In "an unabashedly biased, deeply researched book" (SF Gate), Ed Asner--the actor who starred as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show--reclaims the Constitution from the right-wingers who think that they and only they know how to interpret it.Ed Asner, a self-proclaimed dauntless Democrat from the old days, figured that if the right-wing wackos are wrong about voter fraud, Obama's death panels, and climate change, they are probably just as wrong about what the Constitution says. There's no way that two hundred-plus years later, the right-wing ideologues know how to interpret the Constitution. On their way home from Philadelphia the people who wrote it couldn't agree on what it meant. What was the president's job? Who knew? All they knew was that the president was going to be George Washington and as long as he was in charge, that was good enough. When Hamilton wanted to start a national bank, Madison told him that it was unconstitutional. Both men had been in the room when the Constitution was written. And now today there are politicians and judges who claim that they know the original meaning of the Constitution. Are you kidding? In The Grouchy Historian, Ed Asner leads the charge for liberals to reclaim the Constitution from the right-wingers who use it as their justification for doing whatever terrible thing they want to do, which is usually to comfort the comfortable and afflict the afflicted. It's about time someone gave them hell and explained that progressives can read, too.

Behind every great television show is a group of professionals working at the top of their games-but no one is more important than the writers. And while writing comedy, especially good comedy, is serious business-fraught with actor egos, demanding producers, and sleepless nights-it also can result in classic lines of dialogue. Sitcom Writers Talk Shop: Behind the Scenes with Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and Other Geniuses of TV Comedy is a collection of conversations with the writers responsible for some of the most memorable shows in television comedy. The men and women interviewed here include series creators, show runners, and staff writers whose talent and hard work have generated literally millions of laughs. In addition to Reiner (The Dick Van Dyke Show) and Lear (All in the Family), this book features in-depth interviews with: *James L. Brooks (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Simpsons) *Al Jean (The Simpsons, The Critic) *Leonard Stern (The Honeymooners, Get Smart) *Treva Silverman (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) *Ken Estin (Cheers) *Matt Williams (Roseanne, Home Improvement) *Dava Savel (Ellen) *Larry Charles (Seinfeld) *David Lee (Frasier) *Phil Rosenthal (Everybody Loves Raymond) *Mike Reiss (The Simpsons) From these conversations, readers will learn that the business of writing funny has never been all laughs. Writers discuss the creative process, how they get unstuck, the backstories of iconic episodes, and how they cope with ridiculous censors, outrageous actors, and their own demons and fears. Sitcom Writers Talk Shop will appeal to fans of all of these shows and may serve as inspiration to anyone considering a life in comedy.

What Really Happened There were terrible crimes committed against greatly talented American citizens by overzealous and unconscionable government actions. Meet the victims inside this book. See for yourself what happened to the innocent, what they went through, how they coped with their persecution, and how they survived the aftermath with their chins up, in dignity. "Congratulations Stanley Dyrector...WAVE AWARDS... Video Excellence Award presented for Community Media in Santa Fe, New Mexico on November 9, 2001, The Stanley Dyrector Show: The Hollywood Blacklist..." "Dyrector has encountered countless people that help Hollywood sparkle but never get a chance to shine...Screenwriters on the Hollywood Blacklist in the 50's denied work due to their politics..." - Debra Beyer, Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2006. ..".I'm not afraid to be corrected by a guest, or to tell them I love them ..".Dyrector explored the blacklisting period of Hollywood during the McCarthy era..." California Seniors Weekly (2000) About the Author Stanley Dyrector was born in Brooklyn, New York. Beginning his career as an actor, he switched to writing, where he found much success. His TV writing credits include such popular shows as Wagon Train and Slattery's People. He and his wife, Joyce, teamed up and wrote for daytime TV soaps on ABC, as well as hour radio dramas and comedies for Sears Radio Theatre and Mutual Radio Theatre. Dyrector's 2-act Vietnam-era play, A Pelican of the Wilderness, was deemed by LA Times critic John Mahoney as "Outstanding." His award-winning interview show called The Stanley Dyrector Show can be seen in various locales and on the Internet.