I hope you are all looking forward to this week’s shows. There seem to be some interesting guests lined up, and I am sure that “Stephen” will raise some good questions. Get excited for the show!

Robert Baer officially becomes a “friend of the show” with his second appearance. Baer’s first appearance was back in 2006. He recently released the book, The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower, about Iran’s unnoticed successes against the United States. Robert was formerly a CIA field officer assigned in the Middle East, and is now Time.com’s Intelligence columnist. Baer attended Culver Military Academy in Indiana, and graduated from Georgetown. Later, he entered the CIA’s Directorate of Operations and became a case officer. For the CIA, Robert was assigned to places such as New Delhi, Lebanon, Tajikistan, and Morocco. In 1997, he left the CIA and received the agency’s Career Intellligence Medal, and in 1998, he released the book, See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA’s War on Terrorism, about his experiences. Now, Baer advocates the need for the CIA to increase Human Intelligence through the recruitment of agents and works on analyses of the Middle East based on his great background. In addition to his work for Time.com, Robert also contributes to Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

Fract: A change of plans? Born in Colorado, Baer originally wanted to become a professional skier.

Tuesday, March 16: Rebecca Skloot

Rebecca Skloot is the author of the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which was released in February of this year. Henrietta Lacks, known as “HeLa,” provided the first tissue that showed that human cells could survive in a lab. The tissue was then used for various breakthroughs in science, including the cure for polio. Skloot is a freelance science writer, contributing to The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, and New York magazine. Previously on the Board of Directors for the National Books Critics Circle, and also a member of the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh, Rebecca now teaches Creative Non-ficiton in the Masters of Fine Arts program at the University of Memphis, where she resides. Ms. Skloot also contributes to the blog, Culture Dish and the magazine Popular Science. She worked as a correspondent for NPR’s RadioLab and Nova Science Now on PBS. Her freelance work has led her to write articles on everything from goldfish surgery to the dog-eat-dog world of Manhattan.

Follow Rebecca on Twitter here.

Fract: Eclectic payment – Rebecca paid for all her degrees by working in emergency rooms, neurology labs, veterinary morgues and martini bars.

Wednesday, March 17: Neil Irvin Painter

Nell Irvin Painter is the author of the new book, The History of White People. She is a Professor Emerita of American History at Princeton University. Born in Texas, Painter went on to study at the University of Bordeaux in France and the University of Ghana before receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley, a Master’s from UCLA, and another Master’s as well as her Ph.D. from Harvard. Painter was previously the president of the Organization of American Historians and the Southern Historical Association too. She has written a handful of books and has appeared on television for interviews, such as a three-hour In Depth program for C-SPAN Book TV. Nell has continued her education too – she is currently studying for her Master’s in Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Fract: Stephen Colbert Day in Canada? Well, Ms. Painter also has a day named after her, but in Boston. Nell Irvin Painter Day was celebrated on October 4, 2007 in honor of her work.

Thursday, March 18: Mary Matalin

Mary Matalin is a political consultant married to another political consultant, James Carville. The only problem? Mary is Republican and James is a Democrat. The two co-wrote the book, All’s Fair: Love, War and Running for President, about their relationship and campaign life. Matalin attended Western Illinois University, and then went on to receive her Juris Doctor from Hofstra University. Previously, Mary worked as an assistant to George W. Bush and a counsler for Dick Cheney, as well as serving as Chief of Staff to the Republican National Convention chairman, Lee Atwater, during his tenure. She has worked as a host of Crossfire and had her own radio talk show, The Mary Matalin Show in the 90’s. She worked on the presidential campaign for Fred Thompson, and was the treasurer of the re-election committee for the Virginian senator, George Allen. Carville and Matalin have two daughters together, and they reside in New Orleans.

Fract: Early signs of success? Mary was voted Homecoming Queen in her junior year of high school.

Enjoy this week’s shows!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 8-March 11
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 1-March 4
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 22-February 25
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 8-February 11

This is a very exciting week for me for one guest in particular – Tom Hanks. My sister and I have loved him ever since Apollo 13 all those years ago. He always is so jovial, and I love it. I hope you are all still getting over Stephen “interviewing” Sean Hannity, and are looking forward to a new week of interviews.

When you think of Tom Hanks and Stephen, this should be the first thing that comes to mind. Now we will have some more to think about when we think of this pairing. Tom Hanks has starred in, directed, and produced countless movie and television hits during his more than 20 year career in the business. Hanks’ first hit was Big, about a boy who wishes to grow up and turns into an adult overnight. Tom went on to win back-to-back Academy Awards for his roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. He has starred in popular movies like Cast Away and Saving Private Ryan, as well as Road to Perdition and Catch Me If You Can. He lent his voice to everybody’s favorite cowboy, Woody, in Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and the upcoming Toy Story 3. In addition, Tom has worked as a producer on many HBO projects including: Band of Brothers, John Adams, and his newest production, The Pacific, a 10 part miniseries about WWII, premiering on March 14. He received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, and is the #1 star in the world according to box-office draw, earning more than $3.5 billion between all his releases.

You can also follow Tom Hanks on Twitter here.

Fract: An avid supporter of NASA and manned spaceflight, the asteroid, 12818 Tomhanks, was named in honor of the actor.

Tuesday, March 9: Annie Leonard

Annie Leonard is the author of the new book, The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-and a Vision for Change, which began as an animated documentary about the American materialistic consumer society. Leonard wrote and narrated the film which was released in 2007, but her work made the front page of The New York Times in May 2009. Ms. Leonard has spent years discovering just what happens to the waste we make by traveling to 40 countries and witnessing the effects of our mass consumption. She attended Barnard College as an undergraduate, but completed her Master’s at Cornell University in city and regional planning. Annie serves on the boards of the International Forum for Globalization and the Environment Health Fund, and has worked for Greenpeace International. She also testified before Congress about international waste trafficking in 1992.

You can check out the official website for The Story of Stuff here or follow The Story of Stuff on Twitter.

Fract: Taking up the cause? Not only does Annie do work related to The Story of Stuff, she is also the co-creator of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a worldwide organization that aims to create a toxic-free world without incineration.

Wednesday, March 10: Sean Carroll

Sean Carroll is a senior research associate at the California Institute of Technology’s department of Physics. His newest book, From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time, is about the origins of the Universe in relation to time. In his work, Sean specializes in dark energy and general relativity. Originally from Philadelphia, Carroll attended Villanova University for his undergraduate degree, and received his Ph.D. from Harvard. He has worked and researched at M.I.T. and the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as at the University of Chicago. Carroll contributes to and co-created a blog for Discover Magazine called “Cosmic Variance,” and also has authored the textbook, Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity. In addition, Sean has created a 24-part lecture series for The Teaching Company called, Dark Matter, Dark Energy: The Dark Side of the Universe. If you are interested in hearing Sean talk, he is giving a variety of upcoming lectures and presentations, if you are in the area.

You can also follow Sean Carroll on Twitter here.

Fract: Lost fans? Sean Carroll gave the feature interview for the Season 5 DVD.

Thursday, March 11: David Aaronovitch

David Aaronovitch is an English author, journalist, and broadcaster with a new book called, Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History. He writes a regular common for The Times, and has also written for The Guardian. Aaronovitch has won numerous awards for his work, including the 2001 Orwell Prize for Journalism. Before being expelled for failing the German part of his History exams, David attended Ballilol College at Oxford, but ended up receiving his degree from the University of Manchester. In 2000, he released the book, Paddling to Jerusalem: An Aquatic Tour of Our Small Country, and was named Columnist of the Year in 2003 by What the Papers Say. In addition to his work in print, Aaronovitch often appears on BBC’s satirical show, Have I Got News for You, but also on BBC News 24, BBC’s 24 hour news program. David is active in the National Union of Students, the main confederation of student unions in the United Kingdom.

Fract: Wikiality? For some time, Aaronovitch’s Wikipedia entry said that he was born in Serbia, which wasn’t true, but David publicly stated his amusement about the incorrect information.

Enjoy this week’s shows!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 15-March 18
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 1-March 4
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 22-February 25
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 8-February 11

So, I guess it will be hard to follow-up on what we saw last week, but if anyone can do it, we know it’s Stephen.

Don Cheadle is an actor best known for his roles in Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, and Ocean’s 13, as well as his Oscar-nominated turn in Hotel Rwanda. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Cheadle eventually moved to Denver, and finally graduated from the California Institue of the Arts. In addition to roles in films such as Traffic, Talk to Me, and Out of Sight, Don will be appearing in the upcoming sequel, Iron Man 2. When he is not working on movies, Mr. Cheadle spends much time doing activist work for the people of Darfur and Rwanda. In fact, his sister, Cindy, works at a school outside of Washington D.C. which is involved in raising awareness of the genocide. For his work, he was presented a Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, along with George Clooney, who also campaigns for the same cause. As well as the Summit Peace Award, Don was named the BET Humanitarian of the Year for his work in Darfur and Rwanda.

Fract: According to the director of After the Sunset, one of Cheadle’s movies, Don is very good at playing the board game, Go, one of the oldest board games in history.

Tuesday, March 2: David Brooks

David Brooks is the author of Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There, a book about bourgeois bohemians, or Bobos for short. Brooks was born in Toronto, Canada, but was raised in New York City, graduating from Radnor High School in a suburb of Philadelphia, and finally earning his degree in History from the University of Chicago in 1983. He currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland and is a columnist for the New York Times. He also wrote the book, On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense, a “pseudo-sociological treatise” about America’s problems, which was released in 2004. In the past, David has written for the Washington Times and The Wall Street Journal, as well as The Weekly Standard, Newsweek, and The Atlantic Monthly. Mr. Brooks has done commentary for NPR, and was a visiting professor at Duke University too.

Fract: Going against the grain? Although a conservative, Brooks came out in favor of same-sex marriage in 2003 in a column for the New York Times, and has shown support for Barack Obama as well.

Wednesday, March 3: Gary Wills

Gary Wills is the author of the new book, Bomb Power: The Modern Presidency and the National Security State. Educated at a Jesuit high school and two Jesuit universities (Xaiver and Saint Louis), Wills specializes in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as American politics, political history and ideology. Wills also received his Ph.D. from Yale University and currently is an emeritus professor at Stephen’s alma mater, Northwestern University, where he taught since 1980. Wills has written many books including What Jesus Meant, What the Gospels Meant, and What Paul Meant. For his book, Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America, Gary won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction after its release in 1993. Writing extensively on Saint Augustine, Wills is one of the foremost Catholic authors today.

Fract: After the publishing of his book, Nixon Agonistes in 1970, Wills landed on Nixon’s master list of political opponents.

Thursday, March 4: Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz is the author of the book, The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, which explains how the plethora of choices that we face in every day life may not really be that different after all. Educated at New York University and the University of Pennsylvania, Schwartz is now the Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College. A frequent contributor to the New York Times, Barry uses his research in the field of Psychology and applies it to current events and trends. He also studies the links between Economics and Psychology, and has written the book, The Costs of Living, where he argues that current economic objectives are turning social life into a jungle. Other, more academic, books by Barry Schwartz include: Learning and Memory, The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality and Modern Life, and Psychology of Learning and Behavior.

Fract: Along with his book, The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz has also given speeches for TED: Technology, Environment, Design, a small non-profit organization which devotes itself to “ideas worth sharing.”

Enjoy this week’s shows!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 15-March 18
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 8-March 11
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 22-February 25
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 8-February 11

The week is here! So, there is no official announcement about the guests this week, but I hope that you are all as excited as I am about seeing all the coverage on television finally. And since I cannot provide you with the official guest list (though checking out the coverage will give you some spoilers, if you’d like), I will provide you with this lovely picture (from Shepard Fairey) instead.

Fract: I am so excited!

Enjoy this week more than anything!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 15-March 18
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 8-March 11
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 1-March 4
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 8-February 11

Another week begins, and we have another stellar guest line-up. My personal preference this week is Claire Danes, who I think is just a brilliant actress, but as always, I am excited for every show. I wonder what Stephen will feed his Grammy this week?

