Here’s an interesting interview I came across with author Salman Rushdie

For the other geeks among us, you might find PC World’s list of the Top 50 Tech Visionaries inspiring.

Here, you can listen to an audio version of a Q&A between Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell and Ann Hathaway (listen to the audio online by clicking on the link in the middle there).

Lastly, but definitely not leastly, here’s a tribute to the funniest guy who ever lived who died this past weekend, George Carlin. The world was funnier with ya, George, we’ll miss your sick, twisted, brilliant brain. Here he is, in his own words…

Long time no blog! (Or R.I.P. Hazrat George Carlin) is a post from: Kiran

Click on the poster to read more about Tricia and to enter a contest to win Battlestar Galactica DVD’s!

So Many Reasons to Adore Her is a post from: Kiran

Which Battlestar Galactica Cylon Are You?

Battlestar Galactica @ BuddyTV.

Which Cylon Are You? is a post from: Kiran

Frito-Lay‘s new Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, which are the “official sponsor” of The Colbert Report‘s coverage of the presidential primaries, have earned praise from PETA…

Stephen & the Enlightened Dorito is a post from: Kiran

Conan vs. (Colbert with/vs. Stewart) is a post from: Kiran

“Since we began negotiations in July, we’ve been saying, ‘If they get paid, we get paid.’ This contract makes that a reality. It’s the best deal this Guild has bargained for in 30 years after the most successful strike this Guild has waged in 35 years. It was arguably the most successful strike in the American labor movement in a decade, clearly the most important of this young century. It is not all that we hoped for, and not all that we deserved. But as I told our members, this strike was about the future, and this deal assures for us and for future generations of writers a share in the future…”

This is from Nikki Finke’s blog that has been a constant source of strike news and updates.

The show-runners (writers/producers) return to work on Monday, the show writers are to return on Wednesday after a membership vote on the terms of the deal. This is great! This means The Office, and Dexter and Battlestar Galactica and everyone else will be back in action soon! Yay!

WGA Strike a “Huge Victory”! is a post from: Kiran

from kcd – A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language – By Randall Munroe

Kidnapped! is a post from: Kiran

“It is truly an honor to be named the Associated Press’ Celebrity of the Year. Best of all, this makes me the official front-runner for next year’s Drug-Fueled Downward Spiral of the year. P.S. Look for my baby bump this spring!”
—Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert and the End-Of-Year Awards is a post from: Kiran

Stephen and Jon are back! is a post from: Kiran

Why Writers Are Striking is a post from: Kiran

Planning A Little Excursion, Mr. Hilter?

Bring Out The Comfy Chair!

This Parrot Has Ceased To Be!

Thank You! Good Morning!

Bouncy Bouncy!

Some of my fave Monty Python sketches.. is a post from: Kiran

Colbert goes to Harvard is a post from: Kiran

DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE THINGS UP. Never fear being exposed as a fraud. Experts make things up all the time. They’re qualified to.

PICK A FIELD THAT CAN’T BE VERIFIED. Try something like string theory or God’s will: “I speak to God. I’m sorry that you can’t also.” Security experts are in this category: They have security clearances, we don’t. We can’t question the expertise of the NSA because we are not in the NSA.

GET AN HONORARY PHD. They work wonders. I have a doctorate in fine arts from Knox College in Illinois. All I did was give a speech, and now everybody has to call me Dr. Colbert.

This guy is on fire!

How To Be an Expert on Anything… is a post from: Kiran

It’s a fab system we’ve developed. We don’t miss the antics of the shows, and yet we don’t end up cutting into our sleep time to watch them. And, as a bonus, we can fast forward through all the commercials! Ahh, VCRs are not obsolete yet.

I have to say that Colbert has taken the wonderful concepts that were developed on the Daily Show, and placed them among the heavens above. The guy is not just an incredibly funny comedian, he’s also the sharpest mind on TV since Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Sheer genius. Each episode is packed all the way through with punches and jabs and acute observations on topics as diverse as Sigmund Freud’s birthday, to Feminine Sexual Emplowerment, to Robotic Deadly Bears.

His schtick, so amazingly played out by him, of being a neo-conservative, ultra right wing, xenophobic, homophobic, religious-fundamentalist is just flawlessly portrayed – except for the few times each night when he breaks out into a grin mid-sentence.

I am just so happy that there is SOME quality on TV nowadays. Being more of a book-ish person, TV is usually a very disappointing and boring waste of time for me. But when it’s Colbert time, his Lincolnish despite for the factinista make my stomach hurt in sweet pain from unstoppable laughter.

Don’t miss the new site: The Colbert Nation

Colbert Nation is a post from: Kiran

It’s so nice to be moved in, and to be in an area that offers so much variety and liveliness. There’s Cabbagetown on one side of us, Bloor/Yonge on the other, Church Street within walking distance; the Don Valley and all its surrounding charms are right across the street, stores and restaurants of every kind all around. It’s a completely different world here.

So the movies, yeah. First off, Bill Murray shows that he is a better actor than ever before in Broken Flowers, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, the insane genius behind the surreal Johnny Depp film, Dead Man. This movie, also starring Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy (who is sorely missed since Six Feet Under ended last August), and Jeffrey Wright is definitely one of my favorite movies of 2005. Even Jessica Lange is enjoyable, something I cannot say for most of the other roles I’ve seen her in. A nice little bonus was seeing Chloe Sevigny in a subtly powerful role, something she pulls off masterfully, again. The story and the pacing might not be for everyone’s taste, but the acting of these amazing people trumps any lag in scripting. Frances Conroy’s Dora just completely wiped us off our feet. She is one brilliant and beautiful actress.

After I returned Broken Flowers, I wanted to pick up something else that would blow me away (something 95% of the movies in stock at the store were promising not to do). I had heard about The Brothers Grimm before, but had refused to pick up something starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, in protest of their once hyperbolic popularity. However, to my pleasant surprise, it seems that in the tradition of Brad Pitt and others before him, these 2 gave in and went to acting classes somewhere along the way. Ben Affleck, a cohort of Matt Damon in the old days, apparently still thinks he’s too cool for school.

To my shock, The Brothers Grimm was directed by Terry Gilliam, a bit of information I hadn’t known before. Of course, being the immense Monty Python fans that we are, we had to pick it up. Gilliam’s movie, funded by Dreamworks, is superbly filmed, and, in true Gilliam fashion, has some utterly unforgettable moments. Monica Bellucci gives a chilling performance as the mesmerizing Christian Queen villain. Peter Stormare is hilarious and moving as Cavaldi, the soft-hearted Italian torture artist. The specials and commentary on the DVD were fantastic as well. Can’t wait for the day Terry Gilliam casts Alan Rickman in one of his films!

Broken Flowers & The Brothers Grimm is a post from: Kiran

Were you afraid Muslims may take offense to a film made by an American Jew?

No. I knew this when I was in Delhi and met with the Imam of Jama Masjid. When I told him what my film was about, he laughed. Besides, if anybody is made fun of, it is me. It’s not them. It’s not the countries. It’s this guy, Albert Brooks. And my film follows a grand tradition in American films.

What kind of grand tradition?

Charlie Chaplin was the buffoon in his own films. W C Fields took all the hits in his movies. The comedian is the one we are making fun of, and that comedian is me. I think if people who hate you can laugh with you at something, that’s the quickest way to have a little understanding. If you really sat in a room with different kinds of people who normally don’t speak to each other and you all laughed at something, even if it was me falling on my a**, that is something. There is at once some sort of release of pressure there.

And goodness knows, everyone needs a release of pressure.

Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World is a post from: Kiran

The guy is totally nuts, eh?

Mel Gibson is playing Saddam Hussein? is a post from: Kiran