In less than 25 hours, I will be in my hometown at the John F. Kennedy branch of the Muncie Public Library, telling a funny story about how I thought the library got its name when I was a kid. www.munciepubliclibrary.org/event/author... #Muncie #muncieindiana #authortalk #amwriting

I learned from my father-in-law that if you invite someone to dinner, you're paying. He loved taking people to lunch and dinner, and I appreciated his rule. Dining Etiquette Rules Explained. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/10/dini... #humor #humorcolumn #diningetiquette

Indiana and New York consider burritos sandwiches for tax purposes. Restaurant goers consider Indiana and New York idiots. Karl Gets Angry When a Burrito is Called a Sandwich. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/10/karl... #humor #humorcolumn #burrito #sandwich

The world doesn’t stop because you’re in pain and neither does Sabine. Get 30% off when you buy directly from 4horsemenpublications for the month of September. Available Now #Vassetreseries #booktok #bookrec #fantasy #bookrecommendations #romantasy #readersofbooktok #newrelease

People Against Pineapple On Pizza (PANOP) was nearly called Pineapple's Outrageous On Pizza, but we thought better of it. Too many awkward questions. People Against Pineapple on Pizza. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/09/peop... #humor #humorcolumn #pizza #pineappleonpizza

Muncie friends, I'll be back in town on Saturday, October 11, at 6:00 p.m. to do an author talk at my childhood library, the Kennedy Branch of the Muncie Public Library. www.munciepubliclibrary.org/event/author... #amreading #muncieindiana #BookLaunch

Robert Bagley and I wanted to write a field guide to personal branding. It's for anyone who is starting their own business or is just starting out in the business world. Available on Kindle, in paperback, or hardback. amzn.to/47wrB5u #personalbranding #networking #entrepreneurship

When a meteor crashed through Ann Hodge's roof and struck her, she thought it was neighborhood kids at first. You know how kids heave 8.5-pound rocks around for fun. Alabama Woman Struck by Meteor in 1954. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/09/alab... #humor #humorcolumn #meteorite

When the Cambridge Dictionary added "skibidi" to its dictionary, I never wanted to yell at kids to get off my lawn more than I do now. New humor column: Cambridge Dictionary Adds 6,000+ Words. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/09/camb... #humor #humorcolumn #language

Americans spend 6 more minutes per day than Britons. What are the Brits doing with their extra time? You could make dippy eggs and toast soldiers in 6 minutes. How Much Time Does Your Generation Spend in the Bathroom? laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/09/how-... #humor #humorcolumn #bathroom

I developed my own Florida Zodiac signs, the Flordiac symbols. Whichever category of story shows up on your Florida Man Birthday Challenge is your Flordiac symbol. What is Your Florida Man Zodiac Sign? laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/08/what... #humor #humorcolumn #FloridaMan #astrology

I co-wrote a personal branding book with my friend Robert Bagley, and it's available on Kindle right now. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B... This is a must-read for any entrepreneur, creative professional, or person looking to switch careers. #networking #entrepreneurship #1millioncups

The difference between billionaires and alligators is that one is an ambush predator that will eat your family without remorse, and the other gets confused with crocodiles. Take the Florida Man Birthday Challenge. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/08/take... #humor #humorcolumn #FloridaMan

Sure, the em-dash and en-dash are getting all the attention, but you know who's out there grinding away, not asking for anything in return? The hyphen. A Letter to Em-Dash and En-Dash from Hyphen. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-le... #humor #humorcolumn #emdash #endash

It's often a surprise to people to learn that my day job is not making fart jokes on the Internet. Sorry, it's just a hobby. Six Secrets I Have Learned as an Entrepreneur. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/08/six-... #humor #humorcolumn #entrepreneurship

It feels really weird to say to someone, "Why don't you join me at MY club for lunch?" Karl the Curmudgeon Joins a Fancy Club. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/08/karl... #humor #humorcolumn #socialclub

I'm not supposed to tell you this, but if you pre-order my new novel, Whither, Utopia, it will be shipped to you FOUR MONTHS before the official release. It's a glitch in the system, so hurry! 4horsemenpublications.com/product/whit... #humor #satire #utopianfiction #dystopianfiction

I'm feeling very reflective after the death of #OzzyOsbourne and #ChuckMangione, which inspired this week's column. Gen Z Most Likely to Leave a Concert Early. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/07/gen-... #humor #humorcolumn #GenX

Are you new to being a digital nomad? Are you a newly-minted consultant or startup entrepreneur? Here are some tips from a 16-year digital nomad (me) and the best way to work outside the house without renting an office. problogservice.com/2025/02/23/1... #digitalnomad #startups

I'm stubbornly clinging to a few old-fashioned things, like a pocketwatch and a typewriter. Worshipping At the Altar of the Analog. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/07/wors... #humor #humorcolumn #GenX

This week's Laughing Stalk was inspired by a call with my friend yesterday morning, so I wrote it in the afternoon. He's the guy I mentioned in the piece. There’s Nothing Better Than a Good Box. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/07/ther... #humor #humorcolumn #cleaning

#Indiana can't spell "taught," and #Nevada can't spell "school." This is unsurprising coming from the 40th and 45th least educated states in the US. Each State’s Most Misspelled Words for 2025. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/07/each... #humor #humorcolumn #spelling

I flew home from Indy PopCon this morning and found the author copies of my new novel, Whither Utopia. It will come out on December 3rd. You can get advanced reader copies here at booksprout.co/reviewer/rev... if you review it on GoodReads or Amazon. #humornovel #humor #books #amwriting

If anyone is interested in getting an Advanced Reader Copy of my new novel five months in advance, I only ask that you leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon. booksprout.co/reviewer/rev... #amwriting #Newnovel #humor #humornovel

