Book Review: "Big Time" by Jen Spyra

Big Time is a sharply funny, often utterly crazy debut story collection, which left me smirking throughout and sometimes even laughing out loud.

When you have a book written by a former staff writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Onion, you know you’re in for a wild ride. And that’s certainly the case with Jen Spyra’s debut collection.

The 14 stories are in this book are sarcastic, creative, downright wacky, and sometimes even totally bizarre, but they certainly were never dull. Spyra has a memorable voice and while at times I thought a few of the stories went a bit too far (at the very least), I found many of them really entertaining.

Among my favorites: “The Snowman,” in which a boy gets far more than he imagined when his snowman pal comes to life (I don’t think Jimmy Durante would narrate this!); “The Adventure of the Mistaken Right Swipe,” about a woman who finds a unique boyfriend on a dating app; “First Kid Second Kid,” which contrasts different parenting approaches between children; and “The First Influencer,” about the power of persuasion before the internet existed.

These stories are sometimes a little graphic in terms of their language and imagery (nothing awful, but just worth an FYI for some), and at times you wonder where Spyra came up with some of her ideas. But when a story hit on all cylinders, I actually laughed until I nearly cried more than a few times.

Random House provided me a complimentary advance copy of Big Time in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

Book Review: "Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes" by Evan J. Corbin

What would you expect from a book with a title like Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes? Evan J. Corbin delivers a quirky, moving, and tremendously thought-provoking read.

Imagine that the oldest translation of a Gospel is found in which Jesus explicitly condemns bigotry and homophobia. It changes the world quickly—the U.S. has elected its first lesbian president, the Pope has come out of the closet, and people treat the LGBTQIA+ community with respect and admiration.

Rick Harris, a pastor from North Carolina, is unmoved by these changes and continued to preach against the evils of homosexuality. When one sermon goes too far and offends the most influential family in the congregation, he is given a choice by the church elders: attend an atonement camp or get fired.

The atonement camp, run by drag queens, is utter torture for Rick and his fellow campers at first. Lots of alcohol, pedicures, and scantily clad pool boys loosen people up, but there are important lessons to be learned about the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community as well as learning to understand the demons that we all carry.

“Binary gender subscribers. Trans deniers. Hypocrites, sinners, and fools. Honestly, I don’t care who you were before you came here. I only care about the people you’ll be when you leave. No one is hopeless. No one is beyond redemption.”

I found this to be funny and emotional, and it definitely made me think. Of course, the campers embodied all of the arguments you hear from those who criticize homosexuality, but you see that these characters are not without their flaws as well. And while at first it looks like the camp plays into all the typical stereotypes, there’s depth there beyond what you expect.

This is definitely a book I’ll remember!!

I was pleased to be part of the blog tour for this book. Thanks to Pride Book Tours and Evan J. Corbin for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!

Book Review: "My Life as a Goddess: A Memoir through (Un)Popular Culture" by Guy Branum

"We talk about nature and nurture when analyzing a person's character. We see two ways that an identity is formed. One is biological, the mean of parents' traits passed down genetically. The other is environmental: How did the world around this person guide and encourage him? The problem is that by either of these methods, I shouldn't be me. I should be shorter and dumber and not at all concerned with what pairs well with star anise syrup in a cocktail." (BTW, it's notes of orange.)

At a young age, Guy Branum already knew he was different. Growing up in Yuba City, a farming town in Northern California, he was much larger (both taller and fatter) than his peers. Big boys were supposed to be fighters, but Guy didn't have it in him to fight. What he wanted to do was sit inside, read, and learn, find answers to the endless number of questions he had, about nearly everything in the world. But that met with disapproval from his parents, especially his father, who wanted his son to act "normal."

As Guy grew older, as he grew bigger and fatter, he indulged his father's wish and played high school football for four years. But he never had any passion for it. And as he realized he was gay, he knew that was another reason society would look down on him. What he wanted more than anything was to get out of Yuba City, go someplace more exciting, and be free of the expectations of those around him. And while he felt bad about himself, and tried to hide himself and who he really was in plain sight for so long, at some point he realized that he was worthy of love and success and praise, no matter what others might say or think.

"I'm not supposed to like myself, and I'm certainly not supposed to think that I should matter. The world has spent a lot of time telling me that, and in the past thirty or so years, I often listened, because we all listen. The world is mostly full of fine facts and good lessons, but some of those facts and lessons were built to keep you down. And I got kept down for decades. Then I remembered that I was a goddess. I may not always feel like it, but I have powers."

