Prologue

When a pet dies, to what degree can it be replaced by another? And to what degree can pets replace people in our lives? David Sedaris tells this story of cats and dogs and other animals.

Comedian Kurt Braunohler makes a wrong choice, for his own amusement.

Mike Birbiglia has this story about a time his good guy-ness was called into question.

Kim Jong-Il loved movies, but hated all the movies made in North Korea. So he kidnapped a famous South Korean director and his ex-wife—a South Korean film star—locked them up in a villa in North Korea, and forced them to make movies for him. Nancy Updike tells the story.

Producer Nancy Updike talks to her friend Mary Conway about the strangest-looking trophy she got in her years playing basketball.

We start with someone getting up the nerve to do something that really, it would be nice to see more often — an apology.