bad about leaving a big mess.” However, the most entertaining part of her obituary is in reference to her landing at Rolling Stone: “As Ms Fier told friends, she had no firm direction after college and might well have attended law school if she had not joined Rolling Stone, where getting a job in the early 1970s required little more than a certain alignment in the stars. Interview paperwork asked for an applicant’s sun, moon and rising signs. ‘I didn’t know the difference, so I wrote Gemini on all three,’ Ms Fier recounted. Her answer was apparently good enough – although she startled the woman who took her form. ‘Triple Gemini!’ she shrieked. ‘How do you cope?’”</p> <p class="p1"><em>Written by Caroline Fanning. This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/humour/13-of-the-funniest-obituaries-that-really-exist?pages=1"><span class="s1">Reader’s Digest</span></a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.com.au/subscribe"><span class="s1">here’s our best subscription offer</span></a>.</em></p>

Mind

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5 funniest words added to the dictionary in the last decade

<p>Language is used to decipher the world in which we live, and that world is ever-changing. So are the words we use to describe it. Dictionaries keep track of words that are important enough to make the cut, including the seemingly strange ones that are culturally relevant at a certain point in time. In the past decade, some of those words have been downright funny. Why? Elin Asklöv, a language expert at Babbel, explains it’s because “we have a feeling they’re made up, and it’s funny to see them in a serious context in a dictionary, when in reality, all words are made up.” Here are a few recent additions to some very serious dictionaries that might surprise you – and make you giggle.</p> <p><strong>Meh</strong></p> <p>In our fast-paced, tech-driven world, it can be tempting to shorten your words, especially when writing online. Social media has a big influence on language, according to Asklöv. Meh is essentially the verbal equivalent of shrugging. It might sound surprising that such a meh word was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but Asklöv isn’t surprised. “A lot of the words they’re adding come from informal settings, like through social media,” she explains. “It then travels to other types of media, gains popularity and becomes common enough to be added to the dictionary.”</p> <p><strong>Twerking</strong></p> <p>Merriam-Webster, which added this word in 2015, defines twerking as “sexually suggestive dancing characterised by rapid, repeated hip thrusts and shaking of the buttocks especially while squatting.” That may be the least hip way to describe twerking, says Kevin Lockett, author of The Digital Handbook 2020. But despite the clinical definition of the dance that was popularised by Miley Cyrus, Lockett gives kudos to the dictionary for including the word at all. After all, even though it seems like a silly thing to put in a formal book of language, twerking has – for better or worse – been culturally important to an entire generation.</p> <p><strong>Bromance</strong></p> <p>This word melds bro and romance to encapsulate “a close non-sexual friendship between men,” according to Merriam-Webster. Bromances are categorised by back-slap hugs and exchanges of “I love you, man,” with the emphasis on man. Asklöv points out that from a traditional gender-role perspective, the concept of a bromance is comical – and maybe a bit mocking. Right or wrong, that’s because it characterises a close relationship and emotions that men typically (or, rather, stereotypically) don’t show. But once a bromance is official, men can let their friendship flag fly.</p> <p><strong>Coot</strong></p> <p>This word has two meanings: an aquatic bird and an eccentric old man. The nature of the bird – small and unassuming – has been adopted to describe an older person of simple manners. But it’s usually used in conjunction with the word crazy, so it’s not quite as innocuous as that definition may sound. If you see such a person talking to himself near the coot pond, don’t worry – he’s just a crazy old coot. Although this word has been in existence since the 15th century, it was only added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014.</p> <p><strong>Scrumdiddlyumptious</strong></p> <p>You might be able to guess what this word means, but let’s see what the experts have to say. “Extremely scrumptious, excellent, splendid; (esp. of food) delicious” is how the Oxford English Dictionary defines it. This word was first used by novelist Roald Dahl and popularised in <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</em>, and it was added to the dictionary in 2016.</p> <p><em>Written by Isabelle Tavares. This article first appeared in </em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/our-language/12-funniest-words-added-to-the-dictionary-in-the-last-decade?slide=all"><em>Reader’s Digest</em></a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer.</em></a><span><em> </em></span></p>

Art

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5 of the funniest tweets from actor Sam Neill

