Speculative fiction movie nominees at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards, Part 2

The conclusion of Speculative fiction movie nominees at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards, Part 1 read.

That's it for the nominees in the main movie categories.  I'll return by next Sunday with the rest, which are a little sillier.  Stay tuned!

It's next Sunday, so it's time to follow through with the rest of the movie nominees from Wikipedia.

I'll start off with the last of the categories with nominees from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Choice Movie: Villain

Daniel Brühl – Captain America: Civil War
Adam Driver – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Jesse Eisenberg – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Aidan Gillen – Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
Ed Skrein – Deadpool
Charlize Theron – The Huntsman: Winter's War

Every single nominee is from a speculative fiction film, so any one of them would be OK with me.  As for which one will win, I still think it will be a "Star Wars" sweep or close to it, so I'm expecting it will be Adam Driver.  He can put the surfboard next to the shelf where he keeps his 2016 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Speaking of Adam Driver as Kylo Ren...

Choice Movie: Hissy Fit

Adam Driver – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Zac Efron – Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Kevin Hart – Ride Along 2
Hugh Jackman – X-Men: Apocalypse
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool
Jason Sudeikis – The Angry Birds Movie

Yes, Ryan Reynolds had a good hissy fit, but nothing like Kylo Ren's.


I expect Driver will win this award, too.  Two surfboards for Darth Tantrum!


Follow over the jump for two categories that recognize the heroes, including one in which I don't think a "Star Wars" sweep is deserved, along with the rest of the nominees.

Dating across political divides

While I was enjoying a good chuckle at Melania Trump's expense and Stephen Colbert was doing his best 'Hunger Games' bit, Vox decided to do something a little more serious at the Republican National Convention.  Vox reporter Liz Plank asked What happens when you match a Trump and Hillary supporter together? We found out.  To see the experiment, watch Political polarization is making dating worse.

Liz Plank went to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland to see how hard it is for Trump supporters to get a date.

Here's the good news.

We set up Bridget, a 31-year-old Democrat attending the convention, with Ryan, a 27-year-old Republican from Cleveland, to see if they could find common ground.

The date went surprisingly well. Although Bridget had more reservations about dating a Trump supporter than Ryan did about dating a Hillary supporter, both didn’t expect the date to go as well as it did. They talked gun control, immigration, the tax code, and #BlackLivesMatter — you know, romantic stuff. Sure, munching on pizza and wine while they did it certainly helped, but overall, they agreed on more than not.

"It’s interesting that we are politically and ideologically polar opposites but there are things we agree on," Bridget said.

It’s not just Ryan and Bridget who are bad at predicting incompatibility across political ideologies. Studies have shown Americans think they are more ideologically opposed than they actually are.

That's hopeful news.  However, Vox couldn't leave well enough alone.  Follow over the jump for that experiment.

Trump and Putin, a bad bromance

Hat/tip to Kevin Robbins at Hometown USA.
In the wake of the release of Democratic National Committee emails by Wikileaks and the strongly suspected Russian involvement in the hacking that exposed them, Trump held a press conference in which he addressed his relationship with Putin and Russia.  Near the end, he asked Russia to find Clinton's missing emails.  Watch it for yourself, along with the reaction.

Key figures in the Republican Party addressed Donald Trump's comments urging Russia to find Hillary Clinton's missing emails. CNN's Jim Acosta reports.

For the third time in the history of this blog, it's time to run the Nate Silver scandal checklist (original here).

"1. Can the scandal be reduced to a one-sentence soundbyte (but not easily refuted/denied with a one-sentence soundbyte)?"

Yes.  Trump is asking a hostile foreign power to intervene in American elections to his benefit.  As for "easily refuted," Trump tried that (he was being sarcastic) but it didn't work.

"2. Does the scandal cut against a core element of the candidate’s brand?"

Yes.  Trump's slogan is "America First," but this request is not a patriotic one; in fact, some have called it treasonous.

"3. Does the scandal reify/reinforce/”prove” a core negative perception about the candidate, particularly one that had henceforth been difficult to articulate (but not one that has become so entrenched that little further damage can be done)?"

Yes.  It reinforces the perception that Trump is an authoritarian who admires other authoritarians, especially Putin.

"4. Can the scandal readily be employed by the opposition, without their looking hypocritical/petty/politically incorrect, risking retribution, or giving life to a damaging narrative?"

So far, yes. Democrats in general and Hillary Clinton’s people in particular are already doing so.  About the worst thing it could do is remind people about the Wikileaks release of the DNC's emails.

"5. Is the media bored, and/or does the story have enough tabloid/shock value to crowd out all other stories?"

I thought the answer would be no, as there are lots of other news, but apparently it's yes. Surprise!

That's five yes answers.  Trump is now ahead of Janice Daniels, former Mayor of Troy, who was recalled, and right up there with Chris Christie, whose presidential campaign flopped after New Hampshire.  That's yet another reason why Trump and Christie make a good pair.

Follow over the jump for more from CNN and the New York Daily News.

Driving update for July 2016: one year of Pearl

Sunday was the first anniversary of buying Pearl the Prius.  Yesterday, Pearl turned over 28,000 miles.  Time for a double celebration!

Pearl's odometer last turned over on June 3, 2016, 54 days ago.  That translates to 18.52 miles per day or 564.8 miles per standard month.  While that less than the 19.61 miles/day and 598.0 miles/month I drove Pearl between April and June, I'm not sure it qualifies as a "return to my usual decreased driving for the rest of the summer."  I blame two trips to the other side of the county, one for the Clawson 4th of July Parade and another even longer one about my teeth, which is a follow-up to the problem I mentioned in Teeth and jaws of our inner fish.

Now for the annual report.  Pearl had 21,577 miles when I bought her on July 24, 2015.  Subtracting that from 28,000 miles gives 6423 miles over 369 days.  That translates to 17.41 miles per day, 530.9 miles per standard month, and 6370.8 miles per leap year (6353.4 miles per standard year).  I suspect my driving a hybrid is giving me permission to drive a little more, as I'm consuming less per mile.  That, and the cheap gas prices.

