VIDEO- Keith Olbermann's Special Comment: McCain's disturbing lack of faith in America

By GottaLaff

If you missed this last night, here's your chance to see a doozy. Keith expressed what so many of us wished we could have:

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Year to year MSNBC sees smallest decreases of any network in total viewers

Interesting. My guess would be that MSNBC has more loyal viewers.

MSNBC saw the smallest decreases of any network in total viewers. Year-to-year, MSNBC is down -6% in total viewers for both total day and primetime.

MSNBC was #3 in total day/demo viewers behind FNC and HLN. The channel was also #3 in total day/total viewers behind FNC and CNN. MSNBC topped CNN each hour between 6pm-12amET.

"Morning Joe" was the second most watched morning program in total viewers, but struggled in the demo averaging 115K, the fewest of the four.

(snip)

"The Ed Show" was one of the few cable news programs to grow in both total viewers (+25%) and demo viewers (+4%) year-to-year and was the number two program in its time slot. Also, the 5pmET "Hardball" topped "The Situation Room" for the first time in total viewers.

Both "Countdown" and "The Rachel Maddow Show" were down in the demo year-to-year, but Maddow's program did grow slightly (+2%) in total viewers. For the first time since 2000, MSNBC, which airs a replay of "Countdown," topped CNN at 10pmET in total viewers. MSNBC was also #2 in total viewers at 11pmET, which hasn't happened since Maddow's show premiered in 2008.

Though Olbermann's program saw year-to-year decreases (-13% total viewers/-30% demo), 8pmET "Countdown" moved back into the cable news top 10, finishing 10th among cable news programs in total viewers. "Maddow" was #11.

Massive free health clinic in Los Angeles pre-registers to avoid long waits

By GottaLaff

The new and improved streamlined registration system should provide some relief to the thousands of people who so badly need health care. Hopefully, the elderly and/or anyone else who finds it difficult, or even impossible, to stand in long lines will have a much easier time of it now.

Now let's hope there aren't long lines to pre-register:

Patients seeking treatment next week at a massive free healthcare clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena must pre-register in person Sunday, organizers said.

The requirement marks a significant change from how patients were seen when the first clinic was held last year in Los Angeles. More than 6,300 people got free healthcare then, but scores more waited in line only to be turned away because of a shortage of medical volunteers.

Organizers hope a new color-coded wristband system will reduce both waits and the number of people turned away from the clinic, which runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to May 3.

Good idea.

These clinics are a godsend, and a lot of credit must go to Keith Olbermann, his producer Rich Stockwell, and anyone who donated to the cause. Because of that kind of generosity, Americans who have been forced to put off caring for their own bodies are now able to be seen and treated.

Lives are being saved.

Too bad Big Insurance doesn't have the same goal in mind for "their" America.

MSNBC pulls Donny Deutsch

By GottaLaff

This makes me miss David Shuster even more.

Brian Stelter, who seems to have gotten some bad information (see below):

A week-long anchoring stint on MSNBC by Donny Deutsch ended abruptly on Wednesday, and four people briefed on the decision said the cancellation stemmed from an unflattering mention of that channel’s No. 1 anchor, Keith Olbermann, a day earlier.

Mr. Deutsch had labeled his hour on MSNBC “America the Angry,” and Mr. Olbermann was shown briefly in a series of clips of media bloviators during a segment that pondered what role the media plays in fomenting the public’s anger. The four people briefed on MSNBC’s decision said Mr. Olbermann’s anger about the segment prompted the cancellation of the weeklong “America the Angry” series.

But Keith had a thing or two to add:

In an e-mail message, Mr. Olbermann said “Your account is entirely untrue. Your e-mail is the first I am hearing of any of this. What I know of what happened is this: Phil Griffin phoned me yesterday enraged at what was on that show and I didn’t disagree with him.”

The segment in question also included clips of Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck. One of the guests, the radio host Hugh Hewitt, said that Mr. Olbermann and another MSNBC host, Ed Schultz, are “the biggest hate-mongers in television.”

I saw that segment. I turned the sound off.

Keith tweeted the above e-mail message, and this:


I can't say I'm unhappy about his leaving. His executive producer is out, too, by the way.

Here's hopes they find someone we can get behind.

VIDEO- Countdown: Palin wants America to revert back to 1775

By GottaLaff

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This was one of my favorite segments last night, and not because Markos wore a color coordinated outfit. That was just a bonus.

