In a Recent AMA Video, I answered a question about publishing “horrible” stories, and when I’ll choose to do one.
Obliviots/Idiots
Hahaha, Psych!
More on a story from this week’s newsletter. Let’s start with the story:
Brain Drain
There’s more to say about a story in this week’s issue, and I suspect readers will want to comment on it, so here’s the place to do it.
An Obliviot by Any Other Name
This Won’t Be a Shock to some of you, but Verizon Wireless is absolutely obliviotic. Let me count the ways! And reveal something shocking.
Scot-Free
I was reminded about a True story published two years ago this week, and researched the resolution. Let’s just say it’s surprising.
Wells Fargo, Trampled
Some extra story commentary about a business sector people love to hate. And sometimes, our feelings are fully justified.
Weird Coincidences
It’s coming up on True’s 30th anniversary, so there are bound to be some coincidences among story subjects. Get a load of this one from this week’s issue:
Texas Zero Tolerance
I Still Get So Angry at Zero Tolerance stories! Let’s start with the story that made me angry this week:
“He’s a F—–g Weenie”
I often wonder what happened in old stories, so I looked for the resolution of one was published two years ago last week. I’m a pretty decent researcher, but all I could find is the original news stories, and occasionally a comment about the story. So I dug deeper.
The Slapping Judge
You’ve heard of a “hanging judge”? I prefer a slapping judge, like this one. Let’s start with the story, then a follow-up story of a Florida finger-flipper:
Black Crayons
I got this in 1997 from a friend. It was written by Deirdre Sholto-Douglas*. I’ve discussed it with her and she assures me it’s a true story, and gave her permission to publish it. I originally ran it on December 9, 2000, when Randy’s Random was a long-form joke email publication; she originally posted it in the Usenet newsgroup alt.peeves in 1994.
She did a very good thing for her daughter.
The Strange Case of Doctor Heiney
While looking for something else, I found an update for a story (and follow-up) from 2016 and 2017, and it’s fairly unbelievable …yet This is True!
The Year of Covid
“Thought-Provoking Entertainment” isn’t just a This is True slogan, it’s an illustration of my mission in life: to promote more thinking in the world. If thinking was truly valued by society, the U.S. wouldn’t have had such a struggle with the pandemic.
Florida Man On Wheels: Marco Mazzetta Sets
Bar, Michael Popper Accepts Challenge
Florida Man Marco Mazzetta is an absolute obliviot, so why would anyone want to follow his example? Well keep reading, because Florida Man Michael Popper followed Mazetta like he was a recipe. [Jump to that 2022 Update]
076: Leading Yourself Down a Path
In This Episode: Having vague, preconceived, and uninformed notions and, worse, acting upon them, isn’t just the opposite of Uncommon Sense, it can actually cause harm. How do you avoid that trap?
Peak Stress
The lead story this week is mind-blowing …especially to me as a current first responder medic and former deputy sheriff. Here, I go through the incident step by step to show just how fast the deputy had to react — and make a life-altering decision along the way.
“Not Truth”
Obliviots can be incredibly predictable — even (sadly) the occasional This is True reader. You say you want an example. I offer Mark in Idaho.
Big Bad Joe
The Comments I Get to include in the newsletters are often so hilarious, they sometimes beat out the stories in entertainment value. This week that obliviot would be Joe in Birmingham, England:
Make Cheating Wrong Again
The Georgia State Trooper scandal has some True-worthy details that didn’t fit into the story. First, let’s start with that story, from True’s 16 February 2020 issue:
Betraying the Public’s Trust
True Can Never Put All of the Details in a story that might be interesting, or might even add to the commentary, but I can comment here! But first, let’s start with the story, from True’s 27 October issue: