Back in the fall of ’92 I remember getting voluntary electric shocks in the name of rock. At that time, yours truly had nothing to do with obscure body language arts and everything to do with heavy metal and guita… (keep reading)
In 1956, a Hungarian journalist named Miklós Vásárhelyi did something so balls-to-the-wall insane that it makes today's keyboard 'rebel journalists' look more like soggy sponges on the summer pavement. Imagine Soviet tanks literally grinding through Budapest like the opening scene of Red Dawn, except nobody's yelling "WOLVERINES!" because they're all too busy getting dragged into windowless vans for surprise cavity searches in basements. So what did Miklós do, being the Hungarian government press chief? Did he grab an AK-47 and start cosplaying Rambo? Did he build pipe bombs in his garage? Did he stand his ground like the Tiananmen guy? Nope. ... [keep reading...]
In 1866, the microscopic European nation of Liechtenstein sent its entire army of 80 men to guard a mountain pass during the Austro-Prussian War. Now, these weren't exactly the kind of soldiers who would be intimidating anyone. They were more like a heavily armed hiking club with matching uniforms. The Liechtenstein forces were deployed to guard the Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy, where there was "really nothing to do but sit looking at the mountains, drink wine and beer, smoke a pipe and take it easy", or some unofficial communication along those words. Basically, they got the cushiest military assignment ... [keep reading...]
I need to tell you about this British lunatic from World War II named Major Digby Tatham-Warter, and I swear to The Awesomely Bearded Almighty, none of this is made up. This magnificent basterd shows up to the Battle of Arnhem (an actual friggin' BATTLE with bullets and explosions and a Tarantino-amout of dying), carrying an UMBRELLA. Not a bulletproof gun-umbrella like Colin Firth in the movie Kingsman. I wish! Not an umbrella with a secret sword inside. Or laser-powered. Or with the tip dipped in some radioactive Amazonian frog juice. Nope. A regular-ass umbrella. His explanation? So his own guys ... [keep reading...]
Look, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the world is absolutely packed with people who think your words exist solely as a placeholder until they can start talking again. Right now, as you read this, millions of conversations are being hijacked by interruption predators who've never let another human finish a goddamn sentence in their lives. You know the type. You're in the middle of explaining why your weekend plans fell apart when Brad from Accounting suddenly jumps in with, "Oh that reminds me of this HILARIOUS thing that happened to ME on Saturday..." Your mouth ... [keep reading...]
There was a Roman Emperor named Caracalla. Total sweetheart. He murdered his own brother—in front of their mother—and then had the audacity to act like he was the victim. (I'm sure that you have a cousin or two that are just like that!) But he didn’t stop there. Nope! That would’ve been far too healthy. Caracalla went full pre-Photoshop Stalin and tried to erase his brother from existence. Ordered his name chiseled off every monument. Perhaps replaced with a smily emoji or something. Burned his face off every coin. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Pretended the guy never existed. Whenever his brother was ... [keep reading...]
Listen, I'm about to tell you something that the self-help industry doesn't want you to know: co-parenting with a narcissist isn't actually a thing. It's like saying you're "co-piloting with a tornado" or "collaboratively managing finances with a casino addiction." What you're actually doing is damage control in a psychological warzone while trying to raise functioning humans. Let me paint you a picture: Every time your phone buzzes with their name, your stomach clenches like you're about to give a naked speech to your high school reunion. Why? Because you know that even the most innocuous request – "Can we swap ... [keep reading...]
Hey, Ever wonder why people keep cutting you off mid-sentence? Why they act like you're invisible at parties? Why they drain everything you have to offer and vanish like you were just a convenient vending machine? Here's the uncomfortable truth: The world isn't randomly cruel to you. It's responding to how you've positioned yourself. That's right. I'm not here to coddle you or offer five magical phrases that will make everyone suddenly respect you, but rather share with you the same self-respect journeyrugle (sort of a blend between a journey and a struggle) I’ve been through. I was that person who's ... [keep reading...]
It's easy to imagine that handshakes are the most common form of greeting worldwide. Yes, there are cultural exceptions, but if you're doing business or even meeting new friends wherever you go, it's highly likely that you're going to engage with this centuries-old traditional gesture. There are MANY factors that we could mention about handshakes. Who initiates the gesture, what your posture should be, eye contact, make sure that your hand isn't moist (that's why I ALWAYS advise you against having your right hand in your pocket - the left one might get a pass!), how ample the 'shaking', and so ... [keep reading...]
Of all the things I thought I'd get from watching Meghan's new cooking show (including, but not limited to, a second herniated disc or medium to severe brain damage), I couldn't imagine that I would learn a valuable lesson out of torturing myself watching the Duchess of Sausages pretending she knows the bare minimum of cooking. Anyway, just to be clear, this is not clickbait. On one hand I advise you to steer clear of "With Love, Meghan", because even salmonella is lovelier than whatever Netflix tried to put on the screen. But on the other, my biggest complain about the ... [keep reading...]