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Actor and wine maker Sam Neill has taken to Twitter with ease, much to the delight of his fans and other celebrities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jurassic Park</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> actor frequently documents life on his farm with his animals that have names of celebrities as an “insurance policy”. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It doesn’t always end well,” he told </span><a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/sam-neill-farm-animals-interview.html">Vulture.</a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Meryl Streep was killed by a ferret recently … Hugo Weaving was another unfortunate end, but he died happy. He was a ram. He was doing what rams do — he fell off the back of a female sheep.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also shares videos of his grandson, as seen below.</span></p> <p><strong>1. Sam playing with his grandson</strong></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">My grandson . Hilarious . Great kid . Don't worry ...picks himself up, laughs and back into it . <a href="https://t.co/cyuOOHfztO">pic.twitter.com/cyuOOHfztO</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1121741516031057920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">26 April 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a popular tweet by fans, but you have to watch until the end to really appreciate it. </span></p> <p><strong>2. Getting angry at James Corden for being a “murderer”</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Neill played Mr McGreggor in the reboot of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peter Rabbit</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, who met an unfortunate end thanks to Peter, who is voiced by Corden.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He let his anger be known in the tweet below, calling Corden a “murderer” and that he has “no idea why HE’S [Peter Rabbit] the hero &amp; not old Mr.McG.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Spent this morning listening to the excellent <a href="https://twitter.com/JKCorden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JKCorden</a> as Peter, voicing the Badger for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PeterRabbit2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PeterRabbit2</a>. I couldn't be Old Mr. McGregor again because ...well...he died . Peter Rabbit's fault. No idea why HE's the hero &amp; not old Mr.McG. Peter Rabbit MURDERER ! <a href="https://t.co/ubx5jV9U1A">pic.twitter.com/ubx5jV9U1A</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1151684396534996995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p><strong>3. This selfie with a “random fan”</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neill makes a point for his twitter feed to be humorous and refreshing as he “enjoys Twitter”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He told </span><a href="https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/sam-neill-interview-about-twitter.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Cut</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about how he got started on the platform.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They [co-workers in Two Paddocks office] told me that social media was important,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’d never heard of it. I started Facebook, but I didn’t like it at all. It filled me with existential dread.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But I found I enjoyed Twitter. The economy of 140 characters was really appealing; every tweet was like a lame haiku”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although he usually posts photos and videos of his farm animals, he made an exception for a selfie with a “random fan”. The fan just so happens to be Chris Hemsworth.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Yours truly plus random fan .<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThorRagnarok?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThorRagnarok</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TaikaWaititi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TaikaWaititi</a> took this as best I remember. <a href="https://t.co/aU1nW1B8bI">pic.twitter.com/aU1nW1B8bI</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/917554962997035009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">10 October 2017</a></blockquote> <p><strong>4. Singing with pigs</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Neill lives on a farm in Otago, New Zealand, he has “so many free-range animals that they’re almost feral”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He shared with his Twitter followers a “duet” with his pig.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Singing With Pigs. My old pig friend is always up for a duet . Its more his kind of song really . Took me years to learn Pigsong . It's paid off bigtime. <a href="https://t.co/a3mprZ6AMR">pic.twitter.com/a3mprZ6AMR</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1088972409229664256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">26 January 2019</a></blockquote> <p><strong>5. Getting mistaken for Hugo Weaving</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although people might recognise Sam Neill from somewhere, it’s clear that not many know who he is.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neill documented an experience with a fan saying that he’s Hugo Weaving.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">LIFE IN THE CITY<br />Coming out of my local with a coffee this morning , a bloke with a dog yells "Are you an Actor ?'<br />"Yes' I say.<br />"Who are you then ? " he says <br />"Hugo Weaving" I reply<br />"That's right..apparently you're good"<br />"Not really" I mutter as I walk away <a href="https://t.co/00lt7jJBA2">pic.twitter.com/00lt7jJBA2</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1145886981722820608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">2 July 2019</a></blockquote>

Technology

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This woman is taking the funniest travel photos of all time

<p>At a time where every image posted online is carefully filtered to make sure it’s as flattering as possible, one blogger (with a great sense of humour) has shown you don’t have to take perfect photos to have a fun online presence.</p> <p>Michelle Liu is a travel blogger who is quickly gaining fans, not because of her flawless photos, but her willingness to poke fun at herself while travelling around the world. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 36.75925925925926% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BaAbx7Wgihq/" target="_blank">A post shared by Michelle Liu • Chinchelle (@chinventures)</a> on Oct 8, 2017 at 5:15pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Liu’s images advocate the process of “chinning”, which involves taking a photo from beneath your chin, which is easily one of the most unflattering angles available.</p> <p>“Chinning was originally born out of my insecurity from middle school. I felt the pressures of society and my peers to look a certain way and felt that I wouldn’t be able to live up to those standards,” <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">she told HuffPost UK</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>“As an alternative of traditional beauty, I started chinning to allow myself to embrace my quirky side and my friends thought it was funny.</p> <p>“Eventually I decided to combine my love of travel with my love of chinning to create Chinventures when I went abroad in September 2016.”</p> <p>Liu now has over 23,000 followers and she’s not stopping any time soon. To see some more photos of her “chinning” at incredible sites, scroll through the gallery above.</p> <p>What do you think of these photos?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Instagram / Michelle Liu</em></p>

Travel Tips

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5 funniest episodes of Big Bang Theory so far

<p>It seems only yesterday that <em>The Big Bang Theory</em> was bursting onto our screens and quickly become a worldwide hit. In reality, it’s been over 10 years since we first met Sheldon, Penny, and Leonard, and now we can’t imagine life without them. To show our love for the <em>Big Bang</em> crew, here are six of our favourite episodes so far.</p> <p><strong>1. The Staircase Implementation</strong></p> <p>In this season three classic, we flash back to when Sheldon and Leonard became roommates. We get the introduction of the Roommate Agreement, a hilarious screening test from Sheldon to decide if Sheldon will make a suitable roommate, and we finally find out why the elevator has been out of order for years.</p> <p><strong>2. The Barbarian Sublimation</strong></p> <p>We love it when Penny accidentally geeks out, and this gem from season two is a delight. With the world seemingly against her, Penny finds solace in the world of online gaming, and quickly becomes obsessed with Age of Conan – a fantasy game she becomes so wrapped up in, she stays glued to the desk for days.</p> <p><strong>3. The Flaming Spitoon Acquisition</strong></p> <p>Finally, at the halfway point of season five, Sheldon’s relationship with Amy (who, at this point, is a girl and a friend, but not a girlfriend) reaches a turning point when she catches the eye of Stuart, the owner of the comic book store. Sheldon underestimates Amy’s intentions as well as his own feelings for her, and the hilarious result is watching his jealousy play out during Amy and Stuart’s date.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FpGkLzGl1CI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>4. The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis</strong></p> <p>In this early classic, Penny shows her understanding of Sheldon by gifting him a serviette used and autographed by Leonard Nimoy himself. The gift is the perfect combination of exciting and gross, resulting in a moment that is the perfect combination of funny and sweet.</p> <p><strong>5. The Opening Night Excitation</strong></p> <p>While Sheldon plans a special night for Amy’s birthday, Leonard, Raj, and Howard have to figure out who can use the spare ticket for the new Star Wars movie. What’s great about this episode is that Sheldon decided to put his love for Amy above his love for Star Wars.</p> <p>Which episode of <em>Big Bang Theory</em> is your favourite?</p>

TV

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Parents confess the funniest lies they’ve told their kids

<p><span>From the tooth fairy to Santa Claus, there are countless white lies parents tell their kids.</span></p> <p><span>British broadcaster and father of three, Dan Walker, revealed that on average nine out of 10 parents say ‘white lies’ are the secret to a happy life.</span></p> <p><span>He asked parents on Twitter to share the funniest lies they have told and he received a great response.</span></p> <p><span>Lee Cooper admitted he told his son, “Daddy cannot hear when it is dark. Call mummy if you wake up at night.” He said the lie worked until his wife found out.</span></p> <p><span>Simon Rusbridge said he told his children, “When the ice cream van plays music it's to let everyone know they've run out.”</span></p> <p><span>Another user, Mandy Green, confessed, “My son and I spent 10 minutes looking for his chocolate coins when I knew all along I’d eaten them the day before.”</span></p> <p><span>Mel revealed that she told her kids that their ears will turn red when they lie. “Now when they lie, they cover their ears”, she said.</span></p> <p><span>Catherine Corbey told her kids that the internet shuts down at the weekend so she could get more family time.</span></p> <p><span>Canary shared, “A helicopter used to pass over our house at 6 pm daily. I said they were checking to make sure kids were eating ALL their dinner nicely.”</span></p> <p><span>Twitter users also shared the lies their own parents and grandparents told them.</span></p> <p><span>“My Grandad wanted to give Elvis a noble death and told me he was shot on the toilet. I believed it for like 17 years,” said Jonathon Aalders.</span></p> <p><span>Stephen O’Reilly said his parents told him Doritos are only for adults. “I was 12 when I found out the truth.”</span></p> <p><span>What is the funniest lie you told your kids? Let us know in the comments below. </span></p>

