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Monday, October 06, 2008
Show #2995
By Michael Z. McIntee Change Text Color:
Black | White


Russell Crowe; Sarah Vowell; and The Pretenders.
PLUS: Great Moments in Presidential Speeches; Encouraging News About the Economy; a Message from Joe Biden; O'Reilly and Barney Frank Interrupt Dave; Obama's New Debate Strategy; a Top Ten List; and How 'Bout Those Ball State Cardinals!

" . . . and now, the Godmother of modern dance . . . . . David Letterman!"

ACT 1:
Monologue joke: "John McCain pulled out of Michigan. Michigan, I know how you feel."

GREAT MOMENTS IN PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES:
- something about "Economy 101"

ACT 2:
Dave opens with a story. Something happened over the weekend that he would like to share, though it's a bit . . . . raw. Before telling the story, he distances himself from what happened; wanting it known that it is not something that is taught in his home. But he thinks it'll reveal what goes on in a 5-year-old's head.
Over the weekend, Harry came up with the idea, "Let's sleep outside in a tent!" Daddy pretended it was a good idea, but not the right time to do that. It's a bit too chilly for that, he told his son, but what he was really saying was "this 61-year-old doesn't want to sleep outside in a tent." Harry then suggested they sleep in the tent inside the house. Dave, pretending to have vigor, agreed to the compromise. The setting wasn't too bad. The tent went up, the air mattresses were blown up, the sleeping bags were in place. Dad and son were going to sleep upstairs while mommy slept downstairs. And then Harry came up with the idea: "What can we do in the middle of the night to scare mommy?" Dave admits to not being a stranger to scaring mommy in the middle of the night.
Harry and Dave discuss their diabolical plan to scare mommy during dinner. Mommy had no idea that they were making such a plan since they discreetly spoke behind their napkins. And this is the idea the 5-year-old mind of Harry came up with: "We can scare her in the middle of the night by calling out, "Eat Poop!"
Though it sounds silly at first, Dave admits few things could scare you more in the middle of the night than someone shouting, "Eat poop!"

Hey, how 'bout the Ball State Cardinals. This past Saturday they went to 6-0 with a 31-0 victory over the Toledo Rockets. And this propelled the Fighting Football Cardinals into 25th in the Associated Press College Football Poll, the first time in the 84-year history of Ball State Football that they have been ranked.
Next game: Saturday, vs. the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. And don't look back, Sooners, the Cardinals, the fiercest robin-size bird in the world, is gaining on you!

We've heard so much bad news about the economy lately, but there was a bit of encouraging news earlier today.
Announce: "Economists tell us we're on the verge of a financial Armageddon. The housing industry is near collapse. Banks are failing. Families are struggling. Yet somehow, this weekend Americans were able to spend $29 million on this. . . . ."
Cut to a clip from the film, "Beverly Hills Chihuahua."
"See? Things aren't so bad!
George W. Bush -- my dog's named 'Barney.'"

And now it's time for "A Message from Joe Biden"
Biden, from last Thursday's debate: "Ladies and gentlemen, / I've seen / Barack Obama's / deal."

As Dave moves on to the next point of business, he is rudely interrupted by the ongoing donnybrook between Bill O'Reilly and Barney Frank. Isolated in three boxes, Dave is stuck in the middle as Reilly and Barney go at it. I was surprised at those two. They both seem like such pleasant fellows.

The second President debate is set for Tuesday night and word has it that Barack is coming out with a new strategy. We take a look at this announcement.
Announce: "Barack Obama is looking forward to his second debate with John McCain. His strategy is simple:
- Keep the focus squarely on the economy.
- Tie McCain to the failed strategies of the Bush Administration. And;
- Steal the battery from McCain's hearing aid."
We see a shot of McCain staring silently at a podium. A moderator tries to get his attention.
"John McCain: One for 'Cocoon,' please."

