What it is yall?

I just got back to Boston after a week in nearly every American timezone! My Portland, Oregon vacation was muy perfecto with additional brief stops in Minneapolis, Cedar Rapids and Chicago. I was last in Chicago for my improv summer program and spent all Thursday night back at the Improv Olympic taking in the talent. If you live there or will go, check out The Reckoning.

Now, an exciting and fun-filled NewsPhlash for ya.

THIS WEEK'S WINNER



is Charles in Clinton, Louisiana!!

Charles had, hands down, the best answers. Here's a sample:

Q: When did you first see Baratunde perform or read his work, etc.? What do you remember?

A: I was in this weird blog link exploration fuque. I was surfing buzzflash, which lead to patriotboy, which lead to only God knows and among my many stops I came upon the blog goodcrimethink. Loving Orwell and Brother's with Glasses (We need a sex symbol for the ocularly impaired, Urkel isn't cutting it)I immediately began to devour this site as if in a fever dream. Then I blackedout. A few days later I remember reading some blog on the net, looked it up, and have been here ever since.

Q: Please provide a contact at a club, theatre or college you think would dig Baratunde's comedy

A: I live in effing Louisiana, Clinton louisiana. My next door neighbors have more shotguns than they do family members, and they're a family of 8. I can't jog at night for fear of getting shot. Please don't come here, I'd be so sorry for being respondible for what happens.

Q: This is your chance to say anything else you feel the need to get off your chest right about now.

A: Free stuff from comedy sites is how I maintain my sanity. If give aways like this did not exist, I would be forced into a life of crime to be able to afford my insatiable comedian habit. I don't want to rob an old lady to get my Baratunde fix, but I will if it comes to that. Don't let it come to that. I love my Grandma.

Thanks so much Charles. You're hilarious. Now, stop it! To everybody else. We're doing this giveaway EVERY week until April. You can win t-shirts and books.

Just fill out this questionnaire to enter.

I'M GOIN BACK TO CALI, STYLIN, PROFILIN



I was just notified that I've been accepted into the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition and Festival! Past contestants and winners include Don "D.C." Curry, Mike Epps, D.L. Hughley, Mark Curry, Jaime Foxx and Chris Tucker. It happens from February 16-18 in and around San Fran, so thanks to my northern Cali people for your patience. I know I haven't been out there in a while. Hopefully I'll get a chance to swing through SoCal as well but no promises just yet.

MOJOS (MOMENTARY JOKES) ARE BACK

I know I've been a bit behind on sharing these, but airplanes + USA Today = new jokes, so enjoy.

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Despite the warnings of meteorologists, absolutely no hurricanes made landfall in the US this year. Scientists explained that a late El Nino pattern was responsible, but the truth is that since the destruction of New Orleans, there was simply a lot less gay sex in 2006.

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A new study finds that most of the funds used to support Iraq's Sunni insurgents comes from Saudi Arabia. After hearing the news, President Bush cuddled with King Abdullah, and the US government doubled its 2007 order of Saudi oil.

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A Mexican woman gave birth on a flight from Mexico to Chicago shortly before landing. That's a mother who takes her illegal immigration seriously!

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and finally, a bonus VIDEO MOJO that I wrote, performed, recorded and uploaded all in the past 48 hours!

Walmart's New Strategy.

STAY IN TOUCH



MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/baratunde

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=2244

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/baratunde

FLICKR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/baratunde/

MOJOS: http://www.dailycomedy.com/baratunde_thurston/home/

YELP: http://baratunde.yelp.com

BLOG: http://www.baratunde.com/blog