In My Life as a Goddess, a memoir/collection of essays, Branum shares his long journey to self-discovery, from his difficult relationship with his father to the love of movies he shared with his mother; his discovery of his sense of humor and his writing ability while attending Berkeley—which led to an interesting run-in with the Secret Service; what he believes to be society's struggles with both fat and gay people; finally feeling free enough to go to gay clubs; and the rise of his career as a stand-up comedian, comedy writer, and occasional actor.

Parts of this book were literally laugh-out-loud funny. (I got more than my share of odd looks when I read this book in public, and the one time I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe I realized I needed just to read it at home.) Branum's love of pop culture, television sitcoms, movies, and music felt so familiar to me. More than a few times I thought he and I could be great friends, or we'd try to out-funny each other, and he'd probably win, so I'd feel bitter.

But this is more than a comic memoir. My Life as a Goddess has real emotional heft to it as well, and I found myself nodding and even tearing up at times as I recognized situations which occurred in my own life. Branum is tremendously insightful but he doesn't feel sorry for himself; he recounts his life in a very matter-of-fact way. You may think that the difficulty of his journey helped turn him into the immensely funny man he has become, and certainly you see that with a lot of LGBT people, whose creativity was burnished amidst poor treatment.

Branum's childhood and his growth into adulthood was a difficult journey, but thankfully he has risen above it, and more thankfully for us, he is willing to share himself with us. At times he rambles a bit on unrelated topics (and he even recognizes it as he is doing it), but then his heart and his sense of humor shine through, and you realize this book, and this man, are truly special.

Book Review: "Calypso" by David Sedaris

For me, reading David Sedaris' books is like hanging out with that slightly strange friend—you may think you're crazy, but at least there's someone crazier than you out there!

I've been reading Sedaris' books on and off for a number of years, since his first collection, Barrel Fever, in 1994. In addition to helping bolster my self-esteem, he's always good for a fair amount of chuckling, giggling, and all-out belly laughing, not to mention his unique ability to highlight some of life's frustrating, mystifying, and joy-inducing foibles. Plus, every now and again he simply makes me gasp at his observations.

Calypso, his newest collection, certainly is chock-full of laughs, and there's a good supply of slightly gross observations about bodily functions and other physical issues. But I wasn't prepared for how emotionally rich this collection would be—on a number of occasions I found myself getting a little choked up as Sedaris pondered growing older, the aging and death of family members, the legalization of same-sex marriage and what it meant for his relationship with his boyfriend, even the mood of the country following the 2016 presidential election.

It's funny—in one story Sedaris talks about his mother-in-law, and how she "likes to interrupt either to accuse you of exaggerating—'Oh, now, that's not true'—or to defend the person you're talking about, someone, most often, she has never met." Some of his observations are so outlandish that I'll admit occasionally thinking like his mother-in-law, saying to myself, "That can't be true." Regardless of whether it is or not, Sedaris had me latching on to his every word.

I'm not a Puritan by any means, but I'll admit there were a few stories that were a little heavy on bodily functions and feeding things to animals (read the book and you'll know what I'm referring to). However, so much of this book was terrific, beautifully written, funny, wry, sarcastic, and even poignant. In many of the stories (as is often the case), Sedaris spoke of his family and his relationship with his father, which continues to confound him, even as his father moves into his 90s.

"Honestly, though, does choice even come into it? Is it my fault that the good times fade to nothing while the bad ones burn forever bright? Memory aside, the negative just makes for a better story: the plane was delayed, an infection set in, outlaws arrived and reduced the schoolhouse to ashes. Happiness is harder to put into words. It's also harder to source, much more mysterious than anger or sorrow, which come to me promptly, whenever I summon them, and remain long after I've begged them to leave."

Calypso is a pretty terrific book, further testament to Sedaris' skill as a storyteller, a social commentator, and an observer of this crazy world we live in. His writing is great for some laughs (don't be shocked if you laugh out loud a time or two, so if you're self-conscious, don't read this in public), and this book is good for a few tears as well!

Book Review: "Class Mom" by Laurie Gelman

Jen Dixon is on her second go-round as class mother. After finishing her "wild" phase in the 1990s, where (probably) two musicians fathered her two daughters, she returned home to raise them in her Kansas hometown with help from her parents.

