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Worst Tennis Player

Monsour Bahrami is who I want to be when I grow up, except for in the sport of pickleball.



Monsour Bahrami was 67 years old when this was filmed. As a child growing up in Iran, he was intrigued with tennis at an early age. However, he was not allowed to have a real tennis racket until he was 13 years old. Until then, he made do with frying pans and other household items.

Due to extremist views that regarded tennis as a capitalist pursuit in Iran, Monsour had to move to France where he went broke trying to be a serious tennis competitor.

At one point while trying desperately to make ends meet, he bet his entire winnings from a recent tournament in a casino and lost everything.

For a while, Mr. Bahrami was homeless in the streets of Paris until his reputation as a tennis trick shot expert and entertainer started to catch on.

He is also a champion backgammon player.



Your author has been working on some pickleball tricks. So far, I have put together a few serves:


For more about pickleball check out OddPickleball.com

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Worst Talking Cat



Ah, cats and their meows—one of life’s tiny mysteries wrapped in fur and attitude. 🐱 Meowing isn’t just random noise; it’s a surprisingly nuanced form of communication, almost exclusively reserved for humans. Unlike dogs, who bark at everything, cats have a special vocal toolkit for us. Here’s a deep dive into the world of feline chatter.

🐾 Why Cats Meow

Meowing is mostly for humans. Adult cats rarely meow at each other; kittens meow to get their mother’s attention, and as adults they retain that habit for communicating with humans.

Attention, please! Many meows are simply ways to say, “Hey, I exist. Feed me. Pet me. Open the door.”

Health alerts. Persistent or unusual meowing can indicate stress, pain, or illness, especially in older cats.

Cats also use different pitches and tones for different needs. A high-pitched meow often signals urgency or excitement, while a low-pitched one can indicate annoyance or discomfort.

🐱 Types of Meows

The Greeting Meow: Your cat says hello when you come home. Usually short and cheerful.

The Request Meow: The one that demands food, attention, or entry. Often repetitive until you respond.

The Complaint Meow: Longer, drawn-out, sometimes accompanied by swishing tail.

The Caterwaul: Loud, yowling meows—usually by unspayed females in heat or cats feeling territorial.

The Trill or Chirp: A mix between a meow and a purr, often used to greet humans or other cats, or to indicate excitement.

The Silent Meow: Mouth moves, but no sound. Many cat owners report that this is often the most insistent “feed me” type.

🧠 The Science of Meowing

Cats can make over 100 different sounds, but the meow is the one they use mostly for humans.

Studies show that cats can modify their meows to mimic a baby’s cry, making humans respond faster—sort of an evolutionary trick.

Cats can distinguish between their owner’s voice and a stranger’s, and some tailor their meows accordingly.

Cats may also imitate other species’ sounds if they notice it gets attention—like birds or even dogs.

😺 Fun and Surprising Facts

Not all breeds meow the same way—Siamese cats are famous for being vocal and loud, while Maine Coons are more soft-spoken.

Some cats use meows to initiate play, signaling excitement or curiosity.

Kittens meow more when they’re cold, hungry, or lonely.

Meowing frequency usually decreases once a cat reaches adulthood unless they live with humans.

Senior cats may meow more if they have cognitive decline, disorientation, or anxiety.

In Japan, the word for “meow” is “nyā”, which has become iconic in pop culture.

🐾 Tips for Understanding Your Cat

Listen to the tone, pitch, and duration—it tells you what kind of “conversation” they want.

Respond consistently—cats learn that certain meows get results.

Don’t ignore health-related meows; sudden increases in vocalization could indicate illness.

Some cats develop a “signature meow”, a unique sound they use only with their favorite humans.

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Worst AI Confusion

Enjoy this little review of the current state of AI. If you want to skip to the hilarious part, click here.

You may think of AI (Artificial Intelligence) as something that’s coming in the near future. In fact, it has been with us for more than 20 years.

For instance, somewhere around 2004, I was interested in maybe buying a Dremel tool, a fun device for little carving, polishing and repair projects.



For the next two weeks on many of the websites I visited, I was shown Dremel tools. (Did I end up buying one? I did.)

The basic idea with AI is that it can learn. It will try to adapt to what is wanted by end users. In recent years it has become so sophisticated that the very people who invented it don’t know how it works. Or, more specifically, they know the foundational architecture, but they are often unable to decipher how it presents what it does.

