The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex

Kristen Schaal and Rich Blomquist’s book The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex is absolutely hilarious, but not for the faint of heart. It’s moderately graphic (though illustrated with cartoons by Michael Kupperman and Lisa Hanawalt), lewd, and in-your-face. But did I mention that it’s hilarious?

Schaal and Blomquist are both writers for The Daily Show (and Schaal will occasionally appear on camera as Senior Women’s Issues Correspondent). The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex certainly has the feel of an uncensored Daily Show, with its short sections, clever titles, and immature (in a good way!) jokes. With chapters titled “The History of Sex,” “For Sexperts Only” and “The Future of Sex” among others, Schaal and Blomquist run the gamut of sex jokes.

The only part of The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex that I didn't care for are the long “stories” at the end of each chapter: “Regular Sex” has one about joining the Mile High Club, “The Gay Chapter” has some satire of slash fiction, “For Sexperts Only” has one about a man who’s in love with the Loch Ness Monster. Though the ideas behind most of these stories were funny, they would have been better as a one-off joke, rather than a five-page story.

Despite my minor complaint, The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex is a good one, and I do recommend it. (Unless, of course, you’re my parent or grandparent, in which case I suggest you read something else). That being said, remember it is a humor book about sex that takes the jokes way beyond “making whoopee.” If that doesn’t sound funny to you, it won’t be. But if it does, read the book! I give it a 4/5.

See Jon Stewart promote the book

Buy the book

And now, here's a short rant about my Daily Shill Project. This was not inspired by The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex. They just both happen to exist in the same post.

There have been times I’ve wanted to give up on The Daily Shill before, but I don’t think any as strong as right now. I’ve lost my motivation to slog through books I don’t want to read—there’s so much good stuff out there, why am I wasting my time on things in which I’m not interested? I’ve made it pretty far, and I’m not a quitter (as I keep telling myself over and over), but man-oh-man, I’m ready to be done.

Part of the problem, I think, is it’s a lot of work for a small amount of feedback. I have no idea how many people read this blog, but when you take away my relatives and close friends, I don’t think that leaves much else. Yeah, I have a decent amount of followers on Facebook (and a few on Blogger and Twitter), but I don’t think most check out the blog. I track my posted links on bit.ly, and each review gets an average of 3-5 clicks. That doesn't seem like very many for the amount of time it takes to read each book (or watch each movie) and write the review.

Also, I’ll admit it, even though I knew from the beginning that it was a long shot, I was secretly hoping for some sort of recognition for this project from the Daily Show. I don’t need a mention on the show or anything, but gosh, I’d love an email saying, “We see what you’re doing, and it’s neat.” (The neat part is optional).

Enough whining, I’ll make it through, I’m over halfway there. But, meanwhile, I’m also letting myself read some other books (and am reacting with overkill). Right now, I’m reading Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Alice Alone (the middle of a series I loved as a kid/teen), PJ O’Rourke’s upcoming travelogue Holidays in Heck, Judy Dutton’s Science Fair Season (also due to be published in the next few months—librarians, reviewers, and teachers, check out Netgalley to get free digital galleys of upcoming publications), and the first trade book of Neil Gaimon’s Sandman series. Oh, and Ian Bremmer’s The End of the Free Market for the Shill.

Ignite Presentation Link

Remember a week ago when I was promoting that Ignite event where I was talking about the Daily Shill? Guess what! The video of the talk is now online!

Progress Report #2 (The semester review)

It’s weird. New episodes begin on the Daily Show tonight, and I haven’t been checking their website obsessively looking to see who this week’s guests will be. (Okay, I’ve checked once, and they weren’t listed, and, in all truthfulness, I’ll probably check again this afternoon). Why aren’t I impatient with anticipation for more information? Because I don’t have much riding on it anymore. My Daily Shill mission is halfway through, and if I don’t want to read the book about Thomas Jefferson’s opinion of our recent financial crisis or watch the children’s movie about the magical fart monster, I don’t have to.

