Many of us have been isolated during the pandemic lockdown and ended up watching a lot of movies. I particularly enjoyed revisiting a few popular romantic comedies. Having seen them when they first came out in theaters years ago, I was pleasantly reminded that these four award-winning box-office hits were all made by Richard Curtis.
The video was used to launch his latest film at that time, About Time, promoting it with the beautiful theme song, How Long Will I Love You?, movingly sung by Ellie Goulding from her new album, Halcyon Days.
I’d seen these films again, most recently About Time. It’s a sweet story about using time travel to improve romantic outcomes, with an edifying conclusion. The theme song was relevant and touching. While searching for it online I discovered this video using it to highlight all four films.
If you like, please leave a comment with your favorite films.
Later added: Speaking of time travel, romance, and Rachel McAdams, she starred in the 2009 film, The Time Traveler’s Wife, directed by Robert Schwentke, where a Chicago librarian has a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel, creating complications in his marriage.
The Time Traveler’s Wife was made into a 6-part HBO series in 2022, based on the 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger, and starred Rose Leslie as Clare. Developed and written by Steven Moffat, the TV series was cancelled after one season.
These two pranks Jimmy Kimmel pulled on his cousin Micki at the ABC offices for his show are hilarious. The first was on her birthday, the second involved Billy Crystal on April Fools Day.
This has got to be one of the funniest pranks ever pulled on anyone! We are privy to the behind-the-scenes preparations as many of Jimmy’s staff are surprised in various locations throughout the ABC offices of Jimmy Kimmel Live. But Cousin Micki is the main target. It’s her 50th birthday. They obviously went to great lengths to produce this hilarious scenario. A video of it is posted on Jimmy Kimmel’s Instagram account. It is absolutely brilliant! I still laugh out loud every time. They later put it on YouTube, so I was finally able to update this post and embed it here.
Jimmy Kimmel Live posted the video on their YouTube channel with this description: Starting tomorrow a wax figure of Jimmy will be on display at Madame Tussauds Hollywood. At the museum, they have what they call the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live Experience,’ so we decided to have that here too. We brought ‘Wax Jimmy’ into our office and put it in strange places to surprise staffers with special emphasis on Jimmy’s cousin Micki.
How many times did you hear, “Oh, My God!”? I counted around 18, with Micki yelling out 15 of them. A few people reacted with more profane expressions—understandably so—and they were bleeped out.
Jimmy invited his baby cousin Micki on the show to receive a loving tribute on her 50th birthday. She’s all dressed up and holding 22 balloons. To honor the occasion Jimmy played a funny video of clips from family members, friends and co-workers quoting her saying the silliest things. It’s posted on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Instagram account.
April 1, 2024: Billy Crystal Pranks Cousin Micki for April Fools’ Day.
Jimmy Kimmel posted another funny video on his Instagram with this description: Cousin Micki works in the talent department here at the show and takes care of the guests when they arrive. So we came up with a little ruse and told her that Billy Crystal had to come in early to shoot a comedy bit before the show. That was actually true, but what she didn’t know is that she was in the bit too. Billy told her he got a shot at the doctor that caused him to randomly fall asleep and he needed Micki, who might be the nicest person in the world, to help keep him conscious. Jimmy also posted it on the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube Channel.
I remember this incident as if it was yesterday, even though it happened around 50 years ago. I had purchased a ticket to see a well-known rock group perform that evening at Place Des Arts, Montreal’s newest and most beautiful arts center at the time.
I had learned Transcendental Meditation a few years earlier and was conscientious about getting both 20-minute meditations in every day. The morning one was easy, but fitting in the evening session could sometimes be a bit of a challenge depending on where I was.
There was a long intermission between performances, when people could go to restrooms or get refreshments on the mezzanine. As audience members around me got up to leave, I decided to stay and do my evening meditation. I closed my eyes and meditated undisturbed. I could hear the buzz of people socializing on the other side of the closed doors to the concert hall, but it didn’t bother me.
