Yesterworld Entertainment recounts 'The Troubled History of The Nightmare Before Christmas'

Happy Sunday! For this week's holiday-themed entertainment feature, I'm sharing Yesterworld Entertainment recounting The Troubled History of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

A deep dive into the tedious development history and making of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Where did the idea come from? Why did it take over 10 years to get made? How did it take over 2 years to actually make? Was Tim Burton the director? We’ll explore all of this and more!

Something I learned once the YouTube algorithm recommended theme park videos to me as another subgenre of urban exploration when I began examining the Retail Apocalypse is that no good idea at Disney ever really dies. It eventually gets revived and used somewhere in the parks. Yesterworld Mark's video shows the same is true of movies. That gives me hope I will see a Revan/Knights of the Old Republic project before I pass. May the Old Republic be a better time period than the High Republic, the setting of The Acolyte, which turned out not to be a good idea. Darn.*

This is about to become an airing of grievances, which fits better with Festivus. I have a much more significant set of grievances to air tomorrow, so stay tuned.

*Speaking of bad Star Wars ideas, Yesterworld Mark has a video about the Star Wars Holiday Special. I'm saving that for a snowy day. After all, I'm an environmentalist. I don't just recycle, I conserve my resources.

For Yule/Winter Solstice, Monstrum asks 'Why Do These Christmas Monsters Want To Destroy the World?'

Happy Winter Solstice and Yule! Like last year and the year before, I'm celebrating by sharing the latest video from Monstrum on PBS Storied, Why Do These Christmas Monsters Want To Destroy the World?

The Greek Christmas monster Kallikantzaros is a mischievous, goblin-like creature that emerges during the 12 days of Christmas to wreak havoc—peeing in food, draining life force, and even feasting on flesh. Rooted in ancient Greek traditions, this wild legend makes the holidays just a little bit creepier!

I appreciate this episode of Monstrum for no other reason than Dr. Z using an obscure creature from Grimm to make a point. That was a fun show that made its own point that Portland was so weird and charming that fairy tale monsters could be running around in the city and no one would notice. Also, I hadn't heard of Kallikantzaros before I watched this video, so I learned something new. It's always a good day when I learn something new.

Speaking of weird and obscure, I suspect at least one writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert watches Monstrum, as the subjects of the past two years' Christmas creature videos both appear in Trump, Musk May Force Gov't Shutdown | Bird Flu Leaps To Humans | Christmas Around The World.

Some people are calling Elon Musk "president" after President-elect Trump followed Musk's lead in coming out against the House Republicans’ spending bill, the first severe human case of bird flu has been reported in the U.S., and Stephen takes a look at some of the world's strangest Christmas traditions.

I think Elon Musk, convicted criminal Donald Trump, and the bird flu outbreak are more scary than either the Yule Cat or Mari Lwyd. Like Stephen, I'll have something new to say about all of them plus the drones in the new year, because I'm in holiday and year-end retrospective mode until January 3, 2025. Stay tuned.

PBS Terra explains 'The AMOC Might Be WAY More Unstable Than We Thought...Here's Why'

For today's evergreen entry that I can share next month, which is also next year, I'm revisiting the topic of 'Weathered' on PBS asks 'Is This Crucial Ocean Current About to COLLAPSE?' Watch as PBS Terra explains The AMOC Might Be WAY More Unstable Than We Thought...Here's Why.

There is a mysterious cold blob in the North Atlantic that could be a warning sign that the largest heat transfer system on the planet, the AMOC, is on the brink of collapse. But it turns out that the AMOC’s collapse is a highly debated topic among scientists – climate models are inconsistent and there isn’t enough observational data to determine a trend. So, perhaps the answer to understand a possible AMOC collapse is to go back in time.

In this episode, we talk to three paleoclimate experts who look at the Earth’s past climate and find some really shocking things about the AMOC’s past behavior. And it turns out that the mysterious cold blob may actually be a bigger deal than we realize…

I'm a paleontologist who has researched late Pleistocene climate, so I approve of this approach. As I wrote in Prehistoric lions of Eurasia and North America for World Lion Day 2022, "one of the points of paleontology is to learn from the past and apply the knowledge gained to the present." That's even more true of paleoclimatology.

Like last time, I'm recycling the rest of my response from Susan Lozier at TED asks 'Is Climate Change Slowing Down the Ocean?' and PBS Terra asks 'Is Earth's Largest Heat Transfer Really Shutting Down?'

This is not a new concern, as Al Gore described it in "An Inconvenient Truth." I asked about it specifically in the worksheet I used in one of my classes, which I reproduced in Hot (not): a cold blast from the past along with an answer.

What is the likely effect of the melting of the Greenland ice cap on ocean circulation and global climate?

In the movie, the idea is that the release of meltwater from a large glacial lake diluted the Gulf Stream, causing the water to become less dense and unable to sink to the bottom of the ocean off Greenland, jamming up the global thermohaline circulation and sending the planet back into an ice age for another thousand years. An analogous melt of water from the Greenland icecap, which is beginning to happen, would do much the same thing, slowing ocean circulation and cooling Europe. Both of those are indeed taking place.

The movie came out seventeen [now eighteen] years ago and I wrote the above more than ten years ago. It's not as if we weren't warned.

Speaking of which, PBS Terra listed the Greenland ice sheet and the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) last September in PBS Terra asks 'What Will Earth Look Like When These 6 Tipping Points Hit?' I'm reusing my reaction from that post as well.

Watching all that reminds me that none of these threats are new, so my reaction isn't either.

First, welcome to the 400 ppm world. Second, are you scared enough by climate change? My readers should be.

Hey, I'm an environmentalist; I recycle.

I'm not the only one recycling a subject; PBS Terra's previous video is the latest in a series that began with PBS examines the risks from a major earthquake in the Pacific Northwest and continued with PBS Terra explains 'Here's EXACTLY What to Do When the Next Megaquake Hits: Cascadia Subduction Zone' and PBS Terra asks 'What's the ONE THING You Can Do To Survive a Tsunami?' I will almost certainly cover that in a future entry, but I already have my own series of holiday and year-end retrospective posts planned through the end of the year, beginning with a celebration of the Winter Solstice/Yule. Stay tuned.

Company Man asks 'The Decline of California Pizza Kitchen...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic

While I examined a retail giant in Company Man explains 'Walmart - Why They're Hated' for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day, I haven't written a true Retail Apocalypse post since Company Man asks 'The Decline of TGI Fridays...What Happened?' A tale of the Retail Apocalypse, so it's time to return to Company Man as he asks The Decline of California Pizza Kitchen...What Happened?

California Pizza Kitchen is a unique chain of restaurants that has been struggling. This video outlines each of its six owners while attempting to identify the reasons behind its decline.

I've blogged repeatedly about Chuck E. Cheese this decade, beginning with Chuck E. Cheese, GNC, and Tuesday Morning all file for bankruptcy, tales of the Retail Apocalypse during the pandemic, then Company Man explains the rise and fall of Chuck E. Cheese's, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic, Business Insider and CNBC explain the rise and fall of Chuck E. Cheese, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic, The rise, fall, rise, and fall again of Chuck E. Cheese, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, Bright Sun Films presents 'Bankrupt - Chuck E Cheese's', a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, and most recently 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' returns after winning two Emmy Awards with 'A History of Chuck E. Cheese,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse. California Pizza Kitchen barely merited a mention near the end of Ruby Tuesday and Sizzler file for bankruptcy, tales of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic. The restaurant chain deserved more and, thanks to Company Man Mike, it got the attention I should have given it years ago.

That's today's post worth sharing next month, which will be next year. Stay tuned for another evergreen entry tomorrow.

'Weathered: Earth's Extremes' asks 'What Happens When the Land Runs Out?'

I made two notes to myself at the end of 'Weathered' on PBS Terra asks 'Has Earth Already Crossed MAJOR Tipping Points?'

The description mentioned groundwater, but the video itself didn't include anything about the subject. Just the same, reading it reminded me that I show a Wall Street Journal video about groundwater depletion to my students and I should embed it here. I should also embed the next episode, which PBS Terra uploaded yesterday. That won't happen until next month. Stay tuned.

Time for the next episode, What Happens When the Land Runs Out? Earth's Extremes: Full Episode.

The Weathered crew traveled all over the US and abroad to answer pressing questions about our changing climate in our new series, Weathered, Earth's Extremes. Maiya and the team worked so hard on this show -- we can't wait for you to watch it!

Maiya May is on a mission to understand the impacts of climate change and how to stop it. She brings viewers along to learn where we are and where we’re going as greenhouse gasses reach record levels. Have we crossed major climate tipping points? And are there positive tipping points that will help slow global warming faster than expected?

Can coral survive record ocean temperatures? Will thawing permafrost trigger runaway warming? How do we cool our cities and replenish groundwater? Watch to find out!

Examining the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana reminded me of what I wrote in NOAA predicts another above average hurricane season for 2022: "Seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Ida added to the clips I embedded in 2021 in climate and weather from ABC News, NBC News, and WeatherNation shows that the storm left 'a long-lasting legacy of loss' despite my hopes at the time." Ida's legacy of loss is lasting even longer than I feared in 2021.

Another legacy of loss from Ida was the increase in home insurance premiums, which recalls my response to PBS Terra asks 'Will Climate Change Pop the Housing Bubble?' "My answer to the question is by itself, no, but climate change is likely to make the coming real estate price drop worse, at least in places where climate-fueled weather disasters have become more common and severe." PBS mentioned higher premiums because of weather-related losses in California, Florida, and Louisiana in that video. This video shows the human toll of those higher rates.

I close by recycling another program note from 'The "dirty side" of a hurricane, explained' by Vox.

So far, this season's 18 named storms, including 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes, have borne out NOAA's 'Most Aggressive Hurricane Season Forecast On Record' for 2024, which predicted 17–25 named storms, 8–13 hurricanes, and 4–7 major hurricanes. I might revisit this and other forecasts next month. Stay tuned.

I have two more weeks to do this, so stay tuned for this year's version of 2023 is the hottest year on record and other climate and weather stories. That's when I plan on posting the follow up. As I wrote, stay tuned.

Randy Rainbow sings 'I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here'

Today's post I can share next month, which is also next year, is Randy Rainbow singing I Think I'm Gonna Hate It Here.

Parody of “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here” from ANNIE (Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin)

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow

Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz

Vocal Arrangement - Brett Boles @thebrettboles

Lead and Backing Vocals - Randy Rainbow
Piano, Synths - Michael J Moritz Jr
Drums/Engineer - Billy LaGuardia
Brass - James Canty
Winds/Reeds - Andrew Snapp

Randy quoting sources on the Right calling convicted criminal Donald Trump's picks for his incoming administration "ideologically diverse" reminds me of a line from The Blues Brothers: "Oh we got both kinds. We got Country and Western!"


Snork!

Seriously, that supposed ideological diversity probably comes from former Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., who I called cases of failing upwards. I thought I was done with both of them when they dropped out of the 2020 and 2024 Presidential contests, respectively. Instead, I could be writing about them for the next four years. Ugh. At least my readers and I have Randy and others to keep us sane. May Gabbard and RFK Jr. be like Ben Carson AKA Doctor Pyramid, about whom I ended up writing "At least you were too boring to write about for the past four [years]" after Carson's service as HUD Secretary. May we be so lucky with Gabbard and RFK Jr.

Randy's sponsor message also reminds me of what I wrote in the footnote to Randy Rainbow sings 'Look At Me, I'm MTG!'

Randy's plug of Ground News reminds me of what I wrote in Future Proof examines 'The RISE and FALL of Malls in America,' a tale of the Retail Apocalypse, "the paid promotion by Ground News reminds me that I promised a comparison and contrast between AllSides and the Media Bias Chart three years ago." I still haven't done that, but it really is time. Maybe when I make my monthly page view goal and write evergreen entries near the end of the month.

That would make a good post to share next month. Stay tuned to see if I actually write it.

CityNerd asks 'Carpool Lanes: Commuting Miracle or Enormous Waste of Space?' A driving update

I closed 'Strange Darling' leads Best Thriller Film nominees with seven nominations by noting "I have a driving update to write, since Pearl's odometer rolled over another 1,000 miles yesterday." That was on the 10th, so it's been nearly a week. Since I'm not going to write an entry about the home entertainment nominees at the Saturn Awards, I'm going to post that driving update.

Before I do, I'm sharing Ray "CityNerd" Delahanty asking Carpool Lanes: Commuting Miracle or Enormous Waste of Space?

Today we're looking at high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes -- all the permutations (occupancy restrictions, time of day restrictions, lanes vs. facilities, and HOT lanes, which allow single-occupant vehicles to buy their way into a less congested facility).

We'll go on some tangents, as usual, like how different metropolitan regions view HOV lanes differently, and how these kinds of facilities represent the dynamics of Anthony Downs' concept of "triple convergence."

CityNerd's conclusion that HOV lanes are better than nothing sums up what I wrote about the First carpool lane in Michigan as part of I-75 upgrade eight years ago.

[I]t does have something worth celebrating, a car lane. WOOD-TV mentioned it in MDOT begins 14 year project on I-75 near Detroit [dead link]: "The $90.8 million project, which stretches 18 miles, will add a carpool lane (the first in the state), resurface the highway and replace bridges among other things." That's a small thing, but it is an improvement over the current situation, which does not encourage carpooling.

I've driven on I-75 since, but haven't seen an HOV lane yet. I guess it will be in the segments that haven't been worked on yet. By that time, I might not see them, because I plan on being retired by that time, so I'll be driving less.

That's the big picture. Follow over the jump for my personal driving update.

'House of the Dragon' and 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' lead fantasy and adventure TV nominees at the Saturn Awards

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for the final installment of this series tomorrow as I cover the Fantasy and Adventure TV series nominees for the Sunday entertainment feature" to close 'From' and 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' lead horror series nominations at the Saturn Awards. Without any further ado, here are the nominees in those categories.

Best Fantasy Television Series:
Avatar: The Last Airbender
For All Mankind
House of the Dragon
Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Spiderwick Chronicles

House of the Dragon leads Best Fantasy Television Series nominees with three nominations while the rest of the nominees have only this one nomination. It's also an Emmy winner and current Golden Globe nominee, so in the absence of a Wednesday to vote for, I'm voting for it. Unless there is a surge for another nominee, so will a plurality of the rest of the electorate. Sigh.

Follow over the jump for a category that includes a nominee that examines kaiju, the same subject as nominees for fantasy and international films.

'From' and 'The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon' lead horror series nominations at the Saturn Awards

I concluded 'Alien: Romulus' leads Best Horror Film nominees at the Saturn Awards for Friday the 13th with the topic of today's post: "I'm not done with horror, as I plan on covering the horror television series and other relevant TV categories, plus an acting category I didn't include in 'Fallout' leads TV nominees plus 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards tomorrow," so here are the nominees for Best Horror Television Series."

Best Horror Television Series:
Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire
Creepshow
Evil
From
Grotesquerie
Teacup
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

From and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon are tied for first with four nominations apiece, followed by Evil and Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire with two each, then Creepshow, Grotesquerie, and Teacup with just this one. Before the nominations were announced, I was leaning towards Evil, which just finished its final season, but I'm taking a cue from the total nominations as well as what I wrote last year, "I'd have voted for From" in the absence of The Last of Us. Even so, I expect The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will win. Electorates matter.

Best Action / Thriller Television Series:
Bosch: Legacy
Cobra Kai
Found
High Potential
Presumed Innocent
True Detective: Night Country
Tulsa King

I'm including this category in today's post because of True Detective: Night Country, which has two nominations, but Cobra Kai, which my younger daughter made publicity art for when it was on YouTube, leads with three nominations. The rest of the nominees have only this one nomination. I'm voting for True Detective: Night Country, regardless of the number of nominations and my family connection to Cobra Kai.

Before I go on to the next category, I'm pleasantly surprised that High Potential earned a nomination. There were a lot of good to great action, adventure, and thriller series on television last year and I thought Elsbeth and Will Trent were better bets to be nominated, but High Potential is a lot of fun to watch. Besides, it takes place in Los Angeles, where the Saturn Awards are based, while Elsbeth and Will Trent take place and are filmed in New York City and Atlanta, respectively. Again, electorates matter.

Best Television Presentation:
Apartment 7A
Don't Move
The Fall of the House of Usher
Fargo
Ripley
Salem's Lot
The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live leads this category with five nominations, tying it with Fallout, which the Deadline report that the Saturn Awards excerpted missed — yet another omission! Fargo follows with four nominations, then The Fall of the House of Usher with three, and Apartment 7A, Don't Move, Ripley, and Salem's Lot with just this one category. IMDB lists five of these nominees as horror, while two, Fargo and Ripley, are thrillers, so this category definitely deserves to be examined today. I'm sure The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live will win, but I'm voting for Fargo.

Now for a new category that includes horror nominees.

Best Genre Comedy Television Series:
Chucky
Ghosts
Only Murders in the Building
Resident Alien
Ted
What We Do in the Shadows

Ghosts leads this category with three nominations, followed by Chucky and What We Do in the Shadows with two each, then Only Murders in the Building, Resident Alien, and Ted with only this one. The Saturn Awards nominated Chucky and What We Do in the Shadows under horror last year, while it categorized Ghosts as fantasy. That written, the Critics Choice Super Awards considered it horror, even though there's very little scary about the show. As for the rest, Only Murders in the Building is a thriller, Resident Alien is science fiction, and Ted is fantasy. As much as my wife and I love Ghosts, we love Emmy winner Only Murders in the Building more, so I'm voting for the show, which I've been hoping would earn a Saturn Awards nomination since 2021. I'm glad the Saturn Awards created this category so I could vote for it.

Follow over the jump for two television acting categories.

'Alien: Romulus' leads Best Horror Film nominees at the Saturn Awards for Friday the 13th

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for the horror nominees for Friday the 13th" to conclude 'Fallout' leads TV nominees plus 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards, so I begin with the nominees for Best Horror Film.

Best Horror Film:
A Quiet Place: Day One
Abigail
Alien: Romulus
The First Omen
In a Violent Nature
Longlegs
Smile 2

Alien: Romulus leads horror movie nominees with seven nominations, followed by Longlegs with five, Smile 2 with four, A Quiet Place: Day One and Abigail with two, and The First Omen and In a Violent Nature with just this one. Before the nominations came out, I was thinking I would vote for A Quiet Place: Day One. Now that they've been published, I think I will go with the flow and vote for Alien: Romulus, although I will note that I think its nomination here is one last domino to fall from the decision not to present a Best Superhero Film award, which led to Venom: The Last Dance being nominated as a science fiction film and Deadpool & Wolverine being nominated for Best Action/Adventure Film.

The first didn't affect my vote at all; I was going to vote for Dune: Part Two regardless. The second made me change my vote from Twisters to Deadpool & Wolverine. It probably also kept a film like The Beekeeper from being nominated. In this category, I suspect that if there had been a Best Superhero Film category, Venom: The Last Dance would have been nominated there and the sixth slot would have gone to Alien: Romulus; the Saturn Awards nominated the rest of the Aliens franchise as science fiction. The sixth Best Horror Film nominee might then have been Five Nights at Freddy's or Terrifier 3. In that scenario, I'd have been more comfortable voting for Longlegs, Smile 2, A Quiet Place: Day One, or Abigail, although I might have voted for Five Nights at Freddy's on behalf of my students, who loved and supported the video game movie. They would have approved of that vote.

Follow over the jump for a movie category that includes four horror and horror-adjacent films plus a final pair of videos for the Best Film Music category.

'Fallout' leads TV nominees plus 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards

Time to return to the Deadline report that the Saturn Awards excerpted.

On the TV side, Amazon MGM Studios’ video game adaptation Fallout was tops with five nominations: Best Science Fiction Television Series, Best Actor on Television (Walton Goggins), Best Actress on Television (Ella Purnell) and Best Guest Star on Television (Kyle MacLachlan). Amazon MGM had a leading 17 TV noms among the studios, while Disney was second with 11.

Here are Fallout's nominations.

Best Science Fiction Television Series:
3 Body Problem
The Ark
Dark Matter
Fallout
Star Trek: Discovery
Star Wars: Ahsoka

Deadline already listed four of Fallout's five nominations, the fifth being Aaron Moten for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series. It's followed by two nominations each for Dark Matter and Ahsoka, and one each for 3 Body Problem, The Ark, and Star Trek: Discovery. My personal favorite is 3 Body Problem, which I definitely thought was the best science fiction on television this year — sorry, Fallout, Star Trek, and Star Wars — but I'm sure Fallout will win.

Now for a category I covered in 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' 'Agatha All Along,' 'The Penguin,' and 'X-Men '97' — superheroes at the Saturn Awards plus more 'Star Trek' vs. 'Star Wars' at the Saturn Awards.

Best Animated Television Series or Special:
Batman: Caped Crusader
Gremlins: The Wild Batch
Kaiju No. 8
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
X-Men '97

Both Batman: Caped Crusader and X-Men '97 earned Critics' Choice Award nominations for Best Animated Series, but X-Men '97 earned an Emmy nomination and won a Gold Derby TV Award, so I think it has an advantage in this field, although Star Wars: The Bad Batch is the defending winner. I'll get to its chances, along with the TV acting nominations, when I cover science fiction TV nominees.

I may be voting for X-Men '97, but I still have Star Wars: The Bad Batch penciled in to continue the streak of Star Wars television animation winning this category.

Follow over the jump for Fallout's acting nominations.

'Strange Darling' leads Best Thriller Film nominees with seven nominations

I told my readers to "stay tuned for more Saturn Awards coverage" today, but I didn't say which category. That's because the leading nominees for Best Horror Film and Best Thriller Film each have seven nominations and I wasn't sure if I would save the horror nominees for Friday the 13th. I probably will, so thriller films it is.

Best Thriller Film:
Blink Twice
Civil War
Saltburn
Speak No Evil
Strange Darling
Wolfs

As the subject line states, Strange Darling, which is ironically the one film in this field I hadn't heard of before the Saturn Awards were announced, leads with seven nominations. Civil War has two, and the rest each only have one. Normally, I'd vote for the most mainstream choice and the political thriller, Civil War, but I'll see if Strange Darling Exclusive Trailer (2024) can persuade me.

Check out the Official Trailer for Strange Darling starring Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald!

O.K., I'm persuaded. It looks more fun and more scary than Civil War, so I'm voting for it, especially after I renewed my Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Film Academy membership this morning.

Stay tuned for more Saturn Awards coverage, although tomorrow is Gingerbread House Day and I have a driving update to write, since Pearl's odometer rolled over another 1,000 miles yesterday. Decisions, decisions.

Previous posts about the 2024-2025 Saturn Awards

• 'Dune: Part Two' leads movie nominations at the Saturn Awards
• 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' leads fantasy films at the Saturn Awards with 13 nominations
• 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' 'Agatha All Along,' 'The Penguin,' and 'X-Men '97' — superheroes at the Saturn Awards

AI researchers among those recognized on Nobel Prize Day

Happy Nobel Prize Day! Take it away, National Day Calendar!


More from the website.

On December 10th, Nobel Prize Day recognizes the annual award established by Alfred Nobel. Alfred Nobel signed his third and last will at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris on November 27, 1895. When it was opened and read after his death, the will caused a lot of controversy both in Sweden and internationally, as Nobel had left much of his wealth to establish a prize. His family opposed creating the Nobel Prize, and the prize awarders he named refused to do what he had requested in his will. It was five years before the first Nobel Prize could be awarded in 1901.
...
At the age of 17, Swedish Alfred Nobel spoke five languages fluently and became an inventor and businessman. At the time of his death on 10 December 1896, he had 355 patents worldwide – one of them was the patent on dynamite. Furthermore, he had started 87 companies all over the world. In his will, Nobel directed his enormous fortune to be used to establish prizes to award those who had done their best to benefit humankind. Each prize would recognize the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. In 1901, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the first prizes five years after Nobel's death. The committee added another prize in 1969: "The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel."
...
Each year on 10 December, a ceremony is held in Stockholm, Sweden on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. In 1901, the committee kept the first winners secret until the 10 December ceremony. Since then, the committee announces the Nobel Laureates in October each year. In December, they gather in Stockholm for the ceremony and receive their prizes from the Swedish King. The winners receive a Nobel diploma, a medal, and 10 million Swedish crowns per prize. All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, with the exception of the Peace Prize. The recipient of the Peace Prize receives the award in Oslo, Norway. (When Alfred Nobel was alive, Norway and Sweden were united under one monarch. In 1905, Norway became an independent kingdom with its own king.)

Now for this year's Nobel Prize winners from India's Down to Earth.

The prestigious Nobel Awards for the year 2024, were announced last week. As Artificial Intelligence takes the centre stage across the globe, the 2024 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to two AI & ANN researchers/experts.
Along with that, the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to an organisation of survivors of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings, highlighting the need for disarmament.
The duo — John Hopfield from Princeton University, United States and Geoffrey Hinton from the University of Toronto, Canada — have been awarded for the “foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.”
Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence and artificial neural network (ANN) — a machine learning programme designed to mimic the brain. The duo were awarded for laying the groundwork for machine learning in the 1980s which served as a prototype for the present-day advancements in artificial intelligence.

Hopfield and Hinton weren't the only winners recognized for using AI in their research.

Three scientists share the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on proteins, the molecules that drive chemical reactions and perform essential functions.
Demis Hassabis and John M Jumper from Google DeepMind have been awarded the prize for using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the three-dimensional (3D) structure of almost all known proteins. Meanwhile, David Baker from the University of Washington has been honoured for designing a new protein that does not exist in nature.

Time declared Sam Altman 2023's CEO of the Year for leading OpenAI, so this has been quite the year for AI.

I remain with an Indian source, The Hindu, to examine the Nobel prize science winners 2024 | All you need to know.

The 2024 Nobel Prizes in the sciences have recognised groundbreaking research spanning artificial intelligence, gene regulation, and protein structures.

In this video, we will look at the recipients and their contributions.

That's it for this year's winners. I plan on examining the IgNobel Prize winners on April Fools Day. In the meantime, stay tuned for more Saturn Awards coverage tomorrow.

'Deadpool & Wolverine,' 'Agatha All Along,' 'The Penguin,' and 'X-Men '97' — superheroes at the Saturn Awards

I told my readers "I'm planning on covering the Best Action Film nominees Monday" as part of my conclusion to 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' leads fantasy films at the Saturn Awards with 13 nominations. Here are the nominees for Best Action/Adventure Film.

Best Action / Adventure Film:
Argylle
Deadpool & Wolverine
Fall Guy The
Fly Me to the Moon
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Twisters

As Deadline reported and the Saturn Awards excerpted, "Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine had 10 nominations." Twisters has two, and the rest have only this one category nomination. Based on those criteria, I expect Deadpool & Wolverine will win and I'm voting for it, although I'm not entirely happy to vote for it in this category over Twisters. I was hoping to vote for each movie in separate categories. Time to revisit my predictions, beginning with one from Jason Momoa's message for World Oceans Day.

I predicted that "I'm looking for Aquaman 2 to earn a nomination at the next EMA Awards" in The 2023-2024 Environmental Media Association Awards nominees. I'm also looking forward to seeing the movie on the next Saturn Awards ballot. Too bad it's almost certain to get crushed by Deadpool & Wolverine. The Marvel streak will continue.

I griped about the change in categories in 'Dune: Part Two' leads movie nominations at the Saturn Awards.

This year, there is no Best Superhero Film category. If it still existed, it would probably have had a full field of six nominees, Deadpool & Wolverine, Venom: The Last Dance, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Joker: Folie à Deux, Madame Web, and The Marvels, so lack of superhero films is not the issue; lack of quality superhero films is. In addition to the two Saturn Awards nominees, two were good or at least O.K. films with so-so box office numbers, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Marvels, and two are likely Razzie nominees, Joker: Folie à Deux and Madame Web. I'm pretty sure both of them will be nominated for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel and one of them will almost certainly win. I suspect the Saturn Awards didn't want to recognize such mediocrity during a down year for superhero films. That didn't stop them from nominating other potential Razzie nominees, such as Megalopolis, but the absence of a superhero movie category stands out.

That foiled my prediction of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom being on the ballot. On the other hand, my prediction from Bill Maher's 'New Rule: The Great Garbage Election' plus the EMA Awards winners came true.

I also expect to see Twisters nominated for Best Action/Adventure Film at the upcoming Saturn Awards. So far, it has my vote.

Not any more, not against Deadpool & Wolverine.

While they didn't recognize Superhero Films this year, the Saturn Awards are still recognizing Superhero Television Series, so I'm doing something I haven't done since 'Birds of Prey' and 'The Flash' lead comic-book and superhero movies and television nominees — DCEU and Arrowverse at the Saturn Awards three years ago, examine superhero nominees on both the big and medium screen. Follow over the jump.

Matt Gaetz, Hunter Biden, and Juan Soto visit the Church Lady on 'SNL'

Happy Sunday! It's time for highlights of last night's Saturday Night Live beginning with Church Chat 2024 Cold Open.

Church Lady (Dana Carvey) interviews Matt Gaetz (Sarah Sherman), Hunter Biden (David Spade) and Juan Soto (Marcello Hernández).

Yes, Satan had a good year, and it's not over yet.

I haven't featured Weekend Update since 'SNL' reacts to the election and Weekend Update: Manhunt for CEO Assassin, President Biden Pardons Son Hunter shows what a busy news week it's been.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like the ongoing manhunt for the man who assassinated the CEO of United Healthcare.

I don't recall ever seeing so little sympathy for a murder victim, which SNL still managed to make light of successfully. Even so, it looks like the writers couldn't make a joke out of "deny, delay, depose," which echoes Delay, Deny, Defend, the title of a book outlining how insurance companies refuse to play claims. The killer couldn't have made his motive any clearer.

Sean "Diddy" Combs earned mentions both here and the cold open, qualifying this as the Sunday entertainment feature, and there will be more about movies over the jump, but I'm moving on to sports in the next segment, A Mom Whose Son Just Got Famous.

A mom (Heidi Gardner) whose son (Marcello Hernández) just got famous stops by Weekend Update to discuss navigating her son’s overnight success.

In case you think Heidi Gardner isn't realistic as Marcello Hernández's mother, you should see his real mom; Heidi isn't far off. Also, Marcello does a good parodic impression of an athlete, both here and in the cold open.

Follow over the jump for the rest of last night's highlights.

'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' leads fantasy films at the Saturn Awards with 13 nominations

I ended 'Dune: Part Two' leads movie nominations at the Saturn Awards with today's topic.

Stay tuned for Best Fantasy Film and Best International Film nominees tomorrow. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice vs. Godzilla!

Here are the nominees for Best Fantasy Film.

Best Fantasy Film:
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
My Old Ass
Poor Things
Wonka

As Deadline reported and the Saturn Awards excerpted, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice earned 13 nominations, followed by Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire with four, Wonka with three, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire with two, and one each for My Old Ass and Poor Things. Seeing Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire with only two nominations makes me re-evaluate what I wrote about the movie in 'Godzilla Minus One' wins two Critics Choice Super Awards plus an entertainment retrospective.

As for Godzilla Minus One, I'm looking forward to seeing it on my Saturn Awards ballot later this year, where I have it penciled in as my vote for Best International Film, along with Poor Things and The Boy and the Heron, which are my current choices for Best Fantasy Film and Best Animated Film, respectively. That written, I already think Poor Things will lose to the kaiju movie currently in theaters, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire for Best Fantasy Film. In addition Godzilla will face friendly fire, as I would not be surprised if both Godzilla Minus One and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire both earn nominations for Best Fantasy Film. Only if the kaiju fans split their votes in this category does Poor Things stand a chance of winning at the Saturn Awards, given that "the Saturn Awards are about entertainment not art, they don't care for subtle, and they love to stick it to the experts."

I can brag about all of the films I predicted would be on the Saturn Awards ballot making it there: Godzilla Minus One is nominated for Best International Film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Poor Things are nominated for Best Fantasy Film, and The Boy and the Heron earned a nomination for Best Animated Film. I think I'm also still right about Poor Things, but for the wrong reasons. It may lose to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire for Best Fantasy Film, but no one except the tabulators will know this; instead, I'm sure that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will win this award. I didn't consider it in my calculations because I wasn't sure about the eligibility period, which I figured would extend until about October 1, 2024, but didn't know Beetlejuice Beetlejuice's release date. Had I known, I might have adjusted my prediction. Speaking of release dates, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is available for streaming on Max today and my wife and I are planning on watching it. If it lives up to my expectations, I'm voting for it in this category and Jenna Ortega as Best Younger Performer in a Film.

On the other hand, I was wrong about some other predictions, but I'm not whining; I'm relieved. The movie committee did not nominate Godzilla Minus One for Best Fantasy Film, so it and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire are not competing with each other in that category. Also, they could have nominated The Boy and the Heron for Best International Film as well. They didn't, so the two Oscar winners aren't competing against each other. I think the selection committee made the right decisions, so I'm not complaining.

Since I mentioned both Best International Film and Best Animated Film, follow over the jump for the nominees in those categories and my opinions of them.

'Dune: Part Two' leads movie nominations at the Saturn Awards

I expected to be busy with the Saturn Awards later this month. Later turned out to be now.

Tentpoles Dune: Part Two, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Deadpool & Wolverine and TV series including Fallout and Agatha All Along lead nominations for the 52nd Saturn Awards, which recognize the year’s best genre movies and series.

Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two topped the overall noms list with 14 including Best Science Fiction Film and acting noms for Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya among others, followed by studio stablemate Beetlejuice 2 with 13 noms including Best Fantasy Film; Warner Bros topped all studios with 35 noms.

Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine had 10 nominations.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films published that excerpt from Deadline yesterday after announcing the nominations on their main website Wednesday, where they also declared voting had opened and would close December 15th. Time to get cracking on covering these awards, beginning with Best Science Fiction Film!

Best Science Fiction Film:
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Megalopolis
Venom: The Last Dance

As the Deadline excerpt above stated and I double-checked, Dune: Part Two earned 14 nominations to lead not only science fiction films, but all movie nominees. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ranked second with eight nominations, followed by The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes with five, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga with three, and Megalopolis and Venom: The Last Dance with one each. Those totals alone make Dune: Part Two the favorite to win this category. I already penciled this movie in as my vote in this category and its lead in nominations just made me ink it in.

Speaking of double-checking, I wanted to see if Deadline not including 20th Century Studios and Searchlight productions in Disney's total nominations would have had an effect. It didn't; all Disney properties together have 28 movie nominations. Warner Brothers still leads with 35 film nominations. That's one less error than usual.

Before I go on to the rest of Dune: Part Two's nominations, I'm making an observation about the inclusion of Venom: The Last Dance among science fiction film nominees. It's a comic-book/superhero movie, and would usually have been in that category. This year, there is no Best Superhero Film category. If it still existed, it would probably have had a full field of six nominees, Deadpool & Wolverine, Venom: The Last Dance, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Joker: Folie à Deux, Madame Web, and The Marvels, so lack of superhero films is not the issue; lack of quality superhero films is. In addition to the two Saturn Awards nominees, two were good or at least O.K. films with so-so box office numbers, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and The Marvels, and two are likely Razzie nominees, Joker: Folie à Deux and Madame Web. I'm pretty sure both of them will be nominated for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel and one of them will almost certainly win. I suspect the Saturn Awards didn't want to recognize such mediocrity during a down year for superhero films. That didn't stop them from nominating other potential Razzie nominees, such as Megalopolis, but the absence of a superhero movie category stands out.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for Dune: Part Two and the other science fiction films.

Colbert on Ron DeSantis possibly replacing Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary nominee

Yesterday, I covered Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow reacting to the Hunter Biden pardon. Today, it's Stephen Colbert's monologue, Trump Considers DeSantis Over Hegseth | Zuckerberg Dines At Mar-A-Lago | South Korea’s Six Hour Coup.

President-elect Trump's support for his Defense Secretary nominee may be teetering as Pete Hegseth's colleagues at Fox News say he frequently showed up drunk at work, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is working to gain influence in Trump's incoming administration, and Stephen looks into the wild details of an attempted coup by South Korea's president.

I think that Ron DeSantis becoming Secretary of Defense, like the nominations of Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr., to be a case of failing upwards. To be fair, it would also be like Pam Bondi replacing Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, an improvement, someone terrible but at least competent replacing someone terrible who also has no qualifications beyond loyalty. I'm sure I'll have more to say about all of them in the future.

In the meantime, I want to riff off of Stephen's final topic, which didn't make either the title or description, airline travel. I know what Delta One is like, as the final flight I took before the pandemic was first class flying Delta to the final in-person board meeting of the Coffee Party. That happened because I waited too long to book a flight, during which time the cost of a coach ticket rose to within $100 of a first-class seat. For $100 more, I flew first class. I have to admit, it spoiled me, although I got a blood clot in my leg, which wasn't diagnosed until I was hospitalized for diabetes, but that's a story for another day. ETA: I got confused yesterday because of having to rush out the door; the blood clot happened two years earlier. Flying first class was part of the solution to that problem.

Speaking of fanciful airline safety videos, I'm surprised Stephen, who is a Lord of the Rings fan, didn't mention Air New Zealand's. Watch The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made #AirNZSafetyVideo to see what I mean.

As the official airline of Middle-earth, Air New Zealand has gone all out to celebrate the third and final film in The Hobbit Trilogy - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Starring Elijah Wood and Sir Peter Jackson; we're thrilled to unveil The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made. #airnzhobbit

Special cameos by Sylvester McCoy, Dean O’Gorman and Weta Workshop co-founder Sir Richard Taylor. Directed by Taika Waititi.

Check out the Air New Zealand Facebook page to see behind the scenes pics from ‘The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made’ and see firsthand Hollywood stars on the set of Middle-earth including Elijah Wood, Sylvester McCoy, Dean O’Gorman, John Rhys-Davies (as Gimli) and New Zealand’s own Sir Peter Jackson.

As Sir Peter said, "That's a wrap. I hope you enjoyed it."

Jon Stewart and Rachel Maddow react to the Hunter Biden pardon

I told my readers to "Stay tuned for topical non-holiday programming..." I'm following through with Jon Stewart's monologue from Monday, Trump Nominates Kash Patel for Head of FBI & Hunter Biden’s Last Minute Pardon, on The Daily Show.

Jon Stewart on Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Biden’s last-minute pardon for his son Hunter, and how Democrats can't seem to hold the high ground no matter how low Republicans sink.

While Stewart succeeded in finding the comedy in this news, I don't completely agree with him about the hypocrisy in it. I also think that the announcement of Kash Patel's nomination for a position that isn't open yet — Christopher Wray's term doesn't expire for another three years — and Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter are more closely connected than he lets on. Patel might just have gone after Hunter even after he had gone to prison just to please convicted criminal Donald Trump. I have more to say, but Rachel Maddow said it better in Trump's shameless abuse of pardons, nepotism disqualifies him from criticizing Biden pardon on MSNBC.

Rachel Maddow looks at Donald Trump's shameless abuse of the presidential pardon power and the disgraceful level of nepotism in the early staffing of his second administration, in comparison to President Biden's pardoning of his son, Hunter, to spare him further politically motivated prosecution by Trump's acolytes.

Looking at the list of people Trump has pardoned reminds me of what I first wrote in MSNBC examines Project 2025, part 1: "Jailbirds of a feather flock together."

Giving Tuesday in Michigan 2024

Happy Giving Tuesday! Since this is a Michigan-based blog and I believe in shopping local, I also believe in giving local. To that end, I'm sharing three local news reports from the Great Lakes State about the day, beginning with WILX News 10's Giving Tuesday tips to avoid scammers.

Giving Tuesday donations can mean a lot for local charities.

Not only do I believe in giving locally, I believe in giving safely and effectively.

Moving to the west side of the state, I'm sharing Fox 17 WXMI asking and answering Giving Tuesday? One movement is opening doors to impact Grand Rapids nonprofits.


That was fun and informative, but let's see how long it remains here, as WXMI disabled embedding on the video I used for Cyber Monday. Enough of that and I'll stop using their YouTube uploads, just like I did WXYZ's. Instead, I use WDIV's clips, like Tips to avoid holiday-season scams in Metro Detroit.

[Here] are some tips to avoid holiday-season scams in Metro Detroit.

Good advice from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

If my readers want to give nationally instead of locally to affect the political environment, I can vouch for the organizations that belong to Bridge Alliance, since I'm a volunteer for them. One of them, the 92nd Street Y, created Giving Tuesday!

This concludes the long holiday weekend. Stay tuned for topical non-holiday programming tomorrow.

Shop safely online for Cyber Monday plus Black Friday sales figures

Happy Cyber Monday! I'm kicking off today's celebration of online shopping by sharing WUSA9 warning its viewers to Shield Yourself: 'Cyber Monday' Cybersecurity Protection Tips.

WUSA9 interviewed Lance Hoffman, founder of GWU's Cyber Security Institute, about protecting personal identities during online shopping.

All good advice. FOX 17 WXMI had more, along with some consumer horror stories, in HOW TO SHOP SAFELY online ahead of Cyber Monday.

According to the National Retail Federation, 57% of people are heading to the web to buy gifts. Norton created a cyber safety checklist ahead of Cyber Monday, which shoppers should look over it before Monday.

Don't be like Caroline Richards before she fell victim to a scam; be like her now, as she's much more vigilant about who she buys from online.

10 Tampa Bay had the number one result when I searched for this topic, Cyber security expert urges caution amid rise in holiday shopping scams.

The busy holiday shopping season is upon us as Black Friday, the busiest day of the year for in-person shopping, gives way to Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and the on-going "retail rush" before the holidays.

On Friday, crowds flooded the International Plaza in Tampa to try to score deals.

Again, more good advice, plus some person on the street (well, in the mall) interviews that added more action. They also provided a segue to checking the Black Friday sales figures I promised on Small Business Saturday as WCNC reported Black Friday results in record-setting shopping numbers with Cyber Monday still ahead.

Estimates show around $11 billion was spent online during Black Friday.

One trillion dollars in holiday sales for the U.S. might just happen. I might check the total holiday sales figures at the end of the month, but I think I will be busy with my end of year retrospectives and probably the Saturn Awards nominees then. May you stay tuned for those, but first return to read about Giving Tuesday as I complete the extra-long holiday weekend.

WatchMojo recounts 'The Heartbreaking Life of Freddie Mercury' for World AIDS Day

I promised "a special observance of World AIDS Day as the Sunday entertainment feature," and I'm following through with WatchMojo recounting The Heartbreaking Life of Freddie Mercury.

The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Come along as we take a closer look at the story of this legendary singer, musician and performer, including the many challenges and hardships he weathered before being taken too soon. Our video includes Freddie’s struggle to be taken seriously as an artist, his issues with substance abuse, his battle with AIDS, and more! What do YOU think is the most heartbreaking thing about Freddie Mercury’s life? Let us know in the comments!

I've called WatchMojo's videos "high-quality, well-researched clickbait that is worth sharing" and this video exceeded even that standard. I learned a lot about Mercury from this video, including his being born in Zanzibar and his having extra teeth in his mouth. As I'm fond of writing, "it's always a good day when I learn something new, which makes today a good day."

WatchMojo's Top 10 Facts You Never Knew About Freddie Mercury is more the channel's style.

He’s one of the all-time greats, but how much do you really know about this ‘80s musical icon? Did you know that Freddie Mercury wasn't his real name? Or that he actually had more teeth than most people? WatchMojo is counting down the things you never knew about Freddie Mercury.

I learned even more from this video, as light-hearted and trivial as it is. One of the facts was Mercury being David Bowie's roadie. While the Wikipedia entry for "Under Pressure" makes no mention of this connection, it makes for an irresistible transition to Under Pressure - Annie Lennox & David Bowie from Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992.


What chemistry!

That concludes today's tribute to an entertainer taken away too early by AIDS. Stay tuned for Cyber Monday followed by Giving Tuesday to complete the extra-long holiday weekend.

Local news covers shopping small and local for Small Business Saturday

Happy Small Business Saturday! I begin today's celebration with WPIX11 News in New York, which interviewed Marlene Cintron, the regional director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, who explained Small Business Saturday: Impact of shopping local.

Nearly 200,000 small businesses are based in New York City.

Marlene Cintron, the regional director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, talks about how Small Business Saturday impacts vital mom-and-pop shops on PIX11 Morning News.

Cintron provided a good overview. WESH 2 News in Orlando added some numbers in Small Business Saturday: Shoppers favor local stores over big retailers.


Here are the numbers, which show that more people are planning on shopping small and local this year than ten years ago.


The campaign is working, so good job to the people and organizations promoting Small Business Saturday and to the consumers, who are doing something sustainable at the intersection of society and economy!

I return to the Big Apple for more numbers from CBS New York reporting Black Friday, Small Business Saturday kick off holiday shopping season.

The National Retail Federation predicts sales this holiday shopping season could hit nearly $1 trillion. As CBS News New York's Alecia Reid reports, a record number of people are expected to shop online and in stores over the next couple days.

One trillion dollars — wow! I won't know if that happens until after Christmas, but I plan on checking sales figures on Cyber Monday.

I would usually stop here and tell my readers to stay tuned, but this is a Metro-Detroit-based blog, so I'm sharing CBS Detroit telling its viewers to Shop in Wyandotte for Small Business Saturday as an encore.

Kick off your holiday shopping in Wyandotte for Small Business Saturday.

I'm not going to drive down to Wyandotte today, but I will be shopping at a nearly small business, which is holding a sale on pet supplies today for Small Business Saturday. I am literally putting my money where my mouth (or my fingers typing on my keyboard) is!

That concludes November's blogging. Stay tuned for three more holidays, a special observance of World AIDS Day as the Sunday entertainment feature, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday to kick off December. I love holidays!

Company Man explains 'Walmart - Why They're Hated' for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day

I promised a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day and I'm sort of delivering by sharing Company Man explaining Walmart - Why They're Hated.

Walmart has received a lot of criticism and hatred over the years. This video attempts to explain some of the biggest reasons behind it.

Here's Company Man Mike's list.


Walmart was the subject of the first and second Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day posts on this blog as well as probably the first Earth Day post here, so it was about time I return to this old but evergreen topic.

While Company Man Mike didn't include low customer satisfaction in his list, he certainly did mention it, implicating unhappy employees as the cause. He also showed the following graph, which ranked Walmart last.



Costco treats its employees well while offering a great shopping experience, so I'm not surprised it's in first. My wife and I would shop there more often if it had a closer location and we ever needed to buy in bulk. On the other hand, the last time I shopped at a Walmart was with my ex-girlfriend in Canada and that was because Target hadn't expanded north of the border yet.* Before that, I shopped at a U.S. Walmart once and didn't like it. I returned to Target.

I'm one of those who call Target "Tar-zhay" and shop there regularly, helping contribute the demise of both Sears and KMart. As I wrote once on my Facebook page, "between Walmart and KMart, I shop at Target."

Too bad my informal boycott hasn't hurt Walmart.

Finally, I'm planning on addressing Walmart's effect on small businesses indirectly tomorrow, when I celebrate Small Business Saturday tomorrow to continue the long holiday weekend. Stay tuned.

*When it did, it failed. That's a story for another Retail Apocalypse post and I have a Bright Sun Films video about it for a Wayback Wednesday/Throwback Thursday/Flashback Friday post next year.