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BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
My all-time favorite article, Hard Times Hit Springsteenville. If you aren't a Bruce Springsteen fan it will make very little sense to you, but for Springsteen fans, this poo poo is dead-on perfect.

quote:

SPRINGSTEENVILLE, U.S.A.—Across America, cities are facing shrinking job bases and plant closings. But nowhere has the recent industrial slowdown hit harder than Springsteenville. A blue-collar, rust-belt city whose 75,000 inhabitants are almost all factory-employed Vietnam veterans, Springsteenville was once considered an ideal American town, but now faces a state of economic emergency.

“Our glory days have passed us by,” says Mayor Joe Roberts, whose parents came to Springsteenville in 1951 to work in the city’s then-booming auto plant. “The situation is similar to the wink of a young girl’s eye.”

With the recent closing of Springsteenville’s textile mill, located across the railroad tracks, unemployment has hit an all-time high of 34 percent.

“It seems like there’s always another plant closing down,” Roberts lamented. “Once we stood for a hard day’s work for a day’s pay. But now, these jobs are going, boys. And they ain’t coming back.”

“To your hometown,” the mayor continued. “Your hometown.”


Unemployment is at an all-time high in Springsteenville, and it appears that spirits have never been lower. Most of the city’s workers served their country bravely in the 1960s and ’70s, when, after getting in a little hometown jam, they had rifles thrust into their hands.

“I was sent to a foreign land,” said Kyle Braley, who works on the highway in nearby Darlington County. “To go and kill the yellow man.”

In the 1980s, Springsteenville was a symbol of working-class pride and patriotic vigor, but by 1996, Springsteenville has seen better days and is increasingly in danger of becoming a sad caricature of its former self.

One petroleum worker (who asked not to be named) said that upon returning from Vietnam he had gone back to the refinery, but the hiring officer refused him, saying that, son, it was unfortunately not up to him. The veteran then tried approaching his V.A. man, who similarly replied, “Son, don’t you understand?”

Adding to Springsteenville’s woes is the recent drastic rise in teen delinquency. Fueled by the perception among youth that the city is both a death trap and a suicide rap, many teens are getting out while they are young. Underage drinking is an epidemic and teen pregnancy is at an all-time high, as many high school-age teens go down to the river, despite the fact that the river is dry. Some teens are proving it all night, typically out in the street. Others, such as local teens Bobby Jean, Wendy and Rosalita, have opted simply to run away.

One disaffected factory worker told reporters that life in Springsteenville makes him feel as if someone took an edgy, dull knife and cut a six-inch valley through the middle of his soul. He also noted that he is on fire.

Compounding Springsteenville’s economic woes are the city’s tremendous traffic problems, with many residents turning to their automobiles as a way out. Among the most popular auto-related escapes: driving all night, racing in the street, cruising on the oft-visited Thunder Road, and driving either stolen or used cars.

“It’s true,” Mayor Roberts confirms. “Our highways are jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive. This is terrible, and not just because of the risk of a tragic wreck on the highway. We can’t have kids thinking that they can skip some school, shoot some pool, act real cool, stay out all night, and it will be all right.”

The rising tide of hopelessness among Springsteenville’s young has contributed to an equally swift rise in the crime rate. Residents of the suburbs are afraid to go out at night, largely due to a recent, much-publicized freeze-out on 10th Avenue.

“I was stranded in the jungle trying to take in all the heat they was giving,” recalled victim Bad Scooter, speaking from his hospital bed. “I then turned around the corner, and things got extremely quiet, extremely fast.”


Police are still investigating the incident.

(Links are to YouTube videos of referenced songs.)

BrooklynBruiser has a new favorite as of 22:42 on Mar 14, 2012

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BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

SerCypher posted:

These two never fail to brighten my day

Sumerians Look On In Confusion As God Creates World

Holy poo poo that's wonderful, I'd never seen that one before.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Ovo posted:

And my personal favourite onion article from this year, NBA Announces Supernatural Investigation Spin-Off ‘NBA Nights’

My favorite on the year: Knicks Doctors Continue Carefully Reinjuring Carmelo Anthony's Groin.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

moller posted:

Roof On Fire Claims Lives Of 43 Party People

Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.

I absolutely adore the final line of that article - "The fire is New York's deadliest since 1978, when 117 party people burned, baby, burned to death in a South Bronx disco inferno."

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

I need to combine :gonk:, :aaaaa:, and :laugh:

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

:catstare:

:catstare:

:catstare:

Holy loving poo poo, Onion.

That's... goddamn.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

lasts years man posted:

And on the dark turn things have taken: http://www.theonion.com/articles/you-will-die-someday-and-it-will-be-sad-all-man-th,28812/

There aren't even really any jokes in that article, just the bleakest possible gallows humor.

I... I wanna go hug my mom and tell her I love her. :smith:

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

ultrafilter posted:

I love the idea of Literally Unbelievable, but I had to stop reading it. It's just too painful.

If I ever feel faith in humanity, I pull up Literally Unbelievable. Kills that faith right quick.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Uhm... :catstare:

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Jesus. This is it. This is the Onion article that is too hosed up for me to read.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Holy poo poo. Chicago Public Schools Celebrate Fifth Straight Day Without Any Violence.

That's... one way to look at the teacher strike, I guess...

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
And up next in the holy poo poo file: Nick Jr. Suspends Production On 'The Almighty Muhammad's Porkalicious Toon Jihad'

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
U.S. Authorities Can't Really Fault Al-Qaeda For Deadly Bombing Of Carnival Cruise Ship

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
D.C. Residents Can Remember Exactly Who They Were Murdering When Nationals Clinched First Ever Playoff Berth

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Mitt Romney Frantically Running Around Ohio Smiling And Waving

quote:

CANTON, OH—As part of an effort to cut into President Obama’s lead in the crucial swing state of Ohio, Mitt Romney reportedly ran at full speed Monday around the entire state screaming “Hello!” at the top of his lungs while smiling and waving indiscriminately. “Hello, Ohio! How ya doing? Hi! How is everybody? I’m Mitt Romney!” the breathless, sweat-drenched candidate spat out randomly as he tore across the state without pause, furiously kissing babies and tossing them backwards over his shoulder in a mad dash that has now taken him through 30 of Ohio’s 88 counties. “The beautiful state of Ohio! Go Buckeyes! Jobs! Ohio! Hello! I’m Mitt Romney!” At press time, Romney had reportedly dived through the plate-glass front window of a North Canton bar, scrambled to his feet, wolfed down a large plate of pancakes, waved to restaurant patrons for five seconds, furiously stammered out a few words about the economy, stumbled out through the front door, and sprinted in the direction of Youngstown.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Jerusalem posted:

Apparently Diamond Joe Biden is going to be "live-tweeting" during his debate with Paul Ryan :allears:


This is going to rule.

This is me in real life right now: :neckbeard:

Also, oh god: http://www.theonion.com/articles/nation-did-not-see-mark-wahlbergs-sex-change-comin,29857/



And an all-time favorite, which may come true at some point: http://www.theonion.com/articles/supreme-court-upholds-bill-of-rights-in-54-decisio,6453/

BrooklynBruiser has a new favorite as of 03:13 on Oct 10, 2012

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
So... Uh...

Man Googles Matt Damon's Address Because, Well, He’s Crazy And Wants To Murder Him

:stare:

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Oh my god I've never seen this before, and holy gently caress, I was 100% that kid.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

That is loving beautiful.

Another "funny then the last sentence owns" article:

Busy Mom Wishes She Had Enough Spare Time To gently caress CIA Director posted:

MEDIA, PA—Folding laundry Thursday morning as she watched television coverage of the latest revelations in the affair between Gen. David Petraeus and his biographer Paula Broadwell, local mother Dinah Cooley told reporters she wished she had enough time to gently caress the director of the CIA once in a while. “What I wouldn’t give to just drop everything, slip away for a little while, and gently caress a CIA director,” Cooley said with a huff, adding that she doesn’t understand why it’s always someone else who gets to have fun loving high-ranking military and intelligence officers. “Between cooking three meals a day, chauffeuring the kids around, and keeping this house in order, I barely have time to gently caress a low-level CIA operative, much less the director of the whole agency. And even if I did get an hour alone with him, I’d probably be too exhausted to really get anything out of it.” Sighing softly as she returned to her work, Cooley added that she would just have to settle with loving her neighbor for now.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
New Al-Qaeda Recruit Sick Of Hearing Senior Terrorists Brag About 9/11 Attacks

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Robert Denby posted:

The Onion gets just a tad surreal:

Chris Christie Dreaming About 72-Inch Springsteen Sub

This is loving hilarious to me for some reason.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Kind Milkman posted:

I find it oddly endearing. It makes Chris Christie seem more human.

On the subject of The Boss: "It's Funny, I've Actually Only Been To New Jersey A Couple Of Times" by Bruce Springsteen

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
:stare:

Everyone At Office Planning Shooting Spree For Same Day

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
This is actually the most depressing thing I've ever read.

Afghanistan War Veteran Solemnly Recalls Seeing Entire Platoon Killed By Undiagnosed PTSD

quote:

DUNN, NC—After being asked to speak about his experience fighting in the war in Afghanistan on Tuesday, U.S. Army veteran Jackson Richards solemnly recalled an episode when, during a five-year period immediately following his return to the United States, his whole platoon was murdered by undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder. “Right from the beginning, you could tell things were looking bad; it was clear some of us weren’t going to make it out alive,” said the 26-year-old lieutenant, his voice trembling as he described how each of his friends was psychologically tortured, shot, or hanged during the 264-week-long ordeal. “The worst was the constant sense of fear and dread, not knowing when the enemy was going to creep up and strike while your kids were at school.” Richards added that he is always happy to answer questions about the war, since he is constantly reliving his experiences over and over in his head.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
:catstare:

8th Grader Impregnated During Trip To 'March For Life' Event posted:

WASHINGTON—Mallory Pickens, a 13-year-old pro-life extremist attending today’s March for Life event in the nation’s capital, was reportedly unaware that she had been impregnated the previous evening by a fellow member of her church’s anti-abortion organization. “Right to choose? That’s a lie! Babies do not choose to die!” chanted the sign-toting Lambs of Christ activist who is utterly ignorant of the fact that the semen of Kirk Tussle, a 13-year-old fellow church member and pro-life extremist, had completed the capacitation stage and resulted in a fertilized zygote following a fumbling sexual encounter at the Holiday Inn Express where their group had rented several adjoining rooms. “Life from conception! No exception!” At press time, sources close to Pickens predict that after discovering the pregnancy she will drop out of school, isolate herself from friends and family, and suffer crippling postpartum depression.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Jesus CHRIST. :stare:

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
God Freaks Self Out By Lying Awake Contemplating Own Immortality

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
8 RIDICULOUSLY HOT Photos Of Beyonce At The Super Bowl

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Area Man's Knee Making Weird Sound

quote:

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—Noting that it began happening just a few days ago, local 31-year-old Anthony Forster told reporters Monday that his left knee has been making a really strange sound lately. “It’s like a little clicking noise—can you hear it?” said Forster, as he repeatedly flexed his knee back and forth in an effort to demonstrate the unusual sound. “You have to get really close and listen for it. It usually happens when I bend my knee all the way back and—there, did you hear that? It was doing it worse before, but you can still hear it.” At press time, sources confirmed a small blood clot just above Forster’s knee had broken loose and was traveling through his bloodstream to his brain, where it is expected to cause a massive stroke, killing him instantly.

Spoiling the last line because it's THAT GOOD.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
This is beautiful.

Get Me To A Hospital, I Think I Just Swallowed Some Venom! by A Cobra

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Jesus CHRIST: Sometimes I Wonder What Life Would Be Like If I Hadn’t Turned Down ‘Star Wars’ And Thrown Natalie Wood Off That Boat, by Christopher Walken

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Analytic Engine posted:

Was that like OJ where everyone knows he did it but the lawyer found a technicality?

Everyone basically assumes it was Robert Wagner. There was never a trial or anything.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

ekuNNN posted:

This is genius:


Isn't that Judd Apatow? Or does it just look a lot like him?

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Font Too Small

BrooklynBruiser has a new favorite as of 19:37 on May 10, 2013

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Bit of a blast from the past, but at least as :stare:-worthy as anything coming out today.

"Area Man's Quirky Hobby Kills 27"

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
New, Improved Google Maps Lets User Launch Missile At Any Location On Globe

I would make so much use of this.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Now this is a government message I can get behind!

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Michele Bachmann Figures Why Not, Introduces Homosexual-Beheading Bill posted:

WASHINGTON—Saying that she’ll be gone soon anyway so she might as well, Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann introduced H.R. 259: The Homosexual Decapitation Act, which would give the United States government legal authority to behead any gay U.S. Citizen. “I figured, eh, why not; I’m not running for reelection in 2014, I have nothing to lose, and I’ve been sitting on this bill for nearly five years, so what’s it going to hurt to finally throw it into the mix,” Bachmann said of the piece of legislation which, if passed, would create Homosexual Decapitation Centers throughout the country where handcuffed gay people would be taken to have their heads chopped off. “I’m also planning on introducing a Hang All The Muslims bill, the Abortion Doctor Castration Act, and H.R. 264, which would allow me to rip the throat out of any citizen who doesn’t believe in creationism. Rip it out with my teeth.” At press time, every new piece of legislation introduced by Bachmann had received more than 10 Republican cosponsors.

BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006

Taylor Swift Enters Alternate Universe To Date Body-Building George Harrison posted:

LOS ANGELES—In just the latest in a series of whirlwind romances, sources confirmed today that singer-songwriter Taylor Swift entered an alternate universe parallel to our own earlier this week and stepped out with famed English powerlifter George Harrison. “Taylor was spotted hand-in-hand with the former Mr. Universe on Tuesday night as the two entered West Hollywood restaurant Lucques,” said US Weekly reporter Rebecca Kelly of the blossoming courtship between the 23-year-old recording artist and her new three-time Olympiad beau from a divergent plane of reality. “After dating guys like Harry Styles and Conor Kennedy, Taylor was probably looking for a more muscular hunk like George Harrison. Who can blame her for traveling outside the temporal and spatial dimensions of our world to be with him?” Swift’s relationship with Harrison comes just weeks after the pop star had been spotted in a separate alternate universe with Seattle Seahawks running back Mohandas Gandhi.

So... Who spiked the water coolers at The Onion with LSD?

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BrooklynBruiser
Aug 20, 2006
Hoooooooooooooooooly poo poo :catstare:

13 Adorable Photos Of Baby Farm Animals, But With Each Click, Another Appendage Will Be Cut Off Our Finance Director’s Body. How Far Will You Go? When Will You Let It Stop?

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