1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:24,075 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Happy 2 00:00:24,395 --> 00:00:31,795 Speaker 1: Insurrection Day. Insurrection Day when Republicans will certify the election 3 00:00:31,875 --> 00:00:36,195 Speaker 1: of a quote president unquote who is constitutionally ineligible to 4 00:00:36,235 --> 00:00:39,075 Speaker 1: hold the office according to the third Clause of the 5 00:00:39,115 --> 00:00:42,395 Speaker 1: Fourteenth Amendment and the Electoral count Reform Act of twenty 6 00:00:42,475 --> 00:00:45,515 Speaker 1: twenty two, and who himself fomented the assault four years 7 00:00:45,555 --> 00:00:50,075 Speaker 1: ago that forever ended our conceit about the peaceful transfer 8 00:00:50,115 --> 00:00:55,875 Speaker 1: of power. The illegitimate president's Republican whorees and servants may 9 00:00:55,915 --> 00:00:58,795 Speaker 1: in fact trudge to the capital through a blizzard to 10 00:00:58,915 --> 00:01:04,235 Speaker 1: make this prostitution of democracy official. The Democrats, they won't 11 00:01:04,235 --> 00:01:07,155 Speaker 1: say any thing because this did not test well as 12 00:01:07,155 --> 00:01:11,115 Speaker 1: a campaign ad, and their flaccid willingness to risk anything 13 00:01:11,115 --> 00:01:14,995 Speaker 1: in our defense is further deflated by their perception that 14 00:01:15,035 --> 00:01:16,835 Speaker 1: this is a fate a compley. And since it is 15 00:01:16,875 --> 00:01:19,995 Speaker 1: a fate a compley, especially because of their own cowardice, 16 00:01:20,035 --> 00:01:23,275 Speaker 1: they now have to do their best to compromise and 17 00:01:23,355 --> 00:01:28,115 Speaker 1: to obey in advance a group of bandits and pirates 18 00:01:28,395 --> 00:01:32,715 Speaker 1: posing as a presidential administration whose only desire to compromise 19 00:01:33,075 --> 00:01:37,755 Speaker 1: is to compromise Democrats, and to compromise the free press, 20 00:01:37,795 --> 00:01:44,915 Speaker 1: and to compromise reality, and to compromise democracy itself. These 21 00:01:45,035 --> 00:01:52,755 Speaker 1: are those Republicans speaking yesterday. Freshman Congressen Brandon Gill quote, 22 00:01:52,795 --> 00:01:55,915 Speaker 1: we want to end the woke chaos that they have 23 00:01:56,075 --> 00:02:01,995 Speaker 1: unleashed on this country, saying that boys can become girls. Unquote. 24 00:02:02,035 --> 00:02:05,955 Speaker 1: Brandon Gill is Dnesh de sus it is idiot son 25 00:02:06,035 --> 00:02:11,555 Speaker 1: in law. Compromise with Denesh Dsuz's idiot son in law. 26 00:02:13,155 --> 00:02:17,355 Speaker 1: Freshman Congressman Riley Moore quote, My constituents have sent me 27 00:02:17,435 --> 00:02:20,395 Speaker 1: here to this town not to work with Democrats, but 28 00:02:20,515 --> 00:02:26,195 Speaker 1: to destroy their agenda. Unquote. Riley Moore's aunt is a senator, 29 00:02:26,475 --> 00:02:30,075 Speaker 1: his grandfather was a governor, and politics is the family business. 30 00:02:30,075 --> 00:02:35,635 Speaker 1: Otherwise he would still be a welder. These are the 31 00:02:35,675 --> 00:02:40,275 Speaker 1: new Republicans with whom the Democrats are supposed to treat, 32 00:02:40,995 --> 00:02:46,035 Speaker 1: the one party democracy Republicans, the Stalinist Republicans, the destroy 33 00:02:46,275 --> 00:02:49,635 Speaker 1: any opposition Republicans. Oh, and if you think they'll learn 34 00:02:49,755 --> 00:02:55,595 Speaker 1: they'll calm down, their IQ will grow to sixty or seventy. Quote. 35 00:02:55,915 --> 00:02:59,235 Speaker 1: We asked everyone not to leak. Please, for God's sake, 36 00:02:59,315 --> 00:03:04,395 Speaker 1: do not give inside information to the enemy. That quote 37 00:03:04,395 --> 00:03:07,315 Speaker 1: is from an old Republican, the lead Republican in the House, 38 00:03:07,435 --> 00:03:10,835 Speaker 1: the creepiest Republican in the House since at least Denny 39 00:03:10,875 --> 00:03:15,675 Speaker 1: Hastert Mike Johnson two days ago. He said that I 40 00:03:15,715 --> 00:03:19,875 Speaker 1: don't know if by the enemy he means the Democrats 41 00:03:19,955 --> 00:03:23,155 Speaker 1: or the media or both, or the temptations of his 42 00:03:23,275 --> 00:03:27,035 Speaker 1: anti porn app And I no longer care which it is. 43 00:03:29,475 --> 00:03:33,035 Speaker 1: This is insurrection Day, and we all know what the 44 00:03:33,075 --> 00:03:36,235 Speaker 1: Republicans would be doing today in the mirror version of 45 00:03:36,275 --> 00:03:39,635 Speaker 1: this grim reality if they were in charge, and Trump 46 00:03:39,675 --> 00:03:43,995 Speaker 1: were in office, and Trump had presidential immunity, and a 47 00:03:44,115 --> 00:03:47,475 Speaker 1: new president was about to sign off on putting him 48 00:03:47,475 --> 00:03:51,195 Speaker 1: in jail, and the Republicans would be doing what they 49 00:03:51,235 --> 00:03:53,915 Speaker 1: actually did do four years ago today, only they wouldn't 50 00:03:53,955 --> 00:03:57,155 Speaker 1: bother to try to be that's subtle or legal about it. 51 00:03:57,195 --> 00:04:02,235 Speaker 1: They would be gassing up the tanks. But no, the 52 00:04:02,315 --> 00:04:05,195 Speaker 1: came Jeffries tells us there are no election deny on 53 00:04:05,235 --> 00:04:08,515 Speaker 1: our side of the isle, because of course they will 54 00:04:08,555 --> 00:04:10,555 Speaker 1: throw that right back in our face in the twenty 55 00:04:10,555 --> 00:04:13,835 Speaker 1: twenty six midterms. Even though the election isn't the point. 56 00:04:13,995 --> 00:04:18,195 Speaker 1: It's the fact that the president elect is constitutionally disqualified 57 00:04:18,395 --> 00:04:20,915 Speaker 1: from holding the office he's been elected to, and he 58 00:04:20,955 --> 00:04:24,755 Speaker 1: has corrupted everything from the judiciary to corporate ends of 59 00:04:24,795 --> 00:04:28,035 Speaker 1: the corporate state. And he's given no indication that there 60 00:04:28,035 --> 00:04:31,035 Speaker 1: will be any elections in twenty twenty six. Orerever again. 61 00:04:31,155 --> 00:04:34,315 Speaker 1: So Leader Jeffries and Leader Schumer are getting busy obeying 62 00:04:34,955 --> 00:05:06,995 Speaker 1: in advance. January sixth, have a nice day, and no. 63 00:05:07,915 --> 00:05:12,155 Speaker 1: Judge Juan Mereshwan is not a hero. He did not 64 00:05:12,395 --> 00:05:16,555 Speaker 1: bring Trump to at least symbolic justice. He did not 65 00:05:16,715 --> 00:05:20,115 Speaker 1: evade the Supreme Court's corruption. He is not the one 66 00:05:20,235 --> 00:05:23,795 Speaker 1: dim light in the darkest of nights. Like nearly everybody else, 67 00:05:23,835 --> 00:05:27,315 Speaker 1: he is too violating historian Tim Snyder's first rule for 68 00:05:27,475 --> 00:05:33,035 Speaker 1: defying tyranny. He is not not obeying in advance. He's 69 00:05:33,115 --> 00:05:37,075 Speaker 1: just covering his own ass, like the prosecutor Alvin Bragg 70 00:05:37,195 --> 00:05:41,155 Speaker 1: is covering his own ass, like Democratic Congressman Tom Swazi 71 00:05:41,235 --> 00:05:44,155 Speaker 1: is covering his own ass, like CNN is covering its 72 00:05:44,195 --> 00:05:49,195 Speaker 1: own ass, And the self destructing Washington Post having now 73 00:05:49,275 --> 00:05:53,555 Speaker 1: killed off its political cartoonist, and nearly the entire hierarchy 74 00:05:53,595 --> 00:05:56,315 Speaker 1: of the Democratic Party, and almost anybody else You could 75 00:05:56,315 --> 00:06:01,155 Speaker 1: mention now it is absolutely true. It is better that 76 00:06:01,315 --> 00:06:06,795 Speaker 1: Mechan did not vacate the conviction of Trump convictions and 77 00:06:06,915 --> 00:06:10,395 Speaker 1: instead stuck an asterisk on Trump that allows all of 78 00:06:10,475 --> 00:06:13,435 Speaker 1: us to refer to him as a convicted felon without 79 00:06:13,435 --> 00:06:16,595 Speaker 1: fear of being sued for defamation by a would be 80 00:06:16,675 --> 00:06:19,915 Speaker 1: dictator who intends to be a dictator not by law 81 00:06:20,355 --> 00:06:26,595 Speaker 1: but by suing ordinary people into submission and bankruptcy. But 82 00:06:26,635 --> 00:06:28,795 Speaker 1: the fact remains that Wan Meerschan could have done all 83 00:06:28,795 --> 00:06:32,995 Speaker 1: this in October. He could have done it before the election. 84 00:06:34,675 --> 00:06:37,835 Speaker 1: Would it have altered the outcome of the election? Who 85 00:06:37,875 --> 00:06:42,595 Speaker 1: the hell knows? With Merrick Garland launching his investigation into 86 00:06:42,635 --> 00:06:45,115 Speaker 1: Trump in twenty twenty one rather than twenty twenty two, 87 00:06:45,475 --> 00:06:49,275 Speaker 1: have altered the outcome of the election, With Joe Biden 88 00:06:49,355 --> 00:06:51,995 Speaker 1: not having convinced himself that people were tired of thinking 89 00:06:52,035 --> 00:06:55,115 Speaker 1: about Trump so he shouldn't newt him in some way 90 00:06:55,155 --> 00:06:57,555 Speaker 1: four years ago have altered the outcome of the election, 91 00:06:57,755 --> 00:07:03,115 Speaker 1: Who the hell knows. But would those things have been 92 00:07:04,235 --> 00:07:11,275 Speaker 1: the right thing to do? That answer is easy, hell yes. 93 00:07:13,195 --> 00:07:15,915 Speaker 1: And Juan Merchhan not only did not do the right 94 00:07:15,995 --> 00:07:19,155 Speaker 1: thing to do, he pretended to be not doing it 95 00:07:19,195 --> 00:07:22,875 Speaker 1: for the sake of the nation and the presidency and fairness. 96 00:07:23,155 --> 00:07:25,715 Speaker 1: And of course by not doing it, he gave Trump 97 00:07:25,715 --> 00:07:30,355 Speaker 1: what Trump wanted, taking the heat out of Trump's status 98 00:07:30,435 --> 00:07:35,115 Speaker 1: as a convicted felon just as the undecided voters were 99 00:07:35,115 --> 00:07:40,075 Speaker 1: making up their mind. To any of the liberals applauding 100 00:07:40,115 --> 00:07:42,595 Speaker 1: him for dragging in Trump Live or by Zoom on 101 00:07:42,675 --> 00:07:44,675 Speaker 1: Friday to tell him he's convicted, but he's not going 102 00:07:44,715 --> 00:07:47,955 Speaker 1: to jail, probably not even getting fined, despite being found 103 00:07:47,955 --> 00:07:50,555 Speaker 1: guilty of paying bribes to a pornographic actress in an 104 00:07:50,595 --> 00:07:54,235 Speaker 1: attempt to interfere with the twenty sixteen election, To any 105 00:07:54,315 --> 00:07:59,235 Speaker 1: of the liberals, remember what Mershawn said. Alvin Brack had 106 00:07:59,235 --> 00:08:03,435 Speaker 1: already postponed sentencing from July tenth to September eighteenth, when 107 00:08:03,475 --> 00:08:09,035 Speaker 1: on September sixth Merchan postponed it again and committed his 108 00:08:09,075 --> 00:08:12,955 Speaker 1: own election interference. Quoting Mershon, adjourning decision on the motion 109 00:08:13,075 --> 00:08:17,275 Speaker 1: and sentencing, if such is required, should dispel any suggestion 110 00:08:17,395 --> 00:08:20,915 Speaker 1: that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed 111 00:08:21,075 --> 00:08:25,115 Speaker 1: sentence either to give an advantage too or to create 112 00:08:25,155 --> 00:08:29,795 Speaker 1: a disadvantage for any political party and or any candidate 113 00:08:29,955 --> 00:08:38,115 Speaker 1: for any office, un quote bullshit. One postponement meant only 114 00:08:38,155 --> 00:08:43,715 Speaker 1: one thing. Advantage Trump postponent meant advantage also Mershan, because 115 00:08:43,795 --> 00:08:46,835 Speaker 1: as enraged as Trump may be or may pretend to be, 116 00:08:47,155 --> 00:08:50,315 Speaker 1: the only person who can use this diaphanous finding with 117 00:08:50,355 --> 00:08:56,155 Speaker 1: which to damage Trump is Trump. Hell Mershon didn't even 118 00:08:56,275 --> 00:09:00,235 Speaker 1: order Trump to show up to his non sentencing Friday. 119 00:09:01,395 --> 00:09:06,715 Speaker 1: He can, as I mentioned, do it by zoom. And 120 00:09:06,755 --> 00:09:10,555 Speaker 1: if the Jewel Meister in chief can contain himself, the 121 00:09:10,715 --> 00:09:24,035 Speaker 1: entirety of this will be forgotten by the inauguration. This 122 00:09:24,195 --> 00:09:26,235 Speaker 1: next one may hit harder for me than for you, 123 00:09:26,315 --> 00:09:31,515 Speaker 1: because I remember Herbert Lawrence Block of the Washington Post, 124 00:09:31,875 --> 00:09:38,595 Speaker 1: her Block one word, hgr Block, our greatest and most 125 00:09:38,635 --> 00:09:43,315 Speaker 1: influential political cartoonist since Thomas Nost And I remember him 126 00:09:43,315 --> 00:09:46,955 Speaker 1: hating Nixon before hating Nixon was cool. And I remember 127 00:09:46,995 --> 00:09:50,235 Speaker 1: him conveying Watergate without words. And I remember I was 128 00:09:50,275 --> 00:09:52,515 Speaker 1: eleven when I found out that it was HERB Block 129 00:09:53,115 --> 00:09:58,435 Speaker 1: who had invented the term McCarthyism, and I remember him 130 00:09:58,555 --> 00:10:03,235 Speaker 1: savaging them all up through George W. Bush until literally 131 00:10:03,275 --> 00:10:08,155 Speaker 1: forty three days before he died. I remember her Block, 132 00:10:08,715 --> 00:10:10,755 Speaker 1: and in the context of her block. I was still 133 00:10:10,795 --> 00:10:14,275 Speaker 1: somehow shocked that the Washington Post, which now seems to 134 00:10:14,315 --> 00:10:18,675 Speaker 1: have lost more journalists even then it has lost subscribers, 135 00:10:19,915 --> 00:10:25,235 Speaker 1: drove out and tell Nay's over the weekend and tell 136 00:10:25,355 --> 00:10:28,355 Speaker 1: Nay's drew for her final submission to The Washington Post, 137 00:10:28,995 --> 00:10:34,675 Speaker 1: the terrified corporate cowards Zuckerman, Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, extending 138 00:10:34,755 --> 00:10:37,435 Speaker 1: bags of money as they cowered in front of a 139 00:10:37,435 --> 00:10:42,755 Speaker 1: giant statue of a necessarily giant Trump. She threw in 140 00:10:42,915 --> 00:10:46,475 Speaker 1: Patrick soun Schong, the buffoon who owns the La Times. 141 00:10:46,795 --> 00:10:50,115 Speaker 1: And in the most merciless her blocking in touch, she 142 00:10:50,235 --> 00:10:54,275 Speaker 1: depicted not Bob Eiger prostrating himself at the foot of 143 00:10:54,315 --> 00:11:00,235 Speaker 1: the statue, face in the dust, but rather Mickey Mouse, 144 00:11:02,755 --> 00:11:07,595 Speaker 1: and the Post killed her cartoon. Twenty years there nearly 145 00:11:07,635 --> 00:11:11,235 Speaker 1: and nothing like it before. So Telnay's quit on the spot. 146 00:11:12,435 --> 00:11:16,075 Speaker 1: I have done that. It is not as satisfying as 147 00:11:16,115 --> 00:11:21,355 Speaker 1: it sounds. You do it when you know that you 148 00:11:21,435 --> 00:11:24,595 Speaker 1: have no choice. Well, you do have some choice. You 149 00:11:24,595 --> 00:11:29,515 Speaker 1: have the choice of quitting or never sleeping again. To 150 00:11:29,635 --> 00:11:32,795 Speaker 1: be clear, she writes, there have been instances where sketches 151 00:11:32,835 --> 00:11:35,955 Speaker 1: have been rejected or revisions requested, but never because of 152 00:11:35,995 --> 00:11:39,395 Speaker 1: the point of view inherent in the cartoons commentary. That's 153 00:11:39,435 --> 00:11:45,635 Speaker 1: a game changer and dangerous for a free press. I 154 00:11:45,675 --> 00:11:47,875 Speaker 1: don't know miss Telnay's. I don't know if she will 155 00:11:47,915 --> 00:11:52,835 Speaker 1: be comforted by this or more worried still, but don't 156 00:11:52,835 --> 00:11:56,675 Speaker 1: worry about a free press. It is no longer a 157 00:11:56,715 --> 00:12:01,035 Speaker 1: free press. Certainly the Washington Post is no longer part 158 00:12:01,355 --> 00:12:06,075 Speaker 1: of whatever free press might be left. I mean, when 159 00:12:06,115 --> 00:12:10,635 Speaker 1: Bezos bribed Trump with his election night congratulations and his 160 00:12:10,755 --> 00:12:14,835 Speaker 1: million dollar donation to the inauguration, at least Bezos didn't 161 00:12:14,835 --> 00:12:18,355 Speaker 1: try to get away with it with some mindless excuse 162 00:12:18,555 --> 00:12:23,715 Speaker 1: or word salad. The Washington Post opinions editor who killed 163 00:12:23,715 --> 00:12:26,795 Speaker 1: the cartoon did do that. His name is David Shipley, 164 00:12:27,235 --> 00:12:30,435 Speaker 1: and somebody, Bezos or somebody else bent on destroying the 165 00:12:30,435 --> 00:12:33,155 Speaker 1: newspaper and freedom of the press in this country. Somebody 166 00:12:33,195 --> 00:12:36,075 Speaker 1: brought him into the Post two years ago. I don't 167 00:12:36,115 --> 00:12:38,995 Speaker 1: know him, but I have two pieces of evidence to 168 00:12:39,035 --> 00:12:43,155 Speaker 1: suggest mister Shipley is not very bright. Firstly, he said 169 00:12:43,195 --> 00:12:46,235 Speaker 1: that his decision to kill this cartoon and subsequently to 170 00:12:46,435 --> 00:12:50,075 Speaker 1: drive tell Nay's out, asking her to reconsider and get 171 00:12:50,115 --> 00:12:54,955 Speaker 1: back to him today. I'll bet if she somehow did, 172 00:12:55,235 --> 00:13:00,715 Speaker 1: she'd get voicemail. Shipley said his decision quote was guided 173 00:13:00,715 --> 00:13:03,035 Speaker 1: by the fact that we had just published a column 174 00:13:03,035 --> 00:13:05,875 Speaker 1: on the same topic as the cart and had already 175 00:13:05,915 --> 00:13:10,115 Speaker 1: scheduled another column, this one a satire for publication. The 176 00:13:10,155 --> 00:13:15,875 Speaker 1: only bias was against repetition, mister Shipley said this, and 177 00:13:15,995 --> 00:13:18,875 Speaker 1: roughly the same moment that the homepage of The Washington 178 00:13:18,915 --> 00:13:23,875 Speaker 1: Post featured four stories about Jimmy Carter and seven stories 179 00:13:23,875 --> 00:13:31,075 Speaker 1: about New Orleans and Las Vegas and exploding tesla's. If 180 00:13:31,195 --> 00:13:35,435 Speaker 1: the only bias is against repetition, the Washington Post is 181 00:13:35,435 --> 00:13:41,315 Speaker 1: the most biased newspaper in the world. The second piece 182 00:13:41,355 --> 00:13:43,235 Speaker 1: of evidence I have that he is not very bright. 183 00:13:43,435 --> 00:13:46,355 Speaker 1: Mister Shipley was married to the conspiracy theorist and all 184 00:13:46,395 --> 00:13:51,315 Speaker 1: around sloppy reporter Naomi Wolf. Maybe he can hire her 185 00:13:51,355 --> 00:13:59,115 Speaker 1: to replace Anne Tellny's doesn't matter. Doesn't matter post is dead. 186 00:13:59,355 --> 00:14:03,875 Speaker 1: It has served its purpose, it has obeyed in advance. 187 00:14:28,595 --> 00:14:32,155 Speaker 1: I know you're tired of that phrase, abbreviated by the 188 00:14:32,235 --> 00:14:36,955 Speaker 1: sorta acronym obinad. I'll try to avoid it, but boy 189 00:14:37,035 --> 00:14:41,635 Speaker 1: is it everywhere, just like the coward's doing it. Fox 190 00:14:41,755 --> 00:14:44,395 Speaker 1: News reported that the truck in New Orleans in the 191 00:14:44,435 --> 00:14:49,795 Speaker 1: attack there had crossed the Mexican US border two days earlier. 192 00:14:51,995 --> 00:14:55,875 Speaker 1: Sometimes they padded their initial report to say the suspect 193 00:14:55,995 --> 00:15:00,475 Speaker 1: drove across the border in that truck, took him ninety 194 00:15:00,515 --> 00:15:02,875 Speaker 1: minutes to retract it, by which point Trump had already 195 00:15:02,875 --> 00:15:06,715 Speaker 1: implied the attack was by an immigrant rather than a 196 00:15:06,835 --> 00:15:10,635 Speaker 1: native Texan who was in or was in the army. 197 00:15:11,195 --> 00:15:16,115 Speaker 1: Mike Johnson is still implying it the obe in ad here. 198 00:15:17,395 --> 00:15:20,275 Speaker 1: Fox had to pay Smart Mattock seven hundred and eighty 199 00:15:20,275 --> 00:15:23,915 Speaker 1: seven million dollars for its lies about that company in 200 00:15:23,955 --> 00:15:27,755 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty election. Remember that, or do you remember 201 00:15:27,795 --> 00:15:31,355 Speaker 1: perhaps the car bombing at Niagara Falls in November twenty 202 00:15:31,395 --> 00:15:36,715 Speaker 1: twenty three, Fox reporter Alexis McAdams confirmed it was a 203 00:15:36,835 --> 00:15:38,755 Speaker 1: terrorist attack and there was a hunt for a second 204 00:15:38,875 --> 00:15:41,355 Speaker 1: terrorist car, and that led to conclusions that it was 205 00:15:41,395 --> 00:15:43,955 Speaker 1: an Islamic terrorism, and that led to the assertion it 206 00:15:43,955 --> 00:15:46,235 Speaker 1: was probably Hamas, and that led to the anchor John 207 00:15:46,315 --> 00:15:49,395 Speaker 1: Roberts demanding to note those who quote perpetrated this attack 208 00:15:49,595 --> 00:15:52,195 Speaker 1: had come into this country legally. Did they come across 209 00:15:52,235 --> 00:15:55,795 Speaker 1: illegally and claim asylum? Were they radicalized in this country? 210 00:15:55,915 --> 00:16:01,355 Speaker 1: Were they radicalized at all? Unlike Smart Mattock the quote, 211 00:16:01,395 --> 00:16:05,715 Speaker 1: perpetrators in this case did not sue Fox because they 212 00:16:05,835 --> 00:16:09,635 Speaker 1: mister and Missus Villani, were from Grand Island, New York, 213 00:16:09,715 --> 00:16:12,515 Speaker 1: and they were coming back from a canceled Kiss concert 214 00:16:12,555 --> 00:16:16,675 Speaker 1: in Toronto and he lost control of his Bentley And 215 00:16:16,715 --> 00:16:19,315 Speaker 1: they weren't terrorists. He was just a bad driver, and 216 00:16:19,355 --> 00:16:23,195 Speaker 1: they weren't suing because they were dead. And Fox was 217 00:16:23,235 --> 00:16:29,275 Speaker 1: still pitching the car bomb terrorism idea the next day. 218 00:16:30,275 --> 00:16:34,035 Speaker 1: But where is the obey in advance part? Well, that's 219 00:16:34,075 --> 00:16:39,635 Speaker 1: Fox's most egregious, most recent self disqualification as truth tellers. 220 00:16:40,835 --> 00:16:44,235 Speaker 1: But Brian Stelter, who will now kiss any manager's ass 221 00:16:44,475 --> 00:16:47,875 Speaker 1: as long as he can retain his regained dream job. 222 00:16:48,235 --> 00:16:53,195 Speaker 1: He wrote of Fox's disastrous error about New Orleans that quote, 223 00:16:53,795 --> 00:16:56,995 Speaker 1: an erroneous early Fox News report about the New Orleans 224 00:16:57,075 --> 00:17:01,675 Speaker 1: terror attack is warping the political dialogue. The false report 225 00:17:01,755 --> 00:17:06,635 Speaker 1: from Fox confuse the public and evidently President elect Donald 226 00:17:06,675 --> 00:17:16,155 Speaker 1: Trump too. Quote Ah, yes, Brian erroneous, false confused When 227 00:17:16,195 --> 00:17:19,195 Speaker 1: Trump exploited a lie to make it look like this 228 00:17:19,355 --> 00:17:25,235 Speaker 1: was foreign terrorism, he was confused as to the reality 229 00:17:25,275 --> 00:17:27,235 Speaker 1: here that this was one of the few times in 230 00:17:27,235 --> 00:17:32,835 Speaker 1: the last decade Trump wasn't confused and tell Nay's goes. 231 00:17:32,875 --> 00:17:38,195 Speaker 1: Brian Stelter is rehired and now with extra strength gullibility. 232 00:17:38,875 --> 00:17:41,355 Speaker 1: And we haven't even gotten to the other attack, the 233 00:17:41,395 --> 00:17:45,515 Speaker 1: one in Vegas. Which story and headlines did you read 234 00:17:45,715 --> 00:17:50,635 Speaker 1: headlines about the instability of Matthew Libbelsberger or his desire 235 00:17:50,715 --> 00:17:57,955 Speaker 1: to see all Democrats killed. The kill democrats part was 236 00:17:57,995 --> 00:18:02,475 Speaker 1: in Josh Marshall's talking Points memo. The instability was in 237 00:18:03,075 --> 00:18:09,995 Speaker 1: Oh look the Washington on his notes feature on his iPhone. 238 00:18:10,675 --> 00:18:13,475 Speaker 1: This man who blew himself and his tesla up in 239 00:18:13,475 --> 00:18:16,675 Speaker 1: front of the Trump Hotel in Vegas had written quote 240 00:18:16,795 --> 00:18:21,715 Speaker 1: military and vets move on DC starting now. Militias facilitate 241 00:18:21,755 --> 00:18:26,035 Speaker 1: and augment this activity. Occupy every major road along FED 242 00:18:26,075 --> 00:18:29,035 Speaker 1: buildings and the campus of FED Buildings by the hundreds 243 00:18:29,035 --> 00:18:32,795 Speaker 1: of thousands. Lock the highways around down with semis right 244 00:18:32,835 --> 00:18:37,235 Speaker 1: after everybody gets in hold until the purge is complete. 245 00:18:37,555 --> 00:18:40,555 Speaker 1: Try peaceful means first, but be prepared to fight to 246 00:18:40,635 --> 00:18:43,475 Speaker 1: get the Dems out of the FED government and military 247 00:18:43,835 --> 00:18:47,675 Speaker 1: by any means necessary. They all must go, and a 248 00:18:47,795 --> 00:18:51,755 Speaker 1: hard reset must occur for our country to avoid collapse. 249 00:18:55,555 --> 00:18:58,835 Speaker 1: So which have you heard more about the suicide car 250 00:18:58,955 --> 00:19:02,595 Speaker 1: bomber and face it, that's what he was, and his 251 00:19:02,715 --> 00:19:07,955 Speaker 1: hopes to have some body murder half the country all 252 00:19:07,995 --> 00:19:12,955 Speaker 1: at once, Or how much that nice Elon Musk helped 253 00:19:12,955 --> 00:19:15,075 Speaker 1: the police sort out what was left of his blow 254 00:19:15,115 --> 00:19:22,955 Speaker 1: him up truck? How about the New York Times on 255 00:19:23,035 --> 00:19:25,475 Speaker 1: a different topic New Year's Day, in this from the 256 00:19:25,475 --> 00:19:29,115 Speaker 1: Democrat who replaced George Santos, Let's try something different at 257 00:19:29,115 --> 00:19:32,155 Speaker 1: how we deal with Trump? That was the headline above 258 00:19:32,435 --> 00:19:36,115 Speaker 1: Tom Swazi's childish op ed. At least it had his 259 00:19:36,235 --> 00:19:39,755 Speaker 1: byline on It might have been written by a kindergartner somewhere. 260 00:19:40,435 --> 00:19:44,075 Speaker 1: To change and fix America requires both parties to work together. 261 00:19:44,315 --> 00:19:46,595 Speaker 1: As a Democratic member of Congress, I know my party 262 00:19:46,635 --> 00:19:49,475 Speaker 1: will be tempted to hold fast against mister Trump at 263 00:19:49,515 --> 00:19:53,155 Speaker 1: every turn, uniting against his bills, blocking his nominees, and 264 00:19:53,195 --> 00:19:55,355 Speaker 1: grinding the machinery of the House and the Senate to 265 00:19:55,395 --> 00:19:59,555 Speaker 1: a halt. That would be a mistake. Only by working 266 00:19:59,595 --> 00:20:02,835 Speaker 1: together to find compromise on parts of the President Elect's 267 00:20:02,955 --> 00:20:05,675 Speaker 1: agenda can we make progress for a Americans who are 268 00:20:05,715 --> 00:20:08,995 Speaker 1: clearly demanding change in the economy, immigration, crime, and other 269 00:20:09,035 --> 00:20:14,475 Speaker 1: top issues. I'm no dupe. Some of mister Trump's actions 270 00:20:14,475 --> 00:20:17,035 Speaker 1: offer little reassurance that he is ready to embrace the 271 00:20:17,075 --> 00:20:25,155 Speaker 1: bipartisanship and compromise essential to a functioning democracy. Hey, Bud, sorry, 272 00:20:25,475 --> 00:20:30,795 Speaker 1: you are a dupe. In fact, that's exactly what you are. 273 00:20:32,995 --> 00:20:36,595 Speaker 1: Have you been on Mars since twenty fifteen, Democrats have 274 00:20:36,675 --> 00:20:40,475 Speaker 1: repeatedly tried to compromise with this would be dictator Joe 275 00:20:40,475 --> 00:20:44,435 Speaker 1: Biden is still doing it. Trump does not want progress, 276 00:20:45,195 --> 00:20:50,955 Speaker 1: he does not want change, he does not want compromise. 277 00:20:51,835 --> 00:20:57,635 Speaker 1: He wants submission. And speaking of submission, does anybody remember 278 00:20:57,635 --> 00:21:01,755 Speaker 1: at Kirsten Cinema? So the Republicans want to ram it 279 00:21:01,835 --> 00:21:05,875 Speaker 1: through the Senate by asking the Senate parliamentarian filibuster rules 280 00:21:06,035 --> 00:21:09,315 Speaker 1: and let them stuff immigration policy into a funding bill. 281 00:21:09,995 --> 00:21:14,675 Speaker 1: And if the parliamentarian says f no, they would then 282 00:21:14,755 --> 00:21:18,515 Speaker 1: simply vote in the Senate to ignore the parliamentarian, to 283 00:21:18,755 --> 00:21:24,075 Speaker 1: break the rules of the filibuster. So Semaphore asks Kirsten 284 00:21:24,395 --> 00:21:27,795 Speaker 1: about this quote. I've heard rumors that there's going to 285 00:21:27,835 --> 00:21:31,675 Speaker 1: be a movement to pressure Senate Republicans to overrule the 286 00:21:31,715 --> 00:21:35,475 Speaker 1: parliamentarian in order to enact policy in reconciliation. That would 287 00:21:35,515 --> 00:21:38,755 Speaker 1: be a backdoor elimination of the filibuster and very dangerous. 