She was class mom during that time for seven years in a row, and while working to make ends meet, she met Ron, who would become her husband, and the father of her young son, Max. (Or as Jen puts it, "I met the man who would become Baby Daddy #3 and Husband #1, Ron Dixon. By the way, I still have had only one husband.")

With Max in kindergarten, Jen agrees to serve as his class mom as a favor to her best friend Nina, who is president of the PTA. But she's determined to do things her way this time, and call things as she sees them. No kind, gentle, sweet communication from Jen—she's the kind of person who goes through life saying and doing what she wants, and if you can't take a joke, that's your problem, not hers.

Beyond the occasional racial slur (she didn't mean it) or the request for bribes for prime parent-teacher conference time slots, Jen wants her fellow parents (most of whom are significantly younger than she is) to understand that she doesn't take her responsibilities or herself too seriously. But some parents apparently get agitated with emails like:

"September 27th (aka curriculum night) is fast upon us. It's my favorite night of the year, because it answers burning questions such as, 'Who has the hottest husband?' and 'Who spent a little too much money at the ice cream truck this summer?' Plus, I want everyone to think that Miss Ward's class is the place where people PAR-TAY!"

Jen had thought that being class mom would allow her to coast through the school year, but there's a lot more to it than assuaging the fears of the mother whose child has a significant nut allergy, or dealing with the jealousy of those who wanted her job. Not only can't she figure out the sexier-than-she-should be teacher, who refuses to let the children celebrate "Hallmark holidays," but she is in the middle of a harmless flirtation with her high school crush, who is the dad of one of Max's classmates, and she has to endure the requests of a rich-girl mom and her wannabe best friend.

And if that's not all, Jen is in the middle of training for a mud run (something she never would have imagined herself saying, let alone doing), trying to help both of her daughters negotiate romantic relationships, and is coaxed into trying to figure out what the deal is with the one mother who no one has ever seen. Why did she agree to doing this again, anyway?

I'll admit, I'm always a little dubious when I hear about books which are supposed to be "hysterically funny." My sense of humor tends to hew more to the sarcastic than the slapstick, and quite often I find myself chuckling when so many other people said they were laughing out loud. But I really enjoyed Class Mom. It was funny, and it was a fast, fun read.

I tend to be one of those people who has trouble remembering to make sure my filter is working before I speak, so Jen really appealed to me as a character. Sure, there were times where I thought maybe she was a little bit much, and it was a wonder anyone in her life wanted to talk to her, but I'm a fan of the tell-it-like-it-is type of people. I don't have kids so I don't know if the things she said and did would actually fly in a real school, but that's the thing about fiction—it isn't reality, so you can't get hung up on what might really happen.

The book doesn't break new literary ground, but it doesn't try to. Laurie Gelman did a great job hooking me from the start and really getting me invested in what was going on, even if I had a feeling about most of what would happen. Sometimes it's great to have a book that's just designed to make you chuckle (at the very least) and wonder if you'd say the things Jen did if you had the chance. If that sounds like the book for you, pick up Class Mom.

Book Review: "The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo" by Amy Schumer

Because I spend more time reading and going to the movies than watching television, I'll admit I was a little bit late to the party where Amy Schumer was concerned. I know I heard her name, but wasn't familiar with her comedy until I saw an article on Facebook referencing an appearance she made on Ellen DeGeneres' show, where she made Ellen laugh out loud more than a few times. (Needless to say, I did, too.)

Once I found her, I became a pretty big fan, watching most of her stand-up specials and her television show, and of course, seeing her movie debut, Trainwreck. Her humor is certainly not for everyone, and as a man, some of her jokes get lost on me, but I love her comic timing and her talent to be self-deprecating in a hysterical way. So while I don't traditionally read celebrity books, I decided to give The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo a try, not really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at the way she balanced her humor (including some things she has done in stand-up) and her journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.

"I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story. I will. I'll speak and share and fuck and love, and I will never apologize for it. I am amazing for you, not because of you. I am not who I sleep with. I am not my weight. I am not my mother. I am myself. And I am all of you."

Schumer made me laugh out loud more than a few times (if you're a fan, don't read this on public transportation unless you don't mind people thinking you're losing your mind), she made me chuckle and smile quite a bit, made me a little uncomfortable sometimes, and beyond that, made me think. She's not afraid to say exactly how she feels about issues, people, sex, drugs, her family, stand-up comedy, women's rights, even gun control. She touches on growing up as a child of a broken marriage, and how her parents' issues affected her. She also talks about her insecurity about her own looks, and how she finally was able to embrace confidence in the face of those who criticize and disparage her.

This is a fun and occasionally moving read, and while I felt she went on a little too long at times, I really enjoyed it. Schumer doesn't try to be anyone other than who she is, and I think she'd be a fascinating person to know and spend time with. If you're not a fan, or if strong language and sexual references make you uncomfortable, this might not be a book for you. But if you like a good laugh, and like to know how different celebrities are in "real" life versus their onstage/onscreen persona, check this one out.

"I look at the saddest things in life and laugh at how awful they are, because they are hilarious and it's all we can do with moments that are painful."

Book Review: "Understudies" by Ravi Mangla

What a funny, insightful, and touching little book! (And I mean "little" not in a derogatory sense—Understudies is billed as a "short novel," and it's just a little more than 120 or so pages.)

Our somewhat jaded (and unnamed) narrator is a high school teacher. Or, in his words, "It could be said I worked as a purveyor of worldly knowledge, a molder of young minds...It could also be said I supervised the next generation of disappointers in the intervening hours between bus rides." His life—and the lives of those around him—are changed when a Golden Globe-winning actress moves into his town.

His bizarre best friend Chudley becomes obsessed with the actress, and the narrator begins to worry that this obsession may cause Chudley to do something inappropriate. But what he doesn't realize is he is becoming increasingly focused on the actress' presence as well. But he's unable to ascertain whether he's actually interested in her, or if he's just using her as a distraction from his unsettled personal life, as his live-in girlfriend, Missy, is pressuring him for more permanence in their relationship.

As he tries to make sense of his life, and of his mother's new role as an advice columnist on the web (despite her own phobias), he finds himself hanging out with a group of high school students, including one of his own students, and they form a band, which reawakens his zeal to perform. And strangely, these high school students—even when stoned—are more insightful than he is about life.

Understudies is a humorous and moving story told in vignettes about a man in the throes of a mid-life crisis before he hits mid-life. But in addition, it's a commentary about our fame- and celebrity-obsessed culture, and how we find ourselves following the latest trends and searching for solutions to our problems anywhere we can find it. It's also a story about the need to feel loved and needed, to feel secure.

Ravi Mangla is a terrific writer. He has a great sense of humor, which was definitely reflected in so much of this book. Many sentences made me chuckle. And even as you shook your head at the ludicrousness of some of the situations and characters (including a student named Cuisinart), you realize that underneath all of the satire, it's a story that seems familiar and realistic. I look forward to seeing what's in store for Mangla's literary career.

"Show Your Joe" makes people grumble...

Proving that people can cause controversy about nearly everything, Joe Boxer's new holiday commercial for Kmart (which I didn't even realize was still around, since they all have gone out of business around here) has been causing people to get, well, up in...arms.

Conservative groups have decried the commercial, and have asked Kmart to pull it from circulation. Some on social media have called the commercial "a paean to pedophilia," because apparently "Joe Boxer isn't worn by anyone over 15 years old, so they must be targeting young men."

Seriously. It's a commercial for boxer shorts, people. Merry freaking Christmas, everyone.

Punny Halloween costumes...

With Halloween coming tomorrow, my greatest challenge is avoiding the bags of candy I've hidden so I don't open them prior to the trick-or-treaters' arrival. And while I don't need a costume, I saw these on the web and couldn't resist sharing, in case someone is in need of inspiration...

Here go some of the "punnier" costumes you'll see:

Dust Bunny

Freudian Slip

Chicken Cordon Blue (It's okay to groan.)

Spice Girl (Hopefully you won't start singing "Wannabe" after this...)

And here's my favorite:

Happy Halloween, everyone!

It's almost like Stephen King's "It"...

Warning: Do not read this blog post if you suffer from coulrophobia, the debilitating fear of clowns.

The town of Northampton, England, about 60 miles outside of London, is a fairly idyllic town which has a rich history dating back to the Bronze Age and is home to two rugby teams.

Oh, and since Friday, September 13, it's been terrorized by a clown.