While my driving actually decreased last month, my overall higher mileage this past year puts me in good company, as the U.S. Department of Transportation as quoted by Doug Short reported.

"Travel on all roads and streets changed by 2.0% (5.5 billion vehicle miles) for May 2016 as compared with May 2015." The less volatile 12-month moving average was up 0.17% month-over-month and 3.1% year-over-year. If we factor in population growth, the 12-month MA of the civilian population-adjusted data (age 16-and-over) is up 0.10% month-over-month and up 2.3% year-over-year.

Here's the graph, which I showed to my students this week.


As for my future driving habits, I'll be off work for much of August.  In fact, I'm giving my first final exam today.  May I relax as I work and drive less!

'Hunger Games' at the conventions

I got a chuckle last night watching Hunger Games' Actress Trolls Donald Trump.

On Tuesday evening, 'Hunger Games' actress Elizabeth Banks made her way onto the stage at the Democratic National Convention through light and fog while a classic Queen song played, just as Donald Trump did on night one of his own convention. While at the podium, Banks went on to say, "Some of you know me from The Hunger Games, in which I play Effie Trinket. a cruel, out-of-touch reality TV star who wears insane wigs while delivering long-winded speeches to a violent dystopia. So when I tuned into Cleveland last week I was like, ‘Uh, hey, that’s my act!’”

"Pitch Perfect" line.*

Of course, no mention of the "Hunger Games" in conjunction with the election on this blog would be complete without the Hungry for Power Games.  Follow over the jump for Stephen Colbert as Julius Flickerman visiting both conventions.

Solar Impulse 2 completes trip around the planet

Earlier this month, I wrote that Solar Impulse 2 crossed the Atlantic while I was focused on Brexit.  Today, the solar-powered plane has completed its journey by landing in Abu Dhabi.  Gulf News has the story in Solar Impulse 2 returns to the UAE.

Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg have completed the first ever flight around the world in an airplane fueled only by solar power. The aircraft touched down at 4:05 AM on Tuesday bringing to a close the monumental feat after over a year of circumnavigating the globe.

Congratulations on the achievement! 

Follow over the jump for the significance of the plane and its journey.

John Oliver on feelings over facts and Colbert on Trumpiness

I opened Marble Machine for a Saturday by writing "I'm just not feeling up to dealing with either Trump's acceptance speech or Tim Kaine as Hillary Clinton's pick for Vice President today."  Today, John Oliver made the first part easier by dealing with it himself.

John Oliver discusses last week's unsurprisingly surprising Republican convention.

Thank you, Mr. Oliver, for doing that so I wouldn't have to.  Of course, that's why you're paid the big bucks.

Follow over the jump for how Vox and the Chicago Tribune responded to this segment and tied it to Colbert's "Trumpiness" segment.

Speculative fiction movie nominees at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards, Part 1

At the end of Marble Machine for a Saturday, I told my readers "Stay tuned for Sunday's entertainment feature, which should be a follow up to Speculative Fiction on television at the Teen Choice Awards 2016, this time about the nominated speculative fiction movies."  It's Sunday, so I'm delivering on my promise.

I open with Wochit Entertainment's Teen Choice loves superheroes!

The first round of nomination announcements for the Teen Choice awards are out! Four of the best-represented films are superhero movies from the past year. Despite some backlash from the critics, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice did very well for Teen Choice nominations, including Choice Movie in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category. It also picked up some acting nominations for stars Henry Cavil, Ben Affleck, and Amy Adams. Captain America: Civil War had Choice movie and acting nominations as well. And even though most teens weren't old enough to see the movie, Deadpool managed to bring in Choice Action Adventure movie, and acting nominations. Fantastic Four picked up a Choice movie nomination in Sci-fi and Fantasy.

"Fantastic Four," which got five nominations at the 2016 Razzie Awards and won three of them, including a tie for Worst Picture is one of the nominees?  That's not going to win against any kind of decent competition.  It didn't even get a 2016 Saturn Award nomination for best comic-to-film adaptation.

Speaking of which, follow over the jump for part one of this year's movie nominees and my comments on them.

Marble Machine for a Saturday

I'm just not feeling up to dealing with either Trump's acceptance speech or Tim Kaine as Hillary Clinton's pick for Vice President today.  Instead, I'm going to succumb to my "I can't be all DOOM all the time" mood and share some ingenious technology in the service of music: Wintergatan - Marble Machine (music instrument using 2000 marbles).


Wired explains.

The internet is no stranger to ridiculously complex attempts to make music with technology. But this might be one of the most purely spectacular attempts yet to take something which is now incredibly easy, and make it virtually impossible to comprehend.

The Wintergartan Marble Machine, built by Swedish musician Martin Molin and filmed by Hannes Knutsson, is a hand-made music box that powers a kick drum, bass, vibraphone and other instruments using a hand crank and 2,000 marbles.

The machine has to be seen to be appreciated: with dozens of beautifully carved wooden parts, tracks, pulleys and funnels for collecting and rerouting spent marbles, it's a true work of art. And though marble machines as an art form of their own have a long and complex history, this might be one of the best.

Slate and NPR also have stories on this Rube Goldberg music machine.

Stay tuned for Sunday's entertainment feature, which should be a follow up to Speculative Fiction on television at the Teen Choice Awards 2016, this time about the nominated speculative fiction movies.

Comments and likes for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

"Coming up, the most liked and commented on entries from last year" closed out yesterday's Space and sustainability news for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.  Since today is Flashback Friday on social media, it's another good day for a retrospective.

I already mentioned the most commented on entries from last year in Drink to candidates for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

I begin with Drinks and drinking games for Donald Trump and the GOP debates published August 2, 2015.  It ended the year as the tenth most read entry of the fifth year of this blog with 973 page views and 12 comments, which made it the most commented on entry posted during the fifth year of this blog.  It was not, however, the entry that got the most comments during the blogging year just past.  That honor goes to Science fiction speaks to our current anxieties, which had 46 of its 54 comments posted during last year because of a battle with a gaggle of spammers.  That is a story for another entry...

Actually, I have already told that story in two installments, beginning with Record comments and 500,000 page views for September 2015 and other meta.

