Comedy Central is set to announce Wednesday the pickup of a second series from "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart's production company.
The sketch-variety show "Important Things With Demetri Martin" is slated for the second half of 2008; anywhere from six to 10 episodes will be executive produced by Stewart and Martin, who has been a featured contributor on "Daily Show."
"Martin" is the second series Comedy Central has ordered from Stewart's Busboy Prods. since they struck a first-look deal in 2005. "The Colbert Report" was their first collaboration.
And we all know how that turned out: Gutly!
In case anyone needs a reminder of how awesome Jon Stewart actually is, just check out his interview with Chris Matthews last night. I nearly choked when he told the giant misogynist Rockem Sockem robot of doom, "I'm not trashing your book; I'm trashing your philosophy of life," and I howled like a hyena when he met the robot's invitation to appear on Hardball with, "I don't troll."
As if we don't have enough things to think about, now, as Howard Kurtz notes, all the pundits are analyzing Hillary Clinton's laugh.
Forget the cleavage. It's now about the cackle.
No joke: Hillary Clinton's laugh is now being analyzed, scrutinized and, yes, mocked as if it were a sound barrier on her glide path to the Democratic presidential nomination: Is it real? Is it fake? Is it a diabolically clever attempt to portray her as a human being?
What a hoot.
Jon Stewart, setting the pace for political journalism, kicked things off last week by assembling a grab bag of giggling and guffawing when the senator appeared on all five Sunday talk shows, from a barn outside her Chappaqua, N.Y., home. As Clinton was seen bursting into belly laughs-- sometimes oddly and abruptly -- at queries by the likes of Bob Schieffer and Chris Wallace, the "Daily Show" host likened her to a robot switching into chuckle mode when aggressive interrogators needed to be neutralized.
Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of the punch line, examining whether The Laugh met some vaguely defined standard of acceptability.
"Depending on who you ask," ABC's Kate Snow said on "Good Morning America," "Hillary Clinton is either having a really good time out on the campaign trail, or she's the master of a shrewd political skill disarming her critics with the gleam in her eye and a roar straight from the belly."
How about the possibility that she's laughing at all the people who are having conniptions about what she's laughing at. Or perhaps she's thinking that the people who are asking her the questions are assholes and her response is better than telling them to get bent.
People really get uncomfortable when they get the impression that they're not being taken seriously, and that can be really upsetting to people like Chris Wallace and Sean Hannity, whose livelihoods depend on not being made fools of -- too late for either of them. So when Hillary Clinton laughs at them, it throws them off, and they get all freaked out: You can't laugh at us! We're pundits!
Ha.
And I can't help but think there's another angle to this story -- Mr. Kurtz obliquely alludes to it with the cleavage reference -- and that's sexism. Hillary Clinton's laugh is somehow something to be mocked and analyzed because women aren't supposed to have hearty laughs; they're supposed to cackle like witches or giggle like a schoolgirl. I don't see the pundits all over the men in the race for their chuckles or bellylaughs, and while we have all given President Bush a run for his money with his Bevis-and-Butthead heh-heh-heh, we haven't psychoanalyzed it to the point of questioning his manhood by the manner in which he laughs...or chortles...or whatever the hell that sound is supposed to be. But let a woman get off a good laugh and it's all about their claim to power or, even worse, trying to be like a man. Now that's something to laugh at.
Last week, the White House hosted a conference on climate change, with representatives from more than 20 countries in attendance. In classic CYL (cover your legacy) fashion, Bush is using the 11th hour of his term to show how serious he is about the issue of global warming, despite his unfashionably late arrival to the party. He tried his best material, but the audience wasn't having any of it.
"Energy security and climate change are two of the great challenges of our time. The United States takes these challenges seriously," Bush said in a speech at the State Department on the second day of the meeting. He proposed a summit next year of major CO2 emitters to set a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases.
"By setting this goal, we commit ourselves to doing something about it. By next summer, we will convene a meeting of heads of state to finalize the goal and other elements of this approach," Bush said. However, he repeated his position that the goal should be an aspiration, not mandatory, and that each country should design its own strategy for achieving the long-term goal.
By not agreeing to binding mandatory resolutions, Bush has managed to isolate himself, and our country, even further than originally imagined. Even China and India aren't on board with the voluntary aspirations idea. It gets worse, though.
"It was a total charade and has been exposed as a charade," the [European] diplomat said. "I have never heard a more humiliating speech by a major leader. He [Mr Bush] was trying to present himself as a leader while showing no sign of leadership. It was a total failure."
John Ashton, Britain's special envoy on climate change, who attended the conference, said: "It is striking here how isolated the US has become on this issue. There is no support among the industrialised countries for the proposition that we should proceed on the basis of voluntary commitments."
[...]
Although many of those attending had predicted the conference would break up without significant agreement, there had been hopes that Mr Bush, in search of a legacy, might produce a surprise.