288 00:21:40,555 --> 00:21:43,835 Speaker 1: Stop laughing, she said, backdoor elimination. I took a lot 289 00:21:43,875 --> 00:21:46,955 Speaker 1: of heat for that. She goes on. I did repeatedly 290 00:21:46,955 --> 00:21:49,595 Speaker 1: tell my Democratic colleagues that their attempts to use the 291 00:21:49,675 --> 00:21:53,155 Speaker 1: reconciliation tool to achieve immigration reform would be against the 292 00:21:53,195 --> 00:21:56,195 Speaker 1: reconciliation rules would be ruled out of order that I 293 00:21:56,235 --> 00:22:02,995 Speaker 1: would not be willing to overturn. That's what Kirsten Cinema 294 00:22:03,035 --> 00:22:06,035 Speaker 1: thinks happened when she stopped Democrats that's from tampering with 295 00:22:06,115 --> 00:22:21,315 Speaker 1: the filibuster. That's how she rationalized killing improvements. Kirsten, Kirsten, Kirsten, 296 00:22:21,355 --> 00:22:24,235 Speaker 1: look at me. This is somebody out here in the 297 00:22:24,275 --> 00:22:27,235 Speaker 1: real world actually talking to you. Now, this is not 298 00:22:27,315 --> 00:22:32,035 Speaker 1: just your own ego inside your own echo chamber. You 299 00:22:32,115 --> 00:22:37,875 Speaker 1: were warned that if you stop the Democrats from doing 300 00:22:37,915 --> 00:22:41,275 Speaker 1: anything to the filibuster, the Republicans would do stuff to 301 00:22:41,315 --> 00:22:46,595 Speaker 1: the filibuster anyway, and what has happened. You stop the 302 00:22:46,635 --> 00:22:50,835 Speaker 1: Democrats from doing something to the filibuster, and the Republicans 303 00:22:51,355 --> 00:23:05,275 Speaker 1: have now done it. Anyway, two more more to take 304 00:23:05,315 --> 00:23:11,835 Speaker 1: with you. I guess they're leavening moments. In case you 305 00:23:11,915 --> 00:23:15,795 Speaker 1: thought Republicans in office would do nothing except lying Trump's pockets, 306 00:23:15,835 --> 00:23:20,075 Speaker 1: here is a surprise for you, you cynical bastard. The Office 307 00:23:20,115 --> 00:23:26,395 Speaker 1: of Congressional Ethics has gotten a new name. The Republicans 308 00:23:26,435 --> 00:23:29,995 Speaker 1: say it will now be called the Office of Congressional Conduct, 309 00:23:31,035 --> 00:23:35,555 Speaker 1: which is at least an admission that there are no 310 00:23:35,675 --> 00:23:41,595 Speaker 1: longer any ethics in Congress. And I am happy to 311 00:23:41,635 --> 00:23:44,435 Speaker 1: say that, in the spirit of Tom Squase, I have 312 00:23:44,515 --> 00:23:49,475 Speaker 1: a compromise fix for Trump and the half staff flags 313 00:23:49,555 --> 00:23:53,195 Speaker 1: during his inauguration. He is in an utter rage, even 314 00:23:53,275 --> 00:23:55,995 Speaker 1: for him, that the nation will continue to observe as 315 00:23:56,075 --> 00:24:02,195 Speaker 1: usual mourning for a former president recently deceased. He explains 316 00:24:02,195 --> 00:24:05,355 Speaker 1: the flags must be returned to normal height because no 317 00:24:05,515 --> 00:24:09,115 Speaker 1: president has ever been mistreated more than he. Lincoln, McKinley, Garfield, 318 00:24:09,155 --> 00:24:11,755 Speaker 1: and JFK might argue this point, but the Trump motto is, 319 00:24:11,795 --> 00:24:17,275 Speaker 1: after all, how I pity me? Well, as I said, 320 00:24:19,235 --> 00:24:28,035 Speaker 1: I have a fix, the great compromiser me just tell 321 00:24:28,075 --> 00:24:32,875 Speaker 1: Trump that the flags at half staff are not just 322 00:24:32,915 --> 00:24:37,435 Speaker 1: about Jimmy Carter. They're also a sign of extra special 323 00:24:37,555 --> 00:24:44,115 Speaker 1: respect for him. They are in advance memory of him, 324 00:24:44,595 --> 00:24:48,475 Speaker 1: that the nation has decided to offer Trump a unique 325 00:24:48,555 --> 00:24:54,435 Speaker 1: opportunity to see this sign of honor while he's still alive, 326 00:24:55,675 --> 00:24:58,955 Speaker 1: and tell him that if he goes along with this, 327 00:25:00,315 --> 00:25:04,035 Speaker 1: a picture of him saluting that flag at half staff 328 00:25:04,355 --> 00:25:09,155 Speaker 1: for Jimmy Carter and for himself, that will be so 329 00:25:09,395 --> 00:25:15,955 Speaker 1: special it will get him next week's cover of US 330 00:25:15,955 --> 00:25:24,355 Speaker 1: News and World Report. Also of interest here in this 331 00:25:24,395 --> 00:25:26,955 Speaker 1: all new edition of Countdown, how I did not become 332 00:25:27,035 --> 00:25:32,755 Speaker 1: an actor fifty years ago and how Trump did? Plus 333 00:25:32,835 --> 00:25:37,595 Speaker 1: worst persons and you'll never guess whose birthday it is 334 00:25:37,955 --> 00:25:42,395 Speaker 1: and what she's doing next? And your hint is she's 335 00:25:42,515 --> 00:25:47,235 Speaker 1: my ex and apparently she was RFK Junior's ex. If 336 00:25:47,235 --> 00:25:55,315 Speaker 1: FaceTime counts, that's next. This is Countdown. This is Countdown 337 00:25:55,915 --> 00:26:22,075 Speaker 1: with Keith Olberman still ahead on Countdown. Remember Flacco. There 338 00:26:22,115 --> 00:26:24,915 Speaker 1: is a new book out about Flacco, The Owl, The 339 00:26:25,035 --> 00:26:31,315 Speaker 1: Central Park Owl, literally you must buy it. And Why 340 00:26:31,515 --> 00:26:38,835 Speaker 1: I'm not an actor. It's a terrifying story first, believe 341 00:26:38,835 --> 00:26:40,955 Speaker 1: it or not. There's still more new idiots to talk 342 00:26:40,995 --> 00:26:43,835 Speaker 1: about the daily roundup of the miss grants, morons and 343 00:26:43,915 --> 00:26:49,035 Speaker 1: Dunning Kruger effects specimens who constitute two days. Other worse 344 00:26:49,635 --> 00:26:56,435 Speaker 1: persons in the world Lebron's worse. No, not the late 345 00:26:56,515 --> 00:27:01,955 Speaker 1: newscaster Aaron Brown, but those who covered his passing. Aaron 346 00:27:01,995 --> 00:27:04,955 Speaker 1: Brown was seventy six years old when he died last week. 347 00:27:05,195 --> 00:27:07,555 Speaker 1: I worked with him at CNN in two thousand and 348 00:27:07,595 --> 00:27:10,715 Speaker 1: one and two thousand and two. I found him to 349 00:27:10,755 --> 00:27:16,955 Speaker 1: be well, you know my reputation that was him, a 350 00:27:17,115 --> 00:27:20,875 Speaker 1: very gifted newscaster and a very calming presence, especially since 351 00:27:21,195 --> 00:27:25,395 Speaker 1: he was at CNN on nine to eleven getting used 352 00:27:25,475 --> 00:27:28,755 Speaker 1: to his office and the layout of where the bathrooms were. 353 00:27:29,235 --> 00:27:32,555 Speaker 1: When the planes hit the towers and they put him 354 00:27:32,555 --> 00:27:38,195 Speaker 1: on the air, he went to work literally for orientation meetings. 355 00:27:38,875 --> 00:27:42,435 Speaker 1: Fifteen or sixteen hours later he got off the air 356 00:27:42,675 --> 00:27:47,355 Speaker 1: after talking about the worst terrorist attack in American history. 357 00:27:48,555 --> 00:27:51,755 Speaker 1: He did exceptional work. He continued to do it almost 358 00:27:51,795 --> 00:27:54,635 Speaker 1: every day, as I did and others did in the 359 00:27:54,875 --> 00:27:58,195 Speaker 1: thirty forty days after the attacks, and he did other 360 00:27:58,235 --> 00:28:01,635 Speaker 1: great things in his career. But I was a little 361 00:28:01,635 --> 00:28:06,315 Speaker 1: bit surprised by the nature of the coverage. Aaron was 362 00:28:06,435 --> 00:28:11,835 Speaker 1: not easy during the first break, maybe a month after 363 00:28:11,915 --> 00:28:14,755 Speaker 1: nine to eleven and I had been working at CNN 364 00:28:14,955 --> 00:28:18,515 Speaker 1: along with ABC Radio during that time, and I was 365 00:28:18,555 --> 00:28:23,315 Speaker 1: on his show as a correspondent and a commentator. Aaron 366 00:28:23,435 --> 00:28:24,995 Speaker 1: was going to take a day off, and I was 367 00:28:25,035 --> 00:28:26,235 Speaker 1: going to take a day off, And it was the 368 00:28:26,275 --> 00:28:29,755 Speaker 1: same day off and his Seattle Mariners, he had worked 369 00:28:29,755 --> 00:28:32,355 Speaker 1: in local news in Seattle, were playing the New York 370 00:28:32,435 --> 00:28:35,035 Speaker 1: Yankees at Yankee Stadium. And I had my season tickets then, 371 00:28:35,235 --> 00:28:37,675 Speaker 1: and I said, come up to Yankee Stadium. Let's just 372 00:28:37,715 --> 00:28:40,115 Speaker 1: forget this for a couple of hours and have a 373 00:28:40,155 --> 00:28:42,275 Speaker 1: good time up there. And he looked at me like 374 00:28:42,315 --> 00:28:46,515 Speaker 1: I had just suggested. He pushed pins inside his brain, 375 00:28:47,555 --> 00:28:49,355 Speaker 1: like just you know, hit yourself over the head with 376 00:28:49,395 --> 00:28:51,715 Speaker 1: a mallet. He would have responded to it better. Why 377 00:28:51,715 --> 00:28:53,675 Speaker 1: would I want to do that? Why would I want 378 00:28:53,675 --> 00:28:55,755 Speaker 1: to do that? I have a day off, Why would 379 00:28:55,795 --> 00:28:57,555 Speaker 1: I want to do that? And all he talked about 380 00:28:57,595 --> 00:29:01,195 Speaker 1: was the Seattle Mariners. I never quite figured Aaron Brown out. 381 00:29:02,675 --> 00:29:05,995 Speaker 1: So the encomia from Jeff green Field and Jeff Tubin, 382 00:29:06,155 --> 00:29:09,275 Speaker 1: two people I liked with and worked with also and 383 00:29:09,395 --> 00:29:13,035 Speaker 1: respect greatly to this day. And Jeff Greenfield, who was 384 00:29:13,755 --> 00:29:16,635 Speaker 1: the man for whom I was the principal backup host 385 00:29:16,675 --> 00:29:19,595 Speaker 1: when he had a show on CNN at this same time, 386 00:29:19,915 --> 00:29:22,035 Speaker 1: when Aaron Brown was on the air as the principal 387 00:29:22,035 --> 00:29:27,035 Speaker 1: news anchor at CNN. I appreciate them, I believe them utterly. However, 388 00:29:27,075 --> 00:29:29,555 Speaker 1: the one from Anderson Cooper, I'm not so sure about. 389 00:29:30,435 --> 00:29:34,915 Speaker 1: Let me read from Oliver Darcy's newsletter. CNN mourned the 390 00:29:34,995 --> 00:29:37,555 Speaker 1: loss of former anchor Aaron Brown, who died Sunday at 391 00:29:37,555 --> 00:29:42,155 Speaker 1: seventy six. Anderson Cooper praised Brown as a great writer 392 00:29:42,315 --> 00:29:47,355 Speaker 1: and broadcaster. Anderson Cooper was just starting at CNN in 393 00:29:47,395 --> 00:29:50,635 Speaker 1: two thousand and one about the time I was. He 394 00:29:50,715 --> 00:29:52,635 Speaker 1: was a couple of months ahead of me. But for 395 00:29:52,675 --> 00:29:55,515 Speaker 1: a while he and I were at the same point 396 00:29:55,555 --> 00:29:58,075 Speaker 1: in whatever he saw as the race to the top 397 00:29:58,115 --> 00:30:01,915 Speaker 1: at CNN, and Aaron Brown was in the distant future 398 00:30:01,995 --> 00:30:05,955 Speaker 1: for us. And Anderson didn't like that Anderson was the 399 00:30:05,995 --> 00:30:10,675 Speaker 1: principal backup to Aaron Brown. I was just a correspondent. 400 00:30:10,715 --> 00:30:14,875 Speaker 1: I never hosted Aaron Brown show. And Anderson Cooper spent 401 00:30:14,955 --> 00:30:17,275 Speaker 1: most of the time that I knew him working at 402 00:30:17,315 --> 00:30:19,355 Speaker 1: CNN together for about a year and a half. He 403 00:30:19,435 --> 00:30:22,075 Speaker 1: spent most of his time trying to unseat Aaron Brown, 404 00:30:22,315 --> 00:30:24,475 Speaker 1: get his show from him, and if not, get his 405 00:30:24,555 --> 00:30:27,555 Speaker 1: show from him every night at ten o'clock, supplant him 406 00:30:27,555 --> 00:30:30,075 Speaker 1: as the number one anchor at CNN, and he managed 407 00:30:30,115 --> 00:30:32,635 Speaker 1: to do it. Now, he didn't do it because of 408 00:30:32,675 --> 00:30:35,875 Speaker 1: any of his own machinations, because I don't think Anderson 409 00:30:35,915 --> 00:30:39,675 Speaker 1: Cooper is that good at machinations, nor that means spirited 410 00:30:41,075 --> 00:30:44,555 Speaker 1: Aaron did it. They seem to have left off in 411 00:30:44,635 --> 00:30:48,995 Speaker 1: the obituaries, the story of how Aaron Brown basically stopped 412 00:30:49,035 --> 00:30:52,035 Speaker 1: being the number one newscaster at CNN, and in fact 413 00:30:52,035 --> 00:30:55,915 Speaker 1: stopped being a newscaster of any kind. On February first, 414 00:30:55,955 --> 00:31:00,675 Speaker 1: two thousand and three, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during 415 00:31:00,755 --> 00:31:05,195 Speaker 1: landing and spread a debris field across Louisiana and Texas. 416 00:31:05,515 --> 00:31:09,715 Speaker 1: It was a nightmare of biblical proportions, to use the cliche, 417 00:31:10,915 --> 00:31:14,515 Speaker 1: and it killed all seven astronauts on board and traumatized 418 00:31:15,115 --> 00:31:17,915 Speaker 1: America at a time when we were still pretty traumatized 419 00:31:17,915 --> 00:31:21,355 Speaker 1: from nine to eleven. I was not supposed to resume 420 00:31:21,515 --> 00:31:24,275 Speaker 1: my news career until about a week later, so I 421 00:31:24,395 --> 00:31:27,795 Speaker 1: missed this story and was at home watching it play out, 422 00:31:28,035 --> 00:31:31,635 Speaker 1: and the secondary story that developed, which was where in 423 00:31:31,635 --> 00:31:37,115 Speaker 1: the hell is CNN's primary anchor Aaron Brown. All the 424 00:31:37,115 --> 00:31:40,075 Speaker 1: news anchors it happening on a weekend were either off 425 00:31:40,155 --> 00:31:43,075 Speaker 1: or on vacation, and the Associated Press report from the 426 00:31:43,115 --> 00:31:47,835 Speaker 1: time noted Tom Brokaw was snorkeling off the Virgin Island 427 00:31:47,875 --> 00:31:51,155 Speaker 1: Saturday morning when he saw the boat's captain forty feet 428 00:31:51,155 --> 00:31:55,955 Speaker 1: away frantically waving, I can just hear this. Tom Brokaw 429 00:31:56,035 --> 00:31:59,635 Speaker 1: was snorkeling off the Virgin Islands. He was on the 430 00:31:59,675 --> 00:32:02,835 Speaker 1: air later that day. The lead anchors for ABC and 431 00:32:02,875 --> 00:32:06,435 Speaker 1: CBS made it on the air too. Peter Jennings apparently 432 00:32:06,515 --> 00:32:09,115 Speaker 1: drove in from the island. Dan Rather was on the 433 00:32:09,115 --> 00:32:13,315 Speaker 1: air by seven thirty am Pacific time, but, returning to 434 00:32:13,355 --> 00:32:17,555 Speaker 1: the Associated Press article, not CNN's Aaron Brown, whose absence 435 00:32:17,635 --> 00:32:21,155 Speaker 1: until Sunday night was the source of much speculation. Brown, 436 00:32:21,235 --> 00:32:25,395 Speaker 1: it turns out, was playing golf in the Bob Hope 437 00:32:25,475 --> 00:32:30,355 Speaker 1: Chrysler Classic at Lakinta in Palm Desert, which was televised 438 00:32:30,395 --> 00:32:34,715 Speaker 1: on CBS midday Saturday, after the network ended several hours 439 00:32:34,955 --> 00:32:40,195 Speaker 1: of shuttle coverage. CNN sources said Brown, who was promoted 440 00:32:40,235 --> 00:32:42,155 Speaker 1: as the network's lead anchor when he was hired away 441 00:32:42,195 --> 00:32:45,035 Speaker 1: from ABC two years ago, told the network he wasn't 442 00:32:45,075 --> 00:32:49,515 Speaker 1: available to come to work. The decision infuriated some executives 443 00:32:49,675 --> 00:32:53,515 Speaker 1: as well as some on his staff, the CNN sources said, Brown, 444 00:32:53,595 --> 00:32:56,715 Speaker 1: through a spokeswoman, declined to comment, but was quoted Sunday 445 00:32:56,715 --> 00:33:00,035 Speaker 1: in the Palm Springs Desert Sun as saying that didn't 446 00:33:00,035 --> 00:33:02,835 Speaker 1: make sense to go to New York. Going to CNN's 447 00:33:02,835 --> 00:33:06,075 Speaker 1: Los Angeles office, as he said, didn't make any sense 448 00:33:06,115 --> 00:33:12,595 Speaker 1: because I didn't have any clothes. A note that is 449 00:33:12,635 --> 00:33:15,795 Speaker 1: now too late for Aaron to hear it. They sell 450 00:33:15,875 --> 00:33:20,515 Speaker 1: clothes in Los Angeles. Brown also told the Desert Sun, 451 00:33:20,835 --> 00:33:23,155 Speaker 1: I felt like I was in two places today and 452 00:33:23,195 --> 00:33:26,875 Speaker 1: it was difficult. I felt a profound sadness at what happened. 