Living Out Loud

Best Of LOL

The LOL blog is officially defunct, and a new blog will replace it at citybeat.com sometime next week. We're all sad to see Larry and friends go, and no one is more disappointed than me - I've been waiting months to see what Larry was going to do with the giant spikey stick that sits on his desk on the other side of mine.

The good news is that the vodka-sipping man himself will still be around. And now now that we at CityBeat have dealt with all five stages of grief after hearing the news (bargaining was the most awkward stage), we are ready to give Larry, the blogger, a proper sendoff. Here's a past post from each of the characters we found during a brief yet appreciative look back on LOL's long and successful run.

And don't worry: The internet will be notified if the spikey stick leaves the office.

- Danny Cross

Larry Gross

Sally Negative

Candy Apple

C.A. MacConnell

LOL Girl

Judy Darling

Brandy Edwards

Carol Walters

Jesus Christ

Joe Locker

Tom Anus

That Was the Blog That Was: Saying Goodbye

When you go to the CityBeat blogs tomorrow, I don't know what you'll find. Someone else may be managing this blog, it may be replaced with something else ... I just don't know.

What I do know is that this will be my last post and my last day managing the blog. The good folks at CityBeat know I need to stop.

I want to make one thing very clear: This was totally my decision.

We’ve been doing this since August 12, 2006 – over 22 months. While our comments have been down lately (I never liked the verifying code thing either), our stats have never been higher. May I blow our own horn by saying this is CityBeat’s most successful blog? Well, it is.

We have become a habit for a lot of you, so I feel like I need to explain my decision to leave. I guess I’ll call this guilt. No, it’s just the reality.

I have a lot on my plate, and that’s good for me. I’m working on two books, will still write and/or edit the Living Out Loud column and I’m working on additional projects for other publications.

Something has to give; something has to go to get this additional work completed. It needs to be, it has to be this blog.

The second reason is that after 22 months I’ve run completely out of gas. I know many of you have complained that often times we’re childish, stupid and just not that interesting anymore. You’re right.

Coming up with two or three posts a day during the work week and at least a couple on the weekends, believe it or not, can be taxing work. It has become harder and harder to “think up” posts and in turn it’s become draining.

I know, stop complaining.

To Teri Archer, Carol Walters, Tom Anus, Candy Apple, Judy Darling and Brandy Edwards and to the other contributors past and present: Thank you for your help. I’m taking you to Madonna’s very soon to get you all good and drunk.

To John Fox and Dan Bockrath: Thank you for looking the other way and letting me do what I want. Well, at least most of the time.

To Rick Hines at The Cincinnati Nation: When we first started up, you took an interest in us when others didn’t. Your support made a big difference to us and I’ll always be grateful.

And to our readers: Thank you. So many of you have been with us from the very beginning. It has always been appreciated.

So is blogging out of my blood? I may show up at the other CityBeat blogs from time to time, but I don’t know for sure.

What I do know for sure is that LOL Girl is in her car waiting for me – pretty sure she’s not wearing any underwear. She says she has a big old surprise waiting and it involves a plane ticket and a hotel room.

I may be an old fart but I’m not stupid. I’m outta here!

I’ll be visiting you in the Living Out Loud column and, again thanks for reading. Have a great Fourth of July.

- Larry Gross

(Photo from CityBeat)

Perhaps Food in Prison Camps Is Better Than You Think

I remember Paris Hilton being on Letterman after she got out of jail and complaining about the jail food ... but perhaps food in prison or even in prison camps is better than you think.

The clip down below helps prove my point ... but maybe this is just a joke.

And when was the last time you saw Carol Channing?

- Candy Apple

(Photo from www.history.sandiego.edu)

Eyeballing the Cincinnati Rich & Famous

I saw former local talk show host Bob Braun coming out of the channel 12 studios in Liberty Hill yesterday afternoon. 

Man, I'll tell you something: For a guy who has to be in his late 70's, he looks remarkably good.

Editor: Candy, Bob Braun died in January of 2001.

Oh? Sorry. Then I don’t know who it was. Maybe it was Rob?

- Candy Apple

(Photo of Bob Braun from www.findagrave.com)

Chemistry Much?

I have long been a fan of Holly Hunter. Her television series – "Saving Grace" - returns this month to TNT.

And Craig Ferguson and his late night talk show are starting to grow on me.

Put Hunter and Ferguson together and what do you get? Chemistry much?

This is from last week and it's Hunter’s second appearance on Ferguson’s show. The clip down below is the best seven minutes.

- Larry Gross

(Photo from View Images)

Sue Me

George Carlin's memorial service was last Sunday and I'm still feeling sad over his death - so in order to make myself feel a little better, I'm putting up another video clip down below.

If you don't like it, sue me.

Sorry. Perhaps I'm feeling sad and grumpy.

About the Kim Taylor post on Saturday: Yes, changes are coming here. I’ve received more than a few e-mails wanting to know what’s up. Truly – I’m not trying to put anybody off. When I know something for sure as to what the plan is, I’ll pass it along.

Over and out.

- Larry Gross

(Photo from USA Today)

Waiting for the Repair Man

The dryer where I live went out late last week. The thing would heat up, but the clothes wouldn't roll around. It was being a bad dryer.

I was the one elected to stay around and wait for the repair man to show up. Someone needed to be here between three and six in the afternoon.

This interfered with my happy hour at Madonna's downtown, but what ya gonna do?

Of course, you know how it goes. At six o’clock the guy still wasn’t here. Hell, I could have gone to Madonna’s after all.

To his credit, the guy did call a little after six saying he was running a bit late. When he did arrive, he was a young guy, really nice and apologized - so my “mad act” quickly disappeared.

It took Roger (that was his name) about five minutes to find and fix the problem: a busted belt.

I asked Roger how long belts last on dryers. He said the busted one on this dryer lasted about 18 years.

The fee was fairly modest (at least for a repair man) and he borrowed my Bic pen to write out the receipt and actually returned it when he was done. I like that in a repair man.

He told me “have a nice day” as he was leaving. I felt like telling him the damn day was over but didn’t. I figured Roger didn’t really need to hear that.

The crisis is over. The dryer is fixed.

Now, will someone please come over and wash and dry my clothes today? I need to make up for lost time at Madonna’s.

- Larry Gross

(Photo from USA Today)