In the U.K., one must pay one's Road Tax, which is a tax for driving one's car. This has been suggested for California but I suspect we'll see a tax on breathing in this state before we see one on driving.
Anyway, across the pond they not only collect this tax, they do clever commercials to encourage folks to come across with their fees. Here's one that uses a tune that regular readers of this blog are probably sick of by now. Thanks to Tony Redman for the tip.
Bob Eckstein discusses the demise of his career as a freelance cartoonist. If everything he'd submitted had been as entertaining as this piece, he wouldn't have had to write this piece.
Here is my one Karl Malden anecdote. It's about ten, twelve years ago. I'm directing a voice session for the Garfield cartoon show. I'm sitting at the little console and the actors are in another room, visible through a large glass window. When I wish to speak to them, I push a button on the console and they can hear me. One of the actors in there is Howard Morris, beloved character actor better known to some of you as Atom Ant, Ernest T. Bass, Uncle Goopy, Jet Screamer, Jughead Jones, the Qantas Koala, Wade Duck or dozens of other roles he played.
So I'm fumbling through the script and a man in a suit and tie comes in from the hallway and, ever so politely, he says "I'm sorry to intrude but could I just take a moment and say hello to my friend Howie?" It's Karl Malden. He was recording something in the next studio and someone told him Howie Morris was in with us. I tell him he's more than welcome, whereupon he hits the little button and says, over my microphone, "Howie? It's Karl Malden!"
Howie looks through the glass, sees Malden and says, "Karl! Still foolin' 'em?"
Karl grins and says, "Still foolin' 'em!"
Howie, who is about the size of Karl Malden's nose, runs out of the booth. They embrace. They discuss how each has aged since their last encounter. Howie itemizes his marriages and divorces since then. Karl says, "You're working. I don't want to take you away from that." He hugs Howie again and moves towards the door.
Howie yells, "Keep foolin' 'em!"
Malden laughs, promises to keep foolin' 'em and then he leaves and we go back to work.
That's my one Karl Malden anecdote. Sorry it isn't better because a guy with his body of acclaimed acting work deserves better. But it's the only one I've got.
Todd Purdum writes one of those articles about how unfit Sarah Palin is to be a crossing guard, let alone holder of a high office. What's interesting about this one is that it seems to be based on interviews with folks high in the McCain campaign who were appalled at the person they had on their ticket.
July 2, 2009
