"Amid these increasingly difficult times of conflict and strife, I set out Friday night in search of world peace.

On a stage at the Hollywood Improv, I found him.

"I changed my name because I got tired of Ron Artest, he's a [expletive]," said Metta World Peace. "And when fans get mad at me, they can't say, 'I hate World Peace.' "

Wanting to give World Peace a chance, I met the Lakers forward in his first public appearance since he petitioned to legally change his name earlier this summer. We shook hands and I called him Ron. I didn't use his new first name because, frankly, I had no idea which part was his first name.

"World Peace is going on the back of my jersey, so Metta is my first name," he said. "It's Buddhist, but I'm Baptist."

Metta is a state of loving-kindness, but the dude has yet to make it official with the state of California, so until his mid-August hearing, he's still Ron Artest. This is good, because the situation in which I found him Friday night was pure Ron Artest.

He was hosting a four-city comedy tour even though he had never been on a comedy club stage in his life.

"I know two jokes, then I guess I'm going to wing it," he said.

He was stepping under the lights at one of the country's most legendary comedy clubs despite practice sessions that consisted entirely of listening to comedy acts on his Hyundai's satellite radio

"I always embarrass myself, anyway, so what's the big deal?" he said. "So I'll be booed. Awesome. How many people have a chance to get booed. I want to get booed."

After Artest's first two seasons with the Lakers, I find it easy to get frustrated with him, but darn near impossible to boo him. I never wanted him to come here, but now I'm glad he did, if only because no Laker is more consistently fun. He can be infuriatingly distracted, but he's genuinely unique, and always entertaining, and, after he wandered into the starring role in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics two seasons ago, his credit in this town will always be good."