Seth Meyer's "Closer Look" last night , at the GOP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4nztIwHOAo
Some mirth
Re: Some mirth
How unutterably depressing. Meyer was if anything soft on this rabble of cretinous immoral clueless causes of disaster.
Re: Some mirth
Ten tips to better wine drinking technique:
https://www.postalley.org/2023/10/10/te ... good-wine/
“ On my safari in Africa, the porters forgot to pack a corkscrew. For several days,we had to live on nothing but food and water.” WC Fields
https://www.postalley.org/2023/10/10/te ... good-wine/
“ On my safari in Africa, the porters forgot to pack a corkscrew. For several days,we had to live on nothing but food and water.” WC Fields
Re: Some mirth
Rach3 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 21, 2023 9:13 amTen tips to better wine drinking technique:
https://www.postalley.org/2023/10/10/te ... good-wine/
“ On my safari in Africa, the porters forgot to pack a corkscrew. For several days,we had to live on nothing but food and water.” WC Fields
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
Nothing at all really to laugh about these days , but fww the latest from the Borowitz Report:
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - Two days after suspending his campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination, former Vice-President Mike Pence has returned four dollars to his donors.
Speaking to reporters, Pence said that he took pride in the fact that his campaign has been funded exclusively by small contributions.
“The four dollars I received came from nine donors, for an average of forty-four cents a donation,” he said. “No other candidate can say that.”
Pence spent the weekend calling to thank his donors, adding, “Although all of my calls went straight to voice mail, I left my number and I do expect to hear from them when they get a chance.”
Pence’s exit from the race drew a mixed reaction in a new poll, with a majority of Americans unaware that he had been running.
---------------
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—House Republicans have convened an emergency meeting to determine who must sit next to Representative Matt Gaetz going forward.
Members of the conference had hoped to take a week off after the gruelling ordeal of ousting Kevin McCarthy, but the matter of who would be forced to sit next to Gaetz “had to be settled,” one G.O.P. congressperson said.
“Colleagues have declared that, if they are required to sit next to Matt, they will retire from politics instead,” the legislator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. “We could lose our majority over this.”
Republicans’ hopes that they had found a willing seatmate for Gaetz collapsed when Representative Lauren Boebert flatly refused the assignment.
“Even I have standards,” she reportedly said.
-------------
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In an irate letter to the White House, Kevin McCarthy and other congressional Republicans have demanded that President Biden reveal why they are impeaching him.
The letter claims that, after Republicans announced their impeachment inquiry, “the White House has stubbornly refused to provide us with any reasons for our doing so.”
The Republicans go on to demand that Biden reveal the rationale for his ouster “immediately, or face the consequences.”
“The American people are waiting, Mr. President, for you to explain to us why we are impeaching you,” the letter concludes. “Your silence will not be forgiven.”
-----------
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—After receiving a twenty-two-year sentence, a former Proud Boy acknowledged that he will be in prison until he is an Elderly Boy.
“Yes, I will eventually be an Elderly Boy,” Enrique Tarrio told reporters. “However, let’s be clear: while we Proud Boys are considering changing the name of our group, ‘Elderly Boys’ is not one of the options in the mix.”
Tarrio said that, because of the behavior of other former Proud Boys at their trials, “Despondent Boys,” “Weepy Boys,” and “Belatedly Remorseful Boys” were all names that the organization was considering.
“We’ve been holding focus groups, but so far there’s been no consensus,” he said. “We may have to bring McKinsey in on this.”
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - Two days after suspending his campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination, former Vice-President Mike Pence has returned four dollars to his donors.
Speaking to reporters, Pence said that he took pride in the fact that his campaign has been funded exclusively by small contributions.
“The four dollars I received came from nine donors, for an average of forty-four cents a donation,” he said. “No other candidate can say that.”
Pence spent the weekend calling to thank his donors, adding, “Although all of my calls went straight to voice mail, I left my number and I do expect to hear from them when they get a chance.”
Pence’s exit from the race drew a mixed reaction in a new poll, with a majority of Americans unaware that he had been running.
---------------
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—House Republicans have convened an emergency meeting to determine who must sit next to Representative Matt Gaetz going forward.
Members of the conference had hoped to take a week off after the gruelling ordeal of ousting Kevin McCarthy, but the matter of who would be forced to sit next to Gaetz “had to be settled,” one G.O.P. congressperson said.
“Colleagues have declared that, if they are required to sit next to Matt, they will retire from politics instead,” the legislator, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. “We could lose our majority over this.”
Republicans’ hopes that they had found a willing seatmate for Gaetz collapsed when Representative Lauren Boebert flatly refused the assignment.
“Even I have standards,” she reportedly said.
-------------
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In an irate letter to the White House, Kevin McCarthy and other congressional Republicans have demanded that President Biden reveal why they are impeaching him.