453 00:33:27,115 --> 00:33:31,675 Speaker 1: It's horrible. A golf tournament, even a fun one, it 454 00:33:31,755 --> 00:33:35,235 Speaker 1: didn't matter. It took the fun out of it today 455 00:33:36,075 --> 00:33:41,755 Speaker 1: for me. How about everybody else in America, especially the 456 00:33:41,755 --> 00:33:47,075 Speaker 1: ones on top of the Space Shuttle. Again, as I said, 457 00:33:47,555 --> 00:33:50,635 Speaker 1: it was his obituary. He's gone. There's no reason to 458 00:33:50,755 --> 00:33:56,075 Speaker 1: include all this in great detail. As you bid farewell 459 00:33:56,195 --> 00:33:59,155 Speaker 1: to a man who was a newscaster. And a prominent 460 00:33:59,195 --> 00:34:05,235 Speaker 1: one twenty years ago. But still you think mention this 461 00:34:05,275 --> 00:34:09,475 Speaker 1: somewhere in perhaps less blunt terms than I have in 462 00:34:09,515 --> 00:34:13,355 Speaker 1: rereading the coverage from two thousand and three when Aaron 463 00:34:13,395 --> 00:34:15,715 Speaker 1: Brown refused to come in to cover the big story 464 00:34:15,715 --> 00:34:19,595 Speaker 1: of the day because he didn't have any clothes and 465 00:34:19,635 --> 00:34:23,355 Speaker 1: it took all the fun out of him. Today, Tom 466 00:34:23,395 --> 00:34:26,915 Speaker 1: Brokaw snorkeled here from the Virgin Islands to cover the store. 467 00:34:28,395 --> 00:34:30,715 Speaker 1: Needless to say, CNN was in quite a mess in 468 00:34:30,715 --> 00:34:33,195 Speaker 1: two thousand and three. I've told those stories many times, 469 00:34:33,275 --> 00:34:36,795 Speaker 1: and I will not belabor my being negative about a 470 00:34:36,835 --> 00:34:40,355 Speaker 1: guy who just died last week by adding to them. 471 00:34:40,355 --> 00:34:42,675 Speaker 1: But at one point in the mornings, they tried this 472 00:34:42,835 --> 00:34:47,435 Speaker 1: group Paul Is as the main host, Jack Cafferty as 473 00:34:47,475 --> 00:34:50,795 Speaker 1: the side host, Anderson Cooper doing the news updates at 474 00:34:50,795 --> 00:34:53,155 Speaker 1: the bottom and top of the hour, and the third 475 00:34:53,195 --> 00:34:57,635 Speaker 1: person in to liven it up me that lasted eight 476 00:34:57,715 --> 00:35:01,115 Speaker 1: days back to worse persons and the runner up Worser. 477 00:35:01,155 --> 00:35:04,875 Speaker 1: It's shared by Nancy Base, the idiot Congresswoman, with what 478 00:35:04,955 --> 00:35:09,955 Speaker 1: her former communications director Natalie Johnson describes as quote your botched, 479 00:35:10,155 --> 00:35:16,635 Speaker 1: cheap hooker inspired boob job unquote and David Freeman, the 480 00:35:16,755 --> 00:35:20,995 Speaker 1: disgraced ex Texas cop who posts online under the moronic 481 00:35:21,115 --> 00:35:25,435 Speaker 1: name Gunther Eagleman because he couldn't think of anything that 482 00:35:25,555 --> 00:35:31,275 Speaker 1: sounded more Germanic Gunter Egelman. All right, here's a sequence 483 00:35:31,435 --> 00:35:36,755 Speaker 1: of tweets Fox News was first US Appeals Court upholds 484 00:35:36,795 --> 00:35:40,035 Speaker 1: Trump verdict in e Gen Carrol defamation case, and then 485 00:35:40,075 --> 00:35:43,715 Speaker 1: the link to the Fox story. Nancy Mace retweets this 486 00:35:43,795 --> 00:35:48,355 Speaker 1: and says, I hope George Stephanopoulos sees this, to which 487 00:35:48,395 --> 00:35:56,795 Speaker 1: Gunther Eagleman Gunta Eagleman responds, Mike drop boom. It apparently 488 00:35:56,795 --> 00:36:02,755 Speaker 1: did not occur to Nancy Mace or Guntor Eagleman that 489 00:36:03,115 --> 00:36:05,875 Speaker 1: the US Appeals Court uphold holding the Trump verdict in 490 00:36:05,915 --> 00:36:09,995 Speaker 1: the Egen Carroll defamation case was siding with Egen Carroll 491 00:36:10,395 --> 00:36:18,795 Speaker 1: against our illegitimate president elect. Nancy Mace deleted hers no, no, no, no, 492 00:36:18,835 --> 00:36:23,555 Speaker 1: not the boob job the tweet, but our winner again. 493 00:36:23,755 --> 00:36:27,635 Speaker 1: Second reference Oliver Darcy of the Media newsletter status. Now, 494 00:36:27,715 --> 00:36:30,315 Speaker 1: let me be clear, this is one of those times 495 00:36:30,515 --> 00:36:33,955 Speaker 1: when worst person in the world is not meant to 496 00:36:33,995 --> 00:36:38,755 Speaker 1: be taken literally. Oliver Darcy does great work, is a 497 00:36:38,795 --> 00:36:42,115 Speaker 1: great guy has great principles, maybe the last person in 498 00:36:42,115 --> 00:36:45,915 Speaker 1: his field with principles. It's possible to look over media 499 00:36:45,995 --> 00:36:50,475 Speaker 1: criticism and say, principle okay, And he has one percent. 500 00:36:50,835 --> 00:36:53,155 Speaker 1: This guy, Darcy, he's got ninety eight percent of all 501 00:36:53,195 --> 00:37:01,075 Speaker 1: the principles in the field. But but however, however, something 502 00:37:01,155 --> 00:37:03,915 Speaker 1: he has written in his preview of the year in 503 00:37:04,035 --> 00:37:07,675 Speaker 1: media in twenty twenty five has just scared the living 504 00:37:07,795 --> 00:37:10,035 Speaker 1: crap out of me. I will just quote it. It's 505 00:37:10,155 --> 00:37:14,035 Speaker 1: very brief. Who will New York Magazine hire to Phil 506 00:37:14,275 --> 00:37:18,995 Speaker 1: it's now vacant Washington correspondent role, And what will Olivia 507 00:37:19,115 --> 00:37:25,475 Speaker 1: Newsy do next? Oh no, don't tell me, Dear God, 508 00:37:25,515 --> 00:37:27,875 Speaker 1: don't tell me. Don't make me think about it. Please, 509 00:37:27,995 --> 00:37:29,675 Speaker 1: I don't want to know. I don't want to guess. 510 00:37:29,795 --> 00:37:33,075 Speaker 1: I don't want to speculate. After the Biden article scandal 511 00:37:33,155 --> 00:37:35,755 Speaker 1: last year and the hints from her ex fiance that 512 00:37:35,835 --> 00:37:38,795 Speaker 1: she had some kind of dream like while still awake 513 00:37:38,915 --> 00:37:42,395 Speaker 1: experience last year and them trying to get the other 514 00:37:42,435 --> 00:37:47,115 Speaker 1: one arrested and get the FBI involved and restraining orders 515 00:37:47,155 --> 00:37:50,915 Speaker 1: and hacking, and then trying to get them fired, and 516 00:37:51,035 --> 00:37:53,155 Speaker 1: she did lose her job, and I don't know what 517 00:37:53,195 --> 00:37:54,835 Speaker 1: the hell happened to him. He's still on a leave 518 00:37:54,875 --> 00:37:57,795 Speaker 1: of absence from Politico. They don't even mention him anymore. 519 00:37:57,995 --> 00:38:03,995 Speaker 1: And then the RFK Junior FaceTime fiasco. Please please don't 520 00:38:03,995 --> 00:38:06,835 Speaker 1: tell me what she's gonna do next. Please don't do 521 00:38:06,955 --> 00:38:11,235 Speaker 1: anything this year. Just sit back, Olivia, just let it 522 00:38:11,275 --> 00:38:15,355 Speaker 1: all wash away. Look, the Aaron Brown should be your 523 00:38:15,435 --> 00:38:17,915 Speaker 1: role model. I didn't even mention the day he played 524 00:38:18,115 --> 00:38:21,115 Speaker 1: at the Bob Hope Desert Classic instead of coming in 525 00:38:21,195 --> 00:38:25,315 Speaker 1: to cover the Space Shuttle blowing up. It'll go away 526 00:38:25,355 --> 00:38:28,275 Speaker 1: if you wait long enough. What will she do next? 527 00:38:28,435 --> 00:38:31,795 Speaker 1: How in the hell could anybody say? Plus, I'm not 528 00:38:31,835 --> 00:38:34,315 Speaker 1: sure the answer to that question, what will she do next? 529 00:38:34,395 --> 00:38:39,755 Speaker 1: Is not destroy the world as we know it. It's 530 00:38:39,795 --> 00:38:43,395 Speaker 1: bad enough. Today's January sixth, as I managed to remember, 531 00:38:43,555 --> 00:38:51,755 Speaker 1: still all these years later, January sixth is also Olivia's birthday. Oliver, 532 00:38:52,395 --> 00:38:56,035 Speaker 1: could you have cut that out for Space Darcy? Two 533 00:38:56,115 --> 00:39:33,235 Speaker 1: days worse person? I mean this kidding, Lee, I feel 534 00:39:33,235 --> 00:39:37,075 Speaker 1: better now. Things I promised not to tell in my 535 00:39:37,235 --> 00:39:40,875 Speaker 1: career as an actor, which lasted twenty four hours. But first, 536 00:39:41,195 --> 00:39:45,875 Speaker 1: some headlines, some updates, some snark, and some postscripts to 537 00:39:46,075 --> 00:39:53,395 Speaker 1: the news. This is the Countdown podcast, and these are 538 00:39:53,435 --> 00:39:58,275 Speaker 1: the places where there's news. Date line, Central Park, New York. 539 00:39:58,995 --> 00:40:02,915 Speaker 1: You remember Flacco, don't you, The giant Eurasian eagle owl, 540 00:40:04,035 --> 00:40:09,275 Speaker 1: not eagle, but eagle owl who escaped from, was liberated from, 541 00:40:09,715 --> 00:40:13,035 Speaker 1: moved out of his enclosure at the Central Park Zoo 542 00:40:13,115 --> 00:40:16,235 Speaker 1: here in fun city. And this is how time passes. 543 00:40:16,275 --> 00:40:20,555 Speaker 1: That happened two years ago next month. Flacco died one 544 00:40:20,635 --> 00:40:23,435 Speaker 1: year ago next month due to what in fact our 545 00:40:23,515 --> 00:40:29,475 Speaker 1: typical hazards of living here, bad apartment buildings and poison. Flacco, 546 00:40:29,675 --> 00:40:32,595 Speaker 1: nearly two feet tall with a wingspan of about six feet, 547 00:40:32,755 --> 00:40:35,475 Speaker 1: was an amazing resident of this city who spent his 548 00:40:35,595 --> 00:40:39,195 Speaker 1: year of freedom living all around Manhattan, and who chose 549 00:40:39,515 --> 00:40:43,795 Speaker 1: roost after roost around the park and basically lived like 550 00:40:43,915 --> 00:40:47,835 Speaker 1: you would live if you could fly, sampling everything that 551 00:40:48,275 --> 00:40:52,315 Speaker 1: was wonderful about New York and living everywhere you could 552 00:40:52,315 --> 00:40:55,075 Speaker 1: find with a good view of the park. It was 553 00:40:55,115 --> 00:40:57,355 Speaker 1: a privilege to be his neighbor and to know he 554 00:40:57,435 --> 00:41:00,315 Speaker 1: was out there, and to see him occasionally and know 555 00:41:00,435 --> 00:41:04,195 Speaker 1: he was there enjoying the hell out of himself. And 556 00:41:04,275 --> 00:41:08,235 Speaker 1: now he has been memorialized in a startlingly beautiful book 557 00:41:08,435 --> 00:41:13,195 Speaker 1: called Finding Flacco. I don't do book recommendations here, but 558 00:41:13,235 --> 00:41:16,035 Speaker 1: you have to get this one. The authors are noted 559 00:41:16,155 --> 00:41:19,795 Speaker 1: New York birders Jacqueline Emery and David Lay. It is 560 00:41:19,835 --> 00:41:22,595 Speaker 1: a coffee table sized edition of two hundred and twenty 561 00:41:22,635 --> 00:41:25,635 Speaker 1: three pages. As they joke about good books, it's a 562 00:41:25,675 --> 00:41:28,275 Speaker 1: great book. Also. It can be doubling as a weapon 563 00:41:28,275 --> 00:41:30,275 Speaker 1: if you need one, if you need to smack somebody 564 00:41:30,315 --> 00:41:33,755 Speaker 1: in the head while you run away. Every page is 565 00:41:33,835 --> 00:41:40,235 Speaker 1: more beautiful than the last, and it's just stunning. Flacco 566 00:41:40,355 --> 00:41:42,875 Speaker 1: was many things, but for most of them was photogenic. 567 00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:45,275 Speaker 1: And there must be four hundred pictures of him in there, 568 00:41:45,595 --> 00:41:50,035 Speaker 1: bright and glowing with his orange eyes and a golden 569 00:41:50,395 --> 00:41:54,995 Speaker 1: and almost brindle coat of feathers. And his story is 570 00:41:55,075 --> 00:41:58,515 Speaker 1: documented from photos of him in the wild to photos 571 00:41:58,515 --> 00:42:01,635 Speaker 1: of him on construction sites and somebody's balcony, and all 572 00:42:01,635 --> 00:42:04,875 Speaker 1: the personal stories about all of us interacting with him 573 00:42:05,115 --> 00:42:07,355 Speaker 1: and seeing him and looking for him and knowing he 574 00:42:07,395 --> 00:42:11,275 Speaker 1: was there. The book is fifty bucks, and it is cheap. 575 00:42:11,435 --> 00:42:15,315 Speaker 1: At fifty bucks, I was genuinely surprised they have not 576 00:42:15,515 --> 00:42:19,475 Speaker 1: charged more. They have a website for this Flaco book 577 00:42:19,915 --> 00:42:24,795 Speaker 1: flacobook dot com, or it is available at all the 578 00:42:24,875 --> 00:42:29,955 Speaker 1: online booksellers finding Flaco and I do not do book 579 00:42:30,155 --> 00:42:33,835 Speaker 1: plugs here. Get the book and you will have him 580 00:42:33,835 --> 00:42:38,595 Speaker 1: with you always. Dyline, Queens, New York. Okay, this is 581 00:42:38,715 --> 00:42:41,875 Speaker 1: not breaking news. It's not nearly as beautiful as Flacco. 582 00:42:42,355 --> 00:42:45,075 Speaker 1: It is about a book, though, and in fact it 583 00:42:45,115 --> 00:42:48,355 Speaker 1: is at least eighty five years old, this news. But 584 00:42:48,435 --> 00:42:51,035 Speaker 1: I only found about it last Friday, and I'm still 585 00:42:51,115 --> 00:42:53,715 Speaker 1: stunned because it's about a place I first went to 586 00:42:53,875 --> 00:42:57,195 Speaker 1: in the year nineteen sixty four, and I have visited 587 00:42:57,235 --> 00:43:00,835 Speaker 1: this area hundreds of times, and I never knew this 588 00:43:02,155 --> 00:43:05,115 Speaker 1: Here were read The Great Gatsby, one of the top 589 00:43:06,195 --> 00:43:12,315 Speaker 1: five American novels ever. F Scott Fitzgerald and Bob Redford 590 00:43:12,355 --> 00:43:16,515 Speaker 1: is in the movie, and Fitzgerald's imagery about the wanton 591 00:43:16,595 --> 00:43:20,155 Speaker 1: destruction of America and society and morals by the rich 592 00:43:20,195 --> 00:43:23,635 Speaker 1: of the nineteen twenties is illustrated in The Great Gatsby 593 00:43:23,755 --> 00:43:26,955 Speaker 1: two symbols, and one of them is this recurring image 594 00:43:26,995 --> 00:43:30,995 Speaker 1: of the ash heaps. The ash heaps, the big piles 595 00:43:31,035 --> 00:43:37,035 Speaker 1: of blah, black leftover charred remains of God knows what 596 00:43:38,755 --> 00:43:42,315 Speaker 1: ash heaps that violated the landscape in that zone where 597 00:43:42,355 --> 00:43:45,475 Speaker 1: New York City turned into Long Island. The ash heaps 598 00:43:46,035 --> 00:43:49,875 Speaker 1: ten feet high twenty thirty ubiquitous in The Great Gatsby. 