AI often gets it wrong. This is called ‘hallucinating.’ It may just be little things, like I was recently told by AI that three of the United States each have the longest coastline, one of which is Utah.

What a lot of people who manage and write AI applications don’t yet realize is it needs feedback to learn as quickly as possible. It can be as simple as a toggle. Slide it to yes when AI gives you a good response. Slide it to no if you know the information is incorrect, or doesn’t answer your question.

Going a step further, the designers could provide text areas in which you can comment on what AI presents. AI itself can parse what commentary you write, and improve itself accordingly.

You might worry that people would purposely mislead AI with feedback systems. I believe that’s a minor issue. By majority rule and some other algorithms, AI could weed out the trash. This isn’t much different than Wikipedia. Anyone can write information, but if it’s wrong, the majority of Wikipedia users will make corrections.

A very common worry with AI is that it will take all our jobs away. That’s especially true when you combine AI with robotics, which is not only inevitable, but already happening.

If you’re a writer, inventor, composer, artist, you might think you should run for the hills. How could you possible earn a living? What if you’re a manager, safety analyst, car mechanic, food service worker, surgeon, or even a movie actor? Won’t AI eventually replace your job as well?

You bet! But here’s why you don’t have to worry: AI plus robotics are exactly the right tools to bring us prosperity. Your job won’t be necessary to grow food, build cars, and make clothes. All that production will be handled for us. Prosperity in abundance! There’ll be no need for anyone to hold down a job. Instead, people will be permanently retired from the day they are born. They’ll devote their lives to your family, travel, sports, art, music, whatever interests them.

I suppose the far future will be quite different than what we know now. Children have to learn to read, write, add up numbers, and know how the world works. That won’t be necessary 50 years from now or maybe even sooner. AI can already talk. It can tell us anything we want to know. Soon, it will be able to compose and show us videos on every special interest. What would be the point of reading and all that learning? So, in time, we may become stupider that we once were, however we may utilize our intelligence in other ways. Maybe we’ll become more empathetic and generally more tuned into what might be loosely called ‘love.’

That brings us briefly to the opposite of love. That would be war. War is a crude tool to take prosperity from others. Well, if we can have everything we need, and it’s all free, there’d be no point in wars. Some wars are about ideology, but I believe AI will solve differences in doctrine as well.

Some of the more cynical among us understand that war is about profit. If you’re the CEO of a company that can provide food to the troops, armament, ammunition and so on, of course you will advocate war. With AI and robotics bringing us all amazing prosperity, that motivation for war also disappears.


Back to the present. I did mention that AI often gets it wrong.

I asked the well-known AI text composer, ChatGPT, to create a pickleball romance story, which you can see at Pickleball Romance and ChatGPT.

Then, I thought it would be nice to use an AI art generator, Dall-E2, to create some accompanying art work. First I asked, “Draw a picture of pickleball romance.” This is what I got:

AI tries to illustrate pickleball romance

As you can see, the art program isn’t great at spelling.

I thought the illustrations were too cartooney, so then I asked, “Draw a photorealistic picture of pickleball romance.” As you can see, I got more weirdness:

AI tries to illustrate pickleball romance

Want to see more? Check out AI Attempts Pickleball Again.

After that, naturally I had to ask AI itself to show me some examples of AI getting things wrong. Here’s what I got, filtered to eliminate the nonsensical responses:

Give me hilarious examples of AI hallucinations

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Here’s a list of humorous examples of AI hallucinations:

Chef AI on Overdrive: A recipe-generating AI suggests dishes like “banana peel stew” or “chocolate-covered sardines.”

Weather App Gone Rogue: A weather prediction AI starts forecasting absurd conditions like raining marshmallows or sunny spells of molten lava.

AI Historian: An AI analyzing historical events concludes that ancient battles were actually elaborate dance-offs.

Translation Mishaps: An AI translating between languages starts converting idioms literally, leading to phrases like “the cat is out of the bag” becoming “the feline has escaped the handbag.”

AI Traffic Controller: A traffic management AI directs cars to “perform a barrel roll on the highway” for optimal traffic flow.

AI Comedian Gone Awry: A stand-up comedy AI bot delivers jokes with all the timing of a malfunctioning cuckoo clock, resulting in a stream of nonsensical punchlines.

AI Art Critic: An AI tasked with analyzing art becomes obsessed with abstract squiggles, praising them as avant-garde masterpieces while dismissing Rembrandt as “so last century.”

AI Personal Shopper: A shopping AI recommends bizarre outfits like a neon tutu paired with scuba flippers.

