The smooth-talking residents of Monolog Cabin are sharing more tall tales of personal humiliation tomorrow night at Hotel Congress. If you’ve never seen one of their shows, it’s an hysterical evening with some of Tucson’s best story-tellers, including screenwriter Steve Barancik and occasional TW contributor Sean Murphy. The show starts at 7 p.m. Saturday night and tickets are a mere $7.

And hey: If you’re not doing anything on Sunday afternoon, check out Raging Bull at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. I understand it’s a new 35mm print that looks gorgeous. Bonus feature: Special guest Gene Rudolf, the film’s production designer, will talk about the film. Showtime is 1 p.m. and get this: It’s free! How can you not love the Loft?

This article appears in Nov 8-14, 2007.

Getting hassled by The Man Mild-mannered reporter

8 replies on “Cabin Fever”

  1. Nintzel: “an hysterical evening…”

    From the Associated Press Stylebook:

    a, an Use the article “a” before consonant sounds: “a historic event,” “a one-year term” (sounds as if it begins with a “w”), “a united stand” (sounds like “you”).

    Use the article “an” before vowel sounds: “an energy crisis,” “an honorable man” (the “h” is silent), “an NBA record” (sounds like it begins with the letter “e”), “an 1890s celebration.”

    So… Unless you pronounce the word hysterical as “ist-erical,” Mr. Nintzel, you might want to correct your a/an usage.

    I only mention it because you’re a newspaper editor and whatnot.

  3. From Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition:

    • hysterical: (hi ster i kel)

    In case you can’t interpret that, the “h” in “hysterical” is pronounced, not silent. The only reason Nintzel would pronounce it “isterical” would be if an overweight Robert DeNiro thought Nintzel screwed his wife — and then punched out Nintzel’s teeth, leaving him with the lisping diction of Cindy Brady and Snagglepuss’s love child.

    The only people who say “an historic” are the half-wits on TV news, because it’s too much trouble for them to simultaneously read a Teleprompter and use intelligent diction while their tightly stretched face-lifts keep threatening to dislocate their jaws.

    Not to have an hissy fit or anything.

  4. You guys are absolutely wrong with your fancy “dictionaries” and “style guides.” I teach college kids and I can assure that nobody cool under the age of 25 pronounces the “h” in hysterical anymore. If you don’t believe me, you can check with MIKHAIL KRYZHANOVSKY, U.S. PRESIDENT DE FACTO!

  6. I hope people go see Steve Barancik and come back and tell us how the show was. Somebody should ask Barancik how he feels about the movie he wrote, “The Last Seduction,” allegedly being the inspiration for a stripper/murderer in Washington State.

    As for the “a” vs. “an” debate, and how 25-year-olds are pronouncing words these days, I think Jim Nintzel is under the mistaken impression that KIDS RULE.

  7. I love reading the Tucson Citizen. My favorite writer is Polly Higgins.

    There is nothing like reading an Higgens article.

    My favorite music is hymns. I love hearing an hymn.

    When I go to a fancy hotel, I really enjoy the fluffy bathrobes they have in the suites. One of great luxurious pleasures of life is staying in an hotel and enjoying an His & Hers bathrobe right after boning an harlot.

    The other day I was reading the Bible. Intersting! I wonder what it would be like to live as an Hinnenite.

    My favorite TV personality is Dr. Phil. When people are feeling down, Dr. Phil will prescribe a hug. He’ll say, “What you need is AN HUG.” Dr. Phil is so tall….he’s definitely not an homunculus.

    Some of the people he talks to are such half-wits. But an half-wit is better than no wit at all.

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