Matt & I at Colbert's Book Party

Did I mention I went to Colbert's Book Party and met personal hero Stephen Colbert?  I did.  And it was magnificent.  We talked for 17 minutes, made each other laugh and our conversation included Joseph Campbell and our favorite Popes.  He likes Paul VI, and I'm a John Paul II kinda guy.  (I call him Karol.)  But Colbert had a couple private audiences when he was a kid with Paul VI, so that's understandable.

It's great when people you admire turn out to be terrific human beings in person.  Like Matt.

Sully

Night of Too Many Stars	Thursday, October 21, 2010
Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert - "Everybody's Talking 'Bout Sully"
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Colbert @ the Olympics

Stephen relaxes with an issue of "Cat Fancy" magazine during Speedskating. He also tried to call a time-out before they started. There are, of course, no timeouts in speedskating. He also used a speedskate to spread condiments on a sandwich & then slice it.

Colbert & the Olympics

Genius. Perfectly captures the spirit of friendly international competition & the brotherhood of mankind.

SpiderPope!

Boy do I love Stephen Colbert...

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Colbert to Serve As Guest Editor of Newsweek

Comedic hero Stephen Colbert will be the first guest editor in the magazine's 76 year history.  Issue on shelves June 8th!

And here is an excerpt from a commencement speech he just made:

Stephen Colbert, comedian, Medical University of South Carolina: "Traditionally, commencement speakers dole out advice on life and careers to students. But I've made my career as an aggressively ignorant blowhard with a dismissive attitude toward knowledge in general and to science in particular. So, clearly I have no business in giving you any advice. ... Whenever I honestly, sincerely give young people advice ... the most common thing I say is go make mistakes. The best thing I ever did was to give myself permission to be wrong. I can't really give you that advice. It's irresponsible for me to tell graduates of a medical college to go out and make as many mistakes as you can."

Mark Twain

Was thinking about him today and would like everyone to spare a thought for him, as he is a primary personal hero of mine.  A new book of previously unpublished writings was recently released called "Who Is Mark Twain?" and so it set me wondering.  As the publisher Robert Miller correctly observed, "Twain's the grandfather of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Steve Martin.  He has such a dry subversive wit that you feel like he's invented modern humor."

So true...  He also lived in Hartford - his house is The Best thing in Hartford (although it has fallen on hard times.  I just tried to link to it and the web site was, disconcertingly, in disarray.) and he was a member of the Players Club in New York, as I am now.  (Twain was kicked out of the Players for debts owed but was able to talk his way back in and even have his debts forgiven.  They are in possession of his card table.)

Here's to Mark Twain.

Colbert's Space Treadmill

Comedic hero Stephen Colbert did not, in fact, receive NASA's blessing to name their space node after him (instead they chose "Tranquility") but they did concede to name their treadmill after him, "The COLBERT - Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill."

Per Tuesday's episode, "A child will look into the sky and say, "What's that Mommy?' And the mother will say, 'That's the Stephen Colbert Space Node.' And the child will say, 'The same Stephen Colbert who saved the world from the zombie dragon onslaught?' And the mother will say, 'Yes. He was the most tender lover I've ever known."

PETA is Stupid

Create Your Own Sea Kitten at peta.org!

Now, I have never been a supporter of PETA for obvious, carnivorous reasons.  But their recent effort to rename "Fish" "Sea Kittens" in an attempt to curtail seafood consumption is just inane.

On their web site they have a tool where you can make your own "Sea Kitten."  Mine, pictured above is His Royal Fishiness (HRF) Prince Liquida IV.  Delicious.

Yet again, comedic hero Stephen Colbert weighs in and discusses this and the appeal of "Land Fish" & "Sky Nachos"...  (starting at the 1:47 mark of the clip below:)

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A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!

As I have previously mentioned, our dear friend Bruce gave me an advanced copy of Stephen Colbert's Christmas special "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!"  I watched it over the weekend in Florida - it is incredible.  I don't want to ruin any of the surprise guests - or songs - but I encourage you all to watch it this Sunday evening November 23rd.  Pure, unadulterated genius.

Christmas Comes Early!!

Our dear friend Bruce has outdone himself.  I thought he had peaked when he sent me the pop-up "Moby Dick."  But then he got Matt & I tickets to see Colbert interviewed as part of the New Yorker Festival.  But NOW, a package arrived featuring this, an advanced copy DVD of "A Colbert Christmas" - Stephen Colbert's Christmas special that is not scheduled to air until late November!!  Wow...

A normal thank you didn't seem to suffice, so here is an excerpt from a thank you poem I just composed and sent to Bruce:

when what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but "A Colbert Christmas" DVD, and I grinned ear-to-ear.
With a nice little note, written on a Post-It.
I was so thrilled, I did nearly sh*t.

There's a picture of Stephen, that jolly old elf
And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself.
In Bing Crosby sweater, and a sport coat of red
Stephen is smoking a pipe, with perfect hair on his head.

A preview copy of his Special - the PERFECT gift
I can't tell you in words, what a tremendous lift
to my spirits this is, you dear sweet man
"THANK YOU SO MUCH
Signed,
Colbert's #1 Fan."

Well done, Bruce.  Thank you so very much.

Colbert!

Awesome....  A 90 minute interview with him out of character.  I asked the first (and best) question as well...  Then Matt S. & I retired to West Bank for dinner.

See? I Told You So...

Speaking of my "Dead To Me" List... #1 is The Manatee. Someone recently asked me, "Why do you hate the manatee so much?"

I would think the answers would be obvious, and legion. But for those who have never stopped to think about it, they are useless creatures. Hideous, inedible, and they get in the way of boats. I refer to "the sea cow" as "Nature's speed bump." I also have to assume they take massive poos.

The fact that people would confuse these hideous beasts for mermaids also flicks my tail. Mermaids rule, manatees blow. The amount of energy that people exert to save this awful, awful creature is simply shocking to me and could be far better spent. And so, I really hate the manatee. (As Marvelous Matt S. said years back when I first explained my position, "Huh. You're kind of kidding, but kind of NOT!") You betcha. Screw the manatee.

I recently was pleased to get even more validation in my correct opinion from none other than my comedic hero, Stephen Colbert. Here is a photo of him punching a manatee dead in the face:

American Hero

I met Stephen Colbert.

Colbert in National Portrait Gallery

Per a recent episode and 3 part series "National Treasure: Portrait of Stephen", Stephen Colbert's portrait has been placed in "an appropriate place" in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. -- right between the bathrooms near the "America's Presidents" exhibit. From CNN.com:

[Colbert] boasted... his portrait was "hanging in the hall of presidents, just a few yards from the father of our country -- exactly where I believe it belongs."

"I don't mean to brag, but as it contains three portraits, my portrait has more portraits than any other portrait in the National Portrait Gallery," he said, adding, "All employees must wash hands before returning to work."