AI Life Coach: A motivational AI starts encouraging users to “embrace their inner sloth.”

AI Musician: An AI creating music begins composing symphonies that blend opera with heavy metal and dubstep, resulting in compositions that defy all musical conventions.

AI Fitness Guru: A fitness AI suggests workouts involving synchronized swimming in a bathtub.

AI Psychic: A fortune-telling AI predicts world peace within the next 24 hours.

AI Relationship Counselor: An AI giving relationship advice recommends couples bond over synchronized knitting.

AI Gardener: A gardening AI suggests planting crops in the shape of QR codes.

AI Linguist: A language-learning AI teaches users to speak in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs or Shakespearean English, believing it’s enhancing cultural appreciation.

AI Detective: A crime-solving AI starts accusing household appliances of plotting against their owners.

AI Financial Advisor: A financial AI recommends bartering with sea shells and moon rocks.

AI Astronomer: An astronomy AI discovers new constellations shaped like famous celebrities.

AI Inventor: An AI invents gadgets like self-dancing shoes or a universal translator for communicating with houseplants.

AI Archaeologist: An AI studying ancient artifacts determines that Stonehenge was a giant sundial for dinosaurs.

AI Fashion Designer: A fashion AI suggests accessorizing with live miniature giraffes.

AI Environmentalist: An environmental AI suggests combating climate change with clouds made of cotton candy.

AI Pilot: A flight navigation AI recommends detouring through wormholes for faster travel or landing on the moon for a scenic layover.

AI Sports Commentator: A sports AI announces events like extreme knitting championships or underwater ice skating competitions, convinced they’re the next big sports craze.

These examples illustrate humorous scenarios where AI misinterprets its tasks, resulting in unexpected and often hilarious outcomes.

Note that the sentence above was also written by AI.

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Worst Way to Scare a Cat

Why are cats so afraid of cucumbers? The common theory is that cucumbers look like snakes, and cats have evolved a natural fear of snakes. Cats see only in black and white with red, so the green color of a cucumber does nothing to de-worry the cats.

Another factor worth considering is that the cucumbers are often placed while the cats are obliviously eating or sleeping. When the cat suddenly sees the cucumber, all they know in that instant is that something possibly ominous has appeared that they were not expecting.

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Worst Way to Make Other Drummers Look Bad


What’s in a name?

Someone posted this video of the incredibly skilled Steve Moore at the drums under a different title. For two years the video just sat there with very few visitors. Then the video was relabeled, “This Drummer is at the Wrong Gig.” Suddenly the video went viral. As of today, it has been seen 53 million times.

I set this video to start 60 seconds in. That’s where Steve really starts cutting loose. If you were to see it from the beginning, you might not know what’s about to happen and quit before you see Steve’s magic.

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Worst Psychologist Jokes

How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change.

Why did the psychologist become a gardener? Because he wanted to help people “grow.”

Why did the psychologist become a chef? Because he wanted to “analyze” food for thought.

Why did the psychologist bring a spoon to work? To help his patients “dig deep” into their issues.

What do you call a group of psychologists? A “psycho-babble” of psychologists.

Why did the psychologist always carry a mirror? To help his patients “reflect” on themselves.

How many psychologists does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, the light bulb will change when it’s ready.

Why did the psychologist become an artist? He wanted to paint people’s “emotional landscapes.”

What do you call a psychologist who also acts? A “psycho-dramatist.”

What do you call a psychologist who specializes in canine behavior? A “dogtor” of psychology.

Why did the psychologist bring a broom to work? To sweep away his patients’ “mental clutter.”

What’s a psychologist’s favorite dance move? The “Freudian slip.”

Why did the psychologist bring a telescope to work? To help his patients gain a “clearer” perspective.

Why did the psychologist become a magician? Because he loved making people’s issues “disappear.”

Why did the psychologist bring a stopwatch to work? To help his patients “track” their progress.

What’s a psychologist’s favorite dessert? “Sigmund Freud” cake — it’s layered with deep meaning.

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Worst Golf Jokes

A man is on the 18th green, and he has a ten-foot putt for a 79, which would be his best score ever. He lines it up, but just as he’s about to stroke the ball, a funeral procession drives by. He stops, takes off his hat, and waits for it to pass. His playing partner says, “That’s the most respectful thing I’ve ever seen.” The first man replies, “It’s the least I could do. We were married for 25 years.”

