Humor

An Alternative Candidate

By Steve Laubeon October 15, 2016

Friday October 14th was Winnie the Pooh’s 90th birthday. (I wrote about his birthday a few years ago here.) Below is what greeted me at the dinner table on Friday night. It brought hilarity and sudden clarity.

I think I know how I should vote…

Winnie-the-Pooh for President
Piglet for Vice President
Tigger for Secretary of State.

Winnie-the-Pooh promises “Honey in every pot.”
Piglet declares, “I know it seems easy, but it isn’t everyone who could do it.”
Tigger shouts effusively, “A bounce in every step.”

The Unintentionally Funny Headline

By Steve Laubeon October 3, 2016

I came across the following headline in a recent publisher-related newsletter: “Speculative Authors Fight Mental Illness” I thought to myself “I know what they meant by the headline, but could it also be interpreted that authors who write speculative fiction are mentally ill?” There are some who call science fiction and fantasy writers “weird” but this headline …

Category: Craft, Humor, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Humor, Writing Craft

Why I Wouldn’t Represent Bible People

By Dan Balowon September 6, 2016

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Taking a cue from the media ads for various prescription drugs, including a legal disclaimer in any communication protects everyone from legal jeopardy or in this case, condemnation. God inspired the Bible and the thoughts expressed in it are exactly as God intended. No one shall add or take away anything. The following satire is intended for entertainment value only. The opinions expressed are …

Category: Agents, Humor, PlatformTag: Humor, Platform

You Say Tomato, I Hear Guacamole

By Dan Balowon April 5, 2016

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I have a hearing problem. My ears are fine. For some reason listening to songs like Smoke on the Water and LaGrange on my headphones forty years ago had little or no effect on my eardrums. But over the years, I’ve begun to hear something different than what is being spoken. Come to think about it, maybe it was Deep Purple and ZZ Top that caused this. Politician says: “I can solve the problem.” I …

Category: Agency, Communication, HumorTag: Communication, Humor

A Sensational New Market for Books is Found

By Dan Balowon April 1, 2016

In a startling revelation this week, the Foundation for Applied Knowledge and Enterprise (FAKE) in Danville, Delaware released the findings of their ten-year research study to identify unreached markets for printed books. Since the human market has been fully reached with books, the methodology used by FAKE was to determine which species of life on earth was advanced enough to warrant creating …

Category: Fun Fridays, HumorTag: Humor

Zip It Mr. Galilei

By Dan Balowon February 16, 2016

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Did you ever tell someone, “Don’t feel that way” and not get the best reaction? In the same vein is “Don’t be that way.” Honestly, I could never figure that one out. Feels like a philosophical conundrum of the highest order. Telling someone not to be. Four hundred years ago this week in 1616, Cardinal Bellarmine, representing the Catholic Church, issued an order to astronomer Galileo Galilei that …

Category: Book Business, Branding, Contracts, Economics, Get Published, Humor, Indie, Marketing, The Publishing LifeTag: Book Business, The Publishing Life

The Sound of Words

By Karen Ballon February 10, 2016

One of the things I love most about working with words is that I will never reach the point where I can say, “There, now. I’ve learned it all.” Love, love learning new things. Especially when it’s something I can share with all of you. So, have you ever heard of phonesthesia or sound symbolism? Basically, it’s the idea that the sound of a word plays into it’s perceived meaning. That there are …

Category: Communication, Craft, Creativity, Editing, Humor, LanguageTag: Language, words

Nuclear Santa

By Dan Balowon December 22, 2015

Sixty years ago this week in 1955, Sears Roebuck ran the following print ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper: What a lovely thought. Santa (the real one, not some department store fake) announcing “Hey Kiddies! Call me direct.” There was only one problem, the phone number was already taken by the Continental Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs, the predecessor to the North American Air Defense …

Category: HumorTag: Christmas, Humor

Silly Saturday – Dec. 19, 2015

By Steve Laubeon December 19, 2015

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I couldn’t resist posting this oldie but goodie. Silent Monks singing!

Category: Fun Fridays, Humor

Labor Day Metaphor

By Steve Laubeon September 7, 2015

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Today the U.S. celebrates Labor Day as a National holiday. In light of that I couldn’t help but suggest that if you have the day off, and if you are so inclined, copy the activity of the main character of this short clip. Then after watching, think of ways this activity is a metaphor for the writing life. For life in general. Or tell us a 100 word short story about what you saw. Enjoy!

Category: Humor