After I finished, I went out to see what was happening. People were milling about and talking. There were several oval-shaped bars located on the floor with a few servers behind them. Some people had formed separate lines on all sides leading up to them to purchase drinks or snacks. I joined one of the lines closest to me. I felt calm, relaxed and refreshed, and was in no hurry.
We were moving slowly. Some people spoke casually among themselves. The lady in front of me was antsy. She kept looking at the barman at the front of our line serving customers, wanting him to hurry up and get to her. Frustrated, she blurted out, “He’s everywhere but in front of him.”
“He’s everywhere but in front of him.”
I looked and noticed the barman taking an order from the person in front of him. He then ran to serve a drink to someone further down the bar. Next, he gave change to a customer who had just paid for their drink from another side. He was all over the place.
After seeing how busy he was, I rearranged her words from a different perspective and said, “But everywhere is in front of him!”
“But everywhere is in front of him!”
She anxiously looked again, and this time noticed that he was trying his best to quickly serve as many people as possible. My observational joke had broken the tension. She laughed and said, “That’s a good one.”
I was just as surprised as her at what had spontaneously come out of my mouth. I smiled and said, “You like it? It’s yours.”
Visibly relaxed, she smiled and thanked me. Good thing I had done my TM! Just goes to show you the effect we can have on each other for good.
When I saw this wise cartoon by Karl Stevens on his Twitter and Instagram feeds I had to share it. I posted comments on both and Karl replied. Turns out there’s a TM connection. See our conversation below.
I was so taken with this cartoon, I had to share a comment on Twitter and on Karl’s Instagram: “Love this! So funny and so true!!”
Surprisingly, Karl replied to both! Here’s a compilation: “Thanks, Ken! By the way, (You know) I’ve been doing TM for the past 7 years. Completely changed my life for the better! Thanks for all your work.”
I’ve been doing TM for the past 7 years. Completely changed my life for the better!
I had a suspicion this may have been the case when I saw a page from Karl’s forthcoming book, Penny, A Graphic Memoir. Published by Chronicle Books, this colorful graphic novel features the philosophical and existential musings of a cat named Penny.
The original publication date of April 13 was pushed back to April 20, then May 4 because of the shipping crisis, but you can still preorder the book in Karl’s profile @karlstevens from booksellers around the world.
In this frame on his Instagram, Penny says: “No, true transcendence comes from within. There is an oasis of happiness inside of me waiting to be unlocked. I just need to find the right key.” The second frame shows the cover of this new book, his fourth.
I had asked Karl if I could post his cartoons and he replied: “You can absolutely use that Penny comic for your blog. I’ve been meaning to be more vocal regarding my TM practice. Use the links for the Penny graphic novel in my profile, and my IG and Twitter handle,” which I’ve done.
I looked up Karl Stevens’ books on Amazon, and Time Out Boston wrote on the back of his book, Failure, “Karl Stevens may be the closest thing to a Charles Bukowski equivalent working in comic art. Except Stevens is way classier….” I mentioned it to Karl and told him that Charles Bukowski had learned TM later in his life. Karl was excited to learn about this. He said when he was working on Failure, “I was struggling with alcoholism which I think was where the comparison lies. I stopped drinking a couple months before beginning to learn TM. Obviously the practice was crucial to helping me focus on living a cleaner life.”
I stopped drinking a couple months before beginning to learn TM. Obviously the practice was crucial to helping me focus on living a cleaner life.
Karl Stevens is a Boston-based comic strip artist. He’s written four graphic novels, and his comics have appeared regularly in the New Yorker, Village Voice, and Boston Phoenix. His comic strips appeared in the Boston Phoenix between 2005 and 2012. His work has been well received all around, and The Lodger was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.
UPDATE: After reading this blog post my niece found a cartoonist profile on Karl and sent it to me. He mentions his TM practice further down under Misc. It was posted May 22, 2019 on A Case For Pencils. The blog, created/edited/run by Jane Mattimoe, is a peek inside the pencil bags and minds of New Yorker cartoonists, where they talk about their art supplies and drawing process.
Cartoonists sit and concentrate on drawing for long periods of time. In that profile, Karl describes the benefits of exercise and TM. He says:
It’s important to take breaks during the day, especially exercise. At the risk of sounding like David Lynch, I would also recommend learning Transcendental Meditation. I’ve been doing it for five years, and have never felt more creative. Slacking off twice a day for 20 minutes each really does help your mind and body recharge.
Karl also recommended The Winner, published May 23, 2018. He did it after he started TM. He said, “It’s on the lighter side, basically a love letter to my wife Alex.” I took a Look inside at the book preview on Amazon and it’s beautiful! Some of the panels are like miniature paintings. I can see why this book garnered rave reviews.
When I asked Karl what or who inspired him and his wife to learn TM he said that a friend of his had started six months before they did. He also said, “it was because of David Lynch. Well, Howard Stern too. We were/are regular listeners and would hear about the benefits from him too.” I sent him a link to a conversation Howard Stern and Jerry Seinfeld had about their TM practice.
Speaking of slacking off twice a day for 20 minutes to meditate, Jim Carrey, in his 2014 Commencement address at MUM/MIU mentions a similar thing at this point in his talk. Very funny!
July 17, 2023: WBUR’s Radio Boston aired: Local artist teams up with Jamie Lee Curtis in new horror comic about climate change. Host Tiziana Dearing spoke with actress Jamie Lee Curtis, co-writer and film director Russell Goldman, comic book artist Karl Stevens, and Joel Christian Gill, inaugural chair of Boston University’s MFA program in visual narrative.
Jamie said she had this idea since she was 19 and it’s finally being realized with Russell. They came up with a script, and then reached out to Karl, who put in hundreds of hours of work giving it a shape and a direction. They worked on this graphic novel, Mother Nature, for 2 years. It comes out Aug 8, 2023. The movie is in pre-production.
Karl tweeted 4 images: Pics from San Diego Comic-Con International where @jamieleecurtis@russell_golds and I debuted our graphic novel MOTHER NATURE. It was a surreal and incredible experience. BIG thanks to @ComicsTitan for organizing it, and ALL their hard work. ❤️ ❤️
The video in the 4th panel shows Karl flipping through the pages of their newly minted graphic novel. Jamie Lee stops to ask him who that is focussing in on Cynthia, the main villain, then says, tongue-in-cheek, that “she looks a lot like someone we know.” Karl later posted it separately on his Instagram. Interestingly, one of the panels shows a character that looks like Karl. I asked him about it, but so far he hasn’t responded.
At 1:08:25 Karl discusses his morning routine, which consists of him and his wife Alex both doing Transcendental Meditation for 20 minutes, running for 5 miles, then getting ready for their day. They’ve been doing TM for 10 years now. Jim and Karl talk about the value of running for physical and mental health, especially for cartoonists who sit in a chair drawing for hours.
At 1:14:18 Karl advocates for TM and how it helps him improve his focus, increase his energy, and enhance his awareness of everything. TM rests his brain deeply and sometimes ideas come up for his work. He even sleeps better. When asked how he learned TM, Karl mentioned that he and a friend used to listen to Howard Stern who talked about it on his show, and knowing that David Lynch promoted TM as well. His friend learned first and encouraged Karl and Alex to learn, which they did. That TM section ends at 1:16:26.
August 4, 2023: LiveSigning: Jamie Lee Curtis’s Book Signing & Interview | Mother Nature. Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman, and Karl Stevens discuss the creation and evolution of their graphic novel, Mother Nature, as they sign copies, interview each other, and answer fan questions.
You can get a Hardcover Edition of “Mother Nature” with Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Goldman, and Karl Stevens’s Personal Autograph Inside Book and a Certificate of Authenticity from Premiere Collectibles.
September 23, 2023: On my way back from visiting family in Europe, then seeing Angelina Jordan at her Portsmouth, NH concert, I met Karl Stevens for lunch in Boston’s Chinatown. He took me back to his apartment where I met his cat Penny. Karl’s wife Alex arrived home later. Here is a photo of the three of them.
