Alright Howie, 
Love this group shot on the left (taken by Kevin Hill). From the left it's comedian Will Durst, Tim Conway, Ronnie Schell, Howie Nave, Tommy Smothers, Steve Rossi and Rich Little. How did I get to perform with this bunch? Would you believe last weekend I was asked to be part of something that I couldn't even imagine being a part of? For the past decade legendary comedian/actor Ronnie Schell has produced and hosted a virtual Who's Who form the comedy world and we're talking real comedic legends here folks. All of this to raise funds for San Francisco State University's Athletic Department that offers among other things scholarships to students who not only excel in their particular sports but also maintain an above average grade point average.
Since Ronnie is an alumni of the university he has a special place in his heart for his old alma mater. Some of the past comics who have been part of this event include Don Knotts, Phyllis Diller, Shelly Berman, Shecky Greene, Bill Dana, Fred Willard, Harvey Korman, Louie Nye, Barbara McNair, Jonathan Winters, Ruth Buzzi, Tom Morey, Jo Ann Worley, Bob Sarlatte, Brian Copeland, Jayne Meadows, Tom Poston, Suzanne Pleshette,
Norm Crosby, Brett Butler, Merv Griffin, Kevin Meany, Peter Marshall, Steve Landesburg, Kaye Ballard and Lorraine Newman to name but a few. On the bill the two nights performed were Tim Conway, Tommy Smothers, Rich Little, Steve Rossi, Will Durst and hosted by Ronnie Schell. My opening line the first night was, "I may not have the incredible credits that these gentlemen have but I'm the only one in color." With that I kicked into my 20 minute set and had the time of my life. Here are a few pictures I thought I would share. 
On the right is Rich Little doing his impression of Ronald Reagan. We were in the green room about a half hour before the show started. There were so many highlights both Friday and Saturday night. Oh yeah both shows were sold-out too and the Creative Arts theatre that they held the event in was enormous. The good news is that both the dean of the athletics department and the president of the university asked if I would ever consider coming back? Hmmmmm have to think about that one.....yes!
First off NOBODY is allowed to complain when it comes to this nation's security and if it takes some profiling to assure our safety than so be it. if you don't like than find another way to travel. This country has bowed way too much to try to accommodate everyone's thin skinned behavior. Maybe it's time to dismantle the ACLU while we're at it. I think every ethnic group should be allowed to form their own airline and we'll see how many would be willing to fly Shiite Airlines or Radical Islamic Airline. Hey and if you feel violated by having to go through those security machines exposing too much of your body then lose some weight. As a comic this material is gold so long as no one is killed. I have always lambasted Nigeria because of their spam emails telling me I have millions waiting if I send them a processing fee and now I get another excuse to tease Nigeria because their terrorists like to make their crotch a bomb. Hmmm was the penis supposed to be the fuse with the butt crack the place to store the C4 explosives? And how about the American (or so called Americans) students arrested in Pakistan because they wanted to launch a jihad on the United States? Isn't that treason? Don't we just shoot these types? Granted this may sound extreme coming from someone who is supposed to be making people laugh but political correctness will kill this country....literally. And when when it comes to threats against our country there is no excuse here. Wow I guess it is true. I am sounding more and more like my dad with each passing year.
As we wind down the Festival of Lights it's been a memorable one for my peeps this year. Granted we could use a few more Hanukkah songs (Adam Sandler can only compose so many) but all in all it's been nice elevating the Jewish holiday and letting Jewish kids feel that's it's okay not having a Christmas tree. Oh sure I wish the oil would have burned for at least another week but hey-the Menorah can only hold so many candles. Hanukkah ends on the 19th of this month. For those celebrating Kwanzaa it's a whole different time-after Christmas from the 26th through January 1st. When I asked my black comic friends if they celebrated Kwanzaa they told me that they really didn't know too much about it. Unlike Christmas and Kwanzaa though Hanukkah's dates change year to year proving that we Jews can't seem to agree on the same date in December. Sometimes animals carry holiday markings on their coats such as the zebra here who seems to b sporting a Menorah on his exterior and who obviously is proud of his Jewish heritage.
Tahoe's lifeblood arrived this week with more to follow. Everyone here is in anticipation mode hoping that the white stuff turns into green stuff over this holiday season bringing tons of skiers, snowboarders and people who would like to literally have a white Christmas. It's been freezing this week in the morning with temps as low as -11 down at the radio station but no complaints. 