TOP TEN: How To Make The Financial Crisis More Fun
10. Take a page from President Bush and ignore it.
8. Replace Lehman Brothers with the Wayans brothers

ACT 3:
RUSSELL CROWE
His new film, Body of Lies opens Wednesday. The film called for him to gain a lot of weight for his role. How much weight? Oh, about 63 pounds. Wow. What role did he play; a college freshman?
Dave's story about Harry made Russell think of something he once said and has no idea from whence it came. It was a scene in their recent film where Russell had to adlib about something that took a lot of time. Leonardo DiCaprio was not happy to see him in the scene and was simply trying to make small talk. Leo asks, "How was your flight?" Russell Crowe responds, unscripted, "Oh, I watched that 'Poseidon' movie. It was like watching a Greek girl getting a bikini wax." Russell says he has no idea where that line came from. It was unplanned, unscripted, unrehearsed; it was simply the first thing that came to his head. Can't explain it. The director decided to go with another line.
Russell worked with Leonardo years ago in a film called, The Quick and The Dead. The two of them were not nearly the celebrities they are today. Russell decided to teach the young kid some things and give him a hard time. Russell got himself a small spray bottle. He'd walk behind Leonardo about once a week, pretend to sneeze, and spray the bottle on the back of his neck. Leo would obviously be disgusted, but would never react. This went on for weeks. And then 15 years later on the set of Body of Lies, Russell squirted him with the spray bottle in full view. Leonardo knew immediately that he had been had long ago, and Leo called him every name in the book, words that will not be printed here.
The movie, Body of Lies, is a political thriller, Russell playing a CIA operative; Leo the top agent in the Middle East. As the film progresses, it's often hard to know the good guys from the bad. It opens Wednesday.

ACT 5:
Announce: "Tomorrow on the Late Show, Dave welcomes Debra Messing, Founder and Director of Alianca da Terra, John Carter, and music from Tegan and Sarah. The Late Show! It's 2008, why aren't we commuting with jet packs?
We'll be right back.

ACT 6:
SARAH VOWELL
From public radio's "This American Life" program and a bestselling author. Her latest book is entitled, "The Wordy Shipmates."
What does the funny and smart and quirky author think about the election? She says she is sick about hearing so much about Joe Biden. It's all Joe Biden, Joe Biden, Joe Biden. She understands that America has fallen in love with his folksy anecdotes about meeting Golda Meir and his record as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and his sponsorship of the Violence Against Women Act, but enough is enough. Sarah Vowell would like to remind us that there is another vice presidential candidate in this election: Sarah Palin.
Did Sarah see the Palin interview with Katie Couric? Yes, and Vowell is a bit concerned with Palin when asked "What magazines do you read," she responded "All of them." Yikes. That would include "Cat Fancy," and "Guitar Player" and "Popular Woodworking." And every month there are new ones coming out. How can she do it!
Supreme Court decisions that Palin disagrees with? Palin came up empty on this, but Vowell has one of her own she would like to share: The decision in 2000 where the Supreme Court gave the presidency to that dumbass. Ahhh, I have a feeling I know which way Sarah Vowell is leaning this November.
Vowell has a new book, entitled "The Wordy Shipmates," about John Winthrop and the 1600's creation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. You'll learn a lot about this time in history in a creative and whimsical way. Her views on history are usually slightly askew and take a different angle in her analysis, something you wouldn't find in your typical dry writing on the subject. Not too long ago I was watching a History Channel special on the President McKinley assassination in Buffalo, New York at the turn of the century (the old century, not this new one). I was very surprised to see Sarah Vowell interviewed as a source of information on this, but then recalled she authored "Assassination Vacation," a book about Presidential assassinations. She visited historical sites and wrote about the assassinated presidents and those who did he deed.
I know what many of you are saying right now:
- McKinley was assassinated?
- McKinley was a President?
"The Wordy Shipmates" – in stores today.

ACT 7:
THE PRETENDERS: From their new album, "Break Up The Concrete," Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders performed "Boots of Chinese Plastic."

And that was our show for Monday, October 6, 2008.




I hate when I make a mistake in a Friday Wahoo. And this one was so darn easy.
Friday I wrote how the $700 billion bailout would come out to $233,000 for every man, woman, and child. I figured we could take care of ourselves if the government simply gave the money directly to us. Of course, 700 billion divided by 300 million (U.S. population) does not come out to 233,000. I sensed it was wrong on Friday, but my eye was on the weekend more than it was on the Wahoo. I remember doing the quick math on a piece of paper. I put down 700 billion and counted the zeroes. There were 11 of them. I then wrote out 300 million, but instead wrote out 3 million. This gave me 6 zeroes instead of 8 zeroes. When I eliminated the 6 zeros from 700 billion, it left me with 5 zeros. The following division gave me the wrong answer. Now, many of you may think a zero has no value but here you can see that it obviously does. And when I make a dumb mistake on a Friday, it stays up on the daily Wahoo for days. It just sits there and sits there and sits there and sits there. It really really almost bothers me.
To make it up to you, there will be no charge for this week's Wahoos. They will be all free. It's the least I could do, and I usually like to do the least I could do.

If our economy was in such dire straits last week and something had to be done immediately, why did Congress take two days off in the middle of it? It tells me one of two things:
1. the crisis isn't nearly as dangerous as they led us to believe.
2. if it is that dangerous, then Congress really is dumb, selfish, and shortsighted.

Oh, and if this bailout was so vital to the survival of our country, why the need to sneak in some pork? Aren't we paying enough? Do you politicians really have to pile on?

I'm reaching a bad level of understanding. I'm watching the C-Span and picking up things here and there. I'm starting to think I understand things. And that's scary. When you know you know nothing, you know your ability to conduct an intelligent conversation on the topic is nil, so you avoid it.
When you know a lot on a topic, you are aware of what you don't know, too. Your conversations on that topic will reflect your awareness of what you know and what you don't.
But when you know a little, you have no idea of just how little you actually know. This is when you can really embarrass yourself in conversation.
It's the idea behind, "A little knowledge is dangerous."
It's why I'm more afraid of young drivers in their second year of the license than those in their first. By the second year you start to get comfortable and begin to not appreciate how dangerous a vehicle can be.
Would somebody stop me please! I'm babbling and have no idea where this is headed. It's like psychoanalytic free association.

Russell Crowe's practical joke reminded me of the near exact practical joke we did back when I was a Hillcrest volunteer fireman. Every Wednesday night in the summer we would play softball against an area volunteer firehouse team. After the game, we would go back to the home team's firehouse for hot dogs, burgers, and beer around the bar. It was always a good time for players and fans alike. It was a great night out for the long-time volunteers up in age and the wives, sons, and daughters of those playing. Our firehouse chief's younger brother was about 10 years old at the time. While we all sat at the bar, the little kid would take a few ice cubes in his hand and let them melt a bit. He would then put the cubes in a cup and stand behind an unsuspecting fireman from the other team at the bar. He would then pretend to sneeze and whip his wet hand inches from back of the guy's neck. The fireman would hear the sneeze, feel the wet spray on the back of his neck, and turn around in anger and disgust. He would then see this sweet innocent young kid looking at him apologetically with his big brown eyes. The fireman's anger would then turn to . . . . . . well, he was still angry but what could he do? We would all stifle out laugher, pretending now to have noticed, and knowing more was coming. A minute later, the kid would do it again to the same guy. This was usually followed by a similar reaction from the fireman, but this time with a stern suggestion to the kid that if he is going to sneeze, he should cover his mouth and do it someplace else. And then a minute later, the kid would do it again. Now the fireman was livid. The kid would take a step back and those of us in the know would inch closer to prevent any bad reaction from going too far. By now, the fireman would realize something was going on. Laughing and angry at the same time, the fireman would turn back to his beer and slug, embarrassed by being had. And then seconds later, the guy would grab the kid and say, "Do it to that guy over there!" And then the kid would do it to "that guy over there." The first fireman would be laughing harder than anyone else. It happened every time that way.

CAMEO MENTION OF A WAHOO READER
From the 7th hole at the Oak Knoll Golf Course in Ashland, Oregon, still celebrating his hole-in-one, it's Tom Cronin
This concludes another episode of CAMEO MENTION OF A WAHOO READER.

Michael Z. McIntee
mikemack@aol.com
ACT 1
• Show Open
• Dave's Monologue
 Watch now
• Great Moments in Presidential Speeches
ACT 2
• Dave's Harry Story: "Eat Poop!"
• Ball State Football
• Bad News About the Economy: "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"
• A Message From Joe Biden
• Bill O'Reilly Yells at Barney Frank
• Barak Obama's Debate Strategy
• Top Ten Ways To Make The Financial Crisis More Fun
 Read now

ACT 3
• Russell Crowe
ACT 4
• More with Russell Crowe
ACT 5
• Audience Shot & Guest Plug
ACT 6
• Sarah Vowell
ACT 7
• The Pretenders perform "Boots of Chinese Plastic"
• Show Close

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