Blast from the Past Extra: David Letterman's Holiday Film Festival, PMS: Pre-Menstrual Syndrome

This feature is usually presented on Sunday, where I come up with a theme, and present 8 or 10 videos on that theme. But while watching The Late Show with David Letterman, I remembered something. Back in the 80s, on the old Late Night with David Letterman on NBC, there were two "David Letterman's Holiday Film Festivals." They weren't holiday themed, but were short films by famous people, or at least famous people of the 80s. These films were too good for a micro-boxed compilation. They need to be presented singly, appreciated for what they are individually.

Here's one, on the subject of PMS (something that seemingly was discovered in the mid-80s), with two of the funniest women alive, Catherine O'Hara and Andrea Martin. Enjoy, and please be on the lookout for more from this series (or look for them on your own).

 

Right Wing World: Beirut Barracks vs. Benghazi

Everyone is aware that four Americans died in Benghazi, and nobody thinks their deaths are irrelevant. I say this to state the obvious, but also to avoid the claim that I'm disregarding their deaths. I'm not. But very few if any of the people raging about #Benghazi! are really trying to avenge those deaths. They're trying to claim political scalps. Denials of this fact are as transparent as the FOX "News" slogan, Fair & Balanced.

Proof comes from the lack of outrage at other presidential administrations who suffered similar--often worse--attacks at US installations overseas. As has been often stated, over sixty Americans died in such attacks during the previous administration. They made the news, but did not inspire outrage from Right Wing World, at least not toward the administrations in power at the time. What is different this time? And why the obsessive focus on Ambassador Susan Rice? Yes, her statements on the Sunday morning talk shows turned out to be partially incorrect (though she framed the information as tentative anyway). What that day has to do with today, I have no idea. Why her appearance is so much more interesting than, say, Dick Cheney going on the same shows, and citing a story he himself had sourced, saying that 9/11 was tied to Saddam Hussein. A flat-out lie, one with far worse ramifications, leading to an event far, far more deadly than Benghazi.

Image from source, The Daily Beast

So, excuse me if I call bullshit on Republican Benghazi outrage. I don't believe you. You wanted to stop President Obama's reelection with this, and you failed. Then--when you couldn't believe it failed--you kept banging the drum, hoping against hope that something, anything would stick. Not much did. So now, you're frothing at the mouth to either a) try to impeach Obama or b) thwart the election of Hillary Clinton. This has very little to do with the death of four Americans.

The excerpted article below is one of the best I've read on the subject of Benghazi. It points out that the sort of tragedy that happened in Benghazi used to be cause for rallying 'round the flag, and supporting the president, not attacking him. For drawing the country together, not using it as a political bludgeon. Think back, if you will, to the national reaction to 9/11, and then imagine if the exact same scenario happened under Obama. And then imagine how Republicans would respond. Not pretty, is it?

[Excerpt]

Beirut Barracks vs. Benghazi

One of the most maddening things about this Benghazi nonsense is the way Republicans have gotten a lot of Americans to go along with the idea that 10 investigations of something is normal; that as long as there’s one unanswered question, one area where the administration’s position is ambiguous or where its cooperation has been anything other than the immediate handing over of any conceivably related document, we still need to get to the bottom of matters. . .

Read more: Daily Beast

The Colbert Report Has a Replacement: Larry Wilmore

Image from source, Daily Beast

Not a bad choice, and not a predictable one either. I thought they'd go for Chris Hardwick, who's having quite a bit of success with his show, @Midnight, which airs right after The Colbert Report. But apparently, either Comedy Central didn't want to monkey around with that show, or more likely, Jon Stewart had more to say about who would replace Stephen Colbert than the network.

The Daily Show had a lengthy roster of regulars that could have handled the gig, including Jason Jones, Samantha Bee and Kristen Schaal. But Larry Wilmore, while not as knee-slappingly funny as those choices, is consistently funny, and a bit more substantial. It also makes him one of the only non-white males in late night, though he is still male. I wonder where Chelsea Handler is going to turn up.

[Excerpt]

Meet Larry Wilmore, Stephen Colbert’s Replacement and Host of the New Series ‘The Minority Report’

The most recent development in late night’s version of Game of Thrones will see Wilmore, who serves as The Daily Show’s “Senior Black Correspondent,” take over the post-Daily Show 11:30 pm ET time slot now occupied by The Colbert Report. Wilmore’s show will be called The Minority Report with Larry Wilmore and the move, which comes in the wake of Colbert taking over David Letterman’s Late Show on CBS, will go into effect in January 2015. . .

