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How to be More Interesting
Much of this borrowed from an article on businessinsider.com which was borrowed from Quora...
17 ways to become a more interesting person
Shana Lebowitz
Everyone has the potential to be interesting.
You don't have to be a billionaire, or a CEO, or an astronaut to hold people's attention — you can just be you.
It's a question of knowing how to highlight the traits that make you different from the person next to you.
Over on Quora, dozens of people have answered the question, "How do I become a more interesting person?" with insights based on their own experience. We sifted through their responses and pinpointed the most practical advice. Read on for ways to convince other people — and more importantly, yourself — that you're a fascinating human being.
original Quora post: https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-become-the-most-interesting-person
1. Develop new skills
Ensure that other people find you interesting by making yourself helpful in any situation. That's why Quora user Anthony N. Lee suggests learning as many useful skills as you can, from web design to sewing. That way, you'll always be the go-to person, whether a friend needs to create a website for her new business or a blanket for her baby niece.
How many of these skills do you have?
https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/48-life-skills-everyone-learn/
2. Be curious
One way to ensure that you're not interesting is by closing yourself off to differing opinions and viewpoints. Instead, you should actively seek out new ideas and experiences that will change the way you think and feel.
Sudhir Desai advocates being a "lifelong learner." He writes: "Keep an open mind, be curious. Allow for a complex world with multiple interpretations. Learn things to deepen and broaden your perspectives."
Look at something in front of you and ask yourself how does it work?
3. Learn how to tell a good story
Maybe you've amassed a ton of information and experiences — but if you can't communicate them to other people, you're sunk. That's why Marcus Geduld says you should learn how to be a storyteller: "You don't just dump whatever is on your mind into the conversation; you purposefully shape it to make it interesting. … Start thinking of your life as a gift you can give to others. Wrap it in the finest paper you can find."
Geduld says that means you need to learn how to read your audience to see how long they'll be able to pay attention and tease your listeners with clues to the end of the story.
Interestingly, recent research found that men who can tell a good story are also seen as more attractive by women. The study authors say that's possibly because skilled storytellers may seem better positioned to influence others or gain authority.
4. Have three good stories ready to share
Knowing how to tell a story spontaneously is a handy skill — but if you're nervous about that, arm yourself with a few personal anecdotes you can use to liven up an otherwise dull interaction. Writes Devesh: "Comedians don't just talk about anything when they're onstage. They have their act rehearsed. You don't just trot into a job interview and say whatever's on your mind. Always have three good stories on hand that reliably entertain, inform, or engage."
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-tell-a-story-effectively#quiz-0
A striking number of Quora users mentioned that one way to seem interesting is to be interested in others.
5. Listen and show compassion
This idea was popularized by Dale Carnegie in his 1936 bestseller "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Carnegie wrote: "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."
Writes Quentin Hardy, a Googler and former editor for The New York Times: "Listen carefully to others, and try with some compassion to understand their motives and actions. Few of us are really good at this. Everyone becomes nearly infinite in their experience of life, if we listen to them with enough imagination. Working that out grows ourselves. Wondering if you're wrong helps, too."
Here's Jordan Peterson on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBoAATtxrw8
6. Ask good questions
At a party, you don't need to say much about yourself for people to believe you're interesting. Instead, engage them in deep conversation about their lifestyle.
"Ask thoughtful (not prying) questions, as needed, about them and their interests and priorities," says Stephanie Vardavas. "Really listen to the answers. Follow up with more thoughtful discussion and necessary questions (again, not prying). By the end of the evening they will remember you as one of the most interesting people they ever met."
Don't be embarrassed to ask seemingly simple questions, either. As Evan Ratliff, a journalist who's written for publications including The New Yorker, told Fast Company: "There's typically no point in pretending you know something when you don't. As a reporter the goal is to gather information, not to impress your subjects. You'd think it would be different in business, but it's not."
By asking those simple questions, you may end up impressing your new acquaintances, anyway.
Charlie Rose is one of the best at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJpyJeynU_E&list=PLf0rWsvaclOIfJaGY9xNGrh9lxLQgD2tL
7. Say what you think
Kat Li says people who don't opine on or disagree with anything can be boring.
"You feel like you can't really ever have a conversation with them," she writes. "You should try to say what you really think about some things, even if other people won't like it."
8. Follow your interests
Instead of learning about a ton of dull topics just for the sake of being knowledgeable, pursue areas that you actually find stimulating. That way, you'll sound animated and engaging when describing them to other people.
"I don't think it's as much a matter of trying to be interesting as much as it is naturally following what you enjoy, being an avid student and collector of information that interests and excites you," writes Renee Nay.
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subject_(school)
9. Read a lot
If you have the time and money to travel the world, great. But even if you don't, you can still learn about different cultures and historical periods by reading everything you can get your hands on.
Books, blogs, periodicals — expose yourself to as many new stories and ideas as possible.
Based on a review of the past decade of research on the psychological effects of reading fiction, Keith Oatley told The Washington Post: "People who read more fiction were better at empathy and understanding others."
"Read a lot — it opens up multiple new worlds to us," says Chaitra Murlidhar.
https://www.gutenberg.org/
10. Display a sense of humor
Awdesh Singh suggests developing a sense of humor in your interactions with others. "Learn to see the lighter side of the life," he writes, "and develop a habit to be happy even in your failings."
Bonus if you're trying to impress a date: Research suggests men who are funny are perceived by women as more attractive, possibly because they seem more intelligent.
https://www.beer100.com/rodney-dangerfield/
11. Spend time with other interesting people
Singh adds that the company you keep influences your own personality. "If you are in the company of boring people, disgruntled people or serious people, you are likely to become like them very soon," he says. "The same is true when you have the company of interesting people."
Consider joining a Meetup or another group of people who are motivated to pursue their interests and passions.
https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/va/fairfax/
12. Dig deep into one of your interests
You might be tempted to become a dabbler in many fields, developing a little bit of knowledge about everything. Instead, consider knowing a lot about one topic and flaunting your expertise in that area.
April Fonti says she finds people interesting when they "really pursue one thing with great intensity and depth over a long period of time. They could be very successful scientists or just quiet loners. It doesn't matter."
13. Take an improv class
Comedian Bill Connolly told Fast Company that practicing the art of improvisation can help improve your communication skills in daily life. One reason why is that it makes you a better listener, focusing on what the other person is saying instead of what you're going to say next.
Ken Gregg says:
"Even if you're shy and have no intention of ever performing publicly, comedy improv will loosen you up, help you 'think faster,' re-learn how to be playful (something most adults have lost), and make you feel more comfortable making a fool of yourself in front of other people (a life skill that comes in handy frequently). It can open you up and help you become more engaged when interacting with other people."
14. Be unconventional
Evan Asano says being interesting comes down to being in some way different from everyone else.
He writes: "A friend of mine after college did something no one's ever done before (at least known). He circumambulated Martha's Vineyard via its beach/shore. It only took a couple days and some camping gear. 20 years later he still tells the story."
Still, not everyone has the resources or the motivation to set off on a record-breaking camping trip right now. So think about the unusual experiences you've already had. Maybe you've lived in a foreign country; maybe you sell art projects as a side gig; maybe you grew up with 10 siblings. There's definitely something, so keep digging.
15. Embrace your weirdness
"We all have quirks," writes Del Singh. "It is part of our being. Interesting people unleash their inner weirdness."
Dressing, speaking, and acting like everyone else can be kind of boring — we're not in junior high school anymore. So let your freak flag fly, and do it with confidence.
16. Open up to people
Danielle Lan shares a personal story, the moral of which is that no one will know how interesting you are unless you tell them:
"My husband has been described as boring. He's really a very fascinating man, with all his quirks and hobbies. The problem is he never shares with his coworkers or acquaintances.
"When asked 'How was your weekend?' his response is usually, 'Fine'. In fact he probably took part in a huge raid in his favorite MMO [massively multiplayer online game] before watching a new movie and finishing an interesting book. But he won't share that with just anyone.
"To be what people perceive as interesting you have to share. That also means you have to have things to share. It's a rare person who literally does absolutely nothing and has absolutely no opinion on any given topic. My advice is to open up."
Indeed, research suggests that people like each other better when they each share something personal, as opposed to when only one person does.
https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/fun-facts-about-yourself
17. Run with a different crowd
Perhaps the real reason you don't feel interesting is because you're spending time with people who don't appreciate you. In that case, you should find a different community who understands how much you have to offer.
Writes Travis Biziorek: "Challenge yourself to meet new people, hang out with a different crowd, and experience people with different outlooks and views on life. I promise you'll find people that interest you and those that find you fascinating."
Legend: Guy Bruhen
Comedy Writing Secrets
Talk based on the book by Mel Helitzer with Mark Shatz
Humor has tremendous value. It's an art form. But it's not a mystery—it has structure and formula. You can learn this creative art for your own personal enjoyment or for financial gain. Admittedly, some widely known authors feel that humor-writing skills (let alone the sense of humor) are mystically inherited rather than learned, and likely molded by such factors as ethnic characteristics, early childhood maternal influence, and insecurity. But the truth is that anyone can learn to write humor. Although some individuals are naturally funnier than others, just as some individuals are more athletic or more musically gifted, humor writing can be taught and humor-writing skills can be acquired. Humor is not a mystery, because (like stage magic) it is possible to demystify it.
BUT I AIN'T FUNNY
Let's use a simple humor exercise to illustrate that humor writing is accessible to everyone. Consider the possible uses of two round bar stool cushions. Other than stool cushions, what can they be? For five minutes, use your imagination and plenty of exaggeration. Without being restrained by practicality, scribble down as many possibilities as you can. Your list of possible uses for two stool cushions might include the following.
