Too busy to write about last night's show, but I will get to it, maybe tomorrow. We are all hoping that Jay the Intern will get better health coverage and maybe even a paycheck some day.
But, to piggyback on my previous post - Mathematics. Stephen was happy that he did not have to do the math to figure out if and when Earth would get hit by heavenly bodies. Here's a website he should check out every day to help him improve his math skills.
Bedtime Math
Enjoy!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Mess With Texas
Stephen continued with his promise to keep us updated on the Pope watch. We know that some things will remain, for example, monogrammed towels. Some things will be gone. Red shoes are out in favor of more modest brown loafers. I'm thinking of updating my shoe wardrobe, so this certainly gives me some fashion direction.
We all know Stephen is from South Carolina, but he did a pretty darn good representation of what it's like to be a Texas boy. I would love to see him in true Texas gear some day, maybe something like what these guys wear. But that's not important. What is important is that someone is trying to change Texas. And this is not about the people who want Texas to leave the United States. No, this is someone who wants to change the state from red to blue. I have been to Texas. That is going to be hard to do. You know that the Red River forms part of the northern boundary of Texas, right? So even the rivers that you would expect to be blue are actually red!
But anyway, the person who wants to change Texas from red to blue is Jeremy Bird, former National Field for Obama for America. And he has a plan to do it. He even showed up last night to talk with Stephen about the way that Texas is actually changing. Stephen was concerned that the natural order of things will be upset. The way to change Texas from Republican to Democrat is to engage all the people in Texas. Jeremy Bird said that only about 50% of the population turns out to vote which means that in Texas they have government by half the people for half the people. When Jeremy Bird threw out the "gerrymander" word, Stephen called him on it saying it is an ugly word, accurate, but ugly. The push will be to get people out to vote, fight for their voting rights and get them to the polls. In a classic case of putting your money where your mouth is, Stephen made a bet with him, a $100 bet. Jeremy said he was game. So, Stephen bet him that Bird could not get Barack Obama re-elected in 2016. Both men shook on it, so it's a legitimate bet. Come back in 2016, right after the election to see which man wins the $100.
Stephen talked about drones, you know those little planes that look like they are flying upside down. We were able to find out that use of drones can actually encourage the planting of trees.
Stephen doesn't usually name the segments when he sits down with his guest, but last night would have been a good time to have a name. I'm thinking "Scare the Pants Off Everyone" because that's what the guest was basically doing. Theoretical Physicist Dr. Michio Kaku showed up to talk about heavenly bodies, and I don't mean angels. He recently wrote the cover story, "Asteroid Apocalypse" for Newsweek magazine. The two started talking about meteors, asteroids and all things falling out of the sky onto our heads. Stephen brought up the not so recent Tunguska event. Fun times (not really!) Stuff comes out of the sky and hurls to Earth. It is probably to our advantage to try to stop this from happening. Dr. Kaku talked about lots of reasons to do the math and how we were lucky enough to dodge the bullet. Because in the past we had fishing villages rather than larger metropolises as we do today, asteroids and large meteors that decided to visit us could have easily fallen where there was no population centers.
Russia is on top of this and planning strategies to land on asteroids and urge them to change their ways and path and leave us alone. Bruce Willis might think it would be good to blow it up, but all that does is create a lot of baby asteroids still coming at us. We need to keep the asteroids intact and push them out of the way. Gee, this sort of sounds like Star Trek.
We all know Stephen is from South Carolina, but he did a pretty darn good representation of what it's like to be a Texas boy. I would love to see him in true Texas gear some day, maybe something like what these guys wear. But that's not important. What is important is that someone is trying to change Texas. And this is not about the people who want Texas to leave the United States. No, this is someone who wants to change the state from red to blue. I have been to Texas. That is going to be hard to do. You know that the Red River forms part of the northern boundary of Texas, right? So even the rivers that you would expect to be blue are actually red!
But anyway, the person who wants to change Texas from red to blue is Jeremy Bird, former National Field for Obama for America. And he has a plan to do it. He even showed up last night to talk with Stephen about the way that Texas is actually changing. Stephen was concerned that the natural order of things will be upset. The way to change Texas from Republican to Democrat is to engage all the people in Texas. Jeremy Bird said that only about 50% of the population turns out to vote which means that in Texas they have government by half the people for half the people. When Jeremy Bird threw out the "gerrymander" word, Stephen called him on it saying it is an ugly word, accurate, but ugly. The push will be to get people out to vote, fight for their voting rights and get them to the polls. In a classic case of putting your money where your mouth is, Stephen made a bet with him, a $100 bet. Jeremy said he was game. So, Stephen bet him that Bird could not get Barack Obama re-elected in 2016. Both men shook on it, so it's a legitimate bet. Come back in 2016, right after the election to see which man wins the $100.
Stephen talked about drones, you know those little planes that look like they are flying upside down. We were able to find out that use of drones can actually encourage the planting of trees.
Stephen doesn't usually name the segments when he sits down with his guest, but last night would have been a good time to have a name. I'm thinking "Scare the Pants Off Everyone" because that's what the guest was basically doing. Theoretical Physicist Dr. Michio Kaku showed up to talk about heavenly bodies, and I don't mean angels. He recently wrote the cover story, "Asteroid Apocalypse" for Newsweek magazine. The two started talking about meteors, asteroids and all things falling out of the sky onto our heads. Stephen brought up the not so recent Tunguska event. Fun times (not really!) Stuff comes out of the sky and hurls to Earth. It is probably to our advantage to try to stop this from happening. Dr. Kaku talked about lots of reasons to do the math and how we were lucky enough to dodge the bullet. Because in the past we had fishing villages rather than larger metropolises as we do today, asteroids and large meteors that decided to visit us could have easily fallen where there was no population centers.
Russia is on top of this and planning strategies to land on asteroids and urge them to change their ways and path and leave us alone. Bruce Willis might think it would be good to blow it up, but all that does is create a lot of baby asteroids still coming at us. We need to keep the asteroids intact and push them out of the way. Gee, this sort of sounds like Star Trek.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Losers
Luckily, for those of us who did not watch the Oscars, Stephen provided a rundown on the most important events from that show. Fashion of course is a mainstay of the Academy Awards and since Stephen is a fashion expert, he provided some much needed commentary on the stars who were among the best dressed (and some that were not). There can be nothing more important than that! Are you able to pick the best and the worst dressed and more importantly, what did you wear on Oscar night?
In news that relates to the health of the nation, the CDC will now be taking over some reporting that is currently being done by Slate. Apparently there is a reason for this and it is quite astounding.
Next up was Pope Watch 2013. Stephen said he will be live in Rome to cover the story of the Pope stepping down. But how can he do this and still be ready to do his own job? Can he really make it all the way to Rome in time for the Pope's last day? We should know by next week. What I wonder about, and I don't think I'm the only person, and therefore this can't be some sort of a surprise, is this: Will we soon be seeing The Pope on the The Colbert Report? Pope Benedict will have lots of time on his hands and Stephen would be the likely person to interview him. Time will tell.
Stephen's guest last night was Simon Garfield. You should go over and look at his website. Then tell me what you think of Simon Garfield having a large ampersand (&) on his front page. It makes me think of Simon and Garfield. Or it could be about typefaces. Anyway, just click on the ampersand to go to all the neat information on his website. Find out Why the World Looks the Way it Does! Read about all his books, including the one, "Just My Type," and his most recent one, "On the Map." You know, I really expected Stephen to use a map to get from his main news desk over to the table where he conducts interviews. But I suppose he just used the implanted GPS that I'm pretty sure is in his left ankle in order to find his way without getting lost.
Simon Garfield and Stephen had a lively discussion about maps, their importance throughout history and what the future might hold for maps. We also found out what the favorite map of Simon Garfield is. I'm pretty sure he was referring to this map. If you click on that link, it's the second one of London, the one with the red blob in the middle surrounded by a larger yellow blob with a blue River snaking through it.
In news that relates to the health of the nation, the CDC will now be taking over some reporting that is currently being done by Slate. Apparently there is a reason for this and it is quite astounding.
Next up was Pope Watch 2013. Stephen said he will be live in Rome to cover the story of the Pope stepping down. But how can he do this and still be ready to do his own job? Can he really make it all the way to Rome in time for the Pope's last day? We should know by next week. What I wonder about, and I don't think I'm the only person, and therefore this can't be some sort of a surprise, is this: Will we soon be seeing The Pope on the The Colbert Report? Pope Benedict will have lots of time on his hands and Stephen would be the likely person to interview him. Time will tell.
Stephen's guest last night was Simon Garfield. You should go over and look at his website. Then tell me what you think of Simon Garfield having a large ampersand (&) on his front page. It makes me think of Simon and Garfield. Or it could be about typefaces. Anyway, just click on the ampersand to go to all the neat information on his website. Find out Why the World Looks the Way it Does! Read about all his books, including the one, "Just My Type," and his most recent one, "On the Map." You know, I really expected Stephen to use a map to get from his main news desk over to the table where he conducts interviews. But I suppose he just used the implanted GPS that I'm pretty sure is in his left ankle in order to find his way without getting lost.
Simon Garfield and Stephen had a lively discussion about maps, their importance throughout history and what the future might hold for maps. We also found out what the favorite map of Simon Garfield is. I'm pretty sure he was referring to this map. If you click on that link, it's the second one of London, the one with the red blob in the middle surrounded by a larger yellow blob with a blue River snaking through it.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Dancer - Capital D
I hope you caught the The Colbert Report last Thursday. It was really good, better than some other shows and yet as I write that I'm mentally kicking myself. Each of Stephen's show is better than the rest and that does not seem possible. Let's just leave it at, "I hope you caught last Thursday's show."
Since it has taken me so long to get back to writing, I'll be brief but to the point. Stephen always verifies all his news stories before reporting on them. Not everyone is so thorough, unfortunately. Case in point, Chuck Hagel and the Friends of Hamas. What started as sort of a joke about something than any reasonable person would realize was a joke has gotten out of hand. Read about it here.
Folks should practice the skills they learned in 4th grade for writing reports. Make sure that what you are saying is factual. And don't just ask Jon or Jay or Jimmy out on the playground if they think it is true, do some actual research.
The best part of the show was the guest. I don't know how to describe the guest. He defies explanation, no, he defies description. He even defies gravity and the laws of physics. Think of a butterfly, a snowflake, a pretzel, an army tank. That doesn't even come close to doing justice to Lil Buck. When I heard Stephen was going to have a dancer, I thought that would be interesting. I had no idea. I'm sorry, but I'm not as tuned in to popular culture as Stephen is. That is why I watch his show, so I can stay at least a little bit current. He does have great talent on the show. Thank-you, Stephen.
Anyway, the minute Lil Buck started dancing, making a few moves, you realize immediately that he is a Dancer (capital D). This is not someone who has learned how to dance. This is someone who just is a Dancer. I also think he is a wonderful teacher. He doesn't just tell Stephen to watch him and then do what he does. Lil Buck is able to explain how to mimic what he is doing. You would be able to just listen to his explanations and figure out how to dance like him. No, not dance like him, but do a few of the moves.
If you did not watch last week, you have to go over to Colbert Nation and watch. You can also Google Lil Buck and find many other video clips. Here's one of him with Yo Yo Ma on the cello.
Since it has taken me so long to get back to writing, I'll be brief but to the point. Stephen always verifies all his news stories before reporting on them. Not everyone is so thorough, unfortunately. Case in point, Chuck Hagel and the Friends of Hamas. What started as sort of a joke about something than any reasonable person would realize was a joke has gotten out of hand. Read about it here.
Folks should practice the skills they learned in 4th grade for writing reports. Make sure that what you are saying is factual. And don't just ask Jon or Jay or Jimmy out on the playground if they think it is true, do some actual research.
The best part of the show was the guest. I don't know how to describe the guest. He defies explanation, no, he defies description. He even defies gravity and the laws of physics. Think of a butterfly, a snowflake, a pretzel, an army tank. That doesn't even come close to doing justice to Lil Buck. When I heard Stephen was going to have a dancer, I thought that would be interesting. I had no idea. I'm sorry, but I'm not as tuned in to popular culture as Stephen is. That is why I watch his show, so I can stay at least a little bit current. He does have great talent on the show. Thank-you, Stephen.
Anyway, the minute Lil Buck started dancing, making a few moves, you realize immediately that he is a Dancer (capital D). This is not someone who has learned how to dance. This is someone who just is a Dancer. I also think he is a wonderful teacher. He doesn't just tell Stephen to watch him and then do what he does. Lil Buck is able to explain how to mimic what he is doing. You would be able to just listen to his explanations and figure out how to dance like him. No, not dance like him, but do a few of the moves.
If you did not watch last week, you have to go over to Colbert Nation and watch. You can also Google Lil Buck and find many other video clips. Here's one of him with Yo Yo Ma on the cello.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Purply Spatula
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| Purply Spatula |
Last night was an example of why this show is so popular and important to the future of our nation. Stephen reported on many world events. Not everyone is so well informed as he is. Our local news station, for example, spends a lot of time just reporting local news and only touching on national and world events. Stephen reported extensively about events in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland, France, England, Sweden, Cyprus, the Netherlands, and Romania. We often don't realize how difficult it is to report all the news from all over the world. Even part way into reporting the news, Stephen admitted that he was really hungry and would love a great sandwich item. But he kept reporting the news when a lesser person would have gone out for a bite to eat.
Next up was the Sport Report, but before Stephen got to that, he entertained us with a one-man band minus any band instruments. It was great. I see a Grammy in his future. But anyway, football, or as we call it, soccer. It's very popular in Europe. The players there are fantastic. They have incredible ball handling skills. But there is a problem. It seems Soccer games may have been fixed and not in the repaired meaning of the word. I had no idea. Even huge championship games and a large number of games. I'm not a huge fan of the game. I have watched games in town when the school kids are playing and I have watched it on the TV machine at times. But again I say, I had no idea. Stephen had a revealing video that shows players hitting other players. However, he ran it in "slow motion" and then it was obvious to even me that those players weren't hit. No, they either fell to the ground after coming close to an opposing player, or even grabbed the arm of a player from the other team and hit their own face with that player's arm. I had no idea that people would resort to that type of behavior. I mean, who fakes an injury like that? What kind of man would do that?
On the show to help him understand soccer was Alexi Lalas, who admitted he has probably played in a "fixed" game. But that does not mean he is guilty of fixing games. I'm sure he is not the type of person to engage in anything of that nature. He did tell Stephen not to be a boob. And then, proving me wrong, Alexi Lalas apparently hit Stephen and knocked him way back in his chair. Stephen was obviously taken by surprise. More taken by surprise was Alexi Lalas. I rewound and watched that part over again and now apparently it looks like Alexi Lalas did not even come close to making contact with Stephen. Do my eyes deceive me? Was Stephen just trying to make a point? Perhaps it was just comedic relief. Maybe it was actually theatrics on Stephen's part. Whatever it was, I am relieved that Stephen was not injured. Luckily, Alexi Lalas reassured us that in the United States, there is not nearly the level of shenanigans here that goes on in other places. Or at least that's what he said.
Continuing with his show that tonight was Not American, Stephen told us about various TV shows. Of course some shows that we watch here, such as The Office and Hardball with Chris Matthews originally came from other shows in other countries. The Office came from England where it was called The Office. Hardball is based on the Irish children's show The Very Angry Potato. All these shows are good, but none could rise to the level of the one Stephen highlighted while sitting next to his cozy fireplace. In Norway, one of the more popular shows is "National Firewood Night." One could hope that American broadcasters would see the light and get that show or one just like it for American viewers. Stephen really opened up to his viewers tonight and revealed a lot of personal goals, dreams and also some memories. It was so touching.
The guest last night was David Goldhill. He of course has a book out. "Catastrophic Care - How American Health Care Killed My Father - And How We Can Fix It." Would you believe he is the president of the Game Show Network? He is. He writes somewhat from a personal view because of the death of his father and somewhat from a business view. He had some good ideas, but only if you are someone who has either good health or poor health. It's worth a read to see what his ideas are.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Sitting on a Throne
There's been lots of talk and lots of video about meteors and asteroids getting way too close to Earth recently. Most of Earth did okay. The asteroid was no problem. Not so lucky in Russia. A meteor streaked across the sky in Russia and actually hit ground, making it a meteorite. Stephen pointed out the need for better detection of meteors and asteroids and the incredible efforts being undertaken on the Space Station that means we can all sleep better tonight.
The good thing out of all this is that I now realize an asteroid belt is not a fashion accessory.
