Survey Says (3)

Survey Says

No one ever promised life would be easy, but a recent online survey by Mayfield Village insurance giant Progressive Corp. aimed at identifying what's a breeze and what's a bother in our modern world turned up some interesting responses. Fifty-eight percent of people replied that understanding the rules of Texas Hold 'Em is easier than deciphering a car insurance policy, while 65 percent say shopping for a new car is less stressful than finding insurance coverage for it. Other finds of the survey: Men are more likely than women to think life is getting easier (34 percent vs. 22 percent); more people say it's gotten easier to file taxes than to buy a new car insurance policy (68 percent vs. 51 percent); and men are two times more likely than women to say electronic organizers make life easier (24 percent vs. 12 percent).

Book Report

Stop us if you've heard this one ... a guy walks into a bar and assumes his ability to make his family roll with laughter means he's a stand-up comedy natural. Cleveland's Dave Schwensen, who served as a talent coordinator for Improv clubs in New York and Los Angeles, knows better. His previous book, "How to Be a Working Comic," introduced would-be funny men and women to the trade. His newest book, "Comedy FAQs and Answers: How the Stand-up Biz Really Works" (Allworth Press, $19.95), goes beyond the laughs with real-world advice on how to turn funny into money. Schwensen, known around the city for his local comedy workshops, mines his industry connections — sprinkling advice from Ray Romano, George Carlin and many other successful comics throughout the book — and covers everything from doing your own publicity to getting on television to writing for other comics. For more information, visit www.davelaughs.com.