Karl generously gave me a signed copy of MOTHER NATURE. He then surprised me with the original print of the two dandelions he had sent to The New Yorker seen at the top of this post! He showed me the February 1, 2021 issue it was published in. I later discovered his was the 5th of 12 cartoons for that month. My commenting on it had started up our correspondence and subsequent friendship.
Karl happened to mention that David Sedaris will be promoting PENNY again on his upcoming new book tour.
A while back, Karl had offered to donate some of his original prints to an upcoming DLF fundraising event, so I connected him with one of the organizers. When I asked him what had happened to them he said that Jamie Lee Curtis, or her husband Christopher Guest, had made a generous donation for them. A fan of Karl’s work, Jamie was happy to receive the prints and support the work of the David Lynch Foundation.
In his Introduction to a 2008 cartoon collection by The New York Times bestselling artist Harry Bliss, Death by Laughter, Christopher Guest mentions his love of cartoons. “My wife and I have been collecting originals for more than twenty years. We have a gallery of the Greats, and among them is the work of Harry Bliss.” Several of Karl’s cartoons are included in that special collection, so he’s in good company!
I recently saw some of Karl’s New Yorker cartoons in the Condé Nast Store. I cracked up when I saw the one from the classic film Casablanca, where Humphrey Bogart’s character Rick Blaine looks forlorn sitting at the bar with a drink in his hand saying, “Alexa, play ‘As Time Goes By.’” It’s so funny, so good, blending an iconic film character from the 40’s with today’s technology! Clever! And done with superb artistry!
Speaking of Jamie Lee Curtis, Karl said she bought this Bogart cartoon independent of the DLF contribution. “It’s how I got to know her, and she was just being nice by donating to the foundation.” You never know how one thing will eventually lead to another unexpected opportunity—an invitation to collaborate on a graphic novel with a famous Hollywood actor and author. Who also happened to be an all-round great person.
Laughter is the best gift we can give each other during these stressful times. A friend sent out several humorous videos with holiday wishes. One, to me, was the funniest. It reminded me of earlier times around the family dinner table. Maybe not as extreme, but that’s where the humor lies, by making us laugh at ourselves through exaggeration.
Here’s the hilarious short video CBC Comedy posted from 22 Minutes: How to deal with dietary restrictions at Christmas dinner. Catering Christmas dinner to everyone’s diet can be a difficult task these days. Luckily, there are some easy solutions.
Cartoons that make us laugh at ourselves are the funniest and wisest. Here’s one I found that caught me by surprise. As soon as I read the second line of the quote below the image I could not stop laughing. Even now, when I think of it, I chuckle to myself. It says a lot!
It was posted on Narrative Magazine‘s Instagram page. The signature at the bottom suggested Sipress. I searched on Instagram and found David Sipress. He’s another cartoonist published in The New Yorker cartoons. I’d seen his work before and think he is a brilliant commentator on life, pointing out the crazy humor in current affairs.
A Case For Pencils interviewed him about his work. They include a link to an audio of him talking about cartoons while taking a yoga class. They also embed a video of a lecture he gave at Williams College Alumni Reunion 2008: Illustrator and cartoonist David Sipress, Class of 1968, discusses the art of cartooning and The New Yorker.
The cartoon at the top of this post on my favorite romantic movies is where we go to keep learning our life’s lessons. Towards the bottom of that same post I inserted a related New Yorker cartoon by Roz Chast that perfectly reminds me of Bill Murray waking up each morning in the brilliant little film, Ground Hog Day, but with a twist!
Rick Hotton, creator of the award-winning cartoon Holy Molé, opens our hearts and minds with insightful humor. Speaking of interfacing with reality through computers instead of our own eyes, this cartoon make us laugh realizing there’s more to life when we’re truly present.
For anyone who’s gone through a breakup, or the traumatic loss of a loved one during these tough times of COVID-19, forest fires, and other natural catastrophes, this nostalgic song by Colin Hay may move you to tears. That kind of cathartic experience, acknowledging and feeling the loss, may help in the healing of it, relieving some of the grief over time.