Yes, you read that right. A red-haired, masked stranger in full clown regalia who wanders the streets at night carrying a bouquet of balloons, has appeared every night at various places around Northampton. But although he has frightened Northampton's citizens, who liken him to Pennywise, the evil clown in Stephen King's novel, It, the clown says, "I don't terrorise people. I just want to be spotted."

"He doesn't juggle. He doesn't twist balloons into animal shapes. He just stares," Northampton Herald & Post explained.

Is this a publicity stunt? A cry for help? Not at all, says the Northampton Clown. He has said—on his Facebook page and in a few interviews with media—that while people may be scared when he pops up, that's all part of the fun. That's his goal: "I just want to amuse people."

"Most people enjoy being a bit freaked out and then they can laugh about it afterwards," he said. "It's like watching a horror movie, when people get scared they usually start laughing."

And apparently that's not all. Because the clown has apparently given birth (so to speak) to a legion of friends and enemies, including Boris, the self-proclaimed "Clown Catcher." Dressed in a purple superhero suit, he also wanders the streets after dark and, on his Facebook page explains, "I am the official clown catcher. I am not here to scare anyone. I am not here to hurt anyone. I come in peace!" In fact, he only seems to want to meet the clown and take a picture with him.

Not quite sure what to make of this, but it reminds me of my freshman year in college when I read King's It. I had never been afraid of clowns before but, as those of you who've read the book can attest, Pennywise the clown scared the crap out of me. One of my college roommates used to pick up the book and read it when I was busy. One afternoon we were playing basketball in our room, and the ball rolled under my bed. Apparently my roommate had hidden a clown mask under there as a prank.

I didn't sleep in my bed for a week. Needless to say, I'm not visiting Northampton anytime soon...

You got big dreams...

Do you remember when you were younger, when it didn't matter what your goals were but you were absolutely committed to achieving them? They could be as exotic as identifying your superpower or becoming a professional baseball player, or as mundane as memorizing all of the Best Actor Oscar winners in history. (Okay, so maybe that one was just my goal. Achieved, BTW.)

Somewhere along the path of growing up, many of us stop believing that all of our goals and dreams can come true. The idealism of childhood is so terrific, and it's up to us to try and nurture that wide-eyed enthusiasm for as long as we can.

This letter was shared on the internet; it's a list written by a guy's son who was getting ready to start third grade. These goals are fantastic, outlandish, fun, and simple. I hope he's able to achieve at least a few of them. (My favorite—perhaps no surprise—is "become a nerd." Again, achieved.)

Doesn't this make you want to start dreaming again?

Movie Review: "The World's End"

It's been said you can never go home again. Whether or not that's true, trying to relive your past isn't always advisable, because it's rare that you can capture the magic of your glory days.

Gary King (Simon Pegg) has learned that lesson the hard way. When he and his four best friends were seniors in high school in 1990, they were at the top of their game—Gary more so than anyone else. Cocky, confident, popular with the ladies, the quintet had some spectacular memories. One night around their high school graduation, they planned to accomplish a worthy goal—conquering the epic pub crawl in their town, with one pint of beer at all 12 pubs, ending at The World's End. While they weren't successful in this feat, for Gary, that night was the highlight of his life—one that he hasn't been able to replicate more than 20 years later.

Determined to relive those memories, Gary reunites his friends—his estranged wingman, Andy (Nick Frost, Pegg's compatriot from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz); his rival, Steven (The Bourne Ultimatum's Paddy Considine); perpetually henpecked Peter (Ray Donovan's Eddie Marsan); and type-A real estate agent Oliver, aka "O-Man" (Bilbo Baggins himself, Martin Freeman). No one, particularly Andy, seems interested in drinking themselves into oblivion for one last hurrah, but Gary's charm convinces them to make the return trip to their hometown.

The pub crawl clearly emphasizes that Gary has never grown up or moved past high school, and it reopens some old wounds from those days. Yet a jealous rivalry between Gary and Steven for Oliver's sister, Sam (Jack Reacher's Rosamund Pike) appears to be the least of their problems, when the group discovers their hometown has been taken over by robots (although not quite robots). Suddenly the very fate of the world lies in the hands of these old friends, who must put aside their own issues to help protect life as we know it.

