I am a music instructor/radio DJ/singer-songwriter and book author who enjoys speculating on the future. When I was a child I used to walk around with a little microphone. It was square. It was not operative, but in my mind I used it as a walkie talkie to talk to myself. I turned out to be a radio broadcaster. I do like to observe the world and come up with opinions about where it is heading.
Amazon plans to replace hundreds of thousands of warehouse workers with robots.
Internal documents show the company aims to automate up to 75% of warehouse tasks over the next decade.
Executives describe the shift as a move toward efficiency and higher-skilled jobs. Leaked details indicate the primary goal is reducing labor costs.
The changes extend beyond individual tasks. Communities that rely on Amazon warehouses for employment could see fewer job openings over time.
Workers who remain may be asked to retrain for roles in robot maintenance or logistics oversight. Not all employees will have access to these programs.
For Amazon, automation offers clear advantages. Robots cost less than human workers. They operate longer hours, require no wages or benefits, and typically produce fewer errors.
The broader economic effects are unclear. Towns dependent on warehouse employment may face financial challenges. Displaced workers could have difficulty finding comparable jobs.
The shift raises questions about the role of human labor in an increasingly automated economy.
Amazon has not publicly commented on the leaked documents.
Louie Anderson: A Comedy Legend’s Journey from Minnesota to Stardom
By Amy Zents
When you think of comedians who made you feel like family, Louie Anderson immediately comes to mind. With his soft voice, warm demeanor, and uncanny ability to find humor in everyday family chaos, Louie became one of America’s most beloved entertainers.
From his humble beginnings in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to winning Emmy awards and breaking Guinness World Records, his journey is a testament to the power of authenticity, kindness, and clean comedy in an industry that often rewards the opposite.
Louis Perry Anderson was born on March 24, 1953, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As the second youngest of eleven children, his household was a whirlwind of activity, noise, and sibling rivalry—the perfect training ground for a future comedian.
His father, Louis William Anderson, was a talented trumpeter who once played for Hoagy Carmichael but struggled with alcoholism, giving Louie material for more reflective comedy. He represented the complexity of family life—both its challenges and its humanity.
His mother, Ora Z. Anderson, a descendant of the Mayflower, was the heart of Louie’s comedy and greatest inspiration. She taught Louie how to find humor in hardship.
Growing up with ten siblings meant hand-me-down clothes that never quite fit, crowded dinner tables where seconds were fought over, and rivalries ranging from hilarious to heated. Louie credited all his siblings with shaping his resilience and providing the authentic material that resonated with millions.
His youngest brother, Thomas Anderson, who passed away in 2016, was even featured in Louie’s first major comedy special, Mom!, highlighting the family’s central role in his art.
By his late teens in the late 1970s, Louie was performing stand-up in Minnesota. His observations about family life, Midwestern upbringing, and everyday struggles quickly resonated with audiences.
Louie’s big break came when he appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1984. The debut was so successful that Carson invited him back immediately—a rare honor signaling the arrival of a major talent.
His clean, observational style proved that humor didn’t need shock value to succeed. Louie’s dedication earned him a Guinness World Record for the longest career in stand-up comedy, spanning over four decades. From the late 1970s through the 2010s, he never stopped making people laugh.
One of Louie’s most significant achievements was creating Life with Louie, an animated series based on his childhood. He not only produced the show but also lent his distinctive voice to the main character—himself as a young boy.
His soft, gentle, and instantly recognizable voice brought humor and warmth to every episode, making the characters feel real and relatable. Beyond Life with Louie, Louie’s voice talent extended to other projects including The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, and various guest roles in animated specials and voiceover commercials.
His ability to convey emotion, comedy, and nuance through voice alone was remarkable and made him a sought-after talent in animation. His voice was not just a tool—it was a signature of his warmth and relatability, instantly connecting with audiences of all ages.
Louie brought his warm, family-centered humor to Family Feud from 1999 to 2002, connecting naturally with contestants and audiences alike.
In FX’s Baskets (2016–2019), Louie played Christine Baskets, the hilariously over-the-top mother of Zach Galifianakis’s character. His performance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award and showcased his deep understanding of maternal figures, inspired by his own mother.
Louie also wrote books blending humor and heartfelt storytelling. Hey Mom: Stories for My Mother, But You Can Read Them Too was a humorous yet emotional collection, while Dear Dad: Letters from an Adult Child reflected on his complex relationship with his father.
These works offered readers a closer look at Louie, showing the man behind the microphone.
Louie’s soft, inviting voice was perfect for both stand-up and voice acting. His warm, approachable demeanor and willingness to embrace his size as part of his persona set him apart.
His clean, observational comedy rooted in family stories proved timeless. Louie proved that kindness, warmth, and clean humor could achieve lasting success in an industry that often favors shock and controversy.
Everything Louie did came back to family: childhood experiences, sibling rivalries, parent-child relationships, and the enduring love that persists despite imperfection.
Even with national fame, Louie remained connected to Saint Paul, returning often to celebrate his Midwestern roots—authenticity that audiences admired.
Louie actively supported charities focused on children’s welfare, family support services, and community programs. His generosity reflected the same values as his comedy: kindness, empathy, and a desire to make the world a better place.
Louie married twice in the 1980s; both marriages ended in divorce. Despite this, his commitment to family—blood and chosen—remained unwavering.
Comedy also served as therapy, helping him process his father’s alcoholism and turn hardship into humor. His mother remained his guiding inspiration throughout his life.
Louie Anderson’s impact on comedy extends far beyond laughs. He proved that kindness works, showing that warmth and authenticity can achieve lasting success.
His stories about family were universally relatable, and his self-acceptance—embracing his size, voice, and Midwestern roots—inspired countless others.
Through cross-medium storytelling spanning stand-up, television, books, animation, and voice work, he touched multiple generations.
At its core, Louie Anderson’s comedy was a love letter to his family. Every joke, story, and observation came from a place of deep love and appreciation.
Through decades of performing, Louie never lost sight of what mattered most: family, authenticity, and finding humor in everyday struggles.
Rest in peace, Louie Anderson (March 24, 1953 – January 21, 2022). Thank you for the laughter, the warmth, and for reminding us that family—with all its chaos—is what makes life worth living.
🌍 Behind the lens: Why travel vlogs make me worry 🎥
By Amy Zents
I love watching travel vloggers explore remote places—lush jungles, mountain villages, desert trails. Their footage is stunning, their curiosity contagious. But somewhere between the drone shots and the campfire chats, I start to worry.
What if they get injured? What if there’s no signal, no help, no one nearby who speaks their language? I’ve seen how quickly things can go wrong, even close to home. And many of these creators don’t have fixers, insurance, or backup teams. They’re brave, yes—but also vulnerable.
Maybe it’s the journalist in me. I think about liability, logistics, and the stories that never get told when something goes wrong. I wonder if they’ve signed waivers, mapped emergency routes, or even told someone where they’re going.
It’s not just about risk—it’s about responsibility. Who protects the storytellers when the story turns dangerous?
While browsing classic mystery films on YouTube, viewers may come across “The Ninth Guest,” a 1934 thriller based on the novel “The Invisible Host” by Gwen Bristow and Bruce Manning. The film bears a striking resemblance to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” both the novel and its later film adaptations.
Photo poster for the 9th Guest
In “The Ninth Guest,” eight strangers are invited to a lavish New Orleans penthouse under mysterious circumstances. Once inside, a voice over the radio announces that they are all guilty of past misdeeds and will be killed before the night ends. The ninth guest, the voice declares, is death itself.
Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” published five years later in 1939, follows a similar structure. Ten individuals are summoned to a remote island, each accused of a crime that escaped legal punishment. A gramophone recording delivers the accusations, and the guests begin to die one by one, following the pattern of a nursery rhyme.
Both stories rely on isolation to build suspense. In “The Ninth Guest,” the guests are trapped in a locked penthouse with no way out. In Christie’s version, the island is cut off by weather and distance. The sense of confinement intensifies the psychological pressure as trust erodes and paranoia sets in.
The unseen host is another shared element. In both films, the killer remains anonymous until the final reveal, manipulating events from behind the scenes. The use of technology—radio in “The Ninth Guest,” gramophone in Christie’s story—adds a chilling layer of detachment.
While “The Ninth Guest” leans more toward theatrical pacing and direct confrontation, Christie’s work delves deeper into moral reckoning. Her characters are haunted by guilt, and the killer’s motive is philosophical: justice for the unpunished. Bristow and Manning’s version focuses more on revenge and survival.
The similarities are so pronounced that many viewers and scholars have speculated whether Christie was influenced by “The Invisible Host.” Though there is no confirmed link, the thematic overlap is undeniable. Both stories explore the consequences of hidden guilt, the fragility of trust, and the terrifying power of anonymity.
“The Ninth Guest” offers a glimpse into the evolution of suspense storytelling. The film serves as a reminder that even lesser-known works can cast long shadows, and that the line between inspiration and coincidence is often as mysterious as the stories themselves.
This morning it’s time for my memoir meeting so I wrote this little memoir called, “Always an Anglophile” by Amy Zents
Growing up in Canada in the 1960s Queen Elizabeth’s regal picture adorned the walls of most public buildings, including my elementary classroom at Sprucecourt school in Toronto Ontario. The United Kingdom, and especially England always fascinated me. In 2011 my husband and I finally got a chance to go to England. We stayed in a lovely hotel in Russell square. Every morning we had hot tea and delicious bowls of oatmeal, along with hard boiled eggs to buck us up to face the cold November gales blowing hard in London. I couldn’t tell you how cold that wind was, but it was surprisingly cold! One of the 1st places we visited was the Black Tower also known as the “Bloody Tower,” where the corpses of many innocent and executed people were buried. The beefeater told us the story about Lady Jane Gray who was only 17, who ruled for a few days and then got her head chopped off. We saw all the torture instruments as well as the prison cells and the grounds where the black crows like to fly. Henry VIII and his huge weapons armory and arsenal was incredible as were the crown jewels. Looking at the royal lineage testified to the reason there was so much fratricide and infantacide in the royal family as many grasped to be king or queen. We went to Harrod’s and had afternoon tea there. It is a very beautiful expensive store gleaming with the finest things. We went down the escalator to see the memorial to Princesd Diana and Dodi Fayed. After taking a train to Stratford we boarded a Double Decker bus to take us to Anne Hathaway’s cottage where Shakespeare lived. After touring the home and grounds we left to go back to the city of Stratford on Avon to see a play called, “The Heart of Robin hood.” We were the only 2 passengers on top of the open-air double-decker bus. With cheap plastic red headphones in each ear, we tried to listen to the tour commentator while going down the country roads at break neck speed! We thought the driver must have been in a hurry to get to the pub! After the play, it was late. We were the only people in the train station waiting for the train back to London. It was strangely quiet. Then another couple arrived later on and we watched them necking on a bench until the train arrived. There are many fine tourist stops in London including the Sherlock Holmes museum and the Royal museum not to mention the beautiful Royal Albert hall where we went to hear a concert with the London Symphony. Because I was so enamored with Charles Dickens at that time and reading all his books I did find it a great thrill to go to his house on Doughty street and examine memorabilia Including the desk he used to write the book “Great expectations.” Sadly, the famous painting I was hoping to see called, “The Dream,” featuring Pickwick, Little Doritt, David Copperfield and all the characters from his novels, was on loan to the Royal Museum and sitting in storage for when they put out their big 200th anniversary exhibit on Charles Dickens. From the Royal Gallery to Buckingham palace, from Hyde Park to the London Eye we walked or took a black cab, or the London Tube. We went so many places in so little time. My husband’s thrill was the Royal Science Museum. Guides took us on a backstairs tour to see the many discoveries and actual writings on specimen bottles of Charles Darwin when he visited the Galapogos Islands. Yes England was great and I guess I will always be an Anglophile.
Zents Music Studio 