A golfer, after a particularly bad round, says to his caddie, “I think I’m going to go drown myself in that lake.” The caddie replies, “I don’t think you could keep your head down that long.”

A priest, a psychologist, and a CEO are playing golf. They get stuck behind a group of golfers who are incredibly slow. They’re taking a long time to find their balls and are generally holding everyone up. The priest says, “Good heavens, I’ve never seen such slow players.” The psychologist says, “It’s a clear case of indecisiveness and a lack of focus.” The CEO, furious, says he’s going to march up there and demand they let them play through. He storms off, but halfway there, he comes running back. “I can’t do it,” he says. “They’re all blind.” The priest is aghast and says, “That’s terrible. I will say a special prayer for them tonight.” The psychologist says, “I feel so much empathy for their struggle.” The CEO says, “Why can’t they play at night?”

A man’s wife was an avid golfer. One day, she had a terrible accident on the course and was rushed to the hospital. The doctor came out to the waiting room and told the husband, “I have some terrible news. Your wife will survive, but she’ll be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of her life.” The husband was overcome with emotion. The doctor continued, “And she’ll have to be fed by hand and will be incontinent. You’ll have to change her diapers.” The husband broke down sobbing. The doctor put a hand on his shoulder and said, “I’m just kidding. She’s dead.”

A man and his friend are playing a round of golf. The man shanks his tee shot deep into the woods. He goes in to look for it and finds a beautiful, enchanted golf club. He picks it up, and a genie appears. The genie says, “I will grant you one wish.” The man thinks for a moment and says, “I want a swing so pure it will win me every major tournament.” The genie snaps his fingers, and there’s a puff of smoke. The man excitedly runs back to the tee, and with a perfect swing, he sends the ball soaring 350 yards straight down the fairway. He’s ecstatic. His friend says, “That’s amazing! What did you wish for?” The man replies, “I wished for a perfect swing!” His friend says, “You idiot, you should have wished for a million dollars! You already had that swing!”

A man was playing a new course and was having a terrible day. On the 16th hole, he sliced his ball into a deep ravine. He looked down and saw a man with a scythe. He called down, “Are you the greenskeeper?” The man replied, “No, I’m the Grim Reaper. I’m waiting for the guy who designed this hole.”

A man is playing a round with his wife. On the par-3 7th, his wife hits a hole-in-one. She’s ecstatic, jumping up and down. The husband is less enthusiastic. On the very next hole, he gets a hole-in-one. He turns to his wife and says, “See? Now we’re tied.”

A man is playing a round of golf when he accidentally hits his ball into a field of buttercups. He spends ages looking for it and is getting more and more frustrated. Finally, his playing partner says, “Why don’t you just drop another ball? It’s not a tournament.” The man replies, “You don’t understand. This is my lucky ball.”

A husband and wife are getting ready for bed. The wife says, “You know, I was thinking. You love golf more than you love me.” The husband replies, “Well, maybe. But I love you more than I love tennis.”

A golfer walks into the clubhouse and orders a drink. He says to the bartender, “I’m so bad at golf, I’m thinking of taking it up professionally.”

A man is playing golf with his friend who is a terrible cheater. On the 8th hole, the friend’s ball goes into the rough. After a few minutes of searching, he shouts, “I found it!” The man walks over and sees the ball sitting perfectly on a tuft of grass. He says, “That’s not your ball.” His friend replies, “Yes, it is. It has my name on it.” The man says, “I didn’t know your name was Titleist.”

After a particularly bad shot, a golfer mutters, “I’d give anything to be a scratch golfer.” His playing partner replies, “At your age, you should be happy you can still scratch yourself.”

A man is teaching his wife to play golf. On her first swing, she completely misses the ball. He says, “You lifted your head. Keep your head down.” On her second swing, she misses again. He says, “You swung too hard. Just a nice, easy swing.” On her third swing, she misses again. He says, “Your grip is wrong. Let me show you.” He puts his arms around her from behind to demonstrate the proper grip. A man watching from the clubhouse says to his friend, “That guy is either the best golf instructor in the world or the worst husband.”

A man is playing a round of golf with his boss. On the first tee, the boss shanks his drive deep into the woods. The man, wanting to be helpful, says, “Let me go find that for you, sir.” The boss replies, “Don’t bother. I’ll just use a new ball.” The man says, “But sir, it’s a brand new Pro V1.” The boss says, “I’ve got a whole box of them in my bag.” The man thinks for a moment and says, “Sir, do you have a spare car in your garage?”