Thanks to a battle with several persistent spammers, Science fiction speaks to our current anxieties, posted August 3, 2014, is now the most commented on entry in the history of the blog with 52 comments, half of them deleted.  It started off with eight comments.  Thirty more were posted during September 2015, making this the most commented on entry this month.  Fourteen more came in October, so it will likely be the most commented on entry this month as well.

It continued in Record page views, comments, and 100th follower: Monthly meta for October 2015.

[L]ast month exceeded last month's 74 comments with 89, another new record...I'm  celebrating of the record month by sharing the entries with the most comments, most likes, and most page views, beginning with the post that got the most comments last month, "Science fiction speaks to our current anxieties."  Thanks to a battle with several persistent spammers, this post is now the most commented on entry in the history of the blog with 52 comments, half of them deleted.  Fourteen more came in October, beating out the next entry by eight.

This entry was also among the three that tied for most commented last year, again because of spammers.  As much as I detest spammers, sometimes they can be useful, although I had to resort to quoting Monty Python in response.

Follow over the jump for the entries that got the most pluses on Google+ and saves and likes on Pinterest.

Space and sustainability news for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

I closed Holidays for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News by telling my readers to "Stay tuned for three more entries in this series, space and environment news, comments and likes, and the fate of the top ten posts at the start of the blogging year."  Since it's Throwback Thursday, it's time for the "space and environment news" post, beginning with a hopeful story, President Obama's plan to save the bees from May 20, 2015.

This was the thirteenth most read entry of the past year, earning 603 page views by March 20, 2016.  I be a good environmentalist and recycle the relevant paragraph from Monthly meta for May 2015 to explain how it got most of its readers.

"President Obama's plan to save the bees" was the most read entry of the past month with 476 page views according to the default counter and 489 according to the raw counter.  It earned its page views from being shared in a comment to The Era of Impact at Greer's blog, then at the Coffee Party's main Facebook page, where it reached 37K people, had 966 post clicks, and earned 680 likes.  The post clicks resulted in more than 300 page views from FB alone.  The final push came from Infidel 753 including it as part of his Link round-up for 24 May 2015.

The day after I posted the entry, DNews uploaded the following video.

President Obama has issued a plan to save the bees. What exactly does he want to do, and why does he want to do this?

As I wrote in the original post, "I approve of this Crazy Eddie plan and wish it all the success possible.  Our food supply is depending on it."

That was the top non-climate environment news last year.  Follow over the jump for the top space story.

Twilight Sparkle disapproves of plagiarism

I'm not done with Melania Trump: Rickrolling and Plagiarism, for when Booman asked "what is the stupidest thing you've seen today?"  I responded with how the effort to spin Melania's speech backfired.

Sean Spicer used Akon, John Legend, and My Little Pony to defend Melania's speech.

“Melania Trump said, ‘You work hard for what you want in life.’ Akon said, ‘Work hard for what you get in life.’ John Legend said, ‘Work hard.’”

“You’re quoting Akon and John Legend?” asked MSNBC’s Craig Melvin.

“Hold on, it’s getting better,” said Spicer. “Melania Trump said, ‘The strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.’ Twilight Sparkle from ‘My Little Pony’ said, ‘This is your dream, anything you can do in your dreams.”

John Legend tweeted "I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative."  Tara Strong, who voices Twilight Sparkle, tweeted "This is not Pony Princess approved. I'm Twilight Sparkle & do not approve this message."  She then tweeted "Plagiarism is NOT magic"!  It's only the second day and Twilight Sparkle is reading the Riot Act to the Trump campaign.


I don't know if that's stupid, but it sure is silly.

Even so, it's a better joke than The Rabid Puppies nominating "My Little Pony" for a Hugo.

Melania Trump: Rickrolling and Plagiarism

"Excuse me, I'm going to watch 'Young Za Za Gabor' AKA Melania Trump speak." So read the Facebook status I left last night when I went from one screen to another to watch what I expected to be the highlight of last night's session of the Republican National Convention. I was not disappointed and got more entertainment value than I was expecting. To begin with, Mrs. Trump rickrolled the audience.


I caught that instance of copying at the time, but I didn't catch the next one until after the speech: Comparing Melania Trump and Michelle Obama's speeches.

At least one passage in Melania Trump's speech Monday night at the Republican National Convention plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

I should have been appalled at this. Instead, it amused me even more. Thanks to Melania, I've had my daily dose of irony.

Emmy nominations for acting showcase diversity

I wrote the following program note to conclude Twenty-three Emmy nominations for 'Game of Thrones' may suck the oxygen away from other speculative fiction nominees.

I'll have more on the Emmy Awards tomorrow. In at least one way, they're better than the Oscars.

Wochit Entertainment has the story in 2016 Emmy Nominations Show Diversity Of All Sorts.

The nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced this morning. It showed progress. For the first time ever, all the lead acting categories include at least one actor of color. 21 actors of color received nominations overall, in lead and supporting categories combined. Cuba Gooding Jr.'s portrayal of O.J. Simpson was nominated as well as Viola Davis For Her Role in How to Get Away With Murder, Rami Malek as a genius hacker whose delusions have become our delusions in Mr. Robot and Kerry Washington and Aziz Ansari.

In this way, the Emmys are like the SAG Awards, where diversity was also celebrated.


By the way, one of the performers among the 21 was the first person ever nominated for an acting Emmy for work in "The Walking Dead" franchise. From the Los Angeles Times' Complete list of 2016 Emmy nominees:

Outstanding actress in a short form comedy or drama series

Patrika Darbo, “Acting Dead”
Erinn Hayes, “Childrens Hospital”
Janet Varney, “Everyone's Crazy But Us”
Michelle Ang, “Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462”
Tracie Thoms, “Send Me: an original web series”

Congratulations, Michelle Ang! You managed to do something Andrew Lincoln and the rest of the cast has not been able to achieve in six seasons. I'm hoping you return in “Fear the Walking Dead” proper as an antagonist.