Read more at: The Daily Beast

The Difference Between Conservative and Liberal Rich Donors

Well, I've had a combination of a busy week, and a general malaise over current events. You probably can tell, if you scroll through my recent posts that there aren't very many. Sorry about that, I'll try to get inspired. In the meantime, here's a great piece on a subject I've written a lot about: Rich donors, and the difference between right and left wing versions of them.

[Excerpt]

What’s The Difference Between Wealthy (Koch) Republicans And (Soros) Democrats?
 
The billionaire Koch brothers have been corrupting democracy for decades. Their labyrinthine web of front groups toil 24/7 to distort the facts on issues like climate change, voter suppression, gun control, and taxes. And if that collection of topics sounds familiar, it’s because the Kochs almost single-handedly created the Tea Party (with PR help from Fox News) to push their views on those subjects unto a gullible sector of the American populace. . .

Read more at: NewsCorpse

The Gay Thing: HGTV Cancels Plans for Show Due to Homophobic Hosts

When I was a kid, it wasn't rare for people to say wildly racist things, out loud, and without much concern for who heard it. Sometime between the mid-70s and the mid-80s, overt racism had to come more covert. We segued into "think it, but don't say it." You'd still get a drunken uncle letting the n-word fly, and be startled by an older person saying "darkie." But over a period of years, it became a no-no. Now, it's exceedingly rare for someone to be blatantly racist, and when they are, it tends to make news.

Looks like that's happening now with LGBT issues. Though it will no doubt enrage the anti-gay right, we have a new example of how it's just not cool to be openly homophobic, and still get to be on the tee-vee machine. Especially when it's a channel like HGTV, known as "Host is Gay TV" for years now. It's a bit ironic too, because the guys in question here would have drawn the eyeballs of a number of gay viewers, if they weren't so openly bigoted.

So pretty. And such douches. Image from source, Raw Story.

[Excerpt]

HGTV calls off show starring twins who hate gays, Muslims, divorce, and public schools
 
HGTV abruptly called off a new reality show featuring twin brothers who have organized prayer rallies against LGBT and reproductive rights and compared same-sex marriage to Nazi Germany. “Flip It Forward,” which was scheduled to premier in October, was supposed to feature David and Jason Benham as they helped families buy, repair, and sell real estate. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Unexpected Work Night: No Blogging Updates

Sometimes it happens when you have two jobs: you have to shift work to a weeknight, and your hobby gets the heave-ho! If I stumble upon something between now and Wednesday night, I'll post it. If not, I'll see you then!

Lindsey Graham's Dick Cheney-Style Sourcing on Benghazi

Southern belle Lindsey Graham has been a Benghazi! shouting machine for a year and a half, determined to make it the next "fetch." So much so, that he's resorted to circular, Dick Cheney-style sourcing when he's gone on the--wait for it--very same Sunday shows the right wing is so obsessed with, regarding Susan Rice. You know how it works. You give a reporter info, she makes it a story, then you relentlessly tout the story as proof of your info! Like magic!
 

Daily Show: Bullet Points Over Benghazi

Made of awesome, and spot on.

The Daily Show
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The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

SCOTUS Allows State-sponsored Religion. . .?

History, as some see it.

As an atheist, I have often been irritated by situations in which I basically have to go to church. I don't mean weddings, funerals, or being nice to my mother-in-law at Christmas. I mean non-church settings where there is prayer, or other invocations of God/Jesus. Mostly I roll with it (while doing a lot of eye-rolling). Occasionally, I'll grumble about it under my breath. I'm not offended by such displays, I'm just alternatively bored, embarrassed or just in an utter state of disbelief (pun intended). I just find them at best, silly. Silly like praying to The Great Gazoo.

But the silliness is worse when it is promoted by the government. Pretty clearly, the founding fathers intended a wall of separation between church and state. They did not want state sponsored religion. Still, mostly, I roll with it. Though I believe "In God We Trust," "God Bless America," and "One Nation, Under God" to be utterly pointless and meaningless, I also know that these things are drenched in tradition and emotion for a lot of people. I can endure it, even though I believe them to be unconstitutional when inserted on money, or in laws.

