Showing posts with label humor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humor. Show all posts

Friday, February 17, 2012

Doubt It Publishing @The Buffalo Small Press Book Fair

The show must go on!

While I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend or not due to work obligations, Doubt It Publishing will have a table at the event along with a catalog of books on sale at The Buffalo Small Press Book Fair.  Doubt It authors Mark McElligott (Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind) and David Waters (12 Priests & 3 Gnomes) will be at the event to hawk their wares, sign some books and meet and greet with attendees.  The boys will also have copies of If They Can't Take A Joke, Slapstick & Superego, Mockery and Poke The Scorpion With A Sharp Stick for sale. 
This will be the third year that Doubt It Publishing will participate in the event.  The Buffalo Small Press Book Fair takes place on Saturday, March 24th at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in downtown Buffalo from noon-6 p.m.  For more information, feel free to visit:  http://www.buffalosmallpress.org/  

Buy our books already!
Tom Waters
Publisher, Author
Doubt It Publishing 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind Book Launch & Summer Event Calendar

            Mark McElligott kicks off his official book tour for Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind this Sunday at 6 p.m. at Finnan's Sports Bar & Grill on 1191 Lincoln Avenue in his native town of Lockport.  After a few preliminary readings and the wildly successful launch of his debut humor book, he'll be reading a series of laugh-out-loud rants from his debut collection during what's sure to be an entertaining evening of comedy.  Please join us this Sunday in celebrating the publication of one of the funniest books I've read in the last decade.  First Edition signed copies of Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind will be available for $15, but quantities are limited, so please show up early or on time if you want a copy.  The word of mouth and the sales of his book have been spreading like wildfire, so don't miss out!  If you want to order a copy in advance, visit:
Here's a calendar for Mark's other events this summer:
 Saturday, June 11th, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Caz Coffee Café, 668 Abbott Rd., Buffalo 825-7806. Reading and Signing with Mark McElligott, author of the humor collection Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind.  
Sunday, June 26th, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Doubt It Publishing presents a book reading by Mark McElligott (Random Thoughts From A Broke Mind) and Tom Waters (Mockery) at Rust Belt Books (202 Allen St., Buffalo, 885-9535).  Admission is free, signed first editions of both books available for $15 each. 
Sunday, July 10th, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Book signing at Brennan's Bowery Bar (4401 Transit Rd., Clarence) with Tom Waters (Mockery) and Mark McElligott (Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind).  Special musical guest David Waters (Whiskey Suicide).
We'll see you this Sunday for what's sure to be the start of an incredible comedy career.  Buckle up, Lockport! 
Sincerely,
Tom Waters
CEO, Doubt It Publishing

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Spring Appearance Calendar for Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind and Mockery

While these appearances are far from final, here are the events we’re currently looking at for April through June.  When I add more dates, I’ll update this list.  Mark your calendars and get ready to laugh, folks!

Friday April 1st, 7 p.m. to midnight: Mockery Book Launch at Dee’s Firehouse, 4628 Broadway Ave., Depew 651-0711.  Reading and signing at 7 p.m. followed by a live performance by One Hot Minute (Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band) at 8 p.m.  First edition copies of Mockery by Tom Waters available for $15.

Saturday, April 16th, 7 p.m., Mockery Book Signing at Maryan’s, 4921 Broadway, Depew  683-0590.  Live musical performance by David Waters (Whiskey Suicide).

Tuesday, April 26th, 7:30 p.m.  Reading and Signing with author Tom Waters (Mockery) at the Lancaster Public Library, 5466 Broadway, Depew

Saturday, April 30th, 8 p.m. to midnight.  Tom’s Atomic Comic Giveaway! at Don’s Atomic Comics, 6354 Transit Rd., Depew 684-5981.  Buy a copy of Mockery by Tom Waters and get a free back issue.  Midnight madness discounts on graphic novels and collectibles.  Special Guests Josh Tonn (Costumed Crimefighter Comics, Stupid Funny Comics), Mark McElligott (Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind) and Kyle Kaczmarzcyk (The Red Eye, Pulp, Monster Matt’s Bad Jokes Volume I).

Saturday, May 7th, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Caz Coffee Café, 668 Abbott Rd., Buffalo 825-7806.  Reading and Signing with Tom Waters, author of the humor collection Mockery.

Thursday, May 19th, 7 p.m., Talking Leaves Books, 3158 Main St., Buffalo 837-8554.  Reading and Signing with Tom Waters, author of the humor collection Mockery.

