Sun Valley Resort

This was taken at dusk as the Sun was setting on this sleepy little town. the show was at 6:30 PM and the audiences were really great.

Greetings from Sun Valley, a little slice of scenic beauty, it's like Aspen without the pretentiouness and high end shops. The people are more accessible and friendlier and don't walk around pretending like they are products of superior genetic breeding.

"Men build too many walls and not enough bridges." - Isaac Newton

Well, Football Season is over, I love The NFL. I love the game of Football, What a great Super Bowl! Beginning to end: the Star Spangle Banner Sung by Jennifer Hudson, and even Bruce Springsteen’s crotch slide into the camera man during the Halftime Show. It was no wardrobe malfunction but a little more of the Boss than I really needed to see. Giving everyone a shot of his full frontal flesh musket. The game itself was Epic! I just love Football! It’s the only sport I follow religiously. The regular season lasts 16 Sunday’s... It’s not 186 games in the regular season, who has got time for that, it’s just those sixteen Sundays! I can follow that! Know the players and stats and still be focused and have a life. By the way, congrats to all the Steelers fans! I wanted the all Pennsylvania Super Bowl, Eagles vs. Steelers. I will have to wait till next season because it is February now, the shortest month of the year. Coincidentally, it’s also Black History Month, Native American Heritage Month, And National Boost Your Self – Esteem Month and Valentines Day is just around the corner, The Hallmark Holiday. The government is trying to jam another stimulus package down our throats, and my new hilarious DVD: Alive and Kickin’ is finally finished and available for purchase off of my website, soon to be in stores and also digital downloads on itunes. Which is my new favorite place on the web… One word: Podcasts!!

Apple Audio & Video Podcasts have such an extensive information network at anyone’s disposal it would be impossible to list it all here. From a yoga Class to a whole series of audio exercise programs for running & stretching, Film School in a Box, Digital Photography, How to Boil an egg, You can learn Spanish, Japanese, and French and amazing library of DYI Projects & Emory University’s mini medical school series features faculty MDs offering insight on health issues like allergies, back pain, and heart disease and series of How To Video Podcasts to learn newest and latest Technology. When I was kid we have to go to the library and look this kind of stuff up in card catalogues navigating the Dewey Decimal System.

I am just trying to stay hip and figure out all this Social Media and keep up with all the Smores ( Social Media Whores). Twitter, Facebook, Bloggging, Vlogging, Microblogging Text messaging, & Myspace (and Myspace is so last week, even pedophiles moved on and are not using my space anymore. I am just saying it is a full time job trying to keep up with the kids and their strange math, weird haircuts and social media networks. Now I sound like an Old guy. “ Get off my information Highway, You damn Kids!” Besides, I don’t think people really want to know what I am doing 24/7 365. Don’t get me wrong, I have a great life, but if I am eating a bowl of Captain Crunch I don’t have to announce it to the media or put it in my Facebook Profile and I have be eating Captain Crunch for a long time, I knew him when he was a Lieutenant. The point is the world certainly has gotten smaller thanks to the Internet; it is only the single greatest invention of the 20th century. I will say this, the world is changing at such a rapid pace that if you do not pay attention to all this emerging technology, in 10 years not knowing your way around this digital democracy will be the equivalent of being virtually illiterate. You heard it here first, anyway, some cool links below, if you’re trying to navigate the new social media websites check it out and join the fray. Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated!

Cool Websites


Twitteratti

How to use Facebook

Tech Crunch

Blogger

True Story

This is an article I wrote for shecky magazine. Enjoy!

TRUE STORY!

JIMMY SHUBERT is a standup comic and an actor who grew up in Philadelphia. He is a nationally touring headliner. He lives in Hollywood. He has appeared in several major motion pictures. He toured the U.S. with the late Sam Kinison Outlaws Of Comedy. He has appeared several times at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal.


"I step off the elevated train and I see two cops with German Shepards and I said, 'Whaddya know? Philadelphia-- the only city with blind cops!'"

You can just hear the rim shot after that one.

This joke was told by a comedian named London Lee, whether it was his joke is another story. His father owned the Lee Jeans company. Let's just say London Lee was never a starving artist. I am very familiar with that particular joke. My father was a Philadelphia Police detective that saw London Lee perform one night. He was on duty, assigned to a security detail for Lee's show and it seems that was the only joke my father retained from Mr. Lee’s performance.



