Today was the Florida Primary. I hope everyone in Florida took the opportunity to vote. We got to find out who endorsed whom and who probably won. It's confusing but let me try to fill in all the blanks. Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich but would be comfortable with Mitt Romney. Stephen endorsed Cain's endorsement of Newt. Duke Cunningham has endorsed Newt and has said, "I have 80% of inmates that would vote for you." And finally, Sarah Palin has endorsed Newt, at least, I'm pretty sure that's what she was talking about. But maybe not. Hard to tell. Just ignore what I wrote about Sarah Palin and wait until I find out for sure. She will probably speak again.
Founding Fathers - I didn't even know they were lost! Those were those guys who lived a long time ago and started this country with all that liberty and freedom stuff. Turns out lots of them owned slaves which would kind of be the opposite of liberty and freedom. We learned that some folks don't like that stuff in the history books. They don't like talking about it. For example, Stephen had a clip of a news team (I'm not sure who the guy and gal were) reporting this: "The Tennessee Tea Party is telling state politicians we need to tone down talk of slavery and stop making it about race."
You can read about changes to history books here. Or read about it here. Maybe they can just take the word "history" out of the title, that might work. Just call them books. They can get the Grimm brothers to write the books.
Björk - I don't typically give a fashion update on Stephen's guests, but I would be remiss if I did not say something about Björk. She was wearing blue and had very fluffy red hair with blue, green and purple highlights.
It was a short but interesting interview. Stephen accused her of combining science and music. She probably even threw in some math. Just go look at her website and have some fun. I am impressed, I will admit that. Very interesting animation. (Click and move mouse.)
She sang for us and of course the good news is that if you didn't watch tonight, you can watch on Colbert Nation tomorrow. But of course you already knew that didn't you?
Update: If you want to get the maximum enjoyment from her website, I recommend using a regular computer. On an iPad it is cute, but nowhere near the detail and experience as on a full screen device. Also, Björk is Icelandic. If you are looking for a wonderfully different vacation destination, look no further than Iceland which was my suggestion for Stephen Colbert's vacation for August 28, 2011.
And if you are wondering why this artist just uses her first name, here's one possible explanation.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir is her full name. Not that difficult to pronounce, (click on the speaker icon in the box with her name) but still probably a smart decision on her part.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Great Chase
If you missed seeing The Great Chase on The Daily Show last night, you can see it now over at Colbert Nation.
Aurora Borealis
Quick go look at bing. You can see a pretty lake scene and then animated Northern Lights. If you look at this after "today", and you don't see that, then you know the drill. In bottom right corner of picture on screen, click on the left arrow to go to a previous photo. That will work for about a week.
Aurora Borealis over Vee Lake near Yellowknife, Canada.
Aurora Borealis over Vee Lake near Yellowknife, Canada.
Biggest Snowflake
Update and much ado about nothing.
Darn. The biggest snowflake Google Doodle finally made it to their page of previous Doodles, unfortunately, there's no animation. So you can't watch the snowflake drop out of the sky. You can't see the cow look up. You can't see the birds fly from the "e" to that line above Google. And you can't click on the two birds and make them fly away.
But here's the link so that you can see what a still image of Biggest Snowflake looks like.
Biggest Snowflake Google Doodle.
Darn. The biggest snowflake Google Doodle finally made it to their page of previous Doodles, unfortunately, there's no animation. So you can't watch the snowflake drop out of the sky. You can't see the cow look up. You can't see the birds fly from the "e" to that line above Google. And you can't click on the two birds and make them fly away.
But here's the link so that you can see what a still image of Biggest Snowflake looks like.
Biggest Snowflake Google Doodle.
I Raised that Money From a Baby
The best part of The Colbert Report happened at the end of The Daily Show. Jon Stewart was wrapping up (a bit early if you ask me) when who should appear but Stephen Colbert in the flesh! He was desperately trying to get his Super PAC back from Jon. Jon had gotten quite used to it and did not want to give it up. A chase ensued and, well, with some shenanigans, Stephen was able to get his Super PAC back. By Tuesday, I would think you could go watch the episode of The Daily Show online.
On the actual Colbert Report, Stephen talked about his Super PAC and also that January 31 is the deadline for reporting about Super PACs. We will be able to find out just how much money the Super PAC has and who the donors (of $200 and more) actually are. In fact, Stephen read a few of the donor names. Imagine the surprise of those people to hear their names being read on TV!
Stephen did report on a few stories making the rounds in the journalistic world, such as dolphins and cocaine (actually dolphins, and also cocaine, not dolphins using cocaine, different stories). But then he got into the interesting stuff, politics. It seems there just hasn't been enough politics lately on the news shows. We need to hear more about the candidates, their wives, their affairs, their birthplace, and so I was reminded of why so many people watch Stephen on TV.
He talked about Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney courting the Latino vote. And they should be able to get it because I have heard both of them say who they are in Spanish. One little problem for Newt though. Here is what he said in 2007:
"We should replace bilingual education with emergence, with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and so they learn the language of prosperity, - - - not the language of living in a ghetto."
Did you catch what he did there to help people learn English? He pretended to use the wrong word (emergence) and then used the correct word (immersion) when talking about bilingual education. Already, just by listening to him speak one sentence, people will have learned that although those two words sound very similar, the meaning is very different. We are so lucky that Newt Gingrich knows his English language so well. I can feel myself getting smarter already.
For some reason, certain people have taken offense to that statement he made in 2007. I guess it has something to do with an attitude that people who may speak with an accent live in a ghetto. Or that in order to prosper, you must speak English. However, if you were to ask Newt Gingrich if that was offensive, I am sure he would say, "no."
Stephen's guest was Laurence H. Tribe. As you can see here and here, he teaches at Harvard and so he must be smart. He and Stephen talked about Constitutional Law. They talked about the importance of the Constitution. Stephen wanted to know if it really is important, and how it affects him every day. It was great to see Stephen discussing the very framework of our government with someone so knowledgeable. But when it came right down to it, Stephen realized he was just as smart as Tribe.
"Freedom to be free. Is that so tough? I should teach at Harvard."
On the actual Colbert Report, Stephen talked about his Super PAC and also that January 31 is the deadline for reporting about Super PACs. We will be able to find out just how much money the Super PAC has and who the donors (of $200 and more) actually are. In fact, Stephen read a few of the donor names. Imagine the surprise of those people to hear their names being read on TV!
Stephen did report on a few stories making the rounds in the journalistic world, such as dolphins and cocaine (actually dolphins, and also cocaine, not dolphins using cocaine, different stories). But then he got into the interesting stuff, politics. It seems there just hasn't been enough politics lately on the news shows. We need to hear more about the candidates, their wives, their affairs, their birthplace, and so I was reminded of why so many people watch Stephen on TV.
He talked about Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney courting the Latino vote. And they should be able to get it because I have heard both of them say who they are in Spanish. One little problem for Newt though. Here is what he said in 2007:
"We should replace bilingual education with emergence, with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and so they learn the language of prosperity, - - - not the language of living in a ghetto."
Did you catch what he did there to help people learn English? He pretended to use the wrong word (emergence) and then used the correct word (immersion) when talking about bilingual education. Already, just by listening to him speak one sentence, people will have learned that although those two words sound very similar, the meaning is very different. We are so lucky that Newt Gingrich knows his English language so well. I can feel myself getting smarter already.
For some reason, certain people have taken offense to that statement he made in 2007. I guess it has something to do with an attitude that people who may speak with an accent live in a ghetto. Or that in order to prosper, you must speak English. However, if you were to ask Newt Gingrich if that was offensive, I am sure he would say, "no."
Stephen's guest was Laurence H. Tribe. As you can see here and here, he teaches at Harvard and so he must be smart. He and Stephen talked about Constitutional Law. They talked about the importance of the Constitution. Stephen wanted to know if it really is important, and how it affects him every day. It was great to see Stephen discussing the very framework of our government with someone so knowledgeable. But when it came right down to it, Stephen realized he was just as smart as Tribe.
"Freedom to be free. Is that so tough? I should teach at Harvard."
Sunday, January 29, 2012
To the Moon Newt, To the Moon
As you may remember, Newt wants to go to the Moon. And he wants other people to live there. And then he wants the moon base to become a state.
This would be great. We can stop thinking about making Washington D.C. a state, or Puerto Rico, and let the Moon jump to the top of the list of places that want to be the 51st State in the United States.
Of course with 13,000 residents, there would need to be a lot of amenities and infrastructure to get people interested in living there. First of all, a Starbucks. That goes without saying. Probably a few bus stops since not everyone will have a car to get around. A large grocery store and maybe a small one with a good deli. Two elementary schools, one combined middle and high school and a small college, something such as Greendale Community College.
Additionally, there will need to be places to live. For single folks, some studio and 1 bedroom apartments. A variety of houses from one-bedroom up to four-bedroom houses. And then some really nice houses, the kind suitable for people like Stephen Colbert, maybe even some lakefront property. (Lakes to come later when we get enough water to the Moon.)
When these people are all settled up there on the Moon, they can start a government. I think they should have two political parties, the Moonbeams and the Sunbeams. They can choose a mayor for now. Then representatives for some kind of council, probably thirteen representatives, one for each 1,000 people.
First order of business: Naming the state. That may prove to be a difficult task, so I'm going to make it easier by offering the future residents some suggestions and even conducting a non-scientific poll to find which name seems to be most popular. Here's my list. If you think you would like to go live on the Moon by the year 2020, you can vote in the poll. Here's the choices in no particular order:
New Colbertland
Newtizona
Mittigan
Santorumfornia
West Paulina
Perryland
Bachmannouri
Hermantown
Huntsmanville
Tpawbama
South Buddyton
Thaddeusota
Lunarchusetts
Once a name is decided by the residents, then someone will have to decide other important matters. What will the ZIP code be? Will they get one Representative and two Senators for Congress? Will taxpayers pay for them to travel to and from Washington D.C.? Or will the elected representatives have to foot the bill for each trip. (That could be expensive.)
Will they have a high school football team? Will they play all their games away, you know, on Earth? Something that many people haven't thought of: What about TV, radio and Internet connections? For goodness sakes, how will the people in (new state name goes here) watch The Colbert Report? Has anyone thought of that? Has Newt Gingrich thought of that?
That could be the stumbling block that makes his whole "To the Moon" plan crumble. Who on Earth would willingly give up their daily fix of Stephen Colbert?
Not me, that's for sure.
This would be great. We can stop thinking about making Washington D.C. a state, or Puerto Rico, and let the Moon jump to the top of the list of places that want to be the 51st State in the United States.
Of course with 13,000 residents, there would need to be a lot of amenities and infrastructure to get people interested in living there. First of all, a Starbucks. That goes without saying. Probably a few bus stops since not everyone will have a car to get around. A large grocery store and maybe a small one with a good deli. Two elementary schools, one combined middle and high school and a small college, something such as Greendale Community College.
Additionally, there will need to be places to live. For single folks, some studio and 1 bedroom apartments. A variety of houses from one-bedroom up to four-bedroom houses. And then some really nice houses, the kind suitable for people like Stephen Colbert, maybe even some lakefront property. (Lakes to come later when we get enough water to the Moon.)
When these people are all settled up there on the Moon, they can start a government. I think they should have two political parties, the Moonbeams and the Sunbeams. They can choose a mayor for now. Then representatives for some kind of council, probably thirteen representatives, one for each 1,000 people.
First order of business: Naming the state. That may prove to be a difficult task, so I'm going to make it easier by offering the future residents some suggestions and even conducting a non-scientific poll to find which name seems to be most popular. Here's my list. If you think you would like to go live on the Moon by the year 2020, you can vote in the poll. Here's the choices in no particular order:
New Colbertland
Newtizona
Mittigan
Santorumfornia
West Paulina
Perryland
Bachmannouri
Hermantown
Huntsmanville
Tpawbama
South Buddyton
Thaddeusota
Lunarchusetts
Once a name is decided by the residents, then someone will have to decide other important matters. What will the ZIP code be? Will they get one Representative and two Senators for Congress? Will taxpayers pay for them to travel to and from Washington D.C.? Or will the elected representatives have to foot the bill for each trip. (That could be expensive.)
