Tag Archives: family

How to Survive Thanksgiving at Your Liberal Relatives’

How to survive Thanksgiving at your liberal relatives’ house:

“Why don’t you come to our place next year. Seeing as how your taxes are going up in a few weeks, it’s only fair.”

“Sorry I parked you in. Oh, darn, I drove the Chevy Volt today. You wouldn’t have an extension cord, would you?”

Smirk. Love the picture of Sarah Palin speaking in front of the turkey processing plant.

A Sarcasm Detector

From the Smithsonian, via @HankFortener, comes this useful information:

Actually, scientists are finding that the ability to detect sarcasm really is useful. For the past 20 years, researchers from linguists to psychologists to neurologists have been studying our ability to perceive snarky remarks and gaining new insights into how the mind works. Studies have shown that exposure to sarcasm enhances creative problem solving, for instance. Children understand and use sarcasm by the time they get to kindergarten. An inability to understand sarcasm may be an early warning sign of brain disease.

It’s too late to use this insight at family Thanksgiving dinners, but Christmas is coming.