The letter claims that, after Republicans announced their impeachment inquiry, “the White House has stubbornly refused to provide us with any reasons for our doing so.”
The Republicans go on to demand that Biden reveal the rationale for his ouster “immediately, or face the consequences.”
“The American people are waiting, Mr. President, for you to explain to us why we are impeaching you,” the letter concludes. “Your silence will not be forgiven.”
-----------
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—After receiving a twenty-two-year sentence, a former Proud Boy acknowledged that he will be in prison until he is an Elderly Boy.
“Yes, I will eventually be an Elderly Boy,” Enrique Tarrio told reporters. “However, let’s be clear: while we Proud Boys are considering changing the name of our group, ‘Elderly Boys’ is not one of the options in the mix.”
Tarrio said that, because of the behavior of other former Proud Boys at their trials, “Despondent Boys,” “Weepy Boys,” and “Belatedly Remorseful Boys” were all names that the organization was considering.
“We’ve been holding focus groups, but so far there’s been no consensus,” he said. “We may have to bring McKinsey in on this.”
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
Spot on, Steve. Just one clarification: 'kin oath is not quite captured by "heck yeah". It's an old Anglo Saxon adjective beginning with f (I fancy you can work out which) with the f, u, c at the start and g at the end removed. "My oath" asserts assent in several nations; this is just an emphasised form.
-
Lance
- Site Administrator
- Posts: 20766
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 1:27 am
- Location: Binghamton, New York
- Contact:
Re: Some mirth
Hey - these are wonderful! Look at the response this thread has received!
Lance G. Hill
Editor-in-Chief
______________________________________________________
When she started to play, Mr. Steinway came down and personally
rubbed his name off the piano. [Speaking about pianist &*$#@+#]
Editor-in-Chief
______________________________________________________
When she started to play, Mr. Steinway came down and personally
rubbed his name off the piano. [Speaking about pianist &*$#@+#]
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—President Biden announced that he was pardoning all people convicted under federal law of marijuana possession in order to make prison cells available for members of the Trump Administration.
Announcing the decision from the Oval Office, Biden said, “At present, thousands of Americans are in prison for the possession of marijuana. Those thousands of prison cells are badly needed to accommodate the influx of Trump aides, associates, and family members.”
Biden said that vacating the existing prison cells would save the American taxpayer billions “since the only alternative was to construct approximately forty thousand new cells that the incoming Trump prisoners would require.”
Calling the decision to pardon the marijuana users “one of the easiest [he’s] ever made,” Biden said, “What’s worse, lighting up a spliff or stealing the nuclear codes? Come on, man.”
Just minutes after Biden’s announcement, the former Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani held a press conference at the Four Seasons Head Shop in Bethesda, Maryland.
“I am holding in my hand a sworn affidavit from Donald J. Trump, indicating that, throughout the entire time he was President, he was high,” Giuliani said.
Announcing the decision from the Oval Office, Biden said, “At present, thousands of Americans are in prison for the possession of marijuana. Those thousands of prison cells are badly needed to accommodate the influx of Trump aides, associates, and family members.”
Biden said that vacating the existing prison cells would save the American taxpayer billions “since the only alternative was to construct approximately forty thousand new cells that the incoming Trump prisoners would require.”
Calling the decision to pardon the marijuana users “one of the easiest [he’s] ever made,” Biden said, “What’s worse, lighting up a spliff or stealing the nuclear codes? Come on, man.”
Just minutes after Biden’s announcement, the former Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani held a press conference at the Four Seasons Head Shop in Bethesda, Maryland.
“I am holding in my hand a sworn affidavit from Donald J. Trump, indicating that, throughout the entire time he was President, he was high,” Giuliani said.
Re: Some mirth
Colbert on Colorado Court decision against Trump:
https://news.yahoo.com/entertainment/co ... 00606.html
https://news.yahoo.com/entertainment/co ... 00606.html
Re: Some mirth
Colbert is absolutely right. And I love the appendix analogy.
Re: Some mirth
Thanks for that!Rach3 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:34 pmColbert on Colorado Court decision against Trump:
https://news.yahoo.com/entertainment/co ... 00606.html
Colbert hits the nail on the head!Re: Some mirth
From "Men Yell AT Me" today, 2023 Dingus of the Year:
And that’s what we are dealing with in this year’s pick — a super dingus, an uberdingus, a demidingus. A person so powerfully dingusy that even his own party — the party of Donald Trump and George Santos — said, “Whoa buddy, that’s a little too much corruption for our taste.”
Friends and newsletter readers, may I present to you the 2023 Dingus of the Year Award Winner: Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas.
