That’s Mister Python, To You.

"Life's a piece of sh!t, when you look at it.

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true.

You'll see it's all a show, keep 'em laughing as you go.

Just remember that the last laugh is on you.

And...always look on the bright side of life."

--"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from Monty Python's "The Life of Brian"

This is all very well and good and lovingly dedicated to my Red Octopus kinfolk:

At the Tom Waits concert in Dublin recently, I was THIS CLOSE to Terry "I'm-the-Jailer-in-'The Life of-Brian'-and-also-the-only-American-member-of-Monty-Python" Gilliam. Only two rows behind, four seats over. (I know! I know! Tom Waits is growling out his songs, and all I can do is hear, "Always look on the bright side of life...") Not to mention that he was the last director to work with Heath Ledger before his untimely Olsen-Twin-induced death. The thought did cross my mind that perhaps if Terry Gilliam kissed Heath Ledger at some point during the movie shoot and if I now kissed Terry, it would kinda be like kissing Heath Ledger by default. Brilliant! More beer.

So, when my whiskey-soaked leprechaun date decided to introduce me, something funny happened. Which is what you want out of a situation like that, if you're meeting a member of the BEST comedy troupe of, like, ever.

LEPRECHAUN: Terry, young Jennifer here is from Amer-i-kay, also. Hails from Arkansas...

ME: (interrupting, as you do, and trying not to stare at his mullet) Hello! You're one of the funniest men of, like, ever. Did you know that?

TERRY: (maybe a little scared?) Hi? And thanks? My granddad was from Arkansas...

ME: (now mesmoried by the mullet--that hair never worked for Mick Fleetwood, either) Well, how in the hell did that happen?

TERRY: (proffering a pen for the autographing of one dollar bill) I don't know, actually. Should I sign, "To Jennifer...?"

ME: Yes, please. It's my last dollar bill. You know, our dollar isn't worth the paper it's printed on these days.

TERRY: Neither's my autograph.

(rim shot)

Thanks, don't forget to try the veal and please tip your servers.

j:.