599 00:43:50,515 --> 00:43:52,715 Speaker 1: They are what comes when people who don't care how 600 00:43:52,755 --> 00:43:56,555 Speaker 1: they make money or how they live their lives despoil 601 00:43:56,955 --> 00:44:03,835 Speaker 1: the land. Ultimately, they are metaphors for those people, maybe 602 00:44:03,835 --> 00:44:09,675 Speaker 1: for us. Well, Friday, I found out the ash heaps 603 00:44:09,715 --> 00:44:14,755 Speaker 1: were real. I never knew that. I mean, I guess 604 00:44:14,835 --> 00:44:16,675 Speaker 1: if press I would have said, yeah, it must have 605 00:44:16,755 --> 00:44:21,715 Speaker 1: been some Moreover, Fitzgerald in the book wrote where they were, 606 00:44:22,915 --> 00:44:25,035 Speaker 1: and I never made the connection. I mean, he didn't 607 00:44:25,075 --> 00:44:27,995 Speaker 1: give the literal address, but he basically gave it away. 608 00:44:28,395 --> 00:44:33,075 Speaker 1: He said, where the roads and the railroad join up 609 00:44:33,115 --> 00:44:35,835 Speaker 1: to run along the same corridor from the city to 610 00:44:35,915 --> 00:44:39,795 Speaker 1: the Hamptons, that's where the ash heaps were. Turns out, 611 00:44:39,795 --> 00:44:44,115 Speaker 1: there are photographs. The ash heaps were real, and they 612 00:44:44,155 --> 00:44:47,755 Speaker 1: were uglier and more menacing, and they covered a larger 613 00:44:47,875 --> 00:44:52,075 Speaker 1: area even than Fitzgerald described. And it turns out they 614 00:44:52,075 --> 00:44:55,995 Speaker 1: were centered around the intersection of one hundred and twenty 615 00:44:56,035 --> 00:45:00,995 Speaker 1: sixth Street and Roosevelt Avenue in the Corona and Flushing 616 00:45:01,075 --> 00:45:05,275 Speaker 1: areas of Queens here in big city. And you know 617 00:45:05,315 --> 00:45:10,115 Speaker 1: what's there now where Gatsby's ash heaps were one hundred 618 00:45:10,155 --> 00:45:14,035 Speaker 1: and twenty six in Roosevelt. Nothing much, just the Billie 619 00:45:14,115 --> 00:45:17,395 Speaker 1: Jean King National Tennis Center where they play the US 620 00:45:17,475 --> 00:45:21,795 Speaker 1: Open every year, and City Field where the New York 621 00:45:21,875 --> 00:45:25,635 Speaker 1: Mets play and where their old home, say Stadium used 622 00:45:25,675 --> 00:45:28,275 Speaker 1: to be, dating back to nineteen sixty four, and where 623 00:45:28,315 --> 00:45:30,955 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixty four sixty five New York's World Fair 624 00:45:31,235 --> 00:45:34,915 Speaker 1: was and the nineteen thirty nine New York's World Fair. 625 00:45:36,275 --> 00:45:39,795 Speaker 1: And that's what happened to Fitzgerald's ash heaps. And every 626 00:45:39,835 --> 00:45:42,755 Speaker 1: time you go to the tennis or through the Mets game, 627 00:45:43,115 --> 00:45:45,555 Speaker 1: or you just watch either of them on TV, that's 628 00:45:45,595 --> 00:45:50,955 Speaker 1: what you're seeing, the ash heaps. Two points about this. 629 00:45:51,435 --> 00:45:56,635 Speaker 1: To New York Mets fans, this explains everything. Of course, 630 00:45:56,715 --> 00:46:00,155 Speaker 1: Sar Stadium is built on ash heaps, and in the 631 00:46:00,275 --> 00:46:03,475 Speaker 1: kind of irony that fiction like the Great Gatsby and 632 00:46:03,595 --> 00:46:07,035 Speaker 1: authors like fitzg year Old might have dreamed of suggesting 633 00:46:07,155 --> 00:46:12,395 Speaker 1: or implying, but only reality can enact. The main stadium 634 00:46:12,875 --> 00:46:15,915 Speaker 1: at the National Tennis Center is named for yet another 635 00:46:15,955 --> 00:46:46,875 Speaker 1: tennis immortal. It is called the Arthur ash Stadium. Still 636 00:46:46,915 --> 00:46:49,555 Speaker 1: ahead on this all new Big Show. Trump, as you know, 637 00:46:49,755 --> 00:46:53,555 Speaker 1: is an actor, a bad actor. But as I was 638 00:46:53,635 --> 00:46:58,395 Speaker 1: reminded this weekend, anybody can be a great actor for 639 00:46:58,475 --> 00:47:02,755 Speaker 1: a span of from five to fifteen seconds. Ask Trump, 640 00:47:03,555 --> 00:47:06,995 Speaker 1: ask orson wells or as in this next edition of 641 00:47:07,035 --> 00:47:11,515 Speaker 1: Things I promised not to tell. Ask me fifty years ago. 642 00:47:11,955 --> 00:47:14,795 Speaker 1: For literally one day, twenty four hours, I was convinced 643 00:47:14,835 --> 00:47:18,075 Speaker 1: by somebody who should have known, that not only should 644 00:47:18,075 --> 00:47:21,435 Speaker 1: I become an actor, but if I did, I would 645 00:47:21,435 --> 00:47:25,515 Speaker 1: become a great actor. Things I promised not to tell 646 00:47:25,515 --> 00:47:31,195 Speaker 1: about my stunning performance in the Odd Couple. First, we 647 00:47:31,235 --> 00:47:33,155 Speaker 1: have not done this in a long time, featuring a 648 00:47:33,155 --> 00:47:35,795 Speaker 1: dog in need whom you can help. Every dog has 649 00:47:35,835 --> 00:47:38,515 Speaker 1: its day, but this story is near and dear to 650 00:47:38,635 --> 00:47:42,795 Speaker 1: my heart, and especially to the heart of my newest pup, Kit, 651 00:47:43,435 --> 00:47:46,675 Speaker 1: who turned seven months old on Saturday and is just fine. 652 00:47:47,435 --> 00:47:49,235 Speaker 1: Other than his belief than any time of the day 653 00:47:49,315 --> 00:47:51,155 Speaker 1: or night is the time to wrestle with his family 654 00:47:51,755 --> 00:47:55,675 Speaker 1: or bark. While I am recording, Kit came to me 655 00:47:55,755 --> 00:48:00,635 Speaker 1: needing PDA surgery. The ceiling off of a duct between 656 00:48:00,675 --> 00:48:04,355 Speaker 1: the vessels near your heart or in your heart. Oversimplifying, Obviously, 657 00:48:04,475 --> 00:48:08,555 Speaker 1: the duct is between the vessels that carry oxygenated blood 658 00:48:09,995 --> 00:48:12,795 Speaker 1: to the heart and the vessels near your heart that 659 00:48:12,875 --> 00:48:16,955 Speaker 1: carry deoxygenated blood from your heart back to the lungs 660 00:48:16,955 --> 00:48:21,155 Speaker 1: to be reloaded. All mammals have this duct. It seals 661 00:48:21,195 --> 00:48:25,035 Speaker 1: off the moment you or your baby or your dog 662 00:48:25,915 --> 00:48:29,595 Speaker 1: take your first breath, or it doesn't seal off, and 663 00:48:29,635 --> 00:48:32,675 Speaker 1: that's where the PDA surgery comes in. Left that way, 664 00:48:32,675 --> 00:48:36,915 Speaker 1: it will produce a terrible, inconsistent heartbeat, and sooner or 665 00:48:36,995 --> 00:48:40,555 Speaker 1: later it will burst, and it will fill the lungs 666 00:48:40,595 --> 00:48:44,155 Speaker 1: with fluid, and it will kill you or your dog 667 00:48:45,075 --> 00:48:50,515 Speaker 1: or kit. Happily, surgery not only works, it cures. Basically, 668 00:48:50,515 --> 00:48:53,395 Speaker 1: you fix this and you get a normal life expectancy. 669 00:48:53,435 --> 00:48:57,155 Speaker 1: It is delicate surgery. It's costly, it's precise, and it's 670 00:48:57,235 --> 00:49:00,435 Speaker 1: terrifying because the younger the puppy is, or the human 671 00:49:00,475 --> 00:49:05,115 Speaker 1: baby or whatever. The better kit was two pounds and 672 00:49:05,155 --> 00:49:08,355 Speaker 1: six ounces. I have been through a lot of surgeries 673 00:49:08,395 --> 00:49:11,395 Speaker 1: with my dogs, counting oral surgeries. I think this was 674 00:49:11,475 --> 00:49:15,595 Speaker 1: the tenth. Nothing has scared me more. He's so little. 675 00:49:16,275 --> 00:49:18,795 Speaker 1: Then the surgeon reminded me, you know we do do 676 00:49:18,915 --> 00:49:25,675 Speaker 1: this on kittens. He would be a big kitten. Kit's fine. 677 00:49:25,795 --> 00:49:27,955 Speaker 1: You barely can tell where the incision was, and the 678 00:49:27,995 --> 00:49:33,555 Speaker 1: incision ran from his armpit to his knee. So Kit 679 00:49:33,675 --> 00:49:36,235 Speaker 1: is fine, and now I want Tippy to be fine too. 680 00:49:36,275 --> 00:49:39,075 Speaker 1: I nearly wound up with Tippy instead of Kit. It 681 00:49:39,115 --> 00:49:42,275 Speaker 1: was pure logistics and timing that made it otherwise. Tip 682 00:49:42,355 --> 00:49:46,795 Speaker 1: is in Virginia. Kit is in the northeast and was so. 683 00:49:46,995 --> 00:49:52,115 Speaker 1: American Maltese Association Rescue, where I got Kit and where 684 00:49:52,155 --> 00:49:56,235 Speaker 1: Tippy is, has taken care of and taken responsibility for 685 00:49:56,755 --> 00:50:01,955 Speaker 1: this nine month old pup and Tippy's PDA surgery, and frankly, 686 00:50:02,035 --> 00:50:05,035 Speaker 1: we need the money to foot the bill. This is 687 00:50:05,115 --> 00:50:08,035 Speaker 1: more or less my rescue. I don't have anything to 688 00:50:08,075 --> 00:50:10,075 Speaker 1: do with it in terms of running it. But Kit 689 00:50:10,235 --> 00:50:13,555 Speaker 1: came to me through AMAR, and so did Ted, and 690 00:50:13,595 --> 00:50:16,315 Speaker 1: so did my late lamented boys Mi Nay, the Jumper 691 00:50:16,635 --> 00:50:19,035 Speaker 1: and little Mishoe. So I can tell you this organization 692 00:50:19,315 --> 00:50:21,795 Speaker 1: is one hundred percent about the dogs, and the money 693 00:50:21,835 --> 00:50:23,595 Speaker 1: will go to Tippy's recovery, and you don't have to 694 00:50:23,595 --> 00:50:25,995 Speaker 1: worry about any of that. And we could use any 695 00:50:26,035 --> 00:50:29,715 Speaker 1: dollar you can spare. There is a giving grid set 696 00:50:29,755 --> 00:50:33,275 Speaker 1: up for Tip. Just go to givinggrid dot com search 697 00:50:33,315 --> 00:50:36,835 Speaker 1: for Tippy. You'll find him. Anything you can spare will 698 00:50:36,835 --> 00:50:40,755 Speaker 1: help Tip. Thanks you, Kit, thank you, and as always 699 00:50:41,715 --> 00:50:54,915 Speaker 1: I thank you. Finally, on the countdown things I promised 700 00:50:54,995 --> 00:50:58,395 Speaker 1: not to tell, and I was listening to somebody and 701 00:50:58,435 --> 00:51:00,275 Speaker 1: I can't remember who it was in the past couple 702 00:51:00,275 --> 00:51:04,955 Speaker 1: of days talk about Donald Trump, Man of faith. I remember. 703 00:51:04,955 --> 00:51:08,675 Speaker 1: It's something that dawned on me when I was about 704 00:51:08,915 --> 00:51:12,515 Speaker 1: sixteen seventeen years old and has been proven true every 705 00:51:12,595 --> 00:51:17,115 Speaker 1: year since, which is everybody can be a great actor 706 00:51:18,395 --> 00:51:22,715 Speaker 1: for five to fifteen seconds. Some can be a great 707 00:51:22,755 --> 00:51:28,795 Speaker 1: actor for five seconds to fifty years, but anybody, given 708 00:51:28,955 --> 00:51:32,435 Speaker 1: enough takes, as we say, can be a great actor 709 00:51:32,475 --> 00:51:37,035 Speaker 1: for from five to fifteen seconds. I base this on 710 00:51:38,235 --> 00:51:42,755 Speaker 1: two stories that don't have anything to do with Trump. I, 711 00:51:43,795 --> 00:51:46,555 Speaker 1: for one day, one twenty four hour period, in the 712 00:51:46,595 --> 00:51:49,675 Speaker 1: spring of nineteen seventy five, was going to abandon my 713 00:51:49,795 --> 00:51:53,795 Speaker 1: then fairly well formed plan of becoming a sports broadcaster 714 00:51:53,955 --> 00:51:57,355 Speaker 1: and writer, and probably a news reporter as well, abandon 715 00:51:57,475 --> 00:52:03,355 Speaker 1: them entirely to become an actor, on the advice of 716 00:52:03,355 --> 00:52:06,755 Speaker 1: somebody who had seen me working towards a media goal 717 00:52:07,515 --> 00:52:11,875 Speaker 1: and had seen me act, and he suddenly blurted out 718 00:52:11,915 --> 00:52:13,475 Speaker 1: that I should do the latter, and I will tell 719 00:52:13,515 --> 00:52:16,315 Speaker 1: that story last. The other piece of evidence that I 720 00:52:16,395 --> 00:52:19,235 Speaker 1: have is of one of the great tragic stories of 721 00:52:19,395 --> 00:52:23,795 Speaker 1: actual actors, Orson Wells. Whatever else you might have thought 722 00:52:23,835 --> 00:52:25,635 Speaker 1: of him, and what you might think of him in 723 00:52:25,715 --> 00:52:29,035 Speaker 1: terms of creativity, now that it's impossible to judge Citizen 724 00:52:29,155 --> 00:52:31,475 Speaker 1: Kane as if you had never seen any of the 725 00:52:31,555 --> 00:52:36,355 Speaker 1: thousand innovations of Citizen Kane before. Orson Wells was a 726 00:52:36,395 --> 00:52:42,235 Speaker 1: great actor. Now he was not necessarily the most varietous 727 00:52:42,275 --> 00:52:45,515 Speaker 1: of actors. He could not perhaps appear in a thousand 728 00:52:45,515 --> 00:52:48,515 Speaker 1: different styles. You always knew it was him, and he 729 00:52:48,635 --> 00:52:52,435 Speaker 1: was almost always over the top. But if you wanted 730 00:52:52,475 --> 00:52:56,595 Speaker 1: an over the top performance, whether it was as Citizen 731 00:52:56,715 --> 00:53:00,715 Speaker 1: Kane or as the man behind the original thing that 732 00:53:00,795 --> 00:53:03,115 Speaker 1: made him famous, the nineteen thirty eight War of the 733 00:53:03,115 --> 00:53:07,235 Speaker 1: World's radio broadcast, or anything else, the wine commercials. The 734 00:53:07,355 --> 00:53:11,275 Speaker 1: outtake on the famous radio wine commercials where he berates 735 00:53:11,715 --> 00:53:15,435 Speaker 1: the writer and the producer of these wine commercials for 736 00:53:15,555 --> 00:53:18,675 Speaker 1: half an hour on a sixty second spot that he 737 00:53:18,755 --> 00:53:21,715 Speaker 1: was supposed to read whatever the context it is. Orson 738 00:53:21,755 --> 00:53:25,875 Speaker 1: Wells was a great actor, an over the top, wonderful, loud, 739 00:53:26,355 --> 00:53:30,915 Speaker 1: no subtlety, no variation performer, one of the best of 740 00:53:30,955 --> 00:53:35,075 Speaker 1: all time. But by I guess nineteen seventy he had 741 00:53:35,155 --> 00:53:39,195 Speaker 1: basically given up. Orson Wells was tortured for thirty years 742 00:53:39,475 --> 00:53:42,315 Speaker 1: because a the greatest movie he ever made, and to 743 00:53:42,395 --> 00:53:45,875 Speaker 1: that point, anybody ever made, he made in his first movie. 744 00:53:46,755 --> 00:53:49,435 Speaker 1: And what do you do after that? It's nineteen forty one, 745 00:53:49,755 --> 00:53:52,835 Speaker 1: you're about twenty seven, twenty eight years old, and there's 746 00:53:52,875 --> 00:53:56,795 Speaker 1: nowhere to go but down, And he went down. Also, 747 00:53:57,075 --> 00:53:59,995 Speaker 1: he didn't exactly help those people who might have been 748 00:54:00,035 --> 00:54:05,475 Speaker 1: trying to help him erase that reputation. He was incapable 749 00:54:05,515 --> 00:54:10,595 Speaker 1: of suffering fools gladly, or incapable of suffering almost anybody gladly, 750 00:54:12,355 --> 00:54:15,675 Speaker 1: you know, my reputation. His reality was like a thousand 751 00:54:15,755 --> 00:54:19,435 Speaker 1: times that. Okay, So that's Orson Welles. And by the 752 00:54:19,475 --> 00:54:23,355 Speaker 1: time nineteen seventy or so rolls around, he's been beaten 753 00:54:23,435 --> 00:54:27,275 Speaker 1: up and he's given up. His life has only what 754 00:54:27,755 --> 00:54:30,835 Speaker 1: ten years or so to go. He's reduced to doing 755 00:54:30,955 --> 00:54:36,915 Speaker 1: wine commercials, and he just doesn't care anymore. He's probably 756 00:54:36,955 --> 00:54:40,035 Speaker 1: about four hundred pounds and he just doesn't care anymore. 