See, Preachy McSoWrong? Even before video, there were these things called-- say it with me-- "doc-u-ments". Try reading the Constitution. Oh wait. She doesn't read.

VIDEOS: Fox News caught in a lie... again

By GottaLaff

When will the ClusterFoxers realize there are ways to reproduce and archive their lies?

After Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) told a town hall audience that they shouldn't believe everything they hear on Fox News, Bill O'Reilly had Coburn on his show to reprimand him for wrongly using Fox as a "whipping boy." [...]

Props to TPM's former video editor Ben Craw for putting together this reel over at Huffington Post:

Oops.

Of course, Keith Olbermann had a thing or two to add:

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Library of Congress will acquire all Twitter messages

By GottaLaff

"The Library of Congress will acquire all public tweets", the Library of Congress publicly tweeted :

A Library spokesman later expounded on the new archive in a blog post, writing that its primary function will be to assist researchers and educators.

Well, if it's going to assist researchers...

This is a learning opportunity, said the Library spokesman, who failed to tweet his thoughts:

"I'm no Ph.D., but it boggles my mind to think what we might be able to learn about ourselves and the world around us from this wealth of data," wrote the spokesman, Matt Raymond. "And I'm certain we'll learn things that none of us now can possibly conceive."

Like teenagers filling us in on what they're about to eat? Like Jim Carrey splitting up with Jenny McCarthy?

Like Keith Olbermann yummily zapping Glenn Beck?




I guess there are some tweets that are educational.

Here comes the Big H. However:

The acquisition could pose concerns for privacy advocates, who could argue that too much private information will soon become part of the public domain.

If privacy becomes as optional as choosing to publicly tweet or Direct Message (a private, e-mailed tweet), Library, we have a problem.

Best E-mail in the Wo-o-orld!

By GottaLaff

Please indulge me. I'm having one final, brief adolescent fangirl moment. I promise this will be it:


Keith, if you see this... I swear I'm older than 12 and will resume maturity (relative term in my case) in 5...4...3...2...

VINTAGE VIDEO: Keith Olbermann March 14, 1989 ... with Tea Baggers?

By GottaLaff

When I did Nicole Sandler's radio show a couple of times, we were both so happy with how well we hit it off. But little did I know that she's even more evil than I am. Look what she ran across while searching for an old radio story...

Yes, it's a video of Keith Olbermann as a sportscaster on KCBS-TV in Los Angeles on March 14, 1989, and she fully intends to blackmail Keith with it.

Why? Hey, we all want him to follow us on Twitter. This is her diabolical plot to achieve that, bwahahahaa. The least I could do is help her out:



When Nicole produced the Mark and Brian radio show, she would hear Keith doing broadcasts like this one on KNX-AM at 4am. She liked his work then, she likes it even more now.

And hey kids! Look! An extra crispy bonus! Check out the segment on the video at about 3:08. Yes! Tea Baggers, way back then! And fully armed with guns and funny hats, just like today! The more things change...

Oh, but I kid the Boston... team.. whoever they were....

UPDATE:

PhotOh! Keith Olbermann masters Twitter

By GottaLaff

No, this is not intended to be a suck-up-to-Keith Olbermann post, but it is a tribute.

And I admit it: I am Laffy and I am TwitterPated.

::Hi Laffy::

We all know Keith is a quick study, but he has mastered Twitter faster than Quitty McEarBleed can leave a governorship. No surprise there.

He interacts with fellow Tweeters (including yours truly, finally! See below), keeps us up on what he's up to, and is as charming as he can be.

Hence:

Why does any of this matter? I'll tell you why, and thank you for asking. Most well-known Tweeters don't respond to non-notables. Some do, but most don't. The warm reception Keith got was not only because he is a well-liked TV personality, but because he also treats people like people, not like less-thans.

One of the main gripes of the Twitterverse is that celebrities have thousands, even millions, of followers, but they follow back or reply to only a handful. Literally. It drives a lot of people away from them.

So this matters. It matters because he listens, and then he responds often enough that we know he is, in fact, really listening.

Kudos for that, Keith.

And because I feel like a giddy teen right now, I must put this out there to commemorate my moment of fangirlitude. Bygones:

Today's Best Person in the World.

Now then, enough of this adolescent swooning and back to my inane posting already in progress.

VIDEO- Countdown: Markos Moulitsas talks Palin, violent extremism

By GottaLaff

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Now this is how I like to see Markos dressed... casual, understated.

