PRIME celebrates May with laughter

The day that PRIME was set to interview funnyman Jon Lovitz, I got the following advice from a fortune cookie: "Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally, without having to go outdoors." It was a fittingly absurd piece of wisdom for this interview. Of course, we had to ask the portly comedian himself: Is laughter indeed the ultimate workout? "Well, technically when you eat fast food or laugh it releases endorphins," Lovitz said. "We've all heard of the jolly fat man. But I wouldn't substitute comedy for exercise. If that were true. I'd be svelte!" It may not exactly be jogging internally, but an afternoon spent talking with the comedian sure does make abdomen crunches at the gym seem obsolete. It's a testament to how strong-willed Lovitz is that he kept on wise-cracking and pursuing his acting career after the death of his longtime friend Phil Hartman in the 1990s. We weren't eager to bring up the subject, but Lovtiz said that filling in for his lifelong friend on the TV show "NewsRadio" at the time was one of the hardest supposedly easy gigs he ever had. We sincerely hope that you get a chance to catch his act at the Hu Ke Lau later this month, which promises to be fun. He's sure to also play the piano a bit, and sing a silly song or two. Elsewhere in the May edition, spring has sprung, and as we begin our collective spring cleaning, columnist Gina Barry talks about dusting off those priceless collections of artifacts around the home and figuring out what's the best way to protect them legally. Technology contributor Rick Castellini shares some top-notch Web sites for the gardener in all of us. If you are online and looking for some green-thumb tips, his column this month will point you in the right direction. Guest columnist Peggy Melanson offers an insightful personal story about "preparing food for recognition." It may resonate with many adult chefs, who now cook for different reasons, after their children have left the coop. She provides hope that an empty nest doesn't have to mean one that is without something good to eat. On the subject of good eating (and digesting), columnist Jonathan Evans of the Herbarium shows us a glimpse of the more than 400 species of bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. In a strange way, it brings us right back to the health conundrum that we started with. What's better for your gut: to laugh or to exercise? Much like cover comic Jon Lovitz, yours truly may never be svelte. Fat and jolly will have to be an acceptable compromise. And that's all, folks! Until next time, please enjoy reading PRIME magazine. Sincerely, Mike Briotta, PRIME Editor