THE NEW FACE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

In case you missed Old Crankypants on Letterman the other night, here's a good clip. Dave gives him a swirly. The question remains, What is wrong with these Republicans? I mean, really?

McCAIN DITCHES, LETTERMAN POUNCES

David Letterman riffed on McCain after the Senator canceled his appearance on the Letterman Show to fly back to Washington and take care of the economic crisis. Then Letterman discovered McCain down the hall with Katie Couric at the same time he was supposed to be taping "Late Night," and the sparks flew.

In this wonderful clip, Dave rips him a new one. After years of smarmy sleepwalking and inconsequential patter, Dave has his old fire back.

MY MORNING JACKET

My Morning Jacket has a great new album called "Evil Urges." The album is all over the map, a carnival of musical styles ranging from their patented wailing Americana, to basement-tape era Band, to Prince-style funk. Go buy it. The video clip above isn't on the album, but I couldn't resist posting MMJ playing with the Boston Pops on Letterman.

Below is title track from the new album. Please click the button to listen:

TOM WAITS FOR NO ONE

His Master's Voice


Tom Waits just announced plans to hit the road this summer for the Glitter and Doom Tour. Click HERE for more information and tour dates. Here he performs "All The World is Green" on David Letterman, and sticks around to chat.

RADIO FREE EUROPE

The national television debut of a very young REM, when they were still a squirrelly little outfit from Athens, Georgia, known for an EP, and a great first album, "Murmur." That still is one of my favorites. Here they jump like snakes on a griddle. Yes, everyone had more hair back then. This was twenty five years ago, after all. What did your hair look like in 1983?

FIVE YEARS OF FIGHTING

Here's a segment from "Late Night with David Letterman" featuring Bill O'Reilly.

It's been five years since the start of the war in Iraq. At this moment, 4,297 US troops have died (not counting soldiers-for-hire, a sizable group) and more than a million Iraqis. More than $500 Billion has been spent so far, with estimates as high as three trillion for the region before this is over. There is nothing clever to say about it. Still, I thought it shouldn't pass unremarked in these posts.



THE FUNERAL OF A SOLDIER


The funeral of Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, killed in Iraq, disrupted by fundamentalists from the Westboro Baptist Church. The "church" is a hate group run by Fred Phelps, of Topeka, Kansas, who believes "God Hates Fags" as well as Catholics, Jews, Irish, Swedes, and Mexicans. Their gripe with the army is the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. This proves you don't have to go half way around the world to find crazy religious extremists. Meet the American Taliban.


To make the numbers more real, check out the "Faces of the Fallen" in the Washington Post by clicking HERE.

A casualty counter is located HERE.

TALK SHOW HOSTS GROW BEARDS, SHOCK NATION

People magazine described them as the “full hairy” beard for David Letterman, and a “cinnamon scruff” for Conan O’Brien, who joked he’s been growing his beard since the last writers strike — in 1988. The beards are the result of both hosts being off for two months as a result of the Writers Guild of America strike.