Due to a major technical snafu on our part, this post disappeared for several hours this afternoon. Not that it was missed. –The Eds.
Never did I envision myself marrying another writer. I knew artists could be selfish, insecure, and prone to fits of undecipherable emotional imbalance, and I didn’t think it would be a good idea to hitch my star to someone who so closely resembled myself.
But I met a fellow scribbler — far more stable than most — and fell in love. Early on in our courtship, Girlfriend (now Wife) and I, sensing that we needed such a list, devised our House Writing Rules that have served our relationship well:
1. You can only read the other person’s work for pleasure. You cannot critique it, even if it resembled random scrapings from the bottom of a police boot (my stories, actually).
2. Jealousy is verboten. You can only support the other person’s career, and can’t say anything negative about it, such as, “Bookfraud, it’s time to quit or commit suicide.”
3. I can’t remember what this one was. Oh, yeah. If you read the other’s work and don’t like it, you can say anything except, “Well, that was interesting.”
Writers: ignore this man
If we did not adhere to these rules, Girlfriend probably still would have become Wife, like caterpillar transforming to butterfly, but I promise you that it would have been much less smooth a metamorphosis and filled with awkward, embarrassing moments, like trying to explain to Wife why I called her a caterpillar.
So it was with some surprise when Wife recently asked me to help her make changes to a short story. Granted, the conditions were extreme: the piece has been accepted for publication but the editor asked for last-second changes, and not minor ones. Wife’s usual trusted readers were out of pocket, so I found myself discussing with Wife the merits of adding a character here, some dialogue there.
Because Wife was thoroughly exhausted from working endlessly on this story, her defense mechanisms were down, and when I said, “The beginning sucks, the middle sucks, and the ending sucks,” she took it for the constructive, loving criticism it was meant to be.
I’ve come to realize that a bunch of non-codified rules have governed my writing world for several years.
To wit, graduate school, where I spent many wasted hours toiling over a craptastic novel that would be my “thesis” for my MFA. In workshop, where I had major “issues” with some of my fellow scribblers, I had a list of very simple rules when my story was critiqued:
1. Never talk while the class discussed my work, no matter how boneheaded any given comment might be.
2. Never make excuses for the work (”It’s a first draft;” “No, what I meant was ‘The president loved boating with guys;” “But I was trying to create an emotional flashback with the 400-pound trapeze artist.”). Every person who made excuses came off like a loser who couldn’t have been bothered to correct their mistakes.
3. Quickly identify stupidheads. When they speak in class, close eyes and fantasize about keying their cars. Throw out their written critiques without reading them. Crass, I know, but otherwise I would end up screaming at a piece of paper.
Unfortunately, the fine writing program I attended had some unwritten rules of its own. These were made very plain when I had the audacity to criticize particular students’ work.
In the first workshop of my grad school career, politics and pettiness ruled the day. One story we critiqued was an overwrought mess, with a protagonist who managed to be both a psycho-bitch-from-hell and boring. It was also chock full of hateful secondary characters who made Holocaust jokes, and contained language that read like a cross between a Harlequin Romance and “Naked Lunch.” (just one example: “She worried her rival had the biggest breasts, the most money, the tightest cunt”). It was badness at such a rarified level that I had several non-graduate school friends read the story, in case my senses had departed me; my senses were just fine.
But in class, it was a different verdict. Everyone loved her story. Loved it! Raved about it. When I raised my voice in disbelief and dissent, I was shouted down like a homosexual dancing Jew gambler at a tent revival. I later discovered the school’s code of omerta: never slam the shit when the shitter is friends with most of the class. You might see why I wanted to have guidelines for dealing with these people.
(Not surprisingly, the writer was a psycho-bitch-from-hell who tossed out grand pronouncements about her other writers’ stories even though she hadn’t bothered to read them before class. Thanks for sharing!)
Marriage material
Rules are made to be broken, naturally, and the best example I have has nothing to do with writing. Several years ago, a friend of Wife’s was casually dating a fellow who worked for a record company. On a Friday afternoon, he asked her if she would be free that night, after he picked up some musicians at the airport.
But she was reading “The Rules,” that wonderful dating guide by now-divorced authors, which posited that a woman shall not accept a weekend date offered less than three years in advance. She demurred, watched “Home Improvement,” had a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and went to bed.
The next day, the boyfriend called, excited, screaming. “Too bad you didn’t come out last night — I picked up the Rolling Stones at the airport! And we partied all night!”
When Wife’s friend related this tale, I quite literally screamed. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” It was as if I had been denied a night in the loving embrace of Sir Mick and Keith.
Now we are at the ending of this piece. But I have no good way to finish. And rule number one in the writing business is always to have a great lead and a great kicker.
So. Beware of the Ides of March. As well as my perspective on anything.
Just to say: I liked this very much.
And it isn’t only in MFA programs either.
Just to say: I liked this very much.
And it isn’t only in MFA programs either.
Just to say: I liked this very much.
And it isn’t only in MFA programs either.
Once again, you’ve started my day on an up-note. Shall I remit payment?
“She worried her rival had the biggest breasts, the most money, the tightest cunt”: that is so bad that I can’t believe someone above the high school level wrote it. Her friends may have loved it, but did the professor have anything to say?
Your rules are excellent. Once a semester we have a whole-class workshop in which each student’s paper is critiqued by the entire class. (I of course give them guidelines on how to do this effectively–they’re freshmen.) Anyway, one of my rules is that they can’t talk while their paper is being discussed; otherwise, all the alloted time is spent on the kind of excuses you mention. And, unsurprisingly, they get excellent feedback from some of their peers and, shall we say, well-intentioned feedback from some others. So rule number three applies to the basic principle that a writer has to be savvy enough to separate good advice from bad.
Wife’s friend was basing her life on _The Rules_? She deserved to miss the Stones.
Once again, you’ve started my day on an up-note. Shall I remit payment?
“She worried her rival had the biggest breasts, the most money, the tightest cunt”: that is so bad that I can’t believe someone above the high school level wrote it. Her friends may have loved it, but did the professor have anything to say?
Your rules are excellent. Once a semester we have a whole-class workshop in which each student’s paper is critiqued by the entire class. (I of course give them guidelines on how to do this effectively–they’re freshmen.) Anyway, one of my rules is that they can’t talk while their paper is being discussed; otherwise, all the alloted time is spent on the kind of excuses you mention. And, unsurprisingly, they get excellent feedback from some of their peers and, shall we say, well-intentioned feedback from some others. So rule number three applies to the basic principle that a writer has to be savvy enough to separate good advice from bad.
Wife’s friend was basing her life on _The Rules_? She deserved to miss the Stones.
Once again, you’ve started my day on an up-note. Shall I remit payment?
“She worried her rival had the biggest breasts, the most money, the tightest cunt”: that is so bad that I can’t believe someone above the high school level wrote it. Her friends may have loved it, but did the professor have anything to say?
Your rules are excellent. Once a semester we have a whole-class workshop in which each student’s paper is critiqued by the entire class. (I of course give them guidelines on how to do this effectively–they’re freshmen.) Anyway, one of my rules is that they can’t talk while their paper is being discussed; otherwise, all the alloted time is spent on the kind of excuses you mention. And, unsurprisingly, they get excellent feedback from some of their peers and, shall we say, well-intentioned feedback from some others. So rule number three applies to the basic principle that a writer has to be savvy enough to separate good advice from bad.
Wife’s friend was basing her life on _The Rules_? She deserved to miss the Stones.
“3. Quickly identify stupidheads. When they speak in class, close eyes and fantasize about keying their cars. Throw out their written critiques without reading them. Crass, I know, but otherwise I would end up screaming at a piece of paper.”
I like that rule, because when you think of it–removing the written critiques part–it’s applicable in so many situations! There will never be a shortage of stupidheads & revenge fantasies in this world.
“3. Quickly identify stupidheads. When they speak in class, close eyes and fantasize about keying their cars. Throw out their written critiques without reading them. Crass, I know, but otherwise I would end up screaming at a piece of paper.”
I like that rule, because when you think of it–removing the written critiques part–it’s applicable in so many situations! There will never be a shortage of stupidheads & revenge fantasies in this world.
“3. Quickly identify stupidheads. When they speak in class, close eyes and fantasize about keying their cars. Throw out their written critiques without reading them. Crass, I know, but otherwise I would end up screaming at a piece of paper.”
