There are times when I am pulled away during the show and can only watch the taping with one eye as I'm tending to other business. Tonight, I was pulled very far away and missed everything from the ACT 2 on. I was going to watch the show Tuesday night at home, but there was a baseball game going on. Sorry, Dave, but the Yankees have Jeter . . .

Billboarding tonight's show, Dave lauds Ricky Gervais' "The Office," seen on BBC America here in the States. Dave lists some of the greatest comedic television shows of all time:
"I Love Lucy"
"The Dick Van Dyke Show"
"The Mary Tyler Moore Show"
"The Bob Newhart Show"
"Everybody Loves Raymond"
"Seinfeld"
"The Jack Benny Show"
"The Honeymooners"
Dave says "The Office" belongs right along with them. I don't get the BBC America but I did borrow the DVD of the first season of "The Office." I loved it. Each episode flew by. I rate it the 2nd quickest half hour in television history, right behind "Fernwood Tonight."

It's Day 12 for Martha Stewart in the Alderson Federal Prison in Alderson, West Virginia. Dave checks in on how she's doing with our LIVE satellite hook-up. Dave says hello to Martha but unfortunately, there is a donnybrook going on in the jail. Lots of fighting. Lots of hair pulling. Lots of stuff I wish I could see more of. We'll check in again tomorrow as it didn't seem like a very good time for Martha at the moment.

Have you gotten your flu shot yet? There is a terrible flu shot shortage so if you haven't, I'd hide under the bed until the cold and flu season is behind us. With this in mind, we decide to play "Are You Normal" with Rupert at the Hello Deli. If the contestant has a temperature within the range of normal, he or she is a winner. Oops, I'm sorry. Did I say "he or she"? I meant to say simply, "She is a winner." No need to add the "he." Dave suggests to Rupert that he give away a flu shot with every sandwich. It would be great for business. Rupert likes the idea but wonders how he will find the flu shots. Tschhh. With an attitude like that, how does Rupert ever expect to get ahead?
Has Rupert gotten his flu shot? Nope. Rupert thinks he doesn't need a flu shot. Dave mocks the man, "Oh, so you think you're better than the flu?"
Dave has an ear thermometer at the desk. He takes his own temperature. He must have stuck it in too far because Dave screamed in pain. Paul suggests, "You shouldn't have used a stapler!"
Dave reads his temperature. "99.3 ---- no, hold it! That's the oldie station here in New York."

A MESSAGE FROM JOHN KERRY - "If you give me a chance, I will / give / all Americans / a bad case of the flu."

Dave corrects himself - 99.3, that's K-Rock.

GEORGE W. BUSH WORD OF THE DAY - From one of the debates: "That's kind of one of those . . . . (slow and steady and enunciated) . . . . 'exaggerations.'"

Back to Rupert, we find him with Tracy. She's from Albion, Indiana, an Amish community north of Fort Wayne. She's in town with her sister, who is here on some kind of food convention.
Helping out tonight on "Are You Normal?" is special guest, Dr. Lou Aronne. Before continuing, Dave asks his doctor, "Do you think Levitra would be right for me?" Dr. Lou says it would be a good choice.
Here's how we play the game. If Tracy's temperature is within the normal range, she is a winner.
What is the difference between a cold and a flu? Based on Dr. Lou's explanation, it sounds like a flu is a really really bad cold; higher temperature, more respiratory problems.
What is the range of a normal temperature? Dr. Lou puts it at 97-100.
How about E-ambient temperature? Does that have an effect on one's temp? Dr. Lou says it does. I quickly tried to figure out what is E-ambient and I concluded it means Environmental ambience, or the temperature of your outside environment. This explanation is good enough for me. No need to correct me if I'm wrong.
It's time to play the game. Dr. Lou puts the ear thermometer in Tracy's ear and gets a reading of . . . . . . . 97.9 degrees! It's well within the range of norm! Congratualtions, Tracy. You win a Hello Deli deli platter and a Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Coffee Maker.

And that's how we play "Are You Normal?"

Back from commercial, Dave lauds the fine music from Dave Stewart and Mick Jagger in Jude Law's film, "Alfie."

This is where I was called away.