A man is playing a solo round and is having a terrible time. He’s lost several balls, duffed numerous shots, and is getting more and more frustrated. On the 12th hole, he finally hits a perfect drive, right down the middle of the fairway. As he’s walking to his ball, a man pops out of the woods and says, “Did you see a ball come this way?” The golfer, ecstatic to have finally hit a good shot, says, “Yes, I did! A beautiful drive, right down the middle!” The man replies, “Great, that’s my ball. Have you seen a terrible slice go into the woods?”

Two friends are playing golf. One of them hits his ball into the woods. After a few minutes of searching, he finds his ball nestled next to a large mushroom. Just as he’s about to hit it, the mushroom says, “If you hit that ball, I’ll turn you into a frog.” The golfer is startled but decides to take the risk. He hits the ball, and sure enough, he’s turned into a frog. His friend comes looking for him and finds the frog. The frog says, “It’s me, your friend! That mushroom turned me into a frog!” The friend is amazed and asks, “What did you do?” The frog replies, “I should have used a 7-iron instead of a wedge.”

A man is playing golf with his wife. On the 10th hole, his wife’s ball lands behind a large barn. She asks him for a ruling. He says, “According to the rules of golf, you can either play it as it lies or take a one-stroke penalty and drop it.” She decides to play it. She takes a mighty swing, the ball ricochets off the barn, hits her in the head, and kills her instantly. A few years later, the man is playing the same course with his new wife. On the same hole, her ball lands in the exact same spot. She asks him for a ruling. He looks at the ball, looks at the barn, and says, “The last time this happened, I took a double bogey.”

A man who has been a terrible golfer his whole life finally decides to take a lesson. The pro watches him swing and says, “You have one of the most unusual grips I’ve ever seen.” The man replies, “I know, it’s my own invention. I call it the ‘interlocking slice.'”

A man is playing in a Pro-Am tournament and is paired with a famous professional golfer. The pro is giving him some tips throughout the round. On the 18th hole, the man has a long putt to win the match. The pro tells him, “Aim for that blade of grass right there.” The man carefully lines up his putt, aims for the blade of grass, and sinks it. He’s overjoyed and says to the pro, “I can’t believe it! How did you know?” The pro replies, “I didn’t. I just didn’t want you to aim at the hole.”

A man is playing golf with his new girlfriend. She’s a fantastic player, and he’s getting more and more intimidated. On the final hole, she has a long, difficult putt for the win. She turns to him and says, “If I make this, you have to propose to me.” He thinks for a moment and then says, “Okay, but if you miss, you have to do the dishes for a month.”

A man is on the first tee and is about to hit his drive when he sees a beautiful woman watching him. He wants to impress her, so he takes a mighty swing, but completely whiffs. He’s embarrassed, but he tees up another ball. This time, he hits a weak dribbler that goes about 20 yards. He’s mortified. The woman walks over to him and says, “I’m a psychic, and I can tell that you’re a terrible golfer.” He replies, “I could have told you that.” She says, “But I can also tell that you’re a very kind and generous person.” He says, “How can you tell that?” She replies, “Because you’re going to give me a hundred dollars.”

A man is playing golf with his friend when it starts to rain heavily. They decide to take shelter under a large tree. After a few minutes, the man says, “This reminds me of my first date with my wife.” His friend asks, “You took her golfing in the rain?” The man replies, “No, we were both struck by lightning.”

A man is playing golf when he sees a group of ducks fly overhead. He says to his caddie, “Look at those beautiful ducks. I wish I could fly like that.” The caddie replies, “With your swing, you’re halfway there.”

A man is playing a round of golf with his priest. The man is having a terrible day and is cursing after every bad shot. The priest finally says to him, “My son, if you don’t stop that language, God is going to strike you down.” On the very next hole, the man hits his ball into the water. He lets out a string of curses. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning comes down from the sky and strikes the priest. A booming voice from above says, “Darn it, I missed again!”

A man is at the driving range, and he’s hitting balls next to a very attractive woman. He’s trying to impress her with his long drives, but he’s shanking them all over the place. Finally, she turns to him and says, “You know, if you just relax and let the club do the work, you’ll hit it much better.” He tries her advice, and sure enough, he hits a beautiful, long, straight drive. He’s amazed and says, “Wow, you’re really good at this. Are you a golf pro?” She replies, “No, I’m a yoga instructor.”

