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Chris Rodell Author, Blogger

Chris Rodell is one of America's most colorful thinkers. Besides unconventional biographies on Fred Rogers and Arnold Palmer, his other books include "Use All The Crayons! The Colorful Guide To Simple Human Happiness," and "The Last Baby Boomer: The Story of the Ultimate Ghoul Pool," a 2016 satiric novel about the life and death of the last baby boomer (winner of the '17 TINARA Award for best satire).

Books Authored By Chris Rodell

Recent Content

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And today in DC, an Asian elephant named Kamala is dead

 It pains me to on this day, this day of all days, to inform it's time to mourne the death of Kamala.And by “we,” I mean partisans on both sides because Kamala made a big impact.How could she do …

 It pains me to on …

 It pains me to on this day, this day of all days, to inform it's time to mourne the death of Kamala.And by “we,” I mean partisans on both sides because Kamala made a big impact.How could she do otherwise?The old babe weighed more than 3 tons. Cause of death?I’ll not fault those of you who are betting it was obesity.But, no, this Kamala was euthanized. Osteoarthritis had put the

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A Latrobe guy considers what Trump said about Palmer

 Arnold Palmer was in the news this weekend.Well, part of him was in the news.For you innocents out there, I’m referring to his genitalia. One of the two major party candidates for the office o…

 Arnold Palmer was …

 Arnold Palmer was in the news this weekend.Well, part of him was in the news.For you innocents out there, I’m referring to his genitalia. One of the two major party candidates for the office of U.S. president talked about Palmer’s penis as if it were the club he carried with him where ever he went.Care to take a wild guess as to which candidate broached the subject?It caused a

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I answer your Tin Lizzy FAQs

 First of all, I’m not a paid spokesperson for the Tin Lizzy so you can take my word that what I’m about to tell you is genuine. Having said that, I confess to every time I get my PA driver’s l…

 First of all, I’…

 First of all, I’m not a paid spokesperson for the Tin Lizzy so you can take my word that what I’m about to tell you is genuine. Having said that, I confess to every time I get my PA driver’s license renewed I for reasons I can not explain add another fraudulent inch to my height.My license says I’m 5’11. I’m actually 5’7.My goal is to live long enough to possess a license that says I’m 6’2.

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Meeting a writer? Be very afraid

Has this ever happened to you? Someone tells you they write books and you’re not sure how to react. Here’s a tip: Be very afraid. You’ve just met a person of ruthless determination. That person…

Has this ever happen…

Has this ever happened to you? Someone tells you they write books and you’re not sure how to react. Here’s a tip: Be very afraid. You’ve just met a person of ruthless determination. That person stares down one blank page and vows, “I’m going to fill this vast emptiness with so much compelling and original thought that readers I’ve never met will not only absorb every word, but they’ll

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AI & newborns: when change is inevitable

 (606 words)There weren’t many but there were enough of them that I had the sarcastic retort holstered and ready to be drawn.It was 25 years ago and Val was about to deliver our first baby. We …

 (606 words)There…

 (606 words)There weren’t many but there were enough of them that I had the sarcastic retort holstered and ready to be drawn.It was 25 years ago and Val was about to deliver our first baby. We were unaware of the sex, but in what is now one of the lamest “Spoiler alerts!” that child was a female, born September 25, 2000. We named her Joslyn Rachel Rodell.But right up to the moment she

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Latrobe Bulletin readers select favorite Local Author: It’s me!

 Thank you, Latrobe Bulletin readers for selecting me as your Favorite Local Author! Here's the letter-to-the-editor I wrote acknowledging the honor ...                              …

 Thank you, Latrobe…

 Thank you, Latrobe Bulletin readers for selecting me as your Favorite Local Author! Here's the letter-to-the-editor I wrote acknowledging the honor ...                                                           --  

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May tweets (sorta) of the month (May)

 Remember when tweets used to be limited to 140 characters. Some of these are 140 words. I like being free to write what I feel but we're missing something. Not much, but something ...Enjoy your week…

 Remember when twee…

 Remember when tweets used to be limited to 140 characters. Some of these are 140 words. I like being free to write what I feel but we're missing something. Not much, but something ...Enjoy your weekend!• Was looking forward to a rare night at home with just me and soon-to-be graduate when plans abruptly changed. It was not to be. So I was surprised to see her walking through the door asking

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Parkinson’s book excerpt:: “Me drunk in public”

I'm struggling to write the book, "The Art of Living Suddenly: How to Deal with a Parkinson's Diagnosis (and other things that suck)."The problem is my insistence on writing only books that have happy…

I'm struggling to wr…

I'm struggling to write the book, "The Art of Living Suddenly: How to Deal with a Parkinson's Diagnosis (and other things that suck)."The problem is my insistence on writing only books that have happy endings. With PD that's a challenge. But I think this one strikes a balance between the complex emotions I need to convey a story that compels without depressing. At least that's how I feel today.

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Tweets of the last few months ….

