Remembering Bill Hicks

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the death of comic Bill Hicks, who died of cancer on Feb. 26, 1994. I really didn't know much about him until I watched a comedy special recently, and admit I still don't know much except he seemed to be very talented and died far too young. The Guardian newspaper calls him "one of the most influential standups of recent times," and even created a Bill Hicks quiz.

Before testing your knowledge, read more about his life on Wikipedia, including the allegations by some that Denis Leary hacked Hicks' material. You can see clips of Hicks' act on YouTube.

Read More...

Something sinister about Everybody Loves Raymond

I never kept up with Everybody Loves Raymond when it first aired. Now I catch an episode here and there in reruns, and I have to wonder: Were they drugging those kids? Seriously, if that were a real family and you went to their house, you'd be concerned about those kids. The tikes are rarely around, are often left unsupervised, and stay in their rooms playing quietly (one presumes, as the alternate prospect of them being tied in the closet is just too hard to accept of the seemingly sweet mom, Debra).

What's more, they eat quietly, don't jabber and yammer with loads of questions or otherwise prevent adults from holding a conversation, don't spill much (and it's never a big mess when they do), don't fight with each other, and quietly go off to their rooms with a nod the first time they're told to. Debra's gotta be dosing those kids with cough syrup or something. I'm still waiting for the episode where social services gets involved, 'cause something ain't right up in that house.

Read More...

Dating deal breakers gone wild

There's a funny video on Yahoo Shine about dating deal breakers, meaning what would cause you to just walk out on a date. The viewer comments below it are pretty good, too; check it out here.

Having finally found my Prince, I don't have to deal with the often less-than-delightful world of dating anymore. When I was a hot-mama on the dating scene, though, I don't think I ever walked out on a date -- but I should have a few times. Here are some of my dating deal breakers:

-Don't flirt with, or kiss, another woman in front of me and tell me it was kind of a dare. I'm outta there! (Or I should've been).

-Don't stay on your cell phone half the night talking to friends trying to determine what you'll do later that night if you don't get lucky (big hint: this behavior ensures you *won't* be getting any sweet lovin'!).

-Don't let the entire date consist of riding around in your car for hours, stopping only to buy a can of soda -- one can -- for us to share. And if you do, at least get the kind of soda I like! (OK, this one happened when I was in high school, but even then it was unacceptable, especially since the guy was a bit older and not a high-school kid himself).

-Open doors, pick up the check without flinching or making sure I see exactly how much it cost (I don't care if it was $10 or $100, accept my sincere thanks for the meal without acting like I might "owe you something" and should know exactly how much I owe you for), and just generally be a gentleman.

-Don't show up on my doorstep two hours after you stood me up, drunk, yelling my name and begging to be let in. Deal breaker, baby!

-Don't bring a couple of female "friends" along for the evening. I'm not looking to be part of your harem.

-Don't order yourself another drink as I arrive, but tell the bartender I won't be having anything as we're about to head out. Rude, cheap, and stupid (given that I don't drink much and I'm most likely to ask for tap water or a Diet Coke).

-Don't tell me about the horrible break up with your ex-wife, then shudder when I tell you about something I like because you recall that your ex liked that, too. If you've got the kind of baggage that you get relationship flashbacks, slowly step away from your date and into a therapist's office.

Can anyone top those?

Read More...