Sign Language XXXIII

I dunno.  I gotta think that would be painful. 
Especially if he started driving away. 
Nobody can run that fast.

Photo Phinish VIII

Sure, I suppose cheese can be funny,
but it's not "LOL" funny.

Sign Language XXXII

    The shortest book ever published.

They suck.
The End.

No History Today

It's how I roll, yo.

    I know, I know...please try to rein in your disappointment.  No, instead of my slog through world history (which will probably take years.  Much like world history itself.  Isn't that weird?), I've decided to repost something from the old Penwasser Place.  

    The vast majority of you have seen this, but I plan on also sending it to Facebook, for those who who haven't.  I'm especially thinking about a particular friend who posted a story very similar to this last week.  

    I promised her that I would return fire with fire.

   Although fire had nothing to do with this story...

Journey to the Center of my Bowels

A long time ago, in a medical clinic not so far away…

     One of the benefits of turning 50 was that, besides grey hair sprouting from my nose, needing Pepsi to burp, and developing nail fungus also known as “Old Man Toe,” I got a chance to feel what it’s like to spend time in a Turkish prison.

     

The word “colonoscopy” is Greek in origin.  Its entomology

Not to be confused with "Entenmannology."
Or "Study of Breakfast Foods."

(no, wait a minute, that’s the "study of insects."  I meant ‘etymology’-I can never get those straight) derives from “colonos” which means “butt” and “scopy” which means “look see.”  (NOTE: may not be true). 

     As befit my advancing years, I was treated to the full Monty (coincidentally, the doctor’s actual name) a few years ago.   I feel sorry for the poor guys on a limited budget.  They can only afford a “semicolonoscopy.” 

     The day before, I was directed to drink a couple bottles of what’s called Fleet Phospho Soda.  Boy, howdy, does that stuff work!  I haven’t felt that emotionally attached to my lavatorial facilities since my surgery in 1988 (I'll just leave that to your imagination).

Yeah.  A lot like that.

     Anyway, I felt like one of those water rockets we bought as kids.  Remember those?  You know, the kind you pump up with water until, when you can no longer pump them up, you just pop the cork and let ‘em fly?

     I could never predict when it was time for, uh, "Old Faithful" to erupt (so to speak).  Needless to say, I left my white pants in the closet with the rest of my Miami Vice wardrobe.

     Falling asleep was an adventure.  Luckily for me (and my terrified wife), my own personal levees weren’t breached during the night.  Although, by the time I woke up, I was so full that I felt like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloon (I don’t know which one, but I’ll bet it wasn't one of the popular ones).

     Throughout the day, I had to fast (which was pretty easy since I’m ‘half-fast’, anyway).  Although I couldn’t stray too far from my bathroom because, whenever I had to, uh, you know, I had to, uh, you know.  Thank goodness I had plenty to read.  Plus, that handheld Yahtzee was a godsend.

     No one will ever want to use it again, though.

     I grew so famished throughout the day that I started licking the Sunday paper ads for Burger King.

I think he kind of dug it, though.

     Finally, my wife drove me to the rather unfortunately 

He made me a little nervous. 
Plus...a scalpel???

named “Dr. Mengele Center for Endoscopic Surgery-Sponsored by BEANO!”

     After checking in, I was escorted into the prep room.  Once I disrobed, I was asked if I had gone to the bathroom.  Ya know, not for nothin’, wouldn’t it have been better to ask before I took my clothes off?  That way, if I hadn’t used the bathroom, I wouldn’t have had to parade naked through a mortified waiting room.

     Oh, and incidentally, I thought it was odd that it was the janitor who asked me to disrobe.

     The nurse (recently laid off from Verizon) explained what was going to happen.  My eyes grew wide when she showed me a picture of the “instrument.” 

Like this.
But far, far worse.

     Good grief and all that's holy, they were going to shove a piece of PVC pipe so far up the exit that I was going to be a piñata for a sadist or, at the very least, a Popeye Lawn sprinkler.

     I was told I would be filled with air and that I was encouraged to "expel" that air when I was done (not wanting to waste it, I’m going to wait until church and then make a joyful noise unto the Lord!).

     As they wheeled me into the operating room, I reminded them if they found any cave paintings they should send them to the Smithsonian Institution.