Mind

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Irish restaurant owner has the funniest response to Aussie tourist’s review

<p>An Irish restaurant owner’s hilarious response to a disgruntled Australian diner’s TripAdvisor review has gone viral, and when you read it, you’ll see why.</p> <p>User “Graham367” left a less-than-positive review on the TripAdvisor page for Eala Bahn restaurant in Sligo, Ireland, after leaving his jacket and glasses behind and the owner failing to return them to him.</p> <p>“The food was quite reasonable, however we were extremely disappointed to find that the operator lacked integrity,” Graham wrote. “This comment is based on the fact that I accidentally left my wind breaker with eye glasses in pocket. We only discovered this when we arrived at our next destination, so rang and spoke to the restaurant manager (Anthony Gray) who confirmed that the jacket was with them."</p> <p>Graham added, “Based on his agreement to forward the jacket to me, I emailed details of my credit card to cover all costs to return the garment to me. When it did not arrive within a week or so, I re-emailed twice with no response. My wife and I have since returned to Australia, short of one jacket and one pair of glasses. Bottom line is food might be OK, but integrity is seriously lacking.”</p> <p>It might seem like a perfectly reasonable complaint, but when you hear Anthony’s side of the story, you might change your mind. His response is a bit on the long side, but trust us – it’s worth the read!</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Dear Graham,</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>I never usually respond to reviews but have made an exception in your case.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>We are delighted you enjoyed your meal at multi-award-winning restaurant here in Sligo serving the finest local sourced ingredients on the very edge of the beautiful Wild Atlantic Way!</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>I apologise that you forgot your jacket and glasses while dining with us. I apologise that I had not immediately sent your belongings back to Australia. I should have done a Joe ninety on it and hot-tailed it up to the local post office and made your jacket a priority but unfortunately these things don't always happen the way you may have planned.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>I mean I'm only trying to run two restaurants in the middle of summer while my manager whom I'm delighted to say is 6 months pregnant but unfortunately is suffering God bless her wee soul and out of work resting which I insisted on!</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Having 3 children myself under the age of 10 running around the house like gladiators and tearing to pieces while not going to bed on time, rising like ninjas at dawn, I am what you might say just a little tired and a tad busy.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>I should have pushed this way up my priority list but forgot and while all of this is going I'm very busy busting a gut here and in the UK promoting my beloved Sligo. Why do I do this? I love my town, I love its people, I love every tourist that graces this beautiful part of the world and provides me and my staff with a living. </em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>People make mistakes and forget things just like you did with your possessions. But to come on TripAdvisor and review me about my lack of postal skills, honesty and integrity beggars belief considering I never laid my mince pies eyes on you! I mean you are butchering my name insofar as my forgetfulness yet it was your forgetfulness that has us here! POT KETTLE BLACK (Google it).</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Finally, I just checked the weather forecast in your part of sunny Australia and I reckon you will be fairly safe insofar as your lack of windbreaker... jaysus it's roasting in your spot boy! You lucky duck! Your possessions are en route you will be glad to know! And as far as my honesty is concerned I'm not even going to charge your credit card for the post furthermore the next time you visit the beautiful Emerald Isle and my county I'll bring you shopping locally for a new wind breaker – as far I see it’s a bit of a crime against fashion. </em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Next time you feel like writing a review for a restaurant try to remember us for our qualities which we provide in the abundance of good locally sourced food, wine, atmosphere at least that's what we hear consistently from our customers.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>So eventually when it cools down in Australia and you put your wind breaker on think of your honest Irish restauranteur who's full of integrity but you never met and who knows you may even break into a smile and give your face a holiday until then keep her lit. </em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>WE MAKE OUT OF THE QUARREL WITH OTHERS, RHETORIC, BUT OF THE QUARREL WITH OURSELVES – W.B YEATS.</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Regards and good day mate,</em></p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Anthony Gray</em></p> <p>Now <em>that’s</em> how you handle a negative review!</p>

