This clip is a powerful reminder of the power of nostalgia. Don Draper does 2 things comedians might want to take note of, first he leads his audience into his story as if it were their own. Second, he tells them what “IT” is and how they should feel about it.
Certainly Don garners the opposite effect that a comic is looking for, but he uses the same literary tools comics use.
Clip and image from Mad Men S1:E13 “The Wheel” (18 Oct. 2007 – A&E) Available on Netflix
This is my favorite movie clip in the entire world! It’s from the movie Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) which is an adaptation of a play by David Mamet which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1984.
The scene is of real estate salesmen getting a “kick in the ass” type motivational speech from a much more successful peer. This clip is fascinating to me because the context translates to almost all professions. Change real estate salesmen to comedian and the parallels are staggering. The speech is powerful, it’s easy to feel offended for the recipients of such a harsh beratement. I don’t post this clip because i think its important to be “like” the Alec Baldwin character or to even like him. At the opening of the clip, he asks if everyone is there and Kevin Spacey’s character says all but one. The guy who isn’t in the room is the Al Pacino character. He’s across the street trying to close a sale. When I watched the clip as I wrote this I realized the importance of NOT being in the room. You should watch the movie!
Available on Netflix!
The first awesome thing about my new Republic Wireless phone was how quickly it arrived after ordering. Less than 48 hrs via FedEx. The ordering process was a breeze too, it took less than 10 minutes. I chose to “port” my number which means I took my old phone number from my old provider and switched it to Republic Wireless. This can take up to 72 hrs but the research suggests it usually takes 24 (mine took 22 hrs).
Republic Wireless offers 4 pre-paid plans and currently only one phone, the Moto X in white or black (pictured above).
The reason Republic Wireless is so much cheaper for monthly service is because they use WiFi enabled calling as the preferred choice for connection. If you choose the $10 and up plans they will also make cellular calls on the Sprint Network.
The Plans:
I signed up for the $25 plan, mostly because I knew I could change it if I needed to. You can change your plan 2 times a month free of charge.
The Phone is a tad pricey at $299 but I calculate it will pay for itself in savings very quickly. There have been rumors that Republic Wireless will offer the Moto G soon. The Moto G is a scaled down version of the Moto X and has been getting very high reviews for being an affordable Smartphone.
Next time: Call quality over WiFi and cellular.
![CAM00033[1]](https://adriancosby.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/cam000331.jpg)
First finding– Porting your phone number is awesome! It’s like dumping your current partner by letting your new partner break the news. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!
I just switched cellular service to Republic Wireless. This is a revolutionary company that offers mobile service plans at a fraction of the big name carriers. I’ll be reporting on my findings over the next year. How well does a cellular company that offers unlimited phone, text & data for $25 a month work? We’ll find out together 🙂
2013 was a year!!! Generally speaking.
Ryan Singer & Baron Vaughn discuss the merits of , “too soon” Humor found on social media. This podcast is not a response to the recent death of actor Paul Walker, but is nonetheless perfectly suited to comedians who wonder why their death joke wasn’t/isn’t funny.
This is a link to Ryan’s page that directly links to the podcast.
The problem here is litter, the solution?
Remove the bus stop…
Crowds were literally on their feet for comedy!
Comics with nice eyes…
Today turned into my, “eat anything” day.
This is the end of day one!
The music wasn’t nearly as funny…
Adrian Cosby (totally unrelated) 