Note: three months ago, a young man named Jonah Mowry posted a video online. He used one of my favourite songs to underscore his emotional confession. Thankfully, this video has just recently gone viral. Life is tough. It’s tough when you’re a teen, it’s tough when you’re an adult. Sometimes accepting that and really feeling it is…
Thursday HuffPost Edition – Ten things I've learned from bullies
1. When I was in elementary school, I was pretty scrappy and I had big enough friends that I ended up pretty much on top of the social hierarchy by grade six. I teased certain girls in my class and I was a little jerk. My transition to being nearly friendless and painfully uncool in…
Ten things I've learned from bellies
You can’t belly-bump with a flat stomach. Ok, you can, but it’s just not the same. Some people like to say that they have a six pack in the fridge. That means that they have big bellies, but a really strong core underneath. It’s probably true; carrying around all that tummy requires a lot of…
Guestpost #75: Katie Harrington – Ten things I’ve learned from having a vagina
Bio: I’m a 23 year old Irish girl, I like reading, writing, spicy chicken, the feeling of sand between my toes and the warm fuzzy feeling of a hug. This is her blog: http://oracularspectacular.wordpress.com Note: In response to – Ten things I’ve learned from having a penis. If you’re going to ask your middle-aged, male Indian cleaner to…
Ten things I’ve learned from Jerry Sandusky
Teachers, gym teachers, and coaches have to be extremely cautious around their students. There was a time when teachers would run the gamut from physical affection to physical abuse. That time has passed. For the most part it’s for the best, but it seems a bit much when a teacher can’t even hug a kid,…
Remembrance Day HuffPost Edition – Ten things I’ve learned from veterans and war objectors
1. In the 1960s and 1970s, Canadian Quakers housed and supported a large number of conscientious objectors in Canada. It allowed people like my dad to live, and eventually settle, here when he came up from California during the Vietnam War. It later meant that I briefly had a place to stay in Vancouver when…
Ten things I’ve learned from nuts
Cashews are delish! Peanut butter is really sugary. Unless it’s natural. Then it’s really oily. Small things can kill you. If you are into almond butter, you are also guaranteed to have done a lemon cleanse. Nuts, like everything, are delicious with chocolate. When I buy nut-themed mixes, I often spend a fair amount of…
Ten things I’ve learned from the New York Musical Improv Festival
I went to this. I want to perform in it next year. Because it’s the best. Sadly, I missed heavyweights like Baby Wants Candy and Freestyle Love Supreme, but I caught a lot of amazing stuff. Special shout out to the Magnet Theatre and all their wonderful musical house teams. Bodies do strange things when…
Ten things I’ve learned from crowds
There is one acceptable place to look in a crush of people on a subway in rush hour. Up. When you are in a mob, you feel powerful. When you are facing a mob, you feel desperate. Crowds allow for many things you can’t do on your own: crowd-surfing, crowd-sourcing, ‘the wave’, orgies. Elevators are…
Guestpost#73: Josh McNorton – Ten things I’ve learned from traveling in China for a month
Note: Josh McNorton is a musician, writer, and all-around good guy. This is his website: www.joshmcnorton.com Every year for the past three I’ve embarked on a solo adventure in a foreign land. With encouragement from some Canadian friends living in Beijing and Shanghai, plus a very inexpensive plane ticket, I chose China this year. These are…
Ten things I’ve learned from performing in the Toronto Improv Festival
Note: The Toronto Improv Festival is in town, so if you live in Toronto and you love comedy, or improv, or fun, go to it this week ONLY. It’s every night at the Comedy Bar, and there are teams from all over Canada and the States. Website is here: http://www.torontoimprovfestival.ca/ Note: I performed in the…
Ten things I’ve learned from cheese
Cheese is delicious. Cheese is so delicious that I could never be vegan, specifically due to cheese. Also…burgers. The moon is made of cheese. Wallace and Gromit proved it by going to the moon in a home-made rocket. Lunar cheese does not taste like any other cheese. Do not cut the pointy bit off the…
Guestpost #72: Kate Croston – Ten things I’ve learned from watching Psych
Kate Croston is a freelance writer, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She writes guest posts for different sites and loves contributing high speed internet service related topics. Questions or comments can be sent to: katecroston.croston09@ gmail.com. A true friend will stick with you through anything. Accuse his parents of murder? No…
Guestpost #71: Laura Bailey – Ten things I've learned from the morning after one-night stands in Toronto
Laura Bailey is a very funny and very talented comedian and improviser (among other things) in Toronto. If you must leave the next morning in none of your own clothes, and everything that is giant sweatpants, shoes that weren’t made for your gender, and an oversized t-shirt that says “Cock Mobster,” in Chinatown you will…
Ten things I've learned from doing the Master Cleanse
Note: I am not doing this cleanse now, but have in the past. You really appreciate food when you haven’t eaten food for a full week (or more). It’s crazy what comes out of your body, even after 3 or 4 days of not eating. You can get really tired of delicious, spicy lemonade after…
Ten things I’ve learned from these Italian guys in this deli on dufferin
It’s good to be polite. Thank you very much. That’s right, very polite. What a couple of polite young guys. This twelve year old boy, I swear to God, is at the shop trying to trade in a Range Rover and a Benz. He’s some kind of emperor of Hong Kong. Twelve years old, can…