And now something from Alan Kalter - it's Shi'ite Cleric Where Are They Now?
"Moqtada Al-Sadr was born in 1974, the son of one of the more illustrious Shi'a religious families in Iraq. After the fall of Saddam Hussein, al-Sadr emerged as one of the country's most controversial leaders with followers numbering in the thousands. After agreeing to disarm his militia in August, where is Moqtada al-Sadr now?
-He is living comfortably in North Bellmore, Long Island with . . .
-His wife Connie . . .
-And his two sons Fahid Mohammed and Jeffrey.
-He owns his very one Quizno's franchise, where Long Islanders flock to enjoy his special over-toasted Italian-styled subs. On November 14th he will be playing in . . .
-The Mike Schmidt Celebrity Charity Basketball Tournament in Reading, Pennsylvania.
-This has been "Shi'ite Cleric Where Are They Now?"

TOP TEN: Signs You've Purchased a Fake Flu Shot.
#8. Instead of the FDA, the vaccine was approved by FTD.
#5. Diploma on the wall is from Cormell University.
#3. Label lists the active ingredient a nougat.
#2. For another 39 cents, doctor offers to super-size it.

Dave says he looks forward to getting the flu --- "it gives me something else to complain about."

JUDE LAW: In the film, "Alfie." It opens November 5th. He's been busy lately. He can be seen in "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow", "I (Heart) Huckabees", "Alfie", in December "Closer" "Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events", and "The Aviator." Sorry, that's all I got. I liked him in "Cold Mountain."

RICKY GERVAIS - Dave asks Ricky what he thinks when Dave describes "The Office" as one of the greatest shows to ever appear on television. Ricky thinks for a moment and asks, "One of greatest?" You can see "The Office Special" on the BBC America Thursday night.

ACT 5: It's time to play "Name That E-Mailed Tune."
Today's e-mailed tune comes from Patrick Lockwood of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Ready?
Name this tune." (Alan hums)
"Give up? It's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' by Elton John and Kiki Dee. Nice going!
This has been 'Name That E-Mailed Tune!'"

And that was our show for Tuesday, October 19, 2004. Wahoo EXTRA!

I realized something when I sat down to write this thing. Not much else happens in my life during the baseball playoffs.

HEY, I GOT A JOKE FOR YA!
It's a new feature to make my job easier. It's something I call "Hey, I Got A Joke For Ya!" Do you have a topical joke that you would tell if you had a late night talk show? If so, send it in!
From Mark Smith of Baldwin, New York:

"Since the Yankees had already won 3 games, in their lockerroom they had the champagne on ice. In the Red Sox lockerroom, they had Ted Williams' body on ice."

YANKEE/RED SOX SERIES
Game 6: Boston 4, Yankees 2. Game 7 Wednesday night.
My recap of Game 6 -

I'm writing this at 12:30 AM moments after the Yankee/Boston game 6, before I listen to any of the sports talk guys on the radio or read the morning papers. These are my thoughts. I'm not stealing or borrowing from anyone.

Oh if only Tony Clark was able to get on and load the bases in the 9th inning. It would have been the perfect set up for the traditional Yankee that nobody knows, this year Miguel Cairo, to put the dagger in the hearts of Boston fans everywhere. Oh well, there is always tonight.

Here's something I don't get. There wasn't a Yankee fan in the stadium or watching at home who thought Tony Clark was going to do anything with that last at bat.
(situation - Bottom of the 9th, score is 4-2 Boston. Yankees have a man on 1st and 2nd, two outs.)
Anyone else on the bench would have been an improvement. But more than that, why was Ruben Sierra still in the game at first base in the 9th inning? He walked with two outs to move Hideki Matsui to 2nd. Sierra was the tying run at first base. The situation cried out for a guy with better speed than Ruben to run for him. A double by the next batter, Tony Clark, wouldn't guarantee that Ruben would score. The Yankees needed to maximize their chances to at least tie the score. Ruben was not the guy in that situation. Where the heck was Kenny Lofton? Hey, Torre! What are you doing? Where's Lofton? Where's Bubba Crosby? Where's Enrique Wilson? The guy on 1st needs to score on a double! Any of the 3 guys I mentioned would have given your team a better chance!

I guess it's obvious to everyone now . . . . . for all these years it was Don Zimmer who was the brains on the bench.

