Funny Mike

I was flipping through the channels and saw an old coworker on television. It happens to me every once in a while, and it gives me a thrill.

I used to work with "actor/comedian/host" Mike Siegel way back when he was a sports editor at the newspaper. He was doing comedy gigs, and every once in a while he would have to shush everyone nearby in the newsroom because he was trying to do a radio interview on the phone.

I look at his website, and it doesn't mention his newspaper days anywhere. I wonder why? But looking at his resume/bio, it's obvious he's as hard working now as he was then. He's currently hosting three different shows: "If Walls Could Talk" and "What You Get for the Money" on HGTV/Fine Living, and "TBS Movie Extra" on TBS. He also had a role in the movie "Traffic", which I have yet to see. (Note: Add "Traffic" to the to-be-rented list).

In the early 90s, Mike and I worked together on a package of business stories about Glamour Shots, those stores in the mall that will do your hair and makeup and take pictures. We both went and got the "makeover" and had our "before" and "after" photos published. His before photo is very nice. Mine is hideous. (It turns out they forgot to do his beforehand and scrambled at the end.) I've always had this fear that the photo package would someday show up on one of those "before they were famous" segments about Mike. It may yet happen. (Before you ask, my clip of it is buried deep in a box somewhere. Hard to locate. You'll have to go to microfiche.)