Day 741: Welcome To The City Of The (Sorta) Future

originally published January 10, 2014 I will admit to a moderate love/hate relationship with Edmonton, the city where I would hang my hat were I hip enough to own a decent hat. The ‘hate’ stems mostly from the weather, as the recent “warming” trend to near-freezing temperatures mocks me and subtly reminds me we’re only […]

Day 740: You Bring The Gags, Charley Will Bring The Laughs

originally published January 9, 2014 It was once so commonplace, so natural, so subconsciously integral to the very essence of comedy that we hardly noticed it. The laugh track came with the medium; it was swept in as part of the original package, like the wheels on the first car or the door on the […]

Day 739: ‘Freedom’ Is In The Eye Of The Guy With The Big Stick

originally published January 8, 2014 Looking for a way to feel old? With a few exceptions, the only people who vividly remember the events of 9/11 first-hand are now legally eligible to vote. Those of us who can recall it are easily able to summon that cool twitch of nerves below the surface of our […]

Day 738: World War II – The 1970’s Edition

originally published January 7, 2014 When Hiroo Onoda set off to receive his first assignment in the Imperial Japanese Army in December of 1944, his mother handed him a keepsake dagger and told him to do his family proud. World War II was still hugging the headlines, showing no signs of relinquishing its constricting embrace. […]

Day 737: (Just) Rest(ing. Leave Me) In Peace

originally published January 6, 2014 When a journalist was dispatched in 1897 to confirm the rumors that Mark Twain was near death, the author – whose cousin was actually the sick one – famously quipped, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Leave it to the granddad of American humor to reduce bogus speculation […]

Day 736: Returning To The Frozen Tundra Of Lambeau Field

originally published January 5, 2014 If you’ve been anywhere near the sports pages this week, then you have probably heard all about the weather in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The hometown Packers, the tiny-market, publically-owned NFC North champs are hosting a playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers in wind chills that could smack that wretched […]

Day 735: Real Winners Come From Harlem

originally published January 4, 2014 When I was eight years old, my dad took me to watch the Harlem Globetrotters play. I don’t remember much of the game (I suspect they won), but I’ll never forget the lesson they taught me about comedy: nothing is too sacred to become fodder for a laugh. Athletes pour […]

Day 734: Cranking Up The Crap-tastic – Worst Music Part 2

originally published January 3, 2014 Whenever I’m feeling a little too happy, a little too comfortable within the overstuffed throw-pillows of our culture, I like to remind myself how easy it is to unzip those cushions and catch a whiff of the rancid stuffing inside. We may pride ourselves on our Breaking Bads, our Blue […]

Day 733: Hogmanay – The Party Ain’t Over

originally published January 2, 2014 “Why,” you may ask yourself, should you feel so bold as to question my methods yet too timid to address me directly, “is this guy still writing about the holidays? We’ve moved on; our page-a-day Funky Winkerbean calendar has already shed a square of scrap into the recycle pile. Why […]

Day 732: Whips & Chains & Donkeys & Hugs – It Must Be January

originally published January 1, 2014 It’s a new year! And in most parts of the world that also means it’s a new month – the twelfth entry in my Monthly Observances series. After today’s article completes the series you can now sprinkle your entire calendar with heaps of celebrations you’d never previously imagined. Raise a […]