Moxie's
Disease

• All troubles begin with a single sentence

• Go back to the source and defend yourself with spirit, courage, skill, and know-how — with Moxie's Disease!

• Contains 88 cards

• Each has an attack, a hint for defending yourself, and on the reverse side, a variety of two-word ripostes to nourish emotional intelligence.

• "You've Got a Life — Now Defend It!"

• www.taxi1010.com

Say Uncle!

[Hint: Condescending people try to trick you, and laugh at you when you believe them]

4.

That's enough.
Sure, boss!
Very different.
How come?

—That's enough.
—You don't need to throw yourself into the fires of abandonment.

PIG!

[Hint: By blind-siding you, or characterizing you as weird or stupid, they're "poisoning the well of discourse"]

7.

Until now!
Small world.
Just imagine.
Far better!

—Small world.
—Whatever you want.

How many days do you drive?

[Hint: They're giving you solicitous approval]

8.

That's life!
Must be.
Never stop.
Underneath everything.

—Never stop.
—Now we're going to get into money!

Those dogs cost a lot, don't they?

[Hint: They're getting revenge — See how vicious and patronizing they are? — Say one thing and it sets them off]

9.

If anything.
Even better!
Never mind!
Very helpful.

—Never mind!
—It's happened before.

Sam, why do you have a basket on the front of your bike like a little girl?

[Hint: 3rd Party Interference: They don't want people; they want dwarfs]

10.

Doesn't matter.
Anything else?
What nerve.
Don't worry.

—What nerve.
—That's what YOU say.

Run, Toto! [Mickey Mouse voice]

[Hint: They're using glib posturing to try to scare you]

11.

Getting sophisticated.
So foolish.
Very common.
Wicked, huh?

—Getting sophisticated.
—It's just another friend.

May you live in interesting times.

[Hint: They think they are far, far, far superior. Resenting people who lorded over them, they're trying to pull rank on you]

12.

Without changing.
Thank you!
It's insane.
That's possible.

—Without changing.
—Singing while Rome burns.

When are you going to marry her?

[Hint: They're preoccupied with if's and when's]

13.

Oy! Entschuldigsmier!
Good advice.
Anything less?
VERY LIMITED.

—Anything less?
—I'll see what I can do.

Speak for yourself!

[Hint: They're playing upon our reluctance to challenge famous or smooth-talking people]

15.

Sight unseen.
How embarrassing.
So far.
MY mistake.

—So far.
—The deepest parts of you are the smartest.

Straighten up and fly right.

[Hint: They're acting perplexed, and trying to push people around by using indirection - You're supposed to "take a hint."]

17.

All right.
Not recently.
THINGS CHANGE!
Search me?

—All right.
—I'll have to change my diet.

They're so gorgeous — They certainly don't look like you. [Your newborn twins]

[Hint: This is called baiting, pure and simple — The best response is to stick to a little script]

18.

Much worse!
Big treat.
THAT's useless.
But better.

—Big treat.
—Buckets of light.

Never get old!

[Hint: You may feel repulsion — Both love and hate are inside people, and it's best to be honest about that]

19.

So WHAT?
A natural.
Very advanced.
Not forever.

—Not forever.
—I might be an actor — You don't have to do anything.

That's one possibility.

[Hint: Stop trying to get other people to be more important than you are]

20.

BELIEVE me.
Beautiful, huh?
Well, sure!
It's universal.

—BELIEVE me.
—One's enough.

How's business?

[Hint: They're trying to intimidate you]

22.

Who knows?
I wouldn't.
Ever hopeful.
Infinitely sad.

—Who knows?
—Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's easy.

Whatever you say.

[Hint: They're trying to characterize you]

23.

Hardly ever.
Doesn't hurt.
Not often.
VERY ARTICULATE!

—Doesn't hurt.
—Whatever it is, it's good.

The same to you!

[Hint: They have so much tension it makes them mean and cheap]

24.

Nothing yet.
Really scary!
Nothing drastic.
Very little.

—Very little.
—Hang in there, right?

Don't let me forget to call him.

[Hint: They're trying to trick you into being smart ... so they can hate you!]

25.

Pretty intense.
Very believable.
Endless files.
Secret knowledge.

—Endless files.
—Do it before the fall!

Have a nice night.

[Hint: Sometimes you just get the idea the other person is trying to control you]

26.

Looking good.
It's perfect.
Before long!
So much!

—Looking good.
—Maybe I will.

Over my dead body!

[Hint: They're trying to coerce you, frequently pretending "It's an emergency"]

27.

Hold it!
Sure, Jack!
That's DRASTIC.
Just wait!

—That's DRASTIC.
—Let us remember people while they're alive.

Go stand in the corner.

[Hint: They're trying to paint you into a weird box]

30.

Wonderful opportunity.
Doesn't everyone?
That's thrilling.
Totally demanding.

—That's thrilling.
—I'm standing in the corner of my smile!

Hurry up!

[Hint: They're trying to hit you in the imagination when you're right in the middle of things]

31.

It's impossible.
Little challenges.
Another one!
Bad idea.

—Little challenges.
—Time out!

Was Richard giving you a mischievous grin?

[Hint: They're like beggars asking for favors]

35.

Not today.
We'll see.
Hard times.
No joke!

—Hard times.
—That's stretching it.

Are they fake?

[Hint: They're really making you work, taking off on surprising tangents — or maybe they're just trying to "scratch you" to see what you're made of]

39.

Well, anyway.
That's it.
Big time!
Fear not.

—Well, anyway.
—There's no need for that.

That remark is absurd!

[Hint: They're coming from their dark side (anger) and being vindictive]

41.

Who, me?
Not yet.
Certainly not.
Or vice versa.

—Certainly not.
—What better way is there than being clever?