Miss Me Yet? --Barack Obama

At last, a meme around this subject that can be answered with an affirmative YES!

Some may say "too soon" (in fact The Other Half did). Not me. Missed the moment I knew he was being replaced by an unqualified, sociopathic narcissist.

Daily Show: Jon Stewart Distracted by Squirrel TRUMP!

Hilariously funny. Jon Stewart won't just be missed after his retirement, he will practically be <i>mourned.</i>  As for Trump? Jon is right, though my delight in watching this outsized fool being himself, and garnering so much attention, sucking the oxygen out of the rest of the presidential race, I'm almost equally embarrassed as an American. If there is a clearer depiction of the road to Idiocracy, I haven't seen it.

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes,  More Daily Show Videos,  Comedy Central Full Episodes

President Obama's Final Visit to The Daily Show

Despite joking that he'd author an executive order to retain Jon Stewart forcibly to remain host of The Daily Show, Tuesday night was President Barack Obama's final appearance on the show. Stewart will depart as host in less than three weeks, leaving a rather large hole in the political humor universe. This interview shows just how difficult Stewart will be to replace, given the deft blend of humor and information provided. I'm gonna miss both of these guys.

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes,  More Daily Show Videos,  Comedy Central Full Episodes

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes,  More Daily Show Videos,  Comedy Central Full

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes,  More Daily Show Videos,  Comedy Central Full Episodes

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes,  More Daily Show Videos,  Comedy Central Full Episodes

The Daily Show
Daily Show Full Episodes,  More Daily Show Videos,  Comedy Central Full Episodes

Episode

Berkeley Breathed Bringing Back Bloom County?

Trump-themed Bloom County strip from late
in its run.

There has to be a catch. It's got to be too good to be true. My bookshelf is stuffed with the published works of three retired--and brilliant--cartoonists. The complete library editions of The Far Side by Gary Larson, Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson and Bloom County/Outland/Opus by Berkeley Breathed even made the 2,500 mile journey from Las Vegas last winter when we moved, even when other prized possessions didn't make the cut. Since those three artists quit contributing to it, the funny pages have been an insipid wasteland for the most part. And the world is poorer for it.

But as you can see, one of them has a tendency to come out of retirement. Breathed didn't just have one strip, and he didn't only retire once. He's returned before. The first time was a semi-retirement, when he literally put Bloom County out to pasture, but kept the Sunday space in the paper for the Outland spin-off. The daily dose was gone, and the familiar feel was largely replace with the surreal, but there was enough left to enjoy. Then he fully retired from the comics, leaving heartbroken fans to re-read the collected editions for seven or eight years. Then, in the early 2000s, he came back and brought Opus with him. Still Sundays only, and this time with high artistic flair. Even so, Opus, like Outland, soon came to feel like a proper Bloom County sequel. And then, Berke pulled the rug out from under us again. Three finales, we've lived through!

Through the wonders of the internet, and social media, there have been little nuggets to follow in recent years. But a boulder dropped this morning: Bloom County 2015. Can it be true? Could Donald Trump's run for president (after decades of threats) have been enough to drag Opus & Co. out of the boarding house, and into our newspapers, or at least computer screens? It looks like it, yes.

Image from source, Huffington Post

But there's got to be a catch. I know there must be. Whether it's a limited run, sporadic in nature, comes in binge-worthy Netflix-style batches, or one every so often, Breathed fans will eat them all up. But I'm going to enjoy them for what they are, and not get my hopes up too high. I won't count on a library edition-sized book version of the new strip to accompany the rest. But if it should ever amount to that, you can be sure it will find a home there.

Thanks to my friend Tracy for the tip.

[Excerpt]

'Bloom County' Comic Strip Is Coming Back
 
The iconic 1980s comic strip "Bloom County" is coming back after ending more than 25 years ago. Berkeley Breathed, creator of the Pulitzer Prize-winning strip, posted an image on Facebook of himself working on a strip called "Bloom County 2015" with the beginnings of what appears to be Opus the Penguin. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

David Letterman Out of Retirement to Give Top Ten Facts About Donald Trump!

David Letterman's Last "Top Ten" List Best One Ever

The Late Show with David Letterman aired its final episode last night, and was--I thought--pretty much a perfect ending. CBS has already run a tribute special on Dave's career, so last night mostly veered away from mawkish sentimentality, and instead hewed to its usual self-deprecating style. This was clear in the star-studded, host-skewering, final Top Ten List.
 

Personally, I ceased being a regular Letterman watcher not because of anything against Dave or the show, but because of the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert one-two punch, but I very often clicked over afterward to catch the last bit or so. . .until Comedy Central started @Midnight. That said, whenever Jon and Stephen were in reruns, Dave was my backup plan. And I often sought him out via DVR or the internet when he had on great guests, like Rachel Maddow (who did manage a montage shout-out last night, along with Keith Olbermann). Whenever I did catch the show, it was still as good as I remembered. Amazing, really, that they managed to hold the same offbeat vibe from the original Late Night all the way through to the last show. It was a great run.

Harry Shearer Quitting The Simpsons

Image from source, CNN

Well, this was inevitable. For show that has been on for over 25 years (with characters that have been around longer than that), sooner or later, an major voice actor was bound to retire, die or quit. Harry Shearer's characters (perhaps only surpassed in number by Hank Azaria's) are too central to The Simpsons to kill them all off, or write them out. So, as was bound to happen, Shearer will be replaced. Very probably by multiple voice actors, rather than just one, as Mel Blanc was. Of course, Mr. Smithers, Mr. Burns, Seymour Skinner, Otto Mann, Dr. Hibbert, Reverend Lovejoy and Ned Flanders all have a distinctively Shearer sound to them, so maybe one guy could do them all, though I'd bet FOX would rather pay two or three guys a few hundred grand a piece rather than depend upon one guy again.

Anyway, Shearer has been instrumental to the success of the show, and will be missed, though you've got to imagine that The Simpsons in its current incarnation has to end altogether, eventually. Like The Flintstones and other popular cartoons, it will almost certainly live on in other formats, and with wholly different actors at some point. Shearer will likely start a slow exodus that leads to the end of the original series though. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict Season 30.

[Excerpt]

'Simpsons' Mr. Burns walking away from $14 million deal
 
"As the Simpsons continues its 27th and 28th seasons, Harry Shearer will not be within the show," showrunner Al Jean said in an email message to CNNMoney. Besides the evil Mr. Burns, Shearer also voices Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, the Rev. Lovejoy and Kent Brockman. "We do not plan to 'kill off' his characters," Jean added, "but replace them with the most talented members of the voice over community. . ."

Read more at: CNN

Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid Will Not Seek Re-election

As a former Nevadan, I have a love-hate relationship with Harry Reid. No, wait, that really isn't right. Harry doesn't ever really inspire hatred in me, only frustration. He's famously milquetoasty, and can come off as weak and whiny. If you follow him at all, you know he's quite capable of being fiercely defiant, steadfast and resolute when he needs to be, but always with his quiet, Mormon demeanor. At his angriest, Harry is like a really annoyed schnauzer or something, he could bite and do damage, but he's not particularly scary about it.

There have been times in the past, where he pulled a maneuver that had me standing up and cheering, "THAT'S my senator!" and as many or more times when I was annoyed that he let the likes of Mitch McConnell steamroller him. Worse, Harry is a true old-guard member of Congress, who respects the traditions and history and storied past of both chambers. He has a romantic notion of what the Senate was, what it could/should have been, often to the detriment of the reality of the situation. He's never been the villain that Right Wing World tries to make him out to be, and I think Rush Limbaugh's nickname for him--"Dingy Harry"--belies that notion. He was a wax-coated, non-venomous thorn in their sides, that's all.

