i said, what did you bring? he said that he brought, -- >> amongst other things, i brought two bathing suits. >> he brought two bathing suits. a book tour. you get a schedule. you go on all these interviews. you'll do this, whatever. what is never said it is 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., swimming. [laughter] >> i brought a black one and a blue one, depending on what color socks i was going to be wearing to the swimming pool that day. [laughter] >> well, they put you in a nice hotel. there could be a swimming pool. >> i thought it was practical. >> it was very entertaining. i hope we write another book. if for no other reason, to see what he brings. >> we will pick two other

characters and a situation. >> we have a title. "the brothers karamozov." what do you think? they like it. >> and do you miss the newspaper world at all? what was that experience like for you then? >> i do not really miss it. i did like it. i did it for like 25 years, writing a weekly column. at some point i thought, i know i have done this for a long time. i would rather stop doing it before people say, oh, you're still doing it? i occasionally write for the newspaper. i go to the conventions. i go to the olympics. i happen more have -- i have been having more fun at writing a books. >> how much fun was the writing this book? >> this was the most fun i ever

had writing a book. it did not feel like work at all. i was e mailing jokes to alan to make him laugh. that is really what it felt like. he was still sending the chapters. i do not think he realizes that the book is actually out. [laughter] neda i am rain man. >> it is incredibly fun to read. it is so funny. you have answered some of this. since you're surprising each other with the chapters. i guess we're going to cuba -- i will show you. was there in the editing when it was done? or did you go with what you had? >> occasionally, and i will not name names -- [laughter] 1 of us would apparently not have really read the other ones chapter. >> you know, i have a lot of

stuff. i have three kids. i have stuck in my life. >> i would send a couple questions. in the previous chapter, they were in cuba and they were both male. [laughter] and one other point, i do not know technically what this would be called. but we were maybe a quarter of a way into the book, and alan killed all the main characters. [laughter] >> that could be a problem. >> i said, maybe you want to rethink that. >> i do not think they would die from that hike, ok? break a leg, you know. >> things like that, continuity issues, i guess. i do not remember the question. >> i do not either. i think we're getting close to

the time where we're going to take questions from anyone who wants to get up and ask them. line up at the microphone. in the meantime, i was wondering -- actually, someone in the audience was wondering. alan -- >> yes? >> what don't we know about billy crystal and/or larry david that you want to share with the international radio audience? which can probably be picked up in l.a. billy is like my closest friend. he and larry are both my buddies. larry david, when we all started out, we used to sit back in the back of the improvisation or whatever club we were in it just to watch larry. he was the comedian's comedian.

back then he had hair like larry from the three stooges. he had wire rim glasses. he would get on a stage on a friday night at the improv. the crowd was predominantly suburban predominantly wouldblue hair. a pure suburban crowd. larry would get up. he will look at them and the first words out of his mouth -- you know, i feel very comfortable with you people. in fact, i feel so comfortable, i am thinking of using the true form of the verb instead of usted. i was laughing my ass off. it was so funny. the audience was like an oil tank. he had no idea what they were

looking at. he kept on going. as said, i think a lot of people miss use the tu form of the verb. for example, when it they stabbed caesar. he said, et tu brutus? is that policies are, i just step do, if there's any time for usted, it is now. tumbleweeds down the aisle. larry would say, the hell to all of you and he leaves. but we knew that someday, somehow -- no one would predict what would happen to him, but we knew he was a genius. >> what about billy? >> nicest guy in the world. what you see is what you get. when i wrote "700 sunday's" with them, i was honored to do it. direct for long island jewish

family is not really a stretch. he has a real big heart. there are no secrets. i cannot tell you anything you do not know. he is a wonderful family man. married to his wife for 40 or 41 years. a couple of kids, about three grandchildren. >> woody allen wrote jobs for local newspapers and comedians. you wrote for comex. does that still happen? >> that is a good question. >> leno, letterman -- they all have staffs. but if you're talking about starting up, most comics writer their own stuff. but they buddy up. that is what larry did with jerry.