Oh, and another thing. Curt Schilling was pitching with an ankle that was hanging by a thread. I said to Walter the Late Show online producer early in the day, "How many guys do you think will bunt on Schilling and make him work the ankle?" If he said "Zero" he would have been right. Two pitches into the game and I'm saying, "Bunt down 3rd. Bunt down 3rd." As a righty, Schilling is falling towards the first base side after his delivery. A bunt down 3rd and Schilling would have to change directions quickly to field the ball, putting pressure on his . . . . . that's right . . . . his ankle. And who cares if the batter is out. The Yankees simply had to make Schilling exert the ankle. Just the thought of a bunt may have spooked Schilling's delivery a bit to protect his tender ankle. I did hear the announcer mention this in the 7th inning. Was it mentioned earlier? And did the Yankees try to bunt at all? Maybe I missed it. I'm hoping I did. It would make me feel better.

Losing is part of the game. Outs happen. I can live with that. But this other stuff; Ruben still on 1st in the 9th; nobody bunting; that stuff just irks me to no end. The only thing a manager can do is put his team in the best possible position to succeed. The rest is up to the players. Joe Torre did not put his team in the best position to succeed in the 9th inning.

JUMP AHEAD - I did the following Wednesday morning.

It is now Wednesday morning. I went to bed last night after Game 6 and turned on the radio to lull me to sleep. Not 3 seconds went by before a fan called and cried, "Where's Lofton? And why isn't he running for Ruben Sierra?" The very next caller wanted to know why no one thought of bunting against Schilling? This morning, with the radio still playing, morning shows were asking the same questions. Talk show hosts who know more about Watanabe the designer than they do about David Ortiz the designated hitter wanted to know the same thing. I guess my insightful and brilliant analysis wasn't all that unique. But then, this only begs the question more so, one I am very interested in hearing Joe Torre address: Why was nobody bunting? Why was Ruben on 1st base?

The umpires eventually got both calls right last night; the homerun by Boston's Bellhorn and the interference call against Alex Rodriguez. I really got a good chortle when A-Rod was originally called 'safe' at first when he knocked the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove. It was an obvious interference and I could only imagine what those in Boston were doing at that moment. What could have been going through their mind with A-Rod on 2nd and Jeter in the dugout with the 3rd run scored? Hoo-boy, did I enjoy that mental scene in my head.

And how embarrassing for New York fans to have the NYPD in riot gear manning the field in the bottom of the 8th and top of the 9th inning because of the riff-raff throwing stuff onto the field. And then I laughed when I found myself calling out "Give us a shot of the fans! Give us a shot of the fans!" I was hoping to see a crime in progress, perhaps spotting a fan hurling a bottle of beer onto the field. Me, of all people, wanting a shot of the fans in the stands. But, alas, FOX decided at that moment a shot of the fans would not be appropriate. But showing us a fan biting his nails when the pitcher is kicking to deliver a 3-2, two-out pitch in the ninth is OK?

And with 55,000 in the stands, I hope one of them pointed out to security the garbage who threw the garbage on the field.

Two things I thought were lacking from last night's coverage. How much stuff was thrown on the field? Did it warrant a brigade of the NYPD? And perhaps most glaring, the woeful inadequate explanation of why Derek Jeter had to return to 1st base on Alex Rodriguez's interference call and not to 2nd base. To recap, Jeter was on first base when A-Rod hit a dribbler towards first base. The pitcher fielded the ball and attempted to tag out Rodriguez. Alex slapped the ball out of the pitcher's hand and the ball rolled into the outfield. Jeter came all around to score and A-Rod went to 2nd base. Most normal thinkers would have called A-Rod out but place Jeter at 2nd base since he was already there at the time of the interference. Nope. That's not the rule. I knew that. Jeter rightfully belonged back at first but I'm sure the great majority watching at home did not know the rule. Where were the announcers to explain this? Finally a moment where Scooter could be used as a benefit and we get nothing.

So either way it goes tonight, it will be 'fun.' It will be history being made with the BoSox coming back from 3 games to 0 down, or the Red Sox outdoing themselves in yet another heart breaking tease in the post season.

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST!
You heard it here first. Boston Red Sox' David Ortiz will be going to the New York Mets. That's right. In about 8 years the Mets will be trading a young phenom for David Ortiz! Remember, you heard it here first!