I don't blame him for retiring. His last election was terribly bruising, and he came a hair's breath from losing to a supreme nutjob named Sharron Angle. In recent years, the bruising has been quite literal, up to and including a gym accident that broke bones in his face, and threatened his vision. I'd quit too, enjoy the time he has left, and leave the shambles that Congress has become to others. But Nevada will certainly drop in its Congressional power level. And I'm not sure either party has a candidate who is a sure thing to replace him. I'm sure they'll pull Angle and Chicken Lady Sue Lowden out of mothballs, to give it a go. Has John Ensign lived down his sordid affair yet? I can't even think of a Democrat who they might put up, though Dina Titus will likely give it a shot, and Shelley Berkley may not be so far out of the public's consciousness to give it another try.

Either way, good luck Harry. Ride off into that gorgeous Nevada sunset. Just don't fall off the horse any more!


Read: Reid won’t seek re-election to Senate in 2016

 

Jon Stewart to Leave The Daily Show

This is a day many fans have long feared. After the exodus (or planned exodus) of luminaries like Stephen Colbert and David Letterman (and to a lesser extent, Craig Ferguson) from their groundbreaking late night shows, Jon Stewart is leaving The Daily Show. This one probably hurts the most, as Stewart is a nexus of sorts for pop culture, humor, news and politics. He brought it all together, particularly for liberals and progressives.

I dare say, neither The Daily Show/Comedy Central (whatever becomes of the franchise), nor Stewart himself, will eclipse what they've achieved with the program. A new star may be born, of course (and John Oliver may be sorry he jumped ship). But the gravitas Stewart earned in that chair, and the zeitgeist that formed around it will be difficult for any involved to ever recreate. What it does, is open the door for the new The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to take off, unencumbered by competition from his previous boss. I'm hopeful that Samantha Bee and Jason Jones, along with the fleet of amazing writers at The Daily Show either manage to rebuild and/or maintain some of the brilliance Stewart managed to deliver. But I fear without him as a linchpin, this moment in American pop culture just may be coming to a close.

[Excerpt]

Jon Stewart Leaving 'The Daily Show'



Jon Stewart will step down as host of "The Daily Show," he announced during Tuesday night's taping. Comedy Central confirmed the news in a tweet.
 
Stewart has been at the helm of the beloved satirical news program for over 15 years. He will continue hosting the show until later this year. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Liberal Talker Randi Rhodes Retires Today

Sigh. Yes, I know that Barbara Walters is retiring today. And as a pop culture icon, journalist and celebrity interviewer, Walters has really left a mark. If only the Saturday Night Live parodies of her were to be remembered, she would have really made it! But Barbara is nearing 85, so her retirement is no surprise.

Randi Rhodes, a liberal radio host with close to a 30-year career is also retiring today. And while she's not as well known to the American public, I'll miss her more. I understand that if you're a conservative, if you know of Rhodes at all, you probably have a negative impression of her. That's to be understood, because the only things you'd have heard would have been from right-wing sources. But Randi is not the liberal Rush Limbaugh. As brash and perhaps even abrasive as she might occasionally be, Randi never intentionally mislead her audience, or twisted a news story into  a pretzel in order to somehow blame the right for something.

In fact, routinely, Randi tells her audience that she knows the company she keeps on the radio dial, and that we shouldn't trust her contemporaries, or indeed she herself, and to do our homework. In fact, on her web site were homework links. Links to every important story she was discussing. I'm going to miss her a lot. As much as I love The Stephanie Miller Show, appreciate Thom Hartmann, and tolerate Ed Schultz, there's no one like Randi Rhodes. It's going to leave a hole in my day.