That last bit is pretty telling, and pretty pathetic. Bush's megalomania has gotten to a point that people have to base their hope of policy change on his concern about his legacy instead of something novel like trying to do the right thing. You can just add this one to the list of ever growing items (Iraq, plummeting dollar, endless debt, etc.) that is continuing to destroy our credibility with other countries. I guess if there's any consolation, it's that other countries are now explicitly joining us in wondering what the fuck is wrong with Bush.
1. Bush declares Oct. 1 Child Health Day: "Our Nation is committed to the health and well-being of our youth. … My Administration supports programs that give parents, mentors, and teachers the resources they need to help and encourage children to maintain an active and healthy way of life."
2. Bush vetoes children's health care bill Oct. 2: "President Bush on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have extended the coverage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), objecting to the additional funding that the expansion would require. … The measure would have extended SCHIP, which was created to provide health insurance to poor children, and allowed children currently not eligible to be covered as well."
Via Democrats.com and Amnesty International USA comes the plea for signatories on a petition asking President Bush "to urge the UN Security Council members, especially the Permanent members like China, to immediately deploy a UN Security Council mission to Myanmar."
Amnesty International has long-standing concerns at the deprivation of basic rights in detention in Myanmar. Laws criminalize peaceful expression of political dissent. People are frequently arrested without warrant and held incommunicado. Torture and other forms of cruel, Inhuman and degrading treatment are common during interrogation and pre-trial detention. Proceedings against political detainees have failed to meet internationals standards of fairness. Defendants are often denied the right to legal counsel or to legal counsel of their own choice. Prosecutors have relied on confessions extracted through torture.
On 14 August, the Myanmar authorities raised petrol prices by two-thirds, doubled diesel prices and raised the cost of compressed natural gas five-fold. The sudden price increases left many unable to afford bus fares to get to work and to purchase essential commodities such as rice. A string of peaceful protest rallies against the price increases ensued in different parts of the country. Some of the protestors have also called for the release of detained political activists and an end to the protracted political deadlock in the country.
The protests, as we know, resulted in a violent crackdown by the military junta with deaths estimated to be, at minimum, in the hundreds.
The petition asks that an urgent UN Security Council mission be sent to Myanmar to "assess the situation on the ground and engage urgently with authorities to avert further violence and bloodshed. This Security Council should impose an arms embargo on Myanmar." Make your voice heard here.
Check out Matt Wilkinson of Southeast Portland talking about the night he put a rattlesnake in his mouth to prove it wasn't dangerous, only to get bitten on the tongue and nearly die.
Via Coturnix, who says: "He survived, so he is not eligible for a Darwin Award. But he definitely deserves an Honorable Mention."
You know what? I didn't give a flying fuck about that MoveOn.org ad in the New York Times, and I don't give a flying fuck about Rush Limbaugh's stupid "phony soldiers" comment. Don't get me wrong—I think what Limbaugh said was a pile of mean-spirited horseshit just like everything else that comes out of the stinkhole he calls a mouth.
But, frankly, it's not nearly as bad as at least a dozen other things he's said over the years that I can think of right off the top of my head, things that were directed at people who are already socially and politically marginalized, things that did not rouse the Congress to leap into action to defend these people like they're now defending soldiers whom we're told deserve Congressional defense because they are the toughest, strongest, most heroic people in America.
Does that seem at all backwards to you?
Does it seem at all backwards to you that Senate Democrats have written a letter to Clear Channel Communications asking for its CEO to "publicly repudiate [Limbaugh's] comments," but didn't make any fuss when two assholes on XM Radio talked about fucking Secretary of State Condi Rice and First Lady Laura Bush to death? Does it seem at all backwards to you that Congressional Republicans didn't give a shit about that at all, despite it being said about the two most prominent women in their party, but went completely apeshit because an advertisement said something less than flattering about a general?
If Congress has decided to busy itself with condemning nasty talk, doesn't it seem backwards to you that it would start with going all fainting couch on our asses over fairly benign shots across the bow at soldiers, whom almost everyone in America already agrees are generally deserving of respect, while whole groups of people—ethnic minorities, women, gay men, transgendered people, brown-skinned immigrants, adherents of minority religions, atheists, and members otherwise oft-disenfranchized and largely powerless groups—are routinely spoken about in dehumanizing epithets and expected to suffer all manner of verbal abuse, threats, and belittlement?
And doesn't it seem just completely, totally, utterly backwards to you that Congress cares more about what's said about soldiers by civilians than how soldiers are treated by their own government? Where's the month-long news cycle about unprotected vehicles? Where's the month-long news cycle about body armor? Where's the month-long news cycle about sexual assault against female soldiers in the war theater? Where's the month-long news cycle about veterans' care? Where's the month-long news cycle following up on the conditions at Walter Reed, and exploring the conditions at other recuperative centers? Where's the month-long news cycle about VA funding? Where's the month-long news cycle on Bush having defunded traumatic brain injury research? Where's the month-long news cycle about families torn apart by extended tours, by deaths, by catastrophic injuries, by severe post-traumatic stress disorder? Where's the month-long news cycle on any of that?
That, I care about.
And so should our Congress—at least as much as they care about stupid fucking adverts and stupid fucking bloviating gasbags.
Suggested by Shaker Ginviren: "As I was driving home yesterday, 'Night and Day' by Ray Charles came on my MP3 player. I automatically thought of that one episode of The Cosby Show where the whole family sings the song for the grandparents. (Ah...memories.) So my question is: What song (that's not a theme song) do you automatically associate with a TV show or movie?"
I have a profound and inevitably blub-inducing association between Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" and the Kevin Bacon-in-the-waiting-room scene of She's Having a Baby. To Mr. Shakes' endless and ("This is why I love the crazy wee besom") affectionate amusement, I cannot even talk about that song or that scene without blubbing.
With clear bi-partisan overwhelming support for this bill (though not enough to lay the smack down), Bushie will still stick his tongue out at everyone and while wielding the Veto Pen. This time, however, the veto for teh children will not include any special ceremony with snowflakes behind him. I would agree with Amanda that he probably cannot find any families with sick kids who would volunteer to support him on this particular venture.
As much as Georgie would love for his powerful veto to sail quietly through the night sea, it won't end there. A few governors have decided to take the administration to court over this move, so this issue will likely remain front and center longer than the administration would like. The state roll call: Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Washington. Here's what my governor, Jon Corzine, has to say about it:
"SCHIP is an unqualified bipartisan success in New Jersey and in states across the nation, and the Bush Administration's determination to pursue a course of action that will harm our children's health is incomprehensible," Governor Corzine said. "This same Administration previously signed off on our decision to cover the 10,000 kids they are now seeking to kick out of SCHIP, and the lawsuit we filed today demonstrates that we will simply not let that happen. Washington should be a partner to states that are trying to cover more children, not an opponent, and I urge the President to reverse course, withdraw the letter, and sign the bipartisan legislation before him."
Closing your term with a lawsuit is a great boon to that legacy you're worried about, eh George?
I guess if people are going to start handing out fat tickets, I'm going to have to start handing out these.
Obviously, on the flipside the ticket will ask what help I can be: Can I sigh exasperatedly, laugh in their face, give them the single raised eyebrow of perplexity, flip them off, report them for harassment, kick them in the balls? I mean, ya know, I really want to help people get over being huge douches, so whatever they need, I'm totally there for them.
Our recipe this week comes highly recommended from Portly Dyke, who said: "I'm not always a fan of squash soups (sometimes too sweet for my taste) -- but this one rocked!".
3 to 4 shallots, unpeeled 1 1/2 pounds pumpkin (untrimmed), or butternut squash or 1 1/4 pounds peeled pumpkin 2 cups canned or fresh coconut milk 2 cups mild pork or chicken broth 1 cup loosely packed coriander leaves 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, or to taste Generous grindings of black pepper 1/4 cup minced scallion greens (optional)
--In a heavy skillet, or on a charcoal or gas grill, dry-roast or grill the shallots, turning occasionally until softened and blackened. Peel, cut the shallots lengthwise in half, and set aside.
--Peel the pumpkin and clean off any seeds. Cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. You should have 4 1/2 to 5 cups cubed pumpkin.
--Place the coconut milk, broth, pumpkin cubes, shallots, and coriander leves in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the salt and simmer over medium heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you wish. (The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavor if left to stand for up to an hour. Reheat just before serving.)
--Serve from a large soup bowl or in individual bowls. Grind black pepper over generously, and, if you wish, garnish with a sprinkling of minced scallion greens. Leftovers freeze very well.
Is Fred Thompson the stupidest man alive, or what? Admittedly, it's not very creative, but that's the only explanation I've got for his assertion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction prior to the invasion of Iraq.
"We can’t forget the fact that although at a particular point in time we never found any WMD down there, he clearly had had WMD. He clearly had had the beginnings of a nuclear program."
Jebus. This roundly discredited horseshit not a month after yet another report that even the president himself knew before the invasion that Hussein didn't have WMDs.
So, if not precisely the stupidest man alive, Thompson is certainly an idiot. Steve Benen has been helpfully cataloguing all of Freddie's idiocies, and the list is getting pretty goddamned long. Just from the past couple of weeks, he's responded "I hadn't heard that; I don't know" to a question about lethal injections being ruled unconstitutional in his home state of Tennessee, responded "I don't know anything about it" to a question about the Jena 6, responded "I don't remember the details of it" to a question about Terri Schiavo, responded he doesn't "know all the facts surrounding that case" when asked about hurricane property insurance and said he didn't know there's oil under the Everglades while campaigning in Florida where both subjects are major issues, and noted he couldn't recall Bush's position on Social Security.
This is the Great Conservative Savior? Wow. Well, good luck with your trip to the promised land. Hopefully, Sherpa Freddie will bring a map.
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Is Fred Thompson the stupidest man alive, or what? Admittedly, it's not very creative, but that's the only explanation I've got for 