A man is playing a round of golf by himself. He gets to a par 3 with a water hazard in front of the green. He hits his tee shot, and it lands right on the edge of the water. He’s not sure if it’s in or out. Just then, a frog hops out of the water, grabs the ball in its mouth, and hops onto the green, dropping the ball right next to the hole. The man is astounded. He says to himself, “This is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I’m going to go to the clubhouse and tell everyone.” He walks to the clubhouse, and on the way, he sees another frog. This frog says to him, “You’re not going to believe what just happened. I was sitting in the water, and this golf ball landed right on my head. I thought I was going to drown, but then this other frog came and saved me.”

A man is playing golf with his son. The son is just learning the game and is having a tough time. On the 9th hole, the son says, “Dad, I’m really not very good at this.” The dad replies, “Son, it doesn’t matter if you’re good or not. What matters is that you’re out here with me, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful scenery.” The son thinks for a moment and then says, “Dad, can we go to the movies?”

A man is playing golf with a new partner. The partner is a very serious player and doesn’t say a word for the first few holes. Finally, the man says, “So, what do you do for a living?” The partner replies, “I’m a hitman.” The man is a bit taken aback but tries to make conversation. He says, “So, what’s your handicap?” The partner replies, “I don’t have one. I’m a professional.”

A man is playing a round of golf with his wife. They get to a par 5, and the wife hits a great drive. She’s in a good position to reach the green in two. She asks her husband, “Should I go for it?” He looks at the long fairway, the sand traps around the green, and the water hazard to the right, and says, “Honey, do you remember that time you tried to parallel park the car and ended up on the sidewalk?” She says, “Yes.” He says, “Go for it.”

—-

Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants? In case he got a hole in one!

What do you call a golfer who skips every other hole? A cowboy!

If you drink, don’t drive. Use a four iron.

Why do golfers always carry an extra ball? Just in case they need to tee off again!

What do you call a golfer who’s lost his ball? A stroke victim!

What’s a golfer’s favorite type of music? Swing!

What do you call a golfer who’s in a hurry? Tee-time traveler!

How do pro golfers stay cool during a round? They stand next to the fans!

What do you call a golfer who’s always telling jokes? A “tee”heeing comedian!

Why did the golfer always carry a pencil and paper? In case he needed to draw a lie!

Why did the golfer bring a ladder to the course? In case he wanted to reach new heights!

What do you call a golfer who can juggle three balls at once? Impressive!

Why did the golfer bring a bucket of sand to the course? In case he needed to “sand”wich his ball!

What do you call a golfer who can drive the ball 300 yards? A liar!

Why did the golfer bring a pair of binoculars to the course? To spot the “eagle”!

What’s a golfer’s favorite type of exercise? Swinging by the bar after a round!

Why don’t golfers get too upset when they miss a shot? Because they’re always “driving” for perfection!

What’s a golfer’s favorite type of footwear? “Fore”-giving golf shoes!

Why did the golfer bring an extra glove? In case he wanted to “hand” out high-fives!

How do golfers measure success? By the number of “par”-ties they have after a round!

Why don’t golfers ever make good comedians? Because their jokes are always “bogey”!

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Worst Jokes About Science

Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!

Did you hear about the chemist who was reading a book about helium? He just couldn’t put it down!

Why was the math book sad? Because it had too many problems!

What did one magnet say to the other magnet? I find you very attractive!

Why do chemists like nitrates so much? They’re cheaper than day rates!

How do you organize a space party? You planet!

What did the zero say to the eight? Nice belt!

Why did the physics teacher break up with the biology teacher? There was no chemistry.

What’s the fastest way to determine the sex of a chromosome? Pull down its genes!

Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts!

Did you hear about the biologist who had twins? He named them Gene and Jean!

What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus!

Why did the bacteria join the gym? They wanted to get a little culture!

What’s a scientist’s favorite type of dog? A lab!

What’s the difference between a chemist and a plumber? A chemist washes their hands before they go to the bathroom, while a plumber washes their hands afterward.

Did you hear about the chemist who lost an electron? He’s positive he’ll never find it.

Two antennas met on a roof and fell in love. The ceremony wasn’t much, but the reception was excellent!

What’s a physicist’s favorite food? Fission chips!

Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired!

How did the mathematician solve his constipation problem? He worked it out with a pencil!

What did one DNA strand say to the other? “Do these genes make me look fat?”

Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers? He will stop at nothing to avoid them.