I've been listening since mid-2004, shortly after the 5-year experiment of Air America Radio started. Looking for The O'Franken Factor, less for its political content than because I was a fan of Al Franken, I found Randi Rhodes. And I've listened every work day since. On my computer of course, since Las Vegas has never had an outlet that airs liberal talk, though we can field more than one conservative station. And there's the rub. That's a big chunk of why Randi Rhodes is leaving while still at the top of her game: why put in 60-hour weeks of show prep, time on the air, and follow-up on the web site, when your outlets have dwindled to barely double-digits? As a hobbyist blogger, I get it. Why pump that much time and effort into something that has such a shrinking audience?

I've disagreed with Randi on several topics, so I'm no Rhodes ditto head. She has a dim view of bloggers, and other punditry. She has a dim view of people like Rachel Maddow and Franken, who used radio as a stepping-stone to career enrichment, rather than trying to grow liberal radio. But I'd be worried about myself if I found myself in 100% agreement with a radio host. And that's something I really dug about Randi: she makes you think, and occasionally scream back at the radio. She's engaging. And I doubt she'd ever have pulled a Rush, and made merchandise like bumperstickers saying, "Randi's Right!" or tell people they need no other source for news.

So, if you happen to be free and near a computer at 3:00 pm Eastern/Noon Pacific, tune into IHeart.com, and type Randi Rhodes in the search box. It's her last show. I'm recording it. And I'm really going to miss her. Randi, I hope you get some rest, enjoy your time off, and then return in some way, perhaps writing a--horrors--blog of your own, or at least calling into Steph's show on occasion, or even as a regular bit?

David Letterman Set to Retire

Dave with Betty White, coincidentally, also a Mary
Tyler Moore costar. Image from source, Huffington Post.

Back in the 1970s, America's Sweetheart, Mary Tyler Moore had a critically-acclaimed and massively popular sitcom, called (oddly enough) The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Then she quit, and the show ended while on top. But Mary wasn't tired of TV, she just wanted to do a variety show, and so she did, called (oddly enough) Mary. This show was neither critically-acclaimed, nor massively popular. But it had one very important ingredient: repertory player David Letterman.

A couple years later, somebody realized that Dave was a talented and funny guy. There was a big media campaign to get us to watch the daytime series, The David Letterman Show (where do they get these names?). It tanked, fast. But somehow, the schmucks behind the scenes at NBC realized they had something on their hands, and they created Late Night with David Letterman, to follow The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. It was a cult hit right off the bat, and became a late night institution.

I am old enough to remember all of the above. Though I don't think I caught much of Mary or Dave's original daytime show, I was enough of a pop culture sponge to have seen both, and was up on the stories behind them. And I watched Late Night from episode one.  I followed Dave to CBS when NBC snubbed him for Jay Leno. And though I long ago became a Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, I still often catch Dave on Fridays, on Daily Show/Colbert Report rerun weeks, and whenever he has Rachel Maddow on! So, congratulations to Dave Letterman on three-plus very successful decades on late night TV. I'll miss him when he goes, even if I don't always watch.

[Excerpt]

David Letterman Retiring After 33 Years As Late Night Host
 
David Letterman is retiring in 2015 after 33 years as a late night host. Letterman announced the news during a taping of Thursday's episode of "Late Show." He called CBS president Leslie Moonves before the program, "And I said ‘Leslie, it’s been great, you’ve been great, and the network has been great, but I’m retiring.'" The late night host explained that "Moonves, he and I have had a relationship for years and years and years, and we have had this conversation in the past, and we agreed that we would work together on this circumstance and the timing of this circumstance. . ."

Read more at: Huffington Post


And here is a video from Mary with the star singing "With a Little Luck" with her cast, including David Letterman, Swoozie Kurtz and David Letterman. It's pretty bad.

 

HS Secretary Janet Napolitano Stepping Down

Image from source, Washington Post

Good luck to her. I think she's been a good person in the job, but her installation there has given us a) Governor Jan Brewer in Arizona, and b) endless remarks from Right Wing World, calling her "Big Sis." Listen, I know that we on the left have our terminology for things. But do we think we're being funny and clever the zillionth time we say something? Okay, "tea baggers" is still funny. . .