     I was told I’d be so pumped full of drugs, I wouldn’t feel a

"Hey, Mr. Jinkies needed the money."

thing.  I informed the “Butt People” that, since that was the case, they could do whatever they wanted.  I wish I hadn’t told them that though.  Because I think I’m going to be on You Tube.  With a monkey.

    Luckily, everything turned out great.  They did find a polyp (and Jimmy Hoffa) which they cut out.  I plan on having it bronzed (the polyp, not Jimmy Hoffa).

     So, that’s my story.  Rest assured, everything went well for the most part.  I have trust issues now, though.  Still, it's a relief to not have to lick the paper anymore.

     But, I’ll never look at my garden hose the same way again.

Photo Phinish VII

Meanwhile...on Interstate 81. 
An air conditioner. 
Cut into the tailgate of a truck. 
In West Virginia.
Naturally.

A Penwasser History of the World-Part XVI

NOTE:  I'll continue to post this disclaimer.  The past several posts and who-knows-how-many-posts-to-come are merely what I can remember from Our Lady of Barnum Avenue and History Class at Stratford High School while growing up older in Connecticut.  I will research some specifics, mostly dates and the most obscure of names, and I'll try to place historical events in their proper historical context.  Meaning, I won't have the Aztecs land on the moon.  Or...did they?  Trust me, some of this is true; however, don't use any of this nonsense to prepare for the History Advanced Placement Examination.  If you do, the only college you'll get into is Klown Kollege and you'll probably be confused for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  Or Joe Biden.  Especially if you sniff their hair.

"Possible Route." 
Apparently before AAA or Waze were invented

The Hebrews

Holy Moses

    I'm going to go completely without a net here when I tell the story of Charlton Heston Moses as he waged wits with Yul Brynner Ramses to free white people the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt, despite romantic overtures from Anne Baxter Nefertiri, who really didn't mind men who grew their beards to "ZZ Top" proportions.  Even though Moses was already married to Lily Munster Zipporah.

   Okay, maybe I've seen the movie too much.  Still, I remember a few other things about the story of Moses from my time in elementary school.  It's guaranteed I'll get a few names wrong, but I'm pretty sure I got the basic story of how the Jewish people really began.

    I'll leave off my puzzlement as to why The Ten Commandments always played on Easter Sunday.  To me, it's more of a Passover flick than anything else.  But, hey, what do I know?  I was just an altar boy for four years.  Who's going to spend several hundred years in Purgatory.  Which may not exist anymore, anyway.

    So, there's that.

    Let's get to it.

    If you recall from our last episode…Joseph (sans "Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"*) managed to talk his family and neighbors into schlepping to Egypt when a great famine hit.  There they'd have plenty to eat and would live happily ever after.

    Psyche.

    In classic biblical "WTF??" fashion, Joseph's (having long since died.  Lucky Joseph) people found themselves enslaved by the Egyptians who were too lazy to do any work themselves.  The Hebrews would wind up, not building the pyramids, as is commonly thought (the pyramids had long since gone out of fashion after the Egyptians figured out they could get away with building condos for the afterlife instead), but doing other slave-type stuff.

    Moses' mom, who was a Hebrew (I think we're all clear on that), despaired of her son becoming a slave and, so, set him adrift on a little papyrus (or Styrofoam.  Maybe) raft thingie on a little creek near where the Pharaoh's daughter, Mitsy, was bathing.

   Apparently, Mom never considered the possibility that Moses could drown.  Or be eaten by crocodiles.  Stupid Mom.

NOTE:  If I may…?  It's interesting to know that Moses had sisters.  I guess Mom figured, "Eff the girls.  They can be slaves.  That'll teach them to steal my makeup."  We continue…

    Anyway, Mitsy decided to adopt the little baby, who clearly was

"You think your father will buy he's a
gift from the gods, princess?"
"PFFTT!!! The dude worships cats so I gotta say yes."

destined to head the Cairo NRA.  How she pawned the baby off with Dad (Seti…?), sources are unclear.  I just think Seti was happy his daughter had finally found something to keep herself occupied instead of mooning about how ugly she was and how none of her brothers would marry her.

    Moses became quite a big shot around the palace and was allowed to keep a full head of hair, despite Seti's other son Yul Rameses who was forced to wear some goofy thing jutting from the side of his head.