Great news as the Dow finished at 14,035.67. Stephen was thrilled and a little confused. Obviously everyone is excited about such good news, but we didn't get much analysis about why it is so great. That's okay. Just be happy. We have more billionaires and that makes me happy. I watched the Colbert Platinum segment and saw what I want for my next birthday. It only costs $1.2 million and I think I could get it delivered by this summer. At least 18 people in this country have ordered one of these vehicles, so perhaps someone has ordered mine as a gift.(Interestingly enough, when I watched the show, there was an advertisement for Jaguar. Coincidence? I wonder. Guess I'll have to buy one of those for my trips to the grocery store.)
And if I do get that trinket, the perfect place to use it will be in Belle Isle, a utopia to be developed by Detroit visionary Rodney Lockwood. I see nothing but a win-win for everyone involved. Those not involved would lose out, but not my problem. Stephen pointed out that there also is the rest of the country that would be just as inviting to those who could afford to live at Belle Isle. Yes, it is a great opportunity to take all the lemons life hands you, take them to a private island and make lemonade that you won't share with anyone else.
Do you know the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque? Some people get those terms confused and get their undies all in a bunch. But here's the real scoop. Stephen alerted us the the fact that some people, you know who, are in a tizzy because they don't have photos of President Obama golfing recently. Oh, great. They weren't happy with the skeet shooting photos. Who really believes they would be happy with golf photos? I can hardly wait until someone photoshops the skeet photos into golf photos. Stephen carried it to the logical next step, the exact thing I wondered about. Is this what will now pass as transparency?
Stephen's guest was Emily Bazelon, author of "Sticks and Stones, Replacing the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy." Wow, I feel like I've already read half the book.
Stephen needed to know what exactly the term empathy means. We learned so much from the discussion between the two, Elizabeth Bazelon and Stephen Colbert. We found out some examples of bullying, we found out that Elizabeth Bazelon related an instance of when she felt the effects of bullying and also how she felt that she did not do enough to turn around those same effects when it happens to someone else.
Stephen asked her, "Do you think I'm a bully?" There are no simple yes or no answers in life. Luckily, neither the guest nor the host was actually reduced to tears.
The good thing out of all this is that I now realize an asteroid belt is not a fashion accessory.
Great news as the Dow finished at 14,035.67. Stephen was thrilled and a little confused. Obviously everyone is excited about such good news, but we didn't get much analysis about why it is so great. That's okay. Just be happy. We have more billionaires and that makes me happy. I watched the Colbert Platinum segment and saw what I want for my next birthday. It only costs $1.2 million and I think I could get it delivered by this summer. At least 18 people in this country have ordered one of these vehicles, so perhaps someone has ordered mine as a gift.(Interestingly enough, when I watched the show, there was an advertisement for Jaguar. Coincidence? I wonder. Guess I'll have to buy one of those for my trips to the grocery store.)
And if I do get that trinket, the perfect place to use it will be in Belle Isle, a utopia to be developed by Detroit visionary Rodney Lockwood. I see nothing but a win-win for everyone involved. Those not involved would lose out, but not my problem. Stephen pointed out that there also is the rest of the country that would be just as inviting to those who could afford to live at Belle Isle. Yes, it is a great opportunity to take all the lemons life hands you, take them to a private island and make lemonade that you won't share with anyone else.
Do you know the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque? Some people get those terms confused and get their undies all in a bunch. But here's the real scoop. Stephen alerted us the the fact that some people, you know who, are in a tizzy because they don't have photos of President Obama golfing recently. Oh, great. They weren't happy with the skeet shooting photos. Who really believes they would be happy with golf photos? I can hardly wait until someone photoshops the skeet photos into golf photos. Stephen carried it to the logical next step, the exact thing I wondered about. Is this what will now pass as transparency?
Stephen's guest was Emily Bazelon, author of "Sticks and Stones, Replacing the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy." Wow, I feel like I've already read half the book.
Stephen needed to know what exactly the term empathy means. We learned so much from the discussion between the two, Elizabeth Bazelon and Stephen Colbert. We found out some examples of bullying, we found out that Elizabeth Bazelon related an instance of when she felt the effects of bullying and also how she felt that she did not do enough to turn around those same effects when it happens to someone else.
Stephen asked her, "Do you think I'm a bully?" There are no simple yes or no answers in life. Luckily, neither the guest nor the host was actually reduced to tears.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Presidents Day
Yesterday was Presidents Day and last night on the "The Colbert Report" was a repeat. It was the episode with Dave Grohl as the guest and Marco Rubio as the thirst quencher. You can re-read those posts here and the update to that post here.
For tonight, it looks like the guest will be Emily Bazelon, senior editor of Slate magazine. I sure hope Stephen is nice to her. Oh, what am I thinking? Of course he will be nice.
For tonight, it looks like the guest will be Emily Bazelon, senior editor of Slate magazine. I sure hope Stephen is nice to her. Oh, what am I thinking? Of course he will be nice.
The Colbert Dancers
You've heard the rave reviews for years and finally here's your chance to see the famous "The Colbert Dancers." Just head over to Colbert Nation and look for the video of "Exclusive - Harlem Shake." You may have seen other Harlem Shakes, but this one is the best because it has The Colbert Dancers as well as Stephen.
Here's the direct link to "Exclusive - Harlem Shake (The Colbert Report Remix).
If that link doesn't work, try just going to Colbert Nation, or else do some Googling and you'll probably find it.
And a plea to Stephen. Please have more big show numbers with The Colbert Dancers. They are the best ever!
Here's the direct link to "Exclusive - Harlem Shake (The Colbert Report Remix).
If that link doesn't work, try just going to Colbert Nation, or else do some Googling and you'll probably find it.
And a plea to Stephen. Please have more big show numbers with The Colbert Dancers. They are the best ever!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Digital Immigrants
Happy Valentine's Day. A little bit late, yes, but I have been celebrating by watching the Colbert Dancers all weekend long. Stephen celebrates his holidays the traditional way and therefore he celebrated Lupercalia. Ah, yes, back when life was so much easier and everyone knew what to expect.
Banks - This was a topic we all care about but know hardly anything about, even though banks are pretty important to our country. Luckily, Stephen had David Leonhardt on to explain banks to us. Leonhardt has an e-book out (available everywhere). "Here's the Deal." What the two financial experts talked about was somewhat depressing and yet Stephen was able to find the silver lining in it all and at the same time show his patriotism for our country.
In his segment about "Nailed 'Em," we find out that finally a banker has actually been held accountable for his crimes. Let's head over to West Des Moines, Iowa to the Wells Fargo Bank there. Finally someone is paying their dues for what's been going on at banks. Well, sort of. It seems that 50 years ago, Richard Eggers made a cardboard cutout of a dime and put it in a washing machine in a laundromat. That's right. It cost a dime to use the laundromat washing machine 50 years ago! And because of that incident, for which he was actually arrested, this Vietnam Vet with seven years of service to the bank was fired. Thank you Stephen for letting us know that justice is being done. And thank you for the Visual Approximation. I will sleep better tonight.
Stephen's guest on Valentines Day was Gavin Newsom. They don't actually know each other and yet there is a connection. Gavin Newsom was one of the original contributors to the Colbert Super PAC. He has a book out now, Citizenville - How To Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government, meant to help ordinary citizens connect with their government. By the way, did I mention he is the Lieutenant Governor of California? Anyway, Stephen was confused right from the start. It took a while for Gavin Newsom to explain it to Stephen so that he could understand. People today are plugged in to the digital world. You know, internet, smart phones, social media, etc. We can't expect children to learn the say way old folks learned. (Note to readers: "old folks" was not used on the show, I just thought that would be a good way to get the message across about the future.)
To help Stephen understand, Gavin threw out some names Stephen would recognize - Kiva.org and Donors Choose. That got Stephen's attention. He is on the Board for Donors Choose. They had some more lively discussion and then Stephen got confused again. "Then why do I have you on my show?" Stephen, Stephen, Stephen... You talk about news and then you have a guest on at the end of the show. That's why you had him on your show. (How much chocolate candy did Stephen eat on Valentine's Day?)
To bring it back to easier topics, they talked about the great state of California. It is a good state, but it does have a bear on its state flag. Not good. That being said, Stephen bad-mouthed it but Gavin Newsom came right back at him with a wonderful, stirring ode to California's greatness and its amazingly sunny future. This prompted Stephen to ask if he could say something... "You're a very handsome man." Well, it takes one to know one.
