It’s June 7, 2024 — one day after the anniversary of D-Day. But in a very real sense, the publication in front of you is one year and a few days removed from my personal D-Day. That would be when I departed my last full-time job. The plan had been to take a couple weeks off and then jump into the next *big* thing. For a variety of reasons — not the least of which was a bout with breast cancer — that didn’t quite happen in the manner I first imagined.
But, hey, that’s what life is about, right?
If nothing else, I did commit to my standup comedy career — because why wouldn’t you balance an unnerving prognosis with a pursuit that forces you to embrace life’s humorous absurdities. In other words, if you receive news that forces you to confront your mortality, why not, well, die laughing?
Suffice to say, as of this writing, I don’t believe that I’m dying. I’ve undergone surgery, chemo, radiation and more (a far longer reflection on my “Big-C Year” is more beyond late) and things seem to be progressing nicely.
Regardless, as some may already have discerned, this Substack is a somewhat retooled version of what a handful might remember of a long-dormant (yet still alive) blog named RAGGED THOTS. The “RAGGED” is a play on my initials (Robert A. George). Alas, “THOTS” could not survive the swift movements of the initial language, which has changed what, in 2005, was just a fun twist on “thoughts,” into slang for a young woman of easy virtue! Oops! Of course, anyone who has known me for more than a minute knows that, at my core, I am not just a wordsmith, but a play-on-wordsmith. And, while I didn’t exactly get this publication up and running in 2023, I was wise enough to reserve the handle — “The Punstack” — because, well, why wouldn’t you?
What should you expect? Well, certainly my take on an ever-increasing turbulent moment in America, a moment that rightly causes even the most optimistic of individuals legitimate concern. We’ll discuss that.
We’ll also take a look at the popular culture, which both reflects and accelerates society’s current divisions.
And, I’ll try to share some of the lessons I’ve gleaned from leaning in fully to my comedic (and related) pursuits. That includes my attending this week a Tribeca Film Festival documentary premiere which brought together two of my recent interests — comedy and mental health.
But more on that later. Of course, again, if you know me, you know that inventive wordplay comes with the package (honestly, a good friend nudged me to go with the slightly more risqué “By Curious George” as a title for this effort. Can’t call it
While this took a little longer to get up and running than I first thought. I’m happy to say, finally, I’m Robert George. Welcome to A Ragged Punstack!
Very glad to hear you aren’t dying any quicker than the rest of us and that you plan to share more punditry here.
Congrats on launching your Substack! Finally, a place where politics can be both enlightening and entertaining without a laugh track. Can’t wait to see you tackle the world's issues with your signature wit!