Columns
Here’s a Thought: Opening Act
By Taylor Mason
For those of you not familiar with how I roll: I’ve been a comedian for 25-plus years and been an “opening act” for a variety of performers. Some highlights. ...
Here's a Thought: Death by Cancer
By Taylor Mason
My sister-in-law passed away last Thursday, felled by cancer after a seven-year battle. She was a dignified, lovely, inspiring wife and mother who beat the odds over and over again.
Time Out: Safety ‘Net
By Patty Elder
Summer in DC means storms, and storms mean power outages. And power outages bring out my worst fear, and it's NOT the dark. ...
Here’s a Thought: Hot Enough for Ya?
By Taylor Mason
The heat was debilitating this summer, so much so that the word “hot” doesn’t do justice to the grades of temperature we've sweated these past few months.
Time Out: Make Yourself at Home
By Cara Garretson
It’s beach week, and so far so good. We bust into our rented beach house and it looks great – the bathrooms are sparkling, the décor is charming, the kitchen is retro. ...
The Truth Hurts: PhoniesFebruary 02, 2010
By Brad Stine
Ok, here’s the deal. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is interested in your personal phone calls. It’s like people feel compelled to use their cell phone in public simply because it’s in their pocket! For example, when you get on the plane, you don’t have to call and tell the person that you “just boarded the plane.” Ok! They’ll figure it out on the other end of the trip when they come to pick you up and you're there. If for some reason you’re not going to make it, when you get off the plane you can find a corner and call to readjust you plans. And when you are by yourself at a restaurant that doesn’t give you the right to call someone and have a conversation. Why punish me just because nobody wants to come and have dinner with you? Have you considered the fact that maybe they don’t show up because you won’t shut up? If you happen to glance my direction you will notice me having a quiet, respectful conversation with my wife or friends who have joined us. See, the rule is: If I can’t see whom you are talking too…shut up! You have lost conversation privileges. You want to earn it back? Get a friend. Invading my audio space is as rude as invading my physical space. Would you be comfortable if I walked up to you, 4 inches from your face and just stared? Of course not. You would instantly put your iPhone down and ask me what my problem is. The answer, of course, is you. If you can have an obnoxious conversation with someone I can’t see, then I’m going to have a conversation with you in my mind! By the way, how do you not realize that you’re speaking 10 times the decibel level than you would be with an actual physically present human next to you. If you spoke to a dimensional person like that, people would think you are nuts. Another thing. Quit forgetting to turn your phone off in a theatre, church, and school assemblies. Come on! If you’re a big enough boy to have modern technology, you should be big enough to remember the off button. Kind of like when your kid “forgets” to do his chores. After a while there is no excuse, and you get sent to your room. If none of this makes sense to you, you have officially reached the stage of “I’m oblivious,” which is a kind way of saying inconsiderate and/or rude. Do with it as you please, as I no longer believe the nation has a set decorum. Postmodern thought has broken down the last vestige of absolutes even in the area of civility. But it does give me a chance to vent, on (electronic) paper, which is better than screaming at you, on the phone … in public.
Dubbed "God's comic" by The New Yorker magazine, comedian Brad Stine brings his irreverent, edgy, and politically incorrect message to both mainstream and church audiences across the nation. His fifth DVD, "The Best of Brad Stine," features the best material from his previous releases, "Put A Helmet On!," "Conservative Unleashed," "Tolerate This!" and "Wussification". These, along with Brad's latest release, Apostles of Comedy
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