It's Talk Like a Pirate Day once again, and as always that gets me to think about the quite-wonderful video I've posted here before, but not for several years, Ahaarrrr.  Today seems the ideal day to bring it back.

This is one of my favorite videos I've ever tracked down.  It's a little British film, 13-minutes long, which I came across back in 2010 and have been passing it around since -- mostly to friends of my who do voice-over work, on either side of the microphone.  Oh, boy howdy, do they ever empathize with it...

I don't know much about its history or the wonderful creative mind behind it, Jonathan Kydd, who wrote and stars in the short film (as both the voiceover artist and the director!).  But it did win the (Mid Ulster) Critics choice at the DIY Festival LA.  As it happens, I know very little about that festival -- other than that sentence I just typed. 

I do see on the iMDB that Mr. Kydd deservedly has had a long career with a great many acting credits -- not shockingly, most over the past 20 years in voiceover work, notably eight Harry Potter video games, as well as the Toy Story That Time Forgot video.  And for the animated series, The Adventures of Paddington Bear, he provided the voice of Paddington.  But yes, mixed in among that and especially before getting involved with voiceover acting, he has also done a good deal of live-action, on-camera TV work.

As the description below says, this is indeed the voice over session from hell.  

I realized it's been too long since we've had one of those "Comedy Against Trumpism" viideos, and this seems a good time to rectify that.  This time, it's Portugal's turn to chime and and ridicule the American president.

If you don't know what these are -- not to worry, rather than me explain, they do in this video.  And then about a minute in, they even show a little bit of the very first "Comedy Against Trumpism" video that started it all, from The Netherlands (which, for my taste, remains the best).  They've all been pretty good, though.

​

Wow, with Santa Trump on his way to Texas, good news all around!  Just click on the video below to start the music and then scroll down to sing along.  All will be well!

Best regards!

You’d better watch out!
You’d better not cry.
You pray for a drought.
You hope to stay dry.
Donald Trump is coming to town!
 
He’s making a list
To check on your plight.
He wants to make sure
Who’s Muslim or white.
Donald Trump is coming to town!
 
He sees you when he’s golfing.
He knows that you need food.
He’s going to Missouri next
Where he knows he won’t be booed.
 
This all is fake news
There's no need to pray.
It's caused by the Jews
I've heard people say.
Donald Trump is coming to town!
​
 
He’s blowing his horn
And beats his own drum.
He’s brought the men porn,
The boys all get gum.
Donald Trump is coming to town.
 
So, get out your yacht
Or pray you can float.
Think of your town
As just a big moat.
Donald Trump is coming to town.
 
This water all around you
Is nothing more than jokes.
We’re gonna build a wall here!
And the storm’s a Chinese hoax.
 
Oh, you’d better not cry
I hope you’re not stuck.
I’m here – and good bye.
I wish you, “Good luck!”
Donald Trump has just come to...
Donald Trump has just come to...
Donald Trump has just come to town!

​A few weeks back, I posted a video from The Tonight Show that was part of their periodic sketch, "First Drafts of Rock."  That where they supposedly have found early video of famous songs being before by the group, but with rewritten truly-awful first-draft lyrics.  That previous one, here, was of "Blowin' in the Wind" with Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick as 'Peter, Paul & Mary.'

Kevin Bacon is back with Jimmy Fallon and some others, this time as 'The Beach Boys,' as they sing the supposed first draft of "Fun, Fun, Fun."

If you didn't watch the Weekend Update: Summer Edition broadcast last night -- or didn't watch the video of Tina Fey's return to SNL that has been making its way around the Internet today -- here is it below.  And even if you did see it, it's just a hoot.  Basically, it's Tina Fey ranting about politics while gorging on sheet cake for 3-1/2 minutes.

Fey was a surprise guest -- much to the delight of the live audience -- because she's a graduate of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where the rally took place over the weekend, so ostensibly she was there to comment.  And she starts off fine and straight-forward, if upset about it all.  And then it all takes a u-turn, and she gives co-host Colin Jost a lesson in dealing with your anger by "sheet-caking."

(Fun too is watching her masterfully maneuver the cake with her fork like a pro, to get the biggest portions of cake, which suggests pretty clearly that this is not just a first-time sketch for TV, but she's someone who has probably sheet-caked before in her life at moments of angst...)

