Regis and Letterman

This interview has largely gone unnoticed and it's a trend that needs to be reversed. Recently Regis Philbin subbed for Piers Morgan on Piers' show and had has his guest - David Letterman. Hosts as guests is always interesting and even more so when it's Dave, who is quite camera shy when not on his own show.

As interviews go, they don't get much better than this. Regis is a master. He keeps it funny, smooth and conversational but still gets amazing insights into Letterman's life. They cover his quintuple bypass, 9/11, parenthood, politics and how he got into show business.

This is the only place you'll see names such as Johnny Carson, Jack Paar and Jack Benny dropped casually into conversation like they were Bob and Stan from the Bowling League.

It's about 40 minutes long but make the time, it's lots of fun.











"Please don't roll any tape. I'm coming across the table if you roll another tape. There's gonna be bloodshed right here. I can take you."

"You didn't seem certain when you said, 'I'm sure you have.' Like, 'How could this guy make friends?' That's what I picked up out of that. Am I being too sensitive? Because, here's how it sounded: 'Yeah, I'm sure you have.'"

Gilligan's Island - The Question

Recently I finished watching all the episodes of "Gilligan's Island" (98 episodes plus the unaired pilot) along with the four follow-up made for TV movies. I plan to write a few blog posts dedicated to the series and I'll probably post them in order of importance.

So, first up is the great philosophical conundrum that "Gilligan's Island" first presented and continues to plague mankind even today. I've been able to consider it quite a bit over the course of the hundreds of hours I've watched the show. And though I've come up with a conclusion, I have no illusions that it's an easy question or that a good case can't be made for either side. In fact, it's SO close that I spent half my life on the other side. Yes, it's only relatively recently that I've been able to firmly establish that I've "come around" to the totally opposing school of thought.

And so, as I've been split over the course of my life, it perhaps mirrors the nearly even split of our society. But, acknowledging that there are good people on both sides of the aisle and that it's a very difficult issue, nonetheless, after hours and hours of thought and consideration to all the issues and looking at the question from every possible angle, I have come up with my own definitive answer to the great question of "Gilligan's Island".

The answer is Mary Ann.

Conan in Chicago: Hot Dogs

Jack McBrayer and a guest (oops, I guess the preview gives away the best surprise in the bit) visit the "Weiner's Circle":



I love all the kooky and eccentric local oddities that freckle this great land of ours. They help define and reinforce local culture. However, this is one I don't understand in the slightest. It's one thing to have a place where people insult you in a fun, we're-playing-a-character type of way but I don't see that here. This is a straight-up "Boot Camp" episode of "Maury".

But I post it for the Triumphness and the chance to see Jack McBrayer play "mean".

1-800-588-2300 Empire. Today.

Conan in Chicago: The Lincoln Museum

Conan visits Springfield, Illinois - Lincoln Central.



It's weird to see a place you've been to on TV. I've visited the Lincoln museum. As Conan eludes to, the use of life-size replica statues is pretty corny but that aside, it's a really cool museum with very clever and interesting exhibits.

Of course, the number one thing I wanted to do was visit Lincoln's tomb because that is supposedly really cool and feels more "real" but that never happened.

Mary Todd Lincoln is hot.

Return of the Wolfwaker

With the Wolfwaker to guide them, creatures of the Wolf Planet lived in peace and prosperity for thousands of years. They developed a complex system of government and arts and science flourished and a broad industrial base waked into existence in half a century. Within a millennium, the wolves ventured into space and became children of the stars. 

On a bright, clear day, 6000 years after landing on Lupen, the Wolfwaker was given their fastest vessel. Equipped with neutrino-pulse-disruptor technology, this massive star ship could tear through the very fabric of the universe, devour Class 9 stars and bring the Wolfwaker home at last. "Is this the end of my long journey?", he wondered. "Can I finally put down my harmonic spear?" 

As he sped through the outer limb of the galaxy, riding on a pillar of fusion flame toward a planet he called home - towards uncertainty - the Wolfwaker knew in his bones that the fight was not over. The iris to open the faster-than-light communicator embedded in the fat of his hand had sent one final coded message hurtling back through space to the wolves. 

It was his final goodbye, and it was a warning...

Conan in Chicago: The Blues

Conan meets with elementary school kids and teaches them the Blues:



It's been a long time since I've seen "Caps for Sale".

This post is dedicated to Olivia (2005-2012).