Texas Monthly statehouse reporter Christopher Hooks wrote of Paxton’s allegedly corrupt activities, noting, “What sets Paxton apart from his predecessors is the sheer width and breadth of his scoundrelhood. One of the problems of writing about Paxton is that there’s never quite enough space to lay out all the things he’s alleged to have done wrong. (The word ‘allegedly’ is going to get a workout in this article.) That has helped him enormously. This stuff can be difficult to keep track of. It’s the scandal version of Montgomery Burns’s disease door: There’s so much that none of it seems to break through.”
But let me just briefly define some of the problems with this man. Paxton once stole a very expensive pen from another lawyer and only returned it after he was caught on security cameras. He’s accused of skimming off the top of a deceased client’s estate. He’s also accused of advising clients to invest in the companies of other clients without disclosing the conflict of interest. He is the guy who brought bogus voter fraud lawsuits before the Supreme Court in order to undermine the very fabric of our democracy.
Paxton also allegedly used the power of his office to help a corrupt former real estate developer who was being investigated by the FBI. When people in Paxton’s own office sounded the alarm about Paxton’s criming, they were either fired or encouraged to resign. When these same employees sued, Paxton tried to settle the case using taxpayer money. That’s when Texas Republicans, who are not exactly known for their strict moral scrutiny of money — they prefer to use that adjudicating eye on people with uteruses and banning books — had enough and tried to impeach Paxton.
Paxton was acquitted, but his troubles aren’t exactly over. The lawsuit continues. And Paxton is being indicted for alleged securities fraud.
In sum, Ken Paxton is so corrupt he makes Richard Nixon look like Bernie Sanders.
But that’s not all Paxton has done to set himself apart from the hordes of the petty, the criminal, the huddled masses yearning to crime free.
In a year marked by states restricting access to reproductive care, under Paxton’s leadership, Texas has not only restricted abortion access but done it in a way that encourages people to rat out friends and family members for seeking abortions.
It’s like Ken Paxton looked at the Salem Witch Trials and thought “That was a great time in American history. We should do it again.” Ken Paxton is so evil even Karl Rove has had enough.
Yet, never one to rest on his laurels, Paxton has been going after children receiving gender-affirming care.
What’s next for a man who has been under indictment for years and who is hated by his own party, a man who has done so much harm to America that he has to sue hospitals just to feel something? Is it kicking kittens? Will he finally make it legal for men to tie women to the railroad tracks while laughing maniacally and rubbing their evil hands together in glee?
And that’s what we are dealing with in this year’s pick — a super dingus, an uberdingus, a demidingus. A person so powerfully dingusy that even his own party — the party of Donald Trump and George Santos — said, “Whoa buddy, that’s a little too much corruption for our taste.”
Friends and newsletter readers, may I present to you the 2023 Dingus of the Year Award Winner: Ken Paxton, attorney general of Texas.
Texas Monthly statehouse reporter Christopher Hooks wrote of Paxton’s allegedly corrupt activities, noting, “What sets Paxton apart from his predecessors is the sheer width and breadth of his scoundrelhood. One of the problems of writing about Paxton is that there’s never quite enough space to lay out all the things he’s alleged to have done wrong. (The word ‘allegedly’ is going to get a workout in this article.) That has helped him enormously. This stuff can be difficult to keep track of. It’s the scandal version of Montgomery Burns’s disease door: There’s so much that none of it seems to break through.”
But let me just briefly define some of the problems with this man. Paxton once stole a very expensive pen from another lawyer and only returned it after he was caught on security cameras. He’s accused of skimming off the top of a deceased client’s estate. He’s also accused of advising clients to invest in the companies of other clients without disclosing the conflict of interest. He is the guy who brought bogus voter fraud lawsuits before the Supreme Court in order to undermine the very fabric of our democracy.
Paxton also allegedly used the power of his office to help a corrupt former real estate developer who was being investigated by the FBI. When people in Paxton’s own office sounded the alarm about Paxton’s criming, they were either fired or encouraged to resign. When these same employees sued, Paxton tried to settle the case using taxpayer money. That’s when Texas Republicans, who are not exactly known for their strict moral scrutiny of money — they prefer to use that adjudicating eye on people with uteruses and banning books — had enough and tried to impeach Paxton.
Paxton was acquitted, but his troubles aren’t exactly over. The lawsuit continues. And Paxton is being indicted for alleged securities fraud.
In sum, Ken Paxton is so corrupt he makes Richard Nixon look like Bernie Sanders.
But that’s not all Paxton has done to set himself apart from the hordes of the petty, the criminal, the huddled masses yearning to crime free.
In a year marked by states restricting access to reproductive care, under Paxton’s leadership, Texas has not only restricted abortion access but done it in a way that encourages people to rat out friends and family members for seeking abortions.
It’s like Ken Paxton looked at the Salem Witch Trials and thought “That was a great time in American history. We should do it again.” Ken Paxton is so evil even Karl Rove has had enough.
Yet, never one to rest on his laurels, Paxton has been going after children receiving gender-affirming care.