And despite his regrets about losing his voice, he sounded just dandy.

However, I understand they did ask for photo I.D. before they let him on. MSNBC could get their license pulled for allowing anyone under 21 to discuss violence.

VIDEO- Markos Moulitsas and his shirt on Countdown

By GottaLaff

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We on Twitter enjoy commenting on Markos' wardrobe when he appears on Countdown.

I told him I was putting this video up just to get another look at his shirt. His response:


I told him I had no more time to chat because I was late for my abortion.

Evil. Pure evil. Bwahahaa!

VIDEO- Keith Olbermann's Special Comment on GOPFail

By GottaLaff

Keithgasm:

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Keith to The Boehner: "You lost.... You are behind the wheel of a political Toyota."

Just. Watch. It's a thing of beauty.

Keith is back with a bang.

Keith Olbermann: Senate Parliamentarian declares GOP challenge "a dud"

By GottaLaff

Keith Olbermann just announced that the Senate Parliamentarian had officially declared the GOP plan to sabotage health care reform "a dud". (Keith's words)

Plus, further bills to repeal the legislation will fail, he said.

A Point of Order involving Social Security was brought to the Parliamentarian today by staffers, both Republican and Democrat, said Lawrence O'Donnell. The Dem staffers cited a precedent that favored them, and the Parliamentarian was "taken with it". The Republicans were caught with like deer in the headlights. The Parliamentarian ruled FOR the Dems.

O'Donnell: "If this is what they have, they don't have much."

First challenge: Denied.

Reconciliation will go forward.

Keith is back

By GottaLaff

Keith Olbermann will return to Countdown tonight, with a Special Comment about the health care reform bill passing last night.

I'm willing to bet we'll need to grab the Kleenex.

Welcome back, Keith. You were missed.

Twitter Watch: "I laughed so hard to see Olbermann's rant about his father's health...Die..."

By GottaLaff

I appreciate Twitter. I'm a constant tweeter. Because of Twitter, I've been able to chat with people I'd never hope to meet anywhere else, our readership has grown tremendously, and I've gotten several radio gigs.

However, it has its drawbacks.

(click on image to enlarge)

One of them is named TonyPagano51:

This is someone who is sick and in desperate need of attention.

He also needs exposing and should be prohibited from tweeting. I've reported him twice to Twitter spam and blocked him as well. Unfortunately, he still shows up on my Twitter search stream since he addresses me by name, and Twitter has yet to delete his account.

In other words, he harasses people, and I'm one of them.

Maybe this will help, it's worked before. Thank you for indulging me.

R.I.P. Theodore Olbermann: Keith Olbermann's Father Dies

By GottaLaff

Tears. Lots of them:

My father died, in the city of his birth, New York, at 3:50 EST this afternoon.

Though the financial constraints of his youth made college infeasible, he accomplished the near-impossible, becoming an architect licensed in 40 states. Much of his work was commercial, for a series of shoe store chains and department stores. There was a time in the 1970's when nearly all of the Baskin-Robbins outlets in the country had been built to his design, and under his direction.

Via Huffington Post.

Keith did a brilliant job of informing us while experiencing one of the most painful, difficult times of his own life. Thank you, Keith, and thank you Mr. Theodore Olbermann for raising such a wonderful son so well.

Video- TV News Anchors Play 'Chatroulette' with Jon Stewart

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Tech-Talch - Chatroulette
www.thedailyshow.com
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Brian Williams sure did miss his calling.

Keith Olbermann Off Tonight, Will Be With His Father

By GottaLaff

Oh no. Not what we want to hear.

Help. Help. Help:

Keith Olbermann will not co-host the special edition of "Countdown" on MSNBC tonight as previously announced. Instead, Chris Matthews will host a special "Hardball" with Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie.

Last night, Keith mentioned he would have to take time off if his dad took a turn for the worse (which he told us he had already):

"If he does not recover you will not see me here for a while," Olbermann said. [...] [H]e is with his father this afternoon.

I posted the Special Comment last night, but it's worth a second post:

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Tears.

My heart goes out to the family. Keith has been amazing, and we're all thinking of him.

VIDEO- Olbermann's tearful Special Comment about his father: "Help, help, help, help"

By GottaLaff

Two words: Life Panels.

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Gut wrenching.

He should send this video to every GOP obstructionist, subhuman Big Insurance representative, and Sarah Palin.

Help. Help. Help. Help.