Banks - This was a topic we all care about but know hardly anything about, even though banks are pretty important to our country. Luckily, Stephen had David Leonhardt on to explain banks to us. Leonhardt has an e-book out (available everywhere). "Here's the Deal." What the two financial experts talked about was somewhat depressing and yet Stephen was able to find the silver lining in it all and at the same time show his patriotism for our country.
In his segment about "Nailed 'Em," we find out that finally a banker has actually been held accountable for his crimes. Let's head over to West Des Moines, Iowa to the Wells Fargo Bank there. Finally someone is paying their dues for what's been going on at banks. Well, sort of. It seems that 50 years ago, Richard Eggers made a cardboard cutout of a dime and put it in a washing machine in a laundromat. That's right. It cost a dime to use the laundromat washing machine 50 years ago! And because of that incident, for which he was actually arrested, this Vietnam Vet with seven years of service to the bank was fired. Thank you Stephen for letting us know that justice is being done. And thank you for the Visual Approximation. I will sleep better tonight.
Stephen's guest on Valentines Day was Gavin Newsom. They don't actually know each other and yet there is a connection. Gavin Newsom was one of the original contributors to the Colbert Super PAC. He has a book out now, Citizenville - How To Take the Town Square Digital and Reinvent Government, meant to help ordinary citizens connect with their government. By the way, did I mention he is the Lieutenant Governor of California? Anyway, Stephen was confused right from the start. It took a while for Gavin Newsom to explain it to Stephen so that he could understand. People today are plugged in to the digital world. You know, internet, smart phones, social media, etc. We can't expect children to learn the say way old folks learned. (Note to readers: "old folks" was not used on the show, I just thought that would be a good way to get the message across about the future.)
To help Stephen understand, Gavin threw out some names Stephen would recognize - Kiva.org and Donors Choose. That got Stephen's attention. He is on the Board for Donors Choose. They had some more lively discussion and then Stephen got confused again. "Then why do I have you on my show?" Stephen, Stephen, Stephen... You talk about news and then you have a guest on at the end of the show. That's why you had him on your show. (How much chocolate candy did Stephen eat on Valentine's Day?)
To bring it back to easier topics, they talked about the great state of California. It is a good state, but it does have a bear on its state flag. Not good. That being said, Stephen bad-mouthed it but Gavin Newsom came right back at him with a wonderful, stirring ode to California's greatness and its amazingly sunny future. This prompted Stephen to ask if he could say something... "You're a very handsome man." Well, it takes one to know one.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
UPDATE New link for Rubio
In my post for last night I said the link might disappear. Well it's still there, but the "English" transcript is gone. I found a different link. It doesn't have the total speech, but you can get the idea of how the transcript got so muddled.
This may also disappear, so look at it soon if you are interested.
Marco Rubio's SOTU Response Spanish Version - ABC News
This may also disappear, so look at it soon if you are interested.
Marco Rubio's SOTU Response Spanish Version - ABC News
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Nobody Noticed ... That You Gave ... a Speech
Another great show and I learned a lot. Of course the big news was the SOTU - the State of the Union. If you listened closely, you noticed that President Obama was very pro government. All the news outlets were talking about it. It was offensive to Stephen that President Obama would give such a pro government speech in front of all those government workers.
The main event of the (SOTU) night was Marco Rubio's response to President Obama's State of the Union speech. Stephen had a little bit of fun with that, insisting that people would forget the speech and only remember the quick grab of that bottle of water, Poland Spring water. (Wikipedia has already updated their page on Poland Spring with Rubio's quick grab. It's at the bottom of the article here.) Stephen even demonstrated drinking water as only he could. And I could talk about that, but you really need to watch it yourself if you didn't see it on the TV machine. Catch it later tonight or tomorrow when the show is repeated. Otherwise, go over to Colbert Nation tomorrow and catch the show there. It will be worth it.
What really grabbed my attention though was that Marco Rubio also gave the response in Spanish. Stephen pointed out that it was four minutes longer than the English version. That's not that surprising. Different languages have different ways of expressing things. The fascinating thing was that apparently you can watch video of Marco Rubio delivering the response in Spanish. And there is a transcript that you can read. Unfortunately, it probably is a machine doing the translating and no one told the machine it was a speech in Spanish and so the machine tried to make English words out of what Marco Rubio said in Spanish.
Here's the link. (UPDATE: THAT LINK DOESN'T HAVE TRANSCRIPT. SEE POST FOR FEBRUARY 14.) Go watch it soon because I have a feeling this it the type of thing that could be fixed and then the transcript would be gone. Stephen gave a few examples. It's a hoot.
The guest tonight was Dave Grohl and he was the director for Sound City. He figured out how to play drums and he figured out how to play guitar without anyone teaching him, so he figured why not make a documentary. And he did! After tonight's show, he was off to do a gig with the Sound City Players and Stephen sort of invited himself to join in the fun. I wonder if he really did or not.
Now, go over to the link to Marco Rubio's speech in Spanish and read the transcript. (UPDATE: THAT LINK DOESN'T HAVE TRANSCRIPT. SEE POST FOR FEBRUARY 14.) Just look for the white box that says:
Transcript for Marco Rubio's State of the Union Response (Spanish Language Version).
The main event of the (SOTU) night was Marco Rubio's response to President Obama's State of the Union speech. Stephen had a little bit of fun with that, insisting that people would forget the speech and only remember the quick grab of that bottle of water, Poland Spring water. (Wikipedia has already updated their page on Poland Spring with Rubio's quick grab. It's at the bottom of the article here.) Stephen even demonstrated drinking water as only he could. And I could talk about that, but you really need to watch it yourself if you didn't see it on the TV machine. Catch it later tonight or tomorrow when the show is repeated. Otherwise, go over to Colbert Nation tomorrow and catch the show there. It will be worth it.
What really grabbed my attention though was that Marco Rubio also gave the response in Spanish. Stephen pointed out that it was four minutes longer than the English version. That's not that surprising. Different languages have different ways of expressing things. The fascinating thing was that apparently you can watch video of Marco Rubio delivering the response in Spanish. And there is a transcript that you can read. Unfortunately, it probably is a machine doing the translating and no one told the machine it was a speech in Spanish and so the machine tried to make English words out of what Marco Rubio said in Spanish.
Here's the link. (UPDATE: THAT LINK DOESN'T HAVE TRANSCRIPT. SEE POST FOR FEBRUARY 14.) Go watch it soon because I have a feeling this it the type of thing that could be fixed and then the transcript would be gone. Stephen gave a few examples. It's a hoot.
The guest tonight was Dave Grohl and he was the director for Sound City. He figured out how to play drums and he figured out how to play guitar without anyone teaching him, so he figured why not make a documentary. And he did! After tonight's show, he was off to do a gig with the Sound City Players and Stephen sort of invited himself to join in the fun. I wonder if he really did or not.
Now, go over to the link to Marco Rubio's speech in Spanish and read the transcript. (UPDATE: THAT LINK DOESN'T HAVE TRANSCRIPT. SEE POST FOR FEBRUARY 14.) Just look for the white box that says:
Transcript for Marco Rubio's State of the Union Response (Spanish Language Version).
Hello... Hello... How Does This Thing Make Toast?
I'm going to start right out by saying last night's audience was a rowdy crowd. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. They just were so thrilled to be there that they couldn't contain their enthusiasm. So, they get a bonus "The Colbert Bump" for their contribution to making last night's show a success.
We saw in the previous show that Stephen, a devout Catholic, was nevertheless willing to put religion under the microscope. Last night, as a devout Conservative, he did the same thing by talking about the GOP and their need to do an autopsy on the GOP Party after the dismal success in the most recent election.
Recently, some members of the GOP held a retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia to think about themselves and to learn how to be happy. Stephen even demonstrated this new philosophy by smiling into the camera and saying, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that down."
We also learned from Stephen that you can make an anagram from Reince Priebus. I even saw it today under a photo of Reince Priebus on one of the news shows today on TV. I forget which one. Only thing is, they didn't have the same anagram as Stephen showed us. They only had Rice-a-Roni. No matter. I don't think Stephen actually had the correct anagram anyway.
Also on tap for the Republicans is to turn on Karl Rove. That's right. Rove is bad-mouthing the Tea Party and so the Republicans are bad-mouthing Karl Rove. Stephen called him the manatee with the planatee. It is almost becoming a Civil War within the Republican Party. Surely they are not forgetting what Ronald Reagan said was the 11th Commandment. "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."
