Archive for August 2018
Making the ordinary a little more extraordinary should always be celebrated
The knife sharpener at the farmer’s market that we visit almost every Sunday morning gave Elysha their card a few weeks ago. Rather than a collection of information on a small bit of card stock, they offered her this. A band-aid with their name and phone number printed on the wrapper. Clever. Right? I always…
Read More$126 is not a lot of money
Have you heard? Kevin Spacey’s latest film Billionaire Boys Club was exiled to video-on-demand in the wake of the sexual abuse allegations against the actor, and its theatrical release last weekend was less than expected: $126 on Friday and $162 on Saturday. While I’m saddened for the hundreds of other people involved – actors, directors, producers,…
Read MoreSpeak Up Storytelling #14: Renae Edge
Episode #14 of the Speak Up Storytelling podcast is ready for your listening pleasure. Elysha and I start off this week’s podcast by talking about finding and crafting stories in your everyday life using my strategy “Homework for Life.” I talk about how small and seemingly insignificant a storyworthy moment can sometimes be unless you’re…
Read MoreAn anonymous note about a possible murder
I arrived at Kripalu, a yoga center in the Berkshires, on Sunday night with a bag full of my novels, magazine columns, and comic books. I spread them on the table for my students to see, and then I stuffed them back into the bag and tossed the bag into the corner of the room. It…
Read MoreEvery time someone meets Elysha and says, “She’s beautiful,” this is what I think…
After spending a week teaching storytelling at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, my ten students performed in a showcase on the final night of the week. Minutes before I was to take the stage and start the show, a woman who looked a lot like Elysha walked into the room. It turns out that…
Read MoreHiring a coach so your child can play Fortnite better is ridiculous.
The latest trend is parents hiring professional coaches for their kids to help them win at the 100-player free-for-all video game Fortnite. Contracting sites like Sensei and Bidvine will outfit kids with professional tips to anywhere from $20 per hour to $50 and higher. I heard someone on a podcast defending this practice, explaining that…
Read MoreI better, safer alternative to lottery tickets
I watched a man purchase $50 in lottery tickets yesterday. I see this all the time, and it makes me crazy. I’ve never played the lottery in my life. Never purchased a Powerball ticket or a scratch ticket. Never felt any compulsion to do so. This is because I understand the odds involved with playing…
Read MoreIt appears that I might be less fallible than the Pope
Good news. Pope Francis has declared the death penalty wrong in all cases. This is a definitive change in church doctrine. Traditionally, church doctrine accepted the death penalty if it was “the only practicable way” to defend lives, which was a ridiculous loophole exploited by church officials and politicians as a means of justifying the…
Read MoreInsecure cowards are leading the most powerful nations on the planet.
Disney’s latest film Christopher Robin has been banned in China. While no official reason has been given, government sensors have previously blocked images of Winnie the Pooh after bloggers used him to parody Chinese President Xi Jinping. A particularly widely-shared post, which first popped up in 2013, shows a photo of Xi Jinping and Barack…
Read MoreWhat the Heck? – Episode 2
As you may know, I’ve launched a third podcast called “What the Heck?” It’s an occasional conversation with my kids, Clara and Charlie. “What the heck?” is a favorite expression of Charlie. I launched this podcast grudgingly. The kids love podcasts and wanted one of their own, so I decided that recording their voices for posterity…
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