[Excerpt]

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stepping down to run UC system

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, who has served in President Obama’s Cabinet since Day One of his administration, announced Friday that she would step down to become president of the University of California system. . .

Read more at: Washington Post

Crazy Eyes, Remixed

Video found (and headline stolen from) JoeMyGod.com

A Michele Bachmann Retrospective

Today, I did something I do every so often. I made a comment on a conservative site. This isn't always possible, as many of them are strictly moderated and do not tolerate dissent. NewsBusters, the site I visited, does allow comments. They are moderated, but much less strictly than, say, FreeRepublic, where I've never successfully posted something. My visit was strictly curiosity to see what they were belly aching about today, after I ran a piece on them the day before.

The one item that caught my eye was a whine that sex advice columnist Dan Savage had made an "offensive" tweet. It was, in full: "Good riddance to batshit rubbish," with a link to a story about Michele Bachmann's retirement announcement. I found the statement amusing, and after retweeting it myself, I made this comment to their complaints about Savage's tweet: "Oh, lighten up. Michele is famous primarily for her loonyness. And for her husband, Liberace."

Now see, I thought I was being cute and light, especially for including a recent cultural reference to the Behind the Candelabra movie. But I forgot that NewsBusters isn't polite company. It isn't a mixed forum for all audiences. It isn't even this blog, where I occasionally get irate right-wing comments. It's an acid bath of festering rage. All dissent must not just be answered, it must be attacked and destroyed. Commenters at site don't say "hi," they have their fangs and claws bared at the first hint that you are not one of them! And for a group of (mostly) homophobes, they were especially put out that I made fun of Marcus Bachman for um. . .his. . .well, obvious contradictions.

I'd like to say I held my own, and other than one largely for effect rant, I even kept my responses even-tempered for the most part. They, um. . .do not. But before I get too far off tangent, let me say that Right Wing World sees Michele Bachmann as a hero. I don't know why. I don't know what the heck they see in her (and her cartoonish husband) that inspires such allegiance, but for all of their charges of "Obamabots," they sure can get all "Mama

Bear" about their heroes. When I pointed out that Bachmann is only well known because she is daffy, prone to mistakes, and often says outrageous things. They wanted proof (!). I provided it, but it was from a left leaning site, so they wouldn't even discuss it. On their archly right wing site. Sigh.

At this point, we'd strayed pretty far into tangents (I mean why is NewsBusters "busting" a sex advice columnist anyway?), but this had at least put it back on track. But this is my blog, and I don't find it necessary to do intensive research from strictly non-partisan sources about all the batshit things to come out of Bachmann's mouth. Not with a case so obvious. They wouldn't accept my sources anyway, no matter how good they are. I've been down that road before. But if you're curious why Ms. Bachmann has such a reputation, please watch this video from an admittedly liberal but factual source.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Blast from the Past: Michele Bachmann Gets the Bad Lip Reading Treatment

I know that Michele Bachmann still technically has a year and a half to go to finish out her last term. But on this, her retirement announcement day, I feel moved to revisit some of the fun things about Marcus' best gal. This is a funny one from during the 2012 election, when Bachmann actually seemed to have a shot at winning the Republican nomination.

Leonard Nimoy Retires from Star Trek Conventions

Image from source, Space.com

I honestly can't recall if I've seen Leonard Nimoy in person or not. Back in the early nineties, I attended a few of them, but that was the heyday of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, so the original stars were just icing on the cake, if they showed up. I remember seeing Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (Nurse Chapel, Lwaxana Troi), James Doohan (Scotty), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) and George Takai. But Nimoy or even Shatner? I really don't remember.