It's pretty hard not to love Tiny Fey for her relentless normalcy and self-effacement, while rising above it to wonderful levels.  I have no doubt there are people who can't stand her.  After all, there are people who don't like pizza and puppies.  And no doubt there are people who hate her take-down of white supremacists, Nazis and hate mongers.   But political as this is -- and it's very political -- it is still first and foremost a comedy routine.  And it's one thing to hate (or love) the words, but another to be able to step back and revel in the comedy.  And this just ratchets Tina Fey joy up a few notches -- pigging out on sheet cake for 3-1/2 minutes on national television while taking down all that's mean and nasty in what can only be described by one of today's cliches:  an epic rant.

But to be clear, it's not the rant that makes this.  Anyone can rant.  But doing it while stuffing your face with sheet cake, that's high art.  Or low art.  Or just a plain goofy joy.

From the Desk of Dr. Charles Pepper (no relation to the soft drink)

Our patient Mr. Robert J. Elisberg has asked that we provide this letter to give him permission not to write about politics today, as he sustained a serious injury to his head, which appears to be contusions caused by heavy and repeated beatings as if pounded relentlessly into a wall.  I have examined the injuries and can vouch for them.  There are multiple bruises and a possible concussion sustained, although further tests are needed since the "concussion" aspect of dizziness may be the patient's normal state.  There is no evidence found that the injuries are self-inflicted, and instead could be caused by a common reaction to any number of external influences.  These could be a heavy gale-force wind with shifting currents, a vicious criminal assault, or hearing the president of the United States finally respond after days of silence to the news of 755 workers being expelled from the U.S. Embassy in Russia by thanking the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin for kicking them out.  

(Professional note, so that those reading this medical report do not think this last point is so crazy as to invalidate the findings -- this is true.  The president Mr. Trump did say this today.  Really.  I'm not crazy, nor is my patient.  He merely has sustained a head injury.)

Other possible causes for the repeated head trauma are a normal reaction to falling down a flight of stairs, playing the position of catcher in a baseball game and having one's head continually whacked by the swinging bat, or hearing the president say that the reason there are so many White House leaks is because staffers are vying for his love and just trying to get out information to the press.

(Professional note, so that those reading this medical report do not -- oh, okay, you know the rest.  Yes, this last point is is true.  The president Mr. Trump did say this today.  Really.)

We have not received CT scan tests back, and so have ruled out none of the possibilities above, or any others which results may show.  The baseball bat theory is not likely since the patient has no recollection of playing baseball today.  However, if a person had his head continually smacked by a baseball bat, it's not unreasonable to think he might not remember a lot.

​Mr. Elisberg hopes to be back on his feet tomorrow -- or on his seat, as he writes sitting down -- and making pointed written comments about politics.  But until I see evidence of the swelling going down, or that there is no risk of the recurrence of injury, the patient will be under medical watch.

I can also state unequivocally that Mr. Elisberg's strength and physical stamina are extraordinary.  Regular laboratory tests are astonishingly excellent.  When and if Mr. Elisberg returns he will be the healthiest individual ever to write articles about the presidency.

I only just became aware of this.  I don't know how it slipped under the radar.

It turns out that last year, President and Michelle Obama had a light-hearted "feud" with Prince Harry over the Invictus Games (an international Paralympic event), which Harry started after seeing a similar event in Colorado.  He sort of challenged the First Lady who with her husband sent an "in your face" video in reply.  And this was Prince Harry's response.  (His response includes Michelle Obama's video, which is why I haven't included it.)  

This all came up because the 2017 Invictus Games are set to start soon, and the question has arisen if Melania Trump will renew the faux-feud and joking.  The general consensus has been...er, no.
​
Here's Prince Harry's reply.  Read his note first before clicking on the video to start it.

​John Oliver and Cookie Monster anchor the Action 7 News for station WORD on Sesame Street, along with some on-the-street celebrity reporters.

And finally, after falling behind a couple days, we get back on schedule, albeit jumping two days into this week.  Stephen Colbert's Russia Week comes to a Tuesday-end as he tries his best to educate a bunch of Russians about American culture.  I particularly like the one young woman who seems absolutely game to try any food Colbert throws her way -- though she's still most-interested in if it's healthy, as she keeps checking with him first.  Tip #1.  When wanting health advice, asking a comedian for whom a punch line tops all is really not the best way to go ....

By the way, what I find fascinating is that near the after, after enjoying all these strange American foods, Colbert jokingly tells the young woman that she's now officially an American.  And after a moment hesitation while she's processing it all, it hits her what he's said, and -- even though she knows that he's making a joke -- it's clear that she's actually pleased by his words.  For all the madness we're going through in the U.S., that still holds cachet for some, even as a quip.