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Now and then I note in True that the very existence of this site and newsletter is dependent on the support of its readers, both financial and in other ways. This page tells you how you can help -- and I really do need your help!
Free Syndication: True-a-Day
We're often asked by web site owners if they can put our stories on their site, but we've had to refuse such requests -- until now! We're very pleased to offer True-a-Day (TAD).
(Advanced Webmasters:True-a-Day is also available in a SSI-PHP version)
By adding a single line of code on any page on your site, you can automatically show your visitors a new story every day. What a great way to get return visitors! With the default settings (plus centering), it looks like this:
Recommended Products and Services
Now and then in True, I'll recommend a web site or a product that I really like. They are not paid placements -- I'm a consumer too, and I tend to research things so I get the "best" product for the money. Or maybe I'll run across a particularly useful web site that I like and talk about it. In any case, if I truly like a product, I'll often talk about it. (A listing of many past advertisers is on its own page if you're looking for those.)
Contacting Us
- This is True Author's Name: Randy Cassingham
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Interview with Brutarian
"I joined Randy Cassingham's THIS is TRUE mailing list more years ago than I can remember, and his stuff was of sufficient interest to me that when I took over layout for Brutarian and begin writing a column, an interview with Randy seemed a given. Brutarian was about pop and fringe culture, and nothing seemed to fit better. Randy's list has continued to grow in popularity, so if nothing else, visit www.THISisTRUE.com and sign up. It's free!
"Below is the interview, including my lead-in to the Q&A section, which was the magazine's favored interview format.
"David M. Fitzpatrick"
Interview with Brutarian, Page 3
This is Page 3 (of 3) of the interview.
BRUT: TRUE is a column detailing true events that are sometimes so bizarre that we wonder if they're true- even though we know they are. You must receive story ideas all the time... how often do you send people to urbanlegends.com?
RC: All the time. It's not as bad as it once was, since I posted some submission guidelines on my web site that includes links to sites like urbanlegends.com- and specifically list some of the stories that people have sent me again and again and again, yet never happened. I can just see some newbie get online and get the "hospital cleaner unplugs patient's respirator to plug in vacuum cleaner" story that's been going around for years- and since they just got it in their e-mail, it must be true and just happened yesterday, right?- and pop to my web site to see how to submit it to me, and then get blown away when they realize they were duped. Most of the stories never happened.
Truth really is stranger than fiction, though, and who needs old stories that have been going around for years when you can get real stories fresh every week?
Interview with Brutarian, Page 2
This is Page 2 (of 3) of the interview.
BRUT: Obviously, we don't want you to reveal any secret formula, but give me a brief tour of the Life of Randy Cassingham between issues of TRUE... you just sent an issue out yesterday and it's time to start all over again. How do you put the thing together, what do you deal with in the process, what hoops does Murphy's Law make you jump through to make it all come together?
Cassingham's Laws
After tagging a story with "Cassingham's Second Law", I got a pile of e-mail asking what my first law was. So I thought I had better put up a page to track the things.
The first is from the 16 July 2006 issue:
Let's Take a Pole
Dougie Freeman, owner of the West End Salon & Spa in Provincetown, Mass., had a great idea for a summer promotion: he installed a dancing pole, and any customer who danced at the pole would get $1 off for each minute danced, up to five. No go, said town officials. "Dancing is construed as entertainment," said the licensing bureau, ordering Freeman to take down the pole and end his "Dancing for Discounts" program. "This is actually a wholesome activity," Freeman complained, noting there was no stripping involved. "I feel kind of like an artist who's been nailed to a cross." (Boston Herald) ...Cassingham's Law: the moment you compare yourself to Christ, you've lost the high ground.
The second was in the 6 May 2007 issue:
Advertising in This is True
Why Advertise in This is True? Unlike generic joke lists, True has unique weekly content. True is written fresh every week, so our subscribers know they will receive quality content that they have not seen before. True is eagerly awaited by our huge audience, and has a much higher "open rate" than generic joke lists or other entertainment e-mail publications. So much so that a substantial portion of our audience actually pays a fee to get more of the material.
Getting "Must-See" Articles to Randy
Did you find a weird news article that would be perfect for This is True? Here's how to get it seen.
That's Not Funny!
(Or, Readers who Don't Get It)
Now and then a reader will write to say they're outraged by a story -- that it's "not humorous".
Should Readers be Exempt?