So, it's kind of sad that Leonard Nimoy is done with that sort of thing. Of course, he retired from acting too, then showed up on this year's Emmy Awards, so who knows? If he's still doing okay at 85, maybe he'll show up for a 50th anniversary of Star Trek.

[Excerpt]


Say It Ain't So, Spock! Leonard Nimoy Retires from 'Star Trek' Conventions

After a long and prosperous career, Leonard Nimoy, the actor who famously portrayed the alien Mr. Spock in the original "Star Trek" television show, has attended his last convention for fans of the iconic science fiction franchise, according to media reports. . .

Read more at: Space.com

Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link. 

Image from source, The Last Word

Oh, the Cult of Mac must be in full swoon at this news. I've always thought that Steve Jobs was pretty cool (in the 80s he was kind of adorkable), though I've had unpleasant run-ins with his company's followers. I think that without Jobs, the 2000s and beyond would look a bit different, and probably not as plugged in. And even if Apple has produced some ugly things (the toilet seat notebook), some things that didn't age well (the original jellybean iMac), and some irritating fans, they've also pushed the computer and media world along with them. It's doubtful I'd have an Android phone/music player without Steve Jobs.

[Excerpt]

Steve Jobs steps down from Apple

The man who brought us the iPod, iPad and those tiny white "buds" that snugly tuck inside ears is stepping down from his position as Apple CEO. Steve Jobs formally announced his resignation today, sending shock-waves through the tech and business world. . .

Read more at: The Last Word

What Happens in Vegas: Mayor Goodman Prepares to Say Goodbye

I've lived in Las Vegas for over 16 years, but I don't really live in Las Vegas. I live in Paradise Township, which is where you've actually been when you've visited the Las Vegas Strip. You have to get north of the (now defunct) Sahara to enter Las Vegas proper, and a lot of people never even get there.  The mayor of what is north of the strip is Oscar Goodman, you may have heard of him.

The happiest mayor in the universe,
with Holly Madison.

Oscar usually does little to dissuade people from thinking he's the mayor of the whole Las Vegas valley, and I don't blame him, really. And when you think about it, since most people don't know there's a difference, Goodman sort of does represent all of us here. And he's been an effective presence, certainly the most visible mayor in the country (unless one is currently in a sex scandal or something). We'll miss him. Of course, if his wife wins the upcoming election, we won't have to look very hard for him.

[Excerpt]

Las Vegas Mayor Goodman Reluctantly Says Goodbye

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman surveyed the piles of memorabilia spilling from his City Hall office: the bowling ball disguised as an olive, the diamond-studded bottle of gin, the Red Bull mini-refrigerator. It all must go, but he can't bring himself to start packing. . .

Read more at: 8NewsNow

Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

Joe Lieberman Finally Retiring

Other than for his support in getting Don't Ask, Don't Tell repealed, I've always had very little use for Joe Lieberman. Al Gore's selection of him as a running mate was perplexing, and arguably cost him one of the closest losses (even though it was a popular vote win, it must be noted) in presidential election history.  The only thing I'll miss is Jon Stewart's Droopy Dog impression of him.

[Excerpt]

Lieberman Will Not Run for Re-election

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman will announce on Wednesday that he will not seek a fifth term, according to a person he told of his decision.
Mr. Lieberman, whose term is up in 2012, chose to retire rather than risk being defeated, said the person, who spoke to the senator on Tuesday. . .
Read more at: New York Times

Dr. Laura Calls it Quits

Image from source, HuffPost

Well, she was long past her expiration date anyway, wasn't she?  You'd think that old West Wing clip would have put her in her place years ago.

[Excerpt]


Dr. Laura To END Radio Show After N-Word Rant


Dr. Laura Schlessinger announced Tuesday night that she would end her radio show following her N-word rant last week.


"My contract is up for my radio show at the end of the year and I've made the decision not to do radio anymore," she told Larry King. "The reason is I want to regain my First Amendment rights. I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful without somebody getting angry. . ."


Read more at: Huffington Post