Podcast appearances and mentions of viva vietnam

I have been dreaming of going on a motorcycle adventure into North Vietnam since the last time I was in Hanoi and heard of the concept. This was only my fourth time ever driving a motorcycle and I think it will be hard to beat this experience of going the 90 miles round trip journey from Hanoi to the top of Tam Dao Mountain. Yes it was terrifying and yes I felt like a true bad ass with Steve McQueen courage especially after I crashed going up the thin and dusty mountain road. Just as the key to happiness is in lowering your expectations it is equally important to remember that your dreams just might end up killing you if you are not careful. It is a miracle that I was not seriously injured when my motorcycle went sliding out from under me and I was high with joy for hours afterward that I was alive and that I had only lost a swatch of skin off of my elbow.   In this episode I recount my journey to the top of the mountain and the dangers one encounters while operating a motorcycle in the countryside of Vietnam and in the city of Hanoi. I'm thrilled to say that I checked this dream off of my lifelong wish list and that so much beauty was captured with my eyeballs and will live on in my memory forever. My life has been unbelievably blessed with magnificent experiences and I'm happy to tell you now in this episode all about my Vietnam motorcycle adventure and my mountain road crash that could have been a lot worse. Viva Vietnam!   TRR Smart Camp goodies: * Receive podcast goodies! www.patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp * Have a one time private skype session with Tom! www.patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp * Buy my newest double album All Hail Laughter (2017) www.tomrhodes.net * More episodes on www.tomrhodesradio.com

This week Ken welcomes Tom Rhodes to the show.   Ken and Tom discuss Ken's TV Guide archives, the family dynamic of the Archie Bunker Chair, neighborhood talk of cable, butter knife soft core pornography, Emmanuel, modern kids lack of mechanical skills, MTV, General Hospital, Rick Springfield, moot points, the social justice power of soap operas, Steve McQueen in French, Jerry Lewis' foreign tongue, Barney Miller, family dance parties, highlighting the TV Guide for late night stand up, Carson, Letterman, Rich Hall, Mike Wilmot's murderous ways, Viva Vietnam, being the face of Comedy Central, being the subject of an NBC/HBO/Fox bidding war, Must See TV, taking the crown from the Fresh Prince, how to go from public defender to private school English Teacher in one easy step, Mark Brazil, learning to act on National TV, Ron Glass, Hal Linden, how the kids take over, the funny teacher sub-genre, being one in a four pack, Dabney Coleman's Buffalo Bill, Alan Partridge, the UK influence over likable US characters,  being slammed by Entertainment Weekly, being fed up with Hair Jokes, Native Americans, Mr. Rhodes, why being the side character is better than being the lead, Minnesota, the charm of giant trucks, the death knell of Holiday Episodes, loving Lucy, live audiences, the arsenal of supporting cast, Jensen Ackles, Lindsay Sloane, Sean Weiss, Alexandra Holden, Jessica Stone, Stephen Tobolowsky, watching the news as a kid, genetic love of stand up comedy, Holland, The NBC Artist's Grant, London Comedy, Greg Proops, The Kevin Masters Show, travel shows, MTV's Half Hour Comedy Hour and the memorable moments live gifts us with gold carts and the Back to the Future town square. 

Richard Leiby is one of the most respected journalists in the United States. He was one of the first reporters to write about Scientology in the 1980s and he has covered the Iraq & Afghanistan wars. For several years he was the bureau chief in Pakistan for the Washington Post. He is now senior writer and editor Style Section of the Washington Post where he has worked for nearly 25 years.    I have been friends with him for exactly 20 years now, we met at the first HBO Aspen comedy festival in February 1995 and he also wrote about me and my Dad in April 1995 when I made Viva Vietnam! for Comedy Central and that special premiered in Washington D.C. He is one of the wise Buddhas in my life who I can go to to decipher the chaos of world events or if I need a source of higher world knowledge.   We have gotten together every year when I come to D.C. with the exception of those few years he was based in Pakistan. With all of the heart wrenching world events happening lately it was a perfect time to sit down with him and talk about events and the workings of modern journalism.    This conversation was recorded at the Washington Post on a brutally cold February afternoon but it contains the warm glow of two decades of friendship. He is his own library of Congress possessing oceans of valuable information and he is one of my oldest dearest friends whose opinion on important matters I greatly cherish and that is why it is my pleasure to present to you now the one and only Richard Leiby!     Intro song: Cutting Room (Hot Pants) – Oceanliners   Ask Me Tell Me Anything: Roger from Norway   End song:  Bustin’Loose – Chuck Brown & The Soul Searches (1978)   Recorded in Washington, DC. February 2015.

Rich Hall is to comedy what Johnny Cash is to country music.   The man is a living legend, having won Emmys for his writing for David Lettermen, was on SNL and Not Necessarily The News, he invented his own language with Snigglets and he won the grand prize at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2000.    For me personally, Rich Hall has been a great friend and someone I look up to who inspires me, especially with the amount of comedy ass he still kicks. Internationally respected and adored everywhere microphones are plugged in.    When I filmed Viva Vietnam for Comedy Central years ago I could bring one writer with me and I chose Rich. We bonded in 'Nam baby! I've been to visit him in Montana 3 times and I would not know the unbridled glory that is Montana had it not been for Rich. After Rich moved to London he encouraged me to come over because  he thought I would do well there. Not only did he coach me on the right chess moves to getting in with London but for 5 years he let me keep a key to his phenomenal flat on Fitzroy Square.    From London I got to springboard to the world so it is safe to say that all of the amazing life I have got to lead might not have happened had it not been for my friendship with Rich. Not only have I been inspired to watch him work and see where his career path choices have taken him but he has also been kind of a wise Buddha to me. Or better yet he is Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Hank Williams and Lee Marvin to me. He is one of the heroes of my life and I am eternally grateful that in a world filled with so many full of shit people I made friends with Rich Hall and that our worldwide golden experiences together continue to multiply.    We recorded this conversation while we were both doing the Galway Comedy Carnival festival last month on a blustery cold grey day inside the Salt Hill hotel. He is an American comedy gunslinger badass who ain't the one who would ever leave town before the shooting started and it is my pleasure to present to you now the one and only Rich Hall!     Intro song: Cutting Room (Hot Pants) – Oceanliners   Stand-up clip from YouTube: Rich Hall: Why I hate the Tea Party - Live at the Apollo - Series 7 - BBC Comedy Greats Stand-up clip from YouTube: Rich Hall - Dirty South - Biopic Clip.wmv   End song: She Left Me For Jesus – Hayes Carll   Recorded at The Salthill Hotel in Galway, Ireland, October 2014

Steve Cooper talks with Comic/Host Tom Rhodes. Tom is a international headliner being a crowd favorite in both the US and in Europe. He has performed on Evening at the Improv, Comedy on the Road, Caroline's Comedy Hour, MTV Half Hour Comedy Hour, Comic Strip Live and Two Drink Minimum to name a few. He also developed and starred in a Comedy Central comedy log called Viva Vietnam and has starred in his own NBC sitcom titled Mr. Rhodes. In Amsterdam he was the host of The Kevin Masters show and has had two Comedy Central Presents specials. In addition he has recorded numerous CDs and DVDs and currently has a hit podcast Tom Rhodes Radio.