Author Archive

Imagine a world where every person, place or thing is named Ebenezer:

 

1. Prince would become, the artist formerly known as Ebenezer
2. Jeopardy questions suddenly a whole lot easier
3. Determining sexual consent might be a problem: “Would you mind if I kissed you on the Ebenezer?”
4. Wouldn’t have to worry about mispronouncing the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Mykolaiv Oblast…or any city in any Oblast
5. Dinner parties would be tricky: “Would you please pass the Ebenezer”
6. Hey Jude becomes Hey Ebenezer
7. The horse that guy rode through the desert on that he thought had no name…Ebenezer
8. The answer to the song’s question Say my name, Say my name…Ebenezer
9. Chuck Norris… Still Chuck Norris
10. In Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” Tiny Tim would become Tiny Ebenezer
11. The phrase “We can’t cater to every Tom Dick and Harry,” becomes ”We can’t cater to every Ebenezer Ebenezer and Ebenezer.”
12. Bjórk…Ebénézér
13. Wasted away again in Ebenezerville
14. That Paul Simon song “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” would have to be seriously reworked.
15. Consumer reports would always recommend Ebenezer brand
16. While lovemaking, you could never yell out the wrong name
17. All anonymous sources would be named Ebenezer
18. GPS would be impossible. Unless of course you were going to Ebenezer.

The point is we’d all be Scrooged.

 

1. State Flower – The Orange Traffic Cone
2. State Flour – Durum Semolina
3. Number of Museums Dedicated to Rock & Roll – 1
4. Number of Museums Dedicated to the Partridge Family – 0
5. Scariest Lake – Lake Eerie
6. State Joke: Q. What do young Stags see out of? A. Buckeyes.
7. State Electrical Unit – The Ohm
8. State Chanting Unit – The Om
9. City That is Most Thanked – Cleveland. As in “Thank you Cleveland! You’ve been great.”
10. State Fly – The Zipper
11. State Zipper – The Fly
12. State Bird – Roadrunner (Yes, the one the Coyote is after)
13. State Fragrance – Kumquat Spice
14. State Flag – Pennant-shaped. Technically a “burgee” shape. Flag has 17 stars because it was the 17th state when admitted in 1803
15. State Candy – M&M
16. State Rapper – Also Eminem
17. State Motto – Ohio: First in Lubrication
18. State Cannabis Motto – “Ohhh, High, Ohhh”
19. State Capitol – Ɏ (This is the symbol for the state capitol formerly known as Columbus, who’s not too popular these days)

 

 

Ohio is still annoyed by those little Dayton bicycle makers – the Wright Bros. – who had to go all the way to Kitty Hawk, NC for the world’s first flight. What, they couldn’t spend those 11 seconds on the shores of Lake Erie?

 

Q: What state is Ohio in?

A: Ohio is a state.

Q:  I mean what state…is Ohio in?

A: Oh, you mean like flux or ignorance.

1. Yeah.
2. Well I’d say Ohio was in a state of Denali.
3. You mean denial.
4. No. Denali. They want to be Mt McKinley, but they’re about 18,000 ft short.

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stove – Foodies rejoice. Harry and Co. hold you spellbound while conjuring magical dishes on Dumbledore’s hot plate
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secretions – Pubescent Harry locks himself in the bathroom and wrestles with the forces of acne
3. Harry Potter and the Pensioner of Azerbaijan – The widow Taskin asks a conflicted Harry to materialize a few Euros to tide her over till her Social Security check arrives
   

   It’s not me. It’s my agent that’s the wizard.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Egg Yolks – Harry and the Gang hop on the bodybuilding band wagon through liquid supplements. He gets so buff his Nimbus 2000 can barely move under the newly acquired weight.
5. Harry Potter and the Ardor of the Penis – Sometimes a young wizard’s best friend is his other magic wand
6. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Sausage – A botched breakfast order at an Ipswich Denny’s unleashes a cascade of evil breakfast meats Harry must contain
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Shallows – When several young wizards are found drowned in a 6” wading pool, Harry has to get to the bottom of it – the case and not the pool

 

Comping soon: Harry Potter and the Very Profitable Sequel

Me:    So what do you do for a living?

Them: I’m a typesetter.

Me:    Really. They still have those? Where do you work?

Them: In the 1700s.

Me:    OK. Well that’s a long way from here. How do you get there?

Them: Time machine.

Me:    Why don’t you get a job in the here and now?

Them: Because they don’t have these type jobs here.

 

Conversations I’ve Had in 1722

Me:    So what do you do for a living?

Them: I’m a word processor.

Me:    Hmmm. Never heard of that. Where do you work?

Them: In the 2200s.

Me:    Really. And how do you get there?

Them: Time machine.

Me:    Why don’t you get a job in the here and now?

Them: Too much of a process.

Me:    I know a guy you could job share with. Maybe you’ve met him on your commute. 

Stop reading and dial 911. You stupid putz.

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I mean, do you really need to be told this? 

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And if you are actually “dialing” 911, I think the medical emergency is the least of your problems. 

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~Burglary – To steal a guy named Larry

~Burglaries – Stealing more than one Larry. The French call it Tuileries.

~Burgle – A modified bugle with an “r” in it to wake up pirates in the morning. It blares out an “Rrrrrrrrr.”

~Burgled – When you’ve stolen a hamburger. As in: He burgled a burger at Burger King

~Inexplicableness – I’d like to define it, but I can’t quite describe it

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In my pot-smoking days of the early 1970’s marijuana was a lot like Tupperware – it was passed around at parties and purchased with great enthusiasm. Pot was so pervasive back then, all you had to do was breathe in and there was a chance you’d get high. Some people didn’t want to take that chance. They were fearful of this “reefer madness.” Then they’d try it, and suddenly, it was reefer gladness. Their transformation was not done with smoke and mirrors – it was just smoke.   

 

From ages 10-14 I partook of the giggle smoke whenever my elders were around. Now these weren’t parental-type elders. These were just elders who were older than me – older than David-the-Younger. Older, and more importantly, they had pot. It was like elders with benefits. The 1970s were a less judgmental time when you shared what you had without distinction of rank or age (thank you very much Woodstock generation). And from almost 50 years hence I recognize the following strange story might give the impression I’m high right now. I’m not. Except for a few salmon, David-the-Elder hasn’t smoked anything in decades.

 

In revisiting my cannabis memories, I’ve reanimated that familiar fuzzy state and in the process activated one mother of a flashback. In this case it’s a harrowing incident I’d like to share with you – an incident that is a constant reminder of the importance of choosing the right parents. Of course, as far as I can tell, children have never been consulted on the matter, so it’s a moot point. But what’s a valid point is that you have to play the hand you’re dealt: or, more specifically, the body and circumstances you’re born into. Once the veil comes down…Game On. And this episode I present is just one volley in that game.

 

This flashback has enduring power and has taught me to practice eternal vigilance. It’s not that I’m forever suspicious, I just try to be aware of my local circumstances – to see around the corners of my actions and anticipate their consequences. And although this bizarre yet authentic tale may sound like the product of a THC-influenced imagination, I once again assure you, David-the-Elder has NOT been smoking anything mind expanding – unless you want to count the salmon. But remember, no matter how much salmon you smoke, it’s just waist-expanding, not mind-expanding. Read the rest of this entry »