When we last saw Stephen, he was packing his suitcase. He's had it up to here. He's leaving the country and moving back to South Carolina. (Is that a commentary on South Carolina, or just a slip of the tongue?) No matter. What does matter is that it's the filibusters, or lack of filibusters, that drove Stephen to this desperate course of action. If the Senate doesn't have filibuster after filibuster, or just a hint of filibuster, well then, something might get accomplished and where would that leave us?
Stephen highlighted all the wonderful things about Oklahoma. For one thing, there was that musical, Oklahoma! But there's also the other side of Oklahoma, the one where spouses of National Guard members who are homosexual are being denied benefits. Since that might be discriminatory towards them, now it just makes sense to deny benefits to any spouse of a National Guard member. I hope that makes sense to you. It sounds a bit senseless to me.
It's Thanksgiving and so Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. In case your holiday dinner looks like it will be boring, you can get a real treat from Stephen. It's the "Stephen Colbert's Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? It's me, Stephen Colbert" DVD. We got a free sample of what to expect. Stephen treated himself to a nice glass of Rosemount Shiraz, partook of a delicious turkey feast and shared such tidbits as, "I'm fat," and "Here's a bird I cooked for you," and "Who wants seconds?" I'm thinking he should not have had quite so much wine as he did.
Stephen's guest last Thursday was J.J. Abrams, author of "S." Finally. A book with a short title. This is a treat of a book as you can see if you follow that link to see a picture of the book and all that comes with it. And no, that's not a used copy of the book, that's what the book looks like once you dig into it! Cool. Go buy it.
Just two things I wondered about the show. What's with the squirrel? What's with the basket? Were they just meant to distract J.J. Abrams or do they have some mystical meaning?
Also, if you are really bored, you can go over to Google to see this year's Thanksgiving animated short.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Roy G. Biv
Funny story. Not willing to let Canada be in the spotlight of news, Congressman Trey Radel (R - FL), one of those voting for drug testing for food stamp recipients, was busted for cocaine possession.
The Winter Olympics will be in Sochi, Russia in 2014 and there is concern about rainbow colors and the LGBT community. It should work out okay though because the uniforms for the staff and volunteers will be so colorful that no one will notice if there's some extra colors that participants or visitors happen to wear.
MIA was the musical guest last night and was wonderful. You should go listen over at Colbert Nation if you did not see it. And of course there's the bonus song too.
The Winter Olympics will be in Sochi, Russia in 2014 and there is concern about rainbow colors and the LGBT community. It should work out okay though because the uniforms for the staff and volunteers will be so colorful that no one will notice if there's some extra colors that participants or visitors happen to wear.
MIA was the musical guest last night and was wonderful. You should go listen over at Colbert Nation if you did not see it. And of course there's the bonus song too.
Briefly, Very Briefly
WalMart is asking employees to donate food to each other and Rick Santorum gave Stephen a vest to wear on the show.
I'm on a roll to catch up on my posts. Perhaps they are too short. I'll have to evaluate that and maybe add some more.
I'm on a roll to catch up on my posts. Perhaps they are too short. I'll have to evaluate that and maybe add some more.
And Brownie, You're Doin' a Heck of a Job
It was only last Thursday that Stephen invited the Colbert Nation to text Colbert to 50555 in order to send $10 to Convoy of Hope to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan. By Monday, they had donated $245,590 which is roughly a quarter of a million dollars!
There have been comparisons between the response by George Bush to Katrina and Barack Obama to Obamacare. There have also been comparisons between Michele Bachmann and geniuses. Stephen had some examples. Here's a few more. You can compare two different things, but that doesn't mean they are similar. I think Stephen said that a hat looks nice on Chuck Todd. I'll double-check that and get back to you.
Alpha Dog exposed lululemon creator Chip Wilson. I would like to see Chip in yoga pants. That would settle this controversy once and for all. Maybe....
The guest on Monday was Steve McQueen, director of "12 Years a Slave."
There have been comparisons between the response by George Bush to Katrina and Barack Obama to Obamacare. There have also been comparisons between Michele Bachmann and geniuses. Stephen had some examples. Here's a few more. You can compare two different things, but that doesn't mean they are similar. I think Stephen said that a hat looks nice on Chuck Todd. I'll double-check that and get back to you.
Alpha Dog exposed lululemon creator Chip Wilson. I would like to see Chip in yoga pants. That would settle this controversy once and for all. Maybe....
The guest on Monday was Steve McQueen, director of "12 Years a Slave."
Convoy of Hope
First off, Stephen invited Colbert Nation to text Colbert to 50555 to donate $10 to Convoy of Hope to help the Philippines Typhoon Rescue. He knows his Nation well.
Next, kittens! Stephen had a wonderful health segment:
Stephen Colbert's November Sweeps Prostacular. He was able to accomplish in 24 seconds what took Al Roker and Matt Lauer and 34 seconds. It was impressive and there were kittens. I hope to see lots more segments like this in the future on the show.
There was a little bit of talk about Ford Nation, but I still prefer the Colbert Nation.
