Former Thai Leader Rendered Familiar

Even with the three-day weekend, we still have Pee-Wee’s Playhouse on the brain. Encouraged by a flurry of positive reader responses to last week’s nostalgia-fueled Playhouse mentions, we spotted the above Associated Press photo of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who last week was banned from leaving Thailand due to all sorts of alleged shady dealings and who was today the focus of protests in Bangkok, and could think only of Randy (pictured at right), the sneering bad boy puppet that added a frisson of danger to the Playhouse with his frequent tormenting of Pee-Wee.