If the Secret Service isn't feeling pissed (still more than ever) you know someone in a government agency is going to get the last laugh. Can you say IRS audit, background dirt or a smog check when they don't need one? If Andy Warhol were alive today he would be beside himself. I still think the parents of Balloon Boy if they really want a Reality television show should be tethered from a balloon while cameras are attached to film the event and when they eventually fall from the balloon they'll get their fifteen minutes depending how long it takes to fall from the balloon.
The party crashers have given terrorists a new way to get access to the president and his inner circle. All they need to do is say that they're part of a new Reality TV show and have cameras from Al Jazeera TV follow them into any high risk area for easy access. As expected FOX News was all over this looking for any reason (as usual) to make Obama look bad. They even had the former social director from the Bush Administration commenting that no one ever crashed one of their White House parties. Yeah, that's because those in attendance were probably trying to sneak out....(top cartoon by Rob Rogers bottom by Dave Granlund)
When I arrived at the radio station this morning I had heard on the CBS News at the top of the hour that legendary comedian Soupy Sales had passed away at the age of 83. I was bummed. I mean, I knew he was not doing too well but it still takes your breath away some when you hear about the passing of someone who you actually got to know. Long before I started working for The Improv I was the host and manager for a comedy club in Reno called Just For Laughs. They would rotate the managers/comics every few months and I was fortunate that during my watch Soupy Sales was booked for an entire week! I was so jazzed and nervous both at the same time being able to work with such an iconic figure. In addition to being the host the week he was here I was also assigned to be with him when we would do radio and TV to promote his week at the comedy club. The hotel gave us access to a limo and I took Soupy to several radio and TV stations and had a blast just hanging out with him. I asked him if it would be okay to videotape him in the limo while doing the publicity so he could tell some of the more memorable stories about old Hollywood and what it was like working during the golden age of comedy and when television was just starting to emerge as a force for the 'live' comedic variety shows. Soupy had one of the most groundbreaking shows on television and of course most still remember him for his pie throwing antics.
He gave me several videos of his TV show and while we were waiting for lunch one day started drawing stick figures of him throwing pies at other stick figures and then just gave them to me. I have so many fond memories and was also fortunate to meet his wife, Trudy who was also a New York City Music Radio Hall Rockette. Not long after his week at Just For Laughs I was at San Jose's Cinequest Film Festival reviewing some movies and met Christopher Cage (Nicolaus Cage's brother) and when he found out I had this video of Soupy wanted to know if I would sell it to him. The offer was nice buty I had promised Soupy I wouldn't it so I passed. It's weird when you actually know people you grew up only knowing on TV and then one day get to work with them professionally. Surreal. I miss Soupy and will always remember those cool stories of his both on and off stage.
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Disney's famed animation department has been churning out classics for the past 80 years. For the most part it appeared that nobody complained about the color or ethnicity of Disney's cartoon characters because Disney was white and was animating from his point of view. For the most part later on the complaint was that little girls shouldn't believe in a Prince Charming on a white horse to make their life complete so Disney started giving us strong female characters in the way of Mulan and Pocahontas. As I recall I don't remember too many Asians raising a ruckus over Mulan being an empowered animated woman who leads soldiers into battle against the Huns (sorry if I pissed off the Hun population). Oh sure she gets away with it at first disguised as a guy but in the end is rewarded for her independence and elevating women above second class citizens.
Things got dicey when Pocahontas was drawn. First off she was not portrayed in a historically accurate fashion because she was a cartoon. A cartoon folks. Some Indians were ticked off because she was drawn too attractive and and fell for a white guy! Oh the humanity! When she meets and falls in love with John Smith in the forest, she is forced to keep the encounter secret because she needs her father's approval to accepted among her people. It's a little bit more complicated but basically her secrecy indirectly causes the death of Kocoum at the hands of one of Smith's friends causing her tribe and the white man to the brink of war. Ultimately she does save her people only because she has put them in danger and still needs father's praise to allow her to finally receive the recognition that she deserves from her tribe, Fast forward to 2006, when Disney first announced they were bringing a black princess to the big screen in the way of "The Princess and the Frog."
But even the best laid plans can piss off the extremes. First off the princess was a maid for a white family so that didn't fly very well so Disney made her a chef. Then it was pointed out that her name was Maddy which sounded too close to Al Jolsen's "Mammy" so she was renamed Tiana. After kissing the proverbial frog we soon learned that Tiana's prince would not be black but someone with the Indian name Naveen. So who do you piss off? A black woman going with an interracial lover to reflect mixed relationships or one that is more pure sticking to one's own color? 