Guest Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit.com, joined Stephen as the guest last Thursday.
Next, kittens! Stephen had a wonderful health segment:
Stephen Colbert's November Sweeps Prostacular. He was able to accomplish in 24 seconds what took Al Roker and Matt Lauer and 34 seconds. It was impressive and there were kittens. I hope to see lots more segments like this in the future on the show.
There was a little bit of talk about Ford Nation, but I still prefer the Colbert Nation.
Guest Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit.com, joined Stephen as the guest last Thursday.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
I'll Find a Way
Phil Steel is excited. He wants to shoot down drones. The town of Deer Trail, Colorado is considering paying $100 bounty for U.S. Government drone debris. Well that sound interesting, but how are you going to prove what you have is actual drone debris? And how is Deer Trail going to prove what you have is not actual drone debris? Oh, and by the way, Phil Steel is selling shooting licenses so he's got himself a pretty little money maker.
Also on the show last Wednesday was Missy Cummings who had some solid reasons why drones are good. In fact, they could even fly in some needed medicine to outlying places. You know, places like Deer Trail, Colorado.
Stephen's guest was Jimmy Carter of Blind Boys of Alabama. Also on the show, was the Blind Boys of Alabama to sing a song from their new album, "I'll Find a Way." And yes you know there is a bonus song over at Colbert Nation.
Also on the show last Wednesday was Missy Cummings who had some solid reasons why drones are good. In fact, they could even fly in some needed medicine to outlying places. You know, places like Deer Trail, Colorado.
Stephen's guest was Jimmy Carter of Blind Boys of Alabama. Also on the show, was the Blind Boys of Alabama to sing a song from their new album, "I'll Find a Way." And yes you know there is a bonus song over at Colbert Nation.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Filled With Information
CBS 60 Minutes recently had a segment about Benghazi which turned out to have few facts and very little truthiness. Gretchen Carlson bragged on Fox News that they reported this less than factual information months ago. And I didn't know this, but Fox News has a motto. Stephen posted it for us to see. "We Report But You Should Really Check With Someone Else." In order to get the entire scoop about the fiasco at CBS 60 Minutes, Stephen interviewed a college intern who was disguised and using the alias of Poncho DeNews. It's good to get your news from sources who actually know what happened. Credit to Stephen for doing journalism the right way.
In the "I'm Not Running For President in 2016" segment, Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, was highlighted. He is on every TV news outlet you can find, reminding everyone that he is not even thinking about 2016 because he is focused on being the Governor of New Jersey. Just in case you have any doubts, Chris Christie has reminded all of us that 143,000 private sector jobs have been created in New Jersey. If you haven't heard him say that, you are not paying attention.
The guest last Monday (and sorry about being behind on posting....) was Peter Baker. He has a book out, "Days of Fire, Bush and Cheney in the White House" which is about bush and Cheney. Things were not always rosy with them. Take a look at the link. It gives you a good idea of what's in the book.
In the "I'm Not Running For President in 2016" segment, Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, was highlighted. He is on every TV news outlet you can find, reminding everyone that he is not even thinking about 2016 because he is focused on being the Governor of New Jersey. Just in case you have any doubts, Chris Christie has reminded all of us that 143,000 private sector jobs have been created in New Jersey. If you haven't heard him say that, you are not paying attention.
The guest last Monday (and sorry about being behind on posting....) was Peter Baker. He has a book out, "Days of Fire, Bush and Cheney in the White House" which is about bush and Cheney. Things were not always rosy with them. Take a look at the link. It gives you a good idea of what's in the book.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Vote For Stephen
I will be brief. Stephen talked about ENDA and LGBT. He doesn't always know what those initials stand for, but you can find out about ENDA from Al Franken here at Huffington Post. It sure seems like this is a law that is long overdue.
There's still a major sports team using a disrespectful team name. Stephen demonstrated by using a comparison of how bad something could be, but that just brought out a lawyer and Stephen had to sign here, here, and there. That usually happens after the show suffers some "technical difficulties." I can't think of a way to talk about it without saying the name, so I'll just send you over here to USA Today to read about the protests at yesterday's game. Even Jesse Ventura is quoted in that story.
There's a bit of bullying going on amongst some football players. Big time, scary bullying. This is not ice cube down your shirt type of joking around. This is calling people very bad names and threatening them. Read about Miami Dolphins controversy here at New York Daily News.
Now for some positive news. Have you ever heard of the People's Choice Awards? Well, Stephen, yes our Stephen Colbert, has been nominated for a People's Choice Award in the category of Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host. You, yes you, can vote for him.
Go here and then scroll down to Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host (near the bottom of the middle column) and click on that. Then scroll up again and vote for Stephen. Skip over Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. Then Click on Stephen to vote for him.
Here's the cool thing, you can vote for Stephen as many times as you want. That's right. Vote *** For *** Stephen *** as many times as you want. Wow. Wowie.