Then there was that time that teenagers stole my plastic garbage can after I dumped barely-warm coals in it. Plus, you should clean your gas grill between uses, apparently. How Often Should You Clean Your Gas Grill? laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/06/how-... #humor #humorcolumn #grilling

I was somewhat excited, but only a little, when I discovered the Dull Men's Club® (and also the Dull Men's Club). New Laughing Stalk humor column: Mild Excitement is Frowned Upon in the Dull Men’s Club. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/06/mild... #humor #HumorColumn #dullsters

Come see these amazing authors at Indy PopCon! @willisauthor.bsky.social @authorjmpaquette.bsky.social @knfitzwater.bsky.social @morganmoreauwrites.bsky.social @katejenkinsauthor.bsky.social @pcnottingham.bsky.social @edeckers.bsky.social @chelseabdunnauthor.bsky.social @rickheinzwrites.bsky.social

I hadn't seen my friend Karl the Curmudgeon in a couple months, so we met for lunch, and he was excited to tell me the great news about text-speak he heard from @grammargirl.bsky.social. Plz Avoid Text-Speak. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/05/plz-... #humor #humorcolumn #textspeak

I've been meaning to write about LSSU's unicorn questing license for a while, and I finally got to do it last night. I Am Now a Licensed Unicorn Hunter. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/05/i-am... #humor #humorcolumn #unicorns #unicornhunting

If you celebrated Cinco De Mayo on May 5th, don't forget 17eme Mai, which is the Second Battle of Puebla, when the French defeated the Mexican army to retake Fort San Javier. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_o...

New Laughing Stalk humor column explains why I am always in charge of the car radio, no matter where I sit. Your Favorite Car Seat Reveals Your Personality. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/05/your... #humor #humorcolumn #driving #personality

This week's column was inspired by an episode of We Have a Movie (WHAM) by Longcat Media (@longcatmedia.bsky.social). Thanks, Magenta and Bernard! No Rabbits Allowed on French Ferries. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/05/no-r... #humor #humorcolumn #rabbits #superstitions

Why do guys — and it's always guys — want to fight animals? This week, people want a gorilla to fight 100 dudes. Why Do 100 Men Want to Fight a Gorilla? laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/05/why-... #humor #humorcolumn #100menvsgorilla #NotAllGorillas

What is @edeckers.bsky.social approach to humor writing? #humorauthor #indieauthor #popcon #mackinacislandnation #authorchats

I tried to work in the joke, "And some were friends we made on the way," into this week's column, but I couldn't manage it. What Kinds of Friends Will You Have in Life? laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/04/what... #humor #humorcolumn #friendship

NON-cosplayers, if you could cosplay as any character from comics, movies, or literature, who would you pick? Given my (very distinguished) goatee, I'd probably pick The War Doctor from Doctor Who.

🚨 STOP! Don’t engage with random job offer texts! Job scams are rising with recent layoffs. Scammers steal personal & financial data with fake job applications—or trick you into sending money in bogus work schemes. Block, report, and DO NOT engage! #JobScam #CareerSafety #ScamAlert #CyberSecurity 🧪

Heard @nbasarah.bsky.social on Two Writers Slinging Yang today, and anytime Jeff Pearlman interviews basketball writers, it makes me wish I actually liked basketball more. Still, I love @indianafever.bsky.social!

30 years of poking fun at pop culture, current events, and people who marry ghosts. If you’re not reading my weekly humor column, what are you even doing? Subscribe: bit.ly/HumorNewslet... #humor #humorcolumn #newsletter

It's National Columnists Day, and it's also the day I'm celebrating the 30-year anniversary of my newspaper humor column. The two events just coincidentally happened on the same day. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/04/this...

Not sure who needs to hear this, but any govt official who violates someone's constitutional rights -- and is acting outside the scope of their lawful authority -- can be PERSONALLY liable in a civil suit. ICE officers. Cabinet members. White House staffers. Even the president.

Ban Conservatives from public restrooms.

This is my 1,560th consecutive column I've ever written — that's 30 years — and I've never missed a deadline. I publish in 7 newspapers in Indiana, and have won several awards over the years. This Column Took 30 Years to Write. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/04/this... #humorcolumn #anniversary

If you have any questions about publishing — whether it's self-published, traditional, or indie — my good friend Arielle Haughee will teach us all about it next Wednesday, April 23 at 7 pm at the Winter Park Library. www.meetup.com/writers-of-c... #ampublishing #writingcommunity

If you sign up for my humor newsletter, you can get a free download of Chapter 1 of my first novel, Mackinac Island Nation. bit.ly/HumorNewslet... #humor #humornovel #satire #mackinacisland

We’re having another humor writing workshop! April 18th online at 7pm EST.

@julievickwriter.bsky.social Just saw your email about going to AWP. We had a presence there as the Kerouac Project of Orlando. I'd love to see you apply because we need more humorists in the house. I was the first, and Zach Zimmerman is the current and second.

Look, the occasional sniffle isn't so bad. But when you sniff over and over and over and over (and over!) in public, don't be surprised when someone gets upset. Stop Sniffing In Public; Just Blow Your Nose! laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/04/when... #humor #humorcolumn #allergies

Your writing is good, but is it funny? Learn 12 pro humor-writing techniques and make readers laugh for all the right reasons! Join my workshop at the Florida Writing Workshop in #Orlando TOMORROW. Register now: floridawritingworkshops.com/schedule-201... #amwriting #writingcommunity

AI should be used as a tool for, not a replacement of, writers and other creative professionals. Writers Who Use AI Sin Against Their Profession. laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2025/04/writ... #humor #humorcolumn #AI