Life Satire

This is the first of a series of essays to explore the age-old art of BS. What is BS? How can one master the art of BS? When, where, and how is BS appropriate? A tongue-in-cheek cultural and literary analysis of the history and nature of BS as an art form. Author and narrator Dan Sullivan tackles the subject in his customarily zany way, mixing anecdote, history, science, and of course, biology.

Do you have a neighbor or, heaven forbid, friend or family member, who regularly spews utter nonsense in your direction along the lines of their government being out to chip them or that a quack aromatherapy pill like vitamin D might save lives from Covid? Or perhaps you have been accosted by a random conspiracy theorist in the street who adamantly believes that everyone should add horse-dewormer to their morning coffee or that lockdowns aren’t the pinnacle of scientific acumen that they clearly are and that whoever invented them should obviously win a Nobel Prize?

Anna is a young Hollywood film executive with a gift for picking box office winners. When she is passed over at work and in love, she begins to question herself. And when an escaped psychiatric patient crosses her path, she is intrigued by his insight. Anna finds herself surrounded by brilliantly vibrant and outrageously eccentric characters who, like many of us, are shaped by our pasts.

Applauding the true heroes of the classroom, this compilation looks closely at the teachers who change lives one day and one lesson at a time. Instructors from all backgrounds are covered, from literature and poetry to film and even those captured in comic strips. Detailed statistics are presented, proving that teachers really do make a difference and celebrating the most unheralded, exhausting, income-challenged, and ultimately, rewarding of all professions.

Like Kofi Annan, Larry Miller is one of the most irresistible comic personalities working today. Known for years as an actor, writer, comedian, and sexual pioneer, he's gained a new following as a cultural commentator and frequent guest on political shows. Now, in Spoiled Rotten America, he fixes his gaze on what's funny about our daily lives; which includes, roughly speaking, everything.

Hell's too full, so the Devil hires ad man Dirk Quigby to pen a travel guide enticing travelers to different afterlives: Hindu, Catholic, Protestant (that one's got a lot of subdivisions), Scientologist, and more. Instead of writing a boffo best seller, Dirk unites all religions in a common goal: kill Dirk. E. E. King grew up in one of those tolerant households that don't force religion down kids' throats. This is the result.

In these uncertain times we all need a coping mechanism. And Laura Lexx has found the obvious one - imagining life married to the sensible, no-nonsense man of our dreams, Jürgen Klopp. She thinks maybe he has something to do with football? More importantly, he definitely knows how to efficiently stack a dishwasher and would tell you honestly if you were being unreasonable about a colleague.

Daisy is turning 40. To make the crises worse, her five sisters pray over her unmarried status, and then her cat begins speaking English with a British accent! Well, no wonder the cat quotes William Shakespeare sometimes! Daisy did name the cat Shakespeare after all.

"Coleshanger people are pretty bad," said Uncle Edward. "They won't cross water after sunset. And they have to be in bed by midnight, otherwise they think that they'll be turned into baboons and apes. They also worship the flea." Written in 1952, Coleshanger is a humorous, whimsical, and charming recount of English village life in the early part of the last century, a tale waiting 70 years to be heard but still very much the story of us today.

Schmucks! combines Mason's and Felder's nails-to-the-wall political satire. They combine impeccable timing with insightful observations on the foibles of modern life to create material that will leave you crying with laughter.

The big things in life look after themselves. Birth, love, death: they're all terrifically exciting, but they happen whether we like it or not. It's the little things in life that cause the most trouble. How do you deal with the million and one everyday challenges?

Perfect for commuter train rides, rush-hour gridlock, Pilates workouts, or any time when levity might add to the very quality of life. With inimitable contributions by Merrill Markoe, Dave Barry, Garry Trudeau, and Bruce McCall, you have a triumphant salute to one of America's greatest assets: its sense of humor.

Three unlikely American civilians, assigned to a US base in the Middle East, stumble on America's Most Wanted terrorist, hiding in a Pakistani palace. Through accident and happenstance, they capture what's left of the culprit, survive a shootout, and escape with this bounty of all bounties. Joined by a local merchant and amateur filmmaker who records their adventure crossing oceans of sand and deserts of seas following their nose to America, the CIA and the promise of a million-dollar bounty.