.11.•■•■■141•,01104......• Last Call • gh 2005 JCC MACCABI GAMES® INFORMATION The Greatest psychologist calculated that Jan. 24 is the most depress- ing day of the year, she probably missed it by a day. Johnny Carson's passing came as a HARRY shock when I awoke KI RS BAUM on Jan. 23. Columnist I skipped the Sunday morning talk shows and spent a few hours watching cable television's nonstop coverage of old clips and remem- brances by what- ever celebrity the talking heads could reach by phone. In each case, the outpouring of sadness and fond memories were genuine. I became a bar mitzvah in 1968, but I didn't con- sider myself grown up until a few years later when I was allowed to stay up Here's Johnny! until 1 a.m. to watch his show. I loved his mono- logues, especially when they weren't going well — and I loved the way he got the most out of his guests. He made it all look so easy. He introduced me to comedians David Letterman, Jay Leno, David Brenner, George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld and Billy Crystal. He introduced me to real authors, too. Not the celebrities pushing a new book. He gave me characters like Aunt Blabby, Art Fern, Floyd R. Turbo and Carnac the Magnificent. When he came out with his own clothing line, I bought a Johnny Carson suit: a white, brown and orange plaid highly flammable double- knit polyester number with lapels wide enough to send me flying in a strong breeze. When I wore it with that maroon shirt and a tie that looked like some- one threw up on it, I felt almost as A funny as I looked. When the show's 90-minute format ended in 1980, the pace quickened and the interviews didn't have time to develop, but there were still enough memorable moments to keep me hooked. He walked away in 1992, after 30 years. Leno took over, and Letterman moved to CBS. Leno stinks, by the way. He won't acknowledge a monologue gone badly, and his Jay-Walking seg- ment is one of the most mean-spirited things on television. How many peo- ple do they have to interview on the street before they can find someone who doesn't know how many U.S. Senators there are? I was happy to read the news in recent weeks that Carson had been writing jokes for Letterman. Johnny had been out of the news for so long, in retro- spect, it was probably a bad omen. When Letterman came into town last week to receive the BorgWarner trophy for his car that won the Indy 500, a local sports anchor asked Letterman about the jokes. Johnny's been sending us some jokes for a while and we're thrilled about it, Letterman said. "Do you use any of them?" asked the reporter, playing the perfect straight man. "No," Letterman said, laughing. "We try to break his heart as much as possible." A celebrity's death usually gets no more than a "That's too bad, pass the chips" from me. It's sad in one way, but good in another. The only way I've ever known him is through the glow of the television screen. If I watch the specials on tele- vision and buy the commemorative DVD, he'll still be alive. ❑ ■ 11111111/ MEM JEW Vf The 2005 JCC Maccabi Games® will be held August 7-12 in St. Paul, Minn., and August 14-19 in Richmond, VA for the following sports: boys' baseball, boys' basketball, girls' basket- ball, girls' soccer, girls' softball, girls' volleyball, in-line hockey, bowling, dance, golf, table tennis, tennis, track and field, and swimming. The games are for Jewish teens who will be age 13- 16 as of August 1, 2005. MANDATORY INFORMATIONAL MEETING Parents AND athletes should attend. Introduction of coaches, site information, try-out schedule and other important informa- tion will be discussed. Sunday, January 30, 2005 4:30 PM Marion and David Handleman Hall Jewish Community Center D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus In addition to the meeting, the following sports will have tryouts as indicated SPORT DATE TIME PLACE Boys' Baseball Feb. 10 & Feb. 24 8:15 - 10:00 PM Kahn JCC Gym Girls' Softball Jan. 31 & Feb. 7 8:15 - 10:00 PM Kahn JCC Gym Girls' Soccer Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23 4:00 - 6:00 PM In-Line Hockey Ctr. Girls' Volleyball Feb. 5, 12, 19 8:00 - 10:00 PM Kahn JCC Gym Boys' Basketball 13-14 Feb. 5, 12, 19 6:45 - 8:45 PM Kahn JCC Gym Boys' Basketball 15-16 Feb. 5, 12, 19 6:45 - 8:45 PM Kahn JCC Gym Girls' Basketball Feb. 14 & 21 8:15 -10:00 PM Kahn JCC Gym Table Tennis Feb. 3 7:00 - 8:30 PM Kahn JCC Room In-line Hockey To Be Discussed at Meeting Dance Feb. 6 In-Line Hockey Ctr. 3:00-5:00 PM Annette & Co. 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