TVSquad

Before undergoing surgery, Cuban leader Fidel Castro ceded power to his half-brother Raul. Bureau Chief de Havana Rob Corddry joined in to elaborate. The "Hollaaaaaah!" thing made me laugh because I know I've had occasions when I've accidentally read "Hola" that way. And although the "ceremonial passing of the beard" thing was great, Jon being caught off guard by Rob's sexiness was the best part. Mild flirtation between the TDS boys makes me happy (there really hasn't been enough of it since Stephen Colbert left).

"Brooklyn Dodgers": Jason Jones filed a report about insurance companies screwing over clients in New York. Well, this segment was less about the real situation and more about Jones' poor Jerry Seinfeld impressions (heh, the client's last name was STeinfeld). It was okay, I guess, but the end footage of Jones was hysterical (in lifeguard gear, Jones ran through the streets of New York, the Baywatch theme playing in the background). He also did some weird spastic Tai-Chi on the street corner. That was kind of weird.

Because the Mel Gibson story has yet to lose its freshness, Jon poked a little more fun at him. Gibson's announced that he's entering the Betty Ford clinic (and the Henry Ford Center for Anti-Semitism) and the media is just lapping it up. Of course, the news programs can't seem to keep their hands off clips of Gibson's old films, somehow weaving the clips into the actual reports. So much Mad Max! And is it just me, or does Gibson's mugshot look like a child molester's?

The night's guest was Vali Nasr, author of The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future. A very basic interview about -- what else -- the Lebanon/Hezbollah conflict.

Jon/Stephen: Stephen Colbert wants to internationalize Jerusalem and call it the Vatican. Such a brief throw-over! Moment of Zen: Hey, Castro! Have a nice trip... Ah, that'll never get old.