Quote of the day -- on the path to progress

''Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don't learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying 'yes' begins things. Saying 'yes' is how things grow. Saying 'yes' leads to knowledge. 'Yes' is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say 'yes'.'' 

—Stephen Colbert

"People Who Are Ruining America"

Thank you, Stephen Colbert and Colbert Nation:

Link:  Vicco, Smallest Town In Kentucky, Passes LGBT Non-Discrimination ...

Stephen Colbert, telling it like it is--this time on Obamacare

The Colbert Report
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The people who need this, won't see it.

Quote of the day--on cynics, cynicism, life and progress

“Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. 

Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. 

But saying 'yes' begins things. 

Saying “yes” is how things grow. Saying “yes” leads to knowledge. “Yes” is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say 'yes'.” 

― Stephen Colbert

Quote of the day

"...laughing is vital, it’s like oxygen as far as I’m concerned.”

--Stephen Colbert, "The Colbert Report"

Links: http://www.colbertnation.com/

Quote for a day of voting

''The great jousting tournament that is Election Day draws nigh, the prize the building you see behind me, Castle Congress.

But what side shall prevail in this epic electoral tilt? Who shall control the future of Fortress America?

Will we be, as the Republicans desire, a nation of wealthy heavily-armed white men, befouling the air and water in a ceaseless quest for profits, beholden to no laws but those of our lord and savior Jesus Christ?

Or shall we instead embrace the Democrats' vision of a namby-pamby quasi-Socialist Republic with an all-homosexual army flamboyantly defending a citizenry suckling at the foul teat of government welfare?

The choice is yours, fair maiden America, for the name of this feudal system is Democracy.''

—Stephen Colbert, comedian, satirist

Quote of the day

''If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it.'' —Stephen Colbert

Quote of the day

''Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don't learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying 'yes' begins things. Saying 'yes' is how things grow. Saying 'yes' leads to knowledge. 'Yes' is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say 'yes'.'' —Stephen Colbert

Inconsistencies

"Mentioning Jesus in your speech: Small government. Doing what Jesus asked: Big government." --Stephen Colbert, "The Colbert Report", Comedy Central

Claire on Colbert tonight (it rhymes)

I just got an email from my good Senator Claire McCaskill's campaign manager, telling me Claire will be on The Colbert Report this evening.

That's great news to me.

Two great things at once--Stephen Colbert and my "good Senator" (as opposed to my bad, other one).

The thing is, though, their note cracked me up. Check out what they wrote and said to us out here:

"Tonight at 10:30 CT, Claire will go up against Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report in a debate about secret political contributions that fund Karl Rove's organization and others like it.

As fans of the Report know, Colbert has been a champion of the political system that allows unlimited anonymous political contributions from corporations and billionaires – so much so that he’s created his own 501(c)(4) through a company called Anonymous Shell Corporation."

Wha?

"Colbert has been a champion of the political system that allows unlimited anonymous political contributions from corporations and billionaires..."?

Holy cow.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Do they not get that the ENTIRE SHOW is satire--political satire?

Do they not get that Stephen Colbert is doing a complete sendup of the system and ridiculing it for the absurd, broken mess of a system that it is?

From reading that promotional email, I have to come to the conclusion that they do not.

Wow.

That was--no, is--a stunner.

Get a clue, Claire.

Apparently you need to get a staff that is either more aware or brighter or, what? Under 75 years old?

On poverty in America

The Colbert Report
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Great points get made here, surprisingly, with Stephen Colbert using sarcasm and glibness to make his points.

I say again, until campaign contributions are done away with, our government will be of, by and for the wealthy and corporations.

Until that day and time, nothing will change.

The current state of the Republican race for the Presidency

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Sudden, much stronger urge to be a comedian

Bristol Palin to attend White House Correspondents' Dinner. WTF

They HAVE to get Stephen Colbert to the microphone.

They just have to.

News flash: The US has and keeps more people in prisons than China (but our government doesn't know it)

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Michael Posner
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

From Common Dreams just now: On last night's Colbert Report, an amazing moment occurred when Stephen Colbert raised a major social issue that U.S. mainstream media assiduously ignore: the huge U.S. prison population. The issue quickly disappeared due to the apparent ignorance of Stephen's guest: Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner, in charge of "Democracy, Human Rights and Labor." In a sometimes jokey interview, with Posner discussing China's various human rights abuses (including prisoners), Colbert tried to steer the conversation to human rights problems in our own country. COLBERT: We've actually got more people in prison than China does. POSNER: Well I'm not sure that's true. Colbert's assertion is indisputably true. Posner's denial is false. Does the State Department's man in charge of human rights not know the facts? According to statistics gathered by the authoritative International Centre for Prison Studies in London, the United States has by far the largest prison population in the world: almost 2.3 million people behind bars. China's prison population is second in the world: roughly 1.6 million. The United States is also number 1 in the world in its "prison population rate": 748 inmates per 100,000 citizens. Russia is 3rd. China is tied for 114th. This is a U.S. human rights problem of enormous proportions. Our bloated prison population has many causes: the "drug war," mandatory minimum sentencing, poverty, racism. And there are corporate profits to be made from "The Prison-Industrial Complex" -- as independent journalists like Eric Schlosser began documenting a dozen years ago. US' total population: 308 million; China's total population: 1.3 billion But we have more people in prison. Sure. That makes sense. Link to original post: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/08/05-4