I Don't Like You Either

Colbert Tackles AIG Crisis with More Right-eous Anger

From Colbert Nation:  "Stephen wants CEOs to be stripped naked and locked together in a rusty steel cage in an arena packed with screaming taxpayers."

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The Word - Keeping Our Heads
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Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Mark Sanford

The Charisma of Bobby Jindal

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Obama's Congressional Address & Jindal's Response
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Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

Wonkette's Top 10 Political Vids for 2008....

They start with Sean Hannity being chased by angry Republicans.....so you know you're going to enjoy this Very Special New Year's collection.

Needful Diversions: The Large Hadron Collider Rap

Lyrics & credits after the jump:

Craziest..Press Conference...EVAH (Blagojevich & Burris)

Via HuffPost, where you can read Jason Linkins' write-up. ""Please do not allow the allegations against me to taint this good man," Blagojevich said, futilely...""

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

It's Still an Option: "C'mon, Move to Canada!"

Progressives who are disappointed with Obama still have the option! Personally, we're on a "wait and see" basis!

Slate V: The Best Viral Political Videos of 2008

Zbiggy Calls Out Joe Scarborough on Mideast Policy: "You Have Such a Stunningly Superficial Knowledge of What Went On That It's Almost Embarrassing to Listen to You"

Brzezinski sorts out "Morning Joe" Scarborough, former Florida Congressman.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

FYI, From Wikipedia:

On October 10, 2007 Brzezinski along with other influential signatories sent a letter to President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice titled 'Failure Risks Devastating Consequences'. The letter was partly an advice and a warning of the failure of an upcoming  US sponsored Middle East conference scheduled for Nov 2007 between Israelis and Palestinians. The letter also suggested to engage in "a genuine dialogue with Hamas" than to isolate it further.

Snark O' the Day: Roy Edroso's Top Stupid Wingnut Moments for 2008

Roy Edroso posts his "top 10 stupid right-blogger tricks" for 2008 at The Village Voice.  An excerpt:

Pop stars made a video for Obama and the American Spectator compared it to Triumph of the Will. National Review called Obama's national service plan the "Obama Youth." Obama spoke in Germany, and Melissa Clouthier compared his signage to that of the Third Reich.

Jonah Goldberg said liberals only liked Obama because they didn't know any real (that is, poor and dangerous) black people; Taranto said Democrats were intimidated into nominating him, as an old lady might be intimidated into surrendering her purse to a mugger.

Snark O' the Day: Not Your Grandma's End of the Year Review

No, it's Flying Rodent's!

And as he says, and we agree, it was a very odd year.   For example,

It was the year when it finally became apparent that the West's economy was entirely based upon the ruling class's willingness to believe in the literal existence of golden unicorns that shoot rubies out of their eyes and gold bricks out of their arses, leading to massive government investment to shore up the ruby-shooting, gold-shitting unicorn industry...

...And it was a year in which the great and the good leapt to their feet in spirited defence of lowly Georgia, finally opening their mouths to righteously denounce the mighty Russian bastards, before slowly sitting back down, opening their newspapers and pretending they'd never spoken as it emerged that the Russo-Georgian War was a bit more of a level-bastardry field than we had initially been led to believe.

Here are a few specifics (he worked backwards starting with December 2008) from Part 1:

2008's Most Risible Moments in Politics (with Video Evidence!)

The HuffPost has Daniel Kurtzman's list with a whole string of videos. We posted quite a few of these here, but it's so nice to have them all lined up in one place.

Bonus:  HuffPost's best You Tubes of 2008.

Department of Needful Diversions, Presenting: The Beijing Olympics (Alternate Universe Version)

This is a whole ship full of awesome, and we found it via The Red Tory 3.0.

The Red Tory said, and it was a true word:

I think this deadpan (東京オンリーピック　開会式＜フルバージョン＞) animated take-off of the Olympics may be one of the subversively funniest videos of the year....

As he says, "the giant motorized pigeons feasting on acrobats [and]...[t]he giant Buddha sweeping teams of competitors off his tongue into the Olympic pool" are alone worth the time.  But there so much more. 

It is a veritable televisusal feast.

Ride the Wayback Pony: A Southpark Christmas (Santa versus Jesus)

Dave Neiwart at C&L reminded us of the first episode evah:

(Not for the sensitive or pious).

Needful Diversions: Shirtless Presidents (Meme O' the Week)!

HuffPost has a whole slideshow of presidents OTHER than President-elect Obama whose pecs became public domain.   (Reagan frightened us, and we were sad to see that when he isn't leveling his razor-like stare at the camera, Putin is kind of a....well, a hottie.) 

Even more shirtless presidents (American) here at Gawker.    And if that ain't enough, go here.

More Awards! GoLeft TV Chooses ALL of Fox News as "Media Moron of the Year" for the War on the "War" on Christmas

Via Video Cafe, this gift of seasonal awesomeness: 

Transcript is over here.

Needful Diversions (For Pagans Only): Atheistic Elves Get All Elfed Up, Sacrilegiously Dance Xmas Jigs to Traditional Xmas Tunes!

Department of Valedictions: This Final Christmas Under Bush, Give the Gift of Satire to a Fellow Progressive: "Songs of the Bushmen" by Harry Shearer

 Though it was nominated for a Grammy, we just don't think there's been nearly enough screaming about Harry Shearer's musical send-up of the Bush administration's main players.  If you've had all the peace and good will you can handle, you might enjoy a bit of black comedy, in diverse musical stylings. 