In addition, “Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462” was nominated for Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series. That's something "The Walking Dead" has never done in six seasons, either. It has to content itself with two nominations, one for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special and another for Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Supporting Role. Those are nice, but they aren't Best Drama or Best Actress. That's what the Saturn Awards are for.

Twenty-three Emmy nominations for 'Game of Thrones' may suck the oxygen away from other speculative fiction nominees

"Next week, the Emmys!"  That's how I ended Speculative Fiction on television at the Teen Choice Awards 2016.  Since it's "next week," it's time to fulfill my promise.

Once again, The Wall Street Journal has the top story in 'Game of Thrones' Grabs 23 Emmy 2016 Nominations.

HBO series 'Game of Thrones' led the way Thursday at the announcement of the nominations for 2016 Emmys, which will take place in September. The WSJs Lee Hawkins discusses some of the other nominees.

Looks like "Game of Thrones" could have two big nights at the Emmy Awards again.  I just hope it doesn't suck all the oxygen out of the air from the rest of the speculative fiction shows nominated, like it did last year.

Follow over the jump for the categories in which the show has been nominated.

Trump-Pence: TP for Cornholio's bunghole

When I last mentioned The Penguin The Donald, I wrote that he was worse than George Wallace.  That written, I was hoping his pick for Vice President would provide more entertainment than Wallace's running mate Curtis LeMay.  In particular, I commented and repeated "please, let it be either Gingrich or Palin--the laughs will keep coming all the way to Election Day!"  Newt Gingrich was in the running as was Chris Christie, but as the following clip from Stephen Colbert shows, Mike Pence got the nod instead.

Time to check your Vice-Presidential fantasy league. If you picked Mike Pence, you might be a winner.

Colbert had so much fun with Pence as Trump's VP pick that he opened his monologue the next day with America's Got Mike Pence Fever!

Excitement about Trump's running-mate announcement has spread like a contagion. The main symptom of Pence Fever: Knowing who Mike Pence is.

I knew who he was, but I have never blogged about him before.*  Time for a Mike Pence label.


The hilarity continued when Trump's campaign released its new logo incorporating Pence as its pick.  Legal Insurrection, Huffington Post, and Wonkette all had field days documenting the hilarious reactions to the unfortunate graphic design.  My favorite was one that captured the first thought I had when I saw the logo.


For those of you who don't get the joke, here's a video demonstrating it.


*Snork*  Now I know what to call Mike Pence--Cornholio!


Now I've found the hilarity in Mike Pence as Trump's running mate.  It almost makes up for Gingrich not being on the ticket--almost.  Let's see if Cornholio can provide more comedic inspiration between now and November.

ETA: Raw Story just reported "After a day of ridicule for a poorly designed Trump/Pence campaign logo that launched a thousand memes, the Trump campaign disappeared the design from their official website overnight."  Well, that was quick.

*Nor have I blogged about his most notorious act as Indiana Governor, signing Indiana Senate Bill 101, titled the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  That was actually perfect for me, because it was about social justice, drum corps, and gaming.  Yes, really.  Maybe I should write about it.  Better late than never.

Holidays for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

I concluded Republicans in the news for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News by writing "the next installment in this series will be about a topic I enjoy much more than either Schuette or Trump--holidays!"  Since I just finished celebrating the last of three patriotic holidays and it's also a Flashback Friday, I can think of no more appropriate time for this entry.


I begin with the fourteenth most read entry of the past blogging year, Liberty vs. Security on Bastille Day.  As of March 20, 2016, it had a total of 528 page views according to the raw counter.  Like all the rest of the top entries, I'm being a good environmentalist and recycling how it got most of them.

The third most viewed entry of the month and the single most viewed one actually posted during July 2015 was Liberty vs. Security on Bastille Day posted July 14, 2015.  I shared this visual commentary on the Coffee Party Facebook page.  Infidel 753 then linked to it.  Between the two, it earned 445 page views, 446 according to the raw counter.  That was enough to earn it the new entry trophy for the month.

I shared it at the Coffee Party Facebook page again late last night and it has earned more page views in the past 12 hours than it has in the previous 12 months.  Considering what happened last night in Nice, France, I'm not surprised.

A truck drove into the streets of the French resort city of Nice during the French equivalent of Independence Day, also known as Bastille Day. The event took place at 10:30 during Bastille Day Fireworks. The French media has reported that at least 84 people were killed during the attack. The driver drove for over a mile on the city's main street.

I detest Daesh AKA The Sith Jihad, but I hope the French don't sacrifice their liberty while fighting them.

Follow over the jump for two more holiday entries that made the top 20 last year.

'City of Light' for Bastille Day

Happy Bastille Day!  This year, I'm going to celebrate the third patriotic holiday of July the same way that I did July 4th the past three years and Canada Day this year--making it a drum corps holiday.  It so happens that I have just the corps: 2015 Phantom Regiment - City of Light.

Rockford, IL – 7TH PLACE 90.325

There were images of Parisian icons scattered throughout "City of Light," including architectural landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral flying buttresses, and the Moulin Rouge windmill. A shopping spree featured a Coco Chanel logo on flags and in a drill formation, and flowers from the city’s gardens filled the field with color. It was like being in Paris, without experiencing jet lag to get there.
...
“An American In Paris” by George Gershwin © 1929 WB Music Corp.; “Clair de Lune” from Suite Bergamasque by Claude Debussy, Arr. Donald Hill © Phantom Regiment, Inc.; “Horoscope” (Orchestral Suite from the ballet) by Constant Lambert © Oxford University Press 1939; “I Love Paris” by Cole Porter © Chappell & Co.; “Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78 (Organ Symphony)” by Camille Saint-Saëns, Arr. Donald Hill © Phantom Regiment, Inc.

And now, a full run-through the opening of the show from a few weeks earlier.

Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps performing at Benton High School in Bossier, Louisiana. City of Light

Vive Le France!

Bye, Bye, Bernie!

In the opening paragraph of Drum corps for the New Jersey Primary, I saw the end of Bernie Sanders' campaign coming.