The guest last night was Daniel Lieberman talking about his newest book, "The Story of the Human Body, Evolution, Health, and Disease." This is cool. A lot of what the two of them talked about is at that link, so go take a look. I will tell you, he kind of hints at sugar and trans fat as being bad for us. But it was an interesting interview. Stephen kept trying to change the subject and get away from what Daniel Lieberman was talking about. But I give credit to Daniel Lieberman. He stayed on topic and while he may have agreed with some of what Stephen was saying, he kept plugging away at everything that he wanted to talk about without the need to be rude. I'm sure it's an interesting book.
Now, go vote for Stephen.
There's still a major sports team using a disrespectful team name. Stephen demonstrated by using a comparison of how bad something could be, but that just brought out a lawyer and Stephen had to sign here, here, and there. That usually happens after the show suffers some "technical difficulties." I can't think of a way to talk about it without saying the name, so I'll just send you over here to USA Today to read about the protests at yesterday's game. Even Jesse Ventura is quoted in that story.
There's a bit of bullying going on amongst some football players. Big time, scary bullying. This is not ice cube down your shirt type of joking around. This is calling people very bad names and threatening them. Read about Miami Dolphins controversy here at New York Daily News.
Now for some positive news. Have you ever heard of the People's Choice Awards? Well, Stephen, yes our Stephen Colbert, has been nominated for a People's Choice Award in the category of Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host. You, yes you, can vote for him.
Go here and then scroll down to Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host (near the bottom of the middle column) and click on that. Then scroll up again and vote for Stephen. Skip over Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel. Then Click on Stephen to vote for him.
Here's the cool thing, you can vote for Stephen as many times as you want. That's right. Vote *** For *** Stephen *** as many times as you want. Wow. Wowie.
The guest last night was Daniel Lieberman talking about his newest book, "The Story of the Human Body, Evolution, Health, and Disease." This is cool. A lot of what the two of them talked about is at that link, so go take a look. I will tell you, he kind of hints at sugar and trans fat as being bad for us. But it was an interesting interview. Stephen kept trying to change the subject and get away from what Daniel Lieberman was talking about. But I give credit to Daniel Lieberman. He stayed on topic and while he may have agreed with some of what Stephen was saying, he kept plugging away at everything that he wanted to talk about without the need to be rude. I'm sure it's an interesting book.
Now, go vote for Stephen.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
I'm a Ladder, You're a Ladder, Everyone's a Ladder.
Stephen claims to be a huge fan of the comic book genre but he is concerned about an old character getting a face lift. It's Ms.Marvel, or Ms. Marvelle as Ms. Rodriguez says. Stephen, who is often one of a quartet, is concerned that Ms. Marvel is a Shape Shifter. White that may indeed be a great super-hero attribute or talent, it still concerns him. For all we know, that lamp sitting on the dresser could be Ms. Marvel. I too am concerned about Shape Shifters. You never know when you are seeing one. And speaking of comic book fans, when are we going to see some more Tek Jansen? I don't know why I have to keep reminding Stephen of this.
And now something for the youngsters. It's a field trip on the Meet the Trees Foundation bus to visit the forest. Hah, but that was just a ruse to get the kids onto the bus. It's a Toys R (where is my backward R key?) Us ad. That's right, a bunch of kids get on the bus with "Ranger Brad," he starts quizzing them about different kinds of leaves, and then presto-change-o, he's taking them all to a Toys R Us store. The kids go wild, at least some of them do. Stephen pointed out the magic of "having a stranger take your kids on a bus, lie about where they're going, then take off his clothes and promise them toys." (Note to parents: Tell your kids not to get on a bus or in a car with someone who says he will buy them toys/ give them candy/ let them see a puppy.) Stephen gave Toys R Us a Tip of the Hat for reminding us that "Nature Sucks." And Stephen also added that Nature is Boring.
There are two things that bother me about that ad, besides just the creepiness that Stephen was so sharp to pick up on.
One. Remember how there's that joke that on Christmas morning the kids play with the box that the toy came in rather than the shiny, noisy, expensive toy you bought, I mean Santa delivered? Well, pay attention. Maybe, instead of all those electronic toys with bells and whistles, you should be getting simple toys that allow kids to, yes I'm going to say it, use their imagination. Buy them a toy that requires them to run and jump, not a toy that they watch someone else run and jump. And buy them toys that are educationally fun. Good old board games like Monopoly (classic edition that requires them to shake dice and count money), Scrabble, Clue, Battleship (I think that is a favorite of Stephen's) or Candyland for the younger set.
Two. This is the one that really worries me. Have you looked closely at that commercial? Have you looked at those kids? Pay close attention. Here's what "Ranger Brad" said. "Let's play Name That Leaf. What's this one?" (Notice the older girl with long brown hair in the red shirt.) "He says it's an Oak leaf. It's a Field Maple. That's okay." (Notice the young, curly haired kid wearing a blue shirt.) "I'm a big fan of trees, I don't know if you could tell." (Notice the little girl with white shirt and the one in the seat behind that girl who is wearing a pink sweater with a large collar.) "But we're not going to the forest today. We're going to Toys R Us." (And the young, curly haired kid wearing a blue shirt is back!)
