The Quest for Comedic Stardom

300 Words That'll Make the CIA, FBI, & NSA Look at Your Site [Digg]

2008-06-15T06:33:17-05:00

Old, but interesting. I started collecting 'spook words' after reading that the major intel agencies would scan all messages on the Net looking for something interesting. The idea is that if lots of people add suspicious words to their messages, the agencies will be too busy with spurious input that they will have to give up reading it all.

Public Domain Comedy Videos

2008-05-11T16:46:00.005-04:00

...Comedy Videos in the public domain...

So I know it's been a while, and I'm going to try and make it up to you with: Public Domain Comedy Videos!!!

Yes, you can catch such timeless classics such as, "I LOVE LUCY" (hint-hint), right on this kick-butt website.

So if you're an old school comedy fan (emphasis on "old"), check out the URL:

http://www.pdcomedy.com/

Enjoy it!

And if you haven't signed up for the Comedy Launch---then you'll be disappointed. (I'll leave it at that!)

~ Ciao!
Lucy

*+*+*+* IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, THERE'S MANY MORE TO COME--GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS.

Google Swimmer

2008-03-23T09:53:00.002-04:00

Google Swimmer

*+*+*+* Care to swim across the Atlantic for fun? Don't worry. We won't make you. Simply sign-up for the hilarity.

Black History or Blind History?

2008-03-19T08:37:00.004-04:00

...no wonder he couldn't see what Spitzer was up to...

My great comedy buddies have opted to keep me informed of some funny clips in the blogosphere. The Daily Show with Jon Liebowitz (uhh, I mean, "Stewart") has a funny video clip of David Paterson, our first legally blind (not Ray Charles blind, but more like Mr. Magoo blind), and legally black governor of New York State.

...Black History!---not Blind History!...

Anyway, this clip is noteworthy. Enjoy!

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Todd Barry interview on The Onion A.V. club

2008-03-18T21:19:00.012-04:00

I've been decidedly "low-pro" (i.e. "low-profile") over the past few months. However, I'm trying to make a serious effort on a minimum of two different fronts, simultaneously by crafting the latest blog (Standup101.com) and keeping you kids entertained in the meantime.

Anyway, I was recently directed to a fairly decent interview with famed comedian, Mr. Todd Barry (who is currently ego-surfing the internet by Googling his name and reading this article as we speak)...

[Hi, Todd!]

I'm pointing out this article to you, comedy fans, because it gives a solid insider look at the life of a working comedian. More specifically, it shows you (the reader) what the process is like and what to expect in crafting a career in comedy.

Anyway, indulge and read more about standup comedy and Mr. Todd Barry.

And if you haven't already signed up to be on the list of the new Standup101.com site launch, you can do so now <===

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The Best of Quest

2008-03-10T08:46:00.006-04:00

Thanks for hangin' in there, ever-faithful reader/subscriber. Standup101 seems to be a bigger project than I expected. Conquering the unexpected surprises makes it all the better when we do finally launch.

In the meantime, I ask you to read the "Best of Quest." It'll keep you entertained and salivating for more until the official launch.

The Best of Quest

My Reaction to the N-Word

All Inhibitions out the window: Part 2

MetaBigotry in Comedy

Comedy & Sex: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Hecklers: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Black Rooms v. White Rooms

Categorizing Comedians

Laughing for Laughing's Sake

Am I angry enough?

Actor V. Comedian

Drama Geeks and Hecklers

My first recorded set (audio)

My second recorded set (audio)

My 3rd recorded set (audio) Topic: NYC Nudist

*+*+*+* Hang tight! Standup101 is on it's way! Make sure to sign-up to be notified of the OFFICIAL launch via EMAIL.

Ahhh... psychics....

2008-03-08T15:37:00.002-05:00

...Montel is a better psychic than Sylvia...

Once again, this has nothing to do with stand-up comedy, but it's hilarious! I found myself laughing at the uncomfortable pauses and the sheer "mouth agape" shock from the audience members.

I do believe there are some people who are "gifted" and can see past what the average person sees. Call 'em psychic, call 'em spiritual, call 'em what you want. There are some things in this world that we can't predict. And clearly there are somethings that Sylvia can't either...

*+*+*+* Holy crap that was uncomfortably funny! IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, THERE'S MANY MORE TO COME--GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS.

Simpleology: Is it making my life simple?

2008-01-24T10:49:00.000-05:00

I'm still toiling away in the background, putting together the new stand-up comedy site. Yes, things are coming together--albeit slowly.

And to make things more complicated, I've decided to try out this "simplicity course" to make my life more simple. (Can anyone else detect the irony?)

The time to make one's New Year's resolutions hasn't quite run out yet. So I'm making my move now!