757 00:54:40,115 --> 00:54:42,835 Speaker 1: But he is still a brilliant actor for five to 758 00:54:42,875 --> 00:54:47,755 Speaker 1: fifteen seconds at a stretch. Mike Nichols, the great director 759 00:54:48,475 --> 00:54:51,235 Speaker 1: of The Graduate and a thousand other wonderful films, and 760 00:54:51,275 --> 00:54:56,155 Speaker 1: the former comedy partner of Elaine May, Nichols and May 761 00:54:56,195 --> 00:54:59,155 Speaker 1: one of the great comedy teams of all time, breakers 762 00:54:59,195 --> 00:55:01,995 Speaker 1: of all kinds of taboos and traditions in the late 763 00:55:02,035 --> 00:55:04,275 Speaker 1: fifties and early sixties, and then he suddenly veered off 764 00:55:04,315 --> 00:55:08,795 Speaker 1: to direct and was brilliant told this story about filming 765 00:55:08,915 --> 00:55:11,915 Speaker 1: Orson Wells in one of the great underrated films of 766 00:55:11,955 --> 00:55:15,235 Speaker 1: all time. One of the greatest movies of all time 767 00:55:15,715 --> 00:55:18,555 Speaker 1: was dismissed because in retrospect, how on the hell you're 768 00:55:18,555 --> 00:55:21,195 Speaker 1: going to make a movie out of Catch twenty two? 769 00:55:21,235 --> 00:55:23,395 Speaker 1: And when they put Catch twenty two out, it wasn't 770 00:55:23,475 --> 00:55:26,195 Speaker 1: as great as the novel, which would have required a 771 00:55:26,275 --> 00:55:30,515 Speaker 1: movie of maybe forty five forty six hours long, with 772 00:55:30,915 --> 00:55:36,195 Speaker 1: seventeen simultaneous scenes going on and plot twists that you 773 00:55:36,235 --> 00:55:39,955 Speaker 1: ever never understood. Catch twenty two was supposed to be 774 00:55:40,315 --> 00:55:44,955 Speaker 1: in a book a kind of Kaleidoscope on fire. That's 775 00:55:44,955 --> 00:55:47,195 Speaker 1: the feel you get from reading it, and you're not 776 00:55:47,315 --> 00:55:51,875 Speaker 1: quite sure what's going on for three hundred pages, and 777 00:55:51,955 --> 00:55:55,755 Speaker 1: somehow Mike Nichols translated this into an excellent film. In fact, 778 00:55:55,795 --> 00:55:58,595 Speaker 1: I think, I think a classic film, and it's just 779 00:55:58,755 --> 00:56:02,315 Speaker 1: now being rehabilitated fifty years later to being well okay. 780 00:56:03,235 --> 00:56:05,555 Speaker 1: One of the streamers did a series of Catched twenty 781 00:56:05,595 --> 00:56:08,715 Speaker 1: two a couple of years ago, and it tried to 782 00:56:08,835 --> 00:56:12,075 Speaker 1: unpack the complexity and left us with a rather boring 783 00:56:12,235 --> 00:56:15,995 Speaker 1: Second World War story. Mike Nichols film did not do that. 784 00:56:16,035 --> 00:56:19,515 Speaker 1: Mike Nichols film gives you, at least that very similitude, 785 00:56:19,555 --> 00:56:22,875 Speaker 1: like you're sort of reading Catch twenty two and it 786 00:56:22,875 --> 00:56:25,795 Speaker 1: comes to life. And one of the reasons is Orson 787 00:56:25,875 --> 00:56:30,115 Speaker 1: Wells makes a cameo in which he plays a general 788 00:56:30,635 --> 00:56:34,475 Speaker 1: who doesn't care, so he's perfect for the role. But 789 00:56:34,555 --> 00:56:37,835 Speaker 1: Mike Nichols told a story about the acting of Orson 790 00:56:37,835 --> 00:56:41,595 Speaker 1: Wells by this year nineteen seventy and how he didn't 791 00:56:41,635 --> 00:56:43,675 Speaker 1: care anymore and to the degree to which he didn't 792 00:56:43,715 --> 00:56:47,435 Speaker 1: care anymore, and it was an extraordinary story, and it 793 00:56:47,795 --> 00:56:51,555 Speaker 1: underscores my point emphasized by Trump and my own personal 794 00:56:51,595 --> 00:56:54,875 Speaker 1: experiences that anybody can be a great actor for from 795 00:56:54,995 --> 00:57:01,875 Speaker 1: five to fifteen seconds. He said, Nichols, that is that 796 00:57:01,995 --> 00:57:03,995 Speaker 1: by the time they got a hold of Orson Wells 797 00:57:03,995 --> 00:57:08,555 Speaker 1: to play General Dreadle, he directed Nichols, that is directed 798 00:57:08,755 --> 00:57:11,315 Speaker 1: Orson Wells personally, and I'm sure was quite nervous in 799 00:57:11,355 --> 00:57:15,595 Speaker 1: doing so. And he said, how would you like to 800 00:57:15,635 --> 00:57:18,315 Speaker 1: approach this scene? And Wells just looked at him inside 801 00:57:18,355 --> 00:57:21,915 Speaker 1: and went, I don't know the lines. I don't have 802 00:57:22,075 --> 00:57:25,195 Speaker 1: any idea of the context. I have never read the script, 803 00:57:25,715 --> 00:57:28,835 Speaker 1: I don't know the book, I don't know these other actors. 804 00:57:30,395 --> 00:57:33,715 Speaker 1: This is what I want you to do. Tell me 805 00:57:34,315 --> 00:57:37,515 Speaker 1: exactly what it is you want me to say. Tell 806 00:57:37,515 --> 00:57:39,995 Speaker 1: me exactly where you want me to stand, Tell me 807 00:57:40,075 --> 00:57:42,995 Speaker 1: exactly how you want me to address and who you 808 00:57:43,035 --> 00:57:46,635 Speaker 1: want me to address as I deliver my lines. Tell 809 00:57:46,675 --> 00:57:48,715 Speaker 1: me when we are in close up, tell me when 810 00:57:48,715 --> 00:57:51,555 Speaker 1: we are taking a second shot for cover. And let's 811 00:57:51,555 --> 00:57:54,715 Speaker 1: get this done. But between each take, I want you 812 00:57:54,795 --> 00:57:57,635 Speaker 1: to repeat to me exactly the way you want me 813 00:57:57,715 --> 00:58:00,435 Speaker 1: to say, exactly the line you want me to say. 814 00:58:01,635 --> 00:58:04,555 Speaker 1: And Mike Nichols had never contemplated this form of acting before, 815 00:58:04,755 --> 00:58:07,675 Speaker 1: and so Mike Nichols said, well, let's try that Orson 816 00:58:08,795 --> 00:58:11,875 Speaker 1: and I believe I don't know. I'm just guessing that Orson. 817 00:58:11,875 --> 00:58:16,395 Speaker 1: Wells responded by saying, please call me mister Wells in 818 00:58:16,435 --> 00:58:18,715 Speaker 1: any event. They go and shoot one of I believe 819 00:58:18,755 --> 00:58:22,835 Speaker 1: Wells's two film scenes in Catch twenty two, and Mike 820 00:58:22,915 --> 00:58:26,515 Speaker 1: Nichols says, all right, stand over here a look towards 821 00:58:27,035 --> 00:58:31,035 Speaker 1: Martin Balsam as you say this, and just tilt your 822 00:58:31,075 --> 00:58:33,235 Speaker 1: head slightly back so I can see under the visor 823 00:58:33,275 --> 00:58:35,035 Speaker 1: and not get too much of a shadow the visor 824 00:58:35,155 --> 00:58:38,435 Speaker 1: on your hat. And you say, if he wants to 825 00:58:38,475 --> 00:58:41,155 Speaker 1: accept a metal while naked, what business is it of yours? 826 00:58:41,955 --> 00:58:47,115 Speaker 1: Emphasizing yours, and Wells goes, he wants to turn of yours. 827 00:58:47,275 --> 00:58:49,915 Speaker 1: Say it to me again, he wants to accept a 828 00:58:49,995 --> 00:58:52,835 Speaker 1: metal while naked? What business is it of yours? I've 829 00:58:52,835 --> 00:58:58,115 Speaker 1: got it, please roll, and Wells delivers it, and then 830 00:58:58,195 --> 00:59:02,155 Speaker 1: delivers it a second time exactly correctly. Do you have enough? 831 00:59:02,435 --> 00:59:04,475 Speaker 1: Are we doing the wide shot of this? All right? 832 00:59:04,475 --> 00:59:07,875 Speaker 1: I'll wait, and then they widen out and shoot the 833 00:59:07,875 --> 00:59:10,635 Speaker 1: same scene again, and he delivers the line again, asking 834 00:59:10,755 --> 00:59:13,035 Speaker 1: Mike Nichols to remind him to do this line one 835 00:59:13,035 --> 00:59:15,635 Speaker 1: more time, how he wants it done, and he does 836 00:59:15,675 --> 00:59:18,955 Speaker 1: it again, and Mike Nichols said, the entirety of Orson 837 00:59:18,995 --> 00:59:21,795 Speaker 1: Wales's performance in Catch twenty two, one of the great 838 00:59:21,795 --> 00:59:24,955 Speaker 1: cameos in one of the great underrated, maybe the greatest, 839 00:59:25,035 --> 00:59:28,875 Speaker 1: most underrated film of all time, is done this way. 840 00:59:29,675 --> 00:59:34,075 Speaker 1: The mina bird theory of acting. Never Mind Lee Strasbourg, 841 00:59:34,955 --> 00:59:40,435 Speaker 1: never mind realism, never mind summoning emotions, never mind any 842 00:59:40,435 --> 00:59:42,915 Speaker 1: of this stuff from that guy in that awful serious 843 00:59:42,955 --> 00:59:46,315 Speaker 1: succession in his theories of acting, Brian Cox. Never mind 844 00:59:46,355 --> 00:59:51,875 Speaker 1: that the mina bird theory, which dovetails with my idea 845 00:59:52,155 --> 00:59:55,835 Speaker 1: that Trump could actually stand there and pretend that the 846 00:59:55,875 --> 01:00:00,475 Speaker 1: only God he believes in is not him and for 847 01:00:00,635 --> 01:00:03,235 Speaker 1: five to fifteen seconds be among the greatest actors of 848 01:00:03,275 --> 01:00:07,155 Speaker 1: all time. This theory came to me first on the 849 01:00:07,275 --> 01:00:09,635 Speaker 1: day I referred to from the Year of Our Lord 850 01:00:10,075 --> 01:00:14,035 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy five, when I I was pretty much convinced, 851 01:00:14,315 --> 01:00:17,355 Speaker 1: even at that late date, with my college career already 852 01:00:17,395 --> 01:00:19,475 Speaker 1: mapped out in front of me, I was going to 853 01:00:19,595 --> 01:00:25,755 Speaker 1: change courses and become an actor. Two friends of mine 854 01:00:26,715 --> 01:00:30,475 Speaker 1: were performing as a project and we all had these 855 01:00:30,515 --> 01:00:33,715 Speaker 1: as seniors at Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York, a 856 01:00:33,755 --> 01:00:36,995 Speaker 1: special project, something that kept us out of class the 857 01:00:37,075 --> 01:00:40,595 Speaker 1: last month or so, on the theory that graduating seniors 858 01:00:40,635 --> 01:00:42,835 Speaker 1: weren't showing up anyway, we might as well give them 859 01:00:42,875 --> 01:00:46,555 Speaker 1: something to do well. My two friends Ron and Eric 860 01:00:47,155 --> 01:00:50,035 Speaker 1: did the Odd Couple, and they asked me, as a 861 01:00:50,115 --> 01:00:53,995 Speaker 1: sometimes member of the group of the acting group at 862 01:00:54,035 --> 01:00:59,395 Speaker 1: Hackley School, to portray Speed, the accountant. And Speed is 863 01:00:59,475 --> 01:01:02,155 Speaker 1: an interesting role and has a couple of funny lines 864 01:01:02,355 --> 01:01:06,075 Speaker 1: and most notably starts to play with the first lines 865 01:01:06,115 --> 01:01:08,475 Speaker 1: of the play. And the first night I came out 866 01:01:08,515 --> 01:01:11,475 Speaker 1: and sat down at the poker table in the darkness 867 01:01:11,515 --> 01:01:14,155 Speaker 1: of our chapel at Hackley School, there was a giant 868 01:01:14,195 --> 01:01:17,595 Speaker 1: cleek light where my light where my butt was supposed 869 01:01:17,595 --> 01:01:20,275 Speaker 1: to be on this chair, and I had to move 870 01:01:20,315 --> 01:01:22,955 Speaker 1: it quickly before the lights came out. Otherwise we would 871 01:01:22,955 --> 01:01:25,515 Speaker 1: have rewritten the Odd Couple, in which the first scene 872 01:01:25,555 --> 01:01:28,915 Speaker 1: is not Speed saying excuse me, sir, aren't you the 873 01:01:28,915 --> 01:01:32,115 Speaker 1: one they called the Cincinnati Kid or whatever it was. 874 01:01:33,675 --> 01:01:38,515 Speaker 1: Instead it would have been curtain rises. Speed is shown 875 01:01:38,595 --> 01:01:41,555 Speaker 1: moving a giant cleeglight out of the view of the audience, 876 01:01:42,515 --> 01:01:46,355 Speaker 1: got it out of the way, hit it somewhere, reprimanded 877 01:01:46,395 --> 01:01:50,875 Speaker 1: the staff not for the last time, and we proceeded 878 01:01:50,875 --> 01:01:53,875 Speaker 1: with the play. We were only giving two performances, and 879 01:01:53,915 --> 01:01:56,035 Speaker 1: we had done I think two dress rehearsals, and it 880 01:01:56,075 --> 01:02:00,235 Speaker 1: had gone fairly well. My major concern as a sixteen 881 01:02:00,315 --> 01:02:02,955 Speaker 1: year old actor who was doing it just for experience 882 01:02:02,995 --> 01:02:05,435 Speaker 1: in front of a crowd while talking, had no goal 883 01:02:05,515 --> 01:02:08,475 Speaker 1: whatsoever of becoming an actor. Enjoyed parts of it, but 884 01:02:08,555 --> 01:02:14,835 Speaker 1: really was worried about forgetting my lines. Well I did, okay, 885 01:02:15,315 --> 01:02:18,595 Speaker 1: didn't forget my lines, kind of enjoyed it, enjoyed the 886 01:02:18,635 --> 01:02:21,195 Speaker 1: flow of it, enjoyed working with the pacing of it 887 01:02:21,235 --> 01:02:23,955 Speaker 1: and trying to time my lines exactly right and how 888 01:02:23,995 --> 01:02:25,595 Speaker 1: loud I should be to be heard in the back 889 01:02:25,595 --> 01:02:30,755 Speaker 1: of the chapel. And then something happened about I don't know. 890 01:02:30,995 --> 01:02:34,395 Speaker 1: Midway through one of the early scenes I was in, 891 01:02:35,635 --> 01:02:39,555 Speaker 1: I started to deliver a line from backstage down to 892 01:02:39,595 --> 01:02:42,755 Speaker 1: a character who was seated closer to the audience, and 893 01:02:42,955 --> 01:02:45,075 Speaker 1: as I said the words, and we'd done it in 894 01:02:45,115 --> 01:02:54,275 Speaker 1: two dress rehearsals and countless other scene rehearsals, I thought intuitively. 895 01:02:54,315 --> 01:02:58,995 Speaker 1: It just came to me. Don't say it yet, widen 896 01:02:59,075 --> 01:03:02,475 Speaker 1: your eyes and stare at the guy before you say it. 897 01:03:04,195 --> 01:03:07,155 Speaker 1: And I don't remember. I've looked several times over the years, 898 01:03:07,275 --> 01:03:10,515 Speaker 1: in the nearly fifty years since, I have looked through 899 01:03:10,555 --> 01:03:12,795 Speaker 1: the script of the End Couple trying to find the scene. 900 01:03:12,835 --> 01:03:16,835 Speaker 1: I can't remember which it is. It's one of three 901 01:03:16,915 --> 01:03:20,715 Speaker 1: or four different scenes. But at some point I looked 902 01:03:20,715 --> 01:03:25,555 Speaker 1: at in my soul and said, pause and stare at him, 903 01:03:26,915 --> 01:03:32,275 Speaker 1: stare daggers at him, and it got a laugh. Not 904 01:03:32,435 --> 01:03:34,915 Speaker 1: Neil Simon, the author of the play, not his laugh, 905 01:03:35,555 --> 01:03:40,595 Speaker 1: my laugh. There was no planning involved in this whatsoever. Then, 906 01:03:40,755 --> 01:03:43,235 Speaker 1: before delivering the line, which I was trying to do 907 01:03:43,315 --> 01:03:45,515 Speaker 1: so I wouldn't forget the rest of the lines and 908 01:03:45,555 --> 01:03:50,795 Speaker 1: get out of my rhythm, something else told me stand up. 909 01:03:52,595 --> 01:03:57,875 Speaker 1: I rose slowly and got a second laugh. Then something 910 01:03:57,915 --> 01:04:02,075 Speaker 1: else told me innocently, not even really hearing the applause 911 01:04:02,195 --> 01:04:04,635 Speaker 1: or the laughter from the audience, but just knowing that 912 01:04:04,675 --> 01:04:06,595 Speaker 1: but what was supposed to happen next was not what 913 01:04:06,675 --> 01:04:13,075 Speaker 1: we had rehearsed. I then moved downstage, kind of like 914 01:04:13,155 --> 01:04:16,195 Speaker 1: I was approaching a bomb that was about to go off, 915 01:04:16,315 --> 01:04:18,675 Speaker 1: and I looked at this guy and kind of tilted 916 01:04:18,715 --> 01:04:21,795 Speaker 1: my head to the side and delivered the line. And 917 01:04:21,955 --> 01:04:24,955 Speaker 1: as I started to deliver the line, I got a 918 01:04:25,035 --> 01:04:28,755 Speaker 1: third laugh, to the point where I had to repeat 919 01:04:28,795 --> 01:04:33,355 Speaker 1: the line, which got its own laugh, which was Neil 920 01:04:33,395 --> 01:04:38,355 Speaker 1: Simon's laugh. The kid responding to me with his laugh 921 01:04:39,675 --> 01:04:42,595 Speaker 1: line got a little titter from the audience. And then 922 01:04:42,675 --> 01:04:45,035 Speaker 1: I started to turn back to go back to my 923 01:04:45,155 --> 01:04:48,195 Speaker 1: seat on stage, and stopped and turned back at him again, 924 01:04:48,395 --> 01:04:50,955 Speaker 1: just raised my eyebrows and again said nothing, and I 925 01:04:50,995 --> 01:04:54,835 Speaker 1: got another laugh. Then I walked