I got writes!
...and you're gonna read 'em.
Pre-Botox Headshot
I got writes!
"Live...on tape!" highlights
A few summers ago I hosted a short-lived television program called "Live...on tape!". It still occasionally airs on Cox cable...so I've heard. Due to some contractual discrepancies with the studio where we filmed, we can't air it for a profit on traditional broadcast television. But you CAN see it here.I'll be posting some of the funnier bits, as well as entire episodes.
This clip features Ken Kaz, Dave Pavone, Tina Beattie, Lamar Newmeyer, Cassie Bowser, and Amber Valillo.
This clip features Ken Kaz, Dave Pavone, Tina Beattie, Lamar Newmeyer, Cassie Bowser, and Amber Valillo.
The all-new Chevy Jesus!
The only truck mighty enough...for the almighty!
Egyptians unite for Dromedary Days Festival.
By AHMAD SEDKI-TALIB, Associated Press
CAIRO - Balloons. Street vendors. The smell of falafel in the air. Despite weeks of murder, looting, and civil unrest, thousands of both supporters and opponents of embattled president Hosni Mubarak threw down their swords and took to the streets today to celebrate Cairo's annual Dromedary Days festival. The fete, rivaled in attendance only by Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval, draws an estimated quarter million visitors during the first week of February. "We we're a bit worried due to the political uprising over the last few weeks", said event organizer Gamal Hassan Mohieddin, "but we've endured these types of distractions for almost four thousand years, and rarely have to cancel the celebration".
A stalwart of the Mesopotamian region, the Dromedary Days Festival continues to attract thousands of visitors each year. But it hasn't always been that way. Attendance during the latter half of the nineteenth-century waned, and the festival was on the brink of ending its forty-century record of success. Fueled by the Dinshaway Incident of 1906, the annual celebration of the large, even-toed ungulate seemed to be nearing it's end. Amazingly, the festival enjoyed a resurgence, due once again to American intervention. In 1913, a fledgling U.S. tobacco company, R.J. Reynolds, adopted the animal as it's mascot, and the nicotine-fueled populous who enjoyed a Turkish/Virginia blend responded. Sales soared, and the festival has maintained record-setting attendance ever since.
While tensions in the region run high, most of the citizens are able to dispense with their political viewpoints and enjoy the celebration's storied history. "Tomorrow, if I sees (sic) these men on the street, I will kill them", offered participant Atef al-Ganzouri, "but today, we stand side-by-side in the tug-of -war contest". The festival runs through this weekend, and tickets are available through Ticketmaster. The event concludes with an open-air musical concert featuring local favorite Lady Gaza, followed by perennial favorite The Bangles, an 80's American pop group who continue to mesmerize Egyptian aficionados with their gyrating, on-stage performance and regionally relevant lyrics.
AHMAD SEDKI-TALIB is founder and senior fellow of the American Cultural Studies Foundation. He is a part of a group of foreign policy experts that the White House has consulted with in recent days concerning the situation in Egypt. He also publishes TheComedyGuy.com, and writes under the pseudonym John Waldron.
CAIRO - Balloons. Street vendors. The smell of falafel in the air. Despite weeks of murder, looting, and civil unrest, thousands of both supporters and opponents of embattled president Hosni Mubarak threw down their swords and took to the streets today to celebrate Cairo's annual Dromedary Days festival. The fete, rivaled in attendance only by Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval, draws an estimated quarter million visitors during the first week of February. "We we're a bit worried due to the political uprising over the last few weeks", said event organizer Gamal Hassan Mohieddin, "but we've endured these types of distractions for almost four thousand years, and rarely have to cancel the celebration".
The event, which has been held annually since 1475 BC, celebrates the regions most revered and disdained animal. Originally conceived by Pharoh Hatshepsut, the first festival was little more than an excuse for the Pharoh to display her ostentatious collection of handbags and designer footwear. Subsequent festivals were restructured to celebrate activities more suited to every-day Egyptians, and the festival enjoyed a resurgence that lasted almost three thousand years. Due to the political unrest which has historically plagued this region of the world, organizers have had to resort to creative efforts to maintain public enthusiasm for the yearly festivals. This year's events include a Molotov cocktail toss, an AK-47 shooting gallery, and American-built tank rides, funded in part by the $1.3 billion in military aid provided by the United States in 2010. Ironically, anti-American sentiment runs deep in this country, yet U.S. dollars continue to pour in despite worsening economic conditions from Egypt's donor country. In spite of this sobering news, the festival continues to thrive, a tribute to the enduring allure of the ubiquitous two-humped sultan of the sand .
A stalwart of the Mesopotamian region, the Dromedary Days Festival continues to attract thousands of visitors each year. But it hasn't always been that way. Attendance during the latter half of the nineteenth-century waned, and the festival was on the brink of ending its forty-century record of success. Fueled by the Dinshaway Incident of 1906, the annual celebration of the large, even-toed ungulate seemed to be nearing it's end. Amazingly, the festival enjoyed a resurgence, due once again to American intervention. In 1913, a fledgling U.S. tobacco company, R.J. Reynolds, adopted the animal as it's mascot, and the nicotine-fueled populous who enjoyed a Turkish/Virginia blend responded. Sales soared, and the festival has maintained record-setting attendance ever since.
While tensions in the region run high, most of the citizens are able to dispense with their political viewpoints and enjoy the celebration's storied history. "Tomorrow, if I sees (sic) these men on the street, I will kill them", offered participant Atef al-Ganzouri, "but today, we stand side-by-side in the tug-of -war contest". The festival runs through this weekend, and tickets are available through Ticketmaster. The event concludes with an open-air musical concert featuring local favorite Lady Gaza, followed by perennial favorite The Bangles, an 80's American pop group who continue to mesmerize Egyptian aficionados with their gyrating, on-stage performance and regionally relevant lyrics.AHMAD SEDKI-TALIB is founder and senior fellow of the American Cultural Studies Foundation. He is a part of a group of foreign policy experts that the White House has consulted with in recent days concerning the situation in Egypt. He also publishes TheComedyGuy.com, and writes under the pseudonym John Waldron.
Anderson Cooper attacked in Cairo!
As chaos gripped Cairo's central Tahrir square on Wednesday, journalists covering the scene found themselves the target of pro-Mubarak supporters. CNN's Anderson Cooper was viciously attacked in what eyewitnesses are calling a cold and calculated act of violence. The network's marquee anchor, seen in the photo below, has taken to bicycle riding through the square every afternoon at 4:00PM. While his leisurely strolls aboard his Huffy "Black Widow" mountain bike have been met with little resistance all week, today's attack demonstrates just how volatile the situation in Egypt has become.
"We are concerned about attacks on news media," said Philip J. Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs. "The civil society that Egypt wants to build includes a free press, as well as free bicycle trails for all to use."
Egyptian state television first reported the attack as random violence, but CNN officials paint a completely different picture. "Ted Koppel rides through here every day," said CNN Senior editor David G. Pavone, "and the crowds actually part to allow him to pass." Koppel, an avid cyclist, has been known to peddle his way through the most turbulent environs, including 1989's Tienanmen Square protests and the Solidarnosc strikes at the Gdansk shipyards in 1980. Journalists have been increasingly critical of Cooper's excursions, and some see it as an insult to ABC's veteran newsman, who has been a staple at ABC for over forty years.
"We are concerned about attacks on news media," said Philip J. Crowley, assistant secretary of state for public affairs. "The civil society that Egypt wants to build includes a free press, as well as free bicycle trails for all to use."
Egyptian state television first reported the attack as random violence, but CNN officials paint a completely different picture. "Ted Koppel rides through here every day," said CNN Senior editor David G. Pavone, "and the crowds actually part to allow him to pass." Koppel, an avid cyclist, has been known to peddle his way through the most turbulent environs, including 1989's Tienanmen Square protests and the Solidarnosc strikes at the Gdansk shipyards in 1980. Journalists have been increasingly critical of Cooper's excursions, and some see it as an insult to ABC's veteran newsman, who has been a staple at ABC for over forty years.
The Time-Life book series presents...Complete Home Surgery!
Growing up as a kid, I had one of those dads who could fix anything. Neighbors would bring over all kinds of crap and he would repair it.
Fortunately, I paid attention and am pretty handy around the homestead.
But not at everything.
Like radial keratotomy.
But thanks to this exciting new series, Complete Home Surgery, I don't know whether to fix my noisy garbage disposal, or my torn anterior cruciate ligament.
This bit was the brainchild of Dave Pavone, who also provides the voiceover.
Ken Kaz http://www.ihostportal.com/Default.aspx?alias=www.ihostportal.com/kenkaz shines as the husband. Tina Williams, who also loaned us her home to shoot, stars as the wife, while Lamar Newmeyer's Uncle Teddy is dead-on. Dee Ann Kinkade produced, and I looked through the camera and edited. Special thanks to Prestone.
And the entire series is sitting on a shelf in my office.
Fortunately, I paid attention and am pretty handy around the homestead.
But not at everything.
Like radial keratotomy.
But thanks to this exciting new series, Complete Home Surgery, I don't know whether to fix my noisy garbage disposal, or my torn anterior cruciate ligament.
