It’s not unusual for me to have to host an awards gala when dinner is being plated. If you’ve taken the mic at such an event, you might know that this is often not even the biggest challenge when it comes to winning over an audience.
Stand-up Comedy: Fund My Dirty Jokes
The headline above is more provocative than, “Fund My Observational Humour”, in persuading you to sign an E-Petition to get stand-up comedy officially recognized as an art form. But, I should come clean- I “work clean”. That’s what we in the comedy business call it when a comic doesn’t swear, or perform vulgar material.
You Could Receive $8,580 Annually By Agreeing With Me
Thanks in advance for taking about one minute to answer the following survey questions:
- Do you own a vehicle?
- Do you personally enjoy using a vehicle?
- Aside from non-essential use, could you live without using a vehicle in exchange for $8,580 annually for the rest of your life?
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What I Love About Malicious Compliance
I find this type of office behaviour surprisingly crafty. Malicious Compliance is not only one of my favourite biz speak expressions, it’s such a nasty little bit of treachery that when I’ve actually encountered it for real, I’m fascinated. Having worked as a Host/MC and executive coach in the corporate sector for 25+ years, however, it’s apparent to me that the precise definition of the term is not universally understood.
When It’s Good Business to Be Upstaged: 3D Tech
For Cash Cab fans and contestants alike, people are thrilled when they get a chance to meet me… so they can ask about the lights inside the cab. The disco-floor-like ceiling panels are, by far, the sexiest part of the show for many people. Fortunately, as a proud “Host”, it wasn’t difficult for me to get used to being upstaged by high tech. That’s why I’m excited to be working with 3DEvolution on 3D tech that’s ahead of the curve and attracting more attention than I ever will in any dimension.
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Crazy Cash Flow Scheme
In a marriage, or long-term relationship, the person responsible for handling the regular monthly finances shouldn’t be the one with the craziest cash flow schemes. I know, right!? So, it’s not just a fluke that it worked out that way in my marriage. Wait! Before you jump to the defense of my wife, (who is of sound mind in almost every other way), I’m not saying she’s crazy; just the system she’d have me employ in facilitating our mundane monthly money matters.
Parenting Donald Trump
I’m watching Season 4 of “House of Cards” on Netflix and while the first several episodes were riveting, the second half of the season is proving to be less entertaining than the real-life political landscape that is Donald Trump. I still stand by my original post on Jan. 21, 2016, “Donald Trump Does Not Give A Sh*t”, prophesizing that his bid for the Republican presidential nomination is a prank of epic proportions. In this post, I’m just suggesting we start planning now on how to manage him when he becomes U.S. president. I believe the best solution is to parent him like he’s an unruly teenager.
The Latest: Germ Guy – Travelling
WARNING: This post contains content that I find disturbing and gives me the squirms.
The most important thing I can tell you about my travel experiences as a self-diagnosed, semi-professional germophobe is that I still travel. This is an impressive feat of courage considering what I find disgusting about taxis, airports, airplanes, hotels, restaurants, conference centres, other random people and washrooms of any kind that are not attended to by my also-clean-freak wife. Before you nod knowingly and shrug wondering what’s so different for me from how you feel about this very same list of geogermal entities, let me ask you this- have you ever left a note for the maid at your hotel that says: “This room is cleaner than it was when I arrived. Take the day off. –Adam”.
Translating “Teen” To English: “Go Away”
You might assume, as I once did, that the only people who are in the need of a little “ME” time now and again are people (grownups) who otherwise get very little. As a parent, I have come to learn- not so much actually. Apparently, even people who have seemingly vast quantities of undisturbed solitude, (teenagers), feel it is their basic human right to have, yet, even more. Of course, these people (teenagers) argue that they don’t, in fact, have as much quality alone time as you (grownups) might think. They communicate to you that, in the context of their individual existence, this misunderstanding creates unnecessary, but easily remedied, confusion and animosity, (not the exact words of a teenager). The solution is for all involved, (grownup people and teenage people), to employ the same language when discussing the perceived inequities, even when the circumstances seem to vary dramatically.
Funny Fam
There’s an unscientifically proven fact in the comedy business that the toughest crowds to perform stand-up in front of are “industry crowds”; more specifically- a room full of other comedians. There is, however, a small percentage of the comic population who thrive in this environment. They are known as “comic’s comics” and they are universally adored by their contemporaries. At the same time, because they’re often too “insider” or “alternative”, it’s not uncommon for them to struggle in front of “regular” crowds. But, of that small sub-set of the stand-up comic population as a whole, there’s an even smaller percentage of comic’s comics who are also hilarious in the eyes of mainstream audiences. Basically, out of every 10,000 comedians, there’s Louis C.K..