Mark Joyner, creator of Simpleology, has made it simple, for all of us. And in the meantime, feel free to read the below message about the program...

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.
It covers:
The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.
I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Yes, this is what I've subscribed myself to. The new site will need all the help it can get. Join me?

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David Lynch on... "the iPhone"

2008-01-12T06:40:00.001-05:00

Get F%&#ing real! -David Lynch

For those of you aren't familiar with David Lynch, he is a well-known writer/director, an occasional recluse. I'm not so much a fan of his movies, as much I am a fan of his brutal and candid tongue. However, I do respect him and his work--if that makes any sense at all... I used to always confuse Lynch with Jim Jarmusch, which, as it turns out, their birthdays are two days apart. (Crazy, Aquarians!)

Anyway, I caught this clip at an animator's blog, that I check so often.

But it's for this clip's comedic element that I just had to post it.

*+*+*+* IF YOU ENJOYED THIS POST, HANG TIGHT. THERE'S a NEW COMEDY SITE COMING YOUR WAY --GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS.

2008 awaits...

2008-01-01T07:34:00.000-05:00

After much deliberation and brain cell activity, I've come to realization that I must ACT this year. Yes, act! I have to at least make an attempt, even if I fail. I'll learn something along the way, despite the outcome. I should expect to win--expect to succeed. Aim high, and all that.

It's almost 8 hours into 2008 and I have to come to the decision to shoot for the stars. Not only that, I'm going to let you take a peek into on my viewfinder: I'm creating a stand-up comedy resource site for up-and-comers (like myself). It will be "The Academics behind Comedy" as well as the "online stand-up comedy resource." I have a bit of an outline and a few designer friends are going to help me out. But I expect this to be BIG! I'm going to give it my all.

Stay tuned...!

And I wish all of you the best in 2008!

*+*+*+* Stick around! 2008 awaits! There's so much more to come--GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS.

Lucy's resolving NOT to make a New Year's Resolution in '08

2007-12-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

...ALL THE BEST TO YOU AND YOURS IN '08...

So I know I've been "off the radar" when it comes to blogging, as of late. I have 120+ dedicated readers, all waiting for the next salacious post to be gleaned from this crazy head of mine.

So what has Lucy been up to?

Nothing.

Well, a lot of nothing, but with hopes that it will turn into something. I have a lot of projects in the works, none of which I'm willing to disclose, because I fear if any of them blows up in my face, I would have YOU the reader to be accountable to.

Plus, I was ill with some curious virus, which was disconcerting to say the least. (I almost never get sick. I'm not a smoker. I have smoker friends that are sick almost ALWAYS during the winter/cold season. So why I was sick 3 times in the last 2 months is annoying. Perhaps, I need to exercise more. I do spend unhealthy amounts of time in fromt of this computer screen. However, I've actually lost weight over the year, because I've never learned the concept behind "3 square meals in the day." (I tend to forget to eat.)

I know it's customary in lame American (and perhaps other countries) tradition to make New Year's resolutions. I never submitted to this idea before, but for some reason it seems necessary this upcoming '08.

I learned a lot this year about online wares--blogging, marketing, writing, networking, and of course comedy. And now I feel "the pressure is on" to take what I've learned this year and to really "take it to the next level." To take all this "knowledge" and catapult my career...efforts... into well, 'stardom.'

I think I have a distinct fear of failure and success, simultaneously. How is that possible? I don't know--ask my neuroses.

And because I'm notorious for:
- starting things and never finishing them
- crumbling under pressure

I'm reluctant to write a "New Year's resolution" list in '08.

Mainly because I haven't made any concrete decisions.

Seinfeld (and a number of studies) say people's biggest fear is:

"Public Speaking" and "Death"

Neither of the above rank in my arena... making a concrete decision and sticking with it (i.e. not being able to make changes down the line) is my greatest fear.

I think this is the reason why I can't handle law school, or a 9-5 job. I HATE routine. I absolutely abhor it. I get nauseated with the idea of doing the same thing over and over again. Absolute torture, like The Myth of Sisyphus.

Ok... so I haven't made a decision about anything.. I'll update this post by the end of the day... and let you know what decisions I HAVE made for 2008...

*+*+*+* If you enjoyed this past 2007, and if this blog provided you with any new insight into my life or your own, then that makes my heart smile, and for that I'm truly proud. Thank you for all your love and support this year! My goal next year is make it that much better. And don't forget to GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS.

Two kinds of audiences (re-post from July 4, 2007)

2007-12-20T05:22:00.000-05:00

[[This is another RE-Post from the 4th of July 2007, waaaayyy back when life was less-complicated... If you get inspired to comment on this most lip-smacking post, make sure to comment at the original post.]]
---

or Comics, there are two types of audiences:
- Comedian audiences
- Regular audiences (a.k.a. "real" audiences)

I had the pleasure of playing to both one Thursday night. Playing to one audience and then the other back to back is like night and day.