My conversational style brings lots of response from readers. Usually, that response is intelligent, thoughtful, and sometimes even very entertaining. Now and then, the response is stupid, ill-thought-out, and sometimes even very entertaining. While I obviously love the first kind, it's a lot more fun to deal with the second type.
Yahoo: No Longer Supported
There have been recurring problems with deliveries of issues to Yahoo customers. In an exasperating twist, sometimes the issues subscribers you paid for (Premium) didn't arrive, and the free editions did. Go figure.
Upcoming Appearances by Randy Cassingham
Due to the huge hassle to do air travel these days, and the large impact on Randy's schedule, he is turning down most requests for public appearances that involve travel.
Continue reading "Upcoming Appearances by Randy Cassingham" »
Media Reaction to This is True
Items are shown starting with the most recent. When a publication is listed more than once, it means there was more than one article. If you have seen an article not listed here, please let us know!
Privacy and Security Statement
We hate junk mail! "Spam" mail is the bane of the Internet. If you aren't bothered by it, you probably will be soon. We refuse to add to this illegitimate use of the Internet: we not only will not provide your e-mail address to any advertiser, we actually work rather hard to keep it secret. You don't have to request that your e-mail address be "concealed" -- we "conceal" all subscriber addresses. Your address will not be revealed with anyone who is not an employee of This is True.
Editors: How to Get True for Your Pages
Thanks much for your interest. In addition to our extremely wide online distribution, this is True is available to print publications as a weekly feature.
True briefly retells weird news stories from "legitimate" news publications -- never from "tabloids". Each story starts with an appropriate "slug" (head) and ends with an opinionated, ironic, and/or funny tagline.
All stories have slugs and tags. At the end of each column there is a "headline of the week" which has a slug, but no tag. The source for each item is credited. True's modular format makes it very easy for you to customize the length to fit your news hole or editorial requirements. A full column includes 7-9 stories, totaling about 900 words. We aim for a mix of about half U.S. stories, and half outside, but typically have more U.S. stories.
Continue reading "Editors: How to Get True for Your Pages" »
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I'm constantly asked if it's OK to put a link in to the This is True site. But of course! However, you may not post any of True's content on your site! For your link, please feel free to download one of these banners or buttons, preferably linking it to http://www.thisistrue.com
Thanks much for your link!
Steve Wozniak: a Satisfied True Reader
(Updated! See below.)
Date: 18 Aug 99 11:07:03 -0700
Subject: This is True testimonial
From: Steve Wozniak
To: Randy CassinghamFor as long as I can remember I've been attracted to unusual news items that are a bit weird and unbelievable. One of the biggest kicks for me is telling others these unbelievable stories and keep them guessing whether I'm making it up or not. So I don't collect stories from the front page. Everyone has seen those. I look for good stories on the inner pages of newspapers.
"This is True" was meant for someone with my interests. When I was first presented with a gift subscription to "This is True" I didn't expect much. I figured that it would be a rehash of news articles that I was already familiar with. But, lo and behold, I've rarely encountered the articles that I receive every few days from "This is True". They are culled from news sources around the world and are often the great, unusual, articles that didn't get picked up by the local newspapers.
I've almost never received "This is True" without laughing out loud at something within it. Each article has an brief appended comment that is dry enough to add a little humor. I think so highly of "This is True" that I even purchased many subscriptions for good friends. My friends generally like humorous stories also.
I'm in no way compensated by "This is True". I never give testimonials for products that I don't like or don't use.
Steve Wozniak, http://woz.org
Reprint Options and Prices
This is True has several options to get our copyrighted content for free. Obviously, however, we can't give everything away for free and still survive, so we also have paid content available in a variety of flexible paid options:
Featured in Playboy Again?
If you made it to this page after reading about This is True in Playboy, you've at least proven that you do read the articles! This is True is the thinking person's humor publication, just as Playboy might be considered the thinking person's men's magazine. We humbly believe Playboy agrees, since This is True and/or Randy Cassingham have now been featured in their pages four five six times (no pictures, thankfully).
Our "Better-than-Risk-Free" Guarantee
If you buy a This is True book from us and you decide you don't think it's worth the price you paid -- for any reason -- we'll "pay you" to return it! That's right: We'll not only refund the price you paid (less shipping costs), we'll add 10 percent*! Take 30 days to decide. If you're truly not satisfied, send it to us postpaid and we'll refund your credit card or write you a check (depending on how you paid in the first place) for the price you paid plus 10 percent for your trouble. That's better than risk free!