This is all still developing, but Stephen simply reminded the GOP that they need to keep smiling.
You may have heard that Steven Seagal is training volunteers to patrol schools in Arizona. He has put hundreds of thousands, if not millions of hours into weapons training. (Stephen Colbert pointed out that millions of hours is in the 115 year range!) The interesting thing about the volunteers is that some of them have experience with police. Because they have arrests for drug possession, domestic violence, sex crimes against children, disorderly conduct, impersonating an officer, and on and on. Stephen's solution is to have one volunteer posse guard the other volunteer posse.
Roger Hodge was the guest on the show last night. He is the editor of the Oxford American. That is like the New Yorker of the South. The two men talked a lot about southern traditions. Stephen admitted that there's beautiful literature from the South, which he has never read. I'm sure he was joking about that. I hope he was joking about that.
The interview ended with a "Happy Mardi Gras" greeting to Stephen at which point Stephen responded appropriately with a request to Roger Hodge.
We saw in the previous show that Stephen, a devout Catholic, was nevertheless willing to put religion under the microscope. Last night, as a devout Conservative, he did the same thing by talking about the GOP and their need to do an autopsy on the GOP Party after the dismal success in the most recent election.
Recently, some members of the GOP held a retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia to think about themselves and to learn how to be happy. Stephen even demonstrated this new philosophy by smiling into the camera and saying, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that down."
We also learned from Stephen that you can make an anagram from Reince Priebus. I even saw it today under a photo of Reince Priebus on one of the news shows today on TV. I forget which one. Only thing is, they didn't have the same anagram as Stephen showed us. They only had Rice-a-Roni. No matter. I don't think Stephen actually had the correct anagram anyway.
Also on tap for the Republicans is to turn on Karl Rove. That's right. Rove is bad-mouthing the Tea Party and so the Republicans are bad-mouthing Karl Rove. Stephen called him the manatee with the planatee. It is almost becoming a Civil War within the Republican Party. Surely they are not forgetting what Ronald Reagan said was the 11th Commandment. "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."
This is all still developing, but Stephen simply reminded the GOP that they need to keep smiling.
You may have heard that Steven Seagal is training volunteers to patrol schools in Arizona. He has put hundreds of thousands, if not millions of hours into weapons training. (Stephen Colbert pointed out that millions of hours is in the 115 year range!) The interesting thing about the volunteers is that some of them have experience with police. Because they have arrests for drug possession, domestic violence, sex crimes against children, disorderly conduct, impersonating an officer, and on and on. Stephen's solution is to have one volunteer posse guard the other volunteer posse.
Roger Hodge was the guest on the show last night. He is the editor of the Oxford American. That is like the New Yorker of the South. The two men talked a lot about southern traditions. Stephen admitted that there's beautiful literature from the South, which he has never read. I'm sure he was joking about that. I hope he was joking about that.
The interview ended with a "Happy Mardi Gras" greeting to Stephen at which point Stephen responded appropriately with a request to Roger Hodge.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
We Don't Get to Vote?
Do you know where your emails are? Apparently, email accounts of the Bush family have been hacked. Yes, we should all be worried about our own accounts. I'm pretty sure the Secret Service won't investigate on our behalf, so be careful what you write.
Some of the more interesting findings indicate what George W. Bush has been doing since he left the White House. He has been painting. Self portraits. Of himself. In the shower. And the bathtub. The paintings are all over the internet now. You can find them if you look. Apparently someone named Guccifer is responsible for doing this. Stephen did have a police composite drawing of the hacker. Personally, I find it interesting that this has happened now, at the same time as someone else has a lot of time on his "hands" and could be monkeying around on the internet. In no way am I saying that this could in fact be Guccifer. But look at the drawing of Guccifer Stephen displayed, and then look at that someone else sitting around in a hospital bed, and tell me you don't also think they could be one and the same.
But back to the paintings. Stephen did not think they were that great. About all he can come up with is the comment that "faces are hard." Oh sure, I would just like to see Stephen try to do the same with some paint and brushes. Just paint your own self-portrait, Stephen. Go ahead. I would love to see you do that. Seriously, I would love to see self portraits of Stephen in the shower and bathtub.
Moving on. The Pope is out. Stephen thought it meant out of the closet, but actually Pope Benedict is retiring. He's realizing that he's not a young man any more and it's time to get a part-time job, play golf, or maybe take up a hobby such as painting. That means the job is open. Time to check out the Papal Speculatron 7500. There are many good choices all around the world, but Stephen's favorite is an American, New York Cardinal Dolan. And surprise, he's a BFF, (Bishop Friend Forever) of Stephen Colbert. Stephen even had the photo of the two of them to prove it. A photo of two people standing together always proves they are best buddies. Stephen gave Cardinal Dolan the famous "The Colbert Bump" and urged all Catholics to vote for Cardinal Dolan. Sadly and to Stephen's dismay, only Cardinals get to vote for the next Pope.
Stephen needed answers and he needed those answers from the Colbert Nation Chaplain - Father James Martin. Father Martin was not completely surprised by the Pope's resignation, but found it was understandable. There will be a mini-Pope for a while, then the Papal election, then there will be a new Pope. If an American gets to be Pope, Father Martin agreed with Stephen that Cardinal Dolan would be a shoo-in, but he said it is very unlikely that an American would get the job. Typically it takes at least a few votes before any one man gets enough support to be Pope. The reason why this happens is explained by Stephen. On the first ballot each guy votes for himself. That's just human nature. By the way, Father James Martin has a new ebook out - "Together on Retreat."
The guest last night on Stephen's All Catholic show was Garry Wills. He talked with Stephen about his new book, "Why Priests? A Failed Tradition." Their discussion had barely started when Stephen told him, "You hold it right there, buddy. Are you a Catholic? Are you a Catholic?" The two of them went on to disagree on various aspects of religion. Stephen quoted scripture but that did not stop Garry Wills from throwing out more worrisome ideas about priests. They discussed the author of Hebrews in that they didn't know who wrote it. He admitted to Stephen that he does not need a priest to give him Last Rites. Stephen said that Popes are sort of like Super Priests. And finally, Stephen asked which Barnes & Noble was next on his agenda of places to go to.
I'm hoping when a new Pope is chosen that Stephen will have him on the show. That would be so cool.
Some of the more interesting findings indicate what George W. Bush has been doing since he left the White House. He has been painting. Self portraits. Of himself. In the shower. And the bathtub. The paintings are all over the internet now. You can find them if you look. Apparently someone named Guccifer is responsible for doing this. Stephen did have a police composite drawing of the hacker. Personally, I find it interesting that this has happened now, at the same time as someone else has a lot of time on his "hands" and could be monkeying around on the internet. In no way am I saying that this could in fact be Guccifer. But look at the drawing of Guccifer Stephen displayed, and then look at that someone else sitting around in a hospital bed, and tell me you don't also think they could be one and the same.
But back to the paintings. Stephen did not think they were that great. About all he can come up with is the comment that "faces are hard." Oh sure, I would just like to see Stephen try to do the same with some paint and brushes. Just paint your own self-portrait, Stephen. Go ahead. I would love to see you do that. Seriously, I would love to see self portraits of Stephen in the shower and bathtub.
Moving on. The Pope is out. Stephen thought it meant out of the closet, but actually Pope Benedict is retiring. He's realizing that he's not a young man any more and it's time to get a part-time job, play golf, or maybe take up a hobby such as painting. That means the job is open. Time to check out the Papal Speculatron 7500. There are many good choices all around the world, but Stephen's favorite is an American, New York Cardinal Dolan. And surprise, he's a BFF, (Bishop Friend Forever) of Stephen Colbert. Stephen even had the photo of the two of them to prove it. A photo of two people standing together always proves they are best buddies. Stephen gave Cardinal Dolan the famous "The Colbert Bump" and urged all Catholics to vote for Cardinal Dolan. Sadly and to Stephen's dismay, only Cardinals get to vote for the next Pope.
Stephen needed answers and he needed those answers from the Colbert Nation Chaplain - Father James Martin. Father Martin was not completely surprised by the Pope's resignation, but found it was understandable. There will be a mini-Pope for a while, then the Papal election, then there will be a new Pope. If an American gets to be Pope, Father Martin agreed with Stephen that Cardinal Dolan would be a shoo-in, but he said it is very unlikely that an American would get the job. Typically it takes at least a few votes before any one man gets enough support to be Pope. The reason why this happens is explained by Stephen. On the first ballot each guy votes for himself. That's just human nature. By the way, Father James Martin has a new ebook out - "Together on Retreat."
The guest last night on Stephen's All Catholic show was Garry Wills. He talked with Stephen about his new book, "Why Priests? A Failed Tradition." Their discussion had barely started when Stephen told him, "You hold it right there, buddy. Are you a Catholic? Are you a Catholic?" The two of them went on to disagree on various aspects of religion. Stephen quoted scripture but that did not stop Garry Wills from throwing out more worrisome ideas about priests. They discussed the author of Hebrews in that they didn't know who wrote it. He admitted to Stephen that he does not need a priest to give him Last Rites. Stephen said that Popes are sort of like Super Priests. And finally, Stephen asked which Barnes & Noble was next on his agenda of places to go to.
I'm hoping when a new Pope is chosen that Stephen will have him on the show. That would be so cool.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Nothing Motivates Like Cash
Last Thursday found Stephen preparing for Winter Storm Nemo. He had ice melt, he had a shovel, he had a windshield scraper, and of course a beverage to warm body and spirit. With Boston expecting five-foot snowdrifts, Stephen was worried that if New York got the same amount of snow and wind, Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, might not be found until the spring thaw!
Stephen also is getting ready for the 2016 elections. Who will be the presidential candidate for the GOP? Will it be Jeb Bush, half of Chris Christie, or even Bobby Jindal after he makes one important wish. But there is one place Stephen told us is the best place to find a candidate - the State Senate.
To start off this search for candidates from State Senates, Stephen highlighted some highlights of Tennessee Senator Stacey Campfield. Senator Campfield has a unique understanding of AIDS. One of his bills was a "Don't Say Gay" bill which Stephen proved is effective by reminding us that if we don't talk about something, it goes away. (For instance, Sarah Palin.)
Stacey Campfield has a new Don't Say Gay bill, but this one allows, even compels some to Say Gay. Stephen demonstrated the difference between the old Don't Say Gay bill and the new Don't Say Gay.
Moving on from Tennessee to Ohio, Stephen lamented moochers, those people who get paid to sit around all day. Also paid to sit around all day and complain about moochers, Paul Ryan. He says too many people are dependent on government. Also saying this is Bill O'Reilly. Also saying this is Charles Krauthammer. Unfortunately, we had to listen to Charles Krauthammer say suck on the teats. It was an uncomfortable moment for Stephen.
Just in case you had forgotten all about Stacey Campfield, he has a new solution to the dependency issue. Remember back in the day when your Dad would give you a dollar for every "A" on your report card? Stacey Campfield has a way better idea. If welfare kids don't get good grades, stop feeding them. That's right, cut back on the cash the family receives because "nothing motivates like cash". Stephen agreed that nothing motivates like cash. "And nobody knows that better than a politician."
Stephen had a short segment on relationships. Needless to say, I should be hearing from Stephen in a few days.
For the interview on Thursday, Stephen welcomed Benh Zeitlin. Probably we will hear more about him in coming years. You may know of his film, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and four Oscar nominations. One of the nominations is for young actress Quvenzhane Wallis who played Hushpuppy. Read more about Ben Zeitlin and Beasts of the Southern Wild here.
We found out that animal crackers were a currency on set. (This to deal with motivation perhaps when working with such a young actress.) Stephen commented on the four Oscar nominations and asked if Beasts of the Southern Wild can only win one Oscar, "Which one should it be?"
"Oh, it's gotta be hers."
Stephen also is getting ready for the 2016 elections. Who will be the presidential candidate for the GOP? Will it be Jeb Bush, half of Chris Christie, or even Bobby Jindal after he makes one important wish. But there is one place Stephen told us is the best place to find a candidate - the State Senate.
To start off this search for candidates from State Senates, Stephen highlighted some highlights of Tennessee Senator Stacey Campfield. Senator Campfield has a unique understanding of AIDS. One of his bills was a "Don't Say Gay" bill which Stephen proved is effective by reminding us that if we don't talk about something, it goes away. (For instance, Sarah Palin.)
Stacey Campfield has a new Don't Say Gay bill, but this one allows, even compels some to Say Gay. Stephen demonstrated the difference between the old Don't Say Gay bill and the new Don't Say Gay.
Moving on from Tennessee to Ohio, Stephen lamented moochers, those people who get paid to sit around all day. Also paid to sit around all day and complain about moochers, Paul Ryan. He says too many people are dependent on government. Also saying this is Bill O'Reilly. Also saying this is Charles Krauthammer. Unfortunately, we had to listen to Charles Krauthammer say suck on the teats. It was an uncomfortable moment for Stephen.
Just in case you had forgotten all about Stacey Campfield, he has a new solution to the dependency issue. Remember back in the day when your Dad would give you a dollar for every "A" on your report card? Stacey Campfield has a way better idea. If welfare kids don't get good grades, stop feeding them. That's right, cut back on the cash the family receives because "nothing motivates like cash". Stephen agreed that nothing motivates like cash. "And nobody knows that better than a politician."
Stephen had a short segment on relationships. Needless to say, I should be hearing from Stephen in a few days.
For the interview on Thursday, Stephen welcomed Benh Zeitlin. Probably we will hear more about him in coming years. You may know of his film, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and four Oscar nominations. One of the nominations is for young actress Quvenzhane Wallis who played Hushpuppy. Read more about Ben Zeitlin and Beasts of the Southern Wild here.
We found out that animal crackers were a currency on set. (This to deal with motivation perhaps when working with such a young actress.) Stephen commented on the four Oscar nominations and asked if Beasts of the Southern Wild can only win one Oscar, "Which one should it be?"
"Oh, it's gotta be hers."
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Sunshine and Seashells
Canada is dropping the penny. This is horrible. Will the USA follow suit and get rid of the Honest Abe penny as well as the Daniel Day Lewis penny? Americans for Common Cents (pennies.org) is on the job trying to make sure we keep our penny. Stephen highlighted a survey by Coinstar showing Americans still like the penny. And he also pointed out that the lobbying is done by people with ties to zinc which is what pennies are mostly made of. He may be right. Okay, I'll revise that since he is always right. He may have said things that I might or might not agree with. But you wouldn't expect the paper industry or the silver industry of the wood industry to go to bat for pennies. (Wood industry... bat...get it? hahaha)
In order to help us understand pennies better, Stephen showed us a cheap trick. It was definitely cheap since he used pennies. And it most certainly was a trick and I'm still trying to figure out how he did it without me seeing how he did it. Pay attention to what he said. Kids, don't try that anywhere!
But, no one is thinking of all the consequences. What about a gumball machine? (Stephen did address this issue, but he did not solve the problem.) What about all those grandparents giving pennies to the grandchildren? They get to feel generous and it helps the kiddies learn how to count. And you know, you just know, that prices will go up and not down. If something costs 96 cents, it won't go down to 95 cents, it will go up to a dollar, a whole dollar.
I am in favor of keeping the penny. If you don't want to keep the penny, fine. Just send all your pennies to me.
You may remember that there was an open seat in South Carolina for the Senate since Jim DeMint resigned. Stephen Colbert would have been a great choice for replacing him but that did not happen. In what could only happen because of a rift in the time space continuum, there is a Colbert running for office in the state of South Carolina. You see, Niki Haley appointed Representative Tim Scott to Jim DeMint's seat, leaving an vacancy for Tim Scott's Congressional seat in Charleston. And a certain person named Elizabeth Colbert Busch is running for Tim Scott's seat. "Holy Cow! My sister is running for Congress!!! Immediate reaction from the audience with shouts of Colbert! Colbert! Colbert!
Rumors are swirling through the media that she might get free TV time from Stephen. That rumor was immediately quashed. It doesn't matter that his sister is "intelligent, hard working, compassionate and dedicated to the people of South Carolina." Stephen will not be giving her free air time by mentioning those qualifications.
Besides, she's running as a Democrat. And there are so many, many Republicans (at least 16) running for that seat, including friend of the Appalachians, Mark Sanford. As a favor to all of those Republicans, Stephen gave excellent debate advice. On the chance that Elizabeth Colbert Busch wins, Stephen is pretty much telling her that she had better come on his show, The Colbert Report, and do an interview for "Better Know a District."
