I was sad to see the news yesterday that Peter Boyle had died Tuesday night. Boyle was known mostly for his role in Young Frankenstein and, more recently, as the father of Ray on Everybody Loves Raymond.

Being a fan of the show, I loved Boyle’s Frank Barone character. He delivered some great lines over the years. A few of my favorites:

• After Marie tells him she won’t be treated like a trophy wife, Frank responds: “You’re a trophy wife? What contest in hell did I win?”
• After Ray finishes explaining to his brother Robert the advantages of marriage, Frank says, “I’d like a minute for rebuttal.”
• Marie complains that they haven’t had a conversation is 35 years. Frank says, “I didn’t want to interrupt!”
• Robert accidentally sprays Marie’s face with a paint sprayer, just before Frank walks up. As he passes by, he says, “That’s gonna need another coat.”

Frank is one of my favorite TV dads of all time. One of the things I’ve always heard about Boyle is that he was so unlike the character - a very kind and gentle man, not the cranky curmudgeon you see on Raymond. If so, he was clearly very good at what he did.

Obama/Osama

When I saw this story a couple of days ago on CNN’s website, it reminded me of Leno’s “Jaywalking” on The Tonight Show. Leno walks the streets of L.A. and asks people simple questions, which they are either unable to answer or are so far off it’s funny (or, in many cases, sad.) Often, they end up looking stupid.

This is CNN reporter Jeanne Moos’ story about Barack Obama’s name, and how it might affect a possible run for president by the Illinois senator. Since “Obama” sounds similar to “Osama“, they asked people if they felt Barack Obama poses a threat to America. Not unlike the folks Leno encounters, these people aren’t exactly the most knowledgeable when it comes to current events and people. Among the responses were that he is “definitely” a threat to America, he is “still out there plotting” and he is probably hiding in Nigeria.

Here’s the video: