Great clip of Jon Stewart from 2014

Jon Stewart was a master at political satire and when he retired last year it was by no means because he was losing his touch. Here is a clip from 2014, just a year before he stepped down, that shows the range of comedic skills that he could bring to what he did best, and that was deliver an epic rant excoriating the hypocrisy of politicians and their media enablers.
[Read more…]

Cringe along with Carly

Singing in public is a high-risk proposition unless you are a professional singer. Much as I dislike Carly Fiorina, I cannot help but cringe when I see the clip of her singing because I hate to see people make fools of themselves in public. I wonder who thought that singing a lullaby to Ted Cruz’s daughters was a good idea since even putting her with a roomful of puppies failed to make her seem more human.
[Read more…]

There is nothing like changing symbols to drive people crazy

If you had asked me which person’s face was on which US currency note, I would have been stumped. The only thing I was sure of was that it was some white guy from the distant past. Like most people, I am more concerned about the number that denotes the value rather than the ornamentation. But some people are sure upset about the decision to replace Andrew Jackson with abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill, seeing it as yet another sign of that dreaded ‘political correctness’ that is ruining America.
[Read more…]

A nightmare ticket?

Ah spring, when during presidential election years political pundits’ fancy lightly turn to thoughts of possible running mates. Usually these speculations try to construct so-called ‘dream tickets’, combinations that its advocates think would either increase chances of victory due to providing balance or satisfy a felt need for ideological consistency if the presidential nominee’s credentials are suspect. Campaigns at this time float many names as trial balloons in order to gauge reactions as well as placate the various factions in their parties that they are being respected and included, and so these rumors should not be taken too seriously.
[Read more…]

Stephen Colbert apologizes to Australia

Recently actors and married couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard created a controversy by trying to smuggle their two dogs into Australia on a visit while trying to evade that country’s strict quarantine laws. He got caught but was allowed to leave without suffering the serious punishment (that could go up to ten years in prison) that a non-celebrity might have received. He later provided a video of a grudging apology.
[Read more…]

Why do I feel revulsion when I see Ted Cruz’s face?

What puzzles (and bothers) me is why I have such an intense visceral dislike for Ted Cruz, even to just seeing his face. Judging people by their looks is a terrible thing, and although it is true that we do judge people almost instantaneously upon meeting them, it is not usually based on whether they are good looking or not, but by more subtle cues as to their likability, trustworthiness, and so on, that are hard to pin down.
[Read more…]