Squawk a real word

Photo: JB Lacroix/WireImage If you like seething angst, the spiritually parched landscape of the urban American West, making fun of the French, and dejected clowns, then by God, you’re finally in luck: A show about all that now exists. Co-created by Louis C.K., director Jonathan Krisel, and Zach Galifianakis (who also stars), Baskets , premiering January 21 on FX, is about an aspiring clown, Galifianakis’s Chip Baskets — though his clown name is Renoir — who returns to his hometown of Bakersfield, California, after flunking out of clown school in Paris. Now that he’s back, he has to deal with his mom, played beautifully by Louie Anderson (in understated drag), his successful and condescending twin brother (also played by Galifianakis), his emotionally dismissive French wife, Penelope (who married Chip for a green card), and the sympathetic overtures of a potential new friend, Martha, whom Chip basically treats like doo-doo. Mostly, though, Baskets is about the struggle to … [Read more...] about Zach Galifianakis on

Alan Kim putting his purple belt to work. Photo: Randy Holmes/ABC Happy season finale of WandaVision to those who observe. For those who have managed to steer clear of the discourse , WandaVision is an immensely popular Disney+ sitcom that everybody can’t seem to shut up about and not, as I had once hoped, a remake of the 1988 heist comedy film A Fish Called Wanda from the fish’s perspective. In any case, WandaVision has dominated our Twitter feeds as well as late night this week with its stars Paul Bettany , Randall Park, Teyonah Parris , Kathryn Hahn , and Elizabeth Olsen popping up all over the place to bid the show adieu, with Olsen even participating in a time-traveling late-night sketch on The Tonight Show . Let’s pour one out for the Ms. Wanda and Mr. Vision and count down the top moments on late night this week. The Office on Conan Word of advice: Don’t go running up to people you don’t know and calling them “Asian Jim,” even if you … [Read more...] about ’s Alan Kim and His Purple Belt Won Late Night This Week

Undoubtedly, the last two years have been very challenging for Hong Kong, socially and economically, and 2021 is not being any easier either. The 2019 civil unrest was seamlessly followed by the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 is plunging its embattled economy further into recession. The unemployment rate jumped to 6.6 percent in the October-to-December period from 6.3 percent previously, returning to levels not seen since December 2004, according to a government report, getting worse to 7 percent in January as coronavirus fourth wake took toll. Local businesses are struggling under strict social distancing measures and a lack of tourism (the arrival of visitors declined drastically), with restrictions on group gatherings. However, we can try to see the glass half full, instead of half empty: when it comes to civil unrest and the riots that ravaged the Special Administrative Region in 2019 and early 2020, the National Security Law seems to have quelled the unrest, … [Read more...] about Hong Kong is and will remain one of the world’s freest economies