Friday, February 12, 2010
Open Thread
Happy Olympics, Valentines Day & Presidents Day! Chat about what you wish!!
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Upcoming RAG Appearances
If you're in New York this long weekend:
Sunday, Valentine's Day: I'll be a panelist on The End Of The Week As We Know It -- Scott Blakeman's funny and informative live comedy/public affairs show at The Tank, 354 West 45th St. At only $10, it's an inexpensive way to spend Valentine's Day (No, we can't guarantee that you'll get laid at the end of the evening. On the other hand, considering you won't have to dish out several hundreds of dollars on dinner, wine, flowers, etc. -- and still not get laid -- you won't feel like you're getting screwed either. So it works out. More details and ticket-ordering stuff here.
Monday, President's Day: I'll be performing with talented folks such as Jim Mendrinos, Ellen Karis, Brian McKim and others at the Gotham Comedy Club, 288 W. 23rd Street. The event is called "GOP Laughs" and celebrates the launch of the online site of the same name. Yep, we're not conceding the comedic landscape to Jon Stewart, Saturday Night Live, etc. Those of us on the right side of the aisle can be funny too -- and we're out to deliver our supply-side no-holds barred humor!! (Don't think we can tickle your funny bone? Then why is it called the "Laffer Curve"? Hey now!!!) Purchase tickets right here!
And looking ahead:
Friday, February 19: If you're down in DC for the always interesting CPAC, you should check out the even more fun parallel XPAC extravaganza. In particular, check out the late-night XPAC Comedy Show! A few of the same folks bringing you GOP Laughs will be on stage -- plus a few others. Cutting- edge conservative comedy at its finest!!! Exact location to be determined, but check the XPAC site during the week for more info.
Okay, hope to see some or many of you over the next week!!
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Sunday, Valentine's Day: I'll be a panelist on The End Of The Week As We Know It -- Scott Blakeman's funny and informative live comedy/public affairs show at The Tank, 354 West 45th St. At only $10, it's an inexpensive way to spend Valentine's Day (No, we can't guarantee that you'll get laid at the end of the evening. On the other hand, considering you won't have to dish out several hundreds of dollars on dinner, wine, flowers, etc. -- and still not get laid -- you won't feel like you're getting screwed either. So it works out. More details and ticket-ordering stuff here.
Monday, President's Day: I'll be performing with talented folks such as Jim Mendrinos, Ellen Karis, Brian McKim and others at the Gotham Comedy Club, 288 W. 23rd Street. The event is called "GOP Laughs" and celebrates the launch of the online site of the same name. Yep, we're not conceding the comedic landscape to Jon Stewart, Saturday Night Live, etc. Those of us on the right side of the aisle can be funny too -- and we're out to deliver our supply-side no-holds barred humor!! (Don't think we can tickle your funny bone? Then why is it called the "Laffer Curve"? Hey now!!!) Purchase tickets right here!
And looking ahead:
Friday, February 19: If you're down in DC for the always interesting CPAC, you should check out the even more fun parallel XPAC extravaganza. In particular, check out the late-night XPAC Comedy Show! A few of the same folks bringing you GOP Laughs will be on stage -- plus a few others. Cutting- edge conservative comedy at its finest!!! Exact location to be determined, but check the XPAC site during the week for more info.
Okay, hope to see some or many of you over the next week!!
Labels: political humor, stand-up comedy
Catch Dem "Drift"-ers
WASHINGTON, DC -- After losing an entire week to the one-two punch of the Blizzards of 2010, Democrats find their political plans in total chaos. No work done on a jobs bill (except for Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid blowing up the bipartisan plan crafted by Max Baucus and ChuckGrassley). And more precious time was also lost on House and Senate Democrats getting their act together on that great health care plan.
In potential crises situations like this, it's important to isolate the appropriate scapegoat.
Realizing that blaming George W. Bush for this might be difficult, Democrats instead took a page from their "Party of No" strategy: They have now chosen to to blame this week's problems on the "Party of Snow."
This isn't to be confused with the previous plan by Democrats that placed responsibility on their inability to produce a bipartisan health care reform plan on the "Party of Snowe" -- when the usually reliable squishy Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine refused to provide a 60th vote on the Baucus health care bill.
Labels: Barney Frank, Democratic majority, Olympia Snowe
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Didja Hear The One About...
The insanity of New York politics -- which began with Eliot Spitzer's resignation over prostitution two years ago, continued with the bumpy administration of David Paterson, and reached one peak last summer with a state Senate coup -- entered a new phase in the last few days.
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For at least a week, a rumor has paralyzed all parts of the state that The New York Times is working on a story with such salacious details that overlap Paterson's private life and public duties that it would force the governor to resign.
But, the real variable here is the world of new media: Rumors like this -- "such-and-such paper is getting ready to print 'X' about so-and-so" have been around forever. But, now the rumors make blogs and even Twitter. Just the speculation on the rumor becomes the story itself.
And today, the pervasiveness of the rumors made the covers of the New York Post and the Daily News. Of course, this has been building for a while. The Post caught Paterson getting very friendly with a woman-not-his-wife in New Jersey last month. There's also a major gossip story that one of the state troopers assigned to guard him accidentally walked on him and another woman in a compromising situation in the Executive Mansion in Albany. Paterson singled out some of our reporting yesterday in a major rant as we followed up. Thus, the breakout coverage today -- all founded on a "story" that may or may not even exist. (Of course, as one non-mainstream source points out, there are actually far more valid reasons for Paterson to step down -- such as the slime involved in his politically-decided selection of a "racino" bid for the Aqueduct track.)
Welcome to Meta-Media world, where the tabloids examine the coverage that the quintessential broadsheet hasn't revealed. In many respects, this is just the latest major leap since the brave new world Matt Drudge helped create in 1998 when he learned that Newsweek had killed a story about a certain president and a certain White House intern.
But when information is now spread at the "speed" of 140 characters a post, the barrier between news, speculation, tips and gossip effectively disappears. And a politician ends up helping to make the story that didn't really exist before he "responded" to it.
Labels: David Paterson
Monday, February 08, 2010
Saints Go Marching In
Well, that's why I'm not a football expert!
But game was arguably decided in last minute of the first half and on opening kick-off of the second. Colts had owned the the last two minutes of the first half of games all season. Tonight, after stopping Saints on 4th down, bizarrely, they did three runs and punted the ball away. Saints drove, got a field goal -- and then did the brave onside kick to start the second half.
Even though the Colts went back ahead 17-13, the basic mental momentum changed. Colts never scored again and the Fleur de Lis was on its way.
I don't believe that winning a Super Bowl will magically make New Orleans recover (new mayor Mitch Landrieu will have a greater impact on that), but it's a nice story for a long-suffering franchise -- and a great comeback story for QB Drew Brees too!
Congrats all around!!
Labels: Super Bowl
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Super Bowl Prediction
Though why anyone would care what I think on this is beyond me! My hunch is it's going to be Colts rather comfortably -- by at least 10 (though it won't be the end of my world if Saints win). Of course, with a game like this, one can never discount the play of special teams. That means, I wouldn't be surprised if Reggie Bush breaks a long one (Indy gave up a TD to Devin Hester on the first play of the SB four years ago.
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Regardless, it's looking to me like it's going to be "Peyton's Place" rather than "(Sean) Payton's Place"!
Labels: Indianapolis Colts, Super Bowl