Jonathan Safran Foer is the author of the recently released book, Eating Animals, which is a book about the author’s exploration of eating choices upon learning that he was going to be a father. Foer decided to examine for himself the advantages and disadvantages of eating meat or being a vegetarian. He investigates factory farms and fisheries in hopes of discovering the morality of eating animals. This was Jonathan’s first work of non-fiction, producing the novels, Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in 2002 and 2005, respectively. Born in 1977 in Washington, D.C., Foer attended Princeton University and took a class with famed author Joyce Carol Oates who encouraged him to pursue writing as a career. Jonathan expanded his senior thesis leading to the novel, Everything is Illuminated, which later also became a movie directed by Liev Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood. Foer currently is a professor at the New York University Graduate Creative Writing Program.

Fract: It runs in the family. Jonathan’s two brothers are both writers as well. His older brother, Franklin, writes for The New Republic and his younger brother, Joshua, is a freelance journalist.

Tuesday, February 9: George Stephanopoulos

George Stephanopoulos is the chief political correspondent for ABC News, and also is a co-anchor of the ABC morning program, Good Morning America. Before becoming a part of the ABC News team, Geroge was the senior political advisor for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidental campaign. After winning the election, Stephanopolous became the White House Communications Director. In 1999, Stephanopolous released the book, All Too Human: A Political Education, his autobiography about the stresses of the highly political life he led during the Clinton administration. Mr. Stephanopolous studied political science at Columbia University, becoming the salutatorian of his class. He then was offered a Rhodes Scholarship on his second attempt. He worked on the 1988 campaign for Michael Dukakis, and later became the “floor man” for Dick Gephardt, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. George only remained a part of the Clinton administration during the first term, and eventually ended up at ABC, where he now runs the blog, George’s Bottom Line.

You can follow George on Twitter.

Fract: A different life? George’s father wanted him to become a priest in his Greek Orthodox religion, and George had considered. Though he did not follow through, he did receive a Master of Theology while studying at Oxford.

Wednesday, February 10: Claire Danes

Claire Danes is an actress best known for her work on the short-lived television show, My So-Called Life. She also played the role of Juliet in Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet and Beth March in the 1994 adaptation of Little Women. Most recently, she has taken on the role of Temple Gradin in the movie of the same title which aired on HBO this past Saturday. Grandin is a doctor of Animal Science at Colorado State University who is autistic, but high-functioning. Danes has also starred in the popular films, The Hours, Shopgirl, and The Family Stone. Danes attended Yale University for two years, studying psychology, but dropped out to pursue her acting career. Claire is currently married to fellow actor, Hugh Dancy, who she met on the set of the movie, Evening.

Fract: Claire Danes had her first kiss on-screen, not in real life. It happened on My So-Called Life.

Thursday, February 11: Al Michaels

Al Michaels is a television sportscaster for NBC. He previously worked for ABC for almost thirty years before making the switch. Michaels is known for NFL commentary, acting as the voice of play-by-play action for twenty years on Monday Night Football. His first job, after earning a degree in radio and television, was choosing women to appear on the The Dating Game television show, and his first sports related job was working public relations for the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1977, Al signed a deal with ABC, and during his time there, covered many different sports, including the Olympic games. One of Al Michael’s more notable commentaries was doing the play-by-play for the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” when the United States hockey team unexpectedly won the gold medal at the Olympic games. He recreated the commentary for the 2004 movie Miracle about the game. Al Michaels will help host the 2010 Olympic games during daytime coverage too. He has won five Emmys for “Outstanding Sports Personality – Play-by-Play” for his work, among numerous other accolades.

Fract: Al Michaels is the only play-by-play commentor to have covered all four major sport championships: the Super Bowl for football, the World Series for baseball, the NBA championships for basketball, and the Stanley Cup for hockey.

David Ross

David Ross is famous for his work in the world of art, including spending time as director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Currently, David heads the Albion Gallery in SoHo. He has become a leader for the firm, Artist Pension Trust, which is an investment program that helps with the financial needs of up and coming and established artists – Mr. Ross serves as a member of the Advisory Board. David Ross also works as the editor-at-large of FYLP, an online interactive magazine, which covers topics from politics to science and more.

You can follow David Ross on Twitter.

Fract: International reach? Not only has David been accomplished in America, but he also works on curatorial committees in Turin, Italy and Barcelona, Spain.

Enjoy this week’s shows!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 15-March 18
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 8-March 11
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 1-March 4
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 22-February 25

This week looks like we have a few really strong guests. The two that pop out most are both already “friends of the show” – Eliot Spitzer and Henry Louis Gates. I think that this week should be pretty exciting! And who knows, maybe we’ll get a few tosses too. *Misses the old-time frequency*

Nicole Detling Miller is a sports psychologist accompanying the 2010 U.S. Olymic team to Vancouver along with three other “mental coaches”. She works for HeadStrong Consulting, which helps athletes, or anyone else who wants to better their work performance, such as musicians or other artists. Miller earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and sports science from Ohio Wesleyan University, and continued on to get her Master’s in sports psychology from Ithaca College, while completing her Doctoral degree in sports psychology and sports medicine at the University of Utah. In addition to helping athletes, Nicole plays soccer, rock climbs, skis, and bikes as well. Currently, Ms. Miller teaches courses at the University of Utah and is also Ashworth University’s Chief Instructor and Subject Matter Expert in the School of Sport Psychology. Working with athletes from sports ranging from dressage to baseball, Nicole helps a wide variety of men and women achieve top performance.

Fract: Mayo Kitchen? No, Mayo Clinic – Ms. Miller once had an internship at the famous medical practice located in Minnesota.

Jessica Smith

Jessica Smith is an inline speed skater who was nominated to participate in the 2009-2010 World Cup speed skating events. She began skating on quad roller skates, but realized that she enjoyed inline speed skating more. Earning more than twenty medals for the United States in the World Speedskating Championships, Jessica has proven her power in the sport. Since inline skating is not an Olympic sport that is why Jessica has begun to focus more on ice skating. Her speciality is short distance since it better suited her inline skills as compared to long distances. Amazingly enough, she won her first spot on the U.S. Inline team when she was only 12.

Fract: A lifetime athlete – Jessica Smith’s parents got her involved in skating at the young age of nine months to encourage good balance and coordination.

Harold Ford, Jr.

Harold Ford, Jr. is the current chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council. For ten years he served in the United States House of Representatives as a member representing Tennessee’s 9th district until unsuccessfully running to fill Bill Frist’s vacated seat in the U.S. Senate. Ford, Jr.’s father, Harold Ford, Sr. was also a Tennessee congressman, and his son took his place after running for election in 1997. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and went on to receive his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1996. When he was elected to Congress, he was one of the youngest members at the age of 26, and he also delivered the keynote address at the 2000 Democratic National Convention when Al Gore accepted the party’s nomination. When Ford, Jr. did not run for re-election in 2006, his brother Jake ran for the spot but did not win. Since leaving Congress, Ford has also joined the firm Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a vice chairman.

You can follow Harold Ford, Jr. on Twitter.

Fract: Do you recognize the name? Harold Ford was named Stephen’s Alpha Dog of the Week just last Monday.

Tuesday, January 26: Eliot Spitzer

Everyone who is a member of the Nation should know the name Eliot Spitzer from his humble origins as a judge for Guitarmageddon, and his subsequent 2008 appearance, which took place in between his illegal activities that cost him the governor position of the state of New York in 2008. He served as the governor for a little over a year, and before held the position of the New York State Attorney General. During his time in the Attorney’s office he worked to prosecute on cases relating to white collar crime and securities fraud. He attended Princeton for his undergraduate degree, and continued onto Harvard Law. In March of 2008, the New York Times reported that Spitzer was involved in a prostitution ring, and a few days later the then-governor resigned from the position. Since his resignation, Eliot has begun to write a column for Slate Magazine and also joined the faculty of the City College of New York.

Fract: Breaking tradition? When Spitzer was inaugurated as the new Governor of New York the ceremony was held outdoors for the first time in over a century.

Wednesday, January 27: Peter Cove

Peter Cove is the founder of America Works, which aims to help individuals find places in the workforce who would normally have trouble doing so, such as veterans, criminal offenders, and youths leaving foster care. Mr. Cove is a leading activist for private solutions to public issues, and as such, began his venture in 1984 to work for answers. Previously, he held positions in municipal government, as a consultant for Manpower Assistance Project, and with the Ford Foundation. Up until beginning America Works, Peter was the President of Transitional Employment Enterprises for seven years. With the success of America Works, Mr. Cove was able to begin the Work First Foundation in 2005 which sponsors projects that try to give jobs to those who would seem to be undeserving while influencing policy makers to use the private sector to help solve the social problems we face. Peter has a Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston, and currently resides in New York City with his wife and five children.

Fract: Who’s honoring Peter now? In 1995 The Entrepreneur of the Year Institute awarded Mr. Cove with the title “Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year” for his work.

John Durant

John Durant works in online advertising, but is part of a movement of people who seek good health by returning to certain habits of our ancestors from the Paleolithic age. The group affectionately call themselves “cavemen.” The movement relies on eating large portions of meat, followed by fasting between meals, similar to the eating habits of those who had to hunt for their food. There are others who have begun to follow a similar approach to eating, so the wave is catching. This includes avoiding food such as bread because it would not have been available at the time of the actual cavemen who did have the modern agriculture we enjoy today. Mr. Durant’s ultimate goal is to rid himself of the unhealthy habits that have become customary over many and many years of dietary trends.

You can follow John Durant on Twitter.

Fract: Diet and exercise? The followers of this trend exercise in the same way as our ancestors as well – they use a routine which focuses on sprinting and jumping which replicates what a prehistoric person would have done.

Thursday, January 28: Henry Lois Gates, Jr.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a well known name, and not just because of his recent arrest after a mix-up involving him trying to get into his house in Cambridge, MA. Henry Louis Gates appeared on The Report back in 2008 and again in 2009. He is the host of the PBS series Faces of America, which will feature Stephen as an upcoming guest. Dr. Gates is the Alphonse Flethcher University Professor at Harvard University, where he serves as the Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. He attended Yale Univeristy as an undergrad, and went on to receive his Ph.D. from Cambridge University in English literature. Gates tackles many different areas such as literary critique, scholarly work, writing, editing, and education, leading to many books and television appearances. One of his books is Colored People: A Memoir, which chronicles his personal history in light of the civil rights history that occurred simultaneously. In addition to teaching at Harvard, Gates has taught at Yale, Cornell, and Duke. He was named one of Time’s Most Influential in 1997 and received a MacArthur Fellow in 1981.

Fract: Not a bad title – Michael Kinsley, a noted political journalist, referred to Gates, Jr. as “the nation’s most famous black scholar.”

Enjoy this week’s shows!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 15-March 18
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 8-March 11
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 1-March 4
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 22-February 25

We are inching closer and closer to the Olympics. I love them enough as so as it is, so this is really exciting for me. On a personal note, I have just started my last semester of college, so everything is bittersweet right now, but it’s nice that I always have Stephen at night.

Kati Marton is an author and a journalist. Her new book, Enemies of the People: My Family’s Journey to America, explores the lives of her parents as documented in the secret files of Budapest police from the time of Communist reign in Europe after World War II. Kati has also written two other books, Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History, and The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World. Born in Hungary in 1949, Kati’s parents were reporters who previously survived the Holocaust, after Kati’s grandparents had been killed at Auschwitz. Her parents received numerous awards for their reporting of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, but fled the country afterwards. Ms. Marton has studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, and at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques, also in Paris. For her work, Kati has won such awards as the George Foster Peabody Award and the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary. The Commander’s Cross is the highest civilian honor to be awarded. Kati is currently married to the United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke.

Fract: Keeping journalism in the blood – Kati’s second husband was the former ABC Nightly News anchor Peter Jennings. They were married from 1979 until 1994 and had two children together.

Tuesday, January 26: Paul Begala

Paul Begala has been The Colbert Report before – in 2006 and in 2008. His book, Third Term: Why George W. Bush (Hearts) John McCain, was released in 2008 before the presidential election, and explains the evolution of the relationship between the former president, and the 2008 runner-up. Paul Begala was an advisor to Bill Clinton, and back in 1992, along with James Carville, helped the president win the election. Begala has his Bachelor of Arts and his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin, and is currently teaching at the School of Law at the University of Georgia as a Sanders Political Leadership Scholar. Until 2008, Paul Begala was a consultant to Freddie Mac, and has also written the books, Is Our Children Learning?: The Case Against George W. Bush, and It’s Still the Economy, Stupid: George W. Bush, The GOP’s CEO.

Fract: Fans of The Daily Show might know Paul Begala from something else – he was Tucker Carlson’s, not-so-sidekick on Crossfire before the cancellation of the show in 2005.

Mika Brzezinski

Mika Brzezinski is a journalist for MSNBC, serving as a co-host of Morning Joe since 2008. Her book, All Things at Once, tells the story of her not-always-easy life. Born in New York City, Mika moved to Washington D.C. as a child when her father, Zbigniew Brzezinski, was appointed the National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter in 1976. Mika majored in English at Georgetown University, but transferred to Williams College in Massachusetts, where she finished her degree. She began her career at ABC in 1990 for World News This Morning, where she was an assistant. A year later she moved to a local FOX affiliate, and by 1992, she was working for a CBS affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut. Mika took a one year hiatus from CBS in 2000 to work for MSNBC, but after September 11th, she returned as the “Ground Zero” reporter. She is married to James Hoffer, a news reporter for ABC, and they have two children. Mika has been critical of journalists infatuated with the Obama family who lose a critical eye, and offered support to Sarah Palin, even though she did not necessarily agree with her views.

Mika is on Twitter – you can follow her here.

Fract: A media’s obsession with celebrity? Mika’s producers wanted to push a story about Paris Hilton’s release from jail as the top story, but Mika believed that a Republican Senator’s break with George W. Bush on war stance was more important. In protest, she attempted to burn the story’s script on air.

Wednesday, January 27: Arthur Benjamin

Arthur Benjamin is a mathemagician with a book called, Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagician’s Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks. In the book, co-authored with Michael Shermer, the two men set out to teach new tricks for calculating numbers in your head. He also co-authored a more advanced book with Jennifer Quinn called, Proofs that Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof. Dr. Benjamin specializes in combinatorics, a field of mathematics concerning the counting of discrete, finite sets of numbers. He is a professor at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, and has won the Mathematical Association of America’s teaching awards in 1999 and 2000, regionally and nationally, respectively. Arthur gives a lecture series called, “The Joy of Mathematics” through The Teaching Company, and was named “America’s Best Math Whiz” by Reader’s Digest in the May 2005 issue.

Fract: Some cool research, I must admit – when Dr. Benjamin was pursuing his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins, his dissertation was titled, “Turnpike Structures for Optimal Maneuvers.”

Thursday, January 28: David Gergen

Like Paul Begala, David Gergen is already a “friend of the show,” having appeared on the program in 2006, and again in 2008. Gergen is a political consultant, and was a presidential advisor during the administrations of Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. Born in North Carolina, David ending up attending Yale for his undergraduate work, and received his Juris Doctor from Harvard. His time working for many presidential administrations led to his book, Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton. Though he is still involved with political commentary, Gergen now devotes much time to academia – he is a professor of public service at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and has also taught at Duke University, in his hometown of Durham. He also serves as an editor-at-large for U.S. News and World Report, having worked as a journalist there from 1984 through 1993, and makes appearances on CNN shows like Anderson Cooper 360 and Hardball.

Fract: Due to his frequent appearances on many television shows, Gergen has become a target for satire. A humorist Joe Bob Briggs once noted his physical similarities to a well-known cartoon character, The Cat in the Hat.

Enjoy the show!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 15-March 18
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 8-March 11
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 1-March 4
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 22-February 25

This week has one guest who I am particularly excited about – Dick Ebersol. He has made some comments throughout “Late-Night-Gate” which are interesting. Though I am sure he is on for promotion of the Olympics, there is no doubt in my mind that “Stephen,” and hopefully Stephen, will take advantage. John Farmer was not on last week (John Heilemann was on instead), and he is now on Thursday. It looks to be a good week.

