What's your favorite funny anecdote with a twist? I'm looking for short human-nature stories i can tell in under a minute. I prefer true stories but apocryphal is fine. e.g. I like this one. "For almost two centuries, Spain has hosted an enormously popular Christmas lottery. Based on payout, it is the biggest lottery in the world and nearly all Spaniards play. In the mid 1970s, a man sought a ticket with the last two digits ending in 48. He found a ticket, bought it, and then won the lottery. When asked why he was so intent on finding that number, he replied, “I dreamed of the number seven for seven straight nights. And 7 times 7 is 48.” as told by Michael Maubossin from an article by Stanley Meisler.
posted by storybored on Oct 11, 2011 - 12 answers

I want to be a better storyteller. What qualities do good storytellers universally exhibit? How much does embellishment play a role? Lyndon Johnson was a great storyteller who was also known to pepper his stories with a lot of bullsh*t. Most importantly, where do storytellers get their stories? Have they led lives of extraordinary experience, or have they read a book full of awesome anecdotes? Help me spin some yarn at a party or at the water-cooler.
posted by jasondigitized on Nov 23, 2009 - 15 answers

What are your favorite anecdotes? I am hosting a party this weekend with a diverse group of people and wouldn't mind adding a few interesting or humorous stories to the evening. I am not looking for jokes. Anecdotes I like are the bench-pressing snowman, Cialdini's mispriced jewelry, and Benjamin Franklin's chess game.
posted by kaizen on Nov 13, 2008 - 9 answers

Are you self employed, or a small business owner? If so, what do you do, and how did you get started?
posted by oissubke on Dec 9, 2003 - 21 answers