Okay. It is humanly impossible for kids to change seats on a bus that quickly. Ranger Brad was is in mid sentence. I know what's really going on. Those kids, all of them, are Shape Shifters! There is no other explanation.
So a warning to everyone. Buy toys wisely and watch out for Shape Shifters. Of course, I guess I don't know that Shape Shifters are bad actually. In fact now that I think of it, it might be a good thing. Say you're in a toy store and there's a really neat toy you want to buy but it's up on a tall shelf that you can't reach. If there's a little kid in the same aisle, ask if he is a Shape Shifter. If he says yes, ask him to Shape-shift into a tall basketball player and reach that toy for you! Or ask him to Shape-shift into a ladder and just climb up and get the toy yourself.
Stephen's guest last night was Brian Lehrer of Brian Lehrer Show fame. He's on the radio in New York City on WNYC. The two discussed the recent election. There will be a new mayor in New York City, Bill de Blasio. Both men agreed that the new mayor has cool looking kids. But then they disagreed on other important stuff. Brian Lehrer seemed to think taxing the very rich people just a tiny bit more in order to send four-year-olds to Pre-K was a smart idea. Stephen, who would have to pay more in taxes, wondered about the wisdom of sending kids to school when they can't even read yet. As far as Mayor Bloomberg's legacy, Brian Lehrer said it will be all the good things he did for public health. And it could have been better had it not been for the Lollipop Guild.
And, on a final note, here's the reason I tune in to The Colbert Report. Stephen always has the breaking news before anyone else even knows it fell off the shelf. Stephen alerted us to the fact that the Empire State Building is going to be turned into public housing. I guess I better take that trip to New York City and see the Empire State Building while I can still ride the elevator to the top.
And now something for the youngsters. It's a field trip on the Meet the Trees Foundation bus to visit the forest. Hah, but that was just a ruse to get the kids onto the bus. It's a Toys R (where is my backward R key?) Us ad. That's right, a bunch of kids get on the bus with "Ranger Brad," he starts quizzing them about different kinds of leaves, and then presto-change-o, he's taking them all to a Toys R Us store. The kids go wild, at least some of them do. Stephen pointed out the magic of "having a stranger take your kids on a bus, lie about where they're going, then take off his clothes and promise them toys." (Note to parents: Tell your kids not to get on a bus or in a car with someone who says he will buy them toys/ give them candy/ let them see a puppy.) Stephen gave Toys R Us a Tip of the Hat for reminding us that "Nature Sucks." And Stephen also added that Nature is Boring.
There are two things that bother me about that ad, besides just the creepiness that Stephen was so sharp to pick up on.
One. Remember how there's that joke that on Christmas morning the kids play with the box that the toy came in rather than the shiny, noisy, expensive toy you bought, I mean Santa delivered? Well, pay attention. Maybe, instead of all those electronic toys with bells and whistles, you should be getting simple toys that allow kids to, yes I'm going to say it, use their imagination. Buy them a toy that requires them to run and jump, not a toy that they watch someone else run and jump. And buy them toys that are educationally fun. Good old board games like Monopoly (classic edition that requires them to shake dice and count money), Scrabble, Clue, Battleship (I think that is a favorite of Stephen's) or Candyland for the younger set.
Two. This is the one that really worries me. Have you looked closely at that commercial? Have you looked at those kids? Pay close attention. Here's what "Ranger Brad" said. "Let's play Name That Leaf. What's this one?" (Notice the older girl with long brown hair in the red shirt.) "He says it's an Oak leaf. It's a Field Maple. That's okay." (Notice the young, curly haired kid wearing a blue shirt.) "I'm a big fan of trees, I don't know if you could tell." (Notice the little girl with white shirt and the one in the seat behind that girl who is wearing a pink sweater with a large collar.) "But we're not going to the forest today. We're going to Toys R Us." (And the young, curly haired kid wearing a blue shirt is back!)
Okay. It is humanly impossible for kids to change seats on a bus that quickly. Ranger Brad was is in mid sentence. I know what's really going on. Those kids, all of them, are Shape Shifters! There is no other explanation.
So a warning to everyone. Buy toys wisely and watch out for Shape Shifters. Of course, I guess I don't know that Shape Shifters are bad actually. In fact now that I think of it, it might be a good thing. Say you're in a toy store and there's a really neat toy you want to buy but it's up on a tall shelf that you can't reach. If there's a little kid in the same aisle, ask if he is a Shape Shifter. If he says yes, ask him to Shape-shift into a tall basketball player and reach that toy for you! Or ask him to Shape-shift into a ladder and just climb up and get the toy yourself.
Stephen's guest last night was Brian Lehrer of Brian Lehrer Show fame. He's on the radio in New York City on WNYC. The two discussed the recent election. There will be a new mayor in New York City, Bill de Blasio. Both men agreed that the new mayor has cool looking kids. But then they disagreed on other important stuff. Brian Lehrer seemed to think taxing the very rich people just a tiny bit more in order to send four-year-olds to Pre-K was a smart idea. Stephen, who would have to pay more in taxes, wondered about the wisdom of sending kids to school when they can't even read yet. As far as Mayor Bloomberg's legacy, Brian Lehrer said it will be all the good things he did for public health. And it could have been better had it not been for the Lollipop Guild.
And, on a final note, here's the reason I tune in to The Colbert Report. Stephen always has the breaking news before anyone else even knows it fell off the shelf. Stephen alerted us to the fact that the Empire State Building is going to be turned into public housing. I guess I better take that trip to New York City and see the Empire State Building while I can still ride the elevator to the top.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Bongy Loves You
Last night Stephen went out on a limb and declared Bill DeBlasio the winner for Mayor of New York. Also in mayoral news, Rob Ford of Toronto displayed his eventual honesty and vague memory of past events. There's been a bit of controversy about his relaxation techniques that you can read about here. Stephen had wonderful advice for someone who might be facing a situation similar as that of Rob Ford. Also it is important to understand that what happened in the past stays in the past.
Stephen had another Canadian story, this time about Esquimalt, British Columbia, or somewhere in Canada as the locals call it. There's controversy there as well. Stephen had thought there were some "Difference Makers" living there, but turns out they are not willing to confront tough issues and would rather just issue permits when trouble arrives.
Stephen had a fascinating story about insects that you can read about here at The Independent. I'm not going to say anything more about it because I'm starting to realize the topics of last night's show seem to be all those things that censors keep trying to get off the airwaves. The only thing missing is Rock and Roll! Stephen did have some racy video that he showed and he did talk about a parade.
So, on to the guest. It was Julius Erving, also known as Dr. J, who knows a little bit about basketball. He has a book out, Dr. J: The Autobiography, which Stephen didn't mention until nearly the end of the show. There is quite a bit of an excerpt from the book at that link and it makes for compelling reading, so you might want to go take a look. And maybe even buy the book.
But then on to the most important part of the interview, at least for fans of basketball. There was a contest between the two giants of the sports and journalism worlds. I won't say who won, that spoils the fun. You can watch online over at Colbert Nation. Someone should look into developing a similar sort of sports competition like that, maybe something worthy of the Olympics.
Stephen had another Canadian story, this time about Esquimalt, British Columbia, or somewhere in Canada as the locals call it. There's controversy there as well. Stephen had thought there were some "Difference Makers" living there, but turns out they are not willing to confront tough issues and would rather just issue permits when trouble arrives.
Stephen had a fascinating story about insects that you can read about here at The Independent. I'm not going to say anything more about it because I'm starting to realize the topics of last night's show seem to be all those things that censors keep trying to get off the airwaves. The only thing missing is Rock and Roll! Stephen did have some racy video that he showed and he did talk about a parade.
So, on to the guest. It was Julius Erving, also known as Dr. J, who knows a little bit about basketball. He has a book out, Dr. J: The Autobiography, which Stephen didn't mention until nearly the end of the show. There is quite a bit of an excerpt from the book at that link and it makes for compelling reading, so you might want to go take a look. And maybe even buy the book.
But then on to the most important part of the interview, at least for fans of basketball. There was a contest between the two giants of the sports and journalism worlds. I won't say who won, that spoils the fun. You can watch online over at Colbert Nation. Someone should look into developing a similar sort of sports competition like that, maybe something worthy of the Olympics.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Pope on a Rope
Yet again ObamaCare is in the news. To some extent I wonder if that might be because on any given day at least one person is sick and needs health care. Some days there are probably more than one person who is sick or a person who needs surgery or probably some woman having a baby. Did you know that historically women have had to pay higher insurance premiums than men? It's true.
Some people think the system should stay that way with women paying more. The reasoning is that women have a long list of benefits that they get which includes maternity services, contraceptive devices, birth control pills and doctor and dentist visits for children. Somewhere in the back of my mind I keep thinking that it takes two to tango and I don't know why I'm thinking of that now. Oh, well.
We even saw a video clip from Fox that showed the overuse of medicine by women. Gretchen Carlson has Lyme Disease and Brian Kilmeade doesn't. See? No wonder people (men) are unhappy about paying the same as women. Have you ever heard of a man getting Lyme disease? I didn't think so.
The Fox Doc (Dr. Samadi) even explained it on Fox. Men have a prostate. Women have all those other body parts - the breast, the ovaries, and the uterus. Stephen figures he should be able to get a Pap smear if he has to pay the same amount as women. That just makes sense.
Stephen gave a shout-out to all the celebrities over at Fox and then gave some pre-interview attention to his guest - David Folkenflik. It seems that many Fox staffers went online, using many different aliases (as many as 100 for one person) in order to make comments that were very positive to Fox stories and news. (News and stories... whatever.)
This is the type of behavior that is likely to start other types of hooliganism and Stephen highlighted just such an example. Seems that one of his writers, who shall remain unnamed here even though Stephen outed him, designed an algorithm which is hilarious. It reminds me of Mad Libs.
@RealHumanPraise
How it works is like this: Positive movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes have Fox people's names substituted in the review and it makes for hilarious fun. Just the kind of thing the kids will love on those long car trips. Even as I speak, it's up to 5,973 Tweets and 30,687 Followers and that in about just one week!
Here's just one example:
"All references to prophecy and the Antichrist aside, Shepard Smith Reporting achieves its horror the old fashioned way. #PraiseFOX."
Ah, fun and games. I just love it. But anyway, the guest last night, David Folkenflik, wrote a new book that seem so connected to everything Stephen talked about on the first part of the show. "Murdoch's World - The Last of the Old Media Empires." (Strangely enough, some of the commenters at that link aren't very kind when writing about the book about Murdoch. Could it be these are just aliases? I'm just saying.)
Stephen started off the interview taking David Folkenflik to task. "Are you jealous of Rupert Murdoch? Is it because he works for a successful business and you work for a non-profit?"
-------------------
In the Foot-in-Mouth segment of the show, David Folkenflik said this in response to Stephen's question. "This is about a guy who I think is, in many ways, the most influential media figure in the English speaking world."
"Excuse me," said Stephen with a blink, blink, blink, and then a smirk to his adoring audience. He acknowledged the applause from the audience and then said, "Go ahead."
Talk about a faux pas!
-------------------
David Folkenflik went on to tell Stephen about the absolute power of Rupert Murdoch. That prompted Stephen to ask why he would want to cross Murdoch with the things he put in the book.
Stephen took time out to read another of the tweets that praised Fox News. "Elizabeth Hasselbeck brilliantly portrays Michelle Malkin as someone with absolutely no sense of her own monstrosity."
Next we learned about all the phones hacked by Murdoch's staff. David Folkenflik didn't do that to get material for his book, he did it the old fashioned way, by interviewing people. Stephen pointed out that if he would have hacked Murdoch's phone, he would have gotten more information and he would have therefore been a better reporter. You can't argue with logic. Also one thing you can't argue with is that if you "tip" people, like Murdoch's journalists did, you can really find out hordes of information. Of course, some people think you shouldn't be giving large "tips" to law enforcement or politicians.
Stephen ended the show on a happy note, imagining what an expensive spa treatment over in England would feel like. Background: that was another of the "tips" given out to local authorities, law enforcement, etc. (Think Scotland Yard.)
And now @RealHumanPraise is up to 5,999 Tweets and 31,737 Followers.
Some people think the system should stay that way with women paying more. The reasoning is that women have a long list of benefits that they get which includes maternity services, contraceptive devices, birth control pills and doctor and dentist visits for children. Somewhere in the back of my mind I keep thinking that it takes two to tango and I don't know why I'm thinking of that now. Oh, well.
We even saw a video clip from Fox that showed the overuse of medicine by women. Gretchen Carlson has Lyme Disease and Brian Kilmeade doesn't. See? No wonder people (men) are unhappy about paying the same as women. Have you ever heard of a man getting Lyme disease? I didn't think so.
The Fox Doc (Dr. Samadi) even explained it on Fox. Men have a prostate. Women have all those other body parts - the breast, the ovaries, and the uterus. Stephen figures he should be able to get a Pap smear if he has to pay the same amount as women. That just makes sense.
Stephen gave a shout-out to all the celebrities over at Fox and then gave some pre-interview attention to his guest - David Folkenflik. It seems that many Fox staffers went online, using many different aliases (as many as 100 for one person) in order to make comments that were very positive to Fox stories and news. (News and stories... whatever.)
This is the type of behavior that is likely to start other types of hooliganism and Stephen highlighted just such an example. Seems that one of his writers, who shall remain unnamed here even though Stephen outed him, designed an algorithm which is hilarious. It reminds me of Mad Libs.
@RealHumanPraise
How it works is like this: Positive movie reviews from Rotten Tomatoes have Fox people's names substituted in the review and it makes for hilarious fun. Just the kind of thing the kids will love on those long car trips. Even as I speak, it's up to 5,973 Tweets and 30,687 Followers and that in about just one week!
Here's just one example:
"All references to prophecy and the Antichrist aside, Shepard Smith Reporting achieves its horror the old fashioned way. #PraiseFOX."
Ah, fun and games. I just love it. But anyway, the guest last night, David Folkenflik, wrote a new book that seem so connected to everything Stephen talked about on the first part of the show. "Murdoch's World - The Last of the Old Media Empires." (Strangely enough, some of the commenters at that link aren't very kind when writing about the book about Murdoch. Could it be these are just aliases? I'm just saying.)
Stephen started off the interview taking David Folkenflik to task. "Are you jealous of Rupert Murdoch? Is it because he works for a successful business and you work for a non-profit?"
-------------------
In the Foot-in-Mouth segment of the show, David Folkenflik said this in response to Stephen's question. "This is about a guy who I think is, in many ways, the most influential media figure in the English speaking world."
"Excuse me," said Stephen with a blink, blink, blink, and then a smirk to his adoring audience. He acknowledged the applause from the audience and then said, "Go ahead."
Talk about a faux pas!