What’s next for a man who has been under indictment for years and who is hated by his own party, a man who has done so much harm to America that he has to sue hospitals just to feel something? Is it kicking kittens? Will he finally make it legal for men to tie women to the railroad tracks while laughing maniacally and rubbing their evil hands together in glee?
Re: Some mirth
Colbert is about as funny as a dose of salts, a point also made recently by Alan Dershowitz.maestrob wrote: ↑Tue Dec 26, 2023 9:45 amThanks for that!Rach3 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 12:34 pmColbert on Colorado Court decision against Trump:
https://news.yahoo.com/entertainment/co ... 00606.html
Re: Some mirth
Dershowitz a Professor Emeritus from Harvard and a fantastically successful lawyer. Colbert, a second rate stand-up man who preaches politics non-stop. Which one would provide the best dinner party company, I wonder? I'll have to get back to you!
Re: Some mirth
Suddenly you approve of Harvard again? I thought it was a hotbed of Marxist ideology, deeply woke and a danger to society, having read your comments.
Re: Some mirth
I would neither invite the Trumpist Dershowitz nor attend one were he a guest.Colbert would be much more enjoyable and a human being.
Re: Some mirth
The biggest laugh was Stephen Colbert, a staunch Catholic, pretending he was outraged about the reversal of Roe v Wade. Now THAT was genuinely funny!!
Re: Some mirth
Cedar Rapids Gazette today:
" I met a pediatrician recently and asked, in my anticipation of great-grandchildren, when does a baby first speak? She said that many kids say “bye-bye,” or ”dah-dah,” or “mama” before they’re a year old.
But she also told me that some kids don’t start so pleasantly. Their first words are, “balance the budget” and they whimper a lot. Without that whimper and with a smile, some say “cut taxes.” They speak Republican, a dialect of American English with no words for caring, compassion, or concern.
The ecstatic parents often hope the kid will grow up to be a member of Congress and its Freedom Caucus, maybe become speaker if they aren’t too smart. The parents weep with joy that the conservative gene goes on and they simply grin with pride while changing diapers.
When those babies get older, they also wake from a bad dream with “shut down the government.” Babies may not know; but adults should know that shutting down government is not a solution to anything. Our budget is not our distinction. Good Republicans, and there are some, know that. Think Liz Chaney or even Chris Christie. It is a party struggling for its soul, and the far-right ideologues are winning.
They seem to care about rhetoric, not results. There is no better example of the childish babble than’ “balancing the budget” and threats to shut down government. What would the effect be?
A union leader says, “a government shutdown is not a harmless, DC drama. Federal employees in every American community will lose income, through no fault of their own, and in many cases, they will be locked out of doing the work they were hired to do for the American people.”
She also pointed out, ”House Republicans would cut $3.6 trillion from the budget over 10 years. They would cut money from child care, schools, housing, medical research, transit, college aid, among other crucial parts of our good life.
“In a shutdown, the nearly 2.2 million Americans who are federal employees — plus the 1.3 million active duty troops — would feel the effect immediately if their agencies aren’t funded, Essential workers would remain on the job, but others would be furloughed until the shutdown is over. None would be paid until the impasse was over.”
I have watched Democrats and Republicans debate for almost 80 years. For most of them, they got along, opponents, not enemies. That began to change with Richard Nixon and his vice president, Spiro Agnew dividing the nation into “them and us.” (Agnew later reigned when he was charged with “extortion, bribery and income-tax violations.”)
That’s long ago, but I keep up with conservative politics. I get about half a dozen emails a day from conservative organizations. They mistakenly embrace me as a brother in an important battle. I particularly like hearing from Donald Trump Jr. Today, one told me, ' Joe Biden is not holding back. He wanted you to know that. He plans to raise Income taxes, death taxes, capital gains taxes, corporate taxes.'
Don’t cry Republicans. It’s called balancing the budget."
Norman Sherman of Coralville has worked extensively in politics, including as Vice President Hubert Humphrey’s press secretary.
" I met a pediatrician recently and asked, in my anticipation of great-grandchildren, when does a baby first speak? She said that many kids say “bye-bye,” or ”dah-dah,” or “mama” before they’re a year old.
But she also told me that some kids don’t start so pleasantly. Their first words are, “balance the budget” and they whimper a lot. Without that whimper and with a smile, some say “cut taxes.” They speak Republican, a dialect of American English with no words for caring, compassion, or concern.
The ecstatic parents often hope the kid will grow up to be a member of Congress and its Freedom Caucus, maybe become speaker if they aren’t too smart. The parents weep with joy that the conservative gene goes on and they simply grin with pride while changing diapers.
When those babies get older, they also wake from a bad dream with “shut down the government.” Babies may not know; but adults should know that shutting down government is not a solution to anything. Our budget is not our distinction. Good Republicans, and there are some, know that. Think Liz Chaney or even Chris Christie. It is a party struggling for its soul, and the far-right ideologues are winning.