 

Hey, wait an effin' second!  This isn't Moses and Ramses.  It's Batman and some guy!!

Okay, that's more like it.  PHEW!!!

    However (and this is where the wheels come off the chariot), Moses killed an overseer who was abusing a slave with a whip or an unending litany of "knock knock" jokes (sources are unclear).

Nefertiri
(May not be historically accurate)
Personally, I would have kept my trap shut.
Guess that's why I'm going to Purgatory

    For some reason, Moses was outed a s a Hebrew himself and, instead of keeping it to himself, was banished by Seti to the desert (a lot of desert out there).  This overjoyed Yul Ramses, who could now shave his head.

    

    While in the desert, Moses grew a beard, married a shepherd girl,

Okay, even though she became
Lily Munster, not bad. 
But, geez-a-lou, Nefertiri.
  Yowza.

and took a call from God via a burning bush (all the desert had was "Dial-Up Internet" and you know how much of a pain in the ass that can be).

    Anyway, God told Moses to go back to Egypt and bring the Hebrews out of bondage (after making sure they had cut off their foreskins, as agreed upon hundreds of years ago).

"First, love slave. 
Then, desert toilet paper. 
Now this?  WTF!!??"

    Well, if the bush gives him an order, he had to listen so he jumped a donkey back to Egypt, where Ramses was now Pharaoh and had a nice little side business making condoms out of the intestines of the ever-beleaguered sheep.

   Ramses, even though told that God wanted the Hebrews to break their lease, refused to lose his work force.  So, Moses brought down a plague of flies, rats, Gilbert Gottfried impersonators, boils, crickets, Jehovah Witnesses, bloody stools, rickets, frogs, locusts, hail, acne, and hair in their soup**

    When none of this worked, Moses thundered that the first born of Egypt would be killed by the Destroyer (or Terminator…sources are unclear).  Nefertiri*** swore that her son was safe.

Apparently, the Hebrews lived near a Taco Bell

    

Once again...psyche.

    Well, yeah, this was finally the last straw and Yul Ramses told 

"Nyah, where's your god now?
 I gotta go where???"

Moses to take his people (including that weasel, Dathan G. Robinson) and GTFO.  Not needing to be told twice, Moses peaced out and headed south (yeah, I don't know why, either).  

    Yul Ramses had a change of heart (the movie said "his heart was hardened."  But, he was now married to Nefertiri.  So, I don't think his heart was hardened, amirite?) and chased after them, but his army drowned when Moses parted the Red Sea.  Or a crick (sources are unclear.  I think.)

"Okay, everyone scoot over before someone puts the plug back in. 
Of for the love of...your feet will dry, Herschel!!!"

    Once more…psyche.

    Egyptians defeated, Moses took his people on a scenic trip which ultimately lead wayyyyyyyyyyy to the south at Mount Sinai (once again, I don't know why).  Moses decided to get away from all the racket ("So when are we getting to the Land of Milk and Honey already?") and went up to chat with the Almighty through a bush or something.

    Meanwhile Dathan G. Robinson whipped the notoriously fickle people into a frenzy and had them make a calf of gold.  Or Velveeta (sources are unclear).  When Moses came down with a couple of tablets outlining the Ten Commandments, he was outraged and threw the tablets against a slow goatherder, saying they weren't worthy to receive them (the goatherder was worthy enough to receive an ice pak, though).  Even though they were destroyed, the Hebrews still had to follow them after turning Dathan G. Robinson into Soylent Green.

"IT'S PEOPLE!!!!"
Yeah, yeah, yeah...we get it.

    After a few crackers, the Hebrews wandered around for 40 years (apparently, God wasn't done preparing the Promised Land for new tenants).  Finally, just as they got there, Moses disobeyed God by failing to knock a rock the proper amount of times.  So, God said, "Screw you!  Now you don't get a chance to see the Promised Land."

I know this will be wildly blasphemous, but...kind of a douche move there, God.

    Moses then went on to be a galley slave for the Romans before winning a chariot race and freeing his mom and sister from the lepers.  After they bathed, of course.

What the f...brother can't catch a break.

     Next:  I wrap up the Jewish story with David.  Probably.

*Still copyrighted by Andrew LLoyd Webber.  Probably.

**List may not be accurate

***In the movie.  Sue me.

Photo Phinish VI