Numberwang, one of the recurring sketches, is one of the most difficult math’s quizzes to play. Another one in this category is The Surprising Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken-Caesar, which is a story about a drunken tramp, along with his mate Ginger fights crime. There are also two other commentators, Ted and Peter, who look only at the game negative side. Then, there is Raymond Terrific who is doing his best to get some fools to help in finding solutions to biggest problems of the world in Big Talk. Similar to their 2001 sketch show, there are a few sketches which deal with the mind boggling tastelessness of television.

Some of the episodes will also feature the story behind the camera, where both comedians are the commentators. The fourth season will telecast The Quiz Broadcast and Get Me Hennimore, and also a series of new sketches. The sketches will comprise of the last set of mysteries solved by Sherlock Holmes along with his friend Watson, Mr. Martin Everclear, the world’s worst orator and also a cat- based snack for the kids.

All in all, the comedy series have been well appreciated by one and all. The first series was a big success (not to mention that, but the DVD Packaging created quite a stir as well). The next series, though, was not welcomed with as much enthusiasm for the simple reason that most of the jokes of the first series were re-telecasted in the second one. The third was also equally appreciated. And now, the fourth series is eagerly awaited.

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It’s a silly and enjoyable show with some nice one liners thrown in here and there from a relaxed bunch of stand up comedians; Fraser, Rik Moore, & Rachel Anderson. At times the pace lagged a bit, but then again it was a preview so I expect by the time Edinburgh comes around they’ll have tweaked it and picked the pace up. I’d like to see Rachel Anderson utilised a bit more as her role was primarily to act as compere (in character) which she did well but I think the sketches could have done with her input too. It’s always a shame when the girls don’t get to join in completely in comedy and it might have made the piece feel like an ensemble sketch group if she’d been more involved.

All three were confident, laid back and enjoyable stand up comedians and all had the knack for a decent ad lib when it was necessary so that was enjoyable. I have to say I wasn’t utterly blown away and personally I prefer it if impressions of characters/celebrities have a grain of truth in them rather than being totally random, but perhaps that’s just my personal taste.

One of my favourite sketches was David Bowie for instance, because there was an essence of “Labyrinth Bowie”which made it quite satisfying to watch. Nevertheless this is a show which has potential I think if they can really get the pace up, not let the energy drop and get to work on some editing. Like most sketch shows a few cuts here and there can go along way.

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Eddie Murphy is one of the most well known comedians ever. He still to this day is known for his hilarious specials in the eighties. He was always dressed in leather from head to toe, except for his trademark running shoes. He was rude and crude but so funny. As a child I can remember not being allowed to even hear what his special was about let alone see it. By the time I was allowed to see it I had so much excitement from the anticipation. For years and years I had heard about how funny he was. When I finally got to watch him perform he completely lived up to the hype. It was laugh out loud funny.

As he has gotten older Eddie Murphy has completely mellowed out. When asked why he said that it was for his kids. He wanted to make shows and movies that they could watch. He said that when he watches his old specials that he doesn’t even know that guy. He feels like he is watching someone else. He also said he can’t believe the way he used to dress and how much he cursed.

Eddie Murphy is now featured as the voice of Donkey in the Shrek movies. He is loved by children and adults. His role in the movie Dr. Doolittle and Daddy Daycare made him popular with kids. It was Shrek that made children adore him though. He is an actor that will be making generations laugh for years to come. Fortunately now we can all watch him and chuckle no matter what age we are. There is no more having to wait until you are an adult or having to cover your ears and close your eyes at certain parts. You can trust that everything is now completely acceptable for children to watch.

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Some of his jokes are a bit borderline on stigmas and stereotypes so if you are easily offended by those topics you may not enjoy the show. If you take the jokes at face value then you will have a great time. It is hard to get offended when a puppet is talking. We were all laughing and telling our co-workers about the show for days afterwards. The next time that he comes through our city I am sure we will have a bigger group going.

There were a lot of people that wished that they had gone with us. If Jeff Dunham is coming to your area you should get together some friends and go see him. Even if you are not a fan of prop comedy this is not your average prop comedy show. Take it from me you will not want to be the person at work left out because you didn’t go see him.

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The world has teetered on the brink of nuclear war a number of times in the past and once again we are in the same position. Your independent financial advisors would advise that any threat of nuclear war will certainly affect not only financial markets but also world economies. The Middle East an unstable area of the world and having a nuclear free Middle East would help in alleviating the tensions that have been ongoing for ages. But is it truly possible? Sure, we can stop Iran from gaining nuclear weapons by means of sanctions, with additional support from NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty). But even if the world prevents Iran from having nuclear capabilities, will that solve the region’s problems? Unlikely.

One thing seems to get ignored when discussing the denuclearisation of the Middle East: Israel. While the world is concerned with preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons, their neighbour, Israel, has between 100 and 200 nuclear weapons. What is even more shocking is the fact that these weapons have never been publicly declared. And Israel isn’t exactly the most peaceful nation in the world. They have been at war (or skirmishes) with their neighbours for ages, and it would appear that these conflicts are not going to end any time soon. However, the world seems to be unconcerned with this fact. Is it a result of the American pressure? Perhaps; but more importantly, what will the Middle East look like with a nuclear-free Israel?