Even without the Associated Press announcing yesterday that Clinton has enough delegates to win the nomination, I expected that today would be Bernie Sanders' last stand.  Just the same, he has a chance to go out on a high note with at least one victory tonight, as Montana and South Dakota, two likely Sanders states, and New Mexico, a likely Clinton state, also vote today.  He could go on a very high note if he upsets Clinton in California.  Whatever the outcome, this Sanders supporter is now ready for Hillary.

I followed up in Drum corps for the California primary, where I wrote "I'm now ready for Hillary and I'll be taking my Bernie magnet off Pearl tomorrow."  That's exactly what I did.

However, Sanders didn't concede, resulting in this opening to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the next night.

A rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of our Hungry For Power Games host captures the moment when he learns that Tribute Sanders is still in the race.

Then yesterday, this happened.

Sen. Bernie Sanders officially endorsed presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, saying he is teaming up with his primary rival to defeat Donald Trump. CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports.

Looks like Bernie is now ready for Hillary and thinks he's stronger together by being with her, even if a few of his followers aren't.  Now Stephen can play Caesar Flickerman in the Hungry For Power Games: Bernie Sanders.

Now that Senator Sanders has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton for President, it's time to bid farewell to one of the last remaining tributes.

Bye, Bye, Bernie!  Time to toast you with a Bernie Paloma or an Old Vermont Cocktail New link.*


Now, on to the conventions and the general election!

*Tipsy Bartender, Mr. ShoBiz isn't.  I'll need a drink just to deal with watching that video. ETA: After I left a comment to that effect on the video, Mr. ShoBiz made it private. Now there are no videos of Old Vermont Cocktails on YouTube. That written, the image above is an improvement!

Drum corps goes viral

I have been calling drum corps an endangered cultural institution on this blog since 2012.  Back then, I "expect[ed] Peak Oil, economic decline, and social upheaval to end the national touring model, which has been around since 1971, by 2020."  I said that "drum corps' hopes...rest on the one thing that makes Americans act, messing with their entertainment.  Americans want their entertainment, and will do just about anything to keep it going."  This week, as a relief from shootings by and of police, drum corps gave Americans their entertainment as the following video went viral.


Stories about this video popped up on AOL, Mashable, Jezebel, Huffington Post, and several television stations, including Fox 25 in Boston (of course).  This is exactly the kind of attention that the activity needs for its continued survival and I welcome it.

It's not just this video.  Odyssey Online has extensive coverage of drum corps in their news and features site for Millennials.  Also, Dwayne Johnson is recording a reality show about drum corps this summer that will air on Fuse later this year.  I have never seen so much mainstream coverage of drum corps in my life as this summer. I also remember when I marched, fans and members wished for more exposure for "the best youth activity no one has ever heard of." Well, they're all getting their wish. Happy now?  I am, and I haven't been this optimistic about the future of The Activity in a decade.

2016 may not be 1968, but Trump is worse than Wallace

I opened June's stats and top posts with a statement of revulsion and despair.

I'm having a reaction to this week's news much like I did when I posted Grumpy Cat rates this past weekend.  The result was a retreat into life imitating art and three retrospectives before coming up for air.  The most I can say today is that it's still 1968 and the year is only half over.  I might have more to say by Monday.

The idea that we are at 1968 levels of political conflict has become so widespread that it got a lot of attention from the media over the weekend.  Jonathon Chait noted the analogy on Friday at New York Magazine.

It has been especially strained during a presidential campaign in which Republicans nominated a race-baiting demagogue for president. And last night, when a gunman murdered police officers during a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, it appeared to reach a kind of breaking point. In the feverish late-night heat, race-baiters at the New York Post, Breitbart, and Matt Drudge stoked a race war they clearly craved. It was 1968 again, more than a few observers said. Everything seemed to be coming apart.

So did Libby Nelson at Vox.

On Wednesday night, a sniper shot 14 people, killing 5, near the end of a protest against police brutality in Dallas. The shooting followed two killings of African-American men by police earlier in the week, and the deadliest mass shooting in American history in Orlando, Florida, less than a month ago.

The sense of instability — plus the chaotic Republican campaign of Donald Trump — brought one comparison to mind for many in the media: 1968.

The superficial parallels are obvious: Shocking gun violence. A nation convulsing over racism and inequality. A chaotic presidential campaign featuring populist candidates who gleefully paint nonwhite people as the enemy.

The reference to 1968 — even, and maybe especially, by people who don’t remember the year themselves — may also be to a national mood. It’s a feeling captured by William Butler Yeats in his apocalyptic poem, The Second Coming: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold / Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” 1968 is a shorthand for a fear of institutions breaking down, or a fear of new wounds that will leave scars that persist for generations.

There are similar comparisons at Reuters, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, and Talking Points Memo.  The Reuters piece noticed another similarity besides the mood and level of political conflict.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 1968 and 2016 are both the Year of the Monkey. But maybe we should call this the Year of the Ghost Monkey of 1968. From the presidential primaries to the convention platform battles to bloody mayhem in the streets, 1968 is the go-to, default metaphor for what we seem to be reliving.

This year, like 1968, is certainly one of bitter conflict and wrenching change.

Yes, nearly all of these articles refer back to 1968.  However, they also make a strong point that things aren't as bad as they were then.  Follow over the jump for the pushback to the meme, including one example of how today actually is worse.

Speculative Fiction on television at the Teen Choice Awards 2016

I concluded 'Star Wars' and 'The Walking Dead' were big winners at the 2016 Saturn Awards with a look ahead.

I'm not done with the television season just ended.  the Emmy Awards will be announced July 14.  Stay tuned.

That won't happen until Thursday and I promise I'll blog about the nominees next Sunday.  Today, I'm going to satisfy my awards show craving by looking at the science fiction, fantasy, and horror entries among the television nominees for the Teen Choice Awards, the final wave of which were announced Thursday July 7th and which have been compiled at Wikipedia.  I'll start with the series awards, then the actors, then scenes.