Let's describe the first and most likely, the one you are least familiar with: "The Comedian audience"

To be a standup comedian, you must be the least bit cerebral. You probably imagine yourself (and your life) in a vastly different arena from where everyone else sees you and your life--perhaps life in general. It takes a certain kind of angle, aspect, skewed point of view to be able to take everyday ordinary topics and twist them into something no one has ever imagined. Clearly, there is an art to this.

...we thank God everyday that there are more of you than there are of them...

I'm sure writers/authors/journalists/bloggers can relate. When they write, they too are communicating to you from a specific angle. But the methods comedians use, it has to be quick, pithy, witty (ideally) and hopefully can make you laugh.

So think about it: You are now a comedian on stage in front of an audience completely composed of cerebral, over-thinking, over-analyzing bastards. All these goofs are listening to your jokes and DECIDING on whether or not it's funny. They are consciously and unconsciously twisting them in their overworked overanalytical minds--perhaps to maybe to steal the joke later on, re-angle the joke in their favor, or to sit and think about the question, "Is that joke really funny?" The point is, this comedian audience is hard to entertain mainly because they're not there to be entertained. To them they are there to cut, dissect, and tear your jokes apart in their head. Maybe even put it back together in a better niftier form.

It's essentially playing to an audience who is constantly thinking, "How can they make a better mouse trap?"

Can you now see the difference between playing a comedian audience versus playing your regular/real audience?

The satisfaction and accomplishment lies in you, the comedian, being able to make a group of curmudgeonly comedians laugh. If you can get the littlest, smirk, grimace, or hum out of them, then that registers as a roar and applause break¹ in a regular room. There's a proportion that goes into play as well. (Did you think I was going to leave the math analogies behind? But they worked so well, in previous posts!)

A smirk or huff from a comedian audience registers as a cackle, uproarious laughter in a regular audience.

If you haven't figured out by now what a regular/real audience is, it's your non-comedian--the basic everyday, garden variety audience member. (i.e. "You") And we Thank God everyday that there are more of you than there are of them.

¹Applause Break - Regarded as a positive thing in a comedian's performance. Simply a break in his routine interrupted by an audience's applause. [Return]

[[Remember, if you get inspired to comment on this most lip-smacking post, make sure to comment at the original post.]]

*+*+*+* If you're anxious for an original post, as soon as I find time during the seasonal break, I will. So until then you need to SIGN-UP to GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS. DO IT!!

Am I smarter than a Fifth Grader?

2007-12-17T06:02:00.000-05:00

The horror that you asked me to be apart of a music networking site. THE HORROR!!

Over the weekend I had a bit of mishap. Pshaw!--mishap is an understatement. I had an asleep-at-the-wheel Chernobyl-like disaster.

I had been told to join Last.fm. And even though I knew about the site years back, I only decided to sign-up now, based off of a close friend's recommendation. During the registration process, there's a prompt when signing up, to "add your contacts" from your email account.

Thinking I could individually send the message to my chosen contacts, I made sure to check (UK: tick) that portion. I've must've done something wrong, or perhaps double-clicked when I should've single-clicked. Anyway, soon after, I returned to my email to be greeted by disturbing message stating that recipient had received that very same Last.fm invite 5 times in a row.

Cue Kyle's mom: "Wha-what--WHAAAAT??!?!"

Long story short, I realized I sent the Last.fm email to every single contact in my address book--all 946 of them... 5 times.

Smooth move, Sherlock. Yeah, I know.

So I spent the weekend putting out fires and cleaning up that mess. And I know how sensitive people are about spam. So I was super-worried. I think I've grown 3 premature grey hairs since Friday. I ended up sending a mass email, because I had no choice. I couldn't distinguish who did and who didn't receive the email. And I didn't know how many times they received it. Ugh. Double-ugh!

Another blogger buddy suggested that this fiasco was too good an opportunity for you, the reader, to NOT enjoy. So below, I have posted my apology email and then the responses I received from them. Take stock and feel free to revel in my pain. (deep sigh)

My email:

Dear Email Recipient,
I dearly apologize for the repeated emails sent from me from Last.fm.
I mistakenly added my entire address book, in which I see Gmail holds on to every last email correspondence I've ever received or written.

(sigh)

Apparently, I still haven't mastered the basic science of email.
It was a massive blunder on my behalf.
I hope it didn't ruin your Inbox experience.

Please email if you want to permanently removed, so this doesn't happen again.

my deepest apologies,
Lucy

-----
And the responses...

Don't sweat it - you're a nice contact.

Lucy, I demand compensation for my distress. 3 cents should cover it ;-)
hehe. Have a great weekend.

No problem! I was glad to see I wasn't the only person listening to WHAM! and the Hansons.

(Addendum: I don't listen to Hanson. But I am guilty of a little George Michael here and there. Well, let's be honest... A LOT of George Michael. I don't care what anybody says. That man is hot---past, present, and future.)

Hysterical apology – you should include this in your stand up act... :-)

No worries! I've done the same thing...sometimes Gmail saving everything works in my favor and sometimes, well, it's just annoying. Eh. Better to be more inclusive I suppose :)

Hope you're having a lovely holiday season :)

please permanently remove me. i do not know who you are or how you got my address.. i have no interest in your comedy.

It's all good! I signed up anyway.

For that, you deserve a bare bottom spanking...
and after that, you must spank me...
(spoken in my best Monty Python -Holy Grail voice)...

Lucy,
It was no problem! Don't worry about it, OK? Do you like this Last.fm? Is it worth it?

By the way, are you on Facebook?
Hugs and stuff,

Hi Lucy,

Don't worry. Same thing happened to me a while back with a network
called Quetchup. I deleted your email, thinking it was the same thing,
so no harm done over here.

See you around,

Hey no problem Lucy! I only received it once. I did, however, find two emails from you in my spam folder. So I am writing to confirm that everything is fine... and now you know why you never heard from me again. :)

Hope you have a better day!

No, I don't want to be permanently removed! You don't have to send your goons after me.

No big deal. Welcome to life on the internet. ;)

Hey no problem! I only got one email, so that's fine.

No sweat, Ive only come back into action under a different blog name I must check you out.

No problem Lucy! :)

Lucy, It was really no big deal! And I still check out your blog from time to time :)

I was so angry at you! haha just joking. I thought you were a spammer.

No problem, Lucy. It wasn't more than a month ago when I attempted to send a "sexually provocative" text message to an ex boyfriend on my cell phone and accidently sent it to all my recent phone calls (including my boss, my mother, etc.) Haha.

oh. you better do more than apologize. my inbox experience has been...ah...RUINED!!! alas...i am signing off...forever.

haha. kidding of course. *have a productive day, writer extraordinaire!!

Lucy! You are a fabulous writer and very funny! I've been enjoying your musings a great deal. I'd also never read that sonnet by Mr William S before. So yesterday, I deleted your invite as I mistook it for spam. Would you send it again? This time I'll join and would love to.

Lucy, Not a problem and you certainly have my empathy, as I had a similar problem with Quechup. Have a good weekend,

Lucy:
Please do not beat yourself up over this issue. That is something that you needed to experience for the next time you are setting up an account on a social network and you know to bypass their request to help and invite your friends to join you. Trust me, we’ve all done this starting out. So as far as I am concerned, you are forgiven . .. .LOL!
I know you may have received some nasty-grams from others, but not me because I’ve “been there – done that” with this too! Actually, I too have a Last.fm account I forgot I had until your message. So thanks for the reminder!
Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Hi Lucy,

For a moment, I felt very popular. “12 emails!! I’ve hit the big time.”

Then I saw they were all identical.

No harm. I just took to drinking earlier than usual… Keep me on the list. I love a good excuse to start drinking early!

Seriously, I am going to have to do some listening to Radiohead. I don’t know that I recognize them when I hear them. Maybe I do. They have come up on a number of ‘recommended’ lists from friends.

I only need to be told twice.

Keep writing the great posts. I laughed my ass off again at the Chris Rock vid cip. He is masterful. I think he falls through the cracks for too many people. He is brilliant.

Have a fun holiday, and keep those emails coming…

No worries, don;t you hate that part when other sites sent to email to ALL recipients instead of just the ones you select?

All is fine. Hope you are well.

Yesterday, a young man was shot outside my front door. Duplicate e-mails don't worry me. God bless and have a happy and safe holiday.
Peace

Hi Lucy,
No worries - I simply deleted them. Keep pluggin!

Oh man, that sucks, I thought that the invite was personally sent for me.
How disappointing. :(

Hi Lucy,
How are you been? How is your stand up coming along? When is your next show? Next Year, I am going to be very very serious about my stand up comedy. I need to find a comedy buddy too and oh no need to apologize stuff happens.

Don't worry! I never use my address book because of the fear something crazy happening. =) And, I have been
using email since 1996. Go figure!

It happens to the best of us.. And if anybody is complaining pay them no mind.. (smile) Happy Holidays..

That is one unpleasant default option of gmail, isn't it? When you
install gTalk, it automatically imports that entire address book, too.
Like I need to see that some website administrator I only had one
tiny insignificant question with is online.

You're adorable! <==== From a guy! (Not gay!) Well, I don't think he's gay. Well, I can't be too sure. Forget it. Just forget it.

The horror that you asked me to be apart of a music networking site. THE HORROR!! <=== I actually burst out laughing from this response. Thank you! I needed that.

Well Ive just added you anyway. I'm not sure how I know a female stand-up comedian from NY, Im sure my fame as a Welsh political blogger hasn't spread that far afield, but I know I would like to know (or pretend to know) a female stand up artist from NY, so no, my "inbox experience" was not ruined, Actually I think I remember visiting your blog a while back. Anyway I hope you like Radiohead and the Cocteau Twins, cos that's about all I listen to. Oh, and Flamenco pop and some Welsh stuff.

All the best

PS I'm on facebook. I'm the only [...] and [...] in the world, so Im easy to find. If you add me I'll be able to pretend that im cosmopolitan or something.

(I think this is universe telling me that I should get on Facebook.)

I figured something was amiss…no worries…

We forgive you…..looking forward to reading your update

dude that's fine. I have a last.fm account, if I had known yo uhad one too, I would have added you sooner.

How freaking cool are my friends? 'Nuff said.

Thank you everyone, for not biting off my head like a praying mantis, especially when I was at my most vulnerable and when I deserved it. That shows true character. (Except for that guy who wants nothing to do with me. That guy doesn't know what he's missing out on.) Kidding. I don't even know him. A miscellaneous craigslist add--that went awry.

Toodles...!

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My First Open Mic Experience

2007-12-11T07:44:00.000-05:00

This is going to sound like "the summer essay" that we were assigned in grade school--"How I spent my summer vacation." As Tollbooth Willie would say about me, "You unoriginal bastard!" But anyway, let us begin...

My first experience in comedy was at an open mic in the back of a dingy restaurant. It smelled of a nondescript stale beer mixed in with the smell of a room that hasn't seen sunlight since the day it was built--- like your high school buddy's basement. It was a relatively packed house. Anywhere from 15-20 people all crowded around a small box, set for a stage. (Yeah, we were supposed to believe a 4ft x 3ft x 2ft box was a stage.)

When I walked in, somebody was already on stage, ranting into mic. (I cringed thinking about the number of microorganisms growing on that petri dish of a mic.)

There was no real comedy. Just ranting. No one was laughing. The lack of laughter was sort of disconcerting, since after all, it was a comedy show--the only thing missing were laughs. And yet the performer didn't seem to notice. He was embittered, but not noticeably nervous. I think his confidence grew out of his familiarity with the subject matter--his ex-wife. He spewed vitriol. What baffled me was that his misogynistic rant was received as completely normal, at least to the audience. The crowd was unfazed by his hateful complaint speech. There seemed to be a collective acceptance. I would compare it to the Roman Catholic church--the congregation doesn't understand the entire liturgy, but they bow their heads in agreement anyway--knowing whatever mindless gibberish was being uttered something they needed to hear.

Finally, the host pounced on stage to break up the pin-drop silence. He was overzealous (which I later come to find out most hosts are). Apparently, that's their M.O.--to be over-the-top! They're there to be the vocal thermostat for the crowd; to bring them up when they're down. And to cool them off when they're too hot.

It was then that I decided to grab a seat--somewhere in the back, where I wouldn't be noticed. But I didn't know the host was paying such close attention to anyone but himself and his over-the-top antics. A good host knows the room, knows where every warm body is seated. He knows the pace, knows the energy (feels the energy), reads the crowd. So he did see me come in and asked me a direct question: Was I a comedian?

I hesitated. I has to ask myself the same question: Was I a comedian? That question was followed by another series of paranoid questions: "Why would he ask me that? Did I look like a comedian? Did I have a sign on my back? How did he know? Was he psychic?" Enough time has passed for him to grow a disturbing grimace on his face.

"Uh, no. I'm just here to watch."
"Oh, okay. Then that'll be 5 dollars."
" 5 dollars?"
" 5 dollars to watch. 7 to perform."

Ugh, what steep prices for basic entertainment, nowadays. I had to pay to stay. So I begrudgingly pulled out 7 hard earned dollars--dollars I wasn't ready to part with. After all, if I was going to stay and continue my observations, I might as well get on stage as a perk.

The host pulled out a clipboard with some paper, with a long list of names.

"Okay what's your name?" he expectantly asked. Again my paranoia kicked back in. "My name?" I thought. "Why does he need my name?"

"Lu... uh... Lu... cy... Lucy," as if first learning to pronounce my name.

"Lucy? That's it?" His pushy tone was beginning to annoy me. "What's your last name?"

"Dee. Lucy Dee."
"D? Like the letter "D"?"
"Like D...E...E..."
"Okay," as he scribbled my name in the last slot.
"Am I last?"
"Yeah, I can put you up earlier, if you want."
"No-no." I quickly back-peddled. "Last is fine."