and sat down, and 926 01:04:54,875 --> 01:04:57,235 Speaker 1: the way I sat down, with utter defeat and a 927 01:04:57,315 --> 01:05:00,595 Speaker 1: slump into the chair, I got a fifth laugh of 928 01:05:00,635 --> 01:05:04,515 Speaker 1: my own. It was only then that I realized that 929 01:05:04,715 --> 01:05:06,795 Speaker 1: none of this was prepared, and none of this was 930 01:05:06,795 --> 01:05:09,755 Speaker 1: what we were planning to do. And as anybody who 931 01:05:09,795 --> 01:05:12,915 Speaker 1: ever directed a bunch of kids, no matter how serious 932 01:05:12,955 --> 01:05:15,995 Speaker 1: they were about it in anything, knows that the most 933 01:05:15,995 --> 01:05:18,995 Speaker 1: important thing about being the adult in the room is 934 01:05:19,435 --> 01:05:25,235 Speaker 1: keeping the plan intact. You don't want somebody suddenly getting 935 01:05:25,275 --> 01:05:29,115 Speaker 1: some sort of creative muse telling him to start acting 936 01:05:29,195 --> 01:05:32,795 Speaker 1: and walking around the stage in new ways. During the 937 01:05:32,875 --> 01:05:37,515 Speaker 1: first performance, and I realized that our advisor, mister Clark, 938 01:05:37,595 --> 01:05:42,395 Speaker 1: who was the director, John Clark, was going to verbally 939 01:05:42,435 --> 01:05:44,275 Speaker 1: beat the hell out of me. God knows he had 940 01:05:44,315 --> 01:05:47,795 Speaker 1: in the past. John Clark was the faculty advisor to 941 01:05:47,835 --> 01:05:52,355 Speaker 1: the Hackley Dial, our student newspaper, to the yearbook, to 942 01:05:52,635 --> 01:05:55,795 Speaker 1: the radio station where I was Chris Berman's protege for 943 01:05:55,875 --> 01:05:58,955 Speaker 1: a year and then became the sports director after Chris graduated, 944 01:06:00,075 --> 01:06:02,795 Speaker 1: and the drama group. So there wasn't a lot of 945 01:06:02,955 --> 01:06:06,755 Speaker 1: media at Hackley, but but there were four separate entities, 946 01:06:07,355 --> 01:06:11,115 Speaker 1: and he was in charge of all of them. So 947 01:06:11,155 --> 01:06:13,355 Speaker 1: he'd known me a long time, and we'd had many 948 01:06:13,435 --> 01:06:16,275 Speaker 1: many disputes, like the time they threatened to throw me 949 01:06:16,355 --> 01:06:19,075 Speaker 1: out of school for an editorial I wrote for the newspaper. 950 01:06:20,675 --> 01:06:25,515 Speaker 1: In any event, we get to the intermission and I 951 01:06:25,595 --> 01:06:28,555 Speaker 1: come off the stage and John Clark is just looking 952 01:06:28,595 --> 01:06:31,435 Speaker 1: at me, But he doesn't look at me like I'm 953 01:06:31,475 --> 01:06:34,355 Speaker 1: insane or I have just broken all the rules of 954 01:06:34,475 --> 01:06:38,235 Speaker 1: Hackley School drama group. He looks at me and he said, 955 01:06:39,275 --> 01:06:41,275 Speaker 1: I want to talk to you afterwards, not now, I 956 01:06:41,275 --> 01:06:44,155 Speaker 1: want to talk to you afterwards about that scene. And 957 01:06:44,195 --> 01:06:46,035 Speaker 1: I said, I'm sorry, I just yid, No, no, no, 958 01:06:46,275 --> 01:06:48,635 Speaker 1: you don't have to be sorry. Just something happened there 959 01:06:48,675 --> 01:06:51,515 Speaker 1: that we should talk about. Don't worry about it. I 960 01:06:51,555 --> 01:06:53,715 Speaker 1: wanted to reassure you don't worry about it, which I've 961 01:06:53,755 --> 01:06:55,915 Speaker 1: never heard him say before. He always wanted me to 962 01:06:55,955 --> 01:07:01,555 Speaker 1: worry about it. So we finished the play and it 963 01:07:01,675 --> 01:07:04,995 Speaker 1: was really good. For a high school group doing the 964 01:07:04,995 --> 01:07:08,155 Speaker 1: odd couple. It was pretty good. I was pretty good, 965 01:07:08,195 --> 01:07:10,035 Speaker 1: And the guy had delivered the line too was pretty good. 966 01:07:10,075 --> 01:07:12,075 Speaker 1: And the guy who played Murray the cop was pretty good. 967 01:07:12,195 --> 01:07:14,315 Speaker 1: And Ron and Eric as Felix and Oscar, they were 968 01:07:14,355 --> 01:07:18,435 Speaker 1: pretty good. We get off the stage and everybody says goodbye, 969 01:07:18,435 --> 01:07:20,395 Speaker 1: and some of the parents come backstage, and some of 970 01:07:20,395 --> 01:07:22,515 Speaker 1: the guys in the audience come backstage, and kids in 971 01:07:22,555 --> 01:07:24,995 Speaker 1: the class come backstage, and everybody says, that was really 972 01:07:25,035 --> 01:07:27,675 Speaker 1: worth it, which is about the highest compliment you can 973 01:07:27,715 --> 01:07:31,355 Speaker 1: give high school actors. And then John Clark takes me 974 01:07:31,395 --> 01:07:36,875 Speaker 1: aside and he said, tell me what made you get 975 01:07:36,955 --> 01:07:40,955 Speaker 1: up and pause before you delivered that line in the 976 01:07:40,995 --> 01:07:44,195 Speaker 1: first act. And I said, I don't know. It just 977 01:07:44,235 --> 01:07:47,275 Speaker 1: felt like the right thing to do. Right then. You 978 01:07:47,315 --> 01:07:53,555 Speaker 1: didn't plan it? No, God, no, what about the second thing, well, 979 01:07:53,835 --> 01:07:58,075 Speaker 1: it seemed to be consistent with what the speed had 980 01:07:58,155 --> 01:08:02,275 Speaker 1: just done. And I have to admit that I heard 981 01:08:02,355 --> 01:08:04,075 Speaker 1: the laugh, and they seemed to be in a mood 982 01:08:04,075 --> 01:08:08,635 Speaker 1: to laugh. This would make me laugh, So I got 983 01:08:08,675 --> 01:08:10,915 Speaker 1: up and I did that. He said, when you gave 984 01:08:10,995 --> 01:08:12,715 Speaker 1: him the double take on the way back before you 985 01:08:12,795 --> 01:08:16,315 Speaker 1: slouched into the chair. I said, I don't know where 986 01:08:16,315 --> 01:08:20,115 Speaker 1: that came from. He said, listen, you and I have 987 01:08:20,275 --> 01:08:23,195 Speaker 1: gone back and forth about this newspaper and the radio 988 01:08:23,195 --> 01:08:25,715 Speaker 1: station and the yearbook, and your desire to become a sportscaster, 989 01:08:26,595 --> 01:08:29,395 Speaker 1: and I'd just like to tell you something. What you 990 01:08:29,475 --> 01:08:34,835 Speaker 1: exhibited on stage tonight was called instinct. I could teach 991 01:08:34,915 --> 01:08:37,795 Speaker 1: this class and this drama group for a thousand years 992 01:08:37,835 --> 01:08:40,795 Speaker 1: with a thousand students every year, and nobody else would 993 01:08:40,795 --> 01:08:44,835 Speaker 1: ever have anything resembling that. I suppose I could get 994 01:08:44,835 --> 01:08:47,435 Speaker 1: together twenty professional actors and not one of them would 995 01:08:47,435 --> 01:08:49,755 Speaker 1: have that kind of instinct in a ten year span. 996 01:08:50,795 --> 01:08:53,155 Speaker 1: I know you want to become a sportscaster, and I'm 997 01:08:53,195 --> 01:08:55,715 Speaker 1: sure you will become that if you choose to proceed 998 01:08:55,795 --> 01:08:58,555 Speaker 1: that way. You've already gotten into Cornell, and you already 999 01:08:58,595 --> 01:09:01,315 Speaker 1: have your plans and you're already working on this magazine 1000 01:09:01,355 --> 01:09:04,595 Speaker 1: over here, and working on this book about sports cards 1001 01:09:05,075 --> 01:09:07,475 Speaker 1: you're already involved in. You're already going on the route. 1002 01:09:08,075 --> 01:09:11,195 Speaker 1: Drop it, drop it right now and become an actor. 1003 01:09:11,515 --> 01:09:14,155 Speaker 1: If you become an actor, you will become one of 1004 01:09:14,195 --> 01:09:17,195 Speaker 1: the great actors of our time. And I, of course 1005 01:09:17,275 --> 01:09:20,235 Speaker 1: just laughed. I went, Okay, what's the joke? He said, 1006 01:09:20,235 --> 01:09:22,995 Speaker 1: Have you ever known me to joke with you? Have 1007 01:09:23,075 --> 01:09:27,995 Speaker 1: I ever been really nice to you? No, mister Clark, 1008 01:09:28,355 --> 01:09:30,675 Speaker 1: have I ever been really nice to anybody here? To 1009 01:09:30,715 --> 01:09:34,955 Speaker 1: your knowledge. I don't like to think of myself and 1010 01:09:34,995 --> 01:09:37,275 Speaker 1: this was one of the first times I heard an adult, 1011 01:09:37,515 --> 01:09:40,075 Speaker 1: particularly one of my teachers, use this term. I don't 1012 01:09:40,155 --> 01:09:43,395 Speaker 1: like to think of myself as being an asshole to everybody, 1013 01:09:44,155 --> 01:09:47,195 Speaker 1: but I don't think of myself as being gratuitous and 1014 01:09:47,435 --> 01:09:54,195 Speaker 1: unnecessarily friendly to everybody either. Listen to me, this was like, 1015 01:09:55,115 --> 01:09:59,635 Speaker 1: this was like watching Olivier step on to the stage 1016 01:09:59,675 --> 01:10:02,955 Speaker 1: for the first time. And I said, did he do 1017 01:10:03,035 --> 01:10:05,955 Speaker 1: a lot of comedy? And now John Clark laughs and went, 1018 01:10:06,155 --> 01:10:11,155 Speaker 1: that's it, that's your instinct. There are professionals out there 1019 01:10:11,315 --> 01:10:14,755 Speaker 1: who have their own TV series who pray every night 1020 01:10:15,235 --> 01:10:18,915 Speaker 1: for that instinct, do not let it go to waste 1021 01:10:19,235 --> 01:10:26,835 Speaker 1: in sports casting. And I said, you're serious, and he said, 1022 01:10:26,875 --> 01:10:34,235 Speaker 1: I'm serious. Neil Simon would say the same thing to you. 1023 01:10:34,395 --> 01:10:38,355 Speaker 1: Well that got to me and I thought, you know, 1024 01:10:38,915 --> 01:10:40,795 Speaker 1: and I said this to him. You know what I 1025 01:10:40,835 --> 01:10:43,955 Speaker 1: did like out there? And this was my third or 1026 01:10:43,995 --> 01:10:46,635 Speaker 1: fourth play. And again it had been just to join 1027 01:10:46,755 --> 01:10:49,875 Speaker 1: the group and get a little experience performing in front 1028 01:10:49,915 --> 01:10:51,595 Speaker 1: of a crowd, which I figured I'd have to do 1029 01:10:51,675 --> 01:10:58,355 Speaker 1: as a sportscaster. I just I just began for the 1030 01:10:58,395 --> 01:11:02,075 Speaker 1: first time to kind of enjoy the applause. I mean, 1031 01:11:02,275 --> 01:11:07,275 Speaker 1: if you're broadcasting or on ESPN, or on MSNBC, or 1032 01:11:07,315 --> 01:11:11,155 Speaker 1: on network radio or doing a podcast, you don't hear 1033 01:11:11,195 --> 01:11:14,075 Speaker 1: any applause. I mean, sometimes there are public events in 1034 01:11:14,115 --> 01:11:17,555 Speaker 1: which you might get a mighty roar, might go up 1035 01:11:17,555 --> 01:11:21,475 Speaker 1: from the crowd, but often years go by between those events, 1036 01:11:21,475 --> 01:11:23,515 Speaker 1: and you have to just sort of assume that they're 1037 01:11:23,555 --> 01:11:25,635 Speaker 1: out there applauding. And when you do that, of course, 1038 01:11:25,875 --> 01:11:31,035 Speaker 1: you turn very slowly but very surely crazy. Yes, they're 1039 01:11:31,075 --> 01:11:37,315 Speaker 1: all out there in the dark Norma Desmond Alderman. But 1040 01:11:37,475 --> 01:11:41,035 Speaker 1: back to nineteen seventy five and the odd couple. We 1041 01:11:41,035 --> 01:11:44,475 Speaker 1: were to present it again the next night. The next night, 1042 01:11:44,555 --> 01:11:47,635 Speaker 1: the second of two performances, and now there was a 1043 01:11:47,675 --> 01:11:51,995 Speaker 1: buzz going into this because of my performance as speed, 1044 01:11:53,315 --> 01:11:55,435 Speaker 1: to the point where one of the two I can't 1045 01:11:55,435 --> 01:11:58,355 Speaker 1: remember which, either Felix or Oscar, came to me beforehand 1046 01:11:58,395 --> 01:12:07,115 Speaker 1: and said, don't show us up again. He was very upset. Well, 1047 01:12:07,155 --> 01:12:09,595 Speaker 1: we did the performance, and it came time for that scene, 1048 01:12:09,595 --> 01:12:11,395 Speaker 1: and now I knew where it was and what my 1049 01:12:11,475 --> 01:12:13,675 Speaker 1: instincts had told me to do the previous night, and 1050 01:12:13,755 --> 01:12:17,675 Speaker 1: I knew they wouldn't be naturally, would not be absolutely organic, 1051 01:12:17,715 --> 01:12:20,755 Speaker 1: they would be me with some rehearsal involved. And when 1052 01:12:20,755 --> 01:12:23,155 Speaker 1: it came time to deliver that line and I stared 1053 01:12:23,195 --> 01:12:26,515 Speaker 1: at that kid before giving it, I got a bigger laugh. 1054 01:12:28,835 --> 01:12:31,235 Speaker 1: And when I rose from my seat and looked at 1055 01:12:31,275 --> 01:12:33,435 Speaker 1: him before going over to talk to him and deliver 1056 01:12:33,475 --> 01:12:35,995 Speaker 1: the line right on top of his head, I got 1057 01:12:35,995 --> 01:12:40,155 Speaker 1: another bigger laugh. And when I stood next to him, 1058 01:12:40,275 --> 01:12:43,555 Speaker 1: I added a second or two paws before saying the 1059 01:12:43,595 --> 01:12:45,435 Speaker 1: line basically to the top of his head, and I 1060 01:12:45,475 --> 01:12:47,675 Speaker 1: got twice the laugh I had the night before, and 1061 01:12:47,715 --> 01:12:51,195 Speaker 1: now it was rehearsed, it wasn't just a question of instinct. 1062 01:12:51,395 --> 01:12:54,075 Speaker 1: Now I was adding to instinct, and I went, hey, 1063 01:12:55,115 --> 01:13:00,515 Speaker 1: I like this. And at the intermission John Clark just 1064 01:13:00,555 --> 01:13:03,395 Speaker 1: looked at me gave me a thumbs up. He said, 1065 01:13:03,395 --> 01:13:08,195 Speaker 1: whenever you have the instinct, don't change the words. Never 1066 01:13:08,435 --> 01:13:13,515 Speaker 1: change the words. But feel free to do the business. 1067 01:13:14,315 --> 01:13:18,435 Speaker 1: The stairs, the walks, the motions, the double chakes, the 1068 01:13:18,595 --> 01:13:23,275 Speaker 1: larger than life noises like my dog's barking out there. 1069 01:13:24,595 --> 01:13:28,635 Speaker 1: Do it when it comes to you, naturally, when Kit interferes, 1070 01:13:29,595 --> 01:13:35,195 Speaker 1: do it, Hey, Kit, quiet down. So now we go 1071 01:13:35,315 --> 01:13:38,795 Speaker 1: out to do the second half of the play. And 1072 01:13:38,955 --> 01:13:41,835 Speaker 1: again I have checked the script of The Odd Couple, 1073 01:13:41,835 --> 01:13:44,555 Speaker 1: and I can't remember what it was, but there is 1074 01:13:44,595 --> 01:13:46,435 Speaker 1: a scene in The Odd Couple in which one of 1075 01:13:46,475 --> 01:13:49,915 Speaker 1: the other actors has to say a line otherwise Felix 1076 01:13:49,955 --> 01:13:52,835 Speaker 1: cannot come back in from the kitchen. And if you 1077 01:13:52,915 --> 01:13:56,755 Speaker 1: do it exactly wrong, where you forget the line entirely, 1078 01:13:56,835 --> 01:14:00,555 Speaker 1: Felix will be out in the kitchen forever for eternity. 