(Note: You may have realized that I have a link, well, a few links, to the website for Elizabeth Colbert Busch. There is a good reason for that. You should go to that website, click on the link that says "Meet Elizabeth" and then scroll down to the photo of "The Colbert Family." Do you remember that Stephen is the youngest child in his family.
In a break from tradition, Stephen had a short segment highlighting what his guest, Lawrence Wright, would be talking about. Probably his book, "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & the Prison of Belief." And of course, they will talk about the subject of the book - Scientology and the Church of Scientology.
The two men began talking about the book immediately. Stephen started talking "Scientologist jargon" to Lawrence Wright. There is supposedly a lot of physical abuse and a lot of involuntary confinement in Sea Org which is sort of the people at the top of Scientology, the clerical class. There is a lot of controversy about Scientology, or controversy as the British pronounce it.
Stephen asked for evidence of abuse and Lawrence told him of twelve people who say they have been beaten by David Miscavige and more than twenty witnesses.
In an interesting development, Stephen pointed out that L. Ron Hubbard didn't believe in paying taxes. He died, but by 1993, Scientology owed a billion dollars in back taxes and they didn't have that kind of money. So, they launched 2,400 lawsuits against the IRS and its agents. They were able to get recognition as a religion and they agreed to drop all the lawsuits against the IRS and individual agents.
Stephen brought up all the celebrities that are in Scientology. Of course probably one of the more famous celebrities is Tom Cruise.
For those of you who are feeling a bit hungry right now, you might want to do what Stephen did at the end of the show and enjoy a nice, delicious watermelon.
And in a segment I have never done before, here are all the titles for this post that I thought of using but didn't. Some episodes are just naturally more conducive to good titles, or at least a good amount of possibilities.
Penny For Your Thoughts
Kids, Don't Try This Anywhere
Know a Better District
Holy Cow! My Sister Is Running For Congress!
Free Air Time
Former Governor of the Appalachian Trail
Your Middle School Diary
What's In My Prompter
Yum Yum, Watermelon
Billion Year Contract
I Should Start a Cult
In order to help us understand pennies better, Stephen showed us a cheap trick. It was definitely cheap since he used pennies. And it most certainly was a trick and I'm still trying to figure out how he did it without me seeing how he did it. Pay attention to what he said. Kids, don't try that anywhere!
But, no one is thinking of all the consequences. What about a gumball machine? (Stephen did address this issue, but he did not solve the problem.) What about all those grandparents giving pennies to the grandchildren? They get to feel generous and it helps the kiddies learn how to count. And you know, you just know, that prices will go up and not down. If something costs 96 cents, it won't go down to 95 cents, it will go up to a dollar, a whole dollar.
I am in favor of keeping the penny. If you don't want to keep the penny, fine. Just send all your pennies to me.
You may remember that there was an open seat in South Carolina for the Senate since Jim DeMint resigned. Stephen Colbert would have been a great choice for replacing him but that did not happen. In what could only happen because of a rift in the time space continuum, there is a Colbert running for office in the state of South Carolina. You see, Niki Haley appointed Representative Tim Scott to Jim DeMint's seat, leaving an vacancy for Tim Scott's Congressional seat in Charleston. And a certain person named Elizabeth Colbert Busch is running for Tim Scott's seat. "Holy Cow! My sister is running for Congress!!! Immediate reaction from the audience with shouts of Colbert! Colbert! Colbert!
Rumors are swirling through the media that she might get free TV time from Stephen. That rumor was immediately quashed. It doesn't matter that his sister is "intelligent, hard working, compassionate and dedicated to the people of South Carolina." Stephen will not be giving her free air time by mentioning those qualifications.
Besides, she's running as a Democrat. And there are so many, many Republicans (at least 16) running for that seat, including friend of the Appalachians, Mark Sanford. As a favor to all of those Republicans, Stephen gave excellent debate advice. On the chance that Elizabeth Colbert Busch wins, Stephen is pretty much telling her that she had better come on his show, The Colbert Report, and do an interview for "Better Know a District."
(Note: You may have realized that I have a link, well, a few links, to the website for Elizabeth Colbert Busch. There is a good reason for that. You should go to that website, click on the link that says "Meet Elizabeth" and then scroll down to the photo of "The Colbert Family." Do you remember that Stephen is the youngest child in his family.
In a break from tradition, Stephen had a short segment highlighting what his guest, Lawrence Wright, would be talking about. Probably his book, "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & the Prison of Belief." And of course, they will talk about the subject of the book - Scientology and the Church of Scientology.
The two men began talking about the book immediately. Stephen started talking "Scientologist jargon" to Lawrence Wright. There is supposedly a lot of physical abuse and a lot of involuntary confinement in Sea Org which is sort of the people at the top of Scientology, the clerical class. There is a lot of controversy about Scientology, or controversy as the British pronounce it.
Stephen asked for evidence of abuse and Lawrence told him of twelve people who say they have been beaten by David Miscavige and more than twenty witnesses.
In an interesting development, Stephen pointed out that L. Ron Hubbard didn't believe in paying taxes. He died, but by 1993, Scientology owed a billion dollars in back taxes and they didn't have that kind of money. So, they launched 2,400 lawsuits against the IRS and its agents. They were able to get recognition as a religion and they agreed to drop all the lawsuits against the IRS and individual agents.
Stephen brought up all the celebrities that are in Scientology. Of course probably one of the more famous celebrities is Tom Cruise.
For those of you who are feeling a bit hungry right now, you might want to do what Stephen did at the end of the show and enjoy a nice, delicious watermelon.
And in a segment I have never done before, here are all the titles for this post that I thought of using but didn't. Some episodes are just naturally more conducive to good titles, or at least a good amount of possibilities.
Penny For Your Thoughts
Kids, Don't Try This Anywhere
Know a Better District
Holy Cow! My Sister Is Running For Congress!
Free Air Time
Former Governor of the Appalachian Trail
Your Middle School Diary
What's In My Prompter
Yum Yum, Watermelon
Billion Year Contract
I Should Start a Cult
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Damn Right I Could Do It
Stephen reported on this news development and it gave me an idea for a new magic trick.
"Think of a number between 1, and 2 raised to the 57,885,161 power minus 1." I don't have the rest of the magic trick worked out yet, but I don't think anyone has done this particular trick yet. More about that when I do.
In news that has more people talking is the one about King Richard III. Apparently he's dead and apparently his remains have been found under a supermarket parking lot. If you do not know a lot about the kings and queens in England, Stephen was able to shed some light on that subject. If it is till unclear to you, you can find more information about the English Monarchs here.
Stephen told us about reality shows, unemployment, commuting, religion and prejudices in the next segments. That was interesting, but it would have been great if he could have tied all five together. My head just spins thinking of the possibilities.
Julie Andrews. You need only see her name and you think of "The Sound of Music" or "Mary Poppins." Many girls and women have been inspired by Julie Andrews to go into theater and the entertainment field. And while Julie Andrews is a Dame Commander, lately she has been devoting time to publishing children's books. The latest one is "The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart." How nice in February to have a pink and red book with a large heart on the cover.
(Julie Andrews thought it was ironic that King Richard III was calling for his horse and yet ended up in a parking lot. How sad, how very, very sad.)
Julie and her daughter Emma have written twenty-seven books together. Good news. "The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart" is already #2 on the Children's Best Seller List for Picture Books. And that is even before getting the famous The Colbert Bump. wow. Wowie.
Is Julie Andrews still up to playing the part of Mary Poppins? Yes she can, or something very similar, was her answer.
"Think of a number between 1, and 2 raised to the 57,885,161 power minus 1." I don't have the rest of the magic trick worked out yet, but I don't think anyone has done this particular trick yet. More about that when I do.
In news that has more people talking is the one about King Richard III. Apparently he's dead and apparently his remains have been found under a supermarket parking lot. If you do not know a lot about the kings and queens in England, Stephen was able to shed some light on that subject. If it is till unclear to you, you can find more information about the English Monarchs here.
Stephen told us about reality shows, unemployment, commuting, religion and prejudices in the next segments. That was interesting, but it would have been great if he could have tied all five together. My head just spins thinking of the possibilities.
Julie Andrews. You need only see her name and you think of "The Sound of Music" or "Mary Poppins." Many girls and women have been inspired by Julie Andrews to go into theater and the entertainment field. And while Julie Andrews is a Dame Commander, lately she has been devoting time to publishing children's books. The latest one is "The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart." How nice in February to have a pink and red book with a large heart on the cover.
(Julie Andrews thought it was ironic that King Richard III was calling for his horse and yet ended up in a parking lot. How sad, how very, very sad.)
Julie and her daughter Emma have written twenty-seven books together. Good news. "The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart" is already #2 on the Children's Best Seller List for Picture Books. And that is even before getting the famous The Colbert Bump. wow. Wowie.
Is Julie Andrews still up to playing the part of Mary Poppins? Yes she can, or something very similar, was her answer.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Your Honor, I Move We Adjourn
Stephen talked briefly about the important parts of Super Bowl XLVII, the Spinach Dip Bread Bowl at his party, the wide assortment of ads, and the fabulous Halftime Show with Beyonce. He was surprised at the quality and energy of the show however. Usually, in his opinion, the shows are of a more "sedate" nature with "older" talent. I assume he enjoyed the show this year though.
Speaking of younger talent, Stephen admitted he usually watches the Megyn Kelly Show on Mute. What brought up this tidbit was his discussion of the GOP and their current understanding that now that the election is over and Hispanics voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama instead of Whatshisname (Chip Ranchero?), they should be voting GOP. They have all the right values and so, they should forget all the negative stuff said about them and just vote for Republicans in the future. We will have to wait a while to see how that plays out.
We got to see what the differences are between a taping of the "The Colbert Report" and a session of the Supreme Court. Needless to say, Stephen's show is much more entertaining. During the interview with Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen was more subdued than he usually is. I figure that is probably because a Justice of the Supreme Court automatically is given a certain amount of respect because the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. So naturally, you should treat a Justice with some dignity. "Be on your best behavior," is how my grandmother would have put it.
Sonia Sotomayor has a book out, actually two books, one of which is "My Beloved World." It's about her, which makes it an autobiography. There was brief discussion of Dred Scott. But then back to Sonia Sotomayor. She emphasizes that she and the other justices are just ordinary people. Also, if she can reach her dreams, so can other people.
Stephen seemed to have a checkmate situation while they were discussing political affiliation, but he couldn't quite pull off a win. He assumed with all her success and self reliance that she should be a conservative. But how would he know? Well, because Obama appointed her. But actually, she points out that she is an independent.
When asked what her most conservative belief is, she answered, "I believe in the Constitution." If that didn't win her a ton of points with Mr. Stephen Colbert, I don't know what possibly could. (But then there was a whole lot of discussion about who Stephen Colbert is or was or could be. That part was confusing to everyone!)
And as for the other book she wrote. Well that is, "Mi mundo adorado." I am looking forward to reading both books. I wonder which one I will like better.
Speaking of younger talent, Stephen admitted he usually watches the Megyn Kelly Show on Mute. What brought up this tidbit was his discussion of the GOP and their current understanding that now that the election is over and Hispanics voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama instead of Whatshisname (Chip Ranchero?), they should be voting GOP. They have all the right values and so, they should forget all the negative stuff said about them and just vote for Republicans in the future. We will have to wait a while to see how that plays out.
We got to see what the differences are between a taping of the "The Colbert Report" and a session of the Supreme Court. Needless to say, Stephen's show is much more entertaining. During the interview with Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen was more subdued than he usually is. I figure that is probably because a Justice of the Supreme Court automatically is given a certain amount of respect because the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. So naturally, you should treat a Justice with some dignity. "Be on your best behavior," is how my grandmother would have put it.
Sonia Sotomayor has a book out, actually two books, one of which is "My Beloved World." It's about her, which makes it an autobiography. There was brief discussion of Dred Scott. But then back to Sonia Sotomayor. She emphasizes that she and the other justices are just ordinary people. Also, if she can reach her dreams, so can other people.
Stephen seemed to have a checkmate situation while they were discussing political affiliation, but he couldn't quite pull off a win. He assumed with all her success and self reliance that she should be a conservative. But how would he know? Well, because Obama appointed her. But actually, she points out that she is an independent.
When asked what her most conservative belief is, she answered, "I believe in the Constitution." If that didn't win her a ton of points with Mr. Stephen Colbert, I don't know what possibly could. (But then there was a whole lot of discussion about who Stephen Colbert is or was or could be. That part was confusing to everyone!)
And as for the other book she wrote. Well that is, "Mi mundo adorado." I am looking forward to reading both books. I wonder which one I will like better.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Da Da Da Daaaaa
Stephen is pumped about the Super Bowl game and especially the Super Bowl ads. The big thing this year is, would you believe, ads for the ads? Ray Lewis has been accused of using Deer Antler Spray, which he shouldn't be doing. Stephen thinks we should give the guy a pass. Who among us hasn't used Deer Antler Spray?
Okay, now we go to the part of the show where Stephen has that wide-eyed "deer in the headlights" look on his face. He's great.
Next up, Gatorade. One of the ingredients, Flame Retardant, or brominated vegetable oil, is no longer in Gatorade. Stephen also told us of his plans for the Superbowl party at his house. It sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, chicken wings are in short supply. Were they on the menu for your Superbowl party? One solution, steal them. Recently, two men stole $65,000 worth of chicken wings. The thieves were apprehended, but the wings were never found.
Stephen had on a segment on the Craziest, "Strangest" Thing I've Ever Heard. Not exactly the title, but you get the idea. We found out that humans are more productive than animals. Case in point - Kittens on YouTube. (Stephen spends his entire day watching them. I can see why, they are so cute.) And yet, almost as if to disprove Stephen's assertion that humans are productive (and therefore, smart?) he showed us a video of a crow using higher level thinking, i.e. tools (!), to get a treat. Here's how it worked. The crow used a short stick to retrieve a longer stick which then enabled her to get the treat. Stephen demonstrated and of course it went horribly wrong. Part of me wonders if this wasn't a clever way to advertise Peanut M&M's. Yum. Chocolate, and Peanuts.
On to the Classical Music portion of the show in that the guest, Matthew Guerrieri, talked about Beethoven's Fifth. Matthew Guerrieri (gah rare ee) has a new book out, "The first four notes - Beethoven's fifth and the human imagination." I like the cover. It is quite simple but yet probably most people familiar with classical music would immediately know the tune. (Is tune the right term? Maybe not.) In what might be called "Be Careful What You Ask," Matthew took up most of the rest of the show answering one of Stephen's questions. Stephen admitted that he did not follow all of the answer, but still went on to ask a few more questions. For example, "Did Beethoven have groupies?" One might wonder about Elise.
Okay, now we go to the part of the show where Stephen has that wide-eyed "deer in the headlights" look on his face. He's great.
Next up, Gatorade. One of the ingredients, Flame Retardant, or brominated vegetable oil, is no longer in Gatorade. Stephen also told us of his plans for the Superbowl party at his house. It sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, chicken wings are in short supply. Were they on the menu for your Superbowl party? One solution, steal them. Recently, two men stole $65,000 worth of chicken wings. The thieves were apprehended, but the wings were never found.
Stephen had on a segment on the Craziest, "Strangest" Thing I've Ever Heard. Not exactly the title, but you get the idea. We found out that humans are more productive than animals. Case in point - Kittens on YouTube. (Stephen spends his entire day watching them. I can see why, they are so cute.) And yet, almost as if to disprove Stephen's assertion that humans are productive (and therefore, smart?) he showed us a video of a crow using higher level thinking, i.e. tools (!), to get a treat. Here's how it worked. The crow used a short stick to retrieve a longer stick which then enabled her to get the treat. Stephen demonstrated and of course it went horribly wrong. Part of me wonders if this wasn't a clever way to advertise Peanut M&M's. Yum. Chocolate, and Peanuts.
On to the Classical Music portion of the show in that the guest, Matthew Guerrieri, talked about Beethoven's Fifth. Matthew Guerrieri (gah rare ee) has a new book out, "The first four notes - Beethoven's fifth and the human imagination." I like the cover. It is quite simple but yet probably most people familiar with classical music would immediately know the tune. (Is tune the right term? Maybe not.) In what might be called "Be Careful What You Ask," Matthew took up most of the rest of the show answering one of Stephen's questions. Stephen admitted that he did not follow all of the answer, but still went on to ask a few more questions. For example, "Did Beethoven have groupies?" One might wonder about Elise.
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