They seem to care about rhetoric, not results. There is no better example of the childish babble than’ “balancing the budget” and threats to shut down government. What would the effect be?
A union leader says, “a government shutdown is not a harmless, DC drama. Federal employees in every American community will lose income, through no fault of their own, and in many cases, they will be locked out of doing the work they were hired to do for the American people.”
She also pointed out, ”House Republicans would cut $3.6 trillion from the budget over 10 years. They would cut money from child care, schools, housing, medical research, transit, college aid, among other crucial parts of our good life.
“In a shutdown, the nearly 2.2 million Americans who are federal employees — plus the 1.3 million active duty troops — would feel the effect immediately if their agencies aren’t funded, Essential workers would remain on the job, but others would be furloughed until the shutdown is over. None would be paid until the impasse was over.”
I have watched Democrats and Republicans debate for almost 80 years. For most of them, they got along, opponents, not enemies. That began to change with Richard Nixon and his vice president, Spiro Agnew dividing the nation into “them and us.” (Agnew later reigned when he was charged with “extortion, bribery and income-tax violations.”)
That’s long ago, but I keep up with conservative politics. I get about half a dozen emails a day from conservative organizations. They mistakenly embrace me as a brother in an important battle. I particularly like hearing from Donald Trump Jr. Today, one told me, ' Joe Biden is not holding back. He wanted you to know that. He plans to raise Income taxes, death taxes, capital gains taxes, corporate taxes.'
Don’t cry Republicans. It’s called balancing the budget."
Norman Sherman of Coralville has worked extensively in politics, including as Vice President Hubert Humphrey’s press secretary.
Re: Some mirth
Apparently he hasn't got dementia and never did; perfectly fine. Oh, look over there!!
I say again, the stiff gait and frozen visage were both ample evidence from Day 1.
I say again, the stiff gait and frozen visage were both ample evidence from Day 1.
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
<<Oh, look over there!! ... the stiff gait and frozen visage.>>
Last edited by jserraglio on Sat Feb 10, 2024 8:25 am, edited 5 times in total.
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
Ditzy Donald confused his ex-wife Marla with E. Jean Carroll, the “not my type” woman he raped.
This is how Trump presents with dementia: Written all over him!!
Pictured from left: Dementia poster boy and a garden-variety Deplorable.
Trump leaks the genius answers he gave on Dr. Ronny Jackson's cognitive test.
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
Shameless bigotry.
Let’s see how YOU look and move at 81!!
“Public perception of a person’s cognitive state is often determined by superficial factors, such as physical presence, confidence and verbal fluency, but these aren’t necessarily relevant to one’s capacity to make consequential decisions.” —Charan Ranganath
Dr. Ranganath is a professor of psychology and neuroscience and the director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis.
Re: Some mirth
Trump's actual SCOTUS filing on his " absolute immunity" claim:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/ ... pendix.pdf
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/ ... pendix.pdf
Re: Some mirth
No nudes, please, we're Australians:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/tyagarah-aus ... index.html
Maybe better to ban beers on the beach instead ?
https://www.cnn.com/travel/tyagarah-aus ... index.html
Maybe better to ban beers on the beach instead ?
Re: Some mirth
Last edited by Belle on Wed Feb 14, 2024 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Some mirth
It's because of perverts; they've always been around and the locals feel intimidated by them hanging around. (Sorry, unintended pun!!)Rach3 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:43 pmNo nudes, please, we're Australians:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/tyagarah-aus ... index.html
Maybe better to ban beers on the beach instead ?
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
And so it goes. Empty-noggin nationalism: “Our toxic males are no worse than anyone else’s.”
A tourist entering Australia was asked if he had a criminal record, and replied: “I didn't realise that was still a requirement!”
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
man doing as President?!!!Re: Some mirth
4 GOP US Senators discuss Trump's South Carolina victory to open SNL Feb.24:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcf6sGPx5wY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcf6sGPx5wY
Re: Some mirth
From Yahoo News today:
“The Daily Show” correspondent Desi Lydic took aim at the Supreme Court on Thursday for facing a “very difficult legal question” with former President Donald Trump’s presidential immunity claim in his 2020 election interference case.
The former president argued that he’s immune from federal prosecution for alleged criminal acts he carried out while in office. The high court agreed Wednesday to hear arguments in the case on the week of April 22, further delaying a trial once set for March.
Guest host Michael Kosta noted that Election Day “isn’t that far off” before asking Lydic if she thinks the high court will rule on the matter soon.
“Well, Michael, that depends. When is Election Day?” Lydic said.
“Nov. 5,” Kosta replied.
“They’ll rule on Nov. 6,” Lydic said.
Lydic added that the issue is “complicated,” and justices have a “very difficult legal question” ahead of them.
“Can the president break the law any time he wants? Hard to say, hard to say,” she said.
“Constitutionally speaking, can he burn down the White House for insurance money? Can he set a bomb on a bus that’ll detonate if the bus goes below 50 miles per hour? Can he stick his penis in a barrel of warm coffee beans at Whole Foods? These are not easy questions to answer.”
“The Daily Show” correspondent Desi Lydic took aim at the Supreme Court on Thursday for facing a “very difficult legal question” with former President Donald Trump’s presidential immunity claim in his 2020 election interference case.
The former president argued that he’s immune from federal prosecution for alleged criminal acts he carried out while in office. The high court agreed Wednesday to hear arguments in the case on the week of April 22, further delaying a trial once set for March.
Guest host Michael Kosta noted that Election Day “isn’t that far off” before asking Lydic if she thinks the high court will rule on the matter soon.
“Well, Michael, that depends. When is Election Day?” Lydic said.
“Nov. 5,” Kosta replied.
“They’ll rule on Nov. 6,” Lydic said.
Lydic added that the issue is “complicated,” and justices have a “very difficult legal question” ahead of them.
“Can the president break the law any time he wants? Hard to say, hard to say,” she said.
“Constitutionally speaking, can he burn down the White House for insurance money? Can he set a bomb on a bus that’ll detonate if the bus goes below 50 miles per hour? Can he stick his penis in a barrel of warm coffee beans at Whole Foods? These are not easy questions to answer.”
Re: Some mirth
Many a true word spoken in jest.
Re: Some mirth
We were over at our old friends' house last week. He's an American from Duluth who has lived in Australia since 1975. He reminded me of this and how I showed it to him on YouTube in 2011 when they stayed with us in Vienna: we all got a huge laugh out of it then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2obfA8-XXs
When I walked into their house last Thursday he said, "Hey Sue, remember the nice smooooth drink!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2obfA8-XXs
When I walked into their house last Thursday he said, "Hey Sue, remember the nice smooooth drink!"
-
jserraglio
- Posts: 11954
- Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 7:06 am
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Re: Some mirth
ON COMEDY
In Calling Out Tucker Carlson, Jon Stewart Reminds Us He Has (Old-Fashioned) Skills
The comedian has always had a sharp Borscht Belt approach, but only in his return to “The Daily Show” can we see how he wields this style so expertly.
The New York Times
By Jason Zinoman
Published Feb. 26, 2024
Updated March 4, 2024
When it was announced that Jon Stewart was returning to “The Daily Show” every Monday, there was some understandable skepticism. His track record since leaving the program in 2015 has been spotty at best, including an HBO project that never aired and another on Apple TV+ that didn’t gain traction.
And yet, two weeks into his stint, Stewart has already done what seemed impossible: He has made “The Daily Show” relevant again.
Not only have ratings skyrocketed for Stewart, earning the biggest numbers since he left the show (including among young adult viewers, who went up 62 percent), but its rotating hosts have also benefited. Jordan Klepper and Desi Lydic, who each sat at the desk for three nights after Stewart, got more viewers than any guest host of the previous year. Maybe more important: Once again, people are talking — and grumbling — about “The Daily Show.” Along with plenty of critics on social media, Puck reported, many in the White House were paying close attention to Stewart’s first show.
Reboots of hits are often popular. And hosting weekly has meant that Stewart’s appearances are an event. But the first two shows revealed a simpler explanation for his swift success: Jon Stewart, who returns for a third one on Monday, is really good at this peculiar job. It’s an obvious point since he all but invented funny nightly political commentary. But it’s easy to forget what exactly he did so well; he was always overshadowed by the hype about him supposedly being the Walter Cronkite for a new generation, which never did him any favors.
Stewart didn’t just pioneer savvy and sometimes strident political humor on television. In a landscape dominated by tightly wound Midwestern gentiles (Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, David Letterman), he brought a ruthlessly populist Borscht Belt sensibility to late night.
After running a clip of Carlson picking up a loaf of bread, taking a whiff and looking ecstatic, the camera cut to Stewart’s eye-popping expression as he held an awkward silence and looked distinctly uncomfortable. His mugging here was more than just “Look at this idiot.” It was hinting at something without saying it, that there was something weird about Carlson’s enthusiasm. With great patience, he held the moment longer, and just when the idea of something sexual popped into your head, he said, “I’d hate to think what would have happened if he found a bagel.”
At that moment, the image of Tucker Carlson humping poppy-seeded bread flooded minds everywhere. Stewart himself cracked up, and he wasn’t the only one. There are few things more popular than a dumb joke smartly done. The way his timing got the audience to inch toward the punchline before he uttered it boosted the laugh, adding to the storied Jewish comic tradition of sex with food, ranging from “Portnoy’s Complaint” to that classic “Seinfeld” episode when George tries to combine his two passions by eating a pastrami sandwich while making love. (Jerry: “So how’s the fornicating gourmet?”)