I first heard I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You in the Garden State soundtrack. A while back a friend posted it on her Instagram. I listened to several YouTube videos of him singing it, along with other great songs, and funny stories he shares with audiences during his shows.
You can see the lyrics and history of the song here. It was re-released on Transcendental Highway and posted on his YouTube channel. It has a softer, quieter feel to it, especially the ending, compared to these more powerful live performances on Paste, and more recently on eTown. I’ll embed it here, but I recommend hearing all 3 selections.
I discovered that Colin Hay had been part of the world-famous Australian musical phenomenon, Men At Work in the early 80’s. Their first massive hit, Down Under, was heard everywhere for months. Hay was their lead singer, guitarist, and main songwriter. After the band broke up, a few members at a time, and their label dropped him, a downward spiral into addiction followed. His wife left him. He would eventually seek help and attempt to launch his musical career as a solo artist with not much luck.
He moved to LA and became the first musician to play at Largo, a new club frequented by people in the entertainment business. He soon gained a following, was discovered and produced. What helped relaunch his career was when Scrubs star Zach Braff encouraged producer Bill Lawrence to see him perform at the club. Bill’s wife, Christa Miller, had already become a fan earlier on and was always raving about him.
Zach asked Colin if he could use one of his songs for a movie he was making. The Garden State film and soundtrack would become a huge hit, which included, “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You”. The CD went platinum, which also put Hay’s music out there in a very big way. The TV show, movie and CD introduced him to a much larger, younger audience. It changed everything for him. He had paid his dues and humbly moved into one of the most stable and rewarding phases of his career. He also married singer Cecilia Noël, who often provides backup vocals at his shows. Noël has also helped with production on Hay’s solo albums.
Colin Hay: Waiting For My Real Life
In 2015, an independent documentary film was made about him, appropriately titled: Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life. See a comprehensive Summary posted on IMDb. Updated notes below contain links to watch the film on Amazon Prime (2016) and on YouTube (2023).
‘Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life’ is the story of singer-songwriter Colin Hay, former front-man of Men At Work. We follow Hay from his earliest days in Scotland, through his family’s emigration to Australia, to the massive, worldwide success of his band, to the depths of addiction and failure, to a slow climb back up the ladder seeking relevance, artistic freedom and ultimately, transcendence. Featuring interviews with Hugh Jackman, Mick Fleetwood, Sia Furler, Guy Pearce and many others, ‘Colin Hay – Waiting For My Real Life’ is the inspiring story of a true artist.
In the film Hay says, “Creativity is my salvation, and going out on the road.” Performing his music in front of appreciative live audiences feeds his soul. “It’s clean, it’s pure,” he says. “It has to do with connecting with people, you know.” He says he keeps touring because, “It makes me feel useful.” It also gives him a natural high, a healthier kind of addiction.
His artistry has staying power. One musician in the film says his music is intergenerational: his millennial fans don’t remember him from Men At Work, and the boomers don’t know him from Scrubs. American actress Wendie Malick says he’s the best living troubadour today. I agree. Plus, he looks like a man at peace with himself. Colin concludes, “Everybody has to find their place in this expanding universe. This is my place.”
Playing with Ringo Starr
Colin Hay met two Beatles and played with one of them. In 2008 he toured with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band. Hay performed his classic hit Down Under with the band during a show at the Greek Theatre in LA. Be sure to watch the final 15 seconds where after the show Ringo says to Colin, “I really laid it on you on that song ‘cuz you thought you were doing it all. There’s a solo coming!” He imitates Colin, ‘Okay.'” Colin smiles and says, “I was good though.” Ringo exclaims, “You were great!” He laughs and repeats ‘I was good though’ to one of the musicians next to him. Colin laughs with Ringo who loudly claps his hands twice.
Colin performed on several tours with Ringo and his All Starr Band. Click to see another great performance of Colin Hay singing Down Under with Ringo and a different combination of his All Starr Band, including a flutist, and Sheila E as the other drummer!