If you're looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for a progressive friend, we don't see how you could do better than this album (available at I-Tunes):

Department of ValeDICKtions: Dick Cheney---Going Out with a Growl, Not a Whimper

We're all caught up in holiday activities at the moment, but who could resist all these cherishable Cheney moments?  Certainly not us.   It's just the right time for the Anti-Claus!

As Jon Stewart has so rightly said, we don't know Dick.  Yes, he's still douchebag wrapped in an enigma and dipped in a  mystery! And---in the immortal words of the Turtles, c. 1960-something---the more we see, the more we see there is to see! 

So it seems Dick Cheney, Man of Mystery, had quite the little gabfest on Fox News:

WALLACE: Did you tell Senator Leahy, “bleep yourself”?

CHENEY: I did.

WALLACE: Any qualms, second thoughts, or embarrassment?

CHENEY: No, I thought he merited it at the time.... (Think Progress)

Gay Penguins in China Zoo Given Their Own Eggs

The zoo separated them because they kept stealing other penguins' eggs---"they were caught  placing stones at the feet of parents before waddling away with their eggs." (MailOnline)  This is the sweet part:

But angry visitors to Polar Land in Harbin, northern China, complained it wasn't fair to stop the couple from becoming surrogate fathers and urged zoo bosses to give them a chance.

Needful Diversions: Rare White Lions Born in Belgrade

Because it's important to remember that there are still some nice things happening (via Huffington Post).

Attackerman: "Dey Know (Blago)"

Like Ackerman said, he's so gangster.  Via HuffPost.

A Daily Show Tribute to Liberal Whipping Boy Alan Colmes (by Hall & Oates)

Any time you need a token liberal....

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Hall & Oates Pay Tribute to Alan Colmes

Barack Obama Interview
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Sarah Palin Video
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More on Blago's Frightening 'Do

Via expert hair deconstructor Princess Sparkle Pony---which gets a special mention---this CNN video comments on the probable role of Blagojevich's hair in the current scandal.

Colin Powell Speaks About Limbaugh, Palin, and the Military's "Don't Ask--Don't Tell" Policies

In an interview with Fareed Zakaria, Powell slams Palin and Limbaugh and says the military should rethink its "don't ask--don't tell" policies.   HuffPost has relevant portions of the conversation here.

Blago Found Guilty by Association with His Own Hair

Wonkette and Princess Sparkle Pony are all over this one.  Princess Sparkle Pony has courtroom drawings!  And says:

I love the dominance of Blagojevich's mighty hairdo. ...It's like the artist got dazzled by the enlarged coiffure, pulled into its vortex. I can't blame him! Me, too!

Ken Layne at Wonkette:

Here’s a quick tip for voters on the lookout for “clean” candidates: If they have hair like this, in 2008, they are a complete fucking criminal. No exceptions. (Rod Blagojevich’s Terrible Hair Found Guilty of Everything)

Olbermann: They're All the Worst Person in the World

Keith Olbermann hits "the conservative trifecta," says Danny Shea, with O'Reilly winning the gold medal, Hannity winning the silver, and Will coming in last with the bronze.

Jon Swift on Derrierism, the Sensible Conservative's Answer to "Hollyweird"

Conservative Andrew Breitbart intends to start a new website on which conservatives will review films. Derrierism, a new school of film criticism that Jon Swift identified in August 2007---and a tag which made its way into the Urban Dictionary--- has evolved from "an esoteric school of film criticism championed by a few forward-thinking critics." (Swift 12-9-2008).  Quoting extensively from Mr. Swift, the Urban Dictionary defines derrierism as follows:

The critical method of judging movies by whether your buttocks moves in the seat while watching them. Derrièrists dispense with such niceties as subtlety and thought in movie criticism, believing that intellectuals, relativists, existentialists, pacifists, and no doubt the Communist Left have had the upper hand in film-making for too long.

In short, a "derrierist" is a film reviewer who pulls film reviews out of his---or indeed her---ass.

Ride the Wayback Pony: The 10 Worst Prognostications of 2008

William Kristol made number 1, with his prediction that Hill had the Democratic nomination all sewed up. Kristol is, of course, reliably wrong, which is why we love him so.  Cockney Robin wrote a piece back in 2007 deconstructing Kristol's "Why Bush Will be a Winner" that still makes us laugh out loud.  (Naturally, we're laughing at Kristol rather than with him).

But our personal favorite, which ranks number 2, will remain forever and always Jim Cramer.

H/t to Wall Street Jackass---whose tagline ("This is me not listening to you") we can only envy---for the link.

The Daily Show: Blagojevich--What Isn't He Being Charged With?

Jon Stewart:  "Rod Blagojevich is quickly going from being a sleazy politician to something out of a 19th century German children's fable."  

Corruption:  an Illinois tradition!

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(D-IL) Weed

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Dept of Needful Diversions: You're Probably Fed up with the Blagojevich Scandal, So Check Out the Hamster on a Piano, Eating Popcorn

I posted the video in its original form ages ago at my first blog, but here it is with the musical accompaniment that---pace HuffPost--- has caused it to go viral.