The Merchant Of Venom - Mr. Don Rickles

I’ve always thought that in order to be successful underwater photographer one must maintain an admirable sense of humor. And what better way to hone that skill than to watch some masters of comedy practice their unique art. Hence, April 2010 turned out to be a month of comedy as were entertained by both Conan O’Brian and Russell Brand on different nights this month.

Tonight my lovely wife and I were entertained by the legendary Don Rickles, aka "Mr. Warmth" who unleashed his infamous insult comedy schtick before adoring fans at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, British Columbia. As the band struck the opening chords to "La Virgen de la Macarena," Mr. Rickles sauntered onstage to standing applause. The “Master of Insults” was akin to a Spanish bull who would soon be metaphorically goring some front row audience members. However, everyone was soon to discover that behind Mr. Rickle’s sharp barbs was a deep affection and love for those whom he taunted.

"If I were to insult people and mean it, that wouldn't be funny." Rickles once told an interviewer. "There is a difference between an actual insult and just having fun." Don Rickles brought the house down with a lot of fun and along the way... garnered several standing ovations for his sheer comedic genius. Indeed, tonight we were entirely entertained by a legendary performer!

Rusty Rocket's Red Glare - Russell Brand Plays Seattle's Moore Theater

Seattle, April 23, 2010. Whooo Hoooo! We saw British comic, Russell Brand (aka his handle on Twitter, rustyrockets), perform live stand up at Seattle’s Moore Theater!

Outlandish, outrageous and utterly funny!!!!

The house went even wilder when Russell called friend and fellow comedian, Jonah Hill, to the stage near the end of his set. A video snippet of this moment can be seen at the following link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeTVXOl1lGc&hd=1

Conan O’Brien: Prohibited From Being Funny On Television Tour Conquers Vancouver!

Vancouver, April 13, 2010: Former late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien, (aka, Conando or CoCo) hit the stage at the Orpheum Theatre tonight and presented his fans to "a night of comedy n' guitar” The show also featured the comedian's longtime sidekick, Andy Richter, and the Max Weinberg 7 band from his former late night talk shows.

Conan was welcomed to the stage with a standing ovation amid thunderous applause, Many of his popular Late Night and Late Show gags were resurrected. His trademark" string dance", Triumph the Insult Comedy Dog appeared in a video, the Masturbating Bear was transformed into the Self-Pleasuring Panda to dodge former employer, NBC’s, claim that Conan’s comedic fodder is their intellectual property. But nothing seemed to stop Conan and he endeared himself to the audience even more when he paraded down the theatre’s aisles playing his electric guitar while the band wailed on stage.

We were pumped to see this show and were thrilled with the opportunity to see Conan perform live in a stately 2800 seat theatre. Judging by the smiles on the show’s patrons, everyone got their money’s worth. What a night!

Respect! Leno sucks, CoCo Rocks!

Words Cannot Express The Awesome!

Philippines President moves to protect whale sharks!

Philippines - April 3, 2010: Concerned by the attacks on whale sharks in the country's waters, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, an avid scuba diver, has mobilized government forces to reinforce measures to conserve and protect the gentle sea giants from extinction.

In Administrative Order No. 282, authorities were allowed to impose penalties to persons harming or killing a whale shark, locally known as “butanding,” and grant rewards to those who protect or rescue any wounded filter-feeding shark.

The President also released P15 million from her social fund to support capacity-building and monitoring and enforcement activities of the local government units and national government agencies in the protection of whale sharks, considered as the world's largest fish measuring 40 feet or more.

"The whale sharks that thrive in Philippine waters continue to be threatened and killed despite existing legal measures for their protection, the need to further intensify international and national protection efforts to conserve the species and to sustain the ecotourism development in certain coastal communities in the country has become manifest," the order read.

For more information, GENALYN KABILING’s full story appears at

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/250830/gma-moves-protect-whale-sharks

Wedded Bliss!

"Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover.
Something in the way she woos me..."

Today was our 2nd wedding anniversary!!! Very few things in life can compare to waking up, or turning in each night, with your best friend. Thanks Katie, for making my life rich beyond compare! You are the best! XOXO