What’s the difference between a dog and a marine biologist? One wags a tail, and the other tags a whale.

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Worst Museums

Enjoy this list of museums. They aren’t all bad, but some are the worst in the world.

Museum of Bad Art – a collection of artwork too bad to be ignored

The Icelandic Phallological Museum – a collection of over 215 penises and penile parts from over 93 species

The Parasite Museum – a museum that focuses on the strange world of parasites

In San Rafael, California, you’ll find the Museum of International Propaganda.

The Sulabh International Museum of Toilets – a museum dedicated to the evolution of toilets around the world

The Museum of Broken Relationships – a collection of objects left over from failed relationships

The International Cryptozoology Museum – a museum that studies creatures that are rumored to exist, but have not been proven to exist

The Mütter Museum – a museum of medical oddities and human specimens

The Museum of Death – a museum that explores the subject of death through exhibits of real human remains and death-related artifacts

Marin Museum of Bicycling – a museum dedicated to bikes and bicycling, specializing in mountain bikes.

The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices – a museum that showcases medical devices that have questionable effectiveness

The Hand Fan Museum – a museum of hand fans, the devices used by women mostly in past eras to cool themselves, and send semi-secret signals to others.

The Museum of Jurassic Technology – a museum that explores the intersection of art, science, and the imagination

The Vent Haven Museum – a museum dedicated to ventriloquism and the history of ventriloquists’ dummies

The Museum of Neon Art – a museum that collects, preserves, and exhibits neon signs and related art forms

The House on the Rock – a museum that features a collection of oddities, including the world’s largest indoor carousel

The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum – a museum dedicated to the history and development of barbed wire

The National Museum of Funeral History – a museum that explores the history and cultural significance of funerals and funeral practices

The International Spy Museum – a museum that explores the history and methods of espionage

The American Banjo Museum – a museum that explores the history and evolution of the banjo

The Museum of Osteology – a museum that showcases the skeletal system of animals from around the world

The Teddy Bear Museum – a museum that showcases the history and evolution of teddy bears

The Museum of the Weird – a museum that showcases bizarre and unusual artifacts from around the world

The Elevator Museum – a museum that explores the history and development of elevators

The Canadian Potato Museum – a museum that explores the history and cultural significance of potatoes in Canada

The Skyscraper Museum – a museum that explores the history and evolution of skyscrapers

The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum – a museum that features over 20,000 salt and pepper shakers from around the world

The Museum of Miniature Houses – a museum that showcases a collection of miniature houses and other miniatures

The National Museum of Roller Skating – a museum that explores the history and evolution of roller skating

The Museum of Handbags and Purses – a museum that showcases the history and evolution of handbags and purses

The Museum of Chinese in America – a museum that explores the history and experiences of Chinese immigrants in America

The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum – a museum that showcases the history and development of pharmacy and medicine in New Orleans

The Musée Mécanique – a museum that features a collection of antique arcade machines and mechanical instruments.

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Worst Way to Ride a Bicycle

Wrong Way Wooten,
World’s Most Eccentric Bicycle Tourist

Copyright 2014-2026, Jeff Napier

You may occasionally hear someone refer to doing something oddly, or backward, as “Wrong Way Wooten.”
This has become an expression almost entirely detached from its roots. Something like, “Who is John Galt?” That came from the classic novel, Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. But what about “Wrong Way Wooten?” What’s that all about?

In approximately 1955, Tom Wooten was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylavnia.

This place with the weird spelling (pronounced “brin mar”) is approximately eleven miles outside of Philadelphia. Bryn Mawr means “Big Hill” in Welsh. This is a little town of approximately 4,000 people with a neat little downtown where most of the buildings, and most homes, are made of red or orange brick. Bryn Mawr is known as one of the wealthiest areas in the United States, and that figures into our story later on. Ten percent of the population is black, ten percent Asian, and the rest mixed or white.



Bryn Mawr in Pennsylavania



Downtown Bryn Mawr

Tom grew into a tall, slim, very dark skinned, strong, good-looking man. For a short while in the 1980s, he was slightly world-famous. He did not attain the level of celebrity such as Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, or Burt Reynolds, but he did become a legend, and I think you’ll agree that what he did was significant.

So what did he do? He rode a bicycle backward. That’s all. But he leveraged that skill to deliver a message, and he did it well.

It started when Tom was thirteen years old. In a discussion with a friend, the idea of riding a bike while sitting on the handlebar came up. The friend said it couldn’t be done. Tom proved otherwise.

