Tag: Advice

Was an Ex-Friend Really a Friend?

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How many times have you heard someone say, “We used to be good friends.” Now think about your good friends. Can you imagine anything coming between you and them?

I can only assume there are different definitions of good friends.

Some may think a good friend is a guy willing to be lookout while you free a 7-Eleven of a fistful of Slim Jims.

Another may assume good friends never let good friends know you’re sleeping with your good friend’s boyfriend.

I don’t have a lot of good friends, but I’m confident the ones I do have will always be my friends. Why? Because either I and my friends are astute judges of character, or we’re simply indifferent to the occasional “Oops, sorry I forgot to pick you up at the airport” text message.

Think about that next time someone says, “We were best friends since high school until she said my sudden 350-pound weight gain made me look fat.”

Comedy writer Ben Alper has written for Jay Leno, David Letterman and is the author of “Thank You for Not Talking: A Laughable Look at Introverts.”

Imagine an Imaginary Friends Appreciation Day

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They’ve always been there for you. Isn’t it time you thanked them?

Admit it, you’re not the easiest person to be with. Have any of your imaginary friends ever complained? Told you to grow up? Abandoned you? Never.

Perhaps it’s time to show them your appreciation. You know they’d love to hear from you and would love to tell you how thoughtful you are.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have one day each year to acknowledge all the imaginary people who have played an important part of your life?

After all, your imaginary friend is:

  • The one who has always protected you from the boogeyman.
  • Your one true friend when everyone else ignored you simply because you were hiding in your closet.
  • The boy/girl/man/woman who would go on a date with you when you were afraid to ask a real person, or a real person was afraid to ask you.
  • The only person who would present you with an Olympic medal, Nobel award or Miss America crown.

So take a moment. Put on your sharpest suit or most beautiful gown. Or remove your clothes if you and your imaginary friend are nudists. Then imagine you’re sitting across from each other in an expensive restaurant. Look him, her, they, them, or it in the eye, and say: “Thank you for being in my life and for doing all I imagine you do.”

Comedy writer Ben Alper has written for Jay Leno, David Letterman and is the author of “Thank You for Not Talking: A Laughable Look at Introverts.”

Job Interview Questions and Topics You’ll Most Likely Never Encounter

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  • Can you explain the 25-year gap in your employment?
  • Why are you looking for a new job, and why are you constantly looking over your shoulder?
  • Where do you see yourself in three years after you’ve been downsized?
  • Describe a time you demonstrated leadership skills that didn’t involve threats of deportation or violence.
  • What is your greatest strength that doesn’t involve bench-pressing a co-worker?
  • What is your greatest weakness that doesn’t involve stealing co-workers’ food from the cafeteria refrigerator?
  • Can you talk about a time you made a mistake – aside from parking today in our CEO’s reserved space?
  • How would your boss and colleagues in the witness protection program describe you?
  • How do you deal with the pressure of stressful situations aside from banging your head on my desk?
  • What makes you unique? And keep in mind you’re the third nude applicant we’ve interviewed today.

Ben Alper writes for late night talk show hosts, comedians and others. He is the author of “Thank You for Not Talking: A Laughable Look at Introverts.”

Generic Advice Column Answers

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These should have you covered for any situation.

  • You need to get into counseling.
  • Maintaining a long-distance relationship requires extra effort. If you can’t afford airline tickets, consider flying as freight.
  • It may never be easy for her to accept you dressing as a woman. Try meeting her half way; go with a more butch look.
  • To calm your husband down, rub his belly.
  • To calm your dog down, rub his belly
  • Sending a wedding gift is not necessary if the bride’s family is responsible for you being deported back to Guatemala.
  • You really need to get into counseling
  • It’s unreasonable to ask your wife to remove tattoos of her old boyfriends’ names – especially if she took the time to list them in alphabetical order.
  • You’ll never have peace in your house as long as your mother-in-law is living with you. Have you considered moving her into a tastefully redecorated tool shed?
  • Being a bad cook is no excuse for ending a relationship. Insisting you buy your own stomach pump is.
  • You are not responsible for other people’s life decisions, even if you were driving the getaway car.
  • If your 88-year-old husband won’t stop chasing women, put a Denver boot on his wheel chair.
  • It’s never too late to find love and companionship. In fact, many people have found rich and rewarding lives with inflatable soulmates.
  • Unfortunately, in this superficial day and age, there are people who can’t get past a sudden 600-pound weight gain.
  • There’s no reason the voices in your head can’t get along. But if they don’t, all four of you most definitely need to get into counseling.

Ben Alper writes for late night talk show hosts, comedians and others. He is the author of “Thank You for Not Talking: A Laughable Look at Introverts.”

Myers Briggs? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Myers Briggs!

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Sure, you could answer a detailed and time-consuming questionnaire to find out if you are an introvert. Here’s an easier way. Answer these questions with a simple yes or no.

  • While most people enjoy the company of others, I love nothing more than a spirited conversation with myself.
  • I often feel alone in a crowd – even when it’s a crowd of my identical clones.
  • When working as an exotic dancer, I treasure my alone time before jumping out of bachelor’s party cakes.
  • I always choose my words carefully, particularly before screaming for help in a burning building.
  • When being examined at my optometrist office, it’s very hard for me to make eye contact with the eye chart.
  • I avoid any event that includes group participation, except silent auctions.
  • Whenever I’m in a room full of strangers, I usually talk politics with the most-informed lamp shade.
  • I always sit in the back of a room. Therefore, I never sit in round-shaped rooms.
  • People always tell me I need to come out of my shell. (Note: this question does not apply to clams and lobsters.)
  • I notice details others don’t. For example, if I read this test backwards it indicates whether I’m qualified to work in a Romanian call center.

If you answered yes to at least one question, congratulations, you are an introvert. Reward yourself with dinner-for-one at a five-star restaurant. If you answered no to at least one question, treat yourself to dinner, but feel free to make small talk with the maître d’.