Haiku on Late Nite

I'm sorry, but I still can't kick the Larry Sanders habit. (For those of you who don't know, all the episodes are on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.) The opening of a late-night talk show always features a monologue, rammed to the hilt with jokes. They often seem cheap and easy, but I'll be damned: short jokes are hard to write! (You try writing a few night after night sometime.) They're a little like short bursts of haiku, pared down with a sharp knife so that the words build their own momentum toward the punchline. You can sample the best jokes from all the talk show hosts every night here: LINK.