This bit was the brainchild of Dave Pavone, who also provides the voiceover.
Ken Kaz http://www.ihostportal.com/Default.aspx?alias=www.ihostportal.com/kenkaz shines as the husband. Tina Williams, who also loaned us her home to shoot, stars as the wife, while Lamar Newmeyer's Uncle Teddy is dead-on. Dee Ann Kinkade produced, and I looked through the camera and edited. Special thanks to Prestone.
And the entire series is sitting on a shelf in my office.
Stand-Up at The Comedy Spot.
I went to The Comedy Spot in Scottsdale and saw James P. Connelly. I've worked with him before and find him to be absolutely hilarious! He has a show on XM Radio . http://www.jamespconnolly.tv/
The featured comic, Dustin Rhoads, who is absolutely HILARIOUS, was telling me how much he loved a bit I used to do about safety at baseball games.
So I dug it up and here it is. The club was pretty new, the camera was pretty cheap, but the joke is pretty funny!
The featured comic, Dustin Rhoads, who is absolutely HILARIOUS, was telling me how much he loved a bit I used to do about safety at baseball games.
So I dug it up and here it is. The club was pretty new, the camera was pretty cheap, but the joke is pretty funny!
Drunk airline pilots on video!
Apparently the Throttle-to-Bottle axiom has lost a little of its credence. More and more pilots are gettin tanked up and climbing behind the yoke.
This seems remarkably irresponsible, but actually I'm OK with it. My friend flies for Alaska Airlines and tells me it's become so automated that all they really do is take off. And soon they won't even do that.
They only have humans in the cockpit to ease passengers minds.
Plus computers can't give out those little plastic wings.
Which, incidentally, no longer utilize the "hat pin" to clip on a child's shirt. They now use sticky tape.
Security measure. In case a bevy of terrorists saunter up to the flight deck and say "Hello. We would like eight plastic wings, please".
Don't feel bad for the dudes who were flying for America West. They've moved on to bigger and better things. As you're about to see.
Thanks to Dee Ann Kinkade for producing and standing in as the bartender, Bruce Cormie for shooting, Larry Bublitz for allowing us into his home for nine hours, and Dave Smith for props.
This seems remarkably irresponsible, but actually I'm OK with it. My friend flies for Alaska Airlines and tells me it's become so automated that all they really do is take off. And soon they won't even do that.
They only have humans in the cockpit to ease passengers minds.
Plus computers can't give out those little plastic wings.
Which, incidentally, no longer utilize the "hat pin" to clip on a child's shirt. They now use sticky tape.
Security measure. In case a bevy of terrorists saunter up to the flight deck and say "Hello. We would like eight plastic wings, please".
Don't feel bad for the dudes who were flying for America West. They've moved on to bigger and better things. As you're about to see.
Thanks to Dee Ann Kinkade for producing and standing in as the bartender, Bruce Cormie for shooting, Larry Bublitz for allowing us into his home for nine hours, and Dave Smith for props.
Barbie. An E True Hollywood story.
You know growin up with three sisters exposed me to a lot of dolls. None was hotter than Barbie. Except maybe her friend "Colored Francie". HONEST TO GOD! Mattel made a non-Caucasian model and called her Colored Francie. http://chocolatedoll.com/historyofbarbie.html Of course this was in 1967.
The funny thing was, it was the same mold of Barbie...just made from brown plastic. None of the voluptuous curvy features which would entice a young Catholic boy to fleece it from his sister's toybox. I mean, Diane Carroll curvy, not Queen Latifah curvy (what the hell's happened to her lately?).
Anyway, success inevitably begets money, which begets options, which begets debauchery. And sweet little Babs was not immune to the lure of infelicitous behavior.
Too bad Dr. Phil wasn't around then to screw her up even more.
Thanks to Tina Williams (Barbie), Lamar Newmeyer (GI Joe), Dee Ann Kinkade, Dave Pavone, Ken Kaz.
See for yourself:
Harry Potter book release party. What you DON'T know about the fans!
The good folks at Barnes and Noble allowed me and my producer, shooter, and PA to roam around B&N for three hours and interview people at the "Half-Blood Prince" debut. WHAT WE'RE THEY THINKING?
The sad thing is, at this point I had yet to read ONE stinkin' HP book. (I've since borrowed the entire series from my 9 year old Godson and banged em out in eight weeks. They're pretty good.)
We cut two different versions for the boss at B&N. This is the one he obviously didn't get.
The sad thing is, at this point I had yet to read ONE stinkin' HP book. (I've since borrowed the entire series from my 9 year old Godson and banged em out in eight weeks. They're pretty good.)
We cut two different versions for the boss at B&N. This is the one he obviously didn't get.