I do, however, have to complete my reviews of everything featured in the 2010 shows, and since I’ve reached the halfway point, it’s time for another Progress Report. (Miss the first progress report? Read it here)

Again, I’d love some feedback from readers (for example, do I have any who I’m not related to?). Do you have any suggestions? What do you think of the Daily Shill? Feel free to comment on the blog (I’ve enabled anonymous comments, so you don’t need to have an account) or on the facebook page.

Progress Report #2

Timeline: Out of the 127 books, films, TV shows, and albums I need to review, I’ve completed 62, or 49%. Which, you know, is practically 50%, or exactly on schedule. I cannot believe that (but it’s true—I did the math at least three times!) I think I’m going to make it, friends. There are couple TV shows that I missed that I’m not sure how to find (namely, Brian William’s Hurricane Katrina: The first five days and Morgan Freeman’s Through the Wormhole), so let me know if you’ve got any leads, but I feel like I’m going to find success.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of my progress:
I’ve read 34 of 73 books.
I’ve watched 18 of 35 films.
I’ve watched 8 of 15 TV shows.
I’ve heard 2 of 4 albums.

Writing: Though I still wish I were funnier and that I had a little more time to commit to making well-written reviews, I also think I’ve gotten a lot better at this over the course of the year. Here’s hoping I keep improving throughout year two of this mission.

Things I Would Change: In my last progress report, I had this section, so I felt the organizational need to keep things consistent. However, though I still stand by everything I wrote there, I don’t think there’s anything additional that I’d change. Which is pretty cool.

Best Book: Crazy Like Us
Worst Book: Courting Disaster
(Yes, these haven’t changed since the last progress report)

Best Film: A Single Man
Worst Film: Cop Out Oops, I forgot about Remember Me

Best TV Show: Louie
Worst TV Show: Hot in Cleveland

Best Album: Y Not
Worst Album: More Malice
(Keep in mind, I’ve only heard two albums, and neither was particularly good.)

Am I Glad I’m Doing This?: Yes. Yes I am. Though I’ll be thrilled to read whatever I want to when I complete this mission, I’m going to miss reading new things (and watching new movies) and writing about that. It’s going to be especially weird watching the Daily Show interviews and not having so much at stake with each one. Keeping that in mind, here’s a

Plan for the Future: (Did you see what I did there? I didn’t forget to finish my last sentence, it was just leading into this new section. There’s a transition any English teacher would hate).
When I see a book or a movie (or something else) promoted within the Daily Show that I want to read or watch, I’m going to do it, and I will post a review to the Daily Shill. Likewise, if you see something on there that you’d like to read a review for, let me know, and I’ll probably do it. I’m not ready to let the Daily Shill die.

A few thank yous:
First off, a huge thank you to people who actually read this, even though I don’t know for sure that you exist (but I think you might). Thank you Mom, for always telling me what you like about a review; thank you Nana, for telling me you don’t want to delete the e-mails you get of posts; thank you Amanda, for asking me when there’s going to be a new review when it’s been awhile.

Another enormous thank you goes to libraries, specifically the Chelsea District Library. Nearly every book, movie, and album I’ve reviewed was checked out from this library. I literally could not have done it (and could not keep doing it) without the library. And the Chelsea District Library is my favorite place to be (even though it is also my workplace.)

Thank you to the two Daily Shill correspondents, Georgia and Andrea. Your reviews of the Rally to Restore Sanity and the Daily Show Experience were funny, exciting, and informative. Miss reading those reviews? Read them once and just want to read them again?

Here’s a link to Georgia’s piece on the Rally to Restore Sanity.

Here’s a link to Andrea’s piece on attending a taping of the Daily Show.

And, lastly, thank you to Brodie for naming this blog, designing the logo, and helping me to get the few books and movies that I couldn’t get through the Chelsea library. (And for being supportive throughout this entire Daily Shill process. You’re great!)


In 2011, I’m going to attempt to post every Monday. Since grad school is starting back up, I can’t 100% commit to this, but I’ll do my best. I will also try to post a review later this week, since this enormous Progress Report post is reviewless. No promises, though—I’ve already got homework.