I like that rule, because when you think of it–removing the written critiques part–it’s applicable in so many situations! There will never be a shortage of stupidheads & revenge fantasies in this world.
bernita: thank you for the nice words. i’ve seen mfa-like behavior outside of mfa programs (in writing groups and such), but never with such consistency.
ep: the professor thought the story was great, attributing my lack of enthusiasm to “a matter of taste.” (and that was a major pisser). it sounds like you’ve got your freshmen under control, though when i was that age, i had trouble separating the wheat from the chaff.
wife’s friend is actually a smart and great person; i think she was just curious of how “the rules” worked. she subsequently hung the book in effigy and burned it.
courtney: you are wise beyond your years. keep your eyes and ears open for the stupidheads — when they gang up on you that one has to worry.
bernita: thank you for the nice words. i’ve seen mfa-like behavior outside of mfa programs (in writing groups and such), but never with such consistency.
ep: the professor thought the story was great, attributing my lack of enthusiasm to “a matter of taste.” (and that was a major pisser). it sounds like you’ve got your freshmen under control, though when i was that age, i had trouble separating the wheat from the chaff.
wife’s friend is actually a smart and great person; i think she was just curious of how “the rules” worked. she subsequently hung the book in effigy and burned it.
courtney: you are wise beyond your years. keep your eyes and ears open for the stupidheads — when they gang up on you that one has to worry.
bernita: thank you for the nice words. i’ve seen mfa-like behavior outside of mfa programs (in writing groups and such), but never with such consistency.
ep: the professor thought the story was great, attributing my lack of enthusiasm to “a matter of taste.” (and that was a major pisser). it sounds like you’ve got your freshmen under control, though when i was that age, i had trouble separating the wheat from the chaff.
wife’s friend is actually a smart and great person; i think she was just curious of how “the rules” worked. she subsequently hung the book in effigy and burned it.
courtney: you are wise beyond your years. keep your eyes and ears open for the stupidheads — when they gang up on you that one has to worry.
The whole post made me laugh- I took one poetry workshop my second year of college and would have hated every minute of it had most of the class not mocked themselves while reading their own shitty poetry. My own poetry was pretty shitty, too, but each Tuesday was like showing up to lunch in the school cafeteria with sushi and a thermos of Godiva hot cocoa. Embarassing for everyone.
I couldn’t marry a(nother) writer. I’m marrying someone who cares a lot about having more than enough money. It’s very important to me that he cares so much because I care so little.
What really set me giggling was your “location, location, location” bit in your profile. Cute!
Nice to meet you,
-b
The whole post made me laugh- I took one poetry workshop my second year of college and would have hated every minute of it had most of the class not mocked themselves while reading their own shitty poetry. My own poetry was pretty shitty, too, but each Tuesday was like showing up to lunch in the school cafeteria with sushi and a thermos of Godiva hot cocoa. Embarassing for everyone.
I couldn’t marry a(nother) writer. I’m marrying someone who cares a lot about having more than enough money. It’s very important to me that he cares so much because I care so little.
What really set me giggling was your “location, location, location” bit in your profile. Cute!
Nice to meet you,
-b
The whole post made me laugh- I took one poetry workshop my second year of college and would have hated every minute of it had most of the class not mocked themselves while reading their own shitty poetry. My own poetry was pretty shitty, too, but each Tuesday was like showing up to lunch in the school cafeteria with sushi and a thermos of Godiva hot cocoa. Embarassing for everyone.
I couldn’t marry a(nother) writer. I’m marrying someone who cares a lot about having more than enough money. It’s very important to me that he cares so much because I care so little.
What really set me giggling was your “location, location, location” bit in your profile. Cute!
Nice to meet you,
-b
I love this post. Especially the line I quoted on my very own blog. I’ll send you a postcard if you email me a mailing address. No stalking, I promise.
I love this post. Especially the line I quoted on my very own blog. I’ll send you a postcard if you email me a mailing address. No stalking, I promise.
I love this post. Especially the line I quoted on my very own blog. I’ll send you a postcard if you email me a mailing address. No stalking, I promise.
Okay, that line about the tightest cunt sounds like something that Jackie Collins would write.
And that millions of women around the globe would love.
Blech.
Anyway, I totally agree with not saying “How interesting”.
Kiss of death.
Okay, that line about the tightest cunt sounds like something that Jackie Collins would write.
And that millions of women around the globe would love.
Blech.
Anyway, I totally agree with not saying “How interesting”.
Kiss of death.
Okay, that line about the tightest cunt sounds like something that Jackie Collins would write.
And that millions of women around the globe would love.
Blech.
Anyway, I totally agree with not saying “How interesting”.
Kiss of death.
Oh yeah-on the Rolling Stones bit? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
This is why we don’t listen to the advice of books with “rules” in them.
Oh yeah-on the Rolling Stones bit? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
This is why we don’t listen to the advice of books with “rules” in them.
Oh yeah-on the Rolling Stones bit? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
This is why we don’t listen to the advice of books with “rules” in them.
See, Bookfraud, this is exactly why we should be best friends. Your rules closely resemble a list I posted back in October 2005 on my blog. I, too, led the way with “no excuses.”
Nothing grates my teeth more than when someone stands up to read their work aloud and you get twenty minutes of preamble: “OK, now, this is just a first draft and I know it still needs work and I’m not sure where this is going yet and I need to flesh out the main character and I tried something different this time–with symbolism–and I don’t think I’ve got the middle part just write yet and I just rewrote the ending before I walked in here…”
I like the never talk while the class discusses my work rule. I think I’m adding that. Plaster a big ole smile on my face, impugn their parentage in my thoughts, and thank them for their fine critique when it’s all over.
You’re a genius.
See, Bookfraud, this is exactly why we should be best friends. Your rules closely resemble a list I posted back in October 2005 on my blog. I, too, led the way with “no excuses.”
Nothing grates my teeth more than when someone stands up to read their work aloud and you get twenty minutes of preamble: “OK, now, this is just a first draft and I know it still needs work and I’m not sure where this is going yet and I need to flesh out the main character and I tried something different this time–with symbolism–and I don’t think I’ve got the middle part just write yet and I just rewrote the ending before I walked in here…”
I like the never talk while the class discusses my work rule. I think I’m adding that. Plaster a big ole smile on my face, impugn their parentage in my thoughts, and thank them for their fine critique when it’s all over.
You’re a genius.
See, Bookfraud, this is exactly why we should be best friends. Your rules closely resemble a list I posted back in October 2005 on my blog. I, too, led the way with “no excuses.”
Nothing grates my teeth more than when someone stands up to read their work aloud and you get twenty minutes of preamble: “OK, now, this is just a first draft and I know it still needs work and I’m not sure where this is going yet and I need to flesh out the main character and I tried something different this time–with symbolism–and I don’t think I’ve got the middle part just write yet and I just rewrote the ending before I walked in here…”
I like the never talk while the class discusses my work rule. I think I’m adding that. Plaster a big ole smile on my face, impugn their parentage in my thoughts, and thank them for their fine critique when it’s all over.
You’re a genius.
I loved this post.
Rolling Stones!! I wanted to scream -all ‘rules’ should be trumped if going out involves music; going to listen to a band, picking up a band, or a music listening party. Cheeeese Sauce - where has this girl been!!!
I loved this post.
Rolling Stones!! I wanted to scream -all ‘rules’ should be trumped if going out involves music; going to listen to a band, picking up a band, or a music listening party. Cheeeese Sauce - where has this girl been!!!
I loved this post.
Rolling Stones!! I wanted to scream -all ‘rules’ should be trumped if going out involves music; going to listen to a band, picking up a band, or a music listening party. Cheeeese Sauce - where has this girl been!!!
b: glad you stopped by, and glad i could make you giggle. sushi and godiva hot chocolate are actually a taste sensation that all america is talking about. nice to meet you, too.
michele: mega-thanks for the props and the post. france+teenagers+chaperone duties=my idea of hell.
b: glad you stopped by, and glad i could make you giggle. sushi and godiva hot chocolate are actually a taste sensation that all america is talking about. nice to meet you, too.
michele: mega-thanks for the props and the post. france+teenagers+chaperone duties=my idea of hell.
b: glad you stopped by, and glad i could make you giggle. sushi and godiva hot chocolate are actually a taste sensation that all america is talking about. nice to meet you, too.
michele: mega-thanks for the props and the post. france+teenagers+chaperone duties=my idea of hell.
madame d.: i hadn’t thought of the jackie collins parallel, but it makes sense. why anyone would love “the tighest cunt” is beyond me. but everybody else did.
brian f.: if i’m a genius, you’re a super genius. man, i forgot all about the “preamble” excuses speech. it made my brain melt.
keep smiling when they act stupid. don’t let the bastards get you down.
mariemm3: i know that friend of wife looks like a fool, but she’s really a great person and overall good egg. i think she was feverish that week. but you are right, rules are meant to be broken when music is involved. particularly the stones.
madame d.: i hadn’t thought of the jackie collins parallel, but it makes sense. why anyone would love “the tighest cunt” is beyond me. but everybody else did.
brian f.: if i’m a genius, you’re a super genius. man, i forgot all about the “preamble” excuses speech. it made my brain melt.
keep smiling when they act stupid. don’t let the bastards get you down.
mariemm3: i know that friend of wife looks like a fool, but she’s really a great person and overall good egg. i think she was feverish that week. but you are right, rules are meant to be broken when music is involved. particularly the stones.
madame d.: i hadn’t thought of the jackie collins parallel, but it makes sense. why anyone would love “the tighest cunt” is beyond me. but everybody else did.
brian f.: if i’m a genius, you’re a super genius. man, i forgot all about the “preamble” excuses speech. it made my brain melt.
keep smiling when they act stupid. don’t let the bastards get you down.
mariemm3: i know that friend of wife looks like a fool, but she’s really a great person and overall good egg. i think she was feverish that week. but you are right, rules are meant to be broken when music is involved. particularly the stones.
Amazing post. So glad to know I am not the only one who has sat through workshops completely mystified by the kudos for the writer after I had spent an entire afternoon telling Husband how much it sucked. Husband who, by the way, is not a writer, which by the way, comes with its own set of issues. We’ll talk…
Amazing post. So glad to know I am not the only one who has sat through workshops completely mystified by the kudos for the writer after I had spent an entire afternoon telling Husband how much it sucked. Husband who, by the way, is not a writer, which by the way, comes with its own set of issues. We’ll talk…
Amazing post. So glad to know I am not the only one who has sat through workshops completely mystified by the kudos for the writer after I had spent an entire afternoon telling Husband how much it sucked. Husband who, by the way, is not a writer, which by the way, comes with its own set of issues. We’ll talk…
Never make excuses for the work (”It’s a first draft;” “No, what I meant was ‘The president loved boating with guys;” “But I was trying to create an emotional flashback with the 400-pound trapeze artist.”). Every person who made excuses came off like a loser who couldn?t have been bothered to correct their mistakes.
Oh, sometimes it is so hard to overcome the temptation to preface a showing of creative work with “this is just some silly little thing I was mucking about with the other day, I’m not really sure it’s very good…” etc. It is much harder (but the only way forward, really) to just present confidently and without jumping to conclusions about the audience’s response.
Never make excuses for the work (”It’s a first draft;” “No, what I meant was ‘The president loved boating with guys;” “But I was trying to create an emotional flashback with the 400-pound trapeze artist.”). Every person who made excuses came off like a loser who couldn?t have been bothered to correct their mistakes.
Oh, sometimes it is so hard to overcome the temptation to preface a showing of creative work with “this is just some silly little thing I was mucking about with the other day, I’m not really sure it’s very good…” etc. It is much harder (but the only way forward, really) to just present confidently and without jumping to conclusions about the audience’s response.
Never make excuses for the work (”It’s a first draft;” “No, what I meant was ‘The president loved boating with guys;” “But I was trying to create an emotional flashback with the 400-pound trapeze artist.”). Every person who made excuses came off like a loser who couldn?t have been bothered to correct their mistakes.
Oh, sometimes it is so hard to overcome the temptation to preface a showing of creative work with “this is just some silly little thing I was mucking about with the other day, I’m not really sure it’s very good…” etc. It is much harder (but the only way forward, really) to just present confidently and without jumping to conclusions about the audience’s response.
I have a couple of trusted friends I show my work to on a regular basis who I know will give me the truth. I’ve taken several workshops for “advanced writers”…basically those who have achieved some sort of success and the workshop is really a way to bounce new work. One was fab, the other had too many egos at work.
I have a couple of trusted friends I show my work to on a regular basis who I know will give me the truth. I’ve taken several workshops for “advanced writers”…basically those who have achieved some sort of success and the workshop is really a way to bounce new work. One was fab, the other had too many egos at work.
I have a couple of trusted friends I show my work to on a regular basis who I know will give me the truth. I’ve taken several workshops for “advanced writers”…basically those who have achieved some sort of success and the workshop is really a way to bounce new work. One was fab, the other had too many egos at work.
Sadly, the writers in my life are all online.
Sadly, the writers in my life are all online.
Sadly, the writers in my life are all online.
alex: thanks for the kudos. no, you are not alone, there are many of us who have sat through workshops mystified at what passes as a good story.
anastasia: it is hard to overcome a preface to a showing of creative work; it is human nature to explain things. but you are right — the only way to present things is just giving them as they are, no excuses. it’s the only way one can make his or her work better.
collin: it’s important to have trusted readers, which is a point they don’t tell you in grad school. the “advanced writer” workshops sound interesting though.
faith: writing is an isolating thing to begin with, and that you have writing friends online is good. have you ever considered a class or such, where you can apply my brilliant rules, to deal with the fools?
alex: thanks for the kudos. no, you are not alone, there are many of us who have sat through workshops mystified at what passes as a good story.
anastasia: it is hard to overcome a preface to a showing of creative work; it is human nature to explain things. but you are right — the only way to present things is just giving them as they are, no excuses. it’s the only way one can make his or her work better.
collin: it’s important to have trusted readers, which is a point they don’t tell you in grad school. the “advanced writer” workshops sound interesting though.
faith: writing is an isolating thing to begin with, and that you have writing friends online is good. have you ever considered a class or such, where you can apply my brilliant rules, to deal with the fools?
alex: thanks for the kudos. no, you are not alone, there are many of us who have sat through workshops mystified at what passes as a good story.
anastasia: it is hard to overcome a preface to a showing of creative work; it is human nature to explain things. but you are right — the only way to present things is just giving them as they are, no excuses. it’s the only way one can make his or her work better.
collin: it’s important to have trusted readers, which is a point they don’t tell you in grad school. the “advanced writer” workshops sound interesting though.
faith: writing is an isolating thing to begin with, and that you have writing friends online is good. have you ever considered a class or such, where you can apply my brilliant rules, to deal with the fools?
At last—someone who has written down the very thoughts rolling through my head in those workshops. My boyfriend is a musician and we have rules too about my critiquing his music and he, my writing. We do not always follow the rules, which are supposed to be, “Be honest, but not so honest I cry or he gets his feelings hurt.” There’s a fine line and it’s a tough one. I want the criticism–and I honestly value his far more than some idiot in a workshop who’s been brainwashed into thinking they know what a good story is. I am extremely upset by people who make stupid comments and the rest of the people in the workshop jump on the bandwagon and further stupid comments. I like workshopping, but in a perfect world we’d be able to weed out the idiots–in which case there might not be many of us left. Thanks for the hilarious post. I feel ya.
At last—someone who has written down the very thoughts rolling through my head in those workshops. My boyfriend is a musician and we have rules too about my critiquing his music and he, my writing. We do not always follow the rules, which are supposed to be, “Be honest, but not so honest I cry or he gets his feelings hurt.” There’s a fine line and it’s a tough one. I want the criticism–and I honestly value his far more than some idiot in a workshop who’s been brainwashed into thinking they know what a good story is. I am extremely upset by people who make stupid comments and the rest of the people in the workshop jump on the bandwagon and further stupid comments. I like workshopping, but in a perfect world we’d be able to weed out the idiots–in which case there might not be many of us left. Thanks for the hilarious post. I feel ya.
At last—someone who has written down the very thoughts rolling through my head in those workshops. My boyfriend is a musician and we have rules too about my critiquing his music and he, my writing. We do not always follow the rules, which are supposed to be, “Be honest, but not so honest I cry or he gets his feelings hurt.” There’s a fine line and it’s a tough one. I want the criticism–and I honestly value his far more than some idiot in a workshop who’s been brainwashed into thinking they know what a good story is. I am extremely upset by people who make stupid comments and the rest of the people in the workshop jump on the bandwagon and further stupid comments. I like workshopping, but in a perfect world we’d be able to weed out the idiots–in which case there might not be many of us left. Thanks for the hilarious post. I feel ya.
angela: i’m glad to have read your mind. you are absolutely right about the stupid bandwagon effect — one person starts it, and there’s no turning back.
angela: i’m glad to have read your mind. you are absolutely right about the stupid bandwagon effect — one person starts it, and there’s no turning back.
angela: i’m glad to have read your mind. you are absolutely right about the stupid bandwagon effect — one person starts it, and there’s no turning back.