Jay Leno on Hillary Clinton Being Tested

When Jimmy Fallon supposedly pulled something during his Tonight Show monologue, former host Jay Leno tagged in.  During the segment, Leno tagged Hillary pretty hard.

So You Think You Can Dance-- Jersey Style?

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in his continued media charm offensive for his all but announced 2016 Presidential run.  "Christie Kreme" showed off his moves doing the Dad Dance in honor of Father's Day. 





It's too bad that neither the Garden State Governor nor Jimmy Fallon used the occasion to give props to Bruce Springsteen by doing "Born to Run", which would have really made news.

Michelle Obama on Knuckleheads

New Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon obsequiously interviewed First Lady Michelle Obama, to talk up her pet project "Let's Move" as well as to nudge Americans on Obamacare.

Michelle Obama endeared herself to the youths of America by calling them "knuckleheads".

This is a different marketing strategy than the Obama Administration employed over Christmastide with Pajama-Boy hectoring his family to talk about health care while drinking cocoa around the Christmas Tree. 

Even said in jest, calling 26 year old "kids" knuckleheads is not a way to get them to spend their dwindling pay checks for income redistribution for older Americans. 

A Bit About the Bridge-gate Ballyhoo

Bridge-gate burst into the public eye last week as emails from high level staffer of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) were exposed indicating that four days worth of lane closures which snarled the George Washington Bridge were intentional.  Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly sent a snarky text message intimating:  "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee". It has been speculated that the four days of lane closures which snarled the world's busiest suspension bridge was intended as a as punishment to Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich (D-Fort Lee), a Democrat who did not make a cross party endorsement of Christie in is wildly successful 2013 re-election effort.  

For his part, Governor Christie conducted a grueling 102 minute press conference in which he insisted that he did not know about the intentional nature of the traffic jam.  Moreover he fired Kelly along with his longtime friend and political aide Bill Stepien because of their involvement. 

Despite Christie's unequivocal denial of prior knowledge and his swift action at disciplining wrongdoers, the Bridge-gate ballyhoo dominated the headlines for over a week, and inspired comedians to do funny satires such as Jimmy Fallons filique with Bruce Springsteen of  the unoffical New Jersey anthem "Born to Run".

While there is no doubt that the story was newsworthy, as credible accusations of the use of public office for personal revenge is a serious charge, it seems like Bridge-gate is overblown as well as overwrought.

Firstly, consider the coverage.   As Newsbusters reported, in less than 24 hours, the big three broadcast networks devoted 34 minutes 28 seconds to "Bridge-gate".  This is 17 times more coverage than the Lamestream Media broadcast about  the Obama Administration's alleged use of the IRS targeting Tea Party groups for excessive scrutiny over eight months.   The coverage may also have been intensified because of its proximity to New York.  Journalists often become much more  interested when it is affecting their home turf rather than in  "flyover" country.

Secondly, consider the target.  Governor Christie has been generally considered an early front-running for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.   Pre-Bridge-gate polls showed Christie leading presumed Democrat front-runner former First Lady/Senator (D-NY)/ and Obama Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

***

Low information voters may be lured into believing where there is smoke there is fire, even if it is blue smoke and mirrors.   Governor Christie's emphatic denials about involvement leave no wiggle room-- if he knew, then the fat lady sings ending his hopes for higher office.  But those who take time to keep informed on current events should see the trend in law-fare, smearing front-runners and the actual use of public offices for partisan pursuits.

SEE MORE at DCBarroco.com

Social Media Communication Quirks

While the Internet 2.0 has greatly increased a sense of feeling connected with others on the World Wide Web, this phenomenon has caused some quirks in communications. 

Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake satirized the proliferation of hashtags through a reductio ad absurdum video using the hagtags in real life dialogues.

Since short written exchanges can be misconstrued without facial cues, many internet interlocutors choose to use emoticons.   To supplement these non-verbal cues,  entrepreneurs Paul and Douglas J. Sak  patented and sought to market new punctuation to clarify things-- the Sarcmark.






Free spirits chafed at profiting from punctuation.  A mock website "Open Sarcasm" sought to blacklist the SarcMark in favor of the temherte slaq (the inverted exclamation point) with a tongue in cheek tag line: "Sarcasmists of the World Unite!" 


But another reason that  the SarcMark has failed to catch on was the price for being smarmy.  The grammatical genius initially priced his punctuation at $1.99 for lifetime use, whereas typing ;-) was just three keystrokes and had no cost.  Brilliant!  


Communication has changed in the Internet Age.  Now, sending e-mails are too long for the digerati and may be considered passé.  Traditional types often have difficulty in adjusting to sharing in 140 characters or less.  

Short form social media like Twitter will not be the be all and end all in communicating complex thought.  But it can attract eyeballs to see something more.

h/t: Mike Keefe

Satirizing Carlos Danger

When he's not sexting his bevy of bitstream babes or pushing around "Gramps" (his GOP opponent) at an AARP candidate forums, Anthony Weiner a.k.a. (D-NYC) is the butt of jokes among an incredulous America which can not believe that New York City continues to take this Weiner seriously.

Some think that a continued string of sending selfies, engaging in cybersex with a Hoosier  interlocutor who he promised to put up in a condo in the Windy City ought to force Weiner to pull out of the race.  But Jimmy Fallon's farce suggests that we just might end up with Alcalde Carlos Danger de Nueva York.

There are two Big Apple pols who have got to love the Weiner roast.  

Primarily, Weiner's second sexting scandal has helped put New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-NYC Chelsea, Manhattan) who has risen to the top of the polls commanding 25% of Democrat's support while Weiner backers have shrunk to 10%, putting Weiner in fourth place.   Voters are not troubled by an out of the closest Lesbian who has been Council Speaker since 2007 but support has diminished for the raunchy recidivism which Carlos Danger emergence represents. 

The other candidate who must relish the razzing which Weiner can not put behind him is disgraced former New York Governor Elliott Spitzer (D-NY).  Although Spitzer had to resign from office after his high class call girl dalliances were made public, Spitzer is now leading his opponent to become Comptroller of the Big Apple. 

We will know if Anthony Weiner's comeback is successful after the September 10th primary.  Maybe he will be luckier in love if "Good Wife" Huma Abedin sticks with him if his political fortunes go south or if  the 2010 Weiner-Abedin union  was as Vogue headlined it "Political Ties".

h/t: The Weekly Standard
       Latenight With Jimmy Fallon

Preezy of the United Steezy Works It on Gay Marriage

Perhaps the announcement would have been a smoother transaction if it were done in a slow jammed the news  ala Jimmy Fallon.  

But just after tObama's  announcement there was the happy coincidence  of the $15 million Hollywood fundraiser.  And the Washington (Com)Post was able to gin up a book length top of the fold story about Governor Mitt Romney's (R-MA) high school antics 47 years ago against a student who was mistakenly attributed as being gay.

As they would say in the business "Work it, baby!"

h/t: Michael Ramirez, Investors Business Daily