Some thoughts on George Carlin

George Carlin's death over the weekend touched a lot of people and there are more eloquent memorials across the net than I can muster. Time.Com takes a look at his life. Other blogs I regularly read offer there own memorials here:

• George Carlin (at Mom's Musings)
• George Carlin (at Not in My Book)
• NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (at Spasms Project)
• George Carlin Has Died (at Drucker Brothers)

What I like most about Carlin was that despite not finishing high school, he was brilliant. His humor could be outrageous but it wasn't outrageous for just the sake of getting attention. He didn't attack power just to get a cheap laugh. He did it to make a point.

His jokes and routines had an edge to them sharpened just to slice through hypocrisy. He chose his words carefully and deliberately to express his outrage at the absurdity of modern society and the values it embraced.

But beyond his the sheer force of his biting satire, Carlin loved language. His rants, whether they were out of anger or bemusement displayed a keen grasp of power of words and how words chosen can alter perception. Contrary to his claim at they end of his seven words you can't say on TV bit, words do matter. Words have an impact. And Carlin chose his words brilliantly.

I've seen memorials cite his seven word bit, maniac vs. idiot drivers, and baseball versus football bits. And there is poetry in the way he expresses those thoughts.

To really see Carlin's poetry on display, though, watch the Modern Man:




You'll be missed, George.

This story makes me so happy.

It's from the NY Post. I really hope it's true.

Apparantly, John Lovitz beat up Andy Dick because Andy Dick mocked Phil Hartman's death.

Excluding Phil Hartman's death, there are so many wonderful things about this story.

COMIC CLOBBERS COMIC IN L.A.

July 17, 2007 -- IT was fight night at an L.A. comedy club last week when Jon Lovitz roughed up Andy Dick over the murder of their "Saturday Night Live" colleague, Phil Hartman.

Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada, who witnessed the assault, said, "Jon picked Andy up by the head and smashed him into the bar four or five times, and blood started pouring out of his nose." Lovitz told Page Six, "All the comedians are glad I did it because this guy is a [bleep]hole."


... More

European Threat Level

This is making the rounds of the 'net today. I don't know who wrote it, but you go:

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Top Ten Causes of Cancer

From the USA Today -- March 27, 2012.





Source: Journal of the American Medical Association. Data first published Februay 23, 2012.

Comic Book Comic

If you are in NYC on Saturday, you like comedy, and you are fan of Superheroes, check out Comic Book Comics.

Stand up comics tell jokes about their favorite geeky material that they just cna't do in a regulal club. For more information, check out thier MySpace.

Happy Birthday, Dave

I've been a fan since I first watched the show in a Florida hotel room a couple decades ago.

From cbs.com/lateshow

Top Ten Things I, Dave Letterman, Have Learned In 60 Years

Top Ten


10) You save a lot of money by making your own hairpieces

09) I owe my success to two groups of viewers: prisoners and shut-ins

08) "Lather" and "rinse" are fine, but "repeat" is just a scam to sell more shampoo

07) Them redneck jokes never get old

06) At staff parties, I always get stuck talking to a guy named "Shecky"

05) For some reason, "Dancing with the Stars" keeps sending my audition tape back

04) Can't think of anything funny? How about this: (video of monkey getting a root canal)

03) If you're missing "The Rachel Ray Show," you're missing out

02) Cookies is tasty

01) If I stay healthy, maybe I can make it to 100 -- like Regis

Directing Robin Williams

Robin Williams is a great actor and a brilliant comic. Dead Poet's Sociey is one of my favorite movies of all time.

But if you see him being Robin on TV -- he's crazy.

Can you imagine what it must be like to work with him on the set? The latest Play Cole film attempts to answer that question.

Directing Robin Williams

New SeaTac Name

From the Seattle News:

NAME CHANGE CONTROVERSIAL
By Olaf Priol

Port of Seattle officials held a six and a half hour contentious community meeting in Tukwilla on Friday night.

Supporters and opponents of the proposed name change turned out in drives to voice their opinion. Port Commissioners promised to listen to every person and every comment before ending the meeting.

The proposal concerns the long awaited name change of the Seatac airport to Seabeltac. The estimates the total cost of the name change to be $79 million.

"It's about damn time," said longtime Bellevue resident Ken Adams. "Bellevue is now the hot area of the Puget Sound. We're growing. We're close to Microsoft. We've got the most money. And we are the paragon of style bring some semblance of neatness to the area and bringing Seattle out of that Grunge era. It's about time we were recognized.

"After all, it's not Tacoma resident buying those first class tickets and traveling to Europe. Why shouldn't we be part of the airport name."

"It's Seatac because it was Seattle and Tacoma who built this airport. Bellevue didn't pay for it. If they want to go back to 1937 and pay for the airport back then, fine. But I don't see them doing that unless Adams has a stylish, expensive time machine he hasn't told us about yet," said Greg Master, 27, of Tacoma.

...

Local Salmon Safe chairwoman, Mist Roslin, explained her organizations objections to the name change. "They'll be changing the signs!" exhorted Ms. Roslin. "That means more ink and the ink in those signs is a known carcinogen. Plus the port will pull down all the old Seatac signs and replace them with Seabeltac Signs, right in the middle of spawning season. We can't allow this to happen. Thousand of salmon will die to protect the Bellevue ego. Leave the name alone. If the Port goes through with this murderous plan, we will be forced to take legal action. "

...