 Hear ye! Hear ye!I somehow missed compiling these the last three months. Very lax on my part 'cause there are some good ones. Thanks for taking the time to check 'em out.• I was regretful the inst…

 Hear ye! Hear ye!I…

 Hear ye! Hear ye!I somehow missed compiling these the last three months. Very lax on my part 'cause there are some good ones. Thanks for taking the time to check 'em out.• I was regretful the instant I opened my mouth. I'd lit into the  poor bastard. "You're a terrible bore! You tell the same damned stories over and over and over." The bartender just shook her head and said, dude,

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High time we put a woman on the moon

 It’s been 62 years since JFK historically announced his intention that the US would put a man on the moon before the end of the decade.His inspiration succeeded. And since the first one did so in …

 It’s been 62 yea…

 It’s been 62 years since JFK historically announced his intention that the US would put a man on the moon before the end of the decade.His inspiration succeeded. And since the first one did so in 1969, we’ve put 11 more of them up there on the lunar surface.I’ll bet you can only name the one.Am I right? Neil Armstrong is the only one most of you can name (Interesting aside, to me at least,

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The “perfect” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” & what it means for Baltimore

 (508 words)With an eeriness I doubt I’ll ever shake, I’d been obsessed with the Simon & Garfunkel 1970 classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water” since at least five days before a Baltimore bridge…

 (508 words)With an…

 (508 words)With an eeriness I doubt I’ll ever shake, I’d been obsessed with the Simon & Garfunkel 1970 classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water” since at least five days before a Baltimore bridge became fatally troubled by what was happening upon waters it was built to bridge. I’ve tried in vain to find a way to cajole the song — maybe the most flawlessly recorded pop song ever — into a

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I shaved my head and beard, why?

  I woke up the other day with a wild hair up my ass that went clear to my brain and now the wild one is about the only hair I have left.I shaved my head and now I’m bald as a baby, albeit a baby …

  I woke up the ot…

  I woke up the other day with a wild hair up my ass that went clear to my brain and now the wild one is about the only hair I have left.I shaved my head and now I’m bald as a baby, albeit a baby with chest hair and pubes.It’s not uncommon for empathic souls to shave their heads in solidarity with someone they admire, someone battling disease.But it’s been a long time since I’ve hung

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Tweets of the New Year!

 I’d like to grant doctors the power to evaluate patients so that we’d hear more diagnoses like: “Well, the good news is the  operation was a success. You’re going to be fine. The bad news i…

 I’d like to gran…

 I’d like to grant doctors the power to evaluate patients so that we’d hear more diagnoses like: “Well, the good news is the  operation was a success. You’re going to be fine. The bad news is unless you cut back on the volume and partisan stridency of all your non-stop political talk, everyone’s gonna think you’re still an asshole.”• Teen daughter expressed irritation that I’d repeated

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Tin Lizzy now has a free pool table!

 (1237 words)Nobody asked me and I’m not sure what I would’ve said, but they went and put a snazzy pool table in the 3rd floor rec room in the Tin Lizzy. It’s just 15 steps from the desk where …

 (1237 words)Nobody…

 (1237 words)Nobody asked me and I’m not sure what I would’ve said, but they went and put a snazzy pool table in the 3rd floor rec room in the Tin Lizzy. It’s just 15 steps from the desk where I spend so much time trying to concentrate so I can maybe earn a living.Its pull on my attention is strong and I confess I spend at least an hour a day trying to sharpen my game.I’m consumed by a drive

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State trooper pulls me over — in my driveway!

 I saw one head peeking out the window — and it was just a quick peek, like if it had lingered for too long it might have drawn gun fire.A Pennsylvania state trooper had pulled over a dilapidated…

 I saw one head pee…

 I saw one head peeking out the window — and it was just a quick peek, like if it had lingered for too long it might have drawn gun fire.A Pennsylvania state trooper had pulled over a dilapidated vehicle with a shifty looking motorist and it was all going down in our driveway.This was convenient for me ‘cause it was my car and I was the suspect.Home, sweet home!Frankly, I was

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Socrates speaks: Best tweets of 2023

 I've been compiling these best-of lists for like 15 years now and no one not once has ever said, man, am I glad you take the time to list all those tweets 'cause I read every one of 'em.But they're …

 I've been compilin…

 I've been compiling these best-of lists for like 15 years now and no one not once has ever said, man, am I glad you take the time to list all those tweets 'cause I read every one of 'em.But they're useful to me to have them all in one place.'cause you never know when someone's gonna say, "We're putting together a 'Use All The Crayons! III.' Do you know where we can find another couple

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They’ll always be “Tweets” of the month to me

 • That I can't recall ever having spent any quality time at a popsicle stand, yet have blown hundreds of them, leads me to believe I have some serious commitment issues. • The Irish word “bej…

 • That I can't r…

 • That I can't recall ever having spent any quality time at a popsicle stand, yet have blown hundreds of them, leads me to believe I have some serious commitment issues. • The Irish word “bejesus” is a mildly profane expression of surprise and is not to be confused with “Bee Jesus,” the latter referring to a messianic insect who can turn honey into wine and struggles to reconcile how a noted

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Oct. ’23 Tweets-of the month 9er whatever the heck they’re al-calling them these days”

 • Men who fantasize about giving themselves oral sex are chasing pipe dream• Engaging a popular search engine just to find out if some former child star or other B-list celebrity is still alive …

 • Men who fantas…

 • Men who fantasize about giving themselves oral sex are chasing pipe dream• Engaging a popular search engine just to find out if some former child star or other B-list celebrity is still alive ought to be called, “Ghoul-gling"• When I was a young heathen, I feared my choices meant I’d be going to Hell. How naive. I read the news and realize my foolishness. I’m not going to Hell. Hell’s coming

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