A New American Tea Party

Despite being a Liberal, I approached John O’Hara’s book A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes with an open mind. In his interview, O’Hara seemed intelligent and reasonable, and I thought that his book could perhaps allow me to see what the tea party movement was striving to be before the crazy latched on.

For about the first third of the book, O’Hara gave me what I was looking for: he shared the history of the development of the tea party, explaining where they were coming from, with only a few snarky comments about the Democrats and Liberals. Though I didn’t agree with much of what O’Hara was saying, I could understand where he was coming from. And then he made the switch from recounting tea party history to bashing the media, President Obama, unions, and health care. The occasional anti-liberal joke expanded into mean-spirited rants, and all of a sudden A New American Tea Party was reading like every other political book. And that’s not a good thing.

Pardon me, while I break into this review to go on a little rant of my own about how much I hate political books. I hate them! The authors of these books—whether Democrat or Republic, Liberal or Conservative – talk about all the great things that their party does and all the terrible things the other guys do, and they back it up with facts. The trouble is, people on the other end of the political spectrum believe the complete opposite, and they have facts to back it up too. As a reader, this leaves me with nothing I can believe. I can’t trust the political writer because I know they will never say anything bad about their own party or anything good about their opponents, despite the fact that both sides have good and bad ideas, good and bad supporters. And that is why I hate political books. Now back to the review.

O’Hara is not a bad writer. He varies his sentence structure (and length), transitions adeptly, and spends a reasonable amount of time on each subject. But his book made me mad, and I didn’t enjoy reading it. It gets a 2/5.

Watch Jon Stewart’s interview with John O’Hara Part 1 Part 2

Buy the book

Things may slow down here at the Daily Shill over the next several months. I just started grad school this week, so I’ll be spending less time on my mission. But I’ll keep chipping away at this and try to make at least 4 reviews a month.

Louie (Day of Reviews, post 1)

Today, Friday, July 9, will mark a day in Daily Shill History. (Perhaps it will be the only day in its history. Time will tell). Today, I am going to attempt to make as many Daily Shill updates and reviews as possible. I have done just a little bit of prep work. Last night, I watch the episode of Louie that I am about to review (but, it was after midnight, so, technically, it counts as today), and over the past week, I’ve read all but the last 15 pages of No One Would Listen. But other than that, everything that is reviewed today will have been seen today. So I’d better get started.

But before I jump right in to my first review, I have to fix something from last week. When I wrote my thank-you section in my “Progress Report” I thanked my friend Brodie for designing the Daily Shill logo, but forgot to thank him for the more important thing he did. Brodie came up with the name Daily Shill. I came to him with my mission and asked him what I should call it. (I had no idea, and I knew he was awesome at this sort of thing). It was a tough one, but in a day or so, Brodie came up with the Daily Shill, which is perfect. So, thanks again, Brodie! And now, the review.

Louis C.K. is a funny guy, but being funny doesn’t always translate well into a sitcom. Louie, however, gets every word right. The show, which is about one-third standup, two-thirds sitcom, blends the two together nicely, with switches between the two not feeling abrupt. I watched the first two episodes, (yes, I enjoyed the pilot enough to keep going) and the issues in the shows I saw (and likely in the whole series) mirror ones in C.K.’s life: namely being a newly divorced father of two children.

The thing about Louie is that it’s not funny in the traditional, expected sit-com style (though, since it is on FX, I guess you wouldn’t expect an Everybody Loves Raymond). Instead, much of the humor is irreverent and out there, dark and dirty. The show takes you by surprise, too; towards the end of the first episode, a woman on a terrible date with Louie escapes in an almost whimsical way that is never addressed by the show. And in an opposite type of surprising, within the first five minutes of the second episode, Louie gets in a conversation with another comedian (who happens to be gay) about whether it is okay to use the word faggot in stand-up for the laughs. The conversation, for the most part, is not funny (and not trying to be), yet it didn’t feel out of place in this comedy. It was an engaging question, given a thorough answer that, when finished, naturally transitioned into jokes.