It is highly unlikely that we will ever see a nuclear free Middle East. While many nations of the West have nuclear capability, and the fact that the West continues to involve themselves in the affairs of the Middle East, it is unlikely that any nation in the Middle East will stop their attempts at gaining nuclear weapons. As Iran have stated, they want nuclear weapons for the sheer purpose of defence; and can we blame them? Iran, and its neighbours, will continue their attempts at gaining nuclear weapons, and in some ways, it is the fault of the West and their constant involvement in an unstable area.

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I first saw the diminutive Susan Harrison in “Five Characters in Search of Susan"a character comedy show in which she wrote and played five contrasting characters. While the show wasn’t perfect (there wasn’t really a strong enough device stringing the characters together for my liking) it was a great showcase for Harrison and showed off her potential as a character comic. From what I have seen she is a very physical performer and I like the way she throws herself in to all the different roles she plays. As a hardcore, geeky comedy fan I go to loads of gigs in London and I’ve since seen her doing a short slot at a gig as one of her characters, Shakira. As Shakira she had some great lines and although at times I felt that she could do with relaxing a bit in her audience participation, again there was a huge amount of potential there and her set went down really well. I’ve also seen her YouTube videos as Jennie Benton Smith (which she has also done on the circuit) and this is a character who works well in front of a live audience as well as on video. In particular her pastiche of the infamous Kersal Massive YouTube clip is a real treat and worth checking out. Susan was a Semi Finalist in last year’s Funny Women Awards as Shakira and I think it’s a character that could definitely develop in to a longer set. I’ll definitely watch out for Susan on the circuit.

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Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8604215.stm

As the new tax rate of 50% takes effect here in Britain, many of the country’s top earners will have make contact with their financial advisor to find out just much they will be affected. Yes the over 300,000 top earners in our society will be most affected by this new tax. This may seem a small chunk when you consider the close to 30 million Brits who are registered taxpayers and who pay tax on their income.

The new tax rate will only affect those whose taxable income tops £150,000 annually. This according to government estimates will bring in just over £2.4bn extra to the government coffers within its first year.

Done to boost public finances not everyone has welcomed it. There are those who believe that it will greatly affect entrepreneurial spirit, foreign investment, and business confidence in a very negative way. Some believe that this increase will not bring in what the government expects. In fact the belief is that tax revenues may not increase at all, certainly not in the short term.

Well I am sure there are those among us who will say that it is about time the rich got taxed the way they should. The rich will say that it is unfair and that they are been unfairly targeted. Many will think of leaving and some actually will. If they leave the amount of revenues will be less and that will have serious repercussions for the government and the rest of us. The thing is the new tax is here and we just have to deal with it.

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Why do so many people hate musicals so much? Well that’s easy: they can get on your nerves, can be long and tedious, and are by their very nature over the top, irritating and exceedingly long-winded. But is that any reason to not watch them? I don’t think so. People have a breast uplift and other things for absolutely no reason, don’t they? The point is that musicals, like anything, can get on your nerves, but some of them are actually really good and deserve to be seen. The problem is the same as with anything: the few poor ones bring the rest down. The result is that a whole generation miss out. How sad!

Up until my twenty-first birthday the word Musical made my stomach do a somersault. Then one day I was in the video store and I came across Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. I stepped away from the shelf and caught my breath–what was this I saw before me–a horror musical? I was instantly intrigued. Instead of walking past I thought Let’s see what you got and went and rented it out.

I didn’t expect much. OK, the film had both Helena Bonham Carter and Jonny Depp in it, but that meant little. It was still a musical, so it could still kill my brain. I started the DVD and sat back, ready to switch it off as soon as Sweeney took it too far. Except he never did–all though the film I was fixated, smiling, and engrossed. The unbelievable had been achieved: I had been converted and it wasn’t even painful!

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Everyone has a thing about brussel sprouts. People either love them or hate them, and both are fine. Because the brussel is not a pretender. It knows its place and it stays there out of harms way. It knows it will never be a main-stay vegetable and it is fine with that.

But I am not fine with cabbage. In fact, I am disgusted by it. It is a pretender, a faker, and constantly trying to get into as many meals as possible! But the worst of its many hideous attributes makes all the others pale in to insignificance: you know what I am about to say and here it is—the cabbage is just LIKE the brussel sprout, only bigger! The disgusting thing never stops reminding us of it, day in, day out!

There is nothing worse than a cabbage rubbing itself in your face.

My disliking for cabbage began at a very young age. By the time of my eleventh birthday it had evolved in to so much more than a casual grudge; it had turned in to a full-throttle campaign of against-cabbage-terror. Whenever I saw a cabbage I kicked it with my small mizuno running shoes, picked it up, or chucked it as far as my small hands could manage. This led to me (and my family) being banned from numerous supermarkets for, as the local paper described it and I happen to think is actually quite accurate, ‘cabbage warfare’.

I am pretty sure I know what you’re thinking; you’re thinking “calm down mate, cabbages don’t have a conscience! They don’t know what they are doing–you’re loosing it!” Well, maybe I am, but is that any reason to think that the cabbage is not in control of its own destiny. No, I am telling you this: if you stare a cabbage in the eye you will see that it does have a purpose, and that purpose is malevolent–

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