Elaine Smith Writes

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Tag Archives: Silly Saturdays

Now THAT would be silly!

So, I didn’t do it.

Somewhere, round about November of last year, I decided that inaugurating Silly Saturdays would be a good way to ease the burden of finding topics for the blog.  You see, I had assigned themes to Monday through Friday but left the weekends open for “write what you want” inspiration to strike.

The trouble was that inspiration did not always strike.  I have found that the fish of inspiration prefers the bait of a few guidelines rather than the empty hook of unlimited choice.

Thus, Silly Saturdays was born, and I have had a lot of fun finding the various sillinesses I have posted.

You may have wondered, however—if you spent that much time on it—whether I was spending all my time scouring the internet for silly things.  (I wonder that myself about George Takei’s Facebook page.)

And I did spend quite a bit of time on it.  More, actually, than is conducive to productivity.

But not all my time.

Quite a few of the silly sites I posted were also linked to an amalgamation of silliness to which I now direct you and which will streamline your own search for nonsense and make it possible for you to find useless and time-wasting games with ease.

The title says it all:

PointlessSites.com

You’ll find a few of the silly links I’ve used there already along with many, many more.

Enjoy!

The soul of wit

Brevity.

Brevity is the soul of wit. ~ Shakespeare, Hamlet

If that is the case, the wittiest website I know might be Book-a-Minute, summarizing your favorites.  With sections for Classics, Children’s Stories and SF, you can take the modern obsession with efficiency a little too far in several genres.

As the site itself says, “when even the Cliff Notes are too long.”

It’s harder to write a ten minute play than a full-length play.  It’s harder to write a short story than a novel, and I am sure it’s harder to write a one-minute summary than a full review of a book.

And, I’d say that this site proves it.

Most of these summaries are just silly.

I do have to say, though, that I think the summary of Hamlet will save you a lot of time.

 

Video games

Sort of.

I am not sure this qualifies for Silly Saturdays.  I mean, I’m not sure it’s silly enough.  There actually might be some redeeming aspects of this game.

Maybe.

You’ll have to try it yourself.

I must warn you.  My highest score has been 8.  On the other hand, I get tired of it quickly.

Those aforementioned redeeming qualities?

Hand-eye coordination, maybe.  Improved perception of spatial relationships?  Increase in your ability to think ahead?

Patience with constant losing?

I don’t know.

See what you think.

Cursor Invisible

The object of the game is to click to break the white circles.  The obstacle is the cursor disappears after about 3 seconds, so you have to guess where it is.

Good luck!

The time you enjoy wasting

is not wasted time.
~ Bertrand Russell

Which makes this Silly Saturday all the sillier.  Because, of all the pointless sites that I have pointed out to you in this blog, I think this may be the worst.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s not even all that enjoyable—although it does hold a certain strange fascination.  (I’m still trying to figure out what it says at the end of the game, for one thing.)

So, take a look at PressTheSpaceBar if you must and because I haven’t got anything better to show you today.

But please, please, please don’t spend more than a minute or two there.  It has no redeeming qualities other than providing me with an entry for the blog today.

Just think of all the things you could be doing instead.

Take a walk.  Talk to your significant other.  Write a poem, paint a picture, or play something that is actually fun!

Truth is stranger than fiction.

Sillier, too.

Writers are always trying to dream up things that are original.  Strange, even.  (Hence, you may imagine, almost any Stephen King novel.)

I think we should just give it up.

Because, here are a bunch of purportedly true stories.  And if I put any one of them in a play, nobody would believe it.  Although, I’m thinking that Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin could have made good use of a few of them.

The gentleman with the insurance claim and the tools in the barrel was made for Keaton, for sure.

The man in the lawn chair with the balloons—a Chaplin short, undoubtedly.

I don’t know what to make of poor Brian Finnegan, though.

 

Miss Mary Mack

All grown up.

Remember those clapping games?

You and a partner singing a little ditty and clapping out some more-or-less elaborate pattern?

Well!

Check this out:

Okay, so maybe it’s not so much Miss Mary Mack as it is River Dance with hands.

What I really want to know is how the choreographer explains it.  What’s the terminology?  Are they doing falap, ball changes?  Shuffling off to Buffalo?  Or do they have a whole new language?

If you find out, let me know!

For my friends

who have trouble sleeping.

We’ve all heard it said that counting sheep is a good way to fall asleep.  (I don’t know why sheep rather than cats or something.  Maybe because almost nobody is afraid of sheep?)

Anyway, here is a little website that may help you out.

This could be the silliest Silly Saturday yet.

But when you’re done laughing, maybe it will bore you to sleep.

Counting Sheep.

A message from Metro

Giggle while you’re reminded

Of Dumb Ways to Die.

I’m assuming this is a Public Service commercial for the British Metro system, although it’s not at all clear until the end that it has anything to do with trains.  It’s also not clear to which Metro system is bringing you the ad.  I’m just going by the English accent of the narrator at the end.

It’s a cute, creative video, but be warned.  You’ll likely be humming this little ditty days from now.

Not so silly, really.

Except it is—sort of.

Today’s contribution of silliness is…(drumroll)…

The Carrot Museum.

And, not only the Carrot Museum, but the World Carrot Museum!

Pardon me a minute while I rofl!

I’m sorry.  It just strikes me as really funny.  And the icing on the cake is the website originates in the U.K.  Some staid Britisher has provided us with an entire website about carrots!

In truth, it’s a fascinating site, full of much interesting information.  Carrot history, tips on cultivation, recipes, and all kinds of trivia.  (Remember my love of esoteric facts?  I never thought to be questing after carrot quotes, but here they are.)

Anyway, I think this site has a lot to offer and is well worth a visit.  When you’re done perusing it, I bet you’ll have a craving for a carrot.


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