• elephant slippers
• oversized skullcaps
• eye patches for a giant
• hemorrhoid pads for a really large person
• Frisbees for the athletically challenged
Now take something around your room and try writting down as many things you can think of for what it might be!
This humor Rorschach test
illustrates the first step in humor conception—imagination. Creativity is the key to comedy's engine, which won't turn over without unbridled imagination. Look at any other common object—an ashtray, a beer bottle, furniture in a room, or parts of the human body. Train your mind to constantly ask What if? and brainstorm all the possibilities of what else these objects could be. Don't worry if your ideas seem absurd. The exercise is to get your imagination in gear. To write funny, you must first think funny.
"Imagination is intelligence having fun." —George Scialabba
What if? imagination allows you to realign diverse elements into new and unexpected relationships that surprise the audience—and surprise makes people laugh.
What if mother's milk was declared a health hazard? Where would they put the warning label?
What if you actually saw McNuggets on a chicken?
What if alphabet soup consistently spelled out obscene words?
Humorists have one cardinal rule: Don't be inhibited.
Imagination drives comedy, and just about everyone has an imagination— or no one would never get married. So just about everyone can learn the fundamentals of humor. How well you learn them depends on how much effort you're willing to expend.
THE BENEFITS OF HUMOR WRITING
The benefits of humor writing are the three Rs: respect, remembrance, and rewards. The skillful use of humor can
• earn you respect
• cause your words to be remembered
• earn great financial and personal rewards
There are other ways that you can attract attention: You can achieve something outstanding, criticize somebody, or be unconventional, for instance. But you can increase the impact of these things with humor. Humor is more than entertainment or joke telling—it's a powerful social lubricant that eases and enriches communication, interpersonal relations, and education. Humor is a universal speech opener because it immediately earns the speaker respectful attention. It's psychologically impossible to hate someone with whom you've laughed.
Successful humor requires all three MAP elements.
1. Material. The material must be appropriate to the interests of the audience, and it must relate well to the persona of the performer.
2. Audience. The audience must complement both the material and the presentation style of the performer.
3. Performer. The performer must present the right material to the right audience in the right way.
Unless you're prepared with material that obviously and vocally works for a specific audience, you're facing impossible odds of success. There's a distinct audience for every specialized group.
The following activities will help you develop your comedy-writing foundation through listening, observing, reading, and exploring. It's critical that you complete these exercises now, because they will be used throughout the next few chapters.
•List your ten favorite comedians and humorists, and use the Internet to search for jokes or quotes by each of these individuals.
• After you amass twenty jokes, write each joke on an index card. On the back of each card, identify the subject or target of the joke, and explain why you think the joke is funny. This exercise will help you become aware of the format of successful jokes and provide you with insight into your own comedic preferences.
• Collect ten to fifteen cartoons or comic strips and tape each one on a separate piece of paper. As you did with the jokes, identify the target of the humor and describe why the cartoon is funny to you. You may find it helpful to continue building a file of jokes and cartoons that appeal to you.
• In addition to building a joke and cartoon file, you'll need to find new material to use as the building blocks for your humor writing. Most professional humor writers begin each day by reading a newspaper, watching news on TV, and/or surfing the Internet for incidents and situations that might provide joke material. As you read this book and complete the exercises at the end of each chapter, form a daily habit of recording the odd news events that tickle your fancy.
• Everyday life is the main source for humor, so you need to keep some type of personal humor journal. To facilitate psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud had patients complete a dream diary, and he encouraged them to associate freely during therapy. To be a successful writer and tap into the full potential of your comic persona, you should follow an analogous approach. Record everyday events, ideas, or observations that you find funny, and do your journaling without any form of censorship. The items you list are intended not to be funny but to serve as starting points for writing humor.
There are six essential ingredients in any recipe for humor. With few exceptions, the absence of any one ingredient so disturbs the formula that the humor might not just taste "off," but might deflate like a ruined souffle. Whether the humor is a one-liner, a lengthy anecdote, or a three act theatrical piece, these six elements are required.
• Target
• Hostility
• Exaggeration
• Emotion
• Surprise
Although the prescribed order may be challenged, in this configuration the first letter of each element forms a memorable acronym: THREES. The THREES formula focuses on the what and why of humor. The what is the target, and the why is the hostility, realism, exaggeration, emotion, and surprise contained in the humor.
Now try to finish some on your own. Read the following expressions and clichés, and see if you can come up with a simple-truth tag. To help you get started, the key word with the best possibility for a double entendre is underlined. Check your payoff lines with the ones suggested at the end of the chapter.
Boy: Are you free tonight?
My girlfriend was faithful to the end.
We never serve women at the bar.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Judge: The court awards your wife $200 a week for support.
POW Brainstorming Techniques
"Writer's block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol." —Steve Martin
Like most creative people, humor writers spend a lot of time looking for the right figure of speech. Occasionally, the blank "I'm thinking" gaze progresses to the comatose state known as writer's block. Unfortunately, humor writers can not only suffer from writer's block, but also from humor block: unavoidable moments when the comedic juices stop flowing.
Even when a writer's imagination is going full steam, the rule of ten in, nine out applies: For every ten jokes written, only one might be acceptable. The high ratio of successful to unsuccessful jokes explains why most late-night talk shows, such as The Tonight Show and Late Night, employ teams of gag writers. A five-minute monologue may be written by as many as six writers.
There are ways to jump-start the creative process. The most common brainstorming methods are association and listing.
ASSOCIATION A humorist's funny bone is like an athlete's muscles or a singer's vocal cords. It works best when it's warmed up first. Writing instructors insist POW Brainstorming Techniques that students do fifteen to thirty minutes of brain-stretching exercises each morning to clear the mind. Developing new associations is a creativewriting technique that can help you discover humor in unexpected relationships, and create POW jokes. Association is putting two activities that haven't been previously associated into a plausible but audacious scenario. Association is a more formal word for teaming, humor's variation on metaphor. You combine two simple elements that are logical alone but impossible together. The humor comes from the unexpected, offbeat relationship. Associations have several formats. One type of association begins with a cliché or expression that the audience is likely to interpret one way, but then the performer gives an illustrative example that reverses the anticipated meaning. My opponent has done the work of two men: Laurel and Hardy. —Governor James A. Rhodes Another type of association is the teaming of two clichés. This technique is the backbone of improvisation. Wife to friend: I call Herb's salary a phallic symbol even though it only rises once a year. A third type of association is the Tom Swifty, the teaming of a quotation with a verb or adverb of attribution that puns on the meaning of the quotation. "I want to renew my membership," Tom rejoined. "I hope I can still play the guitar," he fretted. "All the twos are missing from this deck," she deduced. "You're burning the candle at both ends," he said wickedly. "I think he's dead," she said mournfully. "I'm as tired as a sled dog," he said huskily. Robert Orben, one of the most prolific humor writers, warms up by writing twenty-five POW jokes inspired by the morning paper. Then, he gets to work. Others like to imagine funny captions to news photos. Humor 1 1 0 Comedy Writing Secrets lecturer Art Gliner gets his seminars going with a POW association exercise. He has attendees write down words that might describe how tired firefighters, police, dogcatchers, plumbers, etc. feel when they get home at night. For example: FIREFIGHTER burned up torched like a plugged nickel like a ladder day saint like he had made an ash POLICE OFFICER beat half-cocked blue charged badgered that's the ticket DOGCATCHER muzzled bitchy pooped licked collared GARDENER hosed plowed under bushed mulched seedy rocky alarmed fired up steamed not too hot of himself flat-footed run down shot holed up it was a riot bone tired run down hounded dog tired the paws that refreshes potted bogged down raked over dug up all wet
TARGET: AIMING YOUR HUMOR
Our instinctive perception is that humor is fun. It isn't! Humor is criticism cloaked as entertainment and directed at a specific target.
"If there's no corpse, there's usually no joke." —Mike Sankey
Celebrities: Humor Fodder and Mudder
"This Halloween the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask. And the best part? With a mouth full of candy you can sound just like him." —Conan O'Brien
Places: Living in a Crass House
"I moved from New York City to Athens, Ohio. Talk about culture shock. From the city that never sleeps to the city that never woke up." —Mel Helitzer
Products: Malice in Wonderland
"Stuffed deer heads on walls are bad enough, but it's worse when you see them wearing dark glasses, having streamers around their necks, and a hat on their antlers. Because then you know they were enjoying themselves at a party when they were shot. I say to a gun owner who owns an AK-47, that if it takes a hundred rounds to bring down a deer, maybe hunting isn't your sport."
Ideas: Fools of the Game
Although feelings of superiority are essential to humor, you can nonetheless be funny by coming out for a topic or idea, rather than against it. "Comedy was born of anarchism," said political humorist Mark Katz, "and now it's moved into advocacy."
"Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night." —Woody Allen
As you've just seen, the list of potential humor targets is nearly endless. Take a moment and list seven to ten possible subjects, topics, or targets of humor. That is, identify things that you want to make fun of.
As noted in the discussion of the MAP theory in the first chapter, the humorist's material must fit the persona of the writer or performer. Each humorist feels more comfortable attacking some targets over others. Return to your list of potential humor targets and identify the three tar¬ gets that you would feel most comfortable making fun of.
HOSTILITY: RIDICRUEL
The second ingredient in the THREES recipe for humor is hostility. Humor is a powerful antidote to many of the hostile feelings in our daily lives. All of us have hostility toward some target. That is why, in humor, ridicule is spelled ridicruel. Comedy is cruel. The words cruel and ridicule appear together frequently—where there is one, there is also the other.
All of us have hostility toward some person, thing, or idea—unless we are saints. Did you ever hear a joke about two perfect, happy people? But when a beer-bellied, blue-collar worker walks in the front door and says to his battle-ax of a wife, "Can you spare a few minutes? I need to be taken down a peg"—now, that works as great humor.