Stewart is a funny stand-up but a better television performer. He understands that in this intimate medium, language can be less powerful than a tiny shift of expression. No one in late night has gotten more out of mugging. For 16 years on “The Daily Show,” he aired a clip of a politician or media figure saying something stupid, made a face and earned laughs. His rubbery expressions were broad, belonging more to the tradition of Carol Burnett than Carson. And if they began to seem a little formulaic, even cheap, that may underestimate the art of the mug.
He picked up skills from Letterman, who frequently walked up to the camera, stared at it and spied on us while we gazed at him. In his first show back, Stewart broke the fourth wall by asking the camera operator to move closer and closer to stare at his face again. He was making a point about elderly politicians, but he did it by saying very little. His grizzled visage spoke more plainly.
There’s something old-fashioned about his comic style, a ba-da-bump in his cadence, a touch of vaudeville in his pivots. On the same episode, he even told a Polish joke. No one on television does that anymore. But just because this kind of thing is out of step doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.
Stewart’s political instincts also seem to date from a less polarized time.
Whereas in the past he would brush off criticism by saying he was just joking, he took a slightly different tack in his return. He built criticism into his first episode, having Klepper and the correspondent Dulce Sloan mock his return, but he also highlighted negative posts on X arguing that he was creating a false equivalency by worrying over President Biden’s age as a factor in the election: “I guess as the famous saying goes: Democracy dies in discussion,” he said.
The discussion part of the show, though, is most in need of improvement. His first two interviews, with sober journalists, felt rushed and awkward. In a change since he last hosted, political voices rarely disagree on these shows anymore. But some of Stewart’s finest moments have been in dialogue or debate. His skewering of Jim Cramer stands out. The best and most viral moments on his Apple series came when he took a prosecutorial approach to politicians.
In explaining Carlson’s generous treatment of Russia, Stewart argued that on the right, the old framework of capitalist vs. Communist had given way to a new one of woke vs. unwoke.
Indeed, since he left “The Daily Show,” a small army of comic political voices, including the popular podcaster Joe Rogan and scandal-plagued stand-ups like Roseanne Barr and Russell Brand, has focused on mocking wokeness. Stewart used to regularly engage Fox News and CNN, but the players in this crowded field, who often blur lines between comedy and punditry, are also inheritors of Stewart’s legacy, which raised the political stature of comedians in our culture. Whether Stewart chooses to engage with them will be interesting to watch this year.
Stewart finished his take on Carlson by pointing to the death of Aleksei A. Navalny and the crackdown on those mourning him in Russia. He said that Russian subways and supermarkets may be nicer than the ones in America, but that came at “the literal price of freedom.”
It was a reminder that Stewart can often sound more like a politician than a comic. He has an earnest patriotic streak that like his mugging can come off as a little corny, but that is also part of his appeal.
One of the critical moments in his career was his first monologue after Sept. 11. Bill Maher, the only current talk show host who has been doing political comedy on television longer than Stewart, lost his ABC show, “Politically Incorrect,” after favorably comparing the courage of those who fly planes into buildings with those who drop missiles from a distance.
Three nights later, Stewart made a point of rejecting those who would praise any part of the attack, then ended a sober speech on a hopeful note, pointing out that the view from his apartment was no longer the World Trade Center, but the Statue of Liberty. “You can’t beat that,” he said. A biography of Stewart was titled “Angry Optimist.” The idea of an optimistic show about today’s politics, well, that makes me laugh.
In Calling Out Tucker Carlson, Jon Stewart Reminds Us He Has (Old-Fashioned) Skills
The comedian has always had a sharp Borscht Belt approach, but only in his return to “The Daily Show” can we see how he wields this style so expertly.
The New York Times
By Jason Zinoman
Published Feb. 26, 2024
Updated March 4, 2024
When it was announced that Jon Stewart was returning to “The Daily Show” every Monday, there was some understandable skepticism. His track record since leaving the program in 2015 has been spotty at best, including an HBO project that never aired and another on Apple TV+ that didn’t gain traction.
And yet, two weeks into his stint, Stewart has already done what seemed impossible: He has made “The Daily Show” relevant again.
Not only have ratings skyrocketed for Stewart, earning the biggest numbers since he left the show (including among young adult viewers, who went up 62 percent), but its rotating hosts have also benefited. Jordan Klepper and Desi Lydic, who each sat at the desk for three nights after Stewart, got more viewers than any guest host of the previous year. Maybe more important: Once again, people are talking — and grumbling — about “The Daily Show.” Along with plenty of critics on social media, Puck reported, many in the White House were paying close attention to Stewart’s first show.
Reboots of hits are often popular. And hosting weekly has meant that Stewart’s appearances are an event. But the first two shows revealed a simpler explanation for his swift success: Jon Stewart, who returns for a third one on Monday, is really good at this peculiar job. It’s an obvious point since he all but invented funny nightly political commentary. But it’s easy to forget what exactly he did so well; he was always overshadowed by the hype about him supposedly being the Walter Cronkite for a new generation, which never did him any favors.
