CNN.com - Italian Study: "Clowns ease anxiety in young patients; Doctors and nurses annoyed, however..."

How surreal!

It's like that scene out of "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure"!!

CNN.com - Study: Clowns ease anxiety in young patients - Oct 3, 2005

(from Tom)

Now, I don't want to seem prejudiced, but I have to admit that I would always prefer my clowns outside the operating room... I mean, I'm not clown-phobic or anything, but that's gotta be nearly the last thing I wanna see when my mind's going under anesthesia!

Want the same effect without having to travel all the way to Florence? Not to mention, without the potential health risks?! Try your very own random "Evil Clown" generator here!

(from the Generator Blog)

Categories: Italy, WeirdScience, Humor, Fun&Games

UPDATED: Links for Friends (Plus, AAIIIEEE!!)

At left... Oh yeah, that helps! Yikes!! (Thanks, Presurfer!! :-)

More on evil clowns in medicine previously on "Michelle's Mental Clutter"!

And now, our weekly (or so) links for friends...

Firstly, for all the guys, The social norm of leaving the toilet seat down: A game theoretic analysis (Hey, I'm cool with it, but you never know who isn't!)

For Vippy-Zippy, Theoretical Economics: An Open Access Journal in Economic Theory & Get Hostile: The Online Stock Trading Game.

For myself & Marky-J, Cute Otters: The Website! (If we're good, maybe next life...)

Plus, for both the philosopher and language-nazi in him, I thought he'd enjoy "Beg the Question"? Get It Right!

Lastly but not leastly, for Doctor Beth, Guinea Pig Rescuers! Sounds like the name for an exciting new reality show, huh? :-)

"A Bag of Tools"

"Isn't it strange
That princes and kings,
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity?

Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass,
A book of rules;
and each must make
A stumbling-block
Or a stepping stone."

-R. L. Sharpe

(Don't) Send in the Clowns!

These days, more often than not, I'm microblogging on Twitter (as you can see in my right-hand sidebar). Unless, of course, I have something longer than 140 characters to say, like today, for instance!

You probably didn't know that the youngest son of Benito Mussolini grew up to be a relatively well-appreciated jazz pianist. (Apparently, in his 2006 obituary, they said "he made the refrains run on time"... Get it??)

That's right... Romano Mussolini was too young when the fascist dictator was finally killed to have been directly involved in his politics and instead chose the artistic life. He even married the sister of Sophia Loren and wound up fathering the former centerfold and current Italian parliamentarian Alessandra Mussolini. (Hence, part - but only just part - of the reason for the "30 Rock" joke this year when Cerie says of her Halloween costume, "I'm an Italian Senator!")

But Romano's artistic bent wasn't limited just to music. He also was a self-taught painter. Unfortunately, however, he chose the world's ugliest genre to dabble in... That's right, clown pictures!

We've posted about pagliaccio unpleasantness before here on *MMC*, and to maintain that august tradition, without further ado, we present some of the paintings from around the web which may be featured in an exhibition of Romano Mussolini's paintings which is (inexplicably) being held in Padua, Italy.

Enjoy! (That is, if you can... You'll see what I mean!)


































One last note for any would-be art collectors out there: it seems that the first painting is currently for sale on eBay for a mere $1474!