So Long, Bob Rivers. Hope You’re Not Roasting On An Open Fire Like Those Damn Chipmunks


Radio Host, Song Parodist Bob Rivers Has Died.
Man, I was so bummed when I heard this news over the weekend.

Growing up, I had two favourite song parody guys. The first, obviously, was Weird Al (one of the first records ever given to me as a child was the “Eat It” 45), and the other was Bob Rivers.

I first came to know of him through the stations that would play his Christmas songs, in particular “Walkin’ ‘Round in Women’s Underwear”

and “The Restroom Door Said, “Gentlemen””, which right up until this day is still one of my very favourite songs in the whole wide world, no lie. I can’t listen to it without smiling. I also can’t not sing it when I’m supposed to be singing the real one, so a big you’re welcome to everyone who found themselves next to me in choirs or assemblies. I know some of you heard me, and I’m shocked that we never got in trouble for laughing.

Through trading tapes with friends, I came to find out that there was more to Bob than just Christmas. In our group, this one was a definite favourite.

You ever hear a song and it sounds like the artist is singing directly to you? 😢

One of the cool things that Bob did was put his entire library online for free in the early 2000s. I have very fond memories of sitting around the old apartment with Carin and our roommate, digging around in it for gold. And man alive, did we ever find it.

I can still hear the three of us laughing. Amazingly, nothing ended up wearing a drink.

And I can’t end things without this one, a favourite of Carin’s. It’s a winner just for the impersonation.

Like I said, hearing that he had died made me sad. And if you’re one of those who knows what the last few years have been like around here, you know that’s the last thing we need. But listening to some of these songs again? That I needed.

Rivers’ radio career began in high school with his first paid airshift at 16. Following on-air work at eight different stations in the Nutmeg State, Rivers headed to Worcester, MA rocker WAAF to co-host the “Bob and Zip” morning show. During his six years at WAAF, he began writing and producing parody and novelty songs such as “Just a Big Ego,” spoofing David Lee Roth’s hit “Just a Gigolo.” Rivers’ “Twisted Christmas” album, released in 1987, which included “Twelve Pains of Christmas” — his take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” — went on to sell half a million and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Rivers’ recording career continued with “Twisted Tunes” while at Baltimore’s “98 Rock” WIYY, where he gained national attention for an 11-day on-air marathon during the Orioles’ 21-game losing streak to open the 1988 baseball season, remaining on WIYY until they finally won a game. The next stop was Seattle, where Rivers spent the next 25 years hosting mornings at rock stations KISW and KZOK, and classic hits KJR-FM (now KJEB).
Rivers’ career accolades include two awards as Radio & Records’ major market Rock Personality of the Year and his 2023 induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.

Did Somebody Say McFurnace?

Old story, but who cares?

McDonalds says it will remove a sign advertising its “McCrispy” sandwich that’s located next to a crematorium in the United Kingdom, according to a report.
The sign, advertising McDonald’s “McCrispy” sandwich was placed next to publicly-owned Penmount Crematorium in Cornwall, England, according to Cornwall Live.
“New McCrispy,” the sign reads. “A new favourite, here to stay.”

You’ll have to click through to this article to see pictures of it since the only ones I can find are copyrighted. Near the ad, there’s another sign with an arrow pointing the way to the nearby crematorium, which should have taken the opportunity to put up its own sign saying something like “Waaaaaaay crispier in here”.

People were upset, naturally. but others chose to see the humour in it. Speaking for myself, I’m pretty sure something like that would cheer me up quite nicely if someone I love was ever to be a customer.

For its part, McDonald’s said that it wasn’t aware of where the ad was placed, which for all I know is probably true. Whoever was responsible for actually putting it up likely can’t claim the same ignorance, though. But he does get to be my hero for today, so he’s got that going for him, at least.

I’m Going To Buy A MAGA Hat

A red cap with the words "MAKE AMERICA GO AWAY" embroidered on it.
Photo from Aannguaq Reimer-Johansen’s Facebook page.

I don’t wear hats that often, but I think I could make an exception for this one.

An anti-MAGA Hat made by a Greenlandic creator that reads: “Make America Go Away” has gone viral as Usha Vance’s visit to the island approaches.
Aannguaq Reimer-Johansen, the creator of the anti-MAGA hats, has said he believes her visit is a “charm offensive,” and that he wants people in Greenland to show that they do not want the U.S. to take over their nation.

“Recommendation to fellow citizens in Sisimiut: Vance’s wife’s visit is a charm offensive. If you smile at them or take a selfie with them, you are sending a message to the world that you love the USA and want to be part of it,” he wrote on Facebook. “It is recommended not to show interest. We have already expressed our stance through a large demonstration—let’s remain firm and stay united.”

He’s right. Any little action, no matter how innocent, can be twisted by these maniacs into whatever they want their believers to think it is. It can be hard to be rude to people, but sometimes people deserve it. This is one of those times.

A quick Google search suggests that similar hats are available all over the place, but assuming that they really are this guy’s idea, I would hesitate to buy one from anyone but him. There’s no telling where the money might be going otherwise.

Name That Attitude Era Tune


I thought this was going to be easier than the Ruthless Aggression edition, but I managed to do worse by one. I missed Ken Shamrock which drove me nuts because I totally knew it, Brian Pillman (I have no memory of that song whatsoever), ivory (I remember two other themes she used but not this one), and Dean Malenko which I think I maybe could have gotten if I had had another second.

Anyone Know Where I Can Cool Down?

This is either a fantastic parody of what a fantastically stupid person sounds like or a fantastically stupid person sounding fantastically stupid. I am having trouble coming to grips with the fact that we are at such a point in our history that I am unable to tell the difference.

A man went to fiery lengths to prove his point at an Edmonton city council meeting Monday morning after he ate a chili pepper to show local lawmakers that climate change is not a big issue.

“I kind of wanted to demonstrate that climate change is not a huge issue because I brought a chili pepper and I was going to eat it and show that even though something heats up a little bit, it’s not the end of the world,” the man said at the public hearing, where speakers get up to five minutes to raise concerns on city issues.
According to Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz, the presenter’s name showed up over the video conference call as “Arun tysily” (Aren’t I silly).

“I wanted to demonstrate that because a lot of people say that if Canada was to heat up it would be the end of the world. But South America is way warmer than Canada and people vacation there all the time. So for someone to say that it would be the end of the world for something like that to happen, I think it’s ludicrous.”

That’s One…

A teenager who sneaked into a closed funfair with friends was crushed to death by the mechanical arm of one of the rides, an inquest heard today.

That ride? Body Count.

Mr Partington said KFRS was called to reports of a male trapped with the mechanics of a fairground ride at 7:44am.
He said the fairground ride, known as ‘Body Count’, consisted of a single boom arm which revolved around an axel with a hydraulic arm. The arms were attached to a gondola.

Mr Welch told the inquest Mackenzie and two of his friends had pushed the ride until it gained momentum and was moving independently.
The friends recalled Mackenzie saying he was going to climb to the top of the ride. But as he did so, he got his leg stuck and became crushed between the moving arms.
Mr Welch said the teenagers attempted to move the ride arm and free Mackenzie but were unable to do so.
The male friend told police he noticed Mackenzie had turned purple and it was at this point that he called 999.

The medical cause of death given at the post-mortem examination was a traumatic rupture of the liver and spleen as a result of injuries from being crushed by the ride.

Pretty Sure I Just Got Robbed By This Guess The Oscar Winning Song Lyrics Quiz

Can You Guess the Oscar-Winning Song Based on the Lyrics?
I got 75 percent here which kinda surprised me, but unless there’s something I’m not picking up on, it should have been higher. Without giving anything away, the one about talking to the sun I’m absolutely right about even though the damn thing keeps telling me I’m wrong. I’m singing the song in my head right now and that line is in there, just like it’s been since the beginning of time. I hate to accuse Mental Floss of making a mistake, but unless there’s a trick here that I’ve totally missed, they most definitely did.

If You’re Wondering Where The City Of Cambridge’s Tweets Have Gone, Why Are You Still On Twitter?

Considering that Michael Shellenberger is the mayor’s idea of a good speaker for an addictions and mental health summit, I’ve got to say that I’m pleasantly surprised and borderline shocked to hear that the city is doing what we all should be doing if we haven’t already and getting off Twitter. If you made me guess which of the three major cities in the region would have done this first, I’d have had Cambridge listed somewhere around eighth.

The City of Cambridge has officially stopped using the social media platform X.
In a Monday news release, the city said the social media platform formerly known as Twitter no longer aligns with its values of inclusivity, respect, integrity, service and responsible communication. 
“This decision follows ongoing concerns about the platform’s viability as a trusted space for public communication as content found and promoted on X, includes racism and misinformation,” the city stated in the release.
News and other updates will continue to be shared through the city’s other social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Residents can also stay connected through the city’s website at cambridge.ca.

“The city’s priority is to make sure residents receive important updates in a respectful and trustworthy space.”
The city said it is also actively exploring other social media platforms, such as Bluesky, as an alternative.