Perfect. Everyone will leave the restaurant by the time I go up on stage. Little did I know about comedy etiquette, and that most, if not all, comedians will stay right up until the last comedian performs. Comedians know that we thrive off of having an audience. So unfortunately, to my chagrin, I had my audience, a comedian audience, of about 5 people--still an intimidating number people to a first-timer.

*+*+*+* If you enjoyed this embarrassing primer into my standup comedy career, well, there's more embarrassment to go around--GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS.

How to RSS like a Rockstar... (Part 1)

2007-12-10T05:14:00.000-05:00

Okay here's the scenario: You surf the net, you find a mind-blowing site, and you swear that you'll come back to it, just as soon as you finish cooking dinner.

Ok, fast forward through dinner and you get back to the computer, scramble to return to that mind-blowing site,
but alas---you can't seem to find it.

It's not in your search history
It's not in your cookies
You didn't email it to yourself as a reminder.
It won't turn up, not even when you hit the back button a-bajillion times.

Cue "hopeless sigh"... now.

Well, I don't feel sorry for you. It's your fault you haven't been keeping up with web technology. There are ways to avoid such pointless blunders

And it's called: RSS!

RSS? Lucy, what's RSS?

Hold on to your britches my tech-oblivious friend. I'm getting to that part now...

All the content from your favorite websites, podcasts, and blogs is sometimes hard to keep up with. You want to know about the latest updates or every new post. And sometimes that bookmark bar gets filled up and then it's rendered useless, not being able to distinguish the really awesome from the truly badass!

You don't want to miss out on all that really, really, thirst-quenching content. Well, the webtechs, webgeeks, and webnerds have devised a way to make the web come to you, rather than you going to the web--it's automatic! The Automatic Automatic!! (I know, bad pun!)

Why/How is RSS Automatic?
Because it saves you time from entering each site into the address bar, or scanning through your search history. Think of RSS as the bread crumbs that Hansel and Gretel should've used to find their way home! Instead of having to hunt your way through your search history and your cookies, nor do you need to join each site’s email newsletter! (But don't confuse email newsletters (autoresponders) with an RSS feed--two separate things.) For that favorite website (or blog) you want to keep track of, you just simply have that website added to a reader.

Reader? What's a reader!?!?

I'm getting to that, Kemo sabe.

Well, much like a CD needs a CD player, a mp3 needs and mp3 player, a DVD needs a DVD player. Well, an RSS feed needs an RSS feed reader--also known as an "aggregator."
You can only receive "your RSS feed" through a "reader." Get it? Cool. Moving on...

Okay, what is this symbol?

For those of you who have been living under a rock during the booming internet age, this symbol is the universal symbol for, RSS. Pretty difficult, eh?

You might see it written as:
- RSS feed
- RSS icon
- RSS symbol
- RSS button

What does RSS mean?

Get ready! Brace yourself for some complicated techno-jargon! (Are you ready, old folks?)

Really Simple Syndication - Awwww, man! I had ya, didn't I?
Actually, it stands for Rich Site Summary. And also as, "RDF Site Summary". My guess is that it is somehow related to Rich Text Documents.

Either way, it really is "Really Simple Syndication." Why? Because it's an easy way to have content that appears on your favorite websites or blogs delivered right to your internet door, like a paperboy delivers your favorite morning newspaper.

Now dear reader, it's time for me to ask you a question: How did you get the paperboy to do that?

That's right! You signed up for a subscription. And that's no different here, with RSS. Only this time instead of paying $0.15 a week/copy, with a Quest subscription---you pay nothing! Yeah! That's right! I said it! It's free! Let me repeat--IT'S FREE! Just look for the word "subscribe" or "the RSS icon" on this blog or any other blog/website.

Some sites you might notice offer a full feed while others offer a partial feed (half feed). That's up to the site owner. The only difference is that with a partial feed you'll only get a portion of update and in order to get the rest of the update you'll have to venture back to the site directly.

Stay in the loop!
So you can get fresh new content, delivered to you via your favorite delivery method: a "reader" or "email". Here at Quest, you can get an email subscription or an RSS subscription. And it's pretty straight-forward to understand. In an EMAIL Subscription, you can have the update delivered to your chosen email. (Just remember to confirm the subscription.)

My preferred method is via a reader. Why? I like to have my email free for other things. I like to be able to choose to visit my favorite sites as I please and not have it clutter up my junk box. Now according to my stats, I have a number of people signed up via email. And again, that's their choice. What will be yours? (Choose wisely--young skywalker!)

Lucy, you haven't explained what and how to use a reader!!
Ugh! Must I do everything? This post is getting pretty long...
All you have to do is, next time your come across the RSS symbol or the words "subscribe to this feed" or "subscribe via RSS," just click on it.