Stewart didn’t just pioneer savvy and sometimes strident political humor on television. In a landscape dominated by tightly wound Midwestern gentiles (Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, David Letterman), he brought a ruthlessly populist Borscht Belt sensibility to late night.
After running a clip of Carlson picking up a loaf of bread, taking a whiff and looking ecstatic, the camera cut to Stewart’s eye-popping expression as he held an awkward silence and looked distinctly uncomfortable. His mugging here was more than just “Look at this idiot.” It was hinting at something without saying it, that there was something weird about Carlson’s enthusiasm. With great patience, he held the moment longer, and just when the idea of something sexual popped into your head, he said, “I’d hate to think what would have happened if he found a bagel.”
At that moment, the image of Tucker Carlson humping poppy-seeded bread flooded minds everywhere. Stewart himself cracked up, and he wasn’t the only one. There are few things more popular than a dumb joke smartly done. The way his timing got the audience to inch toward the punchline before he uttered it boosted the laugh, adding to the storied Jewish comic tradition of sex with food, ranging from “Portnoy’s Complaint” to that classic “Seinfeld” episode when George tries to combine his two passions by eating a pastrami sandwich while making love. (Jerry: “So how’s the fornicating gourmet?”)
Stewart is a funny stand-up but a better television performer. He understands that in this intimate medium, language can be less powerful than a tiny shift of expression. No one in late night has gotten more out of mugging. For 16 years on “The Daily Show,” he aired a clip of a politician or media figure saying something stupid, made a face and earned laughs. His rubbery expressions were broad, belonging more to the tradition of Carol Burnett than Carson. And if they began to seem a little formulaic, even cheap, that may underestimate the art of the mug.
He picked up skills from Letterman, who frequently walked up to the camera, stared at it and spied on us while we gazed at him. In his first show back, Stewart broke the fourth wall by asking the camera operator to move closer and closer to stare at his face again. He was making a point about elderly politicians, but he did it by saying very little. His grizzled visage spoke more plainly.
There’s something old-fashioned about his comic style, a ba-da-bump in his cadence, a touch of vaudeville in his pivots. On the same episode, he even told a Polish joke. No one on television does that anymore. But just because this kind of thing is out of step doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.
Stewart’s political instincts also seem to date from a less polarized time.
Whereas in the past he would brush off criticism by saying he was just joking, he took a slightly different tack in his return. He built criticism into his first episode, having Klepper and the correspondent Dulce Sloan mock his return, but he also highlighted negative posts on X arguing that he was creating a false equivalency by worrying over President Biden’s age as a factor in the election: “I guess as the famous saying goes: Democracy dies in discussion,” he said.
The discussion part of the show, though, is most in need of improvement. His first two interviews, with sober journalists, felt rushed and awkward. In a change since he last hosted, political voices rarely disagree on these shows anymore. But some of Stewart’s finest moments have been in dialogue or debate. His skewering of Jim Cramer stands out. The best and most viral moments on his Apple series came when he took a prosecutorial approach to politicians.
In explaining Carlson’s generous treatment of Russia, Stewart argued that on the right, the old framework of capitalist vs. Communist had given way to a new one of woke vs. unwoke.
Indeed, since he left “The Daily Show,” a small army of comic political voices, including the popular podcaster Joe Rogan and scandal-plagued stand-ups like Roseanne Barr and Russell Brand, has focused on mocking wokeness. Stewart used to regularly engage Fox News and CNN, but the players in this crowded field, who often blur lines between comedy and punditry, are also inheritors of Stewart’s legacy, which raised the political stature of comedians in our culture. Whether Stewart chooses to engage with them will be interesting to watch this year.
Stewart finished his take on Carlson by pointing to the death of Aleksei A. Navalny and the crackdown on those mourning him in Russia. He said that Russian subways and supermarkets may be nicer than the ones in America, but that came at “the literal price of freedom.”
It was a reminder that Stewart can often sound more like a politician than a comic. He has an earnest patriotic streak that like his mugging can come off as a little corny, but that is also part of his appeal.
One of the critical moments in his career was his first monologue after Sept. 11. Bill Maher, the only current talk show host who has been doing political comedy on television longer than Stewart, lost his ABC show, “Politically Incorrect,” after favorably comparing the courage of those who fly planes into buildings with those who drop missiles from a distance.
Three nights later, Stewart made a point of rejecting those who would praise any part of the attack, then ended a sober speech on a hopeful note, pointing out that the view from his apartment was no longer the World Trade Center, but the Statue of Liberty. “You can’t beat that,” he said. A biography of Stewart was titled “Angry Optimist.” The idea of an optimistic show about today’s politics, well, that makes me laugh.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests