Fantasy Colbert League Weekly: May 12 – 15
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Welcome to No Fact Zone’s weekly roundup of ‘Colbert Report’ guests, created in the spirit of the oft-enjoyed Fantasy Colbert League. While we can’t start up the online version of the game again, we can make it so that you can get the information you need about the guests before they come on the show.
Just like you, we want to be it-getters before the interviews start. So we’ve compiled brief bios, issues or events that Stephen might bring up during the interview, and a fun Fract (Freedom Fact) to impress your fellow viewers during the commercial breaks. Read, enjoy, and see if you can anticipate how Stephen might nail each of the following guests!
Editor’s Note: As always, these guests are subject to change.
Monday, 5/12: Dr. Mehmet C. Oz
Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon who writes books on how to stay healthy. He has co-authored a number of books with Dr. Michael Roizen, the latest of which is titled ‘YOU: Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty.’ A professor of cardiac surgery at Columbia University, he also serves on the advisory board of the OneVoice Movement, a non-profit organization aiming to empower moderate Israelis and Palestinians to take more action in coming to a two-state resolution without violence. He is also a director of Siga Technologies, a a biotechnology company that specializes in countermeasures against biological warfare and other serious infectious diseases.
- Fract: Dr. Oz suggests taking aspirin to protect your arteries and lower your risk of major cancers – but has not yet made a statement on Vaxadrine (or Vaxadrone, or Vaxadrin…) Stay tuned to see whether Stephen offers him a dose!
Tuesday, 5/13: Jennifer Hooper McCarty
Dr. Jennifer Hooper McCarty’s website is named ‘CSI: Titanic,’ and her new book is called ‘What Really Sank the Titanic: New Forensic Discoveries.’ Zoners, I’ll tell you right now that I’m going to be geeking out all over this interview. It’s forensic science at the bottom of the ocean! Dr. McCarty is a historical materials scientist who studied cleaning and conservation techniques used on artifacts from the Bronze Age in Greece before picking up where the 1998 expedition to the Titanic ended. She is comparing samples from the wreckage to materials used in ships and other structures today, to figure out just why this great ocean liner sank so fast after hitting an iceberg in April 1912.
- Fract: Spoiler Alert: it was the rivets, in the hull, with the slag.
Wednesday, 5/14: Laura Dern, Grover Norquist
You may remember actress Laura Dern as the scrappy botannical scientist Dr. Ellie Sattler in the 1993 movie ‘Jurassic Park.’ Well, she’s moved on to different dinosaurs now – namely, the relics of the 2000 U.S. presidential election. Dern plays then-Secretary of State Katherine Harris in ‘Recount,’ a tale of the state of Florida and its vote recounting that took up the weeks before George W. Bush was ultimately declared president.
Author Grover Norquist is president of the lobbying group Americans for Tax Reform. He founded this group in 1985 at the request of then-president Ronald Reagan and has been working against taxes ever since. He has been an outspoken, influential figure in Washingon politics, drumming up support during the 2000 election for George W. Bush and creating the ‘Leave Us Alone Coalition. His latest work is titled ‘Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government’s Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives.’
- Fract: In 2006, the Americans for Tax Reform group was found to have connections to infamous lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Thursday, 5/15: Andrei Cherny
Andrei Cherny is a former senior speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore. In 2000, he became the lead negotiator and chief drafter of the Democratic party platform. He served as a senior aide in Senator John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, and is an officer with the United States Navy Reserve. He wrote ‘The Next Deal: The Future of Public Life in the Information Age‘ in 2001 and has contributed to a number of media publications. His latest book is titled ‘The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour,’ about American and British pilots who airlifted billions of pounds of food and supplies into West Berlin while the Russians blockaded the city in 1948 and 1949.
- Fract: On his Amazon blog, Mr. Cherny has asked for advice on what to do during his upcoming Colbert Report interview.
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4 Comments
May 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I’m glad you included that link to Andrei Cherny’s Amazon blog! It didn’t seem big enough to post by itself, but I knew I wouldn’t have time to do a “Zeitgeist” -style post or anything like that before his episode airs this Thursday, and your FCL post is a much better place for it. Here’s hoping he gets some useful tips; that book sounds really interesting, and I’ve already added it to my ever-growing list of things to read.
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May 12th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I was fascinated by the Berlin Airlift while taking my AP US History class in high school. So glad Mr. Cherny is publishing a new book on the subject.
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May 12th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I’m going to be at the Thursday taping. I’ve never been to a taping before so I’m super excited!
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May 12th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Sounds like a good night to be there! I hope you send DB or at least post a brief taping report afterwards:)
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