Others take this stuff more seriously, and literally make a federal case of it. And I kind of wish they wouldn't, at least as long as we have a conservative court. Because with the current SCOTUS, I knew they'd find a way to somehow twist logic to make overt Christian prayers led by elected officials to be okay, even though they're clearly not. Just like "God" on the money is somehow not religious (but also for some reason is demanded by the religious to be there), I knew they'd pull this. So, it would have been better just to leave it alone, rather than having it enshrined in law.

But, Christians, I wouldn't be partying too heartily. You are not the only religion. And one of these days, you might find yourself in a situation where you--like me--are bowing your head to the prayers of others. Muslims or Hindus or Scientologists or Satanists or Wiccans or Pastafarians. Just wait. Then, maybe you'll get a taste of what it feels like.

[Excerpt]

The Supreme Court Just Blew A Gaping Hole In The Wall Of Separation Between Church And State

Town of Greece v. Galloway is the case that proponents of the separation of church and state have feared every since Justice Sandra Day O’Connor left the Supreme Court in 2006. It strikes at the heart of the constitutional prohibition on government endorsement of religious doctrine or belief. And it brings religious conservatives within inches of a victory they have sought for more than two decades. For the sort of people who believe America should be a “Christian nation,” today is a today to celebrate. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Gun Fetishists Creep Out Texas Restaurant Staff

 

I've long called extreme gun nuts "gun fetishists." Recently, I saw the term ammosexuals, and that really made me laugh, because it fits right in. I myself have always been Switzerland as it concerns guns and gun rights. But more and more, as the gun nuts (and let's be clear, I'm not talking about all gun owners here) get nuttier and nuttier, I'm finding my neutral position more difficult to defend. Take this goofy bunch in Texas. Please.

[Excerpt]

Pro-Gun Lunatics Scare the Crap out of Fort Worth Restaurant Staff
 
So, imagine the following scenario: you're at work at a fast food place, just trying to get through your shift, like any other day. You spot a whole bunch of guys carrying assault weaponry right in front of the restaurant. What do you do? For the employees of one Fort Worth, Texas Jack in the Box, the answer was "hide in the goddamn freezer and call the cops." That seems like a pretty reasonable course of action to me, all things considered. When a bunch of crazy white dudes with assault rifles weapons start wandering through the parking lot, it's best not to ask questions before trying to get the f**k away. . .

Read more at: Kitchenette

Fishin' Benghazi (A Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

When I saw that "Benghazi" was trending on Twitter several times this weekend, at first I gave it a hard eye-roll. Then, I wondered if maybe this time there was some sort of real reason for the flurry of interest. Then, it turns out, the whole flurry of Right Wing World excitement was again focused on the Sunday morning chat show appearances of former Ambassador Susan Rice.

I still have zero understanding (along with Hillary Clinton) what difference, at this point, does it make? It is not still five days after the Benghazi attack. What Rice had to say--no matter what she had to say--is not still being said. If she straight-up lied that Sunday morning, who gives a flip? I mean really. Meet the FOX Nation This Week shows are about spin, and always have been. How many times have Lindsey Graham, Darrell Issa or John McCain gone on those shows and either been misleading or outright dishonest? Somebody please explain this obsessive focus on that one particular Sunday? Thank you. Now, let's point and laugh.

 

Blast from the Past: Novelty Songs that were Hits

As a big fan of The Doctor Demento Show--like any good nerd--back in the 1980s, I've always been a fan of novelty songs. But some of them actually cracked through sheer novelty, and became hit songs in their own right. Some become so popular, we don't even think of them as novelties. Others were so goofy, they're later kind of embarrassing. How many do you remember?

1. Pac-Man Fever by Buckner & Garcia (1982) - Video games made such a splash in the late 70s and early 80s, they spawned new businesses: stand alone arcades, and pizza places like Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz whose main attractions had little to do with pizza. Pac-Man was a big part of the craze, and is joined by several other big ones on this album, all of which is in this clip.
2. Dead Skunk by Louden Wainwright III (1972) - This is a song that is undoubtedly quirky, but is also of such high quality as to be a mainstream song. It's also really funny ("Come on, stink!").

3. Disco Duck by Rick Dees (1976) - I was ten years old when this song came out, and I loved it. Almost forty years later, it's more than silly, it's kind of embarrassing. But at the time, Los Angeles DJ Rick Dees was riding high, and so was disco.
4. The Streak by Ray Stevens (1974) - Again, I would've been eight for this one, so the idea of naked people running around (and they were during the streaking fad) was hilarious.