A lot of people wanted her to remain with a black guy but wouldn't that be a slap against someone who is currently in love with someone not of the same color as their lover? Why not make her a lesbian? A transparent lesbian combining bisexual, transgender maybe a lipstick with a butch cut to appease as many in that classification as possible? No? Who goes to see these Disney animated movies anyway with the idea of getting annoyed? Maybe Tyler Perry should start animating characters to take some of the heat off Disney? Spike Lee where are you? All I know is that you can never please everybody. Sort of like comedy there's always someone who will be offended. I predict in the future that just like gay, black, Hispanic or Asian night for comedy showcases the same will apply to theaters to see an animated movie that matches one's ethnicity. Oh wait there will be those complaining that one ethnic group got the primo Friday or Saturday night accusing the white man of putting Black Animation Night on a Monday. Next we'll be changing the days of the week so that every other day is a Friday and then Saturday thereby making everyone happy. What about a Mutt Night or an "I Don't Give a F**k Night" because some of us actually have a life? Too soon?
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Good for her I say! Surprised? Apparently someone snuck a in a cell and recorded her 90 minute speech just hours ago (no media was allowed in) and she stated that she speaking as “someone from Main Street U.S.A.” She did comment about our government and how bloated it has become since the Democrats took over. Yeah that was predictable and maybe had she remained in office as governor of Alaska she would have a little credibility. She didn’t tone down the home spun, little house on the prairie rhetoric blaming the Federal Reserve for being the watch dog to the financial system saying, “The words ‘fox’ and ‘henhouse’ come to mind.” I can only imagine that she wants the world to know (or at least the US of A) that she is capable of understanding foreign policy. I don’t know if she blasted the ‘liberal media’ but probably wanted to but not knowing the Hong Kong equivalent probably stopped her from saying so the last minute. As usual she didn’t take any questions from the media after her speech probably because she feared being taken of context or saying something that wasn’t written down for her in advance. Only invited guests employees from CLSA (the brokerage house that sponsored the event) were allowed inside to hear the speech. No idea if she was paid or not for speaking but I’m sure they at least picked up the airfare. (photo by Al Grillo from the AP)
Greetings aficionados of all things seasonal. As summer peters out giving way to yet another season I'm reminded of things that I'm not sure are politically correct or okay to still say. Some things just sound beyond ridiculous when in actuality it's okay to still say them. I'm referring to the term, "Indian summer." I grew up with that term and to my limited knowledge was always meant in a meteorological light. According to Wikipedia the generally accepted use of the term is when the weather is sunny and clear and above 21°C (70°F), and all of the leaves of the trees have turned but before the first snow has fallen. The term "Indian summer" is also used metaphorically to refer to a late blooming of something, often unexpectedly, or after it has lost relevance.
Anyway since that's how I'm often referred to as I'll just continue to use the term until protesting begins for those who are stupid or misinformed (much like those attending town hall meetings on health care). Wow did the font just change color all of a sudden? Must be the same thing with the seasons I am guessing. So, don't be afraid to use the term "Indian summer" and because it's way shorter than saying "Native-American summer" and hey, for all we know could mean the New Delhi variety of Indian. I'm just sayin'. It's usually at this time of the year as Indian summer is upon us I am called by my Hebrew name, "Anointed Bear" which was given to me growing up. Am I offended? No, not really but hey-I'm open to discussion. I can always be seen on the Facebook or just send an email and we can chat further.
I just heard a few minutes ago about the passing of actor Patrick Swayze. I had heard he was fighting cancer but didn't know how advanced it had become. I think I admired the fact that of all his credits he was able to maintain a healthy balance between work and family. He will be sorely missed. I was blessed with a rare opportunity to meet him while he was filming the movie, "Waking Up in Reno" when we had the comedy club in the then Reno Hilton. He dropped by the club (along with Billy Bob Thornton) and I just thought it was really cool they could just hang out for a bit between shooting their movie for a few laughs. My condolences to his close friends and family and a prayer out your way too.
