No More Questions

Not only was the Michigan State vs. Duke game exciting, it yielded a fabulous Za centered moment (courtesy of Tom Stites).



The Sphinx seems rather emphatic about not wanting to answer any more questions.

This year's tournament has been a disaster for me personally. I appreciate the amazingly competitive games and the underdog victories. I have watched nearly every minute of CBS's coverage and enjoyed the viewing. The problem is that both my wife and my brother have beaten me in the pool for the THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR. The string of defeats has moved beyond embarassing.

Speaking of embarassing, if Steven Ehrenberg does not post something on the blog soon, I will relate stories about his basketball career.

Dissertation is done

Okay, the dissertation is in. Should hear in four weeks or so whether it was accepted and what changes need to be made. For those of you interested in reading about interpersonal influence, you can find the dissertation here: http://www.nd.edu/~dnickers

My Yale email account dies in a week, so I will be moving the images on this blog to another location. If I am any good at it, you'll never notice the difference. Not that anyone comes along here very often.

Substantively, in the comments, I will relate a dream I had last night where Peter Rubin and I try to buy Metallica tickets.

Back in my days ...

Okay, I figure it is time to be grouchy old people. Compare the activities of the group now to how it was done in your day. I figure it is never too late for a little cross-generational learning (evening though the ideal way to perform improv skits is hardly relevant to my life).

I'll confine my comments mostly to the comments section, but I would start out with these two:

Plus: Man, the video quality of the younger generation is SOOOO much better than back in our days. Crisp video is nice, but sound that can actually be understood by people not participating in the scene is a huge boon. That DVD with the three Za movies was great and I am wondering where the alums can get our hands on a copy.

Minus: The quality wasn't great, but we actually filmed most of our shows. Sitting back in my house is a VHS tape of the ten year reunion. I can remind myself of what happened, so I don't mutter to myself "I don't remember any of this" like Rich. Video taping the shows was also helpful in honing our craft. We could sit and watch tapes of the shows and try to find ways to improve our product (i.e., cut back on dead time between skits).

Okay, I've set the stage. Now y'all take over.

News Analysis from Felipe

We take you now to SPC Felipe Perez, who has witnessed historic elections in Iraq.

Date: Sunday, 30 January 2005

Subject: Democracy, Public Affairs, and Bad Haircuts

Mixed with shock, relief, and humility, I am mostly happy to say that elections here in Mosul are going well. With a few hours left before the polls close, turnout has been solid, the city feels more or less safe, and voters seem to feel genuinely privileged to be participating in the democratic process. Had you asked me a week ago I wouldn't have expected it, but I feel blessed to be able to bear witness here, and honored to have played a small part.

I hope I'm not jumping the gun- that day ain't over yet, and the fat lady won't sing until the votes are counted, but I gotta say I'm feeling pretty good right now. That's my honest, initial reaction, which wanted to share while it was still warm.

Also, I finally got a few spare minutes to write, as I'm stranded for the night at a small base south of Mosul. Had to jump on a last minute mission to fly some time-sensitive, Iraqi official documents down here (read between the lines), and it turns my ride wasn't heading back to Mosul after dropping the stuff off. I got no toothbrush, no razor, no sleeping bag, and no clean clothes, but at least it's quiet down here.

Now I need to go and write a press release (was recently promoted to head Public Affairs, thereby doing the work of an officer for the pay of a private), where I walk the fine line between touting the Coalition's (specifically, my battalion's) role in making this happen and applauding the Iraqi government and people's courage in pulling this off.

Anyway, I've been working lots lately, been pretty tired, been sometimes scared, been occasionally cranky, and often frustrated. But, all in all, the worst I can say that's happened to me all year is the bad haircut I'm currently wearing (picture an anal Army buzzcut, minus the neatness). Can't complain, really.

Much love-

Felipe

Another job well done by Z-Force! Kind of humbling, huh? While we were preparing for the reunion, Felipe was preparing for elections in a precarious part of the world. We doff our Viking helmets to you, Felipe.

Pictures

Sadly, I didn't use my camera as much as I wanted to at the reunion. Lots of good images, but they are all in my head. However, the pictures I did take are posted here.

Sated Goose	Attack Goose

I might put more on the blog. I would encourage everyone who took pictures to post them in places accessible to Zalumni.

Bringing Pictures of Togetherness Together

I may not know photoshop as well as the newbies (and our newest alum, Sam), but I figured y'all would appreciate these pictures.







I'll get other pictures up soon, but I figured these might whet the appetite a little. (Note: I can email interested persons higher resolution versions of the pictures, but I thought I'd post smaller versions so the page would load a little more quickly.)

