Jon Stewart on Fire, As the 'Nightmare' Looms

Plus our usual music, cartoons, and commentary picks.

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Jon Stewart on fire last night….

Jimmy:

Now that you’ve had your fun, the latest “nightmare scenario” for the midterms, via VOX:

The “nightmare scenario” for this year’s elections has long gone something like this: Control of the House comes down to a small number of close races. Republicans lead on Election Day in many of these contests, but their advantage steadily erodes as mail-in ballots arrive. The White House attributes these adverse trends to mass voter fraud and demands a halt to vote counting.

When states refuse to comply, the White House orders the military to seize ballots and voting machines from pivotal precincts before all votes have been tallied. The chain of custody over these ballots breaks down, making the elections’ true winners impossible to determine. The House’s incumbent GOP majority then asserts the authority to seat the Republican candidates in the contested races. American democracy, as we’ve known it, ends…..The FBI’s raid in Fulton County makes this series of events a bit easier to envision.

Then there’s this:

Newly Unbound, Trump Weighs More Nuclear Arms and Underground Tests

and:

Israel gives itself more control over the West Bank

Israel’s security cabinet made unilateral changes yesterday that could allow Jewish settlers to more easily buy West Bank land and undercut the Palestinian Authority in parts of the territory that it administers. The measures appear to violate the Oslo Accords and challenge President Trump’s opposition to Israeli annexation of the territory.

Claudia Dreifus recalls:

IN RE: LAST NIGHT’S BAD BUNNY SHOW. Here is my 1982 Playboy Interview with Gabriel Garcia-Marquez.

ME: Why do you always use the words North America, to describe the United States?

GGM: It bothers me that the people of the United States have appropriated the word America as if they were the only Americans. America, in fact, begins at the South Pole and ends at the North Pole. When residents of the United States call themselves Americans, they are telling us they think of themselves as the only Americans. Actually, those people are residents of a country without a name.

ME: What do you mean?

GGM: No name. They should find a name because right now they have none. We have the United States of Mexico, the United States of Brazil. But the United States? The United States of what?

How many can answer this Jeopardy clue? h/t Jim Sullivan:

And the Answer:

Been on a Woody protest song kick lately but don’t miss this gospel surprise, with Leadbelly no less singing bass:

From Tunes to Toons

Bramhall:

Telnaes:

Anderson:

Davies:

Loper:

Brodner:

Photo Finish

From my camera to you, “Oyster Mushrooms.”