Will they have a high school football team? Will they play all their games away, you know, on Earth? Something that many people haven't thought of: What about TV, radio and Internet connections? For goodness sakes, how will the people in (new state name goes here) watch The Colbert Report? Has anyone thought of that? Has Newt Gingrich thought of that?
That could be the stumbling block that makes his whole "To the Moon" plan crumble. Who on Earth would willingly give up their daily fix of Stephen Colbert?
Not me, that's for sure.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Biggest Snowflake
The largest snowflake ever was seen on this day, January 28, 1887, in Fort Keogh, Montana.
To celebrate, there's a cute Google Doodle today.
* * * Update:
Darn. That Google Doodle is gone already. As soon as it shows up in Google Doodles finder, I'll put a new link here. You can find images at other websites, but so far I haven't seen one that shows the birds flying away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
( Check back later for a good link.) Then hit refresh and watch again. Watch more closely. Did you see those two birds on top of the final "e" fly up when the snowflake started coming down? They are up there on that wire. Click on them and they will fly away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then go over to Wikipedia to read the List of Weather Records. Down about 2/3 of the way you can see largest snowflake in the Precipitation section. Perhaps you would want to look at all the other records and maybe memorize them in case you wind up on some game show and need to know any of this trivia in order to win the million dollars.
To celebrate, there's a cute Google Doodle today.
* * * Update:
Darn. That Google Doodle is gone already. As soon as it shows up in Google Doodles finder, I'll put a new link here. You can find images at other websites, but so far I haven't seen one that shows the birds flying away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
( Check back later for a good link.) Then hit refresh and watch again. Watch more closely. Did you see those two birds on top of the final "e" fly up when the snowflake started coming down? They are up there on that wire. Click on them and they will fly away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then go over to Wikipedia to read the List of Weather Records. Down about 2/3 of the way you can see largest snowflake in the Precipitation section. Perhaps you would want to look at all the other records and maybe memorize them in case you wind up on some game show and need to know any of this trivia in order to win the million dollars.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
To Boldly Go
Today is Day 4 of the Colbert Super PAC crisis. It is taking a toll on Stephen, but he tries very hard to put on a good face. Meanwhile, continue to send in generous donations to the Colbert Super PAC.
The GOP debates are going quite well. As soon as they get up to 20 debates, they will get a free debate. When you have this many debates, there is a natural tendency for them to start getting boring. Luckily, the candidates are doing their utmost to keep them exciting. For example, Newt Gingrich promised to go back to the Moon.
"By the end of my second term we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American. We will have commercial near Earth activities that include science, tourism, and manufacturing. When we have 13,000 Americans living on the moon, they can petition to become a state."
(That is quite an undertaking. I know for certain, in my heart of hearts, that Congress will be all thumbs up for this plan and will quickly pass whatever legislation is necessary to accomplish this lofty goal. Because after all, Congress is known for getting things done.)
Even as the debates keep getting better and better, we keep hearing that the GOP is scared to death of Newt becoming The Nominee. The thinking is that it would mean other Republicans would not be able to keep their seats in the House or Senate if Newt is the Republican candidate for President. How can they know that? Can they see into the future? Do they know something we don't know? Have they asked everyone how they will vote? Until all those questions are answered, it really is still up in the air. Way up in the air. In fact, you could even say it is up in the air all the way to the Moon.
Stephen had The Great Available Panel on the show tonight as well as some small footballs. This is the first time he has had a panel like this on. Joining him were John Harwood, Chief Washington Correspondent for CNBC, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, and David Cassidy, aka Keith Partridge. They discussed the upcoming Florida Primary and who they thought would win it. (The four remaining candidates exchanged thoughts about each other at a recent debate. Read more about that here.) John Harwood predicted Mitt Romney would take Florida and win the nomination. Next question that Stephen asked was which is the best pie. All three got that one wrong. The answer is blueberry.
After so much intellectual, political, and culinary discussion, there was a complete change in direction with guest Drew Barrymore. You may remember here as Gertie in the movie E.T. about an alien coming to Earth. Stephen most certainly remembers her. I got the feeling that she was a fan of Stephen Colbert and he was a fan of Drew Barrymore.
You may have seen previews on TV lately for the movie that stars Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski - Big Miracle. If not, Stephen had a clip on The Colbert Report. This was quite rare. As a matter of fact, Drew commented that it was rare and she was honored. Anyway, the story is about three trapped whales that went from being a local news story to an international phenomenon. This is the perfect movie to watch this winter. It will warm your heart.
The GOP debates are going quite well. As soon as they get up to 20 debates, they will get a free debate. When you have this many debates, there is a natural tendency for them to start getting boring. Luckily, the candidates are doing their utmost to keep them exciting. For example, Newt Gingrich promised to go back to the Moon.
"By the end of my second term we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American. We will have commercial near Earth activities that include science, tourism, and manufacturing. When we have 13,000 Americans living on the moon, they can petition to become a state."
(That is quite an undertaking. I know for certain, in my heart of hearts, that Congress will be all thumbs up for this plan and will quickly pass whatever legislation is necessary to accomplish this lofty goal. Because after all, Congress is known for getting things done.)
Even as the debates keep getting better and better, we keep hearing that the GOP is scared to death of Newt becoming The Nominee. The thinking is that it would mean other Republicans would not be able to keep their seats in the House or Senate if Newt is the Republican candidate for President. How can they know that? Can they see into the future? Do they know something we don't know? Have they asked everyone how they will vote? Until all those questions are answered, it really is still up in the air. Way up in the air. In fact, you could even say it is up in the air all the way to the Moon.
Stephen had The Great Available Panel on the show tonight as well as some small footballs. This is the first time he has had a panel like this on. Joining him were John Harwood, Chief Washington Correspondent for CNBC, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, and David Cassidy, aka Keith Partridge. They discussed the upcoming Florida Primary and who they thought would win it. (The four remaining candidates exchanged thoughts about each other at a recent debate. Read more about that here.) John Harwood predicted Mitt Romney would take Florida and win the nomination. Next question that Stephen asked was which is the best pie. All three got that one wrong. The answer is blueberry.
After so much intellectual, political, and culinary discussion, there was a complete change in direction with guest Drew Barrymore. You may remember here as Gertie in the movie E.T. about an alien coming to Earth. Stephen most certainly remembers her. I got the feeling that she was a fan of Stephen Colbert and he was a fan of Drew Barrymore.
You may have seen previews on TV lately for the movie that stars Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski - Big Miracle. If not, Stephen had a clip on The Colbert Report. This was quite rare. As a matter of fact, Drew commented that it was rare and she was honored. Anyway, the story is about three trapped whales that went from being a local news story to an international phenomenon. This is the perfect movie to watch this winter. It will warm your heart.
You've Gained Weight
In a recent posting, "Once Upon a Time," Jan left a question in the Comments.
Jan said...
Hi! We could not understand what the old lady said that got her kicked out. Could you tell what she said?
I must admit that I had a hard time understanding her. Luckily, I was able to go back and play it a few times (TiVo) until I figured out what she said. I'm about 95% sure she said this to Stephen:
"You've gained weight."
And that is what got her hauled out by two Security Guards.
Jan said...
Hi! We could not understand what the old lady said that got her kicked out. Could you tell what she said?
I must admit that I had a hard time understanding her. Luckily, I was able to go back and play it a few times (TiVo) until I figured out what she said. I'm about 95% sure she said this to Stephen:
"You've gained weight."
And that is what got her hauled out by two Security Guards.
Coincidence - You Decide
So this morning I was just Googling around and found something that made me think, "Wow, what a coincidence!" The two people that were on last night's The Colbert Report also were together before. Oh, I know what you are thinking. Maurice Sendak was not actually on the show. It was taped previously and shown last night. Point taken.
But it seemed like it could have been planned. Or maybe it' just that Terry Gross interviews lots of people and eventually she would interview Maurice Sendak. Whatever it is, coincidence or good planning,I found "This Pig Wants to Party: Maurice Sendak's Latest" over at NPR. It's about 20 minutes, so maybe grab a cup of coffee and a scone and Listen to the Story.
But it seemed like it could have been planned. Or maybe it' just that Terry Gross interviews lots of people and eventually she would interview Maurice Sendak. Whatever it is, coincidence or good planning,I found "This Pig Wants to Party: Maurice Sendak's Latest" over at NPR. It's about 20 minutes, so maybe grab a cup of coffee and a scone and Listen to the Story.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Give Me Twenty Bucks and I'll Eat a Bug
Tonight was the conclusion of Stephen's interview with Maurice Sendak. He gave us a little bit of insight into his likes in literature. He does say that he thinks the current state of children's books is abysmal.
Green Eggs and Ham - Good, everything by Seuss is Good.
Give a Mouse a Cookie - UGH
Curious George - Great
But on to the serious matters of the night. Although Stephen is a celebrity, apparently he is not enough of a celebrity to be able to whip out a children's book in such a short time. He needs suggestions from Maurice. So what's it take to make a successful book?
"You've started already by being an idiot." See, that's the neat things about literary giants. They come right out and say what they think. But Stephen did have a rough draft of a book he has written, "I Am a Pole" and he shared it with Maurice.
"The sad thing is I like it." Maurice is kinder than I expected he would be about Stephen's book.
"Can I get that as a blurb?" asks a hesitant Stephen.
"Oh absolutely."
Stephen also got drawing lessons from Maurice and it was in high style when they finished their drawings. We can look forward to the book coming out soon.
Tonight's guest was Terry Gross from Fresh Air on NPR. She interviews lots of people so it was interesting for her to be in the hot seat, so to speak. She stressed the importance of paying attention to all her guests, even when they seem to be rambling on and on. It seems once upon a time she was interviewing Grover Norquist, the man behind the no tax pledge that some Republicans sign.
He was going on and on about the Estate Tax (or Death Tax as it is sometimes called). Then she heard Grover Norquist say this, "The morality of the Death Tax was the morality of the Holocaust." When she asked if he actually compared the Holocaust to the Death Tax, he said, "No, no, I compared the MORALITY of the Death Tax to the MORALITY of the Holocaust."
Stephen doesn't understand the concept of letting the guest do a lot of talking. In a way, that was a compliment to her. He also said that after 25 years at NPR, it must be hard to keep asking for money. He suggested that eventually all that will be left will be "Give me twenty bucks and I'll eat a bug."
"I'll try that," she told him.
Note: I found this website and noticed that January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Green Eggs and Ham - Good, everything by Seuss is Good.
Give a Mouse a Cookie - UGH
Curious George - Great
But on to the serious matters of the night. Although Stephen is a celebrity, apparently he is not enough of a celebrity to be able to whip out a children's book in such a short time. He needs suggestions from Maurice. So what's it take to make a successful book?
"You've started already by being an idiot." See, that's the neat things about literary giants. They come right out and say what they think. But Stephen did have a rough draft of a book he has written, "I Am a Pole" and he shared it with Maurice.
"The sad thing is I like it." Maurice is kinder than I expected he would be about Stephen's book.
"Can I get that as a blurb?" asks a hesitant Stephen.
"Oh absolutely."
Stephen also got drawing lessons from Maurice and it was in high style when they finished their drawings. We can look forward to the book coming out soon.
Tonight's guest was Terry Gross from Fresh Air on NPR. She interviews lots of people so it was interesting for her to be in the hot seat, so to speak. She stressed the importance of paying attention to all her guests, even when they seem to be rambling on and on. It seems once upon a time she was interviewing Grover Norquist, the man behind the no tax pledge that some Republicans sign.
He was going on and on about the Estate Tax (or Death Tax as it is sometimes called). Then she heard Grover Norquist say this, "The morality of the Death Tax was the morality of the Holocaust." When she asked if he actually compared the Holocaust to the Death Tax, he said, "No, no, I compared the MORALITY of the Death Tax to the MORALITY of the Holocaust."
Stephen doesn't understand the concept of letting the guest do a lot of talking. In a way, that was a compliment to her. He also said that after 25 years at NPR, it must be hard to keep asking for money. He suggested that eventually all that will be left will be "Give me twenty bucks and I'll eat a bug."
"I'll try that," she told him.
Note: I found this website and noticed that January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Once Upon a Time
It is Day Two of what's come to be known as the Colbert SuperPAC Hostage Crisis. Jon Stewart has the money and took off in his Zeppelin to avoid having to give it back to Stephen. The only possible solution is for everyone to send money to Colbert Super PAC and to give recklessly.
Politics continues to be a favorite topic. In last night's show, Stephen mentioned the possibility of a wet t-shirt contest. He was convinced that Newt Gingrich would win that contest.
Stephen ventured into the world of children's literature (Kiddy Lit as it is sometimes called). He thinks he should get into that venue since so many celebrities are writing books. And Stephen is a celebrity, so he should be able to write a children's book and make lots of money.
We had the pleasure of seeing Stephen interview Maurice Sendak, well-known author of children's books. He now has a new book out - Bumble-Ardy. Stephen and Maurice had a very lively discussion. Although Maurice has kept busy writing children's books, he still has time to closely follow the career of Newt Gingrich. He shared some of his observations of Gingrich. Stephen and Maurice went on to talk about another of Maurice Sendak's book, "In the Night Kitchen." Stephen approved of that book so much, he improved it.
Be sure to keep watching The Colbert Report to see the conclusion of Stephen's interview with Maurice Sendak.
Stephen also mentioned that he is a huge fan of Rick Santorum, because the name Santorum is synonymous with leadership. If you have been paying attention to the news you will know that Rick Santorum was in a bit of a sticky spot recently. A woman in the audience at one of the events Santorum was at said this:
"I never refer to Obama as President Obama because legally he is not. He is an avowed Muslim. He has no legal right to be calling himself President."
When asked about this on Morning Joe, about why he did not correct the woman who said that, he had an excuse. "This was an elderly lady. She was there leaning on a cane. She was quite wobbly. Uh, and I'm not going to sit there and, and slam an older lady, uh, because she has some way-out, you know, some, some bizarre beliefs."
"Bravo," said our fearless host. "You cannot correct an old person every time they say something offensive." Well, as luck, or maybe misfortune, would have it, there just happened to be an elderly lady with a cane in the audience. And she spoke her mind with no opposition from anyone.
"I know for a fact that Rick Santorum runs a white slavery ring." She seemed to have the facts to back it up, and even if she was wrong, she had a cane, no wait, 2 canes. Stephen was very hesitant to correct her until she said something that was way out of line. She then received prompt and courteous assistance of two men who were willing to help her walk off into the sunset.
The actual real sit-down guest was Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Beast. He wrote the cover article in the January 23 issue of Newsweek entitled "Why are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" That did not sit well with Stephen.The discussion became so lively and yes, even loud some times. Here's some of what the two men said:
"Checkmate."
"It is the truth."
"Who cares what's true?"
"Let's go with what feels right."
Stephen was willing to repeat things he (Colbert) said so that they could then be considered to have more truthiness. If anyone would know about truthiness, it is Stephen Colbert.
Politics continues to be a favorite topic. In last night's show, Stephen mentioned the possibility of a wet t-shirt contest. He was convinced that Newt Gingrich would win that contest.
Stephen ventured into the world of children's literature (Kiddy Lit as it is sometimes called). He thinks he should get into that venue since so many celebrities are writing books. And Stephen is a celebrity, so he should be able to write a children's book and make lots of money.
We had the pleasure of seeing Stephen interview Maurice Sendak, well-known author of children's books. He now has a new book out - Bumble-Ardy. Stephen and Maurice had a very lively discussion. Although Maurice has kept busy writing children's books, he still has time to closely follow the career of Newt Gingrich. He shared some of his observations of Gingrich. Stephen and Maurice went on to talk about another of Maurice Sendak's book, "In the Night Kitchen." Stephen approved of that book so much, he improved it.
Be sure to keep watching The Colbert Report to see the conclusion of Stephen's interview with Maurice Sendak.
Stephen also mentioned that he is a huge fan of Rick Santorum, because the name Santorum is synonymous with leadership. If you have been paying attention to the news you will know that Rick Santorum was in a bit of a sticky spot recently. A woman in the audience at one of the events Santorum was at said this:
"I never refer to Obama as President Obama because legally he is not. He is an avowed Muslim. He has no legal right to be calling himself President."
When asked about this on Morning Joe, about why he did not correct the woman who said that, he had an excuse. "This was an elderly lady. She was there leaning on a cane. She was quite wobbly. Uh, and I'm not going to sit there and, and slam an older lady, uh, because she has some way-out, you know, some, some bizarre beliefs."
"Bravo," said our fearless host. "You cannot correct an old person every time they say something offensive." Well, as luck, or maybe misfortune, would have it, there just happened to be an elderly lady with a cane in the audience. And she spoke her mind with no opposition from anyone.
"I know for a fact that Rick Santorum runs a white slavery ring." She seemed to have the facts to back it up, and even if she was wrong, she had a cane, no wait, 2 canes. Stephen was very hesitant to correct her until she said something that was way out of line. She then received prompt and courteous assistance of two men who were willing to help her walk off into the sunset.
The actual real sit-down guest was Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Beast. He wrote the cover article in the January 23 issue of Newsweek entitled "Why are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" That did not sit well with Stephen.The discussion became so lively and yes, even loud some times. Here's some of what the two men said:
"Checkmate."
"It is the truth."
"Who cares what's true?"
"Let's go with what feels right."
Stephen was willing to repeat things he (Colbert) said so that they could then be considered to have more truthiness. If anyone would know about truthiness, it is Stephen Colbert.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Can I Get An Amen?
The South Carolina Primary was very good to Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain. They came in at Number 1, well, okay, actually number 1%, so almost the same thing. Stephen listed the percentages for each of the major contenders, a list that he got from the AP.
Newt Gingrich 40%
Mitt Romney 29%
Rick Santorum 17%
Ron Paul 13%
Interestingly enough, Herman Cain got 45 votes in the Iowa Caucus, he got 160 in New Hampshire, but he got a whopping 6,324 votes in South Carolina. That means he got more votes than Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann combined!
It's just proof of how powerful the Colbert Bump is.
Although it seems like we just had a major announcement, Stephen had another one tonight. Since he didn't do very well in South Carolina, he is going to suspend his campaign. And end his exploratory committee. That's it. He won't be running for president. And since he won't be a candidate, he can get his PAC back. He coordinated with Jon Stewart and long story short, Jon is sitting at his Daily Show desk counting stacks of money. That can't be a good sign.
Shifting gears just a bit - Stephen showed footage of the Rally. (Watch it over at Colbert Nation.) It was wonderful. Signs such as "Skipping Class for Stephen Colbert" were visible in the crowd. There was a choir on stage with Stephen. There were cheerleaders. There were Marching Bands. And it was a great crowd of thinkers and good looking people. Stephen complimented the intelligence of the crowd by telling them, "I don't have to pander to the most beautiful people in the world!"
Next Herman Cain came on stage and talked a bit and sang a bit. Both men were quite inspirational. Herman Cain even called Stephen a "brother from another mother." And yet there is doubt and ridicule from the pundits. They claim Stephen is a joke and his run for office is a joke. Well, if it's all a joke then they are saying our entire campaign finance system is a joke.
Stephen's guest was Bruce Bueno de Mesquita who brought his book, "The Dictator's Handbook - Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics." I actually went over to Amazon and read some excerpts plus looked at a few reviews online. I'm glad I did because it gave me such a different view of what the interview was about. I thought Bruce had said that dictators and Democrats are not really that different - they want to stay in power. But what he said was that dictators and democrats are not really that different - they want to stay in power.
Did you catch the subtle difference? Okay, I'll tell you. It was the difference between Democrats and democrats. The first one refers to people of one political party. The second one refers to people in a democratic society. He also made some predictions. He predicted that Newt Gingrich will be nominated but that he won't win the Presidency. The audience applauded wildly at his willingness to make predictions.
Newt Gingrich 40%
Mitt Romney 29%
Rick Santorum 17%
Ron Paul 13%
Interestingly enough, Herman Cain got 45 votes in the Iowa Caucus, he got 160 in New Hampshire, but he got a whopping 6,324 votes in South Carolina. That means he got more votes than Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann combined!
It's just proof of how powerful the Colbert Bump is.
Although it seems like we just had a major announcement, Stephen had another one tonight. Since he didn't do very well in South Carolina, he is going to suspend his campaign. And end his exploratory committee. That's it. He won't be running for president. And since he won't be a candidate, he can get his PAC back. He coordinated with Jon Stewart and long story short, Jon is sitting at his Daily Show desk counting stacks of money. That can't be a good sign.
Shifting gears just a bit - Stephen showed footage of the Rally. (Watch it over at Colbert Nation.) It was wonderful. Signs such as "Skipping Class for Stephen Colbert" were visible in the crowd. There was a choir on stage with Stephen. There were cheerleaders. There were Marching Bands. And it was a great crowd of thinkers and good looking people. Stephen complimented the intelligence of the crowd by telling them, "I don't have to pander to the most beautiful people in the world!"
Next Herman Cain came on stage and talked a bit and sang a bit. Both men were quite inspirational. Herman Cain even called Stephen a "brother from another mother." And yet there is doubt and ridicule from the pundits. They claim Stephen is a joke and his run for office is a joke. Well, if it's all a joke then they are saying our entire campaign finance system is a joke.
Stephen's guest was Bruce Bueno de Mesquita who brought his book, "The Dictator's Handbook - Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics." I actually went over to Amazon and read some excerpts plus looked at a few reviews online. I'm glad I did because it gave me such a different view of what the interview was about. I thought Bruce had said that dictators and Democrats are not really that different - they want to stay in power. But what he said was that dictators and democrats are not really that different - they want to stay in power.
Did you catch the subtle difference? Okay, I'll tell you. It was the difference between Democrats and democrats. The first one refers to people of one political party. The second one refers to people in a democratic society. He also made some predictions. He predicted that Newt Gingrich will be nominated but that he won't win the Presidency. The audience applauded wildly at his willingness to make predictions.
O! Say Can You Sing
Steven Tyler flubbed the National Anthem, or so some say.
Two things to consider:
1. It's "The Star-Spangled Banner".
2. It's Steven Tyler.
We're not talking something simple such as "Happy Birthday". Our National Anthem is a very difficult song for most of us to sing. The phrasing is a bit weird. The first stanza is basically two questions. The melody goes from too low for me to sing all the way up to too high for me to sing.
We're not talking Doris Day. We're talking Steven Tyler. He sang the song exactly how you would expect Steven Tyler to sing it. No one should have been surprised.
And what about all the crowd noises while he was singing? That was very disrespectful. Maybe we need to get back to a Marching Band playing the song while we all sing along. Gotcha! You know you would flub it too, don't you?
The perfect solution is to have Stephen Colbert sing the National Anthem. He always does a wonderful job.
Two things to consider:
1. It's "The Star-Spangled Banner".
2. It's Steven Tyler.
We're not talking something simple such as "Happy Birthday". Our National Anthem is a very difficult song for most of us to sing. The phrasing is a bit weird. The first stanza is basically two questions. The melody goes from too low for me to sing all the way up to too high for me to sing.
We're not talking Doris Day. We're talking Steven Tyler. He sang the song exactly how you would expect Steven Tyler to sing it. No one should have been surprised.
And what about all the crowd noises while he was singing? That was very disrespectful. Maybe we need to get back to a Marching Band playing the song while we all sing along. Gotcha! You know you would flub it too, don't you?
The perfect solution is to have Stephen Colbert sing the National Anthem. He always does a wonderful job.
Herman Cain Gets Colbert Bump
The South Carolina Primary is history now. All that's left is endless analysis and photos and predictions. But for one man, maybe two, it was worth it. The crowd at the Rally was estimated at 5,000. And the crowd of people who voted for Herman Cain was 6,000. So congratulations to all involved. It was well worth the effort.
And now a quick apology. In previous posts, I have called the Rally the "Rock You Like a Herman-Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally." I have come to realize, by reading and paying attention, that it is the "Rock Me Like a Herman-Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally."
I hope nobody went to the wrong Rally due to this error. Sorry.
And now a quick apology. In previous posts, I have called the Rally the "Rock You Like a Herman-Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally." I have come to realize, by reading and paying attention, that it is the "Rock Me Like a Herman-Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally."
I hope nobody went to the wrong Rally due to this error. Sorry.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Colbert Rally on YouTube
I've looked around and found a YouTube clip of the Rock You Like a Herman-Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally. This one is just under two minutes, but when I find more, I'll come back and put it up here.
Three main points from the short clip:
1. Stephen thanks Stephen Colbert.
2. Herman Cain tells the crowd to stay involved.
3. Vote (And if you are not registered to vote, find out how and get it done.)
Three main points from the short clip:
1. Stephen thanks Stephen Colbert.
2. Herman Cain tells the crowd to stay involved.
3. Vote (And if you are not registered to vote, find out how and get it done.)
Presidential Inauguration
The Rally is over with. Just a little bit of cleaning up to get done. I've read a little bit on the Internets about what happened at the Rally. It sounds like it was a big hit and everyone had a great time and learned about what Stephen has to offer as President.
Tomorrow is the South Carolina Primary, so if you live in South Carolina, be sure to vote for Herman Cain. Remember, a vote for Cain is a vote for Colbert.
As I reflect back on the events leading up to this Rally, I can't help but notice the date. Today is January 20. That means we are only one year from the next Presidential Inauguration. This could be a good sign for Stephen. In exactly 365 days, we could be watching Stephen Colbert being sworn in as President.
Check back next year for more details.
Tomorrow is the South Carolina Primary, so if you live in South Carolina, be sure to vote for Herman Cain. Remember, a vote for Cain is a vote for Colbert.
As I reflect back on the events leading up to this Rally, I can't help but notice the date. Today is January 20. That means we are only one year from the next Presidential Inauguration. This could be a good sign for Stephen. In exactly 365 days, we could be watching Stephen Colbert being sworn in as President.
Check back next year for more details.
The Cistern Yard
The Cistern Yard. Today is the day!
It's happening! The Stephen Colbert Rock You Like a Herman-Cain Rally starts soon.
Security is tight, well not really, although I did see one woman who was dressed in college security uniform. Stephen said gates open at noon and the gates, well the gates seem to just be an opening in those movie theater ropes that keep ticket-holders back until the next movie is ready for seating.
Excitement is building. The stage is being set up. Speakers (the box kind, not the people kind) are being brought in on wheels. A few chairs can be seen to the side of the stage.
Weather is beautiful. Yesterday students were wearing warm coats. Today people are comfortable in long sleeves. The sun is shining and there is just the tiniest of breezes.
Photographers are starting to walk in and set up cameras.
Members of the choir are walking around in their black robes. It looks like they are wearing name tags, probably to be checked against a master list so no American Idol wannabes sneak in.
I don't see Stephen Colbert or Herman Cain yet which is not surprising since it's still about an hour until the Rally starts, but I'm sure they are getting ready somewhere to make a difference today.
I'm not going to mention that I just saw a news story about a Romney rally and everyone was holding an umbrella. I don't want to try to give the impression that Stephen's Rally is all sunshine while Mitt's is all rain as if that is some kind of omen or something. Nope, not going to mention that.
I wonder if the Rally will be streamed live. That would be so neat. But if you can't make it to the Rally, you can watch it at The Cistern Yard webcam at College of Charleston.
It's happening! The Stephen Colbert Rock You Like a Herman-Cain Rally starts soon.
Security is tight, well not really, although I did see one woman who was dressed in college security uniform. Stephen said gates open at noon and the gates, well the gates seem to just be an opening in those movie theater ropes that keep ticket-holders back until the next movie is ready for seating.
Excitement is building. The stage is being set up. Speakers (the box kind, not the people kind) are being brought in on wheels. A few chairs can be seen to the side of the stage.
Weather is beautiful. Yesterday students were wearing warm coats. Today people are comfortable in long sleeves. The sun is shining and there is just the tiniest of breezes.
Photographers are starting to walk in and set up cameras.
Members of the choir are walking around in their black robes. It looks like they are wearing name tags, probably to be checked against a master list so no American Idol wannabes sneak in.
I don't see Stephen Colbert or Herman Cain yet which is not surprising since it's still about an hour until the Rally starts, but I'm sure they are getting ready somewhere to make a difference today.
I'm not going to mention that I just saw a news story about a Romney rally and everyone was holding an umbrella. I don't want to try to give the impression that Stephen's Rally is all sunshine while Mitt's is all rain as if that is some kind of omen or something. Nope, not going to mention that.
I wonder if the Rally will be streamed live. That would be so neat. But if you can't make it to the Rally, you can watch it at The Cistern Yard webcam at College of Charleston.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
I'm Going to Carolina
If you've been paying attention, you know that Mitt Romney won the Iowa Caucus. Okay, now if you've really been paying attention, you now know that he didn't. It seems some ballots have been lost or miscounted and now Rick Santorum is the winner. He wont' be declared the winner because of all the errors and inconsistencies, but he does have more votes. Imagine what it might have been like in New Hampshire if Iowa had not made this "oops". If Santorum had come out of Iowa as the declared winner, people in New Hampshire probably would have been more inclined to vote for him.
In other political news for the GOP, New Gingrich received the endorsement of Rick Perry when Perry dropped out. Great news for Gingrich until a short time later when wife number two (so, not the current one, but the previous one) revealed in an interview that Newt wasn't exactly Mr. Family Values.
Stephen took time out of talking politics to have a sit-down interview with retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Stevens has a new book out, "Five Chiefs" a memoir about his time on the Supreme Court. Although at first disappointed to not be able to interview an actual sitting Justice, Stephen eventually settled in for a comfortable interview, in fact so comfortable that he asked if Justice Stevens could fix a speeding ticket for him. Conclusion: "You're Guilty." Stephen took it well.
We learned some interesting tidbits of information tonight. For example, do you know what the "Highest Court in the Land" refers to? It is actually a basketball court on the fifth floor of the Supreme Court Building. I did not know that. Also, Justice Stevens wrote the dissenting opinion for Citizens United.
Stephen did not think that Justice Stevens should be able to judge people just because he is a justice. I can see Stephen's point, after all, "Judge Not." But, still, that's kind of the whole purpose of the Supreme Court.
When he was nearly done with the interview, Stephen asked, "Are there any decisions you made that you later regretted?"
"Other than this interview? No."
Tonight's guest was Carrie Rebora Barratt, Associate Director for Collections over at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She and Stephen discussed a huge painting and a very famous one, Washington Crossing the Delaware. She did say that when they had the painting restored, they checked on the back of the painting for the key to the Revolution. Stephen pointed out a fob on the painting. Interesting. Stephen is quite observant.
You do know that typically, after the last commercial, Stephen just waves and says "Good Night." But every once in a while there is something different. Tonight was one of those nights. There was a very special treat. So special that I'm not going to tell you what it was. You need to go over to Colbert Nation later on and watch tonight's show online. I will say this, Stephen is very talented. (Hint: Look at the names in the Labels for this post.)
In other political news for the GOP, New Gingrich received the endorsement of Rick Perry when Perry dropped out. Great news for Gingrich until a short time later when wife number two (so, not the current one, but the previous one) revealed in an interview that Newt wasn't exactly Mr. Family Values.
Stephen took time out of talking politics to have a sit-down interview with retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Stevens has a new book out, "Five Chiefs" a memoir about his time on the Supreme Court. Although at first disappointed to not be able to interview an actual sitting Justice, Stephen eventually settled in for a comfortable interview, in fact so comfortable that he asked if Justice Stevens could fix a speeding ticket for him. Conclusion: "You're Guilty." Stephen took it well.
We learned some interesting tidbits of information tonight. For example, do you know what the "Highest Court in the Land" refers to? It is actually a basketball court on the fifth floor of the Supreme Court Building. I did not know that. Also, Justice Stevens wrote the dissenting opinion for Citizens United.
Stephen did not think that Justice Stevens should be able to judge people just because he is a justice. I can see Stephen's point, after all, "Judge Not." But, still, that's kind of the whole purpose of the Supreme Court.
When he was nearly done with the interview, Stephen asked, "Are there any decisions you made that you later regretted?"
"Other than this interview? No."
Tonight's guest was Carrie Rebora Barratt, Associate Director for Collections over at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She and Stephen discussed a huge painting and a very famous one, Washington Crossing the Delaware. She did say that when they had the painting restored, they checked on the back of the painting for the key to the Revolution. Stephen pointed out a fob on the painting. Interesting. Stephen is quite observant.
You do know that typically, after the last commercial, Stephen just waves and says "Good Night." But every once in a while there is something different. Tonight was one of those nights. There was a very special treat. So special that I'm not going to tell you what it was. You need to go over to Colbert Nation later on and watch tonight's show online. I will say this, Stephen is very talented. (Hint: Look at the names in the Labels for this post.)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Charleston Dandy
Stephen reported on the latest poll numbers tonight. Here is the voter favorable opinion poll from 1/17/12:
Stephen Colbert 36%
Mitt Romney 35%
Rick Santorum 30%
Ron Paul 27%
Newt Gingrich 26%
Did you see that? Colbert is at the top of all of them! And he's not even on the South Carolina ballot. I don't even want to know why the numbers don't add up to 100%. All that matters is that Stephen is ahead of all of them.
But then there was a complete surprise. Stephen attended a Town Hall Meeting sponsored by cafemom recently that was moderated by friend of the show, Frank Luntz. (Disclaimer: Stephen stated that he was not actually there, but there was a TV and a 2 minute video of him was shown.) He did not get the approval he was looking for, in fact, one "Mom" called him a Charleston Dandy. Not to worry, Stephen, just remember that 36% number.
Tonight was special because we got to see one of Jon Stewart's ads for Stephen Colbert. Stephen reminded South Carolina voters to vote for Herman Cain in Saturday's primary. And then, just like frosting on a cake, Stephen announced what is surely to be the biggest event this year in South Carolina.
Rock Me Like A
Herman Cain
South Cain-olina
Primary Rally
With Special Guest Herman Cain. The rally will be this Friday at 1:00 p.m (gates open at noon). The event will be held at The Cistern Yard at the College of Charleston at George Street. There will be speeches, cheerleaders, marching band, gospel choir, and of course Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain. I won't be able to be there, so I think I will watch the webcam. What do you think are the chances that the website will get so much traffic that it will be unavailable? I'd put it at 36%.
Stephen talked a bit about SOPA and PIPA and then chatted with fellow conservative David Frum of Daily Beast and Newsweek fame. In November David Frum thought the GOP had lost touch with reality, but now, two months later, he's more hopeful and thinks Romney is the man for the job (POTUS).
Stephen expressed his curiosity on just which Mitt Romney he was talking about. Stephen also wonders how Romney could get the support of the Tea Party since, as a Mormon, Romney can neither drink tea nor party. When Stephen asked if the other candidates should drop out in the event that Romney wins the South Carolina Primary, Frum would not answer that question but instead replied, "I would like to see this over as soon a possible."
Remember to go to the Rally on Friday and remember to vote for "Herman Cain" in the South Carolina Primary on Saturday, January 21.
Stephen Colbert 36%
Mitt Romney 35%
Rick Santorum 30%
Ron Paul 27%
Newt Gingrich 26%
Did you see that? Colbert is at the top of all of them! And he's not even on the South Carolina ballot. I don't even want to know why the numbers don't add up to 100%. All that matters is that Stephen is ahead of all of them.
But then there was a complete surprise. Stephen attended a Town Hall Meeting sponsored by cafemom recently that was moderated by friend of the show, Frank Luntz. (Disclaimer: Stephen stated that he was not actually there, but there was a TV and a 2 minute video of him was shown.) He did not get the approval he was looking for, in fact, one "Mom" called him a Charleston Dandy. Not to worry, Stephen, just remember that 36% number.
Tonight was special because we got to see one of Jon Stewart's ads for Stephen Colbert. Stephen reminded South Carolina voters to vote for Herman Cain in Saturday's primary. And then, just like frosting on a cake, Stephen announced what is surely to be the biggest event this year in South Carolina.
Rock Me Like A
Herman Cain
South Cain-olina
Primary Rally
With Special Guest Herman Cain. The rally will be this Friday at 1:00 p.m (gates open at noon). The event will be held at The Cistern Yard at the College of Charleston at George Street. There will be speeches, cheerleaders, marching band, gospel choir, and of course Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain. I won't be able to be there, so I think I will watch the webcam. What do you think are the chances that the website will get so much traffic that it will be unavailable? I'd put it at 36%.
Stephen talked a bit about SOPA and PIPA and then chatted with fellow conservative David Frum of Daily Beast and Newsweek fame. In November David Frum thought the GOP had lost touch with reality, but now, two months later, he's more hopeful and thinks Romney is the man for the job (POTUS).
Stephen expressed his curiosity on just which Mitt Romney he was talking about. Stephen also wonders how Romney could get the support of the Tea Party since, as a Mormon, Romney can neither drink tea nor party. When Stephen asked if the other candidates should drop out in the event that Romney wins the South Carolina Primary, Frum would not answer that question but instead replied, "I would like to see this over as soon a possible."
Remember to go to the Rally on Friday and remember to vote for "Herman Cain" in the South Carolina Primary on Saturday, January 21.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Mitt the Mitten
As you may know by now, Stephen is exploring the possibility of thinking about running for President of the United States of South Carolina. Not coincidentally Super PAC ads have been showing up about Stephen. The latest ones are encouraging South Carolina voters to show their support of Stephen Colbert by voting for Herman Cain on January 21.
There has been some criticism of the ads, but Stephen has checked with his lawyer Trevor Potter and it's all legal. He is not coordinating with The definitely not coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC, so full speed ahead.
After an interesting segment about Yahweh or No Way, Stephen welcomed tonight's guest, Jennifer Granholm, former Democratic governor of Michigan. Her recent book, "A Governor's Story - The Fight for Jobs and America's Economic Future," could be called a blueprint for the rest of the Nation. She says that what Michigan has gone through in recent rough economic times is now hitting the rest of the country.
It was fascinating to watch the lively discussion between conservative Stephen Colbert and liberal Jennifer Granholm. Also interesting were the skeletons in her closet. That's right, Stephen brought up the fact that she could never be President of the United States because she was born in Canada. That makes two things that link Jennifer Granholm with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both former governors were born outside of the United States and both were on The Dating Game.
Jennifer Granholm thinks Michigan won't vote for Mitt Romney because of his Op Ed to let Detroit go bankrupt. Stephen Colbert thinks Michigan will vote for Mitt Romney because his first name is the shape of her state.
You can't argue with logic like that.
There has been some criticism of the ads, but Stephen has checked with his lawyer Trevor Potter and it's all legal. He is not coordinating with The definitely not coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC, so full speed ahead.
After an interesting segment about Yahweh or No Way, Stephen welcomed tonight's guest, Jennifer Granholm, former Democratic governor of Michigan. Her recent book, "A Governor's Story - The Fight for Jobs and America's Economic Future," could be called a blueprint for the rest of the Nation. She says that what Michigan has gone through in recent rough economic times is now hitting the rest of the country.
It was fascinating to watch the lively discussion between conservative Stephen Colbert and liberal Jennifer Granholm. Also interesting were the skeletons in her closet. That's right, Stephen brought up the fact that she could never be President of the United States because she was born in Canada. That makes two things that link Jennifer Granholm with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Both former governors were born outside of the United States and both were on The Dating Game.
Jennifer Granholm thinks Michigan won't vote for Mitt Romney because of his Op Ed to let Detroit go bankrupt. Stephen Colbert thinks Michigan will vote for Mitt Romney because his first name is the shape of her state.
You can't argue with logic like that.
Kids vs. Janitors vs. Newt
You may have heard Newt Gingrich talk about his plan for replacing one out of two janitors in a school with 37 kids. He says it would be good idea. It's not. For one thing, you would need to supervise these kids. Obviously. I mean, when the kids are in class, there's teachers supervising the kids, right? Will there just be one janitor spending all his (or her) time supervising these kids and telling them what needs to be done? If nothing else, someone has to say, clean the floor in this room, the floor in that room has already been done, and by the way, someone threw up in the cafeteria, any volunteers to go get a mop?
But, just for fun, I made a Top Ten List of Reasons Why Newt's Plan is Dumb. See what you think.
10. Kids should be in class interacting with their peers and forming friendships and relationships.
9. There are too many chances for a kid to get injured either by using equipment such as lawn mower or snow blower or from exposure to hazardous cleaning solutions.
8. Janitors often have to clean up after a kid throws up. Having kids clean up this little mishap would most likely start a chain reaction of kids throwing up when they see the vomit on the floor and then that kid throws up and the next kid who is called to clean it up throws up and on and on. (That's similar to what happened in The Goonies.)
7. If a school has two janitors, there will be two brooms, two vacuum cleaners, etc. Replace one janitor with 37 kids and you may need to buy lots more brooms and vacuum cleaners for all of them.
6. Often a class gets cleaned on a rotation schedule when each class goes out to recess. Will one kid clean and vacuum the room in that amount of time, or will you have 37 kids with 37 brooms in that room?
5. Will the kids skip reading class to clean out the kitchen and cafeteria after lunch? But then how will they know how to read the cautionary label on the cleaning supplies that will be used?
4. Will they be skipping class time to work as a janitor or will they be skipping after-school time when they should be doing homework, getting tutoring help, learning team building skills at basketball or football practice or going home to babysit younger siblings while Mom or Dad is at work?
3. Are they really qualified to be a janitor? In my town, janitors need a boiler license to operate the furnace.
2. Janitors have master keys to every lock in the school. Considering the amount of books, mittens, and even shoes in the Lost and Found, are you going to give the kids the keys to the school and trust that these keys won't get lost?
1. Have you ever tried to get a kid to clean his bedroom? And now you want him to clean a school. Really? Seriously? Are you kidding?
But, just for fun, I made a Top Ten List of Reasons Why Newt's Plan is Dumb. See what you think.
10. Kids should be in class interacting with their peers and forming friendships and relationships.
9. There are too many chances for a kid to get injured either by using equipment such as lawn mower or snow blower or from exposure to hazardous cleaning solutions.
8. Janitors often have to clean up after a kid throws up. Having kids clean up this little mishap would most likely start a chain reaction of kids throwing up when they see the vomit on the floor and then that kid throws up and the next kid who is called to clean it up throws up and on and on. (That's similar to what happened in The Goonies.)
7. If a school has two janitors, there will be two brooms, two vacuum cleaners, etc. Replace one janitor with 37 kids and you may need to buy lots more brooms and vacuum cleaners for all of them.
6. Often a class gets cleaned on a rotation schedule when each class goes out to recess. Will one kid clean and vacuum the room in that amount of time, or will you have 37 kids with 37 brooms in that room?
5. Will the kids skip reading class to clean out the kitchen and cafeteria after lunch? But then how will they know how to read the cautionary label on the cleaning supplies that will be used?
4. Will they be skipping class time to work as a janitor or will they be skipping after-school time when they should be doing homework, getting tutoring help, learning team building skills at basketball or football practice or going home to babysit younger siblings while Mom or Dad is at work?
3. Are they really qualified to be a janitor? In my town, janitors need a boiler license to operate the furnace.
2. Janitors have master keys to every lock in the school. Considering the amount of books, mittens, and even shoes in the Lost and Found, are you going to give the kids the keys to the school and trust that these keys won't get lost?
1. Have you ever tried to get a kid to clean his bedroom? And now you want him to clean a school. Really? Seriously? Are you kidding?
Wikipedia Gone?
Readers may know that I often link to Wikipedia. Often, it is one of the first results when I Google something, so obviously other people also like Wikipedia.
Therefore, I was saddened to read that on January 18, Wikipedia will be blacked out. So, my links here to Wikipedia will probably be useless tomorrow. More importantly than that though, is the reason why this will happen.
SOPA and PIPA. That's why. SOPA is proposed legislation in the U.S. House - Stop Online Piracy Act. PIPA is the PROTECT IP Act in the Senate.
If you like the internet, you should be concerned. So, go read about it now, before January 18 if possible.
English Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout.
Therefore, I was saddened to read that on January 18, Wikipedia will be blacked out. So, my links here to Wikipedia will probably be useless tomorrow. More importantly than that though, is the reason why this will happen.
SOPA and PIPA. That's why. SOPA is proposed legislation in the U.S. House - Stop Online Piracy Act. PIPA is the PROTECT IP Act in the Senate.
If you like the internet, you should be concerned. So, go read about it now, before January 18 if possible.
English Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Raising Cain
The exciting news that Stephen Colbert is thinking about running for President of the United States of South Carolina is diminished a bit by just one problem. There is no provision for a write-in candidate on the GOP South Carolina primary ballot. There is no space in which to write a candidate in on the ballot. And coincidentally there are now names on the ballot of candidates who have dropped out, such as Jon Huntsman.
Here's the dilemma. Stephen Colbert can't get on but Herman Cain can't get off.
There is a solution that will help Stephen. The South Carolina GOP Primary is an open primary. That means that Republicans, Democrats, Independents, people who watch Stephen's show, young people, old people, any of them can vote in the primary. But still there's the problem of Stephen considering running but not being on the ballot and some people who are on the ballot but not really running any more.
So, if people, lots of people, were to vote for, say, Herman Cain in the primary, it would really mean that they wanted Stephen Colbert but since there wasn't a place for his name, they are using Herman Cain's name to mean Stephen Colbert. It makes perfect sense to me.
So, South Caroliniacs, go vote for Herman Cain to show your support for Stephen Colbert. There's no way this plan can't be successful.
Today is the day honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It's a holiday, and yet Stephen was working. He even mentioned that fact that it was a holiday and he was working. (Just because he mentioned it's a holiday and he's working doesn't mean that he's complaining about it. It's just noteworthy.)
You may remember that Stephen was in Washington D.C. for Dr. King's speech, "I Have a Dream." Today's guest shares some of the same ideals as Dr. King and it was no coincidence that he was the guest tonight. Scott Douglas, executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries, is fighting to repeal House Bill 56 in Alabama. That is the law that even punishes anyone caught "giving a ride to an undocumented person in the state."
There is also more information about this issue at becomevisible.org and at gbm.org/blog.
In reply to one of Stephen's questions about why he is trying to overturn House Bill 56, Douglass had this to say, "We don't need 50 immigrant laws across the United States of American, we need one comprehensive law that's just and fair for everyone."
Here's the dilemma. Stephen Colbert can't get on but Herman Cain can't get off.
There is a solution that will help Stephen. The South Carolina GOP Primary is an open primary. That means that Republicans, Democrats, Independents, people who watch Stephen's show, young people, old people, any of them can vote in the primary. But still there's the problem of Stephen considering running but not being on the ballot and some people who are on the ballot but not really running any more.
So, if people, lots of people, were to vote for, say, Herman Cain in the primary, it would really mean that they wanted Stephen Colbert but since there wasn't a place for his name, they are using Herman Cain's name to mean Stephen Colbert. It makes perfect sense to me.
So, South Caroliniacs, go vote for Herman Cain to show your support for Stephen Colbert. There's no way this plan can't be successful.
Today is the day honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It's a holiday, and yet Stephen was working. He even mentioned that fact that it was a holiday and he was working. (Just because he mentioned it's a holiday and he's working doesn't mean that he's complaining about it. It's just noteworthy.)
You may remember that Stephen was in Washington D.C. for Dr. King's speech, "I Have a Dream." Today's guest shares some of the same ideals as Dr. King and it was no coincidence that he was the guest tonight. Scott Douglas, executive director of Greater Birmingham Ministries, is fighting to repeal House Bill 56 in Alabama. That is the law that even punishes anyone caught "giving a ride to an undocumented person in the state."
There is also more information about this issue at becomevisible.org and at gbm.org/blog.
In reply to one of Stephen's questions about why he is trying to overturn House Bill 56, Douglass had this to say, "We don't need 50 immigrant laws across the United States of American, we need one comprehensive law that's just and fair for everyone."
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I'm Doing It
"Nation, I have a major announcement to make. For over a day now the people of South Carolina have been crying out for someone who can restore our Nation's greatness to its current perfection. Well, America, that someone is now. I am proud to announce that I am forming an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for my possible candidacy for the President of the United States of South Carolina.
"I'M DOING IT! AND WITH YOUR HELP AND POSSIBLY THE HELP OF SOME SORT OF OUTSIDE GROUP THAT I AM NOT COORDINATING WITH, WE CAN EXPLORE TAKING THIS COUNTRY BACK. THANK YOU. GOD BESS YOU ALL. AND GOD BLESS CITIZENS UNITED."
Balloons all over and the audience went crazy.
Stephen promised a major decision tonight and he did not disappoint.
But first I should tell you what went on at the beginning of the show, before this major decision. After showing a webcam video of himself exercising and pointing out his stylish gold curlicue toe slippers, Stephen talked about the various Super PACs that candidates have. No, wait - that's wrong. What I mean to say is that candidates do not have Super PACs. That would be illegal. He talked about the Super PACs that support, but do not coordinate with, the candidates.
Mitt Romney benefits from Restore Our Future which was started by Romney's lawyer, Charles R. Spies.
Newt Gingrich benefits from Winning Our Future which is run by Newt's former staffer Becky Burkett.
Rick Perry (Parry) benefits from Make us Great Again started by Mike Toomey, who once was Governor Perry's (Parry') chief of staff AND co-owner of a resort island with Dave Carney, chief strategist for the Perry (Parry) campaign.
So, that brought about a difficult decision for Stephen. He was joined by friend of the show, Trevor Potter. All he wanted was a simple answer to this question: "Can I run for president and keep my Super PAC?"
"No." There you have it, a simple answer from Trevor Potter for Stephen.
If you did not see the show tonight, you may want to head over to Colbert Nation tomorrow and watch it. It is fascinating because of all the ins and outs of the legal system as it pertains to election law. Plus there seemed to be some magic that happened.
Long story short, Jon Stewart will be taking over as head of the Colbert Super PAC, he will still get to retain all the staff currently working for the PAC, and the Super PAC can now, legally, run ads for Stephen and attacking potential opponents.
All they need to do is to make sure that Jon (and staff) doesn't coordinate with Stephen.
For fans of crossword puzzles, there was a segment about Will Shortz. Stephen was a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle back in October of 2010, so he most likely has a warm spot in his heart for crossword puzzles.
Tonight's guest was Mike Allen of Politico which was quite appropriate for such an important show. Even as the two men were shaking hands, Mike told Stephen that Politico had a story about Stephen's candidacy already posted on Politico. That is so impressive. It's like they just wait for news to happen and then write about it right away!
Mike Allen recently wrote the eBook, "The Right Fights Back," which is available for $2.99.
"I'M DOING IT! AND WITH YOUR HELP AND POSSIBLY THE HELP OF SOME SORT OF OUTSIDE GROUP THAT I AM NOT COORDINATING WITH, WE CAN EXPLORE TAKING THIS COUNTRY BACK. THANK YOU. GOD BESS YOU ALL. AND GOD BLESS CITIZENS UNITED."
Balloons all over and the audience went crazy.
Stephen promised a major decision tonight and he did not disappoint.
But first I should tell you what went on at the beginning of the show, before this major decision. After showing a webcam video of himself exercising and pointing out his stylish gold curlicue toe slippers, Stephen talked about the various Super PACs that candidates have. No, wait - that's wrong. What I mean to say is that candidates do not have Super PACs. That would be illegal. He talked about the Super PACs that support, but do not coordinate with, the candidates.
Mitt Romney benefits from Restore Our Future which was started by Romney's lawyer, Charles R. Spies.
Newt Gingrich benefits from Winning Our Future which is run by Newt's former staffer Becky Burkett.
Rick Perry (Parry) benefits from Make us Great Again started by Mike Toomey, who once was Governor Perry's (Parry') chief of staff AND co-owner of a resort island with Dave Carney, chief strategist for the Perry (Parry) campaign.
So, that brought about a difficult decision for Stephen. He was joined by friend of the show, Trevor Potter. All he wanted was a simple answer to this question: "Can I run for president and keep my Super PAC?"
"No." There you have it, a simple answer from Trevor Potter for Stephen.
If you did not see the show tonight, you may want to head over to Colbert Nation tomorrow and watch it. It is fascinating because of all the ins and outs of the legal system as it pertains to election law. Plus there seemed to be some magic that happened.
Long story short, Jon Stewart will be taking over as head of the Colbert Super PAC, he will still get to retain all the staff currently working for the PAC, and the Super PAC can now, legally, run ads for Stephen and attacking potential opponents.
All they need to do is to make sure that Jon (and staff) doesn't coordinate with Stephen.
For fans of crossword puzzles, there was a segment about Will Shortz. Stephen was a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle back in October of 2010, so he most likely has a warm spot in his heart for crossword puzzles.
Tonight's guest was Mike Allen of Politico which was quite appropriate for such an important show. Even as the two men were shaking hands, Mike told Stephen that Politico had a story about Stephen's candidacy already posted on Politico. That is so impressive. It's like they just wait for news to happen and then write about it right away!
Mike Allen recently wrote the eBook, "The Right Fights Back," which is available for $2.99.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Decision of a Lifetime
I'm almost too excited to write about anything tonight. Tomorrow night there will be a major announcement, and by major announcement, I mean Major Announcement! Stephen reported that in Public Policy Polling of 1,112 likely GOP voters in the South Carolina GOP Primary, Jon Huntsman would get 4% of the vote, but Stephen Colbert would get 5% of the vote! And if you remember how excited Jon Huntsman was to come in at third place up in New Hampshire, well just imagine how excited Stephen would be to come in even better than Jon Huntsman. It's a good thing people like Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, and Herman Cain aren't hanging around the GOP tent any more. They would have no chance against Stephen Colbert in the South Carolina GOP Primary.
Oh, wait. I'm getting way ahead of everyone. There hasn't even been an announcement yet.
Tune in tomorrow to see what the Major Announcement is.
So, the show tonight. Well, Stephen talked about Mitt Romney. There's no fireworks with Mitt. Sort of like an arranged marriage. And then Andy Cohen (not to be confused with Andy Schlafly) stopped by to chat with Stephen about Mitt. (Mitt's good. But not great.)
And then Stephen talked a little bit about Phobos-Grunt spacecraft. Not that important, other than the fact that it's coming down this weekend. It will probably come down to earth west of Indonesia, but maybe not. If I am reading this map correctly, it could also come down in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, India, China, Australia or a few other places. Antarctica looks relatively safe and Russia seems to be in a good spot. But, not to worry, it will mostly burn up upon re-entry.
George Stephanopoulus was the guest tonight and showed his good manners by bringing Stephen a bottle containing a beverage so that they could each have a sip. George wished Stephen good luck in the South Carolina Primary. The two of them discussed politics some more with Stephen wondering what would happen if Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden were to change places. Well, George told Stephen the three places where that idea was not being discussed: Clinton's office, Biden's office and Obama's office.
Remember to tune in tomorrow for the Major Announcement.
Oh, wait. I'm getting way ahead of everyone. There hasn't even been an announcement yet.
Tune in tomorrow to see what the Major Announcement is.
So, the show tonight. Well, Stephen talked about Mitt Romney. There's no fireworks with Mitt. Sort of like an arranged marriage. And then Andy Cohen (not to be confused with Andy Schlafly) stopped by to chat with Stephen about Mitt. (Mitt's good. But not great.)
And then Stephen talked a little bit about Phobos-Grunt spacecraft. Not that important, other than the fact that it's coming down this weekend. It will probably come down to earth west of Indonesia, but maybe not. If I am reading this map correctly, it could also come down in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, India, China, Australia or a few other places. Antarctica looks relatively safe and Russia seems to be in a good spot. But, not to worry, it will mostly burn up upon re-entry.
George Stephanopoulus was the guest tonight and showed his good manners by bringing Stephen a bottle containing a beverage so that they could each have a sip. George wished Stephen good luck in the South Carolina Primary. The two of them discussed politics some more with Stephen wondering what would happen if Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden were to change places. Well, George told Stephen the three places where that idea was not being discussed: Clinton's office, Biden's office and Obama's office.
Remember to tune in tomorrow for the Major Announcement.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Down the Rabbit Hole
Politics was on the menu tonight on The Report. First of all Stephen talked about Mitt Romney who likes to fire people. And then Stephen continued with politics in Tip of The Hat, Wag of The Finger. He either tipped or wagged at Rick Santorum about Health Insurance.
When asked about the 50 thousand uninsured Americans dying due to a lack of health care every year, Santorum said this:
"I reject that number completely, that people die in America because of lack of health insurance. People die in America because people die in America." He continued, " ... people make poor decisions with respect to their health and their health care. And they don't go to the emergency room or they don't go to the doctor when they need to."
(Okay, I think Santorum is missing the whole connection between health insurance and the paying for the medical care. But I digress.)
Stephen apparently agreed with Santorum because he explained it in simple terms that anyone can understand.
"If you're dying of cancer, it's your own fault for not going to the doctor and if you can't go to the doctor because you don't have insurance, then it's your own fault for not having a job, and if you don't have a job because you're dying of cancer, get yourself to a doctor. What is wrong with you? Other than the cancer, obviously."
Stephen can talk circles around anyone!
Some folks have been complaining about a Halloween Party at the White House in 2009. And while it would have been easy for Stephen to cover up these complaints, he didn't. He had video of Sean Hannity saying, "The White House had an Alice In Wonderland party when the unemployment rate is at 9.9% in the country." And he showed Rush Limbaugh outraged and telling his fans, "The White House went Out --- Of --- The --- Way--- to cover this up." Thankfully Stephen never hesitates to tell it like it is. Of course, that's not the way it was.
You know, I'm thinking that maybe I remember Jon Stewart of Daily Show fame talking about that very same Halloween Party on his show way back then because he was making fun of Robert Gibbs in a Darth Vader costume. Seeing Robert Gibbs in a Darth Vader costume is memorable.
Anyway, Eric Schultz said this on January 8 of this year (2012):
If we wanted this event to be a secret, we probably wouldn't have invited the press corps to cover it, release photos of it to Flickr, or post a video from it on the White House website."
Go read more about it, and see a photo of the Obamas at the party here at the White House blog.
Next up was tonight's guest, Bill Moyers of Moyers fame. He actually served as White House Press Secretary some years back. When Stephen asked if he had ever withheld information from the Press Corp, Moyers (jokingly) admitted that he withheld information from President Johnson which was much more dangerous. They both had a good laugh about that.
Bill Moyers has a new show, Moyers & Company which naturally brought the conversation to the subject of people and corporations. Moyers had two things to say about this subject. First, "You can not have a people's democracy as long as corporations are considered people." Secondly, one of Moyers friends in Texas "will believe corporations are people when Texas executes one."
When asked about the 50 thousand uninsured Americans dying due to a lack of health care every year, Santorum said this:
"I reject that number completely, that people die in America because of lack of health insurance. People die in America because people die in America." He continued, " ... people make poor decisions with respect to their health and their health care. And they don't go to the emergency room or they don't go to the doctor when they need to."
(Okay, I think Santorum is missing the whole connection between health insurance and the paying for the medical care. But I digress.)
Stephen apparently agreed with Santorum because he explained it in simple terms that anyone can understand.
"If you're dying of cancer, it's your own fault for not going to the doctor and if you can't go to the doctor because you don't have insurance, then it's your own fault for not having a job, and if you don't have a job because you're dying of cancer, get yourself to a doctor. What is wrong with you? Other than the cancer, obviously."
Stephen can talk circles around anyone!
Some folks have been complaining about a Halloween Party at the White House in 2009. And while it would have been easy for Stephen to cover up these complaints, he didn't. He had video of Sean Hannity saying, "The White House had an Alice In Wonderland party when the unemployment rate is at 9.9% in the country." And he showed Rush Limbaugh outraged and telling his fans, "The White House went Out --- Of --- The --- Way--- to cover this up." Thankfully Stephen never hesitates to tell it like it is. Of course, that's not the way it was.
You know, I'm thinking that maybe I remember Jon Stewart of Daily Show fame talking about that very same Halloween Party on his show way back then because he was making fun of Robert Gibbs in a Darth Vader costume. Seeing Robert Gibbs in a Darth Vader costume is memorable.
Anyway, Eric Schultz said this on January 8 of this year (2012):
If we wanted this event to be a secret, we probably wouldn't have invited the press corps to cover it, release photos of it to Flickr, or post a video from it on the White House website."
Go read more about it, and see a photo of the Obamas at the party here at the White House blog.
Next up was tonight's guest, Bill Moyers of Moyers fame. He actually served as White House Press Secretary some years back. When Stephen asked if he had ever withheld information from the Press Corp, Moyers (jokingly) admitted that he withheld information from President Johnson which was much more dangerous. They both had a good laugh about that.
Bill Moyers has a new show, Moyers & Company which naturally brought the conversation to the subject of people and corporations. Moyers had two things to say about this subject. First, "You can not have a people's democracy as long as corporations are considered people." Secondly, one of Moyers friends in Texas "will believe corporations are people when Texas executes one."
Monday, January 9, 2012
New Hampshire Primary Results Are In!
At least from Dixville Notch. Here's the numbers from the bottom of that page at Wikipedia:
Democratic Primary:
Barack Obama -- 3
GOP Primary:
Jon Huntsman -- 2
Mitt Romney -- 2
Ron Paul -- 1
New Gingrich -- 1
I figured if enough time went by, Jon Huntsman would pull ahead. (He is the candidate that puts country first ahead of party.) Huntsman hasn't been getting a lot of attention lately and I figured out why. His entry over at Conservapedia is very short. Perhaps now that he is doing so well in New Hampshire, the Conservapedia staff and editors will expand that entry and give us more background and accomplishments for Jon Huntsman.
It seems there's just never enough Republican debates. This past weekend there were only two debates. Stephen made the mistake of playing the "Contraception Game." That's where you take a shot of booze every time someone says "Contraception." Oh my, oh my. Stephen got wasted.
Stephen commented on Rick Santorum's recent quotes. Santorum has said that "Even fathers in jail who had abandoned their kids were still better than no father at all to have in their children's lives." Thus, according to Stephen (based on what Santorum thinks), Charles Manson would be better at parenthood than Rosie O'Donnell.
Tonight's guest was Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of political science at Tulane University, and frequent guest on msnbc. She also will soon have her own show on msnbc beginning in February. She has written a new book, "Sister Citizen - Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America." I think that it is probably a very good book. The cover is quite intriguing and patriotic looking, so Stephen will appreciate that. And you know what they say, you can't judge a book by it's cover, so I guess you just have to read the book to find out. But considering that Stephen had her on the show, it's probably a good book. Here's your chance to use that Barnes and Noble gift card you got and get a book for some 2012 reading.
Democratic Primary:
Barack Obama -- 3
GOP Primary:
Jon Huntsman -- 2
Mitt Romney -- 2
Ron Paul -- 1
New Gingrich -- 1
I figured if enough time went by, Jon Huntsman would pull ahead. (He is the candidate that puts country first ahead of party.) Huntsman hasn't been getting a lot of attention lately and I figured out why. His entry over at Conservapedia is very short. Perhaps now that he is doing so well in New Hampshire, the Conservapedia staff and editors will expand that entry and give us more background and accomplishments for Jon Huntsman.
It seems there's just never enough Republican debates. This past weekend there were only two debates. Stephen made the mistake of playing the "Contraception Game." That's where you take a shot of booze every time someone says "Contraception." Oh my, oh my. Stephen got wasted.
Stephen commented on Rick Santorum's recent quotes. Santorum has said that "Even fathers in jail who had abandoned their kids were still better than no father at all to have in their children's lives." Thus, according to Stephen (based on what Santorum thinks), Charles Manson would be better at parenthood than Rosie O'Donnell.
Tonight's guest was Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of political science at Tulane University, and frequent guest on msnbc. She also will soon have her own show on msnbc beginning in February. She has written a new book, "Sister Citizen - Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America." I think that it is probably a very good book. The cover is quite intriguing and patriotic looking, so Stephen will appreciate that. And you know what they say, you can't judge a book by it's cover, so I guess you just have to read the book to find out. But considering that Stephen had her on the show, it's probably a good book. Here's your chance to use that Barnes and Noble gift card you got and get a book for some 2012 reading.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Republicans Crave Fun
Yep, Republicans crave fun. Or so says George Will. It seems almost not worth the ink to write something like that because it should be obvious to everyone.
Something else that should come as no surprise to Colbert fans. Stephen is a huge fan of Pat Robertson. You may remember Pat from his incredibly powerful "Age Defying Protein Pancakes." Stephen is also a fan of those pancakes. You can tell the pancakes really work because neither Stephen nor Pat Robertson has aged in all the years they both have been on TV.
Good News from Pat. God told him who the next president will be but Pat isn't going to tell us. Nope, that's his little secret. Pat also had an extensive conversation with God and God told him it will be a time of maximum stress and peril.
Will it be massive power threat? - No!
Will it be North Korea Nuclear Threat? - No!
Will it be Mayan Galaxy alignment? - No!
(At this point, Stephen had a Mayan hat on and a flustered chicken in his lap.)
So, what is it? Drum roll........ It is economic collapse.
How can that be you ask. Well, this is what Pat Robertson said.
"God said and I quote. This is not my judgement. They are bringing it upon themselves. Your country will be torn apart by internal stress. Your president holds a radical view of the direction of your country which is at odds with the majority. Expect chaos and paralysis. This is a spiritual battle which can only be won by overwhelming prayer."
So Stephen donned his lucky red prayer hat but then took it up a level to his prayer sombrero, or som-prayer-o. He put on his large foam prayer hands and had his stagehands bring out stacks of speakers. (I assume so that God could hear better.)
Let us pray, well, let Stephen pray.
"Dear Lord,
We have heard you speak through your Pat Puppet. We mortals are heartily sorry we elected Barack Obama. Help us defeat him in 2012, although Pat says you already know what's going to happen so either this prayer has already worked or it hasn't which means it's either unnecessary or pointless.
"Oh, and one more thing Lord. Why'd you tell Pat Robertson? I'm not complaining but what about me? Is there some sort of next president phone tree I can get on, you know like in case there's a snow day? Anyway, if it's something I've done, (other than you know that thing I keep trying to stop doing), I'm sorry.
"Amen. Jesus Number One!"
Tonight's guest was not George Will or Pat Robertson, although that would be interesting. It was Steve Case, founder of AOL.
Stephen reminded Steve that Steve introduced the greatest waster of time in the workplace. But now Steve has another company, Revolution, which seems to be about sharing. Stephen informed Steve that sharing seems Marxist, and seems to be a socialist idea.
But Stephen warmed up to the idea, even offering his own suggestion for sharing toasters. Instead of all of us owning one and keeping it in the kitchen, there could be one central place where people go to borrow the toaster, bring it home to make toast, and then bring it back. When Steve said that was a good idea, Stephen pulled the rug out from under that notion by saying it is the stupidest idea he's heard of.
I agree with Stephen. It's a stupid idea. So stupid, it just might work.
Something else that should come as no surprise to Colbert fans. Stephen is a huge fan of Pat Robertson. You may remember Pat from his incredibly powerful "Age Defying Protein Pancakes." Stephen is also a fan of those pancakes. You can tell the pancakes really work because neither Stephen nor Pat Robertson has aged in all the years they both have been on TV.
Good News from Pat. God told him who the next president will be but Pat isn't going to tell us. Nope, that's his little secret. Pat also had an extensive conversation with God and God told him it will be a time of maximum stress and peril.
Will it be massive power threat? - No!
Will it be North Korea Nuclear Threat? - No!
Will it be Mayan Galaxy alignment? - No!
(At this point, Stephen had a Mayan hat on and a flustered chicken in his lap.)
So, what is it? Drum roll........ It is economic collapse.
How can that be you ask. Well, this is what Pat Robertson said.
"God said and I quote. This is not my judgement. They are bringing it upon themselves. Your country will be torn apart by internal stress. Your president holds a radical view of the direction of your country which is at odds with the majority. Expect chaos and paralysis. This is a spiritual battle which can only be won by overwhelming prayer."
So Stephen donned his lucky red prayer hat but then took it up a level to his prayer sombrero, or som-prayer-o. He put on his large foam prayer hands and had his stagehands bring out stacks of speakers. (I assume so that God could hear better.)
Let us pray, well, let Stephen pray.
"Dear Lord,
We have heard you speak through your Pat Puppet. We mortals are heartily sorry we elected Barack Obama. Help us defeat him in 2012, although Pat says you already know what's going to happen so either this prayer has already worked or it hasn't which means it's either unnecessary or pointless.
"Oh, and one more thing Lord. Why'd you tell Pat Robertson? I'm not complaining but what about me? Is there some sort of next president phone tree I can get on, you know like in case there's a snow day? Anyway, if it's something I've done, (other than you know that thing I keep trying to stop doing), I'm sorry.
"Amen. Jesus Number One!"
Tonight's guest was not George Will or Pat Robertson, although that would be interesting. It was Steve Case, founder of AOL.
Stephen reminded Steve that Steve introduced the greatest waster of time in the workplace. But now Steve has another company, Revolution, which seems to be about sharing. Stephen informed Steve that sharing seems Marxist, and seems to be a socialist idea.
But Stephen warmed up to the idea, even offering his own suggestion for sharing toasters. Instead of all of us owning one and keeping it in the kitchen, there could be one central place where people go to borrow the toaster, bring it home to make toast, and then bring it back. When Steve said that was a good idea, Stephen pulled the rug out from under that notion by saying it is the stupidest idea he's heard of.
I agree with Stephen. It's a stupid idea. So stupid, it just might work.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
O Beautiful For Spacious Skies
For amber waves of grain.
You probably remember how the rest of the song goes. If not, just catch one of Mitt Romney's speeches. Stephen had a clip of Romney's victory speech from last night, the part where Mitt recites the words to the song. (If it would have been Herman Cain, it would have been sung, but I digress.) Of course at first Stephen had the wrong clips of a different night, many different nights and speeches, of Mitt Romney reciting the words from "America, the Beautiful." I now think that Stephen was using humor to highlight the fact that Mitt seems to keep using those familiar and patriotic verses over and over again. It's almost like he has a plan to make that song his own.
I figured why not get a few facts about these spacious skies and amber waves to share with my readers. So, I Googled "O beautiful for spacious skies." Well, of course, near the top of the results, is an entry by trusty old Wikipedia for the song, "America, the Beautiful." Then I did a double take, for right after it, in the Google results, was a link to a YouTube video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the song. What's up with that? You do know that Romney is a Mormon, right? And then I looked at Google images. Not surprisingly, there were lots of images of spacious skies, lots of images of amber waves of grain, lots of images of patriotic things (flags, fireworks, soldiers, eagles), and then there it was. A photo of Mitt Romney! So then I went to a website to see the lyrics and there was an ad for Mitt Romney.
It's obvious Mitt is trying very hard to have people salivate whenever they hear that song. And to have them think of Mitt Romney. Other candidates will be associated with other things. Stephen even mentioned Rick Santorum. And who can hear Michele Bachmann's name without seeing a pair of false eyelashes? For Herman Cain, it was 9-9-9. For so many candidates, there is one thing that will always be identified with them. Mitt Romney must be trying very hard to choose what people think about when they think of him. Will it work? Come back in 11 months and ask me then.
Perhaps more interesting on the show, in fact, the best part of the show was Stephen at the FLICKTRONIC-TRON 5600. Man, Stephen has got flicking down to an art. CNN needs to practice their flicking or people will stop going to CNN for news and only get their news from The Colbert Report.
Later in the show, Stephen checked in with all his good friends at WOI-DT abc 5 News to find out what's happening in Des Moines, Iowa. The excitement was more than I could bear.
The guest tonight was John Heilemann, National Affairs Editor of New York Magazine. Thankfully, they did discuss the recent Iowa Caucus and all the candidates. Although Romney won by an 8-vote landslide, Santorum, in a three-way with two other men, was such a close second that you could almost call it a tie. Now many of them head up to New Hampshire and then on to South Carolina. The excitement keeps building. It will be a fun ride heading to November.
You probably remember how the rest of the song goes. If not, just catch one of Mitt Romney's speeches. Stephen had a clip of Romney's victory speech from last night, the part where Mitt recites the words to the song. (If it would have been Herman Cain, it would have been sung, but I digress.) Of course at first Stephen had the wrong clips of a different night, many different nights and speeches, of Mitt Romney reciting the words from "America, the Beautiful." I now think that Stephen was using humor to highlight the fact that Mitt seems to keep using those familiar and patriotic verses over and over again. It's almost like he has a plan to make that song his own.
I figured why not get a few facts about these spacious skies and amber waves to share with my readers. So, I Googled "O beautiful for spacious skies." Well, of course, near the top of the results, is an entry by trusty old Wikipedia for the song, "America, the Beautiful." Then I did a double take, for right after it, in the Google results, was a link to a YouTube video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the song. What's up with that? You do know that Romney is a Mormon, right? And then I looked at Google images. Not surprisingly, there were lots of images of spacious skies, lots of images of amber waves of grain, lots of images of patriotic things (flags, fireworks, soldiers, eagles), and then there it was. A photo of Mitt Romney! So then I went to a website to see the lyrics and there was an ad for Mitt Romney.
It's obvious Mitt is trying very hard to have people salivate whenever they hear that song. And to have them think of Mitt Romney. Other candidates will be associated with other things. Stephen even mentioned Rick Santorum. And who can hear Michele Bachmann's name without seeing a pair of false eyelashes? For Herman Cain, it was 9-9-9. For so many candidates, there is one thing that will always be identified with them. Mitt Romney must be trying very hard to choose what people think about when they think of him. Will it work? Come back in 11 months and ask me then.
Perhaps more interesting on the show, in fact, the best part of the show was Stephen at the FLICKTRONIC-TRON 5600. Man, Stephen has got flicking down to an art. CNN needs to practice their flicking or people will stop going to CNN for news and only get their news from The Colbert Report.
Later in the show, Stephen checked in with all his good friends at WOI-DT abc 5 News to find out what's happening in Des Moines, Iowa. The excitement was more than I could bear.
The guest tonight was John Heilemann, National Affairs Editor of New York Magazine. Thankfully, they did discuss the recent Iowa Caucus and all the candidates. Although Romney won by an 8-vote landslide, Santorum, in a three-way with two other men, was such a close second that you could almost call it a tie. Now many of them head up to New Hampshire and then on to South Carolina. The excitement keeps building. It will be a fun ride heading to November.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Fear the Vest
Unless you have been in a cave these past few months, you know that it is the Iowa Caucuses tonight. As Stephen so clearly pointed out, that means there's a bunch of old Midwestern people in a high school gym sitting on folding chairs.
Some might say each candidate in the GOP had their turn at flavor of the month. Remember Herman Cain? Perhaps he should have come on The Colbert Report way back when so that he could have received the famous Colbert Bump. (Too late now, Herman.) Jon Huntsman decided against coming to Iowa. Most of the GOP candidates have been crisscrossing Iowa in huge buses and drinking coffee in every small town. Millions of dollars have been spent on TV ads.
And after all of this, Stephen was ready to predict the outcome. He announced on his show tonight that he was predicting that Jon Huntsman would lose Iowa. It may have been this quote from Huntsman that, along with not bothering to show up, lost Iowa for him:
"The pick corn in Iowa. They actually pick presidents here in New Hampshire."
Stephen was not willing to predict who the winner would be, but he did talk about Rick Santorum. At one of his speeches, Santorum wore a sweater vest. That speech went over quite well and ever since, Santorum has been wearing sweater vests, a different color it seems, to each event, almost as if he had a rainbow of vests in his closet.
What Stephen was able to do for political junkies and Iowanians alike was to have Megyn Shelly on the show to predict the outcome. ( I don't know if Megyn Shelly and Marcel the Shell are related, but they do look somewhat alike, so I'm thinking maybe cousins.) Unfortunately, there really was not enough time for Meygn to make this determination, but Stephen is hopeful that within a month, Megyn will come through with the news we are all waiting for.
Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent Senator from Vermont, was Stephen's first guest of 2012. He brought along his book, "The Speech," which is essentially the speech he gave when he was filibustering in the Senate. Senator Sanders believes middle class people, you know - the hard working "man on the street" - are having a rough time while the rich can fully afford to pay their share of taxes. When Stephen confronted him about his attitude towards the job creators, Senator Sanders reminded him that the rich are not creating jobs, they are outsourcing them to China. Senator Sanders also talked about the need for a constitutional amendment to save American democracy. You can go over to his website, sanders.senate.gov, to find out more information. Stephen expects the process of getting the amendment passed and ratified should be pretty much wrapped up by May, but I think that might be a little bit optimistic. Time will tell.
Some might say each candidate in the GOP had their turn at flavor of the month. Remember Herman Cain? Perhaps he should have come on The Colbert Report way back when so that he could have received the famous Colbert Bump. (Too late now, Herman.) Jon Huntsman decided against coming to Iowa. Most of the GOP candidates have been crisscrossing Iowa in huge buses and drinking coffee in every small town. Millions of dollars have been spent on TV ads.
And after all of this, Stephen was ready to predict the outcome. He announced on his show tonight that he was predicting that Jon Huntsman would lose Iowa. It may have been this quote from Huntsman that, along with not bothering to show up, lost Iowa for him:
"The pick corn in Iowa. They actually pick presidents here in New Hampshire."
Stephen was not willing to predict who the winner would be, but he did talk about Rick Santorum. At one of his speeches, Santorum wore a sweater vest. That speech went over quite well and ever since, Santorum has been wearing sweater vests, a different color it seems, to each event, almost as if he had a rainbow of vests in his closet.
What Stephen was able to do for political junkies and Iowanians alike was to have Megyn Shelly on the show to predict the outcome. ( I don't know if Megyn Shelly and Marcel the Shell are related, but they do look somewhat alike, so I'm thinking maybe cousins.) Unfortunately, there really was not enough time for Meygn to make this determination, but Stephen is hopeful that within a month, Megyn will come through with the news we are all waiting for.
Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent Senator from Vermont, was Stephen's first guest of 2012. He brought along his book, "The Speech," which is essentially the speech he gave when he was filibustering in the Senate. Senator Sanders believes middle class people, you know - the hard working "man on the street" - are having a rough time while the rich can fully afford to pay their share of taxes. When Stephen confronted him about his attitude towards the job creators, Senator Sanders reminded him that the rich are not creating jobs, they are outsourcing them to China. Senator Sanders also talked about the need for a constitutional amendment to save American democracy. You can go over to his website, sanders.senate.gov, to find out more information. Stephen expects the process of getting the amendment passed and ratified should be pretty much wrapped up by May, but I think that might be a little bit optimistic. Time will tell.
New Year's Resolutions
We all make New Year's Resolutions.
Oh, darn. I just broke one of my New Year's Resolutions. I resolved not to make broad generalizations about people.
Okay, here goes again. At this time of year, some people make New Year's Resolutions. There, that's better.
I saw a list somewhere recently of what some people have resolved. I noticed that (some) young children don't always grasp the concept and put things like "Eat more candy," or "Have more toys." They're kids, what can you expect?
I think the idea of a New Year's Resolution is to do things that make us better individuals. I have my own ideas, but I also went looking for lists of Popular New Year's Resolutions. I did find a list for dogs, but again, that was more humor that reality, with such things as sleep on the bed and not to be intimidated by the cat.
I did find this list over at USA.gov and it does seem to include the usual items. There's even links to resources to help people accomplish these lofty goals.
Here is the list if you don't have time to click on the USA.gov link:
Drink Less Alcohol
Eat Healthy Food
Get a Better Education
Get a Better Job
Get Fit
Lose Weight
Manage Debt
Manage Stress
Quit Smoking
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Save Money
Take a Trip
Volunteer to Help Others
That's a good sampling of typical New Year's Resolutions. If one or more of those is also on your list, you now have a place to look for helpful suggestions and resources.
Of course, some of those on the list kind of go together. For example, Drink Less Alcohol, Eat Healthy Food, Get Fit, and Lose Weight are related to each other. If you drink less, you will lose some weight. If you eat healthy food, it will help you get fit. Or getting a better education can probably help you to get a better job.
Some on the list are obviously altruistic. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle will help you save money in your family, but it also helps lots of other people, and yes even helps animals and planets. Volunteer to Help Others is a really nice thing to do. It does have advantages for you also, such as learning new job skills, socializing with others, and maybe even getting some exercise.
And then there's the items on the list that seem to clash with each other. Managing Debt and Quitting Smoking usually means you also have to Manage Stress. Taking a Trip might make it hard to Save Money. Unless, and here's something I didn't think of at first glance, maybe you save the money so that you can take a trip. Well, that would take care of two of your resolutions right there.
Whatever you try to accomplish this year, good luck. Keep trying, don't give up, remember there will be setbacks so just keep in mind that tomorrow is a new day and you can start over again with a clean slate each day. Look for the end result and hopefully by this time next year you will have accomplished at least some of your goals.
And now that brings me to Stephen Colbert. What are his New Year's Resolutions? I'm hoping he will share them with us tonight. One that I would offer for him to consider is to try to be more popular. Yes the audience members always shout his name at the beginning of the show, but couldn't they shout louder, or throw money (just bills, no coins please) or join his SuperPac? He is popular, but more is better, so I hope he tries to win over even more Americans this year.
Oh, darn. I just broke one of my New Year's Resolutions. I resolved not to make broad generalizations about people.
Okay, here goes again. At this time of year, some people make New Year's Resolutions. There, that's better.
I saw a list somewhere recently of what some people have resolved. I noticed that (some) young children don't always grasp the concept and put things like "Eat more candy," or "Have more toys." They're kids, what can you expect?
I think the idea of a New Year's Resolution is to do things that make us better individuals. I have my own ideas, but I also went looking for lists of Popular New Year's Resolutions. I did find a list for dogs, but again, that was more humor that reality, with such things as sleep on the bed and not to be intimidated by the cat.
I did find this list over at USA.gov and it does seem to include the usual items. There's even links to resources to help people accomplish these lofty goals.
Here is the list if you don't have time to click on the USA.gov link:
Drink Less Alcohol
Eat Healthy Food
Get a Better Education
Get a Better Job
Get Fit
Lose Weight
Manage Debt
Manage Stress
Quit Smoking
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Save Money
Take a Trip
Volunteer to Help Others
That's a good sampling of typical New Year's Resolutions. If one or more of those is also on your list, you now have a place to look for helpful suggestions and resources.
Of course, some of those on the list kind of go together. For example, Drink Less Alcohol, Eat Healthy Food, Get Fit, and Lose Weight are related to each other. If you drink less, you will lose some weight. If you eat healthy food, it will help you get fit. Or getting a better education can probably help you to get a better job.
Some on the list are obviously altruistic. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle will help you save money in your family, but it also helps lots of other people, and yes even helps animals and planets. Volunteer to Help Others is a really nice thing to do. It does have advantages for you also, such as learning new job skills, socializing with others, and maybe even getting some exercise.
And then there's the items on the list that seem to clash with each other. Managing Debt and Quitting Smoking usually means you also have to Manage Stress. Taking a Trip might make it hard to Save Money. Unless, and here's something I didn't think of at first glance, maybe you save the money so that you can take a trip. Well, that would take care of two of your resolutions right there.
Whatever you try to accomplish this year, good luck. Keep trying, don't give up, remember there will be setbacks so just keep in mind that tomorrow is a new day and you can start over again with a clean slate each day. Look for the end result and hopefully by this time next year you will have accomplished at least some of your goals.
And now that brings me to Stephen Colbert. What are his New Year's Resolutions? I'm hoping he will share them with us tonight. One that I would offer for him to consider is to try to be more popular. Yes the audience members always shout his name at the beginning of the show, but couldn't they shout louder, or throw money (just bills, no coins please) or join his SuperPac? He is popular, but more is better, so I hope he tries to win over even more Americans this year.
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