Tips To Make It Big As A Stand Up Comedian
Posted on 07. Jan, 2010 by Hank Evans in Comedy
A stand-up comedian is a performer who performs for a live audience with the aid of a microphone. To become one, you should have the ability to make an audience laugh. You have to be smart, witty and full of guts to be able to go onstage and create a comical atmosphere.
To be a professional comedian the first thing that you should remember is to always carry a notepad wherever you go. Write down every idea that will come across your mind, or perhaps use a voice recorder. Do not assume that you can recall random ideas all the time.
Write whatever you think is funny, but do not restrict your creativity on writing for a character. When you are on stage just be yourself and let your own character come to life as you deliver your jokes and it will just come out naturally. Never set foot onstage not knowing what to say or where to begin. Remember that in comedy, timing is everything. You will also need to master your ad lib in case you suddenly forget your script. This will make you save yourself from embarrassment. Even your mistakes will be funny.
Another must do before taking the stage is to know the type of audience you will be performing for. This way you’ll be able to adjust your style and your antics accordingly. One thing that you must not do is acting like you are better than them; this only creates a negative impression.
Keep in mind that even before you start opening your mouth, your audience may already have formed an opinion about you, but don’t let it intimidate you. Approach the crowd with extreme confidence but without appearing showy. Take control of the situation and make your audience feel relaxed and comfortable.
When performing more than once a week on the same venue, always try new materials and tell your joke completely in a different style and manner. Avoid using repetitive materials again and again until the audience can recite your script and get bored. Do not be afraid to try various styles because through this, you will evolve as a good comedian. Try to make a joke out of everything that you can. If you look funny even in the smallest of the situation, you will never be out of material for your act.
Always take control of your audience and avoid having it the other way around because you will never get it back and it will be damaging on your part. If something is not working, move on and make adjustments on the spot to fit your audience.
As you can see, to be a stand up comedian is not as easy as you may think. As with everything else, you need to practice and practice and to study hard. Be patient in doing these things and you’ll reap the rewards in due time.
What Happened to Google’s 10-to-the-100th Project?
Posted on 12. Sep, 2009 by Simon Banks in Hot Topics, Offbeat
But what has happened to the vision of making the world a better place since that time?
Originally, Google was going to go through all the submission and narrow the entries down to the top 100 ideas. Then, those ideas were going to be posted for the public to vote on, narrowing the list to the top 20. Out of those twenty submissions, Google was once again going to have a separate panel to chose the top five.
Those five entries (or less, if there weren’t five good ideas) would divide $10 Million dollars to help them get started in making their inventions a reality.
The initial announcement of the first 100 ideas was to be make available for public voting in January 2009. The deadline came and went and an update was posted on the official “Project 10 to the 100th” web site. The said to stay tuned, due to the overwelming response they had to move the project date to March 17, 2009. They had received over 100,000 responses.
March finally arrived and the only thing that had changed was the number of entry responses counted – it had now reached 150,000! That was six months ago.
Google! America is waiting! The world is waiting to read, hear and see some of those brilliant ideas that have been submitted from around the world.
CIDA News – The Peoples News: We have brought you several of the 30 second entries that were placed on Youtube.com. If you had an idea, you also had the opportunity to create a 30 second video describing your project. We have posted a small selection of those that we have found.
Google Project 10^100: econvert
Honeycomb House – Thinking Outside the Box
Sabrina 2008 “Google Project 10^100th
We are interested in your ideas and helping you get the recognition that you deserve. Google got you thinking – now, keep the ball rolling. What is your vision and how would you implement it if you had the chance?
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A Medieval Knight’s Tale in Norman
Posted on 09. Apr, 2009 by Goode Fellow in Local, Offbeat
“The Medieval Fair of Norman was the first medieval or renaissance fair in the state and is one of a few FREE medieval fairs in the nation!”; according to Dennis ‘Magic‘ Miller, proprietor of ‘Regal Boots & Leather‘ located at the 33rd annual Medieval Fair in Norman, Oklahoma.
It is rare that you can find such fun and entertainment for free anywhere in the country – let alone something this big. But the entrance fee to the renaissance, or better to say – Medieval Fair of Norman, Oklahoma is just that – free to the public. And what a great time is was!
Kings and Queens, Knights & Jesters were out in full regalia during this three day event which brings out tens-of-thousands of people. Saturday proved to be the best day for chivalry & mayhem with temperatures reaching into the 80’s.
Events of the Day
My day started out early because I had heard that this medieval event was very busy and parking would be a problem later in the day. So, in order to get a feel for the event – I donned my pirate’s bandanna, a sash like the kind Porthos wore in the movie “The Three Musketeers”, and I wore a wooden short sword (which my son let me borrow). Not exactly the best costume – but I figured that it would do in a pinch.
Oh, and by the way – costumes are not required – but they are fun!
Since I arrived early, I was able to look around a little before the crowds arrived, and believe me – they did arrive. There were vendors and booths of everything relating to medieval times (and some things not related to medieval times), that you could imagine.
One of the first shoppes that I checked out was called “Renscout’s Roost – Medieval Knives and Swords“, and I was very impressed by the selection of knives, swords and daggers available. There were recreated swords of Excalibur, Robin Hood’s sword, the sword of William Wallace, and what is believed to be the sword of King Conan. I had an opportunity to speak with Mark Cress the owner and he told me that they do the renaissance fair every year and that it is always a great time. Their office is located locally in Moore, Oklahoma and if you would like more information about their company or products, you can visit their website at: Renscout.com. It has a sampling of their many products available for viewing.
Another booth that caught my attention was a leather goods booth called: “Regal Boots & Leather”, makers of fine Italian leather medieval boots, pirate boots, all styles of renaissance boots, leather vambraces, leather baldrics, manacles and an assortment of accessories. The owner – Dennis ‘Magic’ Miller, who came down from Ohio, travels the United States year round working the renaissance and medieval faires. Regal Boots & Leather can be reached online at: Regalboots.com
Primitive Origins – This shop was another unique booth that captured my attention (see pictures below). The owner makes dragons as you can see and the designs and details were exquisite. Even if you are not into dragons you can appreciate the craftsmanship of these beauties. Unfortunately they do not have a website but they do travel to quite a few medieval fairs throughout the country and especially in the northern Midwest (because the come from Minnesota), or you can email them at: primitiveorigins@frontiernet.net
Photo Gallery
Here are just a few pictures from Saturday’s event. Click on the photos for larger images.
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- Seasoned Warrior and Up-and-coming Warrior
National Brother’s Day – March 13th
Posted on 13. Mar, 2009 by Goode Fellow in Local, Offbeat, U.S.
National Brother's Day
Since 2005, National Brother’s Day has been gaining recognition across the United States. Starting out in Las Vegas, Nevada by three young boys who wanted to have a special day for each other, it has spread like a prairie wildfire across Oklahoma and as far north as Wisconsin.
What is National Brother’s Day?
According to one source it is:
…is a day for brothers to spend extra time together and thank God for Brothers. It is a great time to do something extra and let your brother know you care. Go to a movie together, call your brother – something above and beyond – like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day except Brother-to-Brother or Sister-to-Brother.
National Brother’s Day was founded in 2005 by three young brothers, ages 2, 5 & 7, who wanted to do something special for each other. The first Brother’s Day was spent historically at “Build – a – Bear” in Las Vegas, NV.
Do you go to Build-a-Bear every year? No, they told us: “Last year we made a field trip to the “Valley of Fire” and before that we took a special trip to the “Bellagio” garden and to watch the water show”.
Well it sounds like they have some pretty exciting adventures.
So if you have a brother – give him a call, let him know you are thinking of him. Perhaps it is a good day to play that round of golf you have been putting off – do something unexpected, go beyond the normal and let your brother know you care.
Happy National Brother’s Day
How to Find a Man in a Down Economy? Advertise!
Posted on 04. Feb, 2009 by Kirsten Daly in Comedy, Odd Stuff
My time clock is ticking - could you be Mr. Right?
If you can’t get the man to come to you – go to where the men are! And that is exactly what Amy Borkowsky did during the Superbowl this year.With a captive audience of over 6o million, she took out a singles ad during the Superbowl.
A three million dollar man! What a great way to boost the economy and find Mr. Right. For your sake Amy, we hope that he is worth it.
What am I talking about? A Superbowl ad looking for a husband – Mr. Right (Sunday coach potato, beer drinking (honey, will you get me another beer), football watching man). Where is your dignity girl?
Amy! What are you thinking? Just because you have a captive audience does not mean that you are in front of the ‘créme de la créme’. You may have just gotten yourself in front of 60 million, stereotypical Sunday afternoon football watchers – well, if you like football, that may not be a bad thing.
Fourth & Ten, 90 yards to go, 10 seconds left - Go For It!
But then again – that was a gutsy move and an inspiration for women everywhere. I wish I would have thought of something like that, (maybe on a slightly smaller scale) only a little sooner. It was bold and brash (with just a hint of desperation). It shows creative thinking and the willingness to go the distance. It is like being on the one yard line of the opposing team, its fourth down and ninety-nine yards to go with 9 seconds left on the clock and you are losing by six.
You go for it!
Any man watching the Superbowl would see the genius and focus of a person who has a goal and the plan to execute that goal. A visionary who thinks outside the box and oh yes, a great sense of humor.
What kind of man is Amy really hoping to find?
He has to be breathing! That is the main criteria. Amy describes him best:
Amy would like her Mr. Right to have a creative side, too, though he doesn’t have to be a writer or an artist; “I wouldn’t rule out a creative accountant,” she says, “unless his creativity resulted in federal charges.” Though she tries to get on the treadmill a few times a week, the fit Manhattanite says she’s definitely no athlete and wouldn’t be a match for anyone who expects his partner to join him in adventure sports like scuba diving or bungee jumping. “One of the sexiest things a guy could wear is a tight-fitting seat belt,” says the risk-averse woman who claims her list of favorite movies includes the airline safety video.
Quirky, slender, tallish and funny – so why isn’t Amy married?
Like a lot of ambitious women, Borkowsky says she spent her early single years focused on her career, first as an advertising writer, eventually transitioning to performing comedy and penning humor books.
Should anyone be surprised by a singles ad at the Superbowl? Not really! In today’s world of virgins (right!) selling their virginity in online auctions from a Nevada brothel to finding that perfect Mr. Right during the Superbowl – we have clearly seen what the power of advertising can do.
If you would like to find out more about Amy Borkowsky, her humor and her plight to find a husband – visit her web site at: SuperbowlSingleGirl.com
Google – 10 to the 100th Project – Voting Day has Changed
Posted on 27. Jan, 2009 by M.L. Zupan in Food & Drink, Hot Topics, Offbeat
On Jan. 26, 2009, we posted an article entitled: Google 10 to the 100th Project, in which we informed you that Today is the day when the general public would get the chance to vote on their favorite project to help the world.
Due to the unprecedented amount of responses to the 10 to the 100th project – Google has changed their voting day until March 17th, 2009.
Over 100,000 contestants have submitted ideas to help as many people as possible. Ideas have been submitted from all over the world.
The project; 10 to the 100th; was initiated on Google’s 10th birthday in Sept. 2008. The 10-to-the-100th idea comes from what a google is. That is how many zeros are behind the one (one hundred) in order to make a googol, which is a mathematical term. In Google’s effort to stimulate the economy, encourage visionary thinking, and promote a broader world view and world involvement, they are giving away $10 million dollars to the top 5 entries to jumpstart those ideas (like an angel investor) that could help and change the lives of as many people as possible.
So for those of you who did not have a chance to register to vote – now is your opportunity. You could make a difference in someone’s life and help them make a difference in the lives of many.
If you are involved in this Google Project, and you are someone who has submitted an idea – send us some information about yourself and a brief summary about your project and we will spotlight it here on CIDA News.
Stay Tuned – Upcoming articles, I will be writing about Googlomics (Google’s Business Economics); Job Hunter, Mismanagement of Big Companies; & When Poor Management Gets Awarded
Comments are welcome – please keep comments relevant to the article.
Google 10 to the 100th Project
Posted on 26. Jan, 2009 by M.L. Zupan in Feature, Hot Topics, Offbeat
Don’t forget to sign up to vote!
Don't Forget to Vote - Mar. 17, 2009
***** Update to this post: The date for voting has changed to March 17th, 2009. See “Google Project 10 to-the 100th” update article for more details. Otherwise all information remains the same. *****
Did you ever notice… how news has a way of recycling? If we could only be so efficient with our energy solutions, and waste reduction programs – but that is a topic for another day.
Today, is once again about Google. In Sept. 2008; on their 10 year anniversary; Google decided to do something good for the economy by creating a contest for $10 million dollars to five people who could come up with the best, innovative ideas on how to “make the world a better place”. It is called: Project10tothe100.com.
These were not just vague ideas and flights of fancy. These ideas were to be the founding stone to try to implement your idea and get the ball rolling to actually try to make the world a better place.
The main idea, in order to be able to enter the submission process, was that your idea had to help as many people as possible.
January 27th, 2009 – Voting Day
Now, here is the exiting part. After a month of submitting ideas; and by the way, Google as indicated that they have had over 100,000 great ideas submitted for this contest; a selection of Google employees have been going over all of those ideas in order to narrow the list down to 100 submissions. Of those 100 people selected, starting Jan. 27th, 2009, Google will post those ideas on their web site for public consideration.
The top 100 ideas will be voted on by You! After the voting process, the top 20 semi-finalists will then go the an advisory board for the final selection of the top 5 winners – each receiving $2,000,000 to jump-start their projects.
What Can You Do To Get Involved?
You can go to Project 10-to-the-100th web site and register today to vote. Never before has one vote meant so much to so many.
These ideas in categories such as:
- Community
- Opportunity
- Energy
- Environment
- Health
- Education
- Shelter
- Everything else
This will literally effect millions of people – and you can be a part of that. Just like the voting process in the United States where one vote can make a difference – so here it is the same, your vote will make a difference!