Choice TV Show: Drama

Empire
Gotham
Grey's Anatomy
Pretty Little Liars
Rosewood
Shades of Blue

My favorite superhero show "Gotham" is up here with the big boys and girls.  It should be happy just to be nominated, as I'm sure it won't win.  It's up against last year's Breakout winner "Empire" as well as perennial champion "Pretty Little Liars," which beat "Empire" in this category last year.  The only one of this group of nominees that I watch is "Grey's Anatomy," but I'd be tempted to vote for "Empire" sight unseen; "Grey's Anatomy" won back in 2007, which is about right for when the show's best days were.  Still, "Pretty Little Liars" should be the favorite.

Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Arrow
The Flash
iZombie
Once Upon a Time
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries

My favorite of the bunch is "Once Upon a Time" and my second favorite is "Supernatural."  Meanwhile, "The Flash" won the Saturn for Best Superhero Show and "The Vampire Diaries" won last year's Teen Choice in this category.  In fact, it's won every year.  It's the favorite, regardless of my 50+ opinion.

Choice TV: Breakout Show

Legends of Tomorrow
Lucifer
Quantico
Shadowhunters
Stitchers
Supergirl

Every one of these shows is a speculative fiction show except "Quantico," which is an action show and therefore still genre entertainment.  My favorite among them is "Lucifer," which I'm planning on nominating for Best Fantasy Television Show at next year's Saturn Awards.  My wife and I couldn't wait to watch it on Monday nights. My second favorite is "Quantico," which my wife and I got a week or two behind at the end of the season.  Number three is "Stichers," which we gave up on, even though we enjoyed it.  Our other favorite shows came back on in the fall and we only had so much TV watching time.  We might go back to it.  The same things are true about "Supergirl," which I expect will probably win.

Choice TV Show: Animated

Descendants: Wicked World
Family Guy
Gravity Falls
Over the Garden Wall
The Simpsons
Steven Universe

There are some good speculative fiction shows here, but I doubt any of them will win.  Either "Family Guy" or "The Simpsons" has taken home the surfboard this decade and I expect one or the other will do so again.

Choice Summer TV Show

Baby Daddy
The Fosters
Girl Meets World
So You Think You Can Dance
Teen Wolf
Young & Hungry

There is only one speculative fiction show in the bunch, "Teen Wolf."  However, it won last year.

Follow over the jump for the acting and scene nominees.

Republicans in the news for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News

I concluded June's stats and top posts by telling my readers to "Stay tuned for the next installment in the top entries of the fifth year of the blog, picking up where I left off at Drink to candidates for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News."  It's tomorrow (barely), so it's time to fulfill that promise.

The eleventh most read entry of the previous blogging year was Michigan Attorney General launches investigation into Flint water crisis from January 26, 2016.  It earned 834 page views according to the raw counter by 11:59 PM on March 20, 2016.  I'll be a good environmentalist and recycle the explanation for how it got most of those page views from Monthly meta for February 2016.

The number one entry during February and the winner of the Revenge of the Back Catalog trophy goes to "Michigan Attorney General launches investigation into Flint water crisis" posted January 26, 2016.  Sharing it at the Coffee Party USA Facebook page earned it 759 page views during February and 819 overall according to the raw counter.  Behold the power of the Coffee Party!

That's a common theme among the top entries of last year.  Kunstler and Greer are becoming less of a factor in determining this blog's top entries, although they still play a part.

Follow over the jump for another top post about a Republican politician I dislike, even if he is good for page views.

June's stats and top posts

I'm having a reaction to this week's news much like I did when I posted Grumpy Cat rates this past weekend.  The result was a retreat into life imitating art and three retrospectives before coming up for air.  The most I can say today is that it's still 1968 and the year is only half over.  I might have more to say by Monday.  For now, I plan retrospectives for today and tomorrow and an entertainment entry on Sunday while I get over my revulsion and despair.*

Today's retrospective is the monthly meta for June 2016, which was the best June ever with 16,212 page views and 30 comments for 33 posts over 30 days.  That translates to 540.4 page views per day, 491.3 page views per post, one comment per day, and 0.91 comments per day.  The blog may have fallen slightly short of my goal of 16,500 page views per month, but the blog has averaged 18,421 page views per month for the past three months, so I'm doing just fine.

Before the actual top tens, I'm sharing the top posts by other metrics, beginning with "Star Wars Drinks for Star Wars Day" from May 4, 2015, which was the most pinned on Pinterest with 3 pins and one like during June.

Next, "Drink to candidates for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News" from June 17, 2016 was the most commented on entry with six comments, thanks to Paul W. of You Might Notice a Trend and Ahab of The Republic of Gilead dropping by.  Despite all the comments, the post earned only 68 page views according to the raw counter.

Honorarable mention goes to "Sometimes, it isn't such a quiet neighborhood" from September 17, 2011. This back catalog entry popped up on the last day of the month with 102 page views, which would have placed it 11th overall.  As I wrote about May, this was still an appropriate entry, as my current neighborhood continues to be busy and noisy with construction of new homes across the street.

Follow over the jump for the countdowns of the top ten most read, both posted during the month and overall for June.

Clawson 4th of July Parade

I concluded A drum corps 4th of July from the Troopers by mentioning what I'd be doing for the holiday.

Happy Fourth of July!  Enjoy your Independence Day celebration while I march in a parade.


I'll be sure to report on it later this month.  Stay tuned!

I'll start with something that happened that I didn't see, but WXYZ did: Firefighter proposes to girlfriend during Clawson 4th of July parade

One local couple was creating their own fireworks at the Clawson 4th of July parade Monday morning.

That's a cool story and I'm glad to have caught it online.  I was about an hour behind with Cyndi Peltonen and her family and volunteers, the same people I marched with two years ago.  The experience was just as fun, but a lot less dramatic than two years ago, when I joined them at the last minute, after the following photo was taken.


This year, I decorated her car and a trailer with signs, then marched carrying an American flag.  In my 41 years of marching, I'd never done that in a parade before.  That was the good news.  The bad news was that I didn't pass out any candy this year.  That's one of my favorite parts of the parade.  On the other hand, a Navy veteran saluted the flag as it passed.  I saw him, realized I should have military bearing, then marched at attention, eyes front, as he saluted.  That was an uncanny experience.

I also met Crystal Proxmire, whose videos and news reports I'd been including here since 2013.  She was there covering the parade.  We had a great conversation as we walked down the parade route for several blocks.  Great meeting you, Crystal!   Looking forward to talking to you again!