It's another summer almost over and the kids are headed back to school. I can't imagine what it must be like these days going back to school than when I went to school. No, it's not one of those 'when I was your age we had to trek miles through the frozen tundra and they didn't have high tech snowshoes like they do today but we never complained or else it was the belt' kind of posting. But what with Swine Flu season upon the kids and the recent recovery of South Lake Tahoe's Jaycee Dugard you can bet parents are going to be very diligent when it comes to the safety of their kids more than ever. By the way on a personal note the entire basin is obviously rejoicing over the fact that it was two UC Berkeley Campus police women (and mothers which I believe was the reason for the happy ending) who cracked the case that was finally solved 18 years later. It's a daily reminder driving down Pioneer Trail and
seeing the pink balloons and ribbons that mark the spot where Jaycee was kidnapped back in 1991. The calls have been coming in to my show starting last Thursday morning and haven't let up at all. The recovery process is going to be a long one but it sure is nice to have a story with a positive ending in a time where there seems to be little of it. (Special thanks to Garfield creator Jim Davis)
It's time to give airline passengers a break. I understand the need for security and if taking off one's shoes off to keep a bomb from being ignited well okay. But enough is enough already. It's bad enough waiting on the tarmac and on a jumbo jet or 757 at least there are beverages (with payment of course) and a half dozen restrooms and hopefully you're not booked on a flight that has been oversold. I can sometimes see where airlines have no choice but to stay on the ground due to weather and mechanical problems but at what point does an airline have the say when passengers are in a horribly cramped environment without even a say as to an option? Continental Airlines isn't saying much for their ineptness last week when those on board flight 2816 from Houston to Minneapolis were re-routed to Rochester instead because of inclement weather. Upon landing however it turned out that the TSA had gone home which meant that the passengers couldn't clear security if they got off and left the airport. And to that the ground crew wouldn't let them get off and stay in the airport so 47 people (including babies) forced to stay aboard the plane with no food and overflowing toilets.
I should say toilet as this wasn't one of those big jets with some nominal space for walking around no. I have flown these 'puddle jumpers' while working the comedy circuit and if you have to spend any more than an hour on these things you go nuts. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to spend a total of nine hours on one of there planes virtually held prisoner until the airport opened up. WTF? Oh sure Continental apologized only after some passengers were able to document the event on their phones and the media jumping all over this story. But what did the airline offer? A refund and a free ticket for a future flight! Who in their right mind would want to fly Continental anymore? The passengers can't legally do anything because in reality Continental broke no law. What they did do is break their trust with the passengers and someone with some balls should have taken the reigns and tried using common sense. Personally I would have demanded that the door be open or else say I have some type of explosive device on me. Oh sure I would have been handcuffed and taken away but the operative word here is some action would have been taken and spending time in jail would have been far superior than having to contend with screaming babies, smelly overflowing toilets and being offered one beverage as a consolation prize. 
The ironic thing is that after I was arrested and the other passengers were escorted off the plane the adverse publicity probably would have gotten me released with the backing of the other passengers. I hate flying to begin with so I'm sure after writing this my name will now be placed on some terror watch list. If ever there was a time to reintroduce the Passenger Bill of Rights now would be a good time. As for all of the airline executives who keep passing the buck on this manner I suggest that they all be forced to remain on one of their commuter aircraft with recordings of screaming babies 24/7 and a bathroom that not only doesn't work but filled to the brim with fresh manure. And if there is any room left put some banking execs in there too. (editorial pics: top left John Sherffius, middle right by Bob Gorrell and bottom left by Jeff Stahler)
Last weekend I participated in a fundraising event to assist the South Lake Tahoe Police Department's K-9 division in getting another dog because right now they only have one dog, Duke. I know we live in a small community but to only have one dog that makes up your entire K-9 division sounded pretty sad so when I was asked if I would be part of a fundraising effort in conjunction with the American Legion I said "Yes, because it's all about the dogs."
It looks like the department will get a new dog so that Duke will have some company so that is good news especially in these times. Speaking of animals my friend Caren out of Chicago is always sending me Chicago news and tidbits some of which has found its way onto my radio show or even on stage. I love these cartoons that show what it would be like to be in an animal's world and how humans would rate. Hey.....it could happen.
Well for all you fellow science fiction, numerologists, urban legend, end-of the-world conspiracy theorists types out there......unite!
Wow just when you thought David Letterman had (sort of) retreated from his jokes involving Alaska Governor Sarah Palin now comes word that she, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is resigning from her office at the end of this month. 
The thing is that the GOP needs you right now more than ever. This is the perfect point in time NOT to leave. Your Party is in disarray and the male members (pun intended) seem to be embroiled in all sorts of scandals. Our own Governor John Ensign of Nevada confessed to getting too close with one of his staffers and was threatened by the staffer's husband of almost extortion so he had to confess in advance from something he did last year. 
Then of course South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford who admitted having a mistress in Argentina. I think he was just misunderstood. As I stated before he told his staff (no, not that one) that he was hiking out on the Appalachian Trail but what he really meant to say was that he was out getting some Argentinian tail. It's all about verbage sometimes. And what is it with our governors anyway? So, you see Sarah our country needs you now more than ever so take some time out to write (or get get a ghost writer at the very least) that book, do the lecture circuit and we look forward to seeing you in either the Senatorial election next year or the White House in the race come 2012. This was the first bit of news that everyone covered taking a brief time out from Michael Jackson.