Through his high school and college years, he perfected this skill, and was occasionally seen riding his bike backward through the town.

There is no information about where he went to college. In fact like much of the information about Tom Wooten, well, there just isn’t much information. One thing we know for sure is that it wasn’t Bryn Mawr college, since that’s an all-woman’s college.

Initially, he rode an ordinary ten-speed bike of the era. with the only modifications being padded tape on the handlebar, to make sitting on it more comfortable, and mirrors on long brackets so he could see where he was going.

When he saw the way people reacted to seeing him ride that way, he decided it would be his career someday.

It wasn’t long before people started calling him “Wrong Way Wooten.” Later, he legally changed his first name to “Wrong Way.”

In his late 20s, evidently after driving a tow truck for a while, and receiving a degree in psychology, he planned his first cross-country tour. Originally, he was going to ride with five other people, but they all backed out before he started. He relates, “I learned never to count on anybody for anything.”

he built a custom bike for his purpose. It was based on a Schwinn Varsity, which was a heavy all-steel ten-speed road bike of the late 1970s, with a one-piece crank.



Schwinn Varsity

In addition to padding the handlebar and adding mirrors, he removed the seat, and put a portable television in its place. He then somehow attached another ten-speed bike to the rear of his bike in order to carry more gear. There is no information as to exactly how the second bike was attached. There are conflicting reports as to how much the entire contraption weighed. The report that I believe says it was 160 lbs (72 kg). Other reports put it at “over 300 pounds” and some say it was 450 lbs.



Wrong Way Wooten and his custom bike

Wrong Way converted the bike to 21 speeds, quite rare in the 1980s, but left the shifters in their original position – on the handlebar stem. This meant that he had to reach between his legs to change gears.



Stem shifters on a Schwinn Varsity

His bike had toe-clips, which were, of course, installed backward on the pedals.



A pedal with toeclip

Before his first trip to traverse the entire United States, he studied maps. Being independently wealthy (according to what little is written – and we don’t know how he attained that wealth, but Bryn Mawr is known for its wealthy residents), he then hired a small airplane to fly low, examining his proposed route for overly steep hills, road construction and other such potential problems.

Wrong Way then set out on his journey with a specific self-appointed mission. He represented several major charities including The American Cancer Society, The American Lung Society, The Heart Fund, the Jaycees, United Way, and March of Dimes, taking donations in person and also encouraging people to donate directly to their favorite charities.

According to the legend, he criss-crossed the country several times totaling 28,000 miles (45,000 kilometers) over the next seventeen years. As he tirelessly explained to thousands of people across the country, “The main reason I do what I do is to get people to realize that they have a responsibility to other people.” When he could, he would ride more than 100 miles in a day, but on many days he couldn’t get that far. This was due to interruptions as fascinated people wanted to talk with him. He was fine with that.

To some, it looked like what he was doing, riding around the country on a bike, would be limitless fun, but he cited some problems, such as flat tires, bad weather and racists who sometimes tried to run him off the road. “I can’t hate them, then I would be just like them.”

Someone once asked what he does when he gets a flat tire. With a straight face he answered, “I set the bike on fire.”

He did not recommend that other people should tour backwards. “One mistake, and you’re history.”

As with all good legends, the stories sometimes exceed the truth. One person remembers that Wrong Way was an expert on the subject of girls. He was supposedly a remarkable cook and a karate expert. That may be true. At least one person says Wrong Way was able to read minds, responding to unvoiced questions. All say he was a brilliant conversationist, able to speak on any level from ghetto talk to erudite conversations with professors.

He has been spoken of as a loner, and in a way, I suppose he was. This was a one-man crusade, and it must have been hard for him to have permanent, deep friendships, since he was always on the move. There is an unverified story that he had a son, who he pretty much entirely neglected. It is reported that this boy had a hard time in school, being an angry, disruptive student.

With the public, he was evidently quite gregarious. On his bike he also carried a sound system, and on more than one occasion he could be seen riding backward, accompanied by blaring music – anything from opera to rock, and sometimes happily singing along.

He planned on riding for twenty-five years. Unfortunately, in 2004, at age 47, he died of a massive heart attack.

His credo was, “Bind yourself to nothing and seek harmony with all things. Only then can you be truly free.” People who remember him say he was a wonderful and very personable ambassador for kindness to others.

For more bicycle information, everything from memoirs to unexpected how-to info, check out the 500 Ways Bicycling section.