Love the title of this board, considering Dave did a book called Dave Barry is Not Making This Up. :-)

Snickerdoodle, that's because it's Dave Barry's trademark phrase (and no, I am not making that up!).

Really? I thought his trademark was "Wouldn't *So-and-So* be a great name for a rock band?" :-)

And there's a Dave Barry Column Generator somewhere on the Net...

Snickerdoodle,

Search for the Miami Herald. "And no, I'm not making that up!" would be a great name for a rock band.

WARNING: DAVE BARRY'S COLUMNS CAN GET YOU KILLED BY HOMELESS DRUNKS

I trade my extra sunday paper for an egg and cheese bagel on Sundays at a neighborhood Dunkin Donuts. (Yes, there is always a cop there, and yes, he probably saved my life.) Engrossed in Dave Barry's syndicated column and laughing out loud I did not notice the homeless drunk/crazy person saying, "Stop laughing at me!!" until it was too late. When he got up to "visit" me the cop caught his interest and he left. I don't know if the cop even noticed. I guess I owe that cop a cruller or something.

LOL...I mean, sorry, William, that must have been terrible for you...but omigoodness. You should send that post in to Dave himself - I think he'd appreciate it.

I've learned the perils of reading Barry in public, too (albeit nowhere near as dramatically). My family still refers to him as "that guy that made Kerrie laugh out loud for an entire evening."

My personal favourite is Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States, an absolutely dead-on parody of a high school textbook:

"What caused the American Revolution? This is indeed a rhetorical question that for many years historians have begun chapters with. As well they should. For the American Revolution is without doubt the single most important historical event to occur in this nation except of course for Super Bowl III*. (*Jets 16, Colts 7. This historian won $35.)"

This is also the one where Dave, bored with having to learn all those dates, decides that everything in American history happened on October 8 ("our son's birthday".) Specifically, October 8, 1947 ("we were born in 1947.")

(BTW, Snickerdoodle and anyone else interested in a good, uncomplicated laugh, Barry's online columns (and a chat area) can be found at Dave Barry: Miami Herald.)

Yup, I've got the entire archive of columns on my hard drive. :-)

From Dave Barry Slept Here

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FILLMORE ADMINISTRATION
The Earth did not fall into the Sun.

My favorite was a year in review column he did a few years back. (I may be off, I'm quoting from memory)

Dec. 25th: a rare snow fall leaves Bethlehem with 1" of snow. The most snowfall there in 48 years. The images of the birthplace of Christ covered in a peaceful blanket of snow shall stay with us always.

Dec. 26th: something unrelated in one entry

Dec. 26th: The largest snowball fight in the West bank in 48 years.

I've been a Dave Barry fan since I was eight years old (and yes, I did understand most of it. I think). I have every single book he's written, a few signed by him, plus a letter from him (in fifth grade our project was to write to an author, dead or alive, and if living you could mail it to them. I picked Dave Barry, mailed it, and got a letter in response!). My grandmother has met him twice at conventions in Florida (which is how she got the books signed), and my entire family are huge fans of him. My sister and I can quote him back and forth. Unfortunately our local newspaper stopped carrying him a long time ago, so we can only access new material through printed books, which we hungrily await and promptly snatch up when they come out.

By the way, the quote is:

Highlights of the Fillmore administration: The Earth did not crash into the Sun. Ironically, I think that was the first Dave Barry book that I read. My personal favorite, though, is:

Freya thry the link http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/
Dave Barry columns online.

Yeah,Dave Barry Slept Here is hilarious and if you run out of conversation you can always mention THE SMOOT HARTLEY TARRIF!
Did I mention THE SMOOT HARTLEY TARRIF?

Freya Lorelei: I'm getting completely obnoxious with my massive quotes, aren't I? Okay. Just checking.

"Massive Quotes" would be a good name for a rock band.

Oops, there appears to have been a change in the Barry household while I wasn't looking. In earlier column collections, Mrs.Barry's name is Beth; in the latest pback, Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down (aka 'Tuesdays With Harry Potter', before 'our legal department reared its nasty head') her name is Michelle, and they're expecting a baby...?

Yup, Dave and Beth got a divorce a while back, his wife is Michelle, and their baby Sophie is a couple years old now.

As someone who posts Dave Barry columns on political musings I find it weird that the best political commentary comes from a humorist. (It's kind of like our best theologian being George Carlin.)

Anyone besides ScottN and me think that says something about the US government (slogan: Bringing you mohair and toilet regulations since 1964!)

Is there an "Art Apperciation" board?

Hey Brits,

Thanks for amusing me with you tax dollars. (Or is it your tax pounds? Will it be your tax Euros?)

"Art Appreciation" might be a good name for a Rock Band.

No, ScottN, it is Aperciation. Con't yoo spelll?

No, it's "Apperciation".

If you like the way Dave Barry writes about war and politics, I recommend the Night Watch group of Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. "Guards! Guards!", "Men At Arms", "Feet of Clay", "Jingo", "The Fifth Elephant", and "Night Watch."

Contact info for Dave Barry

Dave Barry column giving out the American Telemarker's Association phone number I'm not sure what board or boards this should go on. Feel free to copy it there.

Oh, is any one else amusedly frightened that our best political commetator is famous for using the word "booger"?

1/18/2004 column on art

Political commentary (The best is from a humor columnist. Think about what that means.)

column on Iowa Caucuses

column on Iowa Caucuses

column on Iowa Caucuses

Yesterday I saw the Beatles exhibit at one of the DC museums which concerned their first visit to America in 1964. One of the promotional materials about one of the Beatles' Ed Sullivan TV appearances said that the show would also feature a comedian named (I am not making this up) . . . Dave Barry. Of course it couldn't have been THAT Dave Barry. Could it?

Dave was 17 in '64, and his first few jobs were as a camp counselor, an accountant, and a journalist. He didn't become a humor writer until the '80's, and he never was a true "comedian". (Not to take anything away from Dave, just not a get-on-Ed-Sullivan-tell-jokes comedian).

Upon a quick check, that Dave Barry was probably the same comedian whose best role was probably Beinstock, the band manager in Some Like It Hot.

I liked the sitcom based on his books, Dave's World. It's were Patrick Warburton got his start, and Delane Matthews sure was a hottie!

Also, back in 2004, Dave wrote a column called "Mmm, Carbohydrates", which parodied the low-carb craze of the time. I sure am glad that foolishness is all over and done with.

I have not yet read any of his books, but I think that soon I will pick some up from my local used bookstore.

He's still funny!