When I was 14 years old, I was a magician that was doing the whole comedy/magic combo plate. I was getting about two or three gigs a month. I was definitely interested in performing comedy. I used to fall asleep reading joke books that I bought at the magic shop. My father, being the astute student of comedy, took it upon himself at every opportunity to tell me that same joke over and over until I left the house when I was about 19 years old--coincidentally to pursue a career in standup comedy. Even then it never stopped my father from torturing me with that same hacky joke for years afterward. Whenever I called from California, he would say," Hey Jim, I saw two cops with German Shepards get off the train and whaddya know? Philadelphia-- the only city with blind cops" Bah-dum bum! He would chuckle because he knew I wasn’t fond of the joke. I have to be honest, it annoyed the hell out of me. And I was developing a serious dislike for London Lee.

A few years later a friend of mine opened a comedy club called "Stiches Comedy Club" in Northeast Philly, right in the neighborhood where I grew up. Johnny Tucci, another good friend, managed the club and booked me as a feature act with a comic named "The Legendary Wid" Wid is an absolutely hysterical prop comedian, and the first comedian I ever saw in Philly. When I saw him, I said this is what I want to do! I had been in L.A. for about four years and I was really ready to come back and show off for my family and my friends.

The last time they saw me do standup comedy, I died a horrible death, I went down in flames like an Iraqi fighter pilot.

Needless to say, I was very excited: I'm coming home to see family and friends AND I'll be working a real gig with someone I really liked and respected. I wanted to be as funny in front of large groups of people, just like I had seen Wid do. I had a lot more polish now and I wanted to let everybody know I was serious about pursuing a career as a standup comedian.

This was a huge deal for me. My father and mother were coming to see me perform, all five of my brothers and their friends were going to be there. I was unveiling the new and improved Jimmy Shubert. I remember it very clearly as I sit here and type. I could see my father from the stage. I remember making a lot of eye contact with him and I was having a great set. It was very sureal; it was like one of those moments where you know you're in control so you relax and you just start stripping it down the middle.

After the show my brothers and my friends had a great time. They were patting me on the back and talking about what a great show it was. My parents said they hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time. It was just one of those magical evenings.

I was about to find out that there where much bigger forces at work there that evening. I was getting ready to leave and I walked over to the Wid to say goodnight, leaving my parents, family and friends sat around in the bar area. Wid sat with a small group of people and I said, "Excuse me, Wid. I just wanted to say goodnight" With that, he introduces me to the people in his party.

Among them is a much older gentleman dressed completely in black-- black turtleneck, black velvet sports coat and a pair of black Lee jeans. He's wearing a bad hairpiece that was painfully obvious and he must have used a whole tube of Man Tan on what little flesh that was exposed. He had a headlock on his fading youth and was taking it to the mat. It was spooky. He looked like a old, frail and very tan vampire.

Wid says, "Jimmy, do you know London Lee?" I got chills! I totally lost it! I told him, "Wait here! I’ll be right back! I have to introduce you to your biggest fan! PLEASE, don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back!" I quickly walked over to my father as my heart raced. I had to calm myself down. I looked at my Dad and I took a deep breath and smiled and he smiled back. I took my father by the arm and said, "I have someone I want you to meet." As we approached the table I could barely contain myself. I said, "London Lee, this is my father, who is, without a doubt, your biggest fan!" London Lee extended his hand and said, "Your son is a very funny man." Did my ears deceive me? Did I just hear London Lee tell my father I was a very funny man?! Wow!

This was a magical night. We talked and exchanged pleasantries only very briefly, but I will never forget that night because London Lee said to my father that I was a very funny man. This mythical creature I had heard about for most of my adolescence, it was like a sign from God that I was on the right track with my life. And to make it even better, my father never told me that stupid joke ever again.

Okay so the Eagles didn't win!!

