Category: Harold Ramis

Triviera

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in District Trivia, Harold Ramis, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Jared Stern, Rainn Wilson

Hey gang. I had the day off from work today after helping to manage two massive events for the trivia company I work for, District Trivia. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that before in the blog, but I write trivia questions for a living. We’ve been holding a four month long city-wide trivia tournament which culminated on Tuesday and Wednesday, giving away cash prizes totaling $6500. Not bad for answering the ridiculous questions that germinate in my noggin.

Bar trivia tends to attract an odd cross-section of humanity. People who aren’t typically social go to a bar and compete with Asperger’s level intensity over the tangential minutiae that infests the brains of most thirty-somethings like if Hoarder’s did a cross-over episode with I Love the 80’s. So basically I facilitate the social lives of nerds. That’s not fair to classify all of our players like that, it’s just one end of the spectrum, but the one’s that made it to the Tournament Finals might as well have been anthropomorphic cerebral cortexes. Anyway, they’re smart the way LeBron James can dribble a basketball and when their intellect is challenged, they like to argue. One of the bonus questions was, “Who is the only Muppet to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated?” I had more than a few people try to argue that Big Bird, which is the correct answer, is not a Muppet. I counter-argued that these people are soulless monsters.

A good time was had by all, but it was a stressful undertaking by the entire staff and I’m glad it’s in our rear view mirror. If you’re interested in trivia, you should check out one of our 25+ in the DMV area. Follow the link above for all the info.

I’m not sure what else I wanted to cover in this installment. I’m slowly but surely getting back into regular comedic activities. I had a fun time headlining the show over at Benny’s Bar & Grill on the mean streets of Potomac, MD. I’ve got a show tomorrow night at a country club in Avondale, PA on Friday. I’ve been trying to pepper in some new material at these gigs, but my brain is so hard wired with my current routine that when I try to shake things up, the needle skips a groove.

I’ll leave you with this very cool conversation between Rainn Wilson and the late Harold Ramis. It’s ten minutes well spent. Enjoy…

What Goes Up…

by jaredsterncomedy, posted in bouncing, Harold Ramis, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, jumping, Sid Caesar, Sky Zone, Washington City Paper

Hey gang. I wanted to get another installment of the blog up just so I can put it in the “trend” category. The last two could’ve been a mere coincidence, but this one proves I really mean it. What “it” is, I have no idea. In any case, here we are. Before I kick this off, let me take this final opportunity to lobby for your vote in the 2014 Washington City Paper Reader’s Poll. Go ahead and click the big orange button on the right and help keep my ego afloat for another year. Polls close at midnight. If I get this thing done in time, that should give you mere minutes to validate me in this giant parking lot we call life.

As the witching hour approaches, let me tell you of some of my recent exploits. I am 38 years old, but I like to put the emphasis on the 8. As my childhood spins away from me like Sandra Bullock in Gravity, I’m doing my best to stay tethered to it, lest I be permanently grounded in curmudgeonly adulthood. To that end, I joined my buddy Seth and his family at the SkyZone Indoor Trampoline Park for an hour of escape from the confines of Newton and his laws. Here’s something I quickly learned: Bouncing is for the young. They don’t have as far to fall, they haven’t been calcified by time, and they lack the mechanism in their brains that tell them they’re mortal. As I was jumping up and down, I could feel my innards undulating and my spinal column compressing. And I was sweaty. You wouldn’t think some as simple as jumping would tucker you out so much. Not only were there trampolines on the floor, but there were wall trampolines as well. These were tempting. You always imagine yourself being able to pull off moves like Spider-Man, with the agility of a gazelle. I, it turns out, have the agility of a cinder block. I discovered another law of motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite injury. Luckily, the foam pit allowed for a soft landing…

Some crappy news recently in the world of comedy. We lost two giants, Sid Caesar and Harold Ramis. Without Sid Caesar, TV comedy as we know it wouldn’t exist. Sid Caesar pioneered televised comedy and paved the way for the modern day sitcom and shows like SNL. And Harold Ramis was as important to comedy in the movies. Without him we would’ve never had Animal House or Caddyshack or Ghostbusters or Groundhog Day or Groundhog Day or Groundhog Day. If they don’t get their own private In Memoriam segments at the Emmys and Oscars, respectively, it would be a mockery, and not in the good way these guys did it. Sid, Egon, we hardly knew ye…

Again, vote for me, while you still can. I promise to stop bugging you about it. Next time.