-------------------
David Folkenflik went on to tell Stephen about the absolute power of Rupert Murdoch. That prompted Stephen to ask why he would want to cross Murdoch with the things he put in the book.
Stephen took time out to read another of the tweets that praised Fox News. "Elizabeth Hasselbeck brilliantly portrays Michelle Malkin as someone with absolutely no sense of her own monstrosity."
Next we learned about all the phones hacked by Murdoch's staff. David Folkenflik didn't do that to get material for his book, he did it the old fashioned way, by interviewing people. Stephen pointed out that if he would have hacked Murdoch's phone, he would have gotten more information and he would have therefore been a better reporter. You can't argue with logic. Also one thing you can't argue with is that if you "tip" people, like Murdoch's journalists did, you can really find out hordes of information. Of course, some people think you shouldn't be giving large "tips" to law enforcement or politicians.
Stephen ended the show on a happy note, imagining what an expensive spa treatment over in England would feel like. Background: that was another of the "tips" given out to local authorities, law enforcement, etc. (Think Scotland Yard.)
And now @RealHumanPraise is up to 5,999 Tweets and 31,737 Followers.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Everybody Learns Bleep Blorp
I'm finally back from trick or treating. Stephen was in fine scary mode for the opening of his show. Nearly every scary sound or action was demonstrated in the first 15 seconds by a (sugar high??) Stephen.
In case you didn't watch today's Today show, Matt Lauer dressed as a babe in a bathing suit, prompting Stephen to ask Where in the World is Matt Lauer's Dignity?
Of course there was more on spying and NSA. Is it possible that the NSA spied on the Vatican? Stephen thinks it's a good idea since that's the best direct line to God. But some think that all this talk about invasion of privacy is overblown. For example, Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI) says that if you don't know someone is watching you, it ain't gonna bother you. Read a bit more here. I think his argument works for when you steal cookies out of the cookie jar. If grandma doesn't realize they're gone, you're in the clear.
Still more on politics. Jim Wheeler, Nevada State Assemblyman, would do anything for his constituents, or more importantly he would do whatever they told him to do. His recent comments about voting to bring back slavery has, predictably, got him is some hot water. He said it not so much to show what he thinks of slavery, but to show that he would vote for what his constituents want.
Stephen had an idea for a bumper sticker.
Jim Wheeler - You Want Slaves? - You Got'em
Stephen then put forth his own idea to see if Jim Wheeler was really willing to be that accountable. He came up with a plan and a petition. I'm sure we will here more on this as it develops.
Stephen's guest was Zach Sims. (Scroll down until you find the blurb about Zach.) He's one of those people who gets into Columbia and then drops out. Don't judge him just yet. He still made something of himself. He is a co-founder of Codecademy. Go take a look here. You can learn how to code. For example, you can learn HTML. It's a fun step by step process that walks you through the process. I noticed on the website that they are hiring.
Stephen wonders what his parents think of what he has accomplished. Of course, that clues you in that Zach Sims is quite a bit younger than Stephen. And, his parents are quite happy with what he's doing.
Next they talked pick-up lines. Stephen suggested this.
Hi, I used to go to an Ivy League School. Now I work for free. On the Internet.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the show for me was when Stephen revealed just how he got started on the Daily Show which then paved the way for The Colbert Report. He used to work in those toll booths on the New Jersey Turnpike. Then one day, along comes Jon Stewart who obviously recognized the great talent Stephen had and told him to hop in the car because he (Jon) needed a correspondent.
So wow. Two great ways to be successful. One is to get into Columbia and then drop out. The other is to take money from motorists on the turnpike and wait for Jon Stewart to come along.
In case you didn't watch today's Today show, Matt Lauer dressed as a babe in a bathing suit, prompting Stephen to ask Where in the World is Matt Lauer's Dignity?
Of course there was more on spying and NSA. Is it possible that the NSA spied on the Vatican? Stephen thinks it's a good idea since that's the best direct line to God. But some think that all this talk about invasion of privacy is overblown. For example, Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI) says that if you don't know someone is watching you, it ain't gonna bother you. Read a bit more here. I think his argument works for when you steal cookies out of the cookie jar. If grandma doesn't realize they're gone, you're in the clear.
Still more on politics. Jim Wheeler, Nevada State Assemblyman, would do anything for his constituents, or more importantly he would do whatever they told him to do. His recent comments about voting to bring back slavery has, predictably, got him is some hot water. He said it not so much to show what he thinks of slavery, but to show that he would vote for what his constituents want.
Stephen had an idea for a bumper sticker.
Jim Wheeler - You Want Slaves? - You Got'em
Stephen then put forth his own idea to see if Jim Wheeler was really willing to be that accountable. He came up with a plan and a petition. I'm sure we will here more on this as it develops.
Stephen's guest was Zach Sims. (Scroll down until you find the blurb about Zach.) He's one of those people who gets into Columbia and then drops out. Don't judge him just yet. He still made something of himself. He is a co-founder of Codecademy. Go take a look here. You can learn how to code. For example, you can learn HTML. It's a fun step by step process that walks you through the process. I noticed on the website that they are hiring.