But they looked like they were going to for a minute there, and at Least Coach Reid and Donavan McNabb will be returning next year and Thank God for that, because I think people just want change for the sake of change sometimes, and my feeling is that to get rid of those two would be disasterous for the philadelphia Eagles organization. Well, it was amazing the Philadelphia Eagles got that far into the playoffs considering. I am a Philly Fan either way, and used to having my heart broken, and Thank God for the Phillies!! But I am not one of those douchebag fans that call for the heads of Coach Reid and Mcnabb when they hit a rough patch during the season. That is just ridiculous! those rabid fans and the way they conducted themselves is really disheartening, I get sick and tired of defending the behavior of fans in that town! So, Go Steelers! My other Pennslyvannia Football Team. I am in Norther California this week performing at PepperbelliesComedy & Variety Arts theatre and gearing up for to the last football game of the season on Feb 1 st, On a lighter note, My Alive & Kickin DVD's are finished complete with a bonus CD and lots of cool special features and it will be shipping out this week for all those that pre ordered !! Thank you so much and I promise you won't be disappointed. I am really proud of this DVD it took me 18 months to finish it, because I wanted to create something special for my fans. Plus, we will be shoppingt it around to Showtime & Comedy Central and working on a North American distribution deal. So , you will be able to pick it up in stores as well as Digital Downloads off of itunes. The real work on this project is just getting under way Thanks again for your continued support

Jimmy Shubert

Go Eagles!!

NFL PLAYOFF FOOTBALL

Is there anything better than that!! Two big games tomorrow Eagles @ the Giants and San Diego @ Pittsburgh. Anyone who knows anything about me knows I am a die hard Eagles Fan and I root for all things Pennslyvannia. I grew up in the City of Brotherly Love and cheering for my home teams (Sixers, Flyer,Eagles & Phillies) makes me feel connected to my beloved city, So Today I will be Screaming at my television set and eating good food and rooting for all thing Pennslyvannia Eagles & The Steelers. I am making my ribs for the game, and just for you I have included my recipe for my Peach Baby Back Ribs these will make you a "Tailgate Legend" if you make them right it will take about three tries Good Luck And Go E-A -G-L-E-S!!

Peach baby back ribs

the sweetness of the peaches offsets the tang of the rib meat and the rub it is all about balance
End Zone rub ( the Magic powder ) LOL! 1/2 cup of Salt 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar 2 tbsp of good quality chili powder .....I use San Antonio Red ( $10.00 per pound ; pederys.com ) they use high quality chilies in their powders that means less grainy texture,a sharp color, and a bold sweet flavor 1 tbsp ground coffee .....which adds a malty flavor to the meat when cooked a secrect kept close the the vest in BBQ competition circles ....Not joking! 1 tbsp Lemon Pepper


Ingredients1/2 cup end zone rub, 1/4 cup of turbinado sugar (mix together this is what you will rub on the meat after boiling the ribs)

3 full slabs of ribs, about 2 lbs each, membrane removed

1 1/2 cups of peach preserves 6 tbsp pack brown sugar 1/4 cup of apple juice

A large pot filled with water and salted, bring water to a boil and then place the ribs in for 1/2 hour after water is already boiling this will ensure that the meat falls of the bone when they are ready to eat
remove rib from water and let cool
mix the rib rub and the turbinado sugar together and sprinkle the ribs 2/3 on the meaty side remaining 1/3 on the boney side
prepare the oven for cooking indirect low heat 300 degrees
cook the ribs till they are nicely caramelized about 2 hours...... remember low and slow that is the way to cook these ribs
then remove and lay each slab on a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil, spread the peach preserves over each slab, and then spinkle each with 2 tbsp of brown sugar as you fold the aluminum foil up into a packet, pour the apple juice under the ribs, seal the packets snugly , being careful not to puncture the packet with the rib bones and then return to the oven for 45 minutes
( at this point you could let the ribs cool down to finish later - great way to prep ribs in advance for a tailgate for a Eagles' s game )
otherwise after you cook them for the addition 45 minutes remove ribs from the foil and place on a grill or over medium heat in an oven and cook and flip for a few minutes until caramelized. cut each slab between ribs and serve.

Merry Christmas and Happy Halidays

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all have a safe and healthy holiday season, and A Prosperous new Year! My hope that the econamy straightens itself out for 2009 and that Obama is a transformational leader, and gets America back on track. We will see what happens. May God Bless you all and your families may all your dreams and resolutions for the New Year come to fruition.


Jimmy Shubert