Ventriloquism is one of these skills, IMHO, that looks easier to do than it actually is. Granted, it relies on the fact that people's ability to distinguish the source of a sound (e.g. a voice) without visual cues is on the whole very poor; still, try to enunciate clearly without moving your lips and not sound like you're talking through a surgical bandage.

/>Jeff Dunham has apparently been performing with his various "friends" for over a decade now (he appeared on Carson's Tonight Show but I don't recall hearing about him before Maribeth and Nick saw him on a late-night comedy special. The next day, Nick went and bought the DVD.

I have to say, it was money well spent. This guy is really funny; more than that, his "friends"... well, it's hard to call them puppets because Dunham really invests them with unique personalities:

* Walter, a cranky old man, (talking about his job as a Wal-Mart greeter) "Welcome to Wal-Mart. Get your s&%t and get out!" (answering a question from the audience) "How do I keep things fresh in the bedroom? Febreze!"

* Jose Jalapeno "on a steeeek": "I'm not Mexican, I'm Cuban. I come from Florida."

* Peanut, by far the craziest of the bunch: (having a stare-down contest with Jeff) "I don't blink!"

What's really great is when Jeff has two "friends" on at once, Peanut and Jose (on a steeeek). The back-and-forth byplay is the highlight of the show.

So, hie yourself over to Wal-Mart, say hi to Walter, get this DVD and get out.