Things I learned at the reunion

Hanging out with all of y'all is an educational experience. I learned so much, I'm going to need to buy a new hat. Here are a few of the tidbits I picked up:

1) That propecia doesn't restore hair, but it prevents hair loss and might actually be good for your prostate.

2) The random number seed from on-line casino sites is generated from the number of mouse movements from users of the sites at that moment rather than from time on a particular computer because someone figured out how to game the system once upon a time (which I find astonishing ... finding out the algorithm would require an inside informant and synching your computer with the casino computer out to the thousandth or millionth of a second is improbably hard).

3) Toy soldiers can replace a child's love of dinosaur football.

4) You need to shake a box of wine in order to chug it.

5) Stealing wireless internet from a neighbor can lead to a relationship.

6) Sprint has better coverage in Williamstown than any other wireless carrier.

7) Cell phones make organization WAAAY easier.

8) US banks are more inward focused than European banks because the market is so big and could give a rat's ass about ethical foreign direct investment.

9) You can take the patent law bar without having a law degree.

10) Digital recording and editing equipment have made it possible for amateurs to make high quality movies.

11) Making a movie on a shoestring budget is really hard and involves a lot of cat herding.

12) Masturbating on stage in front of high school seniors will get you in trouble with the admissions office.

13) Companies want to settle as quickly as possible when their managers screw up.

14) Comedians make good lawyers (six lawyers? that has to be more than a coincidence).

I reckon I'll stop there for now.

Many thanks

Hey gang, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the current members of Za for being such gracious hosts. I think we all had a great time. It was great seeing old friends and making new ones. Shame that the next reunion show isn't for another five years. Hosting 17 people rapidly approaching senility isn't easy, but y'all were up to the task and we greatly appreciate all the time, planning, and energy that went into the event.

I'd also like to thank all the Zalumns who showed up. What was the final roster? 17? Not too shabby for a bunch of aged, atrophied comedians who are crushed by the pressures of the real world.

I'd also like to thank everyone who participated on the blog (excluding Philosophical Aries and Zoltron). The weekend was too short as it was, virtually interacting with y'all isn't an adequate substitute, but is an agreeable supplement.

The 2005 Zalumni Reunion Show Skitlist

There will be a series of posts to look forward to over the next week or so. People should post pictures, thoughts, impressions, and whatever else they like.

To kick it off I thought I'd post the skit list (as faithfully transcribed as my feeble HTML skills will allow). Seems a good thread to celebrate and critique the skits.

ZA 20th Anniversary Hoe-Down

Opening?

First Line - Felipe? 2 otha brothas or sistas

Z Force - H - Rich, H - Randy, V - Keith, F - Ben

Concussion - Jeff, Ricardo

Gibberish - CeCe, Ben, Schwab, Pete

Roshomon - Chris, JJ, Sam - Soul - LaVonna

Scrabble - Keith, Pete - C - Steve

World's Worst - LaVonna

Shoulda Said - Sean, Steve, Greta - C - Chris

Altered - Randy, Magary

Movie - Actors - Julia, Emily - Reviewers - Toby, Winch

Conscience - D - Brendan, A - Spike, M - Sarah

60-30 - Goose, Betsy, LaVonna - F - Spike

Evil - J-Ice - Winch, Jeff

Beastie - someone current will start, yo

Notes from the Good Doctor

Hey gang, David Allen sent an email around responded to past emails and the blog. I'll post the full text in the comments section. [Note: Dr. David Allen is a registered author of the blog and could create a post any time he likes by going to blogger.com, logging in, clicking on "Combo Za Blog" and then "Create" under the posting tab. If other people would like such power, just let me know.]

WWFS (What Will Felipe Say?)

So Rich and Felipe will be recording some audio in the very near future and would like some feedback. Any ideas for how to best use Felipe's audio-only appearance?
It seems to me that maybe the best way to proceed would be to imagine a simple two-person skit like Complaint Department and just see what develops from there, Felipe can provide his half of the skit and maybe some non sequitors too. Are you bringing this on a CD, Rich, so we can skip around?
I don't know how political we want to get, my first idea was that Felipe would be coming in and the item he's trying to return is "Home from this Damn War" or maybe I forget how that skit works.

A friendly reminder

For those of you who are worried that you lost your mojo, I thought the following words of wisdom might help to get your juices flowing:



Comments for anything you like: rants against Del Close and his ilk; ruminations on the nature of improv; pep talks; posting credit card numbers ... world's your oyster, baby

A paean to the College Calligrapher

So we will be performing in five short days. If the last two reunions are anything to judge by, the show will be fun -- exceeded only by the after show party and practicing the day before. But no matter how hard we try, we will be unable to recreate the halcyon days of college.

Why?

Because our favorite members of the audience won't be there. An appreciative and supportive audience is essential to a performance's success.

So, pen odes to Orgasm Man in the comments section.

Let, Jeremy Fox know that he will forever be appreciated (for the youngin's, Jeremy was so devoted a fan that we gave him a shirt at a show when he graduated ... four years of tryouts and front row seats will do that for you).

Girlfriends, suitemates, and organic chemistry benchmates are all fair game.

When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May

No, not another post about spouses. The second to last poster in my collection:



Lots of friendly looking people hiding in the bushes. Hope we see most of them at the reunion.

Semi-live show blogging

Okay, picked out the Brooks-Rogers show from Winter Study of 1997 because I have no recollection of it. I'll do it in the comment section. Maybe I will do another show afterwards.

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UPDATE: I included another show in the comments. The Great Spam Hunt from November 1993.

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UPDATE 2: Yet another show posted. Magary's and Sadru's first show, November 1, 1996. Highlight of the show is Jeff McMahon's bad man speech, but the whole show is solid.

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UPDATE 3: Probably the final show that I will post, but we'll see how much work I get done over the next few days. Brooks Rogers, January 1996. It might be the final show for Heather and Fred. Still in the first year for Kravis, Emily, Jeff, and David Taylor -- so they aren't at their sharpest. Felipe and Peter were gone. Steve was about to check out. Perhaps the group at its least functional.

Quit all that riff as I flip the script

In all my copious amounts of free time, I'll try to put together a Za mix CD. No promises, but if I'm satisfied with the project, then I will make extra copies and bring them to the reunion for wider distribution. The focus will be on songs that have strong Za connections. For instance:

Songs that Za listened to incessantly (e.g., Hard to Handle);

Songs that inspired skits (e.g., Don't you Want Me?);

Songs that accompanied skits (e.g., Iron Man);

Songs Za sang 11 seconds of (e.g., Cantaloop);

Songs sung by members of Za (e.g., Proving Ground);

Songs that somehow became part of Za lore (e.g., Momma Said Knock You Out).

Use the comments section to list songs you'd like to see on the mix or think ought to be there. It's more fun if you justify it by giving the rest of us context.

Dated humor

I reckon that Sir Mix-a-lot has cemented his place in the pantheon of popular culture. Shocking that Seattle is better known for Nirvana and Soundgarden than Sir Mix-a-lot.



The comments section could be used to discuss Jane Fonda's choice of vehicular transportation, the baked goods preferences of reptilian Amazon denizens, and the proper role of silicon in the children's entertainment industry.

Dial 1-900-mixalot and kick them nasty thoughts

FYI

Today's NYTimes front page on the web has an editorial lead reading "Winchester: Earth Fights Back". Sounds like a new skit coming on...

Mach II memorialized

A fitting poster for Mach II (a monicker I had never heard until the advent of the blog).



The pictures in the original poster weren't terribly high quality, so you will have to download the poster to fully appreciate that Sean is drinking out of a baby's head and Julie is gnawing on a bunny rabbit.

If the four seniors (as I will always think of them) have the time, perhaps they could explain the source of the pictures. Is that a mug shot for Julie? From under what is Jason crawling? Now that John is a fancy-dancy lawyer, has he returned to the before picture?

Other Groups '89-'92

Good: Erasable Ink (Maryland)-- source of Mosh and Performance Art. Strong, cohesive players, lots of character, lots of funny women, if I remember.
On Thin Ice (Harvard) -- small, agile
Improvidence (Brown) -- slick, but good (save it, WB)
Vertigo-go (Swarthmore) -- sibling group for a year, felt like Za.

Eh: Purple Crayon (Yale) -- showoffy, but funny
Just Add Water (Yale) -- hit or miss ,though the illustrious Adam Stein was its mainstay. I liked them, others didn't -- our equals for a year, we eventually eclipsed them.
Viola Question (Yale) -- also-rans (what was the 4th yale group?)
Fools on the Hill (Kenyon) -- best sketch of Skidmore '90
Ad-Liberal Artists (Skidmore) -- who knew? Barely had to try for laughs on their home turf
Whistling Shrimp (Cornell) -- full of themselves -- got lotsa laughs, don't know why

Weak: IT (William & Mary)
The guys from UVA -- tried hard, though
Cheap Sox (Tufts)

Wrecking Ball liked Columbia's 6 Milks.