Saturday, May 21st, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Mockery Book Reading and Signing at Stockman’s Tavern (9870 Transit Rd., Depew 688-9896) featuring Tom Waters with live music by musician Chris Squier.

Saturday, June 11th, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Caz Coffee Café, 668 Abbott Rd., Buffalo 825-7806. Reading and Signing with Mark McElligott, author of the humor collection Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind.

Sunday, June 26th, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Doubt It Publishing presents a book reading by Mark McElligott (Random Thoughts From A Broke Mind) and Tom Waters (Mockery) at Rust Belt Books (202 Allen St., Buffalo, 885-9535).  Admission is free, signed first editions of both books available.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Dick and Jane (an excerpt from my upcoming book Random Thoughts From A Broken Mind)

Apparently, rat urine is bad for you.
Okay, now onto the article (I like to be informative as well as entertaining). 
It's common knowledge that I have a thing for younger ladies.   The scientific term for this thing is 'penis'.   I've always hated the word penis.  My God, is there any word that could possibly make it sound smaller and less threatening?   Maybe the word 'prick', but even that sounds uncomfortable thanks to tetanus shots.   'You're gonna feel a prick.  You'll probably be sore for a couple of days'.  
When I hear the word penis, I think of that little flap of skin that hangs from a turkey's neck, or the dangler in the back of your throat.  Even the dangler has a more impressive name: Uvula.  If I were to say to you 'I'm gonna shove my uvula into you all the way up to my tonsils',  you'd know you were in for a pretty hectic evening.  But I digress, and I've typed the word penis far too many times, so let's visit the actual subject again shall we?
For whatever reason, I've had an enormous amount of luck with women in their late teens and early twenties.  I don't lurk high schools or malls, or in any way initiate these relationships.  They just kind of happen.  As a man about to turn 50, I've found that there is good deal of finesse involved in keeping pace with the energetic young women of the 21st Century.  I forcibly took a crash course in phone texting.  My problem is that I HATE abbreviating and LOATHE acronyms, for example, ROFLMAO!   And I'm sloooow. Typically I'll get a text from my girl.  'How R U?'   And seven more as I respond to the first one.  I'll get flustered as I spell out words I have no business using in a text (such as 'ambidextrous'), and I find myself rushing.  I hit send, and invariably find myself yelling, 'Oh My God,  I forgot the I before E rule! She's gonna think I'm fuckin' stupid!'  By the time I send the first response she's already sleeping with someone else. Young girls can make you feel young, but a lot of it's like babysitting.
There are pluses and minuses, and I've decided to tap the benefit of my experience and make a list for those of you considering this lifestyle.  A definite plus: you can sneak her into work on bring your daughter to work day.  Who'll know, right?

Drawback: Sometimes you have to cancel dinner reservations because she's grounded.  
Plus: At Denny's she eats free
Drawback: She can't go on any of the good rides at Disney Word.
Plus: Sex. I promise you'll learn stuff.
Drawback:  Taking her trick or treating is kind of demoralizing. There are others to be sure, but I don't want to take all the fun of discovery from you.  Just one last word of warning: turn your phone off at all business meetings because if she has a study hall, she's gonna call you.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. McElligott

 Dear Mr. and Mrs. McElligott,

Your son, Mark is adjusting well to the Kindergarten environment in general, but there are a couple things I'd like to address, so that I might have a better understanding as how to best guide him at this earliest stage of his schooling experience. First of all, he's shown a disturbing trend toward looking up the skirts of the little girls in his classroom, trying to kiss them, and even two incidents of inappropriate touching of a teacher's assistant. He is quite frankly the most over sexed child I have ever witnessed in my tenure as a teacher. When reprimanded he just smiles, winks knowingly, and frequently urinates in his trousers. He shows skills in art and music, but can not be made to focus on much else. Please advise as to any medication he may be on, or should be given.

Thank you,

Mrs. Goodman

Kindergarten Teacher

Abraham Lincoln Elementary



Dear Mr. and Mrs. McElligott,

Mark has shown himself to have an above average IQ in tests we give here in second grade, but we can not seem to find that secret motivator to make him focus. He consistently turns in incomplete work or doodles of Batman rather than his assignment. Not many children have managed to build a working electric fence at this age, so we know he is intelligent. He should certainly know where to put a comma in a sentence by now, as well as have a working understanding of simple addition, but alas, it is not the case. When asked why he didn't do his arithmetic work as assigned he responded that he didn't trust numbers. Also troubling is the fact that two of his female classmates are showing signs of morning sickness. We have no way of proving anything at this point, but when asked about the girls' condition he just smiles, winks knowingly, and frequently urinates in his trousers. This young man shows no promise of getting into even a community college.

