25 Comments

It seems that Gene wrote about the Virginia earthquake (experienced significantly around the D.C. area) in 2014 during his Washington Post weekly chats. BUT it also seems that the URLs for those chats no longer work. So nope, this isn't available ever again; there is no other copy.

It's this sort of thing that prompted me and the Loser Community, starting in 2013, to make a PDF of each week's Web version of The Style Invitational, along with one for the often very different print version. Sure enough, many old Invitational columns can now be found only at NRARS.org (Master Contest List) -- and the ones that do remain online on The Post's pages are often missing art (even for caption contests). Thanks once again to Gary Crockett and his Crocketeers for continuing the work of the late Elden Carnahan for keeping the archive going.

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I can see vitamins and bomb shelters as huge frauds, but blood pressure medicine? Neither of my older brothers kept up with their meds. One died at 57 and the other is suffering the long term effects of several strokes. I think I’ll keep filling my prescription.

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My favorite connections:

Pam Shermeyer's Gardens of Versailles to Four Seasons Total Landscaping, and

Neil Kurland's Zbigniew Brzezinski to Mr.Mxyzptlk. Bravo.

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I liked Chris' 3RU better than his winner, though all 5 of his (l)inks were great.

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Ha. I went THREE YEARS without a shower. Mostly. I am sure I stayed in a hotel occasionally, but mostly I poured cups of water over my standing body because I was in the Peace Corps, and no showers were to be had. I am almost (ALMOST) positive that your seven-day hiatus has some logical explanation besides not wanting to be clean.

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Henry Gibson/Henrik Ibsen was pure genius

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Yes! Should have mentioned that one as well.

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>>>If you tickle the hairs in the small of your back, you can sometimes generate a pee that has been >>>recalcitrant.

Oh, I dunno. Standing at a urinal, with one hand holding yourself, and simultaneously tickling the hairs in the small of your back sounds like a good way to get arrested.

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Whatever else, don’t adopt a wide stance while doing it.

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It makes a compelling mental picture. Especially if you sing "I'm a little teapot" while doing it.

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Singing “I’m a little teapot” has that effect on most things, in and out of the lavatory.

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I seriously don't care whether you ever shower again (or for that matter ever have), but:

only ever watched the first episode of the Sopranos? Are you fucking kidding me? What is the matter with you?

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I liked going from “Henry Gibson” to “Henrik Ibsen”.

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It was great BUT the comic Henry Gibson chose that pseudonym. His name was something like Schlomo Feinmeister.

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Good Lord! I would have been headed for pseudonym-land in elementary school!

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It was actually James Bateman. But yeah, "Henry Gibson" was a conscious play on "Henrik Ibsen." Have you ever seen him on Laugh-In (then or in a clip) coming out with a sweet smile and holding a giant flower, then reciting some wacky poem?

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Yes, I’m old enough to remember him. He was one of the few comedians to make a living wearing a German army helmet.

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That’s Arte Johnson, no?

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You're right there, Pat. He's also one of the crossword puzzle immortals along with Bobby Orr, Mel Ott and Jessica Alba.

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James Bateman is the Anglo version of Schlomo Feinmeister.

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I feel like an idiot. Can someone please explain "Batman; Babe Ruth; Homer Simpson" (I understood the rest)?

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Babe Ruth swung a bat and hit many homers

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D'oh! Thanks!

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In re: your line: "I had sex in a newsroom after hours a few times." Presume you disposed of the depository properly.

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I want to thank Gene for revealing that he rarely takes showers. That way, there is less chance that I'll even fleetingly have to visualize that.

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