I’ve never given a TV show a 5/5 before, but I think with Louie, I’m going to do it. Sure, every joke didn’t make me laugh out loud, but many of them did, even though I was watching it alone in my room. If you’re looking for a different take on a sitcom, I definitely recommend it.

Watch Jon Stewart’s interview with Louis C.K.

Watch Louie on Hulu (You can also watch it on FX on Tuesdays at 11)

Progress Report!

Well, here I am, the first day of July. This marks six months since my Daily Show challenge began: halfway through the shows in 2010, a quarter of the way through my timeline.

It’s time for the quarterly review (or progress report, if you will). I’m going to jump right into that, but I also want to encourage you to give me suggestions and feedback. Is there something I do that you hate? What about something you wish I did? Anything you particularly enjoy? Does anyone (besides my mom) actually read this? Let me know!

Progress Report #1:

Timeline: Out of the 68 items currently on my list to review, I’ve completed 29. It’s not halfway, which would be right on target for my goal, but it’s not terribly behind either, especially considering that I wasn’t able to review anything in the month of January. I think my two-year deadline will still be tight, but, as of now, I say it’s possible. Of course, I’m starting grad school in the fall, which might change everything, we’ll see.

Writing: I wish I were a little better at this part. Though I think I’m getting the hang of it now, initially I had no idea how to write a review. I worry that I’m not interesting enough, and I wish I had more opportunities to be funny (or were better at writing humorously). I often struggle with writing reviews for things I really like, and I know I use the words “fascinating” and “engaging” too often. That being said, though, I don’t think I’m doing poorly. There are a few reviews that when I finished, I thought, “Hey, I think I did well on this one.” And I’m starting to think that more and more frequently.

Things I would change: There are some ratings I wish I could go back on. (George Lucas’s Blockbusting, for example, would get a one, not a two). I also wish I had listed books’ subtitles, since they give a good sense of what each book is about. This is something I can go back on, and I will begin including the subtitles. (And eventually go back and insert them into the reviews I’ve already written).

Best Book (that I’ve read for the show): Crazy Like Us

Best Film (that I’ve seen for the show): A Single Man

Worst Book (that I’ve read for the show): Courting Disaster

Worst Film (that I’ve seen for the show): Tooth Fairy

Now for the real question. Am I glad I’m doing this?: It’s a qualified yes.

I have read many interesting books that I never would have read. But I have read even more boring books that I also never would have read. I’m getting tired about reading about the economy and our founding fathers (and, yes, I do know I have more of that ahead). Last week, I was on vacation and allowed myself to check out and read any books I wanted to. I can’t tell you what an exciting trip to the library that was, and what a super week I had (though that certainly wasn’t due only to the books). I miss reading whatever I want to.

But I also feel like I’ve gained a lot of knowledge due solely to this challenge. I have a basic idea of what caused this economic crisis. I know what a “quant” is. I have opinions on pharmaceutical companies marketing American drugs in foreign countries. I know Barack Obama’s mother’s name was Stanley. And it’s nice to know things.

A few brief thank yous:

Let me tell you, libraries are wonderful. Over the past six months, I’ve used cards at the Kalamazoo College Library, Western Michigan University Library, Kalamazoo Public Library, and Chelsea District Library. These libraries (and the wonderful librarians and circulation staff at each of them) have allowed me to read all of these books for free (and worked hard to help me find them). Right now, alone, I have six books checked out, waiting for me to read and review them. Support your library!

My friend Brodie made the Daily Shill logo at the top of this blog. I think it looks really cool, and I never could have made it myself. Thanks, Brodie!

Also thanks to all my pals (and my parents) who ask me how this project is going. I appreciate your support.

Tooth Fairy

Tooth Fairy was the first “joke” of my Daily Shill Mission. I’d describe my challenge to someone, they’d say something like “Oh, that’s really cool,” and I’d say, “Yeah, but I have to watch Tooth Fairy,” and then we’d groan. I’d put it off for weeks, but a few days ago, I did what I had to do and watched the movie.

Despite the jokes, I was determined to approach it with an open mind. I was going to give it two ratings: one for my current feelings about it, and one for how I think I would’ve rated it as a kid. But then, as I was watching Tooth Fairy, I realized there were no original ideas in the movie and my open mind was gone.

The most obvious parallel is The Santa Clause. In that movie, a disbeliever (played by Tim Allen) finds himself stuck being Santa Claus—the job that he insisted didn’t exist. After resistance, he embraces the job, and not only believes himself, but helps others to believe. Replace “Tim Allen” with “Dwayne Johnson” and “Santa Claus” with “Tooth Fairy” and you’ve got the plot of Tooth Fairy. However, it doesn’t have the heart or the holiday excitement that The Santa Clause has.

That, of course, is the main parallel but there are also hints of Love Actually (boy close to the protagonist is a good musician, but afraid to perform in the talent show, but with encouragement from the protagonist, wows everyone in the show) and Finding Nemo (main character has fin/shoulder injury that keeps him from doing things, but by the end of the movie, he realizes it’s all in his head and that he can achieve what he tries to do).

Also, Tooth Fairy just wasn’t good. Its redeeming factor was that there weren't any fart jokes. It gets a 1/5. If you feel like some Tooth Fairy related entertainment, though, let me recommend Gregory Maguire’s book What the Dickens. It’s one of those books that can be enjoyed equally by children and adults, and it presents a new point of view about the job of Tooth Fairy. Also, it is one of three non-Daily Show books I have read this year.

Watch Jon Stewart's interview with Julie Andrews. (I just love her. Watch this interview instead of watching the movie).

Buy the DVD

No one likes Crisis and Command (or at least I don't)

I admit defeat. I'm not giving up on my mission, but Crisis and Command by John Yoo has beaten me. I had to return it to the library today, and I only made it through 250 pages. And let me tell you, those 250 were rough.

My main complaint with Crisis and Command isn't the way it's written, it isn't its political message, it's that it is BORING! Granted, a book mostly about constitutional law doesn't sound like a thriller, but since it focused on particular presidents, I thought the history would be interesting. And the first few pages of each chapter was...but that was it. Who knows, maybe the chapters on FDR, the Cold War Presidents, and the Once and Future Presidency were different. But I didn't make it that far. Since it was unfinishable, I give it 1/5.

If you're looking for a book to help you fall asleep at night, this is the one. But if you're looking for some entertainment, turn elsewhere. Might I recommend the book that started me on this mission: The Know It All by AJ Jacobs.

I could talk more about Crisis and Command if you wanted, but I think it would make for a boring review. Ask me, though, if you have any questions (about the first 250 pages).

Watch Jon Stewert's interview with John Yoo

Part 1

Part 2

If you really wanted to, you could buy the book here.

The List

Welcome to The List, where I keep track of my progress. As you can probably figure out for yourself, titles with a strikethrough are ones I've finished. You can click any finished title to link to the review.

Also, thanks to my pal Caroline for suggesting this!

January

1/4: Food Rules: An Eater's Manuel by Michael Pollan (Book)

1/5: George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-by-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success by Alex Ben Block and Lucy Autrey Wilson (Book)

1/7: Crazy Heart (Film)

1/11: Crisis and Command: A History of Executive Power from George Washington to George W. Bush by John Yoo (Book)...not entirely finished, but crossed off nonetheless

1/12: Crash Course: The American Automobile Industry's Road from Glory to Disaster by Paul Ingrassia (Book)

1/13: Y Not by Ringo Starr (Album)

1/18: Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility by David Walker (Book)

1/19: A Single Man (Film)

1/20: Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street by Jim Wallis (Book)

1/21: Tooth Fairy (Film)

1/27: Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche by Ethan Watters (Book)

February

2/3: The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande (Book)

2/8: Staying True by Jenny Sanford (Book)

2/9: To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George WAshington and the Fight for American Freedom by Newt Gingrich (Book)

2/10: Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend by James S. Hirsch (Book)

2/11: Precious (Film)

2/22: The Ricky Gervais Show (TV)

2/23: My Footprint: Carrying the Weight of the World by Jeff Garlin (Book)

2/24: Cop Out (Film)

March

3/1: The Pluto Files (TV)

3/2: Remember Me (Film)

3/3: Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest Hour by Lynne Olson (Book)

3/4: The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It by Scott Patterson (Book)

3/8: No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller by Harry Markopolos (Book)

3/9: Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama is Inviting the Next Attack by Marc Thiessen (Book)

3/10: The Marriage Ref (TV)

3/11: Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy: The Secret World of Corporate Espionage by Eamon Javers (Book)

3/15: The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis (Book)

3/16: Repo Men (Film)

3/17: More Malice by Snoop Dogg (Album & DVD)

3/29: Greenberg (Film)

3/30: Weapons of Self-Destruction by Robin Williams (DVD)

3/31: Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran by Roxana Saberi (Book)

April

4/5: Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religion Extremism in the Age of Globalization by Reza Aslan (Book)

4/6: A Captains Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips (Book)

4/7: Date Night (Film)

4/8: The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick (Book)

4/12: Breaking Bad (TV)

4/13: The McVeigh Tapes (TV)

4/15: Death at a Funeral (Film)

4/20: A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes by John O'Hara (Book)

4/21: The Coming Population Crash: and Our Planet's Surprising Future by Fred Pearce (Book)

4/22: Losers (Film)

4/27: The Dream Machine: The Untold History of the Notorious V-22 Osprey by Richard Whittle (Book)

4/28: The Blueprint: Obama's Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build and Imperial Presidency by Ken Blackwell (Book)

May

5/3: Get Capone: The Secret Plot That Captured America's Most Wanted Gangster by Jonathan Eig (Book)

5/4: Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis by Rosalyn Carter (Book)

5/5: Need to Know (TV)

5/6: Molto Gusto: Easy Italian Cooking by Mario Batali (Book)

5/10: Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America by Jack Rackove (Book)

5/11: War by Sebastian Junger (Book)

5/12: Sex and the City 2 (Film)

5/13: The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations by Ian Bremmer (Book)

June

6/1: The Battle: How the Fight between Free Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America's Future by Arthur C. Brooks (Book)

6/2: Through the Wormhole (TV)

6/3: Get Him to the Greek (Movie)
6/7: Cyrus (Film)

6/8: Hitch-22: A Memoir by Christopher Hitchens (Book)

6/9: Pandora's Seed: The Unforeseen Cost of Civilization by Spencer Wells (Book)

6/14: Hot in Cleveland (TV)

6/15: Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth by James Tabor (Book)

6/16: Louie (TV)

6/17: Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances by Fred Thompson (Book)

6/21: Gasland (TV)

6/22: Knight and Day (Film)

6/23: The White House Doctor: My Patients Were Presidents- A Memoir by Connie Mariano (Book)

6/24: Grownups (Film)

6/29: Love Ranch (Film)

July

7/1: Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban by Jere Van Dyk (Book)

7/5: Rescue Me (TV)

7/6: The Kids are All Right (Film)

7/7: Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent (Book)

7/8: Absence of Mind: The Dispelling of Inwardness from the Modern Myth of the Self by Marilynne Robinson

7/26: The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention by William Rosen (Book)

7/27: Fareed Zakaria GPS (TV)

7/28: The Ghost of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic by Robert O'Connell (Book)

7/29: Salt (Film)

August

8/2: Packing For Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (Book)

8/3: The Other Guys (Film)

8/4: Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War by Bruce Henderson (Book)

8/5: Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam by Akbar Ahmed (Book)

8/10: The Switch (Film)

8/11: The Big C (TV)

8/12: The Suburbs by Arcade Fire (Album)

8/16: Nanny McPhee Returns (Film)

8/17: Give Us Liberty: A Tea Party Manifesto by Dick Armey (Book)

8/18: Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt by Edward Kohn (Book)

8/19: The Switch (Film)

8/24: Hurricane Katrina: the First Five Days (TV)