Let's discuss some common sources of hostility (and therefore humor): authority, sex, money, family, angst, technology, and group differences.
Authority: Sock It to Me
While hostility against authority is international, in America, it is a national heritage. Since the Revolutionary days, we've enjoyed pricking the bloated arrogance of authority and watching it bleed. Humor is a great catharsis because it gives the public an opportunity to blow off indignant steam at authority figures both major and minor.
"I looked up the word politics in the dictionary, and it's actually a combination of two words: poli, which means "many," and tics, which means "bloodsuckers." —Jay Leno
One characteristic of this hostility is that invariably we ridicule upward, attacking those we perceive to be superior (or in a superior position).
"The Senate decided they will be smoke-free. They ordained that all public areas in the Senate are now smoke-free. However, the senators themselves will still be allowed to blow smoke up each other's ass." —Bill Maher
Hostile humor is usually directed upward. Freshmen ridicule upperclassmen but have little interest in writing humor about their younger brothers or sisters. Faculty spend very little effort on humor directed at students and much more on material satirizing the administration. In the military echelons of command, noncoms gripe about junior commissioned officers, who ridicule the major support staff, who in turn snicker about the general's idiosyncrasies, until—so the story goes—General MacArthur's wife once asked him to convert to a religion in which he no longer believed he was God.
"As they say around the [Texas] Legislature, if you can't drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against 'em anyway, you don't belong in office." —Molly Ivins
Money and Business: The Loot of All Evil
Men admit they think more about sex than about any other subject, but studies throughout the years have indicated that women worry more about finances than sex. There's little doubt, however, that money is a constant source of irritation and hostility among both sexes.
"Someday I want to be rich. Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be." —Rita Rudner
"If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to." —Dorothy Parker
Perversely, financial worries only increase as you get wealthier: The more money you have, the more problems.
Business practices are more frequently becoming targets of financial hostility. But jokes about business practices actually direct hostility against two subjects at the same time: economics and authority.
"The budget problems with Medicare and NASA could be solved if the country began firing the elderly into space." —Al Franken
Financial humor targets are countless: Executive shenanigans, wages, taxes, investments, gambling, lottery awards, and credit cards are just a few.
"My VISA card was stolen two months ago, but I don't want to report it. The guy who took it is using it less than my wife." —Johnny Carson
Family Affairs:
Coming Home Soon Hostility against family responsibilities, restrictions, and competing interests needs little explanation as a target of humor. Family members and household affairs like cleaning, paying bills, and cooking have all become popular targets.
"My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch on fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one cares. Why should you?" —Erma Bombeck
"The day I get excited about cleaning my house is the day Sears comes out with a riding vacuum cleaner." —Roseanne Barr
I left my wife because she divorced me. I'm not going to live with somebody under those kinds of pressures. But I still love my ex-wife. I called her on the phone today. I said, "Hello, plaintiff..." —Skip Stephenson
"I wanted to be an actress. I said to my mother, "I want to cry real tears. I want to show great emotion for someone I don't really care for." She said, "Become a housewife." She always wanted me to be married all in white—and all virginal. But I don't think a woman should be a virgin when she gets married. I think she should have at least one other disappointing experience. One woman friend of mine told me she hated her husband so much that when he died she had him cremated, blended him with marijuana, and smoked him. She said, "That's the best he's made me feel in years." —Maureen Murphy
Children, especially teenagers and preteens, are common family targets. Even toddlers are targets (they're not just cute but, according to Bill Cosby, exhibit signs of brain damage). Parents are unburdening themselves wittily, even if they can't do it in reality.
"Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your head." —Martin Mull
And children are reciprocating, which means let's give it to our saintly, gray-haired mother and revered father!
Mother's Day card: Mom, you're the greatest. At least that's what all the guys at the construction site say!
"Children are the most desirable opponents at Scrabble, as they are both easy to beat and fun to cheat." —Fran Lebowitz
Angst: The Ecstasy and the Agony
Angst is the intellectual observation that fairy tales aren't true—that there is an unhappy end to every happy beginning. Angst has pointed a devil's finger at anxieties so personal that, in the past, we carefully avoid¬ ed discussing them even in private: A long list of such topics includes fear of death; coping with deformity; deprivations; and neurotic symptoms such as paranoia, insecurity, narcissism, and kinky sexual urges.
"Have you ever dated somebody because you were too lazy to commit suicide?" —Judy Tenuta
Woody Allen popularized angst. "I merchandise misery," he wrote. "When I named my movie Love and Death, the commercial possibilities were immediately apparent to me: sight gags and slapstick sequences about despair and emptiness; dialogue jokes about anguish and dread; finally, mortality, human suffering, anxiety. In short, the standard ploys of the funnyman."
"They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad that I'm going to miss mine by a few days." —Garrison Keillor
Technology: Now Fear This
Charlie Chaplin exploited frustrations and fears about rapidly growing automation to make people laugh. It's ironic that IBM once used his tramp character as an implied advertising testimonial for computers, because Chaplin's character didn't promote machines—he ridiculed them.
"Computers operate on simple principles that can easily be under¬ stood by anybody with some common sense, a little imagination, and an IQ of 750." —Dave Barry
The sense of hopelessness that comes from our apparent inability to control the environment is now a universal hostility. Industrial chemi¬ cals can lead to pollution, drugs can lead to suicide, and the advertising drum beats for nonsensical fads. Humor may be our only rational way of coping with the fear of terrorism, an invasion of spooks from outer space, or the chemical mutation of our planet.
"They asked John Glenn what he thought about just before his first capsule was shot into space, and he said: "I looked around me and suddenly realized that everything had been built by the lowest bidder."
Group Differences: Us vs. Them
Mocking the beliefs or characteristics of social groups is one of humor's most controversial subjects because it caters to our most primitive instincts—prejudice and insecurity. We hope to maintain some sense of superiority by ridiculing abnormal characteristics of others. We're responding to a primitive form of group therapy.
"Sophisticated people have retirement plans. Rednecks, on the other hand, play the lottery. That's our plan. And when we hit the 'pick six," we're going to add a room on to the trailer so we don't have to sleep with Grandpa no more." —Jeff Foxworthy
We fear control and intimidation by people of different colors or religions; and so, by derision, we attempt to stereotype their physical appearances, ethnic mannerisms, colloquial speech—any unique characteristic we find odd. We feel the same way about people with different social attitudes about drugs, sex, education, professions—even music, literature, and humor. As long as we're in the majority, humor can criticize.
"I had a cab driver in Paris. The man smelled like a guy eating cheese while getting a permanent inside the septic tank of a slaughterhouse." —Dennis Miller
"Do you know how the Amish hunt? They sneak up on a deer and build a barn around it." —Tim Bedore
Humor is often sin without conscience. (A conscience doesn't prevent sin; it only prevents us from enjoying it.) It used to be the blue-collar whites that regurgitated the most hostile ethnic humor. Today, comedians of all backgrounds are sensing both an increasing freedom for public humor and an increasing audience who'll pay to hear it.
"Mexicans don't go camping in the woods, especially during hunt¬ ing season. Some redneck would say to the judge, "Your Honor, I saw brown skin and brown eyes. He had his hands up. I thought they were antlers. I shot his ass." —Paul Rodriguez
"It's time that African-Americans and Korean-Americans put aside their differences and focus on what's really important: hating white people!" —Margaret Cho
This is how Cheech and Chong, whose financial successes outstripped that of every other comedy team in film history, described their type of humor:
Our jokes may be fifty years old, but our audience, the youth, ain't seen shit. To them, it's brand new. If you're white, you can be afraid of people of different color, religious fanatics, but if you're black or brown, you're afraid of other things, like starvation and not having a place to live. By incorporating the basic humor of drugs and poverty into our appeal, it makes it universal—the underdogs against the world. We know the humor of the rough and ready ... we pander to the worst instincts in people—caricaturing swishy gays, dumb blondes, illiterate Mexicans, greedy Jews. We're shameless panderers.
Redd Foxx bragged about his material being "as outrageous as possible. That's the humor I hear in the ghettos. We don't pull punches, and we don't want to hear about Little Blue Boy and Cinderella—and if they don't like my shit, they can fuck off!" The following story, which often reappears as an urban legend, illustrates how ethnic humor can be turned against the majority.
"Four doctors' wives from a small Midwestern city decided to brave a weekend shopping trip in Manhattan. Their husbands were apprehensive about city crime. "If someone wants your pocketbook or jewelry, don't put up a fight. Just do what they say. Promise?" On their very first morning, as the four were descending in the hotel elevator, a well-dressed black man got on leading a large Doberman pinscher. He looked at the women for a moment, and then commanded the dog, "Sit!" Immediately the four women sat on the floor."
Each writer has his own definition of humor. Shakespeare said, "Brevity is the soul of wit." Somerset Maugham wrote, "Impropriety is the soul of wit." But the soul of wit may just be hostility. When we all think alike, there will be a lot less humor.
Sigmund Freud described depression as anger turned inward. Humor might be viewed as anger turned into profit. Hostility underlies humor, so tapping into your anger is an excellent tool for generating ideas for jokes (and it's less expensive than therapy).
Make a list of people, things, and topics that you feel hostile about. Freely associate, don't censure yourself, and write down why each target is frustrating. Exaggerate your emotional state to the point of being PO'd and fully vent your anger about the target. This exercise can narrow the focus of each target to a specific premise that will be a springboard for writing humor (not venting hot air!).
REALISM: RAISE YOUR SITES
The third component in the THREES formula for humor is realism. "Most good jokes state a bitter truth," said scriptwriter Larry Gelbart. Without some fundamental basis of truth, there's little with which the audience can associate. But jokes also bend the truth, and the challenge is to learn how to tell the truth (be realistic) while lying (exaggerating).
Since it appears that exaggeration is the logical antithesis of realism, it may seem ludicrous to have both within the framework of one piece of humor. But good humor is a paradox—the unexpected juxtaposition of the reasonable next to the unreasonable—and that creates surprise. Think of the combination of realism and exaggeration as an exercise in lateral thinking, a technique commonly used by business gurus to solve problems and generate new ideas. It's defined as an interruption in the habitual thought process, a leap sideways out of ingrained patterns. Comedy has been doing this for thousands of years.
Supreme Court Justice Sandra O'Connor went with the other justices to a restaurant for lunch. The waiter asked for her order first. "I'll have a steak sandwich and coffee." "What about the vegetables?" asked the waiter. O'Connor said, "Oh, they'll have the same."
The basic two-step in humor is to (a) state some common problem, frequently with a cliché, and (b) create an unexpected ending or surprise.
"If you've never wanted to kill your mate, you've never been in love. If you've never held a box of rat poison in your hand and stared at it for a good long while, you've never been in love." —Chris Rock
Incongruous humor, as you may remember from chapter two, is based on the premise of two or more realistic (but contrasting) circumstances united in one thought. Humorist Stephen Leacock wrote, "Humor results from the contrast between a thing as it is and ought to be, and a thing smashed out of shape, as it ought not to be."
"If the world is normal, then how come hot dogs come in packages of ten and hot dog buns come in packages of eight?" —Robert Wohl
Dorothy Parker once wrote, "The difference between wit and wisecracking is that wit has truth to it, while wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words." (So, realism fathers truisms, those witty bits of philosophy based upon self-evident and generally accepted facts of life.)
"To entertain some people, all you have to do is listen. But there is nothing quite so annoying as having someone go on talking when you're interrupting." —Robert Orben
The value of realism becomes even more evident when you consider the humor of children. Their combination of truth and simplistic naïveté delights grown-ups because it gives us a feeling of benevolent superiority— if, as is said about benevolent dictatorship, there is such a thing.
A grandmother was babysitting her four-year-old granddaughter. They both had hazel eyes, so the grandmother proudly asked, "Debbie, do you know where your eyes came from?" The child thought for a moment and answered, "Yes, Grandma, they came with my head."
To be most effective, the "facts" of humor should be logical—the rela¬ tionship between people should be clear and predictable, the time and the locale of the story should be familiar, the hostility should be common to all the audience members and commensurate to the irritation. Major deviations from reality don't prevent humor, but they may reduce the payoff of uninhibited laughter. In essence, then, humor should be as realistic as possible.
"A priest in New York City was arrested on gun possession. These days, you better be happy that the bulge in his pocket is a .38." —David Letterman
EXAGGERATION: TALKING UP A STORM
We've already begun discussing exaggeration, the fourth element in the THREES formula for humor. How does realism relate to exaggeration? As we accept poetic license, let's accept a humor license that grants per¬ mission to expand on realistic themes with soaring imagination and unabashed metaphors. Audiences rarely counter a joke that the performer has made personal with an admonition "You don't expect me to believe that?"
Only for humor is the public willing to suspend disbelief and skepticism. We permit humorists to utilize hyperbole, blatant distortion, and overstated figures that signal (since the absurd subject matter can't possibly be true): Hey, it's only a joke. Therefore, the audience laughs at exaggerated banana-peel acrobatics because the clown will certainly get up. That's comedy! If he doesn't get up, that's tragedy!
An example of the likely next to the unlikely is the classic story about the newspaper that ran two photos: one of a gray-haired matron who'd just been elected president of the local Women's Republican Club and the other of a gorilla who was a new addition to the local zoo—but the captions got switched. That's likely. The second stage of the humor comes from the unlikely: The newspaper got sued for defamation—by the gorilla!
EMOTION: BURST THE BUBBLE
The fifth element in the THREES formula is emotion. Hostility, over- or understated, is not enough. There must be a buildup of anticipation in the audience. This is really nothing more than the writer's skill in using emotion to produce tension and anxiety. It's a trick. Think of hostility as an inflated balloon. When you create tension in your audience, you are effectively adding more and more air to that balloon, building the audience's anticipation over when the balloon will burst. They can hardly keep their eyes off the stunt. The writer's goal is to see that the balloon bursts with laughter, not hot air.
Each performer has a stage personality, called a persona or shtick. While others can steal material, they can't steal the nuances that make one individual funny. (And an ineffective persona can make a performer unable to tell even a well-written joke). Humorist Larry Wilde said, "There is a melody and cadence to all comedy that is as stringent and disciplined as music."
A great comedic performer must be an actor with boundless energy. The qualities that make a good comedian are over and above those that make a good actor. Many comedians have become good actors in films and sitcoms, but you rarely hear of a good actor becoming a great comedian. In the movie The Entertainer, Sir Laurence Olivier played the part of a small-time comic. It was a brilliant, award-winning performance, and when Olivier was asked how he managed to make the comic look so inept, he replied, "I didn't try to do him badly. I played the role as well as I could." Even the best actor may be a flop as a comedian.
The ability to generate emotion is the ability of the speaker to trans¬ late the writer's material into entertainment through voice, enthusiasm, and action. The ability to create emotion is also experience: knowing when to pause and for how long, creating a rhythm with inflection, and sometimes nothing more grandiose than making a gesture—called a take, because it takes the right gesture.
Woody Allen discovered that "stand-up is a funny man doing material, not a man doing funny material. The personality, the character—not the joke—is primary."
QUESTION & ANSWER HOW DO YOU BUILD EMOTION?
1. The first and most common technique for building emotion is also the simplest—pausing just before the payoff word. This pause is called a pregnant pause because it promises to deliver. Even in Henny Youngman's classic, "Take my wife—please!" the slight pause indicated by the dash is essential to the reading of that line. (Try to read it any other way!) The pregnant pause creates tension, which is relieved by the surprise ending.
"I know you want to hear the latest dope from Washington. Well—here I am." —Senator Alan Simpson
Would you be so kind as to help a poor, unfortunate fellow out of work, hungry, in fact someone who has nothing in this world—except this gun!
2. The second technique for generating emotion is asking the audience members a question, thereby encouraging them to become involved. This was one of Johnny Carson's favorite devices.
Anybody see this commercial on TV last night? It claims you can send a letter from anywhere in the country to New York for seven dollars and fifty cents, and it promises next-day delivery. The Post Office calls it Express Mail. I remember when it used to be called the U.S. Mail.
Remember how hot it was yesterday? Well a dog was chasing a cat, and they were both walking.
A common technique used by novice stand-up comics to infuse tension is to ask the audience, "How many here have ever...?" It's become its own cliché, and the take-offs are even more fun.
How many here went to grade school?
How many here paid to get in?
3. The third technique is called a build, which is a joke that leads to a joke that leads to another joke. Ultimately, the jokes work together to prepare the audience for one big blast.
4. The fourth way to build emotional tension is by working the audience—a favorite device of today's stand-up comedians. The per¬ former walks out into the audience and throws questions at (what appear to be) randomly selected members. Tension builds in each audience member not from amazement that the comic is able to come up with toppers to every answer, but from the fear that he or she may be the next victim of the performer's ridicule.
Every playwright builds emotion into a scene. A humor writer does the same thing, but because you're working with much smaller units—sometimes just a joke of a few words—you must be able to accomplish more with less. Good humor writers are like professional card cheats. They know how to palm the joker and insert it only when it's needed. When their act is too evident to the audience, they fail— and it ain't pretty.
SURPRISE: NOBODY KNOWS THE STUMBLES I'VE SEEN
The final element in the THREES formula is surprise. In the previous chapter, we discussed surprise as one of the primary reasons why people laugh. It's no wonder then that it's also one of the primary building blocks for a successful joke. Charlie Chaplin defined surprise in terms of a film scene in which the villain is chasing the heroine down the street. On the sidewalk is a banana peel. The camera cuts swiftly back and forth from the banana peel to the approaching villain. At the last second, the heavy sees the banana peel and jumps over it—and then falls into an open manhole.
It's easy to tell if your surprise works, because a live audience's instant laughter is the most honest of emotions. You can give a bad speech, a poor theatrical or musical performance, and the audience will still politely applaud. If you perform bad humor, you'll get nothing but icy silence (just a preliminary to unsolicited post-show advice).
No matter how well written, jokes don't come off in performance if the comedian telegraphs the surprise. Many performers tip off the audi¬ ence to the funny line with a lick of their lips or a gleam in their eyes. They hold up their hands and stop the audience from laughing all out ("Hey, listen to this!"), and they prime the audience for a big topper. But then there's no surprise, and no laughter. This can have a domino effect: The performer loses confidence in the material, then starts to press, then loses other laughs because the audience has a sixth sense about flop sweat—when a performer is trying too hard.
"Comedy is mentally pulling the rug out from under each person in your audience," wrote Gene Perret. "But first, you have to get them to stand on it. You have to fool them, because if they see you preparing to tug on the rug, they'll move."
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the road less traveled by ... state troopers."
Let's see how the entire THREES formula (target, hostility, realism, exag¬ geration, emotion, and a surprise ending) works in a story. Identify which parts of the story below correspond with each component of the THREES formula. (At the end of the story, you can rate your answers).
An elderly truck driver was eating lunch at a roadside diner when three shaggy young hoodlums, sporting black leather jackets garishly decorated with swastikas, skulls, and crossbones, parked their motorcycles and came inside. They spotted the truck driver and proceeded to taunt him, taking his food away, pushing him off the seat, and insulting his old age. He said nothing, but finally got up from the floor, paid his bill, and walked out. One of the bikers, unhappy that they hadn't provoked a fight, said to the waitress, "Boy, he sure wasn't much of a man, was he?" "No," said the waitress, looking out the window, "and he's not much of a truck driver either. He just backed his truck over three motorcycles!"
Did the THREES formula work for the above story? Yes, because the humor contained each of the major components.
T = TARGET: The hoodlums, carefully described.
H = HOSTILITY: The story exploits public frustration at the escalation of juvenile crime.
R = REALISM: There's little doubt that the aggressive actions of the bikers could happen.
E = EXAGGERATION: One motorcyclist would have worked, but an ele¬ ment of exaggeration is achieved by including three. Their crude behavior is exemplified not just once, but with three incidents of hostile action. Exaggeration is also present in the truck driver's final action—not a simple thing to do quickly.
E = EMOTION: The joke is carefully written to squeeze out every drop of audience hostility: the stereotypical fascist appearance of the bikers, their childish aggression meant just to provoke a fight with an outnumbered, aged opponent. We even feel disappointment when the truck driver appears—for a moment—to be a coward.
