British Newspaper bemoans the loss of the art of joke-telling. With email becoming the preferred way to tell jokes, are the nuances of timing and delivery becoming lost? Look to current comics for hope.

Chevy Chase's appearance on SNL was supposed to be a recurring role. But he says there was two problems: 1) Bad writing, 2) He's Chevy Chase and Poehler and Myers aren't.

Strike News: Conan is paying his staff after NBC laid them off. And Conan doesn't even own his own show. Payments will come on a week by week basis.

All of South Park coming online for free. Matt and Trey have always supported people getting their work any way they can. Nice to see them make that way easier.

D.L. Hughley: "Standup is a guy seeing something and telling the audience how he feels about it. It's not about having a popular opinion. These are really tough times for standup because it's tough to be an individual these days." (Boston Now)

People who say George Carlin is cranky should read this interview with him, filled with some pretty stupid questions. I'd be cranky after 50 years of reporters who don't get me.

Steve Martin is surprised reviewers describe his book "Born Standing Up" as funny: "I'm not sure what they're laughing at. Maybe the lines from my old material?" (USA Today)

Jay Leno on the communal nature of stand-up, "No one gathers any more. If you watch a stand-up on the Internet, it is never very funny. But if you see him in a club, people say, 'How did he get so good?'" (Philly)

Carson Daly returning to late night sans his striking writers. And worse, he's setting up a hotline for scab jokes. Here's the email where he asks his friends and family for submissions.

Michael Showalter on his current performing style: "I haven't been doing actual material. I've been more just kind of talking, more just riffing... I'm sort of improvising my way to something concrete."

A recent New Yorker Cartoon and an old Far Side cartoon are not awfully similar - they're nearly identical. Parallel thinking doesn't just happen in stand-up.

Mel Tolkin, head writer for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows", dead at the age of 94. Among those who's efforts he guided: Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart and Mel Brooks.

Ricky Gervais will tour the US in 2008. Dates expected to be announced around Xmas. HBO will film the tour for a special and DVD release. (Ricky Gervais' US News)

New on DVD: Futurama: Bender's Big Score, the first of four made-for-DVD releases.

Why are video games not funny? Patrick Warburton (Puddy from Seinfeld) explains(?). Summation: They're too goal oriented and repeating the same task again drains the humor from it.

Makers of Australian comedy "Strange Bedfellows" sue over "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" claiming copyright infringement. Both movies involve two firemen friends pretending to be gay.

Cracked puts out an active solicitation for funny writers. Apparently, there's a forum they'll give you access to where you can discuss ideas with editors and other writers.

Read this semi-scummy admission of the marketing strategies behind viral videos. Not surprising, but shows what a young talented sketch group is up against on YouTube.

Ridiculous DVD Deal: The Complete First Season of Saturday Night Live is only $31.49, which is 55% less than it normally costs. The catch: it's only for today.

Chris Elliott on his new book "Into Hot Air": "Writing a book is a lonely process, and it can put you in a bad mood if you’re not laughing at your own stuff, for me at least. If I’m making myself laugh, then I know I’m doing my job." (NY Mag Vulture)

If you want to read up on the live strike shows for 30 Rock and SNL here's some links: SNL in the Times, Edgar Wright Attends SNL, Huffington Post on 30 Rock, BWE on 30 Rock.

This Sunday will bring the first Strike Night - a comedy show featuring writers from the many late night shows in NYC. Plans are for it to run as long as the strike goes on. Lets hope it's a short run.

The Peoples Improv Theater is starting them younger and younger with Intro Improv classes for Kids and Teens. Classes start in January.

Judah Friedlander uses his 30 Rock character's NBC blog to make a protest about the writers strike. Both his page and his hat are empty.

Terry Jones tells of a scene cut from Monty Python's Life of Brian that featured a Jewish revolutionary with Hitler-like aspirations. The scene will be included on the upcoming two disc DVD release of the film.

Strike News: The NY Press posted a Craig's List ad to find comedy writers willing to scab. How many did they find? 80 too many.

In NYC? Mike Birbiglia is taping his first hour special for Comedy Central tomorrow. Free tickets can be found here.

Carolines comedy club offering Broadway patrons affected by the stagehand strike a deal. If a show is dark because of the strike, a ticket-holding theatergoer can receive a 50% discount for a show at Carolines the same day.

Tonight in NY: A benefit for Seeds of Peace featuring Jim Norton, Colin Quinn, Greg Giraldo and John Oliver. Gotham Comedy Club, 7PM. $35. Buy tickets here.

The Late Show writers are keeping a blog while on strike. It's all strike-themed humor - including a classic scene from Casablanca as it would be without writers.