>> can you teach somebody to be funny, to write comedy? do you have it or do you not? what about being funny? >> no. [laughter] >> either you have it or you do not. >> you do not. [laughter] >> no, i do not believe you can teach people to be funny. i think people can hone it and get better. but i do not think anybody who has no sense of humor is going to get one. do you? >> this is so exciting. the youngest member of our studio audience has submitted to the microphone. i have to say one thing. please keep your questions short and to the point. >> what point?

comments. with that, the floor is yours. >> i have a quick statement before my question. it is not like there is a line. >> he is funny. you cannot teach that. >> actually, dave, i want to thank you. when i was in high school, my cousin gave me one of your books, "dave barry talks back." i have not read anything like it before. i was on my couch laughing out loud. i went to college couple of years later and said i wanted to try this. i was at usc. i wrote a weekly humor column in a similar style to yours. i ended up writing 100 of these every week, every night. >> and you are homeless now. >> sincerely, it was one of the

most rewarding experiences i had done, so thank you for that. >> is that the statement or the question? >> the statement. >> he is so much more a fan of mine and yours. if anybody has any questions about deli, i am here for you. sliced meat? i am here for you. hitler, bin laden, and this kid. i hate him. >> you're right about that head comment. >> and you are standing pretty far away. [laughter] >> in transitioning from writing your short for humor to yearlong

for narrative, what was the biggest challenge? >> being brave enough to try it. i was in my 40 pause before i even tried to write a novel. i said i did not know how to do it. if you read a lot, and you can figure out what you're supposed to do -- the hard part is -- the difference is, in the novel, the long form, you need some sort of plot. when i wrote a humor column, i never a word about any structure. there was no point. it was pretty clear. you read them. >> thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >> now we have another question. >> i do not have a statement. >> actually, that was a statement. [laughter]

>> my question to both of you is -- dave, your books have such a breath of topics. alan, saturday night live is such a huge thing in terms of the topics. where you get these ideas, where do they come from? >> we have no useful skills. i am dead serious. we have talked about this. 3o was t thing, and the code got crinkled, i could not do anything. >> the mental energy the other people are using to make useful products in the world, things that people need, we have spent our entire lives trying to amuse ourselves. that is all we know how to do.

so we are better at it than people who have real jobs the them i think that is absolutely right. if you want to feed your family, let's say, you have to discipline yourself. there is also a way of looking at the world. once again, my friend larry david, he would take a little more salt and make a whole meal out of it. it is about looking at the world with a certain attitude. >> there are a lot of people who are funny and have a sense of humor, but they get sidetracked into productive work. we do not let that happen. [laughter] >> i am afraid we are out of time. as hard as it is to believe. [applause] >> thank you. >> i do not even think we can ask a final question because it would take us past our time.

>> our thanks to dave barry and alan zweibel, authors of "blue knit 6." -- lunatic." we also want to remind everyone here in the room that copies of the book are on sale in the lobby, and our guests will be here to autograph them. >> anyone have a pen? >> we appreciate your allowing them to make their way to the lobby as quickly as possible. this meeting of the commonwealth club of california is adjourned. [applause]

>> we will call to order the task force from san francisco. -- the redistricting taskforce from san francisco. we appreciate everyone's engagement with the process inside and outside the room. [roll call] >> we have a quorum.

>> approval of minutes for march 17 and march 22, respectively. with the customary ha grammatical changes, do we have public comment on the minutes? moving to item number three, discussion and possible action on mapping. we will welcome the comments in just a few moments, followed by discussion and changes, revisions to the current draft. in just a moment, i will call names for the side of lists. i have another on the table here. if you have not signed up, please do so. the way we can have you for

public comment. it is limited to two minutes. there is a timer that at the 30 second mark will hear a bing. that means you have 30 seconds to begin to conclude your thoughts. at the end of the two minutes you will hear a louder noise to me your time is up. if you don't stop, i will begin to think you openly which will be your final notice to stop and sit down. thank you in advance for your cooperation. we have the number of people that want to offer comments, so we want to be respectful. please sign up if you haven't and we will proceed down the list. the first of five speakers will be willa -- supervisors avalos, ferrell, olague and

more. >> good evening, i'm supervisor john avalos. i want to congratulate you on exploiting public comment so well. i have never done that as well as you have. i want to say thank you for your work on the task force. it is a very difficult job, and the one to appreciate your work on sticking to principles about not moving the district in a dramatic way and keeping neighborhoods hold of the best of our ability. i think it is really important. i did have a concern about changes in district 11. there was a no. part.

