Messing with the blogging world since 2005
It’s Friday.
With that in mind, take the time to watch this video. I laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes. This is hilarious.
Happy Friday!
Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!
Ralphie Mae performs at SUNY Delhi.
I’m jealous of people who live where there are comedy clubs readily available.
I fully believe if I lived anywhere near a comedy club and the ticket prices were affordable, I’d go often. I’d especially like to go on open-mic nights to be able to see different things and people.
I can’t really explain what Ralphie May is talking about here as I’ll keep it clean on the blog. But let me say it was absolutely hilarious!
Comedy has long been a part of my life. From watching many big-name comedians at a local college (George Carlin, Howie Mandel, Michel Winslow, Carrot Top, Jay Mohr, and Sam Kinison, to name a few), to seeing smaller shows all over the place, I’ve long loved stand up comedy.
I’ve had the chance to see many different comedy places. From a cool little spot in Montreal, where we met and struck a friendship up with comedian Steve Caouette, to little dives with people hoping to make a few bucks in the world of comedy. Whether 15-minute quickies or an hour and half of pure hilarity, I’ve loved pretty much every comedy show I attended.
With that in mind, it’s pretty safe to say, whenever I get a chance to go, I like to do so.
On Sunday, I added a comedian toward the top of my list.
Chad, Ralphie May’s opener, got the crowd revved up and ready.
Ralphie May, well-known through his Comedy Central specials and for his appearance on Last Comic Standing, came to SUNY Delhi. He’s been to Delhi before, but I had never had the chance to see him. He was supposed to have a show a year or so ago, but had to cancel because of health reasons.
Allow me to say it was well worth the wait to see him perform.
First, his opening act, Chad of the Smash Brothers, was hilarious. He got some solid digs in on a few people in the front row, told some extremely funny stories and had the crowd warmed up amazingly for May.
Here’s one thing though — this definitely wasn’t a “family friendly” show. In other words, profanity and things along those lines were open game.
That made it really good.
Ralphie May and Marty following the show at SUNY Delhi.
His topics included pretty much anything, including some politics, racial lines, himself, and of course, some adult topics. He also utilized one of the students Chad had picked on a bit and got some good digs in as well.
It’s also safe to note that I was in stitches most of the night. I love a good laugh. It makes you forget anything else going on in the world. It can help make you forget anything bad going on and it gives you a way to kind of ignore anything else and just have a good time.
This was also the final big comedy show at the college under the watch of Marty Greenfield, SUNY Delhi’s Student Activities Director, who is retiring at the end of the semester. He’s been at the college for more than 25 years and has brought some amazing shows — comedy, music, sports (Globetrotters etc.), wrestling and so many more things.
Ralphie May was an excellent closing big comedy show. It’s safe to say the students and community members who attended the show went home happy, which is one of the main things a student activities director could ask for.
Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!
Long before there was a sitcom about a guy named Earl, I was writing about a down-home bumpkin named Earl.
It’s true.
During my college days in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was on the golf course with a few friends. It was a stacked-up day and there were people out hacking around and having major pileups on each tee pad.
When I say hacking, think to the movie Caddyshack when Spaulding is out whacking the ball around:
“Fart!”
“Double fart!”
That was the issue this day. The three of us who had come out to enjoy a round of golf were held up at the 13th tee (which was a long par 5, so an even bigger backup).
It was soon after this moment, that we met Earl. Just three of us. Me, Mike and Jay. Though the legend of Earl grew (and it was humorous to watch certain people act as if they had actually met Earl, but hadn’t) and with that I made Earl a somewhat fictional character for a weekly column in the school newspaper.
Alas, what I had envisioned for Early — a comedy of errors in some less than perfect situations — was thrown aside after a “Hooters” story by one in the journalism department. So I had to make Earl deal with some more “real” issues to keep him in the paper.
So I did that.
Over the years, I’ve thought about continuing Earl. Maybe a book. Maybe something else. But for now? I want to bring Earl to the blog. And with that, I’m going to put below the original story about Earl (with some edits… I’m more refined as a writer now, you see…), so you can all enjoy Earl and appreciate him for what he is.
Earl will live on here on my blog.
Every once in a while, he’ll make an appearance. With the world transforming as it does, I don’t think I’ll have any issues putting Earl in some kooky situations.
—
First, when you go on a golf outing, there are several rules to follow. You should always make sure you have a foursome. If you don’t, the odds are the course will stick someone with you or someone will catch up to you and ask to join your group.
That’s how we met Earl.
On a nice fall day, three of us were playing a quick round of golf. Once we caught up to several slow groups, the quick round ceased. Passing wouldn’t matter as there were three or four slow groups.
As we sat on the 13th tee waiting to play, we saw him for the first time. Toting a pull card, we witnessed an interesting golfer.
Actually, he reminded me of Spaulding from Caddyshack.
After many strokes and putts, he finished hole 12 and waddled up to the 13th tee, where we were still waiting.
“Hey, ya mind if I join ya?”
In Earl’s world, there was no need for introductions. After looking him over, I shot a quick answer.
“Yes.”
The look he gave made it feel like we just filled his ass with some buckshot.
“I’m just kidding,” I said. “Join right up.”
Those words are ones that I might have ended up regretting, if not for being a writer. But as a writer, anything interesting can always make a story. Brief introductions followed and after we had said who we were, he proclaimed himself as Earl.
A local golf professional, no doubt.
“Just missed that darn birdie on 12,” Earl said as he looked back to the 12th green. “I’m, having one hell of a day.”
Reality was I, too, had just missed a birdie on 12, but in a legitimate way. Earl’s counting skills on the course likely weren’t up to snuff as we had witnessed him hack away at least seven or eight shots.
Still, the odds were we weren’t having anywhere near the day Earl was. To think we only had six holes to get to know the big man.
Before we go further, however, I must tell you a bit about Earl. He wasn’t the brightest of people and he’s not going to grace the cover of GQ anytime soon. He appeared to be in his late 30s and we weren’t sure of his womanizing ways, though he was quick to point out several lady friends that he’s had over the years.
Soon enough, it was time to play on.
As I pulled out my driver — something new to me that past summer — Earl peered at me. This is where the fun began.
“Hey, whatcha hittin’?” asked Earl.
“Big Bertha Hawkeye,” I said, probably bragging a bit as the club had a large price tag at the time.
“HEY! Ya mind if I break… err… I mean hit it?” Earl inquired.
“Yes, I mind.”
Earl was a bit shocked. After all, who was I to turn down this golf prodigy? But he accepted the answer and sulked off a little bit. So I hit. Then Jay. Then Mike.
And Mike, well, he’s a big hitter. Long off the tee, it’s impressive to watch.
Earl was equally impressed.
“Wow! You rocked that ball,” Earl proclaimed. “That swing was awesome. It was so easy. I’m gonna call you the Big Easy!”
(Side note: For the remainder of college, Jay and I continued to call Mike “The Big Easy.” Mike, too, is from a town not far from me and anytime I’ve ever run into him, I’ve always reminded him of this nickname. Good times.)
Earl’s shot wasn’t so, well, easy. He shanked it to the left, into a cow pasture than ran to the side of this hole. He was confident in his ability to find the ball, however, and he dashed ahead to look for it. The rest of us were in the middle or on the right side of the fairway, so we split.
Jay, who was a bit of a comedian, was chuckling already about Earl.
“Where the hell does this guy come from?” Jay asked as we approached his ball. “I can’t believe they would allow someone like him on a course.”
And for those of you who know anything about golf and etiquette, we soon found out that Earl was top of the line.
Jay sized up his shot, went into his backswing and was coming through when…
“I FOUND IT! LOOK GUYS! HERE’S MY BALL!” shouted Earl as topped his shot and his ball dribbled ahead maybe 35 feet.
In the end, it turned out it wasn’t even Earl’s ball, so he just dropped another and played on.
What can you do in a situation like this besides laugh?
So, we covered our faces with our towels and started humming the song “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks as we walked up the fairway.
After finishing the hole, Earl proclaimed a six. A bogey. Not bad, considering he lost a ball, duffed several more and three-putted. It’s some tricky math in Earl’s world.
Another wait followed on the next tee. So, Jay started up, as per normal.
“So Earl, what do you do for a living?”
“A lot of things.”
“Such as…?”
“Well, I was workin’ down in Philly as a contractor, but I hated it. So I am in the area here doing odd jobs.”
“Where you living?”
“Mackeyville.”
I was lost as a tourist in the middle of Europe.
“Where the hell is that?” I asked.
“About a mile that way,” said Earl, pointing east.
Turns out it was a tiny little place not far from where all of us went to college. Who knew?
At that point, the fairway opened up and Earl stepped to the tee. He popped his drive way right of a par-3 and swore up a storm.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Earl swears more than a sailor on leave.
After finishing that hole and started the next hole, we again had a wait. The investigative journalist in Earl shined through.
