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Gaylord Goforth's Guide to Irish Imposters - St. Paddy's American Style

  Top of the Morning to Ya, My Lads and Lassies: March 17 is upon us, and that means good ole Saint Paddy’s Day has arrived. Green beer, Guinness, whiskey, and corned beef will be consumed while the uncoordinated try river dancing in pubs across the country. In places with names like O’Shaughnessy’s, O'Toole’s, McMahon’s Lucky Shamrocks, etc. Irish drag queens like Anita O’Touchin and Sin-Need O’Contour will be singing songs like “ Oh Danny Boy…Did You   Borrow My Wig?” or “ Whiskey in the Bra .” My query (pun intended) is, why does everyone think they’re Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day? Suddenly, there are shamrocks, Celtic crosses, and Irish flags everywhere. You go into a taqueria, and a leprechaun statue is holding a green taco. There are lime green margaritas, and your waitress tells you her name is Noreen Sanchez.  From major cities to one-horse towns, people are wearing “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” t-shirts, and none of them have relatives with freckles or red hair. All ethni...
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SPARKS BRIEF: When Life Gives You A Lemon Start A Podcast

  Washington, D.C. – After an insult-driven, shrill performance by Attorney General Pam Bondi during a congressional hearing, MAGA loyalists have dubbed her their darling of scorched-earth politics. Aides are calling this “a bold pivot from gavel to growl.”  The former Florida Attorney (Burn Book Barbie) has launched a new political podcast titled  The Hour   of Sour. It’s a weekly 60-minute citrus squeeze of grievances, grimaces, and government grumbling. Special guests rant and occasionally report that the Dow is over 50,000. They’re coached to fume about politics with the intensity of Trump denying his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein or the love of his White House gold drapes.  Bondi blasts anyone who questions whether her loyalty lies with Trump or the American people. Her reply to a reporter questioning her after the Senate hearing about serving the country was, “I serve at the pleasure of the president. He chose me as the attorney general for  his...

Gaylord Goforth's Guide to the Yearly Heart Attack

  My Darling Tricuspids and Bicuspids : It’s that time of year when everything screams hearts. No, it has nothing to do with cardiac health, although you might want to stick nitroglycerin under your tongue for the pain. It’s Valentine’s Day, which arrives with the drama of overexpressed love and forced sentiment. It’s not really a holiday. It’s more of a social experiment conducted by greeting card companies, food manufacturers, and florists. Every year, they want to see how many adults can be emotionally destabilized by rose petals, glitter, and heart-shaped food items that were never meant to be shaped like hearts. (Looking at you, heart-shaped pizza. You know what you did.) As a columnist with great taste and an overabundance of advice, I’ve lived through more Valentine’s Days than Madonna, Cher, and the Jacksons’ plastic surgeries combined. I’ve seen passion wilt faster than supermarket roses under fluorescent lighting. To ensure that you’ll emerge on February 15 th  unsca...

SPARKS BRIEF: The New Me, Myself, and iPhone

  Cupertino, CA – Apple announced a new series of smartphones to be released in the spring of 2026. The new   Me, Myself, and iPhone   features upgraded tools designed to enhance twenty-four hours of “me time.” The phone will make everything about the all-important “ME.” It will be my world, and welcome to it. If it’s not about you, why should you care? Not only will it be your smartphone, but it will also be your best friend. Tim Cook, Apple CEO, told the media that the phone will come in three models: the “Mini Me 18,” “Mighty Me Pro,” and “All Me Pro Max.” “The phone is highly intuitive and will always be there to plan your day, tell you who to talk to, when to take a selfie, and make you feel like you’re the most important person in the world. Because you and the phone think you are,” said Cook. Chip Bait tested the new phone prototype and said that the camera assured him he looked amazing, provided he tilted his head, faced the light, and selected one of the twelve f...

SPARKS BRIEF: The Party Will Be Televised

Minneapolis, MN – Trump and members of his administration have informed the nation, for the second time, that vision is optional, memory is negotiable, and reality now requires an oath of loyalty. According to them, the public didn’t see what actually took place on the streets of Minneapolis.  Despite video footage, eyewitness accounts, and two deadly shootings, Trump’s message remains familiar: you didn’t see what you think you saw .  It’s the same reassurance echoed in 2018 when he said, “Just remember: What you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.” A quote that has aged less like a Cabernet and more like an instruction label for authoritarianism.  This altered reality program is gaining traction in DC and across the country among MAGA sycophants who are challenged by facts and independent thinking. The central philosophy is simple, because that is what the party understands best: when reality becomes inconvenient, deny its existence and blame far-...

SPARKS BRIEF: 2026 Prescription for Peace

  Piscataway, NJ - The ball in Times Square has finished its pole dance, and already we’re telling Jesus to “take the wheel.” Trump overexposure mode is in full effect. Millions are yelling at the TV and making expressive hand gestures.  Fortunately, in 2026, there will be some relief. Temporal Pharmaceuticals has formulated a new wonder drug that will be available on January 31. Trump-Zac 47 is the first prescription medication designed to relieve the chronic exhaustion, stress, and other debilitating symptoms of Trump Saturation Syndrome.  Clinical trials were conducted on a focus group of undecided voters, exhausted bipartisan individuals, and the First Lady. “Most time I like to forget who is husband,” Melania said. A daily dose of Trump-Zac 47 works by coating the frontal lobe with a protective film that removes any memories of Donald Trump. The orange pill filters out distressing phrases like “many people are saying,” “tremendous,” “believe me,” and “the likes of wh...

Betwixtmas - The Week Time Forgot

You have entered the void. The wrapping paper is smashed in the trash, family feuds over politics and global warming are still ringing in your ears, the holiday feast has left you bloated, and Hallmark has just aired their 500 th  Christmas movie. You’ve just entered the void known as Betwixtmas.  Every year, we enter an existential zone when Christmas ends and the New Year hasn’t begun. It’s a week of lawless abandonment when days and time don’t seem to matter. We don our non-gay apparel of elastic-waist sweatpants or leave on our pajamas. It’s an alternate reality sandwiched between the gluttony of December 25 th  and the year-end disappointment of December 31 st .  Remember, as Barry Manilow says, “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve.” If we can remember what day it is. If you’re not working during the week after Christmas, there aren’t any discernible days. Clocks have lost authority, and even if you know it’s Tuesday, you must ask anyway. Begin every conversation w...