The FAA has yet to weigh in on the name change plans, though they are likely to object to the proposed change in airport code from SEA to SBT. SBT is already the airport code for Tri-Cities Airport, near Santa Barbara, CA.

...

City officials in the City of Seatac were surprised when asked for comment. The Port had neglected to notify them of the plan to change the airport name and the requirement that they change their city name, as well.

Play Cole Meets the Ninja

It's been a big week for Play Cole. Star Trek: The Sitcom had more than 22,000 views, and The Muppet Showing Starring William Shatner is closing in on 20,000.

There is now a new video at PlayCole.com.

Open mike nights are a great chance to see new, aspiring comedians take their first shots at stardom. Sometimes, a Ninja shows up.




Some content/language may be NSFW.

A Green Light and a New Star Trek

I got my first Green Light on Fark yesterday.

I've linked to stories I've found there in the past. Fark gets throusands of submissions a day, and only a select few make it to the public pages. Over the past year I've probably submitted 10 or 15 links.

But yesterday my first submission was approved and made it to the video page.

OK, so it's not like I got a short story published in the New Yorker, but it's still kind of cool from a geek perspective.

It gets better though. It's actually a Play Cole video.

Jon took and episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and added a laugh track. Here it is.




Because of Fark, this is the biggest launch we've had for any Play Cole video. In the first day, more than 3,300 people watched the video. It reached the top 50 comedy videos for You Tube yesterday, and it's popularity is growing.

A Great New Apple Product

This is a great sketch that actually builds over its 4:16 length. Some of the jokes may be predictable but it's worth watching to the end.

This clip is apparently from MadTV

The Comedian's Dream

Mike Drucker is one of the comedians Jon works with on a regular basis. He is the other guy on the Play Cole Podcast. Fortunately, he's funny.

Did you ever wonder what comedians dream about? Mike tells you.

A Play Cole Classic

What's Tommy without Dick?

What's Lou without Bud?

What's Tim without Harvey?

What's Gilligan without the Skipper?

What's Fozie without Kermit?

What's the entire population of a small town in Vermont without Bob?

Just a bunch of crazy people.

Presenting the new and improved:

"Adventures of Straight Man"

How I spent my last night in Vegas...

Steven Wright puts on a heck of a show. He did 90 minutes at the Orleans. Disjointed, random, and cerebral, his language-based humor is hysterical. Some of the material he did was 20+ years old, but it still holds up.

I'm not sure if Vegas was part of a tour for him, or if he booked the three shows because he wants a new car. Or just wanted to play some cards.

What better way to ramp up for Steven Wright than to bowl a few frames? We stumbled across the bowling alley about an hour before the show.

Sometimes the joke walks right past you

My girlfriend and I were sitting in Starbucks today when she noticed a man walk by the window carrying 2 dozen eggs.

While I doubt I would get an answer, I wanted to ask him, "Why are you carrying 2 dozen eggs?"

A1: Because they're too young to walk.

A2: Because I would look silly juggling them down the street.

A3: I'd roll them, but this isn't the Whitehouse Lawn.

A4: Have you ever tried pulling them?

A5: Because I couldn't carry three dozen.

A6: I lost a bet.

A7: I won a bet.

A8: I accidentally killed the chicken.

A9: You should see the other guy.

A10: What eggs?

A11: I always wanted to be named Benedict.

A12: I'm part of a support group for those who haven't come out of their shell.

A13: Because you're not supposed to put them all in one basket.

A14: My pockets are full of bacon.

A15: Because if I didn't, that would mean the terrorists have won.

Have a beer with Conan O'Brien or Nelly?

As Jon and I were discussing the future of Play Cole today, it occurred to me that it is much easier to be supportive of friends in comedy than in music. I imagine this applies to theater and similar activities as well.

Music can be a more polarizing element for people. Or rather a sharply distinctful one. The continuing decline of Top 40 radios is emblematic of that. Popular music has divided into several rigid genres, each with its own audience. And beyond the world of popular music, the other genres (country, classical, jazz, soft jazz, world, angry, etc.) each have their own very specific fan bases. While many people my follow more than one genre, they are not likely to be fans of all of it.

The point is that even when someone is good at making music, that music will not be liked by a large number of people; those outside the genre simply won't enjoy it. They may be appreciate the technical proficiency a performer brings to a task, but appreciating technical proficieny is not what want to do after a long day at work.

Thus, when people tell me they are in a band. I think that's great. I may be interested in seeing a performance, but that doesn't necesarily mean I will like what I see, or that it is, in my view, entertaining.

Comedy is different, however. It is easier to go see. And when someone is technically proficient at comedy, it's going to be funny, pretty much by definition. Thus, when seeking entertainment, comedy is more likely to deliver than an associate's music.

So where does theater fall in? Some where in between I imagine. But I'm not going to explore that today.

Appreciating comedy has a lower barrier of entry. It's also easier to laugh. Plus, people tend to get angry when you laugh at their music.