Live now: the public experiment. Coming next: the New Joke Mic and private Joke Workout.
THE PUBLIC NOTEBOOK / SAMPLE ENTRIES
Today’s jokes. Tomorrow’s rewrites.
10 jokes a day. 365 days. No hiding. This is the public notebook for the attempts: original observations, rough drafts, rewrites, feedback, and live tests. The vow counts the work, not just the winners.
This starter notebook contains illustrative samples—not a claim of completed challenge days, published Brian material, or verified audience results.
STATUS KEY: RAW / REWRITTEN / STAGE-TESTED / KEPT / KILLED / AUDIENCE-SPECIFIC / AI ANGLES EXPLORED
The calendar is in charge
Work & everyday life
We invented tools to manage our time, then started taking orders from them.
REWRITTEN
ATTEMPT 01 / SAMPLE
My calendar has more boundaries than I do. It actually says no to people.
What changed: replaced a generic complaint with personification.
Not stage-tested yet.
RAW
ATTEMPT 02 / SAMPLE
I blocked out time to relax. Someone scheduled a meeting in it called “Wellness.”
Revision note: try a shorter setup.
Not stage-tested yet.
RAW
ATTEMPT 03 / SAMPLE
My to-do list has a to-do list. Neither of us is speaking to it.
Revision note: the second beat needs a clearer subject.
Not stage-tested yet.
REWRITTEN
ATTEMPT 04 / SAMPLE
I set my availability to “busy.” That’s not a status. It’s my personality now.
What changed: turned a setting into a character trait.
Not stage-tested yet.
RAW
ATTEMPT 05 / SAMPLE
The meeting could have been an email. The email could have been a thought you kept to yourself.
Revision note: familiar premise; find a more personal angle.
Not stage-tested yet.
REWRITTEN
ATTEMPT 06 / SAMPLE
My phone says my screen time is down. Great. Now I’m ignoring people in person.
What changed: contrast digital progress with real-world behavior.
Not stage-tested yet.
RAW
ATTEMPT 07 / SAMPLE
I bought a planner to become organized. Now I misplace my goals alphabetically.
Revision note: test whether “alphabetically” earns the ending.
Not stage-tested yet.
RAW
ATTEMPT 08 / SAMPLE
My calendar asked if I wanted to repeat this event forever. That’s a lot of pressure for lunch.
Revision note: explore a more specific event.
Not stage-tested yet.
REWRITTEN
ATTEMPT 09 / SAMPLE
I put “be spontaneous” on my schedule. Thursday. Pending approval.
What changed: added a second tag; trim if it slows the joke.
Not stage-tested yet.
RAW
ATTEMPT 10 / SAMPLE
My out-of-office reply has a healthier work-life balance than I do.
Revision note: look for an act-out or a less predictable tag.
Not stage-tested yet.
What AI helped with. What humans still have to do.
AI is used for angles and structures, not as the author of final material. A daily entry records the actual assistance: alternate frames, associations, or ways to organize a premise. Brian owns the observation, point of view, rewrite, and final choice.
What changed
In this sample: a vague complaint becomes personification; a long setup loses words; a contrast becomes a punchline. Revision notes stay beside each attempt so you can follow the decision, not just the result.
Stage-test results: not yet.
After a real test, record the venue and date, audience response, delivery notes, and the next decision. STAGE-TESTED, KEPT, and KILLED are earned statuses, not decorative claims.
The notebook stays open.
Past entries live here as they are published. Search by theme; each entry preserves its original attempts and revision trail.
Sample notebook: The calendar is in charge
The calendar is in charge
Work & everyday life
We invented tools to manage our time, then started taking orders from them.