Hanging out with Paul McCartney
In addition to being a great guitarist-singer-songwriter, Colin Hay is a very funny storyteller. The most fascinating and hilarious story is meeting his childhood idol, Sir Paul McCartney. He relates occasions when Paul and his then wife Heather came to hear him perform, once just himself, another time with his band. After the concert Paul was backstage at the bar and invited the whole band to join him. He holds court for an hour. Then it’s just Paul and Colin. After an awkward silence, Colin asks him what he’s in LA for, and Paul tells him he’s finishing a record. Colin remarks, “Oh, a bit different from the old days, eh, making a record?” And Paul proceeded to tell him what it was like in the old days. Colin tells the audience: “And I could have stood there all night.”
Paul would pick up John and together they’d finish the new song he played for him as they sat in the upper deck of the bus on the way to the studio. When they arrived, George and Ringo were already there. Paul would show it to them, George would figure out the chords, and Ringo would tap out the rhythm. Then a man in a white lab coat would come in and say, “Right, you’re up lads.” They’d record two songs, break for lunch and a smoke, then record two more, with few takes.
Paul then tells Colin he and Heather would like to come over to Colin’s house for dinner. That part of the story is priceless! The audience loved it, as did I. You will too. It’s the preamble to him singing the title song of his reissued 2001 album, Going Somewhere, which Paul and Heather loved, and added to their rotation of favorite songs. It also contains the bonus track, I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You, which prompted this now ongoing blog post. Enjoy!
Update: The original video was taken down, so I found two others. Part 1 below starts the story when Paul had begun dating Heather, and Part 2 continues it, which starts at 5:50, years later just before he divorced her.
How Colin Hay writes his songs
CNN’s Brooke Baldwin interviewed Colin Hay on the occasion of his 11th solo album, Gathering Mercury, which was partly influenced by the death of his father in 2010. The discussion came around to how Colin writes his songs. I found this part of the interview fascinating.
When writing songs he says he likes to have as empty a mind as possible. Time is important to give himself enough time to fail. He describes a scene where he’s all alone for 3 or 4 hours without any distractions just sitting around with his acoustic guitar doing nothing, just idling, coming up with musical ideas.
He uses the image of a revolving door in a hotel lobby. If a bunch of bags are stacked up and it’s chaotic, there’s all this noise and bustle, any idea that comes in would turn around and go out the door. But if it’s quiet, and there’s a nice fountain, it may stick around for him to discover and turn it into a song.
Brooke asks him where he was when he wrote, Waiting for my Real Life to Begin. She quotes a section of the song: “And you say, just be here now. Forget about the past, your mask is wearing thin. Let me throw one more dice, I know that I can win. I’m waiting for my real life to begin.”
He describes how his song-writing buddy and drummer, Tom Mooney, had come over to his house. He asked him how he was doing, and he mumbled that he was waiting for his real life to begin. Tom left to do something else and Colin said it sparked what he had been thinking about. “It opened up a door.” It was the catalyst. The melody came, then the words. He wrote the song in 30-45 minutes.
Colin had moved to California to leave his old life behind in Melbourne, where he drank a lot, hung out with crazy people, thought about the past, and worried about the future. “Very rarely do we be where we are.” Brooke asks him if he does now and he answers that he’s learning. But when he does, “it can be quite profound; it can be life-changing.”
Coming full circle
I’ll leave you with this beautiful song, A Thousand Million Reasons, from Colin Hay’s 2017 solo release Fierce Mercy, his 13th. On the Track-By-Track Colin explains the song is about not letting fear rule your life and how to find meaning in the fact that although we may be alone, we are all alone together.
Friday, Oct 25, 2019: I saw this funny short video clip on Twitter today. Don’t know where its origin but it’s very clever. John Buchanan tweeted it as a bit of Friday fun. I agreed and shared it with my mailing list. It’s so good I decided to post it for others to enjoy. Wait for it. Sound on.
PS: I had emailed it with my own subject heading—Ever forget where you parked your car? How about your burro? I was going to use that for the blog post title, along with—There’s one way to find out. But I decided to not give anything away, and to just let viewers innocently find out what was going on for themselves. The unexpected ending was hilarious!
The Uncarved Blog 