S = SURPRISE: The climax of the story is withheld until the last two words.
A summary of the book by Mel Helitzer and Mark Shatz
Basic joke structure has two parts: the setup sets the stage; the punch line provides an unexpected ending.
Why we laugh. We laugh out of surprise: a joke is a story and a surprise ending is its finale. We laugh when we feel superior: when we poke fun of others.
Six ingredients in any recipe for humor. The THREES of comedy: (1) Target: humor is an attack, a criticism, (2) Hostility: comedy is cruel, (3) Realism: the joke must be based on truth, (4) Exaggeration, (5) Emotion: you must build up the anticipation of your audience, (6) Surprise.
Play on Words (POWs): a twist on a word or expression.
The Simple Truth. Part 1 is a is a cliché (any common expression), part 2 is an unexpected, literal interpretation. To create a simple truth, reexamine every word in a cliché, reject its common meaning, and interpret it literally.
How long was I in the army? Five foot eleven.
I slept like a log last night. I woke up in the fireplace.
When I got divorced, I missed my husband, but I'm getting to be a better shot.
"What would you say to a martini?" "Depends on what the martini said to me first."
I like a girl with a head on her shoulders, because I hate necks.
A girl phoned me the other day and said, "Come on over, there's nobody home." I went over. Nobody was home.
I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know.
Double entendre. The use of an ambiguous word or phrase that allows for a second, usually racy, interpretation.
"Would you like to pet my pussy?" "Sure, but first move the cat."
Hilary Clinton said she once got a dog for Bill. She said it was the best deal she ever made.
I was at a bar nursing a beer. My nipple was getting quite soggy.
The Take-Off. Begin with a cliché, draw an outrageous commentary, often containing a double entendre.
I've heard that dogs are man's best friend. That explains where men are getting their hygiene tips.
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
Dad always said that laughter is the best medicine, which is why several of us died from tuberculosis.
If a kids asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."
Comedy is in my blood. Frank, I wish it were in my act!
Malaprop. An unintentional misstatement or misuse of a word or phrase, or an accidental substitution of an incorrect word for a similar correct one. "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's printed on."
Pun. The intentional confusion of similar-sounding words or phrases:
What's ICBM? Eskimo doo-doo.
What's infantry? A very young sapling.
I'm not as concerned with euthanasia as I am with kids in this country.
Reforming. Altering a word, expression, or phrase to arrive at a twist that cleverly changes the point of view: (a) Transpose Words: "Who am I to stone the first cast?" (b) Replace a few letters in a key word: "I will not cut off my nose to spite my race." (c) Homonym: use a homonym, a similar-sounding word with a second possible interpretation: "The things my wife buys at antique auctions are keeping me baroque."
The Reversal. You mislead the audience, think you're headed one direction, and then surprise them. You allow them to go off on a predictable train of thought.
I sold my house last week. Got a good price for it. But it made my landlord made as hell.
When I was young, I thought that money was the most important thing in life. Now that I'm old--I know it is.
I made a killing in the stock market. My broker lost all my money, so I killed him.
Triples 1. The series of three creates anticipation. SAP. Setup (preparation), Anticipation (triple), Punchline (story payoff).
A woman recently had a baby from an embryo that had been frozen for seven years. She said, "I had no idea it I was having a little boy, a little girl, or fish sticks."
My wife and I don't get along (setup). I take my meals separately, I take a separate vacation, and I sleep in a separate bedroom (triple). I'm doing everything I can do to keep this marriage together (payoff).
You can include the punch line in the third part of the triple. When you die there's a light at the end of the tunnel. When my father dies, he'll see the light, make his way toward it, and then flip it off to save electricity.
Triples 2. Reverse construction: include the triple in the preparation, not anticipation.
Waitress in a hoarse voice: For dessert we got ice cream -- vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Customer: You got laryngitis? Waitress: No, just vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
Realism and Exaggeration. You start with a realistic observation or scenario and then twist and distort it for comedic effect.
My dad's pants kept creeping up on him. By sixty-five he was just a pair of pants and a head.
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Monday Morning Breakdown
Quote Sheet
Top Storylines
Top 3 Things We Learned
Weekend Lookahead
Bills Today: McCoy returns to practice
Here's the Bills news of note for Nov. 4th.
1 – McCoy returns to practice
Rex Ryan had another lengthy injury report at the start of his press conference this week, but sprinkled in some positive news when he disclosed that LeSean McCoy would return to practice.
Ryan said that it was a positive sign, but did not give any indication as to whether McCoy would be ready for Monday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
McCoy didn't play last week against New England after aggravating a hamstring injury in Week 7 against the Dolphins, an injury that has been bothering him over the past few weeks.
"The game is Monday night, so I've got some time," McCoy said. "Each day I'll progress and get better and better. So we will see later on in the week."
The Bills would love to have McCoy go against Seattle. The Seahawks are the NFL's seventh-best rush defense, only allowing an average of 89.7 yards per game. Despite McCoy's absence over the last game and a half, the Bills still rank first in the NFL in rushing yards per play this season, and second overall in rushing yards a game.
McCoy said that one of the biggest factors that he will weigh before deciding if he is good to go on Monday is the mental side of his game.
"Mentally, I feel great," McCoy said. "But I have to get over that step of, 'If I make this hard cut, will I feel it?' Today I felt good, and I did it on a few different routes, but we'll see."
In addition to McCoy's hamstring, the team is still without Reggie Bush, who is battling a groin injury he suffered against New England. Before he went down, Ryan said that he really liked how Bush was beginning to adapt to the role the Bills had given him in the offense.
McCoy said it has been tough to get much rhythm on offense with so many guys out of practice.
"It's really important to get out here and practice with your teammates," McCoy said. "Feel the blocks, feel the schemes, the game plan. It's one thing to watch tape and dissect the team, it's another thing to practice and prepare for the team that you are going to face."
McCoy was having one of the best starts to a season of his career--with 598 yards and six touchdowns before the injury. McCoy said that even with a bye week looming, if he feels well enough to play, he wouldn't think about sitting out for the extra rest. He agreed with his head coach, who called Monday's matchup a must-win game.
"We have to win this game," McCoy said. "If I can't go, I can't go. But right now I feel real good and I have a few more days before the game. If we play focused and mistake-free, we will be fine."
RELATED:Top 7 storylines for Bills-Seahawks on Monday Night Football
2 – Blanton to be Aaron Williams primary replacement
With Aaron Williams placed on the injured reserve and out indefinitely with a neck injury, the Bills needed somebody to step at safety, opposite Corey Graham. Over the last two games, that player has been Robert Blanton.
Last week against New England, Blanton missed just one defensive snap. The Bills had been rotating Blanton, Jonathan Meeks, and Duke Williams whenever Aaron had to come out earlier in the season, but Meeks and Duke only had a combined six snaps on Sunday.
When Aaron went down against the Dolphins in Week 7, Blanton had 34 snaps, Meeks 11 and Duke one.
Rex Ryan said on Thursday that the coaches have been impressed with Blanton in his expanded role.
"We feel pretty good about our safeties," Ryan said. "You know Duke, he took a big step forward. He does a ton for our team on special teams. A big contributor. And we're just moving a lot of those guys in but Blanton is the guy that we feel most comfortable with as a starter opposite Corey."
Blanton spent the first four years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, and led the Vikings with 106 tackles in 2014. The Notre Dame product has 17 tackles this season, including seven last week.
Newly signed Sergio Brown is also going to provide depth at the position, and most likely take over Blanton's role on special teams. "It's great when other people have confidence in you, but I have a lot of confidence in myself and I think that's most important," Blanton said. "Believing in yourself is really what you need."
3 – Goodwin hopeful for Monday night Marquise Goodwin took one step closer to playing on Monday night against Seattle.
Goodwin returned to practice on Thursday, but was limited, as he is being eased back in after suffering a concussion against the Dolphins in Week 7. He is out of the concussion protocol.
He said that the decision to play on Monday is still in the hands of the trainers, but that he is ready to get back out on the field with his teammates.
"Man, it's tough to sit out any game, but especially like that one last week," Goodwin said. "We could have been the first team in so many years to shut them (New England) out, but we didn't quite accomplish it. But it was out of my control. If I could've played, I would have."
Goodwin had to watch as the Bills were down to Justin Hunter, Walter Powell and a banged up Robert Woods as the only targets left for Tyrod Taylor at the end of Sunday's game.
Brandon Tate left with a concussion in the second half, and did not practice on Thursday.
With Percy Harvin now on the roster, but still getting into football shape and the Bills not sure if he will suit up on Monday, the Bills are hoping to have Goodwin against a Seattle defense that has only given up five passing touchdowns on the season.
Goodwin is third on the Bills in receiving and leads the team with three receiving touchdowns.
Even with Buffalo's depth being tested with the receiving unit, Goodwin wouldn't make excuses..
"As a group, we are just trying to show resiliency fighting through injuries," Goodwin said. "We have been plagued this year but that's part of the game and you have to adjust on the fly. Every team deals with injuries in the league."
Bills DC Leslie Frazier given additional title of Assistant head coach
Defensive coordinator and four other assistants earn promotions
What they're saying | National experts offer these previews for Bills at Chiefs in the AFC Championship game
What do the Bills need to do in order to advance to Super Bowl LV? Find out what the NFL analysts have to say.
'We learned a lot' | Bills coaches look ahead to rematch with Chiefs in AFC Championship
The Bills met the Chiefs in Week 6 and suffered one of their three losses this season. How much have the Bills learned from that experience?
Bills Today | These Bills earned weekly awards after the divisional round win
Here are three things to know about the Bills for Tuesday, Jan. 19.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This pineapple dessert is very easy to make. Adding dates makes it sweeter and delicious.
You can adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of the pineapple and dates.
Cut the pineapple into small pieces. Discard the hard center portion of the pineapple.
Put the chopped pineapple in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar into it.
Cook over low to medium heat. Since the pineapple has a lot of water content, you do not add water into it.
The mix will become watery on cooking.
Cook until the water evaporates and the sugar syrup reaches a one strand consistency. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Mash the pitted dates. Add this into the cooked pineapple. Mix well to combine.
Make small lemon sized balls with the mix. Roll the truffles in sugar to coat.
Enjoy these truffles. Most kids will love them!


Kesar Pista Kulfi is a way to express love. Kesar Pista Kulfi recipe is an Asian kitchen invention. Kesar Pista Kulfi recipe is usually prepared in summer season as it is a cold sweet recipe. Learn the Kesar Pista Kulfi preparation using the given instructions.
Ground Green Cardamom Seeds -1/2 tsp.
Skinned Thinly Sliced Badam -1tbsp.
Boil the milk at high heat and stir constantly.
And boil the milk till it gets thickened and reduced to about 13/4th cups.
Now add the sugar, nuts and cardamom seeds, stir well, allow to cool.
Pour the mixture into molds. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and freeze for about 6 hours.
After 6hrs, remove the Kulfi from the molds and serve them in plates.


text:
Q: Regex to identify reference to environment variables in bash We know that 'eval' can do evil things: Like execute code.
I need a way in BASH to be able to identify in a string of characters where an environment variable is used, and ultimately replace it with its actual value.
e.g. This is a very simple example of something much more complex.
File "x.dat" contains:
$MYDIR/file.txt

Environment
export MYDIR=/tmp/somefolder

Script "x.sh"
...
fileToProcess=$(cat x.dat)
realFileToProcess=$(eval echo $fileToProcess)
echo $realFileToProcess
...

Keep in mind that referenced environment variables in a string can also be:
${MYDIR}_txt
$MYDIR-txt
${MYDIR:0:3}:txt
${MYDIR:5}.txt

A: Not an aswer yet but some remarks about the question.
It seems what you need is not variable expansion but token replacement in a template, depending the use case printf may be sufficient.
variable expansion depends also on context for example following are not replaced:
# single quotes
echo '${MYDIR}'

# ANSI-C quotes
echo $'${MYDIR}'

# heredoc with end marker enclosed between single quotes
cat << 'END'
${MYDIR}
END

Should be noted also that a variable expansion may execute arbitrary code:
echo ${X[`echo hi >&2`]}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


person who is appealing in a misdemeanor case.
Misdemeanors (form CR-131-INFO) to know your rights and responsibilities. You can get form CR-131-INFO at any courthouse or county law library or online at www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms.
your punishment includes going to jail or paying a fine of more than $500 (including penalty and other assessments), or convicted.
issued the judgment or order you are appealing. It is a good idea to take or mail an extra copy to the clerk and ask the clerk to stamp it to show that the original has been filed.


text:
{{{ data.html_after }}} {{{ data.totals }}} {{{ data.characters_remaining }}} A Tear in the Glass: Nina Stanton's life journey through the fine and decorative arts : Welcome to Anchor Books Australia
Books by Subject Matter
Anchor Books Australia
A Tear in the Glass:
Nina Stanton's life journey through the fine and decorative arts
This project began with the gift to Mary Ryllis Clark of a box of files of someone else's writing. That person was her long time friend, Nina Stanton, one of the foremost director/curators in Australia, who died of throat cancer in 2009. Nina's papers contain a raw depiction of a painful childhood, a troubled life and finally entry to a world in which she found her passion not only for beautiful objects but a capacity to educate others.
Inspired by the way Edmund de Waal uses the netsuke in the Hare with Amber Eyes as a vehicle to tell the history of a family, Mary uses the images of nearly 100 beautiful objects that include antique furniture, clocks, paintings, silverware, glass and porcelain, not only to make symbolic connections to Nina's own exploration of her life, but also to introduce the reader to the historic, cultural and social context of the world of the fine and decorative arts in Australia.
Mary Ryllis Clark has written a number of books including In Trust – the first forty years of the National Trust in Victoria 1956-1996; Discover Historic Victoria; Timbertop – Celebrating 50 Years; Loreto in Australia; Christopher Martin: 'in the middle of the music' – Memoir & Memories and Perfect Charity with Heather O'Connor and Valerie Krips. She has written the text for more than twenty exhibitions and wrote the 'Historic Victoria' column in The Age for thirteen years.
Nina Stanton
Nina Stanton was Director of The Johnston Collection from 2000-2008 when she resigned due to illness. She began her career in museums in 1980 as Research Assistant at the Performing Arts Museum in Melbourne, formed her own company Nina Stanton & Associates Pty Ltd – Museum Services in 1988, she was Director of the Old Treasury Building in 1995-96 and then Director of the Norfolk Island Museum before returning to Melbourne in 2000. She died on 2 May 2009.
See What Others Say:
'Pic' of the week' in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, 10 August 2018
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The Merchant's Women
Michael Hayes
The life of a 1798 Wexford Rebel in Sydney
Colonial Duchesses: the migration of Irish women to New South Wales before the Great Famine
Hugh Mahon
Patriot, Pressman, Politician
Shipowner,Lloyd's reformer and emigration agent
Samuel Clayton
Forger, Freemason, Freeman
Fair Game: Australia's first immigrant women
From Callan to Stockyard Creek
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© 2000-2019 Individual Authors of the Poetry. All rights reserved by authors. 311010 Poems Read.
"surely ain't finished with you yet"
sometimes its in us..sometimes its in others.
Pray that we recognize it. Light is meant for that.


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Caroll Spinney, Puppeteer Who Brought Big Bird To Life, Dies At 85 | NBC Nightly News
Channel: NBC News
Published: 12/09/2019 12:52 AM
Spinney, the legendary puppeteer who brought iconic Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life, died on Sunday at his home in Connecticut. He spoke to NBC's Harry Smith last year to mark his 50 year career with the show.» Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNB...
A lot of hearts are breaking tonight, remembering caroll spinney. The man who made big bird and oscar the grouch come alive fans scattered flowers, on big bird star in hollywood today, but it was spinney who made generations of children feel like they always had a friend. Here'S harry smith, 50 years ago, caroll spinney was a puppeteer in search of a purpose. When muppet creator, jim henson, asked ...
him to join his team. He said i'm going to be involved with a new sheldon, and would you be interested working with the muppets in the day-to-day goings-on of sesame street? There needed to be an innocent look at letters on it, a character without guile. His was achild's voice that came from the beak of an eight-foot two-inch bird. That was one of those kind of kids who wanted to do the right thing. That'S what big bird is always trying to be is to be a good kid. Awkward flightless and sweet big bird was the perfect counterpart to oscar the grouch, who was also plagued by spinning oscar's, got it cool it's fun to play somebody very different than oneself. On the other hand, big bird is my kid in some ways i love best big bird brought him all over the world, opened his mind and nurtured his soul. Thank you carol. Spinning.
For 50 years you have been our fine feathered friend, harrysmith nbc news. New york. Hey nbc news fans, thanks for checking out our youtube channel subscribe by clicking on that button down here and click on any of the videos over here to watch. The latest interviews show highlights and digital exclusives thanks for watching.


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Q: The profile session of kde konsole dosn't accept edit I am using linux arch. I installed the KDE konsole as usual, but when I save the console settings it does not save.
I changed the default session to another session, but when you open the konsole, I must choose the other session each time.
uname -a
Linux arch 5.13.13-arch1-1

What's the solution?
Is this a bug?