1079 01:14:01,235 --> 01:14:03,995 Speaker 1: Your play, instead of being less than two hours, will 1080 01:14:03,995 --> 01:14:07,915 Speaker 1: take many millennia. Well, sure enough, the youngest kid in 1081 01:14:07,955 --> 01:14:12,915 Speaker 1: our cast, a guy named Ron, had very few lines 1082 01:14:12,915 --> 01:14:14,555 Speaker 1: in the play. He was one of the poker players, 1083 01:14:14,555 --> 01:14:17,275 Speaker 1: and he was supposed to say, hey, Felix, come on 1084 01:14:17,315 --> 01:14:20,035 Speaker 1: in here with that sandwich or whatever the line was. 1085 01:14:21,195 --> 01:14:26,155 Speaker 1: And he forgot my greatest fear, and it hadn't happened 1086 01:14:26,155 --> 01:14:28,635 Speaker 1: to me, and I hadn't seen it before. My greatest 1087 01:14:28,675 --> 01:14:33,675 Speaker 1: fear was forgetting the line, and here it was happening 1088 01:14:33,715 --> 01:14:37,115 Speaker 1: next to me, and the poor kid panicked immediately. He was, 1089 01:14:37,195 --> 01:14:40,195 Speaker 1: I believe, a sophomore, so he was two years younger 1090 01:14:40,195 --> 01:14:42,275 Speaker 1: than everybody in the cast except me. He was probably 1091 01:14:42,315 --> 01:14:46,955 Speaker 1: about my age, maybe a little younger. And he froze. 1092 01:14:47,115 --> 01:14:50,835 Speaker 1: And when I say he froze, I mean as Scoop 1093 01:14:50,955 --> 01:14:53,955 Speaker 1: the accountant. One of my props I had with me 1094 01:14:54,395 --> 01:14:59,315 Speaker 1: was a notepad and a pen and some pencils in 1095 01:14:59,395 --> 01:15:05,635 Speaker 1: my vest pocket, and I wrote the line down for 1096 01:15:05,715 --> 01:15:08,155 Speaker 1: this poor guy and handed it to him on a 1097 01:15:08,155 --> 01:15:11,395 Speaker 1: piece of paper, and he was so frozen, so terrified, 1098 01:15:11,475 --> 01:15:15,515 Speaker 1: so distraught at what had happened, that he could not 1099 01:15:15,675 --> 01:15:18,075 Speaker 1: even recognize that that was the line that had to 1100 01:15:18,115 --> 01:15:23,875 Speaker 1: be said. So mister Clark in the back signaled to us, 1101 01:15:24,315 --> 01:15:28,995 Speaker 1: turned the lights off, brought the curtain down symbolically, since 1102 01:15:29,035 --> 01:15:33,115 Speaker 1: there was not a real curtain, and that was the 1103 01:15:33,275 --> 01:15:38,995 Speaker 1: end of the performance. I believe we went out and 1104 01:15:39,035 --> 01:15:41,355 Speaker 1: finished the play, but by that point a lot of 1105 01:15:41,395 --> 01:15:48,635 Speaker 1: people had left backstage. Twenty four hours after John Clark 1106 01:15:48,675 --> 01:15:51,635 Speaker 1: had put into my head the idea that I could 1107 01:15:51,675 --> 01:15:59,835 Speaker 1: be the greatest actor of a generation in the same 1108 01:15:59,995 --> 01:16:07,835 Speaker 1: dressing area, with the same makeup, lights, nity mirrors. Poor Ron, 1109 01:16:08,915 --> 01:16:11,955 Speaker 1: who had just screwed up the play by freezing, with 1110 01:16:12,035 --> 01:16:15,675 Speaker 1: the worst possible outcome unless you fell off the stage 1111 01:16:16,355 --> 01:16:22,075 Speaker 1: into the crowd. Ron took about three steps off the 1112 01:16:22,115 --> 01:16:25,675 Speaker 1: stage and into that back dressing area and face planted 1113 01:16:25,995 --> 01:16:30,995 Speaker 1: and started to wail. I don't know how many times 1114 01:16:31,035 --> 01:16:34,675 Speaker 1: in your life you have seen an otherwise healthy and 1115 01:16:34,835 --> 01:16:40,875 Speaker 1: uninjured sixteen year old boy suddenly begin to scream while 1116 01:16:40,875 --> 01:16:48,555 Speaker 1: crying to unravel like a toddler, But not in anger, 1117 01:16:48,715 --> 01:16:55,995 Speaker 1: not in demand, not in selfishness, but in guilt, his 1118 01:16:56,315 --> 01:16:59,675 Speaker 1: horror that he had screwed up the play. The idea 1119 01:16:59,795 --> 01:17:03,635 Speaker 1: that you could do that by simply forgetting the line 1120 01:17:03,675 --> 01:17:07,995 Speaker 1: and get so screwed up that you couldn't even recognize 1121 01:17:07,995 --> 01:17:10,515 Speaker 1: the line when it was literally staring you in the face. 1122 01:17:12,835 --> 01:17:16,475 Speaker 1: I went white as a sheet for twenty four hours. 1123 01:17:16,515 --> 01:17:19,235 Speaker 1: I had contemplated the idea that I was going to 1124 01:17:19,275 --> 01:17:22,555 Speaker 1: give up the whole sports casting thing. And I'd already 1125 01:17:22,595 --> 01:17:24,715 Speaker 1: gone home and looked at the Cornell catalog that I'd 1126 01:17:24,755 --> 01:17:27,675 Speaker 1: gotten to see what the arts classes were like, and 1127 01:17:27,715 --> 01:17:29,595 Speaker 1: if they would admit somebody who was not in the 1128 01:17:29,715 --> 01:17:32,635 Speaker 1: arts college to trying out for the plays, and what 1129 01:17:32,675 --> 01:17:38,515 Speaker 1: the student related, non Cornell class work might be there, 1130 01:17:38,555 --> 01:17:40,475 Speaker 1: and if I could do that and try a little 1131 01:17:40,515 --> 01:17:42,715 Speaker 1: of that, and try a little sportscasting and see what 1132 01:17:42,835 --> 01:17:45,515 Speaker 1: worked out. And at that point I went to hell 1133 01:17:45,555 --> 01:17:48,075 Speaker 1: with this. I never want to be this close to 1134 01:17:48,115 --> 01:17:50,835 Speaker 1: this happening again, let alone have it happened to me. 1135 01:17:54,435 --> 01:17:58,955 Speaker 1: So as Orson Wells by nineteen seventy and Catch twenty 1136 01:17:58,995 --> 01:18:04,155 Speaker 1: two had given up his great ability, had given up 1137 01:18:04,195 --> 01:18:07,755 Speaker 1: his stage work, had given up everything that required him 1138 01:18:07,795 --> 01:18:12,675 Speaker 1: to actually work rather than perform for five to fifteen 1139 01:18:12,715 --> 01:18:16,515 Speaker 1: seconds at a time. In nineteen seventy five, at the 1140 01:18:16,555 --> 01:18:18,755 Speaker 1: age of sixteen, at the start of what would have 1141 01:18:18,755 --> 01:18:21,275 Speaker 1: been an otherwise I don't know, thirty three thirty four 1142 01:18:21,315 --> 01:18:23,355 Speaker 1: Oscar career, I don't know what it would have been. 1143 01:18:25,115 --> 01:18:30,275 Speaker 1: I said, I will never act again, nor will I 1144 01:18:30,315 --> 01:18:33,035 Speaker 1: ever go see a live performance again. I can't be 1145 01:18:33,195 --> 01:18:37,795 Speaker 1: this close to this horrible thing happening to anybody ever again, No, sir, 1146 01:18:41,155 --> 01:18:44,795 Speaker 1: I believe. The next performance I saw was Amadaeus on 1147 01:18:44,875 --> 01:18:47,115 Speaker 1: Broadway in nineteen eighty one. It took a girl named 1148 01:18:47,115 --> 01:18:49,595 Speaker 1: pat McAllister to see it. I was trying to impress her, 1149 01:18:50,235 --> 01:18:53,475 Speaker 1: and I have to admit I sat there half in 1150 01:18:53,635 --> 01:18:57,035 Speaker 1: mortal terror of doing something wrong that would send her away, 1151 01:18:57,475 --> 01:18:59,915 Speaker 1: and half in mortal terror of somebody up there in 1152 01:18:59,955 --> 01:19:03,915 Speaker 1: the stage freezing. It was a terribly uncomfortable experience, more 1153 01:19:03,955 --> 01:19:07,315 Speaker 1: for the latter than the former. I did not see, 1154 01:19:08,035 --> 01:19:11,795 Speaker 1: I think another live performance, maybe one or two, until 1155 01:19:11,835 --> 01:19:14,555 Speaker 1: I went to see Book of Mormon in twenty eleven. 1156 01:19:14,955 --> 01:19:20,675 Speaker 1: Just couldn't do it. My memories of Ron overwhelmed my 1157 01:19:20,795 --> 01:19:24,155 Speaker 1: memories of the great acting career that never was. I 1158 01:19:24,195 --> 01:19:32,355 Speaker 1: would have been three orson Wells. And yet when people 1159 01:19:32,395 --> 01:19:36,955 Speaker 1: have come to me the Simpsons Family, Guy BoJack Horseman, 1160 01:19:38,755 --> 01:19:41,355 Speaker 1: the movie I've told you about previously, that I was 1161 01:19:41,395 --> 01:19:46,195 Speaker 1: in dead solid perfect and I realized that at no 1162 01:19:46,355 --> 01:19:48,795 Speaker 1: point did I have to act for more than five 1163 01:19:48,835 --> 01:19:51,915 Speaker 1: to fifteen seconds at a stretch. I took comfort and 1164 01:19:52,035 --> 01:19:57,715 Speaker 1: was able to perform because like Trump up there pretending 1165 01:19:57,755 --> 01:20:02,675 Speaker 1: to be faithful, pretending to be the most religious man 1166 01:20:02,715 --> 01:20:13,075 Speaker 1: on earth and fooling them, Like Orson Wells with his 1167 01:20:13,475 --> 01:20:18,515 Speaker 1: five to fifteen seconds mimicry of Mike Nichols's version of 1168 01:20:18,555 --> 01:20:21,275 Speaker 1: what he should say for his character in Catch twenty 1169 01:20:21,315 --> 01:20:26,435 Speaker 1: two for five to fifteen seconds, anybody can be a 1170 01:20:26,435 --> 01:20:39,955 Speaker 1: great actor, anybody, even me, even Trump. I've done all 1171 01:20:39,955 --> 01:20:42,115 Speaker 1: the damage I can do here. Thank you for listening. 1172 01:20:42,155 --> 01:20:45,835 Speaker 1: I should tell you more about mister Clark and the 1173 01:20:45,955 --> 01:20:50,595 Speaker 1: validation of this story. That's nineteen seventy five. One day 1174 01:20:50,635 --> 01:20:53,555 Speaker 1: I was walking into my office, or perhaps I was 1175 01:20:53,595 --> 01:20:56,795 Speaker 1: already seated in my office at CNN in the lobby 1176 01:20:56,835 --> 01:21:00,195 Speaker 1: of World Trade Center number one in nineteen eighty two 1177 01:21:00,235 --> 01:21:03,675 Speaker 1: or nineteen eighty three, as the CNN National Sports Correspondent, 1178 01:21:04,075 --> 01:21:09,075 Speaker 1: which was my third full time job in broadcasting. I 1179 01:21:09,115 --> 01:21:12,515 Speaker 1: was twenty four to twenty five years old, and we opened. 1180 01:21:12,555 --> 01:21:16,155 Speaker 1: We had a giant glass wall where everybody in the 1181 01:21:16,195 --> 01:21:18,675 Speaker 1: lobby could stare at what we were doing and not 1182 01:21:18,715 --> 01:21:22,355 Speaker 1: hear a word. We were saying the definition of TV news. 1183 01:21:23,035 --> 01:21:26,035 Speaker 1: But in the lobby we could see thousands of people 1184 01:21:26,115 --> 01:21:29,515 Speaker 1: pass through the crossroads of the Nation. Was not Grand Central. 1185 01:21:29,675 --> 01:21:33,035 Speaker 1: It was having an office with a big picture window 1186 01:21:33,515 --> 01:21:36,995 Speaker 1: in the lobby of the World Trade Center. And one 1187 01:21:37,075 --> 01:21:41,555 Speaker 1: day I saw mister Clark walking across, and it was 1188 01:21:41,595 --> 01:21:43,995 Speaker 1: no question that was him. He was in a bow tie, 1189 01:21:44,035 --> 01:21:48,515 Speaker 1: as he had been often in Hacke seven eight years previously. 1190 01:21:48,795 --> 01:21:52,635 Speaker 1: And I just went, my god, it's mister Clark walking 1191 01:21:52,755 --> 01:21:56,875 Speaker 1: past my TV office. Because I did not go into 1192 01:21:56,915 --> 01:21:59,835 Speaker 1: the acting profession, and so I ran out and flagged 1193 01:21:59,875 --> 01:22:01,875 Speaker 1: him down. And he turned around and did a double 1194 01:22:01,995 --> 01:22:04,315 Speaker 1: take and shook his head a couple of times to 1195 01:22:04,315 --> 01:22:07,435 Speaker 1: make sure I was not an apparition, and went, Keith, 1196 01:22:07,515 --> 01:22:10,835 Speaker 1: my god, what are you doing here? And I said, well, 1197 01:22:10,835 --> 01:22:13,235 Speaker 1: as you know, I didn't go into acting. He burst 1198 01:22:13,235 --> 01:22:15,875 Speaker 1: into laughter. He remembered the entirety of the story. That 1199 01:22:15,995 --> 01:22:19,435 Speaker 1: poor kid Ron, Oh my god, I think he's still 1200 01:22:19,475 --> 01:22:22,715 Speaker 1: back there in the chapel, crying his eyes out. I said, 1201 01:22:22,755 --> 01:22:24,795 Speaker 1: I can't even go to a show live after that. 1202 01:22:25,115 --> 01:22:27,915 Speaker 1: I understand completely. I guess you made your right course, 1203 01:22:28,035 --> 01:22:31,595 Speaker 1: your my choice there and took the right course. Where 1204 01:22:31,595 --> 01:22:34,715 Speaker 1: you know you're working here, you're working. I sometimes I'm 1205 01:22:34,755 --> 01:22:36,755 Speaker 1: in this building. Let's have lunch I said, what do 1206 01:22:36,795 --> 01:22:38,835 Speaker 1: you do. You're not at Hackley anymore? Are you teaching? 1207 01:22:39,075 --> 01:22:40,915 Speaker 1: I said, where would you be teaching around here? And 1208 01:22:40,915 --> 01:22:42,955 Speaker 1: when I'm not teaching? I worked for the Port Authority 1209 01:22:44,995 --> 01:22:47,835 Speaker 1: which owned the World Trade Center, built the World Trade Center, 1210 01:22:48,155 --> 01:22:50,355 Speaker 1: and I didn't ask he was rushing off to do 1211 01:22:50,395 --> 01:22:53,035 Speaker 1: something else. I did not find out what John Clark 1212 01:22:53,195 --> 01:22:55,795 Speaker 1: was doing for the Port Authority. All I can be 1213 01:22:55,875 --> 01:22:59,635 Speaker 1: sure of was it probably did not involve the odd 1214 01:22:59,675 --> 01:23:03,715 Speaker 1: couple or telling some kid somewhere that he would be 1215 01:23:03,755 --> 01:23:18,835 Speaker 1: the next rate actor. Thanks for listening. Brian Ray and 1216 01:23:18,915 --> 01:23:22,115 Speaker 1: John Phillip Shaneil the musical directors have Countdown, arranged, produced, 1217 01:23:22,115 --> 01:23:25,515 Speaker 1: and performed most of our music. Mister Chanelle handled orchestration 1218 01:23:25,555 --> 01:23:29,035 Speaker 1: and keyboards. Mister Ray was on the guitars, bass and drums. 1219 01:23:29,315 --> 01:23:32,795 Speaker 1: It was produced by Tko Brothers. Our satirical and fithy 1220 01:23:32,875 --> 01:23:35,715 Speaker 1: musical comments are by the best baseball stadium organist ever, 1221 01:23:35,915 --> 01:23:39,595 Speaker 1: Nancy Faust. The sports music is the Olderman theme from 1222 01:23:39,795 --> 01:23:43,795 Speaker 1: ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. 1223 01:23:44,395 --> 01:23:47,675 Speaker 1: Other music arranged and performed by the group No Horns Allowed. 1224 01:23:48,355 --> 01:23:51,515 Speaker 1: My announcer today was my friend Stevie van zandt everything 1225 01:23:51,515 --> 01:23:55,475 Speaker 1: else was as ever my fault. Get the Flacco book, 1226 01:23:55,555 --> 01:23:59,155 Speaker 1: Finding Flacco, and help our friend Tippy if you can. 1227 01:23:59,995 --> 01:24:03,115 Speaker 1: Let's countdown for today, two weeks until we inaugurate a 1228 01:24:03,195 --> 01:24:08,955 Speaker 1: constitutionally ineligible president. Just four and seventy six days until 1229 01:24:08,995 --> 01:24:12,355 Speaker 1: the scheduled end of his lame duck term. The next 1230 01:24:12,355 --> 01:24:18,635 Speaker 1: scheduled countdown is next Thursday. This Thursday, I guess I 1231 01:24:18,675 --> 01:24:21,875 Speaker 1: hope to announce a new schedule for this series. Three 1232 01:24:21,955 --> 01:24:27,235 Speaker 1: a week, two and a half a week. I hope 1233 01:24:27,235 --> 01:24:31,955 Speaker 1: to make that announcement by next Monday. All I wanted 1234 01:24:31,995 --> 01:24:35,995 Speaker 1: to do was retire. As always, bulletins is the news 1235 01:24:36,035 --> 01:24:39,395 Speaker 1: warrants till next time. I'm Keith Olremman. Good morning, good afternoon, 1236 01:24:39,395 --> 01:24:55,115 Speaker 1: good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith Oldreman is 1237 01:24:55,155 --> 01:24:59,955 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 1238 01:24:59,995 --> 01:25:04,675 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.