As you might imagine from the description, this is about where the movie goes from wry and funny to outlandishly silly and a little off the rails. It's certainly what you'd expect from the team behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, but truth be told, I would have been satisfied if the film had stuck to the story of the friends attempting the epic pub crawl without the ink-spouting replicants. It's almost as if Pegg and his co-writer, Edgar Wright, just wanted to cram everything they could into this movie, which left it a little weighted down rather than the stupidly funny movie I was expecting.

When the film allows Pegg and company to relive days of yore, pick up old fights and start new ones, it really shines, because the actors play really well against each other. Pegg and Frost are a terrific film pair, and Considine in particular has a wry, smirking bravado that works for his character. Everyone seems to be having a good time (you almost expect them to burst into laughter a few times), and that adds to the amusement factor.

In the end, this is definitely an amusing movie for a matinee or a rental (when available), as long as you keep its limitations in mind.

Now THAT'S the way to open a Bar Mitzvah...

And I thought I've seen some pretty ostentatious Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties...

Check out Sam Horowitz's opening dance number at his Bar Mitzvah last fall in Dallas. I would wager that the hora and lifting him and his family up on chairs pales in comparison to this! (I was wondering why I couldn't have something like this at my Bar Mitzvah and then I remembered: I can't dance, and was even less, umm, graceful back then!)

The true downward dog...

Yoga can be kind of complicated for those unfamiliar with the different positions. But this Italian man found the perfect companion for some yoga poses—his chihuahua. I have no idea what the guy is saying, but does it matter?

OMG! You're my favorite actor! (Or maybe not...)

Have you ever spotted a celebrity—or someone you can swear is a celebrity, but you can't remember what their name is?

Better yet, have you ever spotted one of your favorite celebrities—although in retrospect, you discover it's not the celebrity you thought it was?

Check out this woman, who saw Matt Damon and took a picture with him. Oh, yeah, but it was actually Mark Wahlberg.

You've gotta hand it to Marky Mark, though. Because when he got wind of this woman's photo, he posted it to his Facebook page with this caption:

At least she didn't make him apologize for We Bought a Zoo...

I love good sports. Definitely gives me good vibrations.

Introverts, this one's for you...

Those of you who know me well (or remember me), know that I'm fairly outgoing and kinda (okay, quite) talkative. And I'll admit I don't mind being the center of attention every now and...well, a lot.

But that being said, I tend to feel the most extroverted and "on" when I'm surrounded by people with whom I feel comfortable. I'm not good at walking into a room full of people and shaking hands with strangers, no matter how good it would be for me to do professionally. And even when I'm in a room filled with people with whom I should be familiar, I'm still not the type to approach them and would be much happier hanging out in the background...or perhaps behind the scenes.

I know I don't fit your textbook definition of introvert, but despite what you may think, I'm definitely more introverted than extroverted. (Really.) And once I read Buzzfeed's 27 Problems Only Introverts Will Understand, I was pretty convinced, because I can identify with almost every single one of them!

Some of my favorites include:

• When you carry a book to a public place so no one will bug you, but other people take that as a conversation starter.


• When people can’t seem to grasp that being in small groups is where you excel the most.


• When people make you feel weird for wanting to do things by yourself.


• When you’re really excited to go out, but those good feelings don’t last long enough.


• And when you need to be completely alone so you can recharge and get back to being awesome.

Do any of these sound like you? That's absolutely fine. Remember:

Read the whole list at www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/problems-only-introverts-will-understand. And then go someplace quiet and recharge yourself. I don't mind.

A message to Anthony Weiner...

Kristin Chenoweth adapted the song Popular from the musical Wicked to send a message to NYC mayoral candidate and chronic sexter Anthony Weiner, and performed it on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Good fun, although I don't know if it was Chenoweth's makeup, hairstyle, or perhaps some sort of plastic surgery that has her looking a little like Janice from the Muppets.

Anyway. Enjoy!

Your morning science fix...

Even if you're not good at math or science, you might be able to appreciate this equation. Truth be told, if I have any caffeine in the morning it's a Diet Coke (although I've been avoiding those), but I know how this feels...

Good morning, all!

Quick! Is your car X'X" tall?

Good to see that signs at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center were proofread before they were hung.

The good news is, I'm sure this sign keeps all of the X-feet-tall cars from trying to park!

Here's your sign...

A friend posted these on Facebook the other day and I thought they were far too good not to share.

Any wonder why people don't pay attention to signs? How could they?