You'll usually be given a choice of what reader to use. There are MANY! So this part can get confusing. But I'll leave that for the next post on RSS feeds. We'll specifically go over "How to use an RSS reader."

Whew! I'm tired. Aren't you? Good. Now, you're well on your way to becoming an RSS Rockstar.

But first, here's your homework: SIGN-UP to Quest For Comedic Stardom's subscription. And BONUS points go to those who use their RSS reader (before the next lesson).

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What's the deal with relationships today?

2007-12-05T08:19:00.001-05:00

I'm going to echo back to a conversation I had with another high school buddy and haphazardly refer to my previous blog post on my attractiveness, I want to broach upon the topic of, dare I say it, intimate relationships (hetero). Sorry, gay guys. I can only speak from my experience. But you know I'll make it up to you when we hit Bloomingdale's for the massive Boxing Day Sale--whoopee!

So back to male and female relationships in modern society, and particularly focusing in on dating, a rash of my girlfriends have been jumping ship, in terms of relationsips for the once lame excuse men used to use-- "fear of commitment." Now if that does't sound ass-backwards to you, then perhaps you're more enlightened than I am, sensei.

More and more nowadays, women are leaving relationships because of the pressure MEN are giving them to commit. Yes! MEN wanting WOMEN to commit. Perhaps, we've entered a new age in time. The Age of Reasonable Women? The Renaissance of the Independent Woman?

Perhaps that's why America's birth rate has been on the decline. We're not willing to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

Now I don't know what's been put in the water, but perhaps it's the epidemic of Sex in the City reruns on TBS.

So this high school girlfriend had just ended a relationship for the "commitment" reason--her man wanted more, like a white picket fence, a very expensive house, and several screaming kids.

I think now women are seeing that engagement ring as a shackle and the marriage certificate a life sentence, with no parole. That ring represents in a way, punishment, and lack of freedom.

It's the new millennium. I think all we, women, asking for is our fair share. We want to split the duties and we're totally willing to pay for dinner. After all, we're earning our paycheck, too. But we want options.

I probably don't speak for all women, but I definitely speak for me.

It's weird this role reversal. But I think it's cool and something we should embrace. I think men need to come to the table and negotiate with us. Believe us, we're willing. But we're not willing to go through what our parents generation went through--a unlimited number of divorces and our ending up with a childhood guarding our latchkeys.

I have more thoughts on this... but I want to open it up to the readers, both men and women. What do you think?

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Women in Comedy: Beth Littleford

2007-12-03T05:31:00.000-05:00

I can't begin to explain how important this woman's stint on Comedy Central completely shifted my concept of what "funny" was and what was acceptable in comedy. The fact that she was a woman who made it okay to make fun of herself, made me want to race down to the Comedy Central studios and sign-up. She showed me that women can pretty and foolish---beautiful goofballs. I wanted to be her. Kool, Klassy, Kooky (by the way, the fact that acronym has 3 Ks has no significance, ok, smartass?) I don't think Beth Littleford ever did time as a stand-up comic. But it doesn't matter she's already too awesome in my eyes. So let's begin my blog tribute to, Beth Littleford.

Okay, so according to her bio on the Beth Littleford official website, her timeline goes a little something like this:

- Originally from suburban Orlando, Florida, Littleford migrated to New York City and founded a sketch group named after her daschund, "Ms. Dee" (<==== ha, it was meant to be!)

- and then she toured with a New York Improv company

- before ultimately putting on a one-woman show called "This Is Where I Get Off."
(Duh! Of course, she's going to produce a one-woman show. Nobody can stop "The Littleford!" No one can handle her amazing talents! As former ESPN correspondent Dan Patrick would say, "She's en fuego!" I couldn't agree more, Patrick. I couldn't agree more.)

- her one-woman show was picked up by Circle Rep, where "she enjoyed an extended Off-Broadway run, and then she was scouted by Comedy Central and tapped to be a correspondent in their news parody, "The Daily Show."

Littleford spent 4 smashing, gut-bustingly funny years on the Daily Show (also known in some books as "The Era of the Littleford") and then moved out to LA to join the cast of Spin City. Since then it's been pilots, development deals, advertising deals, guest-starring roles on several network sitcoms (Fox's Method & Red, she had a starring role) and movies. In fact speaking of movies, she's going to be starring in Judd Apatow's Drillbit Taylor (video link) with a more sober, Owen Wilson, due out March 2008.

Littleford set the standard in sarcastic interviews on the Daily Show, back when it was tongue in cheek and less preachy. She played it straight, asking seemingly uncomfortable questions to B-list celebrities and craZy random personalities. (Where did they find those people?)

