Browsing All Posts published on »December, 2011«

And That’s a Wrap

December 31, 2011

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It’s been a great year and I’m going to hate to see it go. I appeared in three plays: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; A Minor Case of Murder which I also wrote and co-directed; and Drift which we took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. My wife considered all three plays to be successes because none of […]

Bali with the Greatsbys

December 28, 2011

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“What is it about being on holiday that makes me always want to be on holiday?” –Mrs. Good Greatsby Every time we go on vacation I relearn the lesson that no matter how expensive the hotel, how beautiful the scenery, or how fascinating the culture, the best part of the kids’ vacation will be the […]

An Interview with Optimist Prime

December 26, 2011

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My family and I are enjoying our vacation in sunny and sometimes rainy Bali, Indonesia. My ten-year-old, Optimist Prime, appeared to be having too much fun in the swimming pool and I decided to give his day some structure by interviewing him. Dad: Welcome to my office. Sit anywhere you like. OP: There’s only one […]

Metric Measure for Measure: Measuring the Measuring Systems to Your Measured Advantage

December 23, 2011

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I remember being taught the metric system as a young kid in school and sharing the annoyance of my classmates when we were told the state education board had mandated the teaching of the metric system–even though anybody with any sense knew the US system was better. America was on the verge of winning the Cold […]

Beauty is in the Eye of the Asian Beholder

December 21, 2011

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When checking out of our hotel in Seoul, the manager bade my wife a farewell that guaranteed his hotel would top her list if we ever returned, “All the staff thinks you are so beautiful. Your husband is so tall and handsome. Together you make beautiful children. The most handsome family. And I am in […]

Your Satisfaction is Our Unremitting Pursuit

December 19, 2011

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Pay no heed to rumors suggesting a connection between my arrival in South Korea and the death of Kim Jong-Il the same day. I was nowhere near the fearless leader at the time of his unexpected demise. We’re really lucky we ended up in South Korea instead of North Korea because when I bought the […]

Effort-Reward Ratios of Christmas Dinner Attention-Getters

December 16, 2011

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Christmas is just around the corner and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably looking forward to Christmas Dinner with your family and anticipating the time-honored tradition of competing to be the center of attention. Everyone will arrive with a gimmick–good news to share, a funny story, or an expertly-prepared dish–and you know you’ve got […]

Dear Good Greatsby: Do You Ever Worry About Losing Your Awesome Looks?

December 14, 2011

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Dear Good Greatsby Do you ever worry about getting old or losing your awesome looks? What do you think about the men and women who obsess about it? kathrinjapan   Dear kathinjapan, The only time I ever worry about losing my looks is when I’m awake. The topic rarely enters my dreams because no matter […]

Did I Mention I’m an NFL Team Owner?

December 13, 2011

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Last week I fulfilled a lifelong dream I’ve had for about a year of becoming an owner of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. My oldest son and I have bonded over being Packers fans; as he grew older, a casual interest in the Packers grew more and more intense as we discussed stats while playing […]

Battleship Down: Board Games the Movie!

December 12, 2011

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The other day I watched a You Tube clip and the unskippable movie preview at the beginning caught my attention for all the wrong reasons. A naval fleet leaves port to begin war games and encounters an alien enemy hidden beneath the sea. Within seconds I knew the movie was going to be terrible, but […]

Chinglish Stockings

December 11, 2011

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If you’re a songwriter experiencing writer’s block in trying to compose the last verse of your new love song, might I suggest you steal some lyrical inspiration from the stockings’ advertisement below: “Beauty bases on your legs. Silk socks play an important role in your legs beautifying plan. Stockings are popular once again, whether black […]

Saturday Salad Bar

December 10, 2011

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Here are some favorites from recent search terms: i said i hate you and he said you love me I’m not sure why this search was sent to me, but I assume google learned how my optimistic nature automatically hears compliments in place of criticism. “You need to take a shower.” “What’s that? I smell […]