Bill Murray began his career as a member of the popular Chicago-based comedy troop, The Second City, which has jumpstarted many other Saturday Night Live greats such as Tim Meadows, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, and Tina Fey.

After a successful stint in The Second City, Murray joined the cast of NBC’s new comedy variety show, Saturday Night Live, in 1977. Murray signed on with SNL at the start of the show’s second season, replacing original cast member Chevy Chase. He remained on the show for three full seasons, becoming one of the most recognized comedians in America and creating some of the most beloved Saturday Night Live characters of all time. Murray also met fellow cast mate Gilda Radner during his time on SNL and the two dated for several years.

One of Murray’s most popular reoccurring Saturday Night Live characters was “Nick the Lounge Singer” in which Murray played a stereotypical oily lounge singer aptly named Nick (though his last name was always different, usually related to a season such as “Spring” or “Summer”). Not the most successful of lounge singers, Nick was forced to perform in such venues as seedy dive bars and airport bars where not many people paid him much attention. But, no matter where he played, Nick always performed with gusto, taking himself very seriously. In between songs, Nick always joked with the audience, poking fun at them and laughing at his own jokes. Many of Saturday Night Live’s musical guests during this time appeared in this skit alongside the lovable Nick the Lounge Singer.

Another beloved reoccurring sketch staring Bill Murray was “The Nerds” in which Murray played Todd DiLaMuca, a hopeless nerdy teenager who constantly poked fun of his love interest, Lisa Loopner (played by Murray’s real-life girlfriend Gilda Ratner), in Lisa’s mom’s home. The sketch usually consisted of Todd tormenting Lisa by making fun of her flat chest, looking down her shirt, and giving her “noogies” while Lisa retaliated with nerdy comebacks such as “that was so funny, I forgot to laugh.” In one famous sketch, Steve Martin vies for Lisa’s affection as Todd’s arch nemesis, Chas the Spaz.

Bill Murray starred alongside funnyman Dan Akroyd in the popular sketch “The Ex Police” in which the two played former police officers (and ultra conservatives) who have been fired from the police force and now spend their time harassing the unfortunate tenants of their apartment complex for ridiculous offenses such as living together without being married and suspicion of being a lesbian.

Other lovable characters included one of the Bel-Araibs, a Beverly Hillbillies spoof with paranoid arabs; Honker the Homeless Man who was always performing a new job for which he was unsuited; and part of The Killer Bees, which was the first recurring characters on SNL and played by each of the troupe’s actors.

Many old skits are available for viewing online. One of my favorites (for obvious reasons!) is of Bill Murray’s character, The Honker, as a NYC cab driver.

You can watch many old skits on AT&T U-verse or other online programs like Hulu. Looking to make the switch to ATT U-verse? Get a coupon code for ATT uverse and save on your purchase, and even get a Visa card.

Get a list of all of the SNL characters, as well as Bill Murray’s, at the SNL archive site. The site lists every character alphabetically with the appearance dates. Enjoy!

After several law suits and many internal struggles, the Mayor of New York City finally has the go ahead for his plan to expand the selling of taxi licenses that will be able to respond to street hails in the boroughs outside of Manhattan. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into legislation the Five Borough Taxi Law conceptualized by Mayor Michael Bloomburg in his 2011 State of the City address.

From the beginning, the big question was how to distinguish the new fleet from the traditional yellow cabs of Manhattan. The logical answer was color. However, any color associated with emergency vehicles would also have to be excluded from consideration as well. A color had to be chosen that would be easy to identify from a distance, but distinct enough to be identifiable with the new fleet. As suspense grew, word started to leak out that the Taxi and Limousine Commission had decided on the color green.

On April 29, 2012, Mayor Bloomburg unveiled a vibrant green Prius that was described by the Mayor as a sample of the official color of the new fleet. To illustrate his point, he held up a green apple and announced the color of the new fleet would be apple green. The Mayor was quoted as saying ““We think ‘apple green’ is attractive and distinctive. It’s easy on the eyes and easy to pick out from a distance in traffic.”

Even though a design firm, Smart Designs, and the city’s tourist arm, NYC & Company, assisted the commission with the color selection, not everyone agrees that the name is a good fit. Some feel the color is more closely related to lime or mint green. It is highly unlikely that some mention of Kermit the Frog will not be heard on the city streets as these new cabs roll out.

Linking the color green with an apple reference does seem clever since we are talking about the Big Apple, but even one of the Mayor’s aides thought pistachio ice cream was a more accurate description of the color than apple green. Thomas Boskett, a professor at Parsons The New School for Design and an expert in color theory, referred to the color as, “warm wasabi”.

The commission will issue 6,000 licenses this year with an additional 12,000 in the following two years. Individuals will be granted one license. However, up to five licenses will be granted to individuals for wheelchair-accessible cabs. The law requires that 20% of the new cabs must be wheelchair-accessible.

There are many forms of scams to which anyone can fall victim under many different circumstances. One of the most widely practiced rip-offs includes taxi scams. Whether you are young or old, tourist or resident, or a frequent cab rider, you can easily fall for taxi scams in any location whether it be a big city or a small town. By following a few tips you are sure to protect yourself from such swindles.

1. Doing Your Research
   You can combat being taken advantage of by being knowledgeable and aware of your surroundings. If you are visiting a new area, do your research before reaching your destination. By previously exploring the area through pictures, maps, or even word of mouth information you will be able to notice if your cab driver is taking you on a longer route than necessary. Knowledge is power, and in this case, you gain the power to prevent a scam.
2. Asking Questions
   A cab driver is there to serve you in your transportation needs. This includes answering questions and filling you in on where you are currently driving in the event that you are unaware. By asking questions concerning where the route is headed and if the driver is taking the best route, you are able to keep yourself in-the-loop as to where your dollars are going.
3. Paying Attention
   Many cab riders jump in and don’t look up again until they have reached their destination. This is a great opportunity for drivers to extend trips that can cause the meter to soar. By paying attention to the road, you will be able to determine if in fact you are on the right path. By having a map you will also be able to pin-point your location and track your course to ensure it is correct.
4. Having Change
   One of the most common occurrences of a taxi scam happens when it’s time to pay. Drivers tend to carry some change, but not always enough to cover your needs. Large bills usually mean a lot of change. You have no way of knowing if your driver actually has the right amount change or not. By always having smaller bills and even some coins, you can provide the exact amount for your fare and avoid being ripped off due to lack of change.
5. Getting In
   Sometimes intuition can be your best guide. If something does not seem right to you, such as something being wrong with the cab meter or the driver, then your best bet is to not get in. If you feel uncomfortable or you have a suspicion that a scam is in your near future, then feel free to exit the cab. This does not mean that you can get out of the cab right before reaching your destination. If prior to beginning your cab ride you feel uncomfortable, then you may exit at that point. There is nothing wrong with denying a cab and waiting for the next one.

Deciding how much to tip your taxi driver can be confusing for many people. Tipping is a token of appreciation for the service received. Therefore, there are no set guidelines on how much to tip. In addition, tipping customs vary from country to country.

United States

In the United States and most other countries, it is standard to tip your driver anywhere between 15 – 20%. If you are taking a very short trip, take into account that the taxi driver could have used that time for a longer, more profitable trip. It is recommended to tip at least two dollars for short trips even if it is well over the 20 percent. Tipping can vary from city to city in the United States. In smaller towns, 15 percent might be considered satisfactory. In other more touristic cities, such as Las Vegas, most drivers will expect a little more than that.

Other Countries

Tipping gets even more complicated when you travel outside of the United States. Every country has its own tipping practices, and this can be very confusing for tourists. If you are visiting a country for the first time, you might want to check with the hotel regarding their tipping practices. Most countries tend to provide somewhat smaller tips to their taxi drivers. In countries such as Poland, Turkey, and Brazil, it is customary to tip taxi drivers anywhere between 10 and 15 percent. In other countries like Mexico, Spain, and Argentina, it is not unusual to let the driver keep the change. The United States seems to be one of the most generous countries when it comes to tipping. Although the tipping customs may be different in foreign, drivers abroud often expect to receive generous tips from American tourists.

Service

When deciding how much to tip your driver, take into account the quality of service that he or she provided. If the driver was very polite and went out of his or her way to tell you about the city or recommend a few places, make sure to tip at least the 20 percent. If your driver helped carry your luggage, you might also add a little extra tip. We sometimes encounter taxi drivers that are not very polite and don’t really go out of their way to make the ride a pleasant one. They might be yelling at other drivers and talking on the phone the whole time. If you encounter a driver like this, you can tip them anywhere between 10 and 15 percent. Keep in mind that a tip is completely voluntary. If you are unsatisfied with the service provided, you are not required to tip.

Keep in Mind

It is important to keep in mind that being a taxi driver can be a tough and challenging job. In many countries, taxi drivers own their cars, and have to pay high operating costs. There are many countries, such as China and Haiti, where a tip might not be expected, but where it would be helpful for drivers who make very little profit.