Some of her best and craziest interviews:

- Todd Bridges (of Different Strokes)
- Gary Coleman (of Different Strokes)
- David Duke (of Differ--wha-what? Is there a 3K theme here today?)
- Jocelyn Elders, United States Surgeon General
- Fabio (If you can find this interview, he answers her question about whether he's a natural blonde, but pulling out his junk. Hilarious!)
- Anthony Michael Hall circa Pirates of Silicon Valley, pre-USA stardom on The Dead Zone
- the one where the guy that wears weird outfits and climbs telephone poles (I think he might've been a cross-dresser, but my memory escapes me)
- the one where she visits an Iowa boar semen farm and helps harvest semen---manually.

If you really want to experience the essence of "The Littleford" you MUST head to her site and watch her showreel (video link). It's jam-packed with eewwy-gooey Littleford goodness!!! (Mmmm... feels like home.) You're sure to laugh until you cry!

Links and links of Littleford:

"Top 4" Blog lists Beth Littleford as #3 in Top 4 correspondents (I beg to differ but Different Stro--uh, well, you know.)

Article on Beth Littleford in a Kansas City blog--TV Barn (March 18, 1998)

Beth Littleford interview for Canadian online zine, Canoe--Jam! (Sept 13, 1999)

AND NOW for some embedded videos...!

[UGH! I hate Blogger.com. It totally ruins the comedic timing of these posts. It places the embedded video where it wants. I can't wait until we switch to Wordpress.]

So in the YOUTUBE video, Beth Littleford interviews a man with the sense of humor of a cucumber soaked in vinegar (a.k.a. "a pickle"), former teen heartthrob, David Cassidy. I encourage you to watch the YouTube one first:

And I've saved the best for last... Beth Littleford interviews 80s pop icon, Boy George, on the Daily Show
(March 18, 1999) <=== whoa that's almost an entire decade, folks!

*+*+*+* If you don't adore "THE LITTLEFORD" as much as I do, then you'd best RECOGNIZE!!! And SIGN-UP--GET FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL or RSS.

The Personal Stuff: When comedy hits close to home

2007-11-29T05:34:00.000-05:00

Every comedian... well, every good comedian goes through stages in their comedy. The type of comedian you are when you first start out is bound to change the longer you stay in comedy.

You have to admit, it's pretty daunting to get on stage and talk endlessly about random subjects that your audience may or may not relate to. The process of getting on stage, hearing your own voice (personally, I hate the sound of my own voice), feeling comfortable enough to speak to strangers, and hoping to stir up laughter is not easy. But once you get past that, well, I want to say that the journey is over--but it isn't.

I see comedy in three stages--"The three stages to becoming great":

Novice: (2 - 5 years of regular time on stage) You know what you sound like. You're comfortable with commenting on that outer sphere of life (your job, politics, standing in line at Starbucks). This stage is basically the observational part of life you take part in, but aren't super-invested in--emotionally speaking.

Comedian: (5 - 7 years of regular stage time) At this point, you've probably made comedy a career (in that you're getting paid for it). This is a difficult stage because many people who have been in it for this long, don't recognize that they still have more "growing" to do. And by growing, that means they can change and still mature into themselves. They can, but will they? Whenever there's changing to do, there's always an investment in time of humbling yourself enough to learn again---making mistakes, a lowering of the pride and ego, and realization that you are a flawed individual in your craft. I mean, think about it. You've been at your job 5-7 years and you think you have all the kinks worked out, so much that it's become routine. But if someone were to come to your place of work and point out that you still have some changing to do, then you would have some stages of emotional growth to go through probably resembling the Kübler-Ross model "stages of grief": Shock, Denial, Anger, Bargaining, etc.

Master:(10 years + of stage time) This is the point every one wants to reach, where you can joke about truth. More particularly, your truth--the stuff you only talk to a therapist about: When your wife left you, that car accident you got into, terminal illness, etc. The stuff that you experienced first hand and it wasn't easy. but you can still joke about it. This stage is so distinct, few people ever reach it. It's a scary place once you've arrived. You risk alienating your audience with your personal story, because for the first time, perhaps they don't relate.

Clear example: Richard Pryor jokes about setting his hair on fire while trying to freebase cocaine. If that's not personal, I don't know what is. Listen to the routine below:

The time and years on stage aren't hard and fast rules. I only give an amount of time to give you, the reader, a vague idea. What's important is the maturity level--the emotional level that the comedian can reach. And believe me, it's a reach! After all, people say men and women mature at differing rates. Women seem to pick up on this faster and earlier than men do. Also, if you start doing stand-up comedy in your late teens and early 20s, you're bound to change perspective in your thirties. And that change is probably going to be a drastic one. Your comedy follows your life. That makes sense because in comedy you're taking cues from your own life, and only when it smacks you upside the head, do you perhaps pay attention and write down a premise on the back of a napkin while at the local diner. Just be sure to not to lose the napkin!

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