Mr. Bean

Tonight after our show, I got into a wonderful conversation with my castmate Dave about certain influential comedians throughout history. All of the greats came up; Charlie Chaplin, Peter Sellers, Buster Keaton. You know, the usual suspects. Then I mentioned to Dave my attraction to Rowan Atkinson, particularly my interest in his work in Mr. Bean. Have a look.

I remember being an eight or nine-year-old kid and watching Mr. Bean episodes on HBO with my parents. All of us would almost literally be on the floor laughing at this stuff. Rowan is an absolute master of an absurd and ridiculous brand of honesty and impoliteness. Dave said that Atkinson may be the best clown he's ever seen, primarily because he also works in the grotesque, which is an aesthetic that usually repels the audience. The ability to develop a character that is both repulsive and attractive is no small feat.

There are complete episodes of Mr. Bean on youtube (They wouldn't let me embed them!). I wholeheartedly encourage you to give them a look. Bring oxygen.

peace.

The Church of Goodwood

It's past my bedtime. And when I hit the sack, I'll be dreaming of this; watching the hill climb at the Goodwood:

This past weekend was the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the world's most eclectic and, dare I say, inclusive auto and motorcycle show. Every year, the Festival selects a variety of cars and bikes to attend the event in a celebration of internal combustion. This hill climb has seen everything from late model supercars, to F1 racers, MotoGP prototypes, steam-powered vehicles, and even top fuel dragsters cranking out 3000 hp. Additionally, many of the world's most legendary drivers and riders also make appearances, not only to meet the people in attendance but to actually pilot their priceless machines up the hill climb course.

I remember watching drag racing on television with my dad as a kid, and I'm pretty sure that where I inherited my gearhead gene. We would watch these 5000 hp monstrosities billow massive plumes of smoke from those four-foot wide tires and rocket to 280 mph in five seconds. There were racers for whom we would always cheer (loudly); Bob Glidden, Joe Amato, John Force, and Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme. The thing is though, we never had a chance to see them race in person. I can't begin to imagine how it would be to actually see those guys drive their cars one more time. What a sight/sound/smell/taste/feeling it must be.

peace.