I know, I know the mainstream, liberal media sucks and even FOX News is being a little tough on you but in the end you will persevere and have the last laugh girlfriend! And if not we'll pick up the slack from our end and get the laughs going!
I'm sure he even knows all the dance moves from Thriller too. It's eerie in a way that the age differential between Michael Jackson and the children he hung out with is exactly the same age difference that separates Larry King and Michael Jackson. Hmmmmm.
Who's fondling who? Anderson Cooper (of AC360) had a supposed nurse on the other day who said that Michael had begged her for some drugs or a shot and then after he let her spout her story he said something to the effect like "While we can't confirm her story yet...." Too late Cooper as she already got her story across before you should have confirmed who and what her story was BEFORE you and CNN allowed her to speak over the airwaves. I guess TMZ, MTV, VH-1, E! Entertainment News, Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, BET, Showbiz Express or a host of other entertainment oriented programs isn't enough to cover the latest on the life and times of Michael Jackson no. CNN (and to a lesser extent FOX News) are dedicating their seasoned journalists to cover what is fiction or not. Okay, we get it. And guess what? I'm sure Larry King, Campbell Brown, Anderson Cooper and all of the seasoned reporters will be there at his funeral. You think CNN was in Jackson's will or something. Can't you have a CNN Twitter Network or a CNN Blog channel where all of those with 'opinions' can tweet their tears so the rest of us can just watch some real news for a change? I was getting more accuracy from the phone cells out of Iran than I'm getting from CNN in my own country. Even Barack Obama is getting less coverage. What would Walter Cronkite say? And what about CNN's David Gergen? I bet off-the-record he is sick of all this. He (and senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin) are the only real individuals worth watching on your network and David is nowhere to be seen. I'm actually reading online newspapers now where I can get a choice of what I want to find out what's important instead of having to wait for television news to get to something that matters. Health Care? California being broke and writing IOUs instead of checks? Nah what's more important is whether or not Diana Ross will get custody of Michael Jackson's kids! Ooh how can I sleep? Stay tuned....
Isn't this a cute picture? I sent it to a rather far-to-the-right (politically-wise) friend who in turn suggested that it represented a mixed race relationship and then went on to espouse why there is conflict in the world and then continued with illegal immigration and the downfall of our moral values. Then he went on to explain that there are certain laws of nature that are supposed to not change and that God planned it that way and we are meddling and that is why there are so many problems in the world such as war, diseases, supposed Global Warming (his words), hatred, poverty and distrust over our fellow man (fellow 'person' if you reside in Berkeley). Okay. Apparently he is reading way too much into this which is fine and his opinion. That said isn't this a cute picture?
Civilian space travel on a regular basis will happen probably by the first half of this century but what will the planets in our solar system have to offer? Will the Earth become so overpopulated that one day another planet or moon will have to suffice for a new home?
Thoughts like this always circulate through my head and I wonder if we'll be forever confined to this one planet or will another become like a secondary lifeline complete with oceans, decent oxygen and an abundant food supply?
As I look out on this full moon through my telescope and envision what it would be like to fly by the lunar surface to another world it really does make one feel extremely insignificant when compared to the cosmos. In my own brief life span we have discovered more moons on the planets Saturn and Jupiter and downsized our once 9th planet, Pluto to that of a dwarf planet. Just think all of those space maps I saved from the heady days of Apollo are now incorrect when it comes to the planetary system. I wonder if Walt Disney would have even created the animated character, Pluto knowing that one day that planet would be no more? I guess that was the start of the recession really when Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet status. There is a parallel come on. I think that's why I have always believed that something else is out there and that there is no way that humans can be the only species to occupy the vastness of space. Whatever time we have left in this life like Pluto is dwarfed when you try to comprehend the bigger picture. Some people gyrate to a religion in order to seek comfort knowing there might be something after this existence while others embrace the eastern religions of reincarnation so that one's life isn't gone forever but just recycled. 
I have always known that nothing is really by accident but more by design. No, I haven't taken any artificial stimulants or having a flashback to my days at Humboldt State University just observing while staring out at the trees. The moon this morning looked like a giant silver dollar sitting on the top of the Sierra mountaintops. Maybe it's a good idea to appreciate what it is I have right now at this very moment and just go from there. Is this what happens when you see into the future?