Thank you,

Mrs. Knight

Second grade Teacher

Abraham Lincoln Elementary



Dear Mr. and Mrs. McElligott,

It's grading time again, and as usual your daughter Amy has been awarded straight A's and B's! She is a delight to have in class and has made many friends. Amy is very conscientious and often asks if she can help around the classroom. We see great things in Amy's future! Your son, Mark, however, is rarely focused, never hands in his assignments, and being a third grader,  really should not be urinating in his pants this often. We suggest you do not allow him to procreate.

Regards,

Mr. Asbury

Third grade Teacher

Abraham Lincoln Elementary



Dear Mrs. McElligott,

We address this letter to you directly because frankly the school administration would rather not have another encounter with your husband. We understand that he disagreed with the teacher's comments during the PTA meeting, but violence is never the answer. If you are interested in bringing flowers or an apology, the visiting hours at the hospital are between 11 am. and 8 p.m.. The Dinkleman family would appreciate the gesture I'm certain. Now, as for Mark; he has been showing great talent in art class, and that is to be commended, but his attitude toward authority is unsettling at best. He told his teacher 'When you can draw as well as me, you can tell me what to draw'. This is not the behavior we expect here at Abraham Lincoln Elementary. Certainly not from a fourth grader. At this rate, how do you ever expect him to get into a good college?

Mr. Teddy

Fourth grade Teacher

Abraham Lincoln Elementary





Ms. McElligott,

Mark is insufferable. He reads at a college level, but writes like he invented language in some remote jungle. His imagination and sense of humor are notable, but correcting his grammar and spelling is actually giving me carpal tunnel syndrome. How is it that he can design a working perpetual motion device and then trash it because he can't figure a way to get girls naked with it? On my latest budget proposal I've had to up my allotment for red pencils a full 30 percent this year! He couldn't put together a readable sentence if I dictated it to him! He took it upon himself to render an anatomically correct and startlingly realistic likeness of one of his female classmates and slip it into my notebook. It took two hours for me to explain to the Principal that I wasn't taking Black and White nude photos of my thirteen year old girl students. I shudder to think of how he got her to pose for this in the first place. Thank god he moves on to Middle school next year. I'm developing a twitch. He will never hang a college degree on his wall.

Mr. Teddy

Fourth grade Teacher

Abraham Lincoln Elementary



Ms. McElligott,

I'm sure congratulations are in order. Divorce is never an easy thing, but our staff breathes a collective sigh of relief regardless. The latest news from the Doctors is that Mr. Dinkleman will be back on solid foods within the next year, and then they can begin teaching him English again. Though Mark no longer attends our institution, and has moved on to Middle School, we frequently see him talking to the young girls on our playground and we are concerned about this behavior. It is our understanding that you have received similar letters of concern from the Catholic School a couple blocks away. Please consider keeping a closer eye on him during his free time, as teen pregnancy rates have climbed startlingly in the township, and several of us suspect your son is to blame. It has been years now, but we still find it unsettling when he smiles at us and urinates in his pants.

Vera Middleton

School Administrator

Abraham Lincoln Elementary



Ms. McElligott,

We are disturbed to hear that your Ex Husband has taken it upon himself to teach your son Mark to box. This is not the best idea. Training a young man with Mark's particular behavioral traits how to be aggressive and formidable is bad enough, but having the training done by a short tempered ex golden gloves boxer is quite troubling to us. Looking at his school records we can see that his relatively good behavior ended at Elementary school, and he is on a bad road. We only hope that he doesn't discover drugs and take it to the next level. We sincerely hope you're putting away a little money from each paycheck as bail will figure heavily into his future.

Sgt. Balletto

Monroe County Police Dept.



Deer Mrss McElliot,

I bizzle the dai I evr met Yer litle spawn Mrak! H e is a blite on nispol brivven and should brun in hel! Pligit desny every day now and for a long tim tooo! Hatehatehate!  he made my datter pregnint dat basht, and I cant no words good nymor.

mr. Dinkleman



Mrs. McElligott,

Congratulations on raising such a witty and intelligent man as your son, Mark! In honor of his celebrity status and the great sales of his book we have voted to give him an honorary doctorate here at Harvard! All of your years of hard work have finally paid off, and you can take your rest knowing you have contributed much in the way of literature.

Respectfully,

Thornton Billingsley

President

Harvard University