You Cant Joke About That

What happens when we can’t joke about some of the most important stuff in life? In a 2019 study, 40% of people reported censoring themselves out of fear that voicing their views would alienate them from the people they care about most. Those people should probably not read this book in public. In You Can’t Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We’ve created all the wrong rules. We push ourselves into unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we’re all in this together. When someone says “you can’t joke about that,” what they really mean is “this is a subject that makes people sad or angry.” Hilariously and movingly, Timpf argues that those subjects are actually the most important to joke about. She shows us we can find healing through humor regarding things you probably don't want to bring up in polite conversation, like traumatic break-ups, cancer, being broke, Dave Chappelle, rape jokes, aging, ostomy bags, religion, body image, dead moms, religion, the lab leak theory, transgender swimmers, gushing wounds, campus censorship, and bad Christmas presents. This book is Kat Timpf with her hair down, except since hers is mostly extensions, this book is Kat Timpf with her hair out. Read it because you want to get to know her better. Read it because it’s the best book on free speech and comedy in a generation. Read it because you want to laugh out loud… even at the kind of stuff we’re afraid to say out loud. Just read it, and you’ll be glad you did.

The Information Age has unleashed a torrent of facts, stories, history and, well, information. Instant communication is the order of the day. What used to take weeks or months to make the rounds now takes mere minutes. And so it is with humor. Now we can send and receive jokes, funny stories and other humorous fancies any time of the day or night. And we all get the latest gags from our friends, don't we? Every day we get jokes and funny stories and interesting historical notes and other spam-type jottings. We all have friends who remember every joke they have ever heard. The Editor of this volume is not, unfortunately, one of those people. So, being the world's worst joke-rememberer, he saved every humorous anecdote and story and joke that was sent to him over the years since the Internet has been up and in general use. Yep, he even saved the very first joke sent to him via email. And, admittedly, there has been a lot of really great humor making the rounds. Some of these gems you've heard, some have been sent to you, but a lot of them are probably still new. Gary Lukatch's newest book, If You Can't Take a Joke..., is a compilation of many of the best of the best emails, jokes, gags, stories and even some thought-provoking items. Enjoy them all. (NOTE: This is also a great book to keep in the bathroom to while away those quiet times.)

This is the story of one boy's journey from his dysfunctional family in the 1960s slums of Belfast during the 'Troubles' to his welcoming and caring family in the Royal Navy. Part one, a story of depravity, abuse and incarceration is tragic and told with dark humour . Part two, the author's hilarious account of the beginnings of his naval career, is tragically funny.You will not find yourself feeling sorry for the 'poor wee Johnny Wardlow' of his childhood, but will cheer him on, as he avoids violence at home and evades paramilitary, police and army patrols on the streets. You'll have some sympathy for his criminal activities and will laugh with him as he navigates the welfare system, the justice system and the youth detention system.Part two will have you laughing out loud, as Paddy Skull (all will become clear!) describes in hilarious detail his first two years in the Royal Navy, taking you from a cold, wintry parade ground near Ipswich, to Central Park in New York City on the 4th of July 1976.

The gates of RAF Swinderby were the entrance to an alien world in the eyes of a young man with no previous military experience, and arrival there came as a shock to the senses; a shock which the instructors did their level best to maximise, by giving every instruction and making every observation in an ear-splitting shriek that could melt earwax. From dawn until dusk there was no respite as a host of alien concepts were hammered into us from a variety of different sources, nor from dusk until midnight when we would be cleaning every nook and cranny of our barrack block until everything gleamed, although it never seemed to be shiny enough for the corporal or the sergeant. Gradually though, the unfamiliar became familiar as those alien concepts sank in and stopped being alien, as we learned and toughened up, becoming the best we thought we could be, and then exceeded that and started to become as good as the instructors thought we could be; until we really learned how to take a joke.

From a ‘baby salesman’ in the UK marine market, to global success in the naval defence industry, Gordon Gray invites the reader to join him overseas as he recounts the trials and tribulations he faced as a naval salesman. This book describes many of the events and experiences that a salesman, operating in the international naval defence market, will come across in the course of daily life. Amusing incidents, successes and failures all contribute to the lessons Gordon learns as he is exposed to life in the global market. He picks up tips and tricks along the way and becomes accustomed to culture shock. Keen to learn the ropes from the start, Gordon is sent as far as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and the Middle East. Business in the Middle East is very different from that in the Far East and whilst successes are achieved, they are rarely without immense patience and determination, rather than being due to the gift of the gab. From an initial dislike of India on his first visit in 1985, Gordon grows to love the country and develops a deep admiration for its industries and its people. As Gordon reflects on his nomadic life as a naval salesman, he concludes that a career in sales is often misunderstood and is by no means an experience that is suited to all. If You Can’t Take A Joke is a captivating travel memoir that offers the reader an insight into the life of a salesman. This humourous adventure with a relaxed writing style will be enjoyed by readers of travel writing and individuals working in sales in any capacity.

Where would you be without the diverse jokes of this book? There are tons of people telling jokes but only so many can do it this well. No one in the world can compare to the notes jotted down here. It's no wonder they created a massive revolution of comedic idealism. If that was too complicated for you, let me elaborate with a simplistic senseless sentence. These jokes are the best thing you ever laid eyes on. They will calm your spirits and elevate your perceptions of life. They will treat your wounds and send your worries on their way. In this unique one of a kind collection, you'll be sure to experience electricity flowing through your veins, and be electrocuted into a hilarious eternal awakening of funniness. There's a new joke to be discovered on every page. It's truly the best piece of comedic work that ever existed. Jump on in and witness the divine laughter inside.

Harper's informs a diverse body of readers of cultural, business, political, literary and scientific affairs.

Important American periodical dating back to 1850.