A: The profile is saved, each time with a new name, but just don't get loaded. You can load them by
'Settings' > 'Switch Profile' > {Profile you want to use}
To make the change permanent, i.e, loading a customised profile all the time, you need to set it as default. That is also simple
'Settings' > 'Manage Profiles...' > Select you prefered profile and click 'Set as Default'

A: I tried to fix the problem by making one of the profiles a default, but the problem still exists.
Recently the problem was permanently resolved after updating and upgrading my system like below:
sudo pacman -Syu


Gryposaurus, also known as the 'hooked-nose lizard', was a 'duck-billed dinosaur' with a prominent nose. This herbivore occupied North America during the Cretaceous Period, approximately 80 million years ago.
Characteristics: Gryposaurus had a distinctive skull with a raised nose, broad beak, and batteries of blunt teeth for grinding up plants. It had long strong hind legs and feet with three large toes that end in hoof-like claws. It had shorter arms with four-fingered hands, which it also used for to support its weight. It had a short neck and a long tail, which helped it to balance on two legs occasionally. It reached large sizes of over 27 feet long.
Size and Color: This model is 8.5 inches long and 3.25 inches high. It is blue-grey with a row of yellow scales along the top of its back.
The Gryposaurus is part of the Wild Safari® Prehistoric World collection.
Gryposaurus notabilis was named in 1914 by the Canadian paleontologist Lawrence Lambe, but it was regarded as a species of Kritosaurus for most of the twentieth century. The best known species, Gryposaurus notabilis, is known from approximately 10 complete skulls and lots of associated skeletons from the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada. This makes it one of the best known hadrosaurids, or 'duck-billed dinosaurs'.
Gryposaurus used its sturdy limbs and hoof-like claws to support its weight. Its broad beak helped it to strip vegetation, and it ground down the tough plant material with batteries of tough teeth. Its prominent nose horn may have helped to differentiate between males and females, or it could have been colorful to assist with species recognition and communication.
Skin impressions in a well preserved specimen of Gryposaurus provide detailed information on its scaly texture. Notably, it had a row of pyramid-like structures running in a row along the top of its back.
This large plant eating dinosaur lived in herds during late Cretaceous times, approximately 80 million years ago. There are three valid species of Gryposaurus: G. notabilis from Alberta, G. monumentensis from Utah, and the slightly older and more primitive G. latidens from Montana.
This species of Gryposaurus was first described in 2007. It was a duck-billed plant eater that lived 75 million years ago in the Cretaceous period, and It is unique among duck-billed dinosaurs for its massive build and large number of teeth. It was thought to be about 40 feet (12 m) long and have 300 teeth that were continually replaced as they wore down.


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Scott Tracey
Justin and his siblings grew up in the shadows of their parents' crimes. They saw first-hand the people who were hurt and killed by the Moonset coven. Now in high school, Justin and his siblings struggle under an environment designed to hold them down.
All of that comes crashing down when the teens are relocated to Carrow Mill, New York where a disciple of Moonset has set up shop, and the warlock's only demand is the return of the Moonset heirs to their rightful place. Justin must find a way to protect his family from both sides of a resurging war, as well as unravel the secrets of his parents' history, or they may follow in the steps of Moonset... right into the grave.
Witch Eyes
Braden's witch eyes have been a curse all his life.
But when he arrives in the town of Belle Dam, he uncovers a centuries-old feud between two families, and himself as the unwitting pawn in their latest designs.
As he makes friends on both sides of the feud, he quickly learns that the boy he's falling for is his enemy's firstborn son: and Braden may be destined to kill him.
The Dream Ripper
Obsessed with finding her brother's killer, dream thief Erica Powell will steal everything she can if it will get her one step closer to her goal. But when her hunts turn into a deadly game, can she face the fact that some dreams are not what they appear to be?


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Australia's Finest Whiskies That Won't Send You Broke
LAST UPDATEDThursday 13th February, 2020
We spend a lot of time here at DMARGE waxing lyrical about the world's best beverages and none has received a more resounding reception than old mate, whisky.
The distilled alcoholic drink that started life in Europe before making its way to the U.S and Japan relies on various specific grains and wooden casks to achieve a distinct flavour profile that fans seek out. When further paired with the ageing constant known as time, magic often happens. Not to mention, it's the base ingredient for the world-famous Old Fashioned cocktail.
Today we're not looking purely at the unattainable though. It's all about taste, accessibility and Australia's best-valued whisky that won't send you broke. We've also tapped the mind and experience of Martin Eber of Time For Whisky on this one to ensure that the local selection is on point for any palate.
Starward Single Malt Whisky
Iniquity Single Malt Whisky
Hellyers Road Single Malt Pinot Noir Finish
Bakery Hill Single Malt Whisky
Archie Rose White Rye
Australia's Finest Whisky FAQ
First in the local line-up is Melbourne's Starward Single Malt Whisky, the winner of Australasia's Best Single Malt at the 2013 World of Whisky Awards. Eber explains to us that due to the nature of the whisky industry in Australia, everyone (with an exception of few) is making so little of the stuff. That means it's still very much a "craft" scene here and customers will find local bottles priced as such.
Both of Starward's Apera and Wine Cask Editions are winners here and at around $90 a bottle each (shop around), the whiskies are readily available for anyone keen to sample the local produce. "Most importantly, they're bloody good whiskies," adds Eber.
Tasting notes: Smooth, sweet and unparalleled complexity
Price: From $90
Iniquity is a single malt whisky which hails from the Tin Shed Distilling group in South Australia. The approach they've taken is artisan and it can be tasted in the results. Local grain and local peat are smoked by locally-sourced Mallee stumps by hand and their whiskies are not chill-filtered.
"Whilst their whisky is priced around $150, they do 200mL bottles for $50, which is a really good way to try it," says Eber.
Tasting notes: Touch of smoke with bold fruits and eucalyptus
This is definitely one of the more unique expressions to come out of Australia even though the name's been around for a while. Hellyers Road Single Malt Pinot Noir Finish is aged in American Oak (ex-bourbon) and finished in French Oak (ex-pinot noir) to provide a distinct flavour profile amongst seasoned single malt lovers. It was also voted one of the World's Ten Best Value Whiskies in 2015 in the U.K so you'll know it's good for the hip pocket.
"Whilst their earlier stuff wasn't anything to write home about, their newer stuff is good," says Eber. "Their Pinot finish is under $90, available most places and boasts a nice unique twist with the use of Pinot casks."
Tasting notes: Summer citrus, lemon and orange that lingers into a sweet layer of pepper and spice similar to red wine
Consistent accessibility makes Bakery Hill Single Malt Whisky one of the no-brainers to this category. Their whisky profile expands across five different expressions (excluding their limited release bottles) and all of them feature complex flavours that should satisfy the palate of any purveyor looking to sample a good local whisky.
They use American Oak Bourbon Barrels (ex Jack Daniels) to create a balanced drink which allows the vanilla sheen and malt to be star players.
Tasting notes: Multi-layering of green apples, spiced honey with a hint of cider.
"Okay, technically it's not a whisky, it's a rye spirit," says Eber. It is readily available though and this makes it a welcome intruder on the local whisky hit list. The White Rye is twice distilled in copper pots using rare malted rye and barley sourced from fine producers.
More importantly, it's cheap and has won a slew of awards including the World's Best Unaged Whiskey at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (USA) and the World's Best Unaged Rye Whiskey at the American Whiskey Masters (USA).
Tasting notes: Cinnamon, nutmeg and green apple notes
Which is the biggest whisky-producing region in Australia?
Tasmania has the largest concentration of whisky distilleries in Australia. Other whisky-producing regions are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.
What is the typical style of Australian whisky?
Australian whisky has a distinctive taste because distillers are not locked into traditional production rules and don't have to follow established styles like other whisky-producing countries.
What is the most produced style of whisky in Australia?
The majority of whisky produced in Australia is the single malt. The country also produces multiple styles of whisky, including single malt, rye, wheat and blended whiskies.
For more news and reviews on the latest whisky from around the world, be sure to check out Time For Whisky


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News Releases | December 17, 2014
Report: Americans Work Longer Hours But Don't Get Overtime Pay
Outdated overtime-pay rules are shutting out workers from the wages they've earned and deserve.
Videos | December 11, 2014
MSNBC: Does increasing the minimum wage impact the economy?
National Employment Law Project's Tsedeye Gebreselassie and Paul Sonn, The New York Times' Steven Greenhouse, and Dorian Warren discuss a(…)
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Commentary | December 4, 2014
MSNBC: Fast Food Workers' Strike Gains Steam
Fast-food workers in more than 190 cities across the nation took to the streets once again on Thursday with their(…)
Talk Poverty: We Need Fair Chance Hiring of People With Criminal Records
The police shooting of Michael Brown provides yet another reminder of the need to address decades of over-criminalization and under-employment(…)
Huffington Post: EEOC Champion of Vulnerable Workers Deserves Reconfirmation
P. David Lopez has served as the general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since 2010, running the litigation(…)
Reuters: Manufacturing's False Promise of a Decent Payday
Manufacturing jobs built America's middle class, after all. So providing generous government supports to companies that promise to build or(…)
News Releases | November 25, 2014
Low-Wage Crisis Hits American Manufacturing
1 in 4 manufacturing workers now paid less than $11.91 per hour as wage cuts, temporary jobs redefine the industry(…)
On President Obama's Executive Action on Immigration
Statement of Christine Owens, Executive Director, National Employment Law Project "Five million immigrants who live and work as members of(…)


