[Iabs-talk] Fw: [ATCNFB] Blind Comedian Benefits NFB

[Joe Orozco]

    I found the article below rather interesting.  If the comedian in 
question has previously donated money to the NFB, perhaps some of the state 
student divisions would consider including him in their future agendas?

          Best,

          Joe Orozco

Subject: [ATCNFB] Blind Comedian Benefits NFB


Howdy Comrades!
We have some funny members here in Austin, and I wonder about a possible 
fundraiser?
Gazette.net, Maryland USA
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Former real estate agent turns to stand-up comedy after a brain tumor takes 
his sight/
By Meredith Hooker, Staff Writer
Robbed of his vision, Silver Spring man keeps his sense of humor
When Carl Moss lost his vision due to a tumor covering a large portion of 
his brain, it wasn't funny.
But now Moss, 55, a budding comedian, turns his experiences into material 
for stand-up comedy routines. The Silver Spring resident's most recent 
performance
was Saturday night at the Hyatt in Bethesda, along with several other local 
comics.
Ken Mellgren, a volunteer who reads to Moss, introduced him to beginner 
comedy classes in July at the DC Improv because he knew Moss liked to listen 
to
comedy. Mellgren, Moss' ''seeing-eye man," accompanied him to sessions. From 
there, Moss took off, learning how to write punch lines to jokes, how to be
an effective public speaker and how to perfect his delivery.
''I love jokes," Moss said. ''Humor has to be a part of life, like love and 
music and art."
Matt Kazam, an instructor at the DC Improv and a professional comic, has 
worked with Moss on his techniques. Moss is interesting, he said, because 
not only
is he blind, he's learning how to be blind. And that, Kazam said, can be 
funny.
''He really does have a lot of passion for this," Kazam said.
However, he said, Moss is still learning to draw from those experiences, 
since being blind is new for him and he still faces some challenges, like 
learning
how to get around and do things. And Moss isn't quite ready to joke about 
some things on stage, Kazam said.
When his students are writing jokes, Kazam often tells them to draw from 
their own lives. ''It's not that hard," he said. ''You look into yourself. 
But
when Carl looks into his own life, it's so traumatic."
But Kazam said he thinks Moss can get there. ''Once you're a comedian, 
nothing bad can happen to you because it becomes a source of material."
Moss loves G-rated, old school-style comedy and does a dead-on Donald Duck 
impression. He's not a fan of corny jokes and he doesn't like crude humor.
So he jokes about what he knows: blindness, being overweight and differences 
between blind people and sighted people. (He didn't want his jokes to be 
printed
- it might ruin the punch line for someone planning to see him perform, he 
said. No laughter is the kiss of death for a comedian.) It's not hard to 
come
up with jokes; they usually just hit him all of a sudden.
Right now, comedy is a hobby. But if his career were to take off, Moss said, 
he would give the money he earned to charities like the National Federation
of the Blind.
''I believe God has put us on the Earth to help other people," he said.
''I'm glad that he's doing this," Moss' wife, Ann, said. ''He has something 
to get him out of the house. He was very active before, and it's been a 
struggle
for him being homebound."
Moss is used to being on stage. He has been a professional talent and 
booking agent and played bass with top 40 dance band Fancy Colours from 1968 
through
1990, quitting when he had to have surgery - unrelated to his brain tumor - 
that left him unable to lift heavy equipment. He went to work full-time in
real estate, something he had also done while playing in the band. Moss had 
to leave his job when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1997.
He had two surgeries to remove a tumor from his brain that was wrapped 
around his carotid arteries, sinuses, brain and brainstem. The cancer killed 
his
optic nerves and his pituitary gland.
''I was told I'd probably never be able to see the light of day for the rest 
of my life," he said. ''I looked at it as a challenge that life gave me."
Moss was challenged further when, shortly after those surgeries, he was 
diagnosed with diverticulitis and paratenesis, problems in his colon.
''Not only did I live through my neurosurgery, I had three operations - one 
of which kills most people," Moss said.
It hasn't always been easy, but Moss has kept his spirits up.
''I just said, 'Well, it's up to a higher power than me,' " Moss said. ''... 
My mother told me when I was young that behind everything you perceive as 
bad
or unfortunate, if you look hard enough, there's always something good that 
will come out of it if you look around and keep your eyes open. Behind every
cloud, there's a rainbow if you look for it."
http://www.gazette.net/stories/101806/burtnew213330_31950.shtml
--
How about this as an activity for the Finance committee?
Regards,
Chairman Mal
Power to the Peeps!