The Allstate BCS Bowl, New Orleans, January
OK, this wasn't technically work (hanging out with Heisman Trophy Winner Troy Smith and assorted FedEx brass), but it does explain why I need the airplane seat belt extender and why I look more like Emeril than Alton.

Ocean City Family New Year's Eve, December/January
New York City in August? The Beach in January? What am I doing wrong?

RCG-IT, Washington, January
Second year performing for my new friends from New Jersey. Guess that next year I'll need to write new material.

The US East Coast, March
In a period of eight days, I performed in/near a South Carolina tornado, a Pennsylvania blizzard and a Florida heat wave. My car was the only one in the Jacksonville, FL Ramada parking lot caked with State College, PA road salt.

Comedy Cabana, Myrtle Beach, SC, March
New club for me..so I unveiled my completely original act where I smash melons with a huge mallet.

The World Bank, Cambridge, MD, May
Great Corporate Event. I've never been paid in Kronors...turns out that it's a better deal than Dollars. Then again, so are most shiny rocks.

ABATE, Motorcyclist Rights Lobbying Group, Cumberland, MD, June
What kind of a biker joke do I tell to a group of 300 bikers?
"How many bikers does it take to screw in a light bulb?"
"One."
Smart guy, eh?

Just got this question from Darwin in Aurora, IL..."Did you ever work with George Carlin?"

Plenty has been written about Carlin in the last couple of weeks, so I'll keep this short.

I only met him once. I was in college and involved with planning our big semester concert. We had decided to do comedy and Harry Anderson turned us down (Harry doesn't play gyms!) George Carlin was the next choice (how he got to be second choice behind the Night Court/ Carnival Geek guy is beyond me).

It's the night of the show and Carlin has an issue. Being the assigned student liaison I was eager to help (and more eager to meet the guy). I walk backstage and see him peeking out at the audience. "There's a kid out there", he says. "Center section, five or six rows back." I looked and saw a boy, maybe 12 years old, amid the young adults. Turns out he was the little brother of one of the students working on the show. Carlin was polite but firm, "I can't do what I do looking at a child looking at me. I don't give a **** if he's here, but I don't want to have to see him."

So, I made the arrangements and he thanked me. I introduced Dennis Blair who did 20 and brought George on. Carlin did a breathtaking 70 minutes and then he was gone.

I've wondered why this legend was concerned about the kid in the dark. My guess is that he could care less about tender ears. I think he was more concerned that a big hunk of his audience might be uncomfortable with a recitation of the "Seven Words" in the presence of an adolescent...and uncomfortable is not a desirable audience trait. It's the difference in "we really shouldn't be laughing at this" laughter and "oh my god that is hilarious" laughter. Let the kid enjoy it from the (less visible) "cheap seats".
I think he was protecting the show.

Lenny Bruce.
Richard Pryor
George Carlin.
That's it. That's the list.

I finally gave in and added those Google ads to both of my websites. The Google software analyzes the content of your web page and displays ads that they think are likely to be of interest to your visitors. They click on the ad and, in recompense, I get a little something something.

Sounds good, huh? Well, recently comedy fans who visited my page were offered the opportunity to learn more about:

• Preparing for the TerraNova Standardized Test
• Free Shipping on Terra Nova Bath and Body Items
• The great deals at Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon
• South American lumber titan Terranova Industries
• Spending a night at the luxurious Terra Nova Lodge

Wow, hard to imagine that there is no big click fortune headed my way.

Took this picture in Kill Devil Hills, NC last week. I guess it was a church group of some kind, but that's not a confidence inspiring name like Greyhound or Trailways.

It's like getting on flight 5050.

Credit my college buddy Geoff for calling this gem to my attention.

I did some checking and this is authentic. It is part of a story on the discount shopping options available in Alexandria, LA. The whole article actually has more to do with how the Dollar Palace will cope with the arrival of a new Dollar General store than it does with Mack Daddy Wal-Mart.

I just love the honesty... ...and by the way, what does Ms. Jackson wear to the Dollar Palace?

'Til next time.