Archive for FCL Weekly
Fantasy Colbert League: October 26-October 29
Posted by: | Comments
It feels good to be back. While break weeks are nice for catching up on sleep, other work, and the like, you can always feel a little void. This weeks seems to have a fun line-up – so without further ado…
Monday, October 26: Cornel West
Cornel is becoming a “friend of the show” with his second appearance this Monday. You will remember Cornel from his last appearance back in 2008 before the election of Barack Obama. Dr. West is a member of the “liberal elite” as he is a professor at Princeton in the Center for African American Studies and in the Religion department. Much of his work focuses on race, gender, and class with one of his more famous works being Race Matters. His upcoming release is a memoir titled Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud of which he says, “I’ve never taken the time to focus on the inner dynamics of the dark precincts of my soul.”
You can check out Cornel’s website here.
Fract: Cornel was quoted on Starbuck’s cups during its “The Way I See It” series. His quote read: “You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people. You can’t save the people, if you don’t serve the people.”
Tuesday, October 27: Gail Collins
Gail Collins, an American journalist, was the Editorial Page Editor for the New York Times from 2001 until 2007 when she left to work on her book, When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present, which came out on October 14th. Amazon.com says of this book about Women’s progress: “A comprehensive mix of oral history and Collins’s keen research, this is the definitive book about five crucial decades of progress, told with the down-to-earth, amusing, and agenda-free tone this beloved New York Times columnist is known for.” After finishing the book, Collins returned to the Times, but has also worked for the New York Daily News, Newsday, Connecticut Business Journal, United Press International, and the Associated Press in New York City.
To see some of Ms. Collins’ work at the New York Times, check out this link.
Fract: Gail was the first female Editorial Page Editor for the New York Times.
Wednesday, October 28: Brian Cox
Brian Cox is an English physicist who is a professor at the University of Manchester. His work focuses of particle physics, as he is a Royal Society research fellow who works on the Large Hadron Collider with CERN (the European Organization of Nuclear Research). Cox works to publicize science, and his new book, co-authored with Professor Jeff Forshaw, Why Does E=mc2?: (And Why Should We Care?) works to do just that. The book looks to explain Einstein’s famous equation “E=mc2″ by studying each part of the equation closely. Stephen might not like Science, but Cox says: “Science is too important not to be a part of popular culture.”
You can follow Brian Cox on Twitter here, or check out his website here.
Fract: Science ain’t good enough? Brian also was a member in several bands, some including “Dare” and “D:Ream,” who created a number 1 hit with their election song, “Things Can Only Get Better” in the early 1990’s.
Thursday, October 29: Bill Simmons
We might hear Stephen making the “Sport Report” sounds that we all know and love on Thursday since Bill Simmons works for ESPN. He has a column and podcast for Page2 at ESPN.com which you can check out here. Mr. Simmons is called “The Sports Guy” since he writes his columns from the viewpoint of a passionate fan, and has even ran for the position of general manager of two basketball teams, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, though he did not win either of the roles. Bill also wrote for ESPN: The Magazine, and got his start in Boston where he received his master’s degree in print journalism at Boston University. This means that he is a huge Boston sports fan, rooting for the Red Sox, Celtics, and everything in between. He was on the show back in 2006, but will be on this time in support of his new book, The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy this Thursday.
You can follow Bill Simmons on Twitter here or check out his blog.
Fract: Bill not only knows sports, but comedy too. He worked as a writer for The Jimmy Kimmel Show from 2002-2004 before leaving to work full-time at ESPN.
That’s all I have for now! Enjoy the show!
Related posts
Fantasy Colbert League: October 12-October 15
Posted by: | CommentsHey Everyone! Val here – taking over the reins for the Fantasy Colbert League. I hope you are having a great weekend, and enjoyed the website’s mention in “The L.A. Times”. This is the last week before the show takes a break. *Sad face* But this week looks to have a fine line-up.
Monday, October 12: Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor is the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs. From 2002 to 2007, he served as the UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information. He was also the Indian candidate for the Secretary General of the United Nations in 2006. He began his career at the UN in 1978, and has worked on peacekeeping efforts in Yugoslavia, as well as serving as the executive assistant to Kofi Annan. Tharoor also works for the International Committee of the Red Cross as well.