“You guys go to college here?” he asked.
We all replied yes.
“I was taking college classes online through Penn State,” said Earl. “That stuff is a bunch of gobbeldy f—ing gook.”
He pondered his next thought.
“So whatcha guys do for fun? Go to the bars, find the ladies or what?”
We all just stared at him. Quite the switch in thoughts and he was excited to know what a few college kids liked doing. He had a look of excitement on his face. A Kodak moment. Kind of like a kid who uncovers a stack of Playboy’s for the first time.
“Uh yeah, we go out. Parties, bars, whatever,” The Big Easy answered.
“Man, I’d like to see some of those college women,” Earl said. “I’ve gone to a couple bars in town, but I gotta get out more. Maybe I can join up with you guys,”
I think my jaw stayed in the middle of the 15th fairway for quite a while when Jay said “sure.”
That’s how it all began. Earl got some phone numbers. The saga of Earl would continue.
We finished the round. Jay actually let Earl hit his Bertha driver later in the round, praying the whole time nothing would happen.
And Earl, well Earl continued as he had. Swearing. Hitting’. Chillin’.
The end of Earl was not to be, however. And it will continue on here at A ‘lil HooHaa. Welcome back, Earl.
Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!
What the heck is going on in the blog world?
Seriously.
Every once in a while, I do a google search for blog ideas. My thought is that I can get a few things to jot down in my little red moleskine (where I store all my secret blog ideas!) and later think a little bit more to see if I can turn something into a good and entertaining post.
Everywhere I look, however, it seems these other blogs are giving people great ideas.
But they don’t do them.
Say what?
There are so many blogs out there right now that seem to be designed to help you market your blog, or make your blog better, or give you topics YOU should write about. They talk about advertising and how to aim toward your niche.
Apparently, they are experts.
But as you surf their sites, there’s nothing about these topics. All it is is more “blah blah blah” on how they can help improve your blog. The funny part is, they have advertising and such. And I think I have it figured.
It’s all about Internet searches.
See, people (me included) are searching for ideas. And these people claim to have them.
Allow me to show an example. Below is a small group of a list on the blog “I Help You Blog.” (Note: the last blog entry to said site is from 2009). This blog has a list of 101 great posting ideas that will make your blog sizzle.
Here’s a small sample of what I found (a random 10 items were grabbed):
Any time I see something with “someone else’s post” I cringe. And what in the world is using words desperate and futile going to do to a personal blog such as mine?
Here’s the conspiracy post — people thinking they are blog experts and making a list of junk!
I did No. 7, just because I thought it was fitting to do something this person said, eh?
In reality, a blog is what one makes of it. Sure, I can go elsewhere and get ideas, but in the end, I have to make it my own. So when looking for inspiration, people usually need more than being told to create a post with a bar chart or pie chart?
Why do I need that in a post?
Well, let’s see…
As you can see, those coming to A ‘lil HooHaa enjoy the awesome reading. It’s the leader in the clubhouse on this scientific bar chart, as you’ll see by the longer (and thicker) bar. The fun factor is also high. However, researching blog topics is lower than the other two. Work, of course, is fourth on the line seeing as there is not currently a lot of work at A ‘lil HooHaa.
Tell me something, oh faithful readers, does this add anything to this post, outside the humor aspect?
I thought not.
I guess I could make a post about pitfalls in my niche. However, my niche is the world as I see it. And I’m not sure that would help my cause in the end.
“The pitfalls in this niche is me, because I am the writer of this blog. However, I don’t see this as a pitfall at this moment, because I am on an upward jaunt to the sky of blogging. You see, with this fantastic advice, I am going to live long, prosper and blog.”
Done.
I do realize that a lot of these “blog helpers” are aimed more toward companies and the such. Places looking to make a buck. But still, wouldn’t it make sense to show some inspiration?
Don’t get me wrong, there are some good spots out there to find some inspiration. Other bloggers, lists, quizzes and whatnot. There are things out there, you just need to find them. It’s not easy to do a daily blog, even if it’s personal in nature. Sometimes you just get the blank.
But it’s all good.
Just don’t fall victim to silly topics or ideas. Unless, of course, you have a way to make it a little fun!
As for more on this topic, is this the end? Or will there be more? Oh my… I’m giving you that cliff hanger! You’ll have to come back to see if I continue this some other time!
The top image is, of course, a parody of sorts to Ralph Wiggum and his English situation on The Simpsons. I’ll leave you on this President’s Day Monday with that clip…
Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!