a lot of people co-lead the excelsior district, we call at glen park. it was an effort to say it was south glen park neighborhood, but it was nothing like that. it was only a few streets. i would like the task force to consider that as an option for keeping the neighborhood a whole. it also resembles district 11 more ethnically than district 8. and so it has a very high latino population. it more resembles the other parts of district 11. that is able to move back into the district and be more harmonious. that would be very helpful in keeping the neighborhood goal.

>> hello, i am from district 5. i wanted to speak about the area near the panhandle are rows of street. there are several e-mail that i received this morning from members and residents of that area that were very alarmed to find that they were no longer in the district after being in the district for 20 years or so. when i spoke about the lower pay, they came up and constituents raised with me because of the involvement and that the district supervisor before me, as a member of the planning commission, in the development, the project at 55

lagoon of. the supervisor was conflicted and not able to participate. we are fine at remaining in a, but we would be happy with it coming to five. we feel that those interests will be responded to regardless of where is. there are other precincts that were added that were part of district eight for 10 years. we're concerned that we are sacrificing some of the precincts of the panhandle have been part of district 8 and an area of interest. and that entire area. i think that we would rather see those remain and not have precincts that what have been part of the district for 10 years, men and sacrifice those districts.

you will hear from a lot of the residents that are here. thank you for allowing us to speak. >> my name is reverend will scott, who at the corner of lyons street. i want to thank you for keeping the north panhandle together as part of district 5. recipients on easter sunday celebrated the eighty ninth year in san francisco. the congregation members have been part of district 5 over the years. one of the education and family advocates was a new center. we of congregations in the african-american and caribbean experience. we have come to see ourselves in the twenty first century as a church in the north panhandle for the north panhandle. we certainly wish to keep this dynamic neighborhood to get there.

our neighbors are coming together to help us establish a center for focus on the arts, and the community. it provides summer enrichment programs for young children growing up in the housing project of the western division. you have probably heard that we have concerts', and we held a successful benefit beyond the blaze for fire victims. we recently participated in a vigil for a homicide victim. i want to thank you for keeping the north panhandle together hold remaining connected to the historic district 5. >> [inaudible] [laughter] >> following her, we will have

-- [reading names] >> in thank you for the opportunity to speak and i serve as the neighborhood association. it has 117 years of a stand- alone community. it was called sunnyside way. it has a long history and a community that is very perverse, many are not connected with technology. we have the neighborhood that

kind of approach. -- there was a significanthere n right outside the sunnyside. it is the oceans circular monterey, and i am sure you will not be able to follow that. this is a very hard process. when i read that you have had 30 meetings and nine different maps, i want to thank you for the hard work you have put in to make this happen. it is really important as we build cohesion. >> hold on, it was jamie would

occur first. -- whitaker first. >> i live on harrison street. i'd pass the third district 6 neighbor that i would come here and praised the changes to the map, i think south of market and more or less the tenderloin hall is intact. please leave it as is. we are very happy. from my personal view, if there needs to be some cutting, perhaps less. to the extent that district six can stay the same way, it would be wonderful. a police to the folks i know are very happy.

>> i want to thank this task force for the hard work they have done throughout this process. the northern district 5 area, we appreciate the task force as well as keeping intact the elementary school and keeping that within the district 3 boundaries. i want you to revisit the issue and look at the number of public comments to of this process.

>> i am of the neighborhood association. i have lived it for the last 18 years, and organized in existence as a neighborhood coalition. the northern panhandle strongly opposes the break-in into the two different districts. we have worked hard with the 22 years and worked with elected officials. he revealed that dividing the neighborhood in half will displace the community and create more barriers for us. it has a successful track record in working well with the

supervisors past and present. it will be much more difficult, we feel it creates with the city, an increased number of -- but we strongly are leaving of this industry, and we appreciate your hard work and keeping us together. >> thank you, sir. mary, sharon, thdoug, gary. >> thank you for inviting us here. can you hear me now?