Samantha Bee urges people to vote

I voted at about 10:00am today. While there were no lines, the polling place was busy and most of the booths were occupied. I met a friend there as she was leaving and she said that there was a line when she arrived. We both felt that the turnout was high for an off-presidential year election but what the means is anybody’s guess, though since where we live is a pretty progressive area, a high turnout should be good for statewide offices and issues.

Hasan Minhaj’s new show is brilliant

I just watched the first two episodes of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj on Netflix and was blown away by them. Each show focuses largely on one issue, somewhat like John Oliver does, but whereas Oliver mixes hard news and analysis in the form of a news show with him as the anchor seated behind a desk, Minhaj uses a high-energy stand-up comedy format to mix hard news with analysis, with him moving around on a stage with large screens behind and below him and talking in a fast pace. He, like Oliver, provides lots of facts and background information that one does not often hear even on news shows but interspersed with plenty of comedic analyses. It really kept me glued to the show. The fact that I agreed with everything he said on both shows may had aided my enjoyment.
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Hasan Minhaj has a new show on Netflix

The Daily Show alumnus Hasan Minhaj has been given a new weekly show titled Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj on Netflix that premiers today Sunday, October 28 at 7:00pm. He has been signed up for 32 weeks in advance, so he has been given a longer period to establish a rhythm and voice, unlike Michele Wolf whose show was canceled after just 10 episodes.

Minhaj was interviewed about the show and he said that he did not want to to become the ‘Indian John Oliver’ and it will be interesting to see how he distinguishes his show from the other political comedy shows.

Here’s the trailer.

Seth Meyers on Republicans lies about health care

Donald Trump is a president who clearly hates the work that goes into the job. The mid-term elections coming up November 6th has enabled him to stop doing any work at all and spend all his time doing what he enjoys most, holding rallies in front of his adoring fans and doing what has become effectively stand-up comedy routines, that require him to lie through his teeth about anything that comes into his head and whipping up racism and hate and anger. He is holding an average of two rallies a day all over the country in support of endangered Republican candidates.

Seth Meyers provides a good run-down of what is happening.