Maybe it means I have the maturity of an unripe kumquat, but I’ve always loved a good practical joke. (Meaning: funny, and nobody gets hurt.) I confess I enjoy it even more when I’m the instigator. One Easter Sunday long ago, my mom played a good one on us kids. She made pancakes for breakfast, [...]
We all have our “I got unceremoniously dumped” stories, and sometimes there’s more than a modicum of pain involved. Occasionally however, especially if it’s been a short-term thing, it not only doesn’t hurt too much, it can be kind of funny. As the writer Linda Barry said, “Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke.” [...]
I have to let you know right up front, the idea for this tune comes from the lovely and talented Lisa Firestone. (More about her in a minute*) It’s one of those clever song ideas that made me laugh, then grabbed me by the brain and wouldn’t let go. It’s called How ‘Bout That Game, [...]
“A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you.” – Bert Leston Taylor. One of the best things you can give anybody is a little humor jolt when they’re not expecting it. This also does wonders for your own personal endorphin levels. One easy way to do this is [...]
Analog Brain In A Digital World on a t-shirt just strikes me as amusing. And I can think of lots of people (my mom, for example) who would crack up if they got one as a gift. So I’m premiering t-shirts with my CD release. But as anybody who’s seen me in person knows, I [...]
I brought my Baby Taylor guitar along for a cross-country flight to Oregon. It’s great to have around for practice because it’s small and fits overhead in the plane, no problem. As I boarded United Airlines, a flight attendant surprised me by considerately offering to put my little guitar up front in the closet. I [...]
Okay, we all know Mavis Staples (The Staples Singers) is one of the best R&B/Gospel singers of the last 50 years, hands down. A voice like warm honey and wine, with a little Brillo pad in there when she wants to use it. But who knew she was hilarious? Yesterday, by chance I tuned in [...]
Some people have asked me lately how to be funny, and my first response used to be, “How the heck should I know — I’m not funny.†But on the other hand, people have been laughing at me a lot lately. So maybe I can offer some clues. Great starting points are surprise and absurdity. [...]
