The other night, I was watching a documentary on HBO about Don Rickles and I heard something which is sticking with me and I don't know why.

 One the people they had comment on Rickles was another comedian named Christopher Guest. He used to be on Saturday Night Live and has appaeared in several movies. In this documentary on Rickles, Guest gave a quote, the words were something like this; "Trying to figure out why things are funny is a dangerous business."

 I thought that was amazingly interesting. At first I asked myself "Why would that be dangerous?" but I think I have it figured out now and I think Chris Guest is right.

 Humor, like everything else in life, is personal and acquired. What is funny to me may not be funny to you and so on and so forth. But why it's dangerous cuts, I think, on this. You see someone fall down a set of stairs. One person laughs, the other person doesn't. What does that say? Is the person who laughed heartless and willing to humor himself at the expense of someone else? Is the person who didn't laugh a sourpuss or someone who doesn't have a sense of humor. Using that one example, you can see how generalities can be formed about a person and how it can make someone look good or bad as a result.

 I love to laugh and to make other people laugh. Although when I tell a joke, more times than not it's just me who ends up laughing, but that's another story for another time.

 When really hits me about this is I ended up having a serious internal discussion with myself based on something I heard on a documentary about Don Rickles. Again with the humor thing; there are things he says and in the privacy of my home I laugh uproariously. But with other people around would I do the same? Depends on who I was with.

 A quick side note: I used to live in Las Vegas and would often see Don Rickles on the marquee at the Stardust. I always wanted to go see his show but never did. Now I'm not sure if I ever will. A little testament to the idea that if you're going to do something, do it sooner rather than later, while you still have the chance.

 Quote Of The Day: "Defining and analyzing humor is a pastime of humorless people." Robert Benchley

 This Day In History: Idaho became the 43rd state in the United States on this date, July 3rd, 1890.

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 I am often amused by all of these "Do It Yourself" shows on television. Amused because these shows make it appear that anyone with a hammer and a nail can repair just about anything at anytime; no training or skill needed.

 Yeah right.

 This past weekend is a perfect example as to why I should not be consulted, considered or otherwise made a part of any home remodeling project. Years ago, when I would try and help my Grandpa around the house, the partnership would usually last just a few minutes; about the time he would ask for a straight edge screwdriver and I would hand him a Phillips head..for the fifth time.

 Mandy and I were hanging some drapes in Austin's room. Nice, room darkening drapes. We had to affix the a curtain rod to the wall. One lousy rod. How tough can it be?

 Well, the top of the rod coupling got in the way of the drill bit we were using, so we had to drill in at an angle. The screw we were using was such that trying to turn it with a manual screwdriver would have resulted in blisters and no measurable progress for the project. So it had to be a drill. So I grabbed the drill, put the bit in the screw head, hit the trigger and drove the screw about 80% into the wall. Then I stripped the head of the screw and it stopped moving. Most of the way in the wall, part of the way out and the rod coupling was not flush with the wall. Just kind of hanging there loose.

 "What did you do?" I heard from behind me.

 "What I usually do." I replied, meaning messed something up with whatever we were working on. There's no need to speak in code. We've been together 12 years. She knows I'm pretty much useless when it comes to fixing things. So then she gets upset with me, tells me to give her the drill. I do. She realizes the screw head is stripped. Finally, we got in all the way into the wall through the use of another screwdriver, a hammer, some fists, chicken wire...whatever was around.

 But I just wish my wife would stop coming up with projects for us to mess up. At some point, we're going to do something which will hurt the value of the house. You think I'm kidding. I'm not. Me working around the home on a fix it up kind of basis is like trying to drive a nail into a wall using a fish. Why do it?

 I'm sure by tomorrow Mandy will have cooked something else up for us to do. I sure hope not. She must be an eternal optimist or something.

 Quote Of The Day: "I'm just telling you, if we buy them we're having them installed." Brian Allen to Mandy Allen while discussing the idea of buying new ceiling fans.

 This Day In History: President James Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau on this date, July 2nd, 1881. Garfield would later die from his injuries on September 19th.

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 I know it sounds off, but I think I may be a tornado magnet.

 Long time readers of this column know that at the end of May, I found myself just miles away from the tornado which hit and partially destroyed the community of Parkersburg, Iowa; I was so close that the winds from the outflow boundary of the storm nearly rolled the minivan I was driving at the time.

 Well, this past Friday, it happened again.

 I had the day off so Mandy, the boys and I went to Omaha for a quick trip to the Zoo, some quick shopping (though not as fast as I would like) and some lunch at the Old Market Spaghetti Works (always good).

 Well, it wass during the shopping portion of the expedition when we ran into some tornado trouble.

 Mandy and Austin were grabbing something quick from a store. Cameron and I were in the Food Court of the Oak View Mall when I called Derick Fabert to see how the weather was going to be for the drive home. He told me Omaha was under a storm warning for a storm which was producing winds up to 90 miles an hour. Just as he said that, Mall Security came over the loud speaker telling everyone to go to the storm shelter on the lowest floor of the mall. At this point I'm thinking "You gotta be kidding me". Before we headed for the Mall Storm Shelter, I looked out the doors of the Food Court. The sky was BLACK and the winds were howling. The early edge of the storm was striking! We got down into the shelter. I was waiting to see what was going to happen. Mandy was nearly having a panic attack. Cameron was just looking around and Austin was having the time of his life! Once the storm passed, we went outside. Gutters were overflowing from all the rain. Off to the East, the black clouds continued to move. We turned on KFAB Radio and listened to all the storm reports, Trees and power lines were down everywhere.

 Here's the thing; the National Weather Service in Omaha is just referring to this storm as a wind event; not a tornado. Do me a favor: go to KETV.COM (ABC station in Omaha) and near the bottom of their home page is a link which says "June 27th Storm Slide Show". Look at the pics of the storm and tell me it wasn't a tornado.

 As one of my friends said in an email; "The Allens sure know how to enjoy a day off."

 Quote Of The Day: "Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good; try to use ordinary situations." Jean Paul Richter

 This Day In History: Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders fought the battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War on this date, July 1st, 1898.

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 Yesterday, my yougest son Cameron turned 1 year old. We had a small family birthday party at the house, followed by a trip to Sunday night church and then a small grill out afterwards again at home.

 Usually I don't tape these video blogs when I do them, but I am taping this one and I will save it on DVD for Cameron to watch in later years. It will probably embarass him but it's the type of thing a Dad does when he loves his son.

 So here we go.

 Cameron, you are a joy to your mother, brother and myself. Right now, at age one, you're hitting the age where your personality is starting to shine through. Your smile and little laugh tells us you're going to be a good natured kid. We love watching you crawl and we're getting ready to watch you take your first steps whenever you want to take them. Right now you scoot around a lot on your rear end which gets you around, but walking is faster and you're getting ready, we can tell.

 We are so glad you are part of our family. Something happened when you were born. When it was just Mom, me and Austin we were a good solid little family but there was something missing and that was you. It became clear when you came into the world and let out your first little cry that we were now as we were intended to be: a little fantastic four all to ourselves.

 As you get older, life will get more challening. Pretty soon you'll be going to school. I hope you enjoy learning and I hope you develop a love of books. The written word really is something else. Mom and I will always watch over you and help you and we're teaching Austin to be the type of big brother that protects his little brother as opposed to beating him up for fun.

 Cameron, we love you so very much. You're quickly transforming from a little baby to a toddler before our eyes. You still like to sit in the rocking chair with Dad but I know the day is coming when you won't want to so I'm savoring all the moments I can now. You are such a treasure and I am so very happy to be your Dad.

 Happy Birthday Cameron!

 Quote Of The Day: "The time not to become a father is 18 years before a war." E.B. White

 This Day In History: A powerful explosion from an unknown cause rocked the Tunquska Basin in eastern Siberia, flattening hundreds of square miles of forest and resulting in tremors that could be felt hundreds of miles away, on this date, June 30th, 1908.

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 A couple of days ago, there was a drug bust at a home in our neighborhood. It surprised us for a moment before we were brought back to the reality that drugs can hit home anywhere at anyone. They are now that common in our society that to not think they're not in your neighborhood might a little naive.

 I've been the news business a long time; nearly 20 years. It takes a lot to surprise me or get me agitated. And this drug bust close to home, while it got my attention, didn't overly bother me. Until after the fact. When I learned that my wife was scared to death at seeing 7 to 8 Sioux Falls Police cars down the road, wondering what was happening so close to home. When I heard Austin ask me about "bad people" living so close to us and would we get hurt? Would the police be there to protect us? Would there always be police officers driving the neighborhood? It really hit Mandy and Austin hard. And because of that, now it is starting to hit me hard.

 Mandy's fears are justified and she knows the realities of life. She is going to be a little more cautious and oberservant in the neighborhood now as a result. As always, it's the questions from kids that are the hardest to hear and the hardest to answer. I am going to have to try and explain to him that people who use drugs aren't necessarily bad but that they are sick and need help. I have to try and tell him that having police in the neighborhood is a good thing because they're looking out for us. But Austin is so young that when he sees a "black and white" police car, he sees it in a "black and white" kind of way. Good and bad. Right and wrong. I want him to see life like that but not be scared about it. Little lessons I will have to teach him and Cameron.

 One of the reasons Mandy and I left Las Vegas is because we weren't sure we wanted to raise Austin in a city where crime was common and where strip clubs and casinos were nearly on every corner. We wanted to protect him from society as long as possible. Judging from his questions, his reactions and yes, his little bit of fear, we were successful in protecting him for just about four years.

 Quote Of The Day: "There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in." Graham Greene

 This Day In History: President John Kennedy have his, "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner) speech in West Berlin, Germany on this date, June 26th, 1963.

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 It probably seems odd that a person would get a little sentimental over a pool table. But that's what's happening to me right now.

 A little background: the recent torrential rains caused some water to gush up into the basement of my Mom's house in Des Moines, Iowa. This is the house I grew up in. It really freaked her out and now she wants to get rid of everything in the basement so if it ever happens again, there will be literaly nothing down there to get wet.

 This includes a pool table. It's a standard looking pool table. Probably made in the 1960's with a metal frame, a green velet top and plastic pocket liners that make a neat clicking noise when you hit the ball "just right". The pool table is a family gem. My great-grandfather played on that table, as did my grandfather and grandmother and my mother. My grandfather taught me how to play on that pool table with a pool stick he custom made by cutting a normal sized pool cue in half, then filling the end with melted lead to provide a shorter stick, perfect size for a kid, with just enough weight to allow me to shoot and make shots.

 I spent a lot of hours around that pool table. My grandfather started to teach me how to play when I was about four years old. I remember having to stand on chairs to make shots. It took me YEARS before I finally could beat my Grandfather. He never took it easy on me. He played me to the best of his abilitiy until I could beat him using the best of my ability. That night my victory howl could have been heard in the Phillipines. I think I was nine years old before I finally beat him. The following years it was a constant battle back and forth between him and me. There was a 55 year age difference between me and my grandfather. We had few things in common. That pool table was one of them.

 So now, years later, my mom tells me that either I have to take the pool table or she is going to get rid of it. I don't know that I have room for it in my house. I suppose I could set it up in the garage, but other than that I don't know. However, the idea of that pool table leaving our family just doesn't seem acceptable. So now I face a decision of what to do and how to do it. I talked on the phone with my Mom today and told her how I feel about it. But she isn't budging. She wants it gone. I just don't think I can part with it.

 Quote Of The Day: "There are 350 varities of shark, not counting loan and pool." L.M. Boyd

 This Day In History: The first commercial color TV program was transmitted by CBS from New York to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston and Washington DC on this date, June 25th 1951.

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 This afternoon, while eating lunch, Austin took a piece of macaroni salad off my plate and ate it. I said "Did you ask to eat that?" He said no, but that it was there and he knew Daddy would share. He was right so no harm, no foul. But it reminded me of something that happened about 15 years that I have never owned up to until now.

 When I worked at WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa, I would sometimes act as the technical director for "Sound Off"; a sports call in program. It was hosted by two local legends; Jim Zabel and Larry Cotlar. They were both good guys. Often times, during the show, they would order a pizza that they would then have delivered to the station and they would take bites during commercial breaks.

 One night, the show ended and they left. They left their pizza behind. About 90 minutes had passed and still the pizza was there but no sign of them. I was getting hungry, so in my mind, I deduced that they had left the pizza behind for whoever wanted to eat it. Meaning me. So I went over to their studio and grabbed the pizza box, brought it back to my studio and started eating pizza At one point, I went out in the hallway to check the news wire when out of nowhere, here comes Larry Cotlar! He looks at me and says "Have you seen my pizza?" Keep in mind, I have half-an-eaten piece of pizza in my left hand...he can't see it. I ball up that hand and shove the piece of pizza into my pocket while saying "No Larry, haven't seen it." He walks off in a huff. I'm scared to death! I go into my studio, grab the pizza box, put it back in their studio and wait. Pretty soon, here comes Larry, he does a double take at seeing the pizza box. He picks it up and leaves.

 He left a pizza behind for an hour and a half and then came to get it? Granted, he never said I could have any pizza. I totally assumed it. I learned my lesson. I think I'll probably forward this to Larry Cotlar, just so he knows what really happened.

 Quote Of The Day: "Fine art and pizza delivery, what we do falls neatly in between!" David Letterman

 This Day In History: The 22nd and 24th president of the United States, Grover Cleveland, died in Princeton, New Jersey on this date, June 24th 1908.

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