Fract: Not only is Shashi a “Friend of the Show,” having been on in 2007 and
2008, but his son, Kanishk, was also on the show in support of his father earlier this year.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Dr. Gupta almost became the Surgeon General of the United States for the Obama administration, but withdrew his name before confirmation. Although he does not hold the famous title, Dr. Gupta is no slouch in the world of medicine. He is a professor of neurosurgery at Emory University, and also the associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. If that isn’t enough, Dr. Gupta has made a name for himself as CNN’s chief medical correspondent, appearing on such shows as Larry King Live and Anderson Cooper 360.
Fract: Just like Stephen, Dr. Gupta was also named one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive (in 2003).
Tuesday, October 13: David Javerbaum
The name David Javerbaum should ring familiar to all of us. David was the executive producer on a show you may have heard of, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Sound familiar? Graduating from the Musicial Theatre Writing Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, David helped adapt the Broadway Musical Cry-Baby, which debuted in 2008. In addition to work on that musical, Mr. Javerbaum helped contribute the lyrics for “A Colbert Christmas”. So we can thank David for songs like “Nutmeg”.
Fract: Jon Stewart used David as his “phone a friend” on Celebrity Millionaire
Sylvia Earle Ms. Earle is an oceanographer, and a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. Moving near the Gulf of Mexico at a young age, Sylvia began learning all about nature. She even dove a few hundred deep in the Bahamas while four months pregnant! With nicknames like “Her Deepness” and “The Sturgeon General,” anyone can understand her love for the study of the underwater life.
Fract: Sylvia was named the first person named Time’s “Hero for the Planet” in 1998.
Wednesday, October 14: Amy Farrell
Books: all fact, no heart? Well, Amy Farrell, a professor of American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at Dickinson College likes ‘em – in fact, she has published much on her specialty, as well as receiving many research grants for her work. Her latest work, contributing to the new book, “The Fat Studies Reader” is all about how obesity is portrayed in society and in the media. The book provides an examination of the history of “fat studies,” as well as focusing on the goals of health and social tolerance.
Fract: Amy teaches a course in Feminist Writing at Dickinson College. Maybe Stephen could cook with her too?
The RZA
RZA is the stage-name for Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, a leading member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Unlike Stephen, he has won Grammys for his work, and also is a music producer, author, actor, director, and screenwriter. Recently, he has been working on solo projects under the moniker “Bobby Digital”. While with the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA introduced a “five-year plan,” where members gave him almost dictatorship-like power, and he promised he would take them to the top. At the end of the five years, the popular album “Wu-Tang Forever” was released.
Fract: RZA has little concern for illegal music downloading simply because “when I make music, I make it to be heard.”
Thursday, October 15: Jerry Mitchell
Who’s not honoring Stephen now? It’s the Genius Grant again. You will remember Stephen’s previous lament, and this year is no different. Jerry Mitchell recently received the Genius Grant, and the $500,000 prize that goes along with it. Mitchell is a Mississippi news reporter whose work has concerned Civil Rights. His work has been highly praised by those around him. The former governor of Mississippi, William Winter said, “We will be a better society for his reporting.”
Fract: Mitchell’s interest in Civil Rights began when he saw the movie Mississippi Burning in 1989.
Well, that’s it for now. Enjoy the shows! See you in two weeks.
Related posts
Fantasy Colbert League Weekly: September 21-24
Posted by: | Comments
Hello, last week was a great week with excellent guests, unfortunately my laptop was out of commission and I had no means of making my post. Now I do, so we will all get a preview of the next week. If I could guess the theme, I’d say it would be smart people. Monday is a rerun (Emmys!). As you know, all guests are subject to change (but hopefully they won’t).
Tuesday: Shai Agassi:
Credit: jdlasica
Shai Agassi is the founder and CEO of Better Place. He has been on many “Top 10,” “Top 20,” and “Top 100″ lists for his work in technology, his influence on the world, and his fight against climate change including the “TIME 100.” He has recently predicted that half of the cars sold in 2020 will be electric. His company, Better Place is based in California and works on building electric cars, batteries, and an infrastructure to support electric vehicles.
Fract: He is a smartypants. He graduated from college with a Bachelor of Computer Science degree… when he was only 15!
Links:
Wednesday: A. J. Jacobs:
A.J. Jacobs is a journalist, writer, editor for Esquire magazine, and professional double-dog-dare-taker. His new book, “The Guinea Pig Diaries, My Life as an Experiment” tells stories of things he has done. These things include: being brutally honest for a month, obeying his wife completely for a month, and pose naked. In 2007 his book “The Year of Living Biblically” discussed how he lived according to the Bible as literally as possible. He also wrote “The Know it All,” he read all of encyclopedia Britannica (32 Volumes). In other words… he’s a fan of facts. Jon Stewart wrote a blurb for this book, “The Know-It-All is a hilarious book and quite an impressive achievement. I’ve always said, why doesn’t someone put out a less complete version of the encyclopedia? Well done, A.J.”
Fract: He knows that opossums have thirteen nipples.
Links:
Thursday: Ken Burns
Credit: Jpurvis
This will be Ken Burns’ second appearance on The Colbert Report (First appearance November 1st 2005). He is a very famous filmmaker for PBS. Under his belt are 19 documentaries, with subjects ranging from The Civil War to Baseball. When choosing film subjects, he is “unafraid of controversy or tragedy.” He is also famous for “The Ken Burns Effect,” a film technique where the camera zooms in on a picture, then pans across it over narration, giving the picture “life.” His latest documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” will air later this month. It is about the people who helped create America’s national parks. Ken Burns is also a major contributor to the Democratic party, with donations totaling nearly 40,000 dollars. He produces the video that introduced Ted Kennedy during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Fract: Ken Burns was the subject of the film “Ken Burns, An American Interview,” this documentary can be viewed here.
Links:
Related posts
Fantasy Colbert League Weekly! August 3rd-7th
Posted by: | CommentsWow! Great guests last week. This week looks promising as well. I’m getting the hang of doing these now and you guys know the deal: Here’s this weeks guests, their photo, the best of their wikipedia page, and a fract.
Wikipedia
Fract:General Tony Zinni retired from the Marines in the year 2000 as a 4 Star General. This makes him a MegaAmerican!
Tuesday: Kurt Andersen
Kurt Andersen (right). Credit: Pri.Studio360
Fract: He was fired from New York Newspaper in 1996. He claimed the reason was he published an article concerning financial interests of his boss. His claim has kept me from publishing DB’s stock portfolio.
.jpg)
Wednesday: Kris Kobach Kris Kobach is a Rebublican candidate for Kansas’ Secretary of State. One issue of focus he has is stopping Acorn. As he is running for office, his motivation for going on The Colbert Report is for the famous Colbert Bump, but does he have the balls to get nailed?
Fract:He hosts a radio show from 6-8am on Sunday mornings. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard in 1988. Kansas has radios?
Credit: Howie Berlin
Fract She lives in Hollywood California. I know this because she drives a Toyota Prius.
Related posts
Fantasy Colbert League Weekly: July 27th-July 30th
Posted by: | CommentsHello yet again! My apologies for not doing FCLW for two weeks. I was out of town one week and really busy the other. There were great guests both weeks, and we have a few great guests coming up. Please read and feel free to comment. I don’t know everything about everybody so if you know something about one of these fine guests please let us know. As always, I will include a picture and a freedom fact. All guest are subject to change.
Monday, July 27th: Movits!
Credit: Jyoti Mishra
Movits is a Swedish band. They are “hip hop,” or at least what Swedish people call hip hop. They are fairly popular in Sweden but upstart here. They must be searching for a Colbert Bump.
Tuesday, July 28th: Arianna Huffington
Credit: Life.com
Arianna Huffington is a frequent guest on The Colbert Report; Tuesday will be her third appearance. Similarly, The Colbert Report is often mentioned on The Huffington Post, Arianna’s blog. The Huffington Post is a Liberal news blog. Arianna was named the 12 most influential woman in the Media in 2009. Her blog attracts many celebrities such as Robert Redford, Oliver Stone, Bill Maher, and Senator Kristen Gillibrand.
Wednesday, July 29th: TBA
If I catch the announcement before Wednesday I will post what I know. J.D. Salinger would be my best guess (keep in mind this guess is based on squat).
Thursday, July 30th: Kathryn Bigelow
Credit: Seattle International Film Festival
Karthyn Bigelow is a director. She directed “The Loveless,” “Near Dark,” “Blue Steel,” “Point Break,” “Strange Days,” “The Weight Of Water,” “K-19: The WidowMaker.” and her most recent film “The Hurt Locker.” “The Hurt Locker” is a film about post-invasion Iraq. It has been seen at many film festivals and received numerous awards.
Related posts
Fantasy Colbert League Weekly: June 29 through July 2nd!
Posted by: | CommentsHello! and welcome to Fantasy Colbert League Weekly! This is my first attempt at one of these so bear with me as I try out new things. As always, there will be an overview of the guests of the week (subject to change at any time), there will also be a fract (freedom fact), and a picture of the guest.
Monday, June 29 – Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Credit: Frederick M. Brown
Tonight will be the 6th appearance of Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Colbert Report, so most of us know him well. He is an astrophysicist as well as the Director of the Hayden Planetarium. In other words, a member of the nerd patrol. He writes books on astronomy and his latest book is titled “The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet.” Neil was also featured in NoFactZone’s book club.
- Fract: Neil holds the record for guest with the most appearances.
Tuesday, June 30 – Kevin Mattson
Kevin Mattson is the Connor Study Professor of Contemporary History at Ohio University. He has written nine books (if my count is correct) and currently does not have a Wikipedia page (somebody get on that). His latest book is titled “‘What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President?’: Jimmy Carter, America’s ‘Malaise,’ and the Speech that Should Have Changed the Country.” He is also working on a book titled “Rebels All!: A Short History of the Conservative Mind in Postwar America.” He is a common sight and/or sound on many radio and television shows.
- Fract: Kevin Mattson was born in Washington D.C. and not in the USA.
Wednesday, July 1 – Lee Siegel
Credit: Darien Library
Lee Siegel is a California born literary critic and author of five novels. One of which, “Love in a Dead Language” was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year in 1999. He is a professor of religion at The University of Hawaii. His son, Sibastian Siegal is an actor. starting in 1978, Siegel published scholarly studies covering a wide range of subjects including but not limited to comedy, horror, Indian love poetry, and magic.
- Fract: Lee Siegel was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his book “Love in a Dead Language. Unlike Colbert, however, he did not receive the award.
Thursday, July 2 – Ed Viesturs
Credit: Meg and Nathan
Ed Viesturs is a mountain climber, and he is darn good at it. He has climbed Everest seven times and he is one of only fourteen people in the world that have climbed all mountain peaks higher than 8,000 meters; he is the sixth person to do it without oxygen and the first American to ever do it! He has appeared once before on The Colbert Report in March 2007.
- Fract: Ed agreed to plant the Colbert Nation flag atop Everest if he ever climbed it again. Did he when he went in May? Tune in to find out!
Related posts
Fantasy Colbert League Weekly: April 27 – 30
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome 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!
Note: As always, guests are subject to change.
Monday, 4/27: The Decemberists
If you don’t know The Decemberists by now, you’ve been living under a rock. This alt-rock group got into a feud with Stephen in 2006 over Stephen’s Green Screen Challenge, culminating in the Rock and Awe: Countdown to Guitarmageddon that pitted Stephen against lead guitarist Chris Funk. The Decemberists are headed out on Phase Two of their “A Short Fazed Hovel” Tour. Their latest album, ‘The Hazards of Love,’ is now available.
- Fract: The guitar Chris Funk played during the Guitarmageddon was sold on Ebay for $2,225 in a charity auction to benefit the Portland youth organization p:ear. Not bad!
Tuesday, 4/28: Richard Engel, Daniel Gross
Journalist Richard Engel was recently promoted to the position of NBC News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent. He joined NBC in 2003 and spent years in Iraq covering the dangers of life there during the war. He has survived bombings and kidnappings, and has seen colleagues injured by explosions. In 2006, Engel won both an Emmy for his work in Lebanon as well as the Edward R. Murrow award for his report title ‘Baghdad E.R.’ He has lived in the Middle East for 12 years.
Author and economist Daniel Gross is a senior editor at Newsweek. He writes the ‘Money Culture’ column for Newsweek and the ‘Moneybox’ column for Slate magazine. His latest book, titled ‘Dumb Money: How Our Greatest Financial Minds Bankrupted the Nation
- Fract: As a youth, Richard Engel suffered from dyslexia and learning difficulties, but after attending a wilderness survival program in Wyoming, he was able to overcome them, move to Cairo, learn Arabic, and begin a freelance journalism career.
Wednesday, 4/29: David Kessler
Dr. David Kessler served as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration under Presidents Bush and Clinton. He left the FDA to head the Yale School of Medicine and then the University of California, San Francisco Medical School, but stepped down after the school had some financial troubles. His latest book is ‘The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite
- Fract: For ‘The End of Overeating,’ Dr. Kessler dug through the dumpsters behind Chili’s restaurants to uncover the ingredient labels of their recipes.
Thursday, 4/30: Ethan Nadelman
Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, is a returning guest on the Report: he visited on January 8, 2007 and then on March 12, 2008 to take part in Stephen’s ‘Better Know A Lobby(ist)’ series. The Drug Policy Alliance was established in 2000, merging Nadelmann’s Lindesmith Center with another organization to advocate for scientific drug policies that also take compassion and human rights into consideration.
- Fract: Nadelmann has taken a large role in the debate over the legalization of marijuana. Will he and Stephen celebrate a belated April 20 during the interview?
Related posts
Fantasy Colbert League Weekly: April 20 – 23
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome 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!
Note: As always, guests are subject to change.
Monday, 4/20: Ken Quinn, Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Second Mate Ken Quinn serves on the Maersk Alabama, a cargo ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 8. The crew regained control of the ship, but Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage, and Quinn and other crew members were held for 12 hours before they were released. Phillips was held in a covered lifeboat until U.S. Navy snipers shot and killed three pirates who were holding him, taking a fourth pirate prisoner. The crew has finally returned to the United States despite complications of additional pirate attacks, which delayed their reunion with their captain. The pirate attacks continue; the latest attack on a Norwegian tanker was thwarted in the Gulf of Aden this past weekend.
Joe Arpaio was elected sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, in 1992. Since then, he has kept up an 80% approval rating while creating and maintaining the ‘Alcatraz of Arizona,’ the Maricopa County Jail that includes the Tent City Jail: a yard where inmates live in surplus army tents from the Korean War. Sheriff Arpaio provides minimal comfort in the high Arizona temperatures for his inmates, but offers educational and therapeutic courses during their stay in Tent City. These practices have earned him widespread support as well as criticism, by groups like Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Arpaio has written a book titled ‘Joe’s Law: America’s Toughest Sheriff Takes on Illegal Immigration, Drugs and Everything Else That Threatens America
- Fract: Maricopa County inmates are given pink underwear, sheets, socks and towels to deter them from stealing the items. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office now sells replica pink underwear, along with pink handcuffs, is online to benefit the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Youth Assistance Foundation.
Tuesday, 4/21: Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Duke University men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils team for 28 years, and a number of his students have continued on to impressive careers, including NBA players Grant Hill, Shane Battier, and Bobby Hurley. ‘Coach K,’ as they call him, was selected to coach the USA men’s basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing – which went on to win the gold medal. Krzyzewski’s latest book, ‘The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team
- Fract: The floor of Duke’s basketball venue, Cameron Stadium, is named ‘Coach “K” Court.’ In a more tongue-twisting nod to the coach, the grassy area outside of the stadium has been named Krzyzewskiville (or ‘K-Ville.’) Say that five times fast.
Wednesday, 4/22: Ira Glass
Radio host Ira Glass has hosted Chicago Public Radio’s ‘This American Life‘ since 1995. In 2007, ‘This American Life’ premiered on television to show and tell a number of unique stories such as the saga of a cloned Brahma bull named Chance, an elderly screenwriter, an improv group, and the stepson of a one-hit wonder. The second season of the show won Emmys in 2008 for outstanding non-fiction series and direction, and the DVDs of Seasons One and Two are available. On Thursday April 23rd, a two-hour episode of ‘This American Life – Live!’ will be taped and aired live in over 400 movie screens around the nation. The show will feature contributions by Dan Savage, Starlee Kine, David Rakoff, and Joss Whedon.
- Fract: The live show’s theme will be ‘Return to the Scene of the Crime,’ and will include a story illustrated on Post-It notes by artist Arthur Jones and a musical number performed by Joss Whedon, creator of ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.’
Thursday, 4/23: Elizabeth Bintliff
Elizabeth Bintliff is the West Africa Program Officer at the headquarters of Heifer International, a non-profit organization that aims to end hunger and poverty while taking care of the Earth to ensure food and resources will be available to future generations. Begun in 1944, Heifer International teaches environmentally sound agricultural and livestock development methods. The organization also provides livestock such as cows and goats to enable people to begin providing for themselves without damaging their environment. Today, Heifer is established in over 57 countries, including the United States, and possesses a variety of educational and informational resources online and in person.
- Fract: The program, originally called ‘Heifers for Relief,’ uses young cows who have not yet given birth who will supply a continued source of both milk and support for the families that receive them. Each family is asked to ‘pass on the gift’ and donate the female offspring of their heifer to another family in need.
Related posts
