The Bitterest Pill

(Originally released on Jun 22, 2008) Giggling Hudson is back, with the tale of his awesome sister’s tough day earning her yellow belt in karate and making it through a dance recital with grace, all while battling some sort of fever/flu/stomach thing. She is, again, a trooper and an inspiration.

We also discuss velcro karate belts, Obi Wan’s master and much more, all in the sweltering heat of the now air conditioningless Studio G.

You can read the original comments for this podcast at the page for the original podcast…

(Originally podcast June 15, 2008)

I feel the need to talk about Crazy Chicken. Again. Twice. Is it possible for one man to fully redeem El Polo Loco? You never know…

I also discuss the dangers of Facebook, and recount my vague memories of The Adventures of FrogBoy and Cueball…

Thanks to Jeff, Zack and Caleb & his wife for hanging out Saturday night for the recording.

Yes, I am obsessed with Italian Spiderman!

(Originally podcast on June 8th, 2008)

I had to go to New York City. I had to bring a large video camera and tripod with me, as well as a pressed shirt and pants. We had to fly in on Monday, video tape something at the crack of dawn Tuesday, and fly back to Los Angeles. It was a perfect plan. Until I got involved…

As an additional note: what someone receives a phone call placed at 7am in New York City, it is 4am in Los Angeles. Four. Sorry baby.

Check out the work of Seth and Nathan Anderson at Lullskull.com

Check out 7th Son: Obsidian and The Coverville 500 Concert. Watch Lance Anderson dot com for info on Verge of LA.

NOTE: The 7th Son: Obsidian is now available in “PRINT!”  Check out JC Hutchin‘s site for all the details!

I got pulled over the other day on the way to school and got a ticket for rolling though a stop sign.  Not sure I would have rolled through the stop sign if the cop hadn’t been standing in the middle of the road, distracting me.

My daughter has had many dance recitals recently.  It’s made me worried that someday I will be so old that all woman will look like children to me.  I don’t look forward to that day.

In the wake of the recent tragedy in Connecticut, I’m not sure arming school employees is the way to go.  I wouldn’t trust a random desk clerk or custodian to back my car down my drive-way, there is no way in hell I want one swinging a gun around in a crisis.  Don’t spend money on guns for teachers, spend money on building panic rooms.

You can download “For Not Waiting for Christmas” here for free, in either EPUB for PDF formats.

Free re-release.  Originally podcast May 27, 2008

I saw this piece from 60 Minutes this morning on “Millenials.”, and I’m fearing for the future. Maybe it’s set the tone for the whole show. Who knows. All I know is I fear a future full of young adults who all act and think like they’re 9 years old. I can live with them acting and thinking like 17 year-olds (like I do. After all, I live in Los Angeles), but 9? Yeesh…

Our plans for Memorial Day just couldn’t come together. Apparently, we need to learn to plan ahead, even slightly.

I tell the tale of chaperoning a field trip. Great trip, strange trip back…

Check out all the original comments (there were plenty) by going to the original podcast’s original blog post.

Originally podcast on May 19th, 2008…

Grand Master tells us that there are only two phrases you need to know that will get you through any situation: “Thank you very much” and “I’m so sorry.” Yeah? Easier said than…said outside the dojo.

I talk about gas prices finally hitting where it hurts, how sometimes I have to do the Riverdance (even when I don’t want to), and some other stuff that I really can’t remember right now. I don’t actually listen to the show, I just record…

Perhaps you will enjoy this free episode of “Tequila & Bonetti,” a fantastic example of network television in the 1990s. Seriously, you could sell this as a spoof…

And, yes, that is Mariska Hargitay.

Go to the original blog post for this release to see all the old comments.

We revisit an episode originally release on May 10, 2008.  Enjoy!

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A show in three short bits. Yes, I know, this show is shorter (36 min.) than the usual premium show (usually around an hour). Frankly, I fought it, but this show just wanted to be this length. If you feel short changed, let me know, but this show is this show and apparently it’s out of my hands.

Okay, back to the three parts: 1) We bought new, cheap shelves and a new cheap desk for the kids at IKEA. Well, before you move all that stuff in, just make sure you realize: not only do you have to assemble it, stain it and varnish it, you also have to reengineer it so that it doesn’t fall and crush your children. 2) I had a excellent call back for a commercial the other day. Just excellent. They loved me. LOVED. Did I get the commercial? What do you think? 3) I went to my first martial arts class in two or three years. My biggest fear was not being punched in the face or kicked in the jewels, it was that I would throw up on someone’s uniform. I am studying karate, and white shows everything…

And, yes, I know that Jonathan Coulton did a song called/about IKEA. It plays in an endless loop in my head as I wait in line there for a $2.50 jumbo dog. The meatballs look…lethal.

A Pill Premium flashback to May 4, 2008. No, I did not continue to record while also on UStream. Don’t try to find me on Saturday night. Thank you…

I flew to Portland and back. Casually. To talk about blogging and podcasting to the “water people” of the northern/western area. Well, what I feared would be a serious and rather boring trip was a lot of fun (and I now want to live in Portland, OR). Well, there were three things standing in the way of me getting a good nights’ sleep, so I got about 20 minutes of sleep the night before. Still, the “session” was fun, I had lunch at a super cool old school-house-turned-hotel/restaurant/theater/club.

Be very careful when you’re about to look out the window of the plane, depending on who you’re sitting near.

Klein’s Deli, Potrero Hill, I’ll miss you.

I think I made a realization while being grilled by my daughter about what beings are make believe and which beings are “real.” I just can’t help wondering if the fact that princesses are real is messing up our female kids, big time.

To view the original comments and the embedded video, go to the original episode post.

In case you haven’t heard, due to circumstances beyond my control, The Bitterest Pill Premium is no longer.  For the time being, the new shows will be free to all.  Yes, the wall is down, the gates are open, and the listeners…well, the listeners are long gone.  Tell a friend to come back.  Please…

My daughter ended up getting the job on the car commercial.  She spent a roughly eight hour day shooting a thirty second commercial.  Take after take, the same lines over and over.  Holy cow, she is such a pro.  So, she did all that and all I needed to do was get her there on time, keep her fed and not yell at anyone.  I barely succeeded.

Tallu wanted to be a waffle for Halloween.  Great.  We all know what that means, right?  Yes, I got to make a waffle costume.  A huge, expensive and completely uncomfortable costume that took hours of my life.  Thanks goodness (and badness, I supposed) Halloween only comes once a year…

This is a free release of Premium episode #130.  If you want to hear what I’m doing NOW, instead of in April of 2008, subscribe to the Premium Pill.  In the meantime, enjoy!

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This seems to be an episode in three parts. In part one, I can’t find my checks. Not my check book, my checks. As in, 2 entire, brand new boxes of check books. I’ve looked everywhere. And, I hate writing checks to begin with…

In part two I end up finally making it to my son’s recorder recital where I expect them to massacre The Beatles while dancing in faux Japanese bath robes.

In part three we find a martial arts school to send the kids to, and get a call from a runner up. I forgot to mention that Melissa told him the kids are going to study karate, not taekwondo. Just like their dear old dad…

Parts One and Two were recorded live in front of an internet audience.