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Home News After vaccinating thousands against Covid-19, this CNN Hero is fighting inequity in...
After vaccinating thousands against Covid-19, this CNN Hero is fighting inequity in the medical system
But two years ago, the situation was clear: for many people, coronavirus had brought the world to a stop. That's when pediatric surgeon Dr. Ala Stanford sprang into action, bringing Covid-19 testing to Black and Brown communities in Philadelphia that were hard hit by the virus.
In the months that followed, Stanford brought testing and vaccines to more than 75,000 people through her nonprofit Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium. And as she worked to help underresourced communities weather the pandemic, she diagnosed an even greater problem.
"We were seeing folks that hadn't seen a doctor in a decade," said Stanford, who was honored as a Top 10 CNN Hero last year. "We were just literally putting a Band-Aid to a much bigger problem with health inequities and health disparities."
It's well-documented that Black and Brown communities have suffered greater hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 for a host of reasons, including higher risk factors for exposure and a higher risk of severe disease.
But lack of accessible and affordable health care is a key factor that leads to worse health outcomes for people of color. In particular, lack of outpatient care, like annual checkups and doctor's visits, can play a critical role in preventing health issues.
This larger, systemic issue is what Stanford is trying to remedy.
In November, she began seeing patients at the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity, her new facility in north Philadelphia. This multi-disciplinary clinic offers services ranging from primary care and mental health, diagnostic testing like EKGs and mammograms and, of course, Covid testing and vaccinations.
"We take care of newborns through grandma and grandpa," she said. "And that is the next step … wanting to not just save lives, but really impact an entire lifetime with people."
Located on the grounds of Deliverance Evangelistic Church, in an area that once housed a day care center, the space underwent a massive renovation. The center now includes exam rooms, consultation areas, a children's play space, even a fish tank. Most importantly, it provides care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
"If you have insurance, we run it," Stanford said. "If you don't have insurance, we help you get (it). And if you don't have anything, you're not going to be turned away."
This fall, as the coronavirus seemed to recede into the background, Stanford was excited to switch gears to focus on this broader health mission. But the Omicron variant of the virus changed her plans.
"After Christmas, there were so many people sick, literally wrapped around this building to get Covid tested. The positivity rate was 45%" she said. "So, we had to stop primary care and just focus on testing and vaccination."
Yet, she and her team still figured out a way to provide brief wellness checks with each vaccination.
"You come in for a shot and you see your vital signs are out of whack — you might say 'Did you know you have high blood pressure?' or 'Did you take your medication today?'" Stanford said.
And in early January, when Stanford realized that Covid rates were rising in children and young people, she added another approach.
"In a public health crisis, you go to the people. And the kids are primarily in school, so that's what I pushed for," she said.
Since then, Stanford's team has worked with FEMA to hold nearly 20 vaccination clinics at schools in and around Philadelphia. She says in some of them, they have doubled the vaccination rates among students. Her group also still offers vaccinations and testing throughout the community at police departments and mass transit SEPTA stations.
Two years later, Stanford's surgical practice is still on hold. While she admits to missing the operating room at times, she knows that the work she is doing now is making a difference on a much larger scale.
"What we've done has touched over 100,000 lives. And that refuels me," she said. "The need here right now is so great. I feel that this is where I'm supposed to be."
Want to get involved? Check out the Black Doctors Covid-19 Consortium website and see how to help.
After vaccinating thousands against Covid-19
this CNN Hero is fighting inequity in the medical system - CNN
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text:
slug: 3rd-party-apps-advertiser
title: 3rd Party Apps
# image used for the project overview (see assets/img folder)
img: header_800_Tools.jpg
# text for HTML alt tag
alt: 3rd Party Apps for Advertisers
# description used for the project overview
description: Check out our list of helpful 3rd party apps
# published: the project is only shown on the project overview page if set to true
published: true
# position: used for sorting the projects on the overview page
position: 9

---

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Indians Vs. Twins: Tribe Sweep Two-Game Set With Commanding 5-0 Win
By Matt Brigidi May 15, 2012, 2:54pm CDT
Share All sharing options for: Indians Vs. Twins: Tribe Sweep Two-Game Set With Commanding 5-0 Win
On Tuesday afternoon, the Cleveland Indians completed a two-game set against the Minnesota Twins in commanding fashion. After narrowly escaping Monday night's Game 1 on the back of a Shin-Soo Choo RBI single in the ninth, the Indians dominated both offensively and defensively in a 5-0 rout of the Central Division's worst team on Tuesday.
Cleveland's standout star was by-and-far starting pitcher Derek Lowe who pitched a complete game shutout allowing only six hits and four walks. He is now 6-1 on the season and is tied for the Major League lead in wins on the season.
Choo once again stepped up offensively hitting a solo homerun in the fifth inning, which was one of three hit in the fifth frame including back-to-back homers from Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana.
The Tribe now improves their record to 20-16 and have a 2.5 games lead in the Central Division.
Cleveland will open a two-game set against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
For more on the Cleveland Indians, check out Let's Go Tribe. You can also head over to SB Nation's main MLB hub at Baseball Nation.
Indians Vs. Twins: Shin-Soo Choo's RBI In Ninth Lifts Cleveland In Minnesota
Indians Vs. Twins: Starting Lineups For Tuesday Afternoon


Desc: Stainless Steel Essential Oil Tree diffuser necklace. The chain is fashioned from Stainless Steel and is a cable link with a spring ring clasp. The locket is circular with the image of a large tree carved in the front of the locket. The necklace has a bright polish finish. Felt pads in a variety of colors are included. One puts one to three drops of a favorite Essential Oil on the pad and place the pad inside the locket that has a magnet closure. The felt pad holds the scent up to three days.


Questions over his lobbying delay the unity GOP leaders want in the District 13 race.
The day after David Jolly won the Republican nomination for Pinellas County's open congressional seat, his next-closest rival said she was still not ready to endorse him.
State Rep. Kathleen Peters voiced reservations about Jolly and his past work as a Washington lobbyist, describing her party as weakened because of lingering questions of trust between Jolly and voters in the 13th Congressional District.
"It's nothing personal about him," she said in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times in Tallahassee, where she had legislative meetings. "He is a nice man. He's a professional. I have nothing but good things to say about him."
But, she added, "I'm concerned with just the job that he's had." She said it might "weigh heavily on the voters, to have a lobbyist who represents special interests, to now say that they're going to represent the people and be able to separate that.
"Is there going to be trust there? That's been my concern all along, and that's where I think we're going to be weakened," Peters said.
Peters said Jolly has a responsibility to reassure voters "that he can make that shift and that transition to truly represent the people of Pinellas County and their interests and their agenda versus a special interest agenda."
Jolly has previously said his experience as a lobbyist in Washington — combined with his work as a congressional aide, lawyer and consultant — would help him be effective in Washington on behalf of Pinellas citizens.
Still, it was not quite the picture of unity Republican leaders had hoped for in this highly competitive special election in which Democratic candidate Alex Sink holds a sizable fundraising advantage. Voters on March 11 will select Jolly, Sink or Libertarian Lucas Overby to replace U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, who died in October.
Some other people who might be expected to back the new Republican nominee had not done so yet. They included three backers of Peters — Pinellas Sheriff Robert Gualtieri, state Rep. Ed Hooper and Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos, a former aide to Young.
All three said Wednesday afternoon that they had not yet been asked. "If he asks for my endorsement, I'm going to give it to him," Hooper said.
Jolly did get the backing of some other Peters supporters. Bill Young II, a son of the late congressman, showed up at Jolly's election party 15 minutes after polls closed to show his support.
So did former Pinellas Commissioner Neil Brickfield.
"I think the party is 100 percent united behind David Jolly, and I know I'm going to do everything I can to help him get elected," he said. "Alex Sink is too liberal for Pinellas."
Jolly said in an interview that he would contact all those officials and more. He said he took a little personal time Wednesday and then fielded many phone calls, including ones from House Speaker John Boehner and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
"I intend to reach out to every voter in Pinellas County, including the elected officials," he said.
As for Peters, he said, "Kathleen and I had a good conversation earlier (Wednesday) and we did agree that Alex Sink is not the right candidate."
In addition to hundreds of phone calls he said he needs to make soon, Jolly was poised to debate Sink.
"If there's an opportunity to engage with Alex every day on questions of policy and issues, I'd like to do that," he said.
Pinellas Republican Party Chairman Michael Guju said he was sure the party would come together behind Jolly.
"It's been less than 24 hours, goodness gracious," Guju said. He said "political campaigns are very emotional, high-strung events" and it's not always easy for candidates to turn around and endorse each other immediately.
Nonetheless, he said, "I am sure that all three candidates in the Republican primary will come together and march in unison to electing the Republican nominee for this office."
Peters described Sink as a "very formidable" candidate. She also said part of the reason she lost was that Jolly had a head start building grass roots support and raising money, plus support from Young's widow, Beverly.
Jolly won 45 percent of the vote, compared with 31 percent for Peters and 24 percent for Mark Bircher, who said Tuesday night that he is supporting Jolly.


This is a light tasty rye and buckwheat bread. It freezes well and has a wonderful flavor. True to our food philosophy, this bread has no additives or preservatives and is made using only the best natural ingredients, without the nasties.
Continental Rye, Buckwheat Flour, Millet Flour, Wheat Flour, Linseed, Water, Sour Dough, Maize Starch, Sunflower seeds, Dry Yeast, Natural Caramel Color, Enzymes, Calcium Acetate, Scorbic Acid, Sea Salt.