Books

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10 Steve Martin quotes that will put a smile on your face

<p>Steve Martin has become an international comedic icon. His writing career began in 1967 when he wrote The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and won an Emmy Award for his work. A man of many talents, Steve is not only loved for his comedy and acting but also his magic, juggling, and banjo playing</p> <p>Throughout his career he has left his fans with plenty of laughs and iconic one-liners. Here are 10 of his quotes that will put a smile on your face.</p> <p>1. “Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes.” </p> <p>2. “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”</p> <p>3. “I like a woman with a head on her shoulders. I hate necks.” </p> <p>4. “Thankfully, persistence is a great substitute for talent.” </p> <p>5. “I've got to keep breathing. It'll be my worst business mistake if I don't.” </p> <p>6. “Comedy is the art of making people laugh without making them puke.” </p> <p>7. “All I've ever wanted was an honest week's pay for an honest day's work.”</p> <p>8. “Were they beautiful? We were all beautiful. We were in our twenties.”</p> <p>9. “You know what your problem is, it's that you haven't seen enough movies - all of life's riddles are answered in the movies."</p> <p>10. “I thought yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life but it turns out today is.” </p> <p>What is your favourite quote from Steve Martin? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Movies

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The funniest thing my grandchild ever said

<p>Kids are fascinating creatures. Everything is new to them, everything is exciting and they need to know the answer to every question. As a result, grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles hear some pretty interesting things come out of their little one’s mouth. A couple of months ago, we asked you, the Over60 community, to share the funniest thing you ever heard the children in your life say – and the responses were hilarious.</p> <p><strong>1. Brutal honesty</strong></p> <p>“I stayed with my three-year-old granddaughter for several weeks and she asked me what I was putting on my face in the morning. I told her it was moisturiser. She asked me why I used it, so I told her it was to protect me from the sun and ensure that my wrinkles didn't get any bigger. On a visit six months later, she was on my lap, staring lovingly at me, and then announced, ‘Your moisturiser isn't working, Nanna. You've got bigger wrinkles.’ Gotta love that honesty.” – Avis Tolcher.</p> <p><strong>2. Brightening a dark day</strong></p> <p>“We had just buried my husband and one grandson, 10 years old at the time, stood at the graveside, head on one side, came over to where I was standing and said, ‘Grandpa's okay… He's not knocking.’ Where he got that from I don't know, but it lightened the situation.” – Jean Clawson.</p> <p><strong>3. Comedian in the making</strong></p> <p>“When granddaughter was five and her twin baby brothers were due, we passed a building site with ‘Pete Construction’ signs. She pipes up from the back of the car saying, ‘We should name them that.’ I said, ‘What, Pete and Pete?’ and her response floored me – ‘No, Pete and Repeat.’” – Noelene O’Donnell.</p> <p><strong>4. A story for their 21st</strong></p> <p>“My three-and-half-year-old granddaughter Tully was encouraging me out of bed to make her pancakes for breakfast. As l rocked and turned to get myself up, she patted me gently on the shoulder and said, ‘Don't worry Nanna, you'll be dead soon’. Needless to say, l will be repeating this story at her 21st in the future.” – Jo Bartlett.</p> <p><strong>5. Chatterbox</strong></p> <p>“Our grandsons live interstate but the oldest, age eight, phones often. After hearing all his news the other night, he said, ‘Sorry Grandy, I've been talking too much. Now, tell me all about your day.’ I'm still gobsmacked.” – Debra Tayler.</p> <p><strong>6. A fair comeback</strong></p> <p>“My husband was in a hurry to take our dog for a walk before he left for his night shift. Our then-three-year-old granddaughter decided that she was going to go too. After about 10 minutes of discussion and arguing, hubby said, ‘I don't have time to stand here and argue with a three-year-old,’ to which she replied, with hands on hips, ‘And I don't have time to stand here and argue with a Poppy.’” – Colleen Spence.</p> <p><strong>7. Soft… like fried chicken?</strong></p> <p>“When my daughter was four, she said to her grandmother, ‘Your skin is so soft.’ Grandmother replied, ‘Thank you,” before Miss adds, ‘It looks like Kentucky fried chicken.’” – Patricia Cohen Lamey.</p> <p>What’s the funniest think your grandchild ever said to you? Share your stories with us in the comments below!</p>

Family & Pets

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