Margaret Palmer is a professor of Entomology and Biology at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. She is also the Laboratory Director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory for the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Sciences. Palmer’s areas of expertise are restoration ecology, stream ecosystem structure and function, invertabrate biodiversity, and urban stream ecology. Her recent article, “Mountaintop Mining Consequences,” (Here is the press release) calls on the Environmental Protection Agency to review its issuance of mountain mining permits. Among other publications, Dr. Palmer has co-edited the book, Foundations of Restoration Ecology, which takes the underlying theory of ecology and connects it to applied restoration practice. Margaret received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Emory University and her Master’s and Ph.D. in Coastal Oceanography from the University of South Carolina.

Fract: If water is so darn precious, why do we let fish poop in it? Although she has her Ph.D. in Oceanography, Dr. Margaret Palmer now focuses more on freshwater matters. This gives me special reason to call attention to a favorite segment of mine.

Emily Pilloton

Emily Pilloton is an architect, industrial designer, writer, and the author of the book, Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People. The book highlights different products whose designs help solve common social problems. Pilloton is the founder, executive director, and project manager of Project H Design, which is a non-profit team of designers creating project design initiatives for “humanity, habitats, health and happiness”. These design initiatives are used to help those without access to the resources necessary to solve social problems. Emily was also the managing editor of the weblog, Inhabitat.com, but now holds the title of senior editor. She lectures across the world about the social impact that new designs can have, including creating smaller carbon footprints. Ms. Pilloton is a self-classified optimist.

Fract: Educated in Chicago as well? Like Stephen – the person, Emily went to school in Chicago for her Master’s in Fine Arts, but she attended the Art Institute of Chicago.

Tuesday, January 19: Stephen Bosworth

Ambassador Stephen Bosworth is the Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts. The Fletcher School is the oldest school in the U.S. dedicated solely to graduate studies of International Relations. His 2006 book, Chasing the Sun: Rethinking East Asian Policy Since 1992, co-authored with Morton Abramowitz, shows how U.S. policy towards East Asia must change with a more globalized economy and worldview. Bosworth’s experience and knowledge of East Asia led him to be appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as the Special Representative for North Korean policy. He has served as U.S Ambassador to South Korea, the Philippines, and Tunisia, and was named the American Academy of Diplomacy’s Diplomat of the Year in 1987 for his work. He has also had assignments in Paris, Madrid, and Panama City abroad, and served as the State Department’s Director of Policy Planning at home.

Fract: Educated at Dartmouth as well? Like Stephen – the character, Ambassador Bosworth received his Bachelor’s degree from the Ivy League school.

Wednesday, January 20: Dick Ebersol

Dick Ebersol is the chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics. With the role, Ebersol is responsible for all sports programming on NBC and USA, as well as overseeing Olympic programming. Dick began his career at ABC in 1967 as the first Olympic researcher, but left in 1974 to become NBC’s Director of Weekend Late Night Programming. He helped Lorne Michaels develop Saturday Night Live in 1975, and in 1977 became the Vice President of Comedy, Variety, and Event Programming at NBC. Mr. Ebersol began his time in NBC Sports in 1989 as the President of the division. He has created great success for NBC Sports, including winning 11 Sports Emmys for the 2004 coverage of the Athen’s Olympic games. Dick Ebersol has been honored with many awards for his work, which includes receiving awards from the International Olympic Committee and the March of Dimes.

Fract: Famous father too? Dick Ebersol’s father is Charles Ebersol who was the Chairman of the American Cancer Society.

Thursday, January 21: John Farmer

John Farmer is the senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission and is the author of the book, The Ground Truth: The Untold Story of America Under Attack on 9/11, which draws conclusions about the failure to detect the attacks of September 11, 2001. Currently, Farmer serves as the dean of the School of Law at Rutgers in Newark, New Jersey. He attended Georgetown University, where he received both his Bachelor’s degree and his Juris Doctor. In 1999, Farmer was nominated to the position of New Jersey Attorney General, and served in that position until 2002. John Farmer is also a contributer to The Star-Ledger of Newark.

Fract: While serving as the New Jersey Attorney General in 2002, Farmer served as the acting Governor for 90 minutes until the next governor was sworn in.

Enjoy the show!

• Fantasy Colbert League: March 15-March 18
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 8-March 11
• Fantasy Colbert League: March 1-March 4
• Fantasy Colbert League: February 22-February 25