Every once in a great while there comes a special time where we open wide the portals of pretension and siphon the deep wisdom of one Doctor Harold Toboggans, resident therapist, egotist and verbal pugilist of this otherwise reader-improving site.
Recent changes in oceanic humidity and chiropractic alignment of the stars indicate that this is one of those unfortunate times.
The following is a letter that I personally selected from the musty recesses of Dr. T’s depleted uranium mailbag, followed by his response, which I found carefully preserved in a moldy pile of bath towels while cleaning the OC restroom. I can only hope that your anti-virus software comes with a smell filter, because the odor coming off this thing is giving me a migraine.
Dr. Toboggans,
Since I started blogging I have undergone some serious changes.
I mean, I spend so many hours watching my stats that I don’t even have time to do drugs anymore. My dealer is very concerned. He is calling for an intervention.
Am I cured?
-Desperate for Hits.
Dear Desperate,
As I documented in my thirteenth book, You’re Only Fooling Your Other Personalities: How Your Pseudonyms Reveal Deep Flaws In Your Psychological Makeup, Smear Your Mental Eyeliner, and Generally Make You Look As If You Received A Recent Lobotomy, anonymous correspondence invariably carries incriminating indications about the mental distress of the writer, which in this case is exacerbated by the obvious intimidation of approaching a man of my qualifications and unparalleled ability.
So let’s just say that “desperate” is clearly an understatement. You need the professional help that only a therapist of only my particular temperament and skill can provide.
Now for your pathetic letter itself.
Since my records show that you have never availed yourself of my services, the odds of you ever being cured are infinitesimally remote. In fact, I have a hearty chuckle every time I think of you finding your way out of the utter darkness of psychosis without the benefit of my illuminating and reasonably priced expertise.
Hold on, I feel another chuckle coming on now, just from writing about it.
There, I feel much betjfjfj fkk kfjfjk jf j fjnnn fif ufnkff nks jfskfsff.
A bit of phlegm seems to have lodged in my keyboard, so powerful was the laughter you inspired with your ridiculous suggestion. I will of course add a cleaning fee to your bill.
As for your other question, blogging is a powerful and debilitating condition that can reduce even the most disciplined and well balanced individuals into narcissistic, link-lusting approval addicts. Victims quickly abandon all sense of dignity and decorum, plunging headlong into voting pleas and favoriting schemes that would embarrass a high school election committee.
Take for instance Brent,1 a former client of mine. He used to get to so agitated over his number of unique visitors and such nonsense, that I often had to sedate him with a topical application of Prozac and morphine, which was very effective, especially when administered with a ball-peen hammer.
I don’t remember exactly how he came to be cured, I think he just stopped paying his bills. The important part, of course, is that once I was through with him he became an well adjusted member of society.2
And you too can be like him.
I don’t really know why you would want to, but with plastic surgery, decoupage lessons, and constant treatments from me, you could easily be another Brent.
Remember, don’t settle for a life of painful inadequacy when mediocrity is within your grasp.
-Harold Toboggans, Doctor at Large
This post is waiting in the lobby to see humor-blogs.com.


{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
See, if MY therapist were a little more like Doctor Harold Toboggans, I’d be cured by now! I’d be cured and addicted to Dr.Toboggans’ wildly delicious prose, begging daily at his door for JUST ONE MORE appointment, a letter, a note, an insult shouted out his car window…where was he when I needed him? Where? Is he taking patients? Does he take Blue Cross or only cash? I MUST HAVE HIM. *gasp gasp* I need to go get a glass of gin now. Oh, the agony!
I’ll take one of those topical Prozac and Morphine treatments. This moving process is incredibly frustrating.
I just love Dr. T’s use of Socratic irony when professing why anyone would want to be like Brent.
Actually Dr., if I may be allowed to speak with you sir, the irony ferments much deeper if you would just rip off that mustache and shake up that hair (maybe even throw on some purple plaid).
You crack me up, and not with a ball peen hammer either.
Your moustache reminds me of a young Yung, and even Freude, I look forward to your further help of these decrepit scum… scum in the nicest sense of the word though.
Your hit counter may well go into meltdown, once word spreads that my excellent, lordly self has honoured you with a special award, Sir Brent!
Do drop by my fine, virtual establishment to pick it up. Then watch your readership soar!*
*increase by two.
“illuminating and reasonably priced expertise”
oh, please….
We all know that Dr.T is far from reasonably priced. As a matter of fact, there is no amount of reason when one refers to Dr.T.
Since I have already been saved by the Right Reverend Doctor Billy Sol Hargus, Bishop Emeritus (Himself) of the First Church of the Gooey Death and Discount House of Worship (in Beautiful Downtown Del Rio, Texas), do I still need to be cured? I have seen cured tobacco and cured meat, and I really don’t want to end up like either one. Now that I’m saved, I’d think I’d rather be squandered. If you know what I mean.
“blogging is a powerful and debilitating condition that can reduce even the most disciplined and well balanced individuals into narcissistic, link-lusting approval addicts. Victims quickly abandon all sense of dignity and decorum, plunging headlong into voting pleas and favoriting schemes that would embarrass a high school election committee.”
Look dude, you are too kind promoting my blog like this, I mean you are such a blogging humanitarian it defies belief. I love you too you know but I am strictly heterosexual so you will have to live with the disappointment that our relationship will never move beyond harmless(?) commenting on eachother’s blogs. Oh dont cry now, I hear that Dr Toboggans is booked until your blog reaches 100 comments per day(miracles do occur they say, but even divine intervention cant make this one happen).So be strong, drink a beer, burp at the top of your voice’s capacity and get on with your blogging existence:)
Yeah, I know, I am a riot at parties, heh.
Later dude.
Wow! And I thought I was narcissistic!
Madame, I believe you are off your meds. As a matter of fact, I am severely allergic to plaid and would never partake in such a blatant abuse of fashion guidelines.
I think you need to quick skipping your session and get serious about
getting me richgetting better.For people on the go we are pleased to offer the industrial strength sledgehammer dosage.
I have missed a few sessions lately…
Karen,
You’re a wreck. A gin-chugging choo-choo of derailed dependence.
Fortunately for you, there is me.
I have recently
blackmailednegotiated a schedule of regular appearance at the so-called Ominous Comma, but a tangled traffic congestion of neuroses like yourself requires a stronger, costlier form of therapy.Report to my offices in Sri Lanka (or whatever they’re calling it this week)early Monday morning.
I won’t be there, but I will leave detailed instructions on how to begin your cure without me, including my offshore bank account number and a quick 24 step plan to prepare you for treatment at my level.
Don’t be late.
Sweet! I’ll hang my head out the window on my way through Memphis. Don’t tell the Peabody management I’m coming…… They are still really touchy about those ducks.
Oh Doctor, you are my hero! I shall indeed be there, my laptop in hand, my checking account bursting at the seams…I hope I will someday actually see you for a session, but I would never be so forward as to ever expect such an honor! I look forward with great excitement to reading more of you on The Ominous Comma!
Helplessly and Dependently Yours,
Karen
It’s all I can do to type a word in edge-wise once the doctor has wedged himself in front of the keyboard. The best I can do is to keep arranging keynote addressed for him in third-world countries.
Admitting your powerlessness over your problems is the first step to along and lucrative therapeutic relationship.
Autographs are available at an extra charge.
Yes, only the nicest scum are allowed into the therapeutic complex.
It is soaring already just from your brief mention of it.
There is a reason why he doesn’t offer expertly priced reason.
He’s gotta go with what he’s got.
When it comes to dealing with the doctor, being cured is highly unlikely. On the other hand, long term drainage of funds and finance is pretty much a given.
Oh, you’ve got our Doctor pegged.
He is bubbling fountain of kindness and generosity to all the answer to the name Harold Toboggans.
Yeah, I thought you were too.
(Probably shouldn’t have typed that out loud.)
Narcissistic or not, you gotta love me! :-)
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