We got to the end of the parade, where the fair was already set up.  WXYZ showed the attractions in WXYZ: Firework show in Clawson brings out big crowds.

The Fourth of July holiday came with a big display in Clawson. The firework show brought huge crowds to the city.

On the bus ride back to the start of the parade, I ran into advocates for the Regional rapid transit plan for Metro Detroit.  The taxes to support the plan will likely be on the November ballot.  Look for me to cover that issue at least once this fall.

All in all, it was another fun parade.  I'm looking forward to doing it again in 2018.

Solar Impulse 2 crossed the Atlantic while I was focused on Brexit

While I was paying attention to Brexit and its aftermath, I was ignoring one of my usual stories, Solar Impulse 2.  At the same time that the U.K. was voting on whether to leave the E.U., it was completing its flight from New York City to Seville, Spain.  Euronews has video of Solar Impulse ll welcomed to Seville Airport by Spanish Air Force.

Solar Impulse II has landed in the Spain's Seville Airport after an often turbulent flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

The experimental solar-powered plane was welcomed by the Spanish Air Force's aerobatic team with an impressive display.

Here's the fighter squadron giving Solar Impulse 2 a colorful welcome.


Wow!

Of course, one of my entries would not be complete without a reaction from the pilot explaining why this flight is taking place.  Take it away, CNN!

Piccard had been preparing for the flight for "years and years," saying he'd been long inspired by the pioneers who wanted to cross the Atlantic to prove their way of transportation was mature.

"I met [American aviator] Charles Lindbergh when I was a child. I saw the balloons, the airships, the hot air balloons, steamboats -- you know, every means of transportation wanted to cross the Atlantic, and now for the first time it's a solar-powered airplane," he said.

"What I'd like to show with my team is that clean technology today is showing incredible goals. You can fly now longer without fuel than with fuel, and you fly with the force of nature, you fly with the sun. It's the new era now for energy and this is really what we'd like to inspire people to do," he said.

CNN also explains where the plane will fly next.

After crossing the Atlantic, Borschberg is now scheduled to fly to Egypt, and Piccard will likely pilot the plane on the final, historic leg from there back to Abu Dhabi.

They plan to fly the final leg of the journey by late summer, completing a 27,000-mile (35,000-kilometer) trip around the world.

Good luck and safe travels!

Juno arrives at Jupiter

July 4th wasn't all fireworks, barbecue, drinks and drum corps.  A serious space science event happened late yesterday.  CNN has the story in NASA's Juno spacecraft finally reaches Jupiter.

After traveling 1.8 billion miles over five years, NASA's Juno spacecraft has reached Jupiter. Juno is the first spacecraft in more than a decade to orbit the planet.

Associated Press shows the scene from mission control in Welcome to Jupiter! NASA Spacecraft in Orbit.

A NASA solar-powered spacecraft has entered orbit around Jupiter on Monday to explore the giant planet. Ground controllers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory erupted in applause when the solar-powered Juno spacecraft beamed home news.

For more, read Juno probe enters into orbit around Jupiter from the BBC.  In particular, note that the spacecraft is not yet in its final orbit.  That will happen in mid-October, when the spacecraft adjusts its orbit from its current very elongated one that takes 53 days to a less eccentric one that takes only 14.  As the BBC says, that's when the real science will begin.  Stay tuned.

A drum corps 4th of July from the Troopers

Last night, I told my readers "I'm not done with the holiday.  Stay tuned for another drum corps 4th of July!"  Since I'm an environmentalist, I'm going to recycle videos from two years ago as well as this April mixed in with new material.

I begin with the 1986 Troopers performing their trademark sunburst to Aaron Copland's "The Red Pony."


That's not all from 1986.  Here's the chorale version of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as a pseudo color presentation.

The corps opened its 1986 production with "American Salute," based on the Civil War era song, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." "Silverado" caught the dynamic flavor of settling the Old West, complete with a hoedown. The reverence of "Prayer of Thanksgiving" was followed by the Americana exuberance of Copland's "The Red Pony" and the corps' trademark "Sunburst" drill maneuver.

What pushed this show over the edge into patriotic splendor was the slow tempo "Battle Hymn of the Republic," with eight red, white and blue banners unfurled as if the rays of the sun rising over a new day of honor. With the entire corps surrounded by red, white and blue flags, this show couldn't have been more patriotic had the corps spelled out "AMERICA" across the field.

What could be more patriotic and more Troopers than this show from 30 years ago?  Follow over the jump to find out!

Drinks for 4th of July from Tipsy Bartender

I concluded Drink and drinking game for last day of Shark Week 2016 with this program note.

I'll have more from Tipsy Bartender tomorrow, when I present this year's edition of Drink recipes for July 4th from Tipsy Bartender.  Stay tuned and stay tipsy!

I begin with the most recent video, Awesome 4th of July Drinks (video has been taken down, so I've substituted the following preview image).

We give you two super fun drinks for the 4th of July holiday!
...
4TH OF JULY IN A BOTTLE
Red Layer:
1 oz. (30ml) Strawberry Vodka
Frozen Strawberries
1 oz. (30ml) Strawberry Daiquiri Mix
1 oz. (30ml) Grenadine
Diced Strawberries

White Layer:
1 oz. (30ml) Coconut Vodka
1 oz. (30ml) Cream of Coconut
2 oz. (60ml) Pina Colada Drink

Blue Layer:
Blueberries
1 oz. (30ml) Blue Raspberry Vodka
2 oz. (60ml) Blue Curacao

THE DIVERSITY BOMB SHOT
Blue Raspberry Vodka
Blue Curacao
Pina Colada Drink
Coconut Rum
Grenadine

I think Inna was trying to say either oppressed or repressed when she said that "women are pressed in Russia."

That was the most recent video Skyy has posted for this holiday.  Follow over the jump for the oldest on his Fourth of July playlist.

Drink and drinking game for last day of Shark Week 2016

For today's entertainment entry, I'm going return to what I did last year, share a drink and drinking game for Shark Week.  Since today is the last day of this year's event, it's none too soon!

Like last year's entry, the drink comes from Tipsy Bartender: How to make a Shark Attack Shot.

One of the coolest looking shots ever...THE SHARK ATTACK SHOT!

SHARK ATTACK SHOT
1oz. (30ml) Tequila
Splash Blue Curacao
3 oz. (90ml) Lemon Lime Soda
1/2 oz. (15ml) Grenadine
1/2 oz. (15ml) UV Cherry

Inna is right about this shot--it looks bloody.

Follow over the jump for the drinking game.

Latest poll has Clinton leading Trump by fifteen percent in Michigan

Wednesday, a poll conducted by pollster Evolving Strategies for Ballotpedia reported that presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton leading presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in Michigan by seventeen points.  The next day, June 30, pollster Greenberg Quinlan Rosner released a poll commissioned by Democracy Corps showing Clinton with a lead of fifteen percent in the Great Lakes State.

The survey of 300 likely Michigan voters found forty-eight percent supporting Clinton, thirty-three percent favoring Trump, and twelve percent answering they would vote for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson.  This was Clinton's largest lead in any of the nine battleground states surveyed, which included the Rust Belt states of New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in addition to Michigan along with the Sun Belt states of Arizona, Florida, Nevada, and North Carolina, which the polling firm classified as "diverse states."

Clinton led Trump by an average of eight percent in all nine states, whether Rust Belt or Sun Belt.  However, she had a lower level of support in the Rust Belt states, forty-four percent in the Rust Belt as opposed to forty-seven percent in those labeled diverse.  Trump's average also dropped, falling from thirty-nine percent in the diverse states to thirty-six percent in the Rust Belt.

After Michigan, Clinton had the largest lead in Wisconsin, where she was ahead of Trump by twelve percent.  Florida came next with twelve percent, followed by North Carolina with ten percent and Pennsylvania at nine percent.

The poll found Clinton and Trump tied in Nevada, New Hampshire, and Ohio.  Trump led only in Arizona with a margin of six percent.

Johnson was the one candidate who fared better in the Rust Belt.  An average of thirteen percent of those responding in the Rust Belt states supported him, while only nine percent of those in the diverse states did.  He earned the most support in Wisconsin with sixteen percent and the least in North Carolina with eight percent.

Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com included the poll in his presidential election forecast, but it had little effect on the projected outcome. Clinton's odds of winning Michigan remained at ninety-one percent, Trump at just over nine percent, and Johnson at two-tenths of a percent chance of winning the state.  Clinton is still projected to receive just less than fifty percent of the vote in the state and Trump a little more than thirty-eight percent, while Johnson's projected vote share fell from nearly eleven percent to just over ten percent between Thursday and Friday.

Canadian drum corps for Canada Day

Happy Canada Day!  To celebrate the first of three patriotic holidays I observe during July at this blog, I'm going to do what I've done for the 4th of July and Flag Day--make it a drum corps holiday with corps from north of the border.

I begin with the 1976 Oakland Crusaders playing "El Gato Triste."


1976 may have been the USA's bicentennial, but it was the only year two Canadian corps made DCI Finals.  Here is the other, the Seneca Optimists.

The Seneca Optimists earned a spot as a finalist corps in its first year of a merger between the Seneca Princemen (founded in 1972) and Toronto Optimists (founded in 1952). The new corps was particularly noted for its bright yellow uniform jackets.

The corps’ 10th-place 1976 production kicked off with “5th Movement, Rondo: Finale” from Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 7,” a movement Mahler referred to as “bright day” after the “night pieces” of the second and fourth movements and the “shadow-like” waltz of the third. Premiered in 1908, the symphony remains the least recorded of his 10 symphonies. The Optimists stated the main theme with brass players goose-stepping toward the center of the field while playing to the front.

Follow over the jump for more Canadian corps from the 1980s to the 2000s.

Examiner.com article on Clinton leading Trump by 17% in Michigan

Hillary Clinton, seen here campaigning in New Jersey, has a seventeen percent lead over Donald Trump in Michigan according to the latest poll.
Photo by Getty Images/Spencer Platt

Poll shows Clinton leading Trump by seventeen points in Michigan

A poll of Michigan and six other battleground states released Wednesday, June 29, shows presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton leading presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in Michigan and six other states.  The poll, commissioned by Ballotpedia and conducted by Evolving Strategies, showed Clinton leading Trump in a two-way race by seventeen points in the Great Lakes State, the largest margin in the seven states surveyed.

Evolving Strategies also asked about voters' preferences in a three-way contest including Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson.  Clinton maintained her seventeen-point lead over Trump in Michigan and also had a thirty-seven point lead over Johnson.
...
In a two-way contest, the poll reported fifty percent of those surveyed in Michigan supported Clinton, while thirty-three percent favored Trump with sixteen percent preferring neither of them and one percent refusing to answer.  In a three-way race, Clinton's support dropped to forty-seven percent and Trump's to thirty percent, while Johnson earned fourteen percent.  Eight percent favored none of the three while two percent refused to answer.
...
Silver included the poll in his presidential election forecast.  As a result, he found that Clinton has an eighty percent chance of winning the election and a nearly ninety-one percent chance of winning Michigan.  Trump had just over nine percent, while Johnson had a two-tenths of a percent chance of winning the state.  Silver projected that Clinton would get about fifty percent of the vote in the state, Trump thirty-eight percent, and Johnson nearly eleven percent.

Click on the link at the headline for more, including a video from Wochit.  Unfortunately, it's not this one: Kasich Says He Is Beating Trump In Polls.

John Kasich dropped from the presidential race nearly two months ago, but his campaign is still arguing that he would be the best Republican candidate to take on Hillary Clinton -- not Donald Trump. The Ohio governor's top political adviser claimed Wednesday that polls show Kasich beating Clinton in swing states and Trump getting crushed. Kasich has not endorsed Trump and refuses to speak at the presumptive nominee's convention, even though it will take place in his home state.

Good luck trying to get the convention delegates to Dump Trump and nominate you, Governor.

Stay tuned for a Canada Day entry.