5. My Ding-a-Ling by Chuck Berry (1972) - I probably didn't get the double-entendre in this song when I was 6, and just enjoyed it for it's joyful sound. But it is, and remains funny, even to this nearly 50-year-old adult!

6. Eat It by "Weird Al" Yankovic (1984) - Part of Al's appeal was his faithfulness to the source material (in this case, Michael Jackson's Beat It), the humor, and the quality of his productions. For instance, in this video, Yankovic used the same locations Jackson used in his video, to great effect.

7.  Mister Jaws by Dickie Goodman (1975) - Another one from youth, this one is a real oddity, less a song, than a spoken-word performance using bits of songs that were popular at the time.  Again, I dug it as a nine-year-old!

8. Tennessee Bird Walk by Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan (1970) - While this song made me laugh endlessly when I was four, it still tickles me today. It's a beautifully crafted song, silly as it is.

And that's just scratching the surface! Maybe this post deserves a sequel in the coming weeks. In the meantime, happy Monday! Have a great week.

Joel McHale's Very Funny (But Very Uneven) White House Correspondents' Dinner Speech

Wow! These things are often uncomfortable. Either they're edgy and scathing, or they're safe and cringe-worthy. I don't think there has been a middle point for any I've seen. Stephen Colbert set the high-water-mark for brilliant but uncomfortable. Wanda Sykes managed to come close, but with a few more belly-laughs. And this year, Joel McHale (not known, really, for stand-up) managed a few big laughs, and was really uncomfortable at times. It was wildly uneven, and even split reactions on both sides of the aisle. I mostly loved it, but also felt for him on a few occasions where he seemed to be projecting more confidence than he probably really was feeling.  Still, all in all? Worth watching, and very funny. And again. . .uncomfortable.

 

Veep Meets Veep: Selina Meyer & Joe Biden Skip the WHCD

Veep--HBO's scathingly funny send-up of Washington politics-- isn't for everyone. If you get squeamish watching embarrassing things happen to main characters, it's probably not for you. But I think it's one of the best shows on television, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserves every Emmy she earns for it. And now, JLD's fictional Veep, Selina Meyer meets real-life Veep, Joe Biden (with special appearance by Nancy Pelosi).

President Obama's White House Correspondents' Dinner Performance

The Prez is good at this gig.

Over Time with Bill Maher, May 3, 2014

Overtime: May 2, 2014

NBA Black and White (A Rocky Mountain Mike Song Parody)

These song parodies are a lot more fun if you really like the song it's built around. And I love the song, Black and White by Three Dog Night. And surely there's more humor to be mined from the whole Donald Sterling thing, right?
 

Neanderthals Smarter Than Sarah Palin?

Again, come on! How could I ignore a headline like this?

[Excerpt]

Neanderthals were smarter than Sarah Palin, researchers say. Sort of.

No offense, but your ancestors probably were no brighter than a Neanderthal. That’s the message a pair of researchers delivered on Wednesday after analyzing archaeological evidence detailing the capabilities of Neanderthals, our closest extinct human relative, compared to the early modern humans who first crossed their path about 40,000 years ago. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Judge Declares Concern Over Voter Fraud Irrational

Image from source, Think Progress

You could call conservatives' concerns over voter fraud "irrational" as this judge did. Or you could go a little further and call it what it really is: a cover story. A cover story for whittling down the vote.

[Excerpt]

Striking Down Wisconsin Voter ID Law, Judge Finds ‘No Rational Person Could Be Worried’ About Voter Fraud

A federal judge invalidated Wisconsin’s photo ID requirement Tuesday, in at least the third court ruling to strike down the law. The ruling is an overwhelming win for plaintiffs, who argued that the voter ID law suppresses ballot access in the state. And while the decision could be overturned on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the law has also already been blocked by two state court decisions, one of which is still in effect. In March, Gov. Scott Walker (R) threatened to go so far as calling a special session to pass a modified law so that some ID provision is in place during the November election. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Man Almost Dies from Watching FOX "News"

Like I could resist a headline like THAT!

[Excerpt]

The REAL Death Panel: Man Nearly Dies From Watching Fox News
 
Four four years Fox News has been furiously trying to frighten people away from the benefits of the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare). They have shamelessly manufactured horror stories, disseminated lies, and advanced the most ludicrous conspiracy theories about the health insurance law that has made access to medical care available to millions, some for the first time in their lives. . .

Read more at: News Corpse