Stephen wonders what his parents think of what he has accomplished. Of course, that clues you in that Zach Sims is quite a bit younger than Stephen. And, his parents are quite happy with what he's doing.
Next they talked pick-up lines. Stephen suggested this.
Hi, I used to go to an Ivy League School. Now I work for free. On the Internet.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the show for me was when Stephen revealed just how he got started on the Daily Show which then paved the way for The Colbert Report. He used to work in those toll booths on the New Jersey Turnpike. Then one day, along comes Jon Stewart who obviously recognized the great talent Stephen had and told him to hop in the car because he (Jon) needed a correspondent.
So wow. Two great ways to be successful. One is to get into Columbia and then drop out. The other is to take money from motorists on the turnpike and wait for Jon Stewart to come along.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Jack Andraka
Stephen pointed out that there are politicians willing to go on record and criticize the votes of those GOP Senators who voted on October 16 to lift the debt ceiling. Here's the names of the GOP Senators who voted to lift the debt ceiling:
Alexander (R-TN)
Ayotte (R-NH)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Chiesa (R-NJ)
Coats (R-IN)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Graham (R-SC)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kirk (R-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Portman (R-OH)
Thune (R-SD)
Wicker (R-MS)
And here are the 27 prominent politicians who were willing to criticize those GOP Senators.
Alexander (R-TN)
Ayotte (R-NH)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Chiesa (R-NJ)
Coats (R-IN)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Graham (R-SC)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kirk (R-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Portman (R-OH)
Thune (R-SD)
Wicker (R-MS)
Okay, now I'm seeing a problem and Stephen noticed it along with a whole bunch of other people. They criticized their own votes! Apparently it's so they can have it both ways. That way, during the next election they can say whatever will get the votes.
Stephen had a great political commercial. I'm sure we will see many like it when the elections for 2014 start rolling around. One can hope.
You may remember that Stephen talked about the new Big Area Touchscreens over at Fox News recently. Stephen reported more about that and showed Shephard Smith holding more of the latest technology and reporting. It was a "hand held biodegradable info sheet." And it's paper thin! That must be what they use for the news that is the most important just breaking news! All the other high technology screens and computers and such are used to play Candy Crush. Stephen then highlighted his latest techno toy - the "Super Newstendo Journo-Cube 3000." He is able to determine if stuff is Shiny or News. I think Stephen is winning.
Stephen's guest on Wednesday was Jack Andraka. He was excited to be on the show and get the Colbert Bump, but it doesn't seem like he needed it. Go read about Jack Andraka here. Pretty cool stuff, indeed. He invented a cheap test for pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer, he won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair top prize, and he's 16 years old. Wow. Wowie! At one point, Stephen, with a smug look on his face said, "Don't patronize me, I know what you're talking about." I'm sure we all have a great understanding of detecting cancer with cheap materials, but if you want to learn about garage medicine, go read about him and/or watch over at Colbert Nation at the section Watch more full episodes under "Most Recent Episode." This guy might even save your life someday!
Alexander (R-TN)
Ayotte (R-NH)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Chiesa (R-NJ)
Coats (R-IN)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Graham (R-SC)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kirk (R-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Portman (R-OH)
Thune (R-SD)
Wicker (R-MS)
And here are the 27 prominent politicians who were willing to criticize those GOP Senators.
Alexander (R-TN)
Ayotte (R-NH)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Chiesa (R-NJ)
Coats (R-IN)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Graham (R-SC)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kirk (R-IL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Portman (R-OH)
Thune (R-SD)
Wicker (R-MS)
Okay, now I'm seeing a problem and Stephen noticed it along with a whole bunch of other people. They criticized their own votes! Apparently it's so they can have it both ways. That way, during the next election they can say whatever will get the votes.
Stephen had a great political commercial. I'm sure we will see many like it when the elections for 2014 start rolling around. One can hope.
You may remember that Stephen talked about the new Big Area Touchscreens over at Fox News recently. Stephen reported more about that and showed Shephard Smith holding more of the latest technology and reporting. It was a "hand held biodegradable info sheet." And it's paper thin! That must be what they use for the news that is the most important just breaking news! All the other high technology screens and computers and such are used to play Candy Crush. Stephen then highlighted his latest techno toy - the "Super Newstendo Journo-Cube 3000." He is able to determine if stuff is Shiny or News. I think Stephen is winning.
Stephen's guest on Wednesday was Jack Andraka. He was excited to be on the show and get the Colbert Bump, but it doesn't seem like he needed it. Go read about Jack Andraka here. Pretty cool stuff, indeed. He invented a cheap test for pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer, he won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair top prize, and he's 16 years old. Wow. Wowie! At one point, Stephen, with a smug look on his face said, "Don't patronize me, I know what you're talking about." I'm sure we all have a great understanding of detecting cancer with cheap materials, but if you want to learn about garage medicine, go read about him and/or watch over at Colbert Nation at the section Watch more full episodes under "Most Recent Episode." This guy might even save your life someday!
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