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In keeping with this trend, Colbert's name is scattered all over the set -- in the background in two places, on a plasma screen in front of him, twice on his desk and moving in a red ticker across the ground, plus his desk is in the shape of a giant "C." During the opening credits, an eagle flies around his head, and words flash across the screen: "POWERFUL," "COURAGEOUS," "EXCEPTIONAL," and also "DOMINEERING," "RELENTLESS," "GRIPPY." Yes, you read that right: Grippy. Soon, Colbert tells us about his own personal brand of no-nonsense, hard-hitting ... well, nonsense. Somewhere out there, Bill O'Reilly is fidgeting and twitching like the villain whose voodoo doll just took a thumb tack to the forehead.

In a nice play on O'Reilly's "No-Spin Zone" foolishness, Colbert wants us to know that even though his name is all over the place, the show isn't all about him. "No, this program is dedicated to you, the heroes!" he bellows. "And who are the heroes? The people who watch this show -- average, hardworking Americans. You're not the elites, you're not the country club crowd. I know for a fact that my country club would never let you in. But you get it! And you come from a long line of it-getters!"

Immediately, Colbert has his finger on the throbbing pulse of right-wing punditry, the dexterity with which they pander to the working class without getting any mud on their Italian wing-tip loafers. "On this show, your voice will be heard," Colbert reassures us, "in the form of my voice."

Which brings us to "tonight's word": truthiness. "Now I'm sure some of the word police, the 'Wordinistas' over at Webster's, are gonna say, 'Hey, that's not a word.'" But Colbert goes on to explain, "I don't trust books. They're all fact, no heart. And that's exactly what's pulling our country apart today. We are divided between those who think with their head, and those who know with their heart." Next to Colbert, a bullet point flashes "No Thinking." With the glorification of ignorance at its peak, this little rant couldn't feel any more timely. It's soothing, somehow, to witness Colbert tackling the profound absurdity of the times with such unbridled glee.

It was pretty amazing last night.

[ Awesome. Except that it's making me want to get cable again... -k]

Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | All-spin zone

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan was gloating and boasting.

The Bird Cage

Now a PBS series which start airing tonight...

Guns Germs, & Steel: Home | PBS

We Are All French Now?, by Tom Friedman

In the 1980's, we were worried Central America was going to go communist. Now we are worried it is going to go capitalist?

Tom Friedman complains that the Democrats are blocking approval of CAFTA as part of another one of those petty turf wars.

Tom also takes a moment in today's column to recommend The Opportunity, quoting Richard Haass:

"The administration has to get out and connect the dots for people."

"The world is not Las Vegas. What happens there will not stay there."

The War President, by Paul Krugman

The United States will soon have to start reducing force levels in Iraq, or risk seeing the volunteer Army collapse. Yet the administration and its supporters have effectively prevented any adult discussion of the need to get out.

Once the media catch up with the public, we'll be able to start talking seriously about how to get out of Iraq.

Foreign Makers, Settled in South, Pace Car Industry

A quarter of all cars and trucks built in the United States are now made in factories owned by foreign automakers producing foreign brands.

'Kill Bill' Did It. 'Lost in Translation' Did, Too. Now Mitsubishi Plays Up Japan's Hip Factor.

Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai can't seem to stop talking about how American they are. Not Mitsubishi; it wants you to know the red diamonds in its logo are as red as the rising sun.

Mitsubishi is in a "do or die" situation. "There's no question they need a substantially hip product. Everything is on the line."

The hip factor is the reason Mitsubishi chose to highlight its Japanese roots. Looking at the recent popularity of Japanese culture with American consumers, Mitsubishi believes it can cash in on that in the same way makers of the movies "Kill Bill" and "Lost in Translation" did.

For some, the ads give the appearance of a last resort for Mitsubishi. "They've tried everything else. To hark back to the great legacy of Mitsubishi is a bit shaky, but it's a little bit above grasping straws."

"We are living in an era where national identities are less and less relevant. I would venture to guess that they have been unable to come up with any other meaningful points of differentiation between their brand and their competing brands."

AMC and Loews to Merge

Whether the movie houses will thrive in a... [ Read More (0.4k in body) ]

Here is a strange site. Sometimes funny sometimes sad. People send in their secrets on postcards they have made. Check it out.

PostSecret

The Daily Show reports on the digital convergence of Internet blogs and the 24-hour cable news networks.

Much hilarity ensues.

"Plus, those two blog chicks on CNN are kinda hot-dot-blogspot-dot-rrrrrreowwww!"

Cable News Discovers the Blogosphere | The Daily Show [Quicktime]

The Long Tail is about the shift from hits to niches. Several readers have asked what this means for the future of mass (hit-driven, mainstream) culture in America. The short answer is that it will not only get less mass, but that this is a trend that's already well underway.

This Long Tail Blog could be a big hit! Stay tuned!

The Long Tail Blog

I know that politicians and business types have taken to tacking the meaningless phrase "going forward" onto almost every pronouncement they make, but please.

Business and government are awash in such meaningless phrases. It is a battle waged daily ...

Boeing and the Price Harry Stonecipher Paid

I'm feeling a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic.

The internet is an inch-deep ocean of infinite expanse.

Discuss.