Archive for September 2018
Yellow Stripey Things
As a person who is allergic to bees, I found this chart exceptionally helpful and occasionally hilarious. The yellow jacket description is especially apt.
Read MoreA job is a job. Only a douchebag would think otherwise.
Did you hear about Fox News reporting on former Cosby Show actor Geoffrey Owens being spotted bagging groceries at a New Jersey Trader Joes? The shopper who spotted the actor said that she was grocery shopping with her wife on Saturday evening when she recognized Owens and took some photos. Then the news outlet decided…
Read MoreI can smell mustard when other people cannot, and it’s probably saved my life.
I’m allergic to mustard. When I eat mustard, my skin becomes inflamed, I get sick to my stomach, and enter the early stages of anaphylactic shock. I’ve been in anaphylactic shock thanks to my bee allergy before, so I’m a bit of an expert on the matter. Thankfully, I’ve never experienced anything close to anaphylactic…
Read MoreBusy Town update gets my enthusiastic seal of approval
I never understood Richard Scarry’s Busy Town. I didn’t have a lot of children’s books growing up, so I missed out on the series for the most part. But I also made no effort to get my hands on the book for one specific reason: Even as a kid, I always thought it was stupid…
Read MoreWe don’t need another ice cream flavor. Especially mayonnaise-flavored ice cream.
Simplicity. I prize it above almost all other things. Live an uncomplicated life, and you’ll have more time for the important things. For this reason, I try to limit my choices whenever possible so that my time and energy can be devoted to other, more important matters. I wear the same thing onstage whenever I…
Read MoreThe people in Louisiana don’t suck
This week, Louisiana became the 16th state to file an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to rule that it is legal to fire someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Louisiana joins Nebraska, Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming, Kentucky, Maine, and Mississippi in…
Read MoreWife: Emoji Master
I don’t use emojis. It began as a purposeful rejection of them, thinking they were a silly fad, but now it’s become one of those ridiculous stands that has been going on for so long that I can’t stop now. Honestly, I also don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. But I must say:…
Read MoreSeinfeld gets it
Jerry Seinfeld explains with perfect clarity why I’m constantly standing on stages, telling stories, delivering talks, and performing standup. I wouldn’t go so far as to call the writing and publishing of books the “definition of hell,” but he’s correct about the lack of immediate, specific feedback from your readers. When I stand on a stage…
Read MoreShortcomings and Flaws: 2018
Years ago a reader accused me of being materialistic after I wrote about my lack of a favorite number, specifically criticizing me for saying that when it comes to my salary, my favorite number is the largest number possible. After properly refuting the charges of materialism, I acknowledged that I had plenty of other shortcomings…
Read MoreSpeak Up Storytelling #16: Monica Cleveland
Episode #16 of Speak Up Storytelling is now available for your listening pleasure. On this week’s episode, Elysha and I talk about finding excellent stories in your everyday life using my strategy “Homework for Life.” Specifically, they discuss how storytellers can sometimes be in the middle of a story and not even know it. Then we…
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