Lighthearted

Skinny Like A Fool

by Bill Brenner August 22, 2015 Addiction

At dinner with friends one night, a conversation about weight control got started. It reminded me of how hard I used to work to stay thin, and how dangerous some of my methods were. Examples: –In my late teens, I got the bright idea that I could party and drink all I wanted on the weekends with no danger of weight gain if I starved myself during the week, often living on one cheese sandwich a…  [Read More]

I Was Like the Car at the End of “The Blues Brothers”

by Bill Brenner August 10, 2015 Lighthearted

On a recent Saturday, I slept a ton. It was all I could do to get up and use the bathroom or wash some dishes. It’s happened before, and the circumstances are always the same: For a couple months, I run hard with work projects and personal tasks. Then I arrive at the start of a vacation, and my body completely craps out. The other day it dawned on me that I’m a lot like Jake…  [Read More]

An Open Letter to Berkeley Breathed

by Bill Brenner July 15, 2015 Lighthearted

Dear Mr. Breathed, I’m thrilled — thrilled! — that you’re bringing back “Bloom County.” I grew up reading your deliciously demented take on life in the 1980s. As a metalhead, my favorite story line was Billy and the Boingers. I loved that Steve Dallas casually decided that forming and managing a band with Opus and Bill the Cat would be more lucrative than defending serial killers. Mood music: When air traffic controllers went on strike and Ronald…  [Read More]

The Star Trek Lie

by Bill Brenner March 1, 2015 Lighthearted

Back when I was a binge-eating, 280-pound pile of waste, I’d hide in my room for hours, sometimes days, watching Star Trek. Since my life was such a mess, hiding in the world of science fiction was only natural. Now, when I’m in the same space as someone wearing the plastic pointy ears and Klingon forehead (go to the premier of any Star Trek movie and you’ll understand), I feel more like the punk on…  [Read More]

This Song Isn’t What You Thought It Was

by Bill Brenner January 21, 2015 Lighthearted

In the 1990s, the band Semisonic had a hit with the song “Closing Time.” I always thought it was about closing time at a bar. Pretty much everyone did. But according to singer-guitarist Dan Wilson, it’s about something far different. Enjoy this video as he breaks it down verse by verse.

Fun with the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” Trailer

by Bill Brenner December 1, 2014 Lighthearted

The opinions are flowing since Friday’s release of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie trailer. Some people have stupidly made a big deal out of a black man being in a stormtrooper outfit. Others hate the lightsaber wielded by what appears to be a Sith lord. I don’t care about those things. I also don’t care if J.J. Abrams sticks to Star Wars canon or not. I just want to see a fun movie with…  [Read More]

Laughing off the Emotionally Scarring Back Stories

by Bill Brenner November 25, 2014 Lighthearted

When I first opened up about events that scarred me for life, I worried about how it would be perceived. Would I be seen as a whiny, attention-seeking weakling? The reaction was almost entirely the opposite, which has helped me look at my own challenges with better humor. In all the conversations with people that followed the launch of The OCD Diaries, it’s become plain that most of us have an emotionally scarring back story….  [Read More]

The Blues Brothers’ Brand of Catholicism

by Bill Brenner June 11, 2014 Lighthearted

The Blues Brothers is one of my all-time favorite comedies. What’s not to love about over-the-top police chases, white supremacists being pushed over a bridge by an oncoming car and levitating nuns? My kids finally reached an age to see the film, and they loved every minute of it. Being good Catholic school boys, they especially loved watching two guys get into all manner of trouble to raise money to save a Catholic orphanage. Mood…  [Read More]

Luke Skywalker Has OCD (May The 4th Be With You, Too)

by Bill Brenner May 4, 2014 Lighthearted

In honor of Star Wars Day, I share an observation about Luke Skywalker. The dude went through a lot in life, and I respected that. But there has always been something about him that gets on my fucking nerves. Was it the way he whined like a baby after Darth Vader introduced himself as Luke’s Daddy? Was it the way he utterly failed to stand up to Uncle Owen before the latter was blasted to a…  [Read More]

25 Things That Won’t Really Piss Off Friends With OCD

by Bill Brenner March 5, 2014 Lighthearted

The Dorm Stormer website has a photo spread of about 25 things it claims will piss off friends with OCD. As someone who does have OCD, let me offer my two cents. Mood music: Straightaway, the photo spread strikes me as dumb: I don’t feel irritated or insulted. It lacks cleverness and real humor. OCD humor done well is something I enjoy. If you can make me laugh about the condition I live with every…  [Read More]

← Previous Entries