8/25: Going the Distance (Film)

September

9/7: Gunn's Golden Rules by Tim Gunn (Book)

9/9: Dirty Sexy Politics by Meghan McCain (Book)

9/13: The Town (Film)

9/14: A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair (Book)

9/15: The Town (Film)

9/20: White House Diary by Jimmy Carter (Book)

9/21: You Again (Film)

9/22: Stone (Film)

9/27: Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama by Bill O'Reilly (Book)

9/28: Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream by Arianna Huffington (Book)

9/29: The Crisis Caravan: What's Wrong with Humanitarian Aid? by Linda Polman (Book)

9/30: The Social Network (Film)

October

10/2: The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values by Sam Harris (Book)

10/3: Red (Film)

10/4: There is Power in a Union: The Epic Story of Labor in America by Philip Dray (Book)

10/5: Fair Game (Film)

10/11: Jackass 3D (Film)

10/12: Young Guns: A New Generation of Conservative Leaders by Erica Cantor, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy (Book)

10/13: Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me by Condoleezza Rice (Book)

10/14: Half Empty by David Rakoff (Book)

November

11/1: Due Date (Film)

11/4: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Beastiary by David Sederis (Book)

11/8: Fed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington by Rick Perry (Book)

11/9: Morning Glory (Film)

11/10: Countdown to Lockdown: A Hardcore Journal by Mick Foley (Book)

11/11: Unstoppable (Film)

11/15: On the Right Track: From Olympic Downfall to Finding Forgiveness and the Strength to Overcome and Succeed by Marion Jones (Book)

11/16: All Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera (Book)

11/17: Decoded by Jay-Z (Book)

11/18: Life Without Lawyers: Restoring Responsibility in America by Philip K. Howard

11/29: How to Beat up Anybody: An Instructional and Inspirational Karate Book by the World Champion by Judah Friedlander (Book)

11/30: The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey

December

12/1: Live in Berlin by Sting (Album)

12/2: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (Book)

12/6: Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of an American Warrior by Gen. Hugh Shelton (Book)

12/7: Robot Chicken Star Wars III (TV)

12/8: Blue Valentine (Film)

12/9: Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris (Book)

12/13: Beyond the Crash: Overcoming the First Crisis of Globalization by Gordon Brown (Book)

12/14: Ricky Gervais: Out of England II (TV)

12/15: How Do You Know (Film)

12/16: Can't Wait Till Christmas by Mike Huckabee (Book)

Why I'm Doing This

I'm pretty sure my family and friends think I'm crazy for attempting to do this. They're probably right. Instead of reading/watching everything The Daily Show's guests promote, I should be doing my homework, working on my senior project, applying for grad school, and working. But, you know, I got this idea.

It's all AJ Jacobs' fault. For those of you unfamiliar with the fella, he is a writer who often turns his life over to "experiments," such as following all the rules the Bible gives and telling the complete truth. Earlier this month, I was reading his book The Know It All, where he reads the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica in an attempt to become the smartest man on earth (A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting book-- you should read it). And I got to thinking, These experiments are kind-of like games. And I love games. I wonder what I could do.

That night (after watching The Daily Show), I came up with my plan. I did a little research, and learned the task was not going to be easy. In 2009, there were 160 episodes of The Daily Show. In those shows, 78 guests were promoting books, 22 were promoting movies, 16 were promoting TV Shows, 3 were promoting albums, 2 were promoting articles, 2 were promoting podcasts/radio shows, and 1 was promoting a website. The remaining guests were promoting ideas. But I had the idea, and I wasn't going to throw it aside because it was hard.

This year, I am going to read and watch all of those promoted things. And I'm going to review them here. It's probably not possible for me to get them all done in a year, but I won't quit until I've blogged about them all. I won't get to be as timely as I'd like. I'm a college kid with very limited funds, so I'll be getting the majority of the books from the library and seeing the movies in the cheap theater, which both involve waiting